Potter and Black's misdemeanours, as it happened, led to thirty points apiece being deducted from Gryffindor house. Severus was slightly sore about that as he'd lost far more points for answering back a teacher in his previous life, but he couldn't fault Flitwick's kindness is allowing him and Remus to go scot-free. However, despite this, Lily was still furious.

"I can't believe you!" She exclaimed furiously, jabbing a finger into Potter's chest. "All the points people earn for this house and you lose some because you wanted to get into a fight?"

Potter mumbled something but it wasn't enough to make Lily back off. Luckily for Severus, and of course everybody else, Lily had chosen the Entrance Hall, an extremely public place, to utterly humiliate Potter.

"Especially a pointless fight," Lily continued angrily. "What had they done to you? Do you think hexing people makes you look cool? It doesn't - it makes you look like the silly, barbaric idiot that you are."

"Alright, that's enough, Lily," Severus murmured, aware that Professor McGonagall was slowly but surely coming their way.

"Yeah, that's right - lead your girlfriend away, Snape," Potter jeered. "You know you're no match for me."

Severus made to respond, equally scathingly, but McGonagall stepped in-between them.

"Mr Potter, if you'd kindly refrain from shouting in front of the entire school. Your classmates may have to suffer your shouting most of the time but please do not try to inflict headaches on everybody else as well."

Severus inwardly smirked, but then McGonagall beckoned to him.

"I'd like a word, Mr Snape."

He followed the Transfiguration professor in silence. Behind him, Black stuck his tongue out at his retreating back but Lily soon descended on the miscreant, as angry as before.

"Inside, if you please," she said, waving him into her office. "Sit."

Severus sat, choosing to remain silent rather than incur the Scottish woman's fearsome wrath.

"Professor Dumbledore told me to speak to you," McGonagall spoke, looking at him strangely. "Something about memories, I gather."

"Ah, I see," he replied quietly.

"You know what he's talking about?"

"Yes, I do."

"I have his Pensieve, if it helps," she offered.

"Thank you."

Severus stood up and brought his wand to his temples, drawing out the memories before dropping them into the Pensieve. The memories contained no mention of the Death Eaters or his involvement with Voldemort.

"It'll take quite awhile," Severus stood, shrugging. "I can come back later."

"I'd rather you stayed," McGonagall said, seemingly understanding the significance of what he was offering her.

"Very well."

*

Half an hour, Severus and McGonagall sat again in silence. Only, this time, it was contemplative silence, which McGonagall shortly broke.

"So... Severus - may I call you Severus?" She asked hesitantly.

Severus figured it must be odd to find that someone you knew only as a student was also your friend in another life.

"Yes," he answered.

Her calling him Severus might give him back some sense of normalcy.

"You're forty now?" She questioned.

"Nearly forty-one."

It felt strange to almost be Professor McGonagall's age, after all her jokes in the past about the huge age gap between them.

"You remember everything that's happened," she said in an awed voice.

"I do," he replied solemnly. 

"Can you make sure we don't repeat those same mistakes?"

"I can try my best."

She paced the office.

"Minerva," he spoke.

She stopped pacing immediately and looked at him. He smiled tentatively.

"It's good to see you again."

She moved towards him.

"I'm so sorry... about your death," she apologised. "I can't think of anything worse, having that happen and living through it. I mean - it's both a blessing and a curse."

He nodded.

"At least I can make sure that He doesn't take over again."

*

Remus commented later as they were playing Wizards' Chess that Severus was in a surprisingly good mood.

"It must be because I'm winning," Severus commented idly, taking one of Remus' pawns.

Remus snorted.

"I hardly call that winning," he said. "You have three of my pawns and I have eight of yours, a bishop and a knight."

Severus waved a hand.

"Semantics."

"What are semantics?" Remus questioned.

Severus sometimes forgot that Remus was actually the age he looked.

"Oh, it's all about meaning," he said airily.

"Right," Remus said slowly, unconvinced. "Either way, semantics or no semantics, I am winning, Severus, not you."

"Fine," Severus conceded, "but I'm in a better mood than you."

"And it happens to be on extremely rare occasions that you are in a good mood, Severus," Remus pointed out. "On both a chess front and a mood front, I would say I'm a perpetual winner."

"Long word," stated Severus, impressed.

"I've come so far since meeting you," Remus said drily.

"Just let me have this," Severus pleaded petulantly, sticking out his bottom lip.

Perhaps surprised by this childishness, Remus sighed and surrendered.

"Alright, Severus. You're a wonderful chess player who can't play chess and you're winning a game you can't win."

"That's cruel," Severus complained. "I am winning."

"And you are very stubborn."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"I do."

"Checkmate - you don't."

Remus knocked over Severus' king, flashing him a triumphant smile. Severus glared at him.

"I most definitely do."

*****

A.N. Minerva now knows about Severus' past and Remus and Severus enjoyed a fun little game of Wizards' Chess. Now only Poppy needs to be told to bring the band back together again. 

This chapter is dedicated to @TIFFANYLIU399 for their kind words! :)

Thank you for reading and don't forget to comment!!!