Bruise Chapter 3, a harry potter fanfic

Part 3: The Secret

The party in the Gryffindor common room was in full swing when it happened. Ginny felt positively elated; they had won the Quidditch game against Slytherin, and though she refused to gloat, she knew her skill as chaser had helped lead them to the win. Unable to stop smiling, Harry appeared in front of her. He looked nervous, casting a glance over his shoulder before turning back to her.

"Er, can we talk?" He said, shouting over the noise of the celebration. "Somewhere quieter?"

Ginny was so taken aback by his request, she didn't answer for a moment, but just stared at him. His nervousness immediately began to morph into panic.

"Oh, er, I mean, when you have time," he stumbled awkwardly, "I mean, it's-it's not that important, it can wait. Or just, whenever. Actually, just forget I said anything..."

He started to shuffle away, looking mortified.

"Uh... bye!"

He tried to turn away, but Ginny stopped him. She smiled at him encouragingly. She liked awkward Harry. She grabbed his arm with her own and linked them, pointing to the portrait hole. "Lead the way, good sir. Let's go talk!" Lavender let out a shrill scream of laughter, and Ginny's ear drums were near bursting. "Oh, for Merlin's sake! Yes, let's go somewhere quieter!" She pulled a very surprised- looking Harry out of the portrait hole.

Stumbling and giggling, the pair made their way to an empty corridor. The stone lined hallways were a stark contrast to the roaring celebration they had just left. Ginny halted and turned to face Harry. He was fidgeting with his hands, and it was making her anxious. She did not allow herself to imagine what he could possibly want to talk with her alone about. Sure, she had noticed his eyes following her more and more over the past few weeks, but that meant nothing. There was also the other day when she lifted her hair up off her neck in the heated afternoon during Quidditch practice, stretching her upper back as she did so. She thought she heard an odd noise, and when she turned, she saw Harry pointedly looking away, but a blush was creeping up his neck and he cleared his throat. Also, whenever the two of them were in close proximity, his eyes seemed to dilate, and if she ever got close enough, she could feel his deep inhalations of air, and could see his nostrils flare like he was breathing her in...

No, she thought, don't be ridiculous. Quidditch? School? Yes, those were safe topics. Any other possibilities had been shoved deep down, long ago. She looked at Harry, and he also seemed to be having a rapid stream of thoughts circling through his mind. His mouth was slightly open, but he didn't seem to have any intention of speaking. Words seemed to be failing both of them. The only sounds in the corridor were the flickering torches and their nervous breathing.

Harry was looking at her with an odd expression. He seemed almost afraid. He had stopped fidgeting, and stepped very close to her. He didn't speak, he simply looked at her, and Ginny found herself feeling very warm under his gaze. He was so close, and it was making her mouth go dry. She could see a glint in his green eyes, sparkling beneath his long dark lashes. She watched his gaze as it traveled over her face, moving from her hair, to her eyes, to her mouth.

"I promised myself I would stay away from you," he finally spoke, guilt and misery evident in his voice, "far away."

Ginny sucked in a breath. She thought of the numerous advances from other boys and men who had sought her affections recently. Yet through the sea of people, there was always a raven-haired, green-eyed boy watching her closely, and she felt compelled to turn down every compliment, and politely decline every invitation. But he, Harry, the one who's eyes always followed her every move, was purposefully avoiding her?

"Why?"

He only looked at her sadly.

"You know why."

"What if..." She pressed, ignoring his comment, "we stopped staying away from each other?"

Harry said nothing, but reached out and brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. His gaze on her was so intense that her heart was dancing wildly, and his finger brushed along her jaw, sending a jolt of pleasure through her spine. It was suddenly quite hard to think clearly.

"You know why we can't." He murmured. His fingers made their way to her neck, brushing against her hair so lightly, she thought she might go mad. It was much too hard to think with his hand touching her. He had never put his hands on her like this before, and even though it was a ghost of a touch, she closed her eyes and reveled in it.

"Your stupid, noble reasons are not valid to me." She whispered.

His hand on her neck froze. He bent his head down, his lips barely brushing her cheek as he spoke.

"They are to me."

She shivered, feeling the breath of his words on her face. He gently touched his cheek to hers before pulling back. His face was hard and unreadable, shuttered in restraint. Clearly, he was doing everything he could to stay in control, to hold back, and this just would not do. Swallowing hard, and feeling daring, Ginny licked her lip. His eyes immediately darted to her lips, and he tensed. The bold move worked, Harry Potter was looking at her like he wanted nothing more than to devour her, and Ginny was sure she was looking at him like he was a Christmas Pudding and all she needed was a spoon.

Just when she thought she had the upper hand of the situation, Harry went in for the kill. His lips crushed themselves upon hers, and she let out a small squeak of surprise as his lips claimed her. He kissed her, fierce and fast. It sent heat crawling through her veins. The kiss wasn't anything like she had imagined, it wasn't gentle or slow, or tentative. There was no awkward fumbling, no hesitation. The kiss was... almost desperate, full of longing and need. He kissed her like it was the end of the world, like he was saying goodbye. He held her tightly, as if any moment she might fly out of his arms. Ginny was coming undone, eager to give as much as he was trying to take. She vaguely noticed he had pushed her up against the wall. She pushed back, wrapping her arms firmly around his neck. She arched into him, wanting to feel every part of him possible. He had one hand pulling at her waist, the other tangling in her hair, holding her face firmly to his.

It was over far too soon. Harry broke the seal of their lips, and stepped away, holding her at arm's length, and looking horrified at what he'd done.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I... Ginny, I shouldn't have- I don't know what- I'm so sorry-"

Anger flared up in Ginny, and she gave him a deathly glare.

"What exactly are you sorry for, Potter?" She demanded heatedly, and the sadness in his eyes only fueled her anger, "Sorry that you just kissed me?" She gripped his arms, digging her nails into him, "Sorry that I want to be with you? That I want to be yours; yours in every way a person can be, because we both know that being together is good and wonderful, and right?"

Harry's eyes looked glassy as he looked down at her. She felt a lump rise in her throat.

"Are you sorry," she continued, "because you want to be loved, and you know that I could give that to you, if you would just let me?"

Harry brushed her cheek with his fingers.

"No, Ginny," he whispered heavily, and a finger strayed, brushing the bottom of her lip, "I could never be sorry for that. Not for any of it."

She let out a breath of relief. His finger stayed, tracing the soft flesh of her lips.

Her heart was still pounding painfully in her chest. The implications of what he said brought a sizzle to the air between them. He wasn't sorry. He wasn't sorry he touched her, or that he kissed her. He wanted her as badly as she wanted him...

His finger paused on her lips, slowly moving down, and tracing her jawline, his fingers leaving a trail of fire. When his finger moved to her neck, tracing her collarbone, his green eyes seared into her, and she saw desire. For her. Ginny did the only thing that her body could allow her to do. She thrust forward, grabbing the sad, beautiful boy in front of her, and kissed him in an explosion of passion. This time it was he who let out a noise of surprise, as the redhead threw herself into him. Her movement was so powerful, they stumbled together to the other end of the corridor, and Harry's back hit the stone wall with soft thud. She pressed him against it, kissing him furiously, but it was only a moment before Harry was taking back the control. He adjusted their bodies so they pressed closer against each other, he locked his arms around her, preventing whatever unknown force he was afraid of from prying her apart from him. His arms pulling her tightly against him, combined with the friction of his lips sliding over hers was causing a sensation that was making Ginny lightheaded. She had to break the kiss, needing to oxygenate her sluggish brain, and when she did her breath came in sharp and ragged. She only got a few sharp breaths in before Harry reclaimed her mouth, one hand moving to the side of her face. After several minutes or moments or perhaps days, they stood close together, foreheads touching, each trying to catch their breath.

"Ginny," Harry breathed, "I- I fancy you. Merlin, I've fancied you for ages. But I never felt like I could... and then I promised myself that I wouldn't- I just... you understand, don't you? Please tell me you understand, Ginny. Why I couldn't tell you? Why I couldn't show you?"

"Hush," Ginny soothed, "I know why you worry, I do. I don't agree, but I do understand. All this time, when someone was asking me out, I felt your eyes on me, and I just… couldn't. It was stupid, but I just couldn't. I didn't think I should wait for you, and I didn't think you fancied me, but for some reason, I just couldn't."

Harry stood back, looking at her. With a pang she saw the sad look creep back into him.

"It wasn't stupid, and I'm not ashamed to say I'm so glad you didn't. I felt like I couldn't have you, but I didn't want anyone else to have you either." He ran a hand down her hair, touching the curl at the end with his fingers. He brushed the curl across his lips, closing his eyes.

"How can you care about someone so selfish?" He asked, the longing look back on his face. She wanted to kiss it off of him.

"Wanting to be loved isn't selfish, Harry."

She held his hand to her face, willing him to see how much she cared about him, how much she could love him if he would just let her.

"If you want," she said gently, "we could keep this a secret. No one has to know right now."

Something like joy and hope sparked in his face. "Really? You would do that for me? Keep this a secret, I mean?"

"Of course, you idiot!" She chided affectionately, but she looked him hard in those beautiful green eyes.

"Don't you know I would do anything for you?"

Ginny was kneeling in front of the fireplace. Her dark eyes were wet with tears, and she stared at the boy who was kneeling in front of her. Black, messy hair, glasses, and when he looked at her, a beautiful pair of striking green eyes; eyes full of determination and, too often, sadness. Oh, how she cared for this boy.

But the boy she cared for was not the boy who was kneeling in front of her. A chill had filled the room, and a cloud of darkness had surrounded the pair. Ginny was rooted to the spot, unable to move, and she felt the cold, unmistakable presence of dark magic. She cursed herself, over and over.

It was all her fault, again. Dark Magic had been right in front of her, again. He had been manipulating her, tricking her.

Again.

It was him. He had been behind everything, and she had been too stupidly in love to see it...

She was not at all surprised when the boy raised his head, his eyes no longer green, but a deep, dark red. Her blood turned to ice in her veins. She fought the waves of fear welling up inside her, fought the dread that was threatening to engulf her. She clenched her jaw, willing her voice to remain steady.

"Hello, Tom."

Tom was staring admiringly at his hands, Harry's hands, moving his fingers, clenching and unclenching his fists. Ginny wanted to slap them away. He stood slowly, feeling his arms, his chest, and drawing his wand, tracing the length of Holly, studying it closely. Ginny found herself still unable to move even a finger.

"Where is Harry?" she demanded.

Tom turned to her, as if just noticing her presence.

"Oh," he said breathily, a cat-like smile crawling onto his face, "Hello, Ginevra."

Even in Harry's body, the distorted face looked more like Tom Riddle than Ginny could have ever anticipated. His skin glowed unnaturally pale, his smile was sickening, and those horrible red eyes...

"Harry," she repeated, "where is he?"

Tom knelt back down next to her.

"Don't you worry about him just now, Ginevra," he said silkily, looking at her and stroking her head like she was a long-lost pet who had found its way home, "It's been so long since I've seen you. Would you believe me if I told you I missed you?"

Ginny scoffed, stifling the urge to spit in his face. She was trying with all her might to move, and her forehead was breaking out with beads of sweat from the effort, but it was futile.

"Stop struggling." Tom commanded. He waved his hand, and Ginny felt a great release of pressure from her body. He lifted her to her feet. She could finally move, but he held her tightly in place by her wrists.

"Don't worry, little one," he said, his voice cocky and condescending, "Harry Potter is alive. I've got him tucked away. Far away. He's deep down inside his own mind, and quite unable to escape."

Ginny's mind was racing. Was Harry awake? Was he aware of what was happening? Was he in some sort of deep sleep in his own mind?

"What are you doing to him?" She asked shakily, her body trembling against her will.

Tom smiled, his red eyes glinting. "I'm breaking him." His grip tightened painfully on her wrists. "He is very much awake. I've provided some... entertainment for him."

Ginny felt sick. She could only imagine what horrific things Tom would consider entertainment. He shook his head at her amusedly.

"You made it so easy, Ginevra. Once again, you were my most important tool... An essential key to the Dark Lord. I simply could not have done it without you."

Ginny's stomach rolled. The words stung, but they were true, weren't they? She could not deny them. Tom seemed to enjoy every bit of her discomfort.

"Once I saw Harry was so foolishly taken with you, once he confessed his feelings for you, it was all over for him from there."

She gulped.

"What did you do?"

"Oh, just a bit of memory modification," Tom said with great delight, "Modification, meaning of course, I erased the memory of that luscious first kiss completely. Yes, shortly after you two parted ways that night, I let Harry fall into a deep, deep, sleep- the poor lad's been exhausted you know- and then... I was able to take the reins for a bit. It was so easy; he was so vulnerable and open after sharing those tender moments with you. It was quite a nightmare for me to endure them, quite literally painful. But it was necessary, because that's when I knew, I had everything I needed."

"You took the reins?" Ginny said thickly, "You mean, after that night, it was- it was you the whole time? Every time?"

Tom stroked the side of her face, tilting his head to the side.

"Ginny, Ginny, you sweet, stupid girl. You misunderstand me. Your liaisons with him after that were all a set-up, yes, but once I had led him to you, once the two of you were alone, in those dark secret places, there was no need for my presence. All I had to do was simply lead him to you. He may have been a bit disoriented, but he could never resist you. He desired you so greatly. I assure you, little one, all that disgusting, passionate lip-locking was Potter."

Tom looked her up and down, so coldly, and it caused her to shudder violently. He smirked arrogantly at her.

"I, myself, don't indulge in such desires of the flesh. But it was worth the pain and torture to allow Harry Potter to do so. Don't you see? You were the key!"

Ginny shook her head.

"I don't- what..."

"I collected those memories, Ginny. I kept them away from him, hidden. After every encounter I erased them, then I could take him over in his vulnerable state. He had no idea, he just thought he was sleeping, thought he was dreaming... oh, but not to worry, he'll get those memories back. Infact, he is watching those memories right now, reliving them. It's as if he is in a pensieve he can't escape from."

Tom's eyes darkened, a malicious glint in them. "Which, of course, brings me to your last two encounters-"

"That was not him!" Ginny hissed, "That was you! Harry would never hurt me."

"Oh, of course, little one," he said in mock pity, "Harry would never lay a hand on you. But... what a shame, he's about to do just that. Or, rather, watch himself do just that. I've got those last two memories playing on repeat for him, and he's watching himself put his hands on you. Watching himself hurt you. Watching you fall to the ground by his hand. Over, and over, and over..."

Ginny's heart clenched painfully. Harry would be devastated when he saw what happened, when he saw what Tom made him do. She could only imagine the suffering he must be feeling, of having to watch it play out again and again; those last two meetings when Ginny knew something was horribly wrong...

He had grabbed her wrist so tightly, and she had cried out in pain. He pulled her into a broom cupboard, but didn't bother to turn on the light.

"Harry," she hissed, "let go of my arm, you're hurting me-"

But he didn't let go, he squeezed tighter, and everything about him was wrong. His voice and his hands were so cold. Fear in Ginny flared up.

"You're acting awfully suspicious for someone who claims to care about me." He spat.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who told me to flirt with other people! You said it would make it easier-"

"You forget yourself, Ginny; you belong to me," he leaned down, nearly shouting, "You're mine. Mine!"

The tone of possession was cruel, and Ginny felt she was standing next to a complete stranger. Just as she was about to light her wand and tell Harry he needed to calm down or he was going to have bat-bogeys flapping out his nose, he elbowed past her and left the closet, slamming the door on his way out.

Their next meeting was the worst.

Before Ginny could make heads or tails of what was happening with Harry, he surprised her by dragging her into an abandoned classroom late one evening. His hands were rough on her, and he clamped one of them in her hair. There was no warmth to his touch, no passion in the way his hand held her hair, no kindness in his voice.

This isn't right, Ginny thought, this isn't him...

"Harry," she started gently, trying to soothe the waves of anger she could feel cascading off of him, "I don't think you're feeling well. We should go see Madam Pomfrey, or maybe Dumbledore-"

But that was the wrong thing to say. In the dark classroom, Harry gave her hair a vicious yank, and she let out a cry of pain.

"Trying to get rid of me, are you?" He growled horribly into her ear, "I'm not going anywhere. Not to the hospital wing, and certainly not to Dumbledore."

Ginny gently pulled his hand out of her hair, and tried to hold his face in her hands. The classroom was dark and she could barely make out his features. He batted her hands away, stepping back from her. She touched him tentatively on his shoulder.

"Harry, you aren't yourself right now," She said softly, "Can't you see that? This isn't you. Something- I don't know, a spell or a potion or something, it's making you different. It's making you act..."

"Crazy?" he spat, rounding on her.

"I didn't say that! But you certainly aren't acting normal!" she retorted. "Something is very wrong here. Now, I'm going to Dumbledore, with or without you. You need help."

Ginny never saw the blow coming. But when Harry's hand made contact with her face, it had enough force to knock her to the ground, her red-hair flying. She fell on her side, clutching her stinging cheek with a shaking hand.

He had hit her. Harry had just hit her.

Harry looked down at her, wand pointing at her fallen form. "Go to the Gryffindor Common room," he ordered, his wand pointing at her head, "and if I hear even a whisper that you attempted to alert Dumbledore, or any other staff member for that matter, I assure you, Ginevra, it will be the last thing you ever do."

She never heard the slam of the door as he left, she just sat trembling on the floor, completely in shock at what had just happened.

A tear ran down Ginny's face as she thought of that last meeting. Harry wouldn't know what he was seeing, he would think that he had been hurting her.

"Tom," she pleaded, wrapping her small hands around his forearms, "please, you already have him trapped. Stop hurting him."

Tom smiled down at her.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, little one. I told you, I need to break him. Its nearly a sure thing, bombarding him with these memories. Watching himself draw you in, watching himself hurt you... It won't take long at all, I can feel it." A twisted smile spread on his face, "He is in absolute agony."

Ginny felt white hot rage seethe through. She surged forward, grabbing Tom's head with her hands.

"Harry!" She shouted in his face "Harry, come back! You didn't hurt me! It was Tom, it was all Tom!"

A hand whipped out, making sharp contact with her face. Ginny gasped, clutching her already sore face, while Tom leaned forward to her.

"Enough. We have work to do."

Seeing stars, Ginny's brain still processed the 'we' in his sentence. Wasn't he going to kill her? Discard her? Invade her mind and gather all her secrets? Well, they weren't secrets anymore, she supposed.

Tom gripped her roughly, searching her face. He chuckled and said, "I'm afraid I'm not nearly through with you yet, little one." Then his hand passed over her eyes. "Sleep." he commanded, and she immediately went limp, the darkness engulfing her.

Drip.

Ginny was on her back, lying on something very cold and very hard. There was musty, damp smell, and as she opened her eyes, her blurry vision showed large caverns of dark stone.

Drip.

For a moment, she thought she was dreaming. Another nightmare, and always the same one. The smells, the sounds... She knew exactly where she was. She didn't need her vision to completely clear to recognize her surroundings. The place that haunted her... But with a cold wave of dread, she knew she was not dreaming. The wet, stone floors were very real, and she was very much awake.

Drip.

She was back in the Chamber of Secrets.

She rose shakily to her feet. She vaguely noticed the chill dampness of her clothes. She had no wand, and had lost her shoes at some point. She took a few moments to look at her surroundings, though there was no need. The ethereal green glow of the Chamber was almost exactly as she had remembered.

She looked to the far end of the Chamber, where a dark –haired boy had his back to her, casting incantations. As he did, the old stone walls and floors were beginning to smooth, turning a glossy black, shining like marble. He halted his wand movements, turning around.

"Oh, you're awake." He gestured to the black marble in front of him. "Do you like my renovations? It's quite an improvement, I think. Salazar's chamber deserves to be utilized to its intended potential, a great palace for a Dark Ruler."

Ginny stumbled forward a bit, the disorientation slowly ebbing away.

"Why did you bring me here?" She snapped. "I'm certainly not helping you redecorate."

Tom's face was cold and calculating, and he stepped up to her, clearly relishing whatever he was about to tell her.

"I need you here," he said, the words rolling pleasurably off his tongue, "In order to keep him subdued."

Ginny's brow furrowed. Wasn't Harry already subdued? Wasn't he already trapped?

"Oh, yes, I have him in my control at the moment." Tom drawled, reading her thoughts again. He reached out and tapped her on the end of her nose. "You know those horrible memories I'm forcing him to relive? It's far crueler than any Cruciatus I could cast. But, knowing Harry Potter, if he sees an opportunity to fight, he will take it. That's where you come in."

He waved his hand, and a floor length mirror appeared before the pair. Ginny looked into the mirror. A slender girl looked back at her, barefoot, in her white shirt and school skirt. Her skin was paler than usual, her long red hair looking like blood around her white shirt, curling down around her waist. Her dark eyes betrayed her fear and worry. Tom stepped up behind her, leering.

She needed help. She needed a wand. She needed Dumbledore. She and Harry had escaped Tom once before... surely, they could do it again.

She looked at Tom's reflection, and saw his eyes momentarily flicker from red to green, and back again. She whirled back to Tom.

"Harry!" She cried, grabbing the front of his robes, "Harry, come back! You've got to fight him! Fight him off!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, hoping, praying, that somehow, he was hearing her. Harry's body began to tremble, gripping her so tightly that his nails dug into her skin. His eyes widened. They became fully green again, and were filled with pain and horror.

"Ginny," he choked out, and this time, he was shaking her shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak again, but no words came out. His eyes flickered back to deep red. Tom's hand shot out, grabbing Ginny by the throat. Her breath caught as he squeezed her. With an inhuman strength, he thrust her backwards off her feet. She hit the mirror with a crash, and it shattered. She fell painfully to the ground, shards of glass cascading all around her.

She lay there a moment, drawing deep breaths, her lungs on fire. Her back and arms were stinging from the cut glass that had fallen on her and around her. She heard Tom laughing lightly.

"Ah, yes, well done, Ginevra," He kicked a shard of glass away from his foot, "How quickly he submits to me at the thought of any harm to his little paramour."

Ginny let out a moan of pain, her head pounding. Though she did not know if she could stand, Tom once again yanked her to her feet. She swayed, and he held her arm painfully. "That is why you will stay, little one. You must keep Potter cooperative. You must keep him restrained. You will stay here with me, until you are of no more use to me."

Though Ginny said nothing, her body wracked with pain, her mind was racing with escape plans, each more pathetic than the last. She hardly noticed when Tom ran his hand down one of her red tresses.

"I rather like the idea of keeping you down here with me," he said seductively, tugging gently on her hair, "like my very own Persephone."

Ginny shoved him away from her roughly.

"You're disgusting," she snarled, "and you're an idiot if you think you'll win."

Tom chuckled, shaking his head. He turned back to waving his wand around the chamber, revealing more gleaming black marble.

Ginny took her chance to survey an escape route, but all the exits to the chamber were sealed. There were no doors at all to be seen. As Tom continued his work, she saw a gleaming, exquisite throne begin to appear underneath the statue of Salazar Slytherin.

Something was prodding the back of her mind. She carefully sifted through her thoughts, knowing how easily Tom could read them. Harry... poor Harry was trapped, and Tom was torturing him with those memories, with the threats of inflicting pain on her-

Pain...

Ginny squared her shoulders, as she realized what had been lurking in the back of her mind. She carefully walked closer to where Tom stood. He simply ignored her, continuing his work.

"You really didn't like that, did you?" She probed.

Tom didn't acknowledge her. He was now working on an intricate light fixture, and slowly raising it to insert into the ceiling.

"Those private moments I had with Harry, I mean," she pressed, "The embraces, the kissing, those words we spoke to each other... You really didn't like them, did you?"

Tom halted his wand movements, but kept his back to her.

"I know what you're trying to do, Ginevra," he warned, "but it won't work."

Ginny walked up to him, standing right behind his back.

"I think," she challenged, "that every touch, every kiss, and every tender word made you very uncomfortable..." She reached a hand out, and tried to well up all the care and emotion she had for Harry Potter to the surface, "I think it must have been painful."

Her thoughts on Harry, she placed a hand on Tom's shoulder. He flinched violently as though he had been burned. He whirled around on her in a fury, his wand pointed at her chest.

"Touch me again," he seethed, "and I swear, I will gag and bind you and leave you for dead, and we really will make that message on the wall come true."

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. "You were wrong then, and you're wrong now."

Tom snarled, and with a slash of his wand he sent a curse at Ginny. It veered wildly, smashing into the stone next to her.

She smirked at him.

"He's protecting me."

"No," he spat at her, "you're wrong. Once again, because of you, innocent people suffer. Once again, because of you, more evil is unleashed on this world. Do you really think you're special, Ginny Weasley? It's because of you that Harry Potter will fall. It's because of you, and the darkness within you, that I will succeed. But rest assured, no one will mourn for you. No one will mourn the pretty redhead who allowed the Dark Lord to triumph. No one will care that the girl who was foolish enough to release Tom Riddle twice is gone. Because that's all you are, Ginny. You are foolish. You have always been, and always will be, nothing more than a selfish, stupid, little girl-"

Ginny didn't let him finish. She let out an inhuman screech and lunged like a cat, tackling Tom to the ground. Tom was completely caught off guard by her onslaught, and the two wrestled with each other. Ginny was trying desperately to get the wand from his hands, but he was bigger and stronger. She had to switch tactics. If growing up with six brothers had taught her anything, it was the art of a physical altercation. Before, when Tom had hurt her, she had felt confused and afraid. But now, she knew her enemy, and she could unleash her full fury. With another shriek, she began to pummel every inch of Tom that she could reach. She felt fist connect with flesh, but she did not stop, keeping a constant onslaught of attack. She couldn't help but notice that Tom's counter-attack was erratic and uncoordinated, like his limbs weren't quite wanting to obey. There should be no way she could get the upper hand in this situation, and yet she was.

Harry was trying to stop him...

Tom grabbed her hair, eliciting a cry of pain from her. She sank her teeth into his arm. He growled and she heard the wand clatter to the floor. Tom looked incredulous that he could have made such a blunder, and tried to retrieve it. As he leaned over to do so, Ginny placed a well-aimed kick between his legs. His breath came rushing out in a great huff of pain, and he doubled over, falling onto his side.

Ginny took the opportunity to kick him off of her, and jumped up to retrieve the wand. Once she had the length of Holly in her hand, she cast a Patronus, and her horse went galloping through the walls of the chamber, out of sight. She immediately turned the wand back on Tom. He was rising from the ground, but was still half-way hunched over in pain. His red eyes looked murderous.

"Think you've won, do you?" He growled, "Don't think it won't take me mere moments to overpower you again."

Ginny raised a challenging eyebrow. "Not when I have help. It's awfully hard to fight when you aren't in full control of your body, isn't it? Harry is fighting you."

"Stupid girl!" He spat, "I have him completely under my power."

Ginny stepped forward, eyes like fire, her wand still on him. "No, Tom, you're the stupid one! You try again and again, so arrogantly thinking that you will win. Every time, you are thwarted. Every time, you fall. Yet, you can't see that you are your own destruction, your own enemy. You still haven't figured out that you will never win. So, tell me, who is the stupid one in this scenario? Because it surely isn't me."

As the pair stared each other down, there was a great rumble like thunder. Ginny felt the floor tremble beneath her feet. Tom's eyes betrayed a moment of concern, before going back to Ginny's. As their eyes met again, more rumblings sounded throughout the chamber. Great cracks began appearing in the floor beneath their feet.

They were running out of time.

"Harry," Ginny said softly, looking for any signs of green in Tom's eyes, "we've got to go. You've got to get him out, right now!"

Tom began laughing. He was propping himself up on a pillar, one arm still wrapped around his midsection. His eye was beginning to blacken, and a small stream of blood was trickling out his nose. But he was laughing. Ginny walked right up to him, and grabbed his face with her hands. Tom cried out in a growl of pain, trying to push her away. She held his face firmly.

"Tom, let him go. It's over, you've lost."

Tom continued fighting her, snarling and trying to shove her hands away. She felt tears prickling in the corners of her eyes.

"Harry, it's time to come back. I- I need to talk to you."

She moved one hand, brushing the hair out of his sweaty face. She thought she saw a flicker of green in his eyes, but it quickly went back to red.

"I want to go take a long walk around the lake. I want you to take me to Hogsmeade. I want you to kiss me right in front of Ron, until his face turns into a tomato."

Tom's fighting slowed, his hands were on her arms, squeezing tightly. But his eyes still showed red.

She moved closer, and gently pried the hands off of her arms. Once she did, she held up his hands, and intertwined their fingers. Tom let out a gasp of pain. She held his hands firmly, missing the boy she loved.

"I want you to hold my hand, Harry, so that everyone will know I'm yours."

"Stop, Ginevra!" Tom said through clenched teeth.

She ignored him, and pulled him close, wrapping her arms around him.

"I want you to hold me, and I'll hold you too. You thought you were being selfish, wanting to feel all this, but you're not. I want to hold you and make you forget about the world. You have me. You have Ron and Hermione. You have so many people that care about you."

Tom was trembling violently, but he was no longer fighting her. She could feel Harry struggling to break the surface of his own mind, like he was being held down under water. She could feel Tom's hold on him becoming weaker and weaker. He was so close, they were almost there... the ground continued to tremble beneath them, and on the other side of the chamber, more cracks appeared in the glossy black marble of the walls.

Ginny pressed their foreheads together, hoping her close proximity was helping draw Harry to the surface. She felt Tom's ragged breathing, and whether it was from pain or anger, she didn't know. She leaned forward to press her lips against his, knowing the touch would cause Tom pain-

"Ginevra!" Tom snarled, and she leaned back a bit at the volume of his voice, "Do it, and I swear on my father's grave, that I will kill you. I will end you, just like I did him. I will not let him go. You will die before I ever let him go."

Ginny looked sadly into Tom's face.

"So be it." She said, not even having to think on it, "if that is the price, I will gladly pay." Then, not caring about the consequences, only caring that this was surely the only way to free the boy she loved, she brought her lips down to his. Tom fought her once again, but she held her lips tightly to his. After a few moments, she broke the kiss, and grabbed Tom's hand. She pried open his palm, and placed the wand in it, pointing the tip of it to her chest. Tom was huffing furiously, his eyes murderous.

"Ginevra." He warned. Ginny only nodded, dropping her hands submissively to her sides, allowing herself to be completely at the mercy of the wand and its holder.

"Do it." She whispered.

There was a great thundering roar, and the ground shuffled beneath her. Ginny fell hard, and she saw Tom fall to his knees. He was curled up, crying out- no, he was screaming. His scream was full of agony and pain. His hands were in his hair, yanking at the strands. Ginny knelt down by him, stroking his face, gently shushing him. His eyes were screwed tightly shut. She leaned forward, placing gentle kisses on his head, taking his hand in hers.

"Harry, please."

Eyes still shut, he slowly began to calm. The screaming and thrashing stopped. The rumbling of the Chamber had ceased, and cracks were no longer appearing.

Ginny leaned down.

"Harry? Open your eyes."

She watched his dark lashes flutter, and held her breath. His eyes slowly peered open at her, and her heart nearly burst in two when she saw the most beautiful green she had ever seen. He looked at her hopefully.

"Is he gone?" Harry croaked.

Ginny nodded, eyes prickling.

"Yes, he's gone. He couldn't stay."

She placed her hand over his heart. "There's no room for him here, there's only room for the people that love you."

Harry placed his hand on top of Ginny's, and she felt the warmth of his palm. His touch was tender. He moved their hands to his mouth, and placed his lips on her.

"You saved my life, Ginny Weasley."

There was a distant cracking noise, and a horde of frantic voices coming from the other side of one of walls of the Chamber. Rescue was near.

Ginny looked down at Harry. He looked a right mess; face bloodied and hair mussed, and she knew she couldn't look much better. She moved the hair off his forehead, and he smiled tiredly at her, his green eyes gazing at her with such affection. Then she leaned down and placed a kiss on him, right over his scar.

"I learned from the best." She whispered, and she moved her lips to his.

The Great Hall was bustling with lazy activity. The students were enjoying lunch, and the warm afternoon sun was blazing through the great windows lining the hall.

At the Gryffindor table, Harry sat with his arm around Ginny. There was chatter and conversation all around them, but they only had eyes for each other. It took Ron three tries to get Harry's attention.

"Oi, Harry! They just ate them! Keep sharp, mate, you're going to miss it!"

Harry and Ginny turned their heads towards the Slytherin table. Courtesy of Fred and George, the males of Slytherin were about to test one of their latest products.

"What does this one do?" Ginny asked.

Ron shrugged. "Don't know, they just said we'll know when it kicks in."

Hermione was next to him, and she let out a dramatic sigh. "I won't say they don't deserve a consequence, but I feel the less I know, the better."

The Slytherins at the moment appeared none the worse for wear. However, after a few minutes, Theodore Nott abruptly stood up from the table. At first Harry thought he might be sick, but then he blurted words, shouting them across the hall.

"I STILL WET THE BED, BUT MY MUM TOLD ME ITS NORMAL!"

A great silence filled the hall, students staring at the boy with shocked faces. After a few seconds, the students were roaring with laughter. Nott looked flabbergasted that he had blurted the words, covering his mouth with his hands. By the time Harry and Ginny had caught their breath, Blaise Zabini stood up.

"I HAVE A VERY UNHEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH MY NANNY. I SEND HER SPECIAL PICTURES OF MYSELF EVERY WEEK!"

The hall only roared louder. The Slytherin table was quiet, but the Slytherin boys began jumping up from the table, eager to escape the room before they yelled out some mortifying statement. Draco Malfoy was almost out the doors, when he turned around and boomed out to the sea of eager students.

"I ONCE HAD A THREESOME, AND NOT THE COOL KIND!"

Harry was on the soft ground, leaning against a tall oak by the lake, Ginny in his arms. For the moment, they were content to hold each other, each lost in their own thoughts. The sun was beginning to set, and the giant squid was swirling the water of the lake with one of its tentacles.

"I wonder how long the Candor candies last," Ginny mused, "I've learned some very interesting information about the Slytherins."

Harry chuckled, burying his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. "I hope poor Crabbe gets his rash looked at."

After savoring the flowery scent, he moved the hair off of her neck, and put his lips on her exposed skin. Ginny hummed in approval. He slowly moved his lips down her neck, gently pulling on the collar of her shirt to reach more skin. She turned, slowly moving herself to face him fully.

"Harry, promise me something." Her eyes were pleading.

"Anything." He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

She held his face in her hands.

"Promise me you'll let us help you. All of us. At the end."

Harry took one of her hands, kissing it.

"Of course." He whispered.

Of course, he had no way of knowing what was to come, but Ginny was right; he had so many people who could help him, so many people who cared about him, and he needed to let them. Yet another lesson learned from the girl in front of him. Her dark eyes were full of love for him. Her bruises and cuts had healed, and so had his. He touched her cheek, unable to verbalize what he felt. She couldn't possibly have any idea what her words and actions down in the chamber had meant to him. She had willingly laid down her life for him, and the action of love was powerful enough to thrust Voldemort from his mind. He was alive because of this beautiful girl.

"I am so grateful for you," he said, saying the only thing he could manage to choke out, "and for everything you've done for me."

She simply nodded, and moved closer. He wrapped his hand around her head, threading his fingers in her hair, and pulled her to him. He sealed his words with a kiss. His lips moved over hers, and he savored the sensation. He was soft and gentle with her, knowing that he no longer needed to hide, and no longer needed to fear. The kiss grew more passionate, and his mouth moved down to her collar bone. After her lips, her neck was his most favorite part to taste, and where he could inhale more of the scent that he just couldn't seem to get enough of. She was letting out soft gasps as he nipped gently at her skin, her hands tangling in his hair, sending shivers down his spine. He suddenly paused his ministrations, eyeing the blemish-free skin of her neck and collar bone.

"Your love bites are all gone." He said.

Ginny's eyes darkened. "So put them back, Potter."

Harry smiled wickedly, but couldn't resist returning to her lips instead. The couple spent the rest of the evening loving each other, and the sun had long gone down before they made their way back to the castle.

Harry couldn't stop smiling as they walked hand in hand. The war wasn't over, but the battle in his mind was won, and both he and Ginny had emerged victorious.

Fin.

A/N Threesome reference is from Scrubs. The rest is MINE