A/N: Just a little note, I made a preview image to go along with the story that will be the opening of my webpage when/if I get it. I dont think I can post it here, so let me know if you want to see it. Thanks!

Part One: Obsession

-Chapter One-

She could have been sitting there for years, and although he had never noticed her before, he could not bring himself to tear his eyes away from her. She sat with a group of seventh years by the edge of the lake. It was a quite secluded area, but still partially visible from the Herbology greenhouses. A newly planted tree gave shade to her and her friends as they threw stones into the lake and passed around pieces of parchment, notes from a shared class no doubt.

There was nothing in particular that stood out to him about her. She was plain and ordinary from this distance. It was September already, but perhaps the drifting heat from summer was still living in them. Their robes hung on low branches and on bushes, some even laid in piles on the grass. And there she was, just laying there her back towards him, pulling out blades of sharp green grass and throwing them into the breeze while her classmates scribbled on pieces of parchment. Centuries may have passed before he realized that he had not yet left the greenhouse.

"Severus dear, did you get enough Hellebore? I am sure that there is another one in a pot around here somewhere. I just can't seem to remember where it went." Professor Pomona Sprout searched underneath a table with lines of rose bushes planted in dark wet soil, dropping there last leaves, leaving behind what looked like a small forest of thorns. Professor Sprout knocked over a clay pot as she pulled a small, white flowered plant out from underneath the table. "Ah, here you are dear. Now if you need anymore you're going to have to wait another moon cycle, so be sure to let me know ahead of time, Severus."

"Yes Pomona, Thank you. I may require more next semester, but this should be sufficient for now." He took the plant from his fellow professor and resumed the walk back to his classroom, still watching the group of students who were now little more then a blur of tree and uniform in the distance.

--

School had only just begun, and to be back with her friends after that long sweltering summer, was like being welcomed into pure bliss. Megan and June were franticly copying notes from many different classes, while Andrew and Zach threw stones across the lake.

"Oh Sylvia, do you really think that Professor Sinistra is going to test us on the location of the Canis Major in relation to Jupiter? I don't remember half of this from the lecture this afternoon." June Summerby looked back and forth from one parchment piece to the other, her brow furrowed from stress, "And there, that's all I am going to write down. We need someone new to take the notes, you and Rose just care too much about the little details!" June laughed and tossed the Astronomy notes into Sylvia's lap.

"Well if you would take your own notes, instead of playing footsy underneath the table with Mr. Kirkie then we wouldn't have this problem." Sylvia teased her friend and she rolled up the parchment and laid her head on the soft grass. "Don't you agree Rose?"

Sylvia's closest friend was a muggle born girl named Rose Cadawallar; they had met in there first year during potions. Both girls were left without partners and it was lucky for Rose that Sylvia was a natural at Potions. Sylvia did well in all of her classes, but potions she particularly excelled in. Professor Sprout and Professor Vector were especially fond of her, using her as examples in class no less then twice a week. The beginning of her seventh year went surprisingly smooth and she looked forward to an easy rest of the year.

Sylvia was lying with her stomach against the grass, pulling up tiny blades and tossing them into the cool September breeze. Rose giggled at her friends, and glanced over at Sylvia. She still looked as happy as she did when they had first met. Her bright eyes, mop of brown hair, and tiny smile. Not much had changed, although she did notice more boys had been staring at her now and again. She really was a beautiful person, even if not completely on the outside.

"Yes Sylvia, I suppose you're right. Although some of us do have a life outside of class." She winked and sent a dandelion flying through the air towards her friend. They were so much like sisters by now, and it helped both of them after what had happened to their families.

"Oh shut up, I've had my share of fun while I've been here, and you know, I would have gone with that cute boy who sat next to me in Muggle Studies if I wouldn't have caught a cold and Madam Pomfrey had forbid me to set foot out of the hospital wing for days, remember?" Sylvia had many fond memories here, and although she had not spent one day with someone romantically, it didn't bother her very much at all.

"I'm sure it was just a cold Sylvie." Megan Chambers had just finished copying what was left of the astronomy and arithmancy notes. Megan was in the same year as the rest of her friends, although she was not near as bright as Rose or Sylvia, She was easily the prettiest girl at Hogwarts, and she was chaser for Hufflepuffs Quiddich team. She didn't have a steady boyfriend, but the lines in waiting were longer then you may imagine. She picked up her bag and shouted to the boys who had now sat down on the lakes shore and were drawing Quiddich plays in the sand with twigs.

"Hey are you two ready to go down to the pitch or what? I know Gryffindor has it reserved in about an hour from now, and I have my broom in the locker room already. We may be able to sneak in a few minuets of practice up in the air if you two hurry," She looked back at the other three girls and smiled, "Sylvie, what classes do you have this evening, I was hoping you could help me with Professor Snape's Drought of Peace for tomorrow."

"Well I have Divination at three with Slytherin, and I wanted to write up that paper for Muggle studies, but if you wanted to meet me in the library after dinner, we could go together?" Sylvia pulled a small date book out of her pocket a jotted down her plans for that evening.

"After dinner? Well I was going to take a walk with Tobias, but I can always plan that for another day. Thanks a bunch Sylvie come on boys lets go!" She snatched her robe off a close branch and trotted of towards the Quiddich pitch.

"She is a bit of a busy body isn't she?" Rose stood up and dusted off her knees and skirt. "Do I have any of that grass on me June?" She turned around showing June and Sylvia her backside.

"No, I think you got it all," the other two girls stood up, "How about me?"

"No you're fine. Do you think they have anything in the great hall left over from lunch? I'm starving; hopefully I can grab a muffin or two." The three girls picked up there bags and robes and headed towards the castle. "Are you two going to be in Divination today? I know it's hard with the Slytherins, but we should at least try to get along. They can't be all bad."

"Sylvia, are you listening to yourself? You're talking about Slytherins! If you don't recall what happened at breakfast yesterday, maybe I can remind you?" Rose pulled up the sleeve to her robe and showed her a dark purple bruise across her forearm. "Does "Get out of here you fucking Mudblood" ring a bell?" Rose looked hurt, almost to the point of tears. Sylvia stopped and took her friend by the hand.

"I know what you mean Rose. It was horrible what that brainless Montague boy did to you and I'm not trying to make it seem that what he did was right, but I find it very hard to believe that every last Slytherin is like that." She kissed her friends bruise and covered it with her robe again. She loved her friend very much and hated seeing her like this, if there was only some way she could help her see what she meant. "I know there's a good Slytherin out there, and seeing how many classes we have with them this semester, I won't be surprised if we find them." Sylvia laughed and held her friends hand as they walked up to the oak doors to the castle and into the great hall.