i'll be your shelter, i'll be your storm

The cold weather was slowly fading, and so was the snow. It made Iris sort of more moodier than usual, since she was already beginning to miss the pure white softness. She roamed the courtyard aimlessly, not interested in doing her homework or talking to anyone. She was fine on being by herself, for once.

Though her scars had gone away, few still remained but at least her hand had healed fully. The worst part being she still got the nightmares about it occassionally, giving her sleepless nights.

And at this point, she had no one that would understand.

Hades was walking around the clock tower courtyard. He wasn't paying attention to where he was walking. He was still deep in thought. Christmas has been as normal as it can get. He didn't go home, he stayed at school to provent the questions his mother would probably ask. He bumbed into someone.

"I'm so sorry" he apologized. Hades looked up and looked into the eyes of his once lover. Iris.

The Gryffindor was pretty much ready to snap at the person, but the words died in her throat as she recognized the voice.

It was Hades.

She couldn't even remember how long it was since she saw him. It was mostly before the holidays, she decided, and though she hated to admit it, especially to herself, a part of her missed him. Terribly. How could she not? They couldn't even talk to each other anymore without bringing up the awkwardness of that one horrible moment in their lives.

Maybe they were meant to stay apart. But no, there was no in hell Iris was going to believe that. If anything, she would try to go against the universe, to prove it wrong.

"It's alright," she mumbled and and sat on one of the stone statues. "So how were your holidays?" She asked quietly.

Hades watched as she remembered his voice. They haven't been talking really. It sort of was weird, there was a void in his chest. He was so used to being around and now that he isn't, it kills him. He wouldn't admit it to her, he shouldn't feel this way.

Hades nodded and then he spoke. "It was alright, I stayed here for the holidays, what about you" Hades asked.

"How come you stayed here?" The brunette asked curiously. "You should have gone to visit your mother, I'm sure she would have missed you."

Iris shrugged and wondered how to answer. "My holidays were good actually," she admitted and smiled lightly. "I went to my foster parents in the States and for once, didn't run off somewhere. And the best part was running into Eye after I got out of St.Mungos," she said, referring to her best friend Iris, who was in Slytherin. "I wish all my holidays were this good, but it's upon fate I guess."

"And just so you know, I miss you." She said, not wanting to beat around the bush, but wanting to be blunt, just like usual. "Even though you hate me, I still miss you."

Hades shrugged at her question. "Well for one I didn't want to go home because I was to tired to get on the train and another was because I didn't want to go home and get tackled with hugs, kisses, and questions" Hades explained to her. "She does but she understands" he said.

Hades nodded. "That's cool, I remembered I talked to her a couple of times but that was about it" Hades exclaimed. "Good to see her come back to the place where she belongs" Hades said.

He was a little shocked by that but he didn't want it too show. He didn't know how to reply but he did anyway. "I miss you too" Hades said like he was defeated by his emotions. "I should hate you, I did at first but I don't know. I tried moving on with the Gryffindor prefect but it wouldn't have worked anyway".

"Too tired to get on the train?" Iris echoed amusedly and raised an eyebrow. "That's a stupid reason, though the second one seems valid. So what did you do over here for Christmas?"

She could have sworn she heard her heart skip a beat at Hades' confession. She figured that he'd forgotten about all about her and gone his way. Then again, that would have seemed a tad bit too much to Iris, seeing as the kiss she had with Alec meant nothing and it merely careless.

The brunette would always only choose Hades, even if he didn't know it now.

Her heart sank once more when he said he had already tried to date other girls. "Why wouldn't it have worked?" She asked, not looking at him and not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Hades shrugged. "Not when you got to roam the corridors to make sure no one is out after hours" Hades said to her. Hades shrugged once more. "Little of this, little of that" Hades said.

Hades watched her closely. He didn't know what to say and clearly she didn't either. He sighed when the question he didn't want to answer came up. "Its kind of hard to move on when your heart belongs to someone else. It also doesn't help when you're still madly in love with them" Hades said to her.

"And that's exactly why I'd never be a Prefect," Iris muttered and grinned lightly. "Well that, and also because of not-so-good grades and a big detention record." Though on the inside, she loved causing trouble and annoying some of the badge holders.

Her gaze snapped to the Prefect's, immediately as the words left his mouth. Did he just say that? Or did she imagine the whole thing? It almost seemed too good to be true. Another miracle, perhaps. But no, the brunette wasn't going to fall for that crap just because it happened once.

For the first time, she was truly speechless. Her mind was going into overdrive and so was her heart, that she couldn't even bear to look at him.

It just hurt that much to be given that tiny ray of hope.

"I'm sorry if I'm stopping you from moving on," she whispered. She wasn't actually sorry, though she did feel guilty that she was the reason. He deserved better, didn't he? The thought bought tears to her eyes but she quickly blinked them away.

Hades looked at her. "They would never put you as prefect because you'd probably tell kids to go back to their room or you'll blow them up" Hades said to her. Iris was never good with patience. "Excatly" Hades agreed.

Hades watched as her shocked expression came on her face. He took her by surprise, that was a first, but then again not really. He looked at her with his arms crossed over his chest. "I know you, and you're lying because you aren't sorry" Hades said. "To be honest, I'm not either, I don't want to move on from you Iris, I've done nothing but love you since I met you and I can't just erase everything, we were engaged, that's not something you can forget, even if the person that you're madly in love with did break your trust and cheated" Hades exclaimed.

"I would not blow them up, alright?" Iris scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I'm not that fucking mental. But I would remove points and probably scare the younger ones a little bit," she told with a smirk and shrugged lightly.

She nodded her head absentmindedly, almost in agreement to Hades' words. "Well, how do you expect me to be actually sorry when I don't want you to move on?" Questioned the Greek girl, as though it was meant to be obvious. "If you really want to date someone else, but cannot because of me, then I suppose I apologize for that."

"I didn't break your trust intentionally, I was drunk! And in case you didn't know, people do stupid things when they've had too much to drink," she muttered. "You have every right to be angry at me, I get that. But I have a right to get a second chance from you."

Hades nodded agreeing with her right away. "You'd do more then mess with them, you'd scare them for life, they'd see you in the halls and fast walk to get away from you" Hades said to her.

Hades looked at anything besides her. He loved her but he didn't know what to say to that. He just shrugged his shoulders at her. He had no real answer to that. He snorted. "You can apologize but you won't mean it" Hades knew her all to well.

Hades nodded. "Yes I do know, but if you really want to have the drunk conversations, go to Caleb, he is an expert at it" Hades said. Hades again looked at anything but her. He thought about it, he looked at her thinking about his answer. He loved her, but could he go back into the game with her. Hades put his hands in his hoodie pockets and sighed.

"And you make it sound like it's a bad thing," Iris grinned and rolled her eyes at the Prefect once more. "Besides, those little rascals could use a little scare, it'd make them less vulnerable to such things."

Her gaze fixed on him, she said simply, "I do mean it, believe it or not. As much as I hate the fact that you actually tried to date someone else already, that doesn't mean I don't want you to be happy." Though it pained her to admit it, she couldn't deny it.

"I don't want to talk to him, I just want to talk to you, alright?" The Gryffindor snapped and ran her fingers through her hair. She wondered what was going through his mind at that moment, and hoped he was contemplating on giving her another chance.

She raised an eyebrow at Hades. "Look, if you don't want to, just say so."

Though she hoped that wouldn't be his answer.

Hades rolled his eyes. "It is a bad thing" Hades said to her. Hades rolled his eyes. "Id hate to see what you do when you have children" Hades teased.

Hades looked at her and nodded. "I see Iris is growing up, someone call azkaban" Hades joked. The sitution was awkward an he needed to bring some humor in to the surrounding. He then was taken back by her out burst.

Hades ran a hand through his hair. He didnt know how to answer that, did he want to give it another try? He doesnt know. He remembered everything that happened that led them up to this moment in time. Hades sighed. "Iris" he started. "If you kiss another guy, there wont be another chance" Hades said to the love of his life.

"Oh please, it's not a bad thing. It's a part of who I am, hence there's nothing bad about it," Iris smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't think I'd ever want children," she muttered. It wasn't because she couldn't handle it, she'd be too scared for the child, which made sense considering the childhood life she had.

She raised an eyebrow at Hades amusedly. "Azkaban? I don't think you'd want me in there with those stupid dementors, I'm way too sexy to be put in a dingy cell with depressing souls all around me."

The Gryffindor couldn't find it in herself to be excited, though it seemed like he was going to forgive her. What if he's just being nice? She thought. A lot of 'what if's' ran through her mind, and all of them ended up with them both being broken hearted.

"Are you sure?" The brunette whispered. "And yes, I know this is my last and only chance. But you know what? At least I had the guts to tell you. I could have easily kept it from you, but I didn't, because I respect you that much."

And despite what happened, she didn't regret telling him.

Hades had to laugh at her response. "I know, thats what is going to scare the living daylights out of those kids who decide to mess with you" Hades teased. "If they turn out a little like you, scaring children, then I see why" he teased once more.

Hades rolled his eyes. "Hm, I might, I mean it would be an awesome show to watch, but then again, if you die, who would I tease" Hades made it look like he was thinking. "This is a toughy".

Hades looked at her, okay what the hell was this, opposite day or something. "Iris, I'm telling you I want to give us another go an you're questioning me about it" he looked at her confused. "I know what I want, I want my girl back. Now do you want me back?" He waited for the answer.

"I don't plan on scaring the Hogwarts kids anytime soon, so let's drop the subject, alright?" The Gryffindor suggested and rolled her eyes once more. "And yes, there is no way in hell that I'm going to get a chile turn into someone like me."

She widened her eyes at the prefect and punched his arm lightly. "A toughie?" Iris echoed. "Yeah right, as if. You would miss me too much, nothing tough over there."

"Of course I want you back....I just don't want you take me back if you're doubtful about it, that's all," she said quietly and looked at him. "But yes, I've always beem ready to get you back."

Hades held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, we can drop the whole scaring kids thing" he said, he really didnt want to talk about it anymore anyway but if he was teasing her then it didnt matter to him. He simply nodded at her next words.

Hades had to laugh at her reaction. "Hm, maybe I will, maybe I wont, like I said before it was a toughy" he winked at her.

Hades shook his head at her. "I love you, when I say it, I'm being honest an I want you back" Hades confessed. He cupped her face with his hands an kissed her. He missed this.

Before the brunette say anything else, Hades kissed her. She froze for a second wondering if this was some sort of a dream, but then she shook out if her reverie and kissed him back. Her hands tangled in his hair, the familiar feeling returning to her fingers. "I missed this, so much," she murmured against his lips and and pulled him down sit next to her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized once more, not really looking at Hades. "But truth of the matter is that I love you. And I always will, even if either of fuck up. Though it'll mostly be me, who fucks up," she muttered to herself. She forced herself not to think about that and hugged Hades tightly.

Hades felt her froze and was going to pull away until he felt her kiss back. His hands dropped from her face an went around her waist pulling her closer. He felt her hands in his hair an he had to admit that this was probably their best kiss yet. She pulled away an spoke, she then pulled him down to sit with her. "Me too".

Hades had to laugh at her next choice of words. "Lets just forget about that incident and move on from it. I want us to start over, have a clean slate" Hades told her. "But I will tell you that I wont be having tea with your friend anytime soon" he replied.

"Clean slate sounds good, though with me, I don't how much effective that's going to be," the Gryffindor smirked and shook her head. "Yes well, I didn't really think you'd 'have tea', with him. Besides, coffee is thousand times times better!" She exclaimed. But yeah, I do get what you mean and I'm cool with it, but it was not his fault."

Iris leaned her head on Hades' shoulder glad to have finally got things back to the way it was meant to be. She could only hope that she wouldn't throw away her second chance.

Hades nodded to her. "Good because i was going to wipe the slate clean whether you like it or not" Hades said to her. Hades rolled his eyes. "So not the point sweetie" Hades said to her. Hades shrugged. "Technally is both parties fault, but like i said, clean slate" Hades said to her.

He wrapped his arms around her. He missed this, he waited for the moment to hold her in his arms again an no one was going to get in his way of being happy.

The Gryffindor yawned tiredly as she put her arms Hades' waist, the warmth making her feel drowsy as she recalled that she didn't get any sleep the previous night. She wondered if it was insomnia but shook the thought away, since it hadn't happened that frequently.

"I still have not started studying for OWL's. Is it wrong that I really don't care at this moment?" Iris mumbled into his chest, not caring if she was making any sense.

Things seemed a little lighter, not that much but still a difference, she supposed. It was better than nothing. After all, she had survived near death experiences at least twice.

Hades sensed that Iris was getting tired and he wrapped his arms around her. "Are you tired or something" Hades asked curiously. He would take her back to the common room if she is.

Hades chuckled. "We have time before the owls, but it will be alright, we will pass them and then we'll be good" Hades reassured her.

"Yeah, I am," Iris nodded her head, not wanting to move from her seat. "I did not sleep well last night; past few nights actually. But I'm kind of exhausted now," she moved closer to Hades, as he put his around her. "I swear, I'd make you sleep on the same bed as me if it was allowed."

"It'd be a miracle if I pass all of them," she scoffed. "But since most of my classes are physical and not theory, I don't think it'd be that much of a problem, right?"