Gentle Rain

Chapter 2

Harry watched Hermione poke her fork into a boiled egg like there had been a certain someone's face painted on it.

"Ouch, that must have hurt," he said, smiling compassionately.

"What?" Hermione mumbled as she awakened from her reveries.

"Nothing, never mind." Harry felt very sorry for her having had to go to help Snape, ending up to be a victim of his unfair and erratic bad temper. After all these years Harry and Hermione were still best friends, and she could confide in him about everything. She was also probably the most important person in his life, save Ron.

Like everybody had expected, after graduation Harry had become an Auror and continued his fight against evil, as he had done from the age of eleven. Only this time it was harder, more serious, and without his closest ones. The overthrow of Voldemort had been horrible. He couldn't remember much of it, but what he did was too much. He knew that the day when he had to sort out his feelings about the events would come sooner or later, but right now he just wasn't ready for it.

Three years as an Auror was enough for him, at least for a while. He had missed Ron and Hermione terribly, and Hogwarts too, his only true home. There he could feel his parents' presence more than anywhere else. There they had been happy and without worry. Harry had tried to live in Godric's Hollow, his parents' home that he had inherited after he graduated, but couldn't bear it for long. He was lonely and miserable there, like everything that those walls had witnessed had still been written all over. Certainly not the most suitable place to stay up at night or spend the rainy days doing nothing. The place where his father had been murdered, where his mother had gave her life for his baby boy. No wonder he couldn't be happy there, at least not alone.

Hermione had stayed in Hogwarts all these years. First she had been helping Madame Pince at the library, and then she had done some temporary replacements in every subject other than Divination and Care for Magical Creatures. Luckily enough, Madame Hooch had never been ill or otherwise absent, since she couldn't have managed to teach any flying, not to mention quidditch. After a few years, she got tenured as a teacher of the History of Magic. Dumbledore had at last managed to assure Professor Binns of the necessity of his retirement. Nobody knew what he had told him, but in regards to Professor Binns' farewell speech, he was in a supposition that it was very important and noble deed to give a chance for a young brilliant girl as Hermione Granger. And indeed, Hermione was a marvellous teacher. Students loved her lessons. She was so enthusiastic, creative and knew absolutely everything about the history of Hogwarts and other parts of the magical world as well. Her previous adventures with Harry and Ron just polished the intriguing halo around her in the eyes of her students. No need to say how happy she was with her life. A few months ago Harry had also got the post of the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. He had really needed the change, so he was thrilled. Here, at home, at last. If Ron could be here too, it would be almost like at the good old times.

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After classes, Harry and Hermione met in her private quarters, and played one lazy match of the Wizarding Chess.

"It's December soon, what are you planning for Christmas?" Hermione asked while moving her white pawn.

"Same as always. I can't imagine what could be merrier than to sing Christmas carols with off-coloured lyrics by the Weasley twins, besides, I can't live if I don't get Molly's wonderful eggnog once a year."

"You are absolutely right! I'm planning the same. There's nothing quite like it." Hermione laughed at the happy memories, which she could still so vividly see in her imagination.

"You are? I thought that after you broke up with Ron, we wouldn't be seeing you at the Burrow anymore."

"Don't be ridiculous. We have always been primarily friends, secondarily lovers, and that lover's part didn't even last so long. Thank God we both realised that it wasn't really good for either one of us. I noticed that I started to be more like his mother and less like myself. I was so relieved, and I think he was too, when we agreed to return back to being good friends with no hard feelings. It isn't possible with everyone, you know."

Harry knew perfectly well. He could never be friends again, if he ever was, with Cho, and they weren't even that much involved. Just a few dates and the one kiss. So childish, actually. He hadn't had many girls after that, just some snogging with one from the school and the other from Auror training. Those never led to anything more serious, and deep inside he envied Ron, for being more experienced, more of a man.