A/N I just resubmitted this chapter and removed the song. I must have overlooked that part of the agreement. So if you want to listen to the song from this chapter it is 'To make you feel my love' By Garth Brooks.

Enjoy, Happy reading and dont forget to review.

After the rain…

Ron and Harry walked into the library and sat down.

"Look, before we begin I want you to know how sorry I am about Valentine's Day. I know you are still upset with me about it. And you will probably be even more upset at what I have to tell you. But I want you to listen to everything I have to say before making any comments, and don't yell or scream at me until I am done. I will let you do your worst after you have heard it all. Okay?"

They both nodded some sort of agreement. And I nervously began.

"You both know the kind of summer I had, we all had. I wanted to move on this year and concentrate on school work, and put Viktor's death behind me. I did not love him, but I cared for him greatly, almost as much as I care for the two of you." They both looked down sheepishly.

"Being Head girl this year had put a lot of pressure on me. I started having nightmares about the beginning of the school year. Well, I thought they were nightmares, but they turned into something more. Let me ask you something.

How do you feel about Draco Malfoy?"

"Ferret" Ron said flatly, "what does he have to do with this?"

"Let me finish before the questions start, just answer that." I said sternly.

"He's a prat" Harry stated "The worst"

"Even after he helped us defeat Voldemort? Even though he's lost his family and his house and his social standing to help the Order?" I was irritated.

"Yes, even after all that" Harry said harshly.

"Well, like I said, I had these dreams, and they were very real to me. They changed me somehow, and then over Christmas, I spent a lot of time alone with Draco."

I heard them both inhale sharply.

'Did she just call him Draco?' I heard Harry whisper to Ron.

"He didn't….I'll kill him" Ron shrieked.

"You agreed to listen Ron, now hush. We were both going to be alone for Christmas. We agreed to put aside our differences and be friends, he had no where else to go, and I had lots of work to do for exams. We went to Hogsmead, had a drink, and talked. I learned loads about him. He's not the same childish snob he once was. His parents' death was a sobering experience for him. And I came to care about him very much. We agreed to have a small gift exchange on Christmas Eve. I bought him a painting of a serpent, he bought me this." and I pointed to the necklace. I heard Harry stop breathing for a second.

"That night was one of the best nights I have ever had. We ate, we talked, we danced and then he gave me this necklace. He wasn't showing off, I saw it in Hogsmead when I was with him and he went back to get it for me. He told me he loved me, and I told him the same. I know what you are both thinking, and what happened after is private, and between me and Draco."

Ron's face had turned a magnificent color of scarlet, and he had balled up his fists.

"Look Ron, I know I told you I wasn't ready for a boyfriend, and I didn't think I was. But he opened my eyes to a whole new side of life. Its not you Ron, I love you and Harry very much, but I love you like family. When you kissed me after winter break, it just didn't feel right. It felt like I was kissing a brother, if I had one. I don't want you to hate me forever, but I love him." There, I said it, and now I waited for the storm.

They both stared at me with cold eyes. I held my breath and waited for them to speak. They looked at one another with confusion in their eyes.

"Well?" I asked.

Ron looked like he was going to blow up.

"Do your worst, yell scream, hit me, I don't care. I needed to be honest with you."

"Hit you? You think I would actually hit you Hermione?" Harry asked, shocked, with his startling green eyes.

"I don't know what you are going to do. Snape gave me and Draco a nightmare dream potion, and in that dream you slapped me across the face and called me a bitch." I looked down at the table, feeling that same sinking in my stomach that I had in the dream.

"Hermione, I don't care if you snogged the whole damn school, I would never hit you." he looked at me apologetically.

"So you are okay with this all?" I wondered hopefully.

"I'm pretty far from okay with it Hermione." he glanced over at Ron who still had not spoken a word.

"I need you guys in my life, you are my family, but I love him. Don't make me choose."

"I can't make you do anything Hermione, but I thought better of you than this. Let's go Ron." Harry stood up and started to walk away. Ron just sat there glaring at me with his pale blue eyes, they were filled with tears.

"Looks like the ferret isn't the only one who lost his family." he said with heartbreak in his voice. Then they both turned and walked away.

I stood there for a moment, not knowing what to think. They were gone, out of my life. It wasn't as traumatic as in the dream I had, but it was terrible none the less. I needed to get away for an hour or two so I took a walk, alone in the rain, very much like the dream. I needed to think. I was so happy with him, but I didn't want to lose my friends, my family…I started to cry at the prospect of never speaking to Ron and Harry again. I ran back to my common room, tears streaming down my face. I was breathless, dizzy and soaking wet when I reached our portrait door. I said the password "Draconis" and walked in to find Draco sitting in front of the fire waiting for me.

"I guess I don't need to ask you how it went." he said handing me a glass of what looked like firewhiskey.

I cried, I was cold, and felt alone. He held me close, and took me by the hand up to my room. I felt like a child, he changed my clothes for me and we sat down back by the fire. He turned on the wireless, to the Muggle station.

We just sat there for a minute and then he started to sing one of the songs to me. I vaguely recognized it from the radio at home. It was 'To make you feel my love' by Garth Brooks.

He ran his hand through my hair, looking into my crying eyes.

Tears streamed down my face, I cried into his chest. How could he love me this much?

"Was my singing that bad?" he asked lightly.

"It was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard," I cried harder.

"Don't cry Hermione, everything will work out for the best.

"As long as I'm here with you, it will be." I laid my head on his chest