a/n: *tries to shield herself from the tomatoes and squash that are flying at her from her readers* Sorry this update is so late.  The summer went by... and then the first quarter of school..., so I haven't been working much.  I beg for forgiveness (on bended knee, if necessary...).  Thanks to my 34 wonderful reviewers.  I love you all!  This is the last chapter of Just Waiting for the Rain.  There will, hopefully, be an epilogue that I will write in the coming weeks.  I want to thank everyone for the support they have supplied.  I luff yew all!  Disclaimer: I still don't own the Harry Potter characters or settings.  I don't think I have enough money to buy the rights (I doubt that anybody does).  Therefore, I give JK Rowling the ample credit she deserves.  Enjoy folks, and don't forget to read and review! 

*May 19, 2002 – 10:30 AM – Hogwarts – Defense Against the Dark Arts

            Hermione Granger fidgeted nervously in her seat.  The counter-curse project was due today, and Harry had not arrived yet.  She needed his help for the presentation; after all, one can't perform a counter curse on one's self.  Every few moments she would glance down at their written report (five feet of specific details on the Impediment curse and it's counter curse) and reread it.  It was a good opportunity to make last minute changes and also a good mask for her anxiety.

            Finally, Professor Lupin (looking peeved at Harry's absence) called the class to order.  One by one, each set of partners performed their counter curse.  Hermione was to nervous to even laugh when Neville over did his counter curse and sent Seamus (his partner) to the hospital wing with his face flashing brilliant neon colors.   She was managing tiny glances at her watch every few minutes (ten minutes late... fifteen minutes late... half-an-hour late...) 

            Finally, Lupin had called on everybody else but her.  Hardly daring to make eye contact with the girl, Lupin called, "Miss Granger?  Are you prepared?"  Hermione stood up in her seat and made her slow way down the aisle toward the head of the class, hoping that with every second she dawdled in the aisle Harry would be making his way toward the class. 

            At last, she reached the front of the room.  Pivoting slowly, she turned to face Lupin and said, "I am sorry sir, but it appears that I will have to take an incomplete for this project.  My partner has not arrived in class, and therefore, I cannot present my counter-curse.  If you wish I can read the written report, but I'm afraid the presentation cannot be performed without both parties presence."  Hermione looked at her feet, trembling with nerves. 

            Silence reigned in the classroom for several nerve-racking minutes before the professor lifted a hand in dismissal.  The class rushed out, anxiety of presenting projects changing to the somewhat less violent anxiety of receiving grades.  Hermione alone remained in the room with Lupin.  Taking slow, morose full steps Hermione managed to find her way to standing directly before her professor's desk.  Lupin looked up at her for a moment before saying quietly, "What happened, Hermione?  Why isn't Harry here?"

            Hermione broke down, "I don't know, sir.  I don't know!  Everything was going so well.  Harry was really changing.  For a while I thought he really cared about m-... the project."

            "So what makes you think that Harry doesn't care about you-... I mean your project, anymore?"

            "He's not here, Professor!  If he really cared, he wouldn't have let me down like this.  Well... the Harry I used to know wouldn't have."  Hermione's distress and shock was turning into the shades and tints that come before anger, "How could he do this to me?  After all we've been through!  After all I told him... After everything he said to me!  How could he do this?!"  Tears ran down from her amber shaded eyes, as she turned her back on her professor. 

            "Miss Granger!" Lupin called, catching her attention, "Hermione listen, there is a perfectly legitimate reason that Harry Potter was not sitting in this class, captivated by my every word today."

            "Yeah, right, Professor.  When has Harry every legitimately been truant from a class?"

            "His uncle and aunt are dead."

            This took a moment to register on Hermione, "What?  So he's at the funeral.  Oh God, oh God.  Please don't tell Harry what I said.  Oh God... His only family left..."

            "You need to come with me Miss Granger," Lupin stood abruptly and walked out the door, leaving no time for Hermione to question him, only to follow blindly.

*Hogwarts - Headmaster's office

            Moments later, Hermione found herself standing in front of the impressive stone gargoyle.  Whispering a password, Professor Lupin disappeared into the staff room, leaving Hermione alone to climb the staircase.  Slipping inside the slightly open door, Hermione patted Fawkes' scarlet and gold plumage before sliding into a chair before Albus Dumbledore's desk.  The ancient wizard looked up "Ah.  Miss Granger.  Good of you to come on such a short notice today.  I believe you and Mr. Potter were supposed to present a project today?" Hermione barely nodded 'yes'.  "Yes?  And Professor Lupin has explained Mr. Potter's absence to you?" Hermione nodded again.  "Very good," Dumbledore continued, "I wonder, Miss Granger, if you wouldn't mind a bit of a long winded explanation from an old man.

            "Harry has been a different person since Ronald Weasley died in your fourth year.  Miss Granger, the boy only started to come alive again after he spent time with you.  You know as well as I do that Harry has never loved his aunt or uncle, or his cousin.  But I fear that at this shock of losing all of his family... he might harden himself the way he did after Ron's death.  Hermione do you see the seriousness of this situation my dear?"

            "I think so sir.  But... Headmaster I know you're asking me to do something.  I just don't know what."  Hermione muttered softly.

            "Of course, I don't really understand what I want you to do myself.  I am asking you, Hermione Granger, to save Harry Potter from himself.  Does that make any sense to you?  Because you are the only human being who has touched him in a long time."

            "Yes sir," Hermione said, "I think I understand."

            A knock sounded at the door as Lupin peeked his head around, "Sorry Headmaster, but if Hermione wants to go to the funeral, the carriage is ready."

            "I want to go," Hermione said, half rising, "but I'm not dressed appropriately or anything.  These are muggles after all, aren't they?" 

            "Professor McGonagal is waiting in the carriage with a muggle outfit or some such thing for you Hermione.  Come, you'll be late."  Professor Lupin began hurrying her out of the office. 

            At the door, Hermione turned to Dumbledore who was sitting alone behind his desk, worry brimming in the watery blue eyes.  "I'll do my best sir..." Hermione promised as she was swept out the door. 

*May 19, 2002 – 7:30 PM – Surrey, England – Funeral of Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley

            Hermione stepped out of the carriage-become-car and onto the lawn of the Surrey Anglican Church, located near Privet Drive.  Professors McGonagal and Lupin, looking somewhat awkward inside of the "car", waved her off with a warning to meet their ride back to Hogwarts castle at 10:30 that night.  She watched the car roll quietly down the street before turning and walking slowly into the chapel.  She had been hastily abandoned her school robes for a black skirt and blouse, making her look quite the muggle. 

            Hermione threw a glance about the chapel for Harry, who she spotted lurking in the back near the pale piggy boy (he must be Dudley, the famed cousin) greeting family members.  Hermione walked up to Harry smiling, remembering her alias, and rehearsing her speech slowly in her head, like learning the lines of a play.  "Harry!" Her smile fake, she threw her arms around Harry's neck and kissed his cheek affectionately. 

            "Hermione?" Harry Potter looked like a boy who didn't know his own name, much less his girlfriend's. 

            Hermione saw that Harry had been speaking to a plump woman who looked much like the man in the mahogany casket.  "Sorry for interrupting ma'am.  Harry and I go to school together.  We're very close.  Have you ever heard of the Edinburgh boy's school?  Co-educational now for about 50 years.  Well anyway, we were so very concerned when we heard about this tragedy, so the school asked me to come be with Harry during this hard time in his life."

            Marjory Dursley surveyed the bold young girl attached to the boy's arms.  There was something different about her.  She seemed almost to be as strange as the entire Dursley family thought Harry was.  But no matter.   It was only for the one day.  Aunt Marge nodded, her multiple chins folding into each other.  "Yes.  Well we're glad Harry has someone here for him.  Dudders here has an entire school of friends here to support him.  Then again, he always was more popular and charismatic with his peers than Harry here was."

            "How nice for him," Hermione said, attempting to restrain herself, "Harry, may I speak to you for a moment?" Hermione saw Aunt Marge leaning toward them to hear, "Privately?"  Without waiting for an answer, Hermione dragged Harry off to a middle pew of the church and began talking rapidly.  "Harry... are you actually related to that awful woman?  How can she be so... so rude to you.  And right in front of your face as well.  It's horrible." 

            "No," said Harry softly, "She's Uncle Vernon's sister.  Aunt Petunia was my mother's sister.  And she's always been like that.  She's the one I blew up right before third year, remember?"

            "Too well."

            "What are you doing here 'Mione?  Did Dumbledore send you?"

            "He told me what had happened, but no.  He didn't send me.  I wanted to come.  We can stay here for three hours.  Then Professor McGonagal and Professor Lupin are coming to get us."

            "Oh."

            "Harry?  Oh Harry please.  They were never kind to you.  They never even gave you the benefits they gave their son.  You have nothing to miss them for.  They made every summer miserable.  The best birthday gift they ever gave you was a sock for crying out loud.  Harry!  You can't be this miserable.  It's simply not possible."  Hermione's whispers sounded like shouts to Harry's ears.

            "I know they never gave me anything Hermione.  But they were all I had left.  Aunt Petunia was my last tie to my mother and now she's gone too.  How could this have happened to me...  First I lose Ron... Now my only uncle and aunt... who's next?   Sirius?  Professor Dumbledore?  ...You?  Mione my whole world is falling down around me." Harry's hands were shaking violently as he said all of this.

            Hermione grabbed his hands to stop their shaking, "Harry your world is falling down.  But so is everyone else's.  Voldemort is gone for good, which changed everything.  Next year we won't even be students at Hogwarts anymore. We'll be teachers.  So that world is falling apart as well.  Don't you understand Harry?  This is normal.  Everyone has to die someday.  You've lost everything.  For a while, I think you even lost who you really were.  But Harry, in the last few weeks you've got it back.  You've been the Harry I knew in second year that rescued Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets.  You're the guy who brought Cedric's body back to his parents because it was his last wish.  You risked everything to save your godfather, who until that night had been a shadow to you.  And Harry, you're the same guy who cried over his best friend's body as it fell.  Don't you see?  You have to hold on to who you once were.  It's the one thing that nobody can take away from you.  That you can never lose!"

            Harry looked her in the eyes for the first time.  Those chocolate pools reflected worry, apprehension, and concern.  And there was more behind Hermione's eyes.  There was this terrible burning desire for him to be himself again.  And there was love.  Harry suddenly understood that he had to know what he was about.  Because every person affects someone else.  And Hermione's eyes were waiting for him to grasp this.  They were waiting for more then that.  Those chocolate-brown eyes were waiting for the rain

a/n: Hope you all enjoyed that.  Hopefully an epilogue coming soon.  Hopefully.............