Chapter 4:

"What are you talking about, Love?" Severus turned his head, his eyes searching hers.

"He used a Polyjuice Potion!" cried Hermione. "I should have realized when he was looking a bit tweaky."

"What?" Who used a Polyjuice Potion?" He asked, not completely understanding.

"Please don't get mad at me when I tell you this." Hermione begged.

Severus continued to look Hermione straight in the eye. "I promise." He said gently.

With the gentlest voice he had, he reassured he, "it's okay. I could never get mad at you, at least not tonight." Severus hated seeing his fair maiden in distress and crying.

"Ok," Hermione's voice quavered bit, "but remember, you promised."

"I know," he assured her. Then, after a few moments, said encouragingly and gently, "Tell me."

Hermione began…

"I woke up around 11:30pm. When I turned my head to see if you were still asleep – which you were, I tried to fall back asleep but couldn't. About 10 minutes later I got up to make myself a cup of tea – you know that tea helps me relax.

"I got up, taking my wand with me to the kitchen. Once I got there, I decided to make tea the muggle way – you know, without magic. It is relaxing for me to do some things without magic. When I was in the middle of trying to boil the water, I suddenly heard a 'CRACK' and someone apparated in the kitchen. I remember gripping my wand tightly, and dropped the full pot when I heard Harry's voice say, 'Hey, 'Mione!'

"I slowly turned around gripping my wand tightly and found myself staring into a pair of highly amused green eyes. He told me to calm down, that it was him, Harry Potter born to Lily and James Potter. He laughed and told me I looked like a scared rabbit."

She broke off "I should have realized when the only things he told me to prove who he was were the names of his mom and dad. Maybe I was too tired to notice; I don't know –"

"Hermione," Severus' voice brought her out of her berating herself, "what happened next?"

"I remember relaxing a bit and asked him if he wanted tea. He nodded, so I started to make it. When I reached to grab the tea bags, he told me to stop and come in here because he wanted to talk to me. I remember then noticing two things odd about "Harry": he did not have the lightning bolt scar nor did he have green eyes anymore, his eyes were grey. Warily, I followed him and asked why he was here. He told me just finished his auror nightly duty watch and figured he'd come and see if he could stay the night.

"Then I heard the kettle start to whistle so I excused myself and went to take it from the stove. Apparently, he followed me back into the kitchen because the next thing I knew I felt an arm go about my waist. I tried to turn but couldn't because the grip was so strong. I strained my neck to see who it was and I looked straight in the face of Lucius Malfoy. In surprise I remember dropping the kettle and my wand, and him kicking my wand away.

"It was then I screamed woke you."

Hermione had started to tremble again, this time more violently.

Severus simply wrapped his arms around her and stroked her and back in an effort to soothe her.

When she stopped trembling, she said, "Severus, I thought Lucius was sent to Azkaban after the war."

As confused as she was, he could only say, "I thought so too."