||Rain's Storm||The Chamber of Secrets||Year 2||

Chapter Five: Friendship

After her burst of anger, Rain purposely avoided everyone but Hagrid. She was constantly on watch, and every time she got so much as an inkling of someone coming, she would run the other way or hide. This rarely happened; most of her time was spent on the grounds with Hagrid, helping him to prepare for the return of the students. At meal times, she kept her head down, ate quickly, and left even quicker. Snape nor Dumbledore ever said a word to her.

Finally, it was the day before everyone else would return. Rain was bursting with excitement as much as everyone else, maybe even more. She desperately wanted her friends to distract her from the living nightmare she was in. Now, only one problem remained for her; the Hogwarts Express.

She knew, since she was already at the castle, she would not be riding the train along with the other students. However, she did want to be on the platform to greet them. That was were the problem laid; she did not know if she would be allowed to venture so far from the castle after her episode. She didn't dare to ask Hagrid; she didn't want him getting into trouble for her. She knew who she would have to ask, and she dreaded it.

Rain took each step with dread as she descended into the dungeon. She had not returned to Snape's office or classroom since she had yelled at him and Dumbledore. The place was darker and colder than she remembered. Reaching the door, she took a deep breath before knocking lightly. She didn't feel right just barging in.

"Come in," Snape's gruff voice called. Rain closed her eyes briefly before entering the room.

"Rain," Snape greeted coldly. He was standing at his podium, sorting through what appeared to be notes.

"Hello Professor," Rain muttered. She sat down in the chair nearest him. She began tracing invisible patterns with her finger along the table top. She didn't know how to start.

"Are you here just to annoy me with your presence or do you have something you want?" Snape snapped after several, silent minutes. Rain took a deep breath before speaking.

"IwanttoappolizeforyellingatyouandIwaswonderingifIcouldgowithHagridtotheplatformwheneveryoneelsecomes." Her words were a tumbled mess and she didn't dare to look up from the table.

Snape left the podium, and he stood in front of her. Rain started shaking slightly, hoping he would not notice. "Look. at. me," he ordered. Rain slowly raised her head. Her frightened eyes meet his cold ones.

"After your little yelling spat, I should have forbade you from doing anything. After you sunk out of the castle in the middle of the night and broke into that shack I should have punished you several. I have, for lack of a better word, been lenient with you. However, you have behaved... perfectly... since that night. For this reason, and that reason alone, I will allow you to go to the platform to greet the students with Hagrid." Rain began to smile. "But, the first moment you step out of line again, I will have you in detention for the entire year. Do I make myself clear?" Rain nodded quickly. "Good. Now get out of my sight." Rain hurried out without daring a backwards glance. Snape stared at the door long after it had closed.

*

Rain stood beside Hagrid and Fang on the platform, waiting. She was bouncing on her feet, beyond excited. The Hogswarts Express would be pulling into the platform at any minute, and she was ready to see her friends. The chilly night could not even damper her spirits.

Rain nearly shouted for joy when the train finally pulled into the station. Hagrid chuckled at her childish behavior. "Ye sure is happy, aren' ye?" he teased her. Rain stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to laugh.

Students begin pouring off of the train. Rain stood on her tiptoes, searching. When she spotted the bouncing blond hair, she madly dashed through the students. "Sabrina!" she called. The fourth year stopped, and burst into giggles when she spotted Rain.

"Rain!" she greeted, grasping her friend in a tight hug. Rain was at least a head shorter than her. The two parted, both giggling and looking each other up and down. "When I didn't see you on the train I got worried. I thought you had got kicked out or something," Sabrina admitted.

"I'll explain all that later," Rain promised as Hermione pushed her way through to them. Rain hugged her briefly as well. "Where's Ron and Harry?" she asked Hermione.

"I have no idea. I could never find them on the train," she said.

"Well, let's get to the carriages. It's freezing out here, and they are bound to turn up."

*

Sabrina sat with Rain at the end of the Slytherin table. Rain was laughing every few minutes as Sabrina told her about the silly stories of her summer spent with her two older brothers in some forest. Rain froze mid-laugh. Snape had stood up from the staff table, and he walked out the door behind the table. Rain looked across the Great Hall at Hermione. Hermione shrugged, having seen him leave as well. She didn't have any idea where he was going either.

*

Rain was laid out on the couch nearest the fire, absorbing the warmth from the fireplace. Sabrina was sitting on the ground beside the couch, her back against the table for support. They were still joking with each other and sharing a box of chocolates Sabrina had. Rain hadn't had chocolate since last year on the return trip from Hogwarts.

"Hello," Draco Malfoy intruded, plopping down in the chair across from them. Both girls stopped and stared at him, neither of them trusting.

"What do you want Malfoy?" Rain finally asked, growing bored with the awkward staring.

"Truthfully, I want to start over. I was....wrong...last year. You are a Slytherin, just a very strange one. I think, with time, we could be great allies, maybe even....friends," Draco muttered slowly and awkwardly.

Rain and Sabrina looked at each other, and began to laugh. "You're a very interesting person Draco Malfoy. A person I think I can give another chance," Rain got out between her fits of laughter. Draco smiled.

"I wasn't that bad, was I?" he asked. 

"Pretty bad," Sabrina teased him.

"More than bad. Terrible!" Rain exclaimed dramatically. All three of them started laughing.