Rain

"Mummy? Mummy?"

"Yes Loque, what is it?" Hermione asked, blinking quickly as she forced her attention away from the papers in front of her. She was sitting in her kitchen, back at her flat with Loque playing on the floor beside her. The school year had recently started up again, and already students were getting magical injuries by the dozens. While none of them were too permanent, that did mean that there was a lot of tedious paperwork to fill out...

...Which was becoming increasingly difficult, thanks to Loque's incessant pestering.

"Mummy, why is the sky wet?"

Hermione sighed, turning to her son. He was a precocious little four year old child, taking after her and asking questions about anything and everything; he wouldn't stop until the answer satisfied him.

Dammit.

"That's rain, Loque," Hermione said, rubbing his head. Maybe, she thought, maybe just one answer will suffice for today. Maybe I'll get off easy... "You know that. When water falls out of the sky, it's called rain."

"But why?"

Or maybe not.

"Because that's what big important people named it many years a-"

"No! Why does it fall from the sky?" Loque asked, his face screwed up in concentration. "Why, Mummy?"

"Because, sweetheart," Hermione said, smoothing out his hair. She needed to give it a good trim. I'll just add that to the to-do list, she grumbled internally. "It has to. The water has to be returned to Earth somehow."

"Why?"

She sighed. "Well, because we all need fresh water in order to drink and to survive-"

"No!" Loque interrupted once more, his hands balling up into little fists. "Why do we have to play inside?"

Hermione paused, surprised by the unexpected turn that the conversation had made. "What do you mean by that, Loque?"

"You said that we had to play inside!" he explained. "You said that because of the wain! But why? Why does the wain make us play inside?"

She couldn't help it; she let out a small laugh. "It's rain, sweetie. Not wain. And because if you don't play inside, Loque, you'll get all wet! Your clothes will be soaking wet, you will be soaking wet-"

"So?"

"So you don't want to get all wet, sweetheart."

"Why?"

She leaned down, looking him in the eyes. "Because you'll be all wet and dirty. And then you'll have to take a bath. And you don't want that."

"But I want to play outside!" he protested.

"Loque-"

"Please? Please, Mummy?" He grabbed at his mother's hand, pulling on it. "Please? I promise I'll be good!"

She raised an eyebrow. "And you'll take a bath afterwards? Without any protests, mind you. I don't want any griping from you!"

He made a face, confused. "Gwiping?"

"Complaining," she amended. "No complaints. Do we have a deal?" He nodded, jumping once before he started backing away towards the rear door. "All right then. But stay in the backyard where I can see you!"

"No, Mummy," Loque said, reaching forward to grab her hand. "No! You have to come too!"

"Loque-"

"Come on! Please? Please, Mummy?"

She sighed once more, aware that she was so close to giving in to a ridiculous child's request. "I don't want to get wet, sweetheart. And Aria-"

"She's asleep," Loque pointed out. "And you can see Awia from outside! Please? Just for this many minutes?" he asked, holding up one of his hands with five little fingers spread out as wide as they could go. "Please?"

She shook her head, taking his hand. "Five minutes," she said. "And that's all. Do you hear me? Five minutes."

"Come on!" he said, pulling her towards the door. "Come on! This way! Go!"

She laughed, bending down to swing him up into her arms. "All right, all right, I'm going!" She opened the door and stepped outside, allowing the rain to pour down on her. "Are you happy?" she asked, raising her voice a little over the din of the rainwater. "Is this good, Loque?"

He nodded, squirming down from her grasp as he giggled, shaking his fists. "Wain!"

Hermione laughed. "Rain," she emphasized.

He giggled as well, before trying again. "Wain!"

"Rain!"

"WAIN!"

"RAIN!"

"Run in the WAIN!"

She laughed, grabbing him by the hand and twirling him. She felt free and safe, and completely happy here with her son. All of the stress of the tedious paperwork she had to do didn't matter. She was light, and free, and she was going to enjoy her life. "Dance in the RAIN!"

"Play in the WAIN!"

"Feel the RAIN!"

"What in the name of Merlin is going on?"

She turned, Loque still in her arms, to see Severus standing at the door with a bewildered look on his face and an asleep year-old Aria in his arms. Loque shrieked with laughter as he again squirmed out of her arms, running towards his father. "Have you both gone mad?" Severus asked, eyeing the drenched members of his family.

"Oh, do shut up," Hermione said with a grin before she pulled him in for a kiss.


Here's the next chapter! I had a lot of fun writing this sweet little vignette, and I hope you enjoyed reading it!

Thank you to all of my reviewers from the last chapter: middlekertz, Larisa, and Vanessa. I really appreciate it!

Take care!

-Selene