My Little Green Tiger

My Little Green Tiger

By: GreenEyedLily

Chapter 1 ~A Green-eyed Tiger~

It was never my fault Lily Evans started liking James Potter in her third year. No, it wasn't. But I just can't help thinking I could've prevented it, somehow.

It was always Severus and Lily, or Lily and Severus. But that was when we both detested Potter. Potter, the 'Quidditch Champion.' Potter, ringleader of his little gang. Potter, the guy all girls liked. But not Lily. Lily had hated James and so had I. Well, Potter hated us too, we thought. So why did it matter? But we were wrong. Horribly wrong... Potter had hated me alright. But he hadn't hated Lily. Never Lily.

"Just fly your broomstick to that damned station!" His father had shouted at him. "We're too busy to take you to London." That was his final word. That was what Severus had to listen to last -1^st of September- too. So he was used to it. "Just try and get to London on your own." But they never mentioned Floo Powder. "Fly your broomstick or get there by Muggle way."

So that was what he had done. He had got there by a Muggle taxi, that was it.

'Why does everyone else have their parents with them though?' Severus thought, as he looked around Platform 9 and 10. 'Your parents just aren't that considerate.'

The other voice in his head said, trying to squash the first one out. Grow up! You're twelve years old for crying out loud!

Severus pushed his trolley through the barrier and walked onto Platform Nine and Three Quarters. He hit and kicked his way through the chattering crowd and finally got on the train without any noticeable damage done to himself.

He then found an empty compartment where he dropped his trunk and put his cage with his owl in it on the table.

He was far too early for the train to start moving at all right now, so he just sat down waiting for all the people to arrive. He looked out of the window. He saw some of his classmates: Lucius Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Narcissa.... He knew they weren't missing him. He was just one of Lucius Malfoy's faithful sidekicks.

He sighed. He didn't have a life, really. Not at school, not at home. He didn't have any friends at school. It was lonely, walking down the corridors, alone. It was worse at home though. His parents did whatever they liked with him and ignored him if they were bored. So it was still always a relief on September the First when he went back to his school life again. Hogwarts was a great place really, he just didn't have the luck to enjoy it like everyone else. He admired the way it was organised, with the four houses: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Severus of course, was in Slytherin. Like his father, his mother, his grandfather, his grandmother... He knew which house he thought best. Gryffindors were always strutting around the place, all with great ego's and thought themselves Hogwarts' most perfect house. Exactly like witches and wizards ought to be: brave, breaking rules, good at Defence against the Dark Arts...They even thought they were clever. Severus just thought the were stupid. The Slytherins were the ones with the real brains. Not even the Ravenclaws could stand up to them. Ravenclaw was okay really, second best house, he thought. At least they had some common sense. And Hufflepuff...ooh. Even the name was dorky. He'd even rather be in Gryffindor than in Hufflepuff. The guys were just so mighty stupid. They didn't have any brains to fill an eggcup. The hat said they were loyal and hardworking. Sod the hardworking, they only worked hard 'cause they were too stupid to do their work without working too hard. As for the loyal part of it, wizards just shouldn't be loyal.

After ten minutes or so, he felt the train moving. He got out his Quidditch magazine and started reading. He wasn't very good at Quidditch, but he did want to become better so he could get into the house team and beat James Potter! Oh yes, Potter. Another thing he hated about Hogwarts and Gryffindor. Another thing? The worst thing. He hated the way Potter was always showing of, trying to be cool. He sort of succeeded too, because everyone else thought he was cool. He had to be the most popular guy in school. Even some of the Slytherin girls had dated him. No one had ever dated Severus. Okay, so, he was only twelve, it wasn't primary on his 'List of Things To Do', yet.

Number one on his list was, however, to change the way he looked, a bit. Because when anyone heard the name 'Severus Snape', what did they think of? A greasy, slimy, hooknosed, black-haired kid. Narcissa had even said he looked like a vulture once. No, forget the black-haired bit, his haircolour was okay. Fact was though, that even if he washed it five, six times every day, it still went greasy after a few minutes. That was why he had bought a recipe book of potions in Diagon Alley the other day. It was called 'Cosmetic Potions'.

Severus walked into a stuffy, tiny shop next to the large Robes shop and a restaurant. He looked around. God, it was dark. He noticed the floor needed a new carpet and the walls could do with a paint. But it was really the books he was here for. He looked around and saw shelves upon shelves of potion books. Wow. His favourite subject at school was potions, also the one he was best at. "May I help you?" Severus jumped in shock. He turned his head and saw a very, very old man. "Yes....do you have anything on hair potions?" The shopkeeper gave him a long look. Severus frowned. Was it such a strange question? The old man finally walked to the shelves and took out one of the dirtiest books Severus could see. "This one is on Cosmetic potions. You'll find what you need in there." After Severus had paid, he laughed harshly. Severus had never heard anyone laughing like that before. "You could do with a cosmetic potion on you." Without a backward glance, he returned to the back of the shop.

Just when Severus was flicking through the book the compartment door opened very slowly. Severus raised an eyebrow. The door opened a bit wider and a slim girl with very long dark red hair walked into the compartment. She looked flustered and tired. Her sparkling emerald green eyes peered around the compartment. Severus had never seen this colour eyes before. The girl dropped her trunk in the middle of the compartment. It looked as if she had just noticed Severus sitting there.

"Sorry about this, but there is only one other compartment with room in it left. And there were four freaks sitting in that one."

Severus gave her a weak smile. He couldn't help noticing how pretty she was. He had never really been interested in girls before, as he kept saying, he was only twelve. The girl gave him a grin in return. He stuck out his hand.

"My name's Severus Snape. What's yours?"

She took his hand and gave it a firm shake. "Lily Evans".

"Let me help you with this." He grabbed Lily's trunk and lifted it onto the baggage rack.

"Thank you." She sat down opposite Severus.

"I'm a first year. What are you?"

Severus had expected her to be a first year, because he'd never seen the girl last year and he was sure he would have noticed a girl like that. Whichever house she was in.

"I'm a second year Slytherin."

He looked at Lily's face to see what reaction the mention of his house would get this time. He had noticed a lot of first years always reacted disgusted. Lily however, just smiled.

"I've been wondering about these houses..."

Severus knew everything about every house, so he was very adapt in answering: "Well, there are four houses, which you may probably know but I'm just making sure. Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff."

Lily nodded. "But what are the personalities?"

Severus grinned. "That's the interesting part..."