Tom did not lead them back to her room, but to the kitchens, Ginny almost falling several times although she was getting better at running with shackles on her.
Tom was fuming, and when he turned to look at her his eyes were still scarlet. It shook her. This was not the Tom to mess with. This was the man who murdered her boyfriend and as many people during the Final Battle as he could. This was a man capable of ripping someone into pieces and laughing about it. He scared her. She didn't know this Tom.
Not that she really knew the scarlet-less eyed Tom, truly. He was still capable of torture and murder, but that Tom didn't emanate murderous waves of rage. She was sure either one would kill her if it called for it, though. This just wasn't the man she was used to dealing with. And then it clicked for her. This wasn't Tom. This was Lord Voldemort. Her Tom was playful, even if in a sadistic way. This Lord Voldemort would kill her for a well-place quip at him.
"Can't you keep up?" he snapped back at her.
"Sorry, My Lord," she whispered, trying to hurry up.
She didn't want him hurting her family just because he was in a foul mood and she couldn't keep up.
He slammed open the doors of the kitchen and every house elf froze in terror.
"Clear the kitchen," he demanded, and every elf immediately disappeared.
He went to a cabinet and pulled out a whiskey bottle. He slammed two glasses down on the counter and poured whiskey into them.
"Drink," he ordered, and she did not want to anger him so she took a sip.
It burned like a shot, but there were tones of honey in it that made it actually taste tolerable. He watched her as he drained his glass and poured another. The scarlet was starting to fade from his eyes as he watched her drink the liquor.
"Have you ever really drank before?" he finally asked quietly.
She shook her head no. "The only time I had a drink was when Mad-Eye died, and even then it wasn't much, so I'm afraid I can't keep up with you."
He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Don't try to keep up with me. I have an affinity for honey whiskey. It soothes me the way a mother's tit soothes a babe. But too much of a good thing isn't good at all," he said and put the bottle back, swilling the whiskey in his glass before drinking.
Ginny gulped hers down, not minding the burn anymore. She knew she wasn't drunk. She'd probably need a second glass to get drunk. But she was warm from the alcohol. It burned through her veins, or so it felt.
"How will you punish them if they fail?" Ginny finally asked, locking eyes with him.
And Tom was back. He sighed and shrugged. "I'll think of something. I always do. But it's not a matter of if. They will fail. Some of the Order is abroad hiding in the mountains. I know for a fact Hagrid is living in the forest with the half-brother of his," he muttered.
"I imagine he is very at home there," Ginny finally said, picturing Hagrid consorting with the centaurs and other creatures in the Forest. She missed Hagrid. Missed the days where she could go visit him in his hut. Those days seemed a lifetime ago, and Ginny felt the keen loss of a life where she would have been Mrs. Ginny Potter. She would've had black-haired babies with brown or green eyes. She would've been surrounded by love no matter where she went.
But that had been torn from her. She would never get to be a mother. She would never get to have a wedding to a man she loved. She would never have the chance to do so many things. Lord Voldemort had ripped that all away from her without a care, and to think of it as only her loss was an incredibly narcissistic point of view. It was a loss for wizardkind worldwide.
"I want to see my brother and Hermione," Ginny found herself saying, and she looked up to meet his gaze.
Tom arched an eyebrow. "And I want to be King of the world. Well, that one actually does have a chance of happening," he said with a dry chuckle.
"Tom, please. He is the only family I may have left. Surely there is something I can do to see him? That way I know you aren't torturing him. It'd keep us both honest."
Tom smirked. "What could you possibly give me, little Ginevra. I have the world on a plate."
Ginny drummed her fingers on the counter, thinking. She already had the Dark Mark. She tried to never look at it, but that was a hard thing to do.
"What do you want?" she finally asked.
His eyes gleamed as he said, "I want you to serve me."
"And how do I do that?" she asked.
"Oh, sweet innocent Ginny," he said, a hand going out to caress her throat.
Her breath hitched, betraying her arousal. She couldn't help it. She was human, and he was undeniably hot. Her eyes fluttered close, and she leaned into the touch.
"Not yet," he said softly.
She opened her eyes as he withdrew his hand, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"I'll let you see them if it means we are still agreed that they will pay for your infractions. Not that you can disagree… so I guess I should say as long as you are still aware of it," He finally said, long fingers tracing the rim of his empty glass.
"I am aware," she said softly, hoping with everything in her that she would see her brother.
"One condition. You change your clothes so your brother can see you are branded by me."
Ginny sighed. She should have known with Tom there would always be a condition. But she needed to see them to know he was telling the truth that they weren't being harmed. She wouldn't rest until she knew for sure. So she agreed.
Tom led her to her room, unlocking the door and pulling it closed behind him. Blinky was in there changing the sheets and stoking the fireplace to give the room a warm feel. Outside it was snowing; Ginny could see it through the window. But there was no time to stop and see. She ran to her closet, and just to piss Tom off, she put on a training outfit. It met the condition. If he told her to change again, she would just have to do as told.
Tom rolled his eyes when he saw her, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he motioned for her to follow him. She was about to see her family. She could have skipped, but she saw Death Eaters in the hall and knew Tom would be pissed if she outwardly gloated.
He led her to the dungeons and went ahead of her, talking to someone softly. Narcissa Malfoy exited where Ginny guessed the prisoners were kept. She was disheveled and distracted and walked past Ginny with no recognition.
"Go in. There is no way out. I'm giving you ten minutes, and be glad I'm giving you that," he snapped and Ginny ran in.
It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. The only light there were candles outside the cell. There was a pile that Ginny knew had to be Ron and Hermione.
"Ron? 'Mione?" she whispered as though at a friend's death bed.
There was movement, though Ginny could barely see it in that back corner. And then Ron's face was at the bars.
"Ginny!" he shouted, and Hermione's face appeared at the bars, too.
Ginny gripped the bars, crying quietly. They didn't look like they'd been tortured. They were dirty, sure, but they weren't starving. In fact, Ron looked almost pudgy.
"Ginny, why is the Mark on your arm?" Hermione asked, noticing it before Ron.
"Tom branded me. I'm his prisoner pretty much. Something about a prophecy having to do with me. I'm kept safe if not confined. But that's not important. Has anyone hurt you? He swore to me he wouldn't torture you unless I misbehaved. I want to make sure he's keeping up his end of our agreement," Ginny said very fast. They had a limited amount of time to talk in, after all.
"We're fine. We have a new guard about every twelve hours. But they feed us, thanks to you I suppose. But go back to the prophecy. What prophecy?" Hermione asked.
"I dunno. I just knew he says there was a prophecy made about me and him. I can't explain everything, just know I will kill him. I won't let him win," she swore in a whisper, in case Tom was trying to listen in.
"Ginny… you have to be sure. You will only get one chance to kill him. So make sure you can do it," Hermione whispered back. "The fate of the world is in your hands. If it takes time, it takes time. But make sure that when you go to strike, it truly is the end of him."
Ginny nodded. "I will. That I swear," Ginny vowed.
"Ginny, has he… is he hurting you?" Ron asked and Ginny shrugged.
"Not too much. He has now decided if he is going to hurt me it's by hurting you two, so I am not too worried about physical pain anymore. He only did it a few times. The worst was him making me kill Ernie," Ginny admitted.
"That traitorous git! He sold us all out!" Ron hissed.
"Well, he paid with his life with my Imperiused hand," Ginny flat-lined.
Hermione let out a shaky breath and shook her head.
"That must have been awful, but at least you aren't dead. Bill and Fleur were convinced you were, but I know you. You're strong, Ginny. You can do this. He is forcing other countries into submission. He is becoming a dictator," Hermione stressed.
"I know. I was in his last meeting," Ginny admitted.
"Does he… does he trust you?" Hermione asked.
"More than he initially did, but not nearly enough. I can't say too much. He's a skilled Legililmence. All I can say is, I will make it through this okay. And all three of us will go home," Ginny promised.
And then Tom opened the door and said, "I think that's long enough, Ginevra."
Ginny stood and backed away while saying, "I love you both so much. I'm sorry."
Though what she was apologizing for she wasn't sure. Maybe that she was free—well freer than them—and they weren't. That she had almost succumbed to desire from the very reason so many people were dead. She felt shame about that, and she vowed she wouldn't let it happen again, but even as she did she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep it.
Knees weak, she walked out of the room in the dungeon where her brother and Hermione were and followed Tom back out of the dungeon and to her room. The whole way there her mind was reeling. They wanted her to kill him. Hell, she wanted to kill him. But would she ever be able to do so? Or was this pointless? Ginny sighed and cleared her mind. Thinking about it while near him wasn't good. So she would wait until later.
He unlocked the door, waving his wand so her shackles disappeared. She walked in, and he stood on the other side of the door for a moment, as though contemplating, his black eyes gleaming with light, though they weren't scarlet. Then he seemed to come to a decision.
"Training tomorrow morning. Remember who gets punished if you can't behave," he ordered.
Ginny nodded. "Hey, Tom?" she called as he was closing the door.
He poked his head in the room, and Ginny said, "Thank you for keeping your end of the deal."
Tom gave a wicked grin. "And I will continue to do so, but it's your actions that determine whether or not it's a detriment for your family."
And like that he was gone. Ginny let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.