A/N: Songfic to the Everley Brothers' "crying in the Rain". Set toward the start of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. (I do not own the characters or the song…just the idea to put them together ) *= small change in lyrics
Draco Malfoy leaned against one of the great stone peacocks outside Malfoy Manor as the driving rain pelted him. He knew he shouldn't be out here. He knew he should go back inside before his mum started to worry and sent a house-elf out to find him.
It had been exactly one month since his father had been incarcerated; one month since he received the Mark, one month since his world came crashing down all around him. Every hallway, every room seemed to taunt Draco as Lucius Malfoy's face stared back at him out of various portraits, both present and absent at the same time. Draco shut his eyes against the feeling, but the image of his father still loomed at the front of his mind. He felt the tears leaking from his tightly closed eyes, but he didn't care. It wasn't as if anyone was around to see.
I'll never let you see
The way my broken heart is hurting me
I've got my pride
And I know how to hide
All my sorrow and pain
I'll do my crying in the rain
A flash of lightning tore apart the night sky, illuminating Draco's tearstained face. He bowed his head so that his hair fell in front of his eyes. His father's voice screamed inside his head, ranting about bravado. Bravado…it was something that all the Malfoy men had. In fact, Draco would not be standing in the pouring rain, if not for the Malfoy bravado.
If I wait for cloudy skies
You won't know the rain
From the tears in my eyes
You'll never know
That I still love you so
Though the heartaches remain
I'll do my crying in the rain
He looked up into the inky sky. Tears still streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the rain that attacked him…taunted his misery. His mind wandered back to the Easter holidays, the last time they were happy, the last time they were together as a family. His chest heaved inside his soaking shirt as he choked back a sob.
Raindrops falling from Heaven
Could never wash away my misery
But since we're not together
I'll look for stormy weather
To hide these tears I vow* you'll never see
Draco wiped his eyes defiantly with the back of his hand. The newly branded Dark Mark on his left arm was now clearly visible through his sleeve. It was all Potter's fault. If he hadn't had to play the big hero this time, the Dark Lord would be satisfied, Lucius would be free, and Draco would've never had to take the Mark. A fire blaze behind his gray eyes as he remembered his last words to Potter…the promise he'd made to avenge his father.
Someday when my crying's done
I'm going to wear a smile
And walk in the sun
I may be a fool
But til then, Father*
You'll never see me complain
I'll do my crying in the rain
Potter laughed at him then, but Draco knew he wouldn't be laughing for long. Soon…very soon, Potter would loose the only father figure he had, and Draco would be right there to mock his pain, just as Potter had done to him. A faint shadow of his old sneer crossed Draco's face as he turned back to the manor, assured that Potter's turn was coming.
A/N: This is dedicated to my father, who was diagnosed with lung cancer last winter. Without him, I would not be able to feel what Draco must be feeling here, nor would I know the song to which this songfic is set.