Snape stalked into his room and flung himself into the plush chair in front of the fireplace. Closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers to dissuade the migraine that threatened to settle behind his eyes. Opening his eyes he glared at the cold fireplace. He was frustrated, angry and very much at a loss. Hardly 24 hours had passed and the behavior of the four teens was enough to give him reason to jump off the Astronomy tower.

He had known from the moment of their arrival in 1898 that the solution to getting back home was slim, at best. The odds were strongly against them and that meant... Snape didn't wish to consider what it meant and he forced such thoughts from his mind.

As for the headmistress... he shifted uneasily in his chair. After he had Legilimens'd her, he realized what a concession she had made in touching his hand. It had also confirmed the reason behind her obvious hesitation. Only a few seconds, but it had been enough to allow him to see what he shouldn't have.

As he had guessed, Ebenezer Arcahnum had beaten his only child, but only after Lyrica's mother had died from an accidental death a year into her first apprenticeship at 18. It was all that he saw, but it was enough for him to understand the woman better. He had also seen Lyrica's desire to trust him and he decided he would make certain to earn her trust.

His thoughts turned back to his own days as a student at Hogwarts. He really hadn't been very good at history, but it was Lucius Malfoy who had made him pay attention to the subject of Ebenezer Arcahnum. Despite the fact that history did not paint the man in a flattering light and summarily condemned his prejudice and his backward politics, Malfoy thought the man to be noble, passionate and brilliant. His excesses had been luridly reported and his politics were everywhere. He had not been a subtle man; far too open in his prejudice against Muggles and Muggle-Borns. It was this uncouth behavior that, possibly, kept a Dark Lord such as Voldemort from having risen in this age. Ebenezer's hatred, though, lived in those pureblood families that felt the same way, but kept their beliefs close. Families such as the Blacks, the Malfoys, the Notts... they were politically savvy and they were patient.

"The man had no control, Lucius," muttered the young Snape who was seated in the courtyard watching with his dark eyes as the blonde-haired Malfoy paced excitedly before him.

"The man had no fear, Severus!" chided Lucius with that oily smile that had long since become second nature to him. "What did it matter to Ebenezer Arcahnum that he dared to speak what others kept to themselves? He was bold and you know that he was right!"

Snape jerked back just as Malfoy made his point by aiming his wand right at Snape's crooked nose. "He was a fool," muttered the dark-haired boy.

Lucius Malfoy's grey-eyed gaze narrowed and he leaned menacingly toward Snape as he hissed, "Then you think our Dark Lord is a fool as well, Severus?"

"Yes, Lucius, he is," muttered the much older Snape as he forced his thoughts to the present.

Any thought Snape might have briefly harbored to change the future was useless. Even IF he were able to destroy the Riddle family so Tom Riddle wouldn't be born, there were others equally ruthless and just as mad who would be more than willing to take the place of the Dark Lord. Any one of them could be worse than Voldemort.

Snape's thoughts drifted away and soon he was sleeping lightly in the chair. He awoke an hour later to find the fire burning in the fireplace and the table set with dinner. Rising to his feet, he stretched as he worked out the stiffness in his neck. Leaving his rooms he walked into the corridor.

All four doors to the teenagers' rooms were open. Voices were coming from Draco's room and Snape practically glided across the floor like one of the many shadows that flickered in the torchlight. Snape remained in the shadows to watch and listen.

Harry, Draco, Hermione and Ron were seated in a circle in front of the fireplace. Hermione had a quill in one hand and a parchment in the other. An inkwell was at her knee. She was jotting down notes as the boys instructed.

"Be sure to emphasize what a git, Harry is," Draco said with a smirk.

"Thoughtless git," amended Ron. "OW!" Harry punched him in the shoulder and Ron grinned at him.

Harry pointed at the parchment, "Okay, I'm a repentant git. How about that?"

Hermione raised a very Snape-like eyebrow. She scratched out something, wrote for a minute longer and then lifted the parchment. "All right, how does this sound?" She began to read, "In conclusion, we realize that we must put aside House rivalries and personal animosities..."

"Animosities?" snorted Harry.

"Animosities," stressed Hermione and continued, "...in order to make the best of a bad situation. Even though the danger is not as evident as it blatantly is in our time, we must 'remain vigilant' at all times and take care not of just ourselves, but each other. In doing this we will be better able to preserve our future from our stupidity."

"I don't like the word stupidity, 'Mione," muttered Ron.

"Well you were stupid," sneered Malfoy.

"So were you, Malfoy. Kind of stupid to get lost in a maze." Harry snickered.

"I'd like to see you get out of it, Potter, when you're being eaten by the walls." Draco glared.

"So why didn't it eat you, then?" Potter glared right back. "Probably gave it indigestion."

"Oh just stop it!" snarled Hermione with menace. "Honestly! Maybe I ought to suggest to Professor Snape to put some boxing gloves on you both and just let you two beat the stuffing out of each other! Can't you even hold a truce for more than an hour?"

"He started it; three years ago," Harry said sullenly as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Merlin, mate, I've got you beat," chuckled Ron. "His father punched my father in their fourth year at Hogwarts.

Draco let out a laugh. "Your mum broke my dad's nose, Weasely, sticking up for your dad!"

Harry couldn't stop the snicker that slipped out, "Sort of like when Hermione broke your nose, eh Malfoy?"

Draco's laugh sobered. He glanced warily at Hermione and touched his fingers to his nose, remembering the young girl's right hook, the blooming pain and the blood. "Yeah... well, s'pose I deserved it, didn't I?"

"Yeah you did," declared Ron with narrowed eyes.

Hermione dropped the parchment in disgust. "Could we please be civil for the rest of the evening? I wouldn't put it past the professor to find a way to give us detention, especially after he sees this!" She threw her quill at the parchment.

"Let's just turn it in, okay Hermione?" said Harry as he began to roll up the parchment. "He ought to be happy that we sat here for over an hour without killing each other."

Ron grinned suddenly. "You're right, Harry! And, we always have tomorrow!" Harry, Ron and even Draco chuckled while Hermione snatched the rolled up parchment from Harry and stood.

"Dinner is ready," Snape's voice rose from the shadows. He appeared just enough to show a flourish of robes before vanishing back into the shadows of the corridor.

"Merlin's teeth!" gasped Ron. "That man's gotta be a vampire the way he sneaks around like that."

"Who cares, Ron. I'm hungry." Harry tugged Ron by the arm and led the way out of Draco's room, across the hall and into Snape's quarters where he was seated himself at the table.

"C'mon, Granger," smiled Draco. "Weasely will eat all the honey biscuits before we even sit down!" Hermione laughed and followed him across the corridor.

Dinner was completed in relative silence. Once the table was cleared of the empty and dirty dishes, Snape settled his "potions instructor" gaze upon them. "Your essays?"

Hermione picked up the rolled up parchment that had sat on the table on her left side throughout the evening meal. She tentatively extended it toward Snape. He quickly snatched the parchment and unrolled it. Scanning it briefly, he then looked up.

"I see only one essay. Did I not assign each of you an essay?" Snape knew full well from having overhead them earlier that they had chosen to work together on one essay. It was a solution he approved of, but he wasn't above letting them squirm; for a bit at least.

"We know you asked for an essay from each of us, sir, but..." began Hermione.

Ron interrupted, "We were comparing notes, Professor, and... well..."

"Before we knew it, sir," added Draco, "we just all worked on that one." He let out a dramatic sigh.

"We worked together, Professor Snape," Harry spoke firmly. He gave Snape a look that said, 'wasn't that the point?'

Snape put down the parchment and crossed his arms over his chest. With a roll of his eyes, he waved his hand at them. "Stay in your rooms or the corridor, but get out. Now!"

"Sir?" questioned Draco.

"English is your first language is it not, Mr. Malfoy?" The boy nodded abruptly. "Good! Then I trust I need not repeat myself."

Ron grabbed Draco by the sleeve of his robe and they trooped out behind Harry and Hermione.