"What did that bitch do to you?"
Roxanna didn't move from the floor. Her eyes remained down on the floor as she cradled her burned hands to her chest.
"Roxanna, what did she do to you?" Snape asked as he knelt down. He didn't know why he cared so much, but he did.
"I'm sorry," Roxanna whispered so softly Snape almost missed it, "I was afraid that you would be like Mr. Explenta, Beatrice's son."
Snape raised his eyebrow at this. "What did he do to you?"
Roxanna didn't answer, but Snape could hear her quiet sobs. He reached down carefully and lifted her chin gently to get her to look at him.
Tears were streaming down her face. Her eyes were filled with terror and pain. "What did he do to you, Roxanna?"
"He…tried to hurt me using his wand. No, he did. He yelled out some spell and almost instantly there was nothing for me to do except fall to the ground screaming in pain," Roxanna said in tears. Snape knew what she was talking about it was the Crucio curse. He had been on the receiving end of that particular curse for many years.
"Why would he do that to you?" Roxanna was taking deep breaths trying to calm herself down.
"I…I didn't make…his dinner right. It was burned," Roxanna said slowly. Snape jerked back in surprise. She was hurt because she burned dinner?
"Actually I took the curse for one of the other children. I was eleven at the time and the girl who was cooking was six. She accidentally forgot about the rice and it burned. I told him that it was me, and so I paid for the mistake."
Snape was becoming angry, but hid it well. This girl had been through so much. He was about to stand and go fetch the headmaster when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug.
The shock knocked Snape backwards onto his butt, but Roxanna held on tight. She didn't want to let go. She crawled into his lab and sat there, crying into his shoulder.
Snape didn't know what to do. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around her waist hugging her back without realizing it.
They sat like that for several minutes, even after Roxanna stopped crying. Roxanna could feel her cheeks drying, and she knew that she was supposed to be at dinner in ten minutes, but with every breath she took she inhaled more of the spices that Snape used when making potions. The scent was ingrained in him.
Snape was having his own problems. He also had to appear at dinner soon or Albus would show up wondering what was wrong. However, every time he thought about getting up some of her hair would brush by his face causing him to get caught in the softness of it on his cheek.
And so they sat on the cold dungeon floor in each other's arms both stuck there by the other person's fascination with them.
They didn't know how long they actually sat there, but a knock on the classroom door and the sound of Albus' voice drifting through was enough to make them realize they had missed dinner.
"Severus my dear boy. Is everything all right? May I come in?"
The sound of Albus' voice was enough to bring Snape back to reality and practically push Roxanna onto the floor as he stood. He looked down at the girl on the floor. The skirt she was wearing was riding up, showing a good portion of her legs and several fading scars.
"Enter," Snape said still looking at the young girl. Albus opened the door and was a little surprised. He expected to find Severus alone, not with Roxanna sitting on his classroom floor obviously trying to hide the fact she had been crying recently and Snape standing away from her, looking guilty.
"What happened here?" Dumbledore said walking toward Roxanna, who had finally stood. Her looked her over trying to see if there was anything physically wrong with her, but Roxanna kept moving away from him.
Finally she moved behind Snape, on the other side of his desk, and sat down in his chair.
"You wanted something Albus?" Snape said with his arms crossed and leaning on his desk.
"Yes, I was going to inform you that it would be beneficial if you would take Roxanna here into your quarters and let her live with you in the spare bedroom. That way if you are up working late, you won't have to worry about walking her back to the rooms provided on the other side of the castle."
"Whatever you say Headmaster," Snape said without moving. Albus eyed his curiously. This was the first time he had suggested something that didn't turn into some sort of an argument. It was out of character for the usually angry and melancholy potions master.
"Very well. The house elves have already moved her things. See you tomorrow dear boy and you too Roxanna," Albus said with a wave before walking out the door and into the dungeon hallways.
Snape sighed and turned back to Roxanna. "I…" Roxanna was asleep in his chair. Her legs were hanging over the arm on one side while her back rested on the other arm and her head was resting on the back of the chair. She looked peaceful.
Snape watched her sleep for a few more minutes before finally lifting her into his arms and carrying her to her room in his chambers. He laid her down on her bed and covered her up.
He left the room quietly and retired to his room. He fell down on his bed and fell to sleep instantly.