[A/N] It's getting closer to the end, and thanks to all those who have stuck with. This chapter has a sex scene, so if you're not up for that, you're going to want to skip down about three pages or so. Three or four to be safe. There will only be one or two more chapters after this and you'll have the explosive ending! Mwahahaha. Hope you enjoyed thus far and stay tuned for more to come.
Triumphant. That's probably the only word I could possibly use to describe how I felt at this moment. Harry trailed behind me, like a dog kicked from the bedroom. Tom put his hand around my waist, and I... I was reveling in everything that happened around me.
We reached the doors and even the waves of fangirlism that normally permeated the air didn't seem to phase me. Only when the cries from joyous to sympathetic did I remember Harry trailing yards behind me. In such a crowd it was impossible to turn away from him and not seem like a total bitch. I turned on my heels and walked back to him. I folded into his embrace, and listened patiently as he whispered into my ear.
"Ginny... I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just... it's such a big job, I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."
"You'd find a way... You always do." Needless to say, it was a chore to keep myself serious. Ever nerve in my body told me to run. To escape to some abandoned classroom and experiment with the new possibilities of my new toy. In a sea of spectators, smothered by a clingy twig of a boy, there was no way to leave this situation without looking like the single worst human being in existence. I either left with him, or without him, and either way there was no chance of getting the freedom I needed.
Harry kissed the top of my head and pulled me close. He lifted my chin, and began to move in for a kiss, in full view of half the Hogwarts student body.
"Public displays of affection are expressly prohibited, Potter. Despite your fame and you technically not being a student, I should expect you to understand this." Forcing his way through the onlookers, Mertenson emerged with a strangely stern look on his finely embellished face.
"I'm sorry... but who are you?" Deep in his green eyes was red. The crimson red of anger and malice that had startled and enchanted. It was only a flash, but it registered with me. And hopefully only me.
"The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. And I'll thank you kindly to respect that title, as well as the rules of Hogwarts. While you may be a guest, it would be... unwise to flaunt the rules at your discretion." Harry shrank from that. He seemed to become physically smaller, reverting to his default expression of angst. Mertenson took a few steps closer. "And I'll remind you, Ms. Weasley, that you are still a student, and a model for other young witches here. As such, you are bound more highly to the morals and rules of the castle than your boyfriend here." With that I knew why he shrank. Under Mertenson's gaze, I felt weak. Despite his usually calm and careless demeanor, his anger seemed powerful. Hidden by gentle docility was an unfathomable power in his anger. While contemplating all of this, I weakly muttered an affirmative, and turned to walk away with Harry in toe.
"I think I should go. Things are getting kind of complicated now. So... I'll see you over winter break?"
"Of Course. Good bye Harry."
"I love you."
"I'll miss you." Sure, it wasn't love. But it was the truth. At least with that I could live with myself, instead of digging myself deeper into this relationship. With one final hug, the crowd parted to allow Harry to pass. When he reached the edge of the grounds he Disapparated and returned to parts unknown to do things best left to the imagination. As the group dissipated and I was free to myself, I slipped into a girl's lavatory and put the ring on my finger. Tom materialized leaning against a wall, and stared at me, a bemused smirk crossing his face. His expression had two unbidden effects: it infuriated me, and turned me on.
"What the Hell was that? How did you do that? Why did you take over Harry again? Do you have ANY idea how risky that was?"
Tom pushed off the wall and sauntered towards me. "Relax love. I'm sure no one noticed, and it was only for a second. Like you didn't enjoy it." He stood inches from me, the ghost of his breath gently brushing against my cheeks as I stared into his eyes, a boyish glint I'd never seen before danced in his eyes as they studied my face, and the mountain of goosebumps I'm sure he could see.
It happened fast.
In a split second, Tom grabbed my hands and forced them above my head, holding them there with one vice grip. "Now. I seem to recall you promising that the first thing we'd do when I was 'physical' was have rough sex. I must say, you've gotten my hopes up now. Now the 'experiments' are going to begin."
He dragged me into a nearby stall, large enough to accommodate the two of us, but small enough to make it a tight squeeze. Tom closed the door, and I freed myself from his grasp to grab my wand. I pointed it at the door, muttering "Muffliato. In case I get loud." I hastily stowed my wand back in my pockets. "Anyway, carry on?" But before I could finish, one hand was on my mouth. The other, pinning me against the door like he'd done just seconds before. "That was thoughtful. Really, it was. Now, it's time to satisfy so many years of pent up need." He removed the hand from my mouth and replaced it with his lips. At first he was gentle, melding lips with mine, tongue dancing between shared cheeks, until he got more forceful, breaking away every so often to bite at my bottom lip in what could only be described as an beastly attempt to have me for himself. When he broke away again, I moaned as he pressed his body harder against me, forcing me against the door with no free space to move. He began moving further down, kissing my neck gently, but with the same growing intensity as our kiss.
"Oh... oh Tom." I moaned, a deep and throaty sound that seemed beyond my capacity. He moved to the right side of my neck. "You know the best part about my more substantial body? I can feel you. Everything about you. Your temperature rising when I kiss you. Your body shaking as I press onto you more and more. And I can still feel how absolutely insane I'm making you." And with that, he latched onto my neck, running his tongue against the left side of my neck. He bit along my jugular, sure to leave more bruises than last time. "I can feel you reveling in the pain." One more bite and I was about to explode. But he was right about the pain. My mind had taken a back seat to my body, as his every touch was intensified and each bite sent flashes of light dancing behind my eyelids. It hurt, each bite becoming a more permanent and lasting sensation, but I loved every second of it.
Slowly he slid his free hand down to the waist of my skirt. His hand crept up the smooth plane of my stomach, until his fingers glanced on the under-wire of my bra. "Well this just won't do." He deftly unhooked my bra, letting it slink to the floor like a stray hair. He returned his attention to my breasts. Tom slowly released my hands, and dropped to his knees in front of me. In this position he was at the perfect height for what came next. He lifted my shirt and robes above my head, leaving my top half entirely exposed to the cold, made sharper by a fine layer of sweat. His fingers danced, circling my hardening nipples. Bathed in the glow of his attentions, my body became a carnal sacrifice. He devoured me, enveloping one stiff nipple in the warm shelter of his mouth, resting his now free hand on my waist. Tom glided his tongue gently over it, enough force to make me insane, but not so much that this sensation stole all others from my body. He teased me, as he had for some time. With his other hand, he continued to rub and pinch my other nipple, preparing it for(hopefully) the same worship he was paying the first. He sucked my nipple once more and removed his mouth, apparently satisfied with the sound of my breath catching in my throat.
"Even better than the sound of you is the taste. You taste like desire. Passion." He quickly put his mouth back to use, this time balancing the sense of pleasure between my two breasts. However, he did not pay my left breast the manual treatment he had before. Instead, his hand crept once again to the smooth expanse of my stomach. . It slid more easily, as my every bead of sweat lubricated its journey. Using both hands, he unzipped my skirt, and pulled it down. This time it didn't slink down. My skirt fell to the earth with finality. My clothing was determined to let us have sex, and dammit, no cheap plaid skirt was going to prevent this.
When my underwear joined the pile of discarded clothing at my feet, Tom proved his mastery with his hands yet again. After so much therapuetic sex, it goes without saying that I was more than sexually charged. To be frank, my entire body(my vagina more than others) begged to have as much of Tom in me as possible. In a brief instant of nirvanic bliss, Tom slid two of his fingers inside my flushing flower, gently working my stiff clit with his thumb. When he pushed deeper into me, my mouth opened in a silent scream of pleasure. He removed his mouth from my chest once more. He stood up this time, to lean into my ear. "Relax love. This is nothing compared to what happens next." Tom withdrew his fingers, and slid his shirt off. Although it seemed unnecessary, something about the reveal made it enjoyable. He removed his robes and sweater-vest, tossing them around with abandon. He loosened the tie from his neck, and gave me a playful wink, keeping it one hand, just in case. . Finally, the shirt. Slowly, seductively, Tom began to undo each button, starting from the top.
Three Buttons. The muscles in Tom's chest were defined, but not bulky. His chest is smooth, yet firm.
Five buttons. His stomach is smooth, no hairs or scars haunting his body.
Seven Buttons:. Now, the faint outline of ab muscles show, although not defined and sticking out. His stomach is smooth and pale, like mine.
When the final buttons are undone, the shirt falls to the ground, forgotten amongst the rest of my clothing. I make a move to unbuckle his belt, but Tom knows this. He uses the tie in his left hand to stop my right. Next, he maneuvers and binds them together, letting the knot catch on the hook on the back of the door. He's strung me up, left me helpless. And I couldn't be happier. "The fun is in the progression, not the climax. Patience." He's chiding me, teasing me as he unzips his pants and drops them to the floor.
Here's where the lines of fantasy and reality blur. In my mind, Tom pushes against me, forces me still as his thick seven inch erection pushes its way deep into the hidden recesses of my vagina. In my mind, Tom does not waste any time with pleasantries, and goes at it like a wild dog after a raw steak. But what happens is better.
"Here's the part where you realize your fantasies will never be enough."
Tom unhooks the tie, and spins me around forcefully, almost dragging me by the knot keeping me in place. He replaces the tie, and I can see nothing but the door. Confident in the security of the tie, Tom uses both of his hands to bend my back, making my lower regions stick out in an almost ninety degree angle. His foot nudged mine, spreading my legs further apart, allowing better entrance. In a slow, steady movement, Tom penetrated me, reaching depths and levels that even I didn't know my vagina had. He continued slowly, moving in and out with a conscious movement, until he seemed to lose his abandon, gathering strength with each thrust. Next he moved in a strange way. He got me in what seemed to be a half nelson, applying no pressure whatsoever, just holding me like that. It allowed him better ground, a more stable way to keep inside my vagina. He curled his fingers in my hair and pulled. Yanking my head back as my eyes watered in pain and pleasure. My mouth hung open in the throws of passion, and I was constantly moaning, breathing, screaming my delight to the heavens, aware that none could hear me. He buried his face into my neck, letting my hair fall onto his face. He released one half of my body from his nelson, and wrapped his powerful arm around my stomach, making sure to keep his footing as his steady thrusts became stronger, more forceful, more... experienced. His tongue flitted across my neck, and every now and then he'd bite into my neck and shoulders, marking me as his own. Possessing me.
Eventually, although I can't say when, it became unbearable. I was rolling and riding the waves of prowess and awe that rolled off of Tom. I was savoring the feel of everything he was doing to me, for me, with me. "Oh Tom... Oh my God. Toooom. I... can't hold it. I... ah, ahhhh, oh my god yes!" In several bursts my orgasm flowed from me, engulfing my mind and body with a type of carnal pleasure that I'd never achieved alone. For what felt like hours I was wrapped in a beautiful cocoon of sexual exuberance, and nothing mattered. Not the bruises that existed in my mind, not the sweat rolling down my body. Nothing.
After five minutes of lying with my head against the door, I realized what really happened. Yes, Tom and I had had sex, but it was different. His acts were his own, but my movements existed alone. I moved about of my own volition, enjoying the pleasure he provided, without leaving any physical signs. I orgasmed as if in real sex, but I did no real work to bring this about. In short, I'd had the best sex of my life without putting any effort in.
I took several more seconds to process this information, before finally picking up all of my clothing and beginning the disdainful process of putting it back on. "That was amazing, Tom. Absolutely Amazing."
"I know. I can feel your thoughts, remember?"
I nodded, too tired to say(or even think) anything of value. I left the bathroom, thankful for the lack of an audience and plodded to the common room. After climbing through the portrait hole, I removed the ring and closed my thoughts, for fear of forcing the slide again. Without a shower, without removing my clothes, without even bothering to take off a single article of clothing, I passed gently into a deep sleep, happy to let the pleasure carry into my dreams and remind me that this(and so much more) was possible thanks to the ring.
Over the next three weeks, I would experiment more with the ring, and consequently my sexuality. For my personal comfort, the ring spent most of its time in a small jewelery box at the bottom of my trunk, where I'd pull it out as soon as I was about to go to bed, and Tom and I would most often have sex, or lay together and talk about the vast expanse of our experiences. With more time passing, Tom was able to convince me to wear the ring around school, with some precautions. It seemed entirely unlikely that any students would recognize the ring, let alone what it once was, so wearing it in the halls, amongst gaggles of students posed little to no threat. The same could not be said of the professors. It was unlikely that many would have been privy to the former Headmaster's previous plans, but there was still that chance, and this was a risk I simply couldn't afford. Therefore, when I was in class, the ring was nestled between my breasts on a silver chain I'd learned to create with a sewing needle. From time to time I'd risk wearing it in History of Magic, but never in Charms, and certainly not in Transfiguration. The only class I ever truly felt comfortable wearing the horcrux was in Defense Against the Dark Arts, secure in my belief that Mertenson had no prior knowledge of the horcruxes.
This would prove to be my undoing.
It happened one random rainy day in November. Last week, Professor Mertenson had assigned an essay on vampires, and now it was time to return them. "Alright class, now that enough time has passed, I hope you're well versed in battle with vampires. From the Nostferatu of legend, to the bi-facial bestial vampire, to the Sparkly Sun-drenched vampires that have become more popular with cross-species mating, you should now be able to identify them as threats and destroy. And I do mean destroy. At least, that's what I hope you learned after this essay. Please line up and hand them in." The silence quickly broke as students rummaged through their backpacks, pulling out rolls and rolls of parchment, hastily scratching in forgotten facts, and generally freaking out. Tom and I had spent at least two nights working on this essay before, and I was confident. It was only when I stood in line that I realized the horcrux was still on my finger. I paid it no mind, sure it would pass as a simple ring.
"Thank you Ms. Weasley." Professor Mertenson didn't look up as I handed him my paper. He looked at my hand, first focusing on the essay, and then letting his eyes rest on the ring, widening as they did. He then dropped my paper, as recognition set in. "I'm terribly sorry about that," he said, snapping out of his trance.
"it's quite alright. Here." At that moment, we both bent down, and his hand brushed mine, fingers lingering on the smooth silver circlet. I straightened up and he picked my essay from the ground. "Right then, back to your seat, Ms."
"Alright class. Now that I have your essays, I think we'll be moving on to our next section: how to spot cursed objects..." His gaze traveled around the room until he rested on me in the back corner.
"GINNY! CAST A SHIELD CHARM! NOW!" Before I could realize what was happening, I'd reached for my wand and mentally screamed the non-verbal Shield Charm Tom told me to. It was fortunate timing, as a second later, Professor Mertenson had removed his wand.
"Tempo Petrificus." Mertenson drew a circle with his wand and everything outside of my Shield Charm froze, stuck in time and unaware of the change.
"My my... you are quite the young witch, aren't you, Ms. Weasley? Well of course you are, otherwise you would have died in the battle." Professor Mertenson dropped his visage. His voice became cold and analytical, while the grin was wiped from his face and replaced with a weak scowl. His eyes took on the more shocking change. They were like that day in the hall, a power hidden just beneath a docile exterior.
"What is the meaning of this?" I stood up, backing away slowly. Mertenson flicked his wand and the locks clicked into place, sealing me in a room of frozen time. Trapped and helpless.
"That ring on your finger. It used to be Voldemort's horcrux, was it not?" He pointed at my right hand as I hastily tried to hide the ring in the folds of my robes. Not that it would have helped. Mertenson was a smart, powerful wizard, obviously not afraid to use Tom's alias in casual conversation.
"You can't have it. This is mine, and I will fight if I have to."
He chuckled deeply in his throat, advancing another step closer. "I don't want the ring." He took several more steps and was right in front of me. "Imperio." Immediately the sense of warm numbness covered me. I was vaguely aware of Tom's voice in my head, screaming at me to break his hold, but Mertenson was loud in my ears. "Show me the ring." I couldn't ignore it. He released me from the curse in time to watch my eyes grow wide and hopeless. I came to and saw the ring, removed from my finger, resting gently in the palm of his hand. "I see..." he purred the words under his breath, concerned with nothing but the ring. "So it seems my grandfather was right..."
I was released just as he put the ring back on my finger. "Your grandfather? What does he have to do with this? With these horcruxes?"
"That is none of your concern, Child." Mertenson snapped. The sound of his voice silenced me, and I stared at him for a second longer.
"Whatever your grandfather said or didn't say. Whether it is my concern, and I think it is. All of that doesn't matter. I'm keeping the ring. I'm keeping Tom. And like I said, I'm willing to fight." I raised my wand, feeling safe that my Shield Charm had held.
"Expelliarmus."
It hadn't. I should have realized after he cast the Imperius Curse that my little bubble had popped under the strain of his first spell. At least it seemed the spell only affected you once. Now my wand laid at Mertenson's feet, and I was helpless. "I said I don't want the ring. You can keep the ring. You can keep Voldemort, for all I care. But the important thing is that my grandfather was right. There really is no way to kill a horcrux. At least not entirely." He began mumbling to himself under his breath, strange things I couldn't comprehend.
I cocked my head, aware that my life was in the hands of a crazy person. "You seem confused... Allow me to explain. Two hundred years ago, my grandfather, a man whose name is of little consequence to you now, had taken it upon himself to study horcruxes. Naturally, the ministry tried to shut him down for it, and the trauma to his soul was almost unbearable, but he realized several important factors. The horcrux does not disappear. Like a person, a horcrux can live on in memory, becoming a part of a the soul for whoever gets close to it. As is obviously the case with you. The horcrux cannot be completely killed. After it's become a horcrux, it will forever be a horcrux, but with less anchor in this realm. The wizard can't come back, but he can live on. This and so much more my grandfather learned about these things, wretched things they were thought to be, but he was disgraced by the wizarding world, left to toil in squalor and ridicule. Now I know he's right, and you've proven this."
Run Ginny. He's too powerful, and who knows what he'll do.
Tom and common sense were right, but this was entirely too important. If a horcrux was bonded to the soul of a host, then I could create a horcrux with it. After all, Tom was part of my soul, and as such I could tear him apart from it. I could put Tom in a new item. Separate our consciences. But this intimacy would be lost. It was difficult.
"Theoretically, I could put Tom's soul into a separate body. He is bonded to my soul, so all I'd have to do is rip him from it..."
Mertenson's eyes grew wide at the revelation. "You really are a gifted witch. It's possible, but tearing your soul is tricky. Let alone creating a horcrux." He studied me carefully, though distantly. "Tom could have a new body, independent of you."
But I was ahead of him. More than an item, I could turn a living body into a horcrux, as Voldemort had done with Nagini. And Harry.
"Professor... If a horcrux can be made of an inanimate object, what's to stop a horcrux from filling a vacant body?" Instead of answering my question, Mertenson glanced around the room.
"Enough. Even with time in this state, this conversation is risky. Return later, and we'll discuss this."
I returned to my seat, Mertenson to the head of the class, and he ended the spell. "Alright, everybody. Turn to page 517 in your textbooks, and let's begin, shall we?" The old professor was back, and Tom was able to speak freely. He voiced concerns half-heartedly, fully aware of what my train of thought meant for him. A real body.
After class, I stayed behind, and waited as the professor cast several spells to ward off intruders. "To answer your previous question, it's entirely possible. Grandfather never got to that point of research. If you can separate the souls of the two beings, it's possible to transfer the soul into another container, but I don't know if that'd work on a corpse."
I contemplated everything he'd said. 'Does it seem like a viable option? Would you be willing to risk it?'
Tom's answer was immediate: There is a way to mend the soul, should this go wrong. It might be painful, but you'll be fine. I'm sure. I'd be happier with a physical body, but ultimately the choice is yours.
With his testimony, I was able to make my decision. "Professor Mertenson. Show me how to make a horcrux. I'm giving Tom a body."
"Oh really?" His surprise was genuine, eyebrows arched in curiosity and interest. "Do you have a body in mind?"
My reply was instant. The name popping to mind faster than logic would allow me to consider.
"Harry Potter."