Hopes and Whispers

This was written for the first round of Cheeky Slytherin Lass' 'Potter Games' Competition. The prompts were: watching the rain, feather, ruin, whisper and the first quote below:

"Well I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my life around you." – Stevie Nicks

"And in the end, we couldn't save what we both helped to make…but who's to say things aren't better this way?" – Chase Coy, 'Who's to say?'

Harry doesn't remember how he ended up sitting on the dusty floor in the ruined bedroom of his parents' house in Godric's Hollow, all he remembers was that he wanted to get as far away from Grimmauld Place and its occupants as possible. The journey was a blur, but the accusations in raised voices still echoed in his ears; he curled up in a ball in a futile attempt to block them out.

What had happened to them? They were so perfect and happy together; he loved Ginny with all his heart. How did they fall apart, leaving him feeling as broken and abandoned as the house around him?

He thought back to their Hogwarts days where they stole hours together in deserted parts of the castle grounds, cuddling up by the lake, taking evening strolls along the outskirts of the forest,the picnic he made for their year anniversary. He would never forget how he felt the first time he first time he kissed her, he was so elated his heart felt light as a feather, floating along as his hands on Ginny's waist was the only thing keeping him on the ground. How his heart skipped a beat whenever she strayed into his thoughts, spending his nights dreaming of those brown eyes and full, soft lips.

The year he spent away from her on his quest to find the Horcruxes were the worst of his life, especially seeing Ron and Hermione eventually realise their feelings for each other. Of course he was pleased for them, they were his best friends and they deserved to be happy, but they made him feel lonely and yearn for Ginny even more. The long, cold nights and the empty days with nothing to occupy his mind did little to help. He remembered thinking of her as he approached Voldemort and his Death Eaters, prepared to die in order to defeat Voldemort once and for all. The burning rage he felt when Bellatrix attempted to kill her when the fighting resumed, her life spared as the green jet missed by barely an inch. He remembered after the battle was finally over, running through the crowds, ignoring everyone until he saw a group of red-heads, then not letting her out of his arms for what seemed like hours.

After Hogwarts, it was even better. He had his dream job as an Auror, and she graduated with high marks and began training as a Chaser with the Holyhead Harpies. They moved in together to Grimmauld place, which had been made habitable as a family home by Mrs Weasley and Kreacher, and for a long time, everything was perfect. There was no longer anything keeping them apart, no fear of Dark Wizards after them, they were finally able to be happy and make a home together.

But then, things started falling to pieces. Their long work hours kept them apart; they began to interact less and less even when they were free to spend time together. The rooms of the house were filled with a tense silence whenever they had to be in the same room, which was usually limited to dinner and sleeping. Then one day Harry unintentionally fell asleep visiting Sirius' old bedroom, and since then it had become his.

After a while Harry became tired of the silence and sleeping apart, and tried to reconcile with Ginny, talking through their issues and burying those where no compromise could be made. For several months, it worked. Whilst not quite the new-couple bliss they had when first living together, he was happy. They began spending their free time together, eating out at restaurants in the evenings and going on long walks until the sun set, as they used to back at Hogwarts.

But it was not to last. The tension returned and had climaxed, and the house was constantly filled with either silence and raised voices, each as bad as the other. Harry couldn't take it anymore and left with only a few meagre belongings, realisation that he had nowhere to go only hitting after the door had slammed behind him. He had no desire to visit any of the Weasleys, who would only serve to remind him of what he had lost, which also put Hermione out of the question. Luna was away with her husband on an expedition to find Crumple-horned Snorkacks, and Hagrid was visiting Madame Maxime in France.

Which is how he found himself sitting next to a broken crib, curled up in the space he imagined Voldemort had once stood, pointing his wand at a helpless baby. Something had drawn him to the house, perhaps it was the desire to have parents comforting him in a time of need, whether he deserved it or not, such was a mother's love. A wave of resentment at the murder of his parents washed over him, something he had not felt for several years, since Voldemort was alive. He buried the anger with the lifeless body of Tom Riddle, and it had not visited since. Then the rage passed and he just felt pathetic and exhausted, sitting on the dirty floor with nothing but his lonely thoughts for company.

He forced himself to get up off the ground, but only made it a few paces across the room to the window. He stood there; his hands curled on the window ledge, and watched the rain for hours, finding comfort in the pattering sound of the drops on the glass, and the damp, earthy smell of the wet ground which drifted through the cracked pane.

By the time the sun came up, a combination of the soothing rain and the idea of a new beginning comforted him. As he turned to leave, he swore he heard a feminine whisper with the wind 'everything's going to be all right.'