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 IV: Daisy Chain

“Malfoy,” Harry repeated blandly. He just could not believe that Draco was actually putting the moves on Hermione. That stupid, dishonest git!

“Harry?”

Harry forced a smile on his face. Hermione had looked so pleased when she received the flowers that he had not the heart to tell her of his thoughts.

“So what does it say?” Harry asked through gritted teeth.

“Uhmm..” she said, clearing her throat. It was the first time she had ever gotten flowers from a boy, and that fact overshadowed any misgiving on the identity of the sender. “Thanks for the dance.”

Harry grunted.

“It must have been some dance.”

Hermione frowned at the sarcasm that laced Harry's voice.

“It was okay,” she said, returning the card in its envelope. Harry sickly watched as she buried her face in the petals.

“Didn't you mention that you were allergic to flowers?” he said.

Hermione laughed and shook her head.

“No Harry, honestly!”

“Well,” Harry said peevishly. “I repeat then, somebody must be falling for Malfoy's non-existent charms.” He looked at Hermione, who was still smiling. She seemed to be looking far away. Harry took a hold of her shoulders, which startled her.

“Merlin,” Harry said. “You're seriously contemplating about it!”

Hermione laughed. It was obvious that nothing could spoil the moment for her. Secretly, she was pleased that Harry was indeed acting jealous. She could picture her ego doing summersaults and back flips at that instant.

“No silly,” she said, taking a little pity on her best friend. “It has been a long time since anyone has paid me any attention like this.”

“I'm paying you attention right now,” Harry said crossly.

Hermione hooked her arm in Harry's and led them out of the dining area.

“But you're Harry!” she said as they walked.

“Oh thanks,” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “Now I'm Harry, the next best thing to chopped liver! So what about Malfoy?”

“Oh Harry,” she said, hugging his arm more tightly. “This is just a thank you. Besides, I don't like Draco that way .“

“Yet,” Harry added.

Hermione stopped and pinched Harry's arm.

“Ow!” Harry cried out, he looked at the impish grin pasted on Hermione's face.

“Okay,” he said, stopping in front of Hermione's door. “What if your mystery person is Malfoy?”

“Harry is a possessive git of a best friend,” Hermione said to the portrait of a little cherub hanging above her door. The cherub giggled and winked at Harry. With a soft strum at the harp it was holding, the door opened.

“Hey,” Harry said, sulkily. “That was mean.”

“Don't worry that wasn't the password,” Hermione said as they got in her room. “I asked the little angel to make it voice activated instead. Neat huh?”

“Yeah neat.” Harry was still pouting when he sat down on the window seat. He did not bother anymore to point out that she had not yet answered his question.

“Put the flowers in water while I go and change,” Hermione instructed as she pushed the bouquet towards Harry. Harry muttered something incoherent as he got the empty vase from her study table and went to fill it with water. When he got back, Hermione had just put Draco's card in her bureau drawer. She started unbuttoning the collar of her robes and walked to the bathroom, carrying a fresh change of clothing. Harry on the other hand, was doing his best to not shift his annoyance from the sender to the flowers. With surprisingly artistic flair, he proceeded to arrange the roses in the vase.

“Can we stop by my room first before we go to the library?” Harry called out. “I need to get out of these robes.”

“If you're thinking of changing, I think I still have some of your clothes in my closet.”

Harry frowned as he decided how he was supposed to insert the last two roses in the arrangement. “I don't want to go through your clothes!” he shouted back.

Hermione stepped out of the bathroom in jeans and a shirt with “S.P.E.W.” emblazoned on her chest. “As if you haven't seen women's underwear before.”

Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

“Oh,” she said. “No, don't even open your mouth.” With that she marched back to her closet and rummaged through her clothes. When she found out what she was looking for, she tossed it to Harry.

“Hey, I was looking for this!” he said, automatically unbuttoning his robes. Hermione found herself gawking as Harry stepped out of his robes and carried on in taking off his shirt. She felt her neck grew hot so she turned around to fix things that need not be fixed in her closet.

She gave a nervous giggle and said, “You always forget your things when you shower here.” Then she gasped as she felt two masculine arms wrapping themselves around her waist. She nearly shivered as Harry rested his chin on her shoulder.

“And you always return them to me, clean and laundered,” he said. With that, he hoisted her and carried her effortlessly to the bed.

“Put me down, Harry!” Hermione screamed, kicking and clawing at him.

“Okay!” he said, playfully putting up with her attempts with a laugh. He plopped her down on the bed and straddled her.

“Oh no you don't!” Hermione warned. “Harry!”

Harry pinned her down and started tickling her mercilessly. Hermione screamed and laughed. Still struggling, she somehow found a way to free one of her hands. As a form of retaliation, she shoved Harry's glasses off his head and flung it somewhere on the bed.

“Hey!” Harry growled, peering down at a blurred Hermione.

“It's my turn!” Hermione roared in triumph as she lifted her head up and bit him hard on the shoulder.

“Ouch!”

“Paging Mr. Harry Potter!” came the voice from the speakers of the magic PA system they had at the Academy. “You are requested by Coach Gordon to come to the quidditch fields immediately. Mr. Harry Potter, please come to the quidditch fields immediately.”

Harry groaned in the crook of Hermione's neck, and loved so much how she smelled of lemon and lime.

“Just when I had you in my power,” Harry complained as he sat up, pulling Hermione with him.

“You wish,” Hermione muttered, watching as Harry fumbled about, looking for his glasses. She swore something happened a while ago. She could still feel whatever it was in the air.

“Hermione, where is it?” Harry asked exasperatedly.

Hermione paled.

“Oh Merlin,” she thought. “No, not Harry! Please, please, please not Harry!”

“Hermione,” Harry repeated. “A little help here please.”

Hermione half-heartedly reached over and got the glasses which were lying innocently behind Harry and handed them to him. Before he could put them on, she pinched both her cheeks, knowing that at the moment, they needed a little colour.

“Well, we'll have to continue this next time then,” Harry said with a wink.

Hermione recovered quickly and winked back.

“Thanks for taking care of the roses,” she said as they got out of her room.

“Hmmmp!” Harry replied. “I just want you to know that I did that for you and not for Malfoy.”

Hermione laughed weakly at that. She was silent, not really listening to Harry's endless chatter about Draco and quidditch. She was, instead, trying hard not to think about the fact that Harry's arm was draped on her shoulders, which should be normal but did not feel like so anymore. She was thankful

when they reached the library.

“Just wait for me here and we'll see if there are any clues left to get that creep.” Harry told her. “And don't fall asleep!”

Hermione nodded and waved goodbye. She saw Harry's questioning look before he walked away, but she was glad that he did not articulate it. He knew her too much, and she would never find the courage to lie about it if he had asked.

She went inside the library, where she saw another trainee Lord Tennyson Wyatt at one of the tables. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

Going to the circulation area, she pulled out books from the shelves randomly. She stared at the one on the top of the pile in her arms which had “SEDUCTION AND SURVEILLANCE: SEX IN ESPIONAGE” as its title. She turned the pages to the first and she almost dropped the book when she heard moans coming out. Disgusted, but with the book still in hand, she proceeded to the circulation desk.

“Good afternoon Hermione!”

Hermione smiled at the perky little librarian.

“Hello Celery!”

“Anything wrong?” Celery asked, as Hermione placed six books for borrowing.

“Why?” Hermione asked alarmed. Was she being obvious?

“Nothing,” Celery said as she took care of the books. “It's just that you usually take ten out at a time.”

Hermione smiled, very much relieved. “Just for light reading,” she answered.

“I bet!” Celery said with a cheeky grin, as she held the Sex in Espionage book in her hand. Hermione had the grace to blush at that.

“Thanks, “ she said when the librarian pushed the books back toward her. But as she turned to go to a different desk than her usual, Celery called out to her again.

“Oh Hermione,” she said, handing her a red wristband. “I found this under your desk the other night.”

“It's not…” she started, then a “ping” went in her head. She got the wristband from Celery.

“That's the new quidditch band.”

The two women turned to look at Lord who had appeared with five books in his arms.

“You use this?” Hermione asked.

Lord nodded, giving the books to Celery who proceeded to process them.

“Coach gave them to us last week,” he explained. “To differentiate one team from the other when he divides us during practice.”

“Did you play quidditch the other night?”

“The night before Professor Moody's exams?” Lord exclaimed. “Hell no!”

“Do you know who played?” Hermione asked.

Lord pondered a bit.

“Pickle asked if I wanted to join but I was busy in my room studying so I said no,” he said. “Malfoy, Potter, Edwards, and Bierce, were with him. I don't know if there were more.”

Hermione's vein at the temple throbbed a bit.

“Well this must be Harry's then,” she said. “Thanks Lord!”

“You're welcome,” he replied.

“Thanks Celery,” she bade the librarian once again, and to the young bloke she nodded, “Lord.”

Hermione went to her desk, several thoughts zooming haphazardly in her mind. For the first time in her life, she could not think in an orderly fashion. First it was the perv, then Draco and his roses, then Harry, and now this latest development in her investigation. It was more action-packed than seventh year. She stewed in her seat, chewing at her nails for Merlin knows how long.

“I'm back!”

It was Harry, grinning from ear to ear. She glanced at his wrist and saw the red band on his left wrist.

“Just the person I wanted to see,” Hermione said through gritted teeth.

*must you seize my world by storm

stake your claim upon the heavens

cast a mercy smile for this

daisy on a chain*

Daisy Chain by Cynthia Alexander

A/N:

1. Once again, I'd like to thank those who have read and reviewed. I mighty appreciate it!

2. I read the first three chapters and I was so horrified to find very glaring grammatical errors in the text. I'm sure I have them here too. I apologize for them, my only excuse being English as not my native language. I would really, really appreciate it if anyone could be my beta reader, the only perk being the fact that he or she will be able to read the fic before everyone else. Please e-mail me privately(floridono@gmail.com) if anyone is interested. Thanks!