You hardly even watched the second challenge. Instead, you were with Severus in his potions and ingredients cabinet, looking for clues of invasion.

"Are you sure things are being stolen? Perhaps you're too love-struck to even notice you use them yourself." You counted the gilliweeds for the third time.

"Missing a piece of gilliweed is one thing, but boomslang skin? lacewing flies? Someone is making polyjuice potions." Severus growled. That wasn't the only thing that was irritating him. His dark mark had begun calling him. Voldemort was coming back.

"But who--"

"Severus!" Karkaroff slammed open and shut the door and marched up to him.

"I am not in the mood--" Severus began, but Karkaroff pulled his sleeve up.

"What are we to do? It's a sign Severus, you know what it means as well as I."

But before he could answer, the door opened and you all saw Harry Potter, strangely enough. He looked at you all, an odd group, with a high suspicion. Igor, in a huff, pressed past the boy, who also turned to leave.

But Severus pounced, "Potter! What's your hurry? Congratulations, your performance in the black lake was inspiring, I hear. Gilliweed, am I correct?"

"Yes sir." The boy was nervous.

"Ingenious. A rather rare herb gilliweed, not something found in your every day garden."

"Severus, even if he did, clearly he has no reason for--"

The professor took a potion from his pocket. "Nor is this, know what it is?"

"Bubble juice, sir?" He guessed as you laughed a bit. It was a delightfully and likely purposefully ignorant guess.

Severus rolled his eyes at you. "Veritaserum. Three drops of this and you-know-who himself will spill his darkest secrets. The use of this on a student is regrettably forbidden, however should you ever steal from my personal stores again, my hand might just slip over your morning pumpkin juice."

Harry protested, "I haven't stolen anything."

"Don't lie to me. Gilliweed might be innocuous, but boomslang skin? lacewing flies? You and your friends are brewing polyjuice potion and believe me I'm going to find out why." and with that, Severus closed the door in Harry's face.

"Cor, Severus, you know it's not him. I mean, perhaps on the gilliweed, but he has no need for polyjuice potion!" You sounded exasperated.

"I am only trying to protect him." Severus enveloped you in his arms. "He has no business getting into the affairs that he does. It is unnecessary danger."

"And you are one to speak of that?" You looked up and ran your lips against his jaw, making his knees weak.

"Oh, stop, you seductress. I have more stores to count."

You scowled but didn't let him go. "Ugh, and here I thought I could weasel my way out of this chore." You both separated and went back to what you were doing, but your mind quickly went back to the odd scene just before Harry's arrival. "What did Karkaroff mean? Is it hurting you?"

Severus paused, not really wanting to let you in. But his heart decided against it. "It's been burning. You-know-who is calling."

"Must you answer it?" You asked quietly and nervously as your eyes turned grey.

"I must speak to Dumbledore of it. But the answer... it is probably yes."