A/N: Here is the next chapter - I did say I would post weekly for a while.
I would like to ask if you wonderful readers out there think this is
predictable? I do, but then I wrote it so it is different for me.
Snapefan51 I am glad you enjoyed it enough to read the lot in one sitting.
It means you must really like it, because I do that for stories I enjoy
too. Even if I shouldn't... Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this.
"Severus, you have returned!" Dumbledore was glad to see the Potions Master. He had been absent for far too long and the Headmaster had been quietly worried about the young man. Extended absences were hard for the him to bear.
Snape didn't look up. "So it would seem Headmaster." He responded wearily.
The Headmaster noticed the Potions Master was leaning heavily against his desk. "Are you alright Severus?" He asked concerned, Severus looked tired and had obviously been badly injured during his most recent foray into the Death Eaters world. "You look dreadful."
The Potions Master grimaced. "Thank you so much for pointing that out Albus."
Dumbledore moved forward and touched the younger man's shoulder taking the opportunity to study Snape more closely. "Are you alright?" Dumbledore repeated his previous question.
"I will be now." Snape answered finally. "It was somewhat of an ordeal," he added. "I will explain later, but first I have to tell you something I expect you will be unhappy about." He wasn't looking forward to this bit.
"What is it Severus?" The older man asked gently, noticing the younger wizard's discomfort and hesitation, and wondering what was causing him such agitation.
The Potions Master looked away guiltily. "I bought someone with me."
The Headmaster looked up worried. "Not a Death Eater?"
"Of course not Headmaster." Snape answered, drained. He looked at Dumbledore, hoping to gauge his reaction and wondering why he imagined a Death Eater would be his guest. "A Muggle."
"A Muggle?" Dumbledore looked up surprised.
"A Muggle child." Snape nodded.
"Gods Severus, what were you thinking?" Dumbledore looked at the drained man before him. "Why?"
"It is complicated, but the simple answer is that she helped me and I. I couldn't leave her." Dumbledore watched as his exhausted Potions Master almost broke down. "It's complicated and I don't have the energy to explain at the moment." He finished.
"Where is she?"
"In the bathroom, washing."
"Who is she? What is her name?"
"I am Galatea, my last name isn't important, besides," she shrugged, "I don't remember it." Using her innate stealth to advantage, Jane had returned to the room where the two men had been talking about her without either man noticing.
Both men turned to look at the young girl who had interrupted them. She addressed Snape who was looking at her with a look of astonishment. "I told you Jane wasn't my real name." She explained, "I could hardly have a pathetic name like Galatea when I was living on the streets. Do you realise how vulnerable that would make me?"
Snape nodded. He had to agree. Being a such a small girl in her situation was bad enough, but to have some obscure literary gem, such as Galatea, for a name would only make her life that much harder. He wondered just how her parents had chosen such a name for a child born in the twentieth century. Heavens, not even wizarding families would choose such a name.
Severus had been a hard enough name to live down. It suited him well though, and he wondered if the name had shaped his personality or whether his disposition as an adult had been seen prior to his birth and his parents had named him accordingly. It didn't matter, at least not any more. He had suffered badly with it as a child, and he could imagine the suffering she would have been subjected to, but those days were well gone. Now he suffered from a much greater, but self-inflicted torment.
Jane looked at Snape. Snape looked at the Headmaster. He seemed shocked. Snape had never seen the Headmaster shocked, not even when he had admitted to being a Death Eater in his seventh year. Of course he had already realised his young charge was vulnerable to an approach by the Dark Lord, but try as he might, he had been unable to prevent the young man from taking the Dark Mark. He had just looked sad at that particular admission, and disappointed. Surprise, this was something new.
Jane watched both men resolutely and they both watched her. She was clean now, but still dressed in the ragged clothes she had been wearing upon arrival, of course she had no others. She had nothing. She looked from Snape, waiting for Dumbledore's decision, to the older man, unable to guess his response. She decided he looked angry and she knew then what the response would be. Snape would be in trouble for bringing her with him and she didn't wish to be responsible for causing him more difficulties than he already faced.
Turning back to Snape she looked at him apologetically. "I am sorry for getting you into trouble. Please just send me back." She begged. Both men looked at her, surprised. Snape was surprised at her readiness to return to such a squalid life, Dumbledore was surprised by her self-reliance in such a strange situation.
Jane watched both men defiantly. Suddenly, her knees buckled and both men watched even more surprised, as she collapsed to the floor without warning. The Headmaster and Potions Master both rushed quickly to the fallen girl, decision postponed for the time being. For the first time in many years concern and fear for another gripped Snape's heart.
"Severus, you have returned!" Dumbledore was glad to see the Potions Master. He had been absent for far too long and the Headmaster had been quietly worried about the young man. Extended absences were hard for the him to bear.
Snape didn't look up. "So it would seem Headmaster." He responded wearily.
The Headmaster noticed the Potions Master was leaning heavily against his desk. "Are you alright Severus?" He asked concerned, Severus looked tired and had obviously been badly injured during his most recent foray into the Death Eaters world. "You look dreadful."
The Potions Master grimaced. "Thank you so much for pointing that out Albus."
Dumbledore moved forward and touched the younger man's shoulder taking the opportunity to study Snape more closely. "Are you alright?" Dumbledore repeated his previous question.
"I will be now." Snape answered finally. "It was somewhat of an ordeal," he added. "I will explain later, but first I have to tell you something I expect you will be unhappy about." He wasn't looking forward to this bit.
"What is it Severus?" The older man asked gently, noticing the younger wizard's discomfort and hesitation, and wondering what was causing him such agitation.
The Potions Master looked away guiltily. "I bought someone with me."
The Headmaster looked up worried. "Not a Death Eater?"
"Of course not Headmaster." Snape answered, drained. He looked at Dumbledore, hoping to gauge his reaction and wondering why he imagined a Death Eater would be his guest. "A Muggle."
"A Muggle?" Dumbledore looked up surprised.
"A Muggle child." Snape nodded.
"Gods Severus, what were you thinking?" Dumbledore looked at the drained man before him. "Why?"
"It is complicated, but the simple answer is that she helped me and I. I couldn't leave her." Dumbledore watched as his exhausted Potions Master almost broke down. "It's complicated and I don't have the energy to explain at the moment." He finished.
"Where is she?"
"In the bathroom, washing."
"Who is she? What is her name?"
"I am Galatea, my last name isn't important, besides," she shrugged, "I don't remember it." Using her innate stealth to advantage, Jane had returned to the room where the two men had been talking about her without either man noticing.
Both men turned to look at the young girl who had interrupted them. She addressed Snape who was looking at her with a look of astonishment. "I told you Jane wasn't my real name." She explained, "I could hardly have a pathetic name like Galatea when I was living on the streets. Do you realise how vulnerable that would make me?"
Snape nodded. He had to agree. Being a such a small girl in her situation was bad enough, but to have some obscure literary gem, such as Galatea, for a name would only make her life that much harder. He wondered just how her parents had chosen such a name for a child born in the twentieth century. Heavens, not even wizarding families would choose such a name.
Severus had been a hard enough name to live down. It suited him well though, and he wondered if the name had shaped his personality or whether his disposition as an adult had been seen prior to his birth and his parents had named him accordingly. It didn't matter, at least not any more. He had suffered badly with it as a child, and he could imagine the suffering she would have been subjected to, but those days were well gone. Now he suffered from a much greater, but self-inflicted torment.
Jane looked at Snape. Snape looked at the Headmaster. He seemed shocked. Snape had never seen the Headmaster shocked, not even when he had admitted to being a Death Eater in his seventh year. Of course he had already realised his young charge was vulnerable to an approach by the Dark Lord, but try as he might, he had been unable to prevent the young man from taking the Dark Mark. He had just looked sad at that particular admission, and disappointed. Surprise, this was something new.
Jane watched both men resolutely and they both watched her. She was clean now, but still dressed in the ragged clothes she had been wearing upon arrival, of course she had no others. She had nothing. She looked from Snape, waiting for Dumbledore's decision, to the older man, unable to guess his response. She decided he looked angry and she knew then what the response would be. Snape would be in trouble for bringing her with him and she didn't wish to be responsible for causing him more difficulties than he already faced.
Turning back to Snape she looked at him apologetically. "I am sorry for getting you into trouble. Please just send me back." She begged. Both men looked at her, surprised. Snape was surprised at her readiness to return to such a squalid life, Dumbledore was surprised by her self-reliance in such a strange situation.
Jane watched both men defiantly. Suddenly, her knees buckled and both men watched even more surprised, as she collapsed to the floor without warning. The Headmaster and Potions Master both rushed quickly to the fallen girl, decision postponed for the time being. For the first time in many years concern and fear for another gripped Snape's heart.