Title: Lilith
Author: cutiekatiex3
Summary: Nothing good ever happens to Severus Snape. Not until he hears the Sorting Hat shout 'SLYTHERIN' when it's placed on Lily's lovely head.
Author's Note:
There's a lovely painting by John Collier with Lilith, who's named in some ancient texts as Adam's original wife, and a snake and it's what inspired this story. Cheers to my first fan fic in ages and very likely my first good-ish one!
_.-._.-._-._.-._-._.-._
The Great Hall was the biggest room he had ever seen. He barely noticed this, though, as Lily slipped her hand into his - out of nerves, of course, and not in the way he had always hoped for. She was still upset with him because they'd read Petunia's letter from Dumbledore and now Petunia hated her, but her fear and nerves overcame her and she wanted to be close to the only person she knew.
'Sev, we'll be in the same house, right? I won't fail the test...because mom and dad aren't wizards, will I? Sev, I'm scared.'
'I don't think there's a test, I think they just decide. We haven't learned any real magic yet, have we?' he asked her, though mainly in an effort to reassure himself.
She looked at him and smiled. It wasn't a big smile, not like when he'd first told her they'd be going to Hogwarts, and he could see that the edges of her eyes were still red from crying on the train. It was enough, for him. For now.
She squeezed his hand and he started a little - then squeezed back and smiled.
He started again, as did Lily, when they heard the sound of a wooden stool hitting stone floor at the front of the hall. A hat was placed upon this stool, which then burst into song.
It told them of friendly and loyal Hufflepuff, gallant and brave Gryffindor, clever and intelligent Ravenclaw, and ambitious and cunning Slytherin. Lily squirmed next to him when the hat mentioned 'pure blood wizards' when it sung about Slytherin. He thought wildly for a moment that maybe Lily was really the daughter of wizards - a descendant of great Salzaar himself, adopted at birth by muggle parents. One glance over at her ginger hair reminded him of her mother's, and all hope seemed lost.
The hat finished and Professor McGonagall, who they had all met earlier, and who had brought out the hat, took out a piece of parchment and read off a name. The hat was placed on the head of 'Abbot Gerald,' where it sat for a few seconds before crying out 'HUFFLEPUFF!' The boy pulled off the hat in relief and almost flung it into McGonagall's hands.
A few other students were sorted, including the Black boy, before McGonagall announced the name 'Evans, Lily' to the hall.
She let go of his hand, and looked at him before walking up to the rickety stool. He could see her shaking, but maybe that was only because he knew her, he knew she was. He'd been watching her for years, so he knew her. She could be put in Hufflepuff, she was so sweet; she could be in Ravenclaw, with that brain of hers - equal to his, which always surprised him; she could be in Gryffindor, he'd seen her jump off enough swings to know she was brave. What he really hoped, with all of his heart, was that she'd be with him in Slytherin.
He looked down as the hat was placed on her head. He never got what he wanted. Things never worked out for him, why would this be any different. He was sure of it, now, that she'd be a Gryffindor, with those boys from the train, and he couldn't look at her, couldn't watch her walk to the red and gold table, couldn't bear to see Lily, his Lily, sit down at that table...
And then he nearly fell to the floor in shock. The hat had shouted 'SLYTHERIN!'
_.-._.-._-._.-._-._.-._
Thank you for getting this far, my lovely reader. I really think I'd like to continue this, and I hope I can find the time. Please check back soon!