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 Nine Common People & Wolfsbane Potions -

------First part of the chapter name (Common People) is after the tremendous Pulp song. Jarvis Cocker is going to be a member of the Weird Sisters in the next film so can you blame me! The common people bit is referring to the similarities between Jane and her new Slytherin friend... ------

NOTE: There's a major clue in here about a certain character. And a certain fact about them which will eventually lead Jane into trouble. It's tiny but let's see if you can get it! The character is not Snape...

---

"Where on earth is she?" Snape sighed under his breath as he prowled the school, searching for Jane. He had been doing this for the past twenty minutes, but still had not found her. "I bet she's gone to hide in the Astron—"

Before Snape could finish his sentence, he noticed, at the bottom of a staircase, Jane and a Slytherin 7th year, immersed in quiet conversation. Hiding in the shadows and straining his ears, Snape listened to their conversation, intrigued.

"So, you're joining Hogwarts in October?" Theodore was weedy, dark-haired, and extremely intelligent.

"Yes. I'm taking my O.W.Ls tomorrow. Professor Snape has been teaching me all I need to know," Jane replied, eyes still bloodshot.

"Oh...Professor Snape? I see. What do you think of him?" Theodore asked. Snape twitched slightly, dreading Jane's reply.

"Oh, I don't know what to think," Jane gushed, running her hand through her dark red hair. "One moment I like him, and the next, half-way through a lesson with him, he just walks out on me without an explanation. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm really that repulsive that he can't teach me for more than twenty minutes without needing a shower."

Snape gasped inwardly. She thought he was repulsed by her? He craned his head slightly nearer to the two Slytherins, though not near enough to be seen.

Theodore laughed kindly, rolling his eyes at Jane. "Of course he doesn't think you're repulsive. No one's worked out how Professor Snape's mind works; he's just a complex man, that's all. He's got a bit of a past, so you can't blame him for beingslight;y odd."

"A bit of a past? He was a Death Eater, you mean? I wish the lot of them were in Azkaban. Or they should've been murdered at birth," Jane seethed, her enormous coffee-coloured eyes flashing.

"My father is a Death Eater," Theodore sighed, scratching his arm awkwardly. "That's part of the reason I'm spending the last few days of the holiday here."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to – I just – so is my father, actually." Jane turned red.

"He is? What's his name? Why...no, I'm confused. If he was Death Eater, why didn't you come to Hogwarts sooner? Surely he wouldn't have wanted you to grow up like a muggle? And, just so you know, I don't support You Know Who either. I hate Death Eaters and all of it. I wish my father wasn't...I lost my mum because of it." Though Theodore's words bought great sadness to Jane, she felt a glimmer of hope inside her that, perhaps, someone else was feeling a bit of how she felt right now.

Snape twitched. Again. Hehad hopeddesperately that Jane wouldn't tell anyone about her Death Eater father. He was angry enough at the fact that the Order had announced that Theodore was to be placed in his care earlier that day; the last thing he needed was more reason to be miffed.

"You lost your mum too? I'm so sorry for you, I...I know how it feels. If you want to speak about it, then...well, I've been through it too. I lost my mum very recently. That's the reason I'm here. She was a muggle, and my dad was a wizard. She didn't let him see me ever because he was such an awful man. His name is Rodolphus Lestrange. I don't know whether you've ever heard of him." As Jane stopped speaking, she stared sympathetically at Theodore. She had decided that she liked him very much, and wished that he was a 6th Year Slytherin instead of a 7th Year one.

"Rodolphus Lestrange? Yes, I've heard of him. I've seen him quite a few times...he's a friend of my father. I'm sorry to hear about your mother. I don't really have many friends, so I've never had anyone to talk to about mine. My father murdered her – he used the killing curse on her as she begged him to stop being a Death Eater. I hate him for it," Theodore whispered, scratching at the top of his arm once more.

"Your father murdered your mum! I'm so, so sorry, for you...if it's any consolation, I know how it feels to watch a parent pass away. My mum was...my mum drowned. I saw it happen...I just wasn't quick enough...I really miss her." Jane felt her tears starting again.

"I'm sorry for bringing up the subject. I didn't mean to upset you," Theodore whispered, not sure of how to handle the situation.

"No, no, it's fine. Sometimes it helps to talk about it. I should probably go now...thinking about it, I may've been a bit hard on Professor Snape earlier. Hopefully I'll see you again?" As Jane rose, she noticed a figure lurking in the shadows. Knowing who it was, she stared directly at him defiantly, turned to Theodore and continued, "It's nice to have someone decent to talk to for once. I'm glad I met you tonight!"

Theodore laughed slightly and wished Jane a good night before retreating up the stairs. Once he was entirely out of sight, Jane stalked over to where Snape was standing and sighed, "Why, Professor, are you hiding in the shadows?"

Snape was, for one of the first times in his life, speechless. "I-I'm...perhaps...well-"

Jane stared at his small black eyes intensely. Snape had, once more, the odd feeling that she was reading his mind. The mind of a very, very accomplished Occlumens.

"Perhaps, well, after I had fled from your chambers, you came to search for me? And perhaps, well, you listened in on a conversation that, really, you had no right to listen to?"

Snape glared in the direction of the floor, breaking eye contact. He could not believe she was reading his mind. "Miss Dashwood, I'm sorry for listening in on the conversation. One thing I am most certainly not sorry of though is the fact that you've been having outbursts at me for being a Death Eater, when you know that I am nownot one. You're perfectly able to read my mind, and have been for all this time. Why, then, have you been screaming at me constantly and then saying it's because I'm still a follower of the Dark Lord? There must be another reason. What is it?"

It was Jane's turn to be speechless. "I-it's...Professor, can I tell you something, please?"

"Please do," Snape retorted in his cold manner.

"It's because I like you, Professor. I genuinely like the person you are, and yet, as you probably heard in the conversation with me and Theodore, you're so repulsed by me that you can't stay in the same room as me for even a short while before running off. It's so frustrating, Professor Snape. I'm sorry if I'm being forward, but I've always been a firm believer in telling the truth."

Snape blinked several times and shook his head. "You're lying. You hate me."

Jane rolled her eyes and protested, "No, you hate me!"

"Shut up, Miss Dashwood, and go to sleep." With this, Snape stalked off, his face twisted into a look of triumph. "She likes me," he murmured to himself. "Worry over."

---

The morning of the O.W.Ls was a somewhat hurried one; Jane fell asleep during breakfast several times because of her late night, causing her to be behind schedule.

"Hurry up, Miss Dashwood, half of your O.W.Ls assessors are here already!" Flitwick squeaked, though not unkindly.

"Oh, okay, I'm finished now," Jane stuttered, pushing her plate to one side and rising from the table.

"Best of luck, Jane!" Remus called. Several variations on this followed from numerous other teachers, as well as Theodore Nott, who was, much to his discomfort, seated between Professor McGonagall and Professor Treelawney (on one of her rare visits to the Great Hall).

"Thanks!" Jane called as she dashed from the Great Hall. Outside the hall, Snape was waiting for her.

"Good luck, Miss Dashwood," he offered silkily.

"Yes. Thanks, Professor," Jane grinned as Flitwick motioned for her to follow him. "I think I'm going to need it!"

"You're lying," Snape said. "You won't need it at all."

----

As it turned out, Professor Snape was correct; she did not need luck at all. Though the exams were slightly challenging for her, she managed them, and all practical assessments went without fault. She could not be sure about her written papers, but she believed that she had answered to the best of her ability which was all she could do, really. The exams had lasted for a few days in total, and she was very relieved when they were eventually out of the way.

As Jane headed towards her chambers after the final exam, Snape caught up with her and informed her that she would receive her results by the end of the week.

"Ah...that soon? Well, thanks for everything you've done. I owe you a lot, Professor," Jane offered. She felt a lot happier around people in general now that the exams were finished, and had made a resolution to herself to stop being so obnoxious around the Professor who spent most of his spare time teaching her.

Snape raised one eyebrow and turned to face Jane. Even though she was many years younger than him, she was only an inch or two shorter. "You've really tried my patience quite a few times, but you're a good student, Miss Dashwood. Don't tell anyone I'm saying this, because I'll never live it down, but I'm a bit upset at the prospect of only teaching you for Potions now. And I'm going to have to wait another month before that. As much as I hate to admit it, I've warmed towards you somewhat."

"Honest, Professor?" Jane asked earnestly, assuming he was just mocking her.

"Unfortunately, yes. I'm being quite honest." Snape stopped as they reached the door to Jane's chambers. "Looks like you've got a month of now before you start at Hogwarts properly. I hope you have fun." Snape stared at his feet once more and, in a very un-Snape-like fashion, yawned slightly.

"Yes. I'm dreading it really. I'm worried about what the other students will think of me. Theodore was nice, but he's a year above me. I don't know whether all of the Slytherin 6th Years are insufferable big-heads people or not."

"No, no, you'll be the first," Snape smirked slightly.

"Thanks!" Jane cried, feigning indignance as she opened the door to her chambers. "Professor, I was wondering, could I talk to you about something please? Preferably not out here?"

Snape stifled another yawn but nodded anyway. As Jane closed the door behind them, she motioned for him to sit down on the edge of her bed. After he did, Jane followed suit.

"Basically, Professor," Jane explained, "I want to apologise to you for giving you such a difficult time. I know you're not a Death Eater anymore. So many people – Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin, all of the members of the Order – they all put so much faith in you. All of them are experienced, intelligent wizards and witches, and they all support you. There's no way anyone would be able to live with themselves knowing that they were a Death Eater while they had friends like that. The guilt would ruin even the coldest Death Eater. I can tell you're a good wizard. I was hoping that we could start again. I do like you, Professor."

Snape's eyes glazed over slightly for a second, and he put his head in his hands. "Please, just – just don't. I have a confession, Jane. An awful confession. You must understand I'm changing now, but your trust in me is misplac-"

Before Snape could continue, a heavy knocking came at Jane's door. "Come in!" Jane seethed, furious about the interruption.

Professor McGonagall stood at the door, clutching her face in horror. "Severus! At last!" she cried. "I've been looking for you all over! Remus hasn't had any Wolfsbane Potion! He's locked in one of the dungeons at the moment, in wolf form. He's bound to try to escape though! It would seem he had been trying to make it himself so he didn't harm anyone-he obviously wasn't able to find you-we don't know what to do! Come quickly!"

Severus leapt up and, robes billowing, ran along the corridor and bellowed to McGonagall behind him, "I forgot! I forgot all about making it for him! How could I be so foolish!"

Realising that it would be stupid to jeopardise her own safety, Jane quickly locked her wooden door shut and sat, in silence, worrying about Lupin, and wondering what Snape was about to confess to her.

-----

This chapter was the longest yet...but I don't think I like it. Anyway...TONS of action next chapter! And I mean tons.

Snape's Opera Rose - Woohoo, Snape is sexy yes! Of course you can hit Jane for hurting Snapey's feelings. Of course, after the next chapter, you might not feel the need to...let me just say that she might get into a spot of bother. By the way, excellent taste in hot people/ and male actors - David Thewlis, Alan Rickman, Ioan Gruffudd are all in my favourites list! You like Emma Thompson and Maggie Smith too - that is fantastic.

Tara - Yes, Jane is v. grouchy! She does have a reason though...you'll find out in the next chapter! Thanks for the review :D