Disclaimer I own nothing, except maybe parts of the plot. Everything you recognize belongs to JKR.
Author's Note: ...Oops? Sorry, I couldn't resist starting a new story! The muse for this got into my head and kinda refused to leave. I think it actually packed the bags for all the others so they could go on vacation. At least, that's what it seems like. If you're wondering about when one of my other stories is going to be updated, it could be a while. The floppy disk I had everything saved on needed to be re-formatted, so I lost everything I had saved on it, including chapters in progress. However, I have bits and pieces of hard copy for all of them, so it shouldn't be too long, once I actually start typing... The semi-good news is that I'm now so paranoid that I've saved my stories in three different places...
Enough with that, on with the story!
Fraternizing with the 'Enemy'
Prologue
"Now boys, I'm sure you're both wondering why I called you here," Headmistress McGonagall said, surveying the two men seated across from her.
"We're all aquiver with anticipation," Severus Snape said, rolling his eyes.
"Of course we're interests," Harry Potter said, shooting a slightly irritated, slightly amused look at the man next to him. After all, neither of them had a job that pertained even remotely to Hogwarts anymore, even though they had both taught at some point.
"How would the two of you like to teach again?" McGonagall asked.
"How about no," Harry said quickly, while Snape's reply was more along the lines of "Not even when Hell freezes over."
"You didn't let me finish," she snapped, this time acting more like she had as Transfiguration professor instead of Dumbledore. 'Seriously,' Harry thought. 'Manipulative is apparently in the job description for head of the school.' "How would you like to teach in 1977?"
"Oh, that changes my mind," Snape said, rolling his eyes once again.
"Well you're going to say yes eventually," the headmistress said smugly, turning back from strict Transfiguration professor to Dumbledore. "Because both of you did teach then." Silence greeted this statement.
"Well fine then," Harry sighed. "When do we leave and when do we get back?"
"You leave immediately. I've already sent a notice to the Ministry telling them you'll be unavailable for an unspecified amount of time. I've also had your respective house elves pack what you need."
"What makes you think the Ministry will just let us leave?" Severus argued.
"You are the two best employees in the Department of Mysteries. And, if you do lose your job, you can always work here," McGonagall supplied.
"Yeah, right," Severus snarled. "Why aren't you making a bigger fuss about this?" he asked, turning to Harry.
"It's already happened, hasn't it. You know you're going to say yes. Besides," he added in a teasing voice. "I'm independently wealthy. 'Course, come to think of it, so are you."
"Impertinent brat," Severus muttered. The other two ignored it in favor of staring at him expectantly. "Fine! I'll go!"
About an hour later, Harry and Severus were once again standing in front of McGonagall, having completed some last-minute packing. While their house elfs' had packed the main things they would need, they had forgotten a few details, like an old piece of parchment Harry kept in a drawer in his room.
"Alright. I will perform the spell to send you back, and you'll do the spell to bring you here. Good luck," McGonagall said as she fine-tuned Severus's glamour and handed each man a slip of paper. Harry, it had been decided, had changed enough not to be recognized as James and Lily's son. Severus, however, was much too recognizable. "Harry, you will be using the name Jonathan Granger. Severus, you'll be using the name Lance Collins."
"How long do we stay?" Harry asked.
"The complete year, most likely, although the only part you have to be there for is the attack. After that, it's up to you. I'll send you there about a week before term starts. Please try not to fight. Oh! You can also send letters using that spell, as it is one that can be used on about everything, to send it back to the caster's regular time. I have a spell that will allow us to communicate from here as well. Try to behave while your gone," McGonagall said, not quite grinning at the pair. While they got along infinitely better than they had, they still fought. Now, however, the fights were more teasing than actually meant to hurt the other.
"Yes Mother," Harry grinned. Severus glared, having decided that remaining silent was most likely the best way to keep from completely cursing the office and everyone in it.
"Ready?" McGonagall asked. As both men nodded, she cast the spell. In a blinding flash of light, she was alone in her office again.
Meanwhile, having traveled through space and time…
Harry and Severus landed with a thunk outside the doors to Hogwarts.
"I never thought I'd find a way to travel that I hated more than portkeying," Harry said, standing up from his extremely ungraceful landing.
"We need to find Dumbledore," Severus said, eyeing the castle doors. Harry nodded before leading the way inside.
Just inside the Entrance Hall, they met someone whom Harry recognized to be a young Madame Hooch.
"Can I help you?" she asked hesitantly.
"We're here to apply for the teaching positions," Harry smiled.
"Oh! Follow me, and I'll take you to Dumbledore!" she exclaimed before heading up the stairs. Severus and Harry glanced at each other in amusement before following.
"Just a bit further," Madame Hooch called over her shoulder. "Ah! Here we are! There's just time to talk to Dumbledore before the staff meeting! Cockroach Cluster!" The gargoyle slowly moved aside, revealing the long revolving staircase that led to the Head's office.
"That woman is way to…chipper," Severus muttered darkly.
"She probably just has a huge crush on you!" Harry whispered brightly.
"Just what, exactly, did I do to get stuck with you?" Severus glared. Harry only grinned.
The two had reached an understanding during the war, having been forced together quite often. Halfway through the summer holidays after Harry's sixth year, McGonagall had called him to Hogwarts, saying Dumbledore's portrait wanted to talk to him. The portrait explained just what, exactly, was going on, that he had been dying anyway, and that for Severus to kill him had been for the best for all concerned, really. This way, Draco Malfoy wouldn't become a killer. Severus would rise even higher in the ranks of the Death Eaters, therefore being privy to more information. Dumbledore would die a painless death, and anyway, he could still communicate, so it wasn't like he was truly gone, he just didn't have a physical body.
After that, Harry and Severus had grudgingly worked together. They got along quite a bit better when they could meet each other on the same level, instead of Severus having the authority of a teacher over Harry. They had, over the space of four years, grown considerably closer, so that by the time the war was over, they were friends. Two years of being separated except for rare occasions hadn't damaged the friendship in the slightest.
"Ah, Madame Hooch! To what do I owe the honor?" Dumbledore said they entered. "And who are your friends?"
"I'm Jonathan Granger," Harry said, glad he remembered his cover. "And this is Lance Collins. We came to apply for the open teaching positions."
"Ah yes. And what kind of credentials do you have? By the way, which of you is applying for which position?" Dumbledore asked, leaning back in his chair, blue eyes twinkling as if he knew exactly what they were going to say.
"I'll be applying for Potions. I am a Master in the field," Severus replied. "I have also taught for several years."
"I'm afraid I'm not a Master at Defense as of yet," Harry admitted. "I was offered it when… well, I felt I should go through the tests anyway, so no one could say anything. I have, however, taught the subject before, and some of my experiences in the field I doubt you'd believe."
Dumbledore stared at them a few moments. "Who are you really?" he asked as the rest of the staff arrived, startling all of them. "I completely believe most of your credentials, oddly enough, as that is what most would fake. However, I believe nothing else. You are both so skilled at Occlumency that I can't break through, which, I must admit, worries me greatly as I am one of the best Legilimens around. I also don't remember seeing you before, which could be easily explained, I know, as could most of the rest of my doubts. However, the most worrying part is that one of you has a connection to Voldemort and the other is actually a Death Eater!" The staff that had gathered gasped, seemingly alerting Dumbledore's attention to them for the first time.
Harry and Severus glanced at each other, knowing each other well enough to be able to communicate without words. After all, you can't expect to browse through someone's personal, intimate memories without knowing them extremely well.
"We'll tell you," Harry said slowly. "It's more than a little hard to believe, however, so, if nothing else, keep an open mind." He stopped there, however, chewing on his bottom lip, trying to decide where to begin. "I guess the first thing you need to know is that we're not from this time. We actually come from the year 2000." Silence, then disbelief greeted this statement.
"I don't believe it," Professor McGonagall announced.
"My dear Professor, you sent us here yourself," Harry grinned, reminding the Professors of someone, but as they were still convinced they should be from their time, they didn't realize who.
"I still don't believe it."
"What is your real name, and the qualifications that you have that you don't think I'll believe?" Dumbledore asked before the two could argue.
"Harry Potter, pleasure to meet you again." Harry smirked as the teachers gasped.
"James Potter's son?" Flitwick gasped. Harry nodded.
"So that would make you…?" Hooch asked Snape.
"He still needs to tell Dumbledore his qualifications," Snape said, waving them away. They would have figured out who he was then, if he wasn't just about the last person they expected to find with James Potter's son.
"Fine," Harry said, shooting Severus an amused look. "You want to know what qualifies me to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts? At age one I survived the Killing Curse. It rebounded and hit Voldemort, defeating him for the first time. In my first, second, fourth, fifth, and seventh years at Hogwarts, as well as in quite a few battles after that, I faced him again, although only in actual, human, living form after my fourth year. Finally, I defeated him at age 22. In my second year, I also defeated a Basilisk. In my fourth year, I competed in and won the Triwizard Tournament, as both the youngest and the fourth champion. By my third year I could conjure a completely corporeal Patronus, and use it against hundreds of Dementors. In my fifth year, I started a defense group which I taught. After I graduated from Hogwarts, I started teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. After defeating Voldemort, I started as an Unspeakable, and have been there ever since. Is that enough?" He gazed at the shocked faces staring at him. "Your turn," he said, turning to Severus.
Severus opened his mouth as if to start speaking, but abruptly shut it in favor of staring into space, a haunted look gracing his features. Suddenly, he turned and walked out the door, completely lost in thought.
"Sev?" Harry called, alarmed. Completely ignoring the others in the room, he ran out as well.
"'Sev?'" McGonagall questioned. "Surely not…"
"You wouldn't think so," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "However, it could very well be. The man was wearing quite a few glamour charms, so apparently we would easily recognize him without them. Who else is there that fits?"
"But you still have the fact that they are a Potter and a Snape. Those two families haven't gotten along in centuries!" Professor Binns exclaimed.
"Until now, if our guess is correct," Dumbledore responded, looking at each teacher in turn. "I have a feeling they will be back shortly. Now, shall we start the meeting?" He was about to continue when he saw the trunk Harry had left behind open slowly, before a old piece of parchment and an odd colored cloak rose out of it. "Now what are those for?"
Meanwhile, Harry couldn't find Severus anywhere. He just hoped he hadn't taken refuge too far into the dungeons; Harry would never be able to find him there. Sighing with frustration, he did what he should have done before he left the office, and summoned the Marauders Map, and, on second thought, his Invisibility Cloak.
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good," he whispered. The map quickly came to life, revealing all of Hogwarts. Ah, there he was. On top of the Astronomy Tower. Shit. Now, this wasn't the problem it could have been. After all, Harry was 99.99 certain that Severus wasn't going to jump. No, he was just reliving that night at the end of Harry's sixth year. Even though Severus appeared, to most, to have moved on, anyone who knew him well, which was a grand total of about two people, could tell that he still hadn't healed from Dumbledore's death, especially his part in it. Harry sighed once again before heading up to the top of the tower, followed by McGonagall, who had stepped out of the tower to Dumbledore's office and was trying to stay hidden.
"Sev?" Harry called quietly as he stepped out onto the top of the Astronomy Tower. "Are you alright?" Harry didn't get a response. Instead, Severus simply continued staring out over the horizon. Harry walked slowly towards him, until he was leaning beside him on the ledge.
They stood in silence for a bit. "You know it's not your fault, right?" Harry asked, apparently deciding that the direct approach was the best course of action.
"I seem to have heard that a time or two, yes. Of course, you should know, as it's usually you telling me," Severus replied, still looking out towards the Forbidden Forest.
"Yet you refuse to believe it," Harry finished wryly. They sat in silence for another little bit.
"I still don't understand how any of you can trust me," Severus said suddenly, breaking the silence. "Especially you, knowing all you do." Harry covertly cast a silencing charm. It was hidden enough that McGonagall didn't notice, especially as she didn't know what to look for, and Severus was distracted enough that he didn't even flinch like he usually would as the ward took effect.
"How could I not, knowing what I do?" Harry questioned.
Author's Note: How did you like it? I had never seen this particular spin on time travel, so I decided I needed to give it a shot. I'm still debating on whether or not this should be slash, however. Please tell me in a reviewif you care one way or the other!