(A/N): OK, this one may be easier to read because the song is separated from the story more. This song is Sand and Water by Beth Nielsen Chapman. Please review, and no flames please, just constructive criticism! Enjoy!
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Ruby Scorpia stood at the edge of the lake, staring out at the water, which was smooth as glass, reflecting the sillouhette of the Forbidden Forest on its surface. She was wrapped tightly in her thin cloak, her feet slightly damp from the snow inside her old shoes. She found a stump along the bank and sat, taking a deep breath of frigid December air. She closed her eyes, testing it for the first time in week. As always, green light flashed behind her eyelids, just as it did every time she closed her eyes. Ruby hadn't slept in weeks because of it. Every time she tried to close her eyes, she saw that green light. If she slept, she dreamt the horrific scenes of the past month. Her parents lying dead on the ground, smoke rising around their lifeless bodies...
Ruby shook her head, unwilling to relive the attack on her family. She was originally from America, where the threat of the Dark Lord wasn't as large as in Britain the first time around. But now that he had risen again, the wizarding world of America was in danger, too. She had witnessed that first hand when her family was killed. Ruby was lucky to even be alive, and she knew it.
~*~
All alone I didn't like the feeling
All alone I sat and cried
All alone I had to find some meaning
In the center of the pain I felt inside
All alone I came into this world
All alone I will someday die
Solid stone is just sand and water, baby
Sand and water, and a million years gone by
~*~
Hermione leaned against the wall outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, grateful to escape the Common Room, which had turned into a virtual debate room. Once again, the boys were arguing over the way the ministry 'handles things'. It was enough to make Hermione sick. Here they all were, in the middle of a civil war in the wizard world, and all they could do was argue with each other. Of course, they would decide to agree to disagree in the end, but it was still ridiculous.
Hermione pushed off the wall and started walking around aimlessly, looking for something to do while she waited for the debate to end itself. She found herself in the library after a few minutes of wandering. Sitting down at one of the tables, Hermione dug a book out of her bag. It was muggle book called Pride and Prejudice, her favorite. She hadn't read it in a long time, not since she came to Hogwarts and started immersing herself deeper and deeper into the wizarding world. But now that it had become a fight to stay safe, Hermione clung to anything that reminded her of happy times.
"What're you reading?"
Hermione looked up, startled, to find Draco sitting across from her. "I-I didn't hear you come in..."
"I didn't want to disturb you." He replied with a faint trace of a smile.
"Oh...it's Pride and Prejudice."
"It's what?"
"A muggle book."
"Oh."
They were quiet for a few moments before Draco finally spoke again, "Thank you. For last night, I mean. I was really...really stressed out."
Hermione offered him a smile, "It was no big deal."
"Your friends would freak if they knew we got along."
"They might not." Hermione replied, closing her book, "The way I see it, we area ll scared and fighting for our future. We don't have time for fighting each other."
"That's a very wise thing to say." Draco said, "And I agree with you."
Hermione laughed, "Wow, did you ever picture *us* agreeing?"
"Never." He replied, laughing.
Hermione's laugh slowly faded as Draco leaned across the table until his face was only centimeters from hers.
"What are you doing?" She half-whispered, her heart pounding against her chest.
"I would it was quite obvious what I'm doing." He replied softly, before pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.
~*~
I will see you in the light of a thousand suns
I will hear you in the sound of the waves
I will know you when I come, as we all will come
Through the doors beyond the grave
~*~
Ron was walking outside, trying to clear his head. He hadn't taken part in the recent debates in Gryffindor Tower. Most of the time, he and Harry escaped with Hermione to the grounds and tried to forget about Voldemort. But this time, Harry had Quidditch practice, and Hermione was nowhere to be found. So, Ron had ventured out on his own. He was headed down to the lake when he stopped suddenly. There was someone sitting by the lake, her long, honey-colored hair falling in waves down her back.
She was the girl from the night before, the one Dumbledore and Professor McGonagal had been talking to...another one of the refugees from other areas of the wizarding world. Something struck him about her, though. She was definitely different, Ron had heard that with his own ears the night before. But it was more than that, somehow. Ron shrugged and walked towards her, figuring he may as well find out who she was. When he was close enough, Ron called out.
"Hi!" He said, trying to sound like he didn't know why she was there. She turned slowly and a look of confusion swept her features.
"Hello..." She said, almost quiet enough to be inaudible. Ron kept walking until he was next to her.
"I'm Ron Weasley," He said, offering his hand. she took it and smile ever so slightly.
"Ruby Scorpia." She replied, taking her hand away, "What house are you in?"
"Gryffindor."
"Really? I'm going to be put in that house. I used to go to Stripes in America." Ruby said.
"That's great, you're in seventh year?"
"Yeah..."
"Me too...Hey, lunch is in a few minutes, do you want to walk up together?"
Ruby froze...she didn't know how to answer. TO most, it was just a question. To her, it was like de ja vu.
"No...I think I have to meet Professor McGonagall for my schedule...but thanks anyway." She lied, and Ron nodded. As he walked off, Ruby felt her heart ache for someone to tell...anyone. But if she told her secret, they would reject her. Her hand went unconsciously to her stomach, which was still flat. With a sigh, she said a silent prayer for herself and her child.
~*~
All alone I heal this heart of sorrow
All alone I raise this child
Flesh and bone, he's just bursting towards tomorrow
And his laughter fills my world and wears your smile
~*~
When Hermione and Draco pulled apart, she was smiling softly. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his hand coming to rest on her cheek. She leaned into the warmth of his palm and sighed, forgetting for a moment that there was danger ahead and that every move she made very well be the last she made without fearing for her life.
"The library is closing, you two." Came Madam Pince's voice.
"But it's barely noon." Hermione protested, tearing her gaze from Draco.
"We are having a faculty meeting."
Hermione rolled her eyes as Madam Pince turned her back and slid from her seat.
"I'll walk you back to your Common Room." Draco said, taking her hand and walking with her out of the library.
~*~
I will see you in the light of a thousand suns
I will hear you in the sound of the waves
I will know you when I come, as we all will come
Through the doors beyond the grave
~*~
Ruby headed back up to the castle alone, thinking of the read headed boy who had tried to make conversation with her earlier. 'He must think I'm some kind of hermit or something. I barely said two words to him...' she thought to herself, wishing she had at least tried to be normal.
"Oh well...even if he did end up thinking I was normal," She said to herself, "he'd just ditch me when he found out the truth."
She looked down at her abdomen and sighed, walking up the hill to the school, her thoughts lingering on the boy named Ron Weasley with a feeling of sadness.
~*~
All alone I came into this world
All alone I will someday die
Solid stone is just sand and water, baby
Sand and water, and a million years gone by
~*~
_______________________________________
Ruby Scorpia stood at the edge of the lake, staring out at the water, which was smooth as glass, reflecting the sillouhette of the Forbidden Forest on its surface. She was wrapped tightly in her thin cloak, her feet slightly damp from the snow inside her old shoes. She found a stump along the bank and sat, taking a deep breath of frigid December air. She closed her eyes, testing it for the first time in week. As always, green light flashed behind her eyelids, just as it did every time she closed her eyes. Ruby hadn't slept in weeks because of it. Every time she tried to close her eyes, she saw that green light. If she slept, she dreamt the horrific scenes of the past month. Her parents lying dead on the ground, smoke rising around their lifeless bodies...
Ruby shook her head, unwilling to relive the attack on her family. She was originally from America, where the threat of the Dark Lord wasn't as large as in Britain the first time around. But now that he had risen again, the wizarding world of America was in danger, too. She had witnessed that first hand when her family was killed. Ruby was lucky to even be alive, and she knew it.
~*~
All alone I didn't like the feeling
All alone I sat and cried
All alone I had to find some meaning
In the center of the pain I felt inside
All alone I came into this world
All alone I will someday die
Solid stone is just sand and water, baby
Sand and water, and a million years gone by
~*~
Hermione leaned against the wall outside the portrait of the Fat Lady, grateful to escape the Common Room, which had turned into a virtual debate room. Once again, the boys were arguing over the way the ministry 'handles things'. It was enough to make Hermione sick. Here they all were, in the middle of a civil war in the wizard world, and all they could do was argue with each other. Of course, they would decide to agree to disagree in the end, but it was still ridiculous.
Hermione pushed off the wall and started walking around aimlessly, looking for something to do while she waited for the debate to end itself. She found herself in the library after a few minutes of wandering. Sitting down at one of the tables, Hermione dug a book out of her bag. It was muggle book called Pride and Prejudice, her favorite. She hadn't read it in a long time, not since she came to Hogwarts and started immersing herself deeper and deeper into the wizarding world. But now that it had become a fight to stay safe, Hermione clung to anything that reminded her of happy times.
"What're you reading?"
Hermione looked up, startled, to find Draco sitting across from her. "I-I didn't hear you come in..."
"I didn't want to disturb you." He replied with a faint trace of a smile.
"Oh...it's Pride and Prejudice."
"It's what?"
"A muggle book."
"Oh."
They were quiet for a few moments before Draco finally spoke again, "Thank you. For last night, I mean. I was really...really stressed out."
Hermione offered him a smile, "It was no big deal."
"Your friends would freak if they knew we got along."
"They might not." Hermione replied, closing her book, "The way I see it, we area ll scared and fighting for our future. We don't have time for fighting each other."
"That's a very wise thing to say." Draco said, "And I agree with you."
Hermione laughed, "Wow, did you ever picture *us* agreeing?"
"Never." He replied, laughing.
Hermione's laugh slowly faded as Draco leaned across the table until his face was only centimeters from hers.
"What are you doing?" She half-whispered, her heart pounding against her chest.
"I would it was quite obvious what I'm doing." He replied softly, before pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss.
~*~
I will see you in the light of a thousand suns
I will hear you in the sound of the waves
I will know you when I come, as we all will come
Through the doors beyond the grave
~*~
Ron was walking outside, trying to clear his head. He hadn't taken part in the recent debates in Gryffindor Tower. Most of the time, he and Harry escaped with Hermione to the grounds and tried to forget about Voldemort. But this time, Harry had Quidditch practice, and Hermione was nowhere to be found. So, Ron had ventured out on his own. He was headed down to the lake when he stopped suddenly. There was someone sitting by the lake, her long, honey-colored hair falling in waves down her back.
She was the girl from the night before, the one Dumbledore and Professor McGonagal had been talking to...another one of the refugees from other areas of the wizarding world. Something struck him about her, though. She was definitely different, Ron had heard that with his own ears the night before. But it was more than that, somehow. Ron shrugged and walked towards her, figuring he may as well find out who she was. When he was close enough, Ron called out.
"Hi!" He said, trying to sound like he didn't know why she was there. She turned slowly and a look of confusion swept her features.
"Hello..." She said, almost quiet enough to be inaudible. Ron kept walking until he was next to her.
"I'm Ron Weasley," He said, offering his hand. she took it and smile ever so slightly.
"Ruby Scorpia." She replied, taking her hand away, "What house are you in?"
"Gryffindor."
"Really? I'm going to be put in that house. I used to go to Stripes in America." Ruby said.
"That's great, you're in seventh year?"
"Yeah..."
"Me too...Hey, lunch is in a few minutes, do you want to walk up together?"
Ruby froze...she didn't know how to answer. TO most, it was just a question. To her, it was like de ja vu.
"No...I think I have to meet Professor McGonagall for my schedule...but thanks anyway." She lied, and Ron nodded. As he walked off, Ruby felt her heart ache for someone to tell...anyone. But if she told her secret, they would reject her. Her hand went unconsciously to her stomach, which was still flat. With a sigh, she said a silent prayer for herself and her child.
~*~
All alone I heal this heart of sorrow
All alone I raise this child
Flesh and bone, he's just bursting towards tomorrow
And his laughter fills my world and wears your smile
~*~
When Hermione and Draco pulled apart, she was smiling softly. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his hand coming to rest on her cheek. She leaned into the warmth of his palm and sighed, forgetting for a moment that there was danger ahead and that every move she made very well be the last she made without fearing for her life.
"The library is closing, you two." Came Madam Pince's voice.
"But it's barely noon." Hermione protested, tearing her gaze from Draco.
"We are having a faculty meeting."
Hermione rolled her eyes as Madam Pince turned her back and slid from her seat.
"I'll walk you back to your Common Room." Draco said, taking her hand and walking with her out of the library.
~*~
I will see you in the light of a thousand suns
I will hear you in the sound of the waves
I will know you when I come, as we all will come
Through the doors beyond the grave
~*~
Ruby headed back up to the castle alone, thinking of the read headed boy who had tried to make conversation with her earlier. 'He must think I'm some kind of hermit or something. I barely said two words to him...' she thought to herself, wishing she had at least tried to be normal.
"Oh well...even if he did end up thinking I was normal," She said to herself, "he'd just ditch me when he found out the truth."
She looked down at her abdomen and sighed, walking up the hill to the school, her thoughts lingering on the boy named Ron Weasley with a feeling of sadness.
~*~
All alone I came into this world
All alone I will someday die
Solid stone is just sand and water, baby
Sand and water, and a million years gone by
~*~