A/N: I don't own anything. Just an idea.
Rain and treetrunks
Rain. Immortal being, these water droplets were, immortal to the point of annoyance. Going from steam, to water, to ice, to water again – or sometimes directly to gas form. Even when water was drunk it came out as water – no matter how dirtied.
But the rain was symbolic. It spoke of sadness, tears and regret. Or of the past being washed away, starting anew. It all depended on the poem, the person or the story.
To Hermione it was just rain. A scientific happening that seemed to happen every second day at Hogwarts. She had taken shelter beneath a tree – the trunk bent in such a way that it entirely protected her.
It was Saturday, and she'd been reading near the lake. She'd already been asked to the Yule Ball, by Viktor Krum no less, and she'd accepted his invite. What she didn't expect, however, was to find said teenager towering above her, trapping her escape by placing a hand on the left side of her head.
"Hello." He greeted her, smiling. She gulped and returned his smile.
"Hello, Viktor."
Now she understood why his hand was against the tree – he'd been running, and was now panting. His hand had seized the trunk for support. She was irked to find that two of his friends had followed him. Now they were all sopping wet! They could get sick!
"Hermione, I want to ask you something." He said business-like. Hermione's mind was already whirring with excuses as to why she could not help him with his Quidditch skills – he'd already asked her this before, but she had had to turn him down. After all, what she knew of Quidditch could be considered dangerous information. Seeing as there was next to none.
"Will you go out with me?"
Her mouth opened and closed.
"Wait… what?"
"Will you go out with me?" He repeated. "In the sense that makes you my girlfriend." He added, making it clear.
"But… why?"
"You stand out, you know. You don't go with the other girls."
"So?"
"And you didn't turn your back on Potter."
"Of course not, he's my friend!" She seemed appalled at the very idea.
"I'm not accusing you, would you calm down?"
Hermione took a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to leave at that moment.
"Please."
Her eyes flew open. His voice had sounded so different in that single word.
"Why me?"
"You weren't taken in by my fame – yet you remained kind."
"It's basic good manners." She commented.
"Something a lot of people lack."
"Yes."
"Yes vot?" Viktor frowned.
She laughed. "Yes, I will go out with you."
"Yes!" He whooped.
Up in Gryffindor Tower Parvati Patil wondered who in the name of Merlin was shouting…
