Disclaimer: Listen, Listen, I do not own the characters! Listen, Listen, I only own the plot! Listen, Listen, do not sue! Listen, listen, I do not own the song Listen, Listen!
Listen listen
Listen listen
Listen listen
Listen listen
I ran from the infirmary, leaving confused and worried faces in my wake. I ran as long as I could, blinded by my own tears and choking on my own grief. My throat was slowly constricting. I was losing my already impaired visibility. I needed to go somewhere and catch my breath. Somewhere I knew I wouldn't be interrupted, but where? And where was I?
I had never been in the part of the castle before. I had wound up running up and down some changing staircases and landed in an unknown corridor. It was dark, quiet and seemed disserted. Spider webs hung in every corner and dust lay like snow on the ground. The flames licked the air making their melancholy cracking laughs. It fit the mood I was in.
I opened a random door. The hinges creaked as I entered and the handle left my hand sticky from rust. The room I entered was just like the outside corridor: dark, quiet, disserted, and somewhat forbidding. It seemed to be like an old classroom. There were old desks and tables, their legs bent out of shape with time, a chalkboard with leftover remnants of previous writings, and large empty bookcases.
I sat down in one of the most stable looking desks and stared blankly in front of me. I didn't focus on anything but my thoughts as I sat for hours upon hours. The sun had risen and shone sadistically for a short time before storm clouds moved in from the east and the sky turned pitch black. Rolling thunder could be heard in the distance and the unmistakable sound of rain hitting the castle walls.
Listen To Each Drop Of Rain
Listen listen
Whispering Secrets Of Rain
Luna was dead. There was no candy coated way around it. She was never going to walk this earth again. I would have thought she would come back as a ghost and haunt me, but she most likely wanted to explore the unknown regions of Heaven. She was always an exploring, believing blindly in anything phenomenal.
She was an extraordinary individual. I never realized how unique she was. She stood up for what she believed, she fought for those who asked it of her, and she always believed in you, even if you yourself didn't.
Why did her life have to be wrongfully taken? She didn't deserve this! She was going to live a long life, a life full of happiness with her best friends. A life that would be full of discoveries and success. She would have made it far. Why now then did it have to end? It had barely started!
I was angry with myself. I wanted to switch places with Luna, but I wanted to trade places for selfish reasons. I wanted to be out of the pain I was in. I wanted to not have to face the fact that she had died because of me. I never wanted to look at the faces of people who pitied me for being responsible. I didn't want to see their hateful glares as I went to class.
Then a thought struck me. What if I was expelled? I hadn't been very responsible when I left her alone in the first place. A prefect shouldn't just leave students to fend for themselves in the Forbidden Forest. I would surely be expelled when someone found me. Maybe I'd even be sentenced to life in Azkaban or given the 'kiss' for my murder.
Murder. I had killed. I was a murderer.
A sound unlike anything I had ever heard rose from my mouth. It sounded like a wounded animal, but I couldn't be for sure. I'm sure it was the sound of my heart breaking knowing I had committed such a sin. I pounded my fist on the desk with as much force as I could. The desk creaked and cracked under the pressure. Bits and pieces fell onto my lap.
I picked up a piece and rubbed it slowly. It was smooth and worn with time. A name etched in the bottom of it stood out and sent chills down my spine. James Potter.
Had James sat here? Did he carve his name? Thinking of James reminded me of the curse that I was bound to and it made me even angrier and sadder.
I was sinking fast into a dark hole that I had made for myself.
Tragically searching for someone to hear
That story be more than it hides
I fell onto the desk and cried while the storm raged on, only worsening as time wore on. I cried until I was too tired to cry anymore. I had little strength already and now that I had used what I had left over I felt exhausted. My muscles were sore and my head throbbed painfully.
A door squeaked open and I heard someone enter the room. I knew it was someone to take me away to Azkaban. It could be Dumbledore coming to warn me of my future. But it was neither of these.
I had been too lazy to pick up my head to see who it truly was and was thoroughly surprised to hear that familiar, cold drawling voice.
"What are you doing here?"
This can't be happening! Not now! Not ever! Gaining strength from my sudden rage I lifted my head and glared at the vile, pale haired boy standing in front of me.
"Please, just go away," I pleaded pathetically.
"But I've come to save you," he replied taking my arm in his hand and dragging me out of my seat. The room spun wildly and I tried to steady myself and ended up falling into his chest. I pushed away slightly but was too weak to do anything. Save me from the dementors that were currently hunting me down no doubt. Still I asked.
"Save me from what?"
He looked down at me for a moment before looking straight ahead with a slight smirk on his lips. "Save you from yourself of course."
I didn't need saving from myself. I wasn't stupid enough to take my own life. No matter how bad it got, I never wanted to have thoughts of hurting myself. It was selfish and regrettable. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
"I don't need saving, thank you!" I tried again to push away but he grabbed my arm tighter. I gasped in pain, but he didn't seem to notice.
"You listen to me Granger. If I save you from committing suicide today then my debt it paid and we can move on with our lives. Don't you want that?"
"Yes, I want that, Malfoy, but it doesn't work that way! I put myself through a lot of pain to save you. Your pain has to equal that. Don't you pay any attention to what Dumbledore says? You would go through no pain if you saved me now. It won't work."
He dropped my arm and stepped back away from me. Without his support I wavered and fell onto my knees weakly. I coughed and choked sitting there in silence waiting for Malfoy to say or do something. He just stood there looking at me. His eyes sparkled with confusion and jealousy.
Each droplet long gone?
Can't we stay for a while?
It's just too hard to say goodbye
Listen to the rain
"Why are you here Granger?"
The question struck me funny. Why was I here? What did he mean? "What do you mean why am I here?"
"Why are you in the Slytherin part of the castle? Why would you run here, of all places?"
I hadn't known this was the Slytherin part of the castle. I had imagined it to be the old part of the castle that was used before the many additions were added. If James Potter had been here it surly had to have been somewhat old. The dust on the ground said so. Slytherins though? It fit them too; dark and mysterious, deserted and lonely.
"What happened?"
"Why do you want to know Malfoy? It's none of your business."
"I think it is. If it involves you and the other night, it surely is my business."
"Fine! If you want it to be your business, you can have it be your business! It's your fault Malfoy! If you hadn't distracted me I would have been there to protect her! I could have saved her from dieing. I could have stopped all this pain from happening!"
Malfoy sat down in a desk as I started to cry. I leaned against a desk for support as my tears that I thought I had run out of, started flowing again. I was all ready regretting my words of anger toward Malfoy.
Weeping
After moments of silence, save from my crying, Malfoy stood up and paced the room. Dust clouds gathered at his feet as he pivoted to change directions. I'm sure he had been trained to fight with a sword because his feet seemed to float across the room, barely making any noise. I had studied the sport before and Malfoy fit the qualities.
After his continuous pacing I grew aggravated. For some reason I was annoyed at the silence. I was angry with him for being there. I would be angry if he said something, but I wanted him to say anything to break the cold silence.
"What are you doing?" I snapped breaking the tension. He glanced at me as if he had forgotten I was lying on the ground unable to move myself.
"I'm thinking."
I growled in anger. "About what?"
He hesitated for a moment studying me closely before speaking in a soft whisper. "I'm thinking about everything that's happened in the last six months. First there was summer vacation, and then there was the train ride, the forbidden forest incident, and now this."
My spine stiffened at these words. He was going to start talking freely. He was going to purposely make me talk. I knew that I didn't have the strength to argue at the moment and he must have also known this. Damn him.
"Listen Malfoy--"
"When are you going to tell them?" He interrupted. He stopped pacing and stood stalk sill waiting my answer. I couldn't just ignore him. That would prove to be childish and impossible.
"Tell who what?" I pretended to not know what he was talking about. I knew and he knew that we both knew perfectly well what the other was talking about.
"Don't play dumb. When are you going to tell Potter and Weasley about what happened in July? When are you going to tell Potter about his birthday present?" The way he spit out the bit about Harry's birthday present made me shiver. Nothing but cold malice came from his tone and it frightened me. I suddenly wanted to be near Harry and Ron. I needed their comfort.
"Please Malfoy, not now," I pleaded as another batch of tears formed in the corner of my eyes.
"Then when? When are you going to accept what happened? Don't you think you should move on?" He sat down on the ground a few feet away from me. I looked at him and he stared right back waiting for an answer.
I didn't say anything. I was trying to gather my thoughts to come up with something clever to say but I couldn't think of any words at all. Malfoy was angered by this and shouted at me.
"They're dead! They aren't coming back!"
I stand alone in the storm
Listen listen
Suddenly sweet I say no
Couldn't they stay for you haven't much time?
That's all I could take. I had had it with his stupid ways. I was fed up with him sticking his nose in my business. I lunged forward with a sudden burst of strength and knocked him over. I was on top of him trying desperately to do any damage I could. With new found strength I kicked and punched as hard as I could.
Malfoy as thoroughly surprised at my sudden attack. He lay there for a moment without doing anything to stop me. After about the third punch he snapped back to his senses and started to try and push me off. I stayed where I was and attacked even more wanting him to feel the pain I was in at the moment. Malfoy found that I was not going to give up anytime soon and did what I didn't expect him to do.
Instead of pushing me off or simply grabbing my arms to stop me from hitting him, he pulled me closer to him. It was almost as if we were hugging. He must have known that I would not be expecting this because immediately I stopped attacking him and settled down confused by the sudden gentleness.
I hadn't known that I had started crying again. As I lay there in Malfoy's embrace I felt the hot tears run down my face and saw the splashes of my tears land on his chest. He didn't care though. He picked me up as if I was a rag doll and carried me out of the room into the corridor.
He carried me to a place that I didn't know. This time it was a room with a couch in it. There was a roaring fire in the corner and the bookcases were full of books that looked inviting. It was cozy.
Malfoy set me on the couch and waved his wand conjuring a blanket for me. He wrapped the blanket tenderly around me and stood looking down at me. He reached down and softly moved a piece of my hair out of my face, his fingers brushing against my forehead for the slightest of moments.
Open your eyes to the love around you
My forehead pounded at his touch. My head grew hot and my breath caught in my throat. I must be sick.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said before quickly leaving the room.
You can feel you're alone
But I'm here still with you
You can do what you dream
Just remember to listen to the rain
I quickly fell into a long awaited sleep, haunted by dreams of a silver haired boy, and haunted by what would happen to my future.
Listen
Author's Note: Alright, another chapter up before my deadline! YaY! Anyway, please review. I enjoyed the review from vicangel so thanks!
