**I'm getting on a schedule to get chapters out (for all my stories) on a more regular basis. So, please bare with me whilst I try and get my shit together. I really hope you enjoy this chapter, let me know what you think!**

"Lina, come here."

Rosalina looked up from her coursework and sighed softly, "What now, Tom?" She got up from her laying position on the floor and walked over to the older boy sitting at a desk.

The two of them were alone in the Slytherin Common Room, the rest of Slytherin House either at dinner or home for the Winter Holidays. Lina and Tom had formed a strong bond ever since the night he had used the Curciatus Curse on her. Lina had changed as well. She was still stuck up and overly snobbish, but she had placed all her loyalty and attention in Tom. He had become the pillar that holds her up, and he was holding her up for his own person gain.

"See that spider?" Tom's eyes flicked to the stone wall, where a small, black spider was cautiously making its way closer and closer to the ceiling. "Torture it."

The eleven year old girl eyed the older boy hesitantly, "Why?"

"I want to see if you have the guts to do so." Tom's voice was void of any emotion or meaning. He spoke monotonously towards her, and his eyes went back down to the Runes book laying on the desk.

"O-Okay…" Lina scrambled back to the pile of books and coursework laid out on the floor, grabbed her wand, and walked back to Tom. As she raised her wand, pointing it at the spider, Tom stopped her.

"You should never leave your wand like that. It should be on your person at all times." His eyes were still on the book before him, his voice still as hollow.

"Oh… right." Lina bit her tongue determinedly, staring the spider down as it stopped its climb to the ceiling. "Crucio."

The small girl's grey eyes widened as the spider fell to the table, twitching in pain as the curse bore down on the small insect. She didn't dare lift the curse until Tom said so. This was a game; a game to see if Lina was truly loyal to Tom. He had done this often, telling her to do something and waiting to see if she does, and how skillfully, how long she'll do whatever it is he told her to. Normally Lina would wait until Tom told her to stop. If she had been torturing a poor insect or animal that crossed their path, she was relentless. Tom would always see, love that sparkle of sadistic joy the eleven year old girl got from torturing the living thing under her control.

"That is enough, Lina. Well done." Tom smirked at her as she ended the curse. A cute smirk lit her face as she saw the dead spider. "Look at that, little rose. You killed it."

"I did, didn't I?" Lina said proudly, smiling brilliantly.

"Now, go finish your coursework. I doubt Professor Slughorn will give you an extension."

"But he adores me. I'm his precious little prodigy. You're just jealous." Lina giggled and walked back to her books and papers, but was stopped abruptly as Tom painfully grabbed her arm.

"Watch your tongue, Rosalina." His dark eyes were flooded with anger, causing the beautifully dark brown depth to be nearly black.

"S-Sorry, Tom."

As he let her go, he huffed and stomped, almost childishly, back to the desk before grabbing the book and slumping onto one of the couches. Lina winced as the couch scrapped against the stone floor with the force of Tom sitting down. Her grey eyes lowered in a sad manner as she sat down on the cold floor.

I hate upsetting Tom… Not because he may hurt me… but because when he's mad or upset it means I've hurt him…

Lina's thin, small fingers flipped through the books before her absently. All thoughts were on Tom Riddle now, so finishing her coursework was very unlikely. In the time she's come to know Tom- the short time from the Sorting till now, Winter Holidays- Lina has learned so many things about the older boy. He was well liked and respected, by teachers and students. A few of the students didn't like him because he had such high marks, but really there was no reason as to why no one would like him. He kept to himself, either working on coursework or tucked away in the library reading or studying about ancient wizards or higher level spells and potions. He was a well mannered boy, which was odd since he was raised in a Muggle orphanage.

Lina held strong pity for Tom Riddle. A great young wizard like him having to live with Muggles? It was terrible. He should have family to go home to after term. A Wizarding family. However, as much as Lina pitied the boy for his upbringing, he showed no signs of being completely unhappy with his situation. Tom had confided in her that he hated living at the orphanage, and that Hogwarts was his true home, but he didn't need anyone's pity, for he found ways to use magic without being caught- by the head warden and the Ministry.

Sighing, Lina tried to focus on her coursework, but her grey eyes slid to Tom as he laid on the couch. She looked at the abandoned book on his stomach, watching it rise and fall with the steady breaths he took. He's fallen asleep…

Lina smiled and climbed onto the couch beside him, their work equally abandoned as she curled into his side.

"Goodnight, Tom."

That night as Lina slept, she dreamt of being alone. All alone in a field of snow, trying to find her way to others who would keep her warm. Her mother was no where in sight, which truly frightened Lina as she fell to her knees crying and screaming out for someone to come find her. Her father, very much like her mother, was not in sight either. Lina was use to not having her father around much, but she still felt deeply upset by him not coming to her rescue. As she cried, her hot, clear tears mixing with the cold, white snow, she didn't notice the figure that began making its way over to her, or the fact that the snow was slowing to a stop.

She didn't notice until the soft touch of warmth graced her cheeks. As she opened her weary eyes, she saw the snow had stopped falling and the bright sun had come out, melting away the snow around her. In front of her stood a figure, a body. Her small hand reached out to touch the person in front of her who was so brilliant to have chased the snow away and cast the gentle sun onto her.

Flowers bloomed around her as she grabbed the hand of the person in front of her, their face becoming clear.

Tom…

He smiled at her, pulling her to her feet, and just as soon as he pulled her to her feet, the small girl smirked at him. The flower filled field began to decay and turn to barren earth as the two held hands. Lina felt all the love, energy, and power draining from the flowers and pouring deliciously into herself. She was growing stronger, becoming addicted to the feel. She wanted more. More Her grey eyes turned to look at the boy before her, a cruel smirk stretching across her young features.

This boy was her pillar, holding her up for his own personal gain. In the same fashion as Tom held Lina up for his own gain, Lina did the very same. She allowed Tom to hold her high, only wanting nothing more than suck him dry of everything he had. His energy, his power, his soul. She wanted it all.

As she began to drain Tom of all he had to unwillingly offer, the now barren field around her only grew black, and her pillar- Tom- began to crumble. Lina's body began to fall, fall down to the black void bellow her. She tried to grab hold of Tom's crumbling form, her once strong pillar, but she only fell faster, faster until she was engulfed by the black void that had once had the sun shinning across the snowy plans to save her.