Truth Is

"Truth Is"

Prologue

       The rain poured down loudly and relentlessly occasionally joined by a clap of thunder and a flash of lightening, while the wind blew lazily and the rain followed its every whim. The sky was dark and was covered with thick white rain clouds that illuminated the dark, rainy, night with something akin to light. It was a frightfully saturnine night and Hermione seemed to be feeling the effects of it all or it could have been the scene that she had just been privy to see.

       "Don't touch me," she growled as Blaise tried to reach out to her in defense.

       "Hermione," he pleaded softly, as he ran his fingers over his sweaty face and hair.

       "Do not say my name," she demanded as she finally back into the wall, her eyes squeezed tight, she could still see the blond's back arch sensually as Blaise thrust into her, Hermione thought she would vomit.

       "Come on," Blaise pleaded as she opened her eyes and ran toward the door, "let me explain!"

       "What is there to explain?" Hermione yelled, her entire body shaking as tears began running down her cheeks faster as the moments went on.

       "I love you," he whispered, his eyes pleading with her to stop.

       "No!" she screamed, as the sound of her heartbeat began to echo in her ears and the rain pounded relentlessly on the rooftop.

       "Hermione," Blaise whispered, in a tone entirely too soothing for the current situation facing them, "if you -- you would just calm down--"

       Hermione sent him a glare that shut him up mid sentence. "Calm down? Calm down you say? Would you calm down if you found me in bed with some other man? Huh, would you? Answer me, dammit!"

       "It wasn't like that," he replied with a loud sigh and flash of lightening lit up the desolate sky.

       "Blaise," she began with a sneer, her eyes conveying all she wanted to say, "go to hell."

       Blaise nodded, picking up his wand, bit his lip for a moment before he spoke. "If I go now, Hermione, I won't come back."

       "Do you expect me to want you to come back? Do I look like a complete nutter?" Hermione asked as he approached her, she was standing two feet from the door and there was no way he could leave and not pass her.

       As he approached her, his eyes soaked in her wet and wind racked appearance. He stopped right in front of her, his eyes sending messages fraught with apologies, and as he bent, to give her a kiss, she growled maliciously, "How dare you betray me with a kiss."

       Blaise jumped at the allusion behind the words and nodded in silent understanding as he opened the door and proceeded to make his way out of it, without so much as goodbye.

(Six Months Later)

       "Ian Knight," said the handsome man as he respectfully bowed his head in greeting.

       "Hermione Granger," she replied with a timid smile, the way his eyes seemed glued to her made her terribly uncomfortable. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

       "The pleasure is all mine, Miss Granger," Ian whispered as he pulled a chair out for her and waited for her to sit.

       "What you are asking is highly irregular, Mr. Knight, the Confederation rarely hands over its experiments to a for-profit organization such as yours," Hermione began trying to keep him from looking at her in that way that made her feel as if she would be sick. They way his swept over her was entirely too reminiscent a man she would love to forget.

       Ian nodded as he propped his elbows on the conference table, nodding his head before he spoke. "I'm completely aware of that, Miss Granger, which is why my father and I have taken such a keen interest in the matter."

       "If the Confederation allows you to take over these operations there's not much chance that we would credit St. Mungo’s until you have taken some viable steps and made progress," she retorted, her tone sounding like her former self, years earlier, when she thought she knew everything there was to know.

       Ian was quiet for a moment, his eyes drinking in the sight before him. "Do you know that you have beautiful eyes?"

       Hermione stiffened as her breath got caught in her throat and she looked down at the stack of papers that sat before her. "Mr. Knight, could we get back to business please?"

       Ian smirked at her obvious discomfort. "Only if you agree to grab some coffee with me after this."

       "Mr. Knight, I don't think that is possible," she replied sternly as she looked up at the charming man before her.

       "Why not?" he asked, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "What is so hard about going down to the local café and grabbing a hot cup of coffee? It sounds delightful if you ask me."

       Hermione continued to glare at him. "I have work to do, Mr. Knight, I do not have time to be gallivanting around with you."

       "See," Ian grinned amiably, "that's what’s wrong with people these days, they don't have time to go gallivanting anymore."

       Hermione smirked at him, trying her best to remain completely professional, emitting a soft sigh. "Fine, I'll go for coffee but that is it!"

       "That's all I asked for," he replied with a grin that seemed to be lighting up the entire room.

       The smile slid from Hermione's, delicately, sharp features as she whispered, "That's all I can afford to give you."

       Ian placed his finger under her chin, slowly rubbing his thumb against the bottom of her lip. "Sometimes we are more wealthy than we think."

       She moved her head quickly, trying to recover her former smile while ignoring the tingling in the pit of her stomach, asking, "Are you ready for that coffee, Mr. Knight?"