Ever so slowly, Severus opened Jane's door. She was still sleeping. And there was a dog in her bed. Hagrid must have conviently forgotten that. He came sat down on the edge of her bed.
She was beautiful like this. He could almost forget the misery he had caused her, when her eyes were not staring sightlessly ahead. His scars would fade, but this was permanent. Jane would never see again, and it was all because he had taken her with him to Hogsmeade.
Gently, he stroked her forehead. Hagrid was right. Jane deserved to be loved, not spurned. This was his responsibility, and he could not ignore it. Despite the fact that she reminded him of a grave mistake in his past, Jane needed him.
"Daddy?" she asked in her soft voice. Her eyes blinked open, and he sighed softly.
"I'm here, Jane." She reached out to take his hand. While she had slept, he had mended her broken arm. That had been unintentional, even if he was angry. He watched wordless, as Jane brought his hand to her face, and kissed it.
"I do not deserve that," he said softly, and tried to pull his hand away. She would not let go.
"Yes you do. You're my daddy. And I love you."
"I love you too," Severus said very quietly, and then forced himself to add, "I'm sorry. I have not. . . been the guardian I should be."
"You are all the guardian I ever want," Jane told him firmly. He squeezed her hand gently. The puppy woke up then, licking his hand. Severus made a face.
"Why is there a wolf pup in your bed Jane?"
"He was lonely, and so was I. He comforted me, and then we fell asleep." Jane gently caressed the puppy's head, and scratched it behind the ears.
"I see. And I suppose Hagrid brought him in?" Severus asked, allowing the puppy to continue licking his hand.
"I didn't see it," Jane said in a light tone. Severus chuckled.
"Very well. We shall assume unless told otherwise that the puppy is yours now. What shall you call him?"
"George," Jane said at once. Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Won't Fred be jealous?" he teased.
"He'll just have to learn to get used to disappointment," Jane said in a mock-serious tone. Severus laughed then. He reached down and gathered her up, to set her down in his lap.
"Do you know what the happiest moment in my life has been?" he asked Jane, after he had situated her comfortably.
"No," she said, helping the newly-christened George into her lap.
"When I woke up from that terrible drug-induced haze, knowing that I had hurt you. And I saw your face, and you were whole. And then you called me Daddy. As if nothing I had done to you mattered. And I was still loved just as much."
"You are, Daddy," Jane reminded him, hugging him as best she could with one arm.
"That means more to me than you could ever know, Jane." Jane relaxed in his arms, and he kissed the top of her head. "I should let you sleep. And then when you wake up, I will get you some food."
"Stay with me," she asked almost immediately.
"I would not think of leaving," he replied. He laid her back into her bed, and she curled up against him. He stayed there at her side, watching her sleep. There would be no mistakes this time.
A/N: This is where the story ends. It is NOT up to speed with the other story, but I will re-introduce Jane in Less Than Perfect, and THEN that story will be done, and a new one will begin. Whew! I'm in so deep. ^_~ I hope you all enjoyed it, but to tell me how you felt, press the little purple button at the bottom of the screen.
She was beautiful like this. He could almost forget the misery he had caused her, when her eyes were not staring sightlessly ahead. His scars would fade, but this was permanent. Jane would never see again, and it was all because he had taken her with him to Hogsmeade.
Gently, he stroked her forehead. Hagrid was right. Jane deserved to be loved, not spurned. This was his responsibility, and he could not ignore it. Despite the fact that she reminded him of a grave mistake in his past, Jane needed him.
"Daddy?" she asked in her soft voice. Her eyes blinked open, and he sighed softly.
"I'm here, Jane." She reached out to take his hand. While she had slept, he had mended her broken arm. That had been unintentional, even if he was angry. He watched wordless, as Jane brought his hand to her face, and kissed it.
"I do not deserve that," he said softly, and tried to pull his hand away. She would not let go.
"Yes you do. You're my daddy. And I love you."
"I love you too," Severus said very quietly, and then forced himself to add, "I'm sorry. I have not. . . been the guardian I should be."
"You are all the guardian I ever want," Jane told him firmly. He squeezed her hand gently. The puppy woke up then, licking his hand. Severus made a face.
"Why is there a wolf pup in your bed Jane?"
"He was lonely, and so was I. He comforted me, and then we fell asleep." Jane gently caressed the puppy's head, and scratched it behind the ears.
"I see. And I suppose Hagrid brought him in?" Severus asked, allowing the puppy to continue licking his hand.
"I didn't see it," Jane said in a light tone. Severus chuckled.
"Very well. We shall assume unless told otherwise that the puppy is yours now. What shall you call him?"
"George," Jane said at once. Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Won't Fred be jealous?" he teased.
"He'll just have to learn to get used to disappointment," Jane said in a mock-serious tone. Severus laughed then. He reached down and gathered her up, to set her down in his lap.
"Do you know what the happiest moment in my life has been?" he asked Jane, after he had situated her comfortably.
"No," she said, helping the newly-christened George into her lap.
"When I woke up from that terrible drug-induced haze, knowing that I had hurt you. And I saw your face, and you were whole. And then you called me Daddy. As if nothing I had done to you mattered. And I was still loved just as much."
"You are, Daddy," Jane reminded him, hugging him as best she could with one arm.
"That means more to me than you could ever know, Jane." Jane relaxed in his arms, and he kissed the top of her head. "I should let you sleep. And then when you wake up, I will get you some food."
"Stay with me," she asked almost immediately.
"I would not think of leaving," he replied. He laid her back into her bed, and she curled up against him. He stayed there at her side, watching her sleep. There would be no mistakes this time.
A/N: This is where the story ends. It is NOT up to speed with the other story, but I will re-introduce Jane in Less Than Perfect, and THEN that story will be done, and a new one will begin. Whew! I'm in so deep. ^_~ I hope you all enjoyed it, but to tell me how you felt, press the little purple button at the bottom of the screen.