Summary:

During Hermione's sixth year at Hogwarts, she travels back to 1979. The first Wizarding War is heating up, Harry's parents are still alive and not yet marked for death, Peter Pettigrew has yet to betray his friends, Severus Snape is still deeply embroiled with the Death Eaters and has made his way into the inner circle. While on opposite sides of the war they fall in love. As the war is coming to a head, Severus must decide if he will follow Hermione out of the darkness. Upon returning to 1997, their relationship resumes. Previously divided by their opposing sides in the war, now as it rages once more, they are divided by the roles they must play and the moral ambiguity of their nearly twenty year age difference and student teacher romance. Just how much will they be willing to risk and what sacrifices will they have to make?

Author's Note:

A quick few words before we dive into the story:

- This is my first published fanfiction and as such, it does take a few chapters for me to develop confidence as a writer, get into the groove of writing, and find my own style. As the story progresses and I develop past those hindrances, I think the flow and quality get much better, so please stick with me if you find the beginning rough. I promise it'll be worth it.

- A million thank yous to my Betas, Snapes_know_it_all and Slytherclaw1917. They have been wonderful, going back and editing my already posted chapters as well as going over the new ones I write, as well as trying their hardest to keep me on task and bringing order to all my ideas for this story as well as the stories I have in the works for the future. As of February 15th, 2021, we have edited and reposted everything in Part I (Chapters 1 - 52), everything in Part II has been reviewed and edited, and is slowly being corrected on here, and finally, everything from the start of Part III (Chapter 61) and beyond has been Beta read.

- This is listed as a series, however, the entirety of the Snamione story will be contained within this work. The expansion of a series will relate to the stories of other characters within this story.

- While the whole of this story will be located within this one, I have broken the periods of time it will span into parts for ease of organization. There will be five, possibly six, distinct periods of time within the SCTT.

- Part One covers Chapters 1-52 and involves the time-travel portion of this story and sets the plot up for the remaining four to five parts.

- Part Two covers Chapters 53-60 and covers the length of time between Hermione leaving the past and returning to 1997.

- Part Three (where we are as of February 5, 2021) starts in Chapter 61 and will span to the conclusion of HBP

- Part Four to come

- Part Five to come

- Part Six is a possibility

- The first portion of this story does involve time-travel, so certain events that happen in canon that would shape Severus Snape's life do not come to pass in the way they originally did when written by JKR. As such he, along with others, may be out of character.

- Every chapter is titled after a song so if you want to take a listen you can find the playlist here, playlist/7Mw1aec5PyApGxk2AFkxoI

- And if you decide you like the story and want to buckle in for the long haul, there is a Facebook group, where I post sneak peeks, announce any delays in updating, that sort of thing. You can find that here if you so choose, groups/401487450880977

Thank you so much for checking this story out, writing this story has morphed into a passion of mine and I really hope you enjoy it.

Take care and be happy!

XOXO

PART I

Chapter One: I Put a Spell On You by Annie Lennox

January 1997

For as much as Hermione scolded Harry about his obsession with the Half-Blood Prince's book, she had to admit, even if only to herself, she was also deeply intrigued. She was possibly bordering on being just as obsessed with whoever this Prince was as Harry. Though the spells lent their way to a grey or outright dark area of magic, she could no longer deny she was just as fascinated as Harry by the workings of their mind and how intelligent the Prince was.

While looking through the book with Harry one evening in the common room, she came across notes on time travel. It appeared the Prince had been working on a spell that would allow the caster to make short jumps back in time. However, unlike most of the spells hidden throughout the book, this one appeared to have been abandoned before a breakthrough could be made.

The only known way to travel through time was with the use of a time turner. Since the battle at the Ministry last year destroyed all known time turners, that bit of magic was lost to the wizarding world. With the Prince's notes though, there could be the potential for discovery. Not only would time travel be possible once again, but if the theories proved true, it meant that one could simply learn the spell and transport themselves without the aid of a magical object. It would be a revolutionary, though dangerous and difficult, piece of magic. Hermione was thoroughly fascinated.

Thus she sat in the library, while the early morning sun streamed through the windows, bathing her in its glow. She poured over every relevant text she could find about spell creation, casting, and time travel. Going over her notes and that of the Prince's once more, Hermione believed she finally had a spell she could test. If it worked, she would move just a few minutes through time. It wouldn't be much, but if it worked… She wouldn't let herself get lost down that train of thought. Newly created spells rarely worked the first time you tested them. But if… If it worked, she and whoever this Prince might be would have made the biggest discovery in the history of the modern wizarding world.

Packing up her things, resolving to test her spell with Harry after classes in case something went wrong, Hermione started to make her way to the Great Hall for the end of breakfast. Hopefully, she had spent enough time in the library to avoid the sickening sight of Won-Won and Lavender. Having spent most of the Christmas break nursing her broken heart over Ron, she returned with her feet firmly planted in the camp of sickened and annoyed by their displays of teenage love. Though her mother had helped her to see that a romantic relationship would never have worked out, that it would have gone down in a spectacular shower of flames, thus ruining the dynamics of their trio, it didn't mean she wanted to spend any more time than she had to around them. She was tired of the pitying looks from people as Ron flaunted his relationship with Lavender, and as dear a friend, as he would always be, she was still downright pissed with how he handled things with her.

Thankfully it seemed as though luck was on her side today. As Hermione approached the Gryffindor table, Won-Won was standing with Lavender to see her off to Divination before their shared block of Defense. Ugh, even the ridiculous little pet name makes me want to vomit. Yes, her mother was right. Things happened as they should because Hermione could never see herself acting in such a sickening way. Ron always longed to be the center of attention and have affection lavished upon him, so yes Lavender and he were a smart pairing when looking objectively and not through a broken heart.

"See ya in defense," Ron nodded to her and Harry as he left to follow Lavender.

"Ready to head to class Hermione?" Harry asked her, while she wrapped toast and bacon into a napkin, depositing it into her bag before heading back out of the hall. "Snape's in a foul mood. Even more so than usual, that is. The only thing we have going for us this year is that with the jinx on the job we will finally be rid of the great bat."

"Harry, it's Professor Snape, and stop calling him that. We can't imagine the amount of stress he must be under given all he does for the Order. Things could be so much worse for us if we didn't have him risking himself to bring information."

"Careful there, Hermione, others may catch on to your little secret."

"Don't be ridiculous Harry, he's our professor and one of the most valuable Order members. He deserves your respect," She admonished, trying to hide her blush behind her unruly curls.

"Sure, and your continuous defense of him has nothing to do with you fancying the man does it?" Harry laughed as Hermione shoved him laughing along with him.

In truth, he was right. Hermione had had a crush on Professor Snape, since the end of their third year. Throwing himself between them and Remus as the full moon forced his transition into a werewolf, solidly moving her opinion of Professor Snape from one of admiration and respect for him as a brilliant, albeit harsh professor, to a silly schoolgirl crush on her teacher. One she had only ever admitted to Harry, due to the sheer amount of potions she was on after the curse she took last year. At least she knew Harry would carry her secret to the grave, otherwise, she would have to do Voldemort a favor and kill him herself.

"What's so funny you two?" Ron asked walking up behind them. Hermione turned around to glare at her friend before stalking off down the corridor. "You can't be mad at me forever!" Ron shouted at her retreating back. "Try me," she muttered, pushing open the door to the classroom.

Professor Snape sat behind his desk, furiously marking an essay when she walked in. Taking her seat at the front of the room and depositing her bag to the floor, she allowed herself a few moments to watch him. After only a moment of watching him attack some poor student's work, his head snapped up, obsidian eyes locking onto her hazel. Hermione, fearful of his skill as a Legilimens, tried to tear her eyes away. She wouldn't believe for a moment he would forcefully penetrate the mind of a student, but knowing her mind held no shields, she was terrified to accidentally broadcast her thoughts of her admiration to him. Transfixed as she was though, by the fathomless depths of his eyes, she found herself unable to look away. It was as if he was waiting for something. If she didn't know any better she would almost believe her professor was trying to will her to remember something. The sound of students approaching the classroom was enough to break whatever spell she found herself trapped in and look away from him. Feeling a little dazed, she set herself to unpack her bag and prepare for class.

It was true that Professor Snape was short-tempered and harsh. Hermione could even attest to him being downright cruel, having been on the receiving end of his jagged barbs herself. But beneath that exterior, she knew him to also be an intelligent, protective, and ambitious man. He was the youngest professor in Hogwarts history, a spy for the Order in the first war, and worked tirelessly to protect Harry once he started school. And upon the return of Voldemort at the end of their fourth year, he willingly returned to the fold, committing himself to spy for the Order once more making himself the most valuable member. His voice during lectures, was like a caress on her skin, leaving her flush by the end of class. He turned potions and spell casting into an art form with his graceful movements that hypnotized her when she watched. Everything about him painted a sensual picture just for her. So though parts of him were undesirable, the sum of all his parts had put her under his spell and he didn't even know it. And honestly, Flitwick would be an improvement when compared to her humiliating crush on Lockhart in her second year.

Professor Snape's temperament during the lecture proved Harry right. He was in a foul mood. A storm was swirling inside the man and it was clear he had given up trying to contain it. Whatever was going on with the war must have been far worse than any of them realized, for what else could cause such a controlled man to lose his grip on his emotions? It was not an easy lesson for her to learn, but Hermione knew that when the professor was in one of these moods, it was best for the students to keep their heads down, and in her case, prevent herself from engaging in her "insufferable know it all" tendencies.

Drifting off into thoughts of the time travel spell, the minutes ticked by in class. So lost in thought she was, Hermione didn't notice Harry attempting to get her attention till it was too late. Looking up from her notes on her spell, she was once more sucked into his eyes, becoming the prey he sought to help rid himself of the storm raging inside.

Leaning into her with a quiet calm he asked, "Miss Granger, do you find yourself so well versed in the subject matter, you no longer need to pay attention in my class?" She could feel his breath warming her skin. She licked her lips trying to form words, though none were coming. His gaze glanced down to her lips and where they were cold and shuttered before, now they began to burn with a slow-building fire. It of course had to be a figment of her imagination, there was no possible way it was desire that lurked inside those eyes. And yet there it was plain as day, if only for her to see.

Snapping his head up, Professor Snape stepped back to address the class. "On my desk Monday, forty-eight inches of parchment over situational awareness. It seems as though some of you are lacking in understanding of the current climate. Dismissed!"

Severus had spent the last seventeen years waiting for her, and if it took another seventeen years before he could have her again, he would gladly continue to wait. The first eleven years came and went without incident. He threw himself into his work and preparing for the day the Dark Lord would rise again. She had come to the past with several potions he studied and perfected. Patenting them had made him even more well off since her absence, this time the wealth being of all legitimate means. In the summers off from school, he would work as a freelance curse breaker. Keeping his references and contacts in the industry current he hoped would be the key to leaving the world of academia behind when this was all over. Everything he did in those years was to prepare him for when she was his again, the war was over, and they could finally live their lives together. Then his eleventh year as a professor came.

For the last five and a half years, his life revolved around keeping the Boy Wonder alive and out of danger. Severus had to watch as the love of his life ran off into danger year after year with her best friend. Every harebrained scheme and near-death experience she was right there by Potter's side for it all. None topping last year's colossal fuck fest at the Ministry that nearly took her away from him before he ever got to have his Hermione back. Now in her sixth year, the clock was quickly running out. All his years of waiting and preparing were finally about to pay off.

Severus awoke on the morning of his thirty-seventh birthday happy for the day for the first time in those seventeen years. This was the day that she finally came home to him. The day he could let his mask of indifference fall in her presence. His game of patience and waiting was about to be over.

Severus stomped down the corridors, cloak rippling behind him as he sliced his way through the students. At a much earlier age than any child should have to, he learned to present only what he wanted people to see. To a passing observer, all they would see is their dreaded professor already on the warpath this morning. Bubbling beneath the surface though, he hid his excitement for the day. Only a few more hours now, he thought.

As Severus entered the Great Hall, he saw the Weasley boy trying to extract Miss Brown's tonsils with his tongue. "Mister Weasley, Miss Brown; fifteen points from Gryffindor for your sickening display of teenage affection," he called as he made his way to the head table. "Each." He could hear them sputtering about the loss of points as he walked away. For all the reasons he had to not like the boy, the one at the top of his list was his treatment of Hermione. It was a rather odd spot to be in. On the one hand, Weasley's lack of blood flow north of his trousers set everything in motion for the start of his relationship with Hermione. On the other hand, it led to her hiding out in the library for the last several weeks before break, having to spend half her time alone as Potter danced between the two, and made her the center of the gossip mongers once again. Still Weasley's fuck up had been Severus's gain.

Making quick work of his breakfast, Severus headed to his class to work through the rest of his grading. Once this was done his whole weekend would be free and clear to spend with her.

Why in the name of Salazar's saggy ball sack do I assign so many essays? I would rather be crucioed than read another one of these dreadful things. As he continued to curse his stupidity, he felt eyes land upon him. Snapping his head up, he locked eyes with her.

Hermione sat just a few feet away from him. Soon… Not much longer and this Hermione would finally go back in time and in her place would be the one he fell in love with and had to give up all too soon. He allowed himself a few moments to fall into her eyes. Her green and gold-flecked eyes were so expressive. No matter how much she tried to hide her thoughts and emotions from her face, it was all right there for anyone to read. Her eyes were truly a window into her soul. Even though he knew it was useless, he pleaded to her eyes to recognize him as more than her professor. The last few months had been nearly unbearable, she was so close but still not his. Hearing the students begin to fill the corridor outside the classroom, he tore himself away to don his bat of the dungeon persona and prepare to lecture.

Severus paced the classroom as he droned on about the perils of being caught with your guard down in battle. The war was on the horizon once more and he needed to do all he could to prepare them for what was to come. However, he was teaching a bunch of moronic teenagers who were too wrapped up in themselves to realize that the world around them would be finishing its descent into hell soon enough. As he completed another lap through the tables, Severus saw that Hermione still was not paying attention to him.

Stalking up to her table, he placed his hands on either side of her trapping her into him. This close he could smell the shampoo that hadn't graced his sheets in seventeen years. Her head snapped up to him and once more they were drowning in each other's gazes. Taking a moment to inhale the scent of coconut and orchid, the inspiration for his allure to Amortentia, he addressed her with the still calm that would set students and Death Eaters alike on edge in his presence.

"Miss Granger, do you find yourself so well versed in the subject matter, you no longer need to pay attention in my class?" A slight shiver went down her spine as he spoke to her and damn the minx for licking her lips in response to him. Yes, even now when she wasn't quite her yet, the tension between them could choke the air from the room like a raging fire. Before he could act upon the desire to pull her lips to him, he stepped back to speak to the class once more. "On my desk Monday, forty-eight inches of parchment over situational awareness. It seems as though some of you are lacking in understanding of the current climate. Dismissed!"

Severus watched as she hastily shoved her things into her bag and darted out of the class. Soon angel… Soon…