Author's Note: I'm feeling stressed and I write when I'm stressed. I listened to this song the other day and decided I wanted to write a songfic to go with it. Back to my favorite pairing! Yes Draco is ridiculously out of character but it's my story and I will puppet master however I want to. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters. The idea and some of the dialogue comes from When The Rain Falls by the Zeta Bytes
Hermione Granger sat in the rain while everyone celebrated inside the castle. Good had triumphed over evil, light had won out over dark, but Hermione felt too raw to participate in the festivities. Despite all the wonderful things that had happened, the death and destruction of the past years weighed heavily on her shoulders. She knew it should have been simple to join in, but she somehow couldn't bring herself to. So she sat in the pouring rain, gazing out at the lake and trying to forget.
"You'll catch your death out here you know."
"Why do you care Malfoy?" She caught herself and silently cursed. "I'm sorry, it's reflex. I forget you're one of the good guys."
Draco shrugged and sat down beside her. "It's fine. I don't expect everyone to adjust so completely. It only stands to reason that it would be hard, I was the enemy for six years."
"But you weren't, not really. You were working for Dumbledore the whole time, you and Blaise and Snape. I still can't believe that Dumbledore is alive. I can't even fathom all the planning it must have taken to work out a way for us all to think he was dead."
"It was no small feat, but it was certainly necessary to Voldemort's downfall."
Silence fell down around them until Draco spoke again. "Why are you out here Granger?"
She shook her head and turned to look at him. "I don't know. It just feels wrong. We won, but there are so many people who didn't make it."
"Why the rain?"
"Because, it's like heaven's crying. It's like heaven is weeping for everyone who isn't here."
Draco turned his face towards the sky and let the water rush over him. She was right. For some reason Hermione felt the compulsion to tell him everything.
"I'm just confused. I know that it should be so simple to know that we won and it's a time to celebrate, but I can't seem to shake this feeling."
"Think of it this way." He turned to face her. It's alright to feel a sadness for everybody who didn't make it through, that's only natural. But when you really think about it, would they want you to mourn this way? From what I know about the students and teachers who fell throughout the war, they wouldn't want you to make yourself miserable."
"You're right, I know you're right."
A hint of that old smirk came back. "I am right. Take the sadness that you feel, and use it to celebrate those people."
Hermione's eyes met his and she shook her head. "When did you get so wise? When did you become so different?"
"I realize it's hard to believe, but this is the real me. The bigoted, smarmy bastard was a detestable but necessary façade."
"You're a spectacular actor," she muttered under her breath.
He laughed and nodded. "I must have been." He laid his hand on hers and look her straight in the eye. "I don't think I can apologize enough, for my behavior. I was a right jackass for all those years, and I really am sorry."
"I don't see how I could hold a grudge knowing that you played such an integral role in winning the war. You're forgiven."
"Thank you. What do you say we go inside and dry off? We're both soaked through."
"It sounds like a plan to me."
Draco offered her his hands and helped her up. Looking down at her he groaned quietly. "The hell with it." He pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth.
Hermione held on for dear life as her knees turned to jelly and her head spun. She fisted her hands in his soaking shirt to anchor herself to the earth and made as small noise of protest as Draco pulled away.
She looked up at him with blurred eyes. "What?..."
"Call it another part of the celebration," Draco said, brushing at a lock of hair that clung to her wet cheek. "Let's get you inside and dry."
Hermione could still only manage to nod and let him lead her gently towards the castle by the hand.
The rain stopped as they walked through the doors.
This is the song the story is based on
I don't
understand,
This should be so easy.
To just reach out my
hand,
And know the world is real.
But nothing's as it seems,
I
can tell you freely
Touching's not the only way to feel.
When
the rain falls,
It's like Heaven's crying when the names all.
The
difference that there is.
Tears are the same when they are trying
to grow something good,
Out of all the pain
There's no
difference between the teardrops and the rain.
I know you'd probably say that I'm just talking crazy
To think of life this way means that I'm confused
There's happy and there's sad
But maybe, yes, just maybe
The sadness can make the happiness more true
When the rain falls
It's like heaven's crying when the names all
The difference that there is
Tears are the same when they are trying to grow something good
Out of all the pain
There's no difference between the teardrops and the rain