Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction. Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, no money is being made from it.

A/N: Well, I won't set posting schedule for this one, at least not until I'm down one or two of my WIPs. This is another of "first one" for me, but I hope you'll like it.

The story will have a bunch of minor pairings: Minor Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Minor Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Minor Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks.

WARNING: Dark Albus Dumbledore, mild Ron bashing.

Please apply "don't like it, don't read" rule.

I have to show my gratitude and love to my beta Ordinary_Magic for all her patience with me and her selfless help 3

The sounds were deafeningly loud. Severus cursed under his breath sheltering his eyes from shards of glass flying everywhere. The sounds of battle moved from the chamber he was in to another. He'd be better protected wearing his mask, but he dared not to place it on his face.

"To Nine Hells with Dark Lord and Dumbledore alike. His first order was to stay in school and watch over the students- from both of them. Not a full hour later the calls came.

The Dark Lord wanted him in the shadows, joining in if all seemed lost and to capture Potter, but otherwise not interfering.

Dumbledore wanted him to save Potter and his band of dunderheads but at the same time to stay hidden from other Order members.

How was he supposed to obey both of them and survive?

The hiss of a charm mere inches from his ear forced him to duck and change his course, winding between the falling shelves. There was a flash, more glass shards rained on him, something akin to sand slipped over his collar and down his back. Severus kept on running hoping with all his might that his back will still have at least some patches of skin remaining if it was glass dust.

There was a loud bang and a flash of another curse and something hit him in the back of the head. Darkness swallowed him.

His head was ringing. His thoughts were blurry and it took him a good few moments to realise where he was. The chamber was shrouded in darkness and quiet. Severus tried to move and realised that he was covered with the debris of broken shelves.

He swore silently. How long was I out?

This was bad. He will undoubtedly suffer the wrath of both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. Kicking the remnants of a shelf off his battered form, he still didn't dare to sit up. How come Aurors still haven't found me? With all the comotion he'd expect the hoards of Aurors to mill around, the damage to the chamber was extensive even before he blacked out.

Maybe I did have luck . ?

At this point he should be counting his blessings and write his will, for he wouldn't survive the return to one of his Masters. Tormentors more likely. There was a noise toward the far end of the chamber and Severus stilled his breathing. It won't bode well for him if Aurors find him while he had his Death Eater robes over his Teaching robes.

Someone was moving towards him, not even trying to shine light, most likely a hidden Death Eater trying to slip away before Aurors find him or some of the students who suffered a fate similar to his. He was indecisive what would be better.

Dark shade approached and he nearly stopped breathing, swallowing his breaths. He squinted his eyes trying to discern who was approaching or at least to what side person belonged. All he could tell in this dark was that she was female. He waited patiently.

Moments passed dragging to infinity.

One heartbeat- Two- Three-

She was upon him, or more precisely stepping over him. Severus caught the glimpse of a mane of unruly hair of the intruder. He'd know that rat's nest anywhere. Of course it had to be the Hogwarts resident Know-it-all. At least Dumbledore won't complain too much if he returns the student to school.

Making a decision he grabbed the girl by the ankle before she managed to move away from him. There was a quiet squeak of fear and a thrud. He rolled to get a better grip and her free foot painfully collided with his shoulder. She scrambled over to free herself, kicking and huffing.

Severus rolled to the other side, to avoid being kicked again and pounced on the girl.

"Calm down, Miss Granger, I'll take you back to school.," he whispered harshly.

The words hurt his throat as if he hadn't spoken a word for months. He slipped his wand from the sleeve pocket and casted a Lumos. Granger stopped struggling and sat on her knees blinking at him owlishly.

"Merlin's beard! What did you do with yourself, Miss Granger?" Severus couldn't stop the words pouring out of his mouth.

The girl looked older, much older. Maybe thirty or forty. What the hell happened to her? No wonder she stayed hidden and tried to sneak out. Severus sat on his knees facing the unfortunate student, she really was magical accident prone; first a cat, now this. In the most soothing voice he could produce he tried to calm her down.

"Do not worry, Miss Granger, whatever happened to you I'm sure the Headmaster will be able to help you."

Granger widened her eyes, shock written clearly on her face. She tried to speak, mouth open and closing but no sound came.

Oh, bollocks!

Only now he remembered that he still had his Death Eater robes and that he probably scared the life out of the girl. It wasn't like him to be so careless, but he still felt disoriented.

"Professor Snape?" she whispered, her voice full of disbelief.

"I should start deducting points for stating the obvious, Miss Granger." Severus sneered biting his tongue not to say that he expected more from her than from her idiotic friends.

The girl just blinked at him, still full of confusion and disbelief. Severus wasn't sure should he feel worried, she was more than obviously not at her full capacity. He grunted in surprise, internal horror reaching new heights when Granger hugged him with a thrilled but still rather quiet cry.

"It is you! Merlin!" Her embrace tightened.

"Unhand me at once, Miss Granger! Fifty points from Gryffindor," he barked, startled.

She did release him, but instead of an argument, which he fully expected- she grabbed his face, running the soft pads of her thumbs over his features. It was as if she didn't hear him at all.

"Merlin, Professor, you didn't age a day," she whispered with fascination.

"Miss Granger, I'll make sure to inform the Headmaster of your unseemly behaviour. Now release my person before I'm forced to hex you," Severus hissed, his intolerance for this type of disturbance going through the roof.

But that seemed to do the trick, the girl released him. The hex-curse-whatever that hit her must have addled her brain. Because she managed to surprisehim by a startled yelp and hit his hand. His wand rolled to the ground, leaving them in darkness once more.

"Are you insane? Do you want us killed or worse- captured? How did you managed to preserve your wand? Where have you been all this time?" Granger's hiss turned into a stream of questions.

Poor girl, her brain is damaged. Luckily not completely, it seems.

"I am sure that misfortune that found you, Miss Granger, made you feel like you have been hiding- I'll assume- for a long time, but I can assure you it can't be more than couple of hours." He tried to feel for his wand in the darkness.

"All this time? What do you think the current time is, Professor?" she asked, baffled.

There was something in her voice that forced him to abandon the search and face her, even if he could only see a vague contour of her. His eyes had trouble focusing and his head was still buzzing. It might be a concussion , he deduced.

"Do not try to save yourself from detention by claiming loss of memory, it is too late for that." Severus stopped himself, maybe she really didn't know. "It is June 18th, 1996. And we are at the Ministry, now I'm not sure what chamber is this but…" her loud gasp cut off his words.

"We are in the Time Room, Professor and… Of course how could I be so stupid? How stupid we all were! But no one knew you were here when all of this happened" Granger sounded agitated, distressed. "Today is the June 18th 2014 . You disappeared Professor, for eighteen years we thought you dead and gone."

He groaned, that was just what he needed a student whose brain had turned into a delusional mush. Granger seemed to ignore him now, she pressed her ear and started mumbling into her sleeve button.

"Mission aborted. I need support vehicle… And I have an extra passenger."

He wanted to say something and stop this nonsense when a soft sound, a buzz of muffled and distant words stopped him. What in the Merlin's name is going on?

"No, nothing over the com. You won't believe, I can hardly believe my eyes. And we have a working wand, not repaired and not registered. I think I know how, but I won't explain now, just send the bloody car! We are going straight to the shelter, bring Minerva, Remus, Tonks… only the most trusted of the inner circle. And contact our mole, we'll need another set of papers for the asylum. Roger that. Yes, we can stay hidden here for another half an hour."

"Miss Granger!" he called to her, impatient.

Severus tried to get up but he was too dizzy to do so.

"Carefull, Professor, time travel can be disorienting." She scrambled to him, holding her arms out to help and he jerked away.

With sigh she crawled a little over the floor to his utter confusion. Now when his eyes adjusted to darkness he could see that she was holding his wand like it was something precious. She returned the wand to him.

"Do not use it, Professor or they will find us."

"What are you on about, Miss Granger? I'm sure that Dumbledore can explain everything if we just…" Severus stopped.

"Oh, Professor, you have no idea. The day you disappeared turned the tides of war- horribly wrong." She choked a muffled sob. "It was chaos. Dumbledore thought you were taken and killed or harmed by Voldemort. Voldemort thought that Dumbledore did something to you. After weeks of attacks and rescue actions on both sides, Voldemort and Dumbledore met. They met to negotiate your release, but… They made a truce, and joined forces to find you. It was so horrible. It was a time of terror- you can't even imagine!"

Severus could bloody well imagine. Both men were megalomaniacs, power hungry and ruthless when they had their eye on the goal. Their approach might have been different, but in their core they were mirror image. He huffed through his nose.

It wasn't that he believed in this nonsense, but he figured if he played along the girl would finally agree to follow him to the Headmaster willingly. Severus wasn't so keen on hexing the student, not with all the trouble he was in.

"FInally, the new current emerged, the one that brought down both of them. Voldemort, all his horcruxes and Dumbledore are dead. But they exposed our world to Muggles. It was a- mess. The new Ministry reached agreement with Muggle government. The Magic is largely forbidden now. You may be executed for the possession of the wand without permission. Magical world is more than ever cut off from the Muggle one, the magical children are taken from Muggle parents at their birth," she continued.

"And what are you doing in the Ministry then?" he asked to gain time, deducing that the poor girl lost all touch with reality.

"The new Ministry tried to prosecute all that fought on the side of light and dark, by the new rules we knew too much dangerous magic. The guard is the only group that can use magic for attack and defence. We had to flee, many died… Muggle government offered us a political asylum, but only if we promised not to practice our magic. We, the ones who accepted asylum, formed the resistance."

"That still does not answer my question, Miss Granger." Severus was getting tired of this fairytale, no matter how plausible it sounded.

"Harry is locked away in Azkaban, you see. So we are trying to rescue him. There are Azkaban plans here in old Ministry building, I came to retrieve them." She sighed. "It's almost time, we must go."

Granger stood up, helping him to stand as well. This wasn't good, the room spun around him, but at least the girl decided that it is time to go. Severus almost longed to see Dumbledore and dump this addled child in Headmaster's lap. The old goat was the one to blame for the destruction of a brilliant mind that once was Hermione Granger.

He followed the girl to the main entrance. Suspicion started to gnaw at him. The Ministry was dark, deserted and in ruins. She lead him through the maze of what looked like corridors for cleaning and repair workers until they reached the streets.

Soft breeze of summer night greeted them. He however wasn't able to enjoy the fresh air, Granger tugged him towards the dirty white car that looked like a Mini Cooper. The car door opened he was almost pulled inside, the Granger girl seated next to him.

There was a collective gasp in the car before everyone started to talk at once. The interior of the car spun around him. Familiar yet unfamiliar faces revolving around him like bodiless heads.

They were older.

All of them.

Bloody Merlin's saggy balls! The story Granger told me was true!

He tried to fill his lungs with air but he couldn't, he must be looking like a fish out of water. How utterly embarrassing. Through the cacophony, Granger's voice pushed through.

"Neville, start the engine and drive before we draw suspicion. Everyone else, quiet!" Silence became deafening all of a sudden. Car rumbled, tugged a bit and started moving. His hand was squeezed hard and he raised his eyes- facing the young version of Lucius.

Draco.

"Godfather?" Draco's voice teetered on the verge of breaking, the boy, no! The man, looked at Granger. "How?"

"He was at the Ministry. In the Time room at the time of the explosion... " Granger whispered. "He time-travelled, we should give him space to adjust. I couldn't explain everything, I did my best."

The car ride passed in a blur, for most part Severus tried to get caught up with his brain, doubting his sanity. Try as he may, he was still surrounded with older versions of his students, in unfamiliar model of a car. And he was the only one in wizarding robes.

Car stopped, they ushered him into the typical London house, though the corridor wall into another dark and dusty passage and into a small square chamber. Draco took him to the adjoining broom closet that he called the guest room with only one bed and a lightbulb on a bare wire.

"I… You have no idea what it means to me that you are alive, godfather." Draco's voice broke in a croak.

Salazar, I hope he won't start crying.

He wasn't capable of consoling anyone, he still felt- disjointed . Yes, that was a good word for what he felt- weak on his legs, dizzyingly disoriented and overwhelmed. Draco cleared his throat and said:

"I know it is lot to take in. Believe me, you being alive is a lot to process as well. But I need to know- is it true?"

"What?" Severus blinked at Draco, he had no idea what was going on. Not anymore.

"After Voldemort and Dumbledore joined forces… About you and Harry's mum, you being a spy for the Dumbledore?" Draco asked. "Not that it matters anymore, but at time it broke mother's and father's hearts."

Severus nodded, feeling numb. "Yes, yes it's true. I am-was…"

"I see. It doesn't matter anymore. Now we are all together, on one side. Nothing like a common enemy to even our petty differences, eh? I'll leave you to rest." Draco turned to leave.

Staying alone sounded scary. Terrifying in fact. What he needed now was to know, to learn, to keep at least one person at his side.

"Lucius and Narcissa…" Severus said loudly, Draco stopped at his tracks and turned.

"They- died. Well, they were executed for refusing to surrender their wands. " Draco didn't sound sad and Severus frowned. "We parted our ways long before that, I still mourned… More for you than I did for them in later years."

"What happened?" Do I really want to know?

"They disapproved of my relationship. I... My hope was that you would be more- understanding ." Draco hid his eyes.

"A Muggleborn." Severus nodded wondering if the said Muggleborn was Granger.

"Ahem, no. Not a witch, in fact. A wizard." Draco shuffled pulling back and in himself like he was prepared to be yelled at.

"Ah." Severus nodded, he could imagine the reaction of Narcissa. Lucius would be purely duplicitous about it, of course. "Anyone I know? Does he treat you right? Are you- happy ?"

"Yes, you know him and yes he treats me right. I am happy with him, when he's around. He is at the moment in Azkaban." Draco's voice was quiet.

"So, Potter." Severus nodded, in the midst of all this insanity, somehow this information made sense.

The noise in the other room reached crescendo. He jerked, twitching his wand-hand when the door banged open. Granger's silhouette at the door frame.

"If you do not wish for me to use magic, Miss Granger, I propose less violent entrances," he drawled.

"I'm sorry, Professor, I think it's too early but regrettably it is time. I explained your situation, but the Resistance members want to see you."

He nodded. He would welcome some time to better understand this situation, where he was. But that would be an easy solution. When in his life had anything been easy? He stood up and Granger approached him, with a bit of forethought he extended his wand to her.

"I trust you to safekeep it, Miss Granger, or I might feel compelled to use it there."

She took the wand and handed it to Draco. "You are on his side, I know that."

With fascination Severus watched as Hermione placed a hand on Draco' shoulder and squeezed it supportively. Draco returned the smile.

Too much. It was all too much, even his occlumency walls couldn't keep his sanity intact now. Now, he seen it all. He followed Draco and Granger to the other room, full of unfamiliar and yet familiar faces.

Minerva, looking more wrinkled, her lips pressed tight but her left cheek dancing in a nervous jitter. Lupin and Tonks huddled together, blinking in confusion. Lupin grey and with a cane, Tonks with blond hair, and a few line over her face that started to show. Neville, slim and quiet but not looking scared as he remembered, holding hands with Luna Lovegood, who looked older but airy as always. Crabbe and Goyle still looking dull with gaping mouths. Avery, Rossier, Theodore Nott- Severus' brain tried to process that image. The Greengrass family wasn't a surprise.

Severus blinked, the man next to Kingsley wasn't familiar. Yet in a room full of mute people he spoke first.

"Is this the man, the one that had the time travel accident?"

"Yes. He is still actively wanted by our Ministry. He'll need asylum as fast as possible," Granger explained.

"More than that, Hermione," rumbled Kingsley. "He'll need a protective, no extradition clause, asylum. Once they get the word of Severus being alive, the Ministry will demand his blood."

"It is comforting to know nothing has changed." Severus sneered.

"Sweet Morgana, it is him." Minerva's cry startled everyone in the room. She rushed towards him and Severus pulled back a step. She wouldn't… his thought cut off as Minerva gave him a bone crushing hug.

"Will you pull yourself together woman, and release me?" he demanded. The world has gone insane.

What was with witches and their hugging tonight. Only days ago they were more for hexing than hugging him. In fact, there was no witch in England that would hug him voluntarily.

Correction, there wasn't, eighteen years ago. But it seemed that things has changed in his absence.

"It is nice to see you alive again, Professor," chirped Luna. Merlin, is there anything to rattle her cage?

The man cleared his throat, he was digging through the briefcase he had with him. "Yes, if you don't mind I'd like to finish this as quickly as possible." He sat at the table and started to fill in the blanks, checking boxes. "The name if you will?"

"Severus Snape," he said and the man drew a sharp breath of air.

"I see. He will need a safe place to stay. I'll take all other information from the file and see to rush the necessary paperwork. Where he will be staying?" The man looked around the room.

"He may stay with us," Lupin said. Severus squared his shoulders, Azkaban sounded like a acceptable option in comparison to that. He narrowed his eyes ready to object.

"Remus, for you it's been eighteen years, for Severus it wasn't more than a few hours. I don't think he'd be comfortable staying with you." Avery turned to Lupin.

Severus swallowed the gasp. It was too big of a change to take it in stride.

"He'll stay with me," Granger stated. "At the moment I am the only one that has no one in transit, and Draco's home is too public for the Professor to be there."

"Don't tell me you are some sort of public figure." Severus turned to Draco who smiled shyly.

"No, I run a bakery with Harry. Our flat is adjoined to the shop."

Malfoy running a bakery. Severus just nodded, walked to the first available chair and sat.

It was all too much. The man stood up and nodded. "I'll come to your place in a day or two Miss Granger. By then I should have preliminary paperwork done. For how long you can accommodate Mr Snape?"

"For as long as it needed," Hermione said.

"Hermione…" Draco turned to her.

"We'll manage. I'd appreciate if you don't come all at once. We may gather again in a few days, in the meantime I'll fill in the blanks, tell the Professor what happened and teach him what he needs to know." Granger was in her element, that much was clear. "He has to catch up with history and technology, not to mention the rules. There is nothing we can ask him that we already don't know, so I suggest to give him time to adjust."

The murmur of agreement buzzed through the room.

Granger… Merlin, maybe it isn't too late to surrender myself to the Ministry.

Severus sharply turned, sending the room into a spin, when a hand fell on his shoulder. Granger was standing next to him. "I am sorry, Professor, to make such a decision without consulting you. I take it you are too confused right now to understand, but you will."

He just nodded, unsure if surviving the time travel was a smart thing to do.