So This is Life

Rainy Day (Ch. 1)

As the rain poured down in sheets outside, Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the stupidity of boys. Ron, Harry, Fred, George, Bill, and Charlie had all headed outside hours ago, saying that the then sunny weather was perfect for Quidditch. The gits were still out there. Fortunately for them Mrs. Weasley was in Diagon Alley with Ginny. They had invited Hermione, but she had politely declined, preferring to stay at the Burrow with her newest book. The boys had also offered, but all of them, including Hermione, knew that she wouldn't take them up on it. She had gotten her book last Friday and she was almost done with it. She would have been done sooner but a certain Harry Potter and Ron Weasley hadn't allowed her to read for more than an hour a day until today. Ron had declared that too much reading was bad for your brain, and Harry had laughingly agreed, after clarifying that Ron had meant to say eyes.

Those two, she thought fondly, are just classic. However, she realized sadly, she wouldn't be seeing them as often this coming school year. She had received the honor of being selected as Head Girl. She was so excited about her new duties, and she couldn't wait to get on the train tomorrow and start the new year. She was going to have her own room, and that was definitely a plus. She loved her roommates but sometimes they just wouldn't be quiet! Hermione realized that she would still see them when she came out of her room, because even though it was separate, it was still in the Gryffindor dorm area. But at least she didn't have to try and sleep while they sat up giggling all night, talking about the latest gossip that just couldn't wait until morning. Hermione was quite anxious to find out who was the Head Boy, but there were so many different candidates she just didn't know who it could be.

Suddenly the door crashed open revealing six drenched and bedraggled figures all trying to come through the door at once. Fred, (or maybe George), finally got through and dashed up the stairs to shower with George, (or maybe Fred), following him. The others made their way into the kitchen slipping and sliding on the now soaking wet floor.

About thirty minutes after the boys had gone upstairs Hermione realized what a mess the kitchen was and brought out her wand, pointed it at the floor, and said, "Scourgify!" The floor instantly became spotless and water-free.

"Blimey Hermione, why didn't you just do that to us?" a voice asked from behind her.

She spun around and saw Harry standing at the foot of the stairs with Ron behind him. "Yeah, would've saved us the trouble of taking showers," Harry said, apparently agreeing with Ron.

"Well, if you buffoons hadn't stayed out in the rain, you wouldn't have needed it now would you?" she asked pointedly.

"Hermione, we can't stop a game just because of a little rain," Ron said exasperatedly.

"Whatever. I'm not going to fix what you brought on yourselves," Hermione replied. She yawned and realized that she was really tired. "You guys do what you want. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny should be back soon. As for me, I'm going to bed. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," they replied, looking plenty tired themselves. About ten minutes after she got in bed, Hermione heard them creep past and head up to Ron's room.

"Boys," she said, smiling to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

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"Well, this is a nice day. Not."

The weather outside was rainy and perfectly miserable, not allowing even the most determined person to go out without getting drenched. Draco laughed cruelly as yet another foolish muggle ventured out into the rain.

Tomorrow he was going back to Hogwarts for his final year. Finally, he thought. After this year no more bloody Hogwarts to tie me up. He would be free to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to do it.

A crash from the other side of the manor brought him out of his musings. He got to his feet and quickly left his room to see what broke this time. When he got to the site of the crash he knelt next to his mother.

"What was it this time?" he asked with a trace of anger and impatience in his voice as he pulled her to her feet.

"It used to be a vase your father bought for me in Rome," she replied.

"So tell me again why you keep destroying all of our stuff?" Draco asked, this time not even trying to disguise his impatience.

"Because it reminds me of HIM!" she cried, launching herself at another offending artifact. Draco grabbed her arm to stop her ravaging a particularly expensive tapestry.

"Must I do this every time?" Draco asked, and, without allowing her to answer, pulled a small bottle of potion out of his robes with his free hand. Realizing what he was about to do she began to kick him in an attempt to get away. He held her tightly, ignoring her kicking. He uncorked it and poured the contents down her throat. The Dreamless Sleep potion quickly took effect and Draco carried his mother to her room and laid her on her bed. As he left the room a house elf entered and quietly laid a blanket over her sleeping mistress.

These episodes of hers had been occurring more often the closer school got. She was angry with his father for getting his self-righteous butt landed in Azkaban. Draco did not think that his father was going to get out legally; at least not anytime soon. It's like a double-edged sword he thought. He didn't want his father to get out for his sake; however, for the sake of his mother and their things, he wanted him out now.

Walking down the hall to his room, Draco reminded himself to tell the house elves to hide the firewhiskey while he was at school. Ah, school. Not the easy year he had thought it was going to be. Instead he had gotten stuck with the position of Head Boy. He did not want the extra work, but it was too late now. The fact that he got his own room was his only consolation. The room was connected to the Slytherin dorm rooms, so he wasn't completely away from the dunderheads he called friends. He vaguely wondered who the Head Girl was going to be. He hoped it wouldn't be Granger, but he figured he would find out tomorrow. For now, all he wanted was sleep.