A/N: Hello everyone! As you can see, I've changed the title of this story to "And Then Came the Rain"... If this caused problems for anyone, I'm very sorry! Thanks for all the reviews... keep 'em coming! Also, school has started for me, so this is my last chapter update for possibly a loooong time.

So without further ado here is Chapter Seven of "And Then Came the Rain", formerly "My Thunder".

Disclaimer: It isn't mine. You know it, I know it.

And Then Came the Rain (Formerly My Thunder)

Chapter Seven

Defense, Patronuses, and Memories

Lily

I got out of the hospital wing the next day, feeling much better. I ran to where Alice and Colleen were waiting for me by the door and they hugged me. "We're glad you're back," said Colleen as they walked with me to Transfiguration. "We actually had to listen during class."

I laughed. "Oh well," I said. "Now, at least you'll appreciate me more."

They grinned together as we entered the corridor, and Frank, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Potter came to greet us.

"How are you feeling?" asked Remus, after gently hugging me.

"Fine," I answered. "Thanks for coming to visit yesterday."

"No problem," smiled Sirius. Peter grinned shyly and Potter winked at me, but other wise, he didn't say anything.

I hadn't missed much in any of my classes, so they were all a piece of cake. My favorite was Defense Against the Dark Arts. I had a feeling that this would remain my favorite class for the rest of the year.

Today, Dumbledore was smiling and standing next to Professor McGonagall. "Today," the silver-bearded old man explained, "Professor McGonagall is here to teach you how to perform a Stunning spell."

McGonagall smiled and then turned her severe eyes to us. "I have, in fact," she said, "used this spell on a Dark wizard, and it is quite effective. Now, the incantation is Stupefy. Repeat."

"Stupefy," we chorused.

"Well done. The wand movement is as follows." McGonagall waved her wand, and then we copied her motions, using our quills. This was a spell slightly familiar to me, but I had never actually preformed it.

"No, observe... Professor, if I may...?"

"Of course, Minerva," answered Dumbledore, and he stepped up to her. McGonagall faced him, waved her wand and shouted, "Stupefy!" Dumbledore went flying backward and hit a mattress that I hadn't noticed was placed against the wall. He stood and smiled.

"Thank you, Minerva. Now," he turned to face us. "Please pair up while I sort out protection."

He and McGonagall waved their wands, and out of a closet came several large mattresses that they used to line the walls. We paired up, me with Remus again, Potter and Sirius, Mary and Colleen, and Alice and Frank. I went first. "Stupefy!" Remus went flying backwards, hitting the mattress in a puff of dust.

He stood and returned back to his original position. "Stupefy!" he shouted, and I flew backwards with a small shriek, before slamming into the mattress on the wall.

I struggled to my feet and brushed myself off. "Nice," I said to the werewolf in front of me. He grinned, before I flicked my wand and sent him flying backwards again.

A few minutes before class ended, Dumbledore clapped his hands and ordered us to return to our desks. McGonagall waved her wand, stacking the mattresses and returning them to the closet.

"Very nice, students," complimented Dumbledore, smiling at all of us as we sat down. "Now, I would like to briefly discuss our long-term goal, to produce a Patronus, again. Yesterday I explained that, for next week, I would like each of you to have picked out several memories you are going to try to cast your Patronus with. Has anyone picked their memory?"

People looked at each other uneasily. Dumbledore smiled. "It is quite all right if you haven't. If you have, feel free to come up, but if not, I shall dismiss the class." No one came up, so Dumbledore clapped his hands and said, "Class dismissed, then!"

Everyone stood, shoving parchment and quills into their bags. I stood and followed Colleen, Alice, Frank, and the Marauders minus Peter, out the door.

Since it was raining pretty hard, there was no Quidditch practice, so I went with my friends to Gryffindor Common Room. We met Peter there and started our homework.

Potter, Remus, Colleen, and I sat at one table. I sighed and pulled out a piece of parchment, measuring out a foot so I could start an essay for Flitwick on household charms.

"What are you working on?" Remus asked. I showed him my essay and he nodded. "I have to start that."

"The Charms essay?" asked Potter, leaning over the table. "Gah, I'm not looking forward to that."

"Why?" I asked, curious despite myself.

"Charms is my least favorite class," he explained. I was a little surprised. It had never occurred to me that Potter might have a least favorite class. I had assumed that he, in his arrogance, thought he was awesome at everything.

"So what's your favorite class?" asked Colleen.

"Transfiguration, or maybe Defense," he answered, bending over his Potions textbook, searching for twenty uses for beetle eyes. "You?"

"Defense," my friend answered.

Remus nodded, using his quill to practice the motion for the Stunning spell we had learned that day. "Yeah, I agree. Defense is my favorite."

"I think it's mine, too," I said. "But this Patronus thing is going to be an issue."

"Why?" asked Sirius from the table next to us. "I mean, you're Lily."

I sighed. "That doesn't mean I don't have issues with spells. And I'm really having issues with this one."

Remus smiled encouragingly at me. "Don't feel bad. I'm having trouble with it too."

I glared at him. "Don't lie, Remus Lupin. I can see that list of memories in front of you... 'First time seeing Hogwarts'... 'Riding a broom'... Oh, what's the one that's circled say?"

Remus blushed and shoved said list under his book. "Be quiet, Lily."

Sirius whistled and Frank gasped from next to him, "You can do a Patronus, Remus?"

"Well, go on, Moony," said Potter. "Can we see?"

Remus sighed and stood up. "Don't expect much, I really can't do it very well," he muttered, beet red. He lifted his wand, closed his eyes, and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

Out of his wand blossomed a large silver cloud that extended in front of him like a shield. He screwed his eyes shut even more, and suddenly I could see an animal sort of behind the cloud of silver, like it was trapped behind a mirror and trying to get out, but I couldn't tell what animal it was.

After a moment he collapsed into his chair, the silver disappearing. Everyone in the common room cheered and we clapped and patted him on the back.

"That was amazing!" I cried, and Potter echoed the sentiment. "What mem-"

But he cut me off with a slight warning look. "I'll tell you guys later, okay?" he said, and Potter and I nodded and bent back to our homework as Remus went to be congratulated by Alice, Frank, Peter, and Sirius at the next table.

Finally, the Marauders and I were the only ones left up. I wanted to hear Remus's memory, and I wasn't looking forward to going through the drafty hallways to the Head Tower.

He looked up as soon as Colleen, yawning and stretching, had gone up to bed. He scanned me, Peter, Sirius, and Potter. "You guys want to know what memory I used, right?"

"Yeah!" answered Sirius. "I'm dying to know."

Remus sighed and put his head in his hands. I could see he was blushing. "Well... it's... uh... it's the memory of when I first found out that Sirius, James, and Peter had become animagi, so that they could stay with me during the full moon. That was the happiest moment of my life, I think. Because, not only had someone finally accepted me, they had... cared for me. Gone above and beyond because... they liked me. They weren't afraid of me. They didn't hate what I am."

I smiled, blinking rapidly so I wouldn't cry. One who is a werewolf is, in most cases, cursed to be lonely and hated for their whole life. So for Remus, friends like Sirius, Peter... even James Potter... were a blessing from heaven. I glanced at the other three Marauders, and I smiled even more to notice moist eyes on all three.

Suddenly they threw themselves on him, saying, "Thanks, Moony! We do like you! You're awesome, mate!" and instead of rolling my eyes at their immaturity, I laughed, because I knew that feeling such strong emotions wasn't normal for the Marauders, and they had really needed to break the tension.

Finally, after a few more minutes, Potter and I left, not wanting to be out after curfew. We were quiet, and I had a feeling that any moment now, he was going to ask me out. When he opened his mouth, I closed my eyes...

Only to open them in surprise when he asked, "So what memories have you been thinking about using?"

I blinked, but answered, "I have no idea... everything I've tried hasn't worked."

Potter glanced at me, an eyebrow raised. "Really? I thought you were just being modest back there."

I shook my head. "Nope. I can't do it."

He stopped and leaned against the wall. "Try it, now." I glared at him. "Come on," he coaxed. "Just try it."

I sighed, and searched my mind for a memory I hadn't used yet. I found one, one when Alice, Colleen, the Marauders, and Frank had surprised me with a birthday cake on my birthday, when I thought they had all forgotten about it.

I closed my eyes and pointed my wand, calling, "Expecto Patronum!"

But out of my wand only came a slight sheen of silver, thinner than a spider's web. I sighed and dropped my arm. Potter frowned slightly. "What memory did you use?"

I told him, and he smiled, reminiscing. "I remember that... then I asked you out, and you threw a chair at me, I think..."

I laughed. "Yeah, that was it." We started walking again, and I suddenly realized what was going on. I was walking next to my sworn enemy, laughing and reminiscing with him! I had even listened and obeyed him when he told me to cast my Patronus! This was SO ODD.

Before I knew it, we were near the Head Tower. As we climbed through the portrait hole, I asked him, "So what is your diagnosis for my Patronus issues, Professor Potter?"

He grinned, but answered, "I don't know. You should talk to Dumbledore... I'm guessing you don't have any memories as powerful as Remus's?"

"If, I do, I don't know that they're that powerful," I sighed.

Potter patted me on the shoulder and walked up to his bedroom. "You'll get it!" he called over his shoulder. "'Night, Lily!"

"'Night!" I called back, before sinking into an armchair. This had been one strange night.

James

September blurred into October. Lily and I continued walking to and from places, hanging out, alone and with her friends or my friends, and I was surprised to find how easy it was to talk to her. Being her friend was easier than I thought, and a lot less painful... I hardly ever got hexed.

We also took care of our duties as Head Boy and Girl, such as patrolling together. That was usually pretty boring, but I enjoyed just being with her, relishing the friendly silence.

In mid-October, the air got very chilly, and classes started getting trickier, now that the basic review stuff was done. In Potions, we were brewing more and more difficult potions, some so tough I had to ask Lily and Remus to help me prepare before the lesson. In Transfiguration we were turning desks into pigs, just as we had seen McGonagall do on our first day as first years. In Charms the household charms had graduated to tricky combination stuff, like putting away dishes, folding clothes, and washing the windows at the same time. Defense stayed about the same level, because it had been a moderately difficult class to start with.

Today, I was sitting in Defense, tapping my foot. It was Friday, and we were done with that day's lesson. (Sprout had been the teacher of the day; she had taught us a spell that caused huge, thorny plants to grow out of the ground and entwine the enemy... Dumbledore had to teach us how to repair the stone floor of the dungeon classroom when we were done, of course.)

Dumbledore stood at the front of the room again. "Now, I know you all would like to leave," he called to us, "but I would like to see how you are progressing with your Patronuses."

Dumbledore asked us this question after every class. We had picked memories a few weeks ago, but only Remus and a Ravenclaw I didn't know had gotten even close to a full Patronus. Most people still hadn't even found a memory that worked for them.

Remus raised his hand. "Mr. Lupin, would you like to try?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, Professor," said Remus, blushing. He stepped to the front of the room at Dumbledore's beckoning and faced us. He pointed his wand in the air and shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

I whooped along with Sirius, who, a moment before, had been slouching next to me. A wolf trotted to us, nuzzling our hands with its silver muzzle. It winked at me and I laughed. Behind me I could heat Lily cheering and clapping.

After a few more seconds, Remus dropped his arm, sinking into the chair Dumbledore Transfigured behind him. Sirius and I trooped up to him, patting his back while everyone else clapped enthusiastically.

"Wonderful, Mr. Lupin, simply wonderful! And in a month and a half, too... it won't be long until you can hold onto it for long periods of time," Dumbledore beamed, patting Remus on the shoulder.

With that, the class was over. Remus rummaged in a pocket of his sweater and stuffed a piece of chocolate into his mouth. After a moment, he stood up, smiling at me and Sirius. We stood too and followed him out of the classroom into the hall.

"Wow, Moony!" I shouted once we were in the hall. "That was freakin' incredible, mate!"

"Totally!" Sirius nodded in agreement.

Remus smiled. "Thanks, I've been working on it every day, and finally got my animal."

"Not a surprise there, eh?" asked Sirius.

Remus shook his head. "Not really. It kind of dampens the excitement around yours, though."

I shrugged. "I don't care." I looked at Sirius. "Let's go, we've got practice now."

I pushed the team pretty hard, because our first match against the Hufflepuffs was coming up in a week or so. After we were done, I went up to my room and showered, letting the warm water wash away the mud from practice.

When I came down, Lily was standing at the window, watching something. "Hey," I said. She jumped.

"Oh, hey," she answered. "Come look at this."

I walked to the window and gasped. On the ground were what looked like seven students, fighting nine or ten masked Death Eaters. "The first attack," I whispered.

Lily nodded. "They're fifth years. They're doing really well," she said, as one student sent a Death Eater flying. It disappeared when it hit the ground.

I looked around and noticed a few figures on the Astronomy Tower. Nudging Lily, I pointed them out, their wands sparkling against the grey, stormy clouds in the sky. She turned and saw them, nodding.

The battle was over in about fifteen more minutes, and the teachers came down to meet the kids, who, after a few minutes, trotted back to their dorms, patting each other on the back.

"I guess the plan is working the way Dumbledore wanted it to, eh?" I said, sinking onto the couch. Lily nodded a third time.

"Yeah. I wonder when our first attack will be..." She trailed off, staring into space. I waved a hand in front of her.

"Uh, Earth to Lily Evans? Come in, Evans."

Lily jumped. "Oh, sorry!" she gasped, and for some reason her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "I totally zoned out."

I laughed. "I noticed." Standing, I held out a hand to her. "I'm going to dinner. You coming?"

Lily looked at my hand, and then grabbed it, allowing me to pull her to a standing position. When she was up, she released me and smiled. "Sure. Let's go"

I followed her downstairs, thinking about her smile. Wasn't I lucky that Lily was my friend? That was all I needed.

But a small voice inside my head murmured, If you're her friend, though, couldn't you be something more?

Could I?

A/N: There you go... again, sorry if by changing the title I messed anyone up, and please, please review!! My 20th reviewer gets a cyber-cookie!

(P.S. If you like Ron/Hermione, check out my oneshot, "Speak!")

))Riiko Shea((