The Titans of Secrets

─Chapter Four

Story: The Titans of Secrets
Chapter Four: In The Rain

The sun was hiding behind a mass of thick, grey clouds as the students of Hogwarts scattered around Hogsmeade to have fun. The air was fresh and very cold.

Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna had already left for their double date after Ginny's compulsion, leaving Ginny and Gilligan alone.

It was Gilligan's first time at Hogsmeade and hence, Ginny was showing him around. They brought several delicious sweets from Honeydukes and stepped into the bubbling Zonko's.

"Wow. There are so many prank products here!" Gilligan fantasized dreamily. Ginny chuckled.

"You like to prank people?" she asked. Gilligan nodded.

"Inherited the genes from dad. He and his group of friends, including Remus were the pranksters of their time at Hogwarts. They even called themselves the Marauders," Gilligan supplied. It was no secret that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was a childhood friend of the Potters. Gilligan had made sure to inform his friends about it and they were rather moved he trusted them with such a delicate information.

After exiting Zonko's with merchandise of prank products, Ginny spotted several people carrying the muggle things which shielded the holder from rain. 

"Aren't those called unibellas?" Ginny asked the young Potter.

"Uni –? Oh! They are called umbrellas, Ginny," Gilligan informed her. "They protect you from rain or snow for some extent. I s'pose the muggleborns have brought those. The weather is quite dull today, unfortunately."

"Yeah. Hermione told me to take one of hers but oops," Ginny said, her tongue lolling out. Gilligan laughed heartily.

"I hope you know the spell to shield yourself from rain?" he asked hopefully. Ginny shook her head. "Mum told me once to learn it but oops."

It was Ginny's turn to chuckle. She then proceeded to explain about the various other shops at Hogsmeade.

The pair of friends were strolling through the streets of the busy village when it started drizzling. Wanting to escape the rain, Ginny led the confused Potter to The Three Broomsticks, a welcoming place for young wizards and witches alike.

There they spotted Neville waving them over. Although she was reluctant to intrude on their double date, she found herself agreeing with Gilligan to sit with them.

"Did you get the umbrella Ginny?" Hermione asked once they had settled down. Ginny shook her head sheepishly and the former rolled her brown eyes.

"The what?" Neville and Ron asked in unison.

"The umbrella. It's a Muggle thing which shields you from rain and snow and even sun, for that matter. It's the second time I'm explaining about unibellas," Gilligan joked and Ginny chuckled but the others looked confused.

The lunch was going very well until Harry Potter decided to step into the pub. Neville was quick in waving him over, much to the annoyance of Ginny.

"I-thanks for the offer Neville but I'll just find myself another seat," Harry said when he noticed the looks he was getting from the Weasley siblings.

"No. You are not too anywhere. You guys have no problem with him sitting here, do you?" Neville asked in an almost threatening voice. Luna smiled dreamily in response and Hermione's smile was considerate. Ron grunted and Gilligan nodded. Harry looked at the angry witch who did nothing to approve or disapprove but finally gave in to Neville.

From then, the lunch was more of a silent affair with only the couples talking to each other. Occasionally, Neville chatted with Harry but that was all. Ginny was glad to have Gilligan beside her but her happiness was short lived as Madam Rosemerta, the kind bartender came to tell Gilligan that he was required at the Headmaster's office as his parents had come over.

Reluctantly, he had left and Ginny felt alone although her friends were there in front of her.

When the time came to leave, Ginny was the first one to run out. The rain had started pouring heavily and she had no option but to stand under the roof of the pub. Her friends came out.

"Where will you stop next?" Ron asked Ginny.

"I'm probably going back to Hogwarts. I can't roam around shopping with such a heavy downpour," Ginny stated matter-of-factly.

"But you don't have an unibella!" Neville protested. "And you'll catch a nasty cold!"

"That's why I told you to bring the umbrella," Hermione put in as she withdrew hers from the bag she was carrying. Ginny shrugged. "Take ours. We'll wait till the rain slackens to come back."

"No, no! You must be having some plans. I'll wait and you guys go ahead," Ginny said.

"But –" Luna started to protest but Ginny cut her across.

"I love the rain! I want to wait a little more too. My legs are sore from sitting for a long time. You guys carry on," Ginny said waving her hand nonchalantly. Neville sighed before taking the other umbrella that Hermione offered. After another round of asking the reluctant redhead, the couples left towards the Shrieking Shack. When Ginny was sure she was alone, she sighed.

"Don't know to do the rain shield charm?" a voice asked from behind. She immediately stiffened. "It's an Auror level charm. Even I don't know," Harry continued, coming to stand beside her. She turned away from him, trying to act as if he was not there. He sighed. "I swear that I was only trying to counter the sticking hex which Malfoy had placed on your desk."

Ginny harrumphed as Harry opened the umbrella and held it above to shield them.

"I have never been to school before. . . Never had friends. . . It's all a bit. . . bizarre to me," he said, looking up at the grey skies. Ginny looked at him as he continued.

"All this Quidditch star thing. . . Now that I think of it, I really do hate it. I wish I was just a normal student but. . . I don't think anyone sees that. They either look at me as if I am some new species or they. . . well, ignore me. This is still strange. . . being around a friend like Neville but I think I must get used to it. Get used to the stares. . . and the hate as well," he said lowly as he shrugged.

Turning around almost completely to face her, he offered her his umbrella. Ginny looked in between the umbrella and the emerald green eyes with a determined yet soft gaze, which never left hers. Reluctantly and almost involuntarily, she took the umbrella from him. The next moment, it shut itself. Harry could not hold back his laughter at the wide eyed Ginny.

"What?" she asked in a much softer voice that was barely audible over the rain's continued splattering. Harry opened it for her. "Oh."

"See you later, Ginny," he said before walking away and letting himself get drenched in the rain. She wanted to call back to him and tell him to take his umbrella but she found herself stuttering at her own words.

"See later you! You later – oh! Why am I stammering?" she asked herself when she realized he had already disappeared into the steadily forming mist. A blush crept up to her cheeks as the rain continued smiling down its happy tears at the bubbling and wet wizarding village. The sound of minute drops and that of her heart beating faster by each ticking second was only heard in her still and paralyzed brain.

Start of the main relationship o.o

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Miyoko x