Let The Rain Fall

Let the Rain Fall into Memories

Subject: Harry Potter

Genre: romance/angst/suspense

Pairing: HG/HP

Summary: The rain can make you remember those days you wish you could forget.

Rating: NC-17 adult situations, language

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter One - Memories

It was raining. She hated the rain. The night he left it had been raining. She sat on the carpeted floor of her small country home, curled up in a blanket, reading a new book. A fire blazed in front of her and she sighed and shifted uncomfortably as the sound of the pouring rain brought back unwanted memories. She jumped as a crash of lightning sounded nearby. She shut her book and pulled the blankets closer to her, watching as the orange glow of the fire reflected off of the dark walls around her.

The cream walls were lined with framed pictures and newspaper clippings from the different stages of her life. The largest one, hanging in the front hallway, was of her graduation day, her dress robes crisp and new, and her two best friends each with an arm around her as she held her diploma in one hand and her valedictorian honors in the other. She had given a moving, inspiring speech that day and her parents had gleamed with pride as they watched her walk off the stage and into the waiting arms of her fellow classmates. Hermione had wept bitterly a year later when her father was taken by a heart attack and her mother by depression and loss shortly after.

During times like those she had always counted on her two best friends. They had been reliable, constant, and loving for 7 years, and she had reflexively turned to them in her time of need. She had forgotten, however, in her time of despair, that since the day after graduation, she had only had one friend to rely on.

Harry Potter was the savior of the wizarding world. He was her best friend, and the love of her life. It had taken some prodding for her to admit this. When she came to her realization at the end of 6th year she didn't know what to do. She hid it awkwardly until graduation night, when the unthinkable occurred.

Hermione yelped as she heard a tapping at her window. She got up quickly and hastily made her way over to her window where she opened it to let her owl in. She had sent a letter to Ron today canceling their lunch plans for tomorrow, as she had an extra shift that she needed to work at the hospital. She and Ron, despite the common belief of their entire school, never dated. They never had a great epiphany of their love for each other or a mutual admittance of the feeling. There had been one awkward kiss between them under the mistletoe at the Burrow during the Christmas of their seventh year, but nothing more. Ron was her brother, her best friend. She could never think of him as anything more.

Suddenly feeling exhausted from the sound of the rain on her roof, she walked over and sat down on the floor, leaning back against her plush, caramel colored couch. She reached behind her and grabbed a pillow from the couch and laid it down next to her. She rested her head, drifting off to sleep as she gazed at the dancing flames in front of her. A dream swept over her that was an all too familiar occurrence on nights like this...

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Hermione asked Harry as she watched him stare blankly into the fire the night after graduation.

"I mean that Dumbledore said that it would be safer for me to continue my training after Hogwarts in a safer place. I need to be completely focused if I'm going to defeat Voldemort."

"But you can do that here, with me. I can help you," she frantically pleaded.

He didn't say a word; he just shook his head and kept staring. "I can't," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Harry?" she asked, starting to walk towards him.

"No," he muttered, letting his face fall into his hands as he wept silently.

"Harry," she pleaded, rushing over to his side and kneeling down in front of him. She took his hands away from his face and looked into his eyes. They were glazed over with sadness, fear, passion, love, loss, and so many other things that just couldn't be placed.

"Please let me help you," she said, wiping a tear away and taking his hands in hers.

"I can't," he said again, looking at her directly. She felt his gaze burn through her.

"You can't what?"

He paused, letting a smile curve the side of his lip. "I can't do that to someone I love more than anything."

She let out a sob as she looked him in the eyes and let tears of her own fall. Harry took his hands from hers and reached up to place them on her cheeks, wiping at the tears gently. She placed her hands over his and gently caressed the backs of his hands. He leaned in ever so slightly, and then pulled away. The disappointed look on her face nearly killed him and he leaned in once again. Her eyes fluttered shut as she felt his breath become heavy on her face. His hands tightened and snaked their way behind her neck, inching her closer to him as he descended upon her. She shook in anticipation, love, shyness, hatred, jealousy, disappointment, longing, and lust. All of the things she had been feeling, mixed within her heart, now pouring out into one moment, one passing experience in her life that she knew she would keep until the day she died.

His lips were a breath away and she could feel the tension in his body as she anxiously awaited the touch of his lips on hers. Suddenly, he stood, pushed her gently away, and walked to the other side of their common room. She stayed kneeling there on the floor, confused and bothered. Harry was facing away from her, his hands tightened together behind his back.

"Harry?" she asked gently, turning towards him and standing.

"Don't," he said hoarsely, turning to face her.

"Why?" she pleaded, more tears falling as she kept walking towards him.

"Please, Hermione," he begged, backing up against the wall, his hands now up in defense. "I can't do this. I don't want it to be like this. I love you, more than you will ever know. But I'm leaving, and you aren't coming to help me this time. I can't leave you with hopes of me coming back, because the truth is, I might not."

"Don't say that, please," she sobbed, coming to stand directly in front of him, her hands on his chest as she looked him directly in the face.

"But it's true, Hermione. And I won't be able to live with myself if I leave you here, hoping for something that might not happen."

"I don't care," she muttered against his neck as she placed a soft kiss on his collarbone, which was exposed just above his black t-shirt. She felt him tense, then relax, then tense again as he pushed her away by her shoulders. He walked past her to his room and she stood there, dumbfounded.

"I want you to know that I love you, Hermione, and no matter what, that will never change," Harry said as he reached the foot of his stairs and turned to face her. She looked at him, a constant river of tears flowing down her cheeks as she watched him turn away from her and ascend the stairs to his Head Boy dormitory. She stood there for a few minutes, dumbfounded and heartbroken.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered to herself, her hand on her mouth, trying to muffle up her sobs. "I love you," she said, more sure of herself this time. "I love you," she said, beginning to walk towards his stairs. "I love you!" she called as she ran up the winding staircase and came to his door, pushing it open forcefully and running inside.

Hermione wanted to break down in the middle of the floor when she saw Harry's room. Everything was in its proper place. The bed sheets, the furniture, the curtains. Everything except Harry. It now appeared as if no one had ever lived in the room. His trunk was gone from the foot of his bed and she frantically rushed to his dresser and began pulling drawers out frantically. Each one came out empty and she stopped abruptly when she came to the last one. She felt a chill rush down her spine and she looked behind her, a window open and the curtains flapping in the cold wind. The sleek, well-kept broomstick that usually sat so proudly by the window was no longer there. She walked slowly to the window and placed her hands on the sill, leaning out and feeling the wet cold of the rain against her face as she squinted into the darkness, hoping to catch a final glimpse of him.

She wanted to call out, cry, break down, and come alive again just as she had when she was in his arms. She looked around her and collapsed onto his bed, hugging the closest pillow to her, smelling the sweet scent that was so unmistakably Harry. She cried herself to sleep that night, curled up in the empty, cold bed of the man that she loved and would have done anything for.

Another crash of lightning awoke her with a start and she sat up quickly, looking around, dazed from the dream she had just had. She reached up and wiped away the tears that had formed in her sleep. She looked at the fire that was still faintly burning and the cold mug of tea sitting on the floor next to her closed book. She wrapped the blanket tighter around her and sat there, hypnotized by her thoughts of that night. The battle with Voldemort had ended four years ago, only two years after they had graduated. They had come out on top, but for the last four years Harry had been mysteriously missing. Rumors of his death spread like wild fire and Hermione fought to hold strong to her hope of the contrary.

She was brought out of her reverie by a fierce knock at the door. Hermione jumped slightly, then got up quickly, keeping the blanket around her, thinking that it was probably Ron coming to inquire about her lunch cancellation. As she walked quickly to the front hallway she heard another knock.

"I'm coming!" she called as she jogged barefoot across the soft carpeting of the entryway. She hurriedly opened the door and stood back to let the person in. A dark, wet cloak billowed in and the hooded figure trodded inside quickly, shaking himself out as he entered. Hermione scoffed as the cold air blew in bitterly and she shut the door quickly.

"Merlin, Ron," Hermione said, wiping raindrops from her face. "This couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" she asked, shivering from the chill that had entered the room.

The man who had just entered turned to face her and she gasped as those fierce green eyes made contact with hers. He drew his hood back quickly and the breath caught in her throat.

"Harry?" she rasped.

Emotions rushed through her that she didn't know she felt deep inside. Want, anger, hate, lust, curiosity, need, love, hurt, abandonment, and joy; they just kept coming until she shook out her head and let out the breath she had been holding in her chest.

His eyes were fierce and powerful, just as she remembered them; but there was something about them, a new flicker to them that showed feelings of hurt and loss.

"Oh my, god," Hermione gasped as she dropped her blanket and rushed to him, throwing her arms around his neck, Harry lifting her up and holding her against him like she was the last person on earth he ever wanted to touch. He just held her, drinking in her scent as she tightened her arms around his neck. He heard her sniffle and he drew back, searching her face. Tears were silently falling down her face and a smile lingered on her face like he was the grandest thing she had ever seen.

No words were said. His lips crushed hers with a force that took her breath away and made her cower with passion. The tears kept falling, no longer from surprise but from happiness. She opened her mouth to him immediately and his tongue forced itself into her mouth, searching its depths. She moaned into his mouth and clung tighter to him, pressing herself against him and bringing her legs to wrap around his waist. He held her by the waist, holding her in place and never wanting to let her go. Her hands came to grasp his hair, bringing his mouth closer to hers, delving her tongue deep into his mouth. She drew back for breath, only to trail sharp kisses down his chin and to his neck. She stopped at his collarbone where she began to suck and nibble. He trembled, his arms heavy with her weight.

"Hermione," his deep voice begged, making her shiver with anticipation. She kissed her way back up his neck and gave him another drawn out kiss on the lips.

"Bedroom," she said breathlessly, continuing her ministrations to his neck.

He breathed heavily and began to walk towards the stairs, the beautiful woman in his arms making it difficult. She reluctantly drew away and let go of him, sliding to the ground quickly and taking his hand, nearly dragging him up the stairs and down a short hallway and into a dark room, only illuminated by the lightning still breaking apart the sky. As the door slammed shut behind him Hermione pushed his back against the door and pulled at the clasp of his cloak, releasing it and divesting him of it quickly. His hands ran down her back and came to rest on the curve of her bottom, pulling her forcefully up against his hard body and kissing her deeply. She moaned in frustration and began pulling his black t-shirt over his head. He helped her, lifting it over his head and tossing it into the dark room aimlessly.

Hermione pulled at his belt as he began to work at her white t-shirt, tugging it up and forcing it over her head and throwing it into another direction, attached his mouth to her neck immediately. She arched her neck into his mouth and continued her work on his belt, finally getting it undone and beginning her work on the button of his pants. He kissed his way down the curve of her neck and came to rest on the dip of her neck where he nibbled and lapped with his tongue. Hermione moaned and her hands fumbled with the button of his jeans. He kissed down her chest and let his face come to the juncture between her small breasts, breathing in her sweet scent and kissing the tops of the mounds of sweet flesh. She shivered as she finished with his pants and let her hands begin their exploration, running them over his toned chest and abdomen. Her fingers traced the outlines of his abs and the muscles tensed as her touch caused a fire to burn inside of him that rushed below his waist. His face came level with hers and they shared a fierce, intense kiss of longing.

"Harry," she whispered, drawing away, breathless. "I need you. Make love to me."

He didn't say a word, he simply crushed her lips with his again and lifted her into his arms and took her over to the bed where he gently laid her down and quickly removed her gray sweatpants. She shivered as she caught his eyes, passion evident in the shades reflecting down at her. He gazed hungrily at the nearly naked woman below him, pulling down his own pants and taking off his shoes and socks in the process. Hermione's eyes grew larger as he stood before her in nothing but a pair of black boxers that were tented by his arousal. Hermione lay there, completely vulnerable to him, in nothing but a simple black bra and a pair of plain black knickers.

He slowly came closer to her, crawling up to her so that their eyes were level. Her arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him to her forcefully, delving her tongue deep into his mouth and beginning a feud between his. Their mouths battled as their hands roamed. His left hand came up to caress her through her bra as her hands traveled down his back, lightly scraping her fingernails over his muscles. Obviously the years he spent away had toned him into the man he currently was.

Her hands came to rest at the waistband of his boxers and she pulled gently, bringing them down past his toned arse. He helped her in pulling them the rest of the way down and she flipper him over quickly to bring them past his feet. She sat up and gazed down at him, awed by the sight of him in all his masculinity. His hands were busy tracing the lines of her abdomen, making her flinch from the tingling feeling she received. She reached behind her and released the clasp of her bra slowly, letting it fall down her arms and tossing it across the room. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her petite, perky breasts bare before him. His hands came up to caress her and she arched into his touch. He pulled her to him and flipped them over so that he was on top of her. He kissed quickly down her neck and stopped when he came to her pink-pebbled nipples, hard and aching for his touch.

As his mouth attached to her left breast her right hand snaked its way down his chest and searched for his hardened arousal. He clamped down slightly on her nipple when her hand came into contact with his staff and she moaned quietly from the sensations it sent through her body. She knew there would be a bite mark there the next day and she would be proud of it. He quivered when she wrapped her small hand around him fully and he let go of her nipple, his breathing labored and hot against her chest. The prickles of feeling it sent through his body shook him in ways he had never experienced before. She tightened her hand ever so slightly and began to move her hand against him, drawing him out in long, slow strokes. He quivered and reached down to draw her hand away, his eyes warning her of a short end if she continued her ministrations.

She smirked at him and lay back, completely at his mercy. He resumed his worship to her breasts, and then kissed the rest of the way down to her abdomen where he tickled around her bellybutton with his lips. She giggled and ran her hands through his hair, wanting to feel him all over her body. Harry continued his journey until he came to her waist, where he gently tugged at the waistband of her knickers and pulled them down slowly, kissing his way down one leg as he took them off and kissing up the other leg as he returned to her. As he came to her hot, aching center he kissed her there gently and quivered when her heard her moan deeply. He inserted two fingers slowly into her and watched her as she writhed in passion. Her hands came out of his hair and clutched the sheets fiercely, throwing her head back as she felt things she hadn't felt in almost two years.

"Harry," she rasped as she bucked against his hand. "Please," she murmured, her eyes opening and the coated brown hues giving him an intense sense of lust he didn't know she possessed. He drew his fingers out of her and crawled up so that his face was level with hers. She pulled his lips to hers and forced her mouth against his, delving her tongue into his mouth and bucking up against him in need. He took her hips in his hands and looked her in the eyes.

"Bite my shoulder," he whispered in her ear, kissing her on her neck. She nodded deftly and placed her forehead on his shoulder, gently kissing his collarbone and then preparing herself for the impact. Her teeth scraped against his skin as he guided himself to her entrance. His tip brushed against her folds and he had to steady himself before sliding inside of her quickly, her walls closing around him tightly. She was tight, hot, and ready. He felt her bite down around his shoulder gently and then let go, drawing a small amount of blood. She gasped at the feeling, then relaxed, moving her hips against him and urging him to continue. He could hardly help himself any longer. He pulled out and plunged back in, eliciting a deep moan from Hermione that sent shivers up and down his body.

"Harry, faster," she moaned as he slammed into her once more. He complied, quickening his thrusts. Her arms clasped around his neck as her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him even deeper. He shuddered at the depth and increased his rhythm, moaning her name as she began to meet his thrusts with her own. Sweat began to break out on their bodies and he watched as a drop fell onto her chest and nestled between her breasts. He dropped his head and licked between her breasts, catching the sweat, still keeping their rhythm.

She moaned and balled her fists in his hair, throwing her head back and arching up into his body. He dipped his head down and took a pebbled breast into his hot mouth, rolling the hardened peak with his tongue. His hand traveled down to where their bodies were joined and he played fiercely with the ball of nerves above her center that sent her screaming and nearly over the edge. He bit lightly on her breast as her breathing shallowed and her walls tightened around him, her release inevitable. He increased his thrusts as she frantically worked to meet his hips with hers.

"Harry!" she screamed, out of breath, as she bucked against him wildly, riding out her orgasm. He felt her walls tense and relax and pulse around him and it sent him to the peak and then over, emptying himself inside of her, the ball of nerves that had been bunched up in his spine finally finding its release.

He whispered her name against her throat as he kissed the dip in her throat, holding himself steady against her before rolling onto his side, taking her with him. His breath was hot against her cheek as he placed feather light kisses all over her face and neck. She smiled as she let her eyes drift shut, his arms encircling her and holding her tightly against him.

"I love you," his deep voice said against her hair. "So much. I missed you so much I can't even tell you. I don't even want to think about how long I've been away from you."

She chuckled. "I love you too, Harry," she whispered, kissing his neck gently.

He rolled to his back, her head resting against his chest. She listened to his heart against her ear and felt the rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took. Amidst all of the heavenly sounds that were lulling her to a peaceful sleep, she heard the rain tinkling against her bedroom window lightly.

"I love the rain," Hermione whispered, falling into a deep, peaceful sleep.