WHITE ROSES IN THE RAIN
White Roses in the Rain
Chapter 1:
Reunited
The train whistle sounded its warning. 5 minuets until it would depart, leaving behind homes tucked safely onto street corners, family, and many happy summer memories. Standing outside one of the compartment doors was a skinny, black-haired Harry Potter.
The air smelled of the exhaust billowing from the train and swirling through the air around them. Harry remembered that smell. To him, it was the smell of happiness. It was the smell that officially ended his stay at the Dursleys and started another year at Hogwarts.
This wouldn't be a normal year at Hogwarts. This summer had changed Harry, maybe even forever. This year he had to deal with a new issue. One that caused him sleepless nights and blurred days. This year he had to deal with his love, for Hermione.
I guess you could call it a summer love. Last year when they got off the train, and everyone was hugging their parents and packing their trunks up in their cars, Hermione was shocked to find that her parents weren't there. She thought maybe they were just late, or couldn't find the train station. They were a bit scatter-brained. One hour passed, then two. Finally, an hour after the train station closed, she decided they weren't coming. Hermione sat down to cry. Ron had offered to take her home, but she was sure her parents would come.
Hermione had to apparate, (Illegally, which she secretly leaned how to do in fourth year.). When she entered the house, she was extremely angry, but instantly scared. All the lights were turned off, and the house looked and smelled like it hadn't been cleaned in days. She searched all the rooms in the house, until she walked into her little sisters room and found her parents and sister laying there dead.
Dumbledore instantly sent her to Harry's house, knowing it was the work of Voldemort. The order worked on the case against Voldemort, while Dumbledore tried to find a safe place to keep Hermione. They knew the Dursleys wouldn't let Hermione stay for too long.
Harry became Hermione's best friend, her soul mate even. He was a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and a warm hug to stop the tears. But never someone she loved. He was just Harry. She was totally comfortable with him, so much though that on her first night at his house, she climbed into bed with him, at 2 in the morning, just because he was scared. They both sat up that night just talking. To Hermione, Harry was just a really great, understanding, friend. But 2 months later, Hermione, screaming and crying, was taken away, bound for who-knows-where?
But it was different for Harry. During the summer, he couldn't help notice they way Hermione's laugh could lift your spirits higher than imaginable, or how her smile seemed to light up the whole room. He loved the irresistible way she bit her lower lip when she was upset, which Harry decided was about the sexiest thing in the world. He couldn't help but fall in love with her. She was perfect.
The train whistle sounded again. The train was about to leave. Did Harry dare get on? It was now or never. He didn't really have a choice anyway, the train was slowly pulling out of the station. With one last breath, he hopped onto the train a second before it began to pick up speed. He looked out of the window in the door he had just closed. Mothers and Fathers frantically waved at any window within view, hoping their child was behind one of them.
This always upset Harry every year, because no matter how much he wished, no matter how much he dreamed, no matter how much he cried, he knew his parents would never be out there to wave to him the way all the parents were.
He started traveling from compartment to compartment looking for his two best friends. It was a long agonizing process. People kept stopping him to ask about his summer, or tell about theirs. Some even offered an insult or two, like when he peeked into Malfoy's compartment. Finally, in the next-to-last compartment, he found them.
"Harry!" Ron said as he embraced Harry in a short man-hug.
Ron pulled away from his friend to reveal Hermione sitting behind him, a great smile on her face, waiting for her hug. Harry walked over to her surrounded her into a warm embrace. He could smell her hair. Strawberries and cream. He had the strongest urge to kiss her cheek, but chickened out and ended up brushing his lips upon her ear by accident.
Did he just kiss my ear? thought Hermione.
Did I just kiss her ear? Thought Harry. Oh Stupid! Stupid! STUPID!
Surprisingly, it felt as if a great weight had been lifted off Harry's shoulders. He had been waiting a month to hug Hermione again, and it was building up with every night her laugh crept into his dreams. Suddenly it was like his body broke free.
Hermione sat back down. She looked tired. Her eyes had large circles under them and her cheeks sagged. Her lips still held a warm smile though.
"So how was your summer Ron?" Hermione asked. She looked to Harry. "He was just about to tell me when you walked in." Hermione patted a seat next to her, indicating for Harry to sit down, and he did so.
Ron babbled something about a chess tournament or something, not that Harry heard him. The only thing he could do was think about how happy he was to be back with Hermione, and thinking about the fun year ahead of them; maybe even, hopefully, with a little romance thrown in.
Finally Ron finished babbling. Hermione had been nodding robotically the whole time, as if she wasn't listening either.
"So Hermione," Harry asked "Where'd you go after you left my house?" Harry asked.
Both Ron and Hermione looked at the floor. Instantly Harry knew he shouldn't have asked, but before he could take back his statement, Hermione took a deep breath, and answered softly:
"Foster home." Harry could almost feel her sorrow. Her voice was heavy, and there were tears in her eyes.
"Oh I'm so sorry!" Harry said, scooting a little closer to her. Tears started rolling down her face. Ron suddenly got very uncomfortable. He never was good around girls. Then again, neither was Harry, but he at least kept a cool head about it. Ron on the other hand…:
"I'm going to check where to food trolley is!" said Ron and rushed out of the compartment.
Hermione began to cry even harder. Harry pulled her into another hug. He couldn't understand why she was so upset. He had been practically in a make-shift foster home all his life and he wasn't like this. He mentally kicked himself. Of course she was upset! She just lost her whole family and had to go to another one. A new one. He told himself to be a little more sensitive.
Hermione continued crying. She laid her head on Harry's chest, as if the process of crying was causing her great energy. Although she looked like she didn't have much energy to begin with. Why was she so tired?
"They're awful Harry!" she cried " They treat my so terrible there! There are these screaming kids running around all the time and this 18 year old who comes into my room late at night and does things to me…terrible things."
It was as if holding all this information inside was a great weight on Hermione. She let it all go, crying and talking, all meshed as one. She knew she had to let it go, for it was starting to strain on her thoughts and choke her only bits of happiness.
Harry could only imagine what she was talking about. He didn't think he wanted to ask.
"Hermione….I'm so sorry….we'll fix it…you don't have to go back there." A lie. He had no clue what he was saying or weather it was true or not. He just wanted her to stop crying. The sound strangled his soul. It felt like it was tearing his heart in two. He had chest pains and everything. He started rubbing his hand up and down her back, trying to comfort her. Instead, it seemed he was hurting her. She starting taking sharp, pained breaths, and instantly drew away from his hand. She seemed to almost be asleep at this point. The weight of the knowledge she possessed was draining her energy, along with the crying and the pain.
"Hermione, are you hurt?" asked Harry, concern in his voice.
She nodded into his chest.
Harry knew he had to do something. He slowly, gently pulled her the sweatshirt Hermione was wearing up over her body and slid it off from around her neck. She was wearing a tank top that tied behind her neck underneath it. Harry could see why. She had old scars, and some deep fresh cut on her back, and a deep gash on her left shoulder. Her shoulder looked infected, and her back look like she had been beaten, more than once. A lot more. She probably didn't want anything touching it, which explained the shirt, how it tied behind her neck, and she probably didn't want anyone seeing it, which explained the sweatshirt.
"Oh man…." Harry said, just as Ron walked in. Hermione had fallen asleep. Tears of anger welled is Harry's eyes and he could hardly stand to see such pain on one person. The person he loved.
Harry held a finger up to his lips, telling Ron to be quiet, as to make sure not to wake Hermione. Ron dropped all of the chocolate from boxes he was holding. He had obviously eaten all the frogs, and ran to where Harry and Hermione lay.
"What happened to her?" asked Ron, he sounded scared.
"I have a feeling it was her foster parents, or maybe her whole family." Harry pulled his first aid kit out of his trunk. He leaned to start carrying it, it was helpful during quidditch season.
He pulled an alcohol wipe-type thing from his kit, and handed it to Ron. Harry decided he would hold Hermione, since she was kind of already on top of him, and Ron would take care of her cuts. Ron started rubbing over her wounds with the alcohol, while Harry examined her shoulder. He decided he could wrap it while still holding Hermione, so he took to that while Ron finished with the cuts on her back.
When they both finished, and Hermione was all bandaged up, they laid her down on the seat so she could finish her sleep. Harry sat through the whole train ride in silence worried out of his mind, and praying to God that she was going to be ok.
((insert fluff here )) yes, ok It's mushy! But that how I am. Eventually it gets better, entering teen angst and a really interesting twist. R&R If I get 5 I guarantee that the next chapter will b up in 3 days, 10 in 2 days, and 12 or more it will b 2marrow. U people decide!