Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: Inspired by the song "Innocent" by Fuel... look up the lyrics : ) they're beautiful.
Innocent
We were innocent. Were being the key word.
But then something happened.
Voldemort happened.
I remember when we would all sit together and laugh about silly little jokes. I'd get angry at Ron for some stupid reason and Harry would break the fight up, making us both feel stupid that we'd started fighting in the first place.
Those were the days… the glory days.
But then Harry had to go out into the world and defeat Voldemort…
I know most of his innocence was lost before this time. But seeing as much death as Harry had and having to actually murder Voldemort made him lose his last resource of innocence.
Harry came back from the fight a hollow man.
The first time I saw him again, I ran to him and hugged him and he hardly responded. I pulled back to ask what was wrong but I saw that look in his eyes. The look that hasn't left them.
Absolute emptiness.
His beautiful green eyes had lost their sparkle. Their innocence.
He hardly said a word as Ron and I sat with him at the Burrow, as a celebration. Ron was a little more cheerful because I don't think he completely understood what Harry went through. I'm not saying I understand… but I do know he's lost something he'll never find again.
Innocence.
Harry stood up and excused himself from the table at about eight o'clock. I frowned and watched him walk back into the house while everyone else went back to their conversations.
"What's wrong with him?" Ginny muttered quietly to me.
"I think I know," I replied. "I'll be back soon."
She nodded and went back to her food.
I stood up and left the table and walked back into the house. I climbed the stairs up to Harry and Ron's room. The door was shut and I could hear a faint sobbing coming from inside the room. I knocked softly and soon heard Harry unlocking the door and opening it.
"What?" he asked. There were no tears on his face… no trace that he'd been crying. Just that hollowness in his eyes.
"I just wanted to see how you were," I said softly.
He nodded and turned his back on me to walk back over to his bed. I followed him into the room and closed the door, locking it as I did so.
"You should be back down at dinner," he said, his voice breaking slightly.
"I don't want to be down at dinner," I said, crossing the room to sit down next to him on the bed.
He said nothing, leaning his forearms on his knees as he stared at his hands.
"Harry…" I began to say.
"Mmm?"
"What happened?"
He looked up at me, frowning. "You want to know what happened?"
I nodded and said, "It would help me understand why you're so… empty."
"Well… I killed Voldemort." I glared at him and he almost smiled. "Hermione there are too many things that happened… and I don't want you to be as hollow or empty as I've become."
"But Harry…"
"Hermione, believe me. I don't want you to feel what I'm feeling now."
"Harry, stop it! You don't need to bear this yourself! I want to know what's wrong! Honestly, why can't you understand that!" I burst out, standing up and glaring at him.
"I do understand that!" he said, narrowing his eyes slightly and standing up too.
"Then tell me!"
He stood there for a moment, looking at though he was thinking hard about a very important decision. And then he showed me how much pain and anguish he'd been carrying around.
He kissed me.
It was a more desperate kiss than anything. Like he was desperate to unload his worries. And I think the kiss did let some of it go. He finally pulled back and looked down at me.
I looked back up and just knew. There was no need for words between us now.
I pulled him back down to me and kissed him again, my own desperation seeping into the kiss. My fingers entwined through his hair and he sighed softly into my mouth, wrapping his arms around my waist. We broke apart, finally needing air and rested our foreheads on each other, breathing a little faster.
I opened my eyes to see his looking back at me intently. And I noticed something. That hollowness was gone… to be replaced by…
Emotion. His eyes were beginning to brim with tears and I could almost see love flooding his empty body.
He opened his mouth to say something but I placed a finger on his lips. I knew what he was going to say…
I kissed him softly on the lips and said, "Don't say it."
He nodded and hugged me to him, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Thank you Hermione," he whispered.
The tears escaped his eyes and I stood there, hugging him and comforting him until they ceased. And I've been holding him up, being his support ever since then.
There will always be a part of him that will be empty. But I know I've filled the rest of him up.
We were innocent… and now we're not. But we'll survive.
A/N: Ah the emotionalness… heh, another sorta depressing fic lol…: ) at least this one ended happily lol. Hope you liked! Please review: ) Oh, and this was written in a short time... while listening to 'Innocent (piano accoustic)' by Fuel... beautiful song. Listen to it! lol Make sure its the piano accoustic though...
Alex