HERMIONE'S LAWS

NUMBER TWO: THE DAY YOU FORGET YOUR UMBRELLA IS THE DAY IT POURS RAIN

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who reviewed

Harry was taking a walk out by the Black Lake, hoping some exercise would clear his cluttered mind.

I really need a pensive, he thought bitterly.

It figured. He'd taken nearly six years to notice Ginny Weasley was not just Ron's little sister, but a beautiful girl with determination and a mind of her own. No longer was she the young child who hero-worshiped him, and blushed as brightly as her hair when in his presence. According to Hermione, she had 'given up on him.' And now he had missed his chance.

In contrast to his sour mood, the sun was shining brightly, and there was not a cloud in the sky.

Yes, it would figure that the excellent weather would taunt him in such ways.

However, what was taunting him more than the beautiful weather was the image in his mind of Dean and Ginny in that deserted corridor, snogging.

"Guess it would be a good time to learn Occlumency," muttered Harry darkly, and then raised his head to the skies and asked "What have I done to deserve this?"

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, but what was that? A raindrop, falling into his outstretched palm.

It's just one raindrop, Harry assured himself, Ignore it, probably a fluke.

It then began to pour.

Harry stood in the rain, his dark wet hair dripping into his green eyes. It would figure that the day he hadn't an umbrella, the skies opened up their fury upon him.

"Need an umbrella?" a soft voice asked him.

Harry turned to see a curtain of red hair hunched underneath a dark blue umbrella.

Ginny brushed her hair out of her eyes, and beckoned him to join her. Harry complied, glad to be out of the rain.

"Thanks," he said sheepishly, accepting the towel she had handed him and drying himself.

"So," asked Ginny, "Why were you out in the rain instead of in the Common Room, sitting in front of the warm fire?"

He eyed her critically. "I could ask the same of you," he retorted, unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

A look of hurt registered behind Ginny's eyes. "Oh, that's nice," she said coldly. "If you must know, I saw you through the Common Room window and thought you could do with some shelter from the downpour."

"Oh…" said Harry awkwardly.

"Well, you got your answer, how about mine?" Ginny said, beginning to walk and motioning for him to follow her, which he did.

"Well…" he began, unsure what to say.

Thinking about you?

Fantasizing about strangling Dean. Why? Oh because I've finally realized I fancy you. Funny, huh?

"Taking a walk," he answered, averting her curious gaze, "The rain kind of snuck up on me."

"Yes, things tend to do that, don't they?" Ginny responded cryptically.

"W-what do you mean by that?" Harry asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Er…alright then…" Harry dropped the subject. "So how are your OWL studies going?" he asked, attempting to make conversation.

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"Yes, Harry. They're fine!" Ginny howled in frustration, and turned away from him so that he would not see the tears streaming down her freckled cheeks.

Harry, however, heard the despair in her voice.

"Ginny…" he said cautiously, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," she answered stoutly, still with her back to him.

"Are you sure?" They seemed to be a broken record, going through the same conversation over and over, almost as though they were reading from a script from a movie titled The Twisted Life of Harry Potter, Who Had a Chance but Blew it Because He Was Blind to the World Around Him…not that anyone would see a movie with a title that long…

"You know, Harry," said Ginny stiffly, "I could ask you the same question…"

Once again, the same conversation, Harry thought. Then he processed what she had said.

"W-what?" he asked, taken aback.

"You've all but ignored me for the past few weeks!" she shouted. He recoiled, backing away and putting his hands up defensively.

"Ever since…" she began sharply, but then stopped and stared at himand continued, but in a more gentle tone. A tone of dawning comprehension. "Ever since you and Ron caught me and Dean snogging!"

"Y-you don't know what you're talking about!" Harry spluttered.

How did she figure out that one?

"I think I do!" Ginny exclaimed. "Harry, listen. Since you're obviously not going to take the first step and endanger yourself, I'll do it." She took a deep breath, cheeks blazing and eyes dark and nervous.

"I still like you," she admitted. Harry inhaled sharply, heart racing, and she continued. "Hermione kept telling me to act myself around you, let you see me for who I really was, y'know? Well, I took her advice. I never really gave up on you, just … gave you some time. I tried dating other boys, and it was alright. But it was you who was on my mind the entire time, Harry." She stood in front of him, breathing heavily and eyes darting nervously.

Silence.

"Say something!" she demanded.

He didn't say anything, yet told her everything he had kept bottled up since the beginning of the year. He explained everything with one simple kiss.