This short piece started as an exercise in my creative writing workshop. The requirements were: use mostly present tense; write some of it in future tense; description of a town/city; some minor plot within.

After writing the original piece I showed it to my eldest daughter. "You're writing a lot of fanfiction," she said. "Why don't you make this a piece of fanfiction as well?"

So, here is Harry in Barcelona, relying somewhat on my visit in that city last summer. Enjoy!

P.S. The name is from the famous song in the musical "My Fair Lady", which is one of my favorits.

The Rain in Spain

After spending almost twenty years in Britain, defeating a dark lord and finishing his studies, Harry found a vacation in Spain to be more than welcome. He wondered if he should use magical transportation or the Muggle one, but his curiosity about flying in an airplane, combined with his less than favorable feelings towards apparition and portkeys, made his decision easy.

And now, Harry is in Barcelona, accompanied by Hermione only, as both Ron and Ginny were reluctant to use muggle transportation and were not really interested in any place where English isn't spoken. Harry likes it better this way, actually, as it allows him to spend more time with his love.

Hermione, as always, is well prepared. "Barcelona is an ancient city. The old quarter has some nice medieval buildings, but other parts have some very distinct buildings as well," she reads the tourist guide for Harry. "The city stretches along the Mediterranean coast, sporting a large sea-port, a marina and some sandy beaches which attract tourists. Yet its most famous modern building is the Sacred Family church, started by Gaudi, the most famous architect who worked in Barcelona. He also designed some more..."

Harry is tired of these explanations. He wants to relax, not to study. He can enjoy looking at beautiful buildings even without knowing everything about them. Besides, despite the clear sky and warm sun, he has a feeling that the rain is due shortly. He'd rather be under cover than in the middle of the street when it starts. He wonders why nobody taught them a thing about premonition. Wasn't it some form of Divination as well?

A sidewalk café seems much more attractive now than the elegant architecture of the adjacent building, which Hermione tries to make him interested in. He still likes listening to her voice, not always noticing the words but always looking at her lips with fascination.

The hostess at the café understands English. She leads them to a table close to the wall, well under the large awning which provides shade from the hot sun and would soon provide protection from the rain, as Harry believes. Just to be safer, he surreptitiously casts an "imprevious" spell on the awning, to assure that it would protect them from rain

"Why do you want to sit here?' Hermione asks.

"It's going to rain soon," he tells her.

She raises a brow in doubt.

"Besides, I'd rather not sit too close to all the car exhausts, and I prefer some shade."

She smiles at that, a smile that only Harry can bring to her face. He's always so adorable, even when completely illogical, she thinks.

They sit there, give their order and wait, looking at the passers by. There are many young women on the street, wearing the latest fashion and accentuating their assets. He still considers Hermione more attractive. Some older women are not as fashionable, wearing conservative clothing. Harry notices some of the peddlers, most of which are dark skinned, those who show their merchandise on a large sheet connected to four ropes which can be grabbed in a hurry so they can pack it all and run the moment they spot a policeman. They position themselves near the shops or under the trees, preparing some colorful umbrellas in their hands.

'It's going to rain soon,' he thinks. 'Those who are not under cover will start running for a shelter from the rain, the women stumbling on their high heels. The cars will spray everybody not far enough with water from the paved street. Only the peddlers will do good business, selling the umbrellas at higher prices than justified.'

He hears the thunder, obscured by the noises of the street and the loud conversations of some of the clients. He glances up and notices that the blue sky has turned dark gray during the few minutes they've been choosing a café and getting their seats. The wind, which has been barely noticeable before, is now blowing stronger with some cold blasts, uncharacteristic to this season.

Hermione looks at him. "How did you know?"

Harry shrugs his shoulders and smiles. He'll save the explanations for later, when they're back in their hotel room, or maybe they'll engage in some more pleasurable activities. He reclines in his chair, letting the waitress serve them and notices the first few drops of rain falling a few paces away from him.

The dripping turns into a torrential rain within seconds. Those sitting at the front don't even have time to get up before they become drenched. The noise of shifting chairs and tables is supplemented by the curses of people who get wet, the waitress demanding the pay nevertheless and the peddlers who are advertizing their umbrellas loudly, displaying umbrellas in various shapes and colors, making Barcelona even more colorful.

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