Assignment 11 –We should understand that flying in dangerous weather could be very bad for your health and cause problems. You should write an assignment where weather is causing problems for your relationship. You can use whatever weather condition you like. Prompt: Location – Hogsmeade

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"Attention, attention please!"

Hermione turned, ears perking to the voice on the speakers. Whoever was at the other end sounded quite agitated that he had to be making this announcement.

"Due to the storm we are advising all customers to stay inside the building until a time when it has safely passed. Thank you for your cooperation."

Draco bit his lower lip, glaring at the speaker. "Storm? What storm?"

"It was raining when we got here." Hermione answered, closing up her purse. They had stopped by the bookstore in Hogsmeade for a last minute gift before heading to Ron and Daphne's wedding. They hadn't counted on the neck breaking wind and the buckets of rain that greeted them. She looked out the large front window display, glaring at the sheets of rain as it fell. She could barely make out the store across the street through the mess.

"It's just a little rain," Draco protested. He shifted the bag with the books they had brought and stood next to her. The bookstore was getting more and more crowded as people from the streets crammed inside for safety. "I have flown in worst weather."

The lights of the building flickered. Lightening lit up the streets. Thunder rolled across the sky. A standing sign tipped over, skidding across the street with the wind.

"Attention everyone!" The voice cut back through the bookstore. Draco groaned, rolling his eyes from the storm outside. "We advise you all to move away from the window. We have word of a tornado touching down outside village limits. For your safety we recommend everyone move further into the store."

The already over packed space grew more tight as the occupants moved away from the window. The glass was vibrating now with the strength of the wind plowing into it. Hermione considered disapperating out, but remembered that doing so in a storm wasn't the safest – especially with this much lightening and the risk of a tornado. That much static in the air was bound to throw off their course. They would just have to wait it out.

"Do you think we'll miss the wedding?" Hermione inquired, nudging up close to him as people moved about. She wrapped her arm around his, doing her best to not get knocked over. The heels she was wearing wasn't the best choice in the crowded place. Nor was the floor length, pastel blue bridesmaid dress she wore. Maybe she should have gotten dressed at the Burrow after this trip. She blamed Draco. If only he had remembered the wedding gift.

"Maybe," Draco muttered, adjusting his dress robes as an elderly woman nudged past them. "Hopefully we miss all the boring stuff and get there in time for the booze and food."

"You're ridiculous." Hermione glared at him, but there wasn't much strength to it. Lightening tore across the sky. The lights went out. For a second, they all stood in darkness, the only light coming from a few street posts out in the rain. Those taking shelter in the bookstore drew their wands, casting lighting charms. Balls of soft blue light lit the overcrowded bookstore.

Silence joined them as a soft whistle tore through the air. The windows shook violently as the wind and rain threatened to shatter them. Very little was spoken past whispered conversations and crying children. Hermione took the moment to transfigure her heels into some flats and adjusted the top of her dress.

Draco leaned down, whispering in his wives ear, "How long till you think this passes?"

"Hopefully soon otherwise Daphne will be missing a bridesmaid. I'd hate to miss the wedding over a little rain. The forecast didn't call for rain over in St. Catchpole, so hopefully it doesn't hit the wedding. I'd hate for them to get rained out."

Draco nodded, watching a chair rolled down the street with the wind. If truth be told, he'd been looking forward to being a nuisance at this wedding – it was only expected considering who the groom was – at the weather was getting in the way of that.

A low forming howl took to the air. It took Hermione a moment to realize it was the wind making that noise. Several pairs of eyes roamed to the shacking windows. A bench screeched as it drug itself up the street. Newspapers were flying like bats from hell.

Draco watched the mess outside, absentmindedly shifting their bag to his other arm. "She was joking about that tornado right?"

"God I hope so."

The windows continued to shack with such a force that they should have broken already. The howl in the air only grew more intense as newspapers and other small items whipped about through the rain. That was when it hit. The owner of the bookstore motioned everyone further into the store. They crowded into aisle and on tables, eyes trained on the dancing windows far across the store.

Both Hermione and Draco had seen some fearsome things in their lives. But a tornado proved to be more powerful and more frightening than either of them expected. The wind outside grew dark. The rain seemed up fall sideways before being pulled back into the sky. Discarded items danced up and down the streets.

The lights coming off wands didn't seem to give enough.

The shattering of the glass caused them all to flinch. The winds cut into the bookstore, ruffling pages and knocking books from the shelves. Those nearest the windows, Hermione included, drew their wands, casting barriers deflecting the winds and scattered objects. Draco kept a lumos on his wand, holding it close to him and Hermione.

The tornado sprung from the left. It wasn't very wide in size, but was powerful enough that it picked up the display in the window. Books were flung in every direction as the winds whipped mercilessly through the store. The barrier protected against the debris, but could do nothing against the force of the wind. It threated to pull from the store those on the edge of the group. Draco's arm went around Hermione, pulling her close into him as a precaution. Hermione kept the barrier solid before her.

As soon as the tornado started and the winds began to tear at them, did it pass. Silence took the place of the howling winds. In that silence children started crying and mothers moved to comfort them. The rain slowed. Hermione dropped the shield, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Next time we check the forecast." Hermione glanced at him, before looking around the shop.

Draco chuckled. He looked down at his wife. Her hair must have been freed by the winds, because it now hung around her in its natural mass. The top of her dress had shifted a bit. She was breathing deeply but seemed otherwise alright.

The store was waterlogged and books were shattered everywhere. Shelves had toppled over. Glass littered the floor nearest the window. Outside the street of Hogsmeade was littered with papers and chairs.

"Agreed," Draco muttered. "That tornado was a bit of an inconvenience."

Hermione stared at him. Both started chuckling, gathering up their things from where they had set them. Draco looked at his watch, muttering the time. The wedding was starting any minute now. Lightening was still etching across the sky every few moments or so. With the tornado still howling in the distance they knew they couldn't leave right this minute – not with that much static still in the air.

"Looks like we might miss the wedding part," Draco said. He held the bag holding the wedding presence. "At least we have an apology gift. Think they'll still let us enjoy the open bar even if we missed the first part."

Hermione shrugged, running her fingers through her tangled hair. "We have a very good excuse."