Title: Never Doubt That
By: Good Luck Kitten

Summary: OotP spoilers! Harry's a bit depressed, and his best friends are
there to cheer him up. In a weird way. ^__^6 First fic here!
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, or any of the plot/characters! JKR
does. X3

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Harry sat on his trunk, staring at the wall with the blank picture frame. He'd been there since he got there, taken just as he was while he stayed at the Dursley's. What was the point anymore? Everyone he loved eventually left him anyway. He figured he'd stop trying to protect people. It usually made it worse. He slowly stood up, forcing his legs to go straight, still staring at the blank portrait. He thought he heard it snicker softly, as he turned to open his trunk

He moved gradually, without purpose. No particular thing he wanted, just something to comfort him. His fingers trailed across the invisibility cloak, and he pulled it to him, inhaling deeply. His father. His father had died to protect him. Guilt stabbed at his abdomen, and he hunched over and threw the cloak around his shoulders. He continued to rummage around his trunk, but drew back as he felt pain slice open his forefinger. Drawing it up to his face he stared blankly at the cut then looked down to see what had caused it. Shards of mirror lay at the bottom of the trunk, and realization dawned in his eyes. He grabbed the largest piece and gazed into it at his willowing face. His eyes had begun to sink in, large black circle lining them, and his cheeks had lost their childlike glow.

It was the mirror Sirius gave him. He hugged the piece of glass close to him, and thought. If he'd only known it was there, Sirius wouldn't have died. It pained him to think he'd been so careless. He began to cry, silently, as tears burned acidly down his hollow cheeks. Why did it have to be this way? Why him? He was suddenly furious. Furious that fate had picked him, furious that no one seemed to understand, furious at everyone and everything in general. They just didn't know what it was like to be Harry Potter. He leaned back on his back, and stared at the ceiling, tears still streaking down his face. He'd barely noticed as three sets of feet walked into the room.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered. Her voice was filled with worry and pity, and he just wanted to throw the cloak over him and disappear for eternity. "Harry you can't stay there forever." He sat up and glared at her. Who was she to say what he could and couldn't do? He looked away as hurt filled her eyes, and he realized, not for the first time, that she was just being herself, always trying to do what was best for other people.

Someone else shifted nervously, and he looked up at them in a dead uncaring way. "Harry?" It was Ron. "Are you hungry? .It's dinner-time." Harry shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to eat anything, much less an entire meal. Maybe he'd nibble on an old chocolate frog later that night, if he ever felt like it.

The third person was tapping her foot restlessly, and he looked up again to find a very irritated Ginny, who had her eyebrow raised at him in a 'you're expecting sympathy' look. "Harry! You're pathetic! Look at yourself!" Hermione and Ron turned to gape at her, mouths hanging open. He merely looked at her the way he looked at everything: blank, dead, uncaring. He felt the mirror pushed against him again. He'd already seen himself. She glared at him with all the Mrs. Weasley intensity she could muster, "You have no right to act this way! No right! We were all there! We all nearly died! But you don't see us moping around! We feel just as guilty as you do, we all feel like we should have been able to stop it, but instead of wasting away, we're trying to fix it, trying to get on with our lives! Don't you remember Dumbledore's Army?! Doesn't it mean anything to you? If there's one thing you can do to make it up to the people who've died, it's to get revenge. We have to kill Voldemort and set everything right again. Your stupid pity parties aren't gonna do anything to change anything! "At this she sighed exasperatedly, "And besides. You're hurting people acting this way. We love the real Harry, the shy, sweet, brave Harry. Seeing you sad drives us crazy. If Sirius has one regret, it would be leaving you unhappy. Think about how wonderful he feels right now, and how wonderful he wants you to feel. We all count on you, and we just wish you'd count on us. 'Cause we'll always be there for you. And we never want you to doubt that." She ended with a soft yet meaningful whisper, and Harry felt everything she said sink in to him. Ron still stared at his sister in shock, and Hermione looked at Harry with tears brimming in her eyes, and all she could do was nod at everything Ginny said.

He looked up and smiled sadly at Ginny, "I think you think too much. Thank you." Hermione let out a gasp and threw her arms around him, burrowing her now crying eyes into his hair. Ron sighed and sat down next to him mumbling a 'She's right mate. He's gonna pay.' and Harry continued to stare at Ginny who was nervously looking anywhere but at him. "Let's go down to dinner," he croaked, trying to stand up, and pulling Hermione with him. She dried her eyes and walked to the door with Ron. Harry was stopped by a soft hand on his arm as he began to follow suit.

It was Ginny who was blushing pink, "I-I'm sorry for my outburst. It's just. I really do understand what it's like when everything's going wrong because of him." She trailed off and wouldn't meet his gaze again.

"You were right though. I had no right to act like that." He smiled gratefully, and walked down the stairs, trying to catch up with Ron and Hermione.

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AN: So? What'd you think? .I'm obviously a G+H shipper, but I was trying to make this story as unbiased as possible (I realize that I failed miserably. Ginny plays to important of a role, hee hee!). I think Harry's WAY ooc, but wth? It's 2:30 in the morning, and when inspiration strikes. It strikes!
^___^6 Hope you liked it. Review please!!!! X3