Severus Snape had never liked showboats. All his life he had known that he was something more than ordinary. He was special. But he didn't go about flaunting it. He could. But he didn't. His father was normal. Average. Below average, as far as Severus was concerned. But he never threw that in his face. He kept his head down. He stayed quiet. Someday he would get all that he deserved if he was not seen, not heard, not noticed. 

Then James Potter and his stupid friends came along. 

Severus had disliked James from the start. His personality was boisterous. His hair was insultingly unkept, his attitude was self-indulging and Severus could smell the pureblood on him. He could see the wealth as plainly as he could see the disgusting round-rimmed glasses on James Potter's face. And it wasn't as if James bragged about it. No, this was worse. He didn't have to brag about it. It was in his carefree dispositon, his eased posture, his delighted grin. It wasn't as if someone without money couldn't be happy. They just weren't as effortlessly happy as James Potter. 

When Severus stepped on to that train, he was just waiting for Lily. He was in a terrible mood. His parents had fought again that morning, right in front of him as he waited by the door to leave for the station. Tea kettles. They were arguing over tea kettles. They always quarreled over the smallest things. That's how Severus knew they weren't in love. They ignored the important things and focused on the little things instead. It was easier to dispair over the condition of the silverware than it was to give any thought to your son's well-being. Sons were complicated. Silverware and tea kettles were simple. Making a fuss over simple things made less of a mess. For them.

His mother had walked him to the platform. She had smiled. She put on pleasant facades every once in a while when his father wasn't around. But she was never really there for him. At least he would have Lily. He hadn't seen her for a week or so. Her parents were ridiculously excited about her acceptance. Severus was half-tempted to find them dim-witted. In fact, he did. They were muggles after all. They inherently weren't that bright. But part of him longed for his parents to care as much about him as Lily's parents cared about her. 

But he had seen Lily on the platform with her family. Her muggle sister was upset, and Lily was so caring, so sympathetic. He didn't understand. Her sister wasn't special. She didn't deserve Lily's sympathy. Of course Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let in a muggle like her. But Severus knew this was not the moment to approach her. He slipped onto the train to search for a car and wait for her. 

This was why he was thrown into a tizzy when he immediately ran right into the most pathetic looking excuse for a wizard he had ever seen. Looking back, the boy had hardly been in his way, but in his mood, he hardly cared. Everything seemed so unfair. He shoved the boy forcefully and he flung like a ragdoll, slamming against the opposite wall and sliding down the door to a full compartment. His clothes were ragged and disgusting, he was a stick of a boy and his dirty blonde hair seemed more than genetically unclean. How they even let filth like this on the platform, much less into Hogwarts, was beyond Severus' comprehension. Sure, his clothes were a little worn. But they were clean, neatly patched where needed so that no one may even notice. He was tidy. Presentable. This boy was not. 

"What pathetic rags. Stay out of my way filth," he spat. He intended to keep moving. It had not occured to him in the slightest that someone may disagree with his actions. And that was when it happened. 

"Hey!" Severus' head snapped in the direction of the cry. His eyes locked with James Potters', though he knew not the name of their owner yet. That was the moment Severus Snape laid eyes on his lifelong enemy, the bane of his existence. He prayed he could forget that very moment. 

So he did. 

"Severus? Everyone keeps talking about these boys in our year who almost drowned in the Black lake. Do we know them? Did we see them on the train?" Lily's eyes were inquisitive. Severus could see that she was soaking in every detail of this place. He could feel her hunger for every piece of information that might perfectly complete her picture. They were leaning up against the cold stone wall of the corridor. Dinner was still in full swing inside the Great Hall. They had taken a break from the festivities to touch base with one another. They had just been seperated, sorted into different houses. Severus tried to hide how crushed he was. He was even more irritated that she was asking about those arrogant toerags. 

"James Potter and Sirius Black were in our comparment remember?"  He lied. "The first one, remember? The jerks?" Lily seemed a little unsure. 

"Oh," she said hesitantly. "Are you sure?"

"Severus, what was going on with those other boys? Was that one okay? They seemed kind of upset."

"It was just a misunderstanding," Severus insisted, brushing away the subject. 

"Okay," she mumbled, decreasingly enthusiastic and much less interested than a moment ago. She seemed to be fighting off tears. This must be about her sister. Before he could say anything they reached a compartment with only two occupants sitting across from each other, closest to the door. They seemed to be first years like him and Lily. He didn't like the idea of mixing with strangers, but these two didn't seem like they were expecting company, and they didn't protest when Severus and Lily joined them in the compartment, taking the seats next to the window. 

Lily slumped against the windowpane, tears rolling down her face, suddenly not in the same mood at all. Without thinking Severus leaned forward a little. Lily shrank back. 

"I don't want to talk to you," she said, her tone tight.

"Why not?" 

"Tuney h-hates me. Because we saw that letter from Dumbledore." 

"So what?" Her look of contempt was scathing.

"So she's my sister!" 

"She's only a —" He stopped suddenly, his heart pounding, punishing him for his mistake. It appeared, however, that Lily hadn't noticed. She was wiping her tears with her sleeve. 

"But we're going!" he exclaimed excitedly, the elation rising in his chest. "This is it! We're off to Hogwarts!"

She nodded, drying the last of her tears. The end of her mouth curled into a half-smile.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," he said, grinning now that Lily was lightening up again.

"Slytherin?" The boy next to Snape sneered. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"  He asked the boy across from him.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin," the boy said with a grin. 

"Blimey," said the first boy with a laugh, "and I thought you seemed all right!"

The boy across him from grinned even wider.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition. Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?" 

"'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart!' Like my dad."

Snape grunted unwillingly. What a prat. The boy glared at him.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No," Severus said with disdain. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy —"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" interjected the boy across from him.

Both boys roared with laughter. Lily grabbed arm and suddenly none of it matter.

"Come on, Severus, let's find another compartment." 

The boys jeered at them and mocked them as they left to find different seating arangements, but Severus couldn't have cared less. 

However, this was the perfect set-up.

"Absolutely certain," Severus continued to lie. "James was the one next to me. The one who wanted to be in Gryffindor. And Sirius was next to you. His friend, who's family had always been Slytherin." Lily frowned.

"Well, maybe we were a little quick to judge," she said. "These kids are saying that James jumped into the lake to save this kid-" Severus laughed. Lily stopped. "What's so funny?" she demanded.

"He's lying," he said simply. "I overheard him talking about it before we got off the train. Him and Sirius bullyed convinced the other two boys on their boat, Peter and Remus, to go along with this awesome story of James jumping out of the boat to save Peter. They didn't cast the bubble charm, so they were soaking wet anyway, there are some pretty simple hexes that James could have easily picked up around his wealthy hoighty-toighty family that could simulate pnuemonia symptoms. At worst, they get a good laugh, at best," he gestured to the great hall. "They make a nice big splash on their first night a Hogwarts." Lily stayed silent, processing the information. "Just think," Severus added. "None of the other kids or Hagrid saw this happen, right?" He could see the gears turning in her head. Then her face hardened.

"What arrogant toerags!" she cried angrily. Severus couldn't help smirking. Great minds think alike. 

And after that, that was how Severus told it. As time wore on, there were a few embellishments. He was certain later in life that they had taunted him with the nick-name he would never outlive right there as he left the comparment, though that of course, did not happen. Lily came to believe it unquestioningly, and eventually Severus told the lie so many times....

He forgot it was a lie.

The warped version of what had happened melded with reality, taking over with the speed of the hatred and envy that fueled it. They would never remember the faces of the two boys in the traincar (who were both sorted into Slytherin, in case you were interested), or the faces of the boys in the hallway, well enough to distinguish them from their classmates. It was the perfect cover-up. And unlike most, it worked. 

So pardon the Intrusion. Now you know why years later Harry Potter saw what he saw, which of course, did not line up with this story.If you were alarmed, unimpressed, or confused, this might soothe your concerns. It is to be noted that James and Sirius would indeed go on to do some rather unpleasant things to Severus, but it all rooted from this moment on the train where Severus' hatred for them, especially James, grew. The moment the rivalry began. The moment that never happened. 

Funny how our minds can change memories, isn't it?

"That's too bad," Lily said with a sigh once she had cooled down. 

"What?" Severus said, a little confused where this was going.

"Well, I was talking to James at the Gryffindor table-" she paused, looking at him. "He wasn't that bad at all when I was talking with him, honest. A little cocky, but not awful. And-" she turned a little pink, and Severus' fists clenched a little. He defenitely did not like where this was going. 

"Well... I thought he was cute."