A/N: Thanks to my beta Azzie for looking this over for me! I hope to get back on more regular updates from now on, but I also realize that something comes up every time I say that :/ So thank you readers for sticking with me!
Learning to Love:
Chapter Nine: Hope:
The unlikely pair sat staring into the dying flames for a long time before Severus stirred slightly. He glanced over at Rose, realizing that her mind had grown quiet, and noted that she had indeed fallen asleep on his shoulder—and as he moved, her head slipped until it was ready to fall, which would undoubtedly wake her. Sighing softly, he shifted her gently so that she slept with her head in his lap once more, and watched amusedly as she reassumed her position from before, curling up against his side contentedly. Almost like a cat. Although he did not harbor any positive feelings towards the animals, he thought Rose's gesture sweet and innocent.
She needs a place to rest, well, it doesn't bother me too much. he admitted to himself. The girl was usually quiet, and such outbursts of grief like the past day were rare. Once one held in their emotions for that long, both positive and negative, those emotions mixed together to form a darkness stronger than any magic, which, unless released, would spoil a soul from the inside out. He was just glad Rose had escaped such a fate, even if it meant him having to play the part of her pillow for the rest of his life.
He waited patiently until he dozed off, thoughts swirling around his head that refused to be quieted—so he simply shoved them into a dark corner of his mind in order to rest. Eventually, he opened his eyes to complete darkness. The fire had gone out, and Rose's small form was shuddering against him, both from the cold and, as he swam up towards consciousness, he realized she was having a nightmare. It was so traumatizing for her he could not get a full picture, just pain and fear and a man's voice, rough and angry. That alone scared him, and he shook the young teen's shoulder frantically.
"Rose! Rose! Wake up!" he hissed desperately. Tears covered her face, as he saw once he relit the fire, letting the warmth seep across the room towards her as he focused solely on waking the poor girl.
She finally stirred after a minute or two, shuddering in fear. It took another few minutes to make her calm down, but once she did, he sat waiting quietly. He knew better than to ask. She would tell him what she was comfortable with him knowing in her own time.
"It was similar for me. My dad always blamed me for my mom's death, my stepmom never liked me much, and I spent a lot of time alone. I did everything alone, almost. Except for my friends. But there was only so much they could do for me. I didn't eat, I couldn't sleep. I still have nightmares. I ran away from home once, but that only made things worse." She drifted off into thought once more, and the only thing he could do was sit with her and offer silent comfort. Severus understood her need for peace well. Whereas his tale was so long ago it had become easy to tell, as the details and pain faded over the years, her scars were raw and fresh, possibly still bleeding. It would take much more effort on her part to talk, and then to heal.
But it was possible. He had hope on his side.
