4 Nov 2016: *throws another chapter at you and runs off, but hopefully will return to weekly or bi-weekly updating.*

Disclaimer: If you know it, I do not own it.

It's In My Head

"Good evening, Harry," Dumbledore greeted as Harry entered the office.

"Good evening, sir," Harry replied, walking across the office towards his usual chair in front of the headmaster's desk. "How was your holiday?"

"Very quiet. Not many students remained behind," Dumbledore said. "I've got one more memory for you and then our meetings shall cease."

Harry frowned but took his seat.

"I am sure you have now figured out what I am trying to show you?"

"You're trying to let me get to know the Voldemort that he doesn't want anyone to know," Harry replied. "And that he's very different from Tom."

Dumbledore smiled. "The second one was never my aim, but I am glad to know that."

"You know they are different, right?"

"I can see easily how different they are," Dumbledore said. "As a review, so far we've learned that Voldemort prefers to work alone, thinks he knows all above everyone else, and is a magpie."

Harry tried hard not to snort and nodded is agreement.

"This last memory is one from Atlanta Black."

"Which one?"

"The twelve-year-old girl who began Hogwarts in 1992."

Harry nodded.

"The memory is from before Voldemort erased her memory and planted his own version of events."

"If he erased her memory, how did you get this?"

"Good question," Dumbledore said, folding his fingers together. "Voldemort wasn't at his best when he cast the tabula rosa spell, the one that left Atlanta a blank slate. It allowed Atlanta to hide herself in her own mind, to set up protections. In essence, she hid herself within the confines of her own mind, trapping herself. I found the original Atlanta upon her arrival in 1978."

Harry knitted his eyebrows together and frowned.

"I see the question forming in your mind. I was unable to let the original Atlanta out due to the tabula rosa spell. It was never meant to allow the original personality to replace the new one. Tabula rosa spells are illegal for a good reason, Harry."

"I don't know anything about the spells, sir."

"Nor do you need to. I know far too much," Dumbledore sighed. "What you do need to know is that when she arrived back here, Atlanta's original memories were scattered, but some were stronger than others. This one was one of the stronger ones."

Dumbledore dumped the memory into the pensive and gestured for Harry to enter. Harry found himself in a corridor at Hogwarts, the fourth floor judging by the view out the window behind the girl sitting in the window seat. She had long black hair, curling out of control and spilling over her shoulders to hide whatever she was doing. Harry took a few steps closer to the girl and heard her humming and notes from a guitar. She'd stop, scribble something on a piece of parchment next to her, then hum a few more notes, pluck a few strings.

"What are you doing?" a familiar voice demanded from behind Harry as Dumbledore appeared next to Harry in the corridor.

Harry spun around to find Tom Riddle, two years older than the one he'd left in the Gryffindor Common Room. This Riddle was taller and his voice deeper, but there was no denying it was Tom Riddle.

"I'm trying to get this song out of my head," Atlanta Black said in her Southern American accent.

Harry followed as Tom walked closer to her. He frowned deeply at the sight of the parchment. Harry watched Atlanta Black as she gazed at Tom Riddle as if he wasn't the most dangerous person she'd ever meet.

"It's been on my mind since I got here. The words keep changing, but the melody remains the same. I hear it all the time, even when I try to sing something else," she said, her ears red as she tucked her hair behind them. "That's why I've been so annoying. Singing loudly and stuff. It was getting annoying, havin' this one melody in my head all the time. So, I gave up. I'll write it down. I wonder if this is how Mozart felt?"

"She's writing the song," Harry realized as Atlanta moved to the side, knocking over bits of parchment in her haste to make room for Voldemort.

She went on to explain the song in great detail to him, humming a few bars for him, but mostly explaining with words what the music was going to be doing at certain parts. Voldemort looked utterly baffled and a little scared.

"Then, for the end, it goes off. All the other instruments die down, leaving the lone guitar behind," Atlanta Black finished, humming the last few notes and trailing off quietly. She turned to Voldemort, her amber eyes bright and her face eager for him to respond.

Voldemort stood up and stalked off without saying anything. Atlanta's face fell and the memory faded into another one.

It was a different day. It was storming outside, making the Slytherin Common room creepier than usual. Atlanta Black was seated on one of the green velvet couches, playing the melody of the song on her guitar. Harry shivered. She stopped and looked behind her to where there was a staircase. Out of the staircase appeared Voldemort, carrying a strange looking guitar.

"Here."

He thrust the instrument at Atlanta, who dropped the guitar she had been holding. It thunked on the stone floor, letting out a pathetic series of notes.

"Where did you get this?"

"I made it."

"You made it?" Atlanta asked, looking up at Voldemort in shock.

Voldemort looked surprised he had done such a thing.

"Don't sound so surprised. I made it so you will never annoy me again. Now, go somewhere far away and get out of my sight. Now."

Atlanta didn't leave, nor did Voldemort looked annoyed she was not moving but instead studying the odd looking instrument in her hands.

"I've never seen a guitar like this."

"Out. Remember to put wards up before you start singing," Voldemort ordered, folding his arms across his chest and glaring.

Harry knew Tom, knew Voldemort, and both could glare better than this Voldemort was glaring at Atlanta Black.

"Thank you, T.M.!"

Atlanta Black jumped up on the couch, kissed Voldemort's cheek, and skipped out of the Common Room. The memory faded and Dumbledore drew Harry out of the Pensive.

"I am sure you know the song Miss Black was working on, correct?"

"Yeah. It's the one she sang for us after Cedric died."

"Correct. I'm sure you've heard it elsewhere as well?" Dumbledore prodded.

"Yes. Almost every time I've faced him that I remember, it's either played or been sung, or shouted. Last time we shouted it. Didn't work as well."

"No."

"You think it'd still work?"

"Yes."

"I'm not musical."

"Doesn't matter. Just remember to use that song."

"What do you want, Riddle?"

Severus stared at the boy seated opposite him. His hair fell carelessly across his forehead and he was impeccably dressed for a Gryffindor. He was also smiling, which Severus had learned was never good if Potter wasn't located nearby.

"When the Death Eaters invade the school this summer, Voldemort needs to join them."

Severus did not react to anything the child said, which made the smile on Riddle's face grow two-fold.

"You know," Riddle breathed, leaning forward.

There was a look about him that made Severus uneasy.

"Brilliant," Riddle proclaimed, leaning back and rubbing his hands together. "He's already asked you."

"Who has already asked me what, Mr Riddle?"

"Dumbledore," Riddle clarified. "We've already concluded not to try to stop Nott, which you've likely noticed. There is no point. It'll happen no matter what we do. Harry informed us that you've taken an Unbreakable Vow to kill Dumbledore in his steed, which made us all feel better knowing someone liked Nott enough to do that for him."

Severus knitted his eyebrows together as he glowered at Riddle.

"Good, good," Riddle muttered, once more rubbing his hands together. He wove his fingers together and grinned while resting his chin on his folded fingers. "I've been dying to ask you something."

Severus glared.

"How did you enjoy your dinner at the Secret Garden?" Riddle casually threw out.

Severus sat back hard in his seat. "What do you know of that?"

"Not a lot, as I left shortly after you arrived with Pettigrew," Riddle remarked. His creepy smile grew as he watched Severus' reaction. "Ah, you don't know about me, do you?"

Severus let out a loud breath through his nose and glared at the child.

"That's fine. Addy was in fact there, but she left when Pettigrew arrived with a date," Riddle remarked. "I was with Addy."

"How?"

"Magic."

Severus shot mental daggers at Riddle. Talking to this boy was like speaking to Dumbledore at his worst.

"Oh, never mind. It was likely rather painful for you to endure due to the fact you hated Potter and Black," Riddle said, unwinding his fingers to flap at hand at Severus. "Also, Lily was there."

"What do you know of that?"

Riddle gave a calculated smile. "Only what she's told me."

Severus blinked, deciding best to play along and not allow the creepy child to know Severus knew where and when he'd come to be here. "You are not old enough to have known Lily Potter."

"I knew Lily Potter and Lily Evans and I am old enough. I am TR DeVinette."

"He is your father."

"No. He's not, actually. Voldemort killed my father," Riddle replied. "The same night he killed his own father, due to the fact we share a father."

Severus met the blue gem eyes and looked. Sure enough, Riddle was telling the truth.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"You will need my help after this is over," Riddle proclaimed.

"DeVinette has very few friends these days," Severus pointed out.

"Ah, but Harry Potter will have plenty."

"How?"

"Magic, I told you. I was born out of a sketch book and vile potion. I was not human, not dead, not a ghost. I was something else till last summer when Atlanta Lupin gave her life in order to give me a life."

Severus shifted minutely.

"She also removed the Horcrux from Harry's head," Riddle went on as he hadn't dropped a huge information bomb.

"And gave it to you?"

"Since we're technically the same person, that bit of soul Harry carried for thirteen odd years melded with my own soul, which it saw as like. Moldy Trousers and I are the same, on a very basic level."

"Nature verse nurture?" Severus mused dryly.

"Exactly. No one bothered to nurture that bastard," Riddle snarked. "But, enough with that. Let us get back to what I wished to speak about: getting Voldemort and his snake here."

"His snake."

"The snake must be killed before Voldemort can be killed."

"He would never bring the snake with him."

"What if you promised him a great dinner for it? Or, he doesn't know he has lost control of Medusa, what if you suggest his two snakes meet?"

"You are speaking words, but they make no sense."

"Harry is the Heir of Slytherin."

Severus knitted his eyebrows together.

"The spirit of Salazar Slytherin made Harry the heir as he was utterly embarrassed by what Voldemort had done in his name. He liked Harry, so he gifted him the title and the gifts that went along with it. We've tested this theory. The snake doesn't like me, won't take orders from me, and Harry can still speak Parseltongue."

"And he shouldn't?"

"No. He only spoke it thanks to the Horcrux," Riddle blithely said.

"Wait, you and Potter went into the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Harry goes every year. Several times, in fact, to feed and visit with Medusa."

"Medusa is a snake?"

"Basilisk, actually. Quite ugly, but don't tell her that."

Severus blinked.

"Anyway, maybe Voldemort will like his snakes to meet?"

"Why would he want his snake to meet…Medusa?"

"I wouldn't. You're right. If I trusted a bit of my soul to my snake, I wouldn't take my snake anywhere. Actually, I'd never put a bit of my soul into a snake."

"No. I don't believe he did," Severus said.

"You do not question—"

"It is a snake. It does not do his bidding more so than an owl does yours."

"Are you sure? Snakes are—"

"Medusa follows Harry's orders, does she not?"

"Correct. So, he still needs another Horcrux. Malfoy was sure it was the snake."

"Why?"

"Because he needed another one after he failed to make Harry one. He'd run out of Founder items, so Draco theorized that the snake was one as he was unusually attached to the animal."

"Well, this Voldemort is not attached to his snake any more than he's attached to his followers. I believe she is simply another follower as far as he's concerned. I think the snake likes him more than he likes her."

Riddle sighed lightly. "Fine. No snake. But, we must still have him here on the night Nott lets the Death Eaters in. We will finish him off then."

"You plan to kill Voldemort this summer?" Severus asked lightly.

"Yes. I'm tired of him interfering in our schooling," Tom responded, studying his nails on his left hand. "Aren't you?"

"I am ready to move on," Severus admitted. "Who is going to send the final curse?"

"Well, I'd like to kill the bastard myself, but I fear Harry is convinced it must be him."

Severus glowered.

"Yes. I know. Dumbledore is filling his head with things," Riddle sneered.

Interesting. Riddle didn't like Dumbledore any more than Voldemort.

"Can you get him here?"

"Since I have six months to think about it, I am sure I can create a believable lie to get him here."

"Good. If you fail to think up anything, tell him I'm here. I'm sure he'd loved to meet me," Riddle said, pushing himself to his feet. He gave Severus one last creepy smile before he slammed the office door behind him.

Severus shivered.

He reopened his eyes, steeled himself, and strode into his private quarters attached to his office. He grabbed the Floo powered and threw a pinch into the fire shouting, "13 GRIMMAULD PLACE!"

He spun out gracelessly, stumbling a little on the slick, tile floor of the Floo parlor. Luckily, no one was around, so he was able to get his footing and dust himself off before the House Elf appeared.

"Good evening, sir," the thing greeted. "Mays I asks who you are here to sees?"

"Black."

"Master Sirius or Regulus?"

"Sirius," Severus grumbled, glaring daggers at the elf. Likely because the thing was a former Malfoy House Elf, the thing didn't quiver in fear like many of the Hogwarts House Elves did when faced with Severus.

"Follow me, please sir," the thing said, turning and exiting the Floo parlor. They headed up the stairs and the House Elf dumped Severus in the first-floor parlor, which was tastefully and expensively decorated. He stared at the lights, which were all Muggle electric. Taking a closer look since he was on his own for the first time at Grimmauld Place, he discovered while looking like Muggle electric lights, they were in fact magic.

"Brilliant," he breathed, staring lamp.

"Isn't it just?"

Severus closed his eyes.

He loathed Sirius Black.

Reopening his eyes, he turned his back on the lamp he'd been studying and found Sirius Black draped in the doorway to the parlor. He was dressed in his usual dark colored Muggle clothing, though he was wearing one of those lurid Auror robes on top, but open to show off the likely very stylish clothing. His black hair was full of life once more, wavy and shiny like it was when they were at school together and no longer a stringy mess it'd been when he's broken out of jail.

Severus glowered.

"Nice hair," Black remarked with a smirk.

"Black," Severus snapped.

"What?"

"How could you let Riddle befriend Potter?"

This had been bothering Severus since Dumbledore had let him know the true origins of the child. Now that Riddle had allowed Severus to know, he could finally demand answers out of Black.

Black looked bemused and pushed himself off the door jamb. "I wasn't exactly around to stop them, now was I?"

"You mean to tell me Riddle's been in Potter's life since before you escaped from jail?"

"Yeah. They were pen pals."

Severus sneered.

"Yeah. That's how I felt about it."

"How long have you known Riddle?"

"Since I was seventeen," Black grumbled. "Didn't like him then, don't like him anymore now. I take it you've had a wonderful introduction to the real Riddle?"

"Unfortunately."

"You know who he really is?"

"He's Tom Riddle."

Black blinked.

Severus smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. They are different people, but at one point they were the same."

"Yes. He said that."

"And you're here?"

"Because I cannot believe you'd allowed Potter to become so involved with the same boy who became Lord Voldemort."

"Well, as Riddle's found of pointing out, they might share DNA, but that's it. They're not anything alike."

"Really?"

Black flopped his arms around.

"Wonderful," Severus sneered.

"Why are you here?"

"It's true, then? He's been around since we were at school."

"Yeah. Addy Black created him. Potions action."

"What sort of potion creates a being?"

This had also been bothering Severus to no end. He'd yet to uncover such a potion.

"One invented by my crazy Great Aunt Cassie. Also, my mother did some voodoo on a sketchbook she kept as a school girl. She had a crazy crush on Tom Riddle."

Sirius gagged.

"Lovely," Severus drawled, staring down his nose at Black.

"It's so gross to even contemplate but makes sense. I mean, I always did wonder about her obsession with Voldemort."

"Your mother was obsessed with Voldemort?"

Black gave him an odd look before nodding. "Reggie claims she had no idea he was Tom Riddle, but she was rather…keen on the Dark Idiot. Tried to get me to join up before I ran away."

"You ran away at sixteen."

"She made Reggie join at sixteen."

Severus extended his head in agreement.

"What did Tom want?"

"For me to bring Lord Voldemort to Hogwarts this summer," Severus drawled. "You know, to kill him."

"Tom's going to kill Moldy Trousers?"

"Riddle seemed to think Potter was going to the honors."

Black folded his arms across his board chest and scowled into the distance.

"Harry shouldn't have to do that," Black sighed, running a hand through his hair. It flopped back perfectly.

Bastard.

"Well, we all must do things we don't wish to do," Severus dryly remarked, thinking about the job Dumbledore had assigned him.

Black walked further into the sitting room, stopping only a few feet away from Severus. From the expression in the stormy eyes, he knew. Severus wasn't sure how he felt about that.

"Draco," was all Black said.

"Of course."

"Do you know how hard it is to keep something a secret from you?" Black asked, getting even closer.

Severus wished he wasn't standing near the wall and the end table, as Black had trapped him. He fisted his wand in his pocket, but Black kept his arms folded across his chest and didn't look as if he was going to go for his wand.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do know," Severus remarked. "I'm surprised Mr Malfoy has achieved this feat."

"You call your own godson Mr Malfoy?"

"Of course I do, do you not call your godson Mr Potter?"

"No. I can't say I've ever called him Mr Potter."

"Your loss."

Black looked confused. His eyes darted between Severus' black ones.

"You realize this is the longest we've spoken to one another without either fighting or cursing one another?"

"Well, I guess it was time for you to grow up," Severus popped out.

For a second he thought Black was going to explode in anger, but he smirked.

Black smirked.

"Yeah, well, it just took a trip to Azkaban," Black quipped. "I wouldn't suggest it, though. It's kinda cold."

Severus quirked an eyebrow. "Cold, Black? That's your assessment of Azkaban?"

Black shrugged, unfolding his arm and fluidly moving to one of the overstuffed armchairs and flopping down.

"Why're you really here, Snape?"

"To confirm Riddle's tall tale."

Black sighed. "Well, it's true. You better start thinking of something to tell Moldy to get him to the school. If they've got a plan, they're going to do it whether you go along with it or not."

"I do not want that man in the school," Severus said, carefully sitting down on the couch. Black looked up at the sound of Severus sitting. Severus gave the man a pointed look as he'd not invited him to sit, but he was going to sit damn it.

"I don't want him alive," Black replied. "But he's alive, breathing, and that's that. So, you need ideas?"

"No. Unfortunately, Riddle's idea will likely work the best."

"Use him as bait? Good. Smug arse," Black grumbled.

Severus snorted.

"I hate him," Black confided. "I cannot stand him. And he's everywhere."

"That he is."

"Reggie hates him too," Black went on.

"How strange. I'm amazed the children like him."

"I'm not sure they do," Black said, sitting up straight and leaning forward. "I'm positive Draco hates his guts but puts up with him because he's Harry's….whatever."

"Yes. Harry's whatever describes that relationship perfectly."

"Harry's in denial," Black proclaimed, getting a gossipy tone. "But, I'm pretty sure besides Harry and maybe the Lovegood kid, no one really likes Tom. The Weasley girl hates him, I can tell. Pretty sure Hermione puts up with him as Draco does, and pretty sure no one else in Gryffindor likes him too much since he's such a…great guy."

"He reminds me of you."

Black looked insulted. "I wasn't—"

"Yes, you were. And you were worse because you were a bully until Atlanta Black punched you in the nose."

Severus smirked, fondly remembering that day.

"I'll give you that. I was a rotten kid," Black sighed. "And I'd likely have raised Harry to be just as spoiled and…"

"Rotten."

"No. I doubt he'd be rotten. He is Lily's son," Black pointed out.

Severus was quiet, letting that sentiment sink in. "Yes. Yes, he is."

"You see it?"

"I have looked passed his appearance since his arrival."

"Because Draco is his best friend?"

"Partly. Partly because he answered all my questions on the first day correctly, meaning he'd read the textbook more than once," Severus admitted.

"Really."

"He's the only one who ever answered all three questions posed," Severus heard himself admitting. "Percy Weasley came close. He missed the last question."

"Beat himself up for the rest of his Hogwarts career?"

Severus smirked.

"You're evil."

"Only in the classroom."

"How'd you end up a teacher anyway? You clearly hate it."

"How would you know?"

"Because you're a cranky bastard during the school year."

"I'm always a cranky bastard. I've always been as well. No. Wait. There was a time I wasn't cranky when I didn't know you."

Black snorted. "Sure."

He flopped backward, tilting his head back and tossing his hair over the back of the chair.

"Is Moldy really interested in Tom?"

"Yes. I've been told to report everything on the boy back to him."

"What have you told him so far?"

"He's a very clever brat."

Black snorted. "Bet he liked that."

"He is…rather confused about Riddle's appearance. He hadn't paid any heed to current events when he returned and was rather befuddled to find his image all over books and spells under the name TR DeVinette."

"He can tell it's him?"

"He remembers what he looked like before he…began his transition."

"Damn. You know when I met Tom I realized it was good that Voldy wasn't that good looking anymore because he would likely make people fall at his feet if he wanted to by just smiling."

"He doesn't smile often."

"Thank god."

Severus glanced around the room once more before letting himself look at Black again. Black had moved his head so he could see Severus and smiled when their eyes met.

"I didn't believe her," he announced.

"Believe who?"

"Lily."

Severus stiffened.

"She said you were at heart a good guy, her best friend who introduced her to the magical world," Black went on. "Addy always said if you hadn't been fascinated so much by the Dark Arts, you and Lily would have stayed friends even with you being in Slytherin. Addy likes you."

"Baffles me to no end."

"She always has," Black chuckled, running his hand through his hair again and sitting up properly. "Want a firewhiskey? Or do you have an early class?"

"Trying to get me drunk, Black?"

"No. Just being friendly."

"Why?"

Black shrugged. "Narcissa told I needed friends my own age who I am not in love with."

"And you want to be my friend?" Severus sneered.

"Sure. Why not? Lily seemed to think you were okay," Black shrugged, gracefully rising from the chair and heading over to the table where the decanters of alcohol were located. He grabbed two glasses, poked at the bottles with his wand a few times before he began to pour. "She wanted to write to you, make up in a sense. She was talking James into…"

Black trailed off, looking distant and depressed.

"She what?" Severus prodded.

Black looked back at him with hollow eyes. "She was pregnant."

"What?"

"The day before Halloween, she dropped by Addy's flat to see Tom. And yes, she was friends with Tom and no I don't know why."

Severus knew why but didn't feel like saying it.

"Anyway, I was home early from work and Apparated straight to my room, as by that point Addy had given me permission to pop straight into the house. Anyway, my room was, or I guess is, sound proof, as all the rooms in that joint, so no one heard me. I came out of my room and heard Lily's voice. I was shocked, as they were in hiding and under instructions NOT to leave the cottage. But, here she was in Addy's living room."

"Wasn't Addy dead by this point?"

"Well, no. She wasn't dead. She was time traveling to the future. Or in the future I guess."

"My head hurts."

"Yeah. Time travel does that to you. So, there I was and I quietly walked down the stairs, as I didn't know why she was there and didn't want to, well, if it was an imposter, I wanted to get the jump on her."

Severus nodded.

"I lurked in the hall outside the living room, where Lily and Tom were, and Lily was talking a mile a minute. She suddenly realized what time it was and hurried to leave. She said as she was leaving she was pretty sure she was pregnant and she'd talked James around into naming you as godfather if you two were able to patch things up. Tom didn't reply, just sat looking stunned."

Severus's mouth dropped open and tears formed unbidden in his eyes.

"Yeah. That's actually the same expression Tom had. I didn't understand the tears at the time, but I get it now."

"He knew? He knew she was going to die that night?"

Black nodded. "Addy had known, so Tom knew. And couldn't do a damn thing about it. He tried. He adored Lily. When Addy died he broke things, then fixed them. When news got to us about James and Lily? He cried. He bawled. He stood in the foyer, begging me not to leave, and cried like a baby. Wasn't even ashamed."

"He knew what was going to happen to all of you," Severus realized.

"Yeah. But, Time didn't let him change a thing. You've read that blasted book, right?"

Severus nodded. "Of course. After Dumbledore mentioned time travel and that Time was a thinking entity, I read the damn book."

"I didn't. I had Draco give me the run down. Hell, I don't think Draco actually finished the book."

"Likely not," Severus intoned.

"Yeah, so Lily was going to…write to you and see if you could mend the friendship you broke."

"You helped," Severus shot back.

"Yeah. I know," Black admitted, running a hand through his hair and finally picking up the two glasses of fire whiskey he'd poured. He handed one to Severus before taking the seat next to him on the couch. "Cheers."

He clinked his glass with Severus, then downed his measure in one go. Severus sipped his, relishing in the expensive, aged liquor.

"Why did you not listen to Riddle?"

"Part of me wanted to," Black admitted, looking at this empty glass. "I knew by this point Addy was a time traveler, knew how she knew all those things, but…there was this need in me to leave, to go after Pettigrew, and kill him. I've never wanted to kill anyone before, but I sure as hell wanted to kill Pettigrew."

"You didn't even wish to kill Death Eaters?"

"Nope," Sirius popped. "Just wanted to bring them to justice. Didn't want to kill them, maybe maim, but not kill. I am of the Mad-Eye School of thinking."

Severus nodded, taking another sip of his drink. It burned the whole way down.

"I'd written Lily a letter. I was going to give it to Dumbledore to give to her, but I was unable to due to the fact I had a first year who needed to serve detention, then my fifth years blew up the Portions classroom, and suddenly Halloween was upon me and I still had the letter."

"Oh, yeah. You were a professor by that point."

"My first year."

"You were the one who told Dumbledore he was after the Potters, weren't you?"

"I wanted to protect Lily."

"But not James or Harry?"

"I hated Potter and did not know her son, but he was her son, so yes. I wanted to protect him."

"But not James?"

"Strictly speaking, no. I did not wish him to die at the end of Voldemort's wand, though, no matter how much I loathed him."

"But, the reason Dumbledore knew was because you wanted to save Lily."

"As soon as I knew the Dark Lord planned to go after the Potters, my loyalty to him withered and died."

"He threatened Lily multiple times before then."

"Not directly. He didn't even know her name, she was no one to him. And not because she was a Muggleborn. By this point, I had realized he didn't actually care about blood status. He had his own agenda and simply preached blood purity due to the fact most of the people he knew were purebloods."

"Took you long enough."

"Foolishness of youth."

"That is an excuse for so much, Snape."

"I know."

"Why'd you join?"

"They appeared to accept me," Severus admitted, taking another long pull from his glass. "As you well know, I was not easily accepted by anyone."

"True, but you started hanging out with those idiots long before you graduated."

"They appeared to accept me," Severus repeated. "As someone who was never on the outside looking, you'd never understand how attractive it is to be accepted finally after years of being shunned."

Black gazed sadly at Severus but said nothing. He knew Black wasn't looking at him with pity, but in fact, regret due to Black's own actions.

"I see you've learned to regret," Severus remarked.

"Took thirty odd years, but yeah. I know it won't do anything, but I am sorry I was such a wanker. You honestly hadn't done anything other than being a Slytherin."

"The House your family wished you to belong."

"And I hated all things related to my family."

"Except your brother."

"Yeah, except Reggie. But, he didn't really belong there. He asked to be there."

"As to not upset the family?"

Black nodded. "The Hat actually wanted to put him in Hufflepuff, if you can believe that."

"No. I cannot actually believe that," Severus agreed, downing the last of the amber liquid.

"James hated you I think because you were friends with Lily and he didn't understand with the wisdom of an eleven-year-old why she'd like you rather than him."

Severus darkly glanced at Black.

"Yeah, yeah. It's lame, but there you have it. You've gotta admit, after you two weren't friends, he picked on you a lot less."

"True. You were the one who usually went after me," Severus reminded the other man.

Black put both his large hands over his face and hid. "I know. I know."

"Till you tried to kill me."

"I didn't think you'd actually go to the tree," Black grumbled, dragging his hands down his face. "You have to admit, that was kind of stupid."

"I didn't think you'd hidden a werewolf there!"

"I didn't. Dumbledore did."

Severus groaned. "You sent me there."

"I did. In all the wisdom of an idiot."

"Idiots lack wisdom, hence their status as idiots."

"You're so clever, Snape," Black oozed, slumping down on the couch and turning towards Severus. "Tell me more."

"You're still a daft dunderhead."

"That I am," Black gladly agreed.

"Lily was pregnant?"

"She thought so. No way to know for sure."

"No."

"I don't know if she ever wrote you that letter she told Tom she was going to write. She had only a few hours after she left the flat to live," Sirius darkly relayed. "Part of me wants to curse Tom now that I can for not doing more."

"Yet, you understand the limitations placed upon him?"

"Yeah. I do. When you're aware of the whole Time controlling things and fixed points, you realize sometimes why you want to do illogical things."

"Like what?"

"Dueling Bellatrix when I knew she was the reason I died in Draco's other timeline."

"You are supposed to be dead?"

"In Draco's other life, I died in his fifth year at the end of my cousin's wand. She bragged. Constantly."

"Of course she would," Severus grumbled, finding he didn't like the idea of Black being dead.

He didn't want to examine the fact he didn't like the idea of Black being dead. Or the fact he was actually somewhat enjoying this civilized conversation they were having.

That was completely out of character for the pair of them.

"Do you believe Time is playing with us now?"

"Who knows? I think Time is always playing with our lives. If you'd told me this when I was twenty-one, I'd laughed in your face, but in all my thirty odd years of wisdom now? Yeah. I believe there's someone pulling strings and causing us to do things, creating the world to her liking."

"Truly?"

"Yeah."

"And why is the Dark Lord here?"

"To give us interest, something to fight against. Peace is boring, hence why the world is never at peace. There is always a war going on, a battle being fought. Always."

"Always," Severus echoed, feeling the word heavy in his mouth.

"I miss James," Black announced. "But, I think sometimes I miss Lily more."

"I find that hard to believe. Potter was your best friend."

"I know. And I really do miss him, but I don't think…well, I'm not sure where I was going with that."

"Clearly."

"I miss them both."

"I see."

"I don't miss Pettigrew."

"No. I'd think not."

"Another drink or you think you have to head back?"

Severus looked into his empty glass. He felt something nudge him in the belly, a strange tug that had him moving backward a little, settling into the couch further.

"One more won't hurt."