Severous Snape sat in the great hall, waiting for the first years just like everyone else. The difference between him and everyone else however, was that he wasn't excited to see the 'amazing girl-who-lived'.
He was waiting for those doors to open and for him too see exactly what James potter would have been like as a girl. Arrogant, self-absorbed and spoiled(but likely with longer hair and already wearing jewelry). Oh, he knew she had her mother's eyes, Lilly's eyes, and he was going to hate her all the more for it. No one who was like James Potter should have eyes like Lilly's.
The doors opened and his eyes subtly went over all the young witches and wizards. He could easily see who was going to which house.
The Slytherins were keeping an analytical eye on anything, everything, anyone and everyone. They were masking their amazement, wether it was highly successful or not they were Slytherin.
The Ravenclaws were soaking up information and things to research at a later date. They were practically broadcasting their thirst for knowledge and information. It was easy to see who they were.
The Gryffindors were being slightly more rambunctious than the others, even if it wasn't by much thanks to their amazement. He could already feel a headache coming.
It could easily be said that the rest were Hufflepuffs, but even he knew it wasn't like that. Helga may have said she'd teach the rest, but she had her own preferences and simply took those that didn't fit the other houses in as well.
Among all the faces he could see his godson("Please put him in Slytherin, he's much too Gryffindor."), another Weasley(didn't that family cause enough trouble through the twins?), a muggle-born girl(who would likely talk her way out of Ravenclaw and into Gryffindor simply because a book said so) and...
Where was she? Where was the arrogant Potter-spawn that was likely spoiled rotten by whatever muggle family Dumbledore had dropped her off on? Where was the bird-nest of raven hair that would accompany a rounder aristocratic face? Where...
There she was, in the very middle of the group, right next to the Weasley. How had he missed her? Yet, she didn't act like a Potter-spawn, not really.
He could see his godson was glaring at her, so she had likely 'pulled a Gryffindor' and insulted him like the spoiled brat she was... except in that glare there was also puzzlement, like he couldn't understand wether the insult was real or for appearances.
He could see the redheaded boy making an idiot of himself and her seemingly genuine sympathy... except he could see it wasn't truly genuine.
Her amazement matched that of the muggle-borns, like magic was a foreign and wondrous concept she couldn't yet accept... but the slightly angled tilt to her lips gave away that she was only impressed by her own performance. He knew, though, that any one else would mistake it for a slightly crooked smile... even Dumbledore.
He glanced at the headmaster, sat on his throne-like chair, and saw the joy of a plan well executed. Oh, he knew how Albus planned to make her a martyr, knew how he saw her as a pawn. The old fool didn't even realize he was the one being played.
He looked back to the girl and his breath ever so subtly hitched as she finally lifted her head. At first glance she surely looked like her father, but look ever so slightly closer and you would realize they held no likeness at all. She didn't look like Lilly either...
Her hair was black like her father's; but while his was like that of a tangled birds nest and blackboard, her's was like the ruffled feathers of a raven. It looked like she had only recently even had the chance brush it at all and if the light caught it just right it seemed to have a sheen to it.
Her face was round with youth, while her father had that bone structure that would never allow an angular look, unlike her's. Lilly never had an aristocrat's face, no matter how beautiful she was.
Then he saw her eyes. Lilly's eyes had been like emeralds in their colour, but they weren't a solid green, they were normal despite their brightness. The girl's eyes, however, were a solid and vivid green. No hazel, grey or blue was present at all, just green. That he could see that from such a distance was a testimony to the truth of the statement.
...But there was something off about her eyes. Yes, they were a solid of the green in her mother's, but there was something else. Like a tint or a layer covering the emeralds in her sockets.
So the sorting begun as he gave polite acknowledgement to each new Slytherin and cold disinterest to the others. Then her name was called out and she started to walk up to the stool.
She didn't exude confidence or arrogance, she walked up somewhat meekly. He could tell it wasn't real, but it was worrisomely well practiced.
When the hat was placed on her head most were expecting an instant call of 'GRYFFINDOR!'. Yet they sat, waited, waited and waited until the longest hatstall in the last century finally passed with a loud call for the house of lions. It seemed the snakes were the only ones to notice it wasn't nearly as loud as expected of a 'golden girl'.
Snape saw the satisfied glint in her eyes. It wasn't a glint of correctly being sorted or finally being where you belong. It was a glint he's seen in the headmaster's eyes enough to recognise. Her satisfaction of a plan gone well was much more potent and definitely more discrete than the headmaster's. Her eyes didn't twinkle any way to give away what she was doing like Albus' eyes did.
Her eyes did glow, though. A glow most mistook for happiness or joy, he could tell was in fact a dangerous glow of cunning.
During the feast he kept his eyes on her, carefully watching every move she made. He hid his shock or surprise when she looked up and met his eyes directly.
Then he recognized the tint to her eyes and he had to shove down his instant admiration as to not let anything catch Dumbledore's attention.
He slightly curled his lip and lifted one eyebrow. She caught the message and while her face contorted into confusion, her eyes showed respect and understanding.
She turned to the Weasley boy next to her to keep up the lost lion act as he fought down a smirk.
For once, a Gryffindor was going to bring nothing but amusement to the dull Hogwarts halls. Belladonna Potter was, surprisingly, not going to give him a headache.
This was going to be an interesting seven years. After all...
It's not often a basilisk could hide in a pride of lions.