The Dark Lord sits in the arm chair in front of the fire, tapping his fingers against the arm rest and drinking from a glass of Bourbon as his dark wand lies on his lap. The nervous little elf wrings her bony fingers as she bows down before him, touching her ugly nose to the floor boards by his feet.

"Well?" He asks softly with a cold voice that makes the elf shiver.

"Theys been making a plan tonight, Master." The elf squeaks and Tom almost cringes at the terrible way the pitiful thing talks. They should be taught proper English. "Theys been planning to kill you."

He's really not surprised and he laughs a little before taking another drink. "How original of them." He muses to himself as he smirks into the fire. "What else were they doing?"

The small elf tells her Lord the plan that Draco had come up with. That haphazard plan that would never work and Tom knew it. You could tell by the smile on his face as the elf repeated what she heard while she was hiding under the bed, listening to Draco and Ginny as they tried to work things out.

"It's almost too easy." He says lightly as he picks up his wand and starts spinning it in between his fingers. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

The elf looks him in the eyes for the first time and twitches a bit before answering. "Yes'm, Sir!" It squeals, delighted at the thought of getting Ginny in trouble. "Miss Ginny was lettin' the Malfoy traitor have her."

"Have her?" Tom asks carefully with narrowed eyes.

The elf nods it's head again. "She was riding on top of him when I popped back here, Master! I said that girl was no good, Sir!"

"Stupid little girl." Tom whispers to himself before standing up and storming out of the room.

X

"Are you alright?" Draco asks in breathless voice as Ginny stares up at the ceiling. He turns himself over on his stomach and rests on his elbows to run his hands through his hair that's damp with sweat. "Gin?" He asks against as he turns towards her.

She closes her eyes and nods her head, with her lips parted and red from his kisses. A little smile graces her mouth and she turns towards him, kissing his shoulder and placing her hand on his strong back.

"I liked that." She whispers against his skin as he watches her from the corner of his eyes, not able to hold back the smug look on his face.

"There was never a doubt in my mind." He says with a smirk.

"I'm glad you're so modest about it." She teases as she kisses his arm again.

He pushes her on her back and turns to the side, propping his head up in his hands so he's above her, looking down. She smiles at him and he can't help but smile back as he moves some damp hair away from her eyes. "You're beautiful." He says honestly as her skin glistens. He studies every freckle on her face like he was trying to memorize the pattern.

She blushes and looks at his throat. "Was it… did you like it?" She asks nervously. She never cared if it was good for Tom but for some reason she wants him think it was.

A handsome smile tilts his lips as he runs his fingers along her collar bone. "Guys don't fake." He says in response to her question. He brings his head down and kisses her where his fingers were. "You know, I never thought I'd find red hair and freckles so attractive. I thought your brother would have ruined it for me."

She smiles a little, trying to ignore the hurt at the mention of her dead brother. She runs her fingers through his hair and sighs as he relaxes against her chest. "I never thought pasty, pointy, and pale was my type, either." She jokes and that earns her a playful bite on the shoulder. They lay in silence for a while, taking comfort in each others heart beat as they try to pretend everything is alright. "Are we really going to do this, Draco?" She whispers after a while.

He nods his head and sits up so he can look down at her again. "We have to. My parents are in trouble and… I can't keep letting you go to him. It's killing me." He faces forward and sits up totally so he's looking at the far wall, watching the shadows play off the furniture.

She sits up behind him and kisses his back, wrapping her arms around his torso. "He's probably going to kill us." She says honestly against the skin of his back. She knows that is what's likely to happen. He's too powerful and too many people follow him to just be taken down by two scared people.

He twists his body and touches her face. "I don't think dying will be so bad." He says half joking.

"Look at you get all noble." She says with a smile.

"I know, right? How very Potter of me." He says and she lets herself laugh a little even though there are tears stinging her eyes. He notices and he kisses her. "Don't worry." He says even though he doesn't take his own advice.

Suddenly her face twists in pain and she grabs her thigh. "I don't think I'll ever get use to this." She says as the mark burns her skin.

Draco hates seeing her like this so he stands up and grabs her some clothes. "Did he say he was going to call you back tonight?" He asks as she cries on the bed.

She shakes her head and takes the clothes he hands to her. "No, h-he didn't." She answers as the pain between her legs intensifies. Even though it hurts she's trying her best not to yell out. Shaking, she puts on the clothes and ties her hair back. "Are you going to make me the secret keeper?" She asks, remembering their plan.

He nods his head and takes out his wand. With her inner thigh still burning they go over their plan again and Draco does the necessary spells before making her a port key. Before he hands the object to her he looks deeply into her eyes and dips his head down to kiss her. Knowing it will probably be the last time he'll be able to do it. He slightly lifts her off the ground as he wraps his arms around her waist and slides his tongue against hers in a passionate way that he's never done before. She sighs into his mouth and locks her arms behind his neck as he tilts his head and kisses her from another angle.

The mark burns again and she whimpers so he pulls back and sets her gently back on her feet.

"Ginny," He says as he looks at her eyes tearing with pain. "You can do this." He reassures her as she looks at him nervously.

"I know."

"Listen," He runs a hand through his hair nervously and right now she finds that so endearing. She almost wants to hug him. "If… If I ever loved anything it was probably you."

She blinks at him a few times and another sad smile comes to her face. "You need to work on you declarations of love." She teases at her heart beats painfully. She takes the portkey out of his hands and kisses his lips one more time. "We probably could have been happy." She says before the portkey glows and takes her away.

X

When she reaches the sitting room he's already there. Standing by the fireplace, watching the flames dance and dash around in the grate with his hands folded across his chest. He's wearing a dark cloak over a blood red shirt and black pants making him seem so regal and rich despite his modest upbringing. Nothing about Tom is modest if she's being honest with herself. His hair is combed into place perfectly and his skin looks like marble against the backdrop of the dark fireplace as he reflects. She won't deny that Tom Riddle was... is… a handsome man despite his short comings.

"I sense you have something you want to tell me." Tom smirks, still not looking her way.

Ginny gulps and steps forward. The plan is stupid. She knows Draco is waiting for them at the hideout, waiting for her to ask Tom for permission for the floo network and then telling him where they live so he'll open the connection. She tries to imagine what it will be like. Draco will floo here after his fireplace is alerted of the connection and then he'll take out his wand… and then what? Kill Tom? It would probably end with Draco getting killed and then she'll be all alone again because she knows Tom won't just let her die after that. She makes up her mind and takes another step towards him.

"Will you let Draco's parents go?" She asks softly as she watches his impassive profile.

He finally looks at her and his red eyes look like they're glowing, burning a hole right into her body. "Is that really what you want to know?" He asks carefully with his head turned towards the side. Like he was waiting for her ask something else.

"Will you?"

He straightens his spine and takes a step towards her, with his wand hanging from his fingertips. The sight makes her nervous but she won't move back. "What do I get in return, little one?"

She gulps again and tries to look him in the eyes without shaking. "What do you want?"

His face becomes predatory and he walks his way towards her like a panther ready to pounce. Despite her attempt to be brave she backs up and when her back hits the wall he grabs her chin with his strong fingers as he studies her face with sharp eyes.

"What if I said I wanted your tongue?" He says, talking in such a soft, misleadingly sweet, voice. "Would you cut it out yourself and give it to me?" She doesn't say anything because she's too frightened to. "Hmm, what would you do so Prince Charming could have his parents back?"

"You're hurting me." She states as his nails dig into her skin.

He smiles and lets go of her face, placing his hands on both sides of her head. "It's not the first time, now is it? I must say I'm disappointed in you, Ginny. I had thought you would be here ready to act out your whole murderous scheme against me." Her eyes become wide at his knowledge and he brings a hand down to put some hair, that's fallen loose from the hair tie, behind her ear. "I'm the Dark Lord, darling. Not some stupid little boy with a fake wand."

"How did you…" She starts but she can't finish that sentence because Tom pushes his body into hers and she can feel the hard bulge in his pants, pressing against her stomach.

"I have my ways." He smirks, taking pleasure in the distressed look on her face. "Answer my question. What are you willing to do to make sure your boyfriend's parents are safe, hm?"

That's a dangerous question and she knows that. She doesn't know what to say so she closes her eyes as he grinds his hips against her. "What do you want?" She repeats again.

He sighs a tilts his head to the side as he watches her then he brings his head down to her neck, sweetly kissing her there at first before biting so hard he breaks skin. She cries out and tries to push him off but he holds her wrists tight in his hands and moves to her shoulder, biting her with sharp teeth through the shirt that she's wearing.

"Stop it." She whines knowing it's useless but saying it anyway.

"I really hate that you think I'm so simple, Ginevra." He says in a low voice as he moves back to her neck, sucking on the place that he bit as she whimpers. "It's really unfortunate for you that you underestimate me so much." He inhales against her flesh and stands back again so he can scowl down at her. "I can smell him on you."

"Tom, I—" She didn't even know what she was going to say but he cut her off anyways.

"I told you what would happen, didn't I? I do try to not go back on my word." Suddenly he steps back from her, pulling her by the wrist as he throws her onto one of the couches. "You aren't going to like this, Ginny." He warns her as he takes off his cloak and unbuttons the cuffs of his shirt, rolling them up to his elbows. "Try to keep your screaming down to a minimum."

She watches with her whole body shaking as he gets on his knees by her feet and viciously parts her legs with a fierce look on his cold face. Begging will only make it better for him and she tries desperately to think of something to do or say that will make him stop as he tugs the knickers off her body and hovers over her. She knows he's going to hurt her… she knows he really wants to.

She tries to crawl back to get away from him but he hooks his hands under her knees and pulls her back with more strength then she could ever possess. "Ah, ah, ah, Ginny." He says as he takes out his wand and sends a silent spell at her chest. Her arms lock together at her wrist and secure themselves above her head against the pillows. She tries desperately to move them only to have the imaginary binds pull tighter against her. "That's better." He says with a cruel smile as he hikes the skirt up to her waist.

"Please, don't." She says, panicked at what he's about to do. She watches in horror as he brings his hand up to his mouth, sucking on his fingers to wet them before dipping his hand down between her legs. She fights to get away only to hear him chuckle.

"You did this to yourself, really." He comments as he slides one finger inside of her. "If only you would have listened to me this wouldn't be happening." Another finger. "But you had to go and be disobedient, and I hate disobedience." He adds a third and she lifts her hips up to dull the pressure. He slams her hips back down with his free hand and looks into her eyes. "You know you deserve this." He says with such intensity in his voice it makes her shiver.

He moves his fingers out and pushes them back in roughly, making her eyes sting. When he moves to add a forth she tries to slam her legs shut and she lifts her head to get his attention.

"Don't do that, Tom." She says, trying to sound braver then she is. "You shouldn't do that." The three he's moving hurt enough.... she can't even fathom a whole fist.

"Why is that, little one?" He asks her as he watches her face twist in pain.

She tries to think quickly. "Because I want to stay tight for you." She tries not to cringe when she says it. "I want to stay tight for you, Tom." She repeats.

"Tight for me or for you boyfriend?" He says hatefully, "I told you I'm not an idiot, Ginny, and it upsets me that you think I am." He pushes his fingers back into her and scraps them across her inner walls.

"I'll do whatever you want." She says desperately as the pain tears her. "I do whatever you say. Please, stop!"

He removes his fingers totally and she sighs in relief as he crawls on top of her so his face is just inches from hers.

"Tell me where you've been staying."

"You know I can't. You know—"

He brings a hand up and pulls her hair. "You are the secret keeper now, little one. I know everything and I want you to tell me where you've been staying."

She looks into his hateful eyes and bites her lip. "Are you going to kill him?"

He smiles at her and she closes her eyes to get away from how unpleasant it is. "That depends." He says softly.

"On what?"

He kisses her hard then and the surprise makes her eyes snap open as he bite hers lower lip, making her open her mouth with a painful gasp. He pulls back with a smirk, admiring the way the blood looks on her full lips.

"On you, of course." He says with a raised eyebrow as he follows a tear traveling down her face. He bends down and licks it, placing a soft kiss by the corner of her eye. "What do you say?"

She takes in a shaky breath before answering.