Legacy of Love

The Beauty of the Rain

And you know the light is fading all too soon

You're just two umbrellas on late afternoon

Rain began to come down in sheets. The storm had held off just long enough for Gryffindor to win the Quidditch match. Now clusters of students could be seen running toward the castle with umbrellas or cloaks over their heads.

"We're never going to make it without getting soaked!" Ron yelled to Hermione as they started across the lawn. They each had an umbrella, but their flimsy protection was no match for the gale force winds.

"Well, what do you suggest we do then?" asked Hermione irritably. When he passed for several seconds to speak she added, "Take your time. I'll just wait here and get pneumonia while you figure it out."

"Shut up!" he snapped. "We'll go stand in the trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest!"

"Oh, brilliant!" Hermione mumbled, but Ron ignored her and sprinted for the forest. "Wait!" she called, grabbing the back of his cloak to keep up.

Under the protection of the trees, the two stood panting and were too tired to speak. Then Ron looked up at Hermione and started to laugh.

"What?" she said, glaring at him.

"You look like you just went for a swim with your clothes on," he managed to say through his chuckles.

Suddenly Hermione began laughing too. "Well, you look like Dennis Creevey after he fell in the lake."

They stood there smiling at each other and watching a few stragglers racing up to the castle.

Then Hermione straightened up quickly. "Ron, we forgot about Harry!"

"Harry's a big boy," Ron reminded her, sounding slightly annoyed. "Lucky bloke! All he had to do was get back to the locker rooms."

"I guess you're right," Hermione conceded.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Trust me, he's fine."

They stood in silence for a few minutes. The tension from their little argument swiftly passed away, leaving them with their comfortable feeling of friendship.

Finally Hermione turned to Ron with a glint in her eye. "We're soaked already. How about making a run for it?"

"Really?" said Ron, taken aback by this burst of spontaneous behavior.

"Yeah, really," she said, taking a firm hold of his hand. "Let's go!"

You don't know the next thing you will say

This is your favorite kind of day

It has no walls

The beauty of the rain is how it falls

How it falls, how it falls

So they raced up to the castle hand in hand, one pulling the other if they lagged behind. They burst into the entrance hall as a wet, dripping heap of cloaks and muddy shoes.

Now that they were out of the rain, there was no reason to rush. So they made their way lazily to the common room. Ron and Hermione met by the fire after quickly changing to dry robes. Instead of each taking their usual armchairs, they sat side by side on a couch.

"It feels great to be by the fire," Ron commented.

Hermione sighed, but it was a happy sigh. "I know just what you mean," she murmured. Everything felt so cozy in the bright common room while the storm continued outside.

Ron leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes. He was just thinking how perfect this all was when Hermione said, "I wonder where Harry is. Oh, I hope he made it to the locker rooms all right."

So much for perfect.

And there's nothing wrong but there is something more

And sometimes you wonder what you love her for

The next day Ron and Hermione were sitting together on that same couch by the fire. Ron was reading the Charms textbook rather unenthusiastically while Hermione read in earnest and answered his numerous questions.

"I can't concentrate on this," said Ron finally, putting down his book.

"Not for lack of trying, I'm sure," Hermione grumbled, but she put down her book as well. "Ron," she whispered, leaning closer to him, "I'm worried."

"What about?" Ron asked, truly concerned by the serious look in her face.

"Well, I'm worried about all of us really," she began, "but mostly about Harry."

Ron couldn't help scowling at this confession. "I don't see why he's in any more danger now than he has been all year." Harry was at an extra Quidditch practice, for which Ron was very grateful, but this only seemed to increase Hermione's interest in talking about him.

"I know," she said uneasily. "I've just been thinking about it more lately. You-Know-Who must be gaining power as we speak. I'm scared for us all."

Ron softened at the sound of genuine fear in her voice. He gave her a light pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much. We're all watching out for each other. If one of us is in trouble, the other two are there to help."

She gazed up at him intently. "I don't worry so much about you. Sometimes you've got more sense than Harry. He can't seem to stop playing the hero all the time."

"So now I'm sensible all of a sudden," Ron said lightly. After a pause, he added what was really on his mind. "Do you really not worry about me?"

She smiled a little then. "I shouldn't worry about you, but I do." Her eyes moved to the fire, and he could see that her thoughts were far away.

She says you've known her deepest fears

'Cause she's shown you a box of stained glass tears

It can't be all

The truth about the rain is how if falls

How it falls, how it falls

"What are you thinking about?" Ron asked, leaning a little closer to Hermione.

"Lots of things," she said wistfully. "Mostly Harry."

Ron drew back abruptly. "Harry!" he sputtered, his voice rising.

Hermione looked at him, confused. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Ron's body grew rigid. "You seem to be thinking about him an awful lot lately!"

"I'm worried about him! He's my friend!"

"Your friend who you're bloody in love with!"

At this Hermione began fuming. "I don't know what you think you're talking about, but it's ridiculous! Me? In love with Harry? That's practically incestuous! He's like a brother to me!"

"Like a brother to you, eh? And I suppose I am too!"

"No, Ron!" Without warning her tone became soft again. "No, you're not. You're different."

"Oh, really!" Ron snapped. "And how am I so bloody different?"

"Well..." She searched for the right words, but they wouldn't come.

This seemed to prove all of Ron's suspicions right. "You don't even know!"

"You won't listen to me!" Hermione yelled, standing up. "I don't know why I bother telling you anything!"

"Now wait just a minute!" Ron protested, but it was no use. She was already running out of the common room.

But when she gave you more to find

You let her think she'd lost her mind

And that's all on you

Feeling helpless if she asked for help

Or scared you'd have to change yourself

It began to rain again. Ron didn't care much. The weather matched his mood. He sat on the couch where Hermione had left him watching drops of rain trickle down the window. Despite his anger, Ron looked up hopefully when he felt someone take the seat beside him. Seeing that it was only Ginny, he muttered, "Oh, it's you."

Ginny let out a snort of laughter. "Please try to contain your excitement." Ron glared at her and turned back to the window without a word. "Well, where did Hermione run off to?" she asked finally.

"How should I know?" he growled. "To the library, most likely."

"I see. Did you to, uh, have a little argument?" Ginny asked hesitantly.

"You were eavesdropping then."

"No, you swot!" she said. "I couldn't help hearing some of it. You weren't exactly being quiet. And you two looked so cozy a while ago...before the fight." She stopped for a moment to let it sin in before saying, "You're making a fool of yourself, you know."

At this Ron became truly indignant. "If anyone's making a fool out of themselves it's--"

"No, Ron," interrupted Hermione. "It's you. Hermione's right, you don't listen. Didn't you hear me before? You two looked so cozy together. It looked so, I don't know, right."

Ron crumpled defeatedly against the couch. "Well, I've really mucked things up this time, haven't I?"

"Maybe," Ginny said thoughtfully, "but there's still time to set things right. Don't let something that could be so great pass you by. Trust me, that's the worst thing you can do." If Ron had been paying attention, he might have noticed how wise she seemed on the subject. However, he was wrapped up in his own problems.

"I'm going for a walk," Ginny said at long last. She left Ron deep in thought, staring out the window again.

And you can't deny this room will keep you warm

You can look out of your window at the storm

But you watch the phone and hope it rings

You'll take her any way she sings

Or how she calls

The beauty of the rain...

Ron was rushing down the corridor less than five minutes later. He was going on his impulse and heading for the library. Except that when he reached the entrance hall, there was Hermione. Almost immediately she saw him and turned the other way.

"Hermione! Wait!" he called. Seeing no better option, she went out the front door into the rain. He followed.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry," he said as the door closed behind him.

"I am so mad at you right now," she said, her back to him.

"I know. I was stupid," Ron admitted, taking a step toward her, "but I think I'm ready to listen now."

Hermione whirled around to face him. He couldn't tell if it was rain or tears on her cheeks. "You want the truth? All right then. Harry will always be just a very good friend to me, almost a brother. You aren't like a brother, but you aren't just a friend." She looked at him and shrugged sheepishly. "You're more than a friend."

A grin of pure happiness lit up Ron's face. Thinking back to his conversation with Ginny, he said, "There's still time to make things right. This could be really great."

Hermione's smile returned at last. "I think it will be," she said, taking the last few steps forward to meet him.

...is how it falls

How it falls, how it falls