Word Count: 376
Challenge/Competition: 100 pairings challenge
Prompts: Flame
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I don't claim to own Harry Potter, it's all JKR's.
Note: This is the beginning of what will be an one-hundred chapter story with one-hundred different pairings! It will go from weird to wonderful, there will be slash, het and cross-gen, stick around, please :)
Harry strokes the back of Ginny's hand subconsiously while staring into the flames before them, entranced. It's a lot to process - the war is done. Voldemort is dead, many of his loved ones are safe, things are about to change.
At the same time though, he can almost feel the blood on his hands... all those lives of innocents; women, men, children - people who didn't deserve to die, not at all, not even a little bit.
He just wants to break down and cry, to crawl into a hole and never climb back out - to dissapear, really. The first battle is won, but it's now him verses himself, and he feels like he has a lot less chance of winning this time around.
"Harry?" Ginny frowns, moving in front of him. "Harry... come on, let's leave."
"I - I can't," He stutters.
"Why?" She takes his clammy hands into hers.
When he doesn't reply, because he can't and he has no reason to want to stay and nothing at all keeping him here, Ginny speaks again. "I know things don't feel right right now, but they will. Everyone's gained and lost something today, but you have to remember that you saved us all! And these people, they didn't sacrifice themselves for you; no, they sacrificed themselves for this." She motions around her, towards the destroyed Hogwarts building and the flames licking the Courtyard's walls.
"It doesn't feel like that Ginny, everything just feels... misplaced, fractured, like it all needs to click back together but it just won't," he sighs, trying not to sound too pathetic.
"I know it feels like today is going to go on forever, but you are going to move on, I am going to move on - everyone is. Time heals all wounds, and even the deepest of scars will fade over the years. With you, I will be fine, and with me, you will be fine. Okay?" She smiles just slightly, looping her arms around his neck.
Suddenly, one of those many fractures heals. It's just one out of many, but there's always time. "Okay." He pulls her into a short and soft kiss, perfect for the moment. "Let's leave."
A/N- Well guys, how did I do? I've only briefly written this pairing twice, so I'm still experimenting, and I hope this was enjoyed. Pairing requests for next time? Please, review, favourite & alert!