Author Note: Obviously this is a work in progress. An idea I've had in some form or another in my head for several months now, but finally got around to writing. The description being as limited character-wise as it is, I couldn't really give an adequate description of what I had in mind, so here goes:

Essentially, the story begins from two perspectives. Firstly, Severus in 1976, just about to enter his Sixth Year at Hogwarts. Painfully aware of how he'd ruined the one and only friendship that truly mattered to him. Secondly, Hermione in 1996, midway through the Half-Blood Prince, when she too - though perhaps not to Snape's extreme, had quite an anguished relationship with her own supposed friends deriving from Ron's dating of Lavender Brown. In an act of rage, trying to vent from the stress, she ends up breaking a time turner, which releases all its magic at once, effectively sending her back in time slightly over twenty years to August 31st, 1976. The day before term was to begin. She'd explained herself to Dumbledore, who seemed to believe her, but said that all he could do was write to the Ministry and see if they knew of some means of sending her back, and that in the interim, he'd make arrangements for her to study at Hogwarts in her same House and Year, under the pretext of being a transfer student. And shortly thereafter, Severus and Hermione run into one another - obviously not under the best of terms all things considered, and the plot develops from there.

The first chapter is told from Severus's point of view, the second from Hermione's, most subsequent chapters will involve both.

This is my first real attempt at a fanfiction of any serious length, so if anyone would be willing to give constructive criticism, that would be AMAZING.

(Also, a huge shoutout of thanks to anyone I have / am in the process of roleplaying this concept with. Not using anyone's posts but my own as material in this, but I still will give credit when and where it's due throughout the course of things. )

September 1st, 1976

Black eyes gazed at the window, looking neither at nor through it. Cold, impassionate, indifferent to the English countryside moving by outside under the mid-day sun. A sight that to most onboard the Hogwarts express would only serve as a catalyst for their exhilaration at seeing their friends once more and eager anticipation at arriving at the castle for yet another term. But to Severus the sun was simply annoyingly harsh and bright, the landscape before him unpalatable to the eyes.

The hateful summer was finally over. He was finally free of Spinner's End, free of his father for nearly another year. But even that didn't matter. Nothing mattered now.

Less than half an hour ago – though it already felt a century – his one last chance, his one remaining hope had failed him.

All summer, left alone with only that odious muggle for company, over and over again it'd played over in his mind. The one incredibly stupid, vile word he'd said. The one word that had ruined everything, all that mattered in the world. He'd tried his best to immerse his mind otherwise, in studies, but as day after day passed without Lily's presence at his side, it had grown more and more unbearable.

Sometimes the torment was so great, at the dead of night he would make his way out to the playground where the first met. Hoping beyond all rational hope that she'd be there again. But it was nevermore to be.

Several nights at least the moon and lonely swingset paid witness to the tears that Severus was too proud to show to any living soul, when he simply couldn't endure it any longer. Tears that even now dared not come, even though all the beauty and worth in the world had been shattered and died. He was, in this moment, too dead inside even for that. Soullessly staring out the window, looking but unseeing.

It'd been his one last hope. All that had kept him going over the hideous summer. He would see Lily on the First of September, on the platform for the Hogwarts Express. His one last chance before they were off and she was with her poisonous Gryffindor friends forever. He'd put more thought into it, he was more terrified of it, even than in his first approach of her seven years before at that bloody playground.

It would work, it would have to work he'd told himself, tried to convince himself. Surely the summer had been as unbearable for Lily as it'd been for him, separated like this. Surely she'd realized her terrible mistake by now in leaving him, just as he'd long realized his own terrible mistake in ever speaking that horrible word. He'd go to her, they'd find a compartment together, away from anyone's eyes. She'd see how truly sorry he was, how much it'd eaten him up inside, how he'd never think of hurting her again. And she'd finally forgive him, and with a smile and a kind sparkle in those beautiful emerald eyes, all would be perfect again in the world.

But such was never to be. With a heart beating so fast he nearly thought he'd faint, Severus had made his way to the platform 9¾ at 10:45. As early as was possible for him. Hoping in arriving early to catch Lily as she arrived. Express his deepest contrition for his crimes against her, beg for her forgiveness.

When she'd finally arrived, it was 10:55; most everyone was already onboard. But Severus was simply standing there, almost a statue, watching, waiting for her. Lily had three Gryffindor girls by her side – almost as if she'd planned it that way to ruin any chance he had of approaching her. But she was too important, his love was too strong to let even such a social barrier stand in his way. He wanted to run to her, fall down and cry just at the sight of her. But instead took the slightly more dignified path of walking over slowly, Lily seemingly paying him no heed, her concentration on the rather happy conversation she seemed to be having with her friends.

The words released like a weight from his mouth as he approached her. "Lily…" he'd said, hanging his head slightly. "I'm sorry… Can I please just talk to you for a moment…"

Yet instead of her emerald eyes meeting black as so many times before, she didn't even turn to acknowledge him. Instead speaking rather crossly to her friends, as if suddenly in a rush. "Come on; let's go find seats on the train before they're all taken."

And with that she was off. The waves of brilliant red hair fading off as she'd marched away. It was then and there he knew. He'd lost her, the one person in this otherwise worthless world that he actually cared about. He could simply stand there, almost as if hit by "stupefy", watching helplessly as she walked away to leave. He wanted to run to her to beg for another chance, but he couldn't even move himself to do that much. It was over. For good. Forever. And he knew it.

He didn't even remember how he'd gotten onto the damned train. It didn't matter. Somehow he'd managed to find an empty compartment and sit down in it. Everything had gone so terribly, terribly wrong. So far removed from the now dead glimmer of hope he'd held for this day.

"Severus!" the sound, the greeting, a pleasant tone that seemed so alien filled the air. It startled him, almost like another shock to the body. Whipping his head around, his fingers quickly working to move the dark strands of hair out of his eyes, Severus saw that Avery, Rosier, Wilkes, and Mulciber – his dorm mates from Hogwarts had entered the compartment. Avery had evidently been the one to speak; it'd taken Severus's mind a few seconds to even process that.

Thankfully at least a stoic expression was fairly ubiquitous for him, so he didn't really look anything but normal to them. For the better; he could only imagine how much worse things would be if they knew the thoughts going through his head right now.

"Afternoon," Severus replied with a curt nod as the other sat down, closing the door behind them.

"So, did you hear the news?" Wilkes exclaimed excitedly, nearly the instant the door slammed closed, rendering the compartment more or less soundproof.

"What are you on about…?"

"I mean, you have been keeping up with the Prophet, right?"

"No…" Severus said, in a tone perhaps more bitter than even he had intended. "I don't exactly get the Prophet over the summer, now do I?"

"Oh… right…" Wilkes huffed, looking awkwardly for a second. Though Wilkes was generally quite a brigand and bully around the school, by this point, any Slytherin with any sense knew not to cross Severus. The latter was already by this point something of a favorite and effective protégé of Lucius, a man with connections to the Dark Lord himself. In the rigid, power-based hierarchy of the Slytherin House, to go against Severus was almost tantamount to questioning Lucius's judgment, which in turn was almost tantamount to questioning the Dark Lord himself. A prospect that kept even the most dull-witted of Slytherin brutes well in line. Severus's cold black stare was all Wilkes needed to know he'd crossed a line that he had no right to cross.

Severus's blood purity, or lack thereof, was something that he, as a Slytherin and aspiring Death Eater, was quite self-conscious of. He absolutely despised the thought that while the rest of those sitting before him had been off at their family manors all summer, he'd been cooped up in some dingy muggle house. And he didn't need them to drive the point in any further. One of the many unspoken rules of the Slytherin House – make no mention of Snape's background. Most of the younger Slytherins didn't even know, and just assumed him to be a pureblood like most of the others. So much the better really as far as Severus was concerned.

"Anyway…" Rosier quickly cut in, after the moment or so where the three others had shot sharp glance of their own at Wilkes, "The Dark Lord's on the move again." He said in a hushed, yet excited tone. "And he's dealt with some of the muggle-lovers in the Ministry over the summer." A rather dark grin appeared his face as he spoke. "Definitely good news in itself… But here's the interesting bit. Well, somehow, someone – one of the Death Eaters I guess – sent a message to the Ministry. That, if they don't replace the deads' offices with those with a more … enlightened view of magic; well, he'll just kill them again and again until the Ministry puts someone worthwhile there. And… guess what…?" His eyes widened as if queuing for the punchline of some sadistic joke.

"Every single person they hired in their places: Pureblooded wizard or witch. One or two possible blood traitors among their lot but… The Ministry caved. And that's what's important. They know we're winning now. They're scared. Soon enough the Dark Lord will be rid of all these worthless rotters altogether."

The four other Slytherins were almost beaming at the telling; even Wilkes had fully regained himself enough to do so. And normally Severus would find it fascinating news, a glorious confirmation of the wisdom of his choice to ally himself with the Death Eaters – the winning faction. But he simply couldn't bring himself to care all that much. Nothing seemed to matter anymore, not even this. For a second he was worried almost that it would show.

But he quickly covered for himself, posing it as concern rather than distraction. "That's excellent." He replied nodding once. "But there has to be caution. There's always retribution to these things. If these new Ministry employees are really ours, the traitors out there might try and move against them, if they haven't begun planning that way already. And if those standing up for the Dark Lord like this are stricken down, it might set a bad precedent. Make others more wary of doing so again. Though…" he said with a bit of a thoughtful pause. "I'm more than confident the Dark Lord already planned for any such eventualities. They should be quite fine I think. Quite fine. Thanks for the news, Rose." He even added a rare, seemingly sincere smile, as if to affirm to the others that they'd done well.

The rest of the ride to Hogwarts had been rather uneventful. They were already nearly there as the topic of the Ministry's politics grew old, replaced quickly by some rather mundane small talk about what petty annoyances they could cause for the hated Gryffindors. Well, on that at least, they more than saw eye to eye for the moment.

For a moment, it was almost like every year before. Almost.

As the train arrived, and the students came pouring out, Avery and the others wasted almost no time in carrying out the plans they had in their heads for dealing with "Gryffindor scum". An incoming first year who'd been excitedly talking about entering Gryffindor within earshot of them was Levicorpused. With a bit of an annoyed look, Severus released him. Not that he had any love for Gryffindor at this point, far from it. It was just asking for trouble to do something so brazen, so stupid, especially with Filch around to help oversee things. Besides, he wanted to get on a carriage as quickly as possible. Away from any of the older Gryffindors, or especially Lily.

"Look," he said rather coldly, as the first year scurried off, "Let's just find a carriage while there's still empty ones and get to the school. We can deal with their lot later." A sudden pang hit him, as he realized how similar his own words had been to Lily's hours earlier. Looking a bit miffed, but not wanting to cross Severus, the others followed in line, taking the nearest empty carriage. Thankfully at least, they'd gotten there before having to deal with any of … them…

This year at least, Severus was single-minded about arriving at the Slytherin table in the Great Hall as quickly as possible, making no attempts as he had in past years to sneak off to see Lily first before the opening feast. Which was more than fine with the others, who Severus derisively thought in the back of his mind were probably thinking of nothing more than stuffing their stupid faces.

Suffice to say, he didn't necessarily think the most of his "friends" in Slytherin. They were, well… allies, pawns, more than friends in any true sense. Honestly, he found them to be halfway moronic at times, often causing more trouble for him through their hairbrained antics than seemed worth it. But at the end of the day, they were fellow Slytherins, and from wealthy pureblooded families. The sort of allies he'd need in his career as a Death Eater. That and, after Lucius had had the sense to prefer Severus out of his year as clearly the one with the most intelligence and potential and choose him as his de facto protégé, the others pretty much just listened to whatever he said when it absolutely came down to it. So, in a certain sense, they were still useful.

Now though, he just really didn't give a damn. He kept on trying to keep his attention on the faces of fellow Slytherins, most of them chatting excitedly at the table about the same matter that his dorm mates had brought up on the train. But his eyes kept on drifting over to the Gryffindor table, no matter how much he kept on cursing himself internally for it. Trying, hoping even for a second to meet Lily's eyes. But it never happened.

Once more, one of his brigand "friends" brought Severus's mind back to the present. " 'Ey Severus." Wilkes exclaimed, hitting him on the shoulder, his mouth already disgustingly full of some candy from the train as he spoke, before the damned feast had even started "You think that blood traitor headmaster of ours is gonna talk about this all in his speech?"

"Doubtful…" Severus remarked drily, "I can't see how he could possibly spin it in favor of his side. What could he possibly say except 'I assure you, no matter what happens, there's no safer place in the world than Hogwarts. No evil Dark Lords can get you here. And stay out of the forbidden forest'." He added in a rather mocking tone at the end. Well, effective enough at least that the three or four Slytherins sitting on either side of Severus burst into a round of laughter.

Severus didn't laugh though. He hated the man. In some senses his worst enemy here at the school, Dumbledore always seemed to favor the damned Gryffindors above anyone else. Let those idiotic "Marauders" reign with impunity, while any time any Slytherin stepped out of line it was almost immediately a matter of detention. His bias extending so far he even let that bloody … werewolf stay in the school because he was a Gryffindor. And made Severus swear, upon threat of expulsion, to never reveal Lupin's identity to anyone after those bloody Marauders had tried to kill him. They of course, got off almost scott free. The thought of it all, especially now that he had new reasons to hate Gryffindor made his blood boil.

All he could do now was simply endure it. Sit through the sorting, the bloody cliched speeches. Eat what he could and be off to bed. At least find some refuge in dreams if nowhere else. "Just get on with the damned speech already, traitor..." He muttered under his breath, wanting more than anything for the worthless day to just be over.