Chapter 1

I sighed, waiting for my flight to touch ground in England. The time zone change and the stress already bothered me already. And the pain of mom's death...it was unbearable. I shook off the depression hanging over me, and grinned. "'Kay, Ser, you get to live with dad in England. Sure, it's not America, but it's still cool." My dad, Severus Snape, hadn't left my mom. He worked in England originally, met my mom, and went to the U.S to get married. But his work always took him back to the UK so he lived in London, while mom and I had lived in sunny L.A. But then mom had died of cancer three months ago. It hit us hard. Dad came from London for the funeral. He was devastated. The only arrangement was for me to move in with him in his Sherlock Holmes-style flat, minus the bullet holes in the wall. I had three months to pack up and leave. It was convenient, since I was entering my first year of college.

I quickly realized that I was crying. I blinked as the plane landed. The plane suddenly was a metropolis of people bustling to get their bags. I looked at my laptop in my lap. The clear case on the front was covered in stickers, as sorting from a turntable to galaxy cats. I was a DJ, and widely known, to my discomfort. I better known as Zodiacmxsk, my YouTube screename. I've been posting my original mixes for a couple years, and in return received a lot of media attention. But, here's the catch: nobody knows it's me. To the plain eye, I was an college student who has a black SnapBack with a galaxy rim and a varsity jacket. But I was so much more than that. I had experienced true grief, true heartbreak- and I have the scars to prove it. I was a music junkie, an artist-but with the sliver of a smile, the elusive brown-black loose braid fading into blond. I packed up my laptop and headphones. That's when I heard a snarky voice, obviously a native, speaking to somebody into his phone. "Yes father, I'm back from L.A. Yes, I know that the limo is waiting outside of the lounge. Horrible city, L.A. Full of pieces on shit-" that's when his eyes landed on me. A tougue ran over perfectly straightened white teeth. He looked my age, maybe a few months older. A smug smirk graced his features-

I scowled and did the typical thing- gave him the finger. That angered him. 'Bye, fuckboy.' I mouthed, with a snarl. His white blonde hair was too fake, his features too perfect. Any girl would fawn over him, but I was smart. Never trust men like that.

"SERINA!" My dad enveloped me in a hug, my suitcase, which I just picked up, ramming painfully into my side from the sudden stop.

"Ow. It's great to see you too, dad." I smiled. We got into the car and for 45 minutes drove. I could see the skyline of London.

"Almost there!" Dad said cheerfully. When we reached London, I watched the crowds of people, bustling around. Dad pulled into a cobblestone driveway. An iron gate shut behind us. Dad got my luggage out of the car and tossed my the keys to the flat.

"Wow..." My eyes widened, I had stepped I got he spacious living area, and the black granite kitchen was around the wall corner. The were floor to ceiling windows of the wall facing the garden. A staircase going down was where I was drawn to. My dad's bedroom was there, and next door was mine. It was already painted a dark shade of grey, my preferred choice of bedroom color. We both had a tiny deck onto the garden. "Severus Snape, you are such a liar." I grinned and rolled my eyes at my dad.

"Maybe." He replied. "Your furniture and things will be arriving tomorrow. I have the day off, I want to show you around and-oh! The college you applied to phoned. You were accepted!"

"Really?!" I smiled. My dad took off my SnapBack hat and ruffled my hair.

"First day is in a week. Now, do you want to go to convent garden or Picadilly Circus?" He asked.

"I want to watch Doctor Who and sleep. Wow, I'm in the country where my favorite show takes place! That's cool as fu-"

"Language, Serina."

"Fine."

A week later, my room was set up. Laptop and iMac on my desk, speakers and headphones handy, Doctor who poste framed and hanging above my wall, my bedside table with my lamp and phone charger, and my books, which took up two whole shelves. I read a lot. A family picture of Mom, Dad, and I rested on my bedside table. "SEEEEERRRRRRRIIIIIINNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAA!" My dad bellowed. "UNIVERSITY STARTS TODAY!"

I hauled myself out of bed and picked out my clothes. Ripped black jeggings, maroon shirt, black vans, my SnapBack, and a olive green varisity jacket with cream sleeves. I shoved my SnapBack, phone, laptop, and headphones into my leather crossover, and left my hair down, my side bangs drooping onto the center of my face until I brushed it easily to the side. "Alright Dad, let's go!" I said cheerfully. My dad was in his black suit with a emerald tie. He was known as Professor Snape on campus, the feared Chemistry teacher.

We boarded the Underfround, aka 'The Tube' and headed towards the center of the city. We got out, and walked until we were in campus, which was huge. People were jabbering in the usual British dialect, I did hear some foreign accents, but no familiar American accents. I was givien my schedule, and looked it over. All the familiar classes, and my performing arts ones, too. That's when I heard the whispers. A name floated up to my ears: Zodiacmxsk.