Here's the first Chapter :) Hope you like it!

Thunder was rumbling in the distance and heavy raindrops drummed against the windows, dark clouds obscuring the sky.

Harry was sitting on the couch, his arms wrapped around his knees, and looked off into the distance, watching the lightening flashing across the dark skies. Behind him a fire was crackling merrily in their fireplace.

When Hermione entered the living room he looked around at her and she smiled, sitting down next to him.

"What are you up to today?"

He looked at her face and saw, with a pang of guilt in his guts, that she looked worried again. She always did when she was around him and he felt so bad for it. She shouldn't have to worry so much and he knew that she cried when he, once again, locked himself up in his room for days on end.

"Nothing," he sighed, "but, Hermione ... Stop looking so worried, please. I am alright, really. I can't stand seeing you sad all the time because of me. You should be happy, what with being pregnant and all!"

She smiled reassuringly and rested a hand on his arm, rubbing it gently.

"I am happy, Harry, but you're my best friend and it's hard for me to see you in such a state."

Harry placed his hand on top of her's and sighed again, looking away from her.

"If I continue to cause you so much worry, Ron is going to kick me out of the house one of this days."

"Don't be silly! You know that he would never do that. Ron knows that I am alright and he worries about you as much as I do. We just want to see you happy again."

He turned around and stretched out his legs, still looking away from her.

"I really should get my own place... That would be so much healthier for all of us. Once the baby is here there won't be enough room for all of us anyways."

Hermione suddenly got to her feet, hands on her hips and frowned down at him.

"Harry James Potter, stop being so thick! You don't really think it would help matters if you moved out, do you!? I would only be worried even more because I wouldn't know if you're alright or not..."

She sighed and bit down on her lip, her eyes brimming with tears.

"We want to help you, but you have to let us in and not shut us out."

Harry stood up too and pulled Hermione into a hug.

"Stop crying. Please."

He rubbed her back and she sobbed into his jumper, cluthing the fabrics in her hands. It took a while until she calmed down and when she stepped away, she wiped at her eyes and gave Harry a weak smile.

"I completely forgot to tell you, Ginny will come over tonight and have dinnr with us. Maybe you can ask her if she could help you get a job? Working at the Ministry, she migh be able to help you out."

Ginny was always a touchy subject to him and Hermione knew it.

Ever since they weren't together anymore it was always quite difficult for him and Ginny to be around each other.

"You know how I feel about that, don't you?"

"Yes. But still, I think it would be a good idea to ask her for help. You know she's in contact with the National Quidditch Team quite often... Maybe you could play for them?"

She sounded so hopeful that Harry just couldn't refuse her her and cause her more worry and pain, so he nodded.

"Okay. I'll ask her about it."

...

He was in the kitchen with Hermione, helping her prepare the dinner. The rain was still pounding heavily against the windows and lightening flashed across the dark sky. Every time the thunder rumbled it sounded like the roof would come crashing down and Hermione flinched several times.

"God, I really love this house, but I always feel like it's going to be blown away in one of this storms."

Harry chuckled and Hermione smiled happily.

"The Burrow survived worse than such storms, so why should this house get blown away?"

"I dunno...", she shrugged and then laughed heartily, "Oh, do you remember how often the doors fell out of their hinges?"

"Yes, we shouldn't have allowed Arthur to do it the 'Muggle way'"

"Hello guys," Ginny's voice rang through the kitchen and Harry felt that familiar stab in the pit of his stomach like every other time she was around him.

"Hi Ginny! You're early, aren't you?"

Hermione walked over to her and they shared a swift hug. Ginny nodded and sat down at the kitchen table, drying her clothes with her wand.

"Yes. The weather, y'know? Didn't allow us to practice any longer and we decided to just quit it for today and go home."

She now put her wand aside and looked over at Harry who had dared to turn around and watch her. She tilted her head to one side and looked intently at him, lost in thought.

"You look tired and ill, Harry ... It gets worse every time I see you."

It wasn't meant as an offence, he knew that, she just told him what was on her mind and he knew she was right too. He didn't say anything, though, and turned back towards the kitchen counter, peeling potatoes.

After a while he felt someone approach him and looked sideways, looking down at Ginny. Slowly, she reached up with one hand and rested it on his cheek, tracing her fingertips along his jaw and down to his chin.

"You need a shave..." her voice was only a whisper and Harry's eyes darted away from her face, over to Hermione who stood a few feet away and was silently watching them.

Ginny's eyes never left his face and her hand was still resting on his chin, causing him a tickling sensation there.

"Where's the young man I fell in love with so many years ago?"

Harry sighed and slowly pushed her hand away, hoping that this gesture wouldn't hurt her feelings.

"Gone. He's long gone Ginny..."

He then turned around and left the kitchen, going straight to his bedroom where he locked the door behind himself.

Ginny never failed to show him how wrong his life was going. She always had the talent to show him all the mistakes he was making, even though she never meant it in a way to hurt him, she wanted to help.

Like all the others...

But in the end, it didn't matter. They just couldn't help him. He felt like no one could. Ever since the war had been over he had fallen into that deep, black hole and doubted he would ever see the light in his life again...

Reviews appreciated ...