Inspired by the song Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol and the idea that Ginny became Harry's "greatest source of comfort"

'He's dead,' Harry told himself, for what felt like the hundredth time that day. 'Dumbledore is dead. Snape killed him.'

Death really shouldn't be such a hard thing for him to comprehend. He had lost his parents. He had seen Cedric Diggory die. He watched Sirius fall through the veil. So why couldn't he wrap his head around the idea that Dumbledore was dead? Harry had seen it with his own two eyes. Frozen, though he might have been, his eyes saw it all. Dumbledore falling backwards, falling straight to the ground.

Had it really only been two days ago?

Unwanted thoughts filled his head again, 'Everyone you care about dies.' His intermonalog sneered at him, sounding just like Severus Snape. 'First your father, than your friend, than your godfather, and now,' The voice sounded even more condescending. 'Your mentor. Who's next? Someone from your surrogate family. Maybe that know-it-all Granger. How about that new girlfriend of yours?'

Harry shut his eyes in an attempt to control something. He was laying beside the lake, the sun already almost completely gone from the sky. No one was around him. They were all up at dinner, as he should be too. But he couldn't force himself to be in others company. He knew he was brooding. He always did after something like this happen, just like after Sirius.

Taking in a deep breath Harry opened his eyes, that snide voice in his finally silent.

He wouldn't let it happen. He couldn't let anything else happen to someone he cared about. Not Ron. Not Hermione. Not the Weasley's. Not, Harry swallowed hard, Ginny. It would be his fault if anything happened to them. They might get hurt because they know him, because they care about him.

Harry scrubbed his face with his hands. How could he protect them all? He couldn't help Sirius. He couldn't help Dumbledore. What could he do?

His mind came back to Ginny. They had been together for so little time, but she had become so important to him. Sure they had been friends before, but now… She was so much more. He couldn't think of anyone he wanted to protect more. Of course he knew she wouldn't like the way he was thinking. Ginny was just as stubborn as Ron, with a temper that matched Mrs. Weasley. She had proved herself to him time and time again. First the Ministry, then the other night when Snape had killed…

'Dumbledore,' He forced his mind to think his name. 'Snape killed Dumbledore'

Anger filled his veins again. How could Dumbledore have trusted that bat? How could he have let an ex-death eater get so close to him? Hadn't Harry warned him about Malfoy and Snape? Love was a great power, Dumbledore had drilled that into Harry's head. But to trust someone blindly… That wasn't the same, and maybe it wasn't fair of him to compare the two thoughts, but…

'Fuck,' Harry yelled within his own head.

"Harry?" A soft voice said spoke to the left of his head. He didn't need to look, he could tell who it was from the intoxicating flowery scent that had filled his lungs.

"Hi Ginny," His voice sounded distant, even to him.

"Do you…" Her voice sound cautious, like she was afraid he might snap in half. "Do you want company?"

He thought about it. He didn't want to be around people. He had chosen to come out at dinner time, because he knew that no one would be outside.

But oddly, he was ok with her being there.

He sat up from the grassy imprint he had made, so he could look into her face. She was biting her lip, her brown eyes dark. Clearly she wanted to be there with him, but it was obvious to him that she would leave if he asked her too.

He gave her a small smile. "Yeah."

Her eyes widened, clearly she had thought he was going to turn her away. She recovered quickly, returning his smile. Moving to his side, she sat down placing her hand on the ground in between them. A gesture of comfort, something he could take or ignore.

Normally, he wouldn't take the hand. If it had been anyone else he would have pretended it wasn't there. But again, he was ok with it, because it was her. He placed his own hand on top of hers, coving it completely. She turned her hand over, and intertwined their fingers.

Even though it was so small, the contact made him feel better. Again he couldn't help that, even though it they had been together for so little time, she was vital to him. She was like a bright light that entered a dim room. Sure, he could see before she came into his life. But now, in the after effect, he could see every corner of the room.

They sat, hands connected, till the sun was completely gone. Neither of them spoke, they just sat, both lost in their own heads. If Hermione had come down to talk to him, she would have tried to push him into talking. If it had been Ron he would have just sat awkwardly, twitching around uncertainty.

Ginny didn't push him or act awkward. No instead she just let him work out things in his own head. He wondered if she knew how much it meant to him. Just the fact that she didn't push or pry. It was like she knew exactly what he needed. She was there if he needed more.

He decided to be the one to break the silence with a uncertain voice, "Ginny?"

"Mmm?" Ginny responded quietly.

"Have you ever thought…" His voice trailed off, as he tried to figure out how to word his question. She waited silently, looking over at the water. Normally she would have made a sarcastic comment, but it was again like she knew what he need. She just waited for him to collect his thoughts.

"Have you ever wanted to just forget everything?" He finally posed. She turned to face him now, head cocked slightly to the right. He could tell she needed more. "Like have you ever want to just forget everything we know and just… just leave it all behind?"

She gave him a wary smile, "You mean forget all the problems and leave the past behind?"

He nodded, looking directly into her chocolate brown eyes. She met his gaze, unwaveringly.

"Yeah I have," She admitted. "After the Chamber." She gave a small shudder at the thought of the chasm underneath the school. "It would have been so much easier to just leave Hogwarts. Just to head to another school, like Beauxbatons."

Harry couldn't help but agree with that statement. She could have just gone to another school. Forget all about Tom Riddle and the horrible things he made her do.

She gave him another smile, one that made him think she knew his thoughts. She moved her free hand, placing it on his cheek. He leaned into her touch. "It would have been easier, but it wouldn't have been right. I needed to learn to move past my issues, not run and hide from them."

"But..." He wanted to tell her everything. Horcruxes, his connection with Voldemort, his plans to kill Voldemort. But he couldn't, Dumbledore had told him not to. He had said only Ron and Hermione. At the time the situation was fine. There hadn't been anyone else he had wanted to tell, but now… Now there was Ginny.

How could it be that in such little time she had become, what felt like, everything to him? Because of that, he wanted to protect her more than anyone else. To keep her safe felt like… no it was just as important as finding all the horcruxes. How was he supposed to keep her safe, if it meant that she needed to be away from him?

Ginny seemed to notice his inner struggle. She moved, positioning herself in front of him on her knees. She moved her body closer to his, wrapping her arms around his torso. She held him tight.

Just like her hands, her arms brought relief and a feeling of ease. In her arms he felt safe from the outside world. He was safe from his own thoughts, that had been plaguing him.

"Harry just lay with me for a few minutes," Ginny whispered. She kept her arms around him as she pulled them, sideways, on the grass. They laid there, in each other's embrace facing each other. Just being in her warmth made him forget the world momentary. He didn't think about Snape, Malfoy, or Dumbledore. He just thought about how it felt to be in her arms.

He didn't think about the time, or the fact that curfew was coming. He just stayed in Ginny's arms. He moved his head closer to hers, leaning their foreheads together. He could feel her breath, as it warmed the tip of his nose.

Finally it was Ginny who broke their trance. She pressed a light kiss to his mouth, then unwrapped herself from him. He wanted to protest. He wanted to throw a fit like Dudley use to when he didn't get what he wanted. He wanted them to stay there forever, lost to the world.

Ginny rolled away from him, and stood up. She held out a hand to him, a clear gesture that it was time to go inside. He took her offering and stood with her. He made sure to keep his hand tucked in hers as they walked back towards the castle.

Once in the entrance hall, Harry made his way towards the stairs to the Common Room, but Ginny pulled him back.

"I was thinking," She said, her eyes alight mischief. "We could go have something to eat down in the kitchens." A smile played on her lips. "I mean you did miss dinner, and we don't want you getting any thinner. Mum would be furious."

Harry couldn't help but return her smile. There she was again, giving him just what he needed. He leaned in and pressed a short but meaningful kiss on her lips.

"Your right," He says when he pulls back. "The last thing I want is an angry Weasley."

She nodded affirmatively giving him a of-course-I'm-right smile as she patted his cheek. He pulled her close to his side, his arm around her waist, as he led the way to the kitchens.