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 Eleven Quite Beautiful

Jane opened her eyes the next morning to the sight of an anxious, pasty looking Remus Lupin sitting by her side. When her surroundings came into focus, she realised that she was in the Hospital Wing, and that Professor Snape was pacing backwards and forwards at the end of the bed she was in, looking equally anxious, if not more so. Everything suddenly came back to Jane; the Death Eaters had been at Hogwarts, Remus had bitten her, Snape had confessed his love for her. It was that thought which made Jane gasp loudly, alerting Snape and Lupin to the fact that she had just woken up.

"Jane!" they both cried at the same time. Snape hurried over to her and took up the empty seat beside Remus.

"Professor Lupin? Professor...Snape?" she quivered, pushing herself upright. "Where are the Death Eaters!"

"Shh, Jane, they are gone," Remus soothed, patting her on the arm. "I'm so unbelievably sorry, Jane. I feel so guilty...I can't apologise profusely enough. I am so, so sorry."

Jane stared at him for a moment before mustering up a smile and whispering, "Please don't be. You weren't yourself at the time. No one was to blame. At least you won't have to spend transformations alone now."

Remus put his head in his hands, concealing his bloodshot eyes. "I can't believe I've done this to you," he stammered.

"You heard the girl, Remus; you weren't yourself at the time. If I had made you the potion like I was supposed to, we wouldn't be in this mess." Snape looked disgusted at himself as he spoke. "You shouldn't be apologising. I should be. I'm sorry to you both. I'm going to go now," he sighed, striding out of the Hospital Wing.

Jane whimpered slightly. "Why did he just leave like that?" she asked Remus, deeply offended.

"I think he's racked with guilt," Remus breathed. "He's been here with you for over four hours while you slept, though."

"What happened to the Death Eaters? And how did I end up in the Hospital Wing?" Jane questioned, staring into Remus's tired hazel eyes.

"The Death Eaters have been taken to Azkaban. You won't be seeing them again. They were interrogated by Ministry workers but all they confessed to was attempting to find you. It would seem that your father wanted to take you back with them. We are just fortunate that Snape was there to protect you before Minerva and the others arrived. They would've simply taken you were it not for him. You fainted from the pain of the bite I gave you. As I said, I'm so very sorry, Jane. I'll never forgive myself for losing control like that."

"Please, Professor. It wasn't your fault!" Jane protested. "I'm feeling quite alright now, anyway. Could you please find Madam Pomfrey for me and ask her if I may leave?"

"Of course," Remus smiled, rising from the chair and stalking off. He returned a minute or so later with Madam Pomfrey, who surveyed Jane and eventually agreed that she was fit to leave the Hospital Wing. After saying her thank-yous and goodbyes to Madam Pomfrey and Remus, she dashed off in search of Snape.

Jane realised that Snape would most likely be in his chambers, catching up on his sleep, so she flitted down the staircases to the dungeons. Before knocking for Snape, she entered her own roomto quickly get changed, aware of the fact that she was wearing bloodied, creased robes. When she opened her newly fixed door, she was shocked to find Professor Snape dozing off in the chair in the corner of her room. He was a very quiet sleeper and looked, for the first time in Jane's presence, utterly relaxed.

"Ahem," Jane coughed, raising one eyebrow at the serene-looking Potions Master.

Snape woke at once, an expression of startled confusion contorting his pallid features, soon replaced by an unfathomable expression when he noticed Jane standing before him.

"Professor, what are you doing here?" Jane asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I was waiting for you to return," he retorted in a tone that implied Jane had just asked the world's most obvious question.

"Right," Jane nodded. "If you wanted to see me, why did you storm out of the Hospital Wing?"

"Because I knew you'd leave almost immediately to speak with me, and what I wanted to say to you is not something I would be keen on Professor Lupin hearing."

"Does this have something to do with what you said yesterday?" Jane enquired.

"It does, yes. What exactly do you remember me saying yesterday?"

"A great deal of stuff. About you being a Death Eater, about the fact that you think you..." Jane trailed off, not knowing whether to bring it up or not.

"Yes, Jane? What was it I said to you?" Snape pushed.

"Your exact words were 'I think I perhaps love you'," Jane admitted. "It's okay, though. We all say ridiculous things when we're a bit flustered."

Snape looked livid for a moment and spat, "You think I was being ridiculous!", before closing his eyes and sighing, "I wasn't being ridiculous. I was being honest, but I can see quite clearly now that the feeling is not reciprocated. Forget I ever said it, Miss Dashwood." With this, Snape rose to leave the room.

"Wait!" Jane cried, pulling at the back of Snape's rose as he attempted to leave. "I never the said the feeling wasn't reciprocated! Please Professor, sit down. I need to speak to you."

Snape eyed Jane suspiciously, but before he was able to make up his mind whether to stay or not, she had dragged him into a sitting position on the edge of her bed. Assuming a position next to him, she took a deep breath and began to speak. "Professor, I can assure you the feeling is reciprocated. The first time I ever saw you, I knew I wanted you. When I was being sorted, I begged the Sorting Hat to place me in your house. Do you remember when you lent me your shirt for the night? Waking up with your scent on me was one of the most uplifting things I've ever experienced. Why do you think I took it so badly when I discovered you had been a Death Eater? It shattered the way I perceived you. Even then though, I still think of you as possibly the most perfect person I've ever met. Of course the feeling is mutual, Professor."

Snape stared at the girl besides him, temporarily speechless. After a while, he spoke. "I don't believe it. I've honestly never loved anyone before. I've always been Professor Snape, cold, hard-hearted, emotionless. I thought you hated me...you always shout at me. When I heard you speaking to Theodore and you said you thought I was repulsed by you, it crushed me. You're quite beautiful, really."

Jane could not help but laugh at Snape's last comment. She felt a mixture of glee, relief and nervousness, the latter soon quashed by Snape placing an arm around her.

"It feels really quite disgusting, being called Professor by you after we've confessed all of that. Perhaps you should call me Severus?" Snape smiled at Jane. It was the first time that he had not smirked at her; it was a genuine, eye-twinkling smile.

"I should get changed," Jane gasped, suddenly realising she was coated in dry blood. "Give me five minutes!"

"Fine," Snape nodded, sighing a little. "I don't mind watching, you know," he added teasingly.

Jane giggled slightly. "Oh, but I do," she chuckled, playfully digging him, before heading to the wardrobe to retrieve some clean robes. "What colour?" she asked him as he moved behind her.

"The red, definitely," he replied. "For Gryffindor. It'd cheer Remus up. And besides, it goes wonderfully with your hair."

"Excellent choice," Jane laughed, heading for the bathroom to get changed.

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Snape's Opera Rose – Glad you love it! In your very own words, "WOOT!"