Author's Note: Chapter 20, so close to the end. Again, thanks for the reviews!

I don't believe

That you love me

As I do

I don't believe

In any words

You said were true

I do believe

That I'm strong

That I'm happy

With the world

I was once so afraid

Chapter 20

~Moments of Weakness~

Tom sat in the little office in which Slytherin had done so before him. He smirked, appreciating the solemn irony of it. He was waiting for Ginny to come back with the Lumen de Oreas, which he truly needed for his plan. She had been gone for an hour already. And it wasn't until he heard her footsteps resounding in the walls that he knew that she was already there.

He saw as she walked through the high door and stepped before him in a long, blue gown, just staring at him, without saying a word. He eyed her from behind the stone desk. "You're back," he said. When she didn't answer, he decided to go straight to the point. "Where is it?"

She took a deep breath and an indifferent look came upon her face, she shrugged. "Where it belongs."

"What are you trying to say?" he asked her eyes glaring into her own. He saw her hesitate for an instant, but then she adapted an almost defiant look.

"I couldn't." she said with no trace of fear or regret on her voice.

"Do not lie to me!" he snarled "You very well could! And I told you to do it!" He was very aware that she had noticed that he was serious, he saw himself reflected twice in here eyes, and he saw that his face looked no longer innocent, nor kind, he looked crooked and twisted, as he had numerous time saw in the mirror. He knew he was being possessed by something, by an evil and dark force that, ironically enough, turned out to be himself.

And though he had accepted his fate, accepted that he was going to become a twisted soul who's mere existence depended on doing harm to others, he dared not to defy the boundaries between his own sanity and his cruelness. He knew he had the power to bring everyone who we wanted to grovel at his feet, but he didn't want to do it to her. Not his Ginny. But he could see that Ginny, as well as the Chamber, has started to take life, and that the spirit that lied within her was awakening, her innocent looks and gestures were almost fading and he knew that it was because of him. He had made her stay in the Chamber, and he had no intention of letting her go just yet.

But it worried him, it worried him that she would change so drastically in only the few weeks she had been trapped in the Chamber, and he feared that maybe she would no longer be Ginny when he was done with her. But, oh well, sacrifices must be made.

He turned to look at her again and she was staring now very defiantly at him, she hissed in a low, but clear voice, "And I told you, I couldn't do it."

        ~

I don't mind

I don't care

        ~

The struck of these words hit him like a blow in the stomach. Had she just talked back to him? Who does she think she is? "Are you being sarcastic on me?" he asked and crossed his arms.

"I am not a puppet for you to manage in your twisted ways!" she yelled "I am sick and tired of your little games, of your tortures and of your childishness! I am not eleven years old anymore!"

"Yet, I am a master," he spoke swiftly "And it is I who shall decide whether you are a puppet or not. I am not playing; this is not a game, far from it, actually, darling. This is your worst nightmare, and like it or not, you are taking a big part on it. If you are no longer eleven, that I do not care for, you weren't very useful at eleven. I needed only your body so I could find out my ways. I am more interested in you now, you're useful now. There's nothing you can do to prevent it."

"Do not underestimate me, Riddle!" she screeched loudly, pointing her finger at him, and her voice echoed through the Chamber.

"Are you threatening me?" he asked slapping her finger away.

"Take it as whatever on hell you want to take it!" she growled and whipped around to leave the room. In a swift movement, Tom jumped out from his chair and headed towards the small angel that walked away from him in a shower of red. He stood before her, glaring at her.

"Don't you dare walk out on me, Weasley!" he snarled. She didn't answer and he saw to her eyes. He saw the strangest thing; she was keeping something from him. "What secrets do you hide from me?!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" she yelled "I am not who you think I am! Leave me alone, Tom!"

"Answer!" he screamed and grabbed her by her left arm. His eyes glowing from the madness stricken by evil, his face was pale and illuminated, his eyes filled with red-hot veins. He saw her jaw drop and her recoil in fright.

"Let go of me, you mental bastard!" she shrieked.

        ~

My love for you

Was never there

        ~

"Shut up!" he yelled, gripping her arm tighter, which caused her to squirm "You miserable twat!" And, before he could control himself, his hand flew throughout the air and struck her right flat on the face, with such strength that she fell heavily on the floor. She raised a hand to her cheek and held it as tears began pouring down her face. Her hair fell around her like a red waterfall, blocking her from his view. She didn't even look at him, as she seemed as if she couldn't string two words together without erupting in hysteric sobs.

Instantly, the madness that had come over him, left as suddenly as it had come. He dropped to his knees beside her and reached out to touch her, but she whimpered and jerked away from him, looking at the ground. "Ginny," started Tom in a soothing voice.

      ~

I am a liar

That's what I am

      ~

"Leave me alone," she said in a broken voice. He felt a pang in his stomach, as he noted that she had once again become his Ginny. The innocent, angelical Ginny that he so much adored from afar.

"No," he said and reached out to her again, but this time, she let him. "Forgive me, my darling." He caressed her face. "I don't know what came over me."

"I do," said Ginny "And you do as well." She hesitated for a moment. "You're turning into Him."

"Indeed," he admitted "But—you know—there is one thing to prevent it."

"I know," she replied. "And it's the one thing I will have to do."

"It will kill you," he said and she nodded.

"There are some sacrifices that need to be made," she whispered. He embraced her, holding her to his chest. He inhaled her too known scent, the exotic, yet sweet essence she possessed. She sighed against him. "I have to give you back your soul." She glanced down at her Drop of Inroro.

        ~

I do still love you

With all my heart

        ~

"I don't need my soul," he said softly, grasping his own Drop. "I already have yours."

"But if I don't give you back your soul… and you don't give me back mine…" she sighed "It may destroy us. I'll give it to you… even if it means dying."

"You need not do it." He looked at a spot on the wall, losing his gaze. "All you need to do is go through with the Activation for the Chamber… and you will not die."

"No," she said and parted from his arms "I know what it will do to me, what it will do to my time. I will destroy everything Harry prevented from being destroyed. And I will destroy him, I will destroy the world! You know it…"

         ~

This is not my time

This is not my life

         ~

"I have never loved—never had any sort of feeling—mind you," said Tom "until I came across you… Do the Activation, Ginny." He grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her softly, when he parted from her lips, he looked into her eyes. "Do it for that. Do it because I love you."

"You know that I too love you." She let herself fall into his arms again. "But I can't."

"I need you," he said, caressing the only person that he had felt tenderness against "You know I do."

"You already have me, Tom," she said, and he felt her tears on his robes. "As much as I don't want to, you have me."

"It's because it is supposed to be like that—"

"No!" she cried and untangled herself from him once more "Do not tell me that it is supposed to be. Because I know what will happen, I know!"

        ~

My love for you

Was just a lie

        ~

"How?" he asked and looked at her suspiciously. "Your Seer abilities do not really make up premonitions; they're not that strong to let you see everything."

She bit her lip and put her hands stretched in front of her. "Intimus Apertum," she whispered and a small orb appeared. It had bright, golden fog inside and it gleamed oddly in the ghastly chamber. Her face looked even more perfect as lighted by it. It was the Lumen de Oreas.

"You've had it…" said Tom astonished.

"All along," she confessed "Ever since you brought me down here, I had it since you left me in the Chamber, when I was just still a little girl."

"Let me see," he said nearing her. "I want to see what happens."

For a minute, she hesitated, but then she sighed and said "Very well." She closed her eyes; images started reflecting in the Lumen, he saw death and destruction, ash and fire, bodies, scream of agony, blood, suffering… the very sounds and images which he would later in life enjoy so much.

          ~

An unread paper

Caught in Time

         ~

And as she kept concentrating, he saw Harry Potter, lying dead on the ground, but he was only a baby. His mother and father were crying inconsolably, and two other wizards beside them, with another perished baby; a small girl whom he immediately knew it was Rowena's heir. However, Ginny was as he was seeing her at the moment, sixteen years old, same beauty, and same grace. But not a trace of innocence. And him, Tom, he was seeing himself as he was right now, they must have traveled forward in time, in his opinion. The Ginny inside the Lumen was looking miserably at the scene, as if she knew what she had done, but Tom looked almost cheerful. And he had an arm around Ginny, who stroked his hand with her fingers, but she did not look happy, she looked miserable.

It was then he understood what would happen in she stayed… she wouldn't be happy.

         ~

With all our kisses,

In the back

         ~

He raised his gaze to her and saw that silent tears flowed freely down her face. He knew what he had to do, and he was determined to do it. As more images appeared on the Lumen, Tom stretched out his hand at her and muttered "Paupero Dicio Temporalis!" And he sighed.

She seemed to notice, though she perhaps noticed something that wasn't quite what had happened, and she tucked the Lumen inside of her gown.

"We will meet again, Ginny. It all depends on you… everything." He sighed as she looked at him.

"We won't."

"We will."

"I will be lost, my soul forever lost within the depths of millions of memories who will pretend that they were fond of me."

"Then I shall seek for you, but we will meet, darling." He then cupped the back of her head and sealed her lips in a soul tearing kiss, he could feel her kiss him fiercely and desperately, as if it was the last time two lovers would see each other. But he knew otherwise. Then he pulled her away, it was just too painful, too much feelings involved. And Tom Riddle could not allow himself to feel. Though, he had already done so.

"We will not," she pressed "After this… you will not see me again, neither will the world. I shall die knowing that I at least made a good man out of you."

          ~

So say Goodbye

I'm going home

I will move on

I will survive

        ~

She stood before him and pulled out her wand. "I know what I have to do." She slowly pointed her own wand at herself and spoke very clearly and loudly "Reditio Anima!" But nothing happened. She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Why didn't it work?"

"Because I just took your powers away," he said and cursed at himself for having a weak spot, and that weak spot was her. And before she could say another word, he had pointed his wand at her and muttered the incantation:

"Temporalis Sopor,

Reditio Dicio,

Reditio Tempus Aeternus!"

Author's Note: The song is called "Timeless" and it was written by Greacely, my beta and friend, especially for this chapter.  Now please, do review, I don't know what people think of my story if they do not review, how else do I know they like it? Thanks! ^_^