"Abbot, Timothy" Lily bit her lip with worry as the first year made his way to the ancient looking witch's hat.

"Huffelpuff!" Lily's eyes got wide as the hat shouted out the smiling blond boy's house. She would never admit it, but she was terrified. Sev spent the whole train ride talking about how horrid it would be if she should be separated from him, she was worried she would let him down. He stood a few people back, talking to a couple sneering; mean looking boys who ignored her ever since Sev told them she was muggle born.

"Hey Red, are you all right?" Lily turned to face a smiling boy with messy dark hair and dancing hazel eyes. She gave him a thin smile; he was the first person to talk to her, other than Sev and his hulking friends.

"Yes, I'm just a bit nervous. And my name is Lily Evans, not Red." She corrected, her small hands on her hips, she despised that nickname. The boy laughed and introduced himself as James Potter.

"Black, Sirius." Both James and Lily watched as a small black headed boy swaggered to the hat, throwing a kiss to a bunch of Ravenclaw girls as he went.

"He seems like fun, to bad he'll be in bloody Slytherin." James muttered as the boy plopped down lazily on the wobbly stool.

"What's wrong with Slytherin? My friend Sev said it's the best house." Lily argued.

"That's where all the evil wizards end up, never a hero in that bunch." James explained, as Sirius Black was sorted into Gryffindor and another name was called.

"Excellent, he'll be with me!" James beamed.

"How do you know? You haven't been called." Lily pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm a Potter, we always get placed in Gryffindor, where do all the Evans get sorted?" He asked.

"Well, I'm a muggle born, according to Sev's new friends that's a bad thing." Lily muttered, shame flooding her veins.

James scowled. "They're just pompous little pure blood prats; all doomed to the bloody Slytherin dungeons. But you'll do fine, just be brave." James encouraged, patting her shoulder. Lily nodded, giving him another smile. If nothing else, his words gave her courage.

"Evans, Lily." Lily gulped as her name was called, had the other names really been called already?" She started walking forward, determined to do well. She plopped down on the stool and gazed at both Sev and James. Sev refused to look her way; she could tell he was nervous. James how ever was giving her an encouraging smile. She gave a tiny smile back as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head.

"Well what have we here, fresh blood perhaps?" Lily resisted the urge to jump as the drawling voice of the Sorting Hat filled her mind.

"Yes I'm new, that must make your job harder I suppose."

"Not necessarily, I could just decide that you don't belong and send you home that would be easy."

"You can't do that! I won't let you; I deserve to be here you bloody old hat!"

Lily ranted silently, her temper getting the best of her. She frowned as the hat chuckled, almost condescendingly.

"I was wrong, you do belong in…Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor table erupted in applause as Lily angrily leapt off the stool and trudged towards the table, but not before noticing Sev's dejected and despairing look. He had made her promise not to be in Gryffindor, a promise she had broken.

She was greeted by several students and given multiple slaps on the back. She chatted with Sirius as they watched the rest of the first years being sorted. Lily beamed as a sullen looking boy names Remus Lupin and James joined their table, followed by Peter Pettigrew, Marlene McKinnon, and Mary McDonald. She held her breath as Sev approached the hat, his face sallow and determined.

"Maybe he'll be sorted into Gryffindor!" Lily whispered to James. James shook his head vehemently.

"Not a chance, he's not brave like us Lily, he's a Slytherin, no doubt." Lily frowned at his comment.

"Slytherin!" Lily's heart fell to her feet as Sev walked over to a clapping Slytherin table, where his other friends were waiting. She had planned on her only friend helping her through her first year, he had always helped her. He had been the one to inform her of what she was, who she was.

"He may not be in our house, but he's my friend and that must mean he is brave." Lily argued as the sorting continued and Emmeline Vance joined the Gryffindor table. She was certain Sev was brave; he just was not as obviously courageous like James and Sirius. As the Headmaster's speech began she was determined that somehow, someday James would see that Sev was brave. They would all see.