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 VII: Intertwine

Hermione wandered aimlessly along the corridors.

It was Harry… it was Harry… it was Harry…

She was seeing red.

How dare those two think that she was stupid for playing that prank on her!

The nerve of that Draco Malfoy, and she thought he was beyond his Slytherin self!

So what if it was Harry who kissed her? So what if her own little heart was doing the jig at the knowledge? So what if he had kissed her again? Harry Potter is going down!

She was confused.

If Harry kissed me, then is Draco lying?

But the wristband is Draco's, or is it?

But why did Draco have to lie then?

Why did Harry have to lie?

She stopped in her tracks as she sees one of the objects of her rage just a few feet away from her. She drew her wand.

“Hey Hermione!”

“Draco Malfoy,” she snarled, pushing Draco against the wall. “You lying, filthy…”

Draco looked at the wand pointed at his chest and at the livid expression of the girl whose face was a few inches away from him.

“So at last you have caught on,” he said, delighted.

“What else haven't you told me, or was everything we talked about earlier a lie?”

He sighed.

“Like I said Granger, it was the truth. But it's my own truth.”

“What do you mean your own truth? How can there be more than one?”

“Because there is more than one person in this world, and each person sees reality in his own context hence an individual truth.”

“Alright Malfoy,” Hermione said, trying to stretch her patience to its limit but failing. “Please, I am not in the mood for a philosophical debate. Right now I'm willing to shove this wand somewhere you'd find it really uncomfortable.”

“Ooh Granger,” Draco smirked. “ I didn't know you are into that.”

“Don't tempt me,” she answered.

“Hermione, I didn't lie about any of the things I said to you a while ago,” he started. “But as I said, the key to this entire debacle is your best friend. I suggest you retrace your steps and demand for an explanation. I can't stand seeing you stumped.”

“But…” She stopped, suddenly wary of the mischievous spark in his eyes.

“And the last thing I failed to tell you…” Draco said, smiling disarmingly.

And before she could say anything else, he leaned forward, placing his lips on the apple of her left cheek.

“That was how I kissed you.”

Draco side-stepped. He arranged his robes, and ran a hand through his hair, which fell back into place. He had walked a few steps when he stopped.

Hermione caught the object he just threw at her, and gaped at it in surprise.

“By the way I merely borrowed this,” he said with a wink. “Could you return this to the owner for me?”

And he whistled as he walked away from her. With a trembling hand, she tapped her wand on the red wristband.

“Demonstro Apello,” she whispered.

It read, “Harry Potter.”

***

Harry sat on the bench, just outside the dining hall. The students, being more in fear of Hermione Granger than Harry Potter, had long gone somewhere else after the scene they had witnessed a while back.

He took his glasses off and rubbed the spot between his eyes. He remembered the stunned look on her face as she pulled away, realizing what had happened. He did not want her to know in that manner, but he was just so jealous of Draco. And the fact that Hermione was willing to forgive the other bloke easily and not him, hurt.

He cursed. He should not have given to temptation in the first place. How could he face her now? He was now done for. He heard the soft fall of footsteps, and his heart did a flop when he realized it was Hermione.

She threw him something.

“Draco wanted to return this,” she said, sitting down beside him.

Harry put his glasses back on and stared at his wristband. He had not realized he had dropped it that night he kissed her. He had to ask his coach for another one.

“I understand,” he said quietly. He glanced at her sideways. She was staring forward, not bothering to look at him.

“Of course you would,” she said. “You know what really happened.”

“I'm sorry Hermione,” he said.

She merely shook her head, and this time she looked at him. He wished she had not. The contempt in her eyes was slicing at his being. But he bore it; it was even less than he had deserved.

“Please stop apologizing,” she said her voice a bit raspy. Harry realized that she was just fighting not to cry. “It has lost its sincerity. Eight years Harry. I don't want to forsake our friendship for this. Don't get me wrong. I'm so upset with you right now that I want to hex you into the next millennium. Just help me understand, and this time don't lie. There is nothing more hurtful than that.”

Harry found that his voice was also trembling, but he went on.

“It was after the practice,” he began.

“Where are you going Malfoy?” Harry said, catching up with Draco in the corridors.

“To the library,” Draco answered. “I need to return a book. And I'm guessing you're off to the same direction to see Granger.”

“Wow,” Harry said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “A hundred points to Malfoy for making an intelligent inference. Hmmm, `Sex in Espionage.' What the…”

“Interested?”

“I don't think I'll ever need to resort to that,” Harry scoffed.

Draco laughed.

“I didn't take you for a prude.”

“Well I am compared to you.”

“Methinks, somebody has yet to lose his virginity,” Draco observed. Harry did not reply. “I take that as a yes.”

Harry did not like where the conversation was leading.

“So what if I am,” he said defensively. “Is it wrong?”

Draco shrugged.

“I didn't say it was.”

Harry snorted and looked at the other guy in contempt.

“I take it that you have, you know, shagged,” he accused Draco, but hating himself for even asking.

Draco smiled all the more.

“I'm a Malfoy, need I say more?”

“Yeah,” Harry muttered. “That explains a lot.”

“Don't tell me you haven't even gone snogging with a girl before?”

“I've had,” Harry cried out in indignation. “What do you think of me?”

“Apparently not much,” Draco replied, clearly enjoying Harry's discomfort.

Harry almost sighed in relief as they walked in the library. Celery, the librarian, was probably at the back. There was only Hermione, surprisingly sleeping, at her favourite desk. He winced slightly, feeling guilty that he ditched their study date and thinking how tired she must be to doze off while studying.

Draco's long whistle interrupted his thoughts.

“Whoa, is that Granger?” he said, looking at the sleeping girl appreciatively. “Weasley had been a very lucky bloke for dating her and a fool for letting go of someone like that.”

Harry's eyebrows were drawn together.

“What do you mean?”

Draco rolled his eyes.

“Don't tell me you haven't noticed how fit Granger is?” he said, elbowing Harry. “Even for a muggle? Come on, even friends shag.”

“I'd prefer if we not talk about Hermione in this manner.”

Draco looked at him weirdly, noticing the edginess in his voice.

“I've touched a raw nerve.”

“Shut up.”

“So Potter fancies Granger. Well, it's not surprising when you two could have been tied to each other by the way you act. Hell Potter, I don't blame you. I like her myself.”

“You do?”

“I do,” Draco admitted with a shrug. “But I'm smart enough to know that I don't have a chance. Heard she likes some bloke.”

“She does?”

Now this one did surprise Harry.

“Hmm, I guess you don't talk much about that,” Draco said, rubbing it in.

“Who is it?”

Draco gaped at him, but recovered quickly.

“I don't really know,” he said. “Though I've heard that he's really dim witted. Anyway, why don't you ask her?”

“It's not my business,” Harry replied absently. “Look, just return your book and we'll leave.”

“You aren't even going to wake her?”

This time Harry smiled.

“She needs the rest.”

“Ever the Romeo,” Draco smirked. “Alas, but I can never waste an opportunity like this.”

“Malfoy, what are you doing?”

Harry took one step forward, but froze on spot as he watched Draco leaned down to Hermione's upturned face.

“What the bloody hell did you just do?” Harry asked as Draco returned beside him.

“I think it was obvious,” he answered. “I just kissed her. A harmless one on the cheek.” And before he went to the circulation desk, seeing Celery appear, he removed the band around his wrist and gave it to Harry.

“Here before I forget. Thanks for that one,” he said. “Why don't you wake her up? I don't think she'll appreciate a strain in the neck when she does. I'll just return this.”

Harry nodded, squeezing at the wristband in his hand as he stared at his best friend. He could not blame Draco. She looked so peaceful and appealing. Stray strands of hair were framing her face, and her skin looked so soft and smooth under the dimmed light. Her lips were slightly parted and looked so inviting. He cringed as Hermione moaned.

It was too late. He found himself cautiously walking towards her, until he was right in front of her desk. He bent and leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss. And he almost drew back when she responded. But he held on, realizing she was still fast asleep. The feeling was more than he had imagined. This was real. This was how kissing Hermione really felt like. It was perfect… just perfect.

“Now, what are you doing?”

Harry wrenched his face away and turned to Draco whose brow was raised questioningly. He gulped as he heard Hermione stir in her sleep. She was waking up! He stood up.

“Run Malfoy,” he stage-whispered.

“What?”

“I said run.”

“I didn't know what came over me, Hermione,” he explained. “I was just standing there, watching you sleep. I just knew I had to kiss you. I knew it was cowardly, but I couldn't risk it. I didn't want you to hate me afterwards.”

Harry took Hermione's hand in his, and willed her to look at him.

“You're my best friend Hermione; I can't bear it if I lose you. And now I probably had, just the same.”

Hermione's face was inscrutable.

“You stupid prat,” she hissed, but something in her voice gave him hope. “Tell me Harry, why did you really kiss me?”

Harry looked at her with all honesty, and saw his emotions reflected through her eyes.

“Because I love you,” he said simply. “And I'm in love with you.”

Hermione's tears were now flowing freely down her cheeks, but Harry saw that she was smiling.

“That was all I wanted to hear,” she whispered, pulling him close to her as they sealed the world off, caring only for the moment, where neither the past nor the future mattered.

***

Red,

Mission accomplished. I believe your brother owes you 50 galleons. Looking forward to my share. See you next Hogsmeade weekend.

Malfoy

***

*me & you

of twisting fates

in corridors of time

silence is the fire

that speaks to us in tongues

what is tomorrow

it may never come

what is yesterday

is now done

we always were

we always will

we always are

we always intertwine*

Intertwine by Cynthia Alexander

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A/N: Thank you very much to all those who read and reviewed. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to respond to each review, but you should know that I meant to. I'll probably be writing two fics simultaneously - the Draco/Ginny sequel of Keeping with the Company, and the new Harry/Hermione fic. Hope you'll read them too. Thanks again!