Characters: Bill Weasley, Penny Haywood

Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort/Slight Romance

Bill helps Penny find a ray of sunshine in her rainy day

If it was one thing that Bill Weasley hated most of all in the world besides Death Eaters, it was rain.

Rain reminded him of boredom. Rain reminded him of tears. His mum used to tell him when he was younger that thunderstorms was simply the sky letting out its sorrows very loudly. As if it was throwing a temper tantrums. And then, after the sorrow, came the sun.

Bill was older now, and much too old to fall for that trick that got him to sleep as a kid, but the metaphor stuck with him. Rain being sorrow. It was downright depressing.

It had been raining for the past week, and Bill felt himself going barmy with cabin fever. Care of Magical Creatures was cancelled until the rain let up (Professor Kettleburn claimed that rain was never good for his wooden leg), the courtyard was almost a small pond, and with the heavy rain, the Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff Quidditch match had been postponed, so no entertainment.

Bill wandered the halls looking for something to do. Charlie was off with Alana, Barnaby, and Tonks doing Merlin knew what, Percy was somewhere studying, and it seemed like everyone else he was friends with were either doing schoolwork, snogging with their significant others, or grabbing a kip after dinner.

He walked up the grand staircase where he ran into Penny Haywood doing what she mostly did these days: Standing by the portrait where her little sister was trapped in wondering how to get her out. She heard Bill's steps and glanced over at him. He gave her a nod, to which she didn't return. Instead, she turned her head back up towards her sister.

Bill felt a small sting, but brushed it off. Of course she wasn't the least bit concerned about him nor anything else with her sister still trapped in the unknown. Still, he felt compelled to speak to her. Seemed like her presence made it rain even harder outside.

"Alright, Penny?" he asked, not knowing what else to say.

Penny scrunched up her nose, but didn't face him. "I'm as about alright as a girl who's baby sister has been trapped in a portrait for a week can be."

Bill nodded. He was usually better at things like this.

"Do you maybe want to talk about it?" he asked, sitting on the floor where the steps began.

Penny looked at Bill and glared. Then, her expression softened. He was only trying to help. She had no reason to be cross with him. She took a couple of steps up and then sat down beside him, moving her eyes back to her sister.

They sat there in silence for a moment. Nothing was heard but the staircases above them moving, and Beatrice's tiny pounds on her side of the portrait.

"I almost didn't come back to Hogwarts this year," said Penny, looking over at Bill. "Did you know that?"

Bill's eyebrows shot up as he shook his head.

"I had thought about asking Mum to let Bea and I go to America," she continued. "We have an aunt there that would have took us in so we could go to Ilvermorny. I thought that we would be a lot safer there. And that Bea could get her schooling in a better environment. But then, I changed my mind."

"Why did you do that?" asked Bill. He was surprised to see her cheeks go slightly pink.

"Mamy reasons," said Penny. "My friends for one, especially Alana. The fact that I would miss Professor Snape's potion class."

Bill laughed, causing Penny to let out a tiny giggle.

"You may not like him, but he is an excellent Potions master," said Penny, grinning slightly. "Also, Bea was so excited to come here. To meet everyone. My sister would go on nonstop about coming to this school, despite the dangers of the vaults."

Bill looked up at the portrait with Beatrice in it. He felt his stomach turn and he imagined being in Penny's position, and if it was Ginny trapped like Beatrice was.

"I hope you're not blaming yourself for this, Penny." said Bill, his forest green eyes fixed on his friend.

Penny shrugged. "Alana told me not to, but how can I not do otherwise? I was meant to protect her. But...I lost her in less than a week, Bill. A week! What kind of protector am I? What kind of sister am-"

"Stop it," said Bill, taking Penny's hand. "Just stop it. You didn't see this coming. No one did, not even Bea. Who in Merlin's pants would have suspected that she or anybody else would get sucked into a painting? From what Lonnie said, she was lured there by something she heard. It was inevitable, Penny. And I get that you feel like you didn't do enough to protect her. I have a little sister as well. And if she was in there, I would be losing my mind trying to get her out. But right now, all you can do is continue to find a solution. There is one out there. We will break this curse just like we did the last ones. And we will do it in record time. Especially with you, Potions Master. Do you believe me?"

Penny looked into Bill's eyes and saw nothing but bravery, determination, and the truth. She nodded, taking in Bill's words as facts, making her feel more secure in herself and her friends that they indeed would solve this mystery, break the curse, and free Bea. Maybe even before Christmas holidays.

"Thanks, Bill," said Penny, her smile growing. "You always know just what to say, don't you?"

Bill felt himself blush. "I try, I guess."

"You don't have to try hard," said Penny, her bright blue eyes twinkling slightly. You're a great person. A big brother to everyone."

"Everyone?" the question slipped out before Bill even thought about it.

Penny put a stray strand of her golden hair behind her ear nervously. "Well, not everyone. I think it would be awkward if I looked at you like a big brother."

"Why is that?" asked Bill, suddenly feeling nervous. However, not in a bad way.

Penny blushed. "You know why."

She leaned over and gave Bill a kiss on the cheek. Bill's eyes grew wide as he felt Penny's soft lips against his slightly stubbled cheek. He felt a familiar tingle go down his spine, and his stomach fluttered as if butterflies had awakened within it.

"Another time, perhaps?" said Penny. "Thanks for making me feel better."

And with that, she got up from the stone floor, blew a kiss to her sister, and descended down the steps, heading for her common room.

Bill touched the still tingling spot on his cheek where Penny had kissed him and smiled. He looked out the nearby window and seen that the rain had gotten lighter and lighter, and a ray of sunshine as yellow as Penny's hair was peeking through the clouds.

Maybe rainy days weren't so bad after all.