Oh great, Snape thought. Now what? He had plenty of experience in making girls cry; his experience in making them stop was much more limited. For a minute, he just crouched there, unsure about what to do. Then he sat down next to her and ineffectively patted her back. "There, there" he muttered. What are you supposed to say to bawling females? He was at a loss. And what for crying out loud was going on? She had looked so composed just a short time ago....

"Are you alright?" he asked again. In response, Marya crumpled against him and started crying even harder. Raising his arm, he gingerly put it around her. That seemed at this point the only semi-logical thing to do. Deucedly awkward.

After what to Snape seemed like an eternity, the torrent of tears and sobs finally started to subside. Sniffling, she sat up, her hands still covering her eyes.

"I am sorry. You must....think.... I am such a fool..." she said, hiccupping from the crying. "Not at all, not at all," he replied in an unconvinced tone. She didn't even seem to have heard his answer. "It is just that......" – for a minute she was unable to talk again. "It is just that, my parents... and I have never been......." Again she choked up.

She wasn't making any sense at all. With a sigh, he pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to her. Speaking sternly he said, "Now blow your nose and wipe your face, and then tell me what the matter is." Obediently, she took it – he looked away to give her a chance to compose herself.

When he turned back to her, she was wiping her red-rimmed, swollen eyes. "I must look such a fright," she murmured, trying to straighten her messy hair with her fingers. "Never mind that," he responded, "now, would you please explain what this commotion is about?"

"I don't know....I was fine.....all these people hurt, the fire......I remember something like that, from when my parents..." She started sobbing again.

"What happened with your parents?"

"They were killed by dark wizards, when I was not quite seven. Those cowards." Now there was anger in her voice.

Good. Get angry. Just don't start crying again. Anger he could deal with.

"Coming in here like a bunch of bullies, striking innocent people before they can react, then disappearing before anyone can show up who could challenge them – what a bunch of cowards." Her voice had an angry edge to it now; she was spitting out the words. "Dark wizards, Death Eaters – god, I hate them...." Her voice was hoarse with emotion. Furious, replaying in her mind's eye the scene she had witnessed earlier, she did not see him wince and instinctively cover his left arm with his hand at her words.

"They were just playing,"he said without thinking. "If they were serious, there would have been much more harm done. Dead bodies, instead of merely damaged ones..."

She turned to him with wide eyes. "You must think me such a child. In your work for the Order you must have often seen something like this, or worse..." You have no idea, he thought.

"Dumbledore has told you what I do for the Order?" he asked quickly, alarmed.

"No, just that what you do is important...I wish he would let me join. First he told me I should finish my schooling, now he still is telling me to wait. Wait for what?" she asked bitterly. "I feel like I am doing nothing.."

"Well, I think those people you helped tonight would disagree," he replied dryly.

"That's another thing. I have never... my healer training was at St. Mungo's...I was never alone; there were always others there, more experienced than me. When I saw all those people tonight – I was so scared, so afraid I would make a mistake. All that pain, all those hurt people. After all was done, and the adrenaline rush was gone, I just lost it. I am so stupid!"She looked like she was going to start crying again.

No you don't. "I watched you – you have nothing to be ashamed of," he said firmly, standing up. He held out a hand to help her up. "Now come, we really should be getting back."

Marya took his hand and pulled herself upright. "Thank you,"she said, still sniffling. He nodded once, and turned to go. Quickly, she grabbed a hold of his sleeve to stop him. He halted without turning around.

"One more thing – could you please not tell anyone about this? I feel stupid enough already..." "I don't see why anyone would need to know," he replied, looking back over his shoulder at her. "Thank you, Professor" she meekly said again. "Severus. You can call me Severus," he muttered barely loud enough for her to hear as together they started back towards Hogwarts.