A/N- Okay, so I don't really know for sure where I'm going with this story yet, but it's going to be told from the POV of Severus, James, and maybe Lily, I'm not sure about her yet. New chapters will be posted every Friday, but I may switch it to every other Friday if I have difficulty posting a chapter a week for each of two different fics(I started school last Tuesday). I hope you enjoy, and please review!

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"Snape, Severus!" called a sharp voice.

A sickly pale, greasy-haired young boy stepped from the assembled ranks of students, making his way toward the stool where Professor McGonagall stood, grasping the Sorting Hat as she tapped her foot likely against the floor with impatience. Seeing this, Severus hastened his stride, a cloud of butterflies convulsing in his stomach. He couldn't begin to fathom why. He knew the hat would put him in Slytherin. But what if it doesn't? The seed of doubt had been buried deep in his mind for as long as he could remember, but only now had it begun to sprout, growing thicker and faster by the second.

He perched lightly on the stool, watching his right knee quiver as McGonagall rested the Sorting Hat on his head.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat boomed, without hesitation. Severus released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, the tension in his limbs gone in the blink of an eye as he stood shakily and headed for the table at which the members of his new house sat, cheering as he joined them, swiveling his gaze back to the line of first years anxiously awaiting their own turns to be sorted.

The next few students were a blur. Severus engaged in a whispered exchange with the boy next to him, another first year with a creamy white complexion and a mop of white-blond hair. Lucius, he said his name was(A/N- I know they weren't the same age, but I kinda fudged it up a bit for the purpose of the plot. Sorry!). However, a moment later, Severus' ears perked up at the sound of a familiar name.

"Evans, Lily!"

The redhead with whom Severus had spent many a summer made her way toward McGonagall, crossing her legs and biting her lip as the Sorting Hat deliberated. After about a minute, Severus' hopeful expression began to falter, before settling into a confused frown. What was going on? Lily seemed to be wondering the same, her face beginning to turn an ever deepening shade of green, growing closer to that of her eyes with every passing second. Come on, he thought, trying to make eye contact to reassure her, but she wouldn't meet his gaze. Instead, she was staring fixedly at the Gryffindor table. Severus' frown deepened as he followed her eyes to a handsome boy with a wild mess of jet-black hair and a lopsided smirk spread across his face.

Severus cocked his head, confused, just as the hat appeared to finally have made up its mind, shouting, "GRYFFINDOR!" Severus let out an involuntary gasp. Gryffindor? How could this have happened?

He felt an elbow nudge his ribcage as Lily rushed off toward the cheering Gryffindors, and turned to see Lucius frowning at him.

"Know her?"

"Wha- oh, um…"

"Doesn't matter," Lucius cut in decidedly, "don't, okay?"

Severus gaped at him, utterly bewildered, "but-"

"Just don't, alright?" Lucius repeated, "trust me. All Gryffindors are pretentious brats."

Severus nodded dumbly, deciding to just go with it. It was clear that there would be no reasoning with Lucius. With a sigh, he sat back and pushed thoughts of Lily Evans and the stranger she'd been ogling in favor of enjoying the feast that had appeared a few moments prior, the Sorting apparently having been finished, and Dumbledore having said his piece.

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A/N- A new chapter should be posted next Friday. I hope you enjoyed, and please review!

~hermionegrangerandarocketship