Hidden Tears

Harry Potter landed heavily on the ground with the rest of the Quidditch team. It had been stuffy - a storm had been brewing all day and it had started just as they began practice. Barely ten minutes into the warm-up two of the goal posts had been hit by lighting and they had, had to reluctantly give up all hope of practice. Rain poured down in torrents as they left the stadium and headed towards the school building in a some what gloomy mood.
Harry quietly broke off from the group and headed towards the lake. Someone called after him asking where he was going, he blanked them. He bowed his head as he reached the farthest side of the lake, fell to his knees and sobbed shamelessly.

~*~*~*~*~

Ginny had, like every other pupil at Hogwarts, had a long, hard day and, like them, she had noticed that a storm was brewing. It was hot and stuffy, if only the storm would break, then she could go . . . think. Twenty minutes later she passed most of the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
"Well it's not raining outside then!!" she joked noticing they were soaked to the skin, and trailing streams of water along the ground behind them. She also noticed that Harry was not amoung them, three death glares from her brothers washed over her as she rushed to the door .
"Never!," replied Ron sarcasticly "Bloody minx, did you see her, took one of your fainting fantasies to get out of practice . . . I would never do such a thing?"
Ginny grinned
"Ron . . . bugger off, you are starting to sound like our dear brother pompous Percy !" She called over her shoulder as she ran to the main door. As she stood looking out into the rain she heard her brothers arguing behind her.
"She has a point you know Ron!" came Fred's light hearted voice, shortly followed by a painful yelp as Rons fist made contact with his face. She didn't care. Unable to hold back her tears any longer she ran out into the down pour getting soaked in an instant.

She didn't even notice.

Hoping she wouldn't be seen she headed down towards the lake, not seeing the silhouette of another person just a few meters in front of her.

~*~*~*~*~

Thunder rumbled over Harry's head, he scowled at the black clouds as tears rolled down his cheeks, Harry thought back through the last few weeks, memories flooding his mind.

How could it all go wrong so quickly? Oh god what have I done?

"Why?" He shouted into the thunder. Lightning bolted across the sky as he started to scream. He screamed as if it could take all the pain, anger, sorrow and resent away into the storm. His voice, unable to take the strain, finally cracked as he yelled his last sorrows into the night.

~*~*~*~*~

As Ginny ran down to the lake she past Harry not noticing him. Silent tears streamed down her face as she dropped to the ground, neatly folding her legs underneath her. She cried a while as the rain drowned her sobs, before trying unsuccessfully to pull her self together. As lighting light up the sky she screamed, rocking herself back and forth as if she were physically in pain. Her mind throbbed as she realised what had happened over the last few weeks. Questions exploded into her head.

Did she really still love him after all this? Had she ever really loved him? Did he love her? Did he realise how she felt now? How? Why?

She tried again to control her emotions, but by now she was almost hysterical.

~*~*~*~*~

In his mind Harry saw Ginny, not the Ginny he had seen earlier today, the other Ginny when she was happy and smiling her arms wrapped around him. Harry knew he was wrong to try and stop her.

How was it her fault that some crooked, evil dark lord wanted most of the wizarding population dead? Why did she have to suffer because Harry didn't want Voldemort to kill her? Why shouldn't she be able to fight against him as she wanted ? She must know what she was facing? surely? He thought.

"Bloody hell…" He whispered trying to imagine what this was like for Ginny.
"Why me, why did Voldemort pick me? What did I ever do ?" Harry moved to sit on a rock near the water, he looked at his reflection, though it was distorted by the few rain drops still falling. "Why?" he asked it. The only reply was a quiet sob from farther down the bank. 'Someone else with problems to think over' Harry thought. Harry sat for a long while in cold silence, the sky gradually cleared and stars shone out from the darkness. He heard another sob further along the bank this time and he lifted his head, it was one he recognised.

~*~*~*~*~

As the storm subsided her sobs lessened and Ginny gradually gained control of her tears. The sky started to clear, as did her mind, she took a deep shakey sigh "This ends now" She murmured to a single star shining out from a gap between the clouds . The clouds slowly gave way to a clear starry sky. Ginny sighed again. She waited a moment longer. Then as she started to get up her body tensed under a familiar touch on her shoulder.

~*~*~*~*~

Harry slipped over to Ginny silently, he watched her for a while then softly stepped forward and placed his hand sensitively on her shoulder, unsure of what her reactions would be. As he felt her relax he stepped up to her and lifted her to her feet embracing her. He took her hand and lead her away.

~*~*~*~*~

Ginny relaxed. "Harry" She murmured turning to face him as he helped her up, "I'm not afraid of dying or of . . . him I am only afraid that I will lose you like this" She rested her head on Harry's shoulder.
"I know Gin, I know," He replied quietly "every minute I'm not with you feels like a lifetime, but me . . . I am afraid of death and I'm afraid of losing you to him… I wouldn't be able to live with out you."
"That won't happen Harry, I know it won't!" The couple stood for a while in tight embrace before Harry took Ginny's hand and lead her away. They walked through the grounds hand-in-hand, lost in thought.
As they neared the school's main entrance Harry stopped, Ginny halted beside him.
"Harry?" Ginny asked suddenly "do you like me?" Harry was silent, he looked down into her eye's "No" he said.
"Oh" Ginny looked down cast.
"Do you want me?" She asked holding her voive steady, as she felt tears well up in her eyes
"No." came the short answer.
"Would you cry if I left you?" Her voice shook with pain.
"No."
Ginny turned to run but before she was out of reach Harrys Hand caught her own.
" No I don't like you," he said to Ginny, tears shimmered in her eyes and streaked her cheeks " I love you. I don't want you, I need you." He pulled her to him and kissed her whispering softly. " I would cry if you left me, I'd die." Tears of happiness poured from Ginnys eyes.

~*~*~*~*~

"This is it" Ginny grinned a few days later, sitting in Harry's lap in the common room. "No more secrets, No more lies." She kissed him.
"Yes…and No more crying in the rain, no more hidden tears" Harry whispered gazing into her eyes.