Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Challenges listed at the bottom.
Word Count - 1497
Back To The Beginning
It wasn't supposed to be this way.
Harry let himself into the house quietly. He was tired, a long day at the office had taken any energy he had, and all he wanted was a pain potion for his pounding head, a shower, food, a cuddle with his fiance and bed. Preferably in that order.
And yet…
He knew that wouldn't happen.
He was about to walk into the war zone that his relationship had become and he didn't know if he could handle it. Not for the first time, he'd debated going home from the Ministry with Ron instead, and just avoiding the situation completely.
He didn't know if he had the strength to keep going.
Sure enough, when he walked into the living room, Ginny was awaiting him, already glaring in his direction. Her stare was penetrating, and he almost felt it on his skin like a million tiny needles.
"I thought you said you'd be home by six?"
Harry sighed. "We were called out on a job at half five, Gin, I'm sorry."
She rolled her eyes. "Always the same excuse."
"How is it an excuse when it's the truth?" he argued.
"I'm done with you putting your job before me, Harry!"
Harry stared at her. She was the one who'd pushed him to be an Auror when he'd wavered on it. He hadn't wanted the responsibility - or the long work hours.
She was twisting the diamond engagement ring around her finger, glaring at him.
Without warning, all of the fight left him and he just felt resigned.
"You want me to be the villain? Fine, I'll be the villain. You've been looking for an escape for months, Gin, so why are you still here? Just… go."
She blinked. "You want me to leave."
He shrugged, standing by the door to the kitchen. "I don't want you to be unhappy. So, if you need me to be the bad one so that you can leave without feeling guilty or whatever, go for it. I'm a bastard, I put the job before you, whatever you need to be happy, Ginny."
He entered the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of beer from the fridge. His appetite had vanished.
She followed him, standing in the doorway while he sat down at the kitchen table.
"Harry…"
He shook his head. "We don't need to draw this out. You haven't been happy with me for months, Ginny. I don't know why you had to do it this way, but it is what it is."
"I… just thought it would be different. You know? We're still young, I thought it would be more… fun."
"I don't know what you want me to say."
"Harry, I want someone who wants me! You're always so tired when you get home! I need more than a cuddle and a peck on the cheek. I need passion and spontaneity, the way it was when we'd just left school. I need more than the rut we're in. I need… I need more than you."
The words were like an arrow through his heart but he nodded once. "Then go and get it. I won't hold you here, I won't hold you back. Find your happiness, Gin."
He got up from the kitchen table, and walked passed her, kissing her cheek. When he put his cloak back on, she frowned.
"Where are you going?"
"I'll stay at the Leaky for a couple of days while you get your stuff together," he replied stiffly.
She might be taking his heart, but he wouldn't let her take his home. The house was his, in his name only.
Taking the diamond ring off her finger, she placed it on the table.
The finality of it shattered what was left of his heart and he left before she could see the tears welling in his eyes.
…
"Hey mate," Ron greeted, smiling at Harry when he walked into the office.
Harry grinned at him. "Alright, Ron?"
"Hmm, ready for the weekend. You're still coming, right?"
Harry nodded. "Of course."
Ron hesitated for a moment. "Ginny is going to be there, you know?"
"That's alright, mate. It's been four years, it'll be good to see her again," Harry replied, sitting down.
It had taken a long time for him to get where he was, but Harry was finally happy. As a senior Auror, on the fast track to heading up the office, he had better hours than he'd once suffered, and that certainly showed.
He was less tired now, smiled more, and laughed freely. While he was still single, he wasn't worried about it. He'd know when it was right.
…
"Harry?"
He turned, smiling widely when he saw Ginny watching him nervously. "Hey you," he greeted, approaching her. She melted into his arms as soon as he embraced her, pliant to his touch. "How are you?"
She nodded as he pulled back, his lips tilting up slightly. "I'm okay. You look great!"
He grinned. "You too. What have you been up to?"
She seemed to hesitate. "Bit of this, bit of that," she hedged. "Trying new things, you know?"
Harry had the fleeting thought that perhaps the freedom she'd thought she wanted wasn't what it was cracked up to be.
"I missed you," she added, before he replied.
He smiled. "I missed you too."
They fell into a slightly awkward silence. Harry couldn't lie, he still found her attractive - hell, she was still gorgeous. She was still slim and compact, her hair slightly longer than it had been. Her eyes though… her eyes didn't shine the way they once had.
Harry offered her a last smile before he crossed the room to kidnap his goddaughter from her father's arms.
"Rosie girl," he cooed, smiling when she grabbed at his hair, giggling.
"I can't believe it's her first birthday already," Hermione said, joining him. "It's gone so fast!"
He nodded, scrunching his nose to make the little girl giggle again.
"You're so good with her, Harry. I can't wait until you settle down and have kids of your own."
Harry shrugged. "One day," he agreed.
"How do you feel seeing Ginny?" she asked after a pause. "It's gotta be a bit weird."
"I don't know. She looks good. I'm kind of glad she went travelling, seeing her during that first year would've been difficult."
"Does she look happier to you though?" Hermione asked, and Harry could hear the doubt in his voice. He wasn't convinced either.
The party went well, and Harry stayed until the end, helping Ron tidy up while Hermione put Rose to bed.
"Harry?" He turned to see Ginny standing by the door, wringing her hands together. "Could we talk?"
"Sure," he agreed. Even after so long apart, he hated to see her looking so agitated. "Here, or…?"
"Can we go to yours?"
He nodded, and bidding his friends goodnight, they left together.
…
"It's weird being back here," she commented, accepting the wine glass he offered her.
He smiled, sitting down in the armchair across from her.
"I… um." She stopped, swallowing hard.
"Gin… it's just me. You know you can tell me anything," he murmured, concerned.
"I just, I fucked up," she stated bluntly. "I realised, way too late, that trying new things wasn't what I needed. When we were together, I made myself miserable by thinking about the things I was missing out on, rather than concentrating on what I actually had. And… I screwed up. And I'm so sorry, Harry. So, so sorry."
Harry was lost for words as he stared at the only girl he'd ever loved.
"I know, I know I don't deserve you, I don't deserve another chance to show that I do love you, so much, but I'm asking for one anyway, because… because it was worth losing my pride to show you that I love you."
Undone by her words, Harry couldn't reply. His mind was blank aside from her words running on a loop track.
He'd come a long way since they'd broken up, but he knew, had known when they were just teenagers, that Ginny was the girl he loved. She was the only one he'd ever pictured walking down the aisle to him, the only one who he'd ever imagined having kids with.
The only one he'd ever imagined a future with.
She stood up while he was still processing and made her way to the door.
"Ginny, wait."
He stood too, discarding his own wine glass to the table as he stepped towards her.
"I can't… I won't just go back to the way it was. But… maybe we could start over?"
"You… really? You want to?" she asked, brown eyes shining with tears.
"Will you go on a date with me?" he asked, taking her hand in his own. She nodded emphatically, smiling.
"Of course."
He kissed her cheek. "You're at the Burrow?"
When she nodded, he grinned. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, at seven."
Written for;
Creativity Month - HarryGinny - 4. "You want me to be a villain? Fine, I'll be a villain."
Character Appreciation - 7. Auror
Showtime - 5. All I care about - Diamond Ring
Sophie's Shelf - 15. Strength, Longer, Penetrate, Pound, Undone, Pliant.
Caffeine Awareness - 3. Bicerin. Someone trying something new.