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 dreams and reality when she receiver her first kiss from a mystery person.

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

Chapter VI: The Weather Reports

To say that Hermione slept terribly would be a lie, she did not sleep at all. She just tossed and turned in her bed, trying to make logic of what had happened the other night. A pervert had kissed her. Then she had received flowers from a boy who was her former tormenter at school. Then she found out she had fallen in love with her best friend. Then she discovered that the former tormenter was the pervert, and the best friend she had fallen in love with was now keeping things from her.

There were loopholes - a lot of them. Although Draco had been rather forthcoming with his involvement in this fiasco, he did not elaborate much on it. And what about Harry? What was he not saying? Hermione could not think of anything.

“Seven bloody years of fighting Voldemort and it all boils down to this,” she said, violently brushing her hair. She donned her robes and proceeded to the dining hall.

All she had to do was to talk to one of them. But which? Well, there was the one who would have a less chance of giving her indigestion.

She spotted Draco Malfoy easily.

“Can I talk to you?”

Draco looked up and saw Hermione Granger. There were smudges under her eyes and her hair was not as neatly coiled in a bun as it usually was. But the haughtiness was still there. He almost sneered at the way her chin was pointing upwards, as if challenging him to say no. He thought she looked adorable.

“I'm not sure Potter would like it,” he drawled, lazily glancing at the glowering Harry Potter sitting on the other side of the room. He too looked worse for wear.

“I don't care about what Harry thinks right now,” Hermione said loud enough for some people at the other table to stop their discussion. “I want to talk to you.”

Draco smirked at Harry.

“Okay.”

He stood up and let the woman lead him outside to one of the benches in the corridors.

“Wow, this is weird,” Hermione started, not as confident as she had looked a while ago. “I had everything I wanted to tell you already prepared, and now everything's a mess in my head.”

“Well,” Draco said, letting her sit down first before he did. “Maybe you can start with screaming at me.”

Hermione smiled wryly.

“Should I?” she said. “I want to honestly, it was my first kiss after all.”

“First?” Draco

“Oh, it's really a long story,” she said dismissively, hoping that Draco would catch the drift.

“You mean Weasel and you…”

Obviously he did not, much to Hermione's consternation.

“No!” she hotly replied. “Oh can we not talk about that. What I was saying before I was rudely interrupted was I'm not really angry Draco. I can't… for some reason. I was, when I didn't know it was you. But now… It all doesn't seem to matter anymore. I can't believe I'm not making sense here.”

Draco smiled tolerantly at her, as if she was a small child.

“You are.”

Hermione shyly looked up at him, but held his gaze anyway.

“What you said last night, was it true?”

Draco shrugged and answered matter-of-factly, “I maybe foul, loathsome, and evil but I wouldn't lie about that. Yes, it's true. I do have feelings for you.”

Hermione's curiosity got the better of her.

“Why?”

Draco laughed.

“I can't believe Hermione Granger is fishing for compliments.”

Hermione looked as if she was insulted, but blushed nevertheless.

“I am not!” she denied.

Draco was still chuckling.

“I was just joking,” he said.

Hermione refused to give in to the embarrassment.

“The flowers?”

“It was partly a thank you for the dance.”

“And partly?”

At this, Draco paused, and looked away thoughtfully.

“A wake-up call,” he finally said.

“A clue for me then,” Hermione concluded.

Draco merely smiled.

“Draco, “ Hermione said, placing a hand on his arm. “I'm really quite flattered with…”

Draco smiled again before he placed her hand on her lap, and let go.

“I know…” he said, standing up. “You don't feel the same way for me.”

“Oh!” Hermione stood up as well.

“I understand,” he said.

“How do you know?” she asked.

“It doesn't take an Auror to see the obvious.”

And then he walked towards the direction of the dorms.

“Wait…” she called out, just before Draco could turn at the corner. “How does Harry fit into this?”

“Why don't you ask him?” Draco said, turning around and finding Hermione walking to him.

“So there is something more to this then!”

“Maybe,” he said. “But it's not my story to tell.”

“Almost eight years I have known him, and this is the first time I…”

“You're smart Granger,” Draco sniggered. “I'm surprised you haven't caught on it yet.”

“What does that suppose to mean?”

Draco sighed.

“Talk to Potter, Granger,” he said impatiently. “ It will save you the trouble.”

Hermione let him Draco.

“What did he mean by that?”

And she gasped as a hand was placed on her shoulder.

“What was that all about?” Harry Potter angrily enquired.

Hermione shrugged off his hand.

“You're hurting me,” she said and started to move to the dining hall, Harry in her heels.

“You talked to Draco,” he accused.

“Thanks for pointing out the obvious,” she hissed, then stopped and faced him. “What does it matter anyway, Harry?”

“I can't believe this,” Harry said, arms across his chest. “Wasn't it you who was spitting blood and fire just to catch whoever did it?”

Hermione stepped towards him. “I was.”

“And now you know it's Malfoy you just let it go like that,” Harry grilled her on. “Is that how desperate you are?”

Hermione felt like she was stabbed. Was this really Harry?

“I'll pretend I didn't hear that,” she said coldly and started to walk away again.

“I'm sorry Hermione,” Harry implored as he stopped her. “I know he's changed and all. I even like the bloke now. He lied to you…”

Hermione's anger which had been simmering for the past hours had suddenly overflowed.

“And you!” she now shouted. “You think you're not lying to me?”

“This is different!”

Hermione felt empowered at the desperation in Harry's voice. Let him grovel!

Some of the trainees were now getting out of the dining hall at the sound of the raised voices.

“How?”

“Just stay away from Malfoy!”

“I just bloody talked to him,” she retorted. “And who are you to talk about trust? You don't trust me. You're still hiding something from me; I can feel it. The thing I don't get is why you have to.”

“Hermione…”

“I'm going to talk to Malfoy whether you like it or not,” she said, stomping on the floor like an insolent child.

“No you won't,” Harry warned.

“Yes I will!” she said. “Then tell me what it is, Harry!”

“I can't…”

“Then don't you dare question me on my decisions,” she said with fake sweetness. “I'll go out with Malfoy then. Heck, I may even have a take two of that kiss. He kissed fine.”

“Shut up Hermione…”

“And who knows, I may even go have a shag with him. Might as well, since he was my first kiss after all.”

“You don't know what you're saying!”

“What do you care,” she jeered at him. “You don't trust him, you don't trust me, might as well go all the way. So what's the point of this huh, Harry? You stupid, stupid gi…”

And to the amusement of the onlookers, Harry Potter took Hermione Granger by the shoulders and kissed her.

Hermione's eyes widened.

The scent… the taste… the feel of his lips on hers…

Amidst the clapping, the cheering, and the wonder of Harry's kiss, she realized something.

“It was you!”

*the weather reports

stormy weather

look me in the eye

its true what they say!

its no surprise then why

why I'm feeling hung

no wonder why*

The Weather Reports by Cynthia Alexander

A/N

Thanks to Atiqah for beta reading. Thanks so much for the fantastic reviews. As I have resumed reporting to work, the wait for the final chapter would be longer than expected, but I would not definitely keep you waiting for very long.