The Walls We Build.

Summary: Two years has passed since the Battle of Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione are getting ready for their wedding, Harry's a top auror and Ginny's Britain's favourite new quiddich player. But why do Harry and Ginny avoid each other like the plague? And why is Harry so bitter? ...HP/GW... ...RW/HG...x

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 1.

The Boy Who Lived moved slightly in his sleep, breathing deeply and tugging the pillow tighter into his grasp, causing the well defined muscles in his back to ripple slightly. In the past two years, Harry Potter has become almost unrecognisable as the scrawny seventeen year-old that saved the wizarding world. He'd taken up the muggle martial Taekwondo as well as auror training and running most mornings, turning his normally skinny frame into a body most men would dream of, perfectly proportioned, well muscled but not over the top body builder, wiry and lean. His hair had grown so it was messily sexy, always given that just-rolled-out-of-bed look that suited him so much. His face was more mature, stubble creeping out of his chin and much more defined features. But the place you saw the most change, one that made him almost unrecognisable, was his emerald orbs. To an outsider they were gorgeous, to someone who knew Harry they were guarded, cold, broken.

"Oi Potter!" A voice called, banging on his door, "We have to be at the pitch in half an hour!"

The voice of Joe Archfield woke Harry from his deep slumber, jerking the nineteen year old out of a dream that was only remembered as being pleasant. Joe was a fellow auror and was a year and a half older than Harry, not that he showed or acted it, and had moved in after Ron and Hermione had moved in together a year ago.

"Harry get up!" Joe called once again, walking into the small kitchen and pulling out a bowl and the cereal.

"I'm up!" Harry called back, rolling out of bed and stumbling into the shower.

...

"Ginny you'll be fine!" Hermione tried to calm down her best friend to no avail.

"It's the final!" Ginny repeated for what seemed the hundredth time that morning ever since Ginny's roommate and teammate had messaged her begging to help with Ginny's state.

"Yes, I'm aware of this as that was the forty fifth time you've mentioned it." Hermione said patiently, pushing Ginny through the grounds of the large quidditch pitch where all finals were held, like the world cup that Hermione had attended in the summer before her fourth year.

"Are you mocking me?! Don't mock me when I'm in this state!" Ginny told her, her voice rising in pitch slightly.

"No, it's just like any other game you've played in this year, but.....bigger." Hermione tried to convince her as she pushed her into the changing rooms.

"There you are! God we've been looking everywhere for you!" Ginny's best friend on the team and roommate, Holly Philips, exclaimed.

"Have her back!" Hermione whispered, looking at Ginny who was slowly trying to gage what piece of kit when ware.

"Gin, what's wrong?" Holly asked in a falsely sweet voice, looking at the chaser cautiously.

"It's the final!" Ginny repeated once again, looking up at Holly.

"Yes, it's the final Ginny, now play like you have all season, the youngest chaser in the whole league who has the highest scores and assists, because if you don't I will kick your arse out onto that pitch and repeatedly hit bludgers at you! Understand?!" Holly asked sternly.

"Yeah." Ginny nodded, the voice of her friend seemed to knock out the fear.

"Thank you!" Hermione hugged Holly, who she was also friends with. Holly stood at 5ft3 and had long dark brown hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. She was well toned like all the girls on the Harpies team, Gwenog made sure of it, but she also had a pretty face, almost innocent with most other teams when she'd first been introduced caused her to be overlooked as a beater, thinking she was soft, that was until she whacked a bludger in their direction.

"Good luck!" Hermione told them, walking out the changing rooms and meeting up with the rest of the other Weasley's who'd turned up to watch Ginny in her first ever Nation Quidditch League, or the NQL, final against Puddlemere United, with Oliver Wood playing keeper.

...

"What time were we supposed to meet them?" Dean asked Seamus and Neville as he hurried around the flat the three shared, looking for his shoe.

"About half an hour ago!" Seamus glared at Dean.

"Crap, Harry is going to fire our asses!" Dean complained as he finally found his shoe.

"Come on!" Neville rolled his eyes at the two of them, leaving the flat and aparating to the stadium, where the families of teams and auror's were, patrolling and securing the area tightly.

"Let me guess, Dean couldn't find his shoe or something." Harry muttered, rolling his eyes at the group.

"Spot on." Neville muttered, "Where do you want us?" He asked.

"Can you secure the outer reaches?" Harry asked them.

"Sure." They strode off to the outer perimeter of the ground and began casting the standard charms, meaning people aparating or talking a port key ended up in one spot and had to pass aurors to get in.

"Harry!"

Harry turned to see the Weasley's waving him over and Harry smiled his usual smile that didn't make his eyes and walked over to the family that had once been so close to being his own and that now he rarely saw. He saw Ron, his best friend who he hadn't had a conversation with for nine months, Hermione, his other best friend who'd been so caught up in her work and her engagement they'd slowly drifted apart. He'd felt his family and friends slip through his fingers and he'd been too bitter, too emotionless, to stop it.

"Hi." He greeted them, smiling at Molly who pulled him into a long hug before scrutinising him.

"You look pale, are they working you too much?" She asked.

"No, I'm fine Mrs Weasley, how are you guys?" Harry asked them, keeping the conversation far away from himself.

"We're great." Mr Weasley smiled, "Incredibly proud."

Harry nodded understandingly and Bill quickly steered the conversation away from anything Ginny related, sensing the discomfort. They talked for a few minutes, catching up on all the details, Fleur had just found out she was pregnant again, Angelina and George were getting more serious, wedding plans were coming along with Ron and Hermione, who'd picked July 15th for their wedding, just under a month away.

"Harry, the teams want to have a practice and we need to screen them." Joe came over, he was in auror mode and was less hyperactive than usual as he gave the Weasley's a smile and nod.

"Alright, are you taking the Harpies or am I?" Harry asked him.

"I'll take them." Joe rolled his eyes, "They're not that bad." Joe teased.

"You weren't there last year." Harry muttered, watching Joe laugh before walking off towards the changing rooms.

"Well I better go, when you see Ginny tell her..." Harry trailed of, not knowing what to say, congratulations would only work if they won, "tell her it's the day she's always dreamed of and I hope it's everything she always wanted." Harry smiled before turning and walking back towards the stadium, hardly even sparing another glance back to his best friends and family, who were all watching him, worried looks in place.

"He looks...broken." Charlie finally spoke, the first to break the silence that Harry had left, not being the only one to pick up on the bitterness in Harry's final words.

"Let's get to our seats; I doubt we'll see Gin before the match." Ron changed the subject quickly.

"Come on then." Mr and Mrs Weasley led Bill, Fleur, Charlie, George, Angelina, Percy, Percy's girlfriend Audrey, Ron and Hermione towards their seats in the family section of the stadium...

...

"Harry, Joe wants your opinion on a Harpie broom." A young trainee auror told Harry just as he finished screening all the Puddlemere players and their brooms.

"Great." Harry muttered, running a hand through his messy hair that covered his forehead and showing the lightning bolt scar that stood out against his pale skin and dark lines under his eyes, "I'll be right there."

"Are you alright Harry?" Oliver Wood asked him, looking at Harry with concern etched in his handsome face.

"Fine, you should focus on yourself today Wood." Harry smiled a genuine smile at his old captain.

"Alright."

Wood still looked unconvinced as Harry left their changing rooms and entered the Harpies. It was hard not to miss Ginny with her bright red hair but avoided any looks as he strode over to Joe.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked bitterness in his voice.

"This broom's not coming out clear, but it's passing every test I can think of." Joe muttered, "You ok?" He asked.

"Fine..." Harry trailed off, "I just hate quidditch." He muttered darkly.

He said it quietly but Ginny still heard the last four words and let her mouth drop open. Harry had always loved quidditch, it was his escape, sometimes she'd even teased him how he loved it more than her. She turned and studied Harry for the first time in nine months. He was paler, dark lines under his eyes that had lost all trace of the spark they once held, the only word that came to mind when she looked at him was broken, and it was all her fault...

...

So here's the opening chapter, tell me what you think!!

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