Setting: First year sorting ceremony.

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Among the crowd of first years, Lily Evans stuck out. Her hair was a deep, rich red and it fell straight down her back to her hips. Next to her stood a gangly, gaunt boy with greasy black hair and a long, hooked nose. He looked particularly pleased to be standing next to her. Around them, other eager first years looked amongst one another nervously. It wasn't often that magical children came to Hogwarts with ready made friends unless you came from a strict pure blood family. Most often, children knew of other children through family obligations but never was it a friendship like Severus and Lily's. He puffed his chest out proudly as Lily leaned over to him and whispered a joke into his ear.

An older woman wearing emerald green robes introduced herself as Professor McGonagall. She had a stern look about her and yet strangely majestic. The hat atop her head was perfectly pointed up towards the ceiling and her face was just beginning to show the signs of age. Lily gazed adoringly up at her teacher, a wondrous look of fascination and enthrallment. Severus watched as Lily tapped her foot impatiently against the hard, cold stone beneath them. She had done nothing but talk of the sorting ceremony their entire ride to Hogwarts. Sometimes, Severus thought Lily was even more nervous than he was when it came to being placed in a house. McGonagall let the scroll in her hand roll down towards the floor and she read the first name off the list. A boney girl with light brown hair was called forward and Severus and Lily watched while McGonagall placed a tattered hat upon her head.

"Oh, Severus!" Lily whispered happily. "It's everything you described."

Smiling to himself, Severus reached down and squeezed Lily's hand. She looked up in surprise, causing him to blush. "S-sorry."

"Black, Sirius!" called out Professor McGonagall. A tall boy with dark hair and eyes stepped forward. He cast a mischievous grin at another boy who was standing next to him. The boy grinned back and swiped a lock of hair from falling in his eyes. Severus frowned. They both had impeccably clean robes compared to his ratty, second hand kind. The hat called out Gryffindor and Severus watched as the lanky young boy joined his fellow house mates. Several unappreciative stares came from the Slytherin table. They all eyed him.

"Why are they all looking at that boy like that?" said Lily to Severus.

"He's a Black, of course."

"Is that supposed to mean something?"

"Bones, Amelia!" Averting her attention back to the sorting, a mousy child with curly brown hair stepped forward and sat on the stool. As the hat yelled out Hufflepuff and the hall filled with enthusiastic yells, Lily turned back to Severus and waited for an explanation.

"The Black family has been in Slytherin for ages," he explained. "You must know?"

Lily stared at him sharply. "Of course I don't know," she said. "How would I? You're the only other Wizard I know."

"There are these people," he whispered hurriedly. McGonagall had begun those in the D's and Lily's last name was Evans. "They're call the Death Eaters."

She snickered and wrinkled her nose. "That's a foolish name,"

"It's not something to laugh about." he snapped, then lowered his voice. "They're real. A real bad guy is building up followers. He wants to get rid of all the muggles and muggle borns. He wants things pure."

"That's awful,"

"You'll be fine." Severus assured her.

She looked at him nervously. "How would you know?"

"I'm a half-blood so I'm alright. Just stay my friend and I'll protect you."

"Really?" she smiled up at him.

"Always."

"Evans, Lily!" cried out McGonagall. Lily looked anxiously at Severus before taking off up the stone steps and climbed on the wobbly old stool. McGonagall plopped the hat down on her head and Lily tapped her foot to its hmmm's. The brim of the hat, or its mouth, moved slowly as it read inside her mind. Finally after a long, tantalizing minute, it shouted Gryffindor, much to Lily's pleasure. Wildly grinning, she slipped back off the seat and gave the hat back to McGonagall. She pushed through the small crowd of first years in order to get to the Gryffindor table that was already cheering madly at gaining a new house member. She smiled happily at Severus as she passed.

Severus diverted his attention back towards the front. McGonagall was quickly passing through the list until there were but a few young students standing.

"Potter, James!" The boy standing next to Sirius Black strutted forward. Severus didn't like him. His smile was arrogant and his robes were freshly pressed and ironed. There were no patches or lumps of thread holding together seams. No stains or rips could be seen anywhere. As if knowing exactly what house he would be sorted into, James barely let the house shout the full Gryffindor name before hopping off the stool, handing the hat back to Professor McGonagall and joining the rest of his table. Severus watched as he took a seat next to Lily and Sirius. He smiled at her and extended a hand.

"James," he said.

"Lily." Lily replied politely.

Severus tore his eyes away from his friend and back towards the front. Only he and three other students remained. When McGonagall yelled out his name, he clambered clumsily up the steps, nearly tripping on the last one. A few short, mocking laughs erupted from different areas in the room. Severus glanced over his shoulder and saw Lily staring unpleasantly at the Potter boy. McGonagall let the hat drop upon Severus' head and he waited, with minor irritation at how long it was taking, for the sorting hat to choose his home.

"Slytherin!" The voice seemed to reverberate through Severus' ears. He watched as McGonagall took the hat from his head and ushered him down the steps towards a table full of dark green and silver. Several people slapped him on the back as a sort of welcome, and when Severus looked over at the Gryffindor table he watched Lily give him an encouraging smile.

"Always?" she mouthed to him.

He smiled. "Always."