A/N: Updates are going to come several chapters at a time. This story is tied in with Less Than Perfect, another story of mine. However, this is set before that story. Why they are tied in will become apparent later in Less Than Perfect.
Noting calmly that her lack of attention had gone unnoticed by her teacher, Jane carefully penned her note to Guiliford. Her would-be suitor had become her best friend over the last month. Ever since that night when she had embraced the flames, her mother had refused to allow her out in public.
Of course her mother would be upset, Jane thought bitterly. She wanted the family blood to remain a secret. Mother would not want anyone to know that her precious bloodline had been tainted with wizard blood when she had married father. Father was just as bad. When he found that mother had not a drop of wizarding blood, he had been mortified. At least he was pleased with Jane's talents.
Pleased with Jane. . . Jane!
Sitting up in surprise, she found herself back in the hospital wing. Back at Hogwarts, and not in Lady Jane's chambers. Next to her in a chair sat Albus Dumbledore. He watched her relax, blue eyes twinkling behind upside-down semi-circle spectacles.
"I see you are once again amoungst the living, Jane."
"I don't want to be," Jane said before she could check her tongue. Dumbledore smiled down at her kindly.
"I see Severus has upset you. I have to admit, I expected this. Now, Jane, perhaps you can tell me why you would think such things after only a short time living with Severus. He is not that terrible, is he?"
"I. . ." Jane stared down at the blankets. How could she say what was in her heart?
"No one here will judge you, Jane. You need not fear that. It helps to unburden yourself from time to time."
"He hates me," Jane said after a long silence. There, she had said what hurt her the most. But somehow, speaking those words opened the door for a flood of words.
"I like him very much, and I want him to like me too. But I just irritate him. I know I'm not very smart, and I don't offer much in the way of personality, but. . . He ignores me all the time, except when I've made him angry. He doesn't even want to know about Lady. I thought running away would make everything better, but it's just worse."
Dumbledore quietly waited for Jane to calm down. She had let loose a small flood of tears. Scrubbing at her tears ineffectively, Jane asked quietly,
"Am I bad?"
"Of course not Jane. Severus is just. . . He has never had a child before. He is confused."
"Confused?" Jane asked, scrubbing away the last of her tears.
"Perhaps, Jane, the best course of action would be to tell him how you feel. If Severus is reminded that you are not the kind of child he is used to, perhaps he will understand you better."
Jane nodded, but she did not agree with the Headmaster. After all, he did not live with Severus everyday, and there was no way he could know everything that happened to her. She laid back down, drained, and sleepy. Vaguely she was aware of Dumbledore telling her to rest, and that he would speak with Severus. Then her eyes closed, and she was asleep once more.
Noting calmly that her lack of attention had gone unnoticed by her teacher, Jane carefully penned her note to Guiliford. Her would-be suitor had become her best friend over the last month. Ever since that night when she had embraced the flames, her mother had refused to allow her out in public.
Of course her mother would be upset, Jane thought bitterly. She wanted the family blood to remain a secret. Mother would not want anyone to know that her precious bloodline had been tainted with wizard blood when she had married father. Father was just as bad. When he found that mother had not a drop of wizarding blood, he had been mortified. At least he was pleased with Jane's talents.
Pleased with Jane. . . Jane!
Sitting up in surprise, she found herself back in the hospital wing. Back at Hogwarts, and not in Lady Jane's chambers. Next to her in a chair sat Albus Dumbledore. He watched her relax, blue eyes twinkling behind upside-down semi-circle spectacles.
"I see you are once again amoungst the living, Jane."
"I don't want to be," Jane said before she could check her tongue. Dumbledore smiled down at her kindly.
"I see Severus has upset you. I have to admit, I expected this. Now, Jane, perhaps you can tell me why you would think such things after only a short time living with Severus. He is not that terrible, is he?"
"I. . ." Jane stared down at the blankets. How could she say what was in her heart?
"No one here will judge you, Jane. You need not fear that. It helps to unburden yourself from time to time."
"He hates me," Jane said after a long silence. There, she had said what hurt her the most. But somehow, speaking those words opened the door for a flood of words.
"I like him very much, and I want him to like me too. But I just irritate him. I know I'm not very smart, and I don't offer much in the way of personality, but. . . He ignores me all the time, except when I've made him angry. He doesn't even want to know about Lady. I thought running away would make everything better, but it's just worse."
Dumbledore quietly waited for Jane to calm down. She had let loose a small flood of tears. Scrubbing at her tears ineffectively, Jane asked quietly,
"Am I bad?"
"Of course not Jane. Severus is just. . . He has never had a child before. He is confused."
"Confused?" Jane asked, scrubbing away the last of her tears.
"Perhaps, Jane, the best course of action would be to tell him how you feel. If Severus is reminded that you are not the kind of child he is used to, perhaps he will understand you better."
Jane nodded, but she did not agree with the Headmaster. After all, he did not live with Severus everyday, and there was no way he could know everything that happened to her. She laid back down, drained, and sleepy. Vaguely she was aware of Dumbledore telling her to rest, and that he would speak with Severus. Then her eyes closed, and she was asleep once more.