Chapter 1: The usual night

The freezing cold storm was clouding in. Each drop of rain was fast that another drop was coming close. The rain was harsh and was like in a hurry; hitting the earth with all might. The street was secluded except for a figure was who running quickly, splashing each puddle on her way. The rain was soaking her fast but it didn't mind her. Her hair was damped but her eyes were shining with blunt determination mixed with depression. Her hands were deep in her pockets; they were cold. Every breath she had was fog coming out. Her eyes were blinking quickly. She stopped running and started to look around. Every house had a light on it, except for one in the end. It was getting quite darker; the grey clouds had already taken over as the sun was bidding goodbye. The figure pulled out her hands and started to sprint before the heavy rain started. She was panting and was freezing. It was like a place where she found herself again. No one was around, wondering out in this weather but she was. Her heart was beating fast. A memory flashed in her mind as its words were hitting her hard.

'So what if I am? You aren't always around, you know! You are not me! You don't know how I feel! Sometimes I even wonder if you are still there! I even wonder if you love me or are you just staying here since you pity me!'

Tears were staring to form and she roughly wiped them off.

'You're stupid enough to go here under in this weather. Seeing as your past does say a thing about this, you might as well be insane right now.' She thought to herself.

She slowly made her way on the last house's front door. She smiled and tried to look happy before she knocked.

There was no answer. She knocked again.

'Is he at home?' She asked herself doubtfully.

Sounds of the rain dropping were loud but everything was now silent to her as if she muted the world. She knocked again but this time it was soft and hesitant. It was the only sound she could hear. Silence had yet again answered her knocking. Then, in a roar of thunder, reality crashed down on her. Tears were being produced again in her eyes; her red, tired eyes.

'So he isn't at home. I-I'll come back later' She said softly to herself.

Yet she didn't move. She stood there with her hand raised as if to knock again. She even wore the smile. Then, in a sudden movement, the door opened, revealing a dark haired male. She looked up and jumped into him that soon resulted to making them fell on the floor. Also in a flash, her sadness was changed in happiness.

'Hey' He greeted her as he stood up and closed the door.

'Sorry about jumping on you like that but it had been a while since we have seen each other and I missed you.' She answered as she stood up, unconsciously shaking.

'You must be freezing, why don't you go into the lounge room? The fireplace is lit. I'll go grab some dry clothing for you' He said as he led her to the huge room.

'Thanks.' She said as she sat on the floor that was near to the fire.

Silence had pulled around her again. It had been like months since she saw him yet he looked the same; the way he smiled at her, the way he cared for her and the way he made her feel safe. The crackling of the fire had absorbed her attention and soon, memories from her past were flashing with the colours of brownish-rust in her mind. She was hugging her legs and her chin was on top of it. The fire lightly danced around, glistening with its flame into the room, warming her by flooding the cherished memories in her past and soon, her clothes were drying out.

The male walked back in with dry clothing he found. He smiled at the sight. He had always loved seeing her hair shine brightly on the light's flame. He quietly placed the clothing next to her and went to the kitchen to make some hot tea; she loved drinking tea. He came back for a few minutes and noticed that she neither touched nor noticed the presence of the dry clothing. He sat beside her gently, not making her feel his presence; he watched her eyes blinked calmly and her smile brightened her face. From the time she came in, he felt the sadness in her eyes. It was easy because he seemed to know her too well to be tricked by the gleeful smile she always wore when she was in pain or sadness. The female figure, then, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Like a queue for her to be aware of her surroundings, she spoke; cracking the silent glass wall on them.

'It's warm here.' She mentioned.

He smiled back and handed her a cup of tea in which the female gratefully accepted.

'Yeah, I know that.' He responded as he covered her with a warm cloak.

'Thanks.' She replied back and pulled the cloak closer to herself.

'Can I ask why you are here under in such bright weather?' He asked back sarcastically.

She looked at him but he didn't return the gesture; he was looking deeply in his tea.

'She probably had one of those fights with him again... (Sigh)...How could she stand him when he only brought her suffering?' He thought to himself as he slowly stirred his tea.

'...so I thought I'd drop by so there.' The female answered.

'The same old alibi again... Even I could know you just wanted to be away for awhile. How could you stay with him? He couldn't even make a freaking decent conversation with you that would not last for 10 minutes. How could you say you love him when all he did to you was make you cry and feel bad about yourself? Were you really okay and happy with him? Was that the love you felt for him?' The male pleaded in his thoughts.

A sudden light hit on his arm made him crashed back down into reality. He turned to see the female smiling at her with concern.

'You weren't listening, were you?' She asked in a matter-of-factly voice.

'Sorry, I-I was just thinking.' He responded as he took a sip of his nearly cold tea.

'Hey, is something bothering you?' She asked him.

The female put her hand on his shoulder and shook it gently. The male looked at her and smiled back.

'I'm fine. I just thought about something...but anyways, what were you saying?' He changed the subject along with his low sad tone.

'Well, forget it, okay? How about you? I must have bored you out so how about you talk about what have you been up to?' She asked back, ignoring to answer his question.

'So there was the honesty that broke you out. I was right; you had a huge fight with him and now you were trying hard to cover it. If you only knew how easy it was to read through you, you could have come up with a better lie. To be honest, you were never good at lying and it was always easy to know what you were lying about.' He said roughly to his mind.

'I've been up to nothing. Always at home and did some work. Sometimes, catch a breath in flight. Most of it was boring to talk about anyways.' He answered her question.

'Have you talked to her yet?' She asked.

'There you go, dropping the huge escape bomb to make me talk things out to you. You really are so easy to read.' He said again to his mind.

'Yeah, sometime around free hours. Have you talked to her?' He asked back.

'You know I always talk to Ginny! She visited us couple of times, though mostly in rare occasions.' She answered back.

'Really? I did not know that.' He said, more likely to himself.

Then, silence slightly dropped on them. The male looked away as his thoughts were driving in speed's limit.

'Rare occasions, huh? Those might have been the times where you and he were bursting into arguments and she coming in.' He suddenly thought.

He subconsciously reached ruffled his messy black hair that nearly looked like he had never combed them. His round rimmed glasses were changed into a rectangular half framed ones that made him look more...sharp. He had muscles though; it was not obvious for he was unusually thin. He had grown more mature and skilled through his life and never had a chance when it was where he had enjoyed it at its fullest. He had been living alone for quite a while now. He worked at home and only gone to his office for any meetings and necessary calls from his head boss. An invisible hand hit him from the back of his head that made him flicked back in reality.

'How's him?' He asked or more likely, whispered out.

There was a sharp and short silence before the female answered.

'Well, he's- fine and good, mostly at work, anyways.' She answered in delight.

'Work, huh? I wonder when he ever started to like work and put effort on it. He never did when we used to be in school.' He thought back in sarcasm in his mind.

'Oh, really? Then, how was your relationship with him going?' He asked casually.

He would have slapped his head off but he couldn't now because at this moment, it seemed right to ask since she was here, babbling about other things he knew he wouldn't believe. He was not that much of an impatient person but he couldn't seem to rub off the intense feeling of her talking to him with her lies and him thinking about what was beyond the lies she made at the same time. It was a slow growing feeling in his system that was now itching its way to be mentioned and pulled out. He glanced at her and she was silent and solemn again. He slowly took the courage to give her a hug with her head on his shoulder. Her frame was medium and slightly curved. Her hair was now all curly- straight and was not bushy anymore.

'How come your house seemed dark among others?' The female asked.

'Well, because I liked it that way and other houses are occupied by more than one person. That much use of light is too much, just the light in my wand is enough for a guy like me.' He explained.

The female shuffled and let go of the huge as she looked at him in funny and unconvincing way.

'A guy like you, you mean "a guy like Harry"?' She asked in her usual matter-of-fact voice.

'Yeah, Hermione, right you are as always, "a guy like me".' He answered back in his proud voice

They laughed then talked about their nostalgic memories of school and early years of fun. Though, the male's explanation of his house being much darker than others was not explained clearly to the female.

Author's note:

please feel free to write reviews or comments...

much appreciated,

.missing princess.