Through the Sunshine and the Rain

Through the Sunshine and the Rain

"Shit! Harry, don't do this to me now. Don't!" Hermione stood, looking deep into his blazing green eyes. The rain was falling unmercifully down, drenching her to the bone. She knew what she had to do, she had to stand strong, she had to fight this.

A blinding beam of light was pouring down on her and Harry from a street light, as the sky darkened, and the rain came clashing down, harder and faster then before. Little drops of cold continued to pelt at her thinly clothed body, as her mind began to race uncomfortably.

How could she possibly let it come this far? How could she stand there, as her world crumbled around her, and simply do nothing?

She needed him, she realized that. But she wasn't dumb enough to take a chance on him. She wasn't dumb enough to let him in, to give him every chance to break her heart, and trust him not to.

Because she had to face it, love isn't just all ups. It's some downs too, some twists and turns, some life-defining moments. But it wasn't all fluff, and she wasn't prepared for anything else at the moment, or so she kept telling herself.

"Don't do what, Hermione?" Harry looked at her bitterly, she could tell by the look on his face that he was so frustrated, he was finding it hard to get his thoughts out of his mouth fast enough. "Is it an inconvenient time for you? Should I maybe come back in a few years? Should we just forget about the whole thing until then?" Harry's voice was so quiet, yet she could hear it over the rain.

"Harry, don't do you dare. This isn't about me, it's about us! We're not ready, it's too soon!" Hermione began shaking her head, her eyes closed in some form of agony, as she clung onto her body.

"Each day I wait is another day I long for you, Hermione. Each day feels like an eternity." His voice was soft and sincere, as the light shone down on every defining line in his face. He looked at her, with sorrowful eyes, and if seemed as if his heart was beginning to break into pieces. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.

"Harry. Your timing is off, way off! I've got so much going on right now, my life is so mixed up and complicated. I haven't gotten over everything that's happened, and I don't know when I will, damnit!" She answered back, placing her hands on her hips.

How dare he be sweet, and charming? How dare her try to sweep her off of her feet!

"Sorry, for feeling that this was the perfect time to say something to you." Harry held up his hands as if he was guilty of something, but his voice was sharp and sarcastic.

Hermione was beginning to lose her tough exterier, and break down. Every emotion imaginable was hitting her at once. This was too much, too soon.

Or was it?

Was she really unprepared, or had she been subconsciously preparing herself the whole time she'd known Harry? She loved him, that much was sure. But, the only problem was, if she took a chance on him, it might end on a bad note, and then who would be her friend? Who would she have, that she was as close to as Harry, that would always be there for her like he was?
Ron was simply out of the question. He was married with a baby boy, Harry and Hermione barely got him out of the house! Hermione couldn't depend on him. His daily plans often varied. He was never there in the early hours of the morning, when Hermione was feeling lonesome, or heartbroken. He just grew accustomed to his new life, and that's what Hermione had been afraid of all along.

Harry was the type of friend that she could call up at two am, and arrange to meet him then, and he was available. He knew every secret, every heartbreak, every scratch and bruise, every fall as if they were his own. He was there for her during the last 4 years after Hogwarts, and no one could replace him.

Hermione began to sob. She just, broke down. She had to, or she was going to explode. She just stood there, amongst the rain and the street lights, Harry standing there in front of her, and she began to cry. She wrapped her arms slightly around herself, as if she was trying to give herself some sort of comfort.

"Harry... I can't do this with you now." She said through sobs.

What did he expect her to do? Drop everything? Drop her job at the Ministry, her life, her problems, to start a relationship with him? It didn't seem worth it. Not when it had a good chance of messing up in the end. Then what would they do?

"Hermione... I need you. Okay? I admitted it, I need you. You're not something I want, or something I can go without. You mean everything to me, and you always have. My brain has just finally caught up." Harry chuckled slightly, taking a step towards her. She was so broken, she didn't bother fighting him off, but instead she wrapped her arms around him when she felt his encircle her.

She began to sob openly into his drenched chest, as he rubbed her back gently.

"Please Hermione, I just need to know something. If you answer this question for me, truthfully, I'd be forever grateful. If you can look me in the eyes, and tell me you don't return my feelings, then fine, that's it. I'll leave you alone. But if you can't, don't think for a second I'm backing down on this." He mumbled into her hair, holding her closer.

Hermione gulped, a raging storm going on not only just around her, but inside her as well. She let go of him slightly, looking up into his eyes once more. "What am I supposed to say, Harry? What am I supposed to say to that?" Her lip trembled, her eyes stinging once again from a fresh wave of un-cried tears.

"Just give me an answer. Please, Hermione. I need to know." Harry paused, looking deep into her eyes in a probing manor. He placed his hands on both of her shoulders. "Do you love me?"

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut once more, she couldn't lie to him, she knew that. It almost hurt to speak now, as she bit down her bottom lip as if trying to keep her mouth shut. With a small sob, she nodded her head, whispering an almost painful, "Yes."

Harry stood in pure shock. His hands still gripped on to her shoulders, he took a few deep breaths. He wasn't quite prepared for this, even though he had spent the whole night trying to do so. "Y-you.. You do?"

"Yes, damnit!" Hermione looked up at him, anger hitting her again. "And let me tell you, this isn't about what's convenient for me. I've loved you for a very long time now, Harry. But it just hurts. Don't you see? I've been telling myself, over and over again that this moment would never come. That you would never love me, back!" Hermione snapped, her eyes blazing fiercely.

"I'm sorry. I just.. I am. I'm absolutely oblivious to this whole love thing. But all I know, is that I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I see you, Hermione. I look at you, and everything is right in the world. My heart swells, my mind races with thoughts of you. Now I may not know a lot of things surrounding this, but if that's not love, I don't know what is. I just... I want to make you happy. I want to please you in ways no one else can." Harry watched her carefully, sincerity still etched in his bottle green eyes. He meant every word, and he would make sure she knew that.

Hermione stood there, speechless. More tears began to well up in her eyes, but they weren't ones of anger, or hurt. They were ones of joy. Standing there, and listening to him, she realized the one thing she had been too blind to see, until now.

There was nothing stopping her from this. Nothing stopping her from enjoying the love she could have in a relationship with him. Her job wasn't, her life wasn't, her problems weren't. The only thing stopping it was her.

She looked up at him, a smile stretching across her face.

"Oh... Just kiss me, you big dummy!" She grinned, opening her arms wide for him to fill the space between them.

Harry didn't need telling twice. Within seconds, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips softly into hers. And she had to admit, it felt good. Heck, it felt great! She loved him so much, and now was finally her chance.

She didn't care that the rain was drenching them, she didn't care that it was some odd hour of the morning, and she didn't care that they were standing in the middle of the street. None of that mattered. All that mattered to her was the person in her arms, at that very moment. Not anyone else, just him. And she hadn't had much experience with love, either. But she knew that it felt something like this.

She didn't know what tomorrow would bring, or whether they would get their happy ending. She didn't know how long this would last, or whether they would remain friends afterwards, if their was an afterwards. But she knew the contagiousness of his smile, of his laugh. She knew the different shades of green his eyes would turn in the light. And she knew that she would stick by him through thick and thin, like she always had from the beginning.

And no matter what, they would get by. Together, through the sunshine, and the rain.

A/N: I know! This is terribly ‘fluffy’, and extremely plotless! But I mean, I wrote this in a matter of minutes, so don’t sue me! Anyway, I thought it was pretty cute. Hopefully you guys think the same, and like it! Anyway, please R & R, I want all of your opinions!