"'She was wearing Slytherin's colors?'" quoted Ginny, blinking. "Gee, I wonder who it was."

Riddle rolled his eyes. "I don't like you. You don't like me. Can't we just leave it at that?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes at him. "If you think that I could possibly forgive you after what you did, then you're very sadly mistaken."

Draco cracked his knuckles loudly. "Shut up, Weasel Princess. If you don't mind, I'd like to hear the rest of the story. I'm actually enjoying it, believe it or not."

"That's because you're just as detestable, and that's the truth."

"No, Ms. Weasely, it isn't."

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, it is!"

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but you're wrong."

"You know I'm right, Malfoy!"

"Okay, you two, break it up," interjected Harry. "I accept that you may not agree with one another, but can't we just hear this uninterrupted? Please?!"

Ron glanced at Harry sideways. "You want to hear this?"

"Yeah. Sure, why not?"

Ron looked faint. "Why not? Harry, this is Voldemort."

"I think I know that, Ron."

"And Voldemort wants you dead."

"Oh, no, Ron, he doesn't really," said Hermione sarcastically. "He just doesn't know what Avada Kedavra really does to people." She cackled with a mad laugh that could've rivaled Bellatrix'. "Honestly, Ron, where'd you figure that one out?"

Ron reddened. Draco cleared his throat loudly. "Points to the mudbl- ah, I mean Ms. Granger, for ousting out Weasely. Now, if we could just take care of the other one-"

Ginny staged a loud cough, and said shortly, her temper flaring, "If you're referring to me, Malfoy, then at least say my name."

Draco opened his mouth crossly to speak but Tom cut him off. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you people?" He asked. "Do you or don't you want to hear what I have to say? Do you even care?"

Ginny hid a smirk behind her hand, and said, "Ha! Not so easy, is it, Riddle, to have people not really listen to your thoughts and feelings?"

Tom shut his eyes in indignation.

"Let's conduct a poll," said Draco, scrambling to get everyone's attention. "Who wants to stay and hear the end of this? Raise your hand and I'll count."

"You can count?" said Ron loudly, in mock astonishment.

"Okay, raise your hands," Draco said even louder, his ears getting pink.

Harry raised his hand, still grinning; Ron raised his hand grudgingly; Hermione put her whole arm up, as usual; and Ginny raised her hand, wavering a bit, as though she was going to put it down.

Tom noticed it. "Oh, Ginny dear, you'd like to hear my tale?" he asked in a sort of false baby voice. "Even though you remember the last time I poured a bit of my soul into you?"

Ginny's fragile temper swayed and then snapped. Color rising to her cheeks, she shouted, "Shut your damn mouth, Riddle! I'm not listening to any of your taunts!"

Tom grinned nastily and said, "That's not what it looks like."

Hermione looked from Tom to Ginny and back to Tom again. "Please, won't you go on?" she pleaded hurriedly, hoping Ginny'd calm down if he left her alone.

Ginny wasn't done. "You're a menace! God, I can't wait for you to die! Harry, you'd better really get him, because I-"

"Don't bring me into this!" Harry said warningly.

"I can't stand it if he bests us!" She glared at him again, her frown more pronounced. "You're really repulsive."

Hermione was a bit more anxious to move on. "Please, Tom? Just finish?"

Riddle looked her over with vague curiosity, then smiled. "Oh, but Ms. Granger isn't repulsed by me, is she? Are you, Hermione?" he asked her, then winked.

She blushed scarlet.

Ron moaned. "Oh, what a splendid idea," he said loudly, "why don't we all get out of here so Hermione can have some alone time with dear Tom."

Hermione hit him over the head sharply with a book and looked back up at Riddle, who surprisingly enough, sat down on the carpet in front of her and Ginny, his steady gaze closer to their level.

"I think I'll continue, if you don't mind," he said lazily, and went on.

Robert had seen Tom in the lake, and he rushed over to him.

"What was that all about?" he asked, confused.

Tom sat on the shore, his lips blue with cold, and spat, "Rejection."

Robby's eyes widened. "No way," he said, shaking his head. "I don't believe it."

"You'd better," Tom said darkly. "It was going fine until Mercy came up."

"But the others were normal?"

"Yeah," Tom said sullenly. "They were fine."

Robert nodded sympathetically, and dried him off with a spell that they weren't supposed to know until their next year, when they did N.E.W.T.s.

"Still want her?" Robby asked.

Tom looked up. He hadn't been paying attention, he had been lost in his thoughts, thinking considerably pleasurable thoughts, if not somewhat erotic ones, about what he'd like to do with- or, perhaps, to- Mercy Vice. The way she had kissed him was sheer heaven, or rather, hell. He'd gotten so many dirty thoughts that no angel'd look at him twice. And yet Mercy had looked at him. She was an angel in a veela's wrapper. No; she didn't flirt or anything. She was an angel. A virginal angel, a fallen angel. An angel he wanted to push down onto his bed hotly and run his hands through her hair and pull the garters off of, and listen to her weep for him, oh, Tom, oh, Tom, oh please... oh, yes, he wanted her. Still wanted her.

"Mercy?" He asked, for clarification. Robby nodded. Tom thought about his situation. He had wanted her. If she had given in, what would he have done? Enchant her, kiss her, and then refuse her, thus leaving her hooked on him for all time. But instead- he smiled grimly- she had enchanted him, kissed him, and then refused him.

He was hooked on her for all time. Ah, well, he always got what he wanted.

"Of course I still want her," he said amiably. "I'm just going to have to be more direct."

Robby snorted. "You mean, touch first, talk later?"

Tom nodded, and the pair headed back to the dormitories.

"You're really going to go through a lot of trouble just to snog Mercy."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "I thought you knew me better. Who said anything about snogging? I can handle much heavier things, and the night is still young."

Robby grinned, and they continued down the halls to the dungeons.

Ginny had a false coughing fit.

I had so much fun with this chapter! Isn't Tom foul? Anyway, I'm running out of ideas, so please, help would definitely be appreciated!