Snape was having another bad day. From his classroom being full of bumbling fools who were too caught up in holidays to pay attention to his lecture, to that stupid little girl appearing on the doorstep with a pair of scissors in her arm; all in all it had been a very irritating day. Furthermore, not one of the staff could identify the sleeping child in the hospital wing.
And somehow, he had been given the duty of watching her tonight while she slept. In case she awakened, he was to alert the Headmaster. Except that this child seemed content to sleep the night away. Perhaps content was not the right word. Her face was scrunched up, and she kept trying to burrow beneath the covers, as if hiding. Abruptly she sat straight up.
"Mummy!" Silently watching her look around in confusion, Snape observed the girl's reaction to being in a strange place. Apparently, she was scared, because she hugged herself around her middle.
"You are not in danger, so I suggest you stop being so frightened, and start concentrating on telling us exactly what you are doing here," he drawled. She started at the sound of his voice, but upon seeing him, she relaxed. Odd, no one ever relaxed in his presence.
"Please, I am looking for Albus Dumbledore," she said softly. "Do you know who he is?"
"Of course I do, silly girl. Stay here, Miss. . . What is your name?"
"Name?" the girl repeated. It took all of his willpower not to strangle her.
"Yes, your name. What others yell at you to retain your attention." A look of dawning realization appeared on her tiny features, and she uttered a word that would make a sailor blush with shame.
"That is not amusing in the slightest!" Snape growled. The girl looked hurt.
"But that is what. . . he calls me."
"And who would call a child such a thing?" Snape demanded. Oh, how well did he know.
"My. . . father," she spat out, as if the word tasted bad. After a swift moment's thought, he gave her a nod, and went to fetch the Headmaster. He paused once to tell Madam Pomfrey that her patient was awake.
When he returned, Madam Pomfrey was coaxing her to drink some hot chocolate. Dumbledore sat in the chair by the girl, and Snape chose to stand behind him, arms folded across his chest. Madam Pomfrey shook her head at him, and gave him a wink.
"Now, my dear, I was informed you were looking for me. What is your name?"
"I don't know," the girl told Dumbledore, before Snape could interrupt and tell her that what she had said earlier was not a name. Smart girl.
"I see. And why did you come to see me? I don't think you are a witch, judging by your confusion at what a spell was."
"I came to see you because you're the only person my father hates." It was amazing how much loathing one tiny girl could push into a single word.
"An interesting choice, my child. And your father is?" At this, the girl clutched at the blankets and repeated the name very softly. Snape raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"That thing cannot reproduce," he snarled. Dumbledore held up a hand, effectively silencing.
"Mummy told me he wasn't what he said, before he. . ." the child bit her lip, and Dumbledore patted her shoulder.
"It's all right Jane. I know Amy would have wanted you to know the truth."
"Jane?" Snape asked incredulously.
"You are Jane," Dumbledore told the girl with a firmness that brooked no argument. "Your mother was Amy Grey, and that man is not your father. Your father, I am afraid, is missing."
"Oh. What does that mean?" the newly christened Jane asked.
"That means we do not know where he is. Until today, you were missing as well. Although, I daresay Fudge is not going to be happy about this."
"Candy?" Jane asked, her little face scrunched up into a cute frown. Wait a minute. Since when did Snape think anyone was cute?
"If only," Madam Pomfrey murmured, a bit too loudly. Dumbledore laughed, and chided her,
"Now, now Poppy. Don't confuse the child further. Jane, dear, I suppose we should teach you a few things. Can you read?"
"Read? You mean. . . letters?" At Dumbledore's encouraging nod, she shook her head. "My mummy taught me some, but only little words. Out of this."
She brought out a tiny book. Without a wand, and in front of the startled wizards and mediwitch, she enlarged it. Snape could see it was well-worn, and certainly old. The lack of title told him it was either a bible, or some sort of family album. Dumbledore took it, and opened it to the first page. It was a bible, and Severus knew it was a family bible, considering the family tree on the first few pages.
Jane looked at it briefly, and placed a finger on the last name in the book. That would be her name. Suddenly, the little girl felt for a bookmark, and turned quite a few pages. She paused, her finger scanning down the page, looking for the familiar words.
"The Lord is my shepard, I shall not be in want. . . he makes me. . . lie down in green pastures. . . he leads me be-beside the quite-er, quiet waters, he restores my. . ." Jane paused, staring down at the word in perplexation.
"Soul, dear," Albus told her gently. "The twenty-third psalm, if I am not mistaken?"
"Mummy liked it. She taught it to me. . . I forgetted most of it. But I remember it when I read it again."
"A good poem, that. Now, Miss Grey-"
"What? I don't understand that." Jane wore that now familiar confused expression. At least, Snape thought, she is not afraid to admit she does not understand.
"Which part? Oh, of course. 'Miss Grey' is the polite form of your name. You have two names: Jane (your first name), and Grey (your last name). Jane is what your friends call you. Miss Grey is a more polite term, used by those who are not as close."
"Can't you call me Jane?" she asked, curious. Her gaze flicked over to Snape-or was that just his imagination?
"If you wish, I can do that. But, Jane, you must realize that you have no guardian to take care of you-"
"A guardian? Is that like a guardian angel?"
"A bit, yes. Your guardian will provide the necessities for you: clothes, food, a room of your own, and will arrange a way for you to get a good education. Letter and numbers," Dumbledore told Jane with a smile. She looked surprised. Snape was not. This was most likely the biggest display of generosity she had ever had bestowed upon her.
"Without a guardian, however, you are without protection. And Fudge- he is a very important man- will attempt to decide your future. If you can find someone. . . Or perhaps, know someone?"
Jane studied the blanket in her lap. In a glance, Snape knew she had never known anyone outside of whatever hell she had come from. It would be a waste to send her away- No, more than a waste. The girl was brilliant, that much was obvious. And she was brave enough to fight her way out of the hell MacNair had created for her.
"I will take her in," Snape offered. Dumbledore looked amused, but Madam Pomfrey looked mortified.
"Severus, you can't possibly know the first thing about-"
"I think," Dumbledore began, just a bit too loudly, "That that is an excellent idea. That is, of course, if Jane does not mind."
"Mind?" Jane asked, and Snape explained in tone much more gentle than he would normally use,
"He means would you rather not live with me? It is all right to say no," he added.
"I don't. . . mind," Jane said, with a smile for herself. Her looks improved a great deal with that little smile.
"Well, that makes things much easier. Severus do you have a place for her to stay?"
"There is the disused guest room," he acknowledged. Dumbledore nodded.
"I will have the house elves fix it up, so that she might sleep there tonight. Poppy, can you make a note of her vitals? Fudge will want to know as much as he can about her."
"Fine," Madam Pomfrey grated.
Severus privately wondered what had made him volunteer to be the guardian for a small child. Brilliance and courage aside, this was a child. Something he had an extreme aversion to. At least she seemed to know where to draw the line and be silent.
And somehow, he had been given the duty of watching her tonight while she slept. In case she awakened, he was to alert the Headmaster. Except that this child seemed content to sleep the night away. Perhaps content was not the right word. Her face was scrunched up, and she kept trying to burrow beneath the covers, as if hiding. Abruptly she sat straight up.
"Mummy!" Silently watching her look around in confusion, Snape observed the girl's reaction to being in a strange place. Apparently, she was scared, because she hugged herself around her middle.
"You are not in danger, so I suggest you stop being so frightened, and start concentrating on telling us exactly what you are doing here," he drawled. She started at the sound of his voice, but upon seeing him, she relaxed. Odd, no one ever relaxed in his presence.
"Please, I am looking for Albus Dumbledore," she said softly. "Do you know who he is?"
"Of course I do, silly girl. Stay here, Miss. . . What is your name?"
"Name?" the girl repeated. It took all of his willpower not to strangle her.
"Yes, your name. What others yell at you to retain your attention." A look of dawning realization appeared on her tiny features, and she uttered a word that would make a sailor blush with shame.
"That is not amusing in the slightest!" Snape growled. The girl looked hurt.
"But that is what. . . he calls me."
"And who would call a child such a thing?" Snape demanded. Oh, how well did he know.
"My. . . father," she spat out, as if the word tasted bad. After a swift moment's thought, he gave her a nod, and went to fetch the Headmaster. He paused once to tell Madam Pomfrey that her patient was awake.
When he returned, Madam Pomfrey was coaxing her to drink some hot chocolate. Dumbledore sat in the chair by the girl, and Snape chose to stand behind him, arms folded across his chest. Madam Pomfrey shook her head at him, and gave him a wink.
"Now, my dear, I was informed you were looking for me. What is your name?"
"I don't know," the girl told Dumbledore, before Snape could interrupt and tell her that what she had said earlier was not a name. Smart girl.
"I see. And why did you come to see me? I don't think you are a witch, judging by your confusion at what a spell was."
"I came to see you because you're the only person my father hates." It was amazing how much loathing one tiny girl could push into a single word.
"An interesting choice, my child. And your father is?" At this, the girl clutched at the blankets and repeated the name very softly. Snape raised an incredulous eyebrow.
"That thing cannot reproduce," he snarled. Dumbledore held up a hand, effectively silencing.
"Mummy told me he wasn't what he said, before he. . ." the child bit her lip, and Dumbledore patted her shoulder.
"It's all right Jane. I know Amy would have wanted you to know the truth."
"Jane?" Snape asked incredulously.
"You are Jane," Dumbledore told the girl with a firmness that brooked no argument. "Your mother was Amy Grey, and that man is not your father. Your father, I am afraid, is missing."
"Oh. What does that mean?" the newly christened Jane asked.
"That means we do not know where he is. Until today, you were missing as well. Although, I daresay Fudge is not going to be happy about this."
"Candy?" Jane asked, her little face scrunched up into a cute frown. Wait a minute. Since when did Snape think anyone was cute?
"If only," Madam Pomfrey murmured, a bit too loudly. Dumbledore laughed, and chided her,
"Now, now Poppy. Don't confuse the child further. Jane, dear, I suppose we should teach you a few things. Can you read?"
"Read? You mean. . . letters?" At Dumbledore's encouraging nod, she shook her head. "My mummy taught me some, but only little words. Out of this."
She brought out a tiny book. Without a wand, and in front of the startled wizards and mediwitch, she enlarged it. Snape could see it was well-worn, and certainly old. The lack of title told him it was either a bible, or some sort of family album. Dumbledore took it, and opened it to the first page. It was a bible, and Severus knew it was a family bible, considering the family tree on the first few pages.
Jane looked at it briefly, and placed a finger on the last name in the book. That would be her name. Suddenly, the little girl felt for a bookmark, and turned quite a few pages. She paused, her finger scanning down the page, looking for the familiar words.
"The Lord is my shepard, I shall not be in want. . . he makes me. . . lie down in green pastures. . . he leads me be-beside the quite-er, quiet waters, he restores my. . ." Jane paused, staring down at the word in perplexation.
"Soul, dear," Albus told her gently. "The twenty-third psalm, if I am not mistaken?"
"Mummy liked it. She taught it to me. . . I forgetted most of it. But I remember it when I read it again."
"A good poem, that. Now, Miss Grey-"
"What? I don't understand that." Jane wore that now familiar confused expression. At least, Snape thought, she is not afraid to admit she does not understand.
"Which part? Oh, of course. 'Miss Grey' is the polite form of your name. You have two names: Jane (your first name), and Grey (your last name). Jane is what your friends call you. Miss Grey is a more polite term, used by those who are not as close."
"Can't you call me Jane?" she asked, curious. Her gaze flicked over to Snape-or was that just his imagination?
"If you wish, I can do that. But, Jane, you must realize that you have no guardian to take care of you-"
"A guardian? Is that like a guardian angel?"
"A bit, yes. Your guardian will provide the necessities for you: clothes, food, a room of your own, and will arrange a way for you to get a good education. Letter and numbers," Dumbledore told Jane with a smile. She looked surprised. Snape was not. This was most likely the biggest display of generosity she had ever had bestowed upon her.
"Without a guardian, however, you are without protection. And Fudge- he is a very important man- will attempt to decide your future. If you can find someone. . . Or perhaps, know someone?"
Jane studied the blanket in her lap. In a glance, Snape knew she had never known anyone outside of whatever hell she had come from. It would be a waste to send her away- No, more than a waste. The girl was brilliant, that much was obvious. And she was brave enough to fight her way out of the hell MacNair had created for her.
"I will take her in," Snape offered. Dumbledore looked amused, but Madam Pomfrey looked mortified.
"Severus, you can't possibly know the first thing about-"
"I think," Dumbledore began, just a bit too loudly, "That that is an excellent idea. That is, of course, if Jane does not mind."
"Mind?" Jane asked, and Snape explained in tone much more gentle than he would normally use,
"He means would you rather not live with me? It is all right to say no," he added.
"I don't. . . mind," Jane said, with a smile for herself. Her looks improved a great deal with that little smile.
"Well, that makes things much easier. Severus do you have a place for her to stay?"
"There is the disused guest room," he acknowledged. Dumbledore nodded.
"I will have the house elves fix it up, so that she might sleep there tonight. Poppy, can you make a note of her vitals? Fudge will want to know as much as he can about her."
"Fine," Madam Pomfrey grated.
Severus privately wondered what had made him volunteer to be the guardian for a small child. Brilliance and courage aside, this was a child. Something he had an extreme aversion to. At least she seemed to know where to draw the line and be silent.