Snape didn't want to get out of bed if she could help it. It felt like the world had crashed around her and she just wanted to hide away.

Of course, she had class so that wasn't possible.

She decided to skip breakfast and head straight to Charms. Thankfully, it was with the Ravenclaws, so there was no need to worry about how she was going to face Lily. Honestly, she didn't know how she would manage tomorrow.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. How could Lily do this to her? Didn't she know how she had tried? How often she had to defend her friendship with a Mudblood, and how little her peers respected her for it? (Well, maybe she didn't try hard enough.) It was better to feel anger than sadness, it wouldn't do to be so weak.

She scuffled into the back and basically went through the motions of her day. She'd already mastered the Summoning Charm, so she discretely was writing in the margins of her textbooks. Maybe there was a way to improve it? Increase its range, or improve the wand movements? How could this spell be used in defense?

Her mind wandered to a few hexes she had been working on, and hypothesized some of the potential effects. If only she had some test subjects, but that got her in this mess in the first place.

Well, she could always pick a fight with the Gryffindor boys. She needed someone to take her rage out on.

What would be the best place to strike?

Well it was currently noon. So while it would be dramatic to strike during lunch, it would also be madness. She needed to find them either before afternoon classes, or right afterwards. And they would have to be alone.

Well, the Gryffindors had Transfiguration with the Hufflepuffs, so they would be finished sometime around three o'clock. If she could cut them off on their way to Gryffindor Tower, maybe somewhere on the fourth floor? That could work.

As she sat down for lunch, she poured herself some pumpkin juice, and grabbed an apple. The sooner she was out the better.

"Well, I think it's high time you kept me up to date on your 'secret mission". Snape eyed the young man sliding next to her. Oh right. She had made up that lie about getting Regulus involved.

"Oh it's nothing you'd care about," she responded brusquely. "I was forced into helping settle a score. It's finished, that's all you need to know."

Regulus pouted. "And here I was going to tell you what I'd learned about Rosier." He looked up, making sure the older boys were preoccupied. They were on the other end of the table, making some sort of tower out of mashed potatoes and peas.

"Your information is of no use to me," Snape drawled, "Anyway, I already know."

Regulus's eyes widened. "Really? And what are you going to do with that?"

"Nothing. I don't think it's any of our business, do you?" Snape put down the slice of her browning apple. She wasn't very hungry anyway.

"Do you want to know what he was going to do with the letters?" Regulus asked, looking pleased with himself.

"No, and I think if we want to keep our heads we should probably stop talking about this." Shape hissed.

Regulus sighed. "Very well. But next time you are settling scores, as it were, let me know. It's been terribly boring as of late."

Snape scowled. "Is my life some sort of diversion for you?"

"Yes," he smirked. "And don't look so cross, it's very unbecoming on a woman."

Snape got up and decided she wasn't going to bother with waiting. Maybe she'll ambush them before class. It's not like she had to worry about upsetting Lily anymore. Not like she cared if Lily was upset, no she did not.

The best way to get their attention was to target one of the younger students, especially one of the Gryffindors.

It was almost time for class, and most of the students were walking to and from their respective dormitories to their destinations. She was at the second floor, at the foot of the staircase that would often swivel to Gryffindor tower. This was the halfway point for most students to separate. She knew the Marauders would arrive to class last, so they will certainly pass by. All she needed now was a straggler.

She didn't have to wait long before she saw a Third Year waddling towards the staircase. He was small, with frizzy blond hair and a rather hurried pace. He was running late after all.

Snape sent a quick insect jinx, causing the boy to scream, sprout feelers and start scuttling along the ground. While the boy wriggled and tried to make a sound (but failed) while his antennae started examining the floor, Snape laughed. This certainly was an improvement to moping around.

She felt a Stinging Hex straight to her back and a Disarming Charm strike her hand, knocking out her wand. Finally.

She picked up her wand, careful to miss another spell, and turned around.

While Black looked ready to duel, Lupin was helping the boy on the ground, Pettigrew looked tense, but also had his wand out, and Potter looked annoyed.

"Still up to you old ways, aren't you Scervix?" taunted Black. "And here we were thinking you were going to change."

"We don't ever need to speak of that again." She murmured. She sent another hex, Potter used a Sheild Charm and blocked it.

"You have terrible timing, Snape." Potter responded. "If we're tardy for Sprout, she'll give us detention again and if I have to prune the Snargaluff tree, I'm personally going to feed you to it."

"I'd like to see you try." She sent some more hexes, a few of her own invention, hoping they'd be caught off-guard and one would slip through. It seems they were adept at blocking, even Pettigrew much to her dismay. Lupin had escorted the boy back to the stairwell and shot a hex from behind. She ducked, and it hit Black.

"Merlin!" He gasped as leeks started to grow from his ears.

"Looks like you have a reason to be excused from class." Snape jeered. "Or you can take him to Herbology and see if he can be turned into a nice soup."

Potter sent a Knee-Reversing Jinx in her direction, causing her to fall over, and Black sent a spell that turned her nose into an elephant's trunk. She trumpeted in anger, realizing she wouldn't be able to verbally cast spells.

She rolled on the floor, trumpeting.

"Well, she's going to cause a scene." Pettigrew remarked. "I guess we better change her back?"

"I say we leave her here. Serves her right. She started it, and we have no obligation to help her." Black responded as he rubbed his now plant-like ears. "Anyway, I have to head to the Hospital Wing."

"We can't do that, Padfoot." Lupin mumbled. "Even if we want to. Change back the tunk at least, then we'll head out."

Black nodded, and gave the counterjinx. "I think it suited her better honestly. For once she had a nose bigger than her current one."

He turned to Potter.

"What'd you say we keep the backwards knees? I mean she did make Evans cry."

Was that true? Or was he just trying to get in her head.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull but it's not going to work. Lily doesn't cry." Snape responded bitterly. "Do what you'd like, see if I care."

"You really did hurt her, Snape." Potter said solemnly. "I've never seen her so upset. And you know, all these years we really were holding back because Lily told us to go easy on you. You were just misunderstood." He walked over to her, watching her writhe on the floor as she tried to lift herself up. He placed his foot on her leg, gently holding her in place, his wand pointed at her.

She stopped moving, her eyes met his and she could see anger, but also something else she couldn't quite place.

"But I think we know better. You aren't misunderstood, you're just a bitch." She flinched as he raised his wand, and undid the jinx. He offered her a hand and helped lift her up before walking away to help Black to the Hospital Wing. As the four of them walked away. Snape huffed.

Snape was in a terrible mood the rest of the day, and the following day.

When she was in a terrible mood, she brewed.

Brewing wasn't really a passion of hers, it was mostly a way to pass the time. Some girls had needlework, others had gardening, Severa Snape liked brewing potions. It cleared her head of most of the dark thoughts that crept in when she was idle. More importantly, she liked experimenting. Thinking up new combinations, new techniques, it was like solving a puzzle without any of the answers. And if it failed (which happened more than she'd like to admit), it was still useful to know what didn't work.

She was waiting for her batch of a Blood Clotting potion that would help speed up injuries and maybe diminish larger cuts. She had moderate success with the first batch, but she was going to see how far she could enhance the potency before it led to a full-on stroke.

As she noted the new ingredients: Yarrow, Yak milk, and Blue Chard, she made of comment in the back of her Runes textbook how each addition affected the current solution.

She sighed. Lily used to give her feedback on some of her potions. It used to be fun bouncing off ideas with her, sometimes Lily would even join her and she'd convince Slughorn to let them use extra ingredients from the storeroom. She really did have that man wrapped around her finger. Snape had to buy or forage her own ingredients, and was lucky if he even let her use the classroom during off hours.

She was waiting for the solution to finish simmering, and was about to start cleaning up when she saw someone enter the room. It was odd, no one ever came in here.

Much to her surprise it was Mulciber. Snape tensed up, wondering if he had finally caught on to her involvement in the prank at the boys' dorm.

He walked up to the cauldron with a careless ease and peered over. "What've you got in there," he joked. "Love potions?"

"It's for Blood Clotting." Snape replied flatly, hoping he would take the hint from the irritation in her voice. He did not.

"For healing? Sounds useful. I'd like a vial of that when it's finished." He peered over at the potion and she shooed him away.

"It's not going to be cheap." She replied tersely.

"Not even a discount for friends, Severa? After all the times I've helped you?" Mulciber leaned against the table and looked over at her notes. She slammed the book in his face.

"Ingredients cost money Cassius, which is something I have very little of as you know."

"But you do have access to brew practically unfettered, Slughorn must really have taken a shine to you."

"I only was allowed in here because of Evans," Snape remarked casually.

"Ah yes, the Mudblood." Mulciber drawled. "Don't do yourself a disservice Severa, you're also quite talented and from what I've heard, you've come to your senses and cut ties with her Is that correct?"

"How'd you know?" Snape asked.

"H told me that girl hasn't been hanging around you anymore. Good riddance, I say."

"Is it a pastime of yours to gossip? Or are you and H finally setting a date?" Snape rebutted.

Mulciber laughed. "It's a good thing I like you Severa, or else I wouldn't be so forgiving. How about this, I pay you ahead of time for ingredients, and you make what I need. Sounds good?"

If anyone knew she was starting a potions business, she would not only lose her privileges to brew, she'd be committing a crime by Ministry regulations and would probably be expelled.

"I don't think it's worth the risk Cas." Snape responded. Mulciber smirked.

"Very well. I'll pay cost of ingredients plus 30% commission. And I'll keep Old Sluggy busy if you're worried about getting caught."

"Make it 50."

"40 and no more."

Snape frowned, but shook on the agreement.

And so she started her illegal brewing business for the students of her year, or at least Mulciber, and sometimes Rosier. She wasn't aware if she had other customers, but the batch sizes Mulciber wanted were for twenty people at least. One of them would give her a list and a bag of gold, and she'd drop of the potions. They wouldn't meet in the brewing room or in the Common Room, it would be too obvious. Instead, they would meet at the statue of the Humpback Witch on the third floor.

It wasn't anything out of the ordinary at first. Calming Draughts, Pepperup Potions, Memory Potions, Dreamless Sleep. Then came the more bizarre suggestions: Blood Replenishing Potions, Burn-Healing Paste, Essence of Dittany. Snape wasn't going to question, but she didn't like knowing these weren't intended for schoolwork.

It wasn't until she had gotten the most recent list that she had to pause. Lacewing flies, Leeches, Boomslang skin, Knotgrass, Fluxweed.

She looked at Mulciber skeptically.

"I think I can expect your discretion." He growled.

"I won't be able to go into the shop and buy Boomslang skin you know. It's a controlled substance."

"Just pinch it from Slughorn's stores." Mulciber replied testily.

"You know I can't do that, he'll know. And I can't bribe him."

"I'm sure you're resourceful, you'll think of something." Mulciber threatened. He left her to consider her options.

While it would be easy enough to steal the skin, she knew Slughorn wasn't an idiot. He might be pompus and at times care more for his own social standing over his student's welfare, but she wasn't going to steal anything when she had access to the potions classroom. She'd be the prime suspect. She'd need an alibi.

"So you need me to cover for you, again?" asked Regulus skeptically. She had asked Regulus to meet her in the library, it was relatively neutral and less likely to arouse suspicion in anyone if they were studying together. Though Merlin knows why the Black scion would be spending any time with a plain nobody such as Severa Snape.

"Not just cover for me, we need to be able to prove I'm somewhere, when I'm going to be in another place entirely, preferably when everyone else is busy."

"Well we could place an illusion on a dummy and cart it into dinner in your place." Regulus suggested.

"No, it's too obvious. Besides, Dumbledore might see through it," She replied.

"You could try after hours, when everyone is in bed?"

"Worse idea. He'll definitely be in his office grading by then."

"So you're stealing something again," Regulus responded triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"You couldn't have, I never said what I'm doing." Snape grumbled.

"Well you weren't going to sneak by Flitwick, and the only other male professors are Slughorn and Professor Darger. And I'm not sure what you'd need from the DADA professor other than trying to pilfer a grindylow."

"I have no use for a grindylow," Snape acquiesced.

"May I ask what you're stealing? It's only fair after all."

"Let's just say that if I had it now, I wouldn't be in this situation," Snape said wryly, but frowned when she realized Regulus didn't understand her meaning.

He changed the subject. "So that leaves us the Halloween concert. It's mandatory, everyone will be there. We just have to have someone take your place."

Snape shuddered thinking about the dull choral event that took place before the annual Feast, and how even the enlarged toads looked like they would rather be pickled than participate.

"But that's tomorrow," Snape paled. "I won't have time to create a proper diversion."

"Well what's your current plan?" he asked.

"I've been trying out this spell I found in the Restricted Section, the Vladislav Enchantment. If we can transfigure a life-like organic husk that looks like me, it can exhibit my essence for a short period of time. But I might need to iron out the details." Snape explained.

Regulus looked at her quizzically. "That is some extremely Dark magic. I think we should hold off on that idea for now. Also what does 'ironing out' mean exactly?"

Snape huffed in frustration. "I suppose you have a better idea?"

"I think I do," He got up and hastily started stuffing his things in his bag. "But if I don't return, assume the worst has happened to me." Regulus quickly left without much of an explanation.

It wasn't until later the next day she heard from Regulus. She had been busy gathering up any sort of organic material in her bag, particularly scraps of meat, in case she needed to build a facsimile of a body.

"Throw that away, the last thing you need is that delightful perfume of rotting food to add to your delightful appearance."

He sat next to her, and was uncomfortably close.

"What's wrong with my appearance exactly?" She asked with pursed lips.

"I think we can save ourselves the time and skip this potential minefield don't you? I have our answer," he replied conspiratorially. Leaning in, he pulled out a golden necklace from his robes. It had a small golden hourglass on its pendant.

"It can't be." Snape whispered.

Regulus placed it around her neck, and she hid it in her robes. "You'll turn it once for each hour you want to go back. Travel too far back, you'll die and existence will unravel, so no pressure."

"How did you get his?" She asked, too stunned to really process the incredible and highly restricted object that was possible obtained through dubious means.

"Jemima Trowler is currently taking ten OWL classes. That's almost impossible."

"So this is Jemima's?" Snape deduced.

"It still is. However, Jemima is currently indisposed due to an incident with her broom. Completely shattered her leg in three places and will have to spend the night in the infirmary. She won't be in a state to notice its absence, as you can see."

"I see. Was this to help me, or hurt one of Gryffindor's Chasers?" Snape asked.

"Well anything to put my brother in a bad mood is a win in my opinion. But this is exactly what you needed, and it took a great deal of effort to get." Regulus complained.

"My hero," she snapped. "Should I grovel?"

Regulus continued. "Just watch the concert, and we'll meet up after the Feast in the dungeons. You use the time turner, go back two hours to the beginning of the concert, and do what you need to do."

"I figured that much out myself, thanks." She paused. "But really, thank you."

"I expect you're going to be paid handsomely for whatever it is you're getting, I expect half the take."

"You don't need the money," Snape grumbled.

"But you do, so it makes the reward more valuable to me. When we meet up at the dungeons you'll hand it to me and I'll sneak it back into Jemima's bag by morning."

Snape nodded, and felt the weight of time turner hanging around her neck like a rock.

"Are you alright, Severa? You've been rather listless these past few weeks." Honoria pouted.

They were sitting together at the concert. H would make a perfect alibi, and pretending to listen to her would give Snape a chance to scope the room. Sitting in the front, she could see Mulciber and Rosier in the back, muttering secretively to themselves. The other boys in her year seemed to be passing notes to each other. The girls were whispering, gossiping as always.

On the Hufflepuff table, students were eagerly listening, as most of the students in choir were their housemates. The Ravenclaws were bored, but you could tell they had politely decided to silently allow their minds to wander. The Gryffindors were overdoing it, as always. She sighed as the boys were ironically applauding this trainwreck of a concert and shouting for an encore. Her gaze lingered too long at Lily, and much to her embarrasement, Lily looked back. They shared a moment of remorse, and Snape felt like those green eyes were boring into her very being. She wanted to scream. Suddenly, Lily looked away and Snape stared at the floor.

As the concert dragged on, she kept looking at Lily, hoping they would share another moment, but she seemed to purposely be looking straight at the performers, unwilling to take her gaze off them. Snape closed her eyes as tears brimmed along the sides and sniffed.

"I say, Severa, you look unwell," whispered Honoria. "No one would mind if you ducked out a bit early."

"No, I'm fine." Snape wiped her face. "Just allergies."

After the Halloween Feast was over she headed to the designated spot. Regulus had yet to show, and she was behind schedule. Taking a deep breath, she was going to have to do this alone.

She twisted the hourglass and felt the room spin.

When she regained her bearings, she knew she was in the same place, but the light was different. She checked her watch, and yes, she had done it.

She didn't have time to marvel before she heard someone walking by. Thinking fast, she hid behind a suit of armor.

Much to her surprise, it was Slughorn, walking with a student.

"I say, my boy, I think with your marks and your brains you could go anywhere for your Mastery! It certainly helps that I'm well acquainted with Jonas Redfurn, head of the Oslo Potioneering Institute, he was a pupil of mine and a marvelous student, in fact he sends me a bottle of aquavit every year! I'm sure a generous donation from your father would certainly help…"

As they passed, Snape couldn't help but scoff. It seems that skill had little to do with gaining a Potions Mastery and it had more to do with connections, like everything else.

When the there was no other possible interlopers, she reached the door and unlocked it, quietly closing it behind her and locking it from the inside.

The store room had a standard locking spell, nothing too flashy. Perhaps Slughorn was too confident in his abilities to protect his ingredients. She went into storage room and searched the shelves. She grabbed the Boomslang skin, the lacewing flies, the bicorn horn and the knotgrass and placed it in her bag.

Snape closed the storeroom and locked it, making sure to use the same spell. She locked the door to the classroom, and quietly snuck out to her room to hide the skin in her trunk.

She sighed. How was she going to brew this? It was going to take a month at least. And she certainly couldn't brew this in the classroom.

Well, she would just have to find somewhere. She knew of a few abandoned rooms in the dungeons, secret antechambers. While it wouldn't be ideal, it's better than nothing.

She waited in her room and did some reading until the Feast was over. She headed to the meeting spot to find Regulus, but it seems her luck was running out.

"I didn't think you'd be back from the Feast so soon!" Rosier flagged her down in the Common Room. Students were beginning to trickle in and it was too public a space to act suspicious, but she was running out of time.

"I was feeling unwell," she pursed her lips. "If you excuse me, I think I forgot something at the Feast and I have to retrieve it before curfew."

Rosier grabbed her arm. "What's this people have been saying about you and me? That we're an item?"

"Excuse me?" Snape hissed.

"You heard me. Have you been spreading lies, you slag?" he whispered. For some reason, there were so many students walking around, heading to their rooms, none of them seemed to notice anything was wrong. Rosier smiled at her, as if they were having a friendly conversation.

"You might think you're clever trying to tie your name with mine," he added, "but I'd never even look at you, and I certainly wouldn't shag you." Rosier gripped his arm tighter around her, making her unable to pull away.

She quickly grabbed her wand and pointed it on his chest. "You aren't as important as you think you are Evan. Unhand me or I will personally make sure you're unable to shag anyone, as it were."

Rosier grinned, whispering in her ear. "Well it doesn't matter if you spread those rumors or not, at the end of the day you're still an ugly half-blood. You've been useful these past few weeks, but we've been giving you a sizable sum for little return. We are going to need what we want in perfect condition, or you will pay, and I will enjoy seeing you brought down."

Rosier let go of her, pushing her to the ground. Snape stood up, straightened her robes and headed out.

"What took you so long?" asked Regulus. "I was worried you wouldn't show, and we'd be in deep trouble."

"Never you mind. Here's the time turner, just get it back. I certainly am glad to be rid of it." She handed it over to him and he nodded, placing it back in his robes and stealthily departing up the stairs to return it to its rightful owner.

Snape sighed, and headed to the antechamber she had decided on for her brewing station.

It was also in the dungeons, and it was a medieval relic from when the castle stored its own food during sieges. It was musty, and had a perpetual white dust on the floor, but it would do.

She set up a station, enchanting some of the loose stones into a work bench and a stove. She was going to have to get an extra cauldron and some more glassware to pickle the flies.

She was going to need candles, there was no natural light after all, and a calendar.

More importantly, she was going to have to find where she could harvest fluxweed during a full moon. Perhaps she could check the Forbidden Forest.