A/N: This is the second chapter to a one shot that I wrote as a submission to a challenge. I just could not leave the story where I had ended it.

Human

It took Harry about 5 hours for the gravity, of what had happened, to sink in. Following on the heels of the realization, was that ever present voice. The one that had resided in Harry's soul since he was a child. It said he wasn't worthy, that he had betrayed the first person to love him, he deserved to be alone and he would be once Ginny found out he had cheated on her. He had given in to temptation. He had been tempted before and never been weak; even that horrible summer they were broken up he had remained faithful.

The worst part was, he didn't even know why he had cheated. It wasn't like they had been fighting or had grown apart. Sure his job was tough to deal with, and Ginny hated it sometimes. There wasn't as much passion in their marriage as there once was. Everyone said that was to be expected. Looking back, it felt as if it were someone else in his skin. That would be so easy; to blame his weakness on a spell someone had cast. He knew this wasn't the case. He had been selfish and wrong in his actions, and knew that whatever happened he owed Ginny the truth.

-ooo-

I took a week for Harry to summon his remaining Gryffindor courage, and decide to face his actions, by telling Ginny.

He came home from working and found the house without children.

"Where are the kids," he asked Ginny, after finding her in the sitting room.

"I asked mum to take them tonight," she said. "We need to talk."

"I was thinking the same thing," Harry said, sitting in a chair next to her.

They both started talking at the same time, and looked shocked that the other had something to say.

"Please," he said, "let me go first. If I don't, I'm not sure I will be able to talk."

Ginny nodded, looking nervous and worried.

"I don't know where to start," he said, not looking at her. "I love you and you mean so much to me. I thought I would never do anything to jeopardize that... but I did."

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she sat, stone faced, listening.

"It was after that last case..." he started to explain.

"The Red Rose Killer?" she asked.

"Please, don't call him that," he. pleaded. "That was the press's idea. I don't want to give that bastard the satisfaction. Anyway, the team went out to relax and decompress and... I wish I could say why it happened. I just don't know. Maybe it was the relief of it being over or maybe it was just my usual self-destructiveness. I don't know," he wiped a tear from his cheek. "I do know that I don't want to lose you and, while I don't deserve it I hope I haven't destroyed...us."

Ginny took a sip of a drink from the nearby table.

"You may not feel that way in a few minutes," she said. "I understand, I really do. There was just so much pain and emotion inside and it exploded out."

She looked at him sitting in the chair and looking deflated.

"You've been so strong and everyone's hero for so long, that I am not surprised something like this happened," she said swallowing against her tears and pain. "You're not a superhero you are..were human," she paused weighing what she was going to say next, "I was human too."

Harry's head whipped around, and he looked at her in disbelief.

"It was last month. Remember that party at the prophet? The one for my promotion to editor," she said clarifying, not accusing.

"I said I was sorry I wasn't there," Harry interrupted.

"I know you did, but that didn't make it hurt less," she said. "I know what your job is and I accept it. It just seems most of the time we come second to it. There are times you're so damn busy being everyone's hero, that you quit being my husband," she paused to let her words sink in. "I don't have an excuse anymore than you do. I was feeling alone and might have had too much to drink. I did know what I was doing though."

They both sat silent for a few minutes, thinking about the revelations the evening had brought. The only sound being the family clock counting the seconds.

"So, what now?" Harry broke the silence.

"I don't know," Ginny answered; her voice almost inaudible. "We've both been hurt and hurt each other."

Harry stood up and held out his arms. Ginny gasped and stood to meet him.

"I've never been one to give up," Harry said holding her, "and you mean more to me than anything. I am going to fight."

Ginny nodded burying her face in Harry's shirt.

"It won't be easy. We have so many issues." Ginny said, her voice showing worry.

"Gee, I wonder what it will be like to have to do something difficult for a change?" Harry said, smiling his lopsided smile.

"Prat," Ginny said, still holding on to him.

And so it was then and there that it happened. It wasn't on a windswept beach or in a mountain meadow, but rather there in that small sitting room on the worst day of their relationship, that Harry and Ginny Potter decided that their marriage was the most important thing in the world, and truly worth fighting for.

.