Man is not one but two,
He is evil and good
And he walks the fine line
We'd all cross if we could
And he's waiting
To break through the façade.

Jekyll Hyde. Façade.


Stained with Ink
Ginny awoke groggy, unable to move any of her adjoining limbs for they were so heavy it was like she had metal bars attached to her body instead of flesh, blood, and bone. Bounds of rope tied her to a wooden chair, her legs to the chair legs, her arms to her side, and her torso to the spine of the chair. She had been thinking that her body parts had been replaced with bars until she realized this. A long, rough piece of cloth was stuffed awkwardly into her mouth, stifling any sound she might think to make if her brain were moving just a little faster. The world was still swaying side to side, as her eyes would not focus, like she was drugged. "Ahhhh, you're awake. I was wondering if perhaps you were dead." Draco removed her mouth gag and tilted her chair with his body so it was standing on its hind legs with only his hands on the spine behind her head to balance it.

"I just have some questions for you." Like in all those police movies, he shone his lit wand into her eyes, causing her to wince. Why did she feel like she was drugged or intoxicated or something? She had never even touched anything inappropriate like that in her life. She wobbled her head, trying to catch herself before the world tipped so far to the side that she was flung across the room. "Who gave you the roses, Gingerbread?" He questioned intensely quivering with a sort of pent up rage. She was actually surprised at how unimportant the question was. Besides already telling him the answer, who in their right mind would care about the sender of roses to an ill little girl. But then again, whoever said Draco was in his right mind?

"Why does it matter, Draco? But I have told you before, and here is my exact same answer as before. Those roses were a gift from Harry." His nails dug into the softness of his palms so deep, blood dripped down creating a puddle on the floor. "But the twins bought them for me." Ginny quickly added, seeing his face growing red in fury. Already fearing her life, Ginny tried as best she could to back up without toppling the chair and her over. And she had every right to fear for her life. With every move she made, Draco seethed deeper in his anger, wanting to rip apart everything, including every particle of dust that was attached to her body. And if she answered one question wrong, he would have every right in his mind to torture the smile off this bitch's face. Pacing around her chair in a circle, Draco prepared to deliver his next question.

"What was the real reason you broke up with me?" Ginny bit her lip. Only in their relationship could a question be answered by another question. But this question really hit her in the heart. She had been forced to break up with him, because she was actually starting to believe that if they stayed together, they could love each other. But Malfoys don't love. If he did love her, it'd be a sign of the apocalypse. The same as with Tom. But she had already endured enough heartache because of this one decision Tom pressured her to make without having to recant it to the person she broke it off with. But then again, this was why Draco was fuming with every angry emotion, thought, and feeling known to man and some continents of fairies. Malfoys did not take rejection easily.

"M…My brothers. They're everywhere. I couldn't keep-…" Draco slapped her, slinging her head onto her shoulder. On her cheek, a radiant ruby mark was fast appearing. In a moment of true and utter shock, Ginny narrowed her eyes and tried to slap back. Draco didn't see any humor in what she had just tried to do. Swiftly walking to the other side of the room, he fished through one of his drawers, nearly turning the whole thing upside down, and held up a silvery glowing bottle.

The potion inside was clear with small bubbles sporadically drifting to the top and popping with a hiss. "Do you know what this is, Gingerbread?" Ginny fearfully shook her head, not for one instant taking her eyes off the bottle. Draco seemed to enjoy watching her fear him. Seems a lot of Slytherins like that feeling. "This is Veritaserum. It is a very powerful truth potion, love. Three drops and you won't just be telling me what I ask to know, but also your innermost secrets. You can't even imagine the strength it has. But, every good thing comes with… certain obligations. There is an amendment in the Wizengamot Charter of Rights that unless under "strict ministry guidelines"." He spat out the phrase through his teeth, mocking all who agreed to these guidelines. "We wizards are forbidden from the buying, selling, or participating in the act of administering Veritaserum."

Ginny listened intently, trying to strategize a way out. Stalling would work. The longer she kept him talking, the more chance someone would come save her. "So why aren't Truth Potions used in wizards' criminal trials?" Draco paused, racking his brain for the answer.

"For one, they are fundamentally flawed, guaranteeing that one will tell his-or-her-own version of the truth instead of the actual truth. Secondly, they can easily be abused by those corrupted by power. Thirdly, they are in violation of the accused rights, which are possibly spelled out in the Wizengamot Charter of Rights. Magic, clearly, can't solve everything. I for one hate rules and have mind to abolish all of them. So why don't you just take the potion." He tried to force a few drops into her mouth, but she clamped her lips tightly together and even spit it out when he succeeded. Frustrated, he threw the glass bottle across the room where it smashed against the wall, hissing loud as ever when it seeped into the stone. Draco looked like he was about to cry, not over the lost potion, but in the knowledge of what he had tried to do. And his Father would not be sympathetic when he found out he had stolen his Veritaserum and had caused it to drip out of sight.

"Please, Gingerbread." He chocked out, his knees curled up to him. It made him look like the child he really was. "Please, just tell me. I deserve to know.

Tears formed at her eyes. He looked so lost and helpless like a small child, or a lost puppy. He was right though. He did deserve to know. And eventually there would be a need for him to know. Don't fear him. He knows you fear him. Don't show it. Please, God, don't let me show him my fear. "T…T…Tom. I broke up with you because of Tom." Immediately afterward, Ginny kicked herself for letting horror show in her voice. After stuttering like that, she could tell Draco would be happy. He would know the answer to his question and knew he made her afraid. He held a look of sheer fury and confusion.

"Who the bloody blazes is Tom!"

McGonagall's words echoed through Draco's mouth. Ginny sat as straight as was possible with her bonds and boldly was face to face with the angry Malfoy heir. "Tom! Tom Riddle." A brief look of wonderment shown in his eyes with the extra feeling of recognition when he heard this name. Suddenly he felt a twinge of fear for the true Slytherin that had attracted him to Virginia Weasley. "I told Tom I was starting to feel for you. And Tom didn't like the idea of that. No offence meant, Draco, he thinks you're a very important part of this plan, whatever that is…" And his Father had told him he would have a busy time this year. Father, what did you do? "But Tom never liked sharing his toys. Not that I'm just a toy to him, Draco; I'm his princess. Oh, listen to me blathering on and on like a crazed woman." Still he kept his eyes blank. "You still don't know who he is. Right. Well, Tom is this boy- well; actually he's more like a man. But he is-"

Severus Snape chose that precise moment to burst into Draco's private rooms and cut Ginny's explanation short. Quickly, Draco stepped in front of Ginny, shielding her from the wrath of Snape. To add to the fact that Draco didn't want to get caught holding a prisoner in his rooms, but also, it was his private rooms, the prisoner was of the opposite sex, not to mention in another house, it was after hours, and she was tied up. If Draco had walked in on a fellow Slytherin in this position, he would've thought it to be great fun and joined in the game.

Snape strode over to his student's side impatiently, not giving Ginny a second look. He whispered a few words in Draco's ear and Draco paled, although in the light of the dungeon, it made him look like a ghost instead of a scared little boy.

"F…F…F…Father?" He stuttered, clenching onto Ginny's hands, causing her to bite her lip so not to scream. Snape's bottomless eyes filled with pity at this unfortunate ward of his. He bade Draco to follow. "Wait! What's Father doing here? Wasn't the howler enough? The Hufflepuffs claimed to have heard it and I opened it right here!" Ginny used the moments of distraction where neither of the two Slytherins were touching or watching her to try and bite through her bonds. Get Snape's attention… Get it… make him see you…make him help you.

Draco threw her a frightened look, causing her to freeze. Draco? Scared? Impossible! Malfoys show indifference, not any feelings… With a snap of those noble fingers, Ginny's bonds were released and she stood wearily, examining the damage with a keen eye. Snape had led Draco away, much to his own disapproval. Skin hung off of her wrists where she had struggled so passionately earlier, to try to intimidate Draco with her fearlessness. A little scared kitten trying to intimidate a lion… Her wrists were pink, and puffy, making Ginny sick as she looked upon them.


Careful to not attract the attention of any wandering Slytherins or Prefects, she lightly pushed open the portrait to Draco's quarters, and raced amongst the shadows until she got to the Entrance Hall. At each column, she saw an opportunity to hide, but the trouble was the distance between each one. Prefects on their rounds hung around the Entrance Hall, as it was the center of the entire castle. But tonight, it was strangely empty and ghastly silent, making her breaths surround her and mimic her mercilessly. Each time she stopped at a column, she'd cautiously check all around her for others before going on her way. There was one fault though…

Every time she stopped, a series of quick footsteps would be echoing two seconds after her own echoes had stopped. Someone was following her… No, she thought. It's just a late echo. It's just your imagination… God, I hope I'm right. And so she presumed it was her own footsteps following her and went on her way until the footsteps were closer and louder than ever before, never even stopping when she did. Fear tightened its grip on her and she broke loose and scampered as fast as she could to the labyrinth of hallways breaking off from this Hall. Enough to confuse any followers of where she was going… But she might have been just a tad too loud.

"Weasley!" Snape stood in the corridor ahead of her, in the doorway of the only open door. Ginny stopped dead in her tracks at his drawling voice. She had seen inside his office once before, to receive her detention for not paying attention in class. That detention was to clean every barrel in his stores of the pickled squid innards without magic and with only one other helper, a fellow detention victim. Draco Malfoy. Ginny had had dreams following that detention of Tom smiling at the vision of them both together during that detention. "Excellent." He chuckled. "On to Plan Two." What "Plan One" was she never dreamed so far as to find out.

"Don't just stand there, you trouble-making Gryffindor. Get in here!" He pointed inside the dreadful office he occupied, turned and went in himself, trusting a Gryffindor to not be sneaky enough as to run. As Ginny crept in behind him, she spotted two sets of platinum blonde heads. The Malfoys were here as well. Draco sat abnormally strait with his Fathers arm draped over his frail body. Draco was just as trapped as Ginny was. His head turned slightly to see who entered and eyes widened in fear as he saw Ginny. Lucius Malfoy sensed his son's panic, and even without turning so much as a hair stem, he could tell whom it was that had entered behind the infamous potions Master. Trailing his arm away from his son, Lucius stood in respect to the company of a female, even if it was a Weasley.

"Ahhhh, young Miss Weasley. So nice to see you again. The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure." Lucius spoke proudly, with his head raised high and positioned against the light like a Magnificent God. Seeing Ginny blankly stare at him so, He lost some of his splendor and Godliness and was ever so humble again. A stony expression came over his face when he spotted his son mouthing the words 'I'm sorry' over and over. He raised a hand to strike him but held it as Draco crouched against himself. An eerily sound then came from his lips and it took Ginny awhile to realize he was laughing. So few times had seen Lucius Malfoy happy. He was just an item to ogle at for his beauty the rest of the time.

"Young Draco here," Lucius slapped his son on the shoulder as he talked. "Has told me what exactly is going on at Hogwarts. This includes some very interesting mishaps you two have been having. So…" He chuckled that eerie laugh again, but this time, you could tell he was nervous. Ginny wondered how he acted in the presence of the Dark lord… "What is the basis of you two's little… relationship? Draco?" Snape had settled himself in his chair quite comfortably by now. He knew the extent of their relationship. He had been in the corridor that day. And he also knew the reasoning behind Lucius's questions. If things got to a bad section of questions, Snape was refereeing just so he could jump in.

"Mr. Malfoy," Snape began, breaking into the interrogation for just a moment. Both Lucius and Draco looked up. "Lucius, I don't think it wise to ask these things with Miss Weasley right here. Right here, able to repeat everything she understands of tonight…" Snape's eyes were wide as he tried to convey his message to Lucius with them. "And she comprehends more than anyone would believe." Lucius's face was livid as he sensed the always-unwanted Potions professor knew more on this subject than he himself did. "But what I will do with Miss Weasley here is escort her back to her common room. And deduct fifty points from Gryffindor." Ginny looked up in shock and gave Snape her best puppy-dog face that always convinced her brothers to give her in to her way. "I'm sorry, Miss Weasley, but rules are rules. You were wandering about after curfew and I distinctly remember seeing you in Draco's rooms." Lucius threw his son a withering look at this news.

Draco looked up at the adults in the room. An expression no one could read was on his face. Whether in fear, courage, anger, or just plain Gryffindor loyalty, Draco stood up, ready to defend one of the few things he actually cherished in life. Ginny. "It was—." He faltered slightly under the cool, piercing look his father continued to give him before he gulped and continued. "I was bringing her to the Hospital Wing. Look at her wrists! She needed my help!" Lucius swiveled around, hardening his stare on his son's neck. How he would love to see that flawless piece of his son erupt with the feeling of screams pushed down and up his throat as Lucius held a wand pointed at his son evilly! He dared Draco with his eyes to go on. Draco faltered again, looking between Ginny back to his father. A most thankful look was covering Ginny's face, making the decision for him. He continued. "It's my fault she's out so late, sir. Don't punish her. Punish me!" He had to scream at the last part for two reasons. One, to show his father that he did not control him. And two, because if he didn't get the words out quickly, they would remain lodged in his body forever.

Lucius had been visibly fighting with himself for control when Draco yelled these words, causing him to snap. "Oh, don't worry, boy. I will." Draco back up, trying to run out the door and far, far away, but his Father was faster and really, really, really wanted to hurt his child. His hands grabbed at the robe Draco wore and with a firm grip, Lucius was able to pull his son behind as he dragged him into one of Snape's private ingredient closets. Snape closed his eyes and turned away, pretending not to notice. This must happen often enough. Ginny however, couldn't stand it. She scrunched her eyes shut and used her hands to cover her ears to block out the sound. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't block out the ear-splitting screaming.


A minute later, Lucius came out of the closet, tired, but still calm and colleted as ever. His cheeks were flushed as he twisted his cane back into his robe. For someone who had just savagely beaten their only child and heir to their vast fortune and collection of Dark books and artifacts, he looked remarkably calm. It was almost as if he had just beaten a racehorse with a whip trying to get it to go faster instead of beating his son with a wooden cane in the shadowy depths of a storage closet to get him to shut up.

It was very frightening to see him not show a twinge of remorse or a flicker or penitence. Everyone had always hated Draco. He had been the snobby, spoiled brat that was an heir to mountains of gold. And that's why he never knew everybody hated him. And sure, most of the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs, had all envisioned seeing the ever-arrogant Malfoy in such a vulnerable and blackmail able position. But Ginny watched the closed door with trembling hands. And what was most frightening of all was that she couldn't even hear him anymore.

"So…" Lucius spoke, ruffling Ginny's hair on the path back to his chair facing Snape. "It will be quite some time still until He comes back, but I have heard the plan is well in motion. However I much dislike it, Plan Two is also completed, so He should be back before summer at least. But I am betting he won't receive full power until Mid-way through June." Snape listened intently to all of this, occasionally giving Ginny 'The Look.'

Everyone knows 'The Look'. It's the one teachers or parents give when they are speaking about something you shouldn't be hearing. This made Ginny curious. Who was this mysterious He? "You couldn't have better timing, Miss Weasley." Me? What do I have to do with anything? Who is this He? She was very confused, as you can probably tell. Why would Mr. Malfoy talk to me anyway? Wasn't Snape telling me that I shouldn't be listening? "He'll be here soon enough."

There was a shudder on the doorknob of the door leading into the storage closet. Lucius saw this and immediately chuckled. "Of course, we all forgot about Draco." He quietly projected his eerie laugh while Snape and Ginny exchanged looks. Of course they hadn't forgotten Draco. Ginny was nearly crying with worry, and even Snape, the heart-less, cold, bastard he is, was even twitching slightly in his chair, wanting to go see what the fate of his ward was. "Come out this instant, son. There's nothing to be afraid of, boy. We need to talk. The four of us need to talk." This wasn't right. Draco's mind screamed out to him. There were never four. Always three. Three… Who was the- Ginny! She was still out there. She was still under the careful eyes of Lucius. And that was never good. He couldn't have weaknesses like her. He still remembered Bianca… No! Shut up Draco! Shut up!

Plastering on a mask of indifference, as his Father would want to see, Draco obeyed his orders and opened the door. Ginny had to work to contain the scream that tore at her lips to get out. Draco was limping towards them, his left leg turned around backwards, trying to act as normal as ever. While his Father seemed to have mastered the art, Draco still had a few lessons to go. Ginny shook her head sadly as Draco tried to tell who was who through the swollen skin around his eyes that seemed to darken every time you looked at it. Beaten… The poor boy! All the proof they needed to send Lucius to Azkaban for up to fifteen months was standing before the, and yet, however much Snape cared about this boy, he did nothing. He merely averted his eyes from the sight.

"Mr. Malfoy…" Ginny whispered as small as she could be. Draco's head turned to where her voice had come from and this time it was he who shook his head, warning her of…something. But what? No! She wasn't going to let Draco suffer like this! Lucius also turned to her, his eyebrows raised so high; they were almost hidden behind his hairline. Ginny hesitated, looked down at her flinching hands as she summoned all her courage. Why did I have to be in Gryffindor? Why do I have to be so stupid? Why don't I have any damn courage if I'm in Gryffindor? "Mr. Malfoy, I needn't go to the Hospital Wing. My skin will heal in time, but look at your son! Draco needs medical help." Lucius looked his son up and down before turning back to Ginny and smiling slightly, not making any motion to take his son to the Hospital Wing. Can't you see he's in pain!"

Lucius watched her for a minute. When she had had her outburst, he brown doll eyes were glowing with passion. Now she had the deer-in-the-headlights look on her face. Stupid. Idiot! You saw what he did to his son. And everyone always says he loves his son! You're not even family! And he hates your family! Stupid! Idiot… These were the kind of thoughts jumping around Ginny's brain. "What do you mean? There is nothing wrong with my son, little girl." They both turned to face Draco who tried to flash his usual smarmy, toothy grin. This time, Ginny couldn't contain her shriek when she saw, instead of his perfect row of teeth, the two front teeth missing with roots dangling delicately and all his other teeth drenched in blood. Lucius sighed, realizing his son might actually need a medi-witch. Ginny turned to Snape for a second voice to add to her own. He had a revolted look on his face as he looked upon this young Malfoy. She was just about to ask Snape to speak up for her again, when Lucius asked him a question. "Snape, inform this student of yours that there is nothing wrong with my son whatsoever." All was silent as Snape gave his former classmate a reproachful glare. But then he shook his head and busied himself with some paperwork before Ginny could cry out to him.

Draco sat in a chair at the end of Snape's desk. Before him, there was a magnificently shaped goblet full of something. The goblet hissed as the liquid in it bubbled noisily. Wait… that can't be a coincidence. It was like the liquid was burning the goblet away.


"It is a very powerful truth potion, love. Three drops and you won't just be telling me what I ask to know, but also your innermost secrets. You can't even imagine the strength it has."

What is the name of that potion?

"Son, I trust you know what this is. I will not lie to you, my son. So just take the damn potion." Realizing what it was, Snape began to protest but was silenced by Lucius turning his wand threateningly at his throat.

Draco took the goblet in his hand and swallowed all of the brimming liquid, making a face of pain as it burned down his throat. His eyes slightly glazed over and his breath shortened. Thus were the early effects of Veritaserum. "What is your wish, Father?" His voice was a monotone. Almost zombie-like… Lucius shook his head in merriment and lay a hand on his son's forearm.

"Draco, my dear son, I need to know if you will answer me truthfully. I'm going to ask you something from when you were very young. If you didn't have to, I know you'd say you didn't remember. But I know you do. Draco, what did Bianca…" He trailed off, looking at Ginny suspiciously before leaning in and whispering in his son's ear. Draco never changed his expression but Ginny could see the real Draco behind the potion. She could see his feelings, his aura and his memories. With a tremble, a memory burst into her head. So this was what Draco was thinking…


It was early autumn, when the leaves are just starting to fall and dance around you. There was a small girl, probably five or six, and she was running and laughing. Ginny could hear Draco do the same, although she could not see him. The girl had midnight black hair that fell to her waist in straight waves. Her eyes were bright and purple. They were happy. Then the scene changed. A Dungeon cell… Draco's arm was chained to the wall, and was slashed and bleeding profusely. She could hear the little girl screaming. All of a sudden, there was a click in the lock, and Draco's arm fell to his waist heavily. A man in black stood behind him and pushed him towards the screaming. Draco turned into a cell to see his Father on top of the young girl. Her eyes weren't so bright anymore, and they were being swamped with salt tears. Her hair was messily strewn everywhere. Lucius seemed to enjoy raping the poor child. Draco screamed and tried to run to her side, but the man behind him in black forced him to watch. They couldn't have been older than six… After Lucius had satisfied his pedophilic urges, the girl lay groaning on the ground, reaching out for Draco. Lucius ordered Draco to repeat what he saw him do to her. With her eyes wide, the girl watched with bated breath as Draco plainly refused. Lucius sighed and pointed his wand at the girl who was now crying for Draco to hold her and make Him go away. "Remember, no weaknesses, boy." The girl never got Draco to hold her because of what Lucius did next. "Avada Kedavra!"

Draco seemed to breath the name. "Bianca…" Then he went back to the normal doped-up defendant. But inside, Ginny could see he was seething in white anger. "She did nothing wrong. You raped her. You called her my weakness."

"And she was." Lucius spoke sadly like he was explaining to a four-year-old that it was just his pet hamster's time to die. "You will thank me one day, Draco, for ridding you of her. There will never again be a Bianca there to distract you." Ginny could tell the potion would soon wear off and Draco was getting more and more like himself. Shaking the entire time, his arm lifted and tried to choke Lucius before it fell and went limp. Lucius watched with a smile. "All right then, before we run out of time, what is the basis of your relationship with Miss Weasly?" Ginny could feel her face burning as Lucius looked at her like he would regard her as a trailer whore.

Draco tried to smile. "She's my Bianca." Lucius raised his hand, swinging it against Draco's face as hard as he could manage. Draco fell from the chair into a heap on the floor, coughing up a puddle of blood. "She's… she's… kind and gentle. We were sort of an item for about two weeks. Then she dumped me. She dumped me for a guy named Tom." He spit out a ball of blood. "Tom Riddle." Lucius half-smiled when he now looked at Ginny. It wasn't a sincere smile, but a gloating one. "I was so pissed at her, for she lied to me about the reason we were breaking up, so earlier today, I stupefied her, tied her up and tortured her. I tried to use your Veritaserum as well, but she wouldn't take it." Draco finished with a murmur. Now Lucius looked at his son with... was it pride?

Snape took a moment of hesitation to think before he jumped in to both Draco's and Ginny's rescue. "Lucius…I don't think it very wise to say such things with Miss Weasley here listening. Tell you what; I am going to take her up to her rooms and… er… leave her there with Minerva. How about that?" Lucius smiled through the ever-increasing desire to snap this girl's spinal cord in half. Slowly, he nodded, his fingers clenched into the chair arms so tightly that his knuckles were white. Ginny's eyes were wide as she looked upon him now. He didn't look normal, as he was obviously trying to be, just insane.

Quickly, before Lucius could change his mind and demand the girl to be seated again, Snape ushered Ginny out. As soon as the door was shut behind them, Ginny could hear scrambling in the room. No matter the distance Snape tried to put between them, she could still hear what Lucius was doing…

And by the sound of Draco screaming, you could tell Lucius wasn't too pleased with his son's answer.


Ginny had tears silently streaming down her face as Snape, uncomfortable to see a woman cry, led her through the many corridors to reach the Gryffindor Tower. After a while, he stopped her, handing her a handkerchief for her tears, and they kept on walking. "Listen Weasley, I want you to just forget everything you saw and heard. Just go back to your common room, go to sleep, and try to forget." The rest of the walk, they were silent, Ginny staring at her feet while images of what Lucius had subjected Draco to all these years swarmed through her head. The Fat Lady saw them coming and automatically opened her portrait.

The first thing Ginny noticed when she entered the common room adorned in red and gold, was that it was near dawn, with pink and orange streaks lighting the lower east sky. The second thing she noticed was that her roommate Blaine was asleep in her brothers' Quidditch captain's arms. Oliver Wood… this was the guy who was on every single first, second, and third year's notebooks all scribbled around in hearts. And he had Ginny's first-year roommate in his arms asleep, with no one else near. She was sleeping with her head resting on the chair and her dirty blonde hair spread over his chest. Seeing Ginny and her face of shock, Oliver stood with his hands supporting Blaine's back and beneath her legs as he started to walk towards Ginny. She stepped backwards fast to get away from the both of them and she fell straight back into Snape.

Snape swore at the force of the impact, but he didn't fall over. Ginny, being less that seventy pounds and losing that mysteriously, couldn't even sit in a Muggle car without sitting in a booster seat, let alone knock someone over. He seemed a bit miffed though at having a student hurled at him, so he roughly pushed her back up into the portrait hole.

"Get off me, Weasley. I am not here to protect you." Her eyes downcast, Ginny nodded solemnly. Snape paused before crouching down, his hands on his knees, to be face to face with her. "You've been through so much tonight, Weasley. And I can surely tell you will be going through so much more this year. So, maybe you'd appreciate advice from a greasy git." This brought her eyes, wide, back up to his. "Oh, yes I know what all of my students call me." A bitter laugh filled his mouth, sneaking out. "But, just don't listen, trust or…" He forced himself to continue. "Or love Draco Malfoy." How did he know? Why shouldn't she? "He's not… himself. The worst thing you could possibly do to yourself at this time is to love him." And with that, the portrait closed its entryway, leaving Ginny staring at an empty wall, her hands feeling the cool paint beneath her unblemished fingers.


Oliver uneasily held Blaine still as Ginny tiptoed over. You could tell by the way Blaine so easily and perfectly fit into his arms that they were more than just friends. He seemed to realize how suspicious this would look, but he would keep his pride. And he would keep both of their reputations intact. He quietly set down the sleeping girl, and for a moment, a small smile graced his lips as he looked onto her. "Ginny, this is not what it looks like. Please, please, please… I know you and Blaine have some… er, friction between the two of you, but please don't use this as a tool for revenge." Ginny sat down on the couch, not looking at anything anymore but the ever-constant flame the fire provided. If she tried, she could see the heat working its own wave of magic around them. And if she looked really hard, she could make out the silhouette of fairies clad in blood-red dresses holding up the flame and dancing around in it. Oliver sat next to her and took her hand, lightly rubbing his thumb over the skin between her wrist and the start of her fingers.

"Blaine is the closest thing I have to a sister, Ginny. The closest thing to family I have. When I was a wee child, about five, You-know-who killed my parents. Then his Death Eaters came into me and Idina's room. I was hiding under the bed, but she was just a year old. She never knew the danger. They slaughtered her before my eyes and left." If she hadn't known Oliver Wood for being the toughest, and one of the bravest Gryffindors, she would have thought that behind the cover of darkness, there were tears glistening in his eyes.

"I've been raised by a foster family ever since. No one knows. Blaine treats me like a big brother, and I haven't been one for such a long time. She looks so much like Idina… please just don't tell. I protect her like if she was Idina and she loves me like Idina would. If you feel an urge to lower my Blaine's standards and morals by saying more of what you saw today than a brother helping his little baby sister get over a bad dream, go ahead… but you know what I can do." With an awkward moment, Oliver squeezed Ginny's hand and crawled silently to where Blaine still lay asleep, undisturbed by soft murmurings around her.

The early red rays were shadowing her face beautifully making him choke trying not to show emotion in front of Ginny. Stray strands of hair veiled her eyes until with a careful touch; he pushed them behind her ear. Shielding what he was doing by turning his back to Ginny, Oliver lowered his head to Blaine's and placed a light kiss on her forehead.

For a moment, all he did was gaze down at the eleven year old as her chest rose and fell evenly with the dreams playing behind her eyelids that neither a seer, nor a friend in wanting could see. Then he regained his composure. Wishing Ginny a polite adieu, he gathered his belongings from the chair and walked up the stairs back to the dormitory.

Blaine stirred to the warm touch her "brother" had given her and with a slight whimper felt around the chair for Oliver. When she could feel not the well-toned arms that enveloped her in moments of sadness, or the light breaths pushing back her hair from above, she stood up so quickly it almost made her faint. You know the feeling you have when you spin around twenty times laughing, and when you stop, the blood keeps twirling around in your head? Well, Ginny felt this from watching the girl you just a few nights previous had made her life a living hell looking so vulnerable and lost. She felt a bit of empathy towards her brothers' hero, and took Blaine's arm, leading her back to the dorm.

She was half-asleep still, and didn't even notice her newfound enemy of the week set her unharmed in her own four-poster. Ginny, with a sort of bitter glare, sat down on the same bed, lowering the mattress slightly. A lump pressed hard against her lungs begging for the pressure to be released. How? She thought, almost crying from the waves of heaviness it sent through her entire body. After so long sitting there pitying herself, Blaine's breathing was regular. For about five minutes, she watched Blaine's chest rise and fall before she was satisfied enough to sneakily creep down to the common room again.


With Blaine and no Oliver there to nag in her ear about silence, the common room seemed almost empty, only being filled with the stream of sunlight sneaking through the crack in the closed curtain and a lackluster gleam from the fire. It gave Ginny plenty of space to dwell on the events of the previous day. But the pounding from her memories made her long for the noise again. Sometimes silence can be twice as unbearable as noise. But as she thought about what Draco had almost succeeded in doing, scared Ginny into blocking out her thoughts, and she felt immensely relieved, even if the blockade lasted for but a second. Who would tell her the right thing to do? Of course. Tom. She had to talk to Tom.


Tom…

Tom, please answer me.

Gin? It's the crack of dawn, princess. Do everybody a favor and go back to bed.

Tom, Draco just tried to kill me!

Well, isn't that nice! You can tell me all about it in the morning.

TOM!

What? I'm up! I'm up! God, that was loud. What the hell is your problem, anyway? I was only fooling.

Tom, Draco tried to kill me.

I'm sorry. Tell me all about it.

He- he said he loved me, but he only said that to tie me up and question me.

Oh, princess…

Just, you know me- I tend to wonder about the most unimportant things… so, what did he ask you, for curiosity's sake?

Oh… well, that's the weird part. He asked the most non-important things, like about who gave me the roses, why I broke up with him, and who you were.

Who I was? He actually asked about me?

Well, sure. I'm positive I must have mentioned you to him before, or else he wouldn't

What did you tell him?

No need to cut me off, Tom. You know I'd tell you. I just told him your name, Tom Riddle. I didn't tell him anything else. You can trust me.

Can I?

What do you mean?

Oh, stop your blubbering. You already broke and told him my name. YOU CANNOT TELL ANYONE ELSE ANYTHING ABOUT ME! SAVVY?

I'm sorry, Tom. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry.

Shut up. Just shut up.

I'm sorry.

Really?

Tom?

Come here, princess.

Here? Where is here? Are you angry still with me?

Of course not. You know where, though. Come to me, princess. I'm waiting.

But- er, I, uh, had a rough night. Yes. A very rough and tiring night. I'll come tomorrow when I'm refreshed.

You'll come right now, princess. I must see you now.

Ohhhh… okay? I'll be right there.


Ginny didn't want to abandon the warmth of the fire. The embers were still barely flickering, yet to Ginny, a much colder aspect awaited her if she strayed from this hearth. Already she could feel the pounding begin in her temples like they were drum. It seemed loud enough to have a headache, even in the midst of silence. The longer she sat there trying to ease the constant pounding, the more pull she felt, like the pull from a portkey. Something wanted her desperately to leave. Ginny unwillingly succumbed to such craft and stood up, making her silhouette fall on the sputtering embers.

Taking care to be as quiet as possible, Ginny leant down in front of her trunk and took out her cloak. All her roommates slept peacefully, and she noticed with a twinge of guilt that Molly's bed had not been slept in. She snuck out of their dorm and through to the stairs, stopping for a minute every time she heard noises coming from the rooms. Then she stumbled away from the pink haze the dawn still brought and pushed open the portrait.


Following the fifty-year worn trail, Ginny held her head to release some of the pain of the pounding as she neared the phantom bathroom. All of these things were passing her like they were on a conveyer belt. She stood there, moving her feet in time to her breathing, and all the stuff moved around her. Every time she came to this corridor, a mist seemed to cloud her senses and make it feel like she was in a dream.

When she finally reached the bathroom, everything, including her breathing, was moving in slow motion. The mist was overpowering her entire mind with its fog. She could hardly tell where she was, or where she was going, yet her feet never stopped their narration as they moved forward purposely. One foot, then the other… One foot, then the other… Right, left, right, left… eventually she stopped paying attention. That is until somehow, she found herself sliding down a slimy tunnel.


Rust covered walls coated the air with the metal tang that fell from the walls in mouthfuls. Coughing from inhaling the fifty years worth of undisturbed rust, Ginny began to feel more than the slightest unease. This place had shadows looming at her from every angle and an unnatural light filtered in, nearly blinding her, from one or another passageway. She passed through a number of arched entryways that by the marks carved onto the ground it could be indicated that they had recently been opened.

At last she reached the end of the maze. The unnatural light was coming from a shimmering orb that floated high, near the arched ceiling of this labyrinth. Her hands grasped onto the Diary, and the light seemed to only grow brighter. A voice called out to her, as her eyes lay transfixed on the orb.

"Hello, my princess." Ginny followed the to its source at the head of a large marble statue. It looked oddly familiar. The statue was…Salazar Slytherin. Ginny nearly fell backwards from a memory breaking through her blockade. She knew this place. She had seen it all before. The voice sang pure through the empty chamber, making her remember. No. Dream. Tom. Hurt. Stop! Tom! Laughing? No. Please. Tom. Won't. Kiss. Searing. Hot. Torrid. No. Stop! Please. Tom. Stop!


Flashback

Snake carvings were everywhere. In the middle of the chamber was a huge statue of Salazar Slytherin, complete with Tom in front of it. Ginny took small steps towards him, looking around. He just stood very still, his eyes fixed on her, waiting.

"Tom? What's going on? Where are we?" she asked fiercely when she reached him. Tom moved towards her.

"Oh this?" he asked simply, gesturing around. At her nod, he continued. "Well, this is my world." He took another step near to her. " I'm sure we can find something to do little Gin." Ginny then realized what he planned to do with her.

She started screaming but was silenced by Tom covering her mouth with his and practically forcing his tongue down her throat. Ginny tried to back away, but ended up with her back against the wall and his arms blocking her escape. Tom merely smirked and chuckled at her antics.

"See, Gin," Tom started to say as he stood against her with his lips right next to her ear. "I don't want to kill you. Au Contraire. I want you very much alive. I need you princess. Why do you think it was you who got the diary? That wasn't an accident and you know I don't go befriending all the Gryffindors and elves and happy little unicorns. I'm not all peaches and cream." Ginny shuddered when he moved even closer, placing his finger on her chin, turning her so they were eye to eye. "And you know that well. You do have a future with me princess, and a definite one at that. Whether you want to or not. So princess, why don't you help me now." He brushed his fingers through the lock of hair dangling by her mouth. "Guess what princess… you're mine." Ginny shuddered again and tried to push away his hand. He laughed, grabbed her shoulders, and ensnared her in a dangerous kiss- the kind of kiss parents warn their daughters against. When he let her go, she burst free of his grasp and ran forward blindly.

Hot tears burnt a path down her cheeks as she stumbled forward. Tom just stood leaning against the wall staring at his hand like he had snatched at something just beyond his reach. When she looked back at him, she paused. She wasn't being chased. Tom then jerked to attention and noticed her, not a hundred feet away, barely even fifty, just watching him. His eyes widened and his hands shook a bit in anger and he started to walk towards her taking painfully long, slow strides, Ginny backed up when he began advancing but took one too many steps without noticing where she was headed.

With a splash and a thud, Ginny landed two feet down with only her knees, top of her uniform skirt, and her face out of the water. Tom casually peered over the side of the walkway and cocked his head sideways to gaze at her. Sighing, he flicked her wand and held up the long brown trench coat he summoned from the bedroom. Ginny whimpered a little as he picked her up and wrapped her in it.

Her uniform was soaked so she tightened the coat around her. Tom laid her down in front of the statue like a primitive sacrifice to a god and straddled her waist. There was no way to get away from him now. "Gin, I really don't want to do this. But you just can't cheat fate or escape destiny," he said, diverting his eyes to the base of the statue. Ginny then grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at her. An eleven-year-old girl was no match for a sixteen-year-old boy. Tom may be a memory but he had absorbed enough of her magic that he was almost completely human again. He was almost free of the diary. Normally he would have just overpowered her and walked away, but something was troubling him. He allowed himself to be forced to do something.

"W…what do you have to do?" she asked the question fearfully, stuttering slightly. He looked down at this innocent girl on the floor. What was he doing? He stroked her face for a second and was about to get off of her, smiling for a split second. Thenhis hands tightened and his face was set into a frown. No. He had to do it. He had to. Had to.Facing her again, he took both of her hands and pinned them together above her head.

"Tom...please…don't." He just stared at her with his cold dark eyes.

Tom reached back with one hand, keeping the other hand firmly onto her own, and started to hike up her long, damp uniform skirt. Her eyes went as wide as apples and she started to struggle, but Tom's hand remained firm. "Tom, please! Stop. Let go of me! Stop it! Please." Tom rolled his eyes at her plea andslipped his hand from her skirt to the back of her neck.Eyes closed, Ginny heard a click and when she opened them, she saw what Tom had done. He had unclasped her gold necklace, a gift from her father at her fifth brthday party. "Not my necklace... please. Not my necklace..."

Tom ignored her and wound the chain so it bound her two hands together. Whenever she struggled, it bit down into her skin. He sharply inhaled and used the same hand he had used to hike up her skirt and bind her to part his nearly solid Slytherin robe. Ginny sniveled, trying to keep the tears off her face while she began to kick and shove.

Merrily snickering that she was still trying to fight, Tom thought, You go right on ahead and fight it my princess. Sooner or later, you'll give in. Oh yes you'll give in. "Tom..." Ginny arched her back so her face was closer to his. He seemed to notice this. " Tom, I am begging you to stop." She seemed very distraught when she voiced this last thought so she whispered her continuation. "You have made me resort to begging, Tom. You know how much you dislike your princess begging, and I know it too. Look what you've done to me. Look what you're doing." Tom froze at her words. They were the truth. Begging and pleading was far under his princess. She was above all of it.

No! A thought deep in Tom's mind yelled. Stop it! She knew what she was getting into from the very start. Don't let her persuade you! Punish her! Punish her! Tom nodded and smirked at Ginny. Ginny saw she wasn't going to win this and whimpered, letting a single tear fall down her cheek. Tom gazed at her, as she looked away, her eyes sequenced up so to soften the pain she was sure she'd feel. Then she felt the mind blowing pain and shrieked out loud in agony. Tears openly fell onto the floor and he continued.

"Tom…stop! You're…you're hurting me Tom! Ow! Stop it please! Please!"

End Flashback


Her scream rattled the stones themselves on the ground. Tom just chuckled from his place atop the statue and swung his leg off to the side. "Princess, I won't bite." A normal person would be fleeing right about now, arms flailing and all. Now the youngest and only girl in the Weasley family, Virginia, was not what you would call a normal person. She didn't believe anything could really hurt, as many naïve children do. Of course she had broken limbs and sprained ankles, and such and such. That isn't the kind of pain she feared.

Someone who's never experienced heartbreak can never imagine the mortal anguish that can come with it. Those who have never known fear about anything fear it. For those who have never felt its near fatal blows will never know anything near as hurtful.

Tom had been watching Ginny since she had screamed, and was feeling just a tad insecure as he saw her weigh the pros and cons in her head. Her gut was screaming at her to run, and run fast, yet after locking eyes with Tom, her legs refused to cooperate, and she was unable to move. "Princess…" Tom had either jumped down from his perch or his molecules had shifted so fast, he just apparated down to Ginny. "Welcome."

Ginny took a look around. This was definitely the place of her dream. But Tom was- Tom… That was when Ginny realized that this was the first time she had actually ever seen him. Instantly, she knew why anyone would fear him so.

His midnight colored hair flopped in front of his eyes as he advanced up to his Ginny. Coal eyes that were like the sea on a stormy day wouldn't leave hers.

His eyes remained on hers no matter the baby steps backwards she took she took. As soon as she began to step backwards, Ginny realized her path had been turned when she felt the clammy stone behind her. Tom sighed. He was so close that the simplest of breaths from him caused her hair to flutter from the breeze. Being pushed against the wall unwillingly by Tom closing in on her, Ginny's own breath came shorter and shorter the closer he got. This was too familiar. Tears threatened to cascade down her cheeks as she thought what might happened if this turned out to be her dream.

Oh, why did she ever come down here?

A single tear slid down when he spoke and she closed her eyes to prevent any more; her fingers clenched on their own accord. "Princess…" She shuddered. He seemed to like watching her do that. But the more she tried to control her chills, the wider his grin grew. "Answer my questions, Gin. And nothing will happen to you." Ginny opened her eyes to see his coal ones barely half an inch away.

"T…Tom…" her first words to him all garbled and stuttered. Idiot! He cocked his head to the side, and then broke eye contact to fiddle with her hair. "Tom… I'm scared. I don't like this place. Please, let me go." A smile that would later plague her dreams now came onto his face. His hand moved down, encircling poor, little, terrified, Ginny Weasly's waist. "Please Tom…" She whispered.

Instead of showing mercy to this girl, he pulled her by the waist closer to him, and with his other hand, dug into his pocket. Conjuring a small ball with a rune he held, her eyes rested of the generated electricity. "Wait for it…" The ball grew larger, and the energy fought for freedom, reaching out and grazing the tips of Ginny's hair, turning neon blue. Her widened eyes reflected the sight.

"Tom, what is that?" With its first taste of the innocent girl before it, the ball pulled all the power it could from out of her, making her gasp in pain and crumple to the ground.

Why was she so much of an idiot as to come down here?

Tom's head was cocked to the side again, when she could manage to look up. He knelt down to her eye level, watching her, an amused grin on his face as he saw her reaction. But the grin didn't reach his eyes, for no amusement was there. His coal eyes were cold and dark, closed off from every emotion, every other part of his body. Ginny could never imagine those eyes changing. They were separate.

"Please Tom, don't," was all she said as she shuddered on the ground. He paused, thinking of how feeble her last plea had been as he gathered her frail body in his arms. This was not the Ginny he had known. This was not the lively girl he had met that fateful day in Diagon Alley, and he wanted her back. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew it was his fault she was like this… His Ginny… His fault.

With a small twitch of confusion, Tom shifted Ginny around until she was back on the floor. "What do you think I'm going to do to you?" He asked, nearly floating above her. Fear consumed Ginny at his closeness. Tears dripped to the floor.

"Please, Tom, please." She didn't even see him anymore. All she saw was her dream realizing itself around her. Tom gulped and backed away slowly to give her some space. He should have just taken over and then brought her down here again, but no, he had to talk to his Ginny. He had to knock some sense into her even if He didn't want to. She would've awoken in her own bed, not the slightest bit harmed, and with no knowledge of the incident.

Oh, no no no. You remember what happened last time. That's right. She remembered! You screwed up and she remembered! But not anymore. She'll know what happens in her own little story book, but she'll be too afraid of you to tell. This is for the best! Get back to her and do what you have been destined! Make her kill for me. I mean… for you. Make her want to kill for you. Tom's thoughts all yelled at him in that voice. That voice controlled him. No matter how strong he got, that voice stole some power for himself. The voice would always be stronger and more powerful than Tom. No. He told himself. I won't. You will. You were like that too, once upon a yesterday: a happy-go-lucky half-blood. I changed you for the better, and you will change her for the better as well! Do as I say! Ginny had to listen to Tom… had to answer his questions. Yes.

"Just," Tom began, trying to control his rebelling thoughts as he tried to calm Ginny down. "Just answer me a few questions, and no harm shall come to you." He yelled that to make her hear him. Oh, stop lying to the poor girl. You, be quiet. He commanded. Ginny still couldn't see or hear him; she thrashed about trying to get his ink- no- bloodstained hands off of her. "Where did you get the roses, princess? That's all I want to know. Just tell me what you told Draco." When he was standing a good ten feet away from her, she calmed down enough to sit up, but her breath still came in short gasps she couldn't quite catch. Too weak to stand and run away, she was at his mercy. He leant onto the wall, catching his own breath. Not looking at her, he asked the question again. "Where are they from, Gin?"

Finally, her breath was returned with a wisp of magic taken away. Ginny's thoughts returned to the subject that had given her so much grief, and decided what was proper to tell Tom. "Not you too! Please, Tom! I received them from Harry. But the twins bought them for me. Why is this so important to everyone?" A smile had drawn itself on his face. Well, not a smile… an evil smirk, maybe. He shook his head and thought up another question; one he had been thriving to know the answer to.

"Do you love him?"

Ginny was confused. "Harry?" At Tom's nod, the light returned to her eyes. "Oh Tom, he is just one of the best people you could ever meet. He's so nice and kind and caring. He won't say a bad word about anyone and he's so incredibly brave..." she begun to prattle on about him for the longest time when Tom finally tuned her out.

She finally stopped, bathing in the warm light his memory brought to her. It made him sick for one reason or another. "Now tell me what Draco knows about me because of you." Ginny blinked twice, trying to remember. Everything past Halloween morning had some sort of blur around it. But it was just earlier today. You must remember what you said…

"Oh, that?" She asked, letting a small giggle get past her closed lips. "Tom, I told you. All he knows is your name. What's so bad about that? You-know-who could look in any yearbook and see a picture and a name and a description. That's three times as much as he knows about you." Tom clamped down his eyes trying to control the anger that threatened to explode out of every pore in his body. The voice kept getting louder, wanting to take over. "Well, after I told him your name, Snape came in and Draco silenced me."

That was the degree that put Tom over the boiling point.

Reaching out with one hand, Tom grabbed Ginny by the throat and lifted her into the air. Ginny's surprised eyes and her hands clawing at his finger on her neck made him drop her and clutch her wrist instead. "Tom…" She spat out in a thin, brittle voice as she massaged her throat with her free hand. "Tom… please stop."

He raised his hand, pulling Ginny off the floor and levitating her a few good feet until they were face to face, her hands raised above her head. "You would've told him more, wouldn't you have?" He screamed, throwing her fragile body back down to the floor. "He can search for me now! You stupid, stupid little girl! You backstabbing traitor!" Ginny worked to keep the tears at bay this time.

"I wasn't trying to betray you! Please, believe me!"

He made a move to grab her again. "Tom, stop! You're hurting me!" She whined, clutching onto herself. Tom silenced her with a sharp slap to the face, forcing her head back into the floor, making stars appear before her eyes. "Stop…" She was trying to think of a good threat. "I'll tell. Charlie, my brother, will kill you for hurting me, Tom." At that, Tom just kicked her in the side, watching her moan with a sick pleasure.

"LOOK AROUND YOU, VIRGINIA!" He took a side of her face with each hand and forced her to look. "DO YOU THINK ANYONE CAN HEAR YOU CRY OR SCREAM OR MOAN?" He was enjoying it so much; it was scary to see his eyes light up for once as the pleasure made him laugh. "DO YOU THINK ANYONE IS COMING TO SAVE YOU?" Tears were streaming down her face as the realization that she was cut off from the world with only Tom to keep her company there. And from the previous actions he had already done to her, you didn't want to be alone with him.

Tom dropped his grip on her and watched Ginny sob onto the floor. "If a little yelling can break you so much, princess, I cannot trust you with even the tiniest secret. I, foolishly, thought I was your secret. The secret no one would ever know!" His voice kept changing tone. She didn't know what to expect from him next. "Virginia… now Malfoy knows. You have defied me. You have broken and you will break again. Unless, I can train you to be, as a Malfoy, and show nothing… Be indifferent. We'll render your capability to tell secrets right now." Kneeling down to her crumpled size, Tom stroked her hair gently, before reaching in her cloak pocket and taking her wand of Yew Wood and Unicorn hair.

She barely flinched as the wand was pointed towards her. His coal eyes hesitated, taking a slightly greener hue than it had been, but then it sharpened, focusing on the trembling broken child littering the Chamber floor.

"Tom… please…" Ignoring her plea, Tom steadied his hand. "I am so sorry."

A flicker of emotion shown in his dead eyes. "I'm sorry too, Gin. But you cannot break. For me, you must be strong. And I am going to etch that lesson into your brain if I have to carve it into your very skin." The wand rose again, this time pointing straight at her heart.

"Tom… No!" she begged aloud.

"CRUCIO!"