DISCLAIMER: As always, none of the characters or settings in the world of Harry Potter are owned by me. Any characters used from the Harry Potter series are owned by Jo Rowling, with only a bit of original characterization provided by a humble fan of the series.

To say that the Arithmancy exam was rudimentary to Severus would be an understatement. The first portion of the O.W.L. proved to be as second nature to the Slytherin as the Potions test two days prior. The years of improving upon established potion formulas and creating new spells had left his theoretical and practical concepts stellar to say the least.

The theoretical portion involved mapping out a series of given numbers and filling in the gaps in the sequences. From there, students were expected to predict the next three numbers after the last one provided, but once the formulas of mapping the numbers were figured out, it was little trouble to proceed beyond infinitely.

In truth, Arithmancy's core concepts, at least in theory, were similar to Muggle Mathematics, although the practical application was used to chart catastrophes in the wizarding world, as well as having a number of uses in predicting the results of wizards and witches who experimented on new potions and spells.

After making relatively short work of the theoretical portion of the Arithmancy O.W.L. Severus quickly made his way to the Astronomy Tower. Wednesday often proved the most grueling day of exams for students who took either Arithmancy or Divination electives. Since Astronomy was mandatory at the Ordinary Wizarding Level, combining it with an elective O.W.L. the same day proved to be a back and forth affair, doing the elective's theoretical, immediately followed by the Astronomy theoretical. Afterward, there would be a short break for lunch, then regrouping back to the elective's classroom for the practical portion, and finally back to Astronomy for the practical late at night.

It was an absurdity in Hogwarts' scheduling that hadn't changed even later on in Severus' life, and it was one he took some amusement in as he overheard the students' groaning in the hallways from repeated trips across the school. One could only imagine the insanity a student would go through if Arithmancy were taken alongside Divination, but no student in Hogwarts' long history ever made it to the fifth-year level without dropping one of the two. Mercifully, this meant that nobody was given the torture of enduring six O.W.L. sessions in one day, but the prospect was one often joked about amongst the staff members.

Upon starting Astronomy's theoretical portion, it was obvious that most of the information needed to be taken almost verbatim from Severus and Lily's study session, as it was only recently that he'd remembered the names of the four Galilean Moons of Jupiter. It did turn out to be a blessing that he had not used Astronomy in a great many years. Had he been more serious about it in his previous life, he might accidentally have named some of the moons yet to be discovered by the American Voyager probes in a few years.

After taking significantly longer than the other O.W.L.s since his resurrection, Severus finally handed in his essay on the four moons, and gathered his supplies to leave before briefly looking in Lily's direction, seeing her deep in thought as her quill scribbled on parchment. Not wanting to bother her for the moment by waiting around so they could talk about what happened with his latest "memory incident", the Slytherin boy finally made his way down the steps of the Astronomy Tower, deciding that anything they talked about could wait until after the Wednesday gauntlet was over.

As was common of Severus, both in this life and the last, he skipped lunch in order to make it early to the Arithmancy classroom before many of the students filed in for quite some time to get some last-minute alone-time. The thoughts running through his head were many, especially considering that the Arithmancy practical was known for students having to explain in detail some of the real-life applications they thought they might need, or if particularly studious ones were chasing extra credit, demonstrating some of the things they already used it for.

In his original life, Severus was far too greedy and protective of his accomplishments, too proud to share them with the examiners, to want to stand out. As it was now, there was nothing to lose by at least running through a list of the more tame spells and potions improvements he had created. Some of the more practical ones, such as Muffliato and Langlock, stood a real chance at receiving some notoriety in the dueling community, and as he had previously noted, quite a few of his potions improvements could very well become standard curriculum even if he no longer became an instructor.

Of course, the more extreme examples of things he had created, such as Sectumsempra, had no business becoming common knowledge in the wizarding world, as some things were too powerful and too easily misused, if Evan Rosier's attack were any indication.

Almost as if on queue with his brief recollection of his former Slytherin classmate, Severus was joined by a fellow student who had arrived early, and it was with a bit of astonishment that he was met by the face of Remus Lupin. The Gryffindor Prefect was obviously a bit worse for wear considering his ordeal just a few days prior. He still had some discomfort upon sitting down, not to mention the bandages that were visible underneath the collar of his robes. Besides those small features, however, Lupin greeted Severus with a pleasant smile.

"I haven't had the opportunity to thank you for saving my life after what happened at the Lake, Severus, nor the other things that you've done for Lily and Mary. All of Gryffindor is indebted to you, Severus. Thank you, really."

Sitting near one of the Marauders, who had nothing but praise for him, was unnerving to Severus, who couldn't help but dismiss what his companion said with a bit of a disinterested scoff. "There's very little to thank me for, Lupin. Lily is the reason a great deal of that happened, so if anyone deserves your praise, it's her. Nonetheless, it wouldn't do well for me to let one of her friends die of blood loss, nor let another of her friends suffer the continued unpleasantries of my former housemates."

"So all you do, you do for Lily then, eh Severus?" Remus interrupted with a knowing grin on his face. What he said next startled the Slytherin as his grin wavered somewhat. "Romantic as that may sound, that's a bit on the obsessive side. Don't you have your own morals that don't depend on the approval of another?"

Severus' eyebrow arched and his face grew obviously annoyed at the werewolf's insinuation. "I wasn't aware you were interested in what a Slytherin's view of right and wrong is, Lupin. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but making judgments on my values isn't a particularly noble way of expressing your gratitude."

"Nor is is it noble to brush off your own values of justice as mere whims of a girl you've known since before starting here at Hogwarts. Give yourself a bit more credit than that, Severus, and stop misdirecting so much. The tough guy act doesn't work so well when you've done so much good over the course of the last few days. It's driving James and Sirius bonkers; they insist you've got some ulterior motive for turning against the more militant Slytherins as of late." Remus added with a chuckle.

Severus' apprehensive look softened into a bit of a sarcastic smirk. "Oh, you didn't hear? My plan is to gain all of Gryffindor's trust before the real damage starts."

The Prefect nodded. "You joke, but James is trying to find something, anything that he can latch onto in order to take away this growing sense of trust for you amongst Lily and her friends. If I give Prongs one thing, it's the fact that he never admits defeat."

"There's a fine line between persistence and bullheaded stubbornness, Lupin. Potter would do well to stay on the right side before he makes a mistake he'll regret. I trust you'll try to keep him straight."

After a few moments of silence, Severus noted that there was still at least another ten minutes before the first prompt students would arrive and was bored enough to change the subject to more casual conversation with the Gryffindor boy.

"Why did you take Arithmancy, Lupin?"

Remus had begun removing his supplies, a quill, an inkwell, and some parchment before casting his head downward in thought. "Honestly Severus, I think that should be obvious. Arithmancy is used to find solutions to almost unsolvable questions. Spells and potions are created all the time. I guess one of the dreams I had when I took the course was if I looked at my...ailment...from every possible avenue, I might find something that I could use to live a more normal life. But in five years of taking this class, and with the intent to go on to N.E.W.T.s for it, I've got nothing. Not even an ounce of hope that anything will come along that can help, let alone cure me."

Severus let out an exhausted sigh, not in the mood to go on yet another tangent of Remus Lupin's tragic struggle with lycanthropy, though as always, the Slytherin did harbor some sympathy for everyone who was plagued with that terrible curse.

The thought hard occurred to him that it might be prudent to see the invention of the Wolfsbane Potion a few years earlier, for the sake of everyone at school to be safe from any stupid decisions made by the Marauders on the night of the full moon. However, it wasn't in Severus' nature to take credit for things that were not of his creation. Damocles Belby received numerous prestigious awards, not the least of which was the Order of Merlin, for his creation of the potion. The last thing that Severus wanted was to rip that accolade from an accomplished Potioneer by virtue of a leap back in time. It was still an ever-present problem as long as Lupin's transformations were left unchecked, however, and the situation needed to be rectified no later than the start of term next year.

As a few more students started to pile in the classroom, Severus and Remus' conversation trailed off and both were quickly engrossed in the second part of their Arithmancy O.W.L.s. For Severus, though the practical was far easier than it had been during his original lifetime due to his advanced experience, it was a far more thorough job he had done with it this time around. Unlike a great many of the O.W.L.s given at Hogwarts, the practical portion involved no privately-tested session with a Ministry specialist. All of the students had to write just as they had for the theoretical, though the subject matter was different. The test was quite ordinary, if a bit uninspired; students were to write a detailed essay on the potential uses for Arithmancy within their chosen career paths.

Though he and Slughorn had not arrived to a concrete career path in his original life because of his greater interest in joining the Death Eater cause, Severus merely chose what came first to his mind: Potioneer. Thus, all the mathematical applications for potions techniques on what kind of potion one wanted to brew, what ingredients to use, how much of said ingredients, heating and stirring instructions, it was all an exact science that had been second nature to the Slytherin for years. He wrote in great length about his particular hobby of refining classic recipes with his own improvements, his experience so vast that the essay totaled to over twice the length of what he had put down originally.

Upon handing in his essay, Severus made a request to the exam proctor, a diminutive Ministry employee named Carl Ackerman, to go to the empty, adjacent classroom for an extra credit demonstration on some of the things he had achieved in his life thanks to the fundamentals of Arithmancy. Langlock and Muffliato were the two spells he had chosen to demonstrate to the older man, who was astounded that such practical creations were made by a fifth-year in the Potions field.

"My word, Mr Snape! For one so young to have made a spell that shuts down less talented foes in a duel, and another with great stealth applications...I understand that you're quite adept in the field of Potions, but have you considered changing your career path to something with even more Arithmantic focus like a Spellmancer? I'd wager that if you applied yourself well enough, you could be the wizard who solves the mystery of flight without a broom!"

The suggestion took Severus off guard; obviously Mr. Ackerman had no idea that the mystery had been solved years down the road, but the notion of creating spells as a freelance inventor was something that resonated with him on a deeper level than even Potions. The art of brewing potions was Severus' hobby, one that he excelled greatly at, but magic was Severus' life. It was what bound him to the wizarding world, and to his Prince heritage. In the early days of his life, his mother, Eileen, had often told him stories of his ancestors in the Prince family line and their unparalleled sense of creativity, including Fidelius Prince, inventor of the charm of the same name.

All Severus could do before losing himself in his thoughts further was nod politely to the Ministry official. "Thank you for the suggestion, Mr. Ackerman. That's a possibility that slipped my mind, and I'll definitely give it some thought over the Summer."

Lily's footsteps softly echoed down the spiraling stairwell of the North Tower upon the completion of her Divination practical, and she had a confident, yet satisfied grin on her face now that it was over. Much as she had tried to defend the subject to Severus a short time ago, she had no plans of continuing into N.E.W.T. level for the class. Divination had little use in her chosen path of pursuing a Healer apprenticeship at St. Mungo's, and her duties as a Prefect would be more than enough extra to worry about on top of the added challenge of classes beyond O.W.L. level.

When she reached the bottom of the staircase and rounded into the Divination Hallway, however, Lily was stopped by a raspy whisper from the corner near the entrance.

"Oi, Evans, hold up a second!"

It was the unmistakable, flirtatious voice of James Potter, but when Lily scanned the area, seeing nothing, her smirk turned into an annoyed frown. "Potter, what are you doing running around with that cloak in broad daylight?! You're lucky I'm in a good mood after that O.W.L., or I'd confiscate it immediately."

Lily noticed a brief shimmer of air moving in an almost liquid-like motion before it revealed the pair of faces belonging to James and Sirius. Unlike their usual, playful smiles when near the Prefect girl, however, Lily knew something was amiss when Sirius opened his mouth. "Peter's been missing since right after the Astronomy exam. He didn't show up for lunch with us, and we all planned on taking a stroll down to Honeyduke's before dinner tonight."

The redhead's curls bounced as she rolled her head back in obvious frustration at the rule-breaking that the Marauders couldn't help but stay in, but James' voice cut off any tirade she would go on. "Listen, Lily, we planned on picking up a bunch of sweets for the fifth-years in Gryffindor to celebrate with once O.W.L.s finish tomorrow. We needed an extra pair of hands, and Remus is busy with Arithmancy at the moment."

The scorn in Lily's eyes softened somewhat at the notion that James and Sirius weren't on a mission to prank the younger students. She sighed before turning towards the Hallway. "I haven't seen him anywhere, James, but he'll certainly show up for the Astronomy practical tonight."

James shook his head in wide-eyed defiance to Lily's suggestion. "By the time we get back tomorrow, it'll be too late for the party, and Friday, nobody's going to stay in the common rooms for more than a passing moment. We wanted this to be something the whole house could enjoy…"

"Look, James, I understand that you wanted to celebrate, but unless you can find drag Remus out of Arithmancy, or if Pettigrew turns up shortly, you're going to have to make due with just you and Black."

With a brief snicker of realization, Sirius' eyes lit up. "Why don't YOU come with us, Evans?"

James' expression echoed his best friend's after a moment of consideration, looking towards Lily with that ever-playful smile. "By all means. There's enough room under this cloak for three of us. Besides, it's for all of us in Gryffindor. How many times have I invited you to have a little fun, Lils?"

Lily scoffed, turning her face to the window to avoid looking at the good-natured pair. "Don't give me a pet-name. We're barely on a first-name basis as it is, Potter. Why would I go breaking half a dozen rules, leave the grounds, and go to Hogsmeade when it's not even a weekend? I have friends that I could spend time w-"

Sirius quickly interrupted her. "Mary's still up in her Divination O.W.L. I overheard her telling Alice that she was going to the Library to write her family, then it's off to the Owlery. Our beloved Head Girl has hardly any free time left this week."

"But Severus-"

James snickered. "Snape's off in Arithmancy. Not to mention there's a little birdie going around talking about how he's trying to avoid everyone like the plague right now."

Lily did not verbally respond to the accusation about Severus, merely glaring at James. "I'm a Prefect, Potter. I have duties to attend to."

"I wasn't aware it was evening after dinner already. Come on, we'll be back before sundown, we all can eat dinner, and then you can go about your business after that." James left the cloak, revealing himself completely before walking up to Lily, looking into her green eyes with his hazel. "Everyone in the house is going to love it Lily, I promise. O.W.L.s are almost done, we've almost got the House Cup, it's going to be great. There's not going to be enough Butterbeer and sweets for everyone if it's only me and Padfoot going. We need a third person. Do it for Gryffindor?"

Lily sighed in defeat, turning her slightly-blushing face away from James'. "I'm taking up the rear. I want an eye and an ear on you at all times, James."

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Lils" the boy teased triumphantly, tossing the cloak over them all.

Several hours had passed, well after dinner and going deep into the evening. Severus had made his way from the Library, which had just closed its doors for the night, towards the Astronomy Tower for the final time. As the moonlight peaked through the windows of his ascent up the steps, his stomach once again had that ever-present feeling of dread. He remembered the last time he had walked up these steps at night; it was the night of the Death Eaters' infiltration into Hogwarts and the death of Dumbledore.

Jarring Severus from his thoughts was the soft bumping into another student ahead of him, the rather round body of one Peter Pettigrew. As the boy turned his eyes upon Severus, the Slytherin felt a surge of hatred build up seeing the treacherous rat. It had been one of the greatest regrets of his previous life to not properly punish Wormtail for his hand in the death of Lily.

However, something was off about the silent meeting of the two fifth-year students. There was no snivelling cowardice, no chattering of Pettigrew's teeth. All Severus could see was an eerily calm look mirroring the hostility that he himself was giving. The reborn Slytherin couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong with the way the round boy was looking at him. After a few moments, their hostile gazes ceased and they both made their way up the steps once again.

When each of the fifth-year students had finally gathered at the top of the Astronomy Tower, it was obvious that many of them were a bit exhausted. Severus' eyes locked with Lily's for a brief instant, where a hint of a smile was shared before the examiners, Professor Tofty and Mr. Ackerman, announced that they each would take students and hand them their empty star charts. Tofty would start at the top of the alphabet, while Ackerman started from the bottom, in an attempt to get the students to bed as quickly as possible for the following day's O.W.L.s.

After several students were called, Severus made his way up to Ackerman, who recognized Severus with a joyful grin, before handing him his star chart and letting Severus look into his telescope. After a few moments of looking in, Severus recognized that his telescope was pointed towards the Orion constellation, before filling in the appropriate stars that he had memorized during the refresher session with Lily.

Once the mapping of Orion was finished, he was asked to identify the first planet visible in the direction his telescope was pointed. It took nearly three minutes of searching, but Severus finally recognized the hint of a planetary object with its iconic rings and gave the correct answer of Saturn. With a nod of his head, Mr. Ackerman took Severus' chart and called up the next student, patting the Slytherin on the back with a non-verbal confirmation that the boy had done well.

It had been a surprisingly quick process to get through every student, and with a quick count to make sure that everyone had been tested, the two examiners took their leave and the students started to disperse. As their numbers began to dwindle, Severus' eyes turned to see the Marauders talking amongst themselves. Sirius in particular was pointing to the sky, then to Lupin; obviously some kind of joke had been made about the Werewolf and the night sky, though Severus neither cared, nor was able, to hear the conversation.

His moving eyes saw Lily, talking contentedly with Mary, though what Severus could not get over was precisely the spot where Lily was standing…

"Avada Kedavra" he heard his older self cast, remembering the self-hatred in his voice when he purged the world of Albus Dumbledore and doomed Hogwarts to a dark year to follow.

Severus winced as he made a grasp for the sharp pain in his mind, doing everything in his power to shake the sight of Lily in that very same spot, trying to eliminate the image of her own body falling lifelessly from the tower...

Author's Note: Well, it's certainly been awhile since the last update of Tempus Vita, and I can't tell all of you how sorry I am that it took so long. Summer was a bit of a busy ordeal at my job, combined with some other things taking up my free time, and after awhile, I got hit by a massive bit of writer's block that I could only chip away at one paragraph at a time. I don't see anything taking me off my old groove at the moment, so the hope is I can update this as regularly as before. That being said, life happens, and if it happens again, I apologize in advance, but I'm going to work as hard as I can to make this as good of a read for you guys as some of the other "Severus Time Jump" stories going on right now. I read a great many of them and use their engaging writing as inspiration. The two stories that stick out are "His Greatest Wish" by AndromedaMarine, and "Severus Snape and the Art of War" by CypressWand.

There's a lot of "tropes" that I suppose are common with stories that have Severus jumping back to the past, but I'm hoping that I'm unique enough to have my own flavor and be appealing despite those wonderful other reads.

The next chapter is going to jump immediately after this one, on the Astronomy Tower, and will feature a lot less exposition and more dialogue, action, and suspense.

As always, reviews are wonderful ways to show your support for the story. Any ideas or suggestions given could certainly jump-start my brain during times of writer's block. Thanks as always for the support that Tempus Vita has received. This chapter marks over 50,000 words, nearly 200 followers, 111 favorites, and 163 reviews. It's mind-boggling seeing my story get such a reception and it made me feel a bit guilty being gone so long. Here's hoping I can jump-start my momentum again after so long an absence.