Rainclouds Rainbows

Sixteen-year-old Lavemder Brown was running down the main street of Hogmeade, trying to escape the rain that had just started falling on her head. The muggle-born girl tripped on the slippery road, fell into a muddy puddle, and dropped her packages -- She had just done all of her Christmas shopping for this year.

"Oh, damn it!" she swore, and pushed her now wet hair away from her face. Standing up, dripping all over, she bent over to pick up her packages. She hoped the Sneakoscope she'd bought for her little brother wasn't broken.

"Here, let me help you," a boy's voice said. Lavender looked up into the eyes of a chubby Hogwarts' boy, about her age but one she did not recognise. He must be in one of the other Houses, she thought.

The boy picked up some of her bags, including the one with her brother's gift in it.

"Oh no, it's broken," she said sadly. "That was going to be a Christmas present for my brother, Joseph," She wanted to cry -- She didn't have enough money to buy another one!

The boy looked at the Sneakoscope, which was cracked down the middle. He tilted his head to the side and looked closely at it.

"I think I can fix this," He said after a few moments.

"Oh, really? Could you? That would be wonderful," Lavender said, relieved. The boy nodded and indicated the wand sticking out of his pocket.

"I can do it tonight, when I get back to school."

"Thank you so much!" Lavender said, gratefully. She was so happy she could have hugged the strange boy. But instead, she picked up her last bag and started to walk down the muddy road. The boy walked with her, and she had to hurry to keep up with his long strides.

"So, you go to Hogwarts?" she said, suddenly shy. She really knew nothing about this person.

"Yes - I suppose you do, too?" he replied. Lavender nodded.

"Yes, I'm in Gryffindor," she said, desperate for a way to keep the conversation going. She was keen to find out more about him.

A strange look came over the boys face, and Lavender vaguely wondered why.

"I didn't know you were in Gryffindor," The boy said, frowning slightly. "I'm in Slytherin." Lavender gasped. This nice boy was a Slytherin? She frowned, too, and rubbed her nose thoughtfully.

"Well... I don't think I've ever seen you around school. What's your name?"

"Vincent Crabbe."

Lavender had heard of him. But the stupid, mean Crabbe she had heard about was so different from this kind, sweet boy!

"My name's Lavender Brown,"

"Oh... I haven't heard of you, I don't think,"

"Er... Yeah, I haven't heard of you either," Lavender lied. She looked up into the sky -- The rain had stopped.

Vincent looked up, too.

"The clouds are beginning to part," he said, smiling. Lavender smiled as well. The kept walking until they reached a small park, with nothing in it but a few large trees and a rickety old swing hanging from a branch, swinging back and forth in the breeze.

"Let's stop here," Lavender suggested, and the turned off the road.

The grass was soft a still wet with raindrops, and the swing hanging from the tall, strong-looking tree looked as though it had once been painted white -- Now it was chipped and grey-looking. She sat down on the seat and Vincent stood in front of her. Her feet dangled back and forth as she swung gently.

"Look -- There's a rainbow," Vincent said, pointing to a part of the sky that was hidden by a tree. Lavender leaned forward, trying to see the rainbow he was pointing to, but instead of seeing it, she slipped off the swing.

Vincent put his arms out and caught her before she could fall onto the wet grass. He held her arms until she was steady. She blushed when she noticed that she was leaning up against him -- She had never been so close to a boy before -- At least, a boy other than her little brother, whom she hugged all the time when she was at home.

Vincent was blushing, too. But after a few moments of just staring at Lavender, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers.

Lavender was surprised, to say the least. Her first kiss! And from a Slytherin, of all people! She didn't know what to say, so she said the first thing that popped into her head.

"Where's that rainbow?"

"Oh... Um... I guess it's disappeared," Vincent said bashfully, and Lavender wondered if there'd ever been one at all.

fin.