notre dame.

chapter one.

CHAPTER ONE.

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Dread was a funny feeling. Blythe had felt it many times over. Her mother's funeral, every meeting she had with Constance. And yet, none of those occurrences dug a pit deep in her stomach as much as watching the new first-years file into the dining hall for the sorting ceremony did. Blythe was apprehensive as her eyes scanned over the students entering the room. Her gaze drifted toward the Slytherin table, seeing them rowdy and excited for their new first years.

At least some joy could be found in this old castle.

Blythe's eyes followed Minerva McGonagall as she rushed through the aisle of tables, a scroll in her hands and her eyes fixed on the sorting hat. Blythe looked toward the Hufflepuff table, her eyes zoning in on Constance's daughter, Evangeline. To keep Constance off her back, she frequently kept an eye on her daughter. But with the arrival of these first years, Blythe knew she would have her plate full.

A throat cleared beside her, the sound deep and almost startling her. Almost. The brunette snapped her head toward the source, Severus Snape staring straight ahead as Quirinus Quirrell rambled beside him in a hushed whisper. Blythe bit back a smirk, knowing how annoyed Severus was. For starters, Quirrell taught Severus's ideal class, and secondly, he rambled...a lot.

You're becoming worse than him with your rambles, she heard Severus's voice in her mind. Blythe resisted the want to roll her eyes, reaching for her goblet and taking a sip as they instead landed on the boy they'd both been watching for: Harry Potter.

The first years crowded at the head of the stairs in front of the professors and sorting hat. Minerva stopped to face the students, "Now, before we begin, Professor Dumbledore would like to say a few words."

Blythe turned her head slightly toward where Dumbledore sat at the middle of the table, seeing as the older professor stood and began a speech similar, and yet much more brief, to the one he had given the staff during their meetings in the days leading up to students arriving at Hogwarts.

Once Dumbledore was seated, Minerva took over for the Sorting Ceremony. Blythe greatly remembered what her Sorting Ceremony was like. Like many other wizards who had gone to Hogwarts, she knew the burden the hat was. She remembered how frequently Evangeline had spoken to her about the Hat being torn on where to put her, yet the girl was not a Hatstal.

Blythe watched silently as yet another Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor, but she was more intrigued by the name that Minerva called next. The name "Harry Potter" had brought a great silence to everyone in the Great Hall, including the professors. Upon the Hat shouting Gryffindor, the table burst into an uproar, and the young boy was welcomed by his House.

Blythe and Severus exchanged a subtle look, and she took a sip from her goblet as the ceremony continued. Once it was complete, Dumbledore announced the feast to begin, bringing more smiles and cheers to the students as food magically appeared on their tables. Blythe adjusted how she was sitting, folding one leg over the other as Quirrell spoke again.

Severus's exasperation with the other professor was clear as he ate his food. Blythe took a small bite of the chicken in front of her, studying the Gryffindor table before her eyes skirted toward the Slytherins. Draco Malfoy had been sorted there, as his mother and father anticipated. They would be pleased, and there was no doubt in Blythe's mind about Draco being equally happy with such a result.

Once the students left the Great Hall, Severus and Blythe left with one another, walking down the halls and avoiding being heard by the students as they spoke.