Who shot that arrow in your throat?
Who missed the crimson apple?
It hung heavy on the tree above your head

This chaos, this calamity, this garden once was perfect
Give your immortality to me; I'll set you up against the stars

I cut the arrow from your neck
Stretched you beneath the tree
Among the roots and baby's breath
I covered us with silver leaves

Gloria,
We lied, we can't go on
This is the time and this is the place to be alive

The sea is wine red
This is the death of beauty
The doves have died
The lovers have lied

Chapter V

Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. Ginny slowly slipped into a comfortable routine, though always at the back of her mind was her mission.

Ginny and Will became fairly good friends, and did not think once of each other romantically. Actually Ginny recalled the time some Slytherin had taunted her for "dating a Gryffindor", well a student found that very Slytherin a week later in the lavatory rocking back and forth murmering "Bats, Bats, Bats"

Needless to say that was the last time anybody ever taunted Ginny about her friendship with a Gryffindor.

Then there was him, Riddle. Everyday he and Ginny would dance a cheerful little dance of friendly insults, merry banter, and sarcastic remarks that, as the days wore on, grew more delicate and cautiously manipulated. After a month or so, they slowly stopped their little skirmishes. They began to speak in more friendly conversational ways and their actions began to suggest no more were they enemies.

Of course they still argued, and those present would watch in complete fascination as Ginny talked Tom down or alternatively, rile him up and then of course leave him to explode at the nearest person or object. It was uncommon for anyone present during one of the first to bear a few bruises or scratches. But as the arguments became crueler, they also became less frequent. And, though neither of them would admit it aloud, Tom and Ginny were becoming friends.

It was dinner, and for the first time in a while Ginny really noticed Tom. He looked different, paler and skinnier, dark circles under his eyes. Tom noticed her staring at him, and he smirked.

"Enjoying your studies?" Tom asked rather amused, Ginny rolled her eyes.

"No," Ginny replied briskly, "they look rather sick and I'm worried" You look sick…are you okay?"

"You got to get use to it," Tom said coolly, get over it.

"I can't, I really care about my grade," Ginny said, I care about you, I can't.

"Well good luck trying to unravel what you never knew," Tom said Have fun trying to get me to tell you, because I won't.

Ginny remained silent, and then the doors opened. Suddenly a girl from the Ravenclaw suddenly shot up, tears racing down her face, and she ran away, Myrtle. Suddenly it slammed into Ginny, The Chamber of Secrets.

"If you need help with any of your classes," Eileen said suddenly, "I can help,"

"Trust me when I say this Eileen," Winona said, "Tom and Ginny's' thoughts we definitely not on classes!"

"I have to go kill Tom," Ginny said suddenly, "See ya,"

Ginny got up, and raced to the bathroom, the familiar bathroom where she had flung the diary. Ginny heard moaning and crying, she heard movements behind her, Ginny began to shake. She raced into a stall, slamming the door. She heard the stall next to her open and a body fall to the ground. Ginny sat there paralyzed in fear, refusing to move, her body shaking. After a few minutes, the movements were no more.

Ginny carefully opened the stall, and saw Tom bending over the girl, his eyes stricken.

"Ginny," Tom exclaimed jumping from Myrtle's body, Ginny said nothing.

"Why Tom?" Ginny asked, "Why did you open the chambers? Why did you kill her?"

"I didn't mean to kill her," was Tom's reply, Ginny sighed, "Wait…how do you know about the chambers?"

"Tom," Ginny sighed, "I am not an idiot. Now talk,"

"I knew everything about this school, and within days I found the chamber," Tom said softly, "I knew what the creature was, and I intended to use the basilisk to scare off all the mudbloods..."

"…You didn't want to kill anyone?" Ginny asked, restraining the utter bewilderment and disbelief in her voice.

"I may be cruel and seemingly heartless, but I'm not. I'm not a ruthless killer, but someday I will be. I will demolish the feelings, the sorrow, the guilt, when I kill, and soon I will kill without hesitation or doubt," Tom said anger apparent in his voice. Tom was angry, angry that he was too weak to kill, to weak to contain his emotions, to weak to destroy his guilt and anguish.

"Why are you like this? Why do you want to be cruel, to be hateful, to be alone?" Ginny screamed now tears running down her face, "Riddle you know nothing of the difference of solitude and loneliness. Your life story may not have been that great, but you can change that, you can forget your father, your past and move on. Not get over it, but just let go,"

"I can't," Tom said harshly, "I don't know why I'm like this, okay? I have so much power, so much potential to be the best wizard ever, to rid this world of mudbloods…"

"Why are you so prejudiced?" Ginny whispered, "So are you blaming it on your powers?"

"Because…my filthy muggle father was a bastard," Tom screamed, "My powers make me who I am,"

"No," Ginny said, "No it's not your power that makes you who you are, it's your choices,"

"Why are you set on trying to change me, to hate me, to love me," Tom whispered.

"You are all that I have, all that I love and all that I want," Ginny said.

--

Hmm….