Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Summary: Harry never expected that he would live. The war made his life take a turn and left him confused with no idea what to do. . . until one person showed him how he could make his life worth living. Post-DH, no epilogue.

A/N: Hello there and welcome to the very first chapter of my story, Life Goes On! I hope that you'll enjoy the first story that I've ever written! Please, no flames or rude comments. Any suggestions that can help me improve/become better will be welcome, for as long as it is written in a nice way. The chapters will contain bits and pieces of information from the books. Happy reading!

Thank you very much to dennisud, for helping me shape it and to my amazing betas, clarinet-alto-4ever and FeartheOrdinary. :)

-x-

Life Goes On

by Fia's Rapier

Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived

Over. I couldn't believe that it was really over.

Voldemort was finally defeated, the battle was won. A few hours ago, I had fulfilled my destiny; I no longer had to suffer the unbearable pain when my scar hurt and I no longer had to see his thoughts and feel what he felt. I was finally free, free to mourn the loss of my loved ones, free to live my life. But since I finally completed it, I didn't know how I should start living again. I didn't know what to do, what to feel. I was still afraid to face the future. After all, a few hours ago, I had accepted my own death in the hands of a madman, hoping that it would bring about his destruction.

I slowly opened my eyes and sat up in bed as I reached for my glasses. White curtains surrounded the rest of the room, as if they were trying to protect me from the outside world. The place was bustling. People were busy; some were being treated, and others tried to help the Healers. After we returned the Elder Wand on the headmaster's tomb, Madame Pomfrey insisted that she should tend to our wounds. We were immediately put on bed rest as soon as we got there, but I didn't know where the others were.

I let out a sigh. Many people still bled because of this war, many innocent people who wanted to fight for the future, a future that was now made possible without any fear of death.

I wondered what my future held. Would I have my own family? Would I be able to live a normal life without the fear of someone barging on my doorstep to murder me? Of course I would continue my work and clean whatever Voldemort had left behind. I could never rest easy if I knew that there were still people out there who would try and destroy this world that has only been reborn.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't notice Hermione sitting on the edge of my bed. Brown met the emerald as I attempted to produce a smile. I could see fresh tears that she was trying to hold back seep onto her face. I opened my mouth to try and form words; a sob escaped her delicate frame as she enveloped me into her hug.

"Harry James Potter, you are a fool! You're a great big fool!" Hermione said to me as she punched my chest. "You could've died; you could've left us and not come back again."

I hugged her, and for the first time in a while, I truly smiled. She could've told me that while we were still awake, after we brought the wand to the headmaster's tomb. It was a bit overwhelming for me too, actually, as I finally realized that it was the end of a battle that was long fought.

"I know," I told her. "I am sorry for making you worry."

Hermione broke the hug looked at me, her chocolate brown eyes full of emotions, stared at the depth of mine. "I was so scared; I thought I'd lose you. I thought I would never see you again," she said.

"Don't worry; I'm still here, aren't I? I think I'll still be alive to give you another set of headaches. Wait and see how quickly trouble finds me again." I chuckled. She always knew how to make me smile, despite the fact that I was always the one to bring her to the brink of death. Hermione tried to produce a laugh and failed miserably. There were many consequences to seeing the end of the war, and even if we could finally rebuild and have the peace that we longed for, we would never escape the pain that we had endured so that we could achieve that peace.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of the battlefield that I had seen a few hours back. Countless bodies flooded my thoughts, some of them were barely alive and some had that glassy look in their eyes as they . . . slept.

Horrible. Terrible. Devastating. Even these words couldn't describe the loss that I felt. So lost in my own thoughts, I didn't notice that the tears finally fell.

"Harry?" I paused as a voice brought me back to reality again. I wiped away the tears that attempted to escape my eyes and tried to somehow . . . smile. "Sorry, I was just trying to take everything all in."

She took my hand and grasped it in hers as I said, "Even after it all, I still can't feel that it is over, you know? Not when I can still see those bodies that are scattered in the Great Hall, or the cries of the people who lost someone they love."

She started to get teary-eyed again. It just hurt. It hurts to see a person you care for who was always so strong fall down before you in pain. I hated seeing them cry, I hated seeing her cry. I gestured for her to come into my hug, and she lovingly complied. I put my arms around her, in an effort to somehow ease her pain.

"Ssshh. You know very well that I am never good at seeing girls cry." I tried to laugh as I put my chin on top of her head, rubbing circles around her back.

"I know. You never really do well in those situations." I had been so lost and confused; I realized that someone was missing in the equation.

"Where's Ron? I thought he's with you?"

"He's still with his family, Harry. Fred's death was a huge shock for them; I doubt they will forget the way he just . . . died." I looked at her sad features. Before I knew it, despair abruptly struck me, and I tried to hold back a sob.

People I knew and loved were now there, dead, as they tried to fight for the future they wanted us to have. And . . . they were never coming back. Remus and Tonks left their child, utterly alone with only a young man as his Godfather. Andromeda Tonks was currently very devastated, after losing both her husband and child. And Fred . . . it was still difficult to believe that Fred, who was always a source of life and laughter inside the Weasley household, had left his family behind. The realization shook me so much; it left me, a bewildered boy, who gained nothing from the victory that was won.

Hermione looked at me, a frown creased her face as my tears started to fall again. She just stood there in my embrace, trying to comfort me without words. I tried to exhale the breath I didn't realize I was holding.

I stopped my own self-absorbed thoughts for a moment and looked at her. By the look of it, she had cried so much for the last hours. I wanted to ask her how she felt, tell her that everything would be all right and assure her that we can do this together, but I couldn't. I couldn't even promise myself that. I wiped her tears and I closed my eyes. I may not be sure what to do right now, but I wanted to express to her that, somehow, we would make it through just like we always did.

A small smile crept on my face smile as I rubbed her forearm. I closed my eyes and put my chin on her head again. At that moment, I knew that she too, had to let go. "You can let it out now, Hermione. I'll be here for as long as you want me."

She started to cry, the sound of her sobs were the only sound that I was able to hear. We stood there for a while, and I held her fragile frame.

"I am scared Harry; I don't know what to do, I don't know how to feel," she choked out. It hurt; it hurt so much when your best friend was crying, and you couldn't even do a thing about it. I pulled her closer into my embrace. And I tried, tried my best, to somehow assure her that I am here.

When she calmed down after a while, I pulled away from her and tried to wipe all the tears that stained her features. She smiled at me and as I tried to find the warmth within her eyes, I was relieved to see that some confidence was recaptured in her brown eyes.

"We should go to Ron; he needs us." Wiping the excess tears, she stood up and offered me her hand to pull me up. I gratefully took it and squeezed it tightly. With an exhale, both of us walked out of the room.

As we walked through the hallway, people were scattered, but I never tried to find out what they were doing. All I wanted to do right then was to retreat back into bed and hold her, Ron and all my loved ones, try to shield them from my own doing. I was the one who brought this terrible war upon them in the first place, just by being their friend.

Guilt, despair, hope . . . emotions swirled inside my mind. But as I held her hand, I tried to reassure myself that maybe, with my friends by my side, everything would be all right.

And I hoped that someday, just maybe, everything would fall into place.

-x-

A/N: Please leave a review and tell me your opinion! :)