Written for the "Old Lines, New Stories" Challenge by Lamia of the Dark on the HPFC forum.
Thank you to my wonderful beta, Jaideum. This story wouldn't flow nearly as well if it weren't for their help.
Life after the end was supposed to be simple. Sure, people would still call him the savior and he'd be harassed for the occasional interview and such, but that was theoretically going to be the extent of it. No more expectations, no more having to do things he didn't want to for the sake of the wizarding world.
Of course, 'simple' and 'Harry Potter' were not words that fit into the same sentence.
It was now four years after the war, and still, he was playing the part people had created for him. He had become an Auror and was settling down with Ginny, which was what everyone expected of him. That didn't bother him much though, because those were things he had wanted to do.
Lately, he's been doubting the conviction behind those choices.
He didn't regret becoming an Auror. One would think that he would have tired of fighting by now, but he enjoyed the thrill of adrenaline his job gave him. Besides, if he was being completely honest with himself, he had gotten used to being a hero in the past twelve years and didn't quite want to give that up just yet.
Only, that was the problem. He hadn't been honest with himself lately, which led him to where he currently sat, alone with a bottle of Firewhiskey. He hoped that this was what he needed to make him finally admit truths he'd been hiding from himself. He snorted into his drink at the thought. Wasn't it pathetic that he needed alcohol to face himself? His Gryffindor bravery must have taken a vacation.
However, he had been right. With warmth settling in his belly, he was allowed to think without any restraint. Once he was able to do that, he came to realization that it wasn't his job that was frustrating him.
It was his relationship with Ginny.
They had gotten back together after the war and stayed that way since. Ginny was already talking about a child, as if she was certain they'd be together until their skin was wrinkled.
In fact, that was the common consensus. Everyone thought they were going to get married, although he had never given her a ring or ever actually proposed to her. He wasn't sure he was going to anymore.
What bothered him the most was that he didn't know why. There hadn't been any issues between them lately, only those of small matter, like when he forgot to pick up milk or when she let her hair clog the drain. They were, for all intents and purposes, happy.
Surely, if he was as well and truly content as he thought he was, he wouldn't be here now. Under the haze of drink, he decided that he could no longer ignore that something was lacking between them.
When they were young and had first discovered this romance between them, he'd felt a wide range of emotions anytime he was with the redhead. Now, the fire didn't dance in his veins when they kissed, his skin didn't tingle whenever they touched, and even his mind grew bored of their conversations.
He missed their connection.
His heart ached, because this was a woman who he truly cared for. She was kind, passionate, and would give everything she had to help those she loved. She had been there through his mourning of Sirius, had understood when he had to leave her to find Horcruxes, had held his hand at his lowest moments and raised it at his highest.
He loved her. He did.
Somehow, that wasn't enough anymore.
I'm not entirely happy with this piece and I'll probably edit it to make it longer someday, but here it is for now. Thank you for reading/reviewing!