Disclaimer: I am not JKR and do not own anything with regards to the HP universe. All I own are my original thoughts and ideas.

AS LUST GOES, REDEMPTION

Chapter 1 – New Slytherin

It was September 3rd and a new year at Hogwarts was finally set to begin. Neville rolled off his bed and awkwardly got to his feet, rubbing his eyes in response to the artificial light that was streaming in through his window. Of course, being in the dungeon meant that no real light could get in, and for this reason Neville hated his designated sleeping quarters.

Part of the teacher's wing at Hogwarts had been destroyed in May during the final battle with Voldemort, and had yet to be fixed. As a result, a few of the teachers were moved to a temporary wing on a hallway that led down into the dungeons. Neville was given a room right at the end of the hallway, and unfortunately for him it was located pretty much in the dungeons, really giving Neville the creeps.

As Neville pulled on his jeans and a black jumper, he started to think of about the upcoming day and his new duties. The school had opened for a brief period in June and July to allow O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. students to complete their years, but this would be the first time the school would be open as it was before to all students since the fall of Voldemort.

A lot had happened since that fateful day, and Neville preferred not to think about most of it. In fact, his memories of certain days were still blurry as they had proven to be extremely emotional and still felt rather surreal. These included the days of Fred, Tonks and Lupins' respective funerals, as well as the day he had received his Order of Merlin award. There were days of celebration and joy, but these were heavily outweighed by the countless days of sorrow. The war had taken a toll on everyone.

In June and July, Neville completed his N.E.W.T. examinations along with most of his year. Despite all the anguish of the preceding months, Neville returned eagerly, hoping that a return to studies would offer him some peace of mind. And it did, as Neville, for the first time ever, found studying to be a welcome distraction. With Hermione cramming alongside him (Hermione managed an Outstanding on most of her N.E.W.T.s despite missing the whole year), Neville found himself surprisingly adept when it came time for the exams. Despite a fractured year of studies, he achieved an 'O' in Defense, Herbology and Transfiguration, an 'E' in Charms, Astronomy and _, and an 'A' in History. Potions, however, was completely neglected.

His performance in Herbology was especially impressive, earning Neville high praise and an offer for a position at Hogwarts as an assistant to Professor Sprout while reparations were still being made to the castle. The position included liaison duties for the staff of the semi-orphanage that had been set up for 30 or more orphans that would be residing at Hogwarts until other arrangements could be found.

Neville gratefully accepted the offer, despite his Gran's wishes. She was still urging Neville to become an auror, like his parents were, especially after his evolution during the war. She had been quite disappointed when Neville had abandoned his Potions N.E.W.T. over the summer.

Neville quickened his stride as he rounded the corner towards Headmistress McGonogall's office. He had been told to meet her there so they could discuss the Sorting of the new first-years, which wouldn't be taking place in front of the students this year. The Headmistress wanted to downplay the importance and significance of House rivalries this year, especially on account of the stigma that had attached itself to Slytherin over the past few years. She didn't dare go as far as discuss abolishing the Houses completely, as tradition was still an extremely important aspect of Hogwarts history as well as wizarding culture in general.

"Enter, Longbottom," said the Headmistress sharply before Neville could even knock on her door.

"Good morning, professor," said Neville.

McGonogall responded in kind with a wry smile. "As you know the first-years should be along in a couple hours, as we felt it was necessary to bring the students as early in the day as possible this year. I would like to conduct the Sorting in a separate room from the Great Hall, so I'll need you to be present to help with the proceedings and to verify the legitimacy of the Sorting."

Neville nodded, but he thought he knew of another reason that she wanted him. The truth was that his name had become a bit of a buzzword since the death of Voldemort, and Neville had become a bit of a celebrity. He wasn't charming or sociable or popular enough to call for as much attention as the likes of Harry or the Weasleys, which Neville was glad for, but his name still had a power to awe. Neville figured a collection of first-years would find it a thrill, even if he knew otherwise, to meet him on their first day. Maybe it would lay to rest some of their anxieties, or even that of their parents, to know that Neville would be at Hogwarts, a sort of added security after the events of the past year.

"As usual, Hagrid will lead the kids through the underground entrance and I will take them to the Potions classroom. There you will lead each student to the Sorting Hat and I will observe and record the results. You don't have to say anything. Afterwards, I'll lead them into the Great Hall and you'll take your seat amongst the students—"

"At the Slytherin table..."

She nodded. "Yes, I think it is best to establish this precedence right from the start."

"I understand... err, m'am." Neville had to admit that the thought of sitting with Slytherins unnerved him, although the past year under Snape and the Carrows had revealed to him that most of them were just like the students of the remaining Houses.

The Headmistress gave Neville a small smile and then continued. "The reconstruction of the West tower and East gate will be commencing this week, so the orphans still need to be relocated. Has a solution been found yet?"

Neville spoke with a bit more confidence this time. "Not yet but I think the Room of Requirement can be used for this purpose. I'm planning on looking into it after the feast to see if it can be made into a suitable place for the kids. I'm fairly confident it can be done, it hasn't let me down so far."

The Headmistress noted something on her parchment and then nodded approvingly. "I'll leave it in your charge. If any of the staff taking caring of the kids has any issues or requests, please let me know." She paused for a second. "I think that seems to be all. Please be at the Potions room by 11:00 a.m., the Hogwarts Express has been bewitched to arrive by then. And one more thing." McGonogall stood up and offered her hand. "Welcome to the staff."

"Thanks, Professor," Neville said uncertainly, shaking her hand.

Lily was scared and nervous. She hated keeping secrets, partly because it's what she had had to do her whole life. And this new school wasn't going to be any different.

Her whole life she had always been a ghost, no parents or family to speak of. Only recently, though, had she truly become an orphan. Not that that mattered, since she had been raised in a muggle orphanage until the age of 10, by which she had been sent to Durmstrang, her home for the past six years. Now, at the age of 17, Hogwarts was to be her new home for her last year of magical education. After that, who knew where she'd end up. She just hoped she could survive the year.

The past year had been tough for her. She had finally heard from her father, confirming to her the whispers that he was still alive, although he had already been dead in her heart. Despite her animosity, curiosity got the better of her. Throughout the year they corresponded and from him she learned the truths of her mother and her birth. She pestered him for every detail and he reluctantly conceded, describing to her the war he was involved in and the harsh realities behind her existence. Finally, one day in late April, he had sent her a long letter littered with apologies and regrets and what she interpreted as a final goodbye. One week later, Lily heard of the deaths of both of her parents, plunging her into despair just when she had welcomed the possibility of having someone there for her. Furthermore, when Durmstrang got news of Voldemort`s fall, Lily was expelled without another thought due to the perceived allegiances of her parents.

It was Professor Sinistra that had arranged for her to finish her education at Hogwarts, and Lily was extremely thankful for that. She made a note to herself to thank her in person. As much as she wanted to forget her parents ever existed, she was still curious to see where they had gone to school, lived, and died.

Lily looked around the compartment on the Hogwarts Express that she was in. There were a couple first-year girls across from her, but otherwise it was empty. One of them was falling asleep, which wasn't surprising since the train had departed at 7:00 a.m. that morning instead of what she understood to be the usual 11:00 a.m. There was a notice about avoiding travel during the evening issued by the Ministry Aurors.

Lily stretched her arms upwards as looked to make sure her trunk was still beside her. When she travelled she was always paranoid about losing her baggage, for she didn't know what she would do if she ever lost her clothes. It was the one thing she always indulged in, where all her Durmstrang-allotted allowance would go to. Of course, Durmstrang was no more, and she didn't anticipate receiving any sort of allowance from Hogwarts, despite her orphan background.

She looked at the window and it was dark enough to see her reflection, so she examined herself. She was wearing a short black skirt with a rather form-fitting green and black blouse, accompanied by a green and burgundy tie in the fashion of Durmstrang students. She had adjusted the skirt to make it shorter, going to the mid-thigh instead of the knees, using the warmer weather in London as justification. Her legs were clad with black stockings that stretched up past her knees, and the ensemble was complete with little black boots. With a satisfied glance, she turned away from the window and closed her eyes, wondering what exactly the year had in store for her.

An announcement rang through the train, alerting the students to put on their robes as arrival to Hogwarts would be in five minutes. Following the lead of the first-years in front of her, Lily slid the robe over her shoulders, letting it fall just short of her ankles. She looked in the window at her reflection in disgust. Robes really limited her choice of fashion, and thus she hated them. It was one of the reasons she liked to dress how she did under the robes; nobody would see it anyways, she figured, so she might as well indulge in the styles she had become accustomed to in Siberia.

As the train came to a stop, Lily followed the swarm of students out, making sure to follow the smallest of students as she had been advised to.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" The bellowing voice of the largest man she had ever seen rang out over the grounds. Lily walked over to him, feeling out of place with all the other youngsters. There were a few others who were older, a group of four students who seemed to be 13-15 years of age, but they all seemed to be as uncomfortable as she felt.

The group trailed the monstrous man, and Lily cursed herself for her heeled boots as she manoeuvred herself by the muddy shores and into a rickety old boat. The boat ride was quite pleasant, and when she first got sight of the castle she was as awed as any of the first-years. She didn't even care that her hair was becoming dishevelled by the wind.

The castle itself was a little unnerving, especially as they walked along the dungeons. A couple of the younger kids had tears in their eyes, and Lily was relieved when they finally made it to what Hagrid (the monster of a man) called the Potions room. Inside, a haughty old lady and a young man about her age carrying a disgusting hat were waiting.

"Please, take a seat. I am Headmistress McGonogall and first and foremost I would like to welcome you to Hogwarts. For all of you it is your first year of magical education at this institution and I hope you can find within these walls a place to learn and feel at home amongst everybody. Most of you are first-years, but we have five others attending for the first time this year. We usually don't accept this, but due to the circumstances of the past year, the next few years will be an exception as we attempt to provide an education for all those that may have been caught up in the war in previous years." The Headmistress glanced at the students and Lily automatically shivered. She noted to herself not to get on the bad side of this one.

"The first event of the year is the Sorting of new students. I will ask you all to put on the hat that Neville Longbottom here is holding and whatever House the hat chooses will be your new House." There was a small murmur amongst the kids but it was quickly silenced by a McGonogall glare.

'So this is him,' Lily thought to herself, observing the war hero carefully. He seemed younger than the pictures she had seen of him, but then again those pictures were taken after the deciding days of what must have been a gruelling war. His eyes were oddly infectious, although unspectacular, and his hair a light brown colour that she found quite pleasing. He was wearing jeans and a black jumper, which disappointed her a little. Surely a war hero should take a little more care in dressing himself. But then again, she told herself, that's how most British people seemed to be.

As McGonogall continued talking about rules or some other tedious subject, Lily found herself in deep thought, sparing glances at Longbottom every now and then. Could he have been the one to kill her parents? She didn't particularly feel any malevolent feelings towards him if indeed he was the one, but there was a little dam in her heart that wanted to flow free, and perhaps avenging her parents would do the trick. Maybe that was the reason she was so intrigued to come to Hogwarts and learn more of her parents. She shook her head and glanced up at Neville, only to see that his features had changed to that resembling horror. He quickly settled himself but she had seen it, and as their eyes met once more, there might have been a small hint of understanding in the look that they shared.

It was obvious that Neville was a gentle person at heart, despite the war, and this intrigued Lily deeply. It was his eyes that seemed to smile to the young children as he tried to help them feel comfort within the dark walls of the Potions classroom. After an extremely short introduction of himself, Neville explained to the children the Houses of Hogwarts and how they would fit into their lives. Then it was time for the Sorting.

Many of the young kids were nervous, and Lily admitted to herself that she was too. According to the House guidelines laid out by Neville, she thought Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw might be the best Houses for her. However, she had a sneaking suspicion that the Hat was determined to place her in Slytherin where her parents had both been.

Lily watched carefully as the first kid stepped up to the stool and nervously took a seat. Neville placed the Hat on the boy's head and gave him a reassuring smile. After about 10 seconds the hat boomed "Slytherin!"

The boy's face looked stricken with horror and only relaxed a little when Neville leaned over and whispered something to him, helping him away from the stool to line up beside Hagrid. He still looked shaken though, and Lily found herself feeling more and more hesitant about joining Slytherin.

Once all the first-years had been sorted (14 Slytherins, 10 Hufflepuffs, 8 Ravenclaws and 6 Gryffindors), Lily found that it was her turn. She sat down, sparing a glance at Neville where she found no such reassuring smile for herself. Feeling a little down she let the Sorting Hat be placed on her head and waited.

Lily listened quietly to the Hat, closing her eyes instinctively. So, another Slytherin it seems. Your blood lines definitely scream Slytherin and I think your sharp mind is ideal. Still, there is a softness there that makes me think you'd be happier in Hufflepuff. You're 17, I think you're old enough to make your own decision.

I don't know, she responded.

Of course you know! There shouldn't be any doubt for you. Now tell me, which House would you like me to place you in?

Lily bit her lip, trying to prevent herself from thinking it. Her mind ran free though, and she found that she had no control as the thought streamed out of her. Put me in Slytherin.

"Slytherin!" boomed the Hat, and she quickly flung her eyes open. She grabbed Neville's hand, allowing him to help her up as he took the Hat off of her. She noticed that his face looked even graver, which only increased her suspicions. Lily made her way towards the small cluster of first-year Slytherins, giving them a small smile. Most of them still looked extremely nervous, but it seemed like some of them visibly relaxed as she joined their ranks.

The remainder of the Sorting passed by with the two third-year students both going to Ravenclaw and the fourth and fifth year students each going to Slytherin. Once everything was completed, Lily streamed out of the Potions room with all the students, making sure to be near the front as Neville was hanging back and she wanted to be away from those eyes at the moment. She didn't know what it was exactly, but there was something accusing in those eyes whenever they made eye contact and it made her feel crestfallen.

Quickening her stride to keep up with Hagrid and the Headmistress, Lily tried to shake certain thoughts out of her head. Namely, thoughts about the potential relationship between Neville and her parents. They were enemies, that was for sure, and there was probably more to it than just that.

She spared a glance behind her at the first-years that were struggling to keep up with the two teachers. Some of the children were jogging to keep up, while others had fallen back to walk more slowly with Neville. And he had that look in his eyes again, that look of gentleness and serenity. Lily found herself jealous and a small amount of the despair that she had felt before returned. That's the look she had dreamed about receiving from her parents, which she allowed herself to believe might have been possible just a few short months ago. Now, she knew it would never happen. And it came back to Neville, because it might have been him that had sealed her parents' fates. He was one of the Heroes of Hogwarts after all.

Lily made a promise to herself that she would definitely need to have some questions answered. The first thing that meant was having a little talk with Neville Longbottom.

A/N : Please let me know what you think and if I should continue. I'm thinking steamy romance with dark elements. Will be rated 'M' later. Reviews would be most welcome.