I don't own Harry Potter.

I'm Sorry

"I'm sorry I cared," It was spoken quietly, a deep rumble reduced to a purr. Yet, it was the heartbroken expression that drew Charlie's undivided attention. CW/HP implied Slash and het

Chapter One of I'm Sorry

By Phoenixsapphira

Within the Burrow, the only things that could be heard where faint explosions from the Twins, Fred and George, room and the sounds of water running from a showerhead. Harry James Potter tipped his head back, almost sighing in bliss as the hot water pounded onto his muscles. The water made sure no patch of skin was untouched as Harry all but smacked his forehead against the cool white tiles, his shaggy hair falling into hollowed emerald eyes. Muscles stretched as he leaned his right forearm on the tiles, near his head while his other stayed limp by his side, the Potter Heir Ring glinting.

Minutes later, faint sounds could be heard above the running water. The words themselves where inaudible, yet anyone watching knew that Harry was singing softly. Yet, a loud knock broke Harry from his trance. But he stayed where he was, head leaning against the slowly heating titles as the knocking stopped.

"Hello?" A deep voice could be heard from the other side, coming from the orange hallway beyond. There was only three people that Harry knew had that deep a voice. Charlie and Bill Weasley and Remus Lupin. Yet Remus' as a werewolf was much, much deeper. It could only be Bill or Charlie, but Harry knew that Bill was still at work, Gringotts working him overtime.

"Yes, Charlie?" a deep rumble came from a harshly scarred chest as Harry slowly tilted his head so the water could slip over his face. Silence, before Harry could hear Charlie shuffling about.

"I…I wanted to know why you where up this early…and I also needed a piss," Harry rolled his eyes, trust Charlie to be so blunt and somewhat crude.

"The doors open, don't worry shower curtain is closed…completely," Outside the door, Charlie Weasley gulped nervously as he slowly opened the door. Even in the somewhat dim lighting, he could clearly see the powerful muscles playing under Harry's sun-bronzed skin. The sounds of water hitting tiles almost insistently. Yet, it didn't matter when Charlie pulled down his pants, intending to take a piss.

"Why were you worried?" The question came so suddenly, Charlie almost forgot to speak. Yet, as he finished he took a seat on the closed toilet lid. He regained his senses, however, when Harry inquired if he was alright.

"Your door was open, and everyone knows you always keep it shut. And the window was wide open, the bed messy as if there had been a struggle," Harry laughed.

"Thank you for your concern, yet you can clearly see I was in the shower the whole time," Charlie shrugged, even though he knew Harry wouldn't see it.

As silence reigned, an uncomfortable tension settled upon the two men. They had both realised that this was their first time alone together after their rather public and disastrous breakup. Everything had been blissfully perfect at first. Then Charlie would go off at unexplainable times, leaving Harry to look after the apartment they had rented together. After leaving for hours, he would come back smelling like his ex-girlfriend, Elian Fall, an American girl Charlie had met at the reservation. When Charlie eventually came back, it would lead to both Harry and Charlie yelling at each other, Harry throwing pots and pans as well as mild pain curses, throwing around impressive insults while Charlie raged back at him, insulting him and asking Harry if he was sleeping with his Auror Partner, a handsome Irish man by the name of Sean Harrison. That would then lead to angry but passionate make-up sex after, which left Harry with various bruises upon his hips, love bits upon his neck and shoulders and aching muscles while Charlie would have several cuts, bites upon his neck and angry claw marks that would bleed days later upon his tanned back. It had finally come to an explosive end when Harry found Charlie shagging Elian Fall good and proper into their mattress at the apartment when Charlie obviously thought Harry would be at work late. However, minutes after they had started, Harry had come stumbling into the room uncommonly graceful with his back tie hanging down his unbuttoned top, vaguely aware of the oblivious couple before he froze, emerald eyes wide before turning into an emerald inferno as he finally processed what he was actually witnessing. After that, Harry had kicked both Charlie and Elian out, Elian taking the floo as harry demanded. Harry had wanted the physical experience of shouting and kicking Charlie out. He had kicked Charlie out into the street with nothing but his trousers one and a white t-shirt in hand. His stuff had been thrown out violently by Harry before Harry himself came out, crying and shouting to the stunned street what he had done and that he 'never wanted to see Charlie's ungrateful behind again.' Days later, it was announced in the Prophet that 'Harry Potter's ex-boyfriend dating women!" It had led to Elian – who Charlie had hooked up with – becoming smug whenever the two where around Harry. Harry knew the two were still going out and it was rumoured that Charlie was going to pop the question soon.

"You know, I'm sorry I cared," It was spoken quietly, a deep rumble turned into a purr. Yet as Harry stepped out of the shower, it was the heartbroken expression that drew Charlie's undivided attention

"Harry…" Charlie whispered, standing as he raised a hand towards Harry.

"No," Harry's voice was suddenly sharp that Charlie could feel himself trembling. "I can't believe I let myself fall for you," It seemed that Harry was now taking to himself as he ran a shaking hand through his shaggy hair, closing his eyes as if in pain. Charlie felt his heart skip a beat at Harry's whispered confession. "It seemed everyone was leaving me. I had spent three months in St Mungo's extensive ward, only to find you where shagging someone else," Harry had obviously been dying to say this for ages, and the damn had finally burst. "Did you know, that night I had prepared a perfect candle lit dinner, without us fighting or insulting, then we were going to make love, I had gotten something I though you would enjoy, yet I find you shagging a women….a women! In our bed! Do you know how that made me feel? Do you?" Charlie shook his head as his heart thudded loudly. "I felt like I was whore, for you to shag as you saw fit! I loved you, so I let it continue, I could deal with you shagging Fall, but not in our bed!" he was breathing heavily through his nose, lightening crackling around his clenched fists as the red-head before him felt like he had shrunk to about three inches.

"I'm sorry I cared, but I'm not sorry I love you still," with that, Harry closed the door behind him, leaving Charlie standing there with a guilty expression in the dark.