Grey Skies

by
Starsearcher

Summary: Takes place right before the end of OoTP. While others celebrated the end of the year, Harry needed some time alone to grieve. Advice and comfort come in unexpected ways in the midst of summer rain.
Disclaimer: This is my first dance into the world of Harry Potter fanfiction. I'm working on a massive fic to be posted later, but for now, this helped with some inspiration. All characters/themes/places belong to the mastermind herself, JK Rowling. Please read & review. Thanks!

Harry wasn't sure what made him leave his room as he walked down the stone steps leading to the boys' dormitory. The place was quiet, mostly because everyone was already asleep, their stomachs full from the end of year feast earlier that evening. Harry's own stomach gave a low growl. He had not gone to the feast. He had not wanted any part of the celebration of another year gone by. After his conversation with Nearly Headless Nick, he had wanted nothing more than to be alone.

He was surprised to find himself walking outside. The night sky was dark, and he could tell by the gentle pitter-patter of raindrops against the rooftops that a storm was brewing quickly. Shrugging, he pulled his jumper around himself tighter, shielding his body against the rain.

It was not a cool night. The rain felt warm on his bare head, the wind tickling his cheeks. He did not know exactly where he was going, but his feet carried him quickly and surely anyway. It was a few minutes later that he found himself standing at the edge of the lake, the dark waters rippling from the rain.

Harry sat down, feeling the water beat gently upon the back of his neck. It was then that he realized his fingers were still grasped firmly around the small handle of the mirror Sirius had given him, and the smooth glass reflected his hollow expression as he gazed longingly into it.

Small droplets splashed onto the surface of the mirror, and it took him a few moments to realize that they were not from the rain, but rather, from him. His hot tears were splashing against the silver surface, and as much as he tried to force them away, they only came back with a greater intensity. He knew he was acting childish, crying by himself here in the dark, but part of him accepted that at least no one else would have to see this side of him. They had all looked at him with worried expressions on their faces when they had come back from the feast, and he knew that the sight of him now would only give them more to be concerned about. He couldn't handle their questions, however well intentioned, about his welfare right now. He didn't want to have to lie to his best friends, to tell them that he was fine, and to force that blank smile onto his face.

Because Harry wasn't fine. Far from it. And at the moment, he didn't care that he was sobbing his heart out, because this at least made him feel something other than the dead emotion he had carried with him for the past few days.

The light touch on his shoulder jolted him out of his thoughts suddenly, and he bolted upright, hastily wiping at his face. He only hoped it would be too dark to distinguish his tears from the rain. Squinting through his wet glasses, he was able to make out a slim, frail figure standing in front of him. At first he was confused, not knowing who this was, but as he saw the wet locks of bright red hair, he realized he should have known from the beginning who it was.

"What are you doing here?" he blurted out, and was dismayed to find his own voice still trembling. It would not do to start crying again, especially not in front of her.

"I saw you walking down," Ginny replied simply, staring not at him but at the lake. "Couldn't sleep as well, I suppose?"

"You too then?" he said, following her gaze to the dark waters. The rain was starting to beat a bit harder at them now, and it became hard for him to see through his glasses. He was about to mutter a spell when he realized he hadn't brought his wand with him.

"Impervious."

Harry looked gratefully at Ginny, who offered a small smile in response. He could see her clearly now, her freckles standing out against her pale skin. He wanted then to say something to make her leave him alone, the same way he had brushed off Hermione and Ron earlier, but instead, he found himself asking her a question.

"Why can't you sleep?"

Ginny shrugged for a moment, and then sat down in the spot where Harry had been sitting moments ago. She glanced up at him expectantly. He quickly sat down next to her, making sure there was ample room between them, when she spoke again.

"Why else?" she said simply, looking up at the sky. Harry felt a bit confused at her words, but even as his mind tried to work out her logic, she said something completely different to him.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out with you and Cho."

To his own surprise, Harry let out a low laugh. His brief and rather tragic relationship with Cho Chang had almost been forgotten. It seemed as though it was all just a memory from a time so long ago, though he was aware that it was only a few weeks at that. It didn't matter though. Cho Chang and her games seemed so immature now, in light of all that had happened. He continued to laugh for a moment, surprised that he could still manage the sound, and then he realized Ginny was looking at him expectantly. He shrugged.

"Cho just isn't that important anymore," he said quietly, and she nodded with understanding. "So are you going to tell me why you couldn't sleep?"

Ginny looked away, wiping at the raindrops on her face. She seemed very deep in thought. Just as Harry was about to ask her again, she said something very quietly aloud, something he almost missed.

"You aren't the only one whose mind he's invaded," she whispered.

In an instant, Harry realized what she was talking about. Of course. He did not realize it at the moment, but for the first time, Harry realize just how much having Tom Riddle's diary had hurt Ginny. And just as that thought crossed his mind, he realized that she alone out of all of his friends would understand the grief he was feeling at the moment. She knew what it was like to be deceived, to lose control of her own thoughts, to face unbearable tragedy because of it. At that moment, Harry understood.

"I'm sorry," was all he said, and she nodded in silent thanks. Somehow, they were sitting a bit closer now, and her hand had found his.

"I'm sorry about Sirius," she said then, sincerely, and looked him in the eye. He gulped, fighting back the wave of fresh tears that threatened to spill onto his cheeks, and forced himself to look away. He didn't say anything in reply, but he found himself gripping her hand more tightly as his thoughts turned to his godfather again. Ginny sighed softly, and Harry thought he heard a tone of frustration from her.

"You're not alone in facing this, Harry," she said. "Don't be so quick to push away the people who care about you. Ron and Hermione are just trying to help...we all are. It won't do you any good to fight against that."

She didn't say anything beyond that, but Harry felt as though he could have let her talk all night if she had wanted. Something about what she said, the simplicity of the emotion, and the fact that she could say all of that without blushing; it made his insides warm from the thought. Even as the rain continued to pour onto them in the same way as it had before, Harry felt something lift from his shoulders. Perhaps it was the relief from crying earlier, or the fact that he knew that someone else was feeling the same pain as he did. Whatever it was, Harry's gaze turned to the top of Ginny's head, which was now resting on his shoulder. He did not think about what this might mean for them, or how it would change some things in his life. Change had already come, far too quickly for any of them to really do anything about it. The war was here already, and they had already lost something too dear to think about. But Harry knew now, staring at the distant starlit horizon, that he was not alone in this war.

He smiled faintly, letting the rain wash away the last of his tears as he looked to the sky. The stormy clouds parted for a moment, and through the veil of gray he saw the one of the brightest star in the sky winking at him, as to tell him as well that no matter how dark things may seem, it would be all right in the end.

And for the first time since he had seen Sirius fall through the mist, Harry believed it might be after all.