Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: I don't like the way Harry and Ginny's relationship was written in HBP or DH. I know Rowling can't cater to everyone, but I wanted the two of them to have deep, meaningful conversations. But many people say that they did do that, but it just wasn't shown. So I'm going to pretend that for the sake of this story, they did have deep conversations, and they grew extremely close while they dated Harry's sixth year.

Lost Happiness

By: ChoCedric

Harry was terrified as he saw Ginny, Luna, and Hermione battling Bellatrix Lestrange. He had his invisibility cloak on, and everyone thought he was dead. He knew that because of his sacrifice, Voldemort's curses couldn't hit anyone, but this wasn't the same with Bellatrix. He knew that three-on-one was better than one-on-one, and they had more of a chance of defeating the evil woman, but he was still petrified; the girl he loved was battling her, and he didn't want that evil bitch to take anyone else away that he loved.

Harry's three friends continued to battle her, dodging every curse she sent their way. But suddenly, she screeched, "Avada Kedavra!" pointing her wand at Ginny.

Duck, Ginny, duck! Harry thought frantically, the blood boiling and screaming within his body. Horror-stricken, he watched in slow motion as the curse sailed towards Ginny and hit her straight in the chest. His love crumpled to the ground, unmoving, completely silent and still.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" A scream tore from Harry's throat as he whipped off his invisibility cloak and ran to her side. He didn't even pay attention to everyone who was looking at him with wide eyes, screaming his name and "He's alive! Harry's alive!" at the top of their lungs. Ron and Hermione were now at Ginny's side too, Ron looking dazed and Hermione with tears beginning to stream down her face.

"Oh, Harry!" she sobbed. "You aren't dead!"

"Yeah, but I wish I was!" Harry snarled, fury taking a hold of him as he stared at the love of his life. All the happy hours they'd spent by the lake last year came rushing back to him, the deep and emotional bond they'd shared lodged deep within his heart. The only thing that had kept him going this year was the thought of coming back to her, of them spending their lives together in each other's arms. But now, none of that was to be. Ginny was gone.

Harry didn't want to believe it. As furious battles raged on around him, he shook his love desperately, begging for her to wake up. But she continued to lie there, quiet and limp. He didn't even notice as Molly Weasley, in a fit of unadulterated fury, killed Bellatrix Lestrange.

Lord Voldemort then came walking over to Harry who was still bending over Ginny. The Dark Lord had a sadistic smirk on his face. "So this was your little lady friend," he snickered. "Are you sad that you now have to survive without her? Pity, pity."

Harry raised his wand at Voldemort, a wild rage taking over him. He knew it was wrong, but he remembered what he'd done to Carrow earlier and wanted to do the same to this man, this man who had ruined his chances of ever living a happy life. "Crucio!" he roared.

Voldemort fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in agony. "Stop it, Harry, stop it!" screamed Hermione. But Harry held the curse, tears pouring down his face as he held Ginny's hand within his own.

He finally lifted the curse. Panting, Voldemort got to his feet. "Wow, that wasn't bad, Potter," he said, smiling widely. "Your affinity for the Dark Arts has reached a great height. Come and join me, and we shall rule the wizarding world together!"

"NEVER, YOU BASTARD!" screamed Harry. He bent down and whispered, "I'm sorry, Gin." With that, he raised his wand at Voldemort again. He didn't want to explain anything. Not about his sacrifice, not about the Hallows, the Horcruxes, or how he'd seemed to "come back from the dead." All he knew was that he wanted to kill the monster who'd taken everyone he loved away from him. "Avada Kedavra!" he bellowed.

Voldemort dodged the curse, looking, if he possibly could, even more pleased. "Stooping down to my level, Potter?" he said quietly. "I would have never dreamed it of you."

The war had definitely changed Harry. All the pent-up desperation he felt, all the sadness and anger he'd held in over the years now all came crashing down upon him. Seeing Ginny dead at his feet, he now knew perfectly well why Cho Chang had been so crushed about Cedric. "Avada Kedavra!" he roared again, ignoring Voldemort's taunts. He didn't bloody care at this point that he was just as bad as the Dark Lord.

Things progressed into an all-out duel. Harry and Voldemort battled to the death, dodging and ducking spells. Harry had a magnificent amount of energy, and he could see the pure shock on Voldemort's twisted, snakelike face as he shouted spell after spell at him. Finally, he caught the monster off-guard with another well-aimed killing curse. The sickly green light shot out of his wand and hit what many thought was the indestructible Dark Lord straight in the chest. Voldemort fell with a thump to the Great Hall floor, the look of death in his red eyes.

The whole hall was silent now. Shaking, Harry bent down over Ginny again, and he could see her lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. Gently, he kissed her softly on the lips and closed her eyes. "I love you, Gin, and I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly, tears still streaming down his face.

Ron and Hermione were still by his side, Ron shaking and Hermione collapsing onto the ground. Death Eaters were shouting, scattering, but Aurors and Order members were stunning them before they could get away. The scene was complete chaos.

And then Mrs. Weasley was there too, picking up her limp daughter and holding her in her arms, moaning in agony. Mr. Weasley appeared beside her, with the rest of the family (minus Fred, of course) joining their little huddle. Harry couldn't bear to see any of this. He desperately wanted to stay by Ginny, but couldn't bear to see all these people crying over her. It was his fault, his fault, his fault that the love of his life was dead. He had lost a love and nothing was ever going to be the same again. Nothing was right for him anymore. The war was over but he didn't care. Ron and Hermione would never understand. Even after everything he'd done to try to keep Ginny safe, she had still died. And Harry was sick of losing people he loved. This was the last straw. At a moment when Ron and Hermione were distracted, he ran out of the Great Hall, not being able to deal with seeing Hermione crying on Ron's shoulder. Those two would be okay, he thought savagely. They'll have each other to love, and who will I have? No one! No one! No one!

xxx

It was minutes later that Ron and Hermione found him, crumpled on the ground at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower. Numbness and shock tore at them as they saw how still and lifeless he was. In his limp hand he held a piece of crumpled parchment. Hermione, her eyes blurred with tears, read it.

I can't do this anymore. You two will be fine. I need to be with my parents, Sirius, Remus, and Gin. Good luck with your lives. Thank you for everything you've done for me.

Bury me beside Gin.

Harry

Tearing the parchment in a fit of grief, she fell to the ground, clutching at Ron for dear life.

xxx

The funerals took place a few days later. Everyone was shocked at the death of their savior, but had seen the desperation in his eyes and the wish to be normal. When it looked like he was about to get that normality, it was ripped away from him again. Many thought he'd taken the coward's way out, because suicide is never the answer to anyone's problems. But many also knew that Harry would finally be at peace.

And they buried him beside Ginny, and Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys hoped that they were together now, reunited and happy at last.