Chapter 1 ~ The Beginning
"Oi! Snape! Watcha got there?"
Severus stopped in his tracks, back facing the speaker. He knew who it was, he knew what he wanted, and he wasn't about to let him have it. Severus clutched his journal in his hands.
"Nothing, just a notebook for divination…" He said quietly.
"I think you're lying to me, Snapey," said James, "I think you've got yourself a diary! Why don't you let us read it, hmm?" James advanced toward Severus whose back was still turned.
Severus whirled around and screamed wildly, "Winggardium Leviosa!"
James was hoisted into the air by an invisible force and was stuck there, yelling and thrashing. "You've done it now, Snape! You've crossed the line," he exclaimed while Severus made a mad dash for home, "I'll get you, you hear? I KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE!"
When Severus finally arrived at his gate, he stood there and looked at his pitiful house. The exterior walls were shaven bare of paint by harsh winds and the flowers desperately needed to be watered. The shingles were falling off the edges of the roof and the glass of the front window was shattered. He didn't bother to go through the front door, he didn't want to see his parents. He climbed through his window as he usually did and stood in his chamber, cold and lonely.
He sat down on his lumpy mattress which lay bare on the hard cement floor and pulled out the quill from inside the binding of his journal. There he wrote:
Septermber 1, 1971
Why must my life always be so difficult? I only hope things will get better soon. I am waiting to leave for the train to Hogwarts, my bags are already packed. I am not looking forward to my 5th year of school, for I know what is in store. The only thing that makes my day any brighter is the thought of seeing her. Oh, sweet Lily Evans. Her hair is like the red rose in the garden, which stands apart from the other shriveling and dying flowers. I love her with all of my very soul. I only wish she did the same… perhaps this year she will think of me more than her best friend, but I fear she will find me a fool.
Severus put down his quill, the excess ink running onto his bumpy pillow. He sighed and rested his head in his hands, his dark hair falling over his face.
Suddenly, he heard a faint tapping on his window. He lifted his head to see Lily, her beautiful green eyes smiling at him from behind the dusty glass. He frantically put his journal under the ink-stained pillow and proceeded to the window. He opened it carefully and smiled at the love of his life.
"Hello, Severus," said Lily, climbing through the window, "How was your day?"
"Very fine, thank you," replied Severus, "Yours?"
Lily ignored Severus' question and stated, "I heard about what you did to James," She sat herself on the windowsill.
Severus looked at his feet and put his hands in his pockets. He knows he shouldn't have done magic, and was very stupid of him, but he was close with someone in the ministry, so he normally got let off the hook for these kinds of things. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, embarrassed.
"I thought it was really cool that you stood up for yourself, Sev."
Severus looked up, confused. "You did?"
"Yes, of course! James Potter is a stinky ol' rodent! You taught him a lesson!"
"Oh, well… I… It was…"
"It was amazing Sev! I wish I could have been there to see it." She kicked her feet slightly as she sat, her skirts falling over the edges of the sill. She looked at the clock at the far end of the room,
"Oh no!" She exclaimed exhaustingly, "I must be going if I'm going to catch the train." She lifted herself off of the windowsill and ran over to Severus, giving him a soft hug. He hugged her back, not wanting to let her go. She pulled away and ran to the window. With one leg out, she said rapidly, "Goodbye Severus! I'll see you on the train!"
Severus watched her as she ran away, and he sighed once more and mumbled to himself, "Goodbye Lily."
He walked to his chamber door and pulled it. It was locked as usual. He waited for his mother to unlock all 7 latches on the door and drag him to the car, throwing his bags carelessly in the trunk. He carried his owl, Plit, in his lap and watched the flashing images of Godrics Hallow through the window of his parents' car.
When they arrived at the Train Station, he grabbed his things from the trunk and was immediately greeted by dust and pebbles that were being thrown at him from the wheels of this parents' car. He was alone.
Severus made his way into the station, set his things on a luggage cart and traversed through the swarm of people rushing to catch their trains. He found the brick wall which led to platform 9 ¾ and without looking to see if anyone was watching or not, hurtled toward the wall at top speed. He slid through the portal with ease and skidded on his heels to avoid hitting a passer-byer.
"ALL ABOARD! ALL ABOARD! THE TRAIN TO HOGWARTS WILL BE LEAVING IN PRECISELY 12 MINUTES! STUDENTS WILL NEED TO CHANGE INTO THEIR ROBES ON THE TRAIN! FOOD AND DRINKS WILL BE SUPPLIED TO ALL WITH MONEY! NO EXCEPTIONS! IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE-"
Severus ignored the rest of what the conductor was saying as he rushed toward the bright black train.
"Whoa there, Snively," Sirius said as he stepped out in front of Severus, almost causing them to collide, "Why so hurried?"
"Look, I really don't have time for this-"
"Oh ho ho! Don't have time, eh? Well make time, Porky 'cause I wanna have a… little chat." Sirius smiled wryly and walked around the luggage cart toward Severus. He put his arm around him and began talking, "I heard watcha did to James, Snively and I don't think it was very funny. Now, if yah wanna get off the hook, you can gimme all the moldy knuts in your pocket,"
Severus dug his hands deep into his pockets, and turned them inside out. They were both empty. "Sorry, I don't have anything. I suppose you're going to have to buy your own food, Black."
"Oh please, don't humor me. Of course I won't have to. I'll get it from some other nerd, but you still need to pay the price, Snape," Sirius looked at Severus' luggage, "and I think this will do just nicely." He grabbed Plits' cage and examined it.
"HEY! That's my owl! You can take her!" Severus advanced toward Sirius, only to be pushed onto the ground. He hit the ground hard, hitting his elbow against a wall.
"Fine you big baby, you can have your sickly lookin' owl! But Snively, dear, you may have to repack your bags!"
"Wh-Why?"
Sirius kicked Severus' luggage cart and his suitcase came crashing to the floor, its' contents strewn about.
"I think I'll take this instead," said Sirius, gesturing toward Severus' journal.
"NO! Give that back!"
"Oh, I don't think I will. See you on the train, Snape."
With that, Sirius walked away with Severus' things and boarded the train. Severus got up and was frantically trying to stuff everything into his bag.
"ATTENTION! THE TRAIN TO HOGWARTS WILL BE LEAVING IN PRECISELY THREE MINUTES! EVERYONE ABOARD THE TRAIN NOW!"
He finally put his last item into his bag and ran toward the train, owl cage in hand. The conductor gave him a dirty look as he boarded. He was looking for an empty compartment when he overheard someone reading something in a mocking sort of tone. The voice, coming from the compartment to Severus' left, said, "Oh, sweet Lily Evans. Her hair is like the red rose in the garden, which stands apart from the shriveling, dying flowers. I love her with all of my very soul!"
Severus stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh no," he thought to himself. He made his way to the door from which the sound was coming from and slid it open. As he expected, James, Peter, and Remus were listening to Sirius read from his journal. They all looked at him and burst out laughing.
"Snively loves Lily! Snively loves Lily!"
"Oh, Porky! You got yourself a girlfriend?"
"You should wash your hair before you even think about having a girlfriend!"
Severus was getting very aggravated. He marched into the room and made a grab at his journal. Sirius yanked it away and held it up to high for Severus to reach it.
"Jump for it, Snively, jump!"
"Awhh is Porky gunna cry?"
Then, the door slides open again. This time, Lily walks into the room and slaps Sirius across the face. She grabbed Severus' journal and shouted, "You all should be ashamed of youselves! Come on Sev."
She grabbed him by the wrist and they walked out together, while the group whistled and laughed at them. They found an empty compartment and sat down.
"I'm sorry Lily," said Severus, "I didn't mean for you to see any of that."
"Oh please, Sev, they were being unbelievable rude! And besides, I couldn't let my best friend be harassed like that," She handed his journal back to him, which he slid into his luggage. They sat silently for a moment, listening to the train run.
"How much of that did you hear?" Severus asked.
"It doesn't really matter, all that matters is that you're alright, and that we're together," She rested her hand on his and smiled. They sat there like that for a moment and she slowly got up. "I have to go change into my robes now, I'll see you at the Grand Feast." She left Severus to himself, as he usually was. He stared at his hand and sighed.