Knowing There Is Only Now

Knowing There Is Only Now

by coven

Rated: PG

Summary: Hermione finds out that there is a fine line between dream and reality.

Disclaimer: This is a Harry Potter fan fiction. Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter III: Hello Baby

Harry beamed at Hermione as she sat in front of him at the lunch table. She grinned back and greeted him. She was obviously in one of her better moods. Harry wondered if it had something to do with actually topping the dreaded `Moody' exam or the dance with Malfoy last night. He hoped it was the former, because the latter would ruin his own good mood.

Harry had thought about it as he had sat alone in the pub, last night. There was actually nothing wrong with Draco Malfoy, even if he was Draco Malfoy. He liked the bloke. He had after all, unexpectedly turned against the Dark side and joined them. Whatever his reason was for doing so had never been clear to Harry. But Draco had proven his worth time and again so to Harry, it did not really matter at all.

He could not believe that two years before they were still duelling in the corridors of Hogwarts. Well, they were still at each other's neck if chance presented itself, but the heat was no longer there. As Harry had said, it was more out of habit than anything else. He even played with him on the Auror varsity team.

Now, regarding Draco being with Hermione, that was a different thing altogether.

“Who said she flunked the test?”

Hermione grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry,” she said, getting eggplant lasagne. “I think I exaggerated a bit.”

“No,” Harry said, still eyeing the food choices. “As usual, you were just paranoid.”

“But I'm still your friend so it doesn't matter, right?” Hermione asked.

“Well, I didn't know when you applied for the position,” Harry replied.

“Hermione!”

It was Neville who came in running.

“Woah,” Hermione said. “What's wrong Nev?”

Neville grabbed Hermione and hugged her.

“Oh Hermione,” he said, flushing a bit. “Nothing's wrong. On the contrary, it's all bloody fantastic.”

And with that, Neville Longbottom picked her up in his arms and twirled her about.

“Thank you!” he said, as he finally put her down. “I passed and I got a high mark too!”

Hermione, who was still trying to find out east from west, was only able to answer him a “You're welcome.”

“Well,” Neville said, finally releasing her. “I have to tell this to Lav. I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it. She said she saw it in the tea leaves. Thanks again, Hermione! Bye Harry!”

Hermione sat down again, chuckling as she watched him stumble out of the mess hall.

“Are you sure it's not Neville?” Harry asked, resisting the urge to laugh out loud.

“I don't think so,” Hermione replied, still grinning from ear to ear. “Besides, he is so devoted to Lav, I'm sure he wouldn't dare kiss me. She would kill him if she finds out.”

“Hmmm,” Harry mused. “So we have Neville and Malfoy scratched from the list.”

“Well,” Hermione said. “I guess so. Neville is too much a honey. Draco well… no sound alibi as of yet, but I also doubt he has anything to do with it. It's just not Draco. I mean he can be underhanded about things. I mean, he used to be. But why would he steal a kiss from me, when all he has to do is snap his fingers and girls would come running to him.

“Well, sometimes men aren't as confident as you think they would especially with the women they like,” Harry mumbled as he helped himself to some steak.

“Hmm?”

“Sounds like someone is falling for Malfoy's nonexistent charms,” Harry said instead.

“Oh Harry,” Hermione said, putting her fork down. “You're jealous aren't you?”

Harry looked around as if she had said something that could frame him.

“Of course not!” he denied vehemently. “Why would I be?”

“Hmmm,” Hermione said knowingly. “Nothing Big Brother. So, any from your end?”

But Harry couldn't just let it go.

“Wait,” he persisted. “Why would I be jealous?”

“You tell me Harry,” she retorted with a shrug before sipping from her glass of pumpkin juice.

Harry stared at his plate for a moment, seriously pondering over what she had said. After a while he answered, “Alright, maybe I am.”

Hermione looked up at him and felt funny. It was not the first time in the company of Harry that she felt that little flutter in her chest. But lately, with Harry all going affectionate and flirty, she had been experiencing more of it.

Harry cleared his throat.

“I mean,” he said, with a twinkle in his eyes that spelled mischief. “My baby's all grown up. Pass me some Kleenex.”

Hermione threw him some instead.

“What?” Harry complained, his hands shielding automatically from the assault.

“It just feels weird seeing you like this,” she said quietly. “Forgive me if I'm still groping my way about it but, it's only been less than a year and…”

“And?”

“It's not the usual you,” she said carefully. “But it's the real you so… but I like it. I really do. “

“Aww…” Harry said, seriously touched by her statement. And with a rare show of spontaneity, Hermione kissed him on his cheek.

“Hey,” he said, touching the spot where her lips stayed for a very brief moment. “You kissed me!”

Hermione flushed.

“As if it was the first time,” she said, going back to her meal. “Think of it as a sisterly kiss.”

“I would if not half the people are enviously looking at me right now,” Harry said, conscious of the stares of some of the other people.

“Oh shush Harry.”

“Hmm… we're going to have a more difficult time of finding your mystery person then,” he said after a while.

“I've been asking around,” Hermione said, putting her fork and spoon aside. “Most of the guys were in the study area, in their rooms, or in Draco and your case, out in the quidditch fields.”

“But anybody could just walk to the library and do it,” Harry added.

Hermione sighed.

“So any from your end?” she asked.

Harry grinned.

“I turned into a gossipmonger,” he said, obviously finding the idea exciting. “I've been trying to find out if anyone here has the hots for you. What's so funny?”

Hermione shook her head.

“You're enjoying this aren't you?” she asked, almost accusingly.

“Why not,” he said. “This is what we future Aurors are training for, to find cowardly men who have nothing to do but kiss innocent girls while they sleep.”

“Harry!”

Harry chuckled.

“Actually, it's pretty difficult,” he said. “The guys are very careful when I'm around, knowing you're my friend and all. They know I can turn them to dust if anyone says anything inappropriate about you.”

Hermione pondered a bit.

“This just means we have to go the second step,” she said with conviction.

“And that is?”

“Use magic of course!” Hermione rubbed her hands in glee.

“The logical thing to do next,” Harry said. “And do you have any idea on which magic to use?”

“No,” she admitted. “But we can go to the library.”

“Oh yes, which is why you are in this predicament in the first place.”

“Oh darn it!” Hermione said so suddenly that Harry almost choked on his food. She slapped the palm of her hand on her forehead. “I deserved to fail that exam.”

“What now?”

“Yes, that was what we should have done in the first place!” she said, as if she had done something as negligent as not doing homework, or cutting class.

“What?”

Harry was getting curious at this point.

“Go back to the scene of the crime!” she cried out, gripping hard at Harry's arm. “That was what we should have done. And now, whatever evidence that creep left there would all be gone by now. I can't believe how stupid I was!”

“Hey.”

Harry patted her hand consolingly.

“And you Harry Potter,” she spat out. “With being an Auror as almost second nature to you, why didn't you remind me?”

Harry let go of her hand as if he suddenly touched something hot.

“Uhmm… well… uhmm…”

“Never mind,” Hermione said dismissively. “We have work to do!”

“Wait up,” Harry said, trying to force what was left of the steak on his plate in his mouth.

“Oh honestly, Harry!” Hermione said in disgust. She noticed Harry's attention focusing on something behind her.

“Excuse me,” came a squeaky voice. “Granger Missy Hermione Missy?”

“Yes!” rapped out.

She turned out and found Peasnaps, the Academy's house elf/gofer behind her. He was carrying a bouquet of red roses so huge, that it seemed as if the bouquet was standing by itself.

“Uhmm, Missy I'm sorry Missy!” Peasnaps apologized immediately, his large eyes brimming with tears.

Having founded the original organization that promoted the rights of house elves, Hermione felt as if she could kick herself. Her features softened and knelt beside the sobbing elf.

“Oh, it's not your fault,” she said softly. “I'm sorry, I'm running low on patience today. What is it Peasnaps?"

“Missy, delivery for you Missy,” he answered and excitedly shoved the bouquet to Hermione, his hurt forgotten.

Harry stood up and got the card sitting on top of the petals.

“Woah, roses! Who are they from?”

Hermione snatched the card back and gave Harry the evil eye. Harry tried to get it from her by poking her at the waist, which only earned him a very angry hiss.

“Just sit there and eat!” Hermione roared.

“Yes Ma'am,” Harry said, smartly turning a salute and sitting down once again.

“Thank you,” Hermione said, rolling her eyes exasperatedly. She got her handkerchief from her pocket. She smiled once again and looked down at where Peasnaps was supposed to be and said, “And here you go…”

But Peasnaps was no longer there.

“Where did he go?” she asked, looking around. “I forgot to give him this.”

“I'm sure he would prefer the stuff you knit for his friends at Hogwarts.”

“Ha-ha Harry, ha-ha!”

Harry grinned at her like a naughty schoolboy.

“So who?”

Hermione opened the card. Harry frowned as he saw her blush and bit her lip. He was sure he was not going to like this. He slipped behind Hermione who was positively beaming like a girly-girl and caught the name on the card.

“Malfoy?”

* with the spotlight in your eye

the harsh stark reality

you are with me now

you will always be

until you walk away

Hiya Hello Hello Baby

-- Hello Baby by Cynthia Alexander*

A/N: Thanks to those who have read and reviewed. I hope you liked this chapter :) Those who have been asking about the identity of the mystery kisser, all I can say is that patience is a virtue and that look for clues in the fic.