Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof.

Chapter 21

Severus Snape was only partially listening in on the staff meeting that was going on around him. He only attended the things because Albus made him. As it was, today was currently the first day of September and the students would be arriving in a couple of hours.

Severus glanced around the room after a while. Only the teacher's that were guarding the Sorcerer's Stone were currently present. Severus was still only half listening, nodding when it seemed appropriate. As it stood, only Albus and himself knew specifically what guarded the stone. The Headmaster had taken each professor down at different times to place their own protection, he had then told Severus what it was. The only thing that Severus didn't know how to get past was Fluffy, and truth be told, he didn't really care to know how to get past it.

'Severus!"

Snape peered around the room. It was now only Albus, Minerva, and himself in the staff room. Albus had an amused expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, Minerva. What did you say?"

She glared at him. "I asked if you could possibly find it in that cold heart of yours to be nicer to the students this year?"

Severus sighed. She asked the same question every year. The answer was always 'no' followed by a smirk or a sneer.

This year it was a smirk.

She rolled her eyes at him.

Severus really did enjoy his life to an extent. He loves his research (he's invented quite a few potions), his small side business (he sometimes sells a few things during the summer months), and he still likes teaching (not that anyone would ever get him to admit it). It's just that ever since Lily had died, there was a gaping hole in his heart and in his life that he couldn't seem to fill.

Through the past ten years he's become quite cranky and down right moody around everyone except Albus and, on occasion, Minerva. Well, he is those around them as well, but they can draw out another side of him on occasion and the only reason those two got to see something different is because they refused to let his mind wallow in what could have been. They had become his equivalent of friends, though if anyone ever dared to use that word, Severus would have hexed them faster than they could have blinked.

Casting a silent 'tempus', he realized that he only had 20 minutes to get to the Great Hall. He only needed five, but he had been hoping to brood in his quarters for 30 minutes or so.

Sighing, he followed Minerva and Albus instead. That was probably the Headmaster's intentions to begin with.

About 30 minutes later, the 2nd through 7th years entered and sat down. He eyed his Slytherin's as they entered in packs.

Quirrell kept trying to make conversation with Severus but all he had succeeded in doing was giving him a headache.

Thankfully, McGonagall came in soon to make sure everyone was seated before she went to fetch the first years.

As they slowly walked up the hall in between the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables, Severus saw a familiar shade of platinum blonde hair. He had forgotten Lucius Malfoy's son, Draco, was starting this year.

How he could have forgotten he had no idea. Lucius had reminded him every chance he had gotten. He gave a discreet nod toward him. After all, Severus did have a part to play. He wanted to roll his eyes when he saw that Draco was already flanked by Crabbe and Goyle but refrained from doing so.

Oh, he could not wait to start handing out detentions.

Contrary to popular belief, Severus did not molly coddle his Snakes. He knew what kind of homes that most of them came from, so he gave out detentions involving manual labor as often as he could (he never liked taking points from his own house unless he had to). Yes, he was aware that not all of their home lives were picnics and he did help those that he could, but he babied no one.

He watched as Malfoy was placed in Slytherin before the hat had even settled on his head. He let out a slight groan that only Albus heard, who in turn chuckled.

Just as he thought that the Hufflepuff's were getting a lot of first years, "Potter, Harry" was called.

The first thing he noticed was that the child looked like he was 8 or 9, not 11. He was by far smaller than the other children. Glancing at Albus, he saw concern in the older man's eyes. The second thing he noticed was that he looked like his father.

'Probably spoilt rotten and attention seeking like his father too,' Severus thought.

He watched as the hat was placed on his head and how it almost fell down to his neck. He was surprised that it didn't immediately call out Gryffindor.

Severus thought back to his own sorting. The hat had considered him for 3 of the houses, all except Hufflepuff. Once that was decided, it had then asked Severus which house he wanted to be in and the reason behind it. He told the hat that Ravenclaw wouldn't be bad and that his family expected him to go into Slytherin. When it had inquired about Gryffindor, Severus had thought for a moment before saying that he wanted to go there. When it had asked him why, he had said because that was where Lily had went (he had already fallen for her by this time - having known her before school started).

Evidently the hat thought that was a very Slytherin thing to say, so that was where he ended up.

He glanced toward the stool and saw Potter still sitting on it. He looked like he was gripping the edge of the stool very tightly. 'He must be arguing with the hat,' he thought, partially amused.

Severus looked at the Headmaster and saw that he was wearing a thoughtful expression. He knew that the man would definitely be having a chat with the Sorting Hat later that evening about the boy.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"About bloody time," he muttered. He listened as he got quite the applause. 'Yes, attention seeking just like his father,' Severus thought while taking a sip of gilly-water (the stronger stuff came later).

He then inwardly groaned when he saw that there was another Weasley.

During dinner he kept glancing over at Potter. He couldn't help but be a tad bit curious about the boy. He watched as the students around him had piled their plates with food before only helping himself to a little bit. He sneered because he assumed that the boy was used to gourmet cooking at home and that the school's food wasn't up to his standards. Yet, a very, very, very minuscule part of his brain told him that wasn't true. However, before he could ponder that thought any further, Quirrell had asked him a question about Vampires. He sneered at him. This man was supposed to be the Defense Against the Dark Art's teacher!

During dessert, Quirrell had dropped something onto Snapes' hand, which caused a ferocious glare to be sent toward him. Quirrell then turned his back to Snape to talk to someone else. As Snape looked away from him, he glanced at the Gryffindor table. As soon as his eyes locked with Potter's, he saw his hand fly up toward his scar. He was curious about that but Quirrell had just turned back from Professor Sinastra and asked him another question in which he nodded his answer.

Severus glanced back toward Potter. Their eyes locked, yet again. This time his hand did not fly up to his scar, which made him see Lily's eyes for the first time in a very long time.

Oh, how he missed Lily. Not a day went by that he did not think of her.

He tore himself away from the gaze even though he could still feel the boy's eyes on him. Instead, he met Albus' eyes and saw that they held a curious twinkle. Years ago, when Severus had realized that he could tell the difference between the Headmaster's twinkles, he knew that he was lost forever.

As Albus stood to make his end of the first banquet speech, Severus muttered, "Barmy Old Codger," just loud enough to where he could hear it.

After the horrible song, in which the Weasley twins took forever in singing, he headed toward the Slytherin Common Room. Sure, he put the fear of Merlin himself into his charges, but he also made it plain to everyone that he was there if he was needed. He explained the prejudices that the other houses harbored against them and that they were not to rise to the bait.

And unlike the other houses, Severus met once a week with his new charges. He also insisted Madam Pomfrey give each new student a physical the first night. It was one, of his many ways, of knowing who came from abused homes.

After about an hour of talking to his Snakes, he took his first years to the infirmary for their exams. Three hours later, he retired to his private quarters for some wine.

A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews so far! They encourage me! (Grin)

A/N: This isn't a very long chapter, but the next few should make up for it (whistles innocently).

A/N: 7/29/11 - Edited words and such ...