Chapter 1

Rose opened her eyes, and took in her surroundings. As she scanned her eyes over her dresser, desk, and bureau, she yawned and stretched her arms. Not ready to get up, Rose slowly sank back down into her mattress. Her mind soon drifted into sweet oblivion, and she thought on the things she had planned for the day. Wait…Planned for the day? Today was the day she would leave for Hogwarts! Rose's eyes flashed open, and she leaped out of bed. She ran and grabbed the clothing she had laid out last night, the clothing which had taken her hours to choose.

Rose quickly dawned on her clothing, taking care not to wrinkle anything. Then she freshened up and expertly fixed her hair. Standing before her full length mirror, Rose took in her reflection. She was wearing a pair of jeans, with a purple shirt and gray cardigan, which had gray and purple flowers sewn along the sides. Her hair was raven black, so it looked very striking compared to the purple in her outfit. Rose was wearing it down today, and it came nearly to her waist.

Rose sighed. Her father always said she had a fair complexion, high cheek bones, and rosy cheeks, which ran down the family line, but Rose wasn't so sure. Although her hair was glossy, her waist was much too thin, and she was considered very petite for her age. Her mother had been the same way, but she had been exceptionally beautiful. Rose couldn't remember her mother, as she'd died when Rose was only three. Rose gently fingered the locket around her neck, which contained pictures of her parents, and had once been her mother's.

Well, enough of that, Rose told herself. Today is meant to be a happy day, and her mother would want her to be happy, not sad. Straitening her shoulders, Rose looked herself over once more, and then determinedly made her way downstairs.

Rose entered the kitchen with a happy gait to her step, fairly bursting with excitement.

"What's this then? So perky in the morning…I wonder what could be the cause. It must be that this country air is doing you some good. It's all those fresh eggs I'd imagine." Her father teased.

"Papa, you know what today is! I finally get to go to Hogwarts, be sorted into a house, eat in the great hall, and meet all the ghosts! I suppose I could be sorted into Gryffindor, like all the other self-proclaimed heroes, or into Ravenclaw, where the brilliant are sorted. I suppose I might even be sorted into Hufflepuff, the loyal, or Slytherin, the deviously smart. What do you think Papa? You'd know right? Since you're a Professor?" Rose asked hopefully.

Severus Snape smiled fondly at his daughter, remembering his own excitement on this very day, years ago.

"I wish I could tell you, but consequently, all that information is kept strictly confidential between the sorting hat and the sorted. Although I really hope you make it into Slytherin, even though those characteristics aren't necessarily in your nature." Severus replied with a twinkle in his eye.

"I'd love to be in your house, but I'm not really Slytherin material. Draco doesn't even like me, and he's a born and breed Slytherin! He says I'm too nice to be in Slytherin house, do you think I'm too nice, Papa?" Rose inquired with a frown.

"You can never be too nice Rose, only not nice enough. No, your kindness and compassion for others will take you onto great things. You have nothing to worry about in that regard. Now, am I to make breakfast all by myself?" Severus asked with a smirk.

"Oh, I've been so rude! Of course, I will help. What do you feel like eating today?" Rose answered, smiling.

"Hmmmm…how about you make a nice piece of toast? You always make it so well, while it practically turns to ash when I touch it. I suppose I am just not "cook" material. I'm quite good at potions though, as you well know." Severus said with a sly grin.

"Ummm hmmmm….of course you are. I guess we'll just have to see who the best is when we, namely I, get to Hogwarts." Rose answered playfully. "I do have an exhalant teacher, you know."

"Well, we'll just have to see what this teacher of yours thinks, he must be completely brilliant, to teach such dunder heads every year." Severus retorted, smiling smugly.

"We'll see who the dunder head is this year, just you wait, and it won't be me." Rose giggled jokingly.

"I suppose we'll have it wait and see." Replied Severus, smirking.

"I suppose so." Rose answered with a smirk, identical to her fathers.

Later, after breakfast, the two raven haired relatives hurriedly set to work, getting ready to leave for Hogwarts. After what seemed like hours, but in actuality were only minutes, father and daughter were heading out the door.

Severus quickly used the floo to take them to the boiler room in the train station, and from there the headed to platform 9 ¾.

Rose stared at the entrance to the Hogwarts express, and started seriously doubting her father's sanity. Did you really have to go through a wall to get to the train? Wouldn't you just smack strait into it, and make a fool of yourself? Rose glanced at her father, trying to gauge if this was all a practical joke. Nope, he looked serious all right. He looked stressed actually, like he does at the start of every school year. He would most likely get in his snappy dungeon professor mode soon, as he did every year. Chuckling to herself, Rose again concentrated on the impassible wall.

Rose sighed. Well, it was now or never. How was she ever to be a great Witch if she couldn't even go through a pathetic little wall? Taking a deep breath, Rose grabbed her cart, which contained her trunk and new owl Noble, and quickly raced towards the Hogwarts entrance.

Rose gasped as she felt this weird tugging sensation, but quickly relaxed when she noticed her father beside her.

"We're here." Rose stated with awe.

Everything was so beautiful. Everywhere she looked something caught her eye, and everything was so shiny. But the thing in the center of the room took the attention away from anything else. The Hogwarts Express. It was huge, and had red and gold paint. It stood out like a beacon, and simply took Rose's breath away.

"That we are. Now, let's get your stuff on the train shall we?" Severus answered, guiding Rose through the large crowd.

They soon had her luggage on the train, and were left staring awkwardly at each other, neither knowing quite how to say goodbye.

Finally, Severus spoke timidly. "It won't be goodbye for long, we'll see each other at the feast, and by then you'll be happily sorted into Slytherin."

Rose knew her father was trying to cheer her up, but she couldn't be cheered. She'd never had to say goodbye to her Papa like this before, even when he'd left for Hogwarts on previous years, he'd always flooed home every night.

"I know." Rose said with a trembling chin.

Unable to handle it anymore, Rose jumped into her father's arms, and desperately embraced him. A few tears slid down her face as she stood there, clinging to her father, until he gently pushed her away, and wiped the tears from her face.

"You'll do exceptional, and I'll always be a few corridors away. If you ever need me, I'll be there, alright? I love you, Rosie." Severus quickly cleared his throat, fighting back tears. "You'd better run along now, you don't want to miss your train."

Rose nodded, gave her father one last hug, and quietly whispered, "I love you too, Papa" In his ear before she determinedly left to get on the train.

As Rose settled into a train compartment, she couldn't stop herself from looking out the window for one last glance at her father. Catching his eye, Rose enthusiastically waved goodbye as the train took off, and kept waving until he was completely out of sight. Raising her hand to her face, Rose gently wiped away her tears, straitened her back, and placed a determined look on her face. Unknown to her, she looked very much the image of her father.

The train had been traveling for a few minutes, when she heard a knock at the compartment door. A dark haired boy, with glasses and slightly baggy clothes stuck his head in.

"Is there any room left in this compartment? All the others are full." The dark haired boy asked timidly.

"Yes, there's plenty of room. Come in." Rose answered with a small smile.

The boy slowly made his way to the seat beside her, and nervously sat down. He glanced timidly at Rose, and seemed unsure of what to say.

"Is this your first time here too? I'm an only child, so I've never had the chance to see the station until now. It's pretty intimidating, isn't it?" Rose asked shyly.

"Yeah, my parents died when I was little, and I've been living with my Aunt and Uncle since then. They don't have any magical children though, so this is my first time here. I don't know much about the wizarding world really, it seems so confusing. I mean, why do you have to go through a wall to get to the Hogwarts Express?" The boy answered with a sly smile.

"I'm so sorry about your parents! That's awful! My mum died when I was three, so I don't remember her much, either. Isn't it weird how much you can miss someone that you've never even known? I guess you miss the idea of having that person or something. I do have my

Papa though, he's a professor." Rose responded thoughtfully.

"Oh? He's a Professor? What does he teach?"

"Mostly he teaches Potions, but he's always wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Are your relative's muggles? Is that why you don't know everything about the wizarding world?" Rose asked curiously.

"Muggles?" The dark haired boy inquired.

"You see, there are three types of categories for wizards. If a witch or wizard has two magical parents, then he or she is considered a "pure blooded" wizard. There are many families that pride themselves in being pure bloods, and at every opportunity try to down grade others who aren't. I personally believe that blood doesn't make the person, and therefore shouldn't matter, but sadly not many people agree with me."

"Next, there are "Half-bloods", which means that they have one magical parent and one muggle parent. Then, there are those who are "muggle born", which is when a witch or wizard has two muggle parents. Also, if anyone ever uses the word "mudblood", give him or her a good sock to the mouth. That is an awful, dirty way of saying muggle born, and should never ever be used." Rose ended passionately, quite out of breath.

"Sorry if that was an overload, I don't normally talk this much." Rose blushed.

"Oh, that's okay. I like learning new things about the wizarding world." The boy answered excitedly.

"Oh, and yes, my Aunt and Uncle are muggles; they never use magic or anything. What was it like, growing up with magic?" He asked, wide eyed.

"Well, my Papa wanted me to learn everything the muggle way, so we rarely used magic. We have one house elf, Rory, who is like a second mother to me. She always used to take care of me when my Papa was teaching at Hogwarts. Rory is free, of course, but she chose to stay with us anyways. Other than Rory using magic to clean the dishes and such, we don't normally use it, except for the Floo and Apperating." Rose concentrated on her words, trying to get the feel of a wizarding life accurate.

"Cool! So house elves can do magic and stuff? Are they normally slaves? What's the floo? And what's Apperating?" The dark haired boy asked excitedly.

Rose giggled; she liked this boy already.

"Ummmm…house elves can do all sorts of magic, whatever they want really, and they don't have to use a wand. In some pure blood families house elves are enslaved, yes, but not in all. It is an awful practice, really, and something that should be stopped. If the owner of the house elf gives it an article of clothing, then it's free. That's what my Papa did." Rose answered, thinking fondly of her father. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "The floo is one way that people in the wizarding world travel. You just take some Floo power, sprinkle it in the fire, and call out the place you want to go. Apperating is another form of travel, but something you have to have a license for. You get one when you're seventeen. My Papa can do it, and sometimes he takes me along." Rose finished, smiling broadly.

"That's so amazing! I can't believe people use that stuff every day. Incredible. I know I should have asked this sooner, but what's your name?"

"Oh! I can't believe I never introduced myself." Rose blushed brightly. "I'm Rose, Rose Snape."

"It's nice to meet you Rose. I'm Harry, Harry Potter." Harry answered, holding out his hand.

Rose shook Harry's offered hand, and they both suddenly started laughing. The situation was so hilarious, that it took them nearly five minutes to quiet down.

To think, they'd actually been having a deep discussion, sharing intimate family details, and talking for ages, and they didn't even know each other's name!

"It's nice to meet you, Harry. I really hope we're in the same house. You're the only person I know, and I think we could be great friends." Rose said shyly.

"Me too, Rose. We'd have such fun!" Harry replied.

"Oh, and I have to tell you one more thing about the Wizarding world. Well, it's about my Papa really. Do not, under any circumstances, take notes is class. He takes it the wrong way, thinking you're not paying attention. In addition, you might hear some stories about him being a tough teacher, and a bit mean, but he's really not. It's a face mostly, although I do think he enjoys scaring the first years a bit." Rose giggled jokingly.

"I'll make sure to stick by you then." Harry answered mischievously. "Who knows what kind of fun we'd have."

They stared at each other for a moment, before suddenly bursting into laughter.

Rose and Harry's chatter soon turned into a comfortable silence, and the gentle roll of the train slowly lulled Rose to sleep.

A knock sounded at the door, and Rose quickly opened her eyes. She then realized that she'd fallen asleep on Harry's shoulder. Rose was too mortified to move, so she decided to pretend sleep instead.

She heard someone walk into the room, well stomp really, and her interest instantly perked. Rose listened harder.

"Hi, sorry to bother you, but my brother's kicked me out of their compartment. Is there any room In here?" The mysterious stranger asked.

Rose silently smirked. As if the compartment wasn't almost completely empty, you dolt. Of course there's room! Although, the voice did sound male, so that pretty much explained everything.

She could tell Harry was trying to hide a smile, presumably thinking the same thing she was.

"Of course there's room. Come in and sit down." Harry replied kindly.

Rose heard the stomping boy come in and sit down. Heaving a big sigh, the boy seemed to relax, and by the sound of things, stretched out on the seat across from them.

"So, what's your name then? I'm Ron, Ron Weasley." Ron told them, well told Harry at least.

"It's nice to meet you, Ron. I'm Harry Potter." Harry replied.

"H-h-harry P-potter?" Ron stuttered, stunned.

"Yes?" Replied a very confused Harry.

Poor boy, he wasn't used to his fame yet. All the more reason for me to stay near him, he needs all the help he can get.

"THE Harry Potter?" Ron asked, rather stupidly.

"Ummm..yes. Is there another?" Asked Harry, now completely and utterly confused.

"Do you have, you know, the scar?" Ron reverently inquired.

"Oh…yeah that." Harry pulled his bangs away to reveal his scar, and Rose imagined he raised his eyebrow as well, but that's only what she'd do, not necessarily what he did.

Ron oohed and ahhed for a few annoying minutes then went on to other topics, thank goodness.

"So, who's the arm candy?" He asked, trying to sound cool. It didn't work.

Rose visibly felt Harry stiffen. She really hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid. Maybe now would be a good time to "wake up". Before she could do anything, however, Harry spoke.

"This," Harry said, indicating to her, "is Rose. I'd appreciate it if you treated her kindly, as she has been nicest person I've met as of yet. We're not a couple, if that's what you're thinking. No, she just fell asleep, and I didn't want to move her." Harry finished with clinched teeth.

"I didn't mean it like that, I was just wondering is all…" Ron pouted. "Who is she anyways? I know her name is Rose, but I've never seen her before, and I have a very large family, so you hear and see everything." Ron ended with a chuckle.

"Sorry for being rude, I'm just not used being around so many people, I guess."

Before Harry could continue, someone again knocked at the door. Since when were they so popular?

Sighing, Rose decided it was time to end the charade.

Rose slowly opened her eyes, and sat up. She blinked a couple of times, to make it look convincing of course, and smiled kindly at Harry.

"Thank you for letting me use your shoulder as a pillow, Harry. You could have wakened me, I wouldn't have minded." Rose told Harry with a small smile.

"Oh, it's okay. It wasn't a problem." Harry replied uncomfortably.

Before they could continue their conversation, however, there was another knock, very impatient this time.

"I suppose we'd better answer the door." Ron stated with a grimace.

"I'll do it." Rose replied, and quickly made her way to the door, all of two feet.

"Yes?" Rose asked, as she opened the door fully, revealing a girl of about her age, with scruffy hair and a prim attitude.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger. Have any of you seen a lost toad? Neville's lost his. Again." Stated Hermione primly.

"Hi, I'm Harry Potter, this is Ron Weasley, and this is Rose Snape." Harry answered with a smile. "And no, I don't believe we've seen a toad, have we?" Harry asked quizzically.

"Nope, I haven't seen a toad." Rose answered with a smirk. Thinking of the poor boy without his beloved pet, poor Neville, Rose quickly added. "Do you need help looking for him?"

"No, I think I have everything under control, but thanks for asking." Hermione answered with a surprised smile.

Through all of this, Ron had been staring at Rose with horror. Noticing this, Hermione raised a brow.

"Is there a spider on Ms. Snape, or are you just staring at her for fun?" Hermione snapped.

Not seeming to notice Hermione's glare, Ron kept his eyes on Rose.

"Snape? Rose SNAPE? Like as in Professor Snape?" Ron asked, incredulous.

"Yes, he's my father, and an extraordinary potion's master. Why do you ask?" Rose asked daringly.

"Well, it's just that I've heard a lot about your Dad, and most of it not good. He's a death eater, right? A part of you-know-who's clan? How can you sleep at night, knowing you're related to him?" Ron spat out.

Rose stared at him, hurt. She could feel the tears gathering in her eyes, and quickly looked down as they fell down her face.

Looking up, with a tear streaked face, Rose answered.

"My Dad does what he thinks is right. He works hard for the right cause. You don't know very much about the way everything works, but I do. I've grown up living it. If you ever feel like insulting me or my Dad again, please don't do it in front of me." Rose boldly replied.

"As if! Your Dad's as bad as you-know-who, and so are you!" Ron answered, now past the point of all reason, and letting his temper get the best of him.

Rose was unable to keep the flow of tears in any longer, and started quietly sobbing into her hands.

Harry, unknowingly to Rose, had been getting progressively angrier as each hurtful word left Ron's lips. The sight of Rose in tears was the last straw.

"Don't insult Rose in my presence. She's done nothing wrong. You should be ashamed of yourself, making a poor girl cry. Let's go, Rose, we can find another compartment." Harry ended with a huff.

Taking Rose into his arms, she quietly sobbed. After a few moments, she seemed to quiet down, and Harry started leading her out of the room, glaring at all who came near. Needless to say, he was VERY unhappy.

Hermione, the voice of reason, put a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, he doesn't understand. Ron's been brainwashed to believe all Slytherin's are bad. Professor Snape is the Head of House for Slytherin House, and therefore in his mind Professor Snape is practically you-know-who's successor. He's scared of him, and that leads to venting anger, even of it is at innocent girls." Hermione ended calmly.

"She's right, Harry. He meant nothing by it. Sorry about crying all over your shirt, by the way." Rose smiled sadly.

Ron, by now, had been thoroughly abashed, and was quite flushed.

"Yeah, I'm sorry Harry. I was just being stupid, and an idiot by anyone's standards. Friends?" Ron asked hopefully.

"I forgive you, but it's not my forgiveness you need." Harry glanced at Rose.

Rose slowly felt her cheeks heat up, there was really no need to apologize, couldn't they just all forget it?

"He doesn't need to apologize Harry…" Rose whispered.

"Yes, he does." Harry said with a glare. "Now."

Ron glanced at Rose and sighed.

"I'm sorry Rose, I was stupid. Forgive me?" He asked sullenly.

"Yes, I forgive you. I have one thing to ask of you though. May I?" Rose responded with a quirked eyebrow.

"Sure." Ron shrugged.

"Your views on those that are different then you are sadly mistaken. Although there are good and bad in all houses, I'd like to show you the good in Slytherin. May I? Will you promise to try and keep an open mind?" Rose asked him quietly.

"Okay, sounds fair enough. It'll be tough though." For that last statement, he received a punch in the arm from Hermione.

"Okay, okay, I promise." Ron answered with hands surrendered.

"Good." Rose answered, smirking. "I can't wait to change your mind about everything you think you know, it'll be such fun!" Rose laughed.

Ron stuck out his lip, pouting, and Rose winked.

"It won't be so bad, you'll see." Rose promised.

"Right, of course it won't." Ron grimaced. "It'll be just like making a fish swim against the tide, it's not natural." Ron ended dejectedly.

Rose giggled, and as the sound of her laughter filled the room others joined it, and soon everyone in the compartment was giggling and joking around, as if nothing had ever happened.

After a while, the group formed an alliance of sorts. They promised always to be friends, no matter which house they ended up in. As they settled into their newfound friendship, Rose could already tell what types of roles they would play.

Hermione seems smart, a bit bossy, but smart none the less. She will no doubt tell them what to do, and how they are to do it. Ah well, by the looks of things this group will need someone responsible like that.

Now Ron, he seems like the average guy. A little Funny, quirky, and way too obsessed with sports. He will no doubt add some comic relief to our ordinary dull lives, although it's doubtful that going to a school for witchcraft and wizardry will be dull.

Harry, now Harry is different. Somehow he doesn't fit into any category, yet he fulfills them all. Harry will bring something different to our group, something wondrous. We'll just have to help him find it.

Rose settled into her seat, and gently laid her head on Harry's shoulder.

They will help Harry find it…and they will succeed…together.