A/N: Sorry this chapter took so dang long, but I have been sick and severely stumped for a next part in this book. I was about to go to bed when this came to me and I quickly wrote it down before I could forget it. Along with the idea I got for my other stumped story, I was up until midnight working on it. You'd think it'd be long. It's not. Sorry about that.

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. Do you ever get tired of writing and reading statements like these? Why can't we just make it common knowledge that we don't own the characters from the Harry Potter book series? Of course, we could always do funny or interesting things like Angelzgaze and her poems. Those are pretty cool. Anyway, that's all I have to say on the subject.

HOLD YOU UNTIL I DIE

Chapter eight: Every Moment I'm Awake, the Further I'm Away

That night, Ginny had been doing homework for Snape in the common room. When she was done, it was rather late. She stretched out her arms and yawned. Ginny was bushed and ready to retire for the evening. She glanced about the room casually and saw several things. One was Lavender Brown and Pavati Patil reading Neville's palm. The second was the fact that Ron and Hermione were on the couch, sitting quite close. Ginny smiled at this. The third thing she saw, or more noticed, was that Harry was not at all in the room. That meant he had gone to bed and was possibly asleep. Ginny felt it a good time to visit his dreams.

Quickly, Ginny ran up stairs and jumped into her bed. Carley beside her stirred, but didn't wake. Placing the necklace around her neck, Ginny lay back and closed her eyes.

Ginny appeared in the shade of the willow, with Harry asleep on her lap. He looked so peaceful. Ginny supposed that he was not yet asleep. It was all right. She was content with feeling his hair between her fingers and watching his chest rise and fall.

"Oh, Harry," Ginny whispered, "I love you so much."

Ginny leaned down and gently kissed the lightening scar on his forehead. His skin was warm to the touch of her lips. Leaning back against the tree, Ginny waited and waited. She was actually getting quite bored. Why wasn't Harry going to sleep? The idea that Harry might have gone somewhere other than his bed that night popped into her head. She wondered if he had detention or some such. Ginny decided to awaken and see what was what.

After pulling the necklace off and awakening, Ginny got out of bed and glanced down into the common room. There he was, sitting next to Ron and Hermione. He was telling them something or another. Was it really that important that he would miss time with his dream girl?

'Fine then!' Ginny thought. 'I didn't want to see you anyway.'

With that, she strode back up to her room and attempted to dream her own dreams.

*****************

Ginny was going down the Dark Lord's black hallway, but she wasn't walking. It was like someone was moving her onward with a levitation charm. Suddenly, she felt Voldemort's necklace clinging to her skin. It clung tighter and tighter around her neck until she couldn't breathe. Still being floated down the hall, Ginny gasped for breath. The doors to the Dark Lord's throne room sprung out so quickly that she was thrust through them and to the glistening black floor. For no reason, the necklace dropped off of Ginny and she could breathe again. Ginny stared at the limp necklace for a moment, watching the lightening shape in the pendant glimmer, then she glanced up at Voldemort's throne. Instead of the Dark Lord, there sat Harry. Ginny got up and ran to him, but was staggered by what she next saw. Harry's eyes were glazed over and starring into abyss and his limbs were limp. He was dead. Ginny didn't know what to do, then she saw it, Voldemort's necklace, tight around Harry's neck.

Ginny thrashed so violently upon waking that she threw herself off her bed and on to the floor. The cool breeze froze the sweat and tears drenching her face, yet she still felt very hot. In the common room, she could get some water. That would calm her down. Accordingly, Ginny wrapped a bathrobe around herself and made her way down to the common room.

What did the dream mean anyway? Harry dying from Voldemort's necklace. She couldn't ignore the fact that it tried to kill her first. Why had it killed Harry instead? Ginny really couldn't question anymore. Harry's blank staring eyes were the only thing in her mind. She couldn't stand to see him like that, but the image would not go away. The idea of Harry dying was devastating. No more to see his bright green eyes light up when he heard good news. No longer would his hair stick up in places it shouldn't. Not another word to be uttered by his soft, kissable lips. Ginny was bawling before she even set foot in the common room. She didn't know what to do. She was so scared and alone. Sitting upon the bottom stair, Ginny covered her face with her hands.

"Ginny? Ginny, what's the matter?"

She glanced up through her tear-filled eyes and glimpsed Harry looking worriedly upon her. Out of deepening sorrow and pain, Ginny jumped up and hugged Harry around the middle, weeping into his pajamas.

"Oh, Harry!" she wailed. "Please don't leave me!"

There was nothing for a moment, then Ginny felt his arms slip around her and heard him whisper, "I won't."

Ginny and Harry sat on the couch and stared into the fire. Ginny felt completely foolish for getting so emotional over a mere dream and letting Harry see her like that. Hugging him like that was also quite embarrassing. Of course, it was nice to be in his arms as her and not as his dream girl.

"Feeling better?" Harry asked, handing her a drink of water.

She sipped it, nodding.

"If you don't mind me asking, what caused you to be so miserable?" Harry queried.

"Just a nightmare," Ginny muttered, avoiding his gaze.

"Must have been one horrible nightmare," Harry commented. "The last time I saw you crying like that was when you almost died because of Tom Riddle."

Ginny said nothing.

"Not the best time to bring it up, huh?" Harry murmured.

Ginny half-smiled, but didn't look at him.

"You know something, Gin?" Harry began, scooting closer to her. "I didn't like seeing you so sad."

Ginny glanced up into his green eyes.

"If you ever need someone to talk to," Harry went on, "I'm here."

Ginny smiled and nodded.

A/N: What'd you think? I thought it was pretty good after having writer's block for so long.