A/N) Well... here is the next chapter in which it focuses on Sirius and Snape... another short chapter but the next one will be longer, I think! If not, the one after that will be! Thank you for the reviews!

Twisting Time

Chapter 22

Saturday 11th April 1987

Nearly a week had passed since Sirius had used the Resurrection Stone. He knew James had taken possession of the ring once again and he heavily suspected his friend had hidden it in a safe location just in case they needed to use it again. Sirius hoped they wouldn't. Even the brief times he had used the stone, Sirius felt he was addicted to it.

There were moments when he felt he was reaching out for it, wanting to grasp his fingers around it and then turn it over three times and summon his brother or his Harry again. Sirius knew that was the curse of the stone – it could make you addicted and Sirius already felt he had that problem which was why he wanted to leave the stone behind. He acknowledged that leaving it behind would have been folly. Sirius would have known where it was and would have returned for it by now. At least James having control of the stone meant Sirius could be stronger to resisting the lure of it.

Still, his mind did keep going over what James had said to him when he had faced him through the stone. His mention of Snape and how he had tried to save Lily… James had been adamant that they had to make amends with him but how could Sirius do so when the man was against him in every possible way?

His head in his hands, Sirius groaned loudly. He knew what he had to do and he hated the idea of it but he needed to have this discussion with Snape. To figure out where they stood with one another and how they could fix it, though suspicion suggested Snape would always hate him.

He knew what he had to do: he had to apologise.

I will do it tonight, thought Sirius.

As he Apparated to Hogwarts gates, Sirius knew he had a difficult conversation ahead of him. Severus Snape wouldn't make it easy for him. He had to make the working relationship blossom somehow without bringing their childhood rivalry into it. Sirius suspected that in it-self would be extremely difficult. They had to trust one another though Snape was likely to wish Sirius dead. He could just imagine in the old timeline Snape would probably be celebrating his death.

Don't be so dark, Padfoot.

Sirius walked through the grounds, having passed through the gates with ease. He had borrowed James' invisibility cloak to keep himself hidden from students, though not many were about as curfew was obviously in force for the majority of students – only what looked like sixth and seventh years remained in the grounds, slowly strolling back up towards the Castle. The sun set behind him, giving off a cool chill as the sky darkened above him.

Slipping into the castle, Sirius moved quickly towards the dungeons, down the winding stairs into the cold corridors where the Potions classroom was located and where Snape's office and quarters resided. As it was late in the day it was likely Snape had probably retired to his quarters.

Passing the Potions classroom, Sirius turned a corner and headed down another set of stairs, past the entrance to the Slytherin common room and then stopped in front of a wooden door. It was sealed magically with powerful protections upon them yet Sirius felt confident enough if he really wanted to he could bring the magic down.

Snape had taken precautions against unwanted visitors which Sirius couldn't blame him for, especially after experiencing all the pranks of the Marauders throughout their school years. This meeting was going to be hard.

Taking the invisibility cloak off, Sirius rapped his knuckles three times against the door. The magical barriers emitting from the doorway provided protection from unwanted attention but he was still able to knock on the door. He just couldn't open it himself as the wards were set to include Snape and only one other – likely to be Dumbledore.

The door opened and Snape's reaction was one of quick surprise and then anger when he saw Sirius standing there. His dark eyes flashed.

"What do you want, Black?" he snarled, spit flying into Sirius' face.

Sirius swallowed, ignoring the bits of spit which had landed on his face. "I need to talk to you."

"Whatever it is you want, Black, the answer is no! I've already saved your skin once!"

Sirius had known this would be a difficult conversation for the both of them and he had expected hostility from the Potion's Master.

"I know you have," began Sirius quietly, not wanting to draw too much attention just in case some students were lurking around after hours. "I'm grateful for it… Thank you… Severus." The name sounded strange on his tongue but Sirius had to be the bigger man here if he was going to ensure Snape did at least put their rivalry aside.

"How long did it take you to learn to say my name properly?" snarled Snape sarcastically.

Gritting his teeth, Sirius ignored the obvious attempt to get him angry. "I have a lot to answer for… I know, but we are on the same side.."

"Are we?" Snape raised one black eyebrow. He continued to block the door.

Sirius would have to do this at the door and he couldn't blame Snape for not allowing him inside. "I didn't try to get you killed." He sighed, knowing he had to swallow his pride. Let Snape have what he wanted if it meant they could work together without being bitter and nasty to one another. It was a lesson Sirius had contemplated upon since his return to the past. The rivalry and hatred between him and Snape had gone to dangerous levels – so much so that Snape would rather Sirius had, had his soul sucked out by Dementors than capturing the real culprit behind Lily and James' murder. Sirius, from that point on, had increased his hatred for the man, but now he had to find a way to work with him as partners and it didn't necessarily mean they had to be friends either.

Snape was about to retort to Sirius' words when he continued explaining. "Nothing can excuse what I did. You were always spying on us to get us expelled and we didn't help your dislike of us by continuing to harass you in the hallways and I know it hurt you when you lost Lily to James… We played pranks on you to try to get back at you for getting us in trouble… It was a vicious circle: one none of us could stop. All of us were responsible for starting our fights… and in the end we provoked you too far and it was our fault you called Lily a Mudblood… I know that was an accident and you didn't mean it but if we hadn't decided to hex you for the fun of it, you and Lily would have still been friends. I'm glad that she decided to renew your friendship…" Sirius bit his lips, unsure of whether to continue or not. "I never meant for you to think I wanted to kill you… I didn't."

Snape's eyes darkened. "Then what did you mean, Black? Why would you send me after a werewolf?"

Sirius sighed. Snape had every right to be angry. "Because I was pissed off and I genuinely didn't think you would be stupid enough to go after Remus. I thought you'd go to a Professor. If I really intended to kill you, would I have told James so he could stop you?"

"How am I supposed to know what a murderer's mind is like?" said Snape angrily.

Snorting, Sirius rolled his eyes. "How many people did you murder as a Death Eater?"

"That means nothing, Black!"

"Yes it does. You killed. I only killed in self-defence and if I had the chance to, I would capture them instead of killing them. You've murdered children, Snape! Don't think I don't know what you did as a Death Eater before you defected to us!" Sirius spat, not caring if he unintentionally hit Snape with his saliva. He had to get the conversation back to why he had come here in the first place. "You probably wonder why I was never expelled after the Willow incident."

"I know you charmed the headmaster," scowled Snape.

"I doubt a sixteen year old could charm the Headmaster. He read my mind, Snape and saw how it all came about! The only reason I wasn't expelled was because Remus knew I didn't mean to deliberately send you into danger! If anyone had a right to hate me, its him!" Sirius was getting frustrated. "Have you forgotten how you provoked me?"

"I never provoked you, Black! Stop making excuses!" Snape's face was turning an ugly, dangerous expression.

Sirius was surprised the man hadn't cursed him yet. "I know you were the one who passed the information to Dumbledore about Voldemort hunting Lily and James. I know Lily was the reason you defected because you wanted to save her."

"How did you know that?" Snape's wand was up, pointing straight in Sirius' face.

Sirius fought to control his anger. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small vial. He had hoped not to use this method. It was a risk he had to take. "These are my memories. They are not what you believe they may be. But…" he swallowed. "It's important you see these otherwise you will not believe me."

Snape stared at the vial in Sirius' hand. "Why would I want to dirty myself with your thoughts?"

Sirius' lips twitched. "Because… I'm not who you think I am anymore… I'm not the Sirius Black you grew up with… Time has changed me… If we carry on hating each other like this, something bad is going to happen. An injustice will occur and… Well… you deserve my apology. I should have realised you would go after Remus. But I didn't think you would… I was wrong." The next two words were the most difficult ones he had ever attempted to say to his rival. "I'm… sorry."

Snape's expression didn't change but he did lower his wand and snatch the vial out of Sirius' hands. "If it gets you to leave I'll look in your bloody memories! But it won't change a thing, Black!"

The door slammed shut in his face and Sirius' shoulders slumped. He had tried his best… and at least Snape had taken his memories, even if he didn't look at them. Trusting Snape with his past was a big risk but it was one Sirius felt he had to take.

Friday 17th April 1987

Snape didn't get the chance to look at Sirius' memories until the following week. Rather, he actually wanted Black to wonder why he hadn't come to him yet as he clearly thought Snape would want to. When he emerged from the Pensieve the first thing Snape did was Floo to Godric's Hollow to see Lily.

She hadn't been expecting him as he hadn't notified her beforehand. At the moment, Snape didn't care. He was one of the few people the Potters had allowed access to their home without needing to go through security checks. He spun out of the fire and stepped out into the living room.

Lily was sitting in the lounge, holding her sleeping baby son. Her eldest seemed to be playing in another room. "Sev-?" she began but Snape cut her off.

"Black's from the future?" he spat.

"How did you know?" she gasped, surprise echoing across her features.

Snape thrust out the vial of memories Black had given him. "He gave me this. His memories! Is it true? Or is he pulling my leg?"

Lily slowly shook her head. "No, it is true. All of it, whatever he has shown you. Only four people know… well five if you count Voldemort…"

Snape cursed bitterly. "I still hate his guts."

"But…?" Lily prompted.

Snape hated himself for this. "He saved you. He took the fate you had away from me… which I brought down on you…"

Lily had long ago forgiven him for his part in telling Voldemort part of the prophecy. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known he would have meant me. Your defection saved me and my husband and my son…"

"But you would have died," stated Snape. He had seen that memory of Black's: discovering Godric's Hollow after the Dark Lord's attack.

"I probably lived longer thanks to you than I would have done if you hadn't warned us," smiled Lily. "Even if I died originally…"

Snape still found it odd to think that Black had lived two lives. The fact that he had shared this with Snape astounded him but he suspected Black had done so in order to get him on his side. Black had risked everything to change history, to prevent the future he had lived from coming true. And he was trusting Snape – a man he hated – with the truth. And it galled Snape that he now felt he owed the man since Black had rectified his mistakes and saved Lily.

"What are you going to do?" asked Lily, shifting her son slightly in her arms. He continued to sleep, unaware that his mother was having a very important conversation.

"I don't know." He tried not to snarl but he was certain he had been unsuccessful at it. What annoyed him most was that Black had included his memories of the Willow incident which showed what had happened before Black had encountered Snape in the hallway where he had then told him exactly how to get past the defences of the Whomping Willow. He could see why Black had snapped but it didn't excuse him from trying to murder him.

"Can you work with him?" suggested Lily quietly. "Sirius will need you to help him… You will do what Dumbledore asks of you, won't you?"

"Yes," replied Snape. He had promised the Headmaster that when he had defected in return for keeping Lily safe. "If he asks me to spy on the Dark Lord or return to his ranks as a loyal member, I will. It is the only way I can be useful to him."

"Then you'll help Sirius if he needs it?"

Snape stayed silent. He hated the thought of it. But Dumbledore would order him to. So he didn't really have a choice. But he could at least be civil about it since he did have a tiny, tiny amount of respect for the man now.

Lily was waiting for his answer.

"I will help. But I will not like him as a friend."

"I'm not asking you to be," said Lily.

"How long have you known about Black?" asked Snape.

"A while," replied Lily. "We had to force him to tell us though I already had an inkling. Sirius isn't a bad person and he's trying to make amends… He saved me, James and Harry by stopping us from using Pettigrew. I know he suggested it in the first place…" she hesitated.

"No one would have thought Pettigrew was the spy," snorted Snape. "Maybe Lupin or Black. I did try to find out that information but the Dark Lord always kept his spies close to him. A lot of Death Eaters didn't know who each other were. Only the ones of his inner circle really knew the identity of all of them… Even then… He had to be sure his loyal ones would never betray him. If I am asked to return it will be a risk to me…"

"I know," said Lily, "I would hate for something to happen to you. You're my friend, Sev…"

"I can't promise I will live, Lily," answered Snape. "It is difficult to fool the Dark Lord but if he doesn't return…"

"He will," stated Lily. She seemed so sure of it.

"Black seems to be adamant to prevent that from happening," pointed out Snape.

Lily nodded. "I know but he did return originally. What I think we all will need from you is if Sirius is captured… you need to protect him… He has all this knowledge in his head that Voldemort could find useful. I know he is an Occlumens but…"

"The Dark Lord is powerful," noted Snape. After seeing Black's memories he could understand why it would be important to protect him. If the Dark Lord got into his head… Snape shuddered to think of the consequences. "But… I will protect him as best I can." It felt wrong to be saying that about a man he vehemently hated. "I still hate him."

Lily laughed. "I don't think you will ever like him, Sev… but it is good to see you are willing to work with him instead of against him."

Oddly, Lily saying that to him made him feel proud even if it annoyed him he had to be around one of his most hated enemies more often in the future.

He decided he would call Black to him instead of going to the man's house. If Black wanted things to change then he would do what Snape wanted him to. Black arrived on time, knocking on his quarters door which Snape opened and then – however reluctantly – allowed the man inside, something he had never intended to occur.

"You may sit," said Snape as he watched Black eyeing the settee to the side.

Black looked uneasy.

Good, smirked Snape. "I went through your memories…" He paused for dramatic effect. "Lily told me it was all true. I'm amazed you trusted me with such a big secret…"

Black shrugged. "I decided to take a risk because – as you saw in my memories – our hatred of one another got out of hand."

Snape didn't say a word though he knew what incident Black was referring to. He wasn't going to apologise because he hadn't done it and it was unlikely he ever would, unless Black ever became a convicted felon, which was impossible since he was the hero of the wizarding world. They would never settle for their hero being a criminal.

"I hope you can understand a bit more why I sent you down the Willow too," said Black.

Snape growled low in his throat. "It didn't give you the excuse to do what you did!"

"I know and I am sorry for it but we can't change the past. All we can do is move on and work together for the good of our world. If we want it to survive we have to…" explained Black quietly, trailing off.

Snape wanted to hate the man but he couldn't. This man in front of him was broken; broken by his experiences in Azkaban and losing his best friends. He wasn't the same man, nor would he ever be again. And he was trying to make amends through the most difficult way possible. He didn't like Black one bit but he just couldn't hate him anymore.

He sighed. He would do this for Lily and for himself. It had to be done.

He held out his hand to the other man. "One time offer, Black. Truce?"

Black only hesitated for a few seconds before offering his own hand.

They shook hands.

To be continued...

Please let me know what you think!

I always think when it comes to the Whomping Willow incident that the fault must be on both sides. There had to be a very good reason why Sirius was not expelled. So I don't think the whole blame ever laid at Sirius' feet. Sirius trusting Snape with his true past? Well I think it is something he would do...

In the next chapter we go forward to 1991...

Until next time,

the-writer1988