Disclaimer: I own nothing you may recognize. Tear

Chapter 1 Lily

September 1st is my absolute favorite day of the year.

I mean, Christmas is great. Halloween is always fun. And who doesn't love their own birthday?

But there's something about being back here, Platform 9 ¾, seeing all of my friends again, and knowing that I'm about to embark on yet another fun-filled magical year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry that is simply… Indescribable.

"Hey Lily!"

"Andrea! Hey!" I accept a hug from my friend. Andrea is such a sweet girl. She's a year younger than me, and is simply adorable. I wouldn't be surprised if, one day, every guy at Hogwarts simply fell at her feet. "How was your summer?"

"It was great! My family and I went to visit my Grandmére in France!" Andrea, like me, is a Muggle born. I think that's why, when she was a first year, she practically glued herself to my side. At first I thought she was an annoying little chatterbox, but once she told me that she was simply scared, I grew to think of her as a little sister.

"That sounds amazing!"

"It was! So, what did you do this summer?" As if on cue, my best friend Sev walks up. Andrea suddenly tenses up and I can read the uneasiness in her expression.

"Hi Lily." He says softly.

"Hey Sev."

"Er, Lily? I need to go say goodbye to my parents. I'll see you later."

"Okay. Bye Andrea." It makes me sad that so many people feel uncomfortable around Sev. He doesn't seem to mind too much though.

"Do you need any help loading your things?" Sev asks.

"Nope. My dad helped me load them."

"In that case, do you want to go find a compartment?"

"Sure."

"Wait. Do you want to say goodbye to your parents?"

"They already left. They both needed to get to work."

"Ah. Of course."

Halfway down the train's hall, I hear my name again. This time, it's my roommate Rena. Our other two roommates were down at the other end of the train flirting with two dark-haired guys. I don't have to take a second glance. I unfortunately know who those guys are.

"How have you been?" Rena throws her arms around me.

"I've been great! How about you?"

"Fantastic! How was your summer?"

"It was fun! I got a lot of reading done."

"You don't get enough of that at school?" Rena grins. I laugh.

"Well, I - "

"Lily, can we keep moving?" Sev murmurs in my ear.

"Oh…sure. We have to go find a compartment. I'll see you tonight, Rena." I give her a small wave. For an instant her blue eyes look confused and slightly hurt, but she smiles, waves, and catches up with the rest of our roommates. I sigh, part of me wishing I could run off with them. I've missed my girl friends, but I know that Sev doesn't fit in with them. I also know that they can not figure out for the life of them why I hang out with him.

Sometimes, I'm not sure myself. Severus Snape is a wonderful person, but he is so enraptured by the Dark Arts that it scares me. I know in my heart that he would never do anything to hurt me, but I'm not sure about some of his Slytherin buddies. I know that their ambition is to one day become Death Eaters. They make no secret of this. I can only hope that Severus is only saying that he wants to become one to fit in with them. I can't imagine my best friend as a Death Eater…

"That was annoying." Sev mutters once we're alone in a compartment.

"She was only saying hello. I haven't seen her or any of my friends all summer."

"You saw me every day."

"I know. But they're my roommates. I miss them."

"I don't see why. They're nothing but a bunch of stupid girls who reverence Black and Potter like they're deities."

"Sev, be nice. True, they have no taste in guys, but they're still my friends."

"But not as good a friend as me, right?"

"You know you'll always be my best friend." I tell him honestly. A broad grin spreads across his pale face. I love it when Sev smiles his real smile. I think I'm the only person in the entire school who has ever seen his real smile. If only more people knew the Severus Snape I know! I wish he would let more people see the real him…

"This year is going to be tough." He slouches in his seat and begins fiddling with his wand. "O.W.L.'s year."

"I'm sure it won't be that horrible."

"I remember first year when Lucius took them. Even he struggled and you know how intelligent he is."

"I don't know… I always thought he depended more on his money and looks than on his brain…"

"I think you have Lucius Malfoy confused with James Potter." Sev scowls. I give a snort of disgust.

"Urgh, James Potter could not skate by on looks alone." Sev laughs and looks relieved that at least one girl finds James Potter completely unattractive. Honestly, I do not know what girls see in him. He is loud, obnoxious, impudent, arrogant, disrespectful, immature… I could make a list over a foot long of words such as these to describe him. Not only is he insolent and annoying, he truly is not that good looking. Not to me, anyway. He is tall, but far too skinny. His nose is too long, he is always messing up his hair because he thinks it looks cool, and he has this stupid crooked smirk plastered on his face twenty-four seven. He is the only person who has ever made me angry enough to send him a rude hand gesture. He just laughed.

"Oh Evans…you're so cute. Look boys, she's trying to be mean."

His patronizing tone made me sick. His sidekicks, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew all simply threw their heads back and laughed.

"Oi James! Maybe if you make her really mad, she'll give you flowers." Black had managed through his bark-like snickers. This made Lupin and Pettigrew laugh even harder. I saw red, turned my heel, and stormed up to my dormitory.

I swear that Black is just as annoying as Potter. The one thing that makes them different is that Potter thinks and acts like he is good-looking and he is not while Black knows he is good-looking and he takes complete advantage of that. I would be lying if I said that Sirius Black is unattractive. I would never admit it out loud, but Black is the handsomest guy I have ever seen in person. Unfortunately, he is completely aware of his good fortune. He will flirt shamelessly with any female with whom he comes into contact with absolutely no intention of dating her. He is renowned as "Hogwart's Heartbreaker." Yet every girl I know is hoping he will make an exception for her.

Fat chance.

"What are you thinking about?" Sev asks.

"Just wondering what we're going to learn this year." I reply.

"I've heard that - " He is interrupted by the door to our compartment sliding open. A boy with messy black hair and glasses pokes his head inside.

Potter.

"Oi Sirius! I found him!" He calls before turning his attention back to Severus. "Hello there, Snivelly. Have a nice summer?" He asks, a wicked grin on his face. I can see Sev's face contorting with rage. "I'll take that as a 'No.'" His hazel eyes practically glow with mischievous anticipation. He hasn't even acknowledged my presence yet.

"Snivellus! My favorite person!" Black appears at Potter's side, an equally evil grin plastered on his handsome face. I can tell just by looking at the two of them standing side by side that Black grew over the summer. He and Potter used to be around the same height, but now Black is three or four inches taller and much broader than Potter.

Why does he have to be such a pain?

"I was just asking Snivelly if he had a pleasant summer." Potter informs Black.

"Oh, that's nice. I see we're still waiting for that first hair-washing. I'm sure you'll get around to it someday." Black sneers. Sev glares at them, his dark eyes full of disdain.

"Why don't you leave him alone?" I jump up, my temper rising.

"Stay out of this, Evans." James pats my head condescendingly. I hate being shorter than him. I was taller than him until last January. He went through a huge growth spurt over Christmas break and ever since, he has taken to patting me on the head like a dog. I pull out my wand and stick it in his face. He is unimpressed.

"You know James, I'm beginning to feel like we're unwanted." Black feigns surprise. "Are we interrupting your date, Mrs. Snivelly?"

"Get out, Black." I order.

"Make me." He smirks, crosses his arms, and leans against the door way. He is so infuriating! I have half a mind to stamp on his foot, but I know he would just laugh. I'm surprised that Potter hasn't made some stupid comment, or at least given some great guffaw of laughter by now. I look up at him. He's staring at me. If I didn't know better, I would swear that James Potter was thinking.

Oh Lord, he's probably looking at me and planning his next hair-coloring prank…as if he hasn't been pulling that since first year.

I was actually one of his first victims. Fortunately, he was "gracious" enough to make my hair look semi-natural. I was only blonde for two hours before Professor McGonagall made him change it back. A few months later, my friend Christina was stuck with bright blue hair all day. By then, Black and Potter seemed to have outgrown Professor McGonagall and were no longer threatened by her. I guess detention only has it's effect for so long before it becomes part of one's daily routine.

"Potter…if you do anything to my hair, I will curse you into the next century." I threaten. He looks surprised.

"What makes you think I'm going to do something to your hair?"

"Oh please. You look like a hungry dragon eyeing his next meal. What color are planning on this time? Purple? Or maybe gray. Or what about turquoise?"

"Come on Evans, I think you and I both know that turquoise is not your color."

"Then why are you staring at me?"

"I wasn't staring at you. Was I staring at Evans, Sirius?"

"Course not, James. Staring is rude. Everyone knows that." Sirius smirks.

"And rudeness is such a foreign concept to the both of you." I say sarcastically.

"'Tis true." Potter sighs self-righteously. "Unlike this piece of garbage that you call your friend…" He jerks his head toward Severus.

"That is enough!" I cry shrilly. "Get out, Potter. And take your sidekick with you."

"Ouch. That hurts, Evans." Black puts a hand to his heart.

"Yeah. He prefers the title 'Evil Henchman.'"

"I prefer the title 'King of the Universe.'"

"Get out!" Sparks fly out of my wand.

"Alright, alright, we're going!" Potter throws his hands up in mock surrender. "No need to overreact."

"Later, Snivellus." Black sneers and they close the door.

"Urgh, they are infuriating!" I cry. Sev nods. "Don't let them get to you, Sev."

"I'm not." He replies. He looks thoughtful, almost sad.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"I don't like the way Potter was looking at you." He says darkly.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I won't let him near me with any sort of artificial coloring agents."

"It's not that, Lily." He says.

"What is it then?"

"He – he was looking at you! Eyeing you! Like he fancies you!" Sev cries. The idea of James Potter fancying me is so utterly ludicrous that I have to throw my head back and laugh.

"James Potter fancy me? I think you've lost it, Sev."

"Why wouldn't he fancy you Lily? You're beautiful…" His face is glum.

"He's James Potter, Sev. Even if he did fancy me, which I do not think is the case, you know that there is no way I would ever go out with him." I assure him. His face perks up a bit. I'm glad. I hate seeing Sev sad.