Mind still somewhat dulled by injuries, Snape wondered where Jane
went when she wasn't with him. He didn't even stop to think where all the
food he ate came from, all he knew was that she would feed him when he was
hungry if she was there. He ate, and with her caring for him, he slowly
improved to the point where his body would obey most of his commands.
He still wasn't strong enough to stand or move about, and his body still hurt, but without the constant reminders of what he was, without having to face the fact that he was a Death Eater and a spy, his condition improved. Jane hadn't mentioned Voldemort again. It was as if there was an unspoken agreement between them.
It amused him to think of her promise. He could imagine Voldemort's reaction to being threatened by a Muggle girl. If he didn't take her then kill her immediately, he would probably be amused enough at her boldness to keep her as a toy for a while. That would be worse than death. Snape had grown to respect the girl and her calm control. He would hate to see that fate befall her. The sooner he could get away from her and back to Hogwarts, the better. By caring for him she had placed herself in danger she wasn't even aware of.
Jane came in. It had been snowing outside again. There were snowflakes in her hair and her face was flushed from the cold. Her small bag bulged slightly at her side. She rubbed and blew into her uncovered hands to warm them. "It's freezing out there."
She moved to him and took a pie from the bag. "I got you something special Severus." She handed the pie to him.
Snape ate it ravenously. He had never imagined he could be so hungry. He thought wistfully of the tables laden with food back at Hogwarts, and how such excessive provision was generally taken for granted by students and staff alike. Now, with barely enough to fill him, he realised how hard life could be. Focussing solely on the pie he was devouring, Snape failed to notice that he ate alone.
Finishing the pie, he waited for something more. He decided that now was the time to find out more about this strange child. If half of the children at Hogwarts had as much sense as this one, teaching would be far less tiresome. "Jane," he watched her carefully, gauging her reaction, "how did you come to be here?"
Jane handed him another pie. "It's a long story."
"It's not like I am going anywhere."
Jane sighed. "I guess not." She sat down, leaning against the wall, under the window - her favourite spot to watch him. As often as not, if she was in when he woke, she would be sitting there watching him. She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. "My mother died when I was six. My father got funny. I decided I couldn't take it any more, so I left. I've been here ever since."
Snape didn't have to ask her what "it" was. He had seen the tears in her eyes and had felt her reluctance to be close and have contact, except on the coldest nights, or when he was at his weakest. Yes, he knew what "it" was. He shuddered at the thought that someone could do that to a child, this child, the man's own daughter. Now Snape knew where she had learned such amazing control. It was the control she had needed to stop herself from screaming in the middle of the night. It was the control she had needed to plan and effect her escape. "How long have you been here?"
He watched as Jane shrugged, suddenly lost in thought. "I guess seven or eight years."
"How old are you?"
Jane shook her head. "I don't really know. This is my seventh winter here I think."
"You don't know your age?"
"It's not like we celebrate birthdays here."
Snape realised she had a point. "Well, if you were six when you came here and you've been here for seven winters, that would make you about thirteen or fourteen right?"
Jane shrugged again. "If you say so."
He looked at her. "Can't you count?"
"Of course. My mother taught me." Snape realised Jane seemed proud of that.
"Can you add up?" Gods, now he sounded like a teacher. Jane looked at him, not answering. "Can you read?"
This time he had pushed too far. Agitated and embarrassed, Jane jumped up. "NO! All right, is that what you want to hear? No. I've never been to school. I can't do sums, I can't read and I can't write. Happy? I can count to one hundred, my mother taught me." She paused briefly, "and I can make you happy if you like. That's what my father taught me. But apart from that I am a nobody, and that's who cares about me too, nobody." She moved closer to him. "Happy now? Ready for sex then? I promise not to kill you like I did Adam's brother. It's my treat this time. HE didn't even ask permission, let alone wait until it was offered. Come on, how do you want me?"
Snape was disgusted by her suggestion and shocked by her outburst. There was a fearful, crazed look in her eyes that he had never seen before. Without thinking he reached out and slapped her face.
As quickly as the storm had erupted, it was gone, and the girl burst into tears. He grabbed her and pulled her towards him, feeling the tenseness in her body. She tried to pull away, but he held her tighter, waiting while the tears subsided, stroking her hair.
"Tell me what happened to Adams brother."
"I killed him." She answered through the last of the tears.
"Is that why the boys ran when you found them beating me?"
She nodded.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
She pulled away and wiped her face on her sleeve. "I found this place. When they came here we all lived together. One night while some of the boys were out looking for food, I was here asleep. Mark was here too. He decided he wanted to have some fun. I used to sleep with a knife for protection, so when he grabbed me and climbed on top, I did the first thing that I could think of to stop him. It worked." She didn't elaborate on what she did, she didn't need to.
Snape nodded, understanding. Having escaped her father only to be faced with the same situation must have been a dreadful shock. He understood her reaction.
"No one will ever do that against my will again Severus." She added quietly. Snape knew she meant it.
He still wasn't strong enough to stand or move about, and his body still hurt, but without the constant reminders of what he was, without having to face the fact that he was a Death Eater and a spy, his condition improved. Jane hadn't mentioned Voldemort again. It was as if there was an unspoken agreement between them.
It amused him to think of her promise. He could imagine Voldemort's reaction to being threatened by a Muggle girl. If he didn't take her then kill her immediately, he would probably be amused enough at her boldness to keep her as a toy for a while. That would be worse than death. Snape had grown to respect the girl and her calm control. He would hate to see that fate befall her. The sooner he could get away from her and back to Hogwarts, the better. By caring for him she had placed herself in danger she wasn't even aware of.
Jane came in. It had been snowing outside again. There were snowflakes in her hair and her face was flushed from the cold. Her small bag bulged slightly at her side. She rubbed and blew into her uncovered hands to warm them. "It's freezing out there."
She moved to him and took a pie from the bag. "I got you something special Severus." She handed the pie to him.
Snape ate it ravenously. He had never imagined he could be so hungry. He thought wistfully of the tables laden with food back at Hogwarts, and how such excessive provision was generally taken for granted by students and staff alike. Now, with barely enough to fill him, he realised how hard life could be. Focussing solely on the pie he was devouring, Snape failed to notice that he ate alone.
Finishing the pie, he waited for something more. He decided that now was the time to find out more about this strange child. If half of the children at Hogwarts had as much sense as this one, teaching would be far less tiresome. "Jane," he watched her carefully, gauging her reaction, "how did you come to be here?"
Jane handed him another pie. "It's a long story."
"It's not like I am going anywhere."
Jane sighed. "I guess not." She sat down, leaning against the wall, under the window - her favourite spot to watch him. As often as not, if she was in when he woke, she would be sitting there watching him. She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. "My mother died when I was six. My father got funny. I decided I couldn't take it any more, so I left. I've been here ever since."
Snape didn't have to ask her what "it" was. He had seen the tears in her eyes and had felt her reluctance to be close and have contact, except on the coldest nights, or when he was at his weakest. Yes, he knew what "it" was. He shuddered at the thought that someone could do that to a child, this child, the man's own daughter. Now Snape knew where she had learned such amazing control. It was the control she had needed to stop herself from screaming in the middle of the night. It was the control she had needed to plan and effect her escape. "How long have you been here?"
He watched as Jane shrugged, suddenly lost in thought. "I guess seven or eight years."
"How old are you?"
Jane shook her head. "I don't really know. This is my seventh winter here I think."
"You don't know your age?"
"It's not like we celebrate birthdays here."
Snape realised she had a point. "Well, if you were six when you came here and you've been here for seven winters, that would make you about thirteen or fourteen right?"
Jane shrugged again. "If you say so."
He looked at her. "Can't you count?"
"Of course. My mother taught me." Snape realised Jane seemed proud of that.
"Can you add up?" Gods, now he sounded like a teacher. Jane looked at him, not answering. "Can you read?"
This time he had pushed too far. Agitated and embarrassed, Jane jumped up. "NO! All right, is that what you want to hear? No. I've never been to school. I can't do sums, I can't read and I can't write. Happy? I can count to one hundred, my mother taught me." She paused briefly, "and I can make you happy if you like. That's what my father taught me. But apart from that I am a nobody, and that's who cares about me too, nobody." She moved closer to him. "Happy now? Ready for sex then? I promise not to kill you like I did Adam's brother. It's my treat this time. HE didn't even ask permission, let alone wait until it was offered. Come on, how do you want me?"
Snape was disgusted by her suggestion and shocked by her outburst. There was a fearful, crazed look in her eyes that he had never seen before. Without thinking he reached out and slapped her face.
As quickly as the storm had erupted, it was gone, and the girl burst into tears. He grabbed her and pulled her towards him, feeling the tenseness in her body. She tried to pull away, but he held her tighter, waiting while the tears subsided, stroking her hair.
"Tell me what happened to Adams brother."
"I killed him." She answered through the last of the tears.
"Is that why the boys ran when you found them beating me?"
She nodded.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
She pulled away and wiped her face on her sleeve. "I found this place. When they came here we all lived together. One night while some of the boys were out looking for food, I was here asleep. Mark was here too. He decided he wanted to have some fun. I used to sleep with a knife for protection, so when he grabbed me and climbed on top, I did the first thing that I could think of to stop him. It worked." She didn't elaborate on what she did, she didn't need to.
Snape nodded, understanding. Having escaped her father only to be faced with the same situation must have been a dreadful shock. He understood her reaction.
"No one will ever do that against my will again Severus." She added quietly. Snape knew she meant it.