Ginny couldn't bring herself to pretend that everything was okay with Mason. A part of her wanted to, especially after seeing how much her evasive attitude hurt him, but the redhead had suffered too much to be able to trust just anyone.

Maybe Mason really had changed, but Ginny wasn't about to take any chances.

Unsurprisingly, Riddle took notice of Ginny's attitude towards Mason within a week of the big reveal.

"You seem upset with your friend," said the Head Boy as Ginny cleared off the coffee table in the Head's common room. A prefect meeting was scheduled to begin in ten minutes, and the table was cluttered with piles of Ginny's old papers.

Ginny turned to Riddle and sent him a fierce glower, but he only raised a brow inquisitively, as if wondering why his comment gave her such offense.

"You could have told me that he used to be a Death Eater," she said indignantly. "That would have been nice to know."

Riddle shrugged unconcernedly. He was already lounging in his emerald chair, watching Ginny clean as if it was the most entertaining thing in the world.

"I doubt that you would have believed me," Riddle said. Ginny began to protest, and he smirked. "Don't deny it. You may accept me in your own strange way, but you are too stupid to ever fully trust me."

This got Ginny to smile, and she admitted, "This is true."

She turned to throw away an unneeded piece of paper, but before her eyes left Riddle's face, she swore that she saw the shadow of a grin on his thin lips.

The Head Girl was just starting to marvel at how strangely comfortable she was beginning to feel in the Heir of Slytherin's presence when the portrait hole opened. Furrowing her brow, Ginny turned around, vaguely recalling that no one but Avery ever came early, and Avery was expelled, so…

A curse fell off Ginny's lips when Mason slipped through the portrait hole. Riddle laughed, but it didn't help to alleviate the tension that had crept into the room.

"Such wonderful timing that you have, McCreery," Riddle said, a smirk in his voice.

"Hello Mason," Ginny said. She stepped closer to Riddle without knowing why.

Mason glared at Riddle, then shot Ginny a weak smile. His eyes reminded her of a kicked puppy's.

"Well…" started Ginny, striving to avoid an awkward silence. "We're going over plans for the annual New Year's Ball today. Aren't you excited?"

Mason shook his head, but it apparently didn't have anything to do with Ginny's question, because, after a moment's hesitation, he said, "I trusted you."

It felt like Ginny had been smacked in the gut. All week, she'd been thinking about how terrible of a person Mason was, both for lying to her, and for the things that he had done in his past. It wasn't until he shot those two accusatory words in her direction that she realized she'd lied to him, too.

Ever since Ginny had figured out that Mason was hiding something, she'd assured him that he could tell her anything, that she wouldn't care, that nothing could be bad enough to push her away.

Well, he finally told her, and she'd run off, just like he had expected. Like a useless, flighty little Hufflepuff.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something to try to defend herself somehow, but she couldn't. Instead, she breathed, "I know."

Riddle chuckled in a way that made Ginny shiver, but Mason ignored this, sending one more desperate, pleading glance in her direction. She forced herself to look down and ignore it. With hasty, clumsy steps, the Head Girl retreated to the seat next to Riddle's, never tearing her eyes away from the thickly carpeted floor.

Thankfully, more prefects began arriving within minutes. Soon, the room was full, and the meeting was ready to begin. Ginny stood to make her usual introductions, but her brain was too focused on Mason to come up with the words that she needed to say. She opened her mouth to speak once, then twice, but nothing came out.

A loud sigh rang out from beside her, and then Ginny felt Riddle's tall frame unfold itself from his chair. A light hand rested on the small of her back, gently guiding Ginny back into her seat. The Head Girl was so out of it that she didn't protest.

After clearing his throat to shift everyone's attention away from the ghostly white Head Girl, Riddle announced, his voice velvety smooth and completely unconcerned, "I now convene this prefect meeting, November 18th, 1944. Our first order of business is to discuss everyone's progress appertaining to their orphans. Any questions or concerns are to be discussed now."

He reclaimed his seat, his steely eyes briefly resting on Ginny before he returned his attention to the prefects. "I have a concern," Cassiopeia announced.

"How nice," said Riddle. "Now, moving on-"

"But I said-"

Riddle continued like Cassiopeia hadn't spoken at all. Ginny loosely wondered why he'd abandon his usually mild-mannered façade with so little concern, then decided that he knew no one would blame him for acting like a jerk to Cassiopeia. In fact, it probably made him all the more likable.

"-it is now time to discuss the upcoming New Year's Ball."

"Will you go with me?" Christine Destler, a sixth year Gryffindor, questioned.

Riddle smiled at her captivatingly.

"I'm afraid that your question is charmingly off topic, Miss Destler," he said winningly. "I was going to take suggestions for the Ball's decorations. Would you happen to have any ideas?"

Ginny zoned out while the prefects discussed the Ball. Normally, she would have loved to join in, but Mason's words were tugging at her chest, the indiscreet glances that the prefects threw in her direction were making her feel feverish, and Riddle's strange helpfulness did nothing but confuse her.

Riddle dismissed the prefects after the final theme for the ball was voted on. Ginny sighed in relief and began to retreat to her room, but stopped when an all too familiar voice called for her to wait.

The Head Girl closed her eyes and silently prayed, Please, God, let Riddle chase him away.

When Ginny looked, the Head Boy was still in his chair, his dark eyes fixed intently on Abraxas Malfoy. Unfortunately, his gaze was more calculating than violent. The Head Boy wouldn't kick Abraxas out; he was too interested in what the other Slytherin had to say.

"What," asked Ginny raggedly, "do you want?"

Abraxas's glowing blue eyes fell to the floor and, with shaking hands, he said, "I was an idiot."

Ginny rolled her eyes impatiently. She was not in the mood to speak to him.

"I already knew that, Abraxas. Please, tell me something I'll actually care to hear."

The Slytherin took a shaky breath, and Ginny didn't miss the way that he crept slightly closer to her, his hands extended pleadingly in front of him.

"I wasn't engaged to Cassiopeia when we were going out," Abraxas said urgently. Ginny opened her mouth to protest, but he quickly said, "Please believe me. I called it off before I asked you out. When you broke up with me, I may have gotten angry, and… I wanted to make you jealous. Everything that Stefan said that night was rehearsed… I'd told him to do it. I thought… I thought…" He sighed and admitted, "I don't know what I thought."

"Abraxas," Ginny said. She wanted him gone; he was beginning to worm his way back into her heart, and now that the Hufflepuff knew how dangerous he was, she was loathe to let that happen ever again. "Why are you telling me this? We're through… I don't care what you did after we broke up. It's what you said before…"

"I know," Abraxas said. There was a pained expression on his face. "I know, and I promise to work on that. I never saw how much it meant to you before, and, now that I know, I'll do better. If you could just give me one chance-"

"I already gave you a chance," said Ginny.

"One more chance," corrected Abraxas. "Please. Go to the Ball with me. Let me have that one night to win you back, and if I can't, then I promise that I'll leave you alone."

Ginny was already shaking her head. He was a Malfoy, and Malfoys didn't change that quickly, or that easily. Besides, it was in his best interest to stay engaged to Cassiopeia. If he broke up with her again, she might not take him back, and that would mess up everything… No, it was definitely best for her to stay away from Abraxas Malfoy.

"I'm sorry," Ginny said softly. "I can't go to the ball with you."

"Why not?" he asked. His eyes were smoldering with poorly concealed emotion. "Would it really be that big of a personal sacrifice? Am I that bad?"

"No," said Ginny quickly. She didn't like this at all. "I… It's just that… I'm already going with someone."

Why did she say that? Why that, of all possible things?

"Really?" asked Abraxas skeptically. It was clear that he saw right through her terrible ruse. "And who would that be?"

Ginny hesitated. She wanted to say Mason, but she really didn't want to ask him. He'd see her invitation as a gesture of forgiveness when she wasn't sure that she was ready to forgive him. Mulciber was another option, but he seemed the type who didn't enjoy being used, and she didn't know what his reaction would be if she tried forcing him into attending with her… But were there any other guys…?

Suddenly Ginny felt someone come up behind her, seemingly out of nowhere. The Head Girl had to bite back the war-ingrained instincts that had her itching to curse the unseen threat.

"Who do you think it would be, Malfoy?" Riddle's smooth, stinging voice questioned. The Heir of Slytherin took a step closer to Ginny, settling a long-fingered hand on her shoulder.

Ginny turned to face Riddle, sending him her best You have got to be bloody kidding me look.

He smiled attractively.

"Riddle?" spluttered Abraxas. "You're going with Riddle?"

Why not? thought Ginny. Even though Lord Voldemort wasn't her ideal date, going to the ball with him would get Abraxas off her back. Besides, it was another bonding activity, something that would bring her closer to getting her hands on the Head Boy's diary.

"Don't look so surprised," Ginny said. "Weren't you the one who was so worried I'd leave you for him? If I were you, I'd be proud of yourself for being so sagacious."

"Wait... Did you just say you left me for him? You're… he… You two aren't…"

Oh, shit.

Ginny bit her tongue harshly, as if that would somehow erase her stupid words. She'd only meant to drive Abraxas away… her stupid Hufflepuff brain hadn't realized that he would take her statement like that.

"No, I mean… I didn't say…" she tried helplessly, but Abraxas was already shaking his head, looking at both of them with unveiled disgust.

"Well," Abraxas said darkly. "You just lost your chance at the Malfoy fortune. I hope you're happy."

Then he stomped out of the portrait hole, leaving Ginny standing next to Riddle in shocked silence.

"Did he just insinuate that we were a couple?" Riddle asked, sounding like he hadn't expected this turn of events any more than Ginny had. Merlin… the Head Boy was probably horrified.

"I… I think so," Ginny breathed. Realizing that Riddle would probably want this damage repaired as soon as possible, she sighed and sullenly said, "I'll go tell him the truth before people start saying that you're going out with a disgusting Hufflepuff. Abraxas probably wouldn't take me to the Ball anymore anyway, so I guess dealing with a small screaming fit isn't that big of a deal-"

Riddle's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Why don't we… have fun with this for a while?" the Head Boy suggested. He was smirking, but there was something different, almost genuine, about the expression. "I dislike Malfoy, and I would not mind keeping up this illusion for a short amount of time."

Ginny hesitated.

Pretending to go out with Riddle was a terrible idea, the kind of thing that would get her in a ridiculous amount of trouble. Being Lord Voldemort's girlfriend? A shiver ran down Ginny's spine at the thought.

Yet...

Abraxas had just admitted to going out of his way to hurt her, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad if Ginny got back at him, just a little bit. Besides, he would be beyond angry if she admitted to lying to him. As long as Riddle was willing to cooperate, well, a little acting wouldn't be too terrible.

"I… I guess," she said softly, unsurely. "But just until New Year's."

"Of course," said Riddle. His eyes were flashing with something very, very strange. "Just until New Year's."