"He's so, so handsome," sighed a girl from Ravenclaw. She sat right next to Ginny, resting her head onto her hand.

Of course, she could do nothing but agree. Handsome could not even begin to describe professor Riddle's face. Ginny still fancied Harry, but that didn't mean she was blind. And there was something about him that intrigued her. Not the way he spoke, nor the elegant way he dressed, not even that jaw line or those cheekbones of his. No, there was entirely something else, but Ginny didn't know what. He just seemed painfully familiar and it had nothing to do with him being their professor for almost six months now.

She moved her eyes away from their defense teacher who started gathering their papers with an elegant move of his hand, to just a few seats ahead where Harry sat together with Ron and Hermione. They were all in the same year now, as he had returned to Hogwarts to finish his education, one year after defeating Voldemort. It had been difficult from the very start. Everyone wanted a piece of their saviour, so the two of them hadn't really got the proper occasion to talk about their relationship. To be honest, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer.

Ginny saw Harry lean closer to Ron, whispering in his ear. Not a second after, her brother snorted far too loud and the entire classroom went silent, everyone's eyes on the two of them.

"Mister Potter, Mister Weasley, am I interrupting you?"

Professor Riddle was comfortably leaning against the desk, arms crossed over his chest. He had an eyebrow raised as he obviously waited for an answer from his favorite student, a calm look on his attractive face. Everyone knew Harry got along with professor Riddle. It was clear that the man had become some kind of mentor for him, exactly like Lupin used to be. Ginny couldn't really blame him for seeking guidance, even from a former Slytherin as professor Riddle; she could only image how lonely Harry must have felt all this time.

Ron broke the awkward silence, clearing his throat rather loudly, gaining a disapproving glance from Hermione and a few other classmates. It was becoming quite clear her brother wouldn't be the one to do the talking.

"No, professor," she heard Harry respond, the professor's eyes set on him. "We're sorry for the interruption."

Ginny couldn't be sure, considering she didn't see Harry's face, but it appeared like he was holding the older man's gaze as he spoke. She kind of admired him for that. Not many people could hold a staring contest with Riddle, at least not without being the first one to look away, friend or not.

"Good" he uttered. "I'd hate to give you both detention for disturbing my class."

His face said exactly how very sorry he would be. If Ginny knew one thing about him, it was the fact that no matter his personal preferences, he was a fair and just person when it came to situations like this. She was surprised her brother and Harry had gotten away so easy. It wouldn't have been the first time, at least for Harry, to stay after class in the company of the older man. Most likely, that's how he and Riddle managed to know each other in the first place.

Even Riddle's scolding didn't take too long, as their essays finally gathered into a high pile on the top of his desk and the enormous clock painted on the wall announced the class was over.

"You're dismissed for today," the middle aged man announced, turning his back on them.

Unlike in other classes, no one hurried to gather their things, chatting with one another besides their desks, stealing glances at Professor Riddle when they thought the man wasn't paying attention. Not even Hermione was able to hold herself back from admiring him. Handsome and smart. Who in the right mind wouldn't fancy him?

The bushy haired girl moved her gaze away, shaking her head at the two boys next to her when Ginny joined them seconds later.

"You two are unbelievable," she heard Hermione speak. "Especially you, Harry. You know how much professor Riddle hates students chatting in his classroom. Someone would think you're trying to get detention or something."

Ron made a disgusted face at the possibility, but Harry laughed, as if the whole thing was incredibly funny. He did not meet her eyes as the four of them moved towards the exit. The group was almost at the stairs leading up to the door when she heard Riddle's voice call after them.

"Mister Potter, stay behind for a while."

"Git," murmured Ron, low enough for only them to hear. He made a guilty face at his best friend when he realized what he had said.

Harry just shrugged, motioning them to go ahead.

"Don't wait for me," he spoke, hoisting his bag higher on his shoulder, already heading in the direction of the older man without waiting for an answer.

Ginny noticed that professor Riddle was watching the whole scene rather closely. She offered the man a respectful nod, moving after Ron, who was the first to go.

"I don't understand," her brother complained mostly to his girlfriend while strolling through the corridors. "Both of us had been nosy, yet Harry's the only one held behind. I'm telling you, he wants something from him."

Hermione rolled her eyes, a fond expression on her face.

"Honestly, Ron. I get that he's the defense teacher, but I'm pretty sure he's not trying to kill Harry or anything like that. You know that professor Riddle is like a father figure for him. I'm sure they're just speaking."

"Or maybe he just wants an autograph from the boy who defeated the dark lord," Ginny joked. "Wouldn't be the first."

She stopped in her tracks right after they took a corner to the left, blinking. Hermione stared at her, obviously trying to understand what was going on, what made her stop so abruptly.

"I forgot my notebook inside my desk," Ginny explained. "In the classroom."

She had been so engrossed in watching Riddle and Harry, that gathering her things had been the last thing on her mind. Ginny chewed on her lower lip, standing in front of Ron and Hermione.

"Well," her brother began. "Nobody's going to take it, so I'm pretty sure it's still going to be there tomorrow."

Ginny shook her head.

"We have homework to do, so I need it today…" An idea started to form itself into her mind. "Tell you what. You two go on ahead while I return to the classroom, excuse myself and get my things. I'll be even making sure Harry isn't brutally murdered, considering Ron's so worried about it."

Her sarcasm was met with a smile by Hermione and with a frown by Ron, who was clearly not amused.

"Fine. See you at Potions. And I don't think he's going to murder Harry," he shouted after her.

Ginny waved at them before turning on her heels, speeding back towards the classroom. The door was slightly parted when she got there, probably being left that way by mistake. Just as she was about to knock, Ginny heard a loud crash coming from inside. She did not know what to do. Her instinct was to barge in and see what happened, but Riddle wouldn't be pleased by such behavior. In the end, she settled for slowly pushed the door ajar, just enough to quietly fit inside.

She only managed to climb half the staircase leading towards the classroom when she saw something that made her blood run cold. A statue of some famous wizard was lying shattered on the floor, but that wasn't what she was looking at. No, Ginny was looking Harry, sprawled onto his back over professor Riddle's desk, with said man between his spreaded legs. They weren't quite naked, but neither what one could call dressed.

From where Ginny stood, their lower bodies couldn't entirely be seen, but she didn't need that to understand what was happening right before her eyes. To see that professor Riddle was thrusting into the willing body under him. Or that Harry was biting his lips so hard he was bleeding in order to keep quiet, most likely afraid of being overheard by someone.

She was frozen in place, staring at her used-to-be boyfriend, heart threatening to leave her chest. Harry's skin was glistening with sweat as he struggled to surpass a moan, locking his fingers together with Riddle, his bare legs wrapped tight around the man's waist. Ginny was beginning to feel sick in the stomach, hand covering her mouth, but she simply couldn't move her eyes away from the pair.

The man she fantasized about in class was fucking the boy she was in love with, one hand over Harry's left tight, the other tightly held in the boy's own. Riddle's pants were around his ankles, his shirt wide open. Just as Ginny watched, the professor adjusted his angle, slamming into Harry so hard that his legs almost fell from around the older man's waist.

"T…Tom… Tom," moaned Harry in such a needy voice that Ginny could barely associate it with the boy she knew all these years. "Harder," he ordered.

No sooner had he finished speaking that Riddle complied, in such a manner it sent their pile of essays tumbling down, scattering all over the floor. She didn't know how long it took for them to be done; just that it suddenly was too quiet. The desk wasn't moving anymore. Ginny hadn't realized her eyes were cast down until she raised her gaze once again. Riddle entirely covered Harry's body with his own, their lips slowly moving in unison, bodies still. The boy's arms were around professor Riddle's neck, keeping their mouths locked together.

Just the sound of their breathing was filling the otherwise silent room.

When Riddle finally straightened himself, he pulled the smaller boy against him, hands threading through his black hair. Harry gazed up at…his lover and smiled, his whole face brightened up.

"I can't believe you made me stay behind for this," he complained. "And here, of all places."

But Ginny knew him, and Harry wasn't bothered at all by what he juts accused the man of doing. Riddle grinned smugly at him, his palms cupping Harry's cheeks.

"Why?" he asked, tilting his head, mocking curiosity. "Can't I see my Chosen One whenever I desire?"

There was no answer. Harry raised his chin, waiting to be kissed, his hands covering Riddle's own. He was indulged almost immediately.

Ginny stepped away then, her notebook long forgotten inside her desk. She didn't stop running until she was in the common room, glad everyone was at Potions. How could one even begin to move past what had just happened?

"Place it on the desk," professor Riddle instructed in a cold voice, not ceasing his writing.

Ginny did as she was told, handing over her homework two days later. She was careful not to touch the desk Harry had been fucked on. She met the man's eyes, waiting for him to speak first, trying to clear her head of those inappropriate images.

"I hope you know I'll have to take deduction points for it being brought so late."

"Yes, sir," she nodded. "I'm aware."

Riddle hummed, motioning her she was free to go. Ginny moved quickly this time, being almost on the top of the stairs when the professor called after her.

"And Miss Weasley, next time you forget something, be wise enough to knock first. I'd hate for you to ruin your impression of me any further. Have a pleasant day," he broadly smiled, his expression contradicting his harsh words.

Ginny just left, hands trembling around her books. All the way over to Charms, she thought about one thing only. No matter how hard she tried, how much she searched her memory, Ginny could not remember ever having a bad impression about Tom Riddle.