A/N: I don't own Harry Potter

This is for the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Insane Prompt challenge: 321 – Snape/Lucius

Romance awareness: Day five - You can't see colours until you meet your soulmate

Word count: 1175

It never bothered Severus that he couldn't see colors. There were other ways of doing things. Everything had a taste, a feel, something unique about it. He taught himself early to learn these differences, to see without even using his eyes. He knew his mother couldn't colors either. He didn't dare ask his father about it. He'd likely end up sprawled on the floor with a dark colored bruise spreading across his face. No, he didn't dare ask his father about colors, or magic either.

He was nearly eleven when he saw the girls playing at the playground. The younger one had long hair flying behind her as she swung on the swing. He watched her for a moment before she jumped off and landed gently on the ground. Magic. She was magic, like him. He'd never thought about jumping off the swing before. It looked fun. He slowly walked over watching them argue. The older one was yelling at the magical one about being a freak.

"She's not a freak," he stated sitting on an empty swing. "She's got magic, like me and my mother," he stated. The girl looked at him, looked into his dark eyes with hers. He wondered what color they would be once he could see colors.

"I'm Lily and my sister is Petunia. Do you live around here?"

"Over there," he answered vaguely. He'd sneaked out while his father was passed out drunk again.

"Oh, he's from that side of town," Petunia stated turning her nose up at him. He swung slowly on the swing, just back and forth, not any higher.

"What's it like having magic? What can I do?" Lily asked. Severus was about to answer when he heard someone calling for Lily and Petunia.

"Oh, that's our mum, we'd better go," Lily said giving Severus a smile. He returned it as she ran off.

"You'd better leave her alone, Freak," Petunia stated before disappearing after Lily. Severus watched them leave and started swinging. Anything to keep from going home to the greyness in his life, to the pain he was sure was waiting for him.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

"I got mine too!" Lily exclaimed waving her letter in the air. Severus smiled. At least he would know one person at Hogwarts. He wondered if his soulmate would be there. He wasn't sure he was ready to see color. The idea of another sense, of something so foreign kind of scared him.

"I can't wait. Do you think he'll be there?"

"Who?" Severus asked having lost track of the conversation for a moment.

"My soulmate, Sev. I mean, imagine being able to see all the colors. I mean, is your hair really black or some other dark color? I could ask mum, but where's the fun in that?" Lily babbled.

The first of September arrived too soon and not soon enough. Severus and Lily were driven to the station. Lily's eyes searched everywhere for who ever her soulmate might be. Severus instead studied the ebb and flow of people. The whispered conversations around him. There was more to learn from that than looking for one person who might not even be there.

"Oh!" Lily exclaimed as she stopped suddenly her eyes wide. "He's over there... somewhere... I got a glimpse... Bye Sev!" she screamed running off chasing her soulmate. Severus sighed and boarded the train. The world was still grey despite the amount of people he'd seen on the platform.

"Nope, not you," someone muttered walking past him. He glanced at the person. Dark hair, already in robes, but without a house crest. First year, like him.

"I swear, she must be here somewhere, Sirius!" the boy's friend stated. "I see colors, the sky is blue, your hair is black, and I'm awesome!" Severus rolled his dark eyes. Of course Mr. Awesome had found his soulmate. He settled into an empty compartment. As the train moved further and further towards Hogwarts, people would poke their heads in just to see if meeting Severus would suddenly colorize their grey worlds.

"Oh, there you are. I found him, he's a bit of a prick, but... he's mine!" Lily exclaimed sliding into the room.

"I'm glad for you," he commented looking up from the potions textbook he'd been studying. It was fascinating the way the ingredients were described for those who couldn't see colors. He was looking forward to attempting to brew anything.

"I think we're almost there," Lily said after a moment. Severus put the book away and quickly changed into his robes. Lily, of course, covered her eyes to give him privacy. She couldn't help but notice the scars on his body. She kept her mouth shut though. \

Finally the train slowed to a stop and the first years were ushered toward the rowboats on the lake.

"Maybe you're soulmate is the giant squid, look down and maybe it'll see you!" the boy from the train teased. Severus ignored him. He knew the type; rich and arrogant. Not someone who would want to be friends with him anyway. The boats arrived at the castle and Severus stared in wonder at Hogwarts.

"This way please, first years." Severus followed the crowd. Lily had attached herself to one of the boys from the train. Severus figured he was her soulmate. He didn't need anyone, he decided. He wasn't there to fall in love with some stupid dunderhead. No, he was here to learn magic, to learn enough to get away from his abusive father.

As he was being sorted, Severus glanced around the Great Hall. Lily was already sitting with her soulmate, James Potter, at the Gryffindor table. The idiot who thought he should look for the squid was Sirius Black, also a Gryffindor. Severus hated the house just for that reason alone.

"Ahh, plenty of brains, but also ambition. Very observant, hmm, I know just the place for you." Severus held his breath that he wouldn't be in the Gryffindors.

"Slytherin!" the hat screamed. Severus smiled. His mother had been in Slytherin. She would be happy to hear about his placement. He rose and started walking towards the table. That's when it happened. Like a flash flood, the world seemed to flood with color. He stumbled and a hand grabbed him.

"Careful there, Snape," a cold voice said. Severus looked up. His black eyes met steely grey ones. This time, the grey was different.

"I'm sorry," Severus whispered. The boy was older than him, a prefect badge on his robes.

"I'm Lucius Malfoy, welcome to Hogwarts, soulmate," he stated leading Severus to the table with a calculated smile. Severus blinked. This was his soulmate? He'd never expected another boy, but he couldn't help but be slightly impressed by how Lucius seemed to command the table, how he seemed to glow with power. Power, now that was something that caught Severus' attention. The power to leave his horrid little life, the power to be his own wizard. Yes, he could see how him and Lucius might make a formidable pair.