Blaise and Draco whipped round, and there, in an alcove, tear stains down her face, sat Ginevra Weasley, a look of pure curiosity gracing her features.
"Excuse me, Weaslette? You dared to speak to us?"
"Well, it looks like I just did." Neither boys missed the dark flash in her eyes.
"And what, prey tell, would you be doing up here, alone, Weaslette? No friends to play with? Or has the little tag-along realised the golden trio isn't really very golden anymore?"
"All in the past Malfoy, all in the past. Not that it's anything to do with you of course. But I ask caution of you, for I do have a 'friend' you may be familiar with. One you wouldn't want to annoy. He might punish your fathers' and that would never do."
"A 'friend'? You wouldn't be implying what I think you might be?"
"Zabini? You think? Well, I never knew that!"
"Lame, Weasley, oh so very lame."
"Despite that, I still think you should be careful of what you say to me."
"Oh really? So should we cower in fear?"
"Up to you I guess... I suggest you cower in fear, kiss the hem of my robes and beg for mercy. You do have practise, after all." The smirks form their faces went in a flash. They were replaced by narrowed eyes and pouts.
"And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean, mud-blood-lover?"
"That both your families have crawled on the floor in terror in front of the Dark Lord. Am I right?"
"How dare you try and insult us in such a way, blood-traitor! Our families have never, repeat, never bowed down to anyone lower than ourselves. You scum aren't good enough to lick the dirt off our shoes, and you seem to be forgetting that!" Malfoy snarled, pulling out his wand. Blaise placed a hand on his arm, calming him down. He then turned to Ginny, who was smirking pleasantly.
"Get your bitch under control, Zabini."
"He's not my bitch! Why am I defending myself to you anyway?"
"I thought we'd already established this once. You both should show some respect to me. You should be doing more than defending yourselves. You should be begging on the floor, at my feet in fact."
"You dare to suggest we should be the ones begging at your feet?" Draco's voice was dangerously low, and the temperature in the corridor dropped several degrees.
"No, I am mainly suggesting you do so before you are made to do so."
"And who would make us bow to a mud-blood-lover?"
"Do I really have to spell it out for you? Times are changing, boys. You aren't going to have the chance to execute your little plan. He'll quash any thoughts of supremacy."
"Is that so? And what makes you such an authority on Voldemort anyway?"
"Well well well, Zabini, you're foolish enough to say his name."
"And would you give me a reason to be?"
"Excuse me, why are we still talking to her?"
"Draco. So, Weaslette, as I was saying, what makes you such an expert on him? Finally found someone else to fantasise about?"
"Why fantasise, when you could have the real thing...? But in answer to your question, he and I seem to have a... understanding. He's stood right behind you, if you need to clear up anything." They both spun round, and there stood a boy, long ebony hair falling into his eyes, an annoyed expression plastered over his face.
Looking between Ginny and 'Voldemort' Draco laughed it off.
"You're really Voldemort? Nice try weasel. That's impossible."
"Surely you aren't that naive, Malfoy? Everything is possible, including me leaving an imprint of myself inside my princess's mind ready for her to awaken me, and me standing right here, in the form of a 16 year old." The smile fell from both Blaise and Draco's faces.
"How did this happen?" Blaise snapped.
"I'm sure your father isn't this unintelligent Zabini."
"This has nothing to do with my father. Leave him out of this." Blaise snarled
"But this has everything to do with your father. Yours too, Draco. And as Ginervra quite rightly asked, what makes you think I'd just let you kill my two most... praised servants?" He emphasised the word 'servants' heavily, and both the boys growled.
"Watch your mouth, mud-blood-scum." At this point Ginny intervened.
"Show the proper respect for someone your families have sworn to follow for a lifetime!" she snapped. That voice was so hard, so cruel. So full of pent up pain. It sent a cold chill down Draco's spine.
"Our fathers are spineless fools who know nothing better than taking orders from a half-blood." Blaise was getting angrier now. His eyes had darkened. A sure sign blood was going to be spilt soon.
"That may be so, Zabini, but I have no time to stand here with the likes of you."
"Despite that, you still haven't proven to us you really are Voldemort."
"As you wish." He pulled a long thin snake from his pocket, and pulled it up to his face.
"Arcuo adolvi serpents entis"
((Bow down to me, snake))
The snake bowed its head, and then slid back into his pocket. Blaise was impressed. Draco, however, wasn't.
"Nice try. Anyone could control a snake with parseltongue." 'Voldemort' shook his head.
"You are incorrect. Potter and I are the only two this century. You know this. Stop wasting my time, Malfoy. I am not here to satisfy your queries, I am here to make a deal. You want your fathers' estates and power, yet you want no business with me. That is fine. But I ask one thing of you both."
"And what would that be?"
"To- Ginervra! He knows of our meeting! I will call upon you again, my princess."
"Tom, I want to come with you!"
"Soon, but now you must leave us. Farewell." And Tom fell back into the shadows.
Ginny, Blaise and Draco stood staring at each other for several seconds, before someone spoke.
"We will speak not of this to anyone." And they turned and left.
"Who was it!? Who was with him?"
"A female. Two males. Different houses. It's hard to tell. But whoever was here with him cleansed the alcove. We can't even tell who's wand burned that into the stone." He pointed to a dark mark sign, burned into the stone.
"How fucking unbelievably stupid!?!?"
"Calm yourself, Blaise. It matters not that he has risen."
"It matters more than you care to think about Draco! He could get past Dumbledore's wards!"
"He never had to, Blaise. He never left her, he never left this place..."
"But what of her?"
"I know not what to make of her. A Weasley? As a dark Queen? Figures a half-blood would choose a Weasley for a Queen.
"How much do you think this affects our plans...?"
"I know not... he knows our plans, and will undoubtedly warn our fathers..."
"But we haven't yet established whether that was Voldemort, or Tom Riddle."
"It looked like Tom!"
"Yes, but would Voldemort really attempt to snare a Queen in his usual form? You know he often changes, to capture women..."
"We will find out soon enough... we must find the little Weasley, and ask her to inform us about Tom, once he contacts her again."
"Oh, as if she would agree!"
"You misunderstand me, Blaise! We talk to her properly. Decently, and with respect. Become her friend. And when she does become the Dark Queen, we'll be 'trusted advisors'." Blaise burst out laughing.
"Draco, are you serious? Did that actually come from your lips? Who are you, and what have you done with the pureblood prince I know and love like a brother?"
"I'm being serious! Put aside all that bullshit for a moment, and think about the future for a moment. Think how powerful Voldemort will be, once he has Weasley, and all of his strength. We need to be on his side, and I don't particularly fancy bowing down to that half-blood scum, or letting him mark me!"
"Yeah well-"
"Do you like bowing down to people Blaise? Does it make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside?" Blaise gently punched him on the arm, daring him to start another sentence along the same lines.
"No, and you know that..."
"Well then, how else do you expect us to enable our positions of power? Unless you find the idea of a half-blood marking you as his slave a really nice idea..."
"Alright alright, I get your point! But how do you propose we do this?"
"We go see our future Queen..."