You, Me, and the Rain

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything…isn't it quiet obvious?

A/N: This fic takes place in Lily and the Marauders' end of sixth year. Jo Rowling has said in the recent Mugglenet/TLC interview, that Harry's grandparents weren't killed by Voldemort and their death weren't so serious or sinister. So this is my thoughts on what happened to them. This is set in the end of 6th year. Enjoy and please review!

Also, thanks to Trixytonks who made this gorgeous banner! (Edit: If you wish to see a banner to his one-shot, go visit my Livejournal)

:O:

I like the rain…no one can see my tears…

- Unknown

It was a cloudy day at Hogwarts. It was late in the afternoon, and not a single ray of sunshine could be seen above. Many Gryffindor students spent the ominous day inside, cramming for their end of the year exams. Some students would just spend the day by their common room fire relaxing and enjoying the quiet atmosphere. The only noises were the sounds of the quills scratching the parchment and frustrated students' sighs.

No one seemed to notice a solemn faced girl with long, dark red hair coming down from the girl's staircase. The other Gryffindors were too busy to take a notice in other's changes. They wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet before the Marauders comes back in to ruin the silence. The girl faced straight and walked towards the portrait door. The moment seemed to be going in slow motion, like only she was moving while the others were a blurry past. Her face was pale, almost gray. Her once vibrant red hair seemed to have lost their coloring into a dull red color. Her emerald green eyes no longer shone with happiness and joy. She seemed so hollow and lifeless, like she couldn't care less.

She made her way down to the entrance hall and opened the door to the school grounds. She walked slowly, like she had all the time in the world. She looked up to the skies where the dark gray clouds gathered, ready to pour down their rain. She tilted her head back down and walked towards the Quidditch stands, where two boys were playing Quidditch. She took no notice of them and walked up the highest stand and sat down, almost looking like she was waiting for something…or perhaps someone.

"Oy! Look over there!" shouted no other than Sirius Black, one of the infamous Marauders, pointing towards the red headed girl. He seemed to be out of breath and sweating in a weather like this.

"Padfoot, shut up and focus on the game here!" shouted back the disgruntled James Potter, another one of the Marauders. He looked almost mad and determined at throwing the quaffle through one of the three hoops, which Sirius was trying his best to guard.

"Hey! Calm down would you? The bloody rain! I hate the rain!" Sirius shouted back and the last part to no one in particular.

"Why? The rain is refreshing and perfect weather for some Quidditch practice," James replied back and grunting as he sent the quaffle hard as he humanely, possibly could towards the middle hoop.

"You wanna know why? WHY! Because you get like this! What is it with you and the rain?" asked Sirius hovering down and giving up on the game.

"Hey! You can't quit! Get back to your post! I'm the Captain!" yelled James.

"No! Not until you tell me what's wrong!" Sirius yelled back, sitting on the grass with his hands stretched behind his back and leaning his head back to look at the gloomy sky. His broomstick was left on his side forgotten.

James sighed but flew down anyways. He sat beside his best friend and he too, copied Sirius and looked towards the sky. They sat in comfortable silence, feeling the strong winds blowing through their hair. It was then when James noticed the red headed girl, sitting still on the stands while her hair were flying everywhere by the wind. His observing was soon interrupted by Sirius.

"It has something to do with last summer, isn't it?" he asked softly, almost inaudible.

James sighed again while he ran his left hand through his messy hair. A nervous habit he had picked up. He didn't want to talk about this now, he just wanted to let out is anger and energy so he could feel numb…So he can't feel the pain.

"Yes," James replied back, even more softly, his voice getting carried away by the harsh wind.

It seemed as though Sirius has heard his response and nodded slowly. His face softened then spoke again, "I'll leave you alone. Don't stay too long in the rain." With that, he left James alone to think.

He sat for what seemed like an eternity, just thinking about that summer. Remembering the detail as his head played that day over and over again. He was interrupted again when a small raindrop splashed against his glasses. He looked up to the stands remembering the girl and stood up from the ground. The raindrops seemed be falling faster and faster, until his vision was just a blur of rain falling. He muttered a spell to his glasses to repel the water and mounted his broomstick. He flew towards the girl who hasn't moved since he last saw her.

She wasn't shivering. She wasn't moving. She didn't even acknowledge his presence. She just sat there, her eyes focusing on something far away, not even blinking. When she did, James could tell she was crying. Disguised by the raindrops on her face were her tears. James felt his heart sinking. He didn't like to see her in pain like this.

"Lily…" he started slowly, "Let's get you inside."

When he laid his hand on her shoulder she stiffened. She then started to shake, trying to choke back her sobs. It was then that James couldn't take it any longer. He just pulled her up into his arms, holding her tightly, while she sobbed on his shoulder. Her sobs were loud and she just let them out, her cries were mixed with the thunder in the distance. James just stood there holding her, while his head rested on her head. The rain fell around them, soaking through their clothes. The sky grew darker and more ominous, making it look like it was middle of the night.

Her sobs slowed down and James dared to break the stillness. "What's wrong Lily?" he whispered in her ear, still holding her tightly. He silently wished he could hold her like this forever. She felt so right in his arms and he wanted to help her get rid of her sadness.

"They're dead," she whispered back, her head still buried in his shoulder.

James closed his eyes. He couldn't handle more deaths. He was sick of deaths. He wished one could have no feelings when it came to death, it would just make the grieving process so much easier.

"W-who?" he asked, dreading the response.

"My parents."

The rain showed no signs of stopping and James felt his eyes stinging, trying to hold back his tears. He soon gave up and let the tears fall freely. Maybe this was another reason he liked the rain, no one could tell if you were crying or not.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. It was then Lily slipped out of his arms and looked at him angrily.

"No you aren't!" she shouted at him. "You don't know what it feels like! You don't know what it feels like to lose someone so suddenly like this! NO ONE!" she screeched through the heavy raining. She broke down to the ground and started to cry again. There was lightening in the distance and a sharp flicker of light crackled through the sky.

James didn't do anything. He just let his tears fall. "No, I don't Lily," he started, "I don't know what it feels like to lose both of my parents at the same time. But I do know what it's like to lose a parent."

Lily paused her crying to look up at him. She never got to look at him closely, for she was too busy bawling her eyes out. He was wearing his scarlet Quidditch robes, including his pads and all. He looked side ways, not looking at her. She stood up and walked a short distance between them and put her hands on the side of his face, her problems currently forgotten.

"When?" was all she could say.

"The summer before this year, m-my dad died. He was pretty old for a wizard. His heart failed one day, he lost the battle to his illness. It was the day before we had row," James said quietly, looking into Lily's eyes. "The gloomy clouds remind me of the day he died and make me feel even guiltier."

"I'm sorry…it was untactful of me to just burst at you like that," Lily told him, remorse in her every word. She dropped her hand from his face and sat down on the stand behind her. There was a short pause, and then she spoke again, "I just miss them is all. We never got to see each other that much except the holidays. If I had known that they would get into a car crash, I would have treasured all the times we spent together. Petunia isn't helping much either. She just sent me a letter telling me that the f-funeral has already taken place and she didn't wish to see m-me anymore," Lily said looking towards the Forbidden Forest, silent tears streaming down her face.

James didn't say anything while Lily confessed her thoughts to him. He felt so sorry for her. She didn't deserve this. No one deserves this! He was angry at the world. Why do all the bad things happen to the good people? Why couldn't Snape go through this shit? Why did Sirius have to have been born in that family and had to be disowned? Why did Remus, of all the people in the world, had to be bitten by a werewolf? Why did he and Lily have to go through this pain?

James knew life was never fair. His dad told him; don't ever let your guard down, you never know what life is going to throw at you. He now knew the real meaning of his dad's words. There are going to more tragic things happening in his life, and he got to be prepared for them. He couldn't give up if the worst would happen, he'd have to fight it.

Especially now, since there seemed to be a dark wizard rising in power, getting stronger everyday by killing muggles and recruiting new followers. There were many murders and disappearances. This scared James, for he knew soon enough he'd have to face the real world and Hogwarts won't protect him anymore. He didn't want to think of all this now, he wanted all his problems to go away. What a perfect way to get rid of your troubles then in the rain, where he currently was?

"Do you know why I like the rain?" he asked her suddenly, in a louder voice, looking out to the Quidditch Pitch.

Lily forced her tears to stop falling and looked up to James again. "Why?" she asked, slightly shivering because of her wet clothes and the cold wind.

"Because before the rain starts falling, the sky grows dark and everything seem depressing. During the rain, you can feel everything getting cleaned, getting pure, and all your problems are confessed. After the rain, you feel new, you feel lighter, like all your problems have been washed away," he said while Lily was attentively listening.

"You know something else I've learned today? You can cry and cry in the rain and people won't notice your tears, because the raindrops make it hard to tell," he finished. He turned his head, his hair was still standing up in the end and his bangs slightly covered his eyes. He then looked to Lily with his somewhat covered, hazel eyes.

"How true it is, how do you know this?" Lily asked, awed by James' newfound philosophy and staring back at him with her emerald green ones.

"Well, I've just experienced it now," James replied with a small smile as the rain suddenly stopped falling. The couple looked up towards the sky and could see little rays of sunshine peaking through the darkness.

Lily smiled a true genuine smile. She looked at James, who was looking back at her with a familiar smile she had on her lips.

"Thanks James, for being with me. I never knew this side of you," Lily said, then slightly hesitating, continued, "A-and thank you, for telling me your story. I know it's hard bringing it up."

"That's okay, Lily. How are feeling?" James asked, sitting down next to her.

"Hm…cold," she said, grinning a little. "Would you hold me?" She had never felt any safer than in his arms. Back when she was crying, she felt comfort in his strong arms and made her feel secure. She never really thought of James as a kind and compassionate person, she just thought he was annoying and a bully, but she thought wrong. Even people like James had to grow up and face life. Who'd have known that James Potter went through all this?

James said nothing as he hugged her again. This time Lily had her arms around his neck, and whispered, "I think I like you, James."

"Yeah, so all the time you said I was an egotistical toerag, you didn't mean it?" he told her, teasing evident in his voice.

"Maybe…" she said trailing off then making eye contact and slowly closing the space between them to reach James' lips.

He was surprised at Lily's action, but soon relaxed and kissed her back. They sat there kissing, for what it seemed like forever, in their wet clothes. While the skies were clearing, they sat there letting go of the unfortunate events that happened in their short lived life.

They forgot about their sorrows, and thanked the rain for getting them together. They now knew that whenever they were having a bad day, they would be outside in the rain, together, letting the rain wash away their problems.

And whenever they would stand outside in the rain, Lily would whisper in James' ear, "It's just you, me, and the rain."