Story: Where Are You Now?
Author: J.E.A.R.K.Potter (Jackie)
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
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Chapter 3
Encounter
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(Present Time)
--Harry--

Harry woke up, his arms wrapped around his pillow, as if holding someone. "Mione," he sighed. He let go and rolled over, off the bed. He was about to open his bathroom door when he heard a 'POP' in his living room.

"Who's there?" he called, putting on a pair of sweatpants over his boxers and trudging out to the living room.

Charlie stood there, patiently waiting for Harry. "Get dressed, shave, do whatever to make yourself look good. An American witch is coming from the biggest American Wizardry paper to do a report on out Quidditch team for the World Cup."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Michaela Underwood, editor of the place, just got a hold of me via floo. Mel, the kids and I had just sat down for breakfast when she came right through the fire. Scared baby Anna, I'll tell you that!"

"Damn it! Give me a few and I'll be ready!"

--Hermione--

Hermione hid herself in her hoodie, as the Americans put it. Wearing muggle clothes seemed the best way to keep who she was a secret from everyone else. She had already had to keep low from past classmates such as Lavender Brown and Luna Lovegood.

"When I get back, I'm killing Mick," she muttered. She looked at her cell phone. "Better get to the damn stadium. Don't want to miss this interview with... Which team am I doing now?"

(Stadium)

"Well, where is she?" Harry asked, bending back and forth in a rolling chair.

"I don't know. Listen; can you do this by yourself? Mel's got to go into work, so I'm watching the kids. I wasn't suppose to work today, none of us were," Charlie said.

"Go ahead. I can do it for you. Tell Bella and Mel I say hi," Harry said, nodding.

"Thanks, mate. I owe you one," he said and walked out.

"I... Get to wait... For some reporter... Oh..." Harry sang out of pure boredom.

The door opened. A small framed woman walked through, hidden though behind the big black hoodie as she did. Her arms were loaded with parchment, making it so he couldn't see her chest, which for Merlin's name, Harry couldn't help himself. He seemed... Drawn to the witch.

"Hello, My name is..."

Harry's head flung up to where her face would be.

"...Herm..."

"HERMIONE!"

Hermione dropped everything that she had in her arms, all of it making a rather loud crash to the floor. "Ha... Oh my fucking god..." As soon as she started to blink, she fainted.

(A while later)

When Hermione woke up, she had her head resting in someone's lap. Where was she?

"You're awake," Harry whispered.

"No! I'm... No! Hermione, you're dreaming! No! You're having a bloody nightmare! No! You can't go back to speaking British! Oh my god..."

Hermione shut her eyes tightly, hugging herself. She mutters that she must be having a nightmare, but each time she'd pinch herself, she realized she wasn't.

"Granger! Get a grip! Calm down."

"Get your hands off me, Pot... Potter!" she screamed, got up, and was ready to go until she figured out the door had been magically locked.

"Wonderful spell. Can't be undone unless the caster does it themselves," Harry said. "Hermione, I've been..."

"Let me out of this place. I can't apparate out of her since I can't apparate in. I've done a damn good job hiding from your ass for seven years. When I get out of here, I'm murdering Mick. Some best friend!"

"Michaela Underwood?"

"What about her?"

"Charlie said she scared Anna..."

"If I cared at all, I'd at least act like it," she said, glaring at him.

"Mione..."

"Don't you ever Mione me, Potter! I hate you!"

"I tried..."

"Tried what? Break someone else's heart, Potter? Shag someone else's best friend while you dated them?" she then walked up to him and smacked him, hard, right across the ace. "I wanted to do that when I caught your filthy ass, Potter. You broke my damn heart! Now let me the fuck out of here before I destroy it," she said, now almost sounding calm.

Harry rubbed his cheek. He could never tell by Hermione's figure she'd be so strong, but he had been wrong. "Bloody hell, Hermione!"

"You deserve more than that! Be glad I'm about ready to cry. It makes me weaker in strength."

"Why won't you..."

"Talk to you civilly? I hate you!"

"Please, Hermione..."

"Ten minutes, Potter. Ten fucking wonderful minutes, then you let me out of this place, got it?" she said, emphasizing the word wonderful.

"Alright. Can we sit down?"

Hermione looked around. She went and sat down on the couch. Harry followed her, even though she wished he'd sit in the chair.

"Hurry up, I don't got all day," Hermione said.

"Okay, Hermione, I didn't want to hurt you, we were young! I was stupid, drunk, and..."

"If it's just going to be this, you're not forgiven," Hermione said, crossing her arms.

"Sorry. Okay, when you left, I'll admit, I wasn't that hurt. I thought maybe I could find you and apologize for what I did later, though; I could never track you down. Two years ago, Cellie, Ron's daughter, wanted to find her Aunt Hermy. Luna had told her about you. I helped her search and search, but we couldn't find you anywhere. It hit me exactly how you felt when you couldn't find me that night and were only saddened by what you found. In your case, it was... In my case, it was what I didn't find, you."

"Listen, Potter, I'm not the same naive girl I was back in school. I'm not falling for any of your crap. I'm a newsperson, now. Nothing you can say will make me fall back into your arms, saying I missed you and couldn't stop thinking about you. Truth, Potter? You've been the furthest thing from my thoughts these past years. To me, you're just a nightmare I finally woke up from. I crushed on you since third year, and then I thought maybe I could love Ron instead, but you were there for me and I couldn't stop crushing on you and you alone. Then we finally got to together and in the end I got my heart ripped out, stepped on, stabbed by the fact I saw the only person I ever loved to be having sex with my best friend? Oh hell no, Potter. Hate is hate. Believe me, I
hate you," Hermione got up. "Tell Charlie I still need an interview with HIM. I don't want one with a damn asshole."

Harry was speechless. The Hermione he used to know and love was gone. The hatred she had for him had swelled up inside and was let out in those moments she was saying she hated him. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. I really am! Please, Hermione..."

"Save it for someone who cares, Potter," she said, not being fazed.

Harry lowered his head in defeat, and then pulled out his wand, pointing at the door. Immediately, it flew wide open. "I'll tell him for you, Her… Granger."

"Now you can see how I really fucking felt," she whispered. She proceeded to run out the door, forgetting all of her belongings.

"Where are you now, my true Hermione Granger?" Harry whispered, a tear slipping down his cheek.
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END OF CHAPTER!
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A/N - So... What do you think? I almost think it was too short, but that's all I wanted to include in this chapter because the next chapter is mostly all flashback. Please review! This chapter came out A LOT sooner than I thought it would! I want to thank all of you WONDERFUL REVIEWERS who reviewed this story! Keep on reviewing, please? They make me feel all happy inside... LoL. -Jackie