The compartment they found was near the middle of the train. He was grateful that no one else had been in there. Severus was aware he would be forced to interact at some point, but he didn't want to, not until he was left with no other choice. He watched as Lily looked out the window at the passing landscape, wistful expression playing on her features.
"What house do you hope you're sorted in?" Lily finally broke the silence. He recalled explaining the four houses to her after his mother explained them to him.
"I don't know, Ravenclaw I guess." Severus shrugged. "Not that it matters. Mum said the sorting hat will choose and we have to accept wherever it sticks us."
"Maybe we'll be sorted into the same house!" Lily bounced slightly in her seat.
"It's a possibility." Severus shrugged. He wanted nothing more than to be sorted into the same house as her, after all she was his best friend.
"I'm going to keep my fingers crossed for good luck." She held both of her hands in front of her, crossing her fingers so he could see.
"I can't imagine a reason why we wouldn't be in the same house, after all we're best friends." Severus had been assuring himself of the sorting since he met her.
"What subject are you looking forward to the most?" She returned her gaze to the window.
"I dunno. Mum said she thinks I would do well in Transfiguration. I sort of like the idea of Potions. What about you?" He looked out of the window to see what she was seeing.
"Hmmm…"Lily scrunched her face to one side as she considered his question. "I don't think I will do well in Divination, but I'm a bit excited about learning the History of Magic. Being a muggle-born I think that I should focus on that at first." Their door suddenly slid open causing both of them to jump. Standing in the doorway was a tiny girl with wildly frizzy blonde hair, and glasses that made her eyes look huge.
"Excuse me," Her voice was as small as her stature. Her shoulders were a bit hunched, one hand playing with one of the many necklaces that adorned her, the other was clutching her suitcase. "Could I sit in here with the two of you? They were being quite mean to me where I was."
"Sure," Lily stood up and invited the girl to sit beside her. "I'm Lily. This is my friend Severus." The girl stumbled forward before closing the door behind her. She dropped her suitcase onto the floor. Both hand were now clinging to her necklace.
"I'm Sybil. Thank you for letting me join you." The girl looked back to the door nervously before sitting down beside Lily.
"It's no problem, we have plenty of room." Lily turned to face the new girl. "So, what house are you hoping you're sorted into?"
"Oh, uhhh…I'll be sorted into Ravenclaw." Sybil pressed her mouth together as she nodded vigorously, pushing her glasses further up onto her nose.
"There is no way you could know that." Severus crossed his arms.
"No, I know." Sybil shrugged.
"How?" Lily asked as she tucked some hair behind her ear.
"Well, my grandmother was seer. I inherited her gift." Sybil explained, her eyes darting from her hands to the two of them and then off into space. Being around her made Severus uncomfortable.
"Could you tell us something about our futures?" Lily inched closer to the peculiar girl.
"I haven't exactly mastered it yet." Sybil reached up and grasped her necklace again.
"Could you try?" Lily pleased.
"I guess, I could try." Sybil held her hand out to Lily. "Let me see your hand."
"Okay." Lily put her hand in hers. "This is exciting, isn't it Severus?"
"Thrilling." Severus replied uninterested. Lily narrowed her eyes at him as a warning, causing him to sigh before leaning forward to feign interest.
"Umm…well…your future husband is attending Hogwarts." Sybil chewed the inside of her lip she examined Lily's hand. "You'll have one child…and…ummm….that's all I can see." Sybil dropped her hand quickly.
"I wonder why I only have one child?" Lily mused to herself. "You do it too, Severus."
"He doesn't have to." Sybil had picked up on his reluctance.
"Nonsense. Severus, please?" Lily flicked her wrist at him urging him to hand over his hand to Sybil. Severus rolled his eyes, but laid his hand in Sybil's.
"Is he going to get married?" Lily asked, giggling.
"Well…his is harder to see." Sybil raised his hand closer to her eyes, inspecting it carefully. "Yes…I think so."
"That's all?" Severus asked as he attempted to not sound smug.
"I don't want to do this anymore." Sybil dropped his hand.
"Did you see something bad?" Lily asked as she reached out and placed her hand on Sybil's forearm.
"I am better with tea leaves." Sybil forced a tight lipped smile. "Maybe I can try again later."
"I would like that, thank you Sybil." Lily nodded. "I'll be right back." She stood and exited the compartment leaving Severus alone with Sybil.
"So…"Severus didn't want Sybil to give Lily a bad report on him so he decided to play nice.
"Would you like to know what you're going to be when we grow up? I saw that." Sybil began chewing on the inside of her lip again.
"Sure." Severus gave a noncommittal shrug.
"You're going to be a professor at Hogwarts one day." She scratched her nose. "So will I."
"A professor? That doesn't sound like anything I would want to do." He laughed.
"You aren't going to want to do it, you do it because you'll have to." Sybil explained.
"Have to?" Severus asked. "What does that mean?"
"I don't know, I told you I do better with tea leaves." Sybil pressed her mouth into a line again. He sat back in his seat looking at the girl and her nervous ticks.
"What about Lily, what job will she have?" Severus asked nodding towards the door.
"I didn't see one for her. Maybe she is just going to stay home and take care of her baby." Sybil moved to the seat where Lily had been and gazed out of the window.
"I was just told we need to get our robes on before we get to Hogwarts." Lily cried out breathlessly as she rushed back into the compartment and grabbed her suitcase.
"Who told you that?" Severus asked as he stood up and took hold of his brand new suitcase.
"Some older boy I ran into on my way back." Lily replied. "He was wearing his."
"Oh." Severus asked as he gave a side glance to Sybil, who looked like a skittish bird that was ready to take flight at a moments notice.
Once they arrived the first years were herded out of the larger herd of children and shuffled to the docks to be taken to the school by boat. Severus didn't understand why they couldn't just go with the rest of the students, splitting them up seemed very impractical. The only solace he took in the event was that he was currently stuck in a small boat with Lily, and Sybil and some boy who had snot dripping from his nose like his head was leaking.
Upon their landing, once again they were herded into the castle without any explanation and told to wait at the top of the stairs. The fear and uncertainty was so thick in the air Severus felt as if he would choke on it. Out of nowhere a tall woman appeared wearing a large hat.
"Students!" She held her hands up to silence them, the group grew as silent as the grave. She wasn't very old, maybe in her forties, she wasn't over intimidating but there was something about her that commanded attention. "I am Professor McGonagall, deputy headmistress and Professor of Transfiguration. In a moment we will all go into the Great Hall, where you will be sorted into your houses. Please remain quiet and respectful."
She spun on her heel and walked to the large doors, pushing them open as if they weighed nothing. The first years followed her in. Immediately, Severus wished he was anywhere but there. All of the older students were already sitting at their tables, and every one of them had their eyes transfixed onto the first years.
His eyes landed on a stool sitting before a large table where he guessed the other Professors were sitting. Atop the stool sat an ancient looking hat. Professor McGonagall picked up a piece of parchment and the hat before addressing them.
"I will call names one at a time. Please come forward, take a seat and I will place the sorting hat atop your head." Her eyes flitted down to the names on the parchment.
The room was engulfed in an anxious anticipation as the students awaited the first years to be sorted into their houses.
"Sybil Trelawney!" McGonagall called out. The nervous girl walked forward and took her place on the stool as the hat was placed upon her head.
"Hmmm, very interesting." The sorting hat spoke, musing to itself. "Ravenclaw!"
Sybil smiled as the hat was removed from her head and she walked off towards her houses table. Severus furrowed his brow, she had been sorted into the house she told them she would be sorted into.
"Lily Evans!" McGonagall called out another name. Severus' attention snapped back to the sorting ceremony as he watched his best friend take her seat. She made eye contact with him and smiled widely as Professor McGonagall placed the hat on her head.
"Very brave and intelligent as well. Where to put you…where to put you?" The sorting hat was speaking again. "Gryffindor!" The hat was removed from her head and Severus watched as she made her way over to the table and sat down.
"James Potter!" McGonagall continued on with the list. A boy taller than Severus bounded up to the stool. He watched as the hat was placed atop the boys head.
"Oh yes, very clear." The sorting hat was attempting to nod, "Gryffindor!" The boy jumped down and made his way over to the table. Severus followed him with his eyes and watched as this James character marched right over to Lily and shook her hand.
"Severus Snape!" McGonagall called. Severus swallowed hard. He had to go to Gryffindor to be with Lily, there was just no other option. Steeling himself he sat down on the stool and felt the hat drop onto his head.
"Interesting. Very difficult, great potential and very smart. Ravenclaw would suit you well, but not what you need…"The sorting hat mumbled as it thought. Severus begged to be sorted into Gryffindor, mentally. "No no, that house isn't for you….you will do well in…SLYTHERIN!"
The hat was removed from his head and reluctantly he stood up and began his walk to the Slytherin table. He kept glancing back to Lily, who was engrossed in conversation with James.
"I don't recognize Snape as a wizarding name." A regal looking blonde boy leaned over, speaking to Severus.
"My mother's maiden name is Prince." Severus replied. He wanted to go home, his insides felt like hot jam and he wanted to cry. Why hadn't his mother just allowed him to stay?
"Prince? Yes, I know that family. Prince is a pureblood line." The boy nodded slowly rubbing his chin. "Is your father pureblood?"
"No." Severus frowned.
"Oh, well, nobody's perfect. The Princes and the Malfoys are old friends, plus you ARE a Slytherin. My name is Lucius, Lucius Malfoy. I'm a sixth year." The blonde boy swung his white gold locks over his shoulder.
"I'm Severus Snape." Severus replied. He wasn't sure what to make of this Lucius character.
"Listen," Lucius leaned closer to him and dropped his voice. "Some things can be overlooked once you're sorted into the right house. Obviously there is something great about you, despite being a half-blood to be sorted into Slytherin. You're one of us now, us Slytherins have to have one another's back. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay." Severus nodded.
The feast ended and Severus watched as Lily bounced out of the Great Hall surrounded by a group of other first years, all laughing and smiling. She hadn't looked his way once since being sorted. His heart sank as the students from Slytherin stood up and began making their way to their rooms. No one was laughing. Severus hung his head and followed everyone else.