What Happens When It Rains

"Harry, please understand..." Ginny's pleads echoed endlessly in his mind, blocking out other sounds.

Harry made his way through the sleeping castle; the veil of slumber drifted over the four houses, the night winds a whispered lullaby.

Harry knew where he was going, he would go to the top f the world, or at least the school.

Earlier that night he had sat by the Gryffindor fire with the love of his life in his arms.

Virginia said the four most frightening words anyone could ever hear...

"We need to talk..."he had turned to her with a nervous glint seeping in his startling green eyes.

"I think..." he sucked in his breath, afraid of what she would say next, "we should break up," she finished, biting her lip and furrowing the brow he had kissed so many times.

Time stopped for him and her expression was imprinted permanently in his mind.

The next few sentences that had tumbled out of her soft pink lips were blurred together as his eyes unfocused and he sat there, stunned.

"Love-Draco-understand-what I want-let me be happy-Draco-understand-don't be upset-still friends-wouldn't last-famous-other girls-need space," she left him then, headed right out the portrait hole, her shoulder length curls bouncing against her neck.

He knew where she went.

She went to him.

Malfoy.

And now, hours after he had been left staring blankly at the fire, not really seeing it, he had gotten up and walked out. He went to a place where he knew he could sort through his tangled and painful thoughts.

The roof.

He used to go up there frequently with Ginny, seeing as he was a 6^th year Prefect and couldn't get caught.

Now he went there alone.

Walking up the secluded stairs, he frowned as a pang of heartache and remembrance seared his chest.

"Harry, aren't we going to get caught?" Ginny whispered to him nervously. It had happened at the very spot where he stood now.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the lingering memories, he continued along the stairs until he reached the tower that lead to the roof.

Gliding to one of the many stained glass windows, he looked out onto the grounds...

Rain.

It came down in sharp waves, beating viciously on the glass, begging to get in.

Harry smiled faintly despite his pain and walked up another flight of stairs to the roof.

Water washed over him, soaking his messy black hair and drenching his heavy robes.

The rain calmed him; the piercing cold sent welcome shivers up his spine, causing his teeth to chatter slightly.

*The rain sounds like sobs* he thought vaguely, laying down spread eagle on the cold, wet stone.

"Wait a minute, I think that really is sobs," he jumped up, curious

Harry looked around the dark place, searching for a hint of life, "Who's there?"

"Potter?" a voice croaked; a body rose from a shadowed corner he had overlooked.

Blaise Zabini appeared before him, soaked, as he was.

Blaise was a 6^th year, as was he, and girlfriend of Draco Malfoy.

She wore a dark purple, almost black, tank top and black silk pajama bottoms, the ends were worn and frayed and wet, he noticed she wore no shoes, so the bottom of the pants dragged on the sooty ground.

Her clothes stuck to her skin and she was shivering violently.

"Merlin, what happened to you? Did Old Voldie come into your dreams? Did he scare you?" she mocked, smirking and cocking a hip.

"No," he muttered, looking straight into her dark eyes with an uncharacteristic sneer on his pale lips.

Suddenly he laughed; the sound was high and unnatural and pierced the air. Blaise was standing before him with water dripping rhythmically from her long, matted black hair. Her eyes were bright with a malicious glint and the look of recently shed tears.

She looked exactly like an angry, wet, and slightly sad cat.

"What're you laughing at, Potter; think I look funny, do you?" she growled, raising her head slightly.

"Never mind," he turned to leave, then looked back, "What are you doing here anyway?" he asked curiously.

She squirmed under his stare and muttered something.

"What was that?" he raised a brow and grinned.

"Draco, okay?" she practically yelled, her back straightened and her sharp black nails dug crescent moons into her little palms.

Blaise bit her lip and looked down at her feet, blinking away tears.

"D-D-Draco?" Harry stammered, taken aback.

"I suppose you know about it, don't you...seeing as it was your girl he cheated on me with."

She swallowed and cleared her throat, "He told me you would find out about them tonight as well. Is that why you're here?"

"Yeah," he said dumbly. He hadn't realized he wasn't the only one hurt.

She began to shiver so her body shook and she fell to her knees. Reaching out, Harry kneeled next to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

He was a noble Gryffindor, and she was an unfeeling Slytherin, but he could see the sorrow in her deep eyes.

"So we've both been...hurt, but we shouldn't cry over it," her whispered into her hair.

After a moment, her sobs quieted and she abruptly scampered away from his pitying arms.

Sighing, Harry lay down again and began reciting a poem he had once heard.

Rain,

I raise my head,

And let it stream down my face,

And mingle with my tears.

Rain,

My hair is drenched,

And sticks to my head,

In damp clumps.

Rain,

My clothes are soaked,

And stick to my skin,

Making me shiver.

Rain,

It washes away my hurt,

And I smile,

And twirl,

In the rain.

He smiled slightly and felt each drop of rain hit his body.

"That's beautiful..." a voice whispered near him, "I wish my hurt was washed away..." Blaise lay down next to him and sighed deeply, breathing in the night air.

Suddenly, Harry jumped up and grabbed her hands, pulling her up from the wet rock.

He spun around with her, twirling and spinning like a tornado, until they fell in a dizzy, laughing heap.

"Harry," she used his first name for the first time; she savored the sound of it coming from her lips. "They have each other, and we have no one, but..." she leaned so her mouth was directly next to his ear, "we can have each other, if only for one night."

They did have one another, even if it was only for one night.