A/N: Hello readers, thanks again for the reviews! Sorry this chapter took me so long, but I was stuck and I also had no time to write. Hope you enjoy!

The spiral staircase brought them closer and closer to the most feared man in the world. It surprised Ginny just how well she had been able to cope with seeing him again, especially with how he looked now. It brought back so many memories of both a more innocent time and a more corrupted time. She was just a child and he preyed upon her and forced her to do his bidding. Though she was absolutely horrified of him now, more than she had ever been, this is what helped her to cope. He is a coward that would corrupt a child for his own use. She thought savagely and bravely as the spiral staircase reached its premium height.

Tom Riddle was sitting at Dumbledore's desk his feet propped up on the desk and he was leaning back a little in the high-backed chair. "Ah, Draco!" He greeted, surprisingly jovially for a thoroughly evil man.

"My lord." Draco greeted back as he came up to the desk.

"And Ginevra…" Tom said as he rose to his feet.

"Riddle." She regarded with a sneer.

"As petulant as always, I see." He said as he slowly came closer to her. "Do you fear me, Ginevra?" He whispered as he let his hand grace over her hair. There was a pause in which nobody said anything. Draco just stared at them and Tom rose his eyebrow questioningly. "Answer me, girl!" He said angrily, breaking the silence.

"Should I fear you?" She asked, trying to keep the timidity out of her voice and not wanting to give in and grant him a straight answer. Of course she was afraid of him. Who wouldn't be?

A smirk appeared on his face. "Such a brave girl to goad me like this." He said. "I can see that you are scared. Will you go far enough to back bravery up with actions?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked. He looked deep into her eyes and Draco came up and snaked his arm around her waist. He then, ever so slowly, brought his lips down to hers. When he was just centimeters from her lips he stopped.

"What would you do, for instance, if he kissed you right now?" Tom asked. Just as Draco began to close the tiny gap she let her hands rise to his shoulders and pushed him as hard as she could. He only stumbled back a couple of feet, but it was enough. "You are brave, little Gryffindor." Tom chuckled as he went to sit at the desk. "And now, time for the consequences of such bravery. Draco."

Ginny saw the fair-haired boy draw his wand from his pocket and lazily point it at her while leaning on the desk. "Crucio." He said in an almost bored way.

Then, for the first time in her life, Ginny felt the Cruciatus curse. It was the worst pain she had ever felt, and that includes the time when she fell out of her second-story bedroom window at The Burrow when she was five and landed in the rose bushes. She didn't want to scream, but it was impossible to keep from doing so for long. The pain had her writhing on the floor and she was biting through her tongue to keep them from the satisfaction of hearing her scream. The curse was lifted quickly, even though it felt like much longer.

Draco's face was calm and cool when he lifted the curse, and his eyes surveyed her mildly. Tom was looking at her also, his eyes shining in glee. In a last show of rebellion, she spit the blood from her tongue onto the antique rug on the old wooden floor. If they had been muggles, this might have made Tom mad. But they weren't, so he laughed instead and cleaned the rug with a quick "scourgefy." Her eyes began to tear from the pain she still felt in her tongue.

"What's wrong, Ginevra?" Tom asked mockingly as he began to approach her. He bent down and forced her mouth open. "Dear God, Girl!" He said in near shock. "What on earth did you do?"

"What is it?" Draco asked, leaving the desk and coming closer to Ginny.

"She's almost bitten through her tongue." Tom said with a chuckle.

"I knew there was a reason why she could keep herself from screaming."

"You could have done the curse harder." He said scornfully to Draco.

"Did you want me to make her bite all the way through her tongue?" Draco asked coldly.

"I wanted her to scream." Tom ground out.

"Do you want me to do it again until she screams?" Draco asked while arching an eyebrow.

"No, just heal her." He answered with a near sigh.

Draco bent to where she knelt on the floor and pried her mouth open. He put his wand close to her tongue and whispered a spell. Ginny's tongue suddenly felt much better.

"What do you say to Draco, Ginevra?" Tom asked. She didn't know what he meant and thus kept quiet, staring intently at the pattern of the rug. "Well, what do you say to Draco for fixing your tongue?" He repeated impatiently.

"Thank you." She said quietly and flatly, still not looking up from the rug.

"Honestly, girl." Tom said exasperatedly, sitting down in Dumbledor's chair. "Next time I will leave your wounds over night and see how you like that."

A few minutes later a house elf walked through the door, carrying a large silver platter. "Breakfast!" Tom announced joyously as the elf put the tray down on the large polished desk in front of him. The top of the platter was removed and two plates stacked full of eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast sat staring up at the dark lord and giving off a bit of steam. I'm so hungry! Ginny thought longingly, looking at the two plates. I haven't eaten in days.

"Would you like some, Draco?" Tom asked.

"No, thank you. I'm really not hungry." He answered.

"It seems as though you are in luck, Ginevra. I was going to allow you another day without food. But it appears as if you would rather starve than say you are hungry, and there is no need to have this food go to waste." Two chairs suddenly appeared on the other side of the desk and Ginny sat in one of them, eyeing the food with slight suspicion.

Tom plunked one of the plates down in front of her as Draco took the other chair. "Elf!" He addressed sharply. "I would have you taste both plates of food."

"W-w-w-why s-s-sir?" The dirty elf asked meekly.

"How dare you question me, filth!" Tom yelled in anger, slamming his goblet down on the shiny surface for emphasis. The little elf came up to the desk, and reached up for the bit of food that was offered him from both plates. He ate it quickly, and seemed to hold his breath. He was waiting and holding his breath. And though she didn't notice it, Ginny was also for some unknown reason. Nothing happened. After testing the juice in the goblets the elf was dismissed.

"Why?" Ginny asked plainly.

"They tried to poison it the last two times." Tom explained. I knew there was a reason why Hermione loves house elves so much! "All they succeeded in was getting two of their own dirty kind killed, and more than that if you count the ones that were punished." He began to eat, and Ginny, unable to contain herself any longer, also ate.

"Are you sure you won't join me, Ginevra?" Tom asked when they had finished eating.

"I'm sure." She said shortly, looking above his head to give the impression that she was looking at him.

"Maybe some day." He said with a mock wistfulness to his voice.

"In your dreams, Riddle." She said very quietly as he got up and turned to a bookshelf behind him. He didn't hear her. Draco did hear, as was evident by his very soft chuckle. She almost didn't hear it, even with how close she was to him.

"I have something to show you, Ginevra." He said as he plucked a book off the shelf. She couldn't see the book. This can't be good. She thought worriedly as he turned back towards her slowly. Draco's face had gone completely blank. He tossed the book on the desk. Oh God! She thought as she sharply took in breath and her jaw dropped.

A/N: Sigh, finally finished. I had no clue what to write in this chapter. I really hope you liked it. It will not take me as long to write the next chapter. Please review!