AU: New story, guys! Don't hate me, I'm still working on Proving Innocent! This was originally supposed to be a one-shot for a friend based on a beautiful piece of artwork, but it just grew out of all proportion. I think it will be around five chapters? I feel like the pacing is weird because there are oneshot elements and multichap elements but eh, it just is what it is now. Enjoy! Or don't, it's up to you. Reviews are always most appreciated!

Slytherin in Gryffindor Clothing

It was the week before admission to Hogwarts, on a warm summer's day in Diagon Alley, in the waiting area of Ollivander's, that young Uchiha Sasuke's world turned on its head.

The first time he saw her, he suspected she'd bewitched him. There was no other explanation for the way his eyes caught on her, for his helplessness to look away. She had pale pink hair the very shade of those transient cherry blossoms he had seen on their last vacation to Kyoto in Japan. Her green eyes glowed brilliantly, like dazzling emeralds, innocent and beautiful in the way they turned upward toward Mr. Ollivander beneath their curtain of thick lashes. Surely, they were the source of this enchantment?

"There you are, my dear girl. Good as new. An exquisite wand, if I may. Cherry wood with a core of unicorn hair. 12 ½ inches, supple, yet firm. Most suited to the witch who wields it, indeed." The elder man had a twinkle in his eye as he smiled at the young witch.

"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander. I feared it was broken beyond repair." She breathed, reclaiming a long box with the inscription Ollivander's on it in elegant cursive.

Even her voice seemed magical, lilting like wind chimes on a spring breeze as it expressed genuine gratitude. It made Sasuke's skin prickle with a feeling he could not name.

His irritation toward the young girl flared. How dare she attempt to bewitch him? Him, Uchiha Sasuke of the prestigious Uchiha clan, with a bloodline as ancient and glorious as magic itself? He had only just begun to consider how he would put that slip of a thing in her place when the tinkling of the front door's bell sounded as she made her exit.

There had been no magic.

The unattainable Uchiha Sasuke had been enchanted by her through no fault of her own. The realization of that simple fact had his stomach turning in self-loathing and embarrassment. He was not one to take notice of girls, no matter how they threw themselves at him. The fact that they did, only increased his disdain for the fairer sex. How could they have so little pride? It was repulsive and embarrassing. So, why, then, had he taken notice of this rose-haired witch with her viridian eyes? What was the matter with him?

Before he could arrive at a satisfactory conclusion, his parents entered the wand shop with Itachi in tow. "Sasuke, my love! I hope we haven't kept you waiting?" His mother caught him up in a brief, but tender embrace and Sasuke took the moment to mask his expression lest his father, or even worse, his brother, read what was written there.

Sasuke rose from his seat and replaced the edition of Quidditch Weekly back on the magazine rack. He would have read it while waiting were it not for that unpleasant distraction. "It's fine." Sasuke monotoned, turning back to his parents. Sasuke had been at Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions, getting measured for his new school robes while his parents picked up the required schoolbooks from Flourish and Blotts. They had agreed to meet up at Ollivander's after.

"My Lord and Lady Uchiha," greeted Mr. Ollivander formally "A pleasure it is, to see you both here, with the children as well. Ah, Itachi, well do I remember the wand I sold you. Four years ago, was it? Yew with a phoenix feather, 14 inches, flexible. A notoriously difficult wand that chose you as its master. Great potential for the greater good or for great destruction. Ah, I sense that in you as well." The wizened old man nodded knowledgably, his light tone belying the weight of his choice of words and lay a hand on Itachi's shoulder fondly. Itachi merely nodded in acknowledgment.

"Mr. Ollivander," Fugaku interrupted.

"Ah, right you are! We are here for young Sasuke today, aren't we? Right this way, my boy." Sasuke followed the older man, masking the irritation he felt at stepping into his brother's shadow yet again. No matter what wand chose him, it was unlikely to be as memorable as the wand that had chosen his brother. That just seemed to be the way of the world.

He was told to try out one wand after another, and minutes crept by as none seemed to meet Mr. Ollivander's expectations. The pile of discarded wands to his right seemed to be growing ever higher until the shopkeeper pressed a wand into his fingers, with the words, "This one might do it." His hair was disheveled from the search and his glasses ever so slightly askew. Sasuke stared down at the black length of wood in his fingers, awed by the way his skin tingled at the feel of it in his hand. "Go on, now, boy, give it a go."

Sasuke waved the wand once and blue stream of magic shot out of the wand, flashing like an electrical current as it did so. "Splendid!" Ollivander's joy at having found the right wand was not to be contained. "And perfectly suited for the young master, if I do say so myself." He extracted himself from the towering piles of boxes of rejected wands and strode towards Sasuke, the empty wand case gripped firmly in hand. "Black walnut, dragon heartstring, 13 inches exactly, firm and unyielding and just right for…" he trailed off, as if realizing what he was saying. "My young lord…" he said suddenly, looking deep into Sasuke's eyes.

"It may be the wand that chooses the wizard." He spoke in a hushed whisper, as if fearful anyone should overhear, "But it is the wizard that guides the wand. You, alone, must choose your destiny." Sasuke could make no sense of this, hadn't the shopkeeper been ecstatic only moments ago at having finally found the right wand?

Sasuke looked at the dark length of wood in his right hand. It felt so right, like it belonged there, like an extension of his very arm. What was the old wizard so wary of?

His parents closed in, then, "Is that the one?" Fugaku asked gruffly, his patience worn thin at the long search.

"Quite so, quite so." Ollivander hummed in agreement, "That wand has been in our possession a very long time. Unique in its arrangement, it's long been considered one of the Unsellables. A worthy master has never graced our doorstep. Until now." He winked at Sasuke in admiration.

Sasuke turned towards Itachi, wondering if his brother was pleased. Itachi smiled lightly down on Sasuke and ruffled his hair fondly. "Well done, little brother." Affection was laced in his deep voice and that was all the approval Sasuke required.

Sasuke felt a strange sense of loss as Ollivander took the wand out of his hand for boxing. His father went to pay for the new acquisition and his mother lovingly took hold of his elbow as the family of four left the premises of the building.

The last stop for the day was the Magical Menagerie where Sasuke would be choosing a pet for his stay in Hogwarts. Sasuke did not see the need but it was something his Mother insisted on and Itachi, oddly enough had expressed clipped agreement. It was there that he saw her yet again, her hands brought up to her face in delight as a true owl, no larger than his hand, nuzzled up against her face, brushing its soft feathers against her arguably even softer cheek. Her laugh carried all the way over to where he stood with his family and he was mortified at having to hear that sound in their presence.

He felt something brush against his ankle and was thankful for the distraction. When he looked down, he saw a tiny scrap of black fur curled up against him, as if seeking warmth. It was unrecognizable, rolled up into a ball, and Sasuke knelt to get a closer look. The scruff of fur unwound itself, revealing it to be a black cat, or perhaps kitten would be a more precise word, given its size. It blinked up at Sasuke with startling blue eyes and clambered onto his outstretched hand. Sasuke rose back to his feet, a small smirk of amusement graced his features at the odd creature's antics, as the cat rolled over onto its back, blinking up at Sasuke playfully. Itachi and Mikoto exchanged a glance and his older brother beckoned a shopkeeper over to finalize the purchase before Sasuke could protest.

Unbeknownst to Sasuke, that was the first look that Haruno Sakura got at the brooding, aristocratic Uchiha. Smiling down on a cute, helpless creature that was giving him all the love it had to offer. Briefly unguarded, devilishly handsome, and absolutely breathtaking. When his brother called his attention, the illusion was dispelled. The smile was replaced with a more characteristic frown and the eyebrow arched in arrogant disdain. Sakura watched him unabashedly, sure that she was too simple and mundane to even register in his peripheral vision. So, when he turned away with his family to exit the magical pet shop, her breath caught in her throat as he looked once over his shoulder, meeting her eyes. The way those intense, onyx orbs caught hold of her, rooting her firmly in place, seeming to scour right through her, sent a shiver down her spine. Before she could remind herself to breathe, his glance had passed over her dismissively, and he was gone.

The black, little Bombay cat, if that was what it was - the shopkeeper was somewhat unsure himself, whether it was a kitten resembling a panther cub, or a panther cub resembling a kitten – was nestled on Sasuke's shoulders curled up against the crook of his neck, napping in the warmth there. Mikoto and Itachi seemed quite pleased with themselves, while Fugaku merely led the way to the nearest apparition point.

"Have you thought of a name, yet, Sasuke?" Mikoto asked, smiling down on her younger son.

"No," Sasuke answered automatically, his gaze settling on the ball of fluff on his shoulder. A bright idea manifested itself and he looked up at his brother, walking to his right. Itachi turned to his brother, as if summoned by his very gaze. "Yes, Sasuke?" he spoke kindly.

"Name him for me?" Sasuke requested. It would be an honor for the silly thing to receive a name from his brother. Sasuke would undoubtedly be more fond of it if his cherished brother named it.

"Hmm…" Itachi looked down on the little kitten that peeked up at him, as if sensing the moment of its christening. "What about… Kurosuke?" Sasuke looked at his brother incredulously and Mikoto stifled a laugh. Kurosuke? Those little soot spirits? A little black helper? It was a ridiculous, but perfect name.

"Why are you so good at everything?" Sasuke complained instead. It was all the gratitude Itachi needed. Sasuke was secretly pleased with the name and he felt a hum of warmth glowing inside of him as the little kitten nuzzled closer to him. Alright, Kurosuke, welcome to the Uchiha family. He thought to the black cat as they apparated back to the manor.

He knew he should not have been surprised to see her at King's Cross.

He was standing there a little ways off of Platform 9 ¾ waiting for the moment he could push through with his cart and leave his father's nervous foot-tapping behind, along with the way his mother was stroking his hair absent-mindedly and his brother looked out at the muggles milling by with his crossed arms and a contemplative expression. He wanted to get this over with, and since his family was already so conveniently distracted, he, too, distracted himself by looking up and down the crowds for a trace of pink hair.

The muggles were easy to tell apart from the wizards, even disguised as they were. Their conversations were so mundane, so simple-minded. They seemed to dwell on the very surface of existence, with no appreciation for the deeper, more complicated facets of life. What was it like, he wondered, to live a life so meaningless? Without ever feeling the glorious power of magic flowing through you?

"Yes, mother, of course I will." A melodic voice reassured and Sasuke bristled. He would recognize that voice anywhere. Turning slowly, so as not to draw the attention of his family to himself, he turned to see her standing by her cart of suitcases, the tiny owl he had seen at the Magical Menagerie was nestled safely in a cage balanced evenly on top of her luggage. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank top and an oversized pink cardigan – one or two shades darker than her hair. Two white bracelets adorned her thin wrists and a black hairband held her long pink hair in place.

He remembered the electrical current that had coursed through him when she had met his eyes at the pet shop and willed her to turn to him again, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Well, I don't think they have a normal postal service, mom." She was saying now, "We'll just have to see."

"Oh, but I get so spooked when an owl starts tapping at my window." Her mother was wringing her hands in worry, her long blonde hair held back in a ponytail. Although he couldn't see her face, her willowy form resembled her daughter's. Her father, tall and brown-haired, stood at rapt attention, looking down on his watch through his spectacles. "It's almost time, honey." He was saying. "So, er- where is this Platform 9 ¾ again?" he asked his daughter.

"Let's just watch the others," the pinkette said, looking around now, "I can't be the only witch here."

Sasuke swallowed as realization dawned. They were muggles. Her parents were muggles. Not Veela, as he had suspected, nor even Squibs as he had feared in his nightmares, but actual, hollow, magicless muggles. She was muggleborn. How could that be?

"Sasuke," his attention was drawn back to his brother, who had followed his line of sight curiously. "It's time." Sasuke nodded, averting his gaze quickly. How could a girl so magical come from a family so barren? He had thought, surely, with her striking features and the confident way she carried herself, that she was as pureblooded as he was and yet, the undeniable proof of the contrary stood just twenty paces to his left. Determinedly looking in the opposite direction, he rose to stand with his parents.

"Hello, Sasuke." A timid voice to his right spoke. He turned toward the violet-haired girl he recognized as Hinata. Her parents were approaching his and he suppressed a frown. It was no secret that the Hyuugas hoped to arrange a union between their heir and himself. He knew his parents were undecided and hoped it would stay that way. He couldn't see him spending the rest of his life with a girl who avoided his gaze and only spoke in hushed whispers.

He nodded at the girl in acknowledgment but did not respond to her greeting. It would not do for his parents to see him interact with her. He did not want them getting any ideas.

"ALRIGHT!" A loud cry called everyone's attention. Sasuke turned to see a blonde young boy with whiskered markings on his cheeks, raise a fist determinedly into the air. "My journey starts here! I am going to be the greatest, GREATEST wizard the world has ever seen!" Sasuke could not believe his ears. Did the idiot not know to keep his mouth shut in the presence of muggles?

Sasuke felt a flash of movement from his left, and just as the moron started racing towards the barrier between Platforms 9 and 10, Itachi caught hold of his elbow and gently steered him away, whispering something into his ear. Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. If the muggles had seen him disappear through the barrier, no one would be able to pass through until the commotion died down and it would leave a mess for the ministry to take care of.

He heard a giggle to his right and frowned, seeing Hinata still hovering at his side. Her attention, however, was clearly on the blonde menace. She seemed to be quite amused by his antics. Sasuke refrained from rolling his eyes. What a nuisance this day was turning out to be.

Feeling a pair of eyes on him, Sasuke's eyes shot in their direction, immediately on alert, to find the pinkette regarding him curiously. Her cheeks burned at having been discovered, the second time now, and she immediately turned to her parents instead.

"Write often," Mikoto said, pressing a kiss on top of his head, "Or I'll be forced to send you a Howler!" She teased with a smile. "Right." Sasuke agreed shortly, knowing his mother was far too kind-hearted to do anything of the sort.

"Make us proud," Fugaku voiced from where he stood to his mother's right. "Just like your brother."

Sasuke could find no words to respond to that. Itachi cast a long shadow and sometimes, Sasuke felt he could not escape it even if he spent the rest of his life running. Instead, he nodded numbly. Seeing that the muggles had lost interest in the idiotic blonde that had nearly exposed them all. He bid his parents goodbye and turned towards the barrier.

"Excuse me," he heard that voice sing from his left. He did not need to turn to know who it was, but did so anyway. Seeing her up close like this, her jade eyes glowing just as brilliantly as he recalled, with flecked with burnished gold, her pale face framed by her pastel-pink hair - the color of the sweetest dreams any fantasy had to offer - his mind blanked and he nodded in acknowledgment instead.

"My name is Haruno Sakura." She chirped. "I'm also a first-year, I've just transferred from Mahoutokoro. I'm not familiar with the way to Hogwarts yet. Would it be already if I follow along with you?"

Sasuke's mind blanked as he regarded the fairy of a girl in front of him. He did not trust his voice, lest his parents detect a degree of interest in it. So, instead, he turned to Hinata and said, "I'll go on ahead." Hinata nodded and smiled at the new student. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata, I'm sure you'll like it at Hogwarts." She held out a hand in greeting.

Sakura beamed and expressed thanks as she shook Hinata's outstretched hand gratefully.

Sasuke jerked his head toward the barrier, indicating she should follow. He looked back over his shoulder once and saw his mother hiding a smile behind her hand. Why was she smiling that way while looking at him so curiously?

"Stay beside me. Keep a steady pace." Sakura nodded as she tried to keep up with his longer strides. Looking around, she wondered if people were looking at them curiously, as they walked confidently toward a solid brick wall. "Don't draw attention to yourself." He reproached and she snapped her gaze back in front of her. He spoke in short, clipped tones without any more than the necessary intonation, but his voice was deep and warm and set butterflies alight in her stomach.

She clenched her eyes shut as they reached the barrier, sure they would crash against it and the next moment would have her laying humiliated on her back in front of the entire station, but the expected impact did not come. Instead, she gaped in awe at the giant locomotive in front of her, emblazoned with proud, glittering gold lettering - Hogwarts Express.

It was only then, as he watched her petite features light up at the view of the Howarts train, that Sasuke realized why his mother had been laughing. He hadn't needed to take the girl through the barrier himself. He could have let her go with Hinata.

He groaned inwardly. How could he have been such a fool?

If he had been in any doubt about the fact that the girl was muggleborn, her awe in the presence of the Hogwarts Express dispelled it. He felt a sinking feeling of disappointment in the pit of his stomach.

She wasn't on his level. That distinction walled them off from each other more firmly than mountains or prisons could. He swallowed the feeling of disappointment. She was just a random girl, like any other. Her bloodline was no business of his.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He found himself saying.

Sakura looked up in surprise, "Hm?"

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke." He supplied shortly, looking down on the clueless muggleborn girl, trying to dispel the halo she had carried with her ever since he laid eyes on her.

"Oh, right. Haruno Sakura," she introduced again, smiling and extending a hand to him. He looked down on the pale fingers of her extended hand, considered taking it, remembered the image of her owl nuzzling against her cheek, wondered just how soft her smooth palms would be, before shaking his head with a scoff and turning away from her toward the entrance of the train.

Sakura dropped her hand with spurned embarrassment and had just opened her mouth to say something when behind them, his brother and the blonde dolt appeared.

"Thanks, man! There's a first time for everything!" the moron laughed sheepishly and Itachi only nodded at him, "Be more careful in the future." He warned.

"Right! Got it!" the fool answered, and Itachi strode past him, catching up with Sasuke. The two brothers marched along side by side, an image of effortless, aristocratic perfection and boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"You're that boy."

The blonde turned toward Sakura. "Eh?"

"The one who was screaming about magic in front of a crowd of muggles." Sakura deadpanned.

"Ah- hahaha, I kind of lost track of my surroundings…" he laughed awkwardly, "When I think about learning magic and becoming a great wizard, I just lose it!" His feeble attempt at an explanation was met with a raised pink eyebrow.

"I'm Haruno Sakura." She introduced, a small, sympathetic smile at the corner of her lips. She could understand how the excitement at finally learning real magic could make him take leave of his senses. It was an eagerness she shared, if not quite to that degree.

"Uzumaki Naruto! I can already tell we're going to be good friends!" he shouted, shaking her hand vigorously.

The whistle of the train followed by a cloud of steam billowing out cut their introductions short and they rushed to board the Hogwarts Express on time.

Sasuke could not fathom how he had ended up sharing a compartment with the two fools. His brother had gone off to join Shisui and some other fourth-year Slytherins and had offered for Sasuke to join them. Naturally, Sasuke had refused, not wanting to hang along on his brother's coattails, although he was seriously regretting that choice now.

The blonde menace, who he had discovered was named Naruto sat beside him, and across from him the girl whose image had plagued him the past week.

Sasuke had spent the train ride looking determinedly out the window, intent on blocking out whatever conversation took place around him.

"So, what's that school like? Where you were before? Maho- whatchamacallit?"

"Mahoutokoro." Sakura corrected with a knowing air, "It's the Japanese school of magic."

"You must be like, way ahead of us then? Can you already do charms and transfiguration? I heard there's a potion you can give to your enemies, so they get warts on their nose! Do you know how to make it?"

Sakura laughed disconcertedly, "Well, at Mahoutokoro, a lot of focus is on magical propriety. Magical Etiquette, Meditation, History of Magic, Magical Roots in Mythology… that sort of thing. It's also a lot of grunt work until you are considered worthy of learning real magic."

"Meditation?!" Naruto groaned, "What a load of bull. Imagine going to school for a year to learn nothing!"

"It isn't nothing," Sakura replied, "Meditation was one of my favorite classes."

"How?" Naruto asked in disbelief. "Sounds like a pain in the ass. "

"Hey," Sakura countered, lightly offended. "Meditation is… well, it's…" she searched for the correct words. "Well, you have magic flowing through you, right?"

"Well, duh." Naruto answered, wondering where she was going with this.

"But magic flows through this wood as well." She explained, laying a gentle hand on the table in front of them as if it were full of life. "In the sky, the earth, the clouds, the sunshine… Every single thing around us carries magic. When we use magic, we call upon the magic within ourselves, but a truly powerful mage can summon the magical force in his surroundings."

Sasuke listened to the rhythmic tone of her voice. He liked listening to her, liked her ideas and her way of expressing herself. It reminded him very much of a lesson Itachi had taught him when he had asked him about wandless magic. "There is magic in the very air around you, Sasuke. You need only to reach out, and there it is."

"So, yeah. That's what meditation is." She concluded; her cheeks tinged pink at her passionate explanation.

"Yeaaaah…" Naruto drawled, "Still sounds boring."

The door to their compartment slid open at that moment and a kind, purple-haired lady smiled down at them pushing a cart of sweets. "You kids be needing anything?" she asked kindly.

"Oh, yes!" Naruto jumped up in glee, "Ne, do you have Ichiraku's Child Spiral?" He turned back to Sakura briefly to explain, "It turns you into a kid for five minutes, plus it's absolutely delicious!"

"It will have no effect on you, then." Sasuke deadpanned.

The compartment went still as they all collectively turned to Sasuke. Those were the first words he had spoken since their arrival.

"You… say what?" Naruto exclaimed, belatedly realizing he had been insulted.

"Naruto, didn't you want to get something?" Sakura interrupted him, hoping to defuse the situation. "Oh, right, let's see…" he surveyed the wares, "Pumpkin pasties, treacle tarts… Oh! Sugar quills! Aaand… a chocolate frog! You want anything, Sakura-chan?" He called over his shoulder.

"Oh, no! I'm fine, Naruto, thank you." She dismissed hastily.

"What about you, bastard? Want anything?"

Sasuke raised an elegant brow at the derogatory term and did not acknowledge the statement with a reply.

"I'm serious, man, money's not a problem, just say the word." Naruto looked at Sasuke with sincere blue eyes and Sasuke felt indignance rush through him. Did he look like money was a problem for him?

Rising from his window seat and crossing to the lady in the hallway, he dumped a handful of galleons into her hand. "Send the rest to compartment 32." He said curtly, before returning to his seat.

"Oh!" she stammered in surprise at her wares being sold out so soon, "But this, this is too much!"

"Keep the change." He drawled, turning back to the window.

"You could have just said no! Didn't have to be such a goddamn showoff about it…" grumbled Naruto as he returned to his seat. After a few minutes of heated looks toward the stoic Uchiha, Naruto finally broke the angry silence with a taunt, "Who's in compartment 32 anyway, your girlfriend?"

Sasuke was so taken aback by the accusation, he missed the way Sakura's eyes fixed on him curiously. Before he could put Naruto in his place however, the doors slid open again to reveal Shisui standing there, his arms full of sweets. "Hey, kids, little present from Uchiha Itachi from fourth year… oh, Sasuke." Shisui nodded in greeting, "What were you thinking, man? Your brother is questioning your financial sense."

"It was a necessary investment." Sasuke responded coolly. Shisui chuckled as he dropped a few sweets onto the table in front of Sakura and Naruto. "Just a little something for the first years, yeah?" he winked at them kindly.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. I'll take care of Itachi." He waved goodbye and slid the door shut once more.

"Necessary investment, my ass!" Naruto cried in indignation. "You're more stuck-up than the stick stuck up your ass!" Sasuke paid him no heed and Sakura wordlessly picked up a chocolate frog, looking for the card enclosed. A fact that did not escape Sasuke's notice.

He watched her from the corner of his eyes the rest of the way to Hogwarts. Discreetly, the intensity of his gaze veiled beneath his long lashes. Unnoticeable to the casual observer and, of course, to the object of his interest herself. He watched as she stumbled while boarding the boat to cross the Great Lake, his frown shadowed in darkness as she took hold of Naruto's arm to regain her footing. He watched the way her pastel pink hair glowed auburn in the light of the torches. He watched her chatter happily to the neighbors seated around her and wondered what her expression was like when she wasn't so damn eager to please everyone in her vicinity.

Her posture and her bearings conveyed an elegance that belied the cute persona she was clearly trying to sell. He observed the glitter of ambition in her emerald eyes and the way she bit her lip when someone claimed the giant squid had been released into the Great Lake by Newt Scamander, trying to hold back from correcting him. He watched the way she worried her lower lip between her teeth, clearly holding back the wealth of information at her disposal to the true origins of the giant squid and wondered why on earth she was restraining herself.

He had never in his life seen someone so utterly superior, struggling to maintain a façade of mediocrity.

When the children of other noble families approached him as he knew they would, he dropped his gaze. The Uchiha were not interested in anyone or anything apart from their own clan and it would not do for Sasuke to tarnish that reputation.

He listened to Suigetsu brag about his family background in some far-off land, ignored how Karin watched him with unabashed interest and how Juugo settled near him, observing him quietly and it took no effort at all for him to take on the role that he was destined for, the one afforded to him by his pureblood lineage and his inherent superiority. The role of the leader.

He noticed Naruto rising from the corner of his eyes and refused to look in their direction, to watch her go. He had his own reasons for being in Hogwarts and they did not include a rose-haired sprite of a witch.

It was becoming something of a game to him.

He leaned forward in his seat, his elbows resting on the table and the fingers of his hands crossed in front of his face as he arrogantly watched the first-years being called up one by one to take their seats and let the Sorting Hat choose their houses.

He watched Inuzuka Kiba trudge up to the stool, his hands clenched in the pockets of his robes, disguising his nervousness with an air of rebellion. Gryffindor, Sasuke thought to himself mere moments before the Sorting Hat shouted out the same.

Sasuke smirked to himself. They were all far too easy to read. He had been able to accurately guess the Houses of every single one of the first years so far and he had no doubt he would get the rest of them right as well. This system of theirs was so painfully transparent he felt nothing but disdain for the other first years gaping in awe or fidgeting nervously.

His eyes slid up the length of the table, unnoticed, where they fell on Sakura. Naruto was whispering something into her ear with an animated expression and she giggled in turn, stifling the sound beneath her hand. She was a Slytherin if ever he saw one. Beneath that guise of hers, beneath the mask of friendliness. Whenever she wasn't absolutely glowing at whoever she was speaking to, her expression revealed a calculating intelligence. The way she frowned at the misinformation around her with a veiled sense of superiority, before catching herself and schooling her expression into one more appropriate for her setting was glaringly obvious. The way she seemed to secretly take offense at being considered harmless, while in fact furthering that impression with every one of her actions made one thing painfully clear. She was a Slytherin in Gryffindor clothing.

No matter. As soon as the Sorting Hat sorted her into the appropriate House, effectively removing her from Naruto's side, he would spend the next seven years taking that place. Picking apart the riddle she presented. Putting the pieces back in their proper places. Coaxing her out of her shell.

When Naruto's name was called out, Sasuke barely took notice. The idiot would clearly be sorted into Gryffindor, where all the reckless fools went. Sakura was too smart for Gryffindor. Too ambitious for Ravenclaw. Too calculating for Hufflepuff. There was only one place for her.

When Sasuke's name was called out, bringing him back from his musings, he scanned the Great Hall with a quick glance as he made his way to the stool in the center of the sprawling hall, surrounded by crowded tables. He briefly met Itachi's gaze and noticed his brother regarding him curiously. Sasuke swallowed and averted his gaze. Had he been too open with his expression earlier?

He sat on the stool and allowed the Sorting Hat to be placed on his head with a frown. It was one thing for the others to be sorted, but another thing entirely for himself to be made a spectacle of this way, for all the Great Hall to see as a bewitched instrument deigned to appraise him.

He remembered being told of the incident four years ago, where the Sorting Hat had deliberated over Itachi's sorting for more than an hour, making it the longest hatstall in history. A glance at the nervous expression of the teachers revealed their concern that Sasuke's sorting might be a repeat of Itachi's. Sasuke wondered just what had taken so long. In the end, Itachi had been sorted into Slytherin just like every other member of the Uchiha clan for all of recorded history.

Why, yes, you would like to know that, wouldn't you, little Uchiha?

Sasuke frowned. The damned thing was speaking into his mind.

That is one of my unique abilities. Makes my job much easier, as you might imagine. Your brother had one of the most brilliant minds I ever had the distinct honor of peering into. Unusually perceptive, great wisdom, but courage as well. Loyalty, friendship, and honor were there. Ambition as well. A desire to protect, paired with a readiness to sacrifice. Where to place such a unique individual? Quite difficult, indeed.

Sasuke could not believe that even the Sorting Hat of all things was beginning his initiation by waxing nostalgic at Itachi's prowess. He was Slytherin, in the end. Took you over an hour to figure out what everyone already knew. Sasuke thought at the hat irritably.

Yes, although it was by choice. He was the first one I ever allowed to make his own choice.

Sasuke's irritation dissipated at this shocking revelation. His eyes snapped to his brother. He could have been anything else but, he was a Slytherin by choice?

Quite so, the Sorting Hat agreed, in the end, the only thing that could tip the scales in any direction was the choice he would make. Our choices, after all, are what truly define us. But enough of that –

The Sorting Hat was moving on just as a thousand questions burst into being within Sasuke. The hat had peered into Itachi's mind. It knew any number of things about him.

Where to place you, young Uchiha Lord?

Sasuke bristled, was that even a question? You've placed every Uchiha for generations in Slytherin and you're still asking that question? He hissed mentally at the hat. I'm a Slytherin, if ever there was one, and you're a poor excuse for a sorting hat if it's taking you this long to figure that out.

He could feel the hat chuckle in his mind. A very distracted Slytherin, of late, don't you think?

The image of falling cherry blossoms onto pristine, white cobblestone flashed across his consciousness, apparently courtesy of the magical instrument, and he refused to so much as glance at the girl in question. Not with the eyes of the entire Great Hall on him. That nearly obsessive interest is also very Uchiha of you, the Sorting Hat commented.

Well then, indulge me, young Uchiha, since you seem to understand the Sorting so well. Where does the young blossom belong?

Sasuke scowled. He was being baited. Manipulated. He would not stand for it.

Don't you have a job to do? He berated the hat.

Indeed, the Sorting Hat replied, so, tell me, where does she belong?

Sasuke still looked straight ahead determinedly, but her image came to his mind's eye unbidden. Brilliant, emerald eyes sparkling with ambition. Beautiful, ivory features, aristocratic and elegant even without the bloodline. Soft, pastel-pink hair. Supple, rosy lips, parted to speak words that don't come as she bites down on them. She's a Slytherin, he declared confidently, though she's trying hard not to be one.

He could feel the hat's amusement crawling through his mind and frowned. This was quite the unpleasant experience.

Is that so, the hat hummed, seeming to have come to a decision, but as we discussed, young Uchiha, our choices are what truly define us, in the end. It's almost a pity, you would have made a fine Gryffindor…

Sasuke bristled, but before he could protest the brim of the hat tore open to shout, "SLYTHERIN!"

A nearby teacher plucked the hat from Sasuke's head with a sigh of relief. Just as the hat was being pulled away, one last transient thought transferred to Sasuke.

I see, he must have predicted this outcome…

Sasuke wondered just who the hat could be referring to, when the intensity of one stare summoned his attention. Itachi was smiling at him fondly and beckoning him over. Sasuke met his brother's affectionate gaze and dropped his own to the floor as his chest bloomed with warmth. Itachi had chosen Slytherin because he knew that Sasuke would be sorted into Slytherin as well. Was that what the hat had deduced in those cryptic, final words?

Sasuke stalked to the Slytherin table with the air of confidence befitting one of his standing. His clan had all but founded this house. They had been prominent members of it for generations. He belonged here even more clearly than magic belonged in the world. He allowed Itachi to lay an affectionate hand on his head and suppressed his irritation as he felt his cheeks go warm. Shisui slung an arm around his shoulders and congratulated him heartily but Sasuke was still lost in his own thoughts. Why had Itachi needed to choose Slytherin? Why hadn't Slytherin chosen him?

He watched his older brother curiously, ever the enigma, ever a mystery. Settling beside Itachi, he watched the other children be sorted. Mentally counting them off in his head, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw… he met the sorting hat verdict for verdict and took it as a sort of belated revenge for the hat's rude intrusion into his mind earlier.

When Sakura's name was called out, Sasuke took care to feign disinterest as he felt Itachi's gaze fall on him. Had he been that obvious? He didn't think so, and yet, he begrudgingly accepted that it was rare for something to escape Itachi's notice, no matter how careful he was.

The Hat deliberated, its wide brim hiding the young girl's eyes from view as she lowered her head. He wondered just what they were working through. Seconds passed, then minutes. He watched her clench her fists into her lap and her shoulders tremble. After precisely two minutes and thirty-four seconds her head shot up and she met his eyes across the hall. Her vivacious green locking onto his own fathomless, onyx eyes. A fierce blush bloomed over her face as she turned a feverish red. She reached helplessly up for the sorting hat's wide brim and pulled it over her face as far as it would go, hiding her blush from the audience but it was too late. Everyone had seen the way she had looked at Sasuke and the tables surrounding them burst into raucous laughter, stopping only when Hiruzen, the Headmaster, raised his hand and asked for silence.

"Gryffindor!" the hat cried out and Sakura tore the offensive headpiece from her hair, making a beeline for the Gryffindor table like a prisoner released. The laughter died down immediately. "Sorry, Sasuke!" someone joked with a laugh, patting his shoulder in mock-sympathy.

What had the hat said to her? Something about him? He remembered the Hat's foolish philosophy on choices. Had she chosen Gryffindor over Slytherin? Because of him? He looked on at Sakura, bowing her head with an embarrassed grin as the other Gryffindors congratulated her. He was stunned. They would make her into one of them. Foolish, headstrong, reckless. They would never bring out her true potential. The potential that would have bloomed to fruition at his side.

Professor Tsunade Senju was making an announcement. The sorting had been completed, but Sasuke was barely hearing her, even as the student body turned to her collectively, he chanced another glance at Sakura and was surprised to find that she was looking right back at him.

He was caught in those Slytherin green eyes looking up at him, out of place in that garish mess of red and gold, and knew that she belonged by him, on his side of the table, with everything else that was venerable, brilliant, and perfect. But the Sorting Hat had screwed it up and Sasuke had had something to do with it.

Sasuke had resigned himself to being the uncrowned King of the Slytherin first years. Other noble families had instilled in their children a deep respect for all things Uchiha, and they struggled to outdo one another in earning his approval, knowing that one word from him could change the standing of their entire family in the wizarding world.

Sasuke paid them no heed and he resigned Sakura as well, to the Gryffindors. She seemed to be happy there, with Naruto and Ino and any number of other fools in that house. Perhaps that was what she wanted. To dive headfirst into things without a second thought in her mind. Perhaps they could drive the Slytherin out of her. Who knows? Sasuke told himself it didn't matter. She was a muggleborn, after all. A mudblood, as his grandfather would say. He didn't have any business with her to begin with.

He didn't see her often as Slytherins and Gryffindors rarely cross paths unless they are partnered up for classes. He searched for her at mealtimes and after finding her, did not look at her again for the rest of the meal. It was important for order in the wizarding world that people kept to their assigned places. He was an Uchiha and an unreproachable one at that. Her rosy locks and forest green eyes did not even belong in his dreams.

She was frustratingly brilliant, of course, as he knew she would be. Professor Iruka let her ramble on in the History of Magic about the history of Mahoutokoro and Japanese magic, and how ancient Shinobi could use the magic in the elements, something they called chakra and the class listened, mystified.

Sasuke berated her in his mind, called her annoying, derailing the entire class the way she was. Summoning an arrogant animosity to ease his conscience as he stared out the window at the shimmering surface of the Great Lake while allowing her clear, lilting tones to wash over him as she spoke with an eloquent determination. He wished for the class to go on indefinitely. For her to keep talking about those so-called shinobi for as long as possible. To hear her say other things. Like his name. Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed at that unbidden thought and he quashed it in self-reproach. She was a muggleborn and a Gryffindor. She wasn't on his level.

She was equally outstanding in Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration. When it was time to transform a Hokkaido pumpkin into a teapot, Sasuke smirked smugly as he saw the stem of Naruto's pumpkin grow out endlessly, thickening as it did so until Professor Tsunade had to step in and put a stop to it. Sasuke's teapot was a smooth porcelain. It's handle curved elegantly and it even had a lid to it. None of the others had even gotten close to forming a whole teapot, let alone banishing the tacky orange hue.

He turned to Sakura despite himself, wondering if he had managed to outdo her this time. He watched her expression transform from one of focused concentration to subdued excitement as she regarded her work. Her teapot was an actual teapot. Engraved with glittering, orange leaves the shade of the ones falling outside. Neatly lined with gold inlay on the lid that lined the leaf pattern as well. It was the kind of teapot one might have given to Sasuke's mother as a present and he regarded Sakura with approval.

Professor Tsunade was very pleased with Sakura's work and presented it to the class as Sakura blushed. "This, class, is what we are aiming for. First-class transfiguration, Haruno. Ten points to Gryffindor."

"Thank you, professor." Sakura smiled, her cheeks still tinged with embarrassment as Tsunade dismissed the class.

If she were a Slytherin, Kakashi - the Head of Slytherin House - would have taken her to the side, kept her after school to further hone her abilities. Told her how much potential she had and how much greater she could become. Because she was a Gryffindor, however, it ended there. Ten points to Gryffindor. She had sold her future for ten points to Gryffindor. Sasuke frowned and it was just at that moment that Sakura turned to him, wanting to see the acknowledgment in his eyes at her success. When she saw his expression, however, her smile wavered.

Sasuke told himself he didn't care. He had nothing to do with Gryffindors. Or mudbloods. He picked up his bag and was one of the first out of the classroom.

Just before winter break, he lost Kurosuke.

Suigetsu had apparently been in his room and left the door to the common room open - something he would kill him for later – and Kurosuke had been prowling the common room curling up onto the green velvet armchairs until Kin entered. Kurosuke availed himself of the opportunity and streaked past her, right out of the entrance to the common room into the winding Hogwarts hallways. Of course, the idiotic girl hadn't seen fit to inform him of the fact until hours later.

Hogwarts castle was a sprawling maze of rooms and corridors, hidden passageways and restricted areas, disappearing doors and shifting stairways. Kurosuke could be anywhere. Sasuke was disinclined to seek Itachi's help, not wanting to admit that he had lost the creature they had entrusted him with. So, he stalked the hallway of the castle with a veiled sense of urgency, trying hard not to look as if he were searching for something. It was nearly an hour later that he spotted the black feline, sidling up to Sakura's ankle. The rosy-haired witch was carrying a stack of books and turned at the foreign sensation. She knelt beside the black cat and gently placed down her books. "Oh! Aren't you precious?" she smiled genuinely, not her attempt-to-please smile, but a sincere one and stroked the cat affectionately. "You're such a pretty cat." She admired and caught sight of the emerald green collar. "Of course, you belong to someone." She sighed wistfully.

She picked up the cat and took it into her arms. She looked up and down the hallway and Sasuke sunk deeper into the shadows. "You know, you remind me of someone." She smiled, scratching behind Kurosuke's ears. The traitorous little cat purred and nuzzled the palm of her hand.

Sasuke sighed in exasperation as he watched the scene. He almost wished the cat had gotten lost in the Great Lake instead and been snapped up by the giant squid. Why had it sought out Sakura of all people?

"Well, let's go find your owner." Sakura decided, rising to her feet and lifting her books with her other arm. When Kurosuke mewled and looked straight in Sasuke's direction, the Uchiha wished he had never gone looking for the lost cat.

"Hm? What is it, little guy? Is something there?" and of course, Sakura started walking straight towards him. Sasuke slunk out of the shadows then, thinking it better to reveal himself than to be caught. Kurosuke chose that moment to leap out of Sakura's arms and stalk towards Sasuke, purring while brushing up against his master's leg. Sasuke was having none of it.

"Oh! Sasuke," Sakura blushed, "Is that your cat?" The two of them hadn't had a proper conversation since he had helped her through the barrier of the Hogwarts Express. Indeed, most of their interactions had consisted of nothing more than furtive glances and unspoken words.

"Aa," Sasuke agreed, looking down now at the treacherous feline. With a single leap, Kurosuke jumped up onto Sasuke's shoulder and nuzzled into the crook of his neck as he had done at the Magical Menagerie.

Sakura seemed to forget how she was usually intimidated by Sasuke's foreboding presence as she stepped closer to get a better look at the black cat.

"He's so cute! What's his name?" she asked, her eyes glowing green as they always did, when she found something fascinating. She was peering over his shoulder, trying to get Kurosuke to look at her. She was so close they were almost touching and Sasuke swallowed, torn between getting even closer to her, close enough to finally find out just how smooth her rosy cheeks were, and shoving her far, far away.

"Kurosuke," Sasuke answered stiffly, remaining fixed in place, spellbound by those green eyes glittering up at him. Had Kurosuke somehow humanized him in her eyes to the point where she forgot to be afraid of him?

"He really likes you." She giggled, "Hey, don't you want to play with Sakura-chan, too?" she offered the black cat that was now ignoring her decidedly. The words playing with Sakura-chan made him deeply uncomfortable and he cursed himself for his wanton thoughts as much as he blamed her for saying something so easily misinterpreted.

"I have to go." He cut in and turned away from her, already stalking down the hallway, eager to put some distance between them. "Okay, bye!" Sakura called after him belatedly. Sasuke did not look back at her. That had already been more interaction than he had wanted to have.

"You're a traitor." He muttered at Kurosuke. The cat paid him no heed.

It was surprisingly refreshing to see her fail at something.

Sasuke turned around halfway on his broomstick, leagues ahead of the other first-years. He had been flying since before he could walk and being up in the air, above the trees and nearly higher than Hogwarts Castle itself, was second nature to him. He enjoyed the freedom of being far removed from the earth and everything on it. From this height, he watched Naruto struggling to maintain control of his broom, even as he rose ever higher, and the others meandered off, testing the school brooms and their own abilities. Only one pinprick of pale pink remained fixed on the ground. Resistant to the call of the wind and the sky and the freedom of soaring away from the barren surface.

Her friends were so eager to try out flying or to be flying again, they didn't seem to notice. Even Professor Anko seemed to have given up on explaining flying to the young pinkette as she walked off to the right. Sakura folded her arms behind her back and smiled at her friends cheerily, appearing unperturbed at being left behind.

Sasuke frowned. This wasn't right. Sakura was nothing less than awe-inspiring at everything she undertook. She understood the theory behind her lessons and was adept at putting those ideas into practice. So, why was everyone flying off without her? She was supposed to outshine them, that's just the way that she is.

He streaked back towards the ground, the speed of his descent tearing at his hair and Sakura gasped in alarm, raising her hands as a reflex when he suddenly drew to a stop and landed gracefully in front of her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, without preamble.

"Huh?" Sakura looked up in surprise, before realizing what he was referring to. "Oh, the broom, it… it doesn't like me."

Sasuke frowned at her. "Sakura, it's a broom."

She blinked at him, realizing how dumb she sounded. "I mean, it won't respond. But, don't let me hold you back, you were amazing! You're so good at flying it was really cool just to watch you!" She raised both hands in protest, hoping to deter him from helping her which would only end, inevitably, with her making a fool of herself.

Sasuke regarded the one remaining broom leaning against the castle wall with a trained eye. It was no Nimbus, but it would do well enough. The problem was something else.

"I guess I'm just not cut out for it." Sakura admitted, following his line of sight, "Professor Anko tried to help me but, everyone has things they aren't good at, right?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her, and Sakura jumped, uneasy at being the object of his displeasure. He turned towards their classmates flying overhead and pointed at Kiba, who was hanging upside down from his broom and screaming. "That is someone who is not good at flying." He deadpanned.

"Not flying and being bad at flying are not the same thing." He closed in on her, and she held her breath in surprise and uneasy anticipation. His chest brushed against her front as he reached for the broom just behind her. Sakura lowered her head to one side, trying to hide her blush with the bangs of her hair. He turned the broom over in his hand before nodding in approval and letting it fall to the dirt beside her.

"Call it." He instructed, nodding at her.

She looked at him uneasily, hoping he was joking. It was one thing to fail in front of the others and the professor, when Sasuke had already taken off into the sky and wasn't around to see it, but to have to endure a repeat performance under his scrutiny was unbearable. His onyx eyes showed no signs of yielding however, and Sakura sighed in resignation. She extended one hand to her right, hovering over the broom. Maybe when he saw how hopeless it was, he would give up and let her be.

"Up." She said simply in what she hoped was a commanding voice. The broom didn't even twitch. She sighed in frustration before turning to Sasuke with an expression that said See?

Sasuke, however, seemed amused, there was a spark of mirth in his eyes as he smirked at her and drawled, "Sakura, are you even trying to please a broom?"

He was insulting her, and she knew it, but his deep voice did terrible things to her insides that prevented her from feeling as offended as she knew she should. She tried to summon anger, hoping it would battle off her nerves. "It doesn't work." She ground out through gritted teeth, embarrassed.

"It's just a stick, Sakura." He said silkily, that smug smirk still firmly in place as he strode closer to her now. "You don't have to care what it thinks."

Her mouth fell open at the accusation. "I don't care what it – " she caught herself, "It's just a broom, it doesn't think!" She countered instead.

"Exactly," Sasuke acceded. He pressed one palm between her shoulder blades and applied light pressure, straightening her back. His other hand went to the extended wrist of her right arm, lifting it higher.

"Don't reach for it. It should come to you. It's just a broom. It should be listening to you. It should be trying to please you. How dare it disobey?" Sasuke continued, his silky, dark voice rumbling from his chest. She felt his warm breath brush the nape of her neck and she was glad he was standing behind her, where he couldn't see her face redden.

"Up." She tried again, with more force. Only to be dismayed, as once again, nothing happened.

She looked over the shoulder of her outstretched arm at him, disappointed by her lack of progress. Sasuke only looked down at her, meeting her eyes, with an indecipherable expression. "Stop trying to please it." He instructed again simply.

"I'm not - !" she protested, but he lifted her wrist that was sinking back to the ground again.

"Are you afraid of heights?" he asked, suddenly, surprising her.

"I - " She trailed off, how had he known?

He arched an elegant eyebrow at her, waiting for an answer.

"Yes," she admitted quietly, avoiding his intense gaze.

"You don't even want to fly." Sasuke concluded, "The broom knows that you're wasting it's time."

"It doesn't think." Sakura tried again, but Sasuke continued, "It knows it's meant to fly and it knows you have no intention of doing so."

"I would fly if I could!" Sakura snapped, "Just because I'm afraid of something doesn't mean I'm not willing to try it!"

Sasuke regarded her coolly, wondering if he could hold her to those words at some point in the future. "How very Gryffindor of you." He drawled sardonically.

"This isn't even about flying." He said finally. "It's about that broom." She looked down on the defiant length of wood and twigs on the ground.

"Why isn't it listening to you? You're the witch." Sasuke reminded her. "You're the one with the magic. How dare it look down on you? It should submit to your will, humble itself to your command by the right of the magic within you." He wondered why he was telling her this. These were ancient pureblood principles that had been instilled into him by his grandfather and by centuries of Uchiha teachings. Those very same teachings forbade him from sharing this knowledge with her.

"Forget flying for a moment." Sasuke said, and she looked up at him, amazed yet again by how stunning those ebony irises were. "Think instead of something you are absolutely certain of, something you are very confident of and make undeniably clear who is in charge here."

Sakura bit her lower lip, allowing herself to drink in the intent behind those dark eyes for one more moment, before turning to the broom beside her. She lifted her hand even higher for good measure. Sasuke saw her frown, saw her raise a single eyebrow in disdain, saw her irises flash with something so inherently Slytherin that when she commanded, "Up!" he completely missed the way the broom shot up into her outstretched palm.

She turned to him, ecstatic with success. He merely nodded, avoiding her gaze now as he realized he was treading deep waters.

"Now, fly." He directed dismissively. She looked up at him in confusion. She hadn't thought she would get this far and had no idea how to proceed from here on. Sasuke met her confused expression. "The rest is already in you. Just go, you will feel it."

Sakura nodded, determined to give it a shot. She placed one foot on either side of the broom and frowned in determination. She kicked off lightly, hoping it would hold and indeed, she felt an outpouring of magic the broom seemed to respond to, but remained stuck there, hovering a few feet above the air, just to Sasuke's left. She froze when she felt the fingers of his large, warm hand take hold of her elbow before casting her further into the air. It was just the push she needed, she gained height quickly and barreled forward. In seconds, she had figured out how to slow her ascent and control her direction.

She was giddy with happiness, even as she knew that the flying class had nearly come to an end. She turned to look at Sasuke over her shoulder, to wave at him, to thank him – but he was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the sky but Sasuke was not among her classmates. Had he gone into the castle? She searched the nearby windows and nearly fell off her broom when she saw a face resembling Sasuke's observing her intently from a window of the eastern tower. But it wasn't Sasuke. It was his older brother. Itachi.

Sasuke was relieved to be back home for winter break. Away from Naruto's irritating challenges and claims of rivalry, away from Kakashi's prying into his personal life, away from Suigetsu's grating voice and Karin's annoying flirting. Most of all, he was glad to be away from those emerald green eyes that were always, always staring at him, peering right into him. Staring at him even when they were far away in another classroom. Staring at him even when he lay awake, staring at the ceiling in his Slytherin dorm room, with no one but Kurosuke for company.

His mother was directing the house elves in decorating the mansion for the annual Christmas party. A fifteen-foot tree stood at attention in the ballroom. Sasuke watched the proceedings with an air of indifference, knowing he would be seeing the parents of all those who had been trying to curry favor with him this school year.

He turned as he saw Itachi pass by behind him, a book in his left hand and a steaming mug of what he could only assume was coffee, in his right. Giving one last look to the elves rushing about to tweak their ballroom into something resembling their mother's idea of perfection, Sasuke turned to follow his brother.

He caught up to Itachi in his brother's bedroom and leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms as he observed his brother settling into the armchair, his attention fully focused on the volume in his hand, the steaming mug of coffee all but forgotten. Sasuke cocked his head to one side, trying to get a look at the title, but Itachi chose that moment to lower the book to his lap and raise his eyes towards his younger brother.

"Come in, Sasuke," he said easily, "Close the door behind you."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this odd instruction as there was no one in the mansion but family and servants, but he did as he was asked.

Itachi took a sip from his coffee and continued reading as he queried gently, "Are you glad to be home again, Sasuke?"

"It's good to be rid of… some people." Sasuke admitted, not wanting Itachi to get the impression he had been homesick.

"Aa," Itachi agreed neutrally, "We don't often get the chance to sit together like this at Hogwarts."

Sasuke did not comment on that, slightly offended that his brother was holding a conversation with him and reading at the same time, his attention divided.

"How is Haruno-san?" Itachi asked neutrally, his level voice betraying no hint of emotion.

"Why ask me that?" Sasuke countered, a little too forcefully.

Itachi glanced up from his reading to meet Sasuke's eyes before dropping his gaze back to the book and turning another page.

"She seemed quite interested in you at the Sorting." Itachi supplied noncommittally.

Sasuke sighed and ran a hand through his hair, acknowledging that he had never had a chance at escaping Itachi's notice to begin with.

"She's bloody brilliant," Sasuke muttered, disgruntled.

A small smile teased the corner of Itachi's lips, but the expression escaped Sasuke's notice as he stared into a corner of the room. "Top of the class in every subject. Whether it's theoretical or practical magic… she excels at everything." Sasuke did not attempt to hide the petulant frustration in his voice.

"That's good." Itachi commented, "You've wanted a strong opponent to measure your skills against."

Sasuke scoffed, "She couldn't possibly be considered my rival."

"And why not?" Itachi asked, meeting Sasuke's gaze now.

"She's muggleborn." Sasuke declared, wincing with distaste. He shook his head, "You should've seen her parents."

"I did see them." Itachi leaned back in the armchair, observing Sasuke intently, as if waiting for Sasuke to point out something he had missed.

Sasuke frowned, irritated that Itachi was pretending not to understand.

"Are you so concerned with the purity of her blood, Sasuke?" Itachi's raven eyes bore into him.

"That's not the point." Sasuke protested, but he had lost sight of the point himself, somewhere along the line.

"Well, as we both know, pureblood families wield magic far more adeptly than the lesser-born wizards and witches so it shouldn't be difficult for you to find another, more talented rival. Isn't that so?" Itachi returned his attention to his book and Sasuke felt dismissed, as if Itachi had given him some homework to think on.

Sasuke sighed, seating himself at Itachi's desk. "That's just the thing. None of the other first years compares… and she shouldn't be this good, given what she is."

"And what is she?" Itachi intoned gently, turning another page.

"A mudblood." Sasuke spat the word with bitterness. Disappointed with himself for being so drawn to her, despite knowing this indisputable fact.

He turned as he noticed Itachi's penetrating gaze piercing right through him. His book lay spread out on his lap, forgotten.

"Does that make her magic any different from yours, Sasuke?"

Sasuke did not know what to say to this. Was her magic any different than his? And if it wasn't, where was the superiority afforded to him by his bloodline? What was Itachi getting at?

"What are you saying?" Sasuke hissed, glancing warily at the door he had closed himself only moments ago. "If anyone heard you-"

"But someone is hearing me." Itachi cut in, his expression unchanging as he watched his younger brother. Sasuke froze in alarm. If someone heard the treasonous statement…

"You." Itachi took his mug of coffee in both hands, allowing the warmth to spread through his fingers. He looked up at his brother again, noting his expression of relief as he realized no one else had been listening in on them.

"You are hearing me, aren't you, Sasuke?" Itachi's obsidian eyes carried the weight of a deeper question as he regarded his brother and Sasuke sighed and dropped his gaze.

"Yeah, Onii-san. I hear you."

It was nearly midnight when Sasuke entered his room after the Christmas party. He had endured hours on his feet, paying attention to the prominent personas who had made an appearance in proportion to how much consideration he had for their children. For Sasuke this meant a casual greeting or a nod of acknowledgment for the most part. Actually engaging in conversation was an honor he reserved for Suigetsu and Karin's families.

It was a never-ending night of uncomfortable small talk, formal dancing and meaningless pleasantries. He had no idea how Itachi could stand it. Watching his brother's perfect posture and kind gestures was all the motivation he needed to grit his teeth and get through the evening.

Sasuke closed his door and crossed over to his bed, tearing off his dress robes as he did so. He folded them neatly and lay them over the back of his desk chair for the house elves to deal with in the morning. He stood shirtless in his loose, black, cotton trousers and was just about to turn in for the night when he froze, hearing a gentle tapping against glass. He turned to the sound and the tension in his shoulders eased when he saw it was simply an owl asking entrance at his window.

Crossing over to the window, he quickly opened it allowing the owl and the cold winter breeze entrance into his bedroom. Snow had fallen over night and the expansive Japanese garden that spread out over the courtyard was decked in a soft, white mantle. Even the red-lacquered pagoda was now an angelic white and the koi pond was completely hidden from view, blanketed by snow.

He turned to the little owl catching its breath on the windowsill and recognized it immediately as the lucky creature that had nuzzled against Haruno Sakura's cheek. He stroked the owl's head absent mindedly, ruffling its feathers with a long finger. "What brings you here?" he asked the bird with a smirk. There was only one explanation for Haruno Sakura's owl visiting him on Christmas Eve.

Sure enough, the little owl had a small package tied to its leg. Sasuke moved to pick up the water at his bedside and poured it into a saucer, nudging the small plate toward Sakura's owl. It hopped over gratefully and quenched its thirst, ignorant of how predatorily Kurosuke observed it from the shadows. Sasuke opened the package carefully and a small note tumbled out along with a black velvet box. Sasuke reached for the note first.

Merry Christmas to you and your master, Kurosuke! Hope to see you again, soon, in Hogwarts!

Sakura

Sasuke scoffed and his smirk transformed into a genuine smile. That cheeky girl. Shaking his head, he opened the box and was surprised to find a dark blue, velvet ribbon inside. Pulling the ribbon from the box he noticed it was a collar with an emblem of the Uchiha clan symbol dangling from its center.

"Hey, Kurosuke." Sasuke called, leaving the box and the note on the windowsill, he crossed over to his cat. "Looks like you got something out of your little escapade." Sasuke undid Kurosuke's green collar to replace it with the blue velvet. It gave Sasuke immense pride to see his clan symbol on his possessions and so, he far preferred the collar Sakura had sent over the Slytherin green one.

He briefly regretted not buying her a gift in return, but he had assumed they weren't even friends and had abandoned the notion. As an idea suddenly crossed his mind, however, he moved over to the pile of presents he had brought up into his room with him. Sure enough, there on the box of his Knowtebook – a book that magically takes notes for you without ever running out of pages – was the discarded red ribbon his mother had used to wrap the present. Sasuke took the length of scarlet, silk ribbon and moved to tie it around the little owl's neck fashioning it into a lopsided bow. He tugged at the ends of it, struggling to make its appearance neater before giving up and deciding to leave it as it was. He opened his desk drawer and procured a scrap of parchment, deliberating how to respond before opting for a simple Thank You.

He sent Sakura's owl back into the night air before he could think better of it, but as he lay awake the next hour, Kurosuke wrapped up in his arms and him scratching behind the blue-eyed kitten's ears absentmindedly, he cursed himself for his hasty response. There were better things he should have given her - more eloquent things he could have written than a simple, generic thank you.

Grumbling over his inability to ever deal with the pinkette in an acceptable manner, his eyes slowly closed, and he let sleep overtake him.

He froze on the stairs to the Great Hall as he caught sight of her. Her eyes were the same shade of brilliant green they had always been. Her pale hands waved around animatedly as she retold a story to her friend beside her. Her long pink hair tumbled over her shoulders gracefully, the red ribbon he had sent her tied neatly over her head, holding her hair back from her face. She had kept it for herself.

"Hey, your lordiness, wanna get going or what?" Suigetsu quipped beside him and Sasuke gathered himself and continued down into the Great Hall. He chanced one last glance at the ribbon in her hair, remembering how the silk had felt between his fingers and unable to comprehend how that slip of silk had found its way into her hair.

"Sasuke-kun!" she called, catching sight of him, "Did you have a nice Christmas?" She smiled up at him, her viridescent eyes positively glowing.

"Aa," he answered dismissively before escaping to the Slytherin table. Sakura did not seem put off by his response, smiling after him before turning back to her friends. Sasuke still wasn't sure if one of her ancestors wasn't a Veela.

It was towards the end of the first school year that a student died.

It had been a Hufflepuff that neither of them knew well, but it cast a shadow of gloom over the students as they returned home for summer vacation. The stifling atmosphere was made worse by the fact that the teachers revealed precious little about the circumstances of the boy's death. Sakura had appealed to the Head of Gryffindor, Asuma and Sasuke had nearly threatened Kakashi, but the teachers refused to reveal any information. Stating simply that the students should head home and clear their heads. The faculty would figure this out.

It was the first time that Sasuke saw the light in Sakura's eyes grow dim. She dropped her ever cheerful persona and contemplated the situation gravely. The few days that remained until their departure she could be found in the library, her nose pressed into the pages of a book as she struggled to unearth some secret that would explain what had happened to the boy.

They rode home on the Hogwarts Express, Sakura with the other Gryffindors, and Sasuke with the Slytherins. Sasuke tried not to notice how Naruto comforted Sakura by pulling her into a friendly embrace.

Sasuke knew the death of the Hufflepuff boy signaled the beginning of the cogs turning in the Dark Lord's plans. Duty dictated what side of that battle he would be standing on, but Itachi's words made him uneasy. You are hearing me, aren't you, Sasuke?

That awkward conversation as well as what he had learned from the Sorting Hat made Sasuke wonder if his brother truly shared their family's loyalty to the Dark Lord. If the answer to that question was anything other than a clear yes, it spelled grave danger for all of them.

Sasuke determined to learn more about his brother's plans over summer vacation but he made little headway over the six weeks he was home. In that time, his brother had been summoned to assist more than one department of the Ministry of Magic and was transported to a three-week stint in Bulgaria to assist in subduing one wayward dragon. When Itachi finally returned, it was announced that the Dark Lord would be dropping in for a visit and Sasuke was not to leave his room.

Sasuke very much resented this decision as he felt more than worthy of meeting the one they had pledged loyalty to, but there was nothing for it. Fugaku had made the decision, but it had been Itachi who had silenced all protests with a level stare and a quiet command for Sasuke to go to his room. Sasuke might have argued with his father, but commands from Itachi were few and far between so he begrudgingly acquiesced.

The Dark Lord had been crippled badly by The Boy Who Lived although that individual's identity had been kept a secret from the wizarding world. This marked the first time he had visited his followers in person and Sasuke wondered what had changed.

When Itachi appeared in his doorway hours later with the faintest hints of grimness in the corners of his eyes, Sasuke abandoned any questions he had been wanting to ask. "Come sit down, Nii-san." Sasuke gestured to the empty armchair in a corner of his room and rose to pour his brother a glass of water. Itachi accepted it and sat down in the offered seat.

"Thank you, Sasuke." He drank from the cool water, before setting it down on the floor beside him.

The two brother's eyes met. One pair of expectant onyx eyes trained on the nearly identical reluctant obsidian.

"The Dark Lord is a legilimens, Sasuke." Itachi explained patiently.

"So?" Sasuke shot back without hesitation, thinking he had nothing to hide.

Itachi raised a brow at his younger brother as if disappointed at his hasty response. "Is there nothing that has gone through your mind this past year, that you might need to hide from the Dark Lord?" Itachi persisted.

Sasuke thought of Sakura's owl, nuzzling her hand, of Kurosuke held in her arms, of the feel of her slim wrist in his hands, of her delighted expression when she took off into the air on her broomstick, of blue collars and red ribbons and he fell silent.

"I understand." He said at length, feeling foolish for his earlier indignance. Itachi sighed and rose to his feet, "Don't worry, Sasuke."

"If you were any older, I would teach you occlumency, but at your age that isn't advisable."

"I can learn." Sasuke insisted, "I can learn anything you're willing to teach me."

"Yes, I know." Itachi agreed, smiling affectionately at his brother. "But occlumency burdens the mind heavily even as it protects it." He crossed over to his brother and Sasuke looked up at him expectantly, only to feel the pressure of Itachi's fingertips tapping his forehead. "Maybe next time, Sasuke." With a forlorn smile, he added, "Until then, use me as your shield."

As Itachi turned to leave, he stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at Sasuke one last time, "The Dark Lord is still here, so stay in your room a while longer."

Sasuke nodded as he watched Itachi's retreating back. Feeling left out had been bad enough, but the very real danger of the Dark Lord discovering each and every one of Sasuke's secret thoughts about Sakura was incentive enough for him to stay away for now. Either until he gained a better handle on his feelings towards the muggleborn genius or until he was trained in Occlumency. Sasuke realized he did not have much time to do either one.

When he snuck down the staircase hours later, he was certain the Dark Lord had already taken his leave. When he spied his parents kneeling in the drawing room, however, he was suddenly aware he had made a grave mistake. He was just turning to leave when a nasal voice stopped him in his tracks.

"The time is nigh, and you have been my loyal subjects all these years." He sucked in a breath and Sasuke felt a cold shudder crawl over his spine even as he hid behind the wall leading into the drawing room. He knew that voice, but for some reason he could not place it.

"Of course, you must be rewarded." The nasal voice lilted in an oddly threatening way that made Sasuke feel physically sick. His mind raced as he struggled to identify the voice. If only he could figure out who was speaking, who this "Dark Lord" really was, he would sprint back to his room, to safety as Itachi had instructed. He had to take a chance, he had to see who it was.

Sasuke peered around the wall, doing his best to remain hidden as he peeked past the doorframe at the man seated in front of his kneeling parents and his breath caught in his throat as the face of the Hufflepuff boy looked back at him.

AN: Aaaaand thats the end of the first year! The second year is nearly completely written as well, so it should be out soon. I'm hoping to condense the following years a bit. I'm really only writing this to get to ONE SPECIFIC SCENE, but I got carried away. Don't know if I'm happy with it. Let me know what you think, guys. ^^'