[A/N: Ok...I personally think this is a little confusing so PLEASE tell me what you think of it!! I'm always open to suggestions so R&R!!! (I own NOTHING, everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, and the song is Dido's "Closer".) Enjoy!!]
Beth walked back to the girl's bathroom armed with her clothes for the day and stepped back into the shower and let the water pour over her. She picked up her shampoo and read the label.
"Rainwater..."
Beth groaned, 'My GOD.' She thought, 'I'm really insane, EVERYTHING reminds me of him...even my fking shampoo.'
FLASHBACK
Beth Halliwell was finally home in San Francisco, back in the "Land of the Free and Home of Brave". Her plane had only landed that morning, but already Beth wished she was back in England. She missed the compact cars, the wide countryside...Being in a city again made her feel terribly cramped and hot. She missed hearing the wonderful British accents...and the quiet courtesy the bestowed upon everyone, even the "eccentric Americans".
She missed Hogwarts and her new friends. She missed sharing a room with Hermione and staying up all night laughing...She missed sitting in the common room with a Bic pen in between her lips, (she never got used to using those damn quills) thinking over some essay on the Essence of Hydronia Root, the soft banter of happy students filling the background.
And she missed Ron. She missed how he'd sit on the armrest of her chair and rest his head on hers. She missed how he'd look around the room to make sure no one was looking before kissing her and stealing her pen. She missed the way she'd ruffle his hair when he was mad, teasing him when he was hyper...
Beth flopped down onto her bed and put her hands on her eyes. "Oy," she muttered, "Why..."
Her door creaked open and her brother's voice poked into her thoughts. "Why indeed. Why are you lying there when there is pie in the kitchen?"
Beth propped herself up on her elbows. "No reason." Kye tilted his head to better look at his sister. Something was wrong with her, she had never, in all the years he'd known his sister (and he'd obviously known her all her life) had he seen her treat the prospect of pie with such disregard.
"OK, tell big brother Kye-y-kins what's the matter."
Beth shrugged, "Nothing's the matter, I'm just tired." Kye sighed, "OK, fine be all Brit-sy and introverted. But know this, I will find out, I always do, and if I don't Mom or Dad will, and they'll tell me, so why not tell me what's wrong now and save everyone a lot of grief."
"What makes you think that anything is the matter?" Beth watched her brother sit down next to her on her bed. She scooted away from him, she was half dying to tell Kye everything and let him hold her like he used to, but she was also half hoping his head would explode into a million billion pieces so she could be alone.
Kye raised his eyebrows at her, he'd never seen his sister hold anything in this long, she always told him everything, and he'd hold her and help her through it, but now she was so...closed in. She looked sad, but also like she'd resolved to hold it all in.
Kye put his head in his sister's lap, "Beth, I have never, in all the time we've been siblings, seen you turn down a piece of pie like that. Not once. And I know something's bothering you, just tell me. Please?"
Beth looked at her brother's face, and she felt all of her well-planned defenses fall. Her eyes clouded up and she sighed, "I miss Ron. I think I love him."
Kye nodded and hugged her, "Is that all? That's nothing to cry about, loving someone is never something to cry about."
Beth coughed and nodded, she couldn't tell Kye everything. Not yet. Kye took that as a good sign and snapped his fingers, "Look. I made you something, and I think you'll find it very fitting." In his outstretched hand was a book, it was leather-bound with the same bird on the front that Beth had on her tattoo.
Beth opened it and was surprised to see on the very first page, a picture of her and Ron. He was holding her in his lap and they were sitting on a grassy hill at Hogwarts. Both were oblivious to the fact that they were forever frozen in time, a happy portrait of something precious and rare.
Beth flipped through the pages of the rest of the book, every page was filled with pictures of Ron. She smiled to herself and carried the book to her window seat. She leaned against the chilled glass and turned the pages of the book like she was absorbed in an interesting novel. Kye grinned and got up, he didn't need a thank you, he'd gotten all his thanks out of the look on his sister's face.
Beth kept flipping through the book, and it started to get dark. She thought she saw headlights pull into the driveway, but she ignored them, figuring they belonged to one of her aunts again.
Rain started to patter against the glass as Beth finally flipped to the last page. The last page had a blown-up picture of herself and Ron that took up the whole page. Suddenly Beth got a chill, like someone had stepped on her grave. But it had been warm, like someone she loved was close by, watching her.
She smiled, brushed her hair away from her face and climbed into her bed, suddenly extremely tired. A couple minutes later she heard Kye peek in, but she slowed her breathing and pretended to be asleep. She heard him walk across her room to her window and shut her blinds, but he paused.
Beth opened one eye and looked at her brother. He was standing facing the window, with his back to her. He rose his fingers and snapped and Beth saw Ron standing in her room. She snapped her eyes shut again and listened as Kye said, "You have five minutes, I won't tell her."
Beth smiled to herself, hoping against hope that she'd be able to contain her happiness at seeing Ron again.
So leave your taxi waiting
And turn and close my door
And sit back down where you were sitting
A little closer then before
She listened as Kye left the room and Ron picked up her book. She heard him gasp when he realized it was filled with pictures of him.
When you look that serious
It just makes me want you more
And I've been meaning to tell you
She wished he'd try to wake her up, and he'd hold her. But even if he didn't really care, she was just so happy to see him, it made her feel like everything was right again with the world.
The closer you get, the better I feel
The closer you are, the more I see
Why everyone says, that I look happier
When you're around
The closer you get, the better I feel
When he sat next to her on her bed, she felt tiny drops of rain fall from his soaked frame onto her face and sheets. She could tell he was scared at being in a girl's room, she could feel him shaking.
And yes I know you're nervous
Never seen you so unsure
You haven't touched your food tonight
And you're drinking more and more
She listened to him gulp and she felt him brush away a few water droplets off of her cheek.
And there's no need to hurry
Take you're time I'll still be here
And I've been meaning to tell you
Beth wanted to leap out of her bed and wrap Ron in her arms and tell him all that she was feeling, tell him everything, but she knew that she couldn't. So she contented herself with taking in everything about him.
The closer you get, the better I feel
The closer you are, the more I see
Why everyone says, that I look happier
When you're around, the better I feel
She loved the way his hand felt against her cheek as he bent to kiss her nose.
The closer you get, the better you see
The closer you are, the more I see
Why everyone says, that I look happier
When you're around, the closer you get
The better I feel, the better I feel
She loved the was he smelled, like rain and soap. She smiled with her eyes shut tight; hoping he'd notice and know how much she missed him.
We've been circling for time baby
We're coming down to land tonight
The wait is over and now it's easy
Everything is fine
When he whispered to her, "I love you," Beth could hardly contain herself. Her mouth twitched and her eyes fluttered, and she couldn't take it, she had to open them and see his face. But when she opened her eyes, he was gone.
The closer you get, the better I feel
The closer you are, the more I see
Why everyone says, that I look happier
When you're around, the better I feel
She rolled out of bed and walked quickly to her window. Looking out she could see him kneeling in a puddle next to a car she'd never seen before. She watched him look around, confused at Kye's magic. Then he got up, and looked up at her window. Beth put her hand up against the glass, watching him leave.
The closer you get, the better you see
The closer you are, the more I see
Why everyone says, that I look happier
When you're around, the closer you get
The better I feel
She watched him drive away into the pouring rain, but before he'd gone out of sight, Beth breathed in and the moon broke out from the clouds and shone across the rain streaked streets.
END FLASHBACK
Beth shook her head to get the water out of her ear. Someone was banging on the bathroom door. It sounded like Hermione, so Beth wiped her eyes and stepped out of the shower. Hermione was screeching, "BLOODY HELL BETH! DID YOU DROWN? OPEN THIS DO-"Beth put a towel around herself and opened the door, raising her eyebrows at her cousin.
Hermione stopped, mid-word and looked at Beth. Her eyes were all red and puffy, like she'd been crying. "What's wrong?"
Beth shrugged, "What's wrong, you ask? What's wrong is that I have a screaming twit for a cousin who can't wait her turn for the shower."
Hermione narrowed her eyes suspiciously, "Why are your eyes all red?"
Beth sighed, "What's it to you? Is it suddenly against the law for my eyes to be red? Maybe I'm doing drugs......Too bad I'm not," Hermione wore a look fit to kill, "Chill dahlin'. I just got shampoo in my eyes, I'm FINE."
Hermione shook her head, "No you're not, but I'll find out later, I need to take a shower, I smell."
Beth nodded, "Yep, ya' do. And take care of that morning breath too, while you're at it, I'm sure Harry wouldn't like that."
Hermione flicked her off and slammed the door. Beth groaned and slid down the door. Then she looked towards her bed.......The curtains were open and sitting there, propped up on her pillow was her picture..........The picture at the ball......Beth's eyes went wide.............She hadn't put it there........
"HERMIONE LYNN GRANGER!!!"
Before I forget (which won't be long) I'd like to thank my reviewers!:
Star in a daze: Thank you SOO much! You are one of my best reviewers!! ... I updated!! I hope you like it. And I added a new chapter! Woowoo! lol
Genvessel: weeeell that's the whole point of the story! I can't just have the MAIN character just spit it out in the first chapter, where would the suspense be?! (Oh...and Beth doesn't have any sisters...)
Silvertears44: I'm glad you didn't think the dance chp was corny! THANK YOU!! Lol, and yes, Dr. Pepper does rock.
Thank you all soo much! Cause of you guys I've decided not to pull this story.