A/N: A slight time change is in order. It occurred to me after doing some research that the train ride from London to Hogsmeade would take longer than five hours as, according to the books, it is dark by the time the train arrives. Sunset over Scotland in the month of September is sometime after 7 pm, making the ride at least eight hours long. After pulling my hair out, I couldn't see how the Express could leave London at 11 am and arrive somewhere in complete darkness without it being at least a ten hour long trip. I didn't have the heart to do that to a bunch of kids, so they will arrive at dusk. I have made the appropriate changes in the previous chapters. ~MAB

A/N #2: If you begin to wonder about all of the ladybird (ladybug) references, the summer of 1976 was a particularly hot and dry one in Great Britain and ladybirds infested the island. It became known as, 'The Summer of the Ladybird'.

Hogsmeade Station

***1 September 1976~7:21pm***

Severus and Lucy were the last two to step out of their car onto the arrival platform at Hogsmeade Village. The sky was ablaze in crimson to the west and to the east, the stars were beginning to dust the indigo sky. Severus always loved stepping onto the platform. Despite the fact that the Hogwarts Express looked like a Muggle steam engine, it was powered by magic, not coal. The air in Hogsmeade was so clean and crisp in comparison to the Muggle cities he could literally taste the difference.

Severus didn't want to wrestle with his trunk in front of the other students, that was the reason he waited for the others to pass… and Lucy…well…he didn't know why Lucy hadn't disembarked with everyone else. He had noticed, however, that her demeanour had changed as soon as they stepped onto the platform.

Severus began to walk off towards the back of the train, to deposit his trunk along with the others the house-elves were collecting to take to the dormitories. He hadn't taken five steps when he realised that Lucy had not moved.

When he turned back to see what had happened to her, she was scanning the crowd as if she were searching…perhaps where to go. She wasn't facing him so he managed to startle her when he reached over and lightly touched her sleeve.

"Oh!"

He looked around and breathed a sigh of relief when no one paid attention to his embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he had to say a bit loudly over the noise of the depot. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I was just wondering if you could find your way."

She gave a slight shake of her head and said somewhat nervously as her eyes continued to search the platform, "N…no…I'm…I'm okay. I'm just looking for my folks. Mama and Pawpaw were supposed to meet me here. You go on ahead and do what you have to do."

Lucy took her eyes off the crowd and turned back to Severus then smiled. She reached up and plucked a ladybird that had just landed on Severus shoulder then offered it to him. "They're good luck. Do you need any for your Potions?"

He held out his hand and she gently placed the blood-red beetle in his palm. His hand twitched when the tips of her fingers touched him and they watched together as the tiny insect flew away.

"That's alright," his voiced waivered slightly as he coughed, trying not to appear awkward because a girl offered him a silly beetle. "I have more dried ladybirds than I know what to do with. Little blighters have been a bloody pestilence all summer."

"Yeah…I know what you mean. Pawpaw's been in a state trying to keep them out of the pub." She then laughed uncomfortably and said as she pointed to were the luggage was being off loaded, "You better get your trunk back there before you have to ride with it all the way up to the castle. I guess I'll see you at the Sorting."

She held out her hand and Severus gingerly shook it. "Thanks for the company, Severus," Lucy said quietly.

For a second, Severus thought she might have blushed a bit, but that couldn't be right. Girls didn't blush at Severus. Girls glared at him with looks of disgust and suspicion or gave him the cold-shoulder…but they never blushed.

"Erm…yeah…I guess I'll see you later," he said as he leaned over to pick up the handle of his trunk. He really didn't know why Lucy thanked him. She was the one who invited him to sit.

Lucy swung her heavy rucksack off the ground, wrestled it over her shoulders. She softly smiled and said before she disappeared into a sea of black robes, "See you later."

Severus had just managed to get his trunk with the last of the luggage heading for the castle.

He walked back towards where the carriages were waiting and the students gathered in their cliques that would determine who road with whom. As Severus searched the crowd for any sign of Lily, he absently noted that Lucy had found her family waiting for her just off the platform.

Then…he found her.

It had seemed like forever since he had seen her but even from a distance, he knew that fiery silken mane anywhere. He stood transfixed, almost in awe of her. Even from as far as where he stood, he could tell that Lily too, had grown over the summer. She had always been willowy, standing slightly taller than most other girls her age, but she was growing into a statuesque goddess. Lily stood in the middle of her circle of girlfriends laughing gaily, seemingly totally unaffected by the fact that this was the first time she had boarded the Hogwarts Express without Severus.

She was clearly the prettiest of them all. No one could compare to her. Severus knew that there would never be anyone for him but Lily Evans.

Mary MacDonald had seen Severus and after giving him look of derision, said something to Lily. Lily turned, and for a brief moment her emerald eyes met his. She cut her eyes away and a small nervous smile graced her face. She looked as though she might have been happy to see him.

Had she noticed? Had she noticed how much he had changed and that he had done it all for her?

He was about to return her smile when the spell was broken.

"Hey, Snape…We thought you had missed the train, Mate."

Severus turned around to find Avery, Mulciber, Wilkes, and Rosier coming up behind him. Regulus Black was tagging along behind the older boys who let him hang around because of his family's name and the money and power associated with it.

Damn!

Severus held out his hand in a vain effort to slow their pace so he wouldn't be seen with them.

Severus said hurriedly, "I was running late. I rode in another car."

Lily's smile fell and eyes narrowed as Severus' fellow Slytherins approached him. He frantically looked back to his House mates and then to her…trying not to lose sight of her in the fading light.

Taking a couple steps in order to gain some momentum he yelled back to the boys, "I'll explain in a minute! I have to talk to someone first!"

He heard Black shout too him, "You might miss the carriage!"

"No I won't! Hold a seat for me!" Severus loudly replied as he rushed off to find Lily.

She was already walking off with her friends and Severus was having difficulty pushing his way through the crowd of students while at the same time manoeuvring around the carriages and the invisible Thestrals that pulled them.

He was unapologetic as he shouldered his way past other students who gave him glares of contempt and shouted out protests…some with more colourful language than others.

Severus finally caught up with Lily she was just about to climb aboard a carriage with MacDonald and Alice Blishwick who were already sitting with a couple of other girls whose names Severus never bothered to learn.

"Lily!" Severus shouted, as he waived for her attention.

She looked back at him, clearly annoyed, but at least she had stepped down from the side of the carriage.

"What do you want, Snape?" she asked irritably as he crossed her arms protectively across her chest.

The use of his surname hit him like a smack in the face, and he too protected himself by enfolding his arms around himself.

"Since when did I become, 'Snape'?" Severus asked more snappishly than he intended.

"Since you started calling me, 'Mudblood'," Lily countered bitterly.

"Creep! Leave her alone!" a spiteful female voice said from inside the carriage.

"Shut up, MacDonald! This doesn't concern you!" Severus barked back.

Lily gave Severus a small shove to his chest and snapped, "Don't talk to my friends like that!"

Severus was slightly stunned by Lily's physical assault. He scarcely heard Alice Blishwick admonish MacDonald in a hushed voice, "Mary, stop it. You're making matters worse."

Severus kept silent about the fact that Lily had said nothing to MacDonald about her snide, unsolicited interjection.

"Lily, I didn't come here to fight, I came here to talk," Severus said pleadingly. "I wanted to tell you I'm sorry…to explain…"

Lily cut him off. There was a look akin to pity in her eyes and for a moment, Severus thought he was going to become ill.

"You know…sometimes 'sorry' just isn't enough, and I don't care to hear your excuses," she said sorrowfully. "I can see for myself that everyone was right about you. You're still hanging out with them."

Though her tone had softened, Lily venomously emphasised the last word and jutted her chin in the direction of Severus' House mates.

Severus answered defensively, "They're my House mates, Lily. It's not as if I have much of a choice."

"We always have a choice, Sev, and you have obviously made yours."

She had finally used her name for him, but it was said with such bitterness, that Severus had much rather that she called him 'Snape'.

"Lily, I've decided no such thing. I…"

"Just leave it, will you?" she said in exasperation. "We're through…finished. Don't you understand? We had our fun. But you've made your choice and I've moved on with my life…Now you have to live with your choices and do the same."

Severus stood there, stunned at her declaration as he watched her climb aboard the carriage.

"I don't know what you ever saw in him, Lily. He's so pathetic."

As the carriage began to pull away, Severus heard Lily's sad voice answer, "I guess I don't know either, Mary. I just thought he could change."

Other carriages began to slowly roll by, and Severus refused to give into his tears. He never even had the chance to ask her if she had been corresponding with Potter over the summer.

As always, his hurt began to turn to anger and a very real part of him wanted nothing more than to forget Lily Evans forever and tell her that she deserved the likes of a narcissistic prat like James Potter.

But he couldn't.

How could he ever forget the only true, good thing he was ever a part of?

But there was nothing for it. Lily had given her final word. She knew Severus better than anyone else in the world, but she chosen to believe those who knew nothing of him at all.

She was right about one thing though. He had to move on with his life. Severus just wasn't sure he liked the new direction it would take.

But he couldn't dwell on that anymore. He had risked exposing his weakness not only to Lily, but to her friends as well. And he did feel exposed…naked and humiliated as the caravan of students rolled past. He could hear their laughter, and though he knew most of them probably took no notice of him standing alone at the side of the road in the darkness, he could feel the echoes of their laughter as if they were mocking him.

He stood there, and steeled himself against them. No one else would see his weakness… know his inner misery.

By choosing not to listen to him and brushing off his apologies, Lily had essentially branded Severus as a liar, and who was Severus too argue. He was a liar. He was about to lie to the whole world and say that Lily Evans had never hurt him.

New feelings began to well up inside of Severus. Something he had never felt in relation to Lily before.

Resentment.

He was beginning to resent her for turning him into a liar.

"Snape!"

Severus came out of his stupor and he heard the cantering of passing and approaching Thestrals and from one of the oncoming carriages, an arm extended and reached out to him. Severus grabbed the hand and Evan Rosier pulled Severus into the oversized barouche. Black was hurriedly brushing dead ladybirds off the seat next to him so Severus could sit down.

Black muttered under his breath, "If they could ward them off the platform in London, you'd think they could keep the buggers out of the damn coaches here."

Severus hardly had the chance to sit down when the inevitable question was asked.

"Oi, Snape, where've you been?" Mulciber asked. "I thought you said you weren't riding with the Evans this time out."

Thank goodness Mulciber hadn't used one of the derogatory terms he usually applied to Muggle-borns or girls in general. As much as he was succeeding in keeping his hurt over Lily hidden, he didn't trust himself not to curse anyone who insulted her.

Severus had been in such a state last year over the whole incident with Lily, when Avery told Severus that he was, 'better off without the 'Mud-blood bint,' Severus blindly turned around and cursed Avery with a broken nose.

His dorm mates had excused Severus' violent reaction to a testosterone overload after his run in with the Marauders and blamed Avery for his own stupidity for coming too close to a raging bull. Still…no one had been insane enough to use the word 'Mud-blood' in Severus' presence again, at least in reference to Lily. Perhaps they thought Severus might have a psychotic relapse and start throwing random hexes around the common room. Either way, Slytherins knew to stay away from Severus' temper and the business end of his wand…and the insults over Lily had magically vanished overnight.

"No, I didn't ride with Evans," Severus thought he managed to say evenly enough. "I almost missed the train. I rode with someone else."

"I hope you didn't get stuck with any of those whinging Puffs," Black said.

"Or with those Ravenclaw ponces, Lockhart or Quirrell," Wilkes added. "I think if I had to listen to Lockhart talk about his hair for eight hours or Quirrell's latest flower collection, I think I'd just have to take my wand to myself then and there."

Severus noticed that Avery had been looking at Severus with a scrutinising gaze. Tired of being stared at, Severus said testily, "What's the matter, Avery? I already told you not to expect an apology for your nose."

"No need to jump to conclusions, Snape." Severus could hear the lingering umbrage in Avery's voice. "I was just noticing the new threads. Where'd you come up with the Galleons?"

"I take your summer Potion's business went well then?" Mulciber asked. "Are you ever going to tell us what it was you were selling?"

"We have a new Potion's Master this year," Severus announced suddenly and a bit too loudly.

Mulciber looked put-out by Severus' evasiveness and Avery's eyes narrowed with unveiled suspicion but the others readily took Severus' bait.

"You mean Old Sluggy's finally taken his retirement?" Rosier asked in disbelief.

"That means no more Slug Club," Black said with disappointment. "I have to admit, as much of an arse-kisser as the old man was he did know how to put on a proper supper party."

Severus rolled his eyes. Of course Black had been a member of the elite club. From what Severus had been told, Black's older brother had also been invited into the group, but had turned down the coveted invitation on principle because Slughorn was a Slytherin.

"Damn!"

"What is it, Avery?" Severus asked. "It's been rumoured that Slughorn would be retiring for years. It's hardly a surprise."

Avery shook his head, almost as if he were clearing out cobwebs. "It's not that. That means that Professor Myers is the new Head. He's not going to like that our new Head of House is a blood-traitor."

Everyone fell silent because everyone knew who He was. And from what little Severus knew about Him, Avery was right, He would not be pleased. But there wasn't anything that He could rightly do about it, so Severus couldn't understand the upset. It wasn't as if the Dark Lord had children of his own attending Hogwarts, anyway. Why should he care if the Pure-blooded Muggle Studies professor became the Head of Slytherin House? It was for the parents to lodge any protests.

"Well that explains what had Mother and Father in a state this summer," Black said haughtily. "I know the Board meetings were rather heated, but Father never speaks of business at the table. I have no doubt he will continue to voice his protests over the appointment. "

The others seemed to concur, but Severus didn't say anything because he didn't want to fan the flames, but what was done, was done. The Board of Governors had voted on Myers' appointment and any opposition would have already been made, discussed, and overruled. Like it or not…Myers was in.

"Hopefully they did better with the new Potion's Master," Mulciber said.

"Actually, for once the Board outdid themselves," Severus answered knowingly. "They managed to get the American, Richard O'Conner. I've read his some of his work. He's world renowned."

Wilkes said, "The rest of us don't get our rocks off over Potion's, Snape. What did this guy do that's so great?"

"He pioneered research in the development of nerve regenerators," Severus said with ill-hidden excitement. "An improvement in Pain Draughts was only a beginning. Now people who lose motor function through trauma can regain the use of their limbs. I even read a report where one wizard had his eyesight restored after he lost it when he received a Blasting Curse to the eyes in a duelling club fight. His optic nerves just grew back."

Severus looked about and his House-mates looked duly impressed with Dr O'Conner's abilities…as they should be.

"How would you know we have this O'Conner fellow already?" Avery asked sceptically. "Did you know that, Black?"

Black shook his head. Everybody turned and looked at Severus curiously.

"Because I rode with his daughter."

For a moment, the carriage was quiet and his fellow Slytherins looked stunned.

"You mean you rode with another girl besides Evans?" Wilkes asked incredulity as he leaned forward to get an unobstructed view from around Black.

Severus lurched forward as Black slapped him on the back. "I'm proud of you, Snape," he said with a grin. "It's about time you moved on."

Severus could feel his face flush. As far as he was concerned, he hadn't moved anywhere. No one could replace Lily Evans. He said a little defensively, "Don't be daft. She just happened to be in the nearest berth. I can tell you she's in Slytherin, though."

"Well at least that's something," Mulciber commented. "If his daughter's a Snake, chances are, he is too. At any rate, he's likely to cut us some slack."

"Is that her behind us?" Avery asked, indicating the carriage behind theirs.

Severus turned and the carriage carrying mostly Sixth year girls was directly behind them. Severus recognised the back of Aurora Sinistra's and Janice Higgs' heads leaning over across the carriage, apparently asking Lucy questions. Lucy was facing forward in the carriage and she looked as though she felt as out of place as she looked. The petite girl was sunk far into the seat, as if trying to escape the onslaught of questioning. It made her appear smaller than she already was, especially next to the older girls. In actuality the difference in their ages probably wasn't more than a few months. Severus wasn't sure if it was the waning light, or the fact that the girl looked like she might be sick from fear, but from a distance her pale skin looked as if it turned slightly chartreuse.

"She doesn't look as though she's happy to be here, does she?" He heard Wilkes comment off-handily. He and Black were both turned around like Severus, watching the girls behind them.

Lucy managed to spot Severus and she gave him a wan smile and a tentative wave. Without thinking, he gave her a half-hearted wave in return. The other girls turned their attention curiously to where Lucy was waving. Severus could swear he saw one or two looks disgust before they turned back to Lucy and began pecking her with questions again, like ravenous birds. The poor girl looked as if she wanted to hide under an invisibility cloak, and Severus couldn't blame her.

Severus' stomach turned into a knot. No doubt the dragons were already trying to poison Lucy against him.

"She's probably just nervous being in a new country," Severus said more to himself as he continued to look back and wonder at the girl. Though she had been quiet for most of the trip, neither did she strike Severus as being shy.

"More likely because she's surrounded by girls older than she is and feels uncomfortable," Avery remarked sagely. "She can't be more than a fourth year at most. A little young for you, isn't she, Snape?"

The other boys guffawed and sniggered. Severus turned back around and settled himself as if he had been unaffected by Avery's insinuation. In truth, it made his insides flutter.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. She only waved because she recognised me…nothing more," Severus said. "And it just so happens, that she is fifteen and taking her NEWT courses."

"Well, I don't care if she's a first year. She's pretty enough and as long as she's not a Mu…Muggle-born, she's better than some of the riff-raff they allow into this school," Black said almost hopefully.

Rosier reached across the carriage and smacked the younger Wizard over the head good-naturedly. "Of course she's not Muggle-born you dimwit. Her father's the Potion's Master."

Black leaned back and blushed. Severus wasn't certain if it was from embarrassment of missing the obvious or that perhaps he had taken a fancy to Lucy from a distance. Even if she were a year ahead of him in classes, they were close to the same age.

If Regulus Black set his eyes on the Potion Master's daughter, no doubt he would win her over. Severus heard how the girls fawned after the Black brothers and their roguish good looks. Now that Sirius Black had gone and mucked-up his Blood-right last year, Regulus was now the scion of the Black Family…heir to one of Britain's greatest Wizarding fortunes. What girl in her right mind wouldn't take a chance on becoming the next Lady Black if given the opportunity?

"Forget it, Black," Avery said teasingly. "It looks like she's already has her sights on Snape, and your mother wouldn't approve, anyway."

Severus was aghast. "We rode in a car together…she does not have her sights on…"

"Why don't you think she would be good enough for my mother?" Black interrupted defiantly.

"Because your mother would never approve of any witch who wasn't a pure-blood and it's obvious she's half pixie."

With the exception of Regulus, the other boys' laughed at Avery's off-the-cuff remark. Severus didn't laugh either, but then again, he rarely laughed in the presence of his current company so the others took no heed to the fact that Severus did not appreciate the joke.

Though the comment was innocent and good-natured enough to anyone who had no prior knowledge of the boy who made it and those who appreciated it, Severus was all too aware of the very real prejudice that fuelled it.

"Well, someone's got to be the shortest in our year, Avery," Severus said. "And don't go giving her a hard time. She's a nice girl."

Actually, Severus didn't know if she was a nice girl or not. For all he knew, she was a complete bitch to most people she met, but she was nice to Severus, and to him that was all that mattered.

"Don't worry, Snape…nobody's going to take the micky out of your girlfriend," Mulciber teased patronisingly. "At least this one is a Slytherin."

"She's not my…"

"We know," Rosier interrupted as he rolled his eyes. "She's not your girlfriend. You really need to lighten up, mate."

"Yeah…it's all in good fun," Mulciber added. "We've just never seen you with another girl except…her…not even in study hall. It's just good to see that you've finally…expanded your horizons, so to speak."

Severus wanted to say that he wasn't expanding anything…but that was bound to stir up another hornet's nest, so Severus didn't bother to answer.

It looked as though the others had finally had enough fun with Severus and the conversation turned to more mundane subjects… girls… NEWTS… girls… Quidditch… girls…the normal conversations of most sixteen-year-old wizards.

Thankfully, there was no talk about their Dark Lord. Although they were in a private carriage, they were also exposed, and though Severus did not know why, there was an unwritten rule that the Dark Lord was not to be spoken of in the earshot of unknown company.

But, Severus had shut them out; glad he was no longer the centre of attention. He looked out to the Black Lake in the distance. Little dots of amber light danced across the water as the punts slowly carried the firsties to the castle. His mind wandered back to the time he and Lily had road across the lake together and looked up in awe at the grand edifice before them.

Severus could remember the fear he felt, that he might not live up to the expectations of the magical world he had finally become fully immersed in after living his life being raised mostly as a Muggle. He remembered that hopeful anxiety like it was yesterday and knew it was in the heart of every First-year floating across the water… only eleven-years old and going to meet destiny. The only thing that kept Severus from jumping out of the boat and swimming back to shore was the certainty that Lily would meet destiny right beside him.

But that was no longer true. As the carriages rambled past the iron gates that surrounded the imposing ancient castle, Severus had felt even less certain of his destiny than in the days of his childhood. Here he was, only four months until he met his majority, and Severus still did not know what to do with his life. No…he knew what he wanted to do, but those old dreams shattered into a million irreparable pieces now that he knew Lily no longer wanted him…and all of Severus' dreams of the future had featured Lily by his side. Just as when he was young, it was all Severus could do to keep from jumping out of the moving carriage and find a place to hide forever in obscurity.

Lily had told Severus to find a life of his own…but he could imagine no life without her. Never had Severus been so uncertain as to the direction his life would take. He would have to forge new dreams and new ambitions that couldn't depend upon anyone ever being there for him again. He had only himself to rely upon now. Severus didn't know if he could do it…and he had never been so scared in his entire life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~To be Continued ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry about the long delay in an update. I haven't been in the best of health lately.

Thanks as always to my wonderful beta, Tambra.

Hopefully you won't have to wait another whole month for an update as chapter four is already underway, but I will ask for your patience. I won't abandon this story or ACaF.

If you haven't already noticed, this story is totally Severus-centric. I decided to do this so readers make discoveries about Lucy right along side with Severus. I hope it works.

TTFN
~Missyann