Chapter 1 – The very beginning

The sun was beaming in the clear sky, laying its rays on the big red train on which the words Hogwarts Express were shining brightly. All around, students were saying their goodbyes to their parents and boarding the train, accompanied by their friends or siblings or both. In one corner stood a small, lanky boy, his hands tucked inside his pockets.

Severus Snape could not suppress his envy at the sight of all these loving families, whereas his own father did not even bother accompanying him on this very important day.

"You got everything, Severus?" asked his mother, who had reluctantly come along, mostly out of obligation. She fought again with her husband this morning, and could not for a second grasp the importance of this day for her only child.

Snape knew very well what was going on in her mother's head at this moment, but waved it away. He would not let anything spoil this moment for him. He was finally going to Hogwarts, the day has come, and he could not hold in his excitement. Away from home, away from his drunk dad, from his resentful mother, from that hole they call a house. It was finally time to start over, start fresh. He politely said his goodbyes, let his mother hug him, rather coldly, and head his way toward the train.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Lily Evans having a spat with her muggle sister. Jealous bitch, thought Snape, but he could not say it in front of Lily. She would call him mean and insensitive. Instead, he watched as she ran towards the train, looking angrier than ever, and followed her from afar.

It took a few tries before he found the compartment in which she was hunched in a corner, her face pressed against the windowpane, and completely ignoring the group of boys who were talking. Snape slid open the door and sat down opposite Lily. She glanced at him and then looked back out of the window.

"I don't want to talk to you" she said. Snape's vision was mesmerized. How could he have forgotten just how beautiful she looked, with her long silky hair and big bright eyes. As she had just recently cried, her emerald eyes shined even brighter, making her more beautiful than ever.

"Why not?" He asked, as he did not comprehend why she was mad at him.

"Turney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore." Snape understood at last. That jealous muggle sister again.

"So what?" He asked again.

"So she's my sister!" She responded angrily, confusing him even more, as he did not comprehend the natural bond between two siblings, the unconditional love he has never witnessed between family members.

"She's only a—" He caught himself quickly. There was no point, it would only anger her. For some reason, Lily loved her sister, even though the girl was always hateful and mean. Snape make an awkward movement, as he ached to take her in his arms for comfort but, at the same moment, he noticed the other boys in the compartment and decided against it. He moved the subject onto the one thing that united them.

"But we're going! This is it. We're off to Hogwarts!" Lily nodded, mopping her eyes, but in spite of herself, she half smiled.

"You'd better be in Slytherin" He added.

"Slytherin?" Said one of the boys in the compartment that had shown no interest to Snape or Lily hitherto. He had black, scruffy hair, tiny glasses, and a smug look of disgust.

"Who wants to be in Slytherin?" Continued the boy. "I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He asked the boy sitting opposite him. Snape recognised him right away. The youngest of the Blacks. Pure bloods, muggle haters, and big supporters of He-who-must-not-be-named. The young Black did not smile at the question.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin" He said, confirming Snape's guess on his identity.

"Blimey" Answered the glass-wearing smug boy, "and I thought you seemed all right!"

"Maybe I'll break the tradition" Grinned the young Black. "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

The smug boy ridiculously lifted an invisible sword.

"Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart! Like my dad." Snape couldn't supress a snort.

"Got a problem with that?" Smug boy asked.

"No" Responded Snape, and he knew at this very second that he would never like this little daddy's boy who was looking at him with an air of superiority. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-" he added.

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Cut in the young Black.

Both boys roared in laughter. Lily sat up, rather flushed, and looked from both boys in dislike.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment" She said, pulling Snape by the hand.

"Oooooooo…." Mocked the boys, imitating Lily's voice.

As the exited the wagon and walked on, Snape heard the boys mock his name as Lily slid angrily the door "See ya, Snivellus" but he could only think of Lily's hand holding his, and pulling him close to her as she directed them.

The rest of the ride went by eventless. Snape explained the different virtues of the houses, making a big emphasis on Slytherin's, hoping to entice her.

"It does not really matter which house we end up in" Lily concluded, "Of course, If I could choose, I would much rather be with you than these two arrogant and mean boys, but I mean, either way, It won't stop us from being friends or becoming great wizards" Snape smiled, profondely touched by his friend's kind words.

"No, it won't."

Snape stood awkwardly in his row, waiting, as the sorting hat was being laid on Lily Evans pretty little head. His heart sunk as the words – GRYFFINDOR – roared in the castle, and he watched as Lily got up and started to walk toward her new table. Before she sat down, she cast him a meaningful look, and he forced himself to smile back.

"Potter, James" cried Professor McGonagall, and Snape recognised daddy's boy as he walked his way toward the hat. It barely braised his head and cried GRYFFINDOR.

Snape sighed as the black-haired boy joined Lily's table and sat next to the youngest of the Black family who, to everyone's surprise, has also been sent to Gryffindor. It then occurred to Snape that perhaps the rumors were true, and it was possible to pick a house. How else had Black ended with the Gryffindors?

"Snape, Severus" cried McGonagall. Snape jolted and walking his way toward the stool, his hands shaking. As he sat down, his eyes met Lily's one last time before he closed his eyes and concentrated as he felt the sorting hat being put on his head.

"SLYTHERIN" Screamed the hat after a long pause. A roar of scream immerged from the silver and green table towards which Snape was now directing himself, his face blank. All across the hall, Lily Evans was scrutinizing her friend, wondering why his sorting took so much longer than the others, and why he seemed so unhappy, whereas he always expressed a great envy to end up at Slytherin.