A/N: I do not own the characters or the setting or anything for that matter in the wonderful universe of Harry Potter.

This is my first attempt at a Tom/Ginny fic. They are like the BEST ship ever and needless to say, my favorite.

I'm thinking of setting this as a background thing for a multi-chapter Tom/Ginny fic, So I will hopefully be starting a new story with this as a base to build more on the Tom and Ginny relationship. YAY. :D

For now, this is it. Here's a one-shot set in the Chamber of Secrets right before Harry discovers Ginny lying in the Chamber. :)

Enjoy! ^_^


Deception

"Tom?" Her soft voice spoke.

She stared with childlike fear and curiosity as the dark figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Finally. It feels amazing to be free again," he commented in a calm, soft voice while glancing at himself.

Ginny continued to stare at him with combined emotions of fear and awe. Too stunned and afraid to say anything. She couldn't believe she was seeing Tom; the same Tom she had spent hours talking to, the same Tom who had started to scare her recently.

Tom Riddle looked up, as if suddenly acknowledging her presence.

"Of course, without you it couldn't have been possible, my little princess. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for the strength you poured into me," he said; his gaze unmoving from her face as he stepped closer.

Ginny flushed. In the light of the recent events, Ginny had gotten more and more suspicious of her precious diary friend. Yet, his sweet words still had an effect on her; she couldn't help but admire him. She looked back at him noticing his peculiar translucent form and stared quizzically.

Tom smiled at her expression, his eyes filled with a mischievous look.

"No, I am not a ghost, Ginevra," he answered as if hearing her unspoken question.

"Th-then, why are you-"

"I'm still gaining strength. My form will take time to be complete," he spoke in a cool voice.

"I'm scared, Tom. I don't know what's happening. What are you going to do?" she said, revealing her fear.

Tom took another step towards her, reaching out with both his hands to touch the outside of her arms.

"Don't worry, Princess. Everything will be fine," he said in a voice laced with honey, drawing his face closer to hers.

"What about the attacks, Tom? I'm the one doing them, aren't I? I'm the one who attacked Colin, and Hermione, and Penelope. How did I do that? What's happening to me?" Ginny let all her fear flow through her as tears streamed down her face. All the uncertainty and questions she had been keeping balled up inside had found there way out of her mouth.

"Shh. It's okay. I'll take care of everything," he murmured, wiping the tears off her face as he pulled her into a soft, calming embrace.

She buried her face in his chest, letting his presence calm her emotions. It was a while before she could speak again.

"What do you want me to do?" Ginny whispered.

"Let me have your strength."

"How?" She softly pulled back from his embrace to look at his face; her expression one of confusion.

"You don't have to do anything. Just don't fight it." His voice was masked with calm and care, his eyes never leaving her face.

"But I'm scared, Tom."

"Don't be. You won't even feel it. It will just make me stronger; let me go help your friends that have been attacked. Before you know it, you will have your strength back."

"Wi-will it hurt?" she whispered; her voice barely audible.

"No."

She looked at his face for a long time then sighed as if reaching a decision. Looking down at her hands, she slowly nodded.

A smile covered Tom's face; a smile showing immense pleasure. There was something cold in his eyes, something vile and unrecognizable. It worried her.

"Tom, I feel light-headed," she whispered in a truly scared voice.

"You are just strained. Lie down," he said in a tone that contained a hint of a command in it while helping her lay down on the floor in his arms.

"Will it stop when you're done, Tom?"

"Of course." His voice covered with sweetness, his face a mask of care and compassion as he playfully stroked her hair.

Once again his voice, his words, calmed her. She felt safe again in the arms of her trustworthy best friend. She looked at him for a while, thoughtfully. He was so great, so loving. Nobody had ever understood her like him; he always knew what was bothering her, how to make her feel better. Everything that had started happening after she started writing in her diary had scared her; it had made her suspicious of her friend. Sometimes she wondered whether she was making a mistake putting so much trust into him. But every time she opened that diary again and talked to him, her suspicions were vanquished and her trust restored. How could anyone so sweet and understanding be harmful? He was just trying to help her friends. Maybe she was the one going crazy and doing all those awful things in the school. She sighed.

"Are you going to bring them back? Everyone who has been petrified?"

"Yes." His reply was short, his tone hadn't changed a bit.

"How?" She looked at him quizzically.

"I have a cure. Only I can bring them back."

"But Madam Pomfrey and Professor Sprout said they have been working on a potion, a cure."

"There is no other cure, Ginevra. Only I have one," he replied in a cool, conceited tone.

"How did you get it?" She asked, her face filled with awe and wonder.

"It's a long story, Princess. You don't have enough strength to understand," he answered in a soft voice.

Ginny took her gaze away from his face and started to look at the different snake statues. They scared her, so she switched her gaze to the pool of water beside her. She pondered what the cure looked like. A few minutes passed until she acknowledged something.

"Tom, my fingers are cold. I can't feel my legs," she muttered in an almost inaudible whisper, yet the panic was evident in her voice. "Your form is getting more visible."

"Shh. It will be over soon, Princess," he whispered as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"I can't feel anything. It's so cold. Your face is getting blurry."

"It's almost complete. Your soul, your strength is pouring into me." His voice was filled with triumph as his previously calm tone morphed into a cold one.

"Tom?"

What was happening? Why was her whole body so cold? Why couldn't she feel anything? Everything was so blurry.

"Goodbye, Ginevra. You silly girl."

Her ears filled with a cruel, inhuman laugh. She didn't understand. She couldn't understand. Tom couldn't, he wouldn't. A pit of blackness was engulfing her, she couldn't pull away.

"No! Tom!" she murmured nearly inaudibly as she was pulled into complete darkness and all of her senses failed her.


A/N: Reviews? Pleases? :D

Oh and you guys can also read the poem inspired by this fanfic (written around the sentence in the description) at . or .com/#/d2q0j6k