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Chapter 1: The Sorting Ceremony

Severus Snape was none too pleased to be plagued with the task of attending the Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony this year. Every year, the Headmaster insisted that Severus attend in order to get to know these years' students. Severus, on the other hand, was becoming mind-numbingly irate at the thought of watching the first years get sorted. This normarily would not have been a problem, but there was one student in particular Severus was not looking forward to seeing. The Potter boy. Severus had been dreading this day for the last twelve years.

It wasn't as simple as the fact that The Boy Who Lived was the child of a childhood enemy, precisely his beloved first cousin James. James and his progeny were not the sort of relatives Severus was eager to claim. James and Severus had a plethora of stored up enmity, and it was bound to bubble over to the boy. James had never allowed Severus to have anything; friends, respect, Lily. Severus clenched his fist, attempting to return to the present. Lily. Severus' one and only childhood friend had turned out to be a muggleborn witch, which Severus had taken as a sign of what was simply meant to be. But as soon as he had stepped foot on the Hogwarts train, James had taken the opportunity to trip Severus, beginning a cycle of constant bullying, with a four to one ratio. Nobody said James fought fair.

Alas, things had gotten worse around the time of Severus' fifth year. James and Severus' rivalry had grown when Severus' father was killed in a muggle shooting. Severus had been placed with his only living relatives: James Potter and Severus' aunt and uncle. Severus had consoled himself with the promise that it was only for the summers, and that maybe James would take pity on Severus' loss and just leave him alone at school. Severus' Aunt Ann had made it her personal mission to make sure that Severus was to overcome the trauma he had undergone with his father's death. What his aunt had never realized, however, was that the real ordeal that Severus was undergoing was at the hands of her son. In the summers, James simply ignored Severus. Only acknowledging his existence long enough to send him a knowing smirk.

At school, in sixth year, James oh so magnanimously decided Severus still had too much. He stole Lily from Severus. That was the one and only time Severus had shed a tear since then. That's when he had inadvertently learned the secret to James' success. Put your own needs above anyone else's. James' method would work just as well for Severus. It had to. If Severus could not have Lily, he would have this.

The second Severus turned seventeen in January; he vowed never to return to the Potters'. Well, he made a few exceptions that he felt he owed to his Aunt and Uncle, but Severus never came when he knew his cousin would be there. When Severus was eighteen, he was informed of some devastating news upon visiting his Aunt and Uncle. James was engaged to Lily. Severus attended the wedding purely out of respect for his Aunt and Uncle, and to mourn the loss of Lily. He sardonically equated this to attending Lily's funeral, but that proved eerily true just a year later. About two years later, Severus attended James and Lily's joint funeral. (AN: In this story, Severus does not join the Death Eaters). The question was brought up about what to do with their child. Severus was all too aware that this boy would be in danger for his entire life, as it was brought to the attention of the entire wizarding world that this boy had defeated the Dark Lord. Severus scoffed at the notion; it was apparent to him that his cousin's child had simply been at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, Severus would never dream of suggesting this all too logical idea to anyone else. Oh no, to them he was the Savior of the Wizarding World.

Last Severus had heard, the Potter boy had been placed with Severus' Aunt and Uncle. The boy's grandparents Severus realized. Severus had lost contact with his last living relatives about twelve years ago. Severus presumed that his Aunt had been too overcome with sorrow to bother to contact Severus. He realized that he really should resume contacting his only living relatives.

Severus was brought back to the present by the Sorting Hat calling out the first House assignment. Hannah Abbott was placed in Hufflepuff, and the Hufflepuffs cheered enthusiastically. Severus watched the ceremony with an indifferent expression clouding his face.

"Potter, Harry!" screeched McGonagall. The entire dining hall turned silent, only to whisper about what they had just heard. A scrawny boy slowly walked toward the Sorting Hat, appearing very apprehensive. Severus attempted to hide his shock at seeing the boy for the first time. He didn't look like Severus' cousin that was for sure. The family member that the child most closely resembled was Severus himself. It was ironic, really, as James and Severus were diametrically opposed. This child had sleek black hair in a short cut, pale skin, and a hooked nose. The only thing that allowed Severus to differentiate the boy from himself at the age of maybe eight or nine (the boy was really very scrawny and short, and appeared several years younger than the rest of the children in his year) was the eyes. This boy was Severus with bright green eyes. Severus, at the Professor's table, was close enough to the sorting to be able to see this, and he wondered if anyone else noticed the resemblance. It didn't appear so, although Severus really wouldn't be able to tell in the midst of all the gawking they were already doing.

Severus listened shamelessly closely to this sorting in particular. He could make out what the boy was chanting. "Not Slytherin, not Slytherin." Was the Sorting Hat really considering putting the child of two Gryffindors- pardon, two Gryffindor legends- in Severus' own house? Obviously the boy wasn't aligned with that pattern of thinking. Severus was experiencing some frightening déjà vu. At Severus' sorting his first year, the sorting hat had considered putting Severus in Gryffindor. However, Potter had been sorted before Snape, and Snape was not eager in the least to bond with is favorite cousin. James and Severus had hated one another before they had even met, as Severus was a disgrace to the Potter bloodline because he was a half-blood. Severus had begged the Sorting Hat to put him anywhere but Gryffindor. Now, this boy who looked so much like Severus that, if Severus didn't know much better, looked as if he could be Severus' own son was doing the exact same thing.

Severus briefly let his mind wander. He wondered which student had caused this feeling of hatred towards Slytherin in the child's mind. Severus wondered no more as he glanced at the Slytherins and saw a pale boy who looked to be vaguely Veela. Severus had no doubt that this was the boy whom Potter already detested; he could say hatred spewing from the blonde boy's eyes. Giving the Slytherin boy a second glance, Severus laughed darkly (and silently) as he realized who this boy was. His features were unmistakably Malfoy, as in Severus' second cousin Lucius Malfoy. That would make this boy a close relation of Potter. The hostility between family members must be an inherited trait. In the wizarding world, a second cousin is considered a close relative. Severus doubted either boy was aware of this because the Malfoys would not admit a relation to a traitor to the Dark Lord, and Potter was presumably unaware of any relations within the school.

Severus came back to the present when he became aware that the Sorting Hat was finished contemplating its decision. "Slytherin!" it announced defiantly, and no one cheered. Severus couldn't help but feel a little sad for the boy, as he had been sorted into the one house where everyone would despise him for simply existing. Severus knew how that felt. Any other house would have been overwhelmed with pride at having 'The Chosen One' in their house, but Severus was all too aware that many Slytherins felt strongly different about the Potter child. Many saw him as a traitor, having been brain washed by Death Eater parents. Severus wondered why the boy had even been sorted into such a house, but he did know that the Sorting Hat did not place children into their houses without tedious consideration about the outcome. Severus just wasn't sure this time.

The boy slowly walked over, looking defeated and filled with melancholy, and sat at the table of his new house. The seat he had taken was at the end of the Slytherin table and was secluded from the others. It was really rather metaphorical, Severus thought. Severus had been prepared to despise this child for being the offspring of his hated cousin and his girlfriend with whom he had planned to marry and start a family with; However, Lily had seemingly forgotten about him and moved on with his cousin, never even properly breaking things off with Severus. The next time Severus spoke with Lily, almost exactly a year later, she and his cousin already had a five month old child. The Potter boy was the material result of Lily's infidelity while she was with Severus. It's the reason why Severus should hate this child. However, Severus just couldn't seem to. He didn't know if it was the fact that this boy looked exactly like a miniature Severus, or the thought that this child was the only way Lily's spirit was kept alive: through those green eyes. Whatever the reason, Severus felt as if it were his duty to protect this child.

For those green eyes.

Hope you enjoyed this! I'm working on the next chapter now!