Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters in Harry Potter. If I did, then Tom, the memory, would be back and stalking Ginny and Blaise would be in the books more then the one time he's mentioned in the 1st book. And would also be after Ginny's attention. Also I don't own the 'The Man Who Swallowed My Soul'. Persephone own that. Go buy the CD... It'll make you smarter.

Chapter Two: The King of Slytherin

In a night, or in a day,

In a vision, or in none,

Is it therefore the less gone

All that we see or seen

Is but a dream within a dream.

-- "A Dream within a Dream" by Edger Allen Poe (1827)

Ginny shivered as a cold wind tossed her hair around her face. Everything around her was the same. The same cold stone walls covered in moss. The same countless pillars... the same towering statue of the founder of house Slytherin. She knew that Tom was watching her, waiting for her to let her guard down. The hissing of snakes reached her ears, calling her to them. She turned away from the statue.

"Tom, I'm not going to change my mind. So let me go!" She pleaded into the stale air. Ginny slowly turned, looking at every shadow, willing them to fade back to the warm, welcoming walls of her home. She stopped when she was once again facing the stone giant. A soft chuckle made her jump. Her blood ran cold as Tom wrapped his arms around her, trapping her even farther. He wrapped a piece of her blood red hair around his finger. He whispered into her ear as he played with the strand,

"Ginevra love you know that won't ever happen. Besides, if I let you go you'd be lonely..." There was something about his voice that didn't fit. It sounded too... too princely, like Blaise's voice. Tom never talked like a prince, he talked like a king. Slowly Tom turned her around to face him...

She sat up gasping for breath. She dimly heard her mother asking what was wrong. Ginny shivered and almost immediately a pair of strong arm wrapped around her. She bit her lip to keep from whimpering. As Blaise rocked her back and forth, she wondered if she would see Tom if she looked at him. Her mother keeled next to her.

"Ginny, what happened?" Blaise's voice was muffled slightly as he buried his face in her hair. Ginny curled up as much as she could. When she didn't answer he sighed. "Ginny," He pulled away and turned her slightly to face him, "if you don't tell us what's wrong, than how are we supposed to get you back to your normal spitfire self?"

'Spitfire? Spitfire?! Is that what they call me?' She jumped up and glared down at him. "Spitfire?! I am not a spitfire!" Blaise smirked at her flushed face. Ginny growled at him and stormed up to her room. Harry tried to catch her attention but slammed her door in his face.

She sighed and plopped down on her bed after turning on the muggle radio Hermione had given her for her birthday.

He looked like a young man
But his eyes were old.
He touched me gently
But his hands were cold.

His voice was calm
But he was hunting for prey.
I started feeling dizzy,
And he watched me sway.

He stared at me with eyes black as coal,
The man who swallowed my soul.
The morning air
And the sunlight he stole,
The man who swallowed my soul.

He kissed my cheeks,
My eyebrows, my neck.
I followed him blindly.
There was no turning back.

He sucked the lifeblood
Out of my veins,
Left me and my nightgown
Covered with stains.

He said his kiss would make me whole,
The man who swallowed my soul.
The breath of life
From my lips he stole,
The man who swallowed my soul.

He stared at me with eyes black as coal,
The man who swallowed my soul.
The morning air
And the sunlight he stole,
The man who swallowed my soul.

He said his kiss would make me whole,
The man who swallowed my soul.
The breath of life
From my lips he stole...

...the man who swallowed my soul.

How fitting it seemed, Tom in a way had swallowed a piece of her soul. Blaise might end up swallowing another piece of her soul as well... Blaise was a prince and Tom was a king. Kings always got the first pick. But she got last say and she really didn't think that she wanted a king... or a prince.

'I didn't really have that much of a choice though.' She rolled onto her back. 'Maybe that's a good thing...'

"Ginny...?"

Who could that be? Blaise? Or is it Harry? Or maybe it's someone else... Who knows!! Heh, I told you Tom was gonna be in here!

Next chapter is called: Beautiful Prince