The characters, etc., etc., do not belong to me, etc., etc. but to J.K. Rowling etc., etc.


Lily tucked her legs under her, grateful for the extra space from an empty cabin. She pulled a Transfiguration textbook from her back, content to study until she needed to leave for the prefects cabin. The bi-yearly train ride was, for Lily, a source of anticipation but also dread. The return to Hogwarts both welcome and not.

Summer had brought with it, relief from the unrelenting torment of her fellow Slytherins, who, from the moment they found out she was Muggleborn made it their mission to make her feel as ostracized and unwelcome as they could taking it several steps further when they found out she was a scholarship student. Severus Snape, Lily's best friend, remained nearly the only reason she stayed. However, the first day of summer this year, Lily had been introduced to Vernon Dursley, her sister's rather large boyfriend. As Lily struggled to understand her sister's feelings for the self absorbed, arrogant and complaining man, she realized she needn't, for her sister had already warning him of Lily's oddity and he quickly came to feel as much loathing for Lily as Petunia did.

As a result, Lily spent most of her summer out of the house, for Vernon was practically living there, and, when she wasn't working to pay for Hogwarts, with Severus who lived nearby. Being on scholarship meant that instead of the tuition being holy-hell-why-don't-I-buy-an-island-while-I'm-at-i t expensive, it was merely the cost of a small house... made of gold, which kept Lily pretty busy between jobs. And she still had to buy books and robes and supplies after that. Lily never considered asking her parents for money because she knew there was none.

Severus and her spent a lot of time outside, wandering around town. Lily knew without Severus telling her, that her muggle blood made her unwelcome in his house, the way she was unwelcome in the homes of most of her classmates. But she'd been best friends with Severus for almost as long as she could remember, having met him in the pack when she was seven or eight before he knew what blood prejudice really was. Their friendship had become strained ever since they arrived at Hogwarts and Lily's muggleborn blood status made her a target for the Slytherins, and her Slytherin status made her a target for the rest of the school.


The Great Hall was festively decorated in an awe-striking manner Lily could see as she peaked through the giant doors, her shaking hand firmly clasped in Severus' own. She was sure the butterflies in her stomach were eating her from the inside out. Her only comfort was that she could feel the exact same fear in the rest of her classmates as they waited just outside, leaning forward for desperate glances though the swinging great doors. Behind them, a pair of rowdy boys were wrestling, unconcerned that they were running into everyone else and apparently unconcerned for the Sorting ahead.

When they stumbled forward into Severus, knocking him to the ground, Severus stood and turned around angrily.

"Watch it!" He cried, brushing off the front of his robes.

"You should have moved!" One of the dark haired boys said, as if it were obvious.

"I couldn't!" Sev exclaimed as they returned to wrestling. It was true really. They were sandwiched between five or six other people. Lily tugged on Severus' hand gently, her bright green eyes penetrating his, trying to calm him down before he got himself into trouble.

"Let it go. It's not worth it right now." She told him as he fumed.

"Bloody Potter." He muttered under his breath, barely audible. Shortly after the two boys stopped wrestling, settling for talking between themselves. Severus turned around slightly, listening to their conversation.

"Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" Lily heard one ask the other.

"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart.' Like my dad." The one who'd confronted Severus, Potter, said. He seemed to notice Sev had turned around for he immediately followed with, "Got a problem with that?"

Severus glared at him, a rivalry forming already, 'If you'd rather be brawny than brainy." He said, making it clear where he valued intelligence.

Before the Potter boy could respond, the grand doors to the Great Hall opened, leaving the students speechless as they were herded into the hall.

Lily could barely keep up with the Sorting Song as she glanced around at the hall, never in her life had she been in such a beautiful buildilng. Lost in her dreaming, she barely noticed as the dark haired woman, McGonagall began calling students. Pulled from her stupor as one of the dark haired boys walked by her to the front when the name 'Black, Sirius', was called.

For several minutes the hat sat on the boy's head and Lily noticed several of the people at the table decked in green shifting uncomfortable. But the boy under the hat seemed to be quite pleased that the hat was taking so long.

When the hat finally called out, "Gryffindor", the hall was thrown into disarray as many of the students protested.

"He's a Black!" An older boy shouted from the green, Slytherin table. "Do it again!"

"Mr. Malfoy." The headmaster called, his auburn beard all the way down to his chest. "Have a seat."

"But he belongs in Slytherin!" Another student called out. More students stood, complaints on their lips.

"SILENCE." The older man shouted, the entire hall quickly quieting as McGonagall resumed the Sorting.

"Snape, Severus." Sev squeezed her hand a last time before stepping forward. The hat barely sat on his head a second when it called out, "Slytherin!" The Slytherins were placated and settled for cheering Severus as he walked to the table.

"Evans, Lily." Lily heard her name later called. Walking forward in a trance, Lily fingered her short red hair, twirling it around a finger.

The hall laughed, amused, when she had to jump up to sit on the stood, scooting back. McGonagall placed the hat on her head as Lily sat through the longest, most regretted moments of her life.

Lily watched Severus, from where she sat and he smiled encouragingly.

"Brilliant. And strong."

"Slytherin." Lily thought to the voice she heard in her head. "Slytherin." She watched the obnoxious Potter boy greet all the other people at the Gryffindor table.

"Muggleborn." The hat said in her head.

"Slytherin." Lily repeated yet again.

"But if you can survive it..." The hat said quietly. "A very strong witch."

Suddenly, outside, the hat called "Slytherin." And the hat was removed from her head and Lily went to sit next to Severus, only to find that his face was one of horror.


A/N Lily is in Slytherin. This is the premise of the story. This will not change. This will make Lily who she is and who she becomes.


Lily sighed; 5 years later and she still wished, more often than she cared to admit, that she could make that decision over again. But she'd long stop believing that her wish might come true.

"Just grit your teeth and bear it because it's making you stronger." Her father told her each year when she returned home from school with darkening hopes and a heavy heart.

Her father's words rang in her ears as she headed down the train to the perfect's carriage where she'd get her instructions for the beginning of the year. She managed to avoid being seen as she hastened down the corridor, catching a glimpse of Severus in a compartment with Lestrange, Mulciber, and Wilkes. He'd told her he would come find her on the train, for their Hogwarts Express rituals, but Lily was learning that Severus' words were becoming less and less reliable.

At the very front of the train, Lily found the Perfect's carriage. The small room was decorated with photos of previous head students and perfects who'd made an impact on the school in one way or another and seats, arranged in rows, were assigned to houses and years. Lily spotted her own seat next to Avery and lingered around the doorway as long as was polite before going and taking her seat next to him.

Avery had a way of making every thing he said to her feel violating. She would rather be hexed by Bellatrix than have to have a mere conversation with Avery.

"Damn." He said as she sat down, "If you weren't a Mudblood... " He trailed off, leaving Lily to deal with her urge to vomit as he sat back in his seat. Leaning as far away from him as possible, Lily waited for the meeting to start.

A few seconds later, the door slammed open. A ragged Remus Lupin stepped through the doorway, Potter and Black cackling hysterically behind him. Lily looked favorably upon Lupin having the grace to look a bit embarrassed by his friends. "I apologize for my tardiness." He said, sitting down next to Alice Green, another 5th year Gryffindor. The Head girl nodded at him and continued with the start of the meeting.

Lily left the meeting a short while later, anxious to be away from Avery and walked down the corridor. She was painfully aware of Avery still walking just a little ways behind her and Lily slipped her hand into her robes where her wand should be hidden. She cursed silently when she remembered that she'd left it in her trunk.

"Hey, Evans." She heard Remus Lupin call after her. Turning, she saw Avery duck into a compartment behind her as Lupin passed.

"It's Lily right?" He asked her. Lily nodded aprehensively.

"Remus Lupin." He said, extending a hand to her. Lily shook his hand, her eyes wary. He had dark sandy blond hair and an attractive angular face. Despite coming from a wealthy family, his robes were almost as tattered as hers and his eyes were tired like he had never had a good night's sleep in his life.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked, her voice betraying her apprehension.

"No. I just figured I'd introduce myself. From the looks of this, we'll be seeing a lot of each other." Lily glanced down at the patrol schedule in her hand and realized he was right. She had almost every single patrol with him.

"Right." She said, in a breath. "Well, it was nice to meet you, Remus."

"You, too, Lily." He said as she turned and walked away.

Lily returned to her compartment only to find someone already in it.

"I'm really sorry that I didn't-" Severus began before stopping with a look from Lily. Closing the door behind her, Lily sat down. Only to hear the tearing of fabric and finding her robe caught in the door. Pulling off her robes and getting them out of the door, Lily stood in only a too short pleated skirt and a too big white button down shirt.

She stretched up to her trunk to retrieve her wand, away of Severus' eyes running the length of her body. Quickly sitting, Lily began repairing her robes. She'd noticed Severus' eyes on her like this since the beginning of summer and she wasn't sure how she felt about it quite yet, deciding to act like she hadn't noticed it.

"I'm sorry." Severus said, as if defeated, without meeting her eyes.

Lily grappled with the words she wanted to say, "I just - I just don't understand, Sev! You blow me off, but for them. I just don't understand." Lily said, the words to describe her frustration escaping her.

"They're not as horrible as you make them out to be!" Severus defended, his loyalty torn between Lily and his Death Eater friends.

"Severus." Lily gaped at him. "You see what they do, how can you defend them!" Lily cried. "Mary McDonald, that was dark magic, Severus and you know it."

"That was just-" He stopped, unsure of what it just was.

"Look, let's just leave it." Lily said, taking a deep breath. "Talk about something else."

"How was your prefects' meeting?" Asked Severus, happy for a topic that wouldn't lead to a fight with Lily and force him to choose between his friends.

"Well, I got patrol schedule and I'm mostly with Remus Lupin. He seems nice enough, even if he is a Marauder." Lily told Severus, who immediately became suspicious.

"There's something off about him..." Severus trailed off thoughtfully. Lily glanced up at him quizzically.

"I don't know," Severus said, "He's always sneaking off." Lily's quizzical glance became one of doubt.

"Sev, if he didn't sneak off, he wouldn't be a Marauder. And I'm not going to point fingers at people for wanting to keep secrets. Mind their privacy I say." Lily said.

Severus sat back, a child after having been chastised. The awkward silence following was broken thankfully soon by the compartment door being slammed open to reveal the sneering faces of Avery and Mulciber as they leered at Lily.

"Snape? Lestrange's gotten a-" Mulciber hesitated dumbly, "-a a present." He stuttered, obviously unable to find a code word for the something dark and evil that Lestrange had gotten.

Severus hesitated for a moment looking to Lily when Avery jumped in, "Unless you'd rather stay here with your Mudblood." He tossed his head towards Lily, who had already moved past the conversation, ignoring Severus as she set about repairing her robes.

"See you later." Severus said as he stood, following Avery and Mulciber out. As Lily watched the compartment door close, she felt herself grow just a little further from Severus, as she did every time he chose his dark friends over her and left an aching gap in her chest as her friend slipped away.


As one door closes, another door opens. ;)