Title: Making Tomorrow Yesterday: Chapter Eight

Summary: Salene Snape transfers to Hogwarts after she runs away from her parents. Immediately, she catches the eye of Sirius Black. However, she refuses to like him because of his immaturity and...she doesn't want to just be another one of his one week flings. When Professor Carter, the DADA professor, finds out Durmstrang didn't teach defense, she assigns Black to tutor her, because he is the best student. And that is when it all begins. It would be easier, of course, if her cousin Severus wasn't breathing down her neck all the time.

Pairings: SB/OC RL/SS JP/LE

Feedback: ALL feedback is appreciated, as long as it is not needless flames. Those you can keep to yourself.

Rating/Warnings: This is M (R) for language, romance, and torture. If you don't like that, don't read it.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: I've finally gotten over my writers block and wrote two more chapters, totalling it to twenty-five. Of course, I'm not very happy with either so they'll be going through major editing. This chapter was something I'd tried to make very lighthearted because the next several chapters, I think starting with the eleventh chapter, will not be anything remotely like that.


The day for the students to leave Hogwarts came and Salene found herself under the Invisibility Cloak, with Sirius, kissing him goodbye quickly before slipping out from underneath. "See you at Christmas," she whispered into seemingly mid air before turning and making her way back to the entrance, where she had promised to meet Severus. When she found he was already there and waiting, she felt her stomach tightening at the expression on his face.

"Why are you coming from the direction of the carriages?" he asked, frowning.

"When you took so long I thought you might've gone ahead," she lied, as easily as if it were the truth despite not having had an answer prepared beforehand. "Apparently, I was wrong."

He smiled and teased, "This moment will go down in history as a first." She forced a genuine-looking smile, feeling suddenly guilty and sad at once.

"You're too kind," she replied. There was a moment of silence and they glanced around to see who the remaining students were before hugging briefly, though very tightly. "Take care of yourself. Your life isn't worth a fortune." She paused and laughed slightly. "That came out wrong. I meant, your life is worth more than a fortune."

"He's not going to murder me, Salene." She just shrugged, looking off into the distant.

"No one's ever accused me of not being paranoid," she replied.

"And no one ever accused me of not being not...nice, but you think I am." She stared at him, puzzled, and he shrugged. "I was attempting to distract you."

"Ah." Again, there was silence, and Severus flicked his wand at his luggage, levitating them.

"I'll see you in January. And that's a promise." She smiled, resisting the urge to give him another hug for many reasons, one of which if she did his luggage would slip from his wand's control and knock over many innocent students. But she couldn't let him go when she felt so...open, if that was really a proper way to describe oneself. When he got to the carriage, she shouted his name, settling on what to do.

He turned, rubbing his ungloved hands together against the cold. She held up her fingers in the Muggle sign for peace and then stuck them in her mouth and whistled. Even across the distance, she saw him grin before returning the gesture. When they were five, they had gone with his mom to the only Wizarding amusement park and except for the small child section every single ride defied the laws of nature...then again, when had magic ever been restricted to nature's laws?

They had spent several hours riding the children's ride, though Severus quickly grew bored. Half an hour before they were to leave, Severus decided to sneak out from his mother's watchful eye and get on the most terrifying ride in the park. It was a rollercoaster, but that was the largest understatement of the century. It went so high into the air oxygen spells were applied before the ride began, and it went so fast it was known to knock out teeth by the strength of the wind. But, the worst of it all was that a blinding spell was placed on the rider so you were in total darkness...and the ride was completely invisible and lightened. For that reason, it merely felt as if you were zooming along in complete darkness, supported by nothing...and then halfway through the ride the blinding spell wore off, and sometimes that was even more terrifying.

Of course Severus, being five, had not known it was scary and to him it simply looked like flying. And he had always wanted to fly. Salene was worried about him going off by himself, but he was too stubborn, and so she told him if he got lost or changed his mind, just to whistle. He had decided that was too boring, and they had come up with signal. More had happened, of course, but that's a tale for another time.


"You look surprised," Zabini commented mildly. To say Salene was surprised was a gross understatement, like saying a vampire mildly enjoyed the taste of blood while it was not only the single substance that ignited their taste buds, but also an erotic substance. However, she ignored it, and continued to stare at Zabini wordlessly. "Well, what do you say?"

"Zabini...I appreciate you trusting me enough to divulge your secrets in me, but I would never do something like that," she hissed, feeling indignation bubble up inside of her. "What kind of person do you think I am?"

"Alright," he said with a shrug. "But I know a secret that I trust the entire school enough to divulge them. A secret of yours." Her indignation morphed to rage as she shoved him against the wall, snarling.

"You do anything that will remotely anger or displease me, Zabini, and I will not hesitate to do something to land myself in Azkaban." He smirked and his eyebrows raised.

"Damn, my plan to goad you into saying a secret didn't work," he mocked, eyes glittering with malice.

"And here I thought you were sensible enough not to get tangled up with a Snape. Obviously, I was wrong." She pushed off the wall and began to stride away, seething, when someone grabbed her arm. When she whirled around, prepared to hex Zabini thoroughly, she found herself face to face with...

"Father," she whispered, her throat constricted as his grip tightened.

"Salene," he acknowledged, his voice tinted with controlled surprise. "I didn't think it was you. You've grown out your hair. Pretty."

"Why did you grab me, then?" she hissed, purposely ignored his last comments, not prepared to say anything remotely civil to the man holding her.

"I was going to ask directions to the headmaster's office. But seeing as I've already found you, perhaps you would like to show me to the Slytherin common room yourself?" His eyes glinted with a hidden promise and she felt her defiance growing as she jerked away from his grip.

"There are so little students if I don't show up for a meal he'll know, and it's lunch time. I'm hungry." He frowned and looked about ready disagree, but then nodded tightly and she spun on her heel, half running to the Great Hall. Only seven students, including Zabini and Salene, had stayed behind as people were afraid this would be their last Christmas with their family, and for this reason the majority of the people sitting at the single dining table were staff.

"Ah, Salene, how lucky your father came today and not tomorrow," the headmaster said upon sight. Salene noticed the table was listening to their conversation, but could not care less. They were all a group of third year friends who had relished the idea of having a whole castle to themselves

"Professor Dumbledore...please send this psycho away from your school before he murders me and the group of Mudbloods over their." The five stiffened at the word, as they were all Muggleborn, and glared. How stupid they were more concerned with being insulted than being murdered.

"Salene, why would I murder anyone?"

"Because Muggles-" she cut herself off, feeling the searing pain of loss cutting her. "You have unlimited reasons, Father," she answered instead, careful to not allow any of her emotion to show through...other than burning hatred, that is.

"Mr. Snape, while I am sure you have absolutely no harmful intentions, perhaps it would be better if you left," Dumbledore ordered, though it was in such a polite way that many foolish people would take it as a suggestion. However, as Salene's father was not a foolish person, he simply clenched his teeth and nodded tightly and turned on his heel just as Dumbledore added, "Perhaps you can come back when Salene is calmer." His tone made it perfectly clear Mr. Snape should never again enter the school. Salene could have grinned as she took her seat, but rather than that she smirked at the seething Mudbloods.


"I can't do this," she confided in her mirror as she brushed imaginary dirt from her robes. They were the best she owned, and had cost her a hundred galleons (A/N I heard some where that one galleon equals roughly seven dollars). They were of a magical material, the softest and lightest in existence, and floor length with sweeping sleeves and various gems decorating the hems and waist. It was blue, just a shade lighter than her eyes, and she had a matching ribbon to braid into her hair. However, she preferred her hair down, and had long ago adopted it as a hair band.

"I can't do this," she repeated, and added for effect, "I can't. I just can't."

"I believe the mantra you are thinking of 'I think I can, I think I can'," said a sneering voice from the doorway. She turned around, careful not to disrupt a single hair as she'd spent two hours combing out every tangle and styling it just right and hadn't had time to spell it in place, not yet anyway. Even when her hair was down, it was styled...or so she preferred to think.

"Can I help you, Zabini?" she asked calmly. Despite her inner panic, she was determined to impress upon the rest of the world she was a calm, respectful, mannered witch. At least, until Lupin or Potter said one thing that grated on her nerves...such as 'hi'. Not that they would be greeting her.

"I have rethought my previous offer. If you agree to do what I asked, I will walk away and never look in your direction again. If you refuse once more, I will tell your beloved cousin about your beloved boyfriend, whom I know you want to keep secret. You have until the Monday before we graduate, and I am being more than generous. Good day." With that, Zabini left and it was then she found out how he had overcome the magical barriers restricting boys from the dormitory. He was levitating himself.

With a growl of frustration, she placed the proper charm on her hair and, though still silky and knot free, not a hair would move out of place until the charm was removed. Not that it mattered because no one would be judging her by her looks, and if they were the fact he hair wasn't knotted wouldn't cover up her overly large nose, or her lack of any color in her skin, or those extra pounds she'd gained since coming to Hogwarts - although, perhaps the last one was an imrpovement.

With a sigh, she glanced at the mirror and muttered one final time, "I can't do this." Then she walked out of the dormitory, sneering at Zabini as she brushed past him. She would rather suffer Severus' wrath than do what Zabini was asking. It was not, after all, as if he could do anything about her relationship. He being both Severus and Zabini, she supposed.

Upon entering his office, Salene knew Professor Dumbledore was waiting for her, despite his effort at appearing busy. He looked up immediately as she entered and set his quill aside, beaming. "I was pleasantly surprised to hear you had worked through your differences with Mr. Black."

"Yes, well..." she trailed off, indicating she had no intention of holding something remotely like a civil conversation

"Of course, of course, you must be anxious to see all your friends." She did not bother replying, as Professor Dumbledore had offered the open pot of floo powder. Just as she reached in, he pulled back, studying her intently. "Does the name Potter not stir any...unpleasant memories?" he asked and she sighed.

"The only memories I have of the name Potter are one of the son, and they are all unpleasant." Dumbledore echoed her sigh and held out the powder once more.

"Then all I have to say to you, is do not let your emotions get the best of you," he said in that same tone. Salene paused to study him, vaguely concerned, but then threw the fast diminishing handful of red powder into the flames.

"Godric Hollow," she enunciated after she stepped forward and the next second was sucked downward and a few jumbled seconds of heat later, she found herself being spit out onto a rather dirty rug and she shuddered as she got up, already spelling herself clean. "I hate floo powder," she muttered. "It's like the passage to hell."

"I thought that was Defense Against the Dark Arts?" asked a friendly, unfamiliar voice

"No, that's the door. I said passage," Salene answered as she looked up to see a grinning Potter. Two, as a matter of fact, grinning Potters and she thought for a second she had hit her head. Then she noticed the subtle differences, like the not-James had freckles and lighter hair and his glasses were more stylish than Potter's. Just then, a bare chested Sirius walked into the room, looking sleepy until he spotted the witch standing in front of the fire.

"Salene," he said brightly, rushing forward and surprising her with a hug before she could react.

"He knows," she told him, surprising herself further.

"Snivellus?"

"For the last time, don't call him that! And no, it's Zabini...I'll tell you later. And once you stop molesting me." He stepped back, grinning.

"You don't have to pretend you don't love me. Everyone here knows you're not such a...such a...Snivellus!"

"I warned you," she said simply, before pulling out her wand and cursing him.

"I don't feel different," Sirius taunted. "Your magic must be defective."

"No, I think it is you who will find yourself defective. And please go to the bathroom every time you do." His face scrunched up in confusion, before he looked down in sudden shock.

"You...you cursed me so I'll produce more...man cells," he said, shifting uncomfortably as his pants began to tent.

"Precisely. Claire and I made that spell up for Zabini. Now, however, I think I will find one that stops the production, as he seems much too willing-" she cut herself off and looked away. There was a whimper from Sirius and he ran off. She felt a little pang of guilt and sighed, standing up. "I'd better go tell him the counter curse. He must've been thinking dirty thoughts, though, or else it would've taken longer to happen."

"He always thinks dirty thoughts when you're around," Potter, the original one, said and added, "And he's always saying them when you're not around." Her eyes narrowed to slits and she repocketed her wand.

"On second thought, I'll let the curse wear itself out."


Apparently, Potter's not-twin was his younger Squib brother, who attended a Muggle school a few miles away. Salene had never met a Squib before, but she had expected them all to be bitter about not having magic. That would have been quite an experience, because Salene could exchange insults with the best of them - however Charlie was merely a copy of Potter, personality wise, without the hints of maturity Potter rarely possessed.

"What is it with your family and immaturity?" she demanded as Charlie fell off the couch laughing. "Please tell me your missing maturity was passed to your sisters."

"Sister," Potter answered, his smile disappearing. "She has enough maturity for the entire family, with some left over."

"She's probably just normal and you can't accept it."

"I hate to say this Snape, but normal for you is murdering Muggles," he snapped, looking away. Obviously, his sister was a touchy subject, and she was willing to let it go. She knew enough about sisters and touchy subjects.

"Of course," she said agreeably. "After all, we do sacrifice Squib babies in the common room." She shot a nasty smile at Charlie just as Sirius reappeared and leaned against the doorway. "I took the spell off an hour ago, didn't I?" she asked him, frowning. He should have been out of the bathroom a long time ago.

"Yes but...I need to talk to you. Alone." He looked decidedly angry and she felt her guilt increase. She knew his wording - talk to you - was not a coincidence and stood, following him into one of the guest room. Apparently, he and Remus shared the room.

"Look...I don't want to yell at you. But it just seems like we're not on the same page. I mean, I would never hex you, no matter how angry I got, and yet I say 'Snivellus' and I'm stuck in the bathroom for more than an hour. And whenever we fight, I'm the one who comes crawling back, apologizing and all that. I'm not saying I've done everything perfect. I know I haven't. But I would really appreciate it if you just talked to me instead of pulling out your wand." He looked away, hair falling in his eyes, a flush darkening his face. "And then you insult me all the time, just for being the way I am. Sometimes...sometimes I don't think you like me at all."

"Sirius, I do like you. I'm just shit at relationships, romantic or not. The only one I've had in ten years is with Severus, and he likes it when I insult him, and hex him, because he does it right back. I'm not used to dealing with normal human emotions. And I'm sorry for hexing you. It was wrong. You deserve to call him Snivellus after everything he's put you through, and I know that. It was my way of teasing," she explained, putting her head in her hands. The bed creaked as he sat down next to her and slid an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"I love you," he whispered and she froze. How could she respond to that?

"Sirius, if I told you I loved you it would mean there was nothing I wouldn't do for, and with, you. You know, come hell or high water, premature wedding night, or whatever it is Muggles say. And just because I don't say it, doesn't mean I don't...but that's what those words means to me, and until I'm entirely sure, I'm not going to say them. Is that alright? Does that even make sense?"

"Just make sure you tell me you love me at night," Sirius said, nudging her knee with his, suddenly grinning. "Otherwise, all day I'm going to feel like you put that spell back on me." Salene went red and looked away. "Is that okay, Salenieweenie?"

"When you make up ridiculous names like that, how do you expect for me to remain sane?" she asked, rolling her eyes. He leaned forward and kissed her gently, twining his fingers with hers as he did so.

"Maybe I don't."

End Author's Notes: I have to say, that made me go 'aww'. Originally that was a longer scene but I didn't like all the gushines, fluffines. And a lot of it was repitive. HUGE thanks to CerealKiller