Draco Malfoy, Seeker Of Souls

Chapter Twelve

Tom Riddle, The Innocent

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It was very dark when they found me. I was so fevered by that time that I could hardly think straight. I could hear voices. "Mama?" I asked piteously. I had never felt so sick.

" 'E's shiverin'. 'And me that blanket, will yeh, 'arry?" I was lifted off the cold ground. I heard the wildcat give a small yowl.

"Please Mum, I want to go home!" I clung to whoever was holding me, who turned out to be Hagrid.

"Poor kid. 'E's out of 'is mind with the fever."

"He's stubborn!" Another voice.

"Severus?" I moaned.

"I told him to go to bed! I knew he was getting sick." Snape smoothed the hair off my forehead. "He's burning up. Let's get him back to the castle."

"Come on, Ginny," I heard Harry say.

I struggled. "What's she doing out here? She'll catch her death!"

"She followed you out here!" Harry exclaimed. "She seemed very worried."

"Hurts!" I moaned.

"Hush, Draco," said Snape. "Just rest. We'll talk about Ginny later."

"Please bring my kitty," I said childishly. I drifted off into sleep again at this point.

*****

I tossed and turned through a fevered state for days. My dreams and my reality swum with people and voices, none of which made any sense to me. Nathaniel's voice might be in my ear one moment, and then Tom Riddle would be in my head laughing. Ginny's cool hand might be resting on my forehead, but a slap from my father would make me cry out in my sleep again. Then Snape would hold me, or Harry would read stories about wild magic from books from the library while I was conscious for short periods of time.

I had no idea what had really happened when I finally woke up and the world didn't swim. I was very aware of how stupid I must have looked. I was propped up against a mountain of pillows in my bed in Snape's room, wrapped in various quilts with a big hot water bottle perched on the top of my head. I felt instantly grumpy about being so bundled up. "Severus! Are you trying to kill me under all these blankets!"

Snape jumped awake from where he had fallen asleep in a chair next to my bed. "What? Bratty as always, are you?" But he obviously looked very relieved. I must have been dreadfully sick.

Ginny was perched at the end of my bed, her fingers working a piece of string into a Cats Cradle. She wasn't looking at anything, but she had a hot water bottle on top of her head as well. I started to laugh. "What's she doing?"

Snape made an amused noise. "She put that on herself. Wants to do what you do, I figure."

I was suddenly full of questions. "Where's Nattie? What happened in the woods that day? What happened in school, that day? What all did I miss?"

Snape started to brew a cup of tea up for me. "Master Malfoy is out with Miss Granger and Mr. Potter, playing outside. They're all very worried about you, by the way. You have good friends, you know."

"I guess I do," I said. "And how did you find me? In the woods and all?"

"Hagrid tried in vain to find you for some time, but Ginny showed up down by his cabin not long after, your nurse in tow. She said that Ginny would not stop banging at the door and shaking her head. She was fearful, so she let Ginny out and then followed in pursuit. She went right through the castle and out to Hagrid's hut, all on her own." Snape looked at her. "She knows things, Draco. I just hope we can find a way to get inside her head. She was shaking her head and making moaning noises as if she knew you were in trouble. She went into the woods with us and led us right to you. She held Harry's hand the whole time, but she seemed very agitated."

I remembered how she had been down in the Chamber of Secrets and how she knew to find me there. I gazed at her, sitting there so quietly with nothing in her eyes, and wondered what she was thinking. My resolve was stronger than ever. "And everyone's all right? I mean, with the wild cat and all?"

Snape nodded. "You were delirious. I knew you had been getting sick in Potions and I should have forced you into bed. You were sick with a fever and couldn't be held accountable for your actions. Try not to feel too bad about it. No one was hurt. And look…you made a friend out of it too." He gestured to the corner and I saw that the wild cat was curled up in front of the fire, snoozing cheerfully. I grinned.

*****

The next day, I went to see Tom Riddle again, my little menagerie following along behind me. I went up to the bars and glared in at him. "Now look here!" The wildcat growled at him from where he was standing next to Ginny.

Tom walked over to the bars and looked at me with surprise. "Draco, what's wrong? Where have you been?"

"I've been sick, no thanks to you! I heard what you said to me in my head, all the horrible things you made me do! Making me try to kill Harry and all…and I trusted you!" I was ready to open the bars and haul off on him.

Tom blinked. "Draco…I don't understand. I never told you to kill Harry." He looked at me with those innocent eyes. "I'm really sorry you were sick. But I never told you to kill Harry. I would rather you weren't so close to Harry, since I think he would lead you wrong and make you stray from your mission of finding Ginny's Soul, but I certainly don't want him dead. Not anymore. I'm not like that anymore."

I looked at Ginny, who wasn't reacting at all. I knew how much I needed Tom since he had the instructions of how to get to the Hall of Lost Souls, but I would have to be more careful in the future. If I ever heard him in my head again, I would go straight to Snape and tell him all about what was going on. I turned to find Tom looking at me. "Fine. Maybe I was just delirious and thought I heard you."

"Probably. Were you very ill?"

"Very."

"And how is Ginny? And Nattie? And what's with the wildcat?" He looked past me to where my group had settled. Nathaniel was patting the wildcat, whom he called "Charliiiiie". Ginny was looking towards Tom with her eyes narrowed. What did she know about him?

"They're both fine. The wildcat is a new addition to my little group of followers. His name is Charlie. Nattie named him."

"I see."

"Look now, no more stalling. Are we going to go after Ginny's Soul, or not? She's not getting any better and we all miss her dreadfully."

Tom pressed his hands together and looked towards the fire that blazed even though it was nearly summer outside. "Yes. We will go as soon as school is out. It is nearly time, is it not?"

"Yes. Another week."

"Good. The afternoon before the students leave the school, you will come to me with Ginny and we'll go. Understood?"

"Yes, I think so."

"You haven't told any of the teachers about our plans, have you?"

"No, Tom."

"Good. Keep it that way. We don't want anyone tagging along with us, trying to keep an eye on me. Salazar will not like it and may refuse to channel with me. Then we will never get Ginny's Soul back."

"I get it. Look, I'm going to take my group back upstairs. It's nearly dinner."

He smiled at me. "See you in a week, Draco. I will be waiting for you and Ginny."

As I led my crew away, Ginny slipped her hand in my pocket and pulled out my Snitch. I had taken to carrying it around with me. She held it up and stuck it in my face. I took it from her and studied it. "Yes, Ginny. Soon you'll have your Soul back. I'll Seek it for you and this time, I won't feel the need to do it alone."

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Note: Hi all! Short, rather uneventful little chapter, but I haven't been working on this story in ages! I've sort of forgotten where it's going. :( I'll see if I can't work on it a little more to keep everyone from being too disapointed.

So Tom practically gets away with murder again! Who's side is he on anyway? Will Draco accept help from Harry? What will happen in the Hall of Lost Souls? Find out next time! Hopefully sooner than 2 or more months…*sweatdrop*