Eleven years of anticipation could not prepare him for this moment. It was September 1st, 1990, and Severus was more nervous than he'd ever been in his life. He'd been dreaming of when he'd be able to see those eyes again, and here he was, not quite sure if he was ready for it.

Severus had zoned out, before he heard Minerva call for a frail, young girl named Sally-Anne Perks. Soon, he thought. "Soon" was an understatement. The next thing he knew, Minerva was called the next student.

"Potter, Harry!"

The Great Hall had errupted into gasps and soft whispers of wonder and astonishment. A small boy with untidy hair and glasses made his way, uncomfortable by all the attention, to the sorting hat. He looked unmistakenly like his father, that swine. Severus stared at the boy, observing every aspect of him that was visible from the High Table, of course. Severus knew the unlikeliness of it, but for one moment, he held onto the hope the boy would be sorted into Slytherin, to which Severus was the head of house.

"GRYFFINDOR!" The sorting hat had called, all too soon. Severus' felt his heart sink into his stomach, just as he did when Lily Evans had been sorted into Gryffindor, where she would meet the disgrace of a pure-blood, James Potter.

Harry had turned around in joy, smiling at Minerva, when Severus had caught the twinkling green eyes. For the moment Severus gazed into them, he was taken back to a better place, where a young Lily Evans spent her Summer days dreaming about being whisked away to a magial castle to learn about spells, enchantments, potions and magic.

Once the green met the black, the twinkle had faded. Severus looked into the face of a young boy who had stolen the brilliance in life away from him many years ago.