Several days passed before Roxanna was allowed to leave the infirmary. When she was allowed to leave, Poppy gave her a plain black dress to wear.

"Sorry we don't have anything with more color, but…"

"It's fine," Roxanna said with a smile. "I love it. Better than anything I ever wore at the orphanage."

Roxanna donned the black dress. It went down to just above her knees. It was sleeveless and had a V-neckline that stopped just between her breasts, showing off a little cleavage, but was decent.

She put on a pair of black shoes and followed Poppy down to the Great Hall.

"Where are the other children?" Roxanna asked. Poppy smiled. "You sound like a worried mother."

"I feel like a worried mother. I watched these kids grow up in one of the worst conditions imaginable. I worry about them."

Poppy turned to Roxanna. "They have been given quarters. The boys are in one and the girls in the other. There are enough beds for them. They are there right now sleeping."

Roxanna let out the breath she was holding. "That's good news."

"How did you end up in that place?"

"I was…"

"Hello again Miss Roxanna," a baritone voice rumbled behind them, interrupting. Roxanna turned to see Snape standing there with the same look on his face, which he always had. He looked angry and disinterested.

"Hello Professor Snape," Roxanna said with as much respect as she could with his black eyes looking directly at her.

Snape was in awe. Such a simple dress; yet on this young girl it was extraordinary. She looked beautiful, although Snape would never say that out loud, especially with Poppy there.

"I will meet you in the Great Hall, Roxanna," Poppy said. Her stomach growled loudly. With a blush slowly crawling up her cheeks, Poppy rushed off to the Great Hall, leaving Snape and Roxanna alone.

"How have you been Professor?" Roxanna asked trying to break the silence in the room. Snape said nothing, he was just standing there staring at her.

Roxanne was beginning to feel very uncomfortable and was about to walk away when he spoke.

"I believe it is time for you to tell me what exactly was going on in that orphanage you grew up in and how you got there."

Roxanna's eyes widened. He just expected her to just tell him? She took a deep breath and was suddenly feeling light-headed. She started to fall, but a pair of strong arms grabbed her around her waist and held her up.

"I'll tell you, but I need to sit down." Roxanna said grabbing her head.

"Understandable. Can you walk?" Snape asked. Roxanna nodded but when Snape released her she almost fell again.

"Perhaps not," he said. Roxanna chuckled. "You are funny when you want to be. What a surprise."

Snape nodded as he helped her down the stairs to the dungeons, to his quarters. When they reached the door to his office, he mumbled the password that lowered the wards and opened the door.

He placed her in a large emerald green armchair before sitting in a similar one across from her.

"Just relax for a moment," he said. Roxanna looked at him with surprise in her eyes.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked. Snape was a little taken back at her question. Granted he was not the nicest teacher in the school, but when he was no one asked him why. It just made him more curious.

"Miss Roxanna, when I offer aid to someone, it would be wise not to question it."

Roxanna nodded. "I understand. It's just strange for me to be helped since usually I am the one helping, or in this case protecting." She looked up at Snape with a strength and happiness in her eyes. She smiled a bright smile at him.

Snape didn't like this. He was showing the softer side of his nature and he couldn't stop it. This girl with her beautiful dark green eyes was getting under his skin, and she had only spoken to him a few times. He distracted himself by looking at the scars on her arms.

She would have had silky smooth skin had there not been scars criss-crossing up and down her arms, chest, and legs. He also knew of the many scars cascading across her back from being whipped countless times.

"Tell me about the orphanage," he said. Her smile instantly disappeared from her face and her eyes turned cold and emotionless. Snape almost couldn't bear to look at her, but knew he had to.

"You mean…the scars and the beatings?" Snape nodded. Roxanna took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She sat there with her eyes closed for several minutes before turning looking back up at Snape.

"Okay, but only if you answer my question first."

Snape nodded and Roxanna asked her question.

"Why do you give a shit about a poor little orphan girl when you obviously don't care about anyone but yourself?"

Snape raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting this kind of question or this hostility. "What do you mean?"

Roxanna shrugged. "Seems to me that you like being alone and letting other people solve their own fucking problems, so I wanted to know what makes me so damn special that you have to help me."

Snape was speechless.