Hermione Granger got up grumpily and stared outside her window in disgust. It was raining again. She threw off her covers and went out of her bedroom. Heading for the kitchen, Hermione opened the switch of the lights, brightening the dark room.
She opened a small cabinet and took out a green mug. She went near the water dispenser and poured hot water in her mug. She took out a pouch of chocolate powder and poured it inside. She turned the lights off the kitchen and headed for the dark living room. She stirred the hot liquid languidly before settling herself on her comfortable couch.
Memories of the past started rushing to her head as she heard a thunder strike. She stared outside and saw drops of water crashing on the lawn. She sighed in defeat. She couldn't hold back the feelings anymore. She felt silent tears trickle down her soft cheeks.
"Hermione?" a voice called out, a light shone from the door of the voice's room.
"Hey Harry, did I wake you?" she asked softly, her voice gave her away.
Harry shook his head and looked back at his room. He closed the door and settled himself beside Hermione.
"What's wrong?" he asked placing a comforting hand around her shoulder.
Hermione glanced outside. Harry, on the other hand, followed her gaze. Rain. The rain made Hermione depressed again. If only he could make it stop. To never let it rain again. He figured, he can't; it was his only way to remind Hermione of him. But he wanted to retort that, he only brought back sad memories.
"You remember him again." He did not ask, he stated.
She nodded in dejection. She took a sip in her cup and more tears started to fall. Cold tears that fought with the hot temperature of her chocolate drink.
"I don't know what to do anymore." Hermione started. Harry listened carefully at her sentiment. "I know I can't always be like this. But I can't help it. The rain, it just, reminds me too much of what we used to have."
"Hermione," he said but Hermione cut him off.
"I know, it's been 5 years. But the memory is still fresh. Like it happened just a while ago." She closed her eyes, preparing for the flood of memories that engulfed her.
Flashback
Hermione moved slightly. She felt strong arms around her. She smiled and made herself comfortable, trying not to wake her precious, but he had awaken already.
"Hmm…" He grunted.
"Did I wake you?" she said softly, cupping his cheek in her hand.
He smiled in response and shook his head. "I was already awake when you woke up."
Hermione rubbed his arm and smiled. She got out of their position and dressed herself. She looked back at the man she loved. Sure, it had been hard at first. Everything, it was all confusing and painful. But on the latter part, it became better.
"Ginny invited us at the burrow for later. It's Christmas after all." She stated her hands fidgeted nervously.
He raised an eyebrow at her. "And?"
"Well, I wanted to go." She gathered her courage.
He stopped to think for a moment. He knew that it would make her happy. He turned to her once more and smiled. She smiled too and threw her arms around him.
He stood and got into the shower. Hermione smiled happily. Life was really getting better, or so she thought.
"How could you still bring him here? After what he did?" Ron yelled, Hermione stood in front of him, tears in her eyes. It was a good thing he was in the living room, away from their outburst.
"Ron I love him! You have to accept it!" she cried, hot tears warmed her cheeks.
"But Hermione! He tricked us! Used Ginny! Almost got everybody killed!" Ron shouted back.
"I should've never come here." Hermione prepared to leave, but Ron pulled her arm. "Ron what–"
Ron kissed her. His warm lips touched her, and she felt cold. Sure, he was warm, but he was unlike her love. It was a shame that Hermione didn't pull away fast. She could've prevented things from happening.
"What's going on here?" a pair of angered eyes bore into her soul.
"Love, I could explain!" she said but he stormed out of the burrow already.
"He took you away from me too." Ron said softly. This made Hermione furious. He reached out to her but she slapped his hand away.
"I was never yours Ron!" and with that she stormed out.
End of Flashback
"Remember that?" Hermione smiled weakly.
Harry kissed her temples and rubbed her shoulder in comfort.
"I hated Ron for that." She said through her gritted teeth.
"He had a right you know." Harry said.
"Still." Hermione said.
Hermione glanced once more outside and sighed. She knew her flashbacks would lead her to that dreaded day. But she let it. As memories engulfed her, she knew Harry was there by her side to comfort her anyways. So she went to another memory.
Flashback
Hermione stared at the red lingerie in her had. It was definitely not hers. She decided it was probably a gift, just to calm herself. But she suddenly heard moans. She turned to the bedroom and saw the shock of her life.
In front of her was the love of her life in their bed with a woman on top of him. Hermione couldn't believe what she saw.
"Hermione!" he shouted. He pushed the woman away but Hermione had gotten out faster.
End of Flashback
"That was the most painful." Hermione said, more hot tears flowed out."
"Hermione…" Harry said.
"At least, I thought it was."
Harry sighed.
"The most painful is just about to come." She stared once more at the dreaded rain before replaying the last and most painful memory in her head.
Flashback
Hermione searched frantically for him. Just a sight of him, she'd be happy already.
She stood in horror as she saw so many bodies, dead and injured bodies, scattered at the battlefield.
'It is the battlefield, what do I expect?' she thought.
She moved but the feeling of cold bodies at her ankles, she just had to cry out in fear and grief.
She heard a ruffling not very far away. She glanced and saw Ron. She rushed to her friend despite their non-speaking terms.
"Ron!" she cried but got no response. "Ron Please!" she said once more.
Ron's eyes opened. He squinted in pain and his heavy breathing made it more painful.
"Herm–" he coughed and blood came out.
"Ron! Hold on!" she pulled her wand out and sent out sparks to the sky.
"Don't cough bother…" he said taking a deep breath.
"Ron, don't say such things!" she said as she sent more sparks.
"He's over there." Ron's finger raised and pointed somewhere.
Hermione's body stiffened. "He's there?" she asked carefully.
"Y-yes." He drew another breath.
"Ron, hold on! Don't die on me!" she panicked.
"Go…" he said before taking in his last breath.
"Ron!" she screamed in grief. She held her dead friend's hand and wept silently before going to him.
She continued her search desperately to find him. She wanted to see him, hoping he was ok. After a few minutes of search, she saw him, lying with closed eyes, very pale.
"Oh my god!" she rushed next to him.
Hearing her voice, he opened his eyes, pain started to shooting everywhere.
"Hermione?" he asked, coughing hardly.
"Don't talk, I'll get help." She said, her voice very panicked and full of sadness.
"No, I know cough I wouldn't last long." He said.
"Don't say that!" more tears flowed out of her eyes. "I'm going to send for help!" she raised her wand but he grabbed her arm. He smiled.
"Don't," he said coughing more, this time, blood came out of his mouth.
"Please don't die on me…" she whispered.
He smiled weakly. "I love you." he whispered. Her eyes darted to his. He was saying goodbye.
"No…don't say that like you're saying goodbye! You're not leaving! No! No!" she screamed, feeling really weak.
"With all my heart and soul. If I could've cough survived here, I would've married you…" he said sadly.
Hermione stared at his pale face. He held out a box, which contained their ring.
"Marry me. Cough Or at least, keep this." he said.
"Don't do this to me." she begged, taking his hand in hers. "We have a plan remember? We'd bring our child up, right?" she placed his hand on her tummy.
He smiled weakly. "I'm going to be a father of a beautiful girl." He said.
"How'd you know it would be a girl?" Hermione chuckled softly.
"A father coughs always know…Name it Hera for me," he said breathing hardly.
"Hey, hold on, we're still planning right? Don't die on me please…" she pleaded.
"There's nothing I could do Hermione." He said, cupping her cheek.
He stared at her longingly. "I wish I showed you how much I loved you sooner." He said sadly.
"You did." He smiled at her and kissed her for the last time.
"I love you, Hermione." He said before closing his eyes and drawing in his last breath.
"No, baby! Don't say that." But he lay there lifeless already. "No!" she shed tears that kept coming, one after another. Then the rain fell.
The rain dropped on them, soaking their bodies. Hermione cried nonstop and the rain became stronger. She cried and cried until she found no more voice to wail out her sorrow.
People came to her aid and took her to shelter. In her hand, she clutched the box he gave. She opened it and saw a plain but beautiful ring. She placed it on her ring finger and stared at it. More tears flowed and wished that at least she could've married him before he died. She noticed another ring was inside.
'It should've been his.' Then she stood and approached his lifeless body.
She inserted the ring on his finger and held his hand. A woman, she distinguished as a healer, approached her.
"May I take your name miss?" she asked softly, noticing the grief Hermione felt.
"Hermione. Mrs. Hermione Jane Malfoy." She said proudly. The woman smiled at her and went to the other survivors.
End of Flashback
Hermione stared at her ring and heard a distant cry. "Hera's crying." She said softly to Harry.
Hermione prepared to stand but Harry held her down smiling. She looked at what Harry was staring at and smiled too.
Ginny cradled baby Hera in her arms and sang to her. She headed for Hermione and Harry and handed the girl to her mother. She then sat beside Harry, kissing him on the lips.
Hermione stared lovingly at her daughter. Ever since Draco died, Hermione dealt with everything on her own. But not completely, Harry and Ginny were kind enough to help her with her daughter. They let her stay at their apartment and live with them. She was grateful, very grateful. But she felt alone; it wasn't just the same without her Draco.
Hermione suddenly had the urge to glance outside. There she saw, a standing Draco Malfoy soaked in the rain. She handed her baby to Ginny and ran outside.
"Draco?" Hermione said.
He smiled lovingly at her. She tried to touch her but her hand passed through.
"I should've known." She said dejectedly.
"Hermione, love." He whispered.
She looked up in joy; tears flowed down her eyes. "Yes love?"
"I've seen you hate the rain." He said softly.
Hermione looked down but he called her attention back.
"You shouldn't." he stated.
"But, the memories are unbearable." She cried more.
"Please don't cry love. It pains me to see you sad." He said, sadly.
"But, I can't help it."
"Love, don't worry, I'm happy wherever I am now. I feel sad though, seeing you like this."
Hermione gazed at his eyes, those two grey orbs that she loved so much. The grey orbs that held everything, those pair of grey eyes that her daughter luckily inherited.
"Now don't be sad during the rain ok?" he said.
Hermione focused her attention back to the whole of him.
"Think of it as a reminder of me." he said.
"Yes, love." Hermione smiled happily for the first time, since her daughter was born.
"I love you Hermione, and I'll always watch over you." he placed a small red bracelet on her hand and with that he vanished.
"Hermione? Hermione?" she opened her eyes to see Harry and Ginny staring at her.
Was it all just a dream? But then she suddenly felt something in her hand. She saw the red bracelet and smiled.
"Are you okay? You closed your eyes after I gave you Hera." Ginny said worriedly.
"Don't worry Gin, I know Draco's always there, guiding and protecting me." she smiled at the rain, which cause Harry and Ginny to raise an eyebrow.
"Just a while ago you hated rain." Harry said, but a smile hidden behind his confused face.
Hermione didn't reply, she just went outside and soaked herself in the rain. She twirled around and glanced in the sky.
"I know you're always watching." She said before closing her eyes and twirling again once more. Harry went outside with Ginny and Hera. They, though, carried an umbrella with them just to keep Hera from sickness.
They laughed at how carefree Hermione was now and starting that day, they knew that Hermione would never be sad again.