It had been a long day, and Ginny was looking forward to retiring to the common room. She'd been avoiding the library so as not to give Harry a reason to be suspicious of her again. She didn't think he would be, but she didn't want to be around Neville right now either. She wanted to have a clear mind going into the finals and being confused about her feelings wasn't a good way to go about it. That morning, Harry, Ron and Hermione had received a letter from Hagrid telling them that Aragog was dead and he wanted them to go and send him off. Ron and Harry had blatantly refused, but Hermione had felt bad. Ginny had said at least one of them should go and show some support, but they all refused.
So she was completely surprised when Harry stood facing Ron and Hermione in the common room as she entered, and announced, "I'm going to visit Hagrid!" She frowned and he walked up to her confidently (not at all Harry-like) and enveloped her in a viper-like hug before giving her a firm kiss and slipping his tongue into her mouth (in front of Ron and Hermione and everyone else!) Her brain spazzed and she had to catch up with it for a second before she kissed him back furiously. However, as soon as she had caught up with her senses, Harry was pulling away. Ginny frowned as she stared after him in bewilderment! He hadn't done that in….forever.
She turned to saw Hermione grinning from ear to ear, and Ron pointedly staring at the wall to the right of him. There had been a few wolf whistles and as she sat down in one of the chairs she asked in amazement, "What's gotten into him?" Hermione laughed as she sat down opposite Ginny, "He's taken Felix Felicis…" She realized she had said too much and Ginny frowned, "Felix Felicis? Isn't that the lucky potion Harry won from Slughorn at the beginning of the year because he used the Half-Blood Prince's instructions?" Hermione nodded and bit her lip as Ron went to go and sit with Dean, Seamus and Neville in another corner. Ginny sighed, "It makes sense then why he's in such a good mood. Why did he need to take it though?" Hermione shrugged, "For…Dumbledore." Ginny felt irritated. She was being kept out of so much…but then she had an idea! When Harry came back, she was going to demand that he tell her. She didn't think he'd resist much with the potion. However, he didn't return at all. She waited up until twelve, and then was about to retire for the night.

Ginny was the only person still left in the common room when Harry walked in. He seemed to be in his own world as he didn't even see her standing there, waiting for him. He jumped when he did, "Ginny!" he said in a fright. She was watching him closely and he whispered, "I…I'm sorry I didn't see you there." She nodded and sighed, "I feel like you don't see me at all anymore Harry. I'm so tired of having to fight to keep this relationship alive, when I feel like you don't really want it anymore." Harry's eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently, "No! Gin, of course I do! I love you!" She bit her lip and whispered, "Sometimes…love isn't enough Harry. I feel so distant from you, like you're a world away." She felt like she was going to burst into tears. Their relationship had been rocky from the start, and she knew there would be a day when they couldn't be together. She was making that day outlast itself, by how long she didn't know, but her futile attempts were failing miserably.

Harry walked forward to comfort her and he said seriously, "Gin, you deserve the truth. I'll give it to you." He took her hands and squeezed them tightly as he pulled her over to the couch opposite the fire. It was just the two of them, but he still spoke in whispers, in case they were overheard. Harry explained everything to her that night: how he needed to get the memory from Slughorn, and how he had failed, until now. The memory held all the clues and all the unanswered questions as to what a Horcrux was. At this point, Harry stared fervently into her eyes as he said in a whisper, "Ginny…the Horcruxes are a piece of Voldemort's soul." She frowned and asked, "How does that work?" Harry explained the procedure of having to kill someone in order to create the Horcrux. She gasped and asked, "How many are there?!" Harry shrugged, "Dumbedlore thinks seven…the most powerful magical number." Ginny nodded in understanding, "So…if all the Horcruxes were destroyed…" Harry grimaced and nodded as he finished for her, "One destroys Voldemort. But Ginny, you've got to swear you won't breathe a word of this to anyone? Not to Neville, not to Dean or Seamus, alright? I'm not even supposed to be telling you. Dumbledore thinks you would be better off not knowing because it's dangerous to know too much, but I disagree. It's important for you to know and I refuse to lose you because of this." The spark that she loved about him was back and Ginny nodded, "Thank you, I appreciate that you could tell me all of this. So you said Horcruxes could be everyday kind of objects?" Harry nodded and she suddenly realized, in that one second, the devastating truth, "…the diary?" she asked tentatively.
Ginny could see that she was right, from the fiercely, protective expression that appeared on his face at the mention of the diary. He didn't even have to answer because she knew it was right. She felt deflated. Like a complete and utter moron. She had entrusted her deepest darkest secrets to a piece of Voldemort's soul. Her mind was teaming with questions. She was overwhelmed, her eyes blurring and the room was spinning. She had been foolish enough to trust Voldemort. She bent her knees on the couch and place her forehead on top of them as she heard Harry's voice in the background. She hadn't only trusted Voldemort, but she'd….she'd…thought she loved him!

She felt her body begin shaking violently and Harry gasped, "Ginny?! Ginny what's wrong…?! What's going on? GIN!" She tried to control her shaking but she felt like she couldn't, until Harry enveloped her in his arms. She still shook, but then she found she was crying. Sobbing crying. Not just crying crying. Totally sobbing. She gasped and inhaled air as though there was not enough of it in the room. She couldn't look at him. He would hate her and then break up with her because he hated her so much if she told him.

Ginny whispered through her shaking, "H…Harry…if I…t…tell you s…something, I j…just want you t…to know that I l…love you." He stared at her in shock and demanded, "Gin?! What is going on?!" She took a deep breath and said shakily, "I loved him. Tom. I loved him when he was my diary. When he became real, it was too late to r…realize that I was stupid and wrong. And he'd manipulated me into thinking that. I loved Tom Harry. Tom Riddle! I'm the biggest idiot on the planet! I feel like a complete fool. I should never…" Harry interrupted her, a serious expression on his face as he said sternly, "Gin, I don't care. I mean, it happened. I dated Cho, and unfortunately that happened. The point is, you never really dated him, and knowing Tom Riddle, he probably forced you into thinking that you liked him in that way." Ginny shook her head, "No Harry…I…"

Harry was kissing her before she could say anything more. He kissed her like he had never kissed her before and she felt sparks flying when he pulled her closer. She felt butterflies dancing around in her stomach and again her brain was slow in catching up with all the sensations. She was worried that he would pull away again, so she grabbed some hair at the back of his neck and kissed him harder.

Ginny slid her tongue into his mouth and he tasted of lemonade…there had been some at dinner and it was sweet and she heard him groan, which only caused her to kiss him more. She had not in anyway expected this reaction. If she had…maybe she would have told Harry a long time ago. But she felt his hand tug at the bottom of her blouse and she didn't try and stop him.

They hadn't gone too far when Harry sat up a few minutes later and whispered in her ear, "I don't care, Ginny. Riddle probably made you feel that way about him. It sickens me that he made you feel that way, but other than that, it doesn't change my opinion of you. I love you for who you are, and I always have. I'm just sorry I didn't know that was going on, otherwise I could have done something about it." Ginny inhaled breathlessly and said, "What could you have done though? I mean really? You did more than enough by just saving my life." Harry grimaced, "I could have stabbed that diary sooner. There would be less emotional damage…maybe…maybe then you would have trusted me sooner. Sometimes, I feel like you still don't even trust me now." She shook her head and leant up to kiss him on the cheek. Somehow, she had ended up with her back on the couch and he quickly removed his hand from under her shirt as she whispered, "I just…don't trust how long I have with you. I don't trust time. And you couldn't have done more than you already have, Harry. I was the idiot. I should have been smarter about it all. I'm just...so relieved you forgive me." Harry smiled happily, "There was nothing to forgive."

When Ginny went to sleep that evening, she felt a little bit better about everything. She had finally confessed her deepest, darkest fears, and Harry had acted surprisingly well to them. Almost too well. She had expected him to be angry…not passionate. But he also explained afterwards that his intention was to show her how much he loved her…not all the way of course, but at least just a bit. Harry would never over step his mark, even though sometimes she wanted him to. It was like an unspoken agreement between them. Besides, which she didn't think he would until she was at least seventeen, and who even knew if they would be together then?
It was true though, what she felt about she was fighting a battle against time to be with Harry and losing. It was why she was so on edge around him. Why she needed him to speak to her about important things…things that mattered. Ginny fell asleep with these questions teaming her brain. She had a fitful nights sleep.

She was kissing Harry furiously again, like she had in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny didn't know what was going on. Harry kissed her lovingly; passionately, gently, liked he cared. But this kissing…this kissing was forceful, and unforgiving and wild. She didn't like it. It felt all wrong. It felt uncomfortable. She wanted to scream for help, but no-one was listening. Why was Harry doing this? His hand slid up her shirt and the coolness of his fingers caused her to open her eyes. When she did, she screamed in fright! She wasn't kissing Harry…she was kissing Tom Riddle Junior. Diary Tom. Her Tom…

Ginny woke with a start, her heart pounding. She stared around the dormitory, but thankfully she hadn't woken anyone. She got up and went to bathroom to go and wash the sweat off her face from the nightmare. It had felt like Tom was speaking to her in the dream. Like he still wanted control of he and that was terrifying. He'd never done it in a sexual way though before, but he would say things to her that made her feel special. This was different, and she was sure it was because of what had happened with Harry. Tom hadn't possessed her in the chamber…and she was wondering…was he strong enough to get inside her head now without being directly connected to her? Ginny shook her head, no. The diary was the object that had given him access. There was no way…and besides, he wasn't Tom anymore! He was Voldemort.

Author's note:Yay! I finished another chapter! I know it's a bit on the short side but I wanted to get another one done so that you guys had something to read and also I thought that Ginny should finally come clean. Harry confided in her, so she felt like she should tell Harry about everything. It's only fair. Hope you guys enjoy it and are having a lovely women's day weekend! Also we're getting closer to the action so that's something to look forward to! (I mean when Dumbledore and Harry go searching for the Horcrux!)
On a side note: I've had a suggestion that Ginny should come on the Horcrux hunt with them. To be honest, that's initially why I started this story, but it seems as if most of you guys are keen to keep her at Hogwarts still? Also any suggestions about what else I could write about regarding Ginny at this point in the novel would be most appreciated!