Rain

By: Who Else? Me

Chapter Nineteen:

Letting Someone In

Dorothy smiled all day. She was happy Draco had made an effort to patch things up with Harry but was curious to see the outcome. What if Harry didn't believe him and they got into another row and Draco quit? What if Draco decides he'd rather fight with Harry than be friends with him? She felt her mind full of these questions as she stepped lightly down the corridor.

She didn't want to go back to the Gryffindor common room but there wasn't anything to do inside. She walked up to a nearby window and looked out. The snow was still as bright as it had been hours before but now the sun was making it glitter beautifully. She stood looking out at the grounds for a moment, still in her pajamas, her finger lightly circling the gems on the ring on her finger. She was suddenly happy that her father had made her stay at school for the holidays. If she hadn't, she might not have been able to get the beautiful ring which she now wore.

Then she closed her eyes and, suddenly, it came. Another premonition. She had to rest her hand on the glass of the window so that she didn't fall over while the images ran across her mind. She saw herself, holding a doll, a doll that strangely resembled Draco. She was walking lightly through a field of flowers when the cloudless sky suddenly became dark and frightening and ominous figures arose from the ground. They seemed to be screaming, thought Dorothy couldn't make out what they were saying. Their shadowy fingers pointed accusingly at her as she clutched the doll close to her. Suddenly, one of them reached out and grabbed the doll. The person tugged and tugged to get the doll free from her but Dorothy wouldn't give him up. She suddenly grew claws and slashed they figure away. The other dark, unseen people dispersed in puffs of smoke and the sun pushed through the storm clouds and all was peaceful again.

Dorothy blinked her eyes a couple of times and the real world returned to her vision. She looked out the glass again and then drew back away from the window. She wanted to sit and contemplate her premonition but thought it was best to just rest. She felt dizzy after this one and her legs were unstable. She made it back to the Gryffindor common room and plopped down weakly in the nearest armchair. She sighed heavily and rubbed her head, trying to focus on something but being unsuccessful. For a moment she thought she was going to black out but soon regained her vision.

"Dorothy," came a voice behind her. The dark-haired girl looked up to see Hermione looking back at her, clutching something in her hand. "Look at this. I found it in your messy wrapping paper." The prefect handed the card to the girl in the armchair and she read through it carefully. 'Not as nearly as beautiful as you. Love, Draco.'

"Whose is it?" Dorothy asked, trying to lie her way out of her predicament.

"Don't try to fool me, Dorothy," Hermione said in an 'I-know-what-it-is' kind of voice. "I found it with the wrapping paper that came off of that ring's box."

"Couldn't be," bluffed Dorothy throwing the card aside. "The ring didn't come with a card."

"I thought you said it was from a secret admirer," Hermione replied, looking grim but slightly triumphant. "How would you know it was from a secret admirer if it didn't have a card?"

"I-I-I...I just guessed! I assumed if it didn't come with a card the person didn't want me to know who it was from," Dorothy tried again. Hermione gave her a disbelieving look and crossed her arms over her chest. Dorothy sighed, defeated, and picked up the card again. "Alright, alright. You win, Hermione. I'll tell you what's going on, but I'd rather do it somewhere private. Can we talk in the girls' dormitory?"

Hermione and Dorothy walked quietly up the girls' dormitory stairs and they sat down on Dorothy's bed. Her face was slightly red and she looked embarrassed as she tried to explain the situation between her and Draco. It took almost an hour just to blurt out half of it. With each word, her face became redder and redder until she looked like a talking beet with eyes. When she was done telling her story, Hermione was wide-eyed and open-jawed with shock. It took her a minute but soon she regained her composure.

"So that must be the reason for that display after breakfast...he did it for you!" Hermione had a slight grin on her face as she looked at Dorothy's red, red face. "He must really like you, though, to give you a ring like that and try so hard not to fight with Harry...and...er...what's that you mentioned about the prefects' bathroom?"

Dorothy's face became even redder if possible. "Er—it's nothing. I just snuck into the prefects' with the help of Moaning Myrtle and he...er...um...he caught me."

Hermione had picked up the dark-haired girl's left hand again and was looking curiously at the gems in the ring. She was putting pieces together in her mind and soon a look of comprehension dawned on her face.

"I didn't think it was a possible," the brunette said, fingering the ruby and emerald. "A relationship between Gryffindor and Slytherin I mean. Hey, Dorothy? Did he force you to do this? Did he hurt you or threaten you?"

"N-no!! Hermione, he's better than you make him out to be! He's just been through a lot! I can tell," Dorothy suddenly lowered her voice to a whisper and pulled her hand back away from the prefect. "Just by the way he looks at me, I can tell. When I look into his grey eyes, it's like he's hiding something he's afraid to show. I think his father is making him act like this. He's trying to uphold his father's reputation."

"Dorothy, I know your situation with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named..."

"Voldemort?"

"How can you and Harry just say that freely? It's like saying the worse thing in the world," Hermione shuddered.

"But it's just a name! Just saying his name isn't going to bring the Dark Lord here, to Hogwarts!" Dorothy huffed.

"I-I know, but I know your on You-Know-Who's death list and Malfoy's dad is a death eater! Aren't you scared about that?"

"A little but...that's just his dad, that's not him! He can change the way he lives his life from the way his father lives his. I trust Draco to keep my secret, Hermione. You might not understand it but I just feel like I can trust him," Dorothy explained, fidgeting a little. "He's like me. You create this hard shell on the outside and your afraid of what will happen when you let someone in. He took a chance, like I did, and let some one in."

"But—"

"No, I'm done, Hermione. I'll trust Draco with my life and if I get killed in the process, well then boo hoo. It would only be my fault." Dorothy had a note of finality in her voice and Hermione didn't push the issue anymore.

Dorothy blinked.

'What are you saying?' she thought to herself.

'I'm letting someone in.'

A/N: Okay, this one was okay. Thanks for all the comment by the way. I really appreciate all of the support. If I didn't have all of this support, I probably would've quit a while back. Look how much the story has progressed in such a short time! Well. Please read on and review! I'm sorry, Emma! I really am trying hard to get around to your story but high school keeps biting my head off! Ya know! I gotta have a school and social life! Oh and thanks to Peaches for that adorable picture of Dorothy and Draco in the prefects' bathroom. It's this cutie little comic that takes place after they get out of the bath.

Draco: So you found a way into the prefects' bathroom? buttoning shirt

Dorothy: Yeah...sorry. blush

Draco: I don't mind. I enjoyed myself. mental note of Dorothy getting dressed. Is distracted as they leave with that thought and slips on a bar of soap while Dorothy pops the thought bubble of her dressing with her wand

It's all in chibi style! It's sooooo cute! When I get a scanner and a website I'll scan it and post it on my website so all can see! Well that's all for now! R&R! Ciao.

WEM

PS Sorry that took so long.