A/N:

This is my story, I can't believe that I'm already in the 5th chapter, never thought I would let it last this long… anyway, you have to read it now… go on… thank you…

Disclaimer: If Harry Potter were mine do you honestly think I'd be here right now? Good, I'm glad we understand each other :-)

Who Knows

By: Carla P.

Chapter 5- By The Lake

Hermione was being half led, half dragged by Harry across the school grounds and she was having a difficult time keeping up as she was resisting Harry. When she finally decided that him letting go was not going to happen she gave up the fight and allowed him to lead her to wherever. Being curious that she was she had to ask, "Harry, where on earth are you taking me?" It was said in voice with a mix of curiosity and worry. Harry turned to her and smiled, "Don't worry we're getting there."

Suddenly he stopped and let go of Hermione's forearm. Hermione looked before her and saw the serenity ands majesty of the lake. She looked around and was rewarded by seeing the innocence that seemed to cover the land with its whiteness. She murmured, more to herself than to Harry, "Perfect." She then turned to Harry and said, "You brought me to the lake." It was more a statement than a question. "It's beautiful. Although I wonder why there's no one here."

All the time that Hermione was gazing at her surroundings she didn't notice that Harry was kneeling on the ground and was packing snow into balls. She answered Hermione teasingly, "Well, Hermione, as it's lunchtime I figure that people want to eat, you know?" his voice was one making fun of his friend.

Hermione turned towards her friend hands on her waist as she answered, "Really, Harry, that's very funny, so clever." Suddenly a snowball hit her squarely on the chest, she looked up to see Harry with a mischievous look on her face and so she accepted the challenge. The next couple of minutes was a frenzy of snowballs sailing to the air and squeals of surprise and delight.

When they were lying on the snow due to exhaustion from their snowball fight/ snow wrestling. Hermione asked Harry, her voice a bit breathless. "Seriously though, Harry, why did you bring me here?"

"I don't know, I guess I just needed sometime away from people" he said in a serious voice, the cheery tone it had acquired during the snow fight, gone.

"Oh… What am I then? A cypabarca?" Hermione said, pretending to be insulted, her face set in a sort of mock disbelief.

Harry laughed at her statement, in a way that clearly implied that she was all wrong. "Hermione, do you honestly believe that if you were a cypabarca I can stand to be alone with you?" Then, out of impulse he grabbed Hermione's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and said, "You're the one I can take being with, Hermione. Actually, at this exact moment I have no need for anyone else but you." his voice somewhere between sad and wistful and if she was mistaken, held a touch of sweetness.

"Harry…I…Okay" and returned the squeeze Harry gave her and at the same time looked away as she blushed a deep scarlet. She, instead, sat up and looked at the beautiful snow all around her and the peace and tranquility of her surroundings.

Hermione was thinking of where the squid and merfolk were underneath all that frozen ice when Harry broke into her thoughts." Why don't we go sit somewhere else then, as it's cold sitting on snow?" suggested Harry, who was also blushing a deep scarlet as he let go of his hold on her hand.

"Sure, over there, on the rock." Hermione replied and pointed to a rock by the lake that could fit both of them. The rock also had a glorious view of the snow, the trees and the frozen lake.

As they were finding a comfortable place on the rock, Hermione asked, "Harry, if you don't mind my asking, what happened between you and Ron?"

Harry mulled over the question as they found their places on the rock and when he had, he looked far and said, " It was what you would call a classic case of jealousy."

"What? Oh, you mean the hug, don't you?" She looked at Harry as he nodded his head "What's wrong about it? There was nothing at all malicious about It." her voice clearly saying that she didn't think there was anything wrong with a hug.

Harry sighed, "I presumed you figured out that Ron liked you?"

Hermione nodded, saying, "More or less, yes."

"The thing is, Hermione, he asked me to find out if he had a chance with you, when he saw that hug, he took it the wrong way and thought that I fancy you and thus, turned my back on my promise to help him."

"Oh… you know, Harry, I've been wondering about that, how did that happen? I haven't really given that much thought about it but now that I have, I seriously can't imagine it," she said, as she rested her chin on her hand which was propped up on her elbow.

"Well, Hermione, it all started last summer, remember, I spent it at The Burrow and you were unable to since you and your parents went off to Spain?" Harry said… in deep reflection as he struggled to remember the happenings of the previous summer in relation to the question Hermione had posed on him.

"That's right, and?" the curiosity in her voice unmistakable.

"Well, one night as we were about to sleep, Ron voiced out his concern for you and I guessed it sort of slipped when he said he missed you. Naturally, I asked him about it and he said he was thinking about you." He stopped, pausing for a breath.

Hermione was looking at him, the concern and apprehension visible on her face now, as Harry continued, "I asked him then and there if he liked you, and you know Ron, he turned to a deep red color and said yes while staring at the ceiling. I didn't imagine that he would admit it, so you can, of course, imagine my shock at this and before I could answer, he turned to me and asked me to tell no one, as he was embarrassed and didn't want anyone teasing him. As his best friend, I did as he asked and promised. But then he went into sort of contemplation, I think, after a long silence, he turned to me and said 'Mate, what do you reckon Hermione feels about me?' I told him that I honestly had no idea. That was when he asked me if I would find out, subtly, mind you, I wasn't supposed to go all out and ask you. He didn't want you to find out yet." at this, he turned to Hermione his green eyes turning darker at the seriousness of the situation.

Hermione tilted her head to the side and asked, "Well, why did you ask me, then?"

" I've been trying for about 4 months now to find out where your feelings lay and it's been getting me nowhere, I decided to ask you while I was waiting for you to arrive yesterday. But when I told Ron about your answer I wasn't going to tell him how I found out. But I guess I didn't count on what happened yesterday and that he'd see it. So now he hates me." When he had finished his discourse, Harry once again looked and sounded sad.

Hermione burst out vehemently, as she stood up, "Well, I think he's a prat. Come on, Harry, don't get all unhappy about that, it's not your fault, it's his." Harry looked at her, the confusion and surprise marked in his fine features. "I've just about had enough of this alone time, you and I are going to lunch, Harry, like it or not." All thoughts in her head about how she wanted Harry to snap out of it, not minding that she found out that Ron truly liked her.

So they went on their way and on the way back Harry was thinking, 'I guess I never realized how special and wonderful Hermione is before. Now I know what Ron saw in her.' He looked fondly at the girl walking alongside him. 'Woah! What am I am thinking? Hermione's a friend, nothing more. Glue that to your head, Harry. You won't get anywhere if you start fancying the girl your best friend likes.' He thought shaking his head. 'But there's nothing wrong, what if she started to like you, not your fault, is it?' 'No, no, no, no, it's not right' he battled with his thoughts. 'Anyway, she won't like you if you didn't want her to, she wouldn't if you keep on being a friend to her, oh well, I guess I'll just handle this at it comes, there's nothing I can do about it now, anyway, not until Ron and I settle our situation. At that, the duo reached the entrance and stepped into the interior of the castle, in silence, their minds faraway from where they were but, undoubtedly, of one another.

To those who reviewed my story:

Future movie maker- hey! Thanks… thing is I still don't have a beta oh well… Scottish babe- hello… thank you too call me brit- I hope you're feeling better… thanks to you too meminenotyou- a big, warm thank you to you! T. DiPaolo- thank you, thank you. nothing more but thank you.tennisprincess15- well, yeah. I love you all who take time to review… thanks elazarah- watch out for that hug! Purplegabby- don't worry they will get together… eventually… flamepaw- haloo! Thank you Gabs- I didn't want you to die so I updated again for the month of May… lol Fairy Gyakutenno Megami- I'm sorry bout you're grandma… I updated cos u asked when I would and I'm saying it's now! Airalynn- I hope you're not mad… I really appreciated the review… I'm not Ms. Tact that's why what I said rubbed the wrong way… I hope you liked this chapter… thanks… and sorry if you were hurt by my babbling before…I'mworking onmaking my chapters longer, i'm sorry if this is that long.weirdpeopleandthepickle- thank you-bows-

Well, that's all… if I forgot someone… I'm sorry and I just have to say thank you…

A/N:

Well, dears, that is it for my 5th chapter, hope you like, it's time for reviewing now. Do it and make me the happiest girl in my house… hahahahaha. I want to know what you think of it since I'm sort of biased and I want to know a second person's opinion. Please wait for my chapter in a about 2 weeks… it'll come I promise… love you people and thanks…

P.S. Btw I do really want a beta… please… anyone who's interested to help me? E-mail me, okay?

Bye now… see you soon (I hope)