Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me, even though I wish it did. I am not making a profit from this, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Sorry about the long wait. Despite the positive feedback that I have received (Thanks, guys! You're great!), I haven't really been that inspired to write lately. This chapter is in Ginny's POV, and a few things will finally be explained. I forgot to mention that Tom's Boggart really would be his own corpse, or at least according to J.K. Rowling it would be. I also forgot to mention that since Ginny and Tom don't know each other's names yet, they refer to that person as "the young woman" or "the arrogant git". One more thing, Tom's age based on his outer appearance(not his actual age, mind you) is about 21 or 22.
Sophia Supernova: Thanks again for another review! I'm sorry that you were a little bit confused by the previous chapter. Ginny and Tom don't recognize each other due to the masks that they were wearing, but Tom seems familiar to Ginny, although she can't place him properly(as I explain in this chapter). Tom will eventually recognize her(well, sort of). As for your assumption that the ballroom incident was a lucid dream, you will just have to find out. (Grins evilly). I really hope that my explanation cleared everything up.
Okay, I'll shut up now. I present to you… the long-awaited Chapter 3!
Chapter 3: Interrogations: Part One
Ginny was seething. Absolutely seething with white-hot anger. Just who did that arrogant jerk think he was? Firstly, he had been anything but polite to her when she had apologized sincerely and politely to him for bumping into him. He had then called her an "imbecilic Muggle" in the most condescending tone ever, and when she told him she was a witch, he didn't believe her. Even when she showed him her wand, he was still somewhat skeptical.
Secondly, when she had presented a logical solution for their problem to him, he had dismissed it and said he operated alone. Then, he had had the audacity to walk away from her and threaten her with the Cruciatus Curse! Ugh, the nerve of some people!
Ginny had found it odd that he didn't know that Lord Voldemort was dead, and she found his reaction to be even stranger. His abnormally pale skin had turned even paler, and he was scowling, apparently deep in thought. She was staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something.
Ginny took in his appearance, and noticed that there was something strangely familiar about the man, but she could not put her finger on what it was. Maybe it was the way his dark, smoldering eyes flashed whenever she made a comment or a biting retort that enraged him, or the way his silky baritone seemed to wrap around her, ensnaring her senses and sending a small tingle of electricity that wasn't necessarily unpleasant shooting all the down her spine to the tips of her toes. Or maybe it was his arrogant poise and disposition, or his very Slytherin and very infuriating smirk that he displayed whenever he clearly thought that he had won their little verbal sparring match. Whatever it was, it didn't really matter to Ginny as long as she got to go home and be in Harry's warm, comforting arms again.
Ginny did not get to think on this matter anymore, however, as her vision blurred and she felt a sense of vertigo as the room seemed to tilt and swirl around her. Ginny closed her eyes against the feeling, hoping that it would just disappear. Only when the vertigo dissipated and slowly dissolved into the same floating sensation that Ginny had felt before arriving at the mysterious ball, did she open her eyes.
Ginny found that not only had the ballroom disappeared, but that she happened to be in the same peaceful void as before.
'I'm going back, or wherever "back" is,' she thought, feeling slightly relieved that she was out of the ballroom, but also afraid of what awaited her when she did return.
Ginny hoped beyond hope that Draco Malfoy or someone worse was not present when she returned.
"Ginny. Wake up, Ginny. Please wake up," a faint disembodied male voice pleaded to Ginny out the blue, startling her slightly, even in her relaxed state.
The voice sounded familiar to Ginny, but she couldn't determine whose voice it was and where she had heard it before in her peaceful, trance-like state. Suddenly, the calm, floating sensation had subsided, and Ginny could feel that she was now lying on a solid surface. Her limbs and digits felt slightly numb and she felt extremely weak for some unknown reason. Ginny tried to wiggle her big toe, and, much to her satisfaction, it moved slightly. She then proceeded to move her fingers, flexing them gingerly.
"Ginny?" the same voice asked, sounding both concerned and relieved.
By this time, Ginny had realized whose voice it was, and happiness and relief flooded her entire being with that single minor revelation. She answered with a small, pathetic groan, which was all she muster since her throat was scratchy and sore and her mouth felt as dry as cotton balls. Ginny slowly opened her eyes and saw Harry Potter standing over her with a concerned expression on his face.
He looked like he hadn't gotten a proper night's sleep for about a week, based on the dark circles under his eyes, and judging by the stubble on his face, he hadn't shaved in about the same amount of time either. Harry's hair stuck out in all directions, even more so than usual. Briefly, he just looked extremely disheveled.
"Oh, Ginny, we-as in your family and I-were so worried about you! We thought that you would never wake up, even though we were told that you would awaken eventually," Harry said.
Ginny opened her dry mouth to ask where she was, but the only sound that came out was a throaty rasp, and she closed it when she determined that she could not speak properly in order to not look like a fish out of water.
"Here, I'll get you a glass of water," Harry offered kindly, and promptly poured water from a silver pitcher that was on the little nightstand beside her bed into a glass that was also on the nightstand. He then tipped the glass to Ginny's lips and she drank obediently. The glass felt cool on her lips and the water even more so as she drank like a parched, malnourished child. When she had drained the glass, she felt like she might be able to speak.
"W…Where am I?" Ginny asked weakly.
"You're in St. Mungo's, and you have been here for about a week," Harry replied, setting the empty glass back on the nightstand.
"How did I get here? I mean-one minute I was in a weird ballroom-like place and the next I'm here, in St. Mungo's with you. Not to mention the fact that before the whole 'ballroom experience', I was tortured by Malfoy—" Ginny said.
"What? Malfoy? Malfoy tortured you?" Harry interrupted, looking shocked and very angry.
"Yes, Harry, he did. I'm surprised that he did not kill me," Ginny said, chewing on her chapped, bottom lip, and trying not to think about if he had murdered her.
"Well, he would have too, if I hadn't had an Auror trailing you to make sure that you didn't get ambushed or anything like that. Fat lot of good that did!" he snorted sarcastically.
"Anyway," Harry continued, "the Auror lost you in the crowd somehow and then later found you alone in a remote alley off of Knockturn Alley in a bloody heap with three broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a concussion, and severe internal bleeding. How could you possibly be so reckless after you promised me that you wouldn't be?"
"Believe me, Harry, I am so, so sorry that I broke the promise. I didn't break it lightly, but it was for the greater good," Ginny replied reproachfully.
"Great! Now you are starting to sound like Dumbledore when he was in cahoots with Grindelwald," Harry interrupted again.
"Will you please let me finish? Anyway, I saw Malfoy in the crowd and he was acting suspicious, so I Disillusioned myself and followed him. He turned into Knockturn Alley and didn't stop until he reached a grubby bar called The Basilisk's Fang. Malfoy then asked the barkeep where someone was because he had 'official business' with that person, and the barkeep told him. Malfoy went into the back and visited a man named Thierry. Oh, Harry, they spoke of the most dreadful things! They plan to bring Voldemort back with something called the Amulet of Akhman-Ra, and the Book of The Dead!" Ginny exclaimed.
"What? I thought it was impossible to bring back the dead," Harry exclaimed, his eyes widening in both shock and fear.
"That's what I thought, too, but apparently I was wrong. The magic has to be archaic, because no one- well, almost no one- practices necromancy, or at least thought that it was possible. Do you believe me, Harry?" Ginny asked.
"I believe you, Ginny, I really do, but there just is not enough evidence yet to go waltzing up to Malfoy Manor and confront or arrest Malfoy. I will definitely investigate the matter, and if I get the chance, wring Malfoy's neck," Harry said, earning a small smile from Ginny, who was enjoying imagining Harry choking Draco Malfoy until Malfoy's normally pale face turned purple and his eyes were bugging out of his face until they looked like they would burst.
"I'm sorry that I yelled at you, but I was just worried and concerned for you," Harry apologized, gently placing a hand on Ginny's hand.
"I—," Ginny started, but at that same exact moment a Healer entered the room.
"Mister Potter, Miss Weasley needs her treatment and rest now. Would you please leave the room?" she asked Harry, her eyes flicking to Harry's forehead nervously.
"Sure," he said to the Healer and then turned back to Ginny. "I'll come back and visit you as soon as I can. I love you," Harry said and placed a kiss on her forehead and stood up.
"Okay. I love you too."
And with that, Harry Potter strode from the hospital room, gently closing the door behind him, and leaving a disappointed Ginny Weasley in his wake.
Author's Note: How do you like it so far? I'm sorry that the chapter is so short, especially after this long of a wait, but I really needed to update, and I liked this break. This chapter has two parts to it, and I'll try to update a little more quickly now. The good news is that Tom will be in the next chapter (sighs and drools over Tom Riddle's hotness). Okay, fan girl moment there. Ha ha! Anyway, another thanks to those who have sent me reviews; they keep me going.