Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own a thing. Would love to be the proud owner of a Snape, but JK Rowling got there first. She owns all of the characters, settings etc. But you knew that.

-Chapter Two Sinister-

The heat was almost unbearable, to the point of Severus actually feeling pleased to be wearing a casual muggle shirt and trousers. Though he did not stray from the dark colours he was fond of, it was a change to not feel quite so weighed down.

The reason for Severus donning muggle attire was simple; he was attempting to find one Jane Dashwood, a girl who, until two hours earlier, he had never heard of before in his life. Severus had no clue what she would look like, what she would be wearing, or even if she would still be in the place Minerva had given him directions to, but he hoped that his task would not be too difficult.

Severus's wish was granted. Slightly along the street from a sinister, antiquated-looking church, an ashen, lean girl was coughing into her filthy hand. Snape had not rehearsed what he would say to her, so he simply stood and stared at her for a while. Had she noticed him, she may have been frightened; his small, black eyes were flashing fiercely and he had an ominous look about him. Snape did not like the look of the girl. She looked sick and almost haunting. Her flame-red hair was thick with dirt and her eyes were so large that, even from across the road, he could tell that they were a deep brown. Sighing to himself, Snape drew himself up tall and strode over to the girl. He knew she was Jane Dashwood. She had an eccentricity about her that only a witch or wizard could have achieved.

"Jane Dashwood?" Snape enquired brusquely, startling the girl ever so slightly.

"Perhaps," the girl replied, glaring at Snape. "My mother always told me not to speak to strangers."

Snape sneered slightly. "Your mother was mental, Miss. Dashwood. Do you honestly intend to follow everything she says even though she is dead now?" he smirked, not an ounce of warmth or compassion in his voice.

The girl looked up at Snape abruptly. "Don't speak about my mother like that," she seethed, "or I'll curse you into oblivion with my mind."

Snape smirked once more; he was finding it entirely comical. "I can assure you, child, that I know plenty more curses than you, and the damage I can cause is infinitely worse. I do not want to have to curse you though, because, unfortunately, I have found out that you are a very talented individual and, in short, I need you. Preferably alive."

The girl seemed to be thinking. "I knew this moment would come," she whispered. A grave expression appeared on her face. "My mother told me that when she was gone, you'd come looking for me. Witches and wizards. I thought she was just mad, though."

Snape looked at his shoes for a moment, not sure what to say. He had expected that he would have to explain everything to the girl, but it was so simple. After a while, he remembered to introduce himself. "I'm Professor Snape. Let me help you up," he said, offering her his hand. Jane looked into his eyes for a moment, as if attempting to read his mind, before placing her grubby hand in his and rising from the pavement.

Snape was shocked. As she had looked into his eyes, it was like she was reading his mind. The mind of an extremely accomplished Occlumens. It mystified him and disturbed him nearly as much as the girl herself.

"Well then, Professor Snape, where are we heading?" Jane questioned, dusting the dirt from her plain dress. This had little effect though; it was so dirty that you could not tell the original colour of it, though Snape suspected it had once been a white or some other neutral colour. It was an odd garment, the sort of thing that looked centuries out of date. Even Severus, who rarely ventured into the muggle world, knew that it was not the sort of thing a modern muggle would wear.

"We're going to…well, I can't tell you incase someone hears. I suppose you'll just have to trust me, " Snape replied after several minutes' silence.

"Fair enough," laughed Jane. Severus raised an eyebrow, confused as to why the girl was being so relaxed about the whole affair. He was, as she had said, a total stranger. He could be luring her to her death for all she knew. Shivering slightly, it dawned on Snape that perhaps, however insane the idea was, she had read his mind after all. Perhaps she did not just suppose that he was trustworthy; perhaps she knew, with certainty, from seeing his thoughts.

Perhaps.

Severus rolled his eyes and continued walking. It was all a bit baffling, really.

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Expect lots more chapters soon…I'm on a roll

Thanks, Tara/Bebob, for the review. I'm glad you like the Imperius curse theory!