Hello everyone, before you start reading just know that this story is an au, and while I'll try to stick to the books as much as possible, some character's ages and stories are going to be different. I hope you all like this first chapter, please leave me a review and let me know what you think!

Hogwarts accepting older students into its halls was a rare sight, normally on the very first night of the school year the halls would be flooded by nothing but moon-eyed first years, but tonight was different. Tonight in the candle lit great hall, a girl stood out amongst the much younger soon to be students, whose energy greatly contradicted her calm, almost bored nature. Her eyes were turned to the ground, she'd only spared a few brief glances over to the house tables, which were densely packed with students who were either excited to welcome new classmates or to start the abundant welcome feast.

Severus Snape didn't realize that he was staring at the girl until Narcissa Black dug a sharp elbow in his side, he sucked in a sharp breath and glared at the grinning witch. She dramatically batted her pale blue eyes at him and played with her golden hair with delicate hands, on her left hand sat a gaudy black diamond engagement ring, provided by Lucius Malfoy.

"I haven't seen you stare down a girl like that since Lily Evans stole your very soul Severus." She teased. Her eyes carefully looked over the girl and after a moment she nodded her head in approval. "I like the looks of this one Sevy, I bet she's broody like you."

"Don't call me that Narcissa." Severus muttered. "I wasn't staring at her, I was just experiencing trauma induced flashbacks to the last time Hogwarts brought in an older student." Narcissa snorted and swatted at him playfully. In his second year, Hogwarts introduced a new student from Durmstrang, and the near seven foot tall man who was built like a giant was entering his seventh year when he was introduced. Ravenclaws rejoiced when he was sorted into their house, but by the year's end their house points had bled into the negatives due to the militant-like habits that the man couldn't seem to let go. Severus remembered hearing about the professors who had to save deviant students who acted out in front of the man, because he would conjure a blast of fiendfyre to chase them into obedience.

"I don't think this one will be quite as violent as the last one. Plus you have to admit, this one is gorgeous compared to that psychopathic brute." Narcissa pointed out.

Severus rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the other tables, he lazily scanned the room until he caught the eyes of the only person in the hall that mattered to him. Lily Evans, the girl who Narcissa was sure stole his soul, was grinning at him from damn near across the hall. Severus felt his chest squeeze as he took in the sight of her. She'd grown her copper hair out over the summer, after days in the sun her freckles stood out against her fair skin, and her green eyes sparkled with a familiar playfulness that he couldn't resist. Lily, Severus decided, was the living embodiment of the sun.

His chest warmed with longing, it had been far too long since he'd experience the kind of happiness that only Lily seemed to bring him. She waved at him, and as he built up the courage to merely wave back, James Potter appeared behind her, he brushed her hair from her face and bent down to place a kiss on her cheek. Severus visibly cringed as he watched a blush creep across her face, clearly he had missed something over the summer. He felt a wave of nausea roll over him like a storm and he felt himself start to struggle for air as anger sat in his throat like a log.

Narcissa followed his line of sight and scoffed; she tapped on Severus's shoulder and directed his attention to the front of the room. "I think they're going to start sorting." She said.

"To start the ceremony this year we would like to introduce Hermione Longbottom, who will be entering her sixth year here at Hogwarts. I expect you all to treat her with the warmth and welcome that you would normally extend to our new arrivals." Headmaster Dippet announced, and immediately murmurs spread throughout the hall at the unexpected mention of the name "Longbottom"; in his years at Hogwarts Frank Longbottom had never mentioned having a sibling, or even a notable cousin.

"She's one of the 28." Narcissa whispered, she brushed her fingers absentmindedly over the ring on her finger and looked at the girl in awe. Other students, especially the young men stared at her intensely, and in obvious desire.

With the mere mention of a name, Hermione Longbottom went from a random newcomer, to a prized pureblooded show pony meant to be sold off and bred. If she ended up in Slytherin, her pureblood status meant a bit more than just "Continuing the bloodline for the greater good.", it meant power. Severus's stomach flipped at the idea, and like the rest of the school he looked on anxiously as the headmaster gently picked up the sorting hat and prepared to place it on her head.

She opted to not sit on the obnoxiously small stool meant for first years and instead stood facing the restless student body before her. She swept her curled brown hair from her face and scanned the room with confident honey colored eyes, Severus sucked in a sharp breath as those eyes settled on him. Something that looked absurdly like recognition crossed her face when she looked at him, her eyebrows raised slightly with surprise and the tiniest smile formed on her lips. Severus felt his face heat as she kept eye contact with him when the headmaster slowly lowered the sorting hat to her head, and before it disturbed a single strand of her hair the hat bellowed out across the anxious hall.

"SLYTHERIN"

Thank you so much for reading, please don't forget to leave me a review! I'm going to try and update this story weekly and if you have any suggestions I'll try to include them into later chapters.