Light within Dark
James turned and looked down the corridor. There was no one there, but he was sure he was being followed. He shrugged and continued walking. One of the numerous doors adorning the corridor creaked open. A head peeked out and a pair of large shining glasses followed James's retreating back. James disappeared around a corner and an audible sigh was heard. The girl came out of the room and shut the door quietly. She leaned against it, relief washing over her. She was not what would be termed attractive. Her huge, round oversized glasses covered her face obscuring almost any discerning feature. Besides being overly large, her glasses were also really thick, thus distorting everything behind it. When she smiled, ugly metal braces were revealed. A plain black shawl hid her hair. She never took the shawl off so hardly anyone knew the colour of her hair.
The girl pushed herself from the door and began walking. Immediately she tripped over her long robe and fell over. She landed with a deafening crash in the silent corridor. She was terribly clumsy as well as unattractive. She picked herself up with groan and massaged her sore knee. She limped comically all the way down the corridor to the Ravenclaw dorm.
The boy looked up towards the imposing castle. McGonagall watched him carefully. He was scrawny and his hair was in a disheveled mess. Pale sallow cheeks were drawn tightly over high cheekbones. His mouth was a tightly drawn line and above, a nose was slightly hooked and the overall impression was one of a cruel hawk. His cloaked flapped around him in the slight breeze. It made him seem hungrier than ever. She didn't quite like the boy, there was something in the air around him that made him seem dark and forbidding.
She reluctantly opened her mouth and spoke, "Snape, Severus Snape is it?"
The boy turned to face her, his messy hair falling over his eyes. He pushed it aside with an impatient movement of his hand. "Yes...miss."
McGonagall suppressed a slight shiver. His tone was soft and magnetic, so it wasn't that which shook her. It was his eyes. He did not have the sort of frightening empty eyes, but neither were they warm and friendly. "His eyes are alive," McGonagall thought, and indeed they were. They seemed to change colour with every movement of the light. First aloof amber yellow, then a deep warm hazel and again an icy cloudy grey. McGonagall dropped her gaze and looked down at her file. "You're with Slytherin, the dorm is just at the end of the corridor. The password to open the door is Pureblood. You will be expected at supper later so make sure you are not late." With that she strode away without another glance at the boy.
An amused smile spread over Severus's face as he watched McGonagall leave. "Boy ... eh...." Many have made the mistake of assuming so.