Silent as time flowing away, she lay still, her head against the door. Listening for signs that he still existed, that he still came close to her domain. No noise greeted her ears. Despairing once more, she lay there, praying.
It had been so long since Jane had lost her sight. With the loss of sight, and the fact that she was not allowed to leave her little room, Jane also lost her sense of time. She knew that she slept- at least a little- and that she was hungry, but for all she could be certain of, she had spent a month locked in the silence of her room.
Severus, the man she had given her heart to, had abandoned her. He seemed not to care that she was blind, and could not even find the doorknob. Nor did he bother to come and check on her. Jane knew now, for certain that she had given her heart foolishly. Of course he would not want it; stained as it was.
Sighing, Jane pressed her ear to the door in vain. Where was he? He had been gone for what seemed an eternity. If only he would come back, come inside. Then she could tell him what was wrong, and maybe he would help her.
Or perhaps he would do what Fudge had tried to do. Maybe he would send her away. Jane clenched her hands into little fists against the waves of pain the thought sent through her. Maybe he was like her "father." He pretended to care just long enough to steal her heart, and then. . .
Jane struggled to her feet, and then stumbled her way back to the bed. How far away it seemed, without her clarity of sight. Supressing her shivers, she pulled a blanket off the bed, and tried her best to wrap herself in it. Unfortunately, it ended up being a sort of tug of war, which the blanket was winning. She gave a squeak of dismay when she realized she had trapped her arms in painful positions.
"What the hell are you doing?" Surprised by the sound of Severus's voice, here, in her room, now, Jane did not answer. "Damn it, will you quit playing around?"
Terrified by the anger in his voice, Jane struggled against the blanket. She had to get away. He was angry, and angry people hit.
"Hold still," he snapped in her ear. Frozen with terror, Jane said nothing. She closed her eyes tight. He yanked the blanket off of her, and she felt something in her left arm snap. Landing on the floor, Jane did the only thing she could: she scrambled underneath the bed, and cuddled against the wall.
"Damn it, I am NOT going to play with you. Get out here." He was using that soft voice that told her he was going to kill her. Kill her like he had killed her mother. No, that was not right. he never did that. . . did he? Was it him all along?
"Jane, get out of there." Near to terrified tears, Jane closed her eyes, and whispered,
"Please don't hurt me. . . I'll be good, promise. I'll go away and," she choked, "I'll go away and never come back. I promise."
There was a noise, as if he had sucked in a deep breath quickly. Then Jane heard the sound of retreating footsteps. She sniffled, and then the floodgate opened. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she sobbed. This was not the way the stories in her picture book ended. This was not right. Everything was supposed to be lived "happily ever after." Where was her happily ever after?
Another noise, and then the sound of very heavy feet. . . and scrabbling? What was that? Something furry pressed itself against her hands, and then something warm and wet began scrubbing at her face. It tickled.
"Eep," Jane said with a trace of a giggle. Something, she decided, was licking her face.
"All righ' puppy. Ye come on out." Jane recognized the voice as Hagrid's. He was the gamekeeper, and very nice. A high-pitched whimpering noise made Jane reach out to touch the creature(a puppy, she told herself) that was pressed up against her, almost protectively.
"Does the puppy have to go? I'm all alone under here."
"Well, if ye come out, I can let ye hold 'im," Hagrid said gently. Jane thought about this, and then tried inching her way forward. She discovered her left arm did not like helping, so she let it hang limply. After a bit of crawling, she felt large, but gentle hands lifting her into a sitting position.
"Now ye put 'im in yer lap. Jus' like that," Hagrid said approvingly.
"He's so soft," Jane whispered reverently. The puppy lay still and silent in her lap, and she ran her fingers over it, trying to imagine what it must like.
"Aye. 'E's an orphan; bit like yerself."
"Where is his family?" Jane asked, feeling sleepy. The hands lifted her again, and set her on the bed. She felt herself being covered by the blanket. The puppy stayed with her, now nuzzled against her chest.
" 'Is mum and dad lost a fight with some nasty beast in the forest. Now, ye get some sleep. I'll take wi' Severus, an' see what can be done for ye. Nigh' Jane."
Jane did not answer. Her eyes closed in sleep, and her left arm rested lightly on the sleeping puppy. Hagrid smiled at the sight, and then turned to go and reprimand the stern Potions Master.
It had been so long since Jane had lost her sight. With the loss of sight, and the fact that she was not allowed to leave her little room, Jane also lost her sense of time. She knew that she slept- at least a little- and that she was hungry, but for all she could be certain of, she had spent a month locked in the silence of her room.
Severus, the man she had given her heart to, had abandoned her. He seemed not to care that she was blind, and could not even find the doorknob. Nor did he bother to come and check on her. Jane knew now, for certain that she had given her heart foolishly. Of course he would not want it; stained as it was.
Sighing, Jane pressed her ear to the door in vain. Where was he? He had been gone for what seemed an eternity. If only he would come back, come inside. Then she could tell him what was wrong, and maybe he would help her.
Or perhaps he would do what Fudge had tried to do. Maybe he would send her away. Jane clenched her hands into little fists against the waves of pain the thought sent through her. Maybe he was like her "father." He pretended to care just long enough to steal her heart, and then. . .
Jane struggled to her feet, and then stumbled her way back to the bed. How far away it seemed, without her clarity of sight. Supressing her shivers, she pulled a blanket off the bed, and tried her best to wrap herself in it. Unfortunately, it ended up being a sort of tug of war, which the blanket was winning. She gave a squeak of dismay when she realized she had trapped her arms in painful positions.
"What the hell are you doing?" Surprised by the sound of Severus's voice, here, in her room, now, Jane did not answer. "Damn it, will you quit playing around?"
Terrified by the anger in his voice, Jane struggled against the blanket. She had to get away. He was angry, and angry people hit.
"Hold still," he snapped in her ear. Frozen with terror, Jane said nothing. She closed her eyes tight. He yanked the blanket off of her, and she felt something in her left arm snap. Landing on the floor, Jane did the only thing she could: she scrambled underneath the bed, and cuddled against the wall.
"Damn it, I am NOT going to play with you. Get out here." He was using that soft voice that told her he was going to kill her. Kill her like he had killed her mother. No, that was not right. he never did that. . . did he? Was it him all along?
"Jane, get out of there." Near to terrified tears, Jane closed her eyes, and whispered,
"Please don't hurt me. . . I'll be good, promise. I'll go away and," she choked, "I'll go away and never come back. I promise."
There was a noise, as if he had sucked in a deep breath quickly. Then Jane heard the sound of retreating footsteps. She sniffled, and then the floodgate opened. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she sobbed. This was not the way the stories in her picture book ended. This was not right. Everything was supposed to be lived "happily ever after." Where was her happily ever after?
Another noise, and then the sound of very heavy feet. . . and scrabbling? What was that? Something furry pressed itself against her hands, and then something warm and wet began scrubbing at her face. It tickled.
"Eep," Jane said with a trace of a giggle. Something, she decided, was licking her face.
"All righ' puppy. Ye come on out." Jane recognized the voice as Hagrid's. He was the gamekeeper, and very nice. A high-pitched whimpering noise made Jane reach out to touch the creature(a puppy, she told herself) that was pressed up against her, almost protectively.
"Does the puppy have to go? I'm all alone under here."
"Well, if ye come out, I can let ye hold 'im," Hagrid said gently. Jane thought about this, and then tried inching her way forward. She discovered her left arm did not like helping, so she let it hang limply. After a bit of crawling, she felt large, but gentle hands lifting her into a sitting position.
"Now ye put 'im in yer lap. Jus' like that," Hagrid said approvingly.
"He's so soft," Jane whispered reverently. The puppy lay still and silent in her lap, and she ran her fingers over it, trying to imagine what it must like.
"Aye. 'E's an orphan; bit like yerself."
"Where is his family?" Jane asked, feeling sleepy. The hands lifted her again, and set her on the bed. She felt herself being covered by the blanket. The puppy stayed with her, now nuzzled against her chest.
" 'Is mum and dad lost a fight with some nasty beast in the forest. Now, ye get some sleep. I'll take wi' Severus, an' see what can be done for ye. Nigh' Jane."
Jane did not answer. Her eyes closed in sleep, and her left arm rested lightly on the sleeping puppy. Hagrid smiled at the sight, and then turned to go and reprimand the stern Potions Master.