"Did you have any siblings?" Fudge asked.
"Any what?" Jane asked.
Privately Severus was amused. The Minister looked as if he had reached the end of his rope. Eight years without human conversation had left Jane with a large deficit in her vocabulary. However, Jane was clever enough to catch on within the first good explanation. Mentally, he emphasized the good.
"Siblings are those who are born to you from the same mother, or father," he told Jane calmly.
"Not any living ones," she told Fudge. Now it was Fudge's turn to question,
"Any what?"
"He killed the one my mother was going to have when he killed her. He ripped him right out. The he threw him at me."
Severus clutched the arm of his chair. To hear this little child so calmly state an act of cold murder. . . Gods, but it hurt him. No wonder she stayed close only to himself and Dumbledore. He had been her rescuer, and Dumbledore was an enemy of the man who done this. Fudge was staring at Jane, mouth hanging open wide. However, the Auror at his side had no problems with the details.
"And I would presume he is also the one who gave you that scar?" she asked, her own voice as devoid of emotion as Jane's had been. The scar the Auror was referring to was a faint line that ran from Jane's left temple to her chin.
"I think so. Mummy said he did. She used to show me each one, and tell me to remember all of them, because I'd have to tell someone about it someday. . . We'd talk until it didn't hurt as much. . . When she died, I couldn't talk to her anymore. . . I mean, her body was there, but. . ."
"Talking to a corpse is the same as talking to a wall," the Auror reasoned. "I think that is enough for tonight Jane."
When the Auror and Minister stood, Severus stood as well. Jane had been standing the entire time. After a whole day of sitting and waiting, Jane had asked to stand up for the proceedings. He had been most amused to hear her tell the Minister that her "bum" hurt, and she wanted to give it a rest.
"Jane?" he asked her quietly, in a tone only she would be able to hear. She embraced his leg, burying her face in the black fabric, and hiding inside his robes.
"Well, goodnight. Albus. Severus. Jane," Fudge added, as an afterthought. He was gone quickly. The Auror, however, waited for him to disappear.
"Jane, I am sure you will hear this often, but I want to tell it to you. You are a very strong person. Your mother was brave and wise, and she would be proud of you. I know I am."
"Thank you. . . What's your name?" Jane asked.
"Call me Owena," the Auror told her with a smile. She bowed to all three of them in turn, and followed Fudge out.
"Ah, finished just in time for dinner. Will you be attending in the Great Hall, Severus?"
"Since Jane is not yet allowed to come, no. Are you hungry, Jane?" Severus asked as an afterthought.
"A little. But mostly tired. . . 'Spread butter on me, I'm toast,' " she recited with a yawn. That earned her a chuckle from the Headmaster.
"I see you have been speaking with Professor McGonagall. Well, I will bid you good night then, Jane. Sleep well."
"Thank you. You too," Jane said. She reached up and took Severus's hand, and he lead her back down into the dungeons.
It had been two weeks since Jane had escaped from MacNair. Fudge, in his ridiculous way, still refused to believe that MacNair had anything to do with Jane. Owena, on the other hand. . . Snape smirked. The "Auror" knew better than anyone exactly what was going on. That was her talent, and she used it well.
He opened the door for Jane, and as he watched her preceed him, he wondered who it was she reminded of. Her mother had looked nothing like Jane did. Jane had soft sandy hair- nearly red, and gentle brown eyes. Amy had had midnight hair and deep blue eyes. They were so far apart that the only thing they shared was the same nose. Who was it Jane resembled?
"What do you want for dinner?" Severus asked before remembering that Jane knew little about food.
"What you have," Jane told him. She curled up in a chair in front of the fireplace. Taking a hint, he lit the fire with a flick of his wand. Studying her for a moment, he asked,
"How did you learn to do magic, Jane?"
"I watched them. MacNair and his. . . what do you call them?"
"Accomplices. So, if I showed you how to do something, you think you could do it?"
"Maybe. I couldn't do the bad ones. The ones that hurt people." Jane went silent, watching the flames. Severus knew she was thinking of her mother, and the baby that had died. She looked at him suddenly.
"Can you?"
"Yes," he answered. Jane studied him for a long time. He was relieved when the house elves appeared with dinner. Damn, but she was smart.
"Any what?" Jane asked.
Privately Severus was amused. The Minister looked as if he had reached the end of his rope. Eight years without human conversation had left Jane with a large deficit in her vocabulary. However, Jane was clever enough to catch on within the first good explanation. Mentally, he emphasized the good.
"Siblings are those who are born to you from the same mother, or father," he told Jane calmly.
"Not any living ones," she told Fudge. Now it was Fudge's turn to question,
"Any what?"
"He killed the one my mother was going to have when he killed her. He ripped him right out. The he threw him at me."
Severus clutched the arm of his chair. To hear this little child so calmly state an act of cold murder. . . Gods, but it hurt him. No wonder she stayed close only to himself and Dumbledore. He had been her rescuer, and Dumbledore was an enemy of the man who done this. Fudge was staring at Jane, mouth hanging open wide. However, the Auror at his side had no problems with the details.
"And I would presume he is also the one who gave you that scar?" she asked, her own voice as devoid of emotion as Jane's had been. The scar the Auror was referring to was a faint line that ran from Jane's left temple to her chin.
"I think so. Mummy said he did. She used to show me each one, and tell me to remember all of them, because I'd have to tell someone about it someday. . . We'd talk until it didn't hurt as much. . . When she died, I couldn't talk to her anymore. . . I mean, her body was there, but. . ."
"Talking to a corpse is the same as talking to a wall," the Auror reasoned. "I think that is enough for tonight Jane."
When the Auror and Minister stood, Severus stood as well. Jane had been standing the entire time. After a whole day of sitting and waiting, Jane had asked to stand up for the proceedings. He had been most amused to hear her tell the Minister that her "bum" hurt, and she wanted to give it a rest.
"Jane?" he asked her quietly, in a tone only she would be able to hear. She embraced his leg, burying her face in the black fabric, and hiding inside his robes.
"Well, goodnight. Albus. Severus. Jane," Fudge added, as an afterthought. He was gone quickly. The Auror, however, waited for him to disappear.
"Jane, I am sure you will hear this often, but I want to tell it to you. You are a very strong person. Your mother was brave and wise, and she would be proud of you. I know I am."
"Thank you. . . What's your name?" Jane asked.
"Call me Owena," the Auror told her with a smile. She bowed to all three of them in turn, and followed Fudge out.
"Ah, finished just in time for dinner. Will you be attending in the Great Hall, Severus?"
"Since Jane is not yet allowed to come, no. Are you hungry, Jane?" Severus asked as an afterthought.
"A little. But mostly tired. . . 'Spread butter on me, I'm toast,' " she recited with a yawn. That earned her a chuckle from the Headmaster.
"I see you have been speaking with Professor McGonagall. Well, I will bid you good night then, Jane. Sleep well."
"Thank you. You too," Jane said. She reached up and took Severus's hand, and he lead her back down into the dungeons.
It had been two weeks since Jane had escaped from MacNair. Fudge, in his ridiculous way, still refused to believe that MacNair had anything to do with Jane. Owena, on the other hand. . . Snape smirked. The "Auror" knew better than anyone exactly what was going on. That was her talent, and she used it well.
He opened the door for Jane, and as he watched her preceed him, he wondered who it was she reminded of. Her mother had looked nothing like Jane did. Jane had soft sandy hair- nearly red, and gentle brown eyes. Amy had had midnight hair and deep blue eyes. They were so far apart that the only thing they shared was the same nose. Who was it Jane resembled?
"What do you want for dinner?" Severus asked before remembering that Jane knew little about food.
"What you have," Jane told him. She curled up in a chair in front of the fireplace. Taking a hint, he lit the fire with a flick of his wand. Studying her for a moment, he asked,
"How did you learn to do magic, Jane?"
"I watched them. MacNair and his. . . what do you call them?"
"Accomplices. So, if I showed you how to do something, you think you could do it?"
"Maybe. I couldn't do the bad ones. The ones that hurt people." Jane went silent, watching the flames. Severus knew she was thinking of her mother, and the baby that had died. She looked at him suddenly.
"Can you?"
"Yes," he answered. Jane studied him for a long time. He was relieved when the house elves appeared with dinner. Damn, but she was smart.