(a/n: little bit of violence in this chapter. Fair warning.)

Every day, the Hound would peek into the cell to make sure Aurora was all right. He couldn't help it. He'd made a promise to Ned Stark to protect the feisty, foul-mouthed young woman and the Hound was a man of his word. The safest place for her was in the dungeons. Or so he thought. Then came the day when Joffrey decided he would punish you in his own way.

"Dog! Go and fetch my little toy from the dungeon," Joffrey ordered. The Hound stifled a groan, knowing that nothing good could come of this. "Oh, and be quick about it," Joffrey called to the Hound's retreating figure. The Hound quickly wound his way through the corridors of the Keep down to the dungeons. Aurora was sitting on a bench with her knees pulled up to her chest when the Hound opened the door.

"Come along, little dove," he said solemnly. Aurora's green eyes flashed with fear as she rose from the bench. She walked slowly over to the man and looked up at him. The Hound had no idea what Joffrey had planned for her but he knew he'd have to keep his cool or risk Joffrey's wrath on himself. If that happened, he couldn't protect Aurora and keep his promise to Ned. He grabbed Aurora's upper arm and gently lead her to the Throne Room where Joffrey was waiting. Sansa was standing in the middle of the room.

"Leave her pretty. I like her pretty," Joffrey was saying. The Hound had to hold Aurora back as Meryn Trant began to hit Sansa over and over. He couldn't, however, stop her mouth. "You fucking prick! Leave her alone! She's a child! Do you get off on hurting children?!" Joffrey's gaze settled on the young woman and smile spread across his face.

The Hound let go of Aurora, who immediately ran to Sansa's side. She saw Sansa's ripped dress and the tears dripping down her face. "It's alright," she whispered to the girl. She heard rustling and the two females looked up to see the Hound giving Sansa his cloak. Aurora stood up and faced Meryn Trant. "You are a sick bastard," she said to the man towering over her.

Everyone in the throne room inhaled sharply. Meryn Trant looked back at Joffrey who nodded. The next thing Aurora knew, Meryn's hand flew up to smack her across the face. Aurora reached up to touch the place where Meryn's blow struck. In that moment, the Hound saw her expression change from one of surprise to one of anger. He swore he could see fire in her eyes.

A split second later, Aurora lunged herself at the man. Big mistake on her part. Meryn reached for her hair to pull her off and threw her down. She landed on her butt on the stone floor and glared up at the man who reached down and started hitting her all over her body. Eventually, Joffrey lifted a hand, indicating that he should stop. "That was amusing, but I grow bored. Dog, return her to her cell."

The Hound rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. He pulled Aurora to her feet and lead her out. He could only assume that Joffrey hadn't killed her because he was going to use her for that kind of entertainment again. The Hound lead Aurora back out of the throne room, ignoring the lingering gazes of those around. Once the doors closed behind them, the Hound turned the red-head and said, "Yer alright now, little dove." She glared up at him for a moment. He could see the bruises forming on her face already. There were also some cuts that needed to be dealt with. He couldn't take her back down to the cell like that or she'd die from infection.

"Come on," the Hound ordered gruffly before he turned to walk away. He knew Aurora would follow and he heard the tell tale sounds of her odd shoes behind him. He lead her to his own chambers so he could tend her wounds away from prying eyes.

Aurora walked into the small room and surveyed her surroundings. The Hound caught a glimpse of black markings just under the collar of her dress on her right shoulder. A tattoo? The Hound shook his head and returned to the task at hand. "Sit." Aurora glared at him again before taking a seat in a chair. The Hound grabbed a cloth and his wash basin before coming to sit the chair opposite of Aurora.

He gently dabbed the cool, wet cloth against one of the scratches on Aurora's face, causing her to wince slightly. "Sit still," the Hound told her, his voice unusually soft. Aurora gazed into his brown eyes and did what she was told. Her cheek was bruised and she could feel it every time his knuckles brushed up against it. "Guess I really fucked up this time, huh?" she asked him quietly. He chuckled darkly. "Ya did, but the look on Trant's face was fucking amusing." She laughed and then hissed in pain.

The two were silent for a moment before Aurora asked, "What is your name? Everyone around just calls you the Hound." The Hound simply stared at her. No one ever asked him questions about himself. It took him by surprise. "Sandor." She smiled at him. "Sandor? That's unique and it suits you." The man shook his head in disbelief. This woman was certainly odd.

He finished cleaning her wounds in silence and then returned his basin to where it belonged. "Back to my cell?" The Hound nodded once and Aurora sighed. "Lead the way." The Hound lead Aurora back down to her cell and opened the door. As she walked passed, Aurora placed a hand on his arm and gazed up at him. "Thank you, Sandor." She gave him one last smile before walking in the cell. He shut the door behind her. The Hound left the dungeons that night a little confused and, for the first time in a long time, happy. He was more determined than ever to get Aurora out of there before Joffrey's punishments got worse. 

(a/n: A little bit of cliche Hound fluff and a bit of bonding time. Now that Aurora knows the Hound's name, I will be referring to him by his name from now on.)