A Growth in Trust
Authors Note: Sorry about the delay in getting this to you. I have been at a bit of a loss. Book 5 has been lurking in the back of my thoughts and not letting go, so I haven't been able to focus on this at all really. I am on holidays at the moment, and expected that I would finish this over the next few weeks. Sorry to disappoint you, but that probably won't happen now.
There is no comments on reviews this time, it is 2am, except to say sorry to bookofdays for spelling Lucius' name incorrectly. I actually checked it and made a note of it, but made an error when I typed it. I have changed it and replaced the chapter.
To everyone who has reviewed, THANKS HEAPS :) and sorry if this is really pathetic.
Please read and enjoy, then review :) Thanks.
**********
"Jane, I want to speak with you." Snape said gently, leaning against the door.
"Go away!" The girl sobbed.
"Jane, please."
"Alright," Snape breathed a sigh of relief. "Go away PLEASE!"
Snape almost had to laugh at that, and he would have allowed himself the privilege if the situation hadn't been so serious.
"Jane, it's alright, let me in. Tell me what's wrong." Although he already knew, Snape wanted Jane to tell him; mostly he wanted her to be able to tell him. It would show that she trusted him.
"Leave me alone." Jane sobbed from behind the door.
Snape sighed heavily, frustrated, this was getting him nowhere, and for a brief moment he considered forcing his way into the room but he dismissed the idea almost as quickly. She had to know she would be safe from harassment, particularly from him. "Jane, I can't leave you alone, I know you are upset and I want to help. Please don't lock yourself away."
"Everyone else wants to use magic against me, so why don't you just make the door open with magic? That should be easy." She challenged.
"It would be easy Jane, but that's not the point. While I may WANT you to talk to me, I have no intention of FORCING you to." He answered quietly.
There was silence as Jane considered Snape's response. "Why not?" She finally asked in a small voice.
"Because I want you to know that you are safe here, that you are valued, and that apart from bringing you here in the first place, I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do."
He waited; he could say nothing more to convince the girl. It was up to her now, she would either trust him or not. He hoped she would. There was silence on the other side of the door, then he heard small footsteps and the lock was undone. There were more footsteps. "Ok, it's unlocked. You can come in."
Opening the door slowly, Snape stepped inside and looked at Jane. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, hugging her knees. Even from across the room he could tell her blue eyes were full to overflowing with tears. "Jane, I know what happened."
Jane nodded. "Malfoy squealed." She hung her head and started to sob again.
"No," he answered softly. "The Bloody Baron told me." Considering his options carefully, Snape moved across the room and sat on the floor next to Jane. He could hardly believe it, and he doubted anyone else would believe it either. Snape wanted to comfort the girl.
Feeling his body next to her, she pulled away. Jane kept her head down, and her voice low. "You're going to send me back, aren't you?"
Snape looked down at her surprised. "What makes you say that?"
"I've been bad."
Snape reached out tentatively only to have her pull further away. "No you haven't, and I am not going to be sending you back."
"Really?" That surprised her, so she looked up to see if he was lying.
"Really." Snape confirmed.
Speed and stealth had been two of Jane's strengths as a homeless child, they had been the qualities that had saved her from the necessity of selling her body just to survive, and she used them now to great advantage. Without warning she turned and threw herself upon Snape. Surprised at the girl's sudden movement, Snape was somewhat pleased to find himself cradling the distraught child in his arms. He could feel her tears soaking through his robes. "Tell me what happened." He encouraged.
"He - he called me a whore. I - I'm, I'm not, I never did. Never." The girl sobbed.
"Shhh, I know." Snape soothed, stroking the girl's hair, anger rising at the effect the stupid boys words had had. "It's ok, take your time."
"He, he tried to cast a spell on me and it didn't work. He wanted me to tell him what had happened to you, but I wouldn't, then he said you would get bored with me and send me back." While Jane wasn't entirely comfortable in this new world, she had to admit that she rather enjoyed the fact that there was plenty of food and she had a comfortable place to sleep and clean clothes. Even if she hadn't been beginning to trust and perhaps even like him, she still wouldn't have wanted to go back to the streets.
Looking up at him she noticed the concern in his eyes. "Did he now?" He asked thoughtfully.
Jane nodded.
"And you believed him?" He asked somewhat wounded.
Jane nodded again.
"Why on earth would I send you back Jane? I brought you here remember." Don't you have any faith in me?"
Snape was hurt by that thought. He had never needed or desired someone's trust and acceptance as badly as he wanted it from this child, although he still didn't know why. Maybe the Baron had been right and he was getting soft in his old age. He decided that wasn't the case as he began to think about what he would do to Malfoy. Considering his options carefully, he smiled as he formulated a plan.
Snape reached down and drew the tearful girl's face upwards. "Listen to me Jane, I have no intentions of sending you back and I want you to know that I wont allow a student to dictate to me. I brought you here so you would have a chance for a real life, and that is what you will have." He paused. "Do you understand me?" He waited for Jane to respond.
"Yes," she answered in an awed whisper. He wanted her to stay, he wanted to help her! For now that would be enough. She would be ready if he wanted more.
"Now, as to threatening Draco - It would be much better if you didn't fulfil that threat, but I have no real qualms about you using whatever tools you have at your disposal to defend yourself, particularly if your adversary is playing unfairly and using magic against you."
Jane looked into his face, and seeing that he was telling the truth, she nodded. "I understand. I will try not to hurt anyone and disappoint you."
She laid her head back against him and listened to his heart with her eyes closed, as she had done when he was ill. It relaxed her and she drifted off to sleep, leaving Snape sitting on the cold stone floor unwilling to disturb her.
Authors Note: Sorry about the delay in getting this to you. I have been at a bit of a loss. Book 5 has been lurking in the back of my thoughts and not letting go, so I haven't been able to focus on this at all really. I am on holidays at the moment, and expected that I would finish this over the next few weeks. Sorry to disappoint you, but that probably won't happen now.
There is no comments on reviews this time, it is 2am, except to say sorry to bookofdays for spelling Lucius' name incorrectly. I actually checked it and made a note of it, but made an error when I typed it. I have changed it and replaced the chapter.
To everyone who has reviewed, THANKS HEAPS :) and sorry if this is really pathetic.
Please read and enjoy, then review :) Thanks.
**********
"Jane, I want to speak with you." Snape said gently, leaning against the door.
"Go away!" The girl sobbed.
"Jane, please."
"Alright," Snape breathed a sigh of relief. "Go away PLEASE!"
Snape almost had to laugh at that, and he would have allowed himself the privilege if the situation hadn't been so serious.
"Jane, it's alright, let me in. Tell me what's wrong." Although he already knew, Snape wanted Jane to tell him; mostly he wanted her to be able to tell him. It would show that she trusted him.
"Leave me alone." Jane sobbed from behind the door.
Snape sighed heavily, frustrated, this was getting him nowhere, and for a brief moment he considered forcing his way into the room but he dismissed the idea almost as quickly. She had to know she would be safe from harassment, particularly from him. "Jane, I can't leave you alone, I know you are upset and I want to help. Please don't lock yourself away."
"Everyone else wants to use magic against me, so why don't you just make the door open with magic? That should be easy." She challenged.
"It would be easy Jane, but that's not the point. While I may WANT you to talk to me, I have no intention of FORCING you to." He answered quietly.
There was silence as Jane considered Snape's response. "Why not?" She finally asked in a small voice.
"Because I want you to know that you are safe here, that you are valued, and that apart from bringing you here in the first place, I would never force you to do anything you didn't want to do."
He waited; he could say nothing more to convince the girl. It was up to her now, she would either trust him or not. He hoped she would. There was silence on the other side of the door, then he heard small footsteps and the lock was undone. There were more footsteps. "Ok, it's unlocked. You can come in."
Opening the door slowly, Snape stepped inside and looked at Jane. She was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed, hugging her knees. Even from across the room he could tell her blue eyes were full to overflowing with tears. "Jane, I know what happened."
Jane nodded. "Malfoy squealed." She hung her head and started to sob again.
"No," he answered softly. "The Bloody Baron told me." Considering his options carefully, Snape moved across the room and sat on the floor next to Jane. He could hardly believe it, and he doubted anyone else would believe it either. Snape wanted to comfort the girl.
Feeling his body next to her, she pulled away. Jane kept her head down, and her voice low. "You're going to send me back, aren't you?"
Snape looked down at her surprised. "What makes you say that?"
"I've been bad."
Snape reached out tentatively only to have her pull further away. "No you haven't, and I am not going to be sending you back."
"Really?" That surprised her, so she looked up to see if he was lying.
"Really." Snape confirmed.
Speed and stealth had been two of Jane's strengths as a homeless child, they had been the qualities that had saved her from the necessity of selling her body just to survive, and she used them now to great advantage. Without warning she turned and threw herself upon Snape. Surprised at the girl's sudden movement, Snape was somewhat pleased to find himself cradling the distraught child in his arms. He could feel her tears soaking through his robes. "Tell me what happened." He encouraged.
"He - he called me a whore. I - I'm, I'm not, I never did. Never." The girl sobbed.
"Shhh, I know." Snape soothed, stroking the girl's hair, anger rising at the effect the stupid boys words had had. "It's ok, take your time."
"He, he tried to cast a spell on me and it didn't work. He wanted me to tell him what had happened to you, but I wouldn't, then he said you would get bored with me and send me back." While Jane wasn't entirely comfortable in this new world, she had to admit that she rather enjoyed the fact that there was plenty of food and she had a comfortable place to sleep and clean clothes. Even if she hadn't been beginning to trust and perhaps even like him, she still wouldn't have wanted to go back to the streets.
Looking up at him she noticed the concern in his eyes. "Did he now?" He asked thoughtfully.
Jane nodded.
"And you believed him?" He asked somewhat wounded.
Jane nodded again.
"Why on earth would I send you back Jane? I brought you here remember." Don't you have any faith in me?"
Snape was hurt by that thought. He had never needed or desired someone's trust and acceptance as badly as he wanted it from this child, although he still didn't know why. Maybe the Baron had been right and he was getting soft in his old age. He decided that wasn't the case as he began to think about what he would do to Malfoy. Considering his options carefully, he smiled as he formulated a plan.
Snape reached down and drew the tearful girl's face upwards. "Listen to me Jane, I have no intentions of sending you back and I want you to know that I wont allow a student to dictate to me. I brought you here so you would have a chance for a real life, and that is what you will have." He paused. "Do you understand me?" He waited for Jane to respond.
"Yes," she answered in an awed whisper. He wanted her to stay, he wanted to help her! For now that would be enough. She would be ready if he wanted more.
"Now, as to threatening Draco - It would be much better if you didn't fulfil that threat, but I have no real qualms about you using whatever tools you have at your disposal to defend yourself, particularly if your adversary is playing unfairly and using magic against you."
Jane looked into his face, and seeing that he was telling the truth, she nodded. "I understand. I will try not to hurt anyone and disappoint you."
She laid her head back against him and listened to his heart with her eyes closed, as she had done when he was ill. It relaxed her and she drifted off to sleep, leaving Snape sitting on the cold stone floor unwilling to disturb her.