Hermione felt like everything that moment happened in slow motion as Lucius Malfoy attempted to kiss her, assuming she knew well enough about the affair they'd supposedly been having, and Hermione felt bloody awful.

Who exactly was she in this universe?

Before he could quite reach down to her lips, a voice interrupted the moment. Hermione near fell to the floor in fear and relief.

"Merlin, with you two! I permit these escapades for my own reasons, but this isn't a large party where disappearing is unlimited and unnoticed! These are our friends, now get back to the company!" Narcissa barked, turning on her heels as Lucius looked at her back with a look that could kill.

"She knows," Hermione breathed, completely ignoring the fact she more than likely made little sense.

"Yes, Hermione, you know that. Hence why the two of you bicker as consistently as you do." His tone was demeaning, for little did he know he was telling her new information.

Blankly, the brunette looked at the blonde who slammed his hand against the wall and then offered it to her.

"We must return, but will you accept a down-payment and a rain-check?"

A positive nod made him grin with joy, or at least Hermione was pretty sure that was the intended emotion. He leaned forward and quickly stole a peck from her lips that made her feel like the scum of the earth. Someone should have bloody well fed her to Remus on the night of the full moon, her mind was so far-gone and her conscious already scarred.

They returned, and no one seemed to be the wiser bar Narcissa Malfoy who simply rolled her eyes. How did she know and not tell Severus? Unless he knew as well, but Hermione found that nearly impossible. He was a possessive man --even in this place-- and she doubted that he was as willing to share... besides that, surely she would have been poisoned eight different times over if he knew.

Joined by her husband upon return, Hermione felt overwhelmed to say little. Her eyes seemingly did not cease to move, and the sudden urge to tell everyone she was an impostor overtook her need to stay alive. When she caught Harry's eye, though, Hermione noticed that maybe she wasn't the most uncomfortable person there. Breaking away again from the people, she steered him away down some halls through the manor with her wand casting a silencing charm the moment they reached a safe enough place. All this sneaking around made her ponder over her sanity.

"Are you alright?" She asked him, gently peering into his green eyes.

With Harry's hands stuck in his trouser pockets and a false smile on his face, he shrugged, hoping to pass it off as an answer, though obviously the man knew he couldn't get away with such a thing.

"No, Hermione, I am most certainly not alright. What about you, though? I don't think you've ever been this pale."

She tried to laugh it off, really, but the worry consuming her denied that luxury.

"No. May I ask you an odd question of sorts? Well, a few odd questions?"

Harry nodded proudly, taking her hand in his own sweetly enough.

"Who is Voldemort?"

Furrowing his brows, the boy replied, "I've no idea."

"Tom Riddle then?"

"Still no," Harry replied, shaking his head all the while.

"Merlin," Hermione said under her breath, "Are you and I friends? You know, like tell one another our deepest secrets friends?"

Harry laughed at her, and for a moment the brunette witch was worried just a tad.

"Obviously, Hermione."

"Then I have to tell you one of those secrets now."

"If it's your affair with Malfoy, I know about that."

Hermione closed her eyes and breathed discontent, for she was hardly surprised at that point.

"No, not that, Harry James Potter, I meant something completely different." She took that moment to pause and assure herself he was listening to this.

"I am not Hermione Snape."

"Could have fooled me," Harry retorted, thinking her admission a joke.

"No, Harry, you must understand! I'm Hermione Granger, this isn't where I belong!"

"So you're telling me that you're from the past? When you were just Hermione Granger?"

Hermione smiled sadly, encasing their held hands in her other, "No, Harry, I'm from a different..." she struggled for a word, but sighed and muttered, "reality."

Gaping, Harry Potter stared at his best friend in what looked to be awe and fear. She understood his trepidation, obviously, and dear Merlin was Hermione taking a chance in telling him such a thing. Easily he could start asking questions about her other self which the brunette really did not wish to answer.

"Blimey, I don't know what to say."

"Then let me: Will you help? I know nothing of this time, and frankly I do not feel like dying when I just got here."

"If I can handle you," Harry fell over the word and shook his head, "Sort of.... and your secret of your affair, I think I can handle telling you about your life."

"Thank you," Hermione breathed intensely, letting all of her worry go... bar the dread she had for taking over this witch's life.

"Sure, but I don't think it wise to tell you it all at once. Just what you need to know to get through a few days."

Smiling in relief, Hermione hugged her best friend with all the affection she could muster.

"I know you, and if this new you is anything like mine, you'll want to know who else knows about you and Malfoy."

She must be somewhat similar to her other self if this Harry was able to so quickly pin her as she was.

Her nod triggered his speech, "Just myself and Narcissa. Right tragic situation, but the other you should have been with Malfoy... not Severus."

"Marriage bonds are unbreakable, however, unless created under statutes that are dissolved."

"Yeah, something else you should know... yourself and Snape are collegiate spouses. I reckon from what you've told me that you two don't have many marital affairs."

Hermione's eyes widened. That was something she definitely needed to know before she went all house-wife on him. Something popped into her mind then, oddly enough.

"Thank you for just blindly accepting what I'm telling you."

Harry smiled a bit sadly, "You're my best friend, Hermione, I could sort of tell when you weren't... yourself. I think that goes for your other time too, I hope?"

"It does."

"Well, then, I'm glad to be there for you, but what was it you were saying about a... Voldermot?"

Hermione chuckled, seeing the ignorance and pure joy on Harry's face at asking her such a thing. He had no fear in the name, he had no care for any danger the mere thought of the dark wizard used to bring. It was refreshing for Hermione, and it made her quite happy to see such a lackadaisical attitude in him.

"He started a war because of you... because you were the only person in existence to survive the killing curse. His killing curse."

"Bollocks."

"There is a bit more to it, obviously, I just don't think you want me to bore you."

Harry chuckled lightly, "That's quite alright."

"Is there anything else I should know before going back in there... I feel so out of place."

"Bar my undying love for Draco who will probably never even pass me another glance so long as I'm his best Auror, no. You're quite alright."

"I could tell, you know," Hermione said gently, poking at him, "I can see the way you look at him and shy away from Xander. It's what you used to do with Ginny in my time."

"Ginny?" Harry laughed as if the idea were ludicrous, "She is currently dating a muggle. Name's slipping me, but her family loves teasing her about him."

A pensive look invading her features, Hermione thought on just what he was saying. Surely that was nice that she was happy, but she didn't really have a choice in dating a muggle, did she? There was nothing besides from special approval that would allow her to marry a wizard more than muggle-born possibly a half-blood if they existed.

"It's not like she has a choice in the matter," she voiced to Harry, "That law is so stupid! Purification my arse, Harry."

"There's been fewer and fewer students at Hogwarts, it wasn't just Draco's idea. Severus was pointing at it for a while, even Dumbledore did so while he was with us."

Hermione glared at him.

"That doesn't justify a thing, Harry Potter! And... how exactly did Dumbledore pass?"

It had only been a year ago, at the hands of her husband, for Hermione. Dumbledore had been an unnecessary casualty of the war.

"Age, the mediwitches said. The stars just wanted him, I reckon. Was it different for you?"

Hermione could tell Harry was still a bit weary of the way he had to phrase his questions or ask them in the first place, and it was understandable. Luckily he was being all the brave Gryffindor she knew he was.

"Severus killed him."

"Oh," Harry said pathetically, "That's... wow."

"He betrayed Dumbledore and then continued to do so throughout the war I fought."

"You fought in a war?"

She hummed in agreement.

"I did, yeah. I was in the middle of a battle when suddenly-"

"You were here?"

Another nod.

"Well," Harry said affirmatively, "I'll take care of you from here on. Obviously things are much more different here. For example, Severus was a wreck when Dumbledore passed. It was better that he died during the summer or Hogwarts would have certainly been closed for a bit. They were close, the two of them. There's also no war. We do have Rogue Witches and Wizards, though. I reckon you just had one side or the other on your war."

"No. There were three sides, almost. It was rather complicated, really, and I still do not wish to bore you. Besides, I am keeping you from your party."

"You are," Harry grinned at her scoff, "But that's alright. If I can't have Draco by my side, then what use is being out there?"

"Maybe you could win him over?"

"Despite their both being wizards, he has to uphold the law too. We couldn't be together even if he wanted. He's better off with his muggleborn prat."

"You don't like Xander I take it?"

"What made you think that, Hermione?"

A genuine laugh escaped the brunette as she looked at her messy-haired friend.

"Nothing at all, Harry."

"Mhm. How do you say we return to the party?"

"Just one more question?" Hermione hoped, tugging at his hand before he could leave their bubble of silence.

"Surely. Anything you'd like."

"What should I do about Malfoy? I can't bloody well go on having an affair with him if it wasn't me having it."

Harry blinked in surprise. Obviously he had barely thought of that circumstance's retributions. She wasn't Hermione, not Hermione Snape anyways.

"Uh, I dunno."

"I don't feel right going on with it, honestly."

"Then maybe you don't have to?"

"But I don't want Malfoy to suspect anything of me, Harry! If I just break off an affair with a man I supposedly am supposed to be with, then what will he think? He'll want to know why then things will only get worse."

Harry seemed to think for a moment, his green eyes hard at work as they stared at a wall.

"Maybe you should tell him it was just a fling? Lie, admit you were using him for some fun?"

"That won't work, he's a smart man, even where I came from as begrudgingly I admit."

The black-haired wizard seemed unable to offer her anything as she looked rather desperate to solve the problem.

"Get out of it slowly then? If you ease away over time, he won't be as suspicious then. Only, I hope Severus doesn't find out before you can do that. He has been a smidgen bit suspicious as of late."

"Of course," Hermione snorted.

"I wish you the best of luck, Hermione. If you need me, you know where to send my owl?"

"Harry," she scolded gently, looking at him stupidly.

"Right! I almost forgot. You can just send it to Godric's Hollow; where my parents-"

"I know where that is, Harry," Hermione told him gently, "And I'm sorry for their deaths, you don't deserve that."

Melancholy graced the air around them, holding the meaningful looks they passed to one-another.

"Thanks... it's so weird to hear all this from you again. Almost surreal."

"I would think so," Hermione replied carefully, "Should we get back?"

Looking at his best friend with a broader smile than was real, Harry nodded happily.

"I guess we should."

The two went back to the party, neither one in the same state of mind as when they'd left.