Important: I am NOT canceling my other Severus Snape story, I'm simply bored waiting for my power cord to arrive in the mail so that I can get my files from my old laptop and start updating "A Serpent in the Garden" so I'm just going to start writing another story in the meantime. :) However, once my cord DOES get here, I may not be updating this story as often as my other, just because I really don't like working one two stories at a time. But I would really appreciate reviews on this one as well as my other! :) Thanks guys!

Warning: There will be talk of marijuana use in this story, it won't be too detailed. Don't worry, not Snape... haha But if you can't be mature, then I guess don't read, it really isn't that big of a deal in the story, it sort of adds to what makes up my central characters.

"Limitless, undying love which

Shines around me like a million suns.

It calls me on and on, across the universe."

-Across The Universe

It had been a long and lonely summer for Severus Snape. In the last month of his fifth year he had forever lost the love of his life, Lily Evans, all because of the stupidest decision he had ever made when he called her the dreaded word...mudblood. As if this wasn't bad enough, upon returning to Hogwarts, he was forced to watch his Lily walk hand in hand with his very enemy James Potter.

It was the second week of the new school year and Severus walked slowly, alone down the corridor to his transfiguration class. He held his books firmly in his arms, and a frown pierced his face, his eyes never left the floor in front of him.

Not until he heard a girlish squeal ahead of him, he looked up to see Lily hanging on the arm of James. They caught eyes and her smile faded just before she looked away. His heart sank. James gave him a slight nod, it seems he had abandoned his childish ways of torturing Severus. Although, this was a whole new level of torture. Severus literally felt as though his heart had been ripped from his chest.

Tailing behind James and Lily were James' three sidekicks, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. Sirius gave Severus a dirty look, "Alright there Snivellus?" He said in mock concern.

Severus rolled his eyes. This time last year if any one of those boys had called him Snivellus, Lily would've jumped down their throats. But there was nobody coming to his defense now. And the only one who ever had was now a part of this pack of dogs.

After passing the group, he turned his head slowly to look once more at Lily who hadn't turned to meet his gaze. He sighed and walked into the classroom. "Snape!" Lucius Malfoy called from across the room.

He groaned, "What is it Malfoy?" he asked lazily while opening his book to the page that McGonagall had written on the chalkboard.

"Have you heard about the exchange program?" he asked, not bothering to care that Snape so obviously didn't feel like conversing with him at the moment.

"No." He stated simply, wanting to end the conversation. But he was just not one for luck...

"Apparently Hogwarts and some wizardry schools in America are trying to exchange a few students for the year. They're choosing one student from each house. And get this – they have to be at least a sixth year. That's us Snape," He waited for Severus to respond, but to no avail, so he continued, "I kinda hope it's me for Slytherin to be honest." Then he lowered his voice so his girlfriend Narcissa Black couldn't hear him from where she sat a table away, "I hear the American girls are uh, quite something." He winked and cocked a sly smile.

Severus widened his eyes sarcastically, before rolling them, "Who cares about exchanging for a school year? You're going to learn the same things you do here...how to make a love potion, how to turn a mole into a mitten, the history of magic...it's all the same." The only reason he had no desire to leave Hogwarts for a year was because he would be hundreds of miles from Lily.

Lucius scoffed, "Whatever Snape, you make no sense. Who wouldn't want the opportunity to go away for a year?"

"Me, for one." Severus stated, just then, Professor McGonagall entered the classroom and demanded everyone take their seats at once so that she could begin the lesson. Severus was grateful for the interruption, he didn't feel like hearing anymore of Lucius' babble.

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"Before you all leave," McGonagall spoke quickly as the students began to get up from their seats, "You may have heard the rumors that four students will be chosen to attend four different wizardry schools in America for this year, and I must inform you that this is indeed true."

Snape inwardly groaned. He had been hoping McGonagall would cease the rumors, but her conformation of the news only meant that he would continue to hear it from not only Lucius, but probably everyone in the school.

"Now there won't be any sign ups I'm afraid, whoever is chosen...is chosen. Of course, we will inform the students' parents who are picked and they must consent to the exchange, unless the student is of age." The professor continued, then she pulled a paper from the desk and looked at it, "Each school is placed in a different time zone; they are as follows: The Portland Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Oregon, The Albuquerque Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry in New Mexico, The Austin Institution of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Texas, and finally...The Salem School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Massachusetts."

She gave the students a chance to respond and a few had questions such as "When do we know who is chosen?" and "What if we don't like it there, could we come home?" as well as a load of others that the teacher couldn't make out over everyone's excited, chattering voices.

"Alright, alright," McGonagall put her hands up, silencing the crowd. "The students chosen will be notified on October the first and be given the name of the school in which they will attend for the year. Now before you're late to your next classes, go go..." She shooed them from the room, but the conversation of the exchange didn't stop there. Everyone was talking about it. Severus' head was too clouded with the fact that he had lost Lily forever to really care much about attending another school.

After gathering his books he departed from the classroom and headed towards the Slytherin common room to spend his free period. Dropping his books on the floor next to him, he threw himself onto the green velvet couch and stared at the fire. He wanted to die. How was he going to live knowing Lily hated him?

Before he could even think of an answer for himself, Mulciber and Avery came barreling down the dungeon stairs, apparently wrestling, but stopped once they saw Severus poke his head above the couch. "Oi! Snape, how're ya keepin'?" Avery asked, jumping over the back of the couch to sit next to him.

"Fine." he grumbled.

"Oh yeah?" Then he began to roll up his sleeve, revealing his new dark mark, "Got mine a week before term. Ya got yours yet?"

Severus sighed and rolled up his sleeve, showing his own marking, "Yeah, beginning of August." After Lily had stopped speaking to him he decided to completely throw himself into the dark arts, thus becoming a death eater.

"Right, right. Yeah, my old man took Mulciber and I to get 'em." Then he looked at the clock, "Aw shit, we gotta get going to class..." he got up and grabbed his books, "Fucking potions.." he mumbled before walking towards the stone staircase, "C'mon Mulciber, catch ya later Snape."

Severus groaned in response and threw his head back into the couch pillow, wanting to go to sleep and never wake up.

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Across the universe, in Salem, Massachusetts, sat sixteen year old Michelle Morrison in her Divination class where she was being told of the exchange program her school was participating in. She, of course, took no interest. Neither did her best friend Peggy Klein. Michelle looked at Peggy and rolled her large eyes, one hazel, while the other was a bright blue. Her heterochromatic eyes stood out against her sunkissed skin and honey blonde hair.

Michelle was a sixth year at the Salem School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had four best friends: Peggy, who was a sixth year like her, Simon Zimmerman – another sixth year, Charlie McGuire, and Donnie Wright – both seventh years.

The five of them were a group of what everyone else considered hippies. They were looked down upon by some of the other students because of their appearances and life style choices, although none of the five really cared about what the others thought of them.

"I really like this scarf, where'd ya get it?" Peggy ran her fingers against the silk of Michelle's folded scarf tied around her head as they walked down the corridor of their school.

"Some ol' bat on the side of the street was sellin' 'em," She responded and looked down at Peggy with a breathtaking smile. Michelle was 5 foot 7 inches, a whole six inches taller than Peggy. The two best friends couldn't be any more different in looks: Michelle was tall, very thin, with long blonde hair, whereas Peggy was a little shorter side, with nice womanly curves, and shoulder length, extremely curly brown hair.

"Well it's wicked cute," Peggy said. The two girls walked out into the sun and crossed the courtyard over to a stone ledge that surrounded one of the many patches of flowers. There, waiting for them, were Donnie, Simon, and Charlie. Donnie sat on the patch of grass the flowers were planted in, his one leg hanging over the stone, while he held a guitar that was sitting on his one folded leg. He was strumming mindlessly and Simon bobbed his head next to him.

Charlie took notice of them first, "Michelle, my belle," He sang as they neared, "These are words that go together well, my Michelle." Michelle smiled and hopped up on the stone ledge, Peggy sat next to her on the grass part.

"Did ya guys hear about that exchange program?" Donnie asked, still strumming his guitar. Michelle wasn't paying much attention though, she always seemed to let her mind wander. Maybe her lack of attention span had to do with the substance that was almost always controlling her mind...

"Miki?...Michelle..?" Charlie waved his hand in front of her face after a good five minutes of conversation with the others.

"Hmm?" Michelle had the doe eyed look on her face as she returned her attention to her friends. They all laughed, "Wow Miki, did you blaze already?" Charlie asked.

"Nah, not yet at least." She giggled, pulling a cigarette from her handmade, woven bag. She lit the stick and after inhaling once, passed it to Peggy. "So what were you guys sayin'?"

"We were just talking about that exchange thing," Simon stated, "One student from each of the American wizardry schools get to go to another in Europe. Hopefully it's not one of us." He gave a crooked smile, lighting his own cigarette now.

"Yeah," Miki flicked the ash from the end of her cigarette, "Hopefully not, I'm not tryin'a get separated. I mean...c'mon, what're the chances I'll meet anyone in Europe like you guys?" She laughed and threw her arm around Peggy. She adored her friends. "But..then again, I could happen to bump into Keith Richards or something and make him fall in love with me...hmm, maybe this exchange thing isn't such a bad idea." She laughed.

Peggy perked up and pretended to have an English accent, "Ohh look at 'is Americaaan 'ippie," She plucked at Miki's hair, "Fil'y 'air an all. Prolly smokes that marijuana! Listenin' to 'er rock n' roll! Prolly sleepin' round with everyone!" They all laughed hard and Peggy couldn't keep from laughing anymore.

"Too true, too true," Miki laughed, clutching her chest. After a few moments all that could be heard were the groups' heavy breaths as they slowed down their laughing. Simon looked at his watch, "Fuck, I got history of magic now. I hate that class." He threw his long haired head back and groaned loudly.

"Yeah, I got charms right now, I should probably get going actually," Miki stood up and grabbed her long strapped shoulder bag. "See ya guys later." They all waved to her as she set off across the grounds to make her way back to the building.

"Here come old flattop, he come groovin' up slowly, he got ju-ju eyeballs," She sang softly, "He's one holy roller, he got hair down to his knees. Got to be a joker, he just do what he please." Many people stared at her as she glided past, whispering to one another. Most envied her beauty, but they couldn't look past the fact that everyone viewed her and her friends as hippies. It didn't sit well with the upper class, high society students that came from sophisticated, aristocratic families that looked down upon the hippie movement and the ones who still carried it on.

Michelle knew. She knew what every said about her and her friends. And quite frankly, she simply did not care one little bit. And she made this evident as she walked with her head held high, her hair adorned with little braids and beads swung behind her as she made her way to her charms class, passing everyone's judgmental eyes.