Summer Writing Series Challenge (July 1)
Challenge: Harry. Hermione. Rain.
Title: Rain
Word Count: 999
"Today's the day!" He said more confidently than he felt as he straightened his tie in the mirror. "I've waited long enough, she needs to know!" Harry Potter examined his reflection one final time before nodding. "Hermione, prepare to be swept off your feet!"
Grabbing the bouquet of daffodils and lilies, along with the traditional box of chocolate, Harry dashed for the door of his flat. He stepped into the hall and secured the locks with a wave of his hand.
"I hope she's over him." He whispered as he crossed the street and ran into an alley that was the closest designated Apparation point and disappeared without a sound, only to appear several short blocks from Hermione's bungalow. Harry looked to the clear, blue sky and felt a warm wind tousle his hair. With a deep breath, he started on his determined stride towards her front door, nervously anticipating what her answer would be. He thought back to when she started dating Chad, how happy she'd been and how miserable it made him. That was the night he was going to ask her to dinner for their first date but she'd become enraptured with the muscle-bound oaf the moment she saw him.
Four months, two weeks, five days, twelve hours, fifteen minutes, and thirty seconds later, she broke off with the abusive slug and Harry was there to help her back on her feet. He cursed the man's name but didn't retaliate upon her request. Always the non-confrontational one... He thought darkly as he closed in on her street.
Harry rounded the corner, nervously preparing what he was going to say to her when he stopped dead in his tracks. His nervous smile faded and his face drooped when he saw the two of them kissing on the sidewalk outside her one-story flat. The excitement in him drained away and both arms fell to his sides as he felt the first of billions of rain drops hit his cheek.
For a moment, he was too mortified to move. Everything seemed to stand still and he didn't realize that his hands were now empty, the box of chocolates spilling onto the concrete at his feet and the bouquet crumbling under its own weight as gravity pulled it from his limp hand. He felt more raindrops strike his face and it suddenly occurred to him that rain wasn't salty. He wiped his cheek absently and stared at the moisture that had leaked from his wide, unbelieving eyes.
Harry looked up again to see that they had parted and he was suddenly overcome with panic. Not knowing what to do, he turned as quickly as his gelatinous legs would allow and began to walk away. Slowly at first then as the sudden realization of how idiotic he must look began to quicken his pace. His mood took the same turn, from giddy, nervous happiness to a quick onset of depression.
The weather seemed to mimic his mood as a sudden deluge washed over him. His glasses became useless and he stepped into the street, only to jump back when a horn screamed violently at him. He paused for a moment before starting off again.
He didn't know how far he'd run or where he'd run to but the physical world didn't seem to matter to him anymore. Turning blindly into an alley he leaned against a wall to catch his breath and instead began punching the unyielding brick without mercy.
"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME!?" He cried out in agonized fury. His anger spent as quickly as it had come, he slowly slipped to the cobblestone street, wishing he'd had his invisibility cloak to hide him from the world.
"Harry?"
He hung his head in shame when his name was whispered behind him. "Hi, Hermione." He said quietly, trying to calm himself down.
"I saw you run off..." She said concernedly.
"I hoped you wouldn't..." He whispered. He didn't realize just how close she was and jumped slightly when she laid a comforting hand on his back.
"Why don't we get out of this rain?" She offered tenderly.
Harry didn't argue as she guided him into a standing position and directed him to the Leaky Cauldron. He shook his head when he realized just how close he was to the reporters and gossipmongers when he'd broken down.
After a moment with Tom the two found themselves in a private room with a roaring fire. Hermione cast a drying charm on the two of them and she stepped up behind her best friend.
"You said you had something important to talk about?" She asked quietly. "I was waiting for you..."
"When Chad showed up... Yeah, I saw that." He said quietly. "Look, i-it's not really that important now, really." He said quietly. "You can head on back to him if you'd like, I'll be fine."
Hermione turned him towards her and took his face in her hands. "Chad and I are through, Harry." She said sternly. "He tried to force himself on me while I waited for you."
Harry's depression was suddenly pushed aside by a fierce, boiling anger. "What?" He said dangerously.
"Don't worry... his parents can transfigure him from the cockroach I transfigured him into." She spat. "I told him to stay away but he wouldn't get the hint. I don't really care if he makes it home safely or not!"
Harry forced himself to calm down and suddenly felt the throbbing pain in his hands, he glanced to them briefly but he couldn't hide them fast enough.
Hermione looked at them sadly and quickly healed them with another wave of her wand. "What did you want to talk to me about?" She asked as he admired her handiwork. Harry felt his heart skip a beat as she bit her lip, obviously interested in what he had to say. She saw the look in his eyes and gently settled her warm, trembling hands on his cold, wet cheeks.