Heavy Rain
Harry awoke to find the sky dark and the sound of rain plastering the window. He rubbed his eyes groggily and put on his glasses before shoving the curtain that hid him from his friends apart. They, unlike him were all still asleep.
He changed quickly into his Gryffindor robe and walked to the window, wondering how they were going to practice in such conditions. He shook his head and began downstairs, wishing he had a chance to talk to Hermione about what happened yesterday at breakfast. Amber surely was different that morning.
With the gray clouds, he wasn�t sure if it was still dark. He took a seat in front of the fire and closed his eyes for a while. He didn�t know he fell asleep until he was awakened. He frowned and rubbed his eyes under his glasses.
�Harry, you have to eat breakfast before you go out on the field,� someone was saying. �It�s raining and they can�t postpone the tryout. Come on.�
He stood up, wanting to rid himself of whoever the person was. He staggered to the portrait hole and almost fell before leaving the common room. He held himself up and shook his head. �Harry, are you okay?� he was asked.
He turned to face the speaker and nodded, waiting for his eyes to focus. When they did, he smiled. �Hermione, of course I�m okay. Let�s go.�
She nodded uncertainly before following him.
Downstairs, he barely ate anything. He only took bits of pieces from his toast and drank sips from his juice. As always, Hermione tried to get him to eat, but it did little good. Something was on his mind, he just didn�t know what.
* * *
Amber spiraled through the sky on George�s clean sweep. She enjoyed the rain in her face, the wind at her back, and the freedom she had away from who she really was.
She slowed down and headed for the ground when Harry signaled her to him. She did as told, taking the Quaffle that he handed her.
Up in the air again, she glanced down where the viewers watched them, drenched in rain. She waited for Harry�s signal and looked at her opponent, it was Dean Thomas. She grinned.
�I didn�t know you were my opponent,� she shouted at him above the wind. �Should be over with easily, wouldn�t you say?�
He nodded, �it should be. With you as my opponent, I�d have you beat before one second is up.�
She shook her head and hurled the Quaffle at him. He caught it with a laugh and sped towards the three hoops. She glanced at Harry and he signaled her to chase after Dean.
He tossed it back at her and she caught it before speeding as fast as she could towards Ron. He was ready for her, but he misunderstood her. She dodged him and circled around the three hoops before passing it back to Dean who made the shot.
Gryffindor cheered and slowly, the two flew down onto the ground. Harry grinned at them both and congratulated them. Amber looked at Dean who tried to smirk, taking all the credits.
She stayed behind while the other participators took their turns. She was most impressed with Stacy. She was really fast on her Tinderblast, passing the Quaffle between herself and Dillon Troy.
When they reached Ron, she tossed the Quaffle to Dillon and raced as fast as she could in front of him. He threw the Quaffle towards the three hoops, deliberately making it go too high up where Stacy zoomed to catch it and flew above the three hoops before she tossed the Quaffle behind her into the three hoops.
Everyone cheered, but Harry asked Stacy and Amber to partner up and head up to do their round. Amber wasn�t sure she could do, Stacy�s techniques were far beyond anything she�ll ever be able to do.
Stacy grinned and caught the Quaffle that Amber threw at her. She flew ahead, but Amber didn�t follow. She tried to, but her broom froze, or was it her? Whatever it was, she couldn�t go on.
Everything around her seemed to blur and she felt lightheaded. A picture flashed in her head, one that she couldn�t make out. She felt so weak; the wind was like someone pushing against her. It rained on her like crazy, making everything hard to see, dripping into her eyes like crazy. Then she fell off her broom, everything around turned dark and it felt like she was devoured by it, but for some reason, it was blissful.
* * *
After leaving the shop, they returned to their wagon and began the trip back home. The sun was above the horizon, perhaps only about eight or nine in the morning.
She opened her book and read aloud to the man that she loved, sitting next to her. He had one hand on the reins of the horses, but the other was around her. She laid her head on his shoulder again and she thought to herself: this couldn�t have been a more perfect day.
They stopped by the lake near her farm and had a picnic, something that he packed himself. He brought out a picnic basket and they spent the morning into the afternoon by the lake, only the two of them together.
When the sun began to go down, he brought her into his arms and held her close, far away from the cold and harm. He held her so close, she knew that she�d never let him go, that she will always love him until forever.
Their love was strong, stronger than it�s ever been. When she looked up into his dark eyes, she was lost. Everything around her seemed to disappear; only he and his extremely soft lips exist around her.
He looked down at her and smiled; two dimples on his cheeks. They stared at one another intently, everything seeming to disappear around them. Then they began to inch closer, his eyes devouring her like the ocean eating up someone who was drowning.
Their lips touched and she was suddenly dizzy. This wasn�t the first time she kissed him, but it felt like it was. It was something so different from the others, as if each time is a different thing.
His hands held her gently around the jaws and her hands were on his back. She loved him so much; she didn�t know what she would do without him. But somehow, she was able to go on.
* * *
George watched as the girls kicked off the ground and off into the raining air. He squinted his eyes against the rain and watched Amber throw the Quaffle at Stacy, but even after Stacy flew off, she stayed where she was.
He frowned, �Harry, can I borrow your broom?�
Harry nodded and handed it over to George. He took it and flew up into the air like the girls, just in time to see Amber fall.
It all happened so fast, he wasn�t sure if he was seeing things or if it was real. He raced over on Harry�s Firebolt and caught her by her arm. The rain made her arm slippery and he was afraid he might drop her.
�Hold on to my hand, Amber!� he shouted over the wind. But he doubt she�d heard. She wasn�t conscious enough to.
He tried to pull her onto his broom, but the rain made it impossible to. He was afraid that if he tried to, he�d truly drop her.
George sat there in the middle of the air until Madam Hooch flew up to help him. They both slowly brought her onto the ground and laid her down. Madam Pomfrey raced onto the field, drenched in rain too and felt her forehead.
�She needs to go to the hospital wing,� she said over the roaring of the wind. �She�s got a very high fever.� Then she tried to conjure up a stretcher, but she couldn�t in the rain.
She shook her head in frustration and tried again, but it was no use. George bent down and picked Amber up, staring at Madam Pomfrey. �Then I�ll carry her up there. Hurry!�
They rushed her up into the hospital wing and had her in bed before any time was wasted. George slumped onto a chair next to her bed and closed his eyes for a second while Madam Pomfrey worked. When he opened them again, he found Madam Pomfrey staring back at him.
�You need to get into bed too, Mr. Weasley,� she said. �You have yourself a very bad cold. I told them it wasn�t a good day for tryouts. They never listen to me do they?�
She fixed him a bed next to Amber and rushed into her office to get something. He was dizzy so he stumbled to his bed. Before he fell into a deep sleep, he caught sight of Amber, lying very small against the very big bed. He remembered thinking to himself that he couldn�t leave her.
* * *
�I can�t do it, Madam Hooch,� Harry protested. �I can�t choose my chasers yet, not when one of them is in the hospital wing.�
�I�m sorry, Mr. Potter, but tryouts are over with,� she replied. �It�s either you choose two of your fours, or choose one of your fours and put her as the other chaser. We cannot have any more tryouts. Quidditch season is starting soon; we need to be ready. You need to start training your new chasers.�
Harry shook his head and turned to the other judges. He wished George were there, perhaps he would have been able to persuade her to have another tryout. �We have to choose, but can we really leave her out? She�s really good.�
Ron shook his head, �we can�t. She�s one of the best and we don�t even know how good she is against Stacy Clark. I think we�ll have to go visit her and have a little chat with her. When do you have to turn in the chasers?�
Harry put his robe into his locker and stared at Ron. �Not until dinner tonight. I think we do need to talk to her first.�
Each of the players agreed, but Harry suggested that he should speak to her alone. The others weren�t certain, but they nodded after a while.
He began for the hospital wing. In the halls, he found that many of Amber�s friends were on the outside of the door, waiting for any news. Hermione was one of them.
�Harry, how did it happen?� Hermione wanted to know. Her eyes were swollen and her hair was wet from the rain, clinging her face. He reached up and tucked a piece of it behind her ears.
�I don�t really know exactly,� he admitted. �She was just up in the sky when all of a sudden, she fell off her broom. Lucky for her, George was there.�
Hermione nodded, tears ready to come out. She asked, �what if something happened to her? What if she does die?�
Harry shook his head and brought her into a hug. He tried to soothe her, �don�t worry, Hermione, she�ll be okay. She didn�t get harm, George saved her before she could.� He didn�t want to leave her, but he knew he had to. �Er...Hermione, I need to go speak with her for a second. Stay here, I�ll be right back.�
She nodded and backed away so Harry could get through. He went to the door and knocked on it, immediately greeted by glaring eyes. �Mr. Potter, my patients are in no mood for visitors at the moment. If you don�t mind, return tomorrow and I�ll give you news on whether their conditions have changed or not.�
�Theirs?� Harry asked. �What do you mean by �theirs�?�
Madam Pomfrey only shook her head and tried to shut the door, but Harry stopped her. �Listen, Madam Pomfrey, I need to speak with Amber. I have to make a decision on my two chasers and I need to know if Amber still wants to play. Please, I can�t decide without knowing whether or not she still wants to play since it�s so dangerous.�
She thought about it before letting Harry in. He heard the others moan, but continued. He�ll have something to tell them as soon as he leaves.
Harry walked to her bed, but he stopped. He saw a red headed boy and hesitated. �Is this what you mean by �theirs�?� he asked Madam Pomfrey who was stirring a cup filled with steaming liquid.
She nodded and set the cup next to George�s bedside. �I didn�t know he was sick too until I felt his head when he was sitting down. It�s burning, maybe even hotter than Miss. Daily�s. If you want to know, she should be able to go by the end of tomorrow.�
He nodded and continued to Amber�s bedside. He stared at Madam Pomfrey, �am I to wait until she awakes?�
Madam Pomfrey looked up from where she was tending to George. �She was up only a couple of minutes ago. Actually, she woke up gasping as if she had a dream. Mr. Potter, perhaps this really is a bad idea. You�ll just have to do this without her.�
�I�m up,� said a very small and weak voice. Harry turned to see Amber under the blanket. She was deathly pale, her dark hair and eyes made her very mysterious and hard to understand.
Harry had to admit, he never really knew her, but her conditions are familiar to his. If she did not let him help her, he�s afraid she�ll do something crazy.
�Amber, it�s Harry Potter,� he said to her in barely a whisper. He didn�t want to be too loud. �Are you sure you still want to be in quidditch?�
She frowned and shook her head. �Harry, I�m not good enough for it. When I compare myself to Stacy, Dillon, Henry and Dean, I�m nothing at all. They�re the best, choose them.�
He shook his head and glanced away. He returned his attention to her, �Don�t speak like that, Amber. You�re great, too. You are one of the two, but you�re sick, can you still do this?�
Tears began to fill her dark eyes. She looked away, �Harry, quidditch just isn�t something that I want to do. There are four other people who have been waiting so long for this chance. I don�t want to take it away from them.�
Harry scoffed, �Maybe I should have just turned in my two chasers. You�re not well, you�re talking crazy.�
A tear rolled down her face and she looked up at him again. �Crazy? Is that what you think I am? I�m just a crazy girl who�s competing for a position that she can never have, is that what you meant? That you don�t even want me to be part of the team?�
He shook his head frantically. He wasn�t getting anywhere with that conversation. �Amber, you are one of my two chasers. You see,� he pulled out the piece of paper he wrote and stuffed in his pocket earlier. The whole team agreed that they were the best two. �Everyone thought that you two were the best and should be placed on the team.�
She was baffled before she turned away again. �Harry, I�m honored, but I didn�t expect to be chosen. Choose someone else; I�ve dropped my participation in this tryout.�
Harry sighed and stood up. She was serious; she didn�t want the position. He turned back to look at her, and for the first time, he thought that she was someone else. He didn�t know her, but she didn�t seem herself, like she was somewhere else.
* * *
Hermione didn�t feel like eating that night. All she wanted to do was rest her eyes and run away from everything that she�s seen today.
She shook her head, blocking out the mere memory of Amber falling off her broom. For a second when it happened, Hermione thought that Amber was going to die. The drop was very high up.
�Are you alright?� Harry asked, staring at her from the side with concern. His green eyes were truly worried and she forced a smile to reassure him that everything was all right.
�I�m all right,� she answered him. �It�s just that, I wish I knew the answers to all the problems. That I knew what to do when someone else is in trouble.�
She watched her feet while Harry was silent for a while. When she looked up, his eyes were filled with something that she couldn�t read, or didn�t want to read.
�Hermione, you can�t expect to know all the answers,� he began. �I mean, you do know a lot, but you can�t expect to know everything. There are just things that we can�t find a solution for.�
Professor Gray rushed by them and nodded in their directions before going down the stairs. Hermione frowned and stared at Harry. �Did you know that I�m a headgirl?�
He smiled, not at all surprised. �Yeah, I knew you would get it. Who�s the headboy?�
�I think it was Malfoy,� she answered. �I don�t know who was the selector, but they made bad choices.�
She sighed and wished that it had been Harry who was selected as headboy. Were they crazy to have chosen Malfoy as the headboy? They all must have gone bonkers in the head.
�Malfoy?� Harry asked, �why him? I mean there are hundreds other people who are more decent.�
She nodded and turned to him, �Harry, I�ve got to tell you something. Follow me.�
__________________________________________________________
Author�s note: Sorry if this is kinda confusing, I just put them all together as best I could...please review.
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