Chapter 14 - Closer to the Edge

I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter. Long story short, I blame Microsoft and my professors, who might possibly be working for Microsoft in a complex scheme to drive my insane. I swear, one of these days, a chapter will come up and it'll make Dru look positively articulate.

So, on to my favourite part: you guys!

Deadly Fate: Sirius it is, then! And thank you!

ennui deMorte: That means a lot to me. I was worried about using the books to as exposition, but I hope I cleared up one of the ideas that I started out with: Ginny and Tom are connected. They can't hurt each other, and it will eventually get to the point where each begins using magick typically associated with the other's side (i.e. Ginny uses an Unforgivable and Tom uses a Light spell) I hope this isn't too saccharine...

dawnmescher: You're part of a core group of reviews who took a chance on my little story and I don't think I thank you guys enough. And I'm actually doing okay with my plot? Yes! *pumps fist*

Amelle: Sorry about the wait!

Aliesha: You're quite welcome. Anything you guys want me to elaborate on, just ask and ye shall receive. I'm really flexible and I know that there may be jokes/ideas/references that only I understand.

dancetdplc: The Russian affair was meant to illustrate the fact that magical diaries link people. Tom and Ginny are magickally linked through the diary in COS. And it's a bit of foreshadowing to what I'm going to do with them as a couple (plus or minus the angry Communists).

Alyssa: Voila! And thanks for reviewing.

Aquarius Lovely: Characterization is something I'm always worried about, so it's really great to here that I'm doing a good job. I watched Buffy from beginning to end (despite what it did to my will to live...) but I had a bad habit of reading Harry Potter in the wee hours of the summer mornings. If you guys see information or timelines being screwed up, let me know; it's the only way I'll learn. Well, that and extensive visits to Mugglenet.com. As for Draco, I've got the bad, silly-girl habit of thinking "You're too cute to be truly evil!", so I brought Draco over in the most original way I could think of. But thanks for your honesty.

And now, after a long time coming, I present the next chapter in the on-going epic (ha ha) that is Chosen! *cue dramatic music*

It was still dark when Ginny woke up. Moonlight streamed through the tall window, making it slightly easier for her tired eyes to focus in the unlit room. Slowly, she pulled herself up into a sitting position on the bed and folded her arms around her knees. The room was oddly unthreatening in the dark and as she listened, Ginny felt a tiny sense of relief that Tom was nowhere to be seen or heard. Sighing, she rested her head back against the headboard and closed her eyes, willing her head to stop throbbing. She wondered idly what she would do for clothes for the next day and decided to explore her new environment, as sleep was not feeling as forthcoming as she would have liked.

"Lumos." she said quietly as she retrieved her wand from the nightstand and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Kicking off her shoes in annoyance, she headed over to the window and looked out on the grounds of Riddle House. A large garden sprawled beneath the window, a rainbow of bright colours even in the pale moonlight. Deep red roses sprang up from neatly kept beds along side yellow tulips, and for a minute Ginny entertained herself with visions of Tom doing his own gardening. Bare muscular back glistening with sweat and smudged with small patches of dirt, his shirtless vision looked up to her window and smiled. She smiled back and motioned with her eyes to the large hedge clippers he held in his hands. Smile never fading, Tom's outline turned to the roses and started clipping them until he held up a bursting bouquet of a dozen of the deepest reds for her. Ginny flattened her palm against the window in a gesture to take them when she looked down at the stems. Blood dripped from when they had been separated from the bush, dropping with mute splashes on Tom's bare feet. However, instead of being horrified, the blood seemed to excite Ginny. She watched with a brutal sense of satisfaction as she looked over and saw Lucius Malfoy lying dead where the rose bushes were supposed to be, a gaping bloody hole in his chest. His mouth hung loosely agape and his final expression seemed to be one of shock, as if he could not believe that Tom had moved against him. Catching Tom's eye, she smiled darkly and beckoned him up to their room.

But then, suddenly, Ginny shook her head and the vision disappeared. The garden was empty once more and the flowers bloomed, vibrant and very much plant-like, and Lucius was nowhere to be seen. Not wanting to consider what she saw and what it meant, Ginny turned and walked over to the shelves that lined the southern wall of the room. Well-worn spine of volumes with titles such as Demons and Their Uses, Deadliest Curses, and Parseltongue for the Advanced Learner met her gaze and she decided that, since sleep was out of her reach, she would read until she exhausted herself. She moved a large chunk of onyx from in front of Spells for Espionage and entered into the bathroom, drawing herself a nice scalding bath.

For what seemed like hours, Ginny soaked and read, fascinated by spells used by spies in the Ministry of Magic's intelligence service to gain entry into some of the most warded and personnel-heavy targets in the world. She couldn't help but smile as she read the account of one operative who had infiltrated a rogue group of giants in Albania, posing as a plus-sized traveling garment salesman. Miraculously, the man had been able to avoid being immediately squashed by convincing the band that he was a half-giant who had been adopted by cruel wizards and that selling clothes was his only escape. The shirts had been rigged with powerful shrinking spells and as the dim-witted group were trying on tunics, the agent had activated the magic, swept the rebels into a bag, and carted them back to the local Mugwump for trial. 'Served them right.' Ginny thought with disdain. 'Never trust anybody.'

However, the bathwater was getting cold and sleep was beginning to flirt with the edges of Ginny's awareness, so she climbed out of the tub and wrapped herself inside a feather-soft after-bath robe. Grabbing the book and extinguishing her wand, she emerged from the bathroom to see the sun making its way past the horizon. 'I guess it really was hours.' she thought lightly to herself as she started to replace the book.

Suddenly, the hissing of Parseltongue met Ginny's ears and she tensed. Two sets of footsteps were making their way up to the bedroom and they sounded quick and determined. Squaring her jaw, Ginny forced herself to look nonchalant and took the book back to bed with her. Ginny checked her reflection in a nearby mirror and felt a small surge of pride as her hair curled itself seductively in the humidity. "Looking good." it said back to her as she lay down on the bed just as Tom opened the chamber door.

"Are you awake, Virginia?" he called as he and Lucius stepped into the room.

Ginny smiled as she looked up from her book. "For awhile now. I love mornings." she replied pleasantly as she set the volume aside and stood. "Speaking of which, good morning, love." she purred as she kissed Tom in a hungry greeting. "Sleep well? You didn't come back last night." she murmured in his ear, flicking it lightly with her tongue.

Tom chuckled throatily. "I was securing our newest acquisition. But I see the new day agrees with you." he said, slipping a hand around Ginny's waist. "Excellent." 

Behind him, Lucius cleared his throat. "Milord, the plans?" he inquired politely, glaring at Ginny, who poked her head around Tom's arm and stuck out her tongue in retaliation.

"What would I do without you to keep me on track, Lucius." Tom gritted as he reluctantly pulled away from Ginny and stepped over to Lucius and the waiting documents. "This is a map of Hogsmeade. We're planning an attack for tonight to confirm once and for all the reality of my return and begin the recruitment of new Death Eaters." He walked over to the bed and unfurled the dusty parchment. Ginny and Lucius obediently followed and Ginny smile smugly as she sank down beside Tom, while Lucius was forced to stand and glower. "I will be here," he said, pointing to the forest area that overlooked the village. "Overseeing the raid with a new ally, who will be joining us later, while you and Lucius lead the Death Eaters into the village proper, setting fire to businesses and shooting the Dark Mark into the sky." He looked over at Ginny, who was studying the map with a frown. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, following her gaze.

"The Smoke Ender." she said, wistfully trailing a finger over the miniature of a building on the edge of town.

Behind her, Lucius sniffed exasperation. "Excuse me?"

Ginny ground her teeth. "Tonight is all ages night and I want to go."

"A club?" Lucius replied, incredulously. "Please, do tell me what that has to do with sacking the place?"

"Nothing." Ginny replied testily. "I just want to have a drink and a dance for old time's sake before I turn it into a smoking hole in the ground."

Lucius stifled the urge to double over with laughter, allowing himself an incredulous and exasperated smile instead. "You want us to hold off one of our most important missions so that you can get sweaty and drunk? Not to mention seen by no less than 50 people? Most of them Hogwart's students!?" He turned to Tom, who was frowning contemplatively. "Surely, you won't allow this, will you milord?" he asked confidently.

"We could pull it off, Lucius." he said slowly, eyes fixed on the map. "A simple confusion spell, combined with an anti-inebriation potion should be sufficient, if we're quick and don't make eye contact with anyone." He turned to Ginny who was grinning triumphantly. "But only if you let me choose your outfit." he said, winking at her.

Ginny squealed. "Oh, thank you, Tom!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I promise everything will go off perfectly!" She rained light kisses on his smiling face before turning to Lucius. "Oh, don't look so constipated, Lucius!" she teased. "I bet Drusilla would enjoy a night out, too. And you know she's crazy enough to walk in completely nude!"

Tom chuckled. "Come now, Lucius. Show your girl a good time." he chastised gently as he ran a hand up Ginny's thigh.

Lucius opened his mouth to lay a scathing reply on Ginny, but Tom raised an eyebrow and patted his wand, so he forced himself to hold his tongue. "Of course, milord. I'll inform Drusilla at once." He turned sharply on his heel and stomped out of the room.

Ginny made a face at the retreating Death Eater and giggled when she heard a dull thump and a loud curse. "Milord! The wall, if it's not too much trouble!" came Lucius's aggravated voice from the bottom of the stairwell.

Tom sighed and reluctantly removed his hand as he rose from the bed. "Unfortunately, my dear, it appears I have other matters to attend to." He took her right hand and kissed it softly. "When you want to come down and join us in the study, simply press the emerald behind the torch bracket." With that, he turned and called jauntily to the senior Malfoy. "Patience, pet. Do you see the other benefits of learning Parseltongue now?"

"Wait!" Ginny called out. "What about my clothes?"

Tom turned back to her and frowned. "I suppose the Death Eater's will need their sight shortly." he muttered. "Nobby!" he shouted, and instantly a house elf was at his side. "This will be your personal elf. He will be at your side at all times, attending your every desire."

Ginny smiled down at the elf, who recoiled reflexively. "Some clothes, Nobby. Nice ones." she commanded gently. The elf's eyes widened with inspiration before he grinned and popped out of the room again.

"Enjoy yourself, love." Tom murmured as he kissed Ginny one last time before leaving.

Ginny simply winked at him. "See you soon."

Tom grinned wolfishly as he released Ginny and walked over to the stairs. "Remember - I get the final say about tonight, Virginia." he warned as he left.

Nobby appeared with a soft puff beside his new mistress and began levitating outfits in front of her for approval. "Oh yes, this will definitely take some time." Ginny murmured as she walked around the various items, plucking those that caught her eye out of the air. "Silk!" she purred excitedly as she ran a reverent hand over a black silk button-up number. "Oh, I've always wanted something of my own in silk!" Nobby said nothing beside her but continues to call for stunning outfit after stunning outfit, earning himself squeals of praise from Ginny. "Oh, Nobby! We're going to have the best time today. You haven't even brought in the shoes yet!"

***

Buffy made a conscious effort that morning to haul herself out of bed before Willow, Dawn, and Giles, dressing stealthily and running through her morning make up. Easing the bathroom door open, she slipped out and was no more than 5 steps away from the door when -

"Good luck!"

Buffy stopped abruptly and turned to Willow's bedroom door, where the witch stood, sleepy but supportive, giving her the thumbs up.

"Thanks." 

Buffy turned back to the tower door as Willow returned to bed and eased to out and into the main body of the school. She ran full tilt to the landing, down the stairs, down the hallway to a second landing, down still more stairs and reached the corridor of the Great Hallway in record time without even breaking a sweat. She frowned for a moment as she tried to remember which way to the infirmary was, before taking off down the hall to her right. A sharp left or two and she found herself in front of Filch's main supply closet. Groaning (but making a mental note of the location), she took off back the way she'd come until she took a sharp left and saw the large infirmary doors. She took a moment to smooth her hair down and give herself a furtive sniff ("Check and check") and then slowly pushed the heavy doors open.

"Poppy?" she called out quietly. "Are you here?"

"Oh, Merlin save me."

Buffy exhaled slowly to calm herself and walked into the main bed area where she found Snape, propped up and bandaged, reading the Daily Prophet. "Oh, it looks like you're getting better." she replied sarcastically. "Damn."

Snape didn't even look up from his paper. "What do you want Miss Summers?" he asked tiredly.

"To be out of here as soon as possible." she shot back. "But I need your notes. Your substitute can't get into your room and, surprise surprise, she's terrified of you." Buffy put her hands on her hips. "I need the password to your office."

"And what makes you think that I'm going to simply hand over the key to my private domain?" he countered, still not looking at her. "Especially to an obnoxious twit of an American such as yourself."

Buffy leaned in and lightly jabbed Snape's wound, causing him to yelp and curse at her. "Have you completely taken leave of your senses, woman?!" he cried, paper landing in a heap as it was thrown by the bedside.

"You're not going anywhere for a bit and the Ministry-approved replacement, despite being top of her class in France, cannot teach off the top of her head." Buffy replied, making a show of obviously and loudly cracking her knuckles. "The password?"

Snape sighed. "Lily." he murmured, eyes boring hole into the rails at end of his bed.

"I didn't know you were married." she said, quietly sitting down on the bed beside his.

"I'm not." Snape replied, somehow aging 50 years as he spoke. "She was...from another life." His gaze became very distant and glassy and for a brief moment, Buffy wondered if she should make a serious effort to find the Mediwitch. But then, shaking his head abruptly, Snape returned to the present and glared at the Slayer. "If there's nothing else, Miss Summers, would you kindly reach my paper and get out of my sight?"

Buffy's eyes narrowed but she complied, rising and retrieving the fallen print from its resting place on the floor. "I'm sorry for your loss." she said stiffly, before dropping the paper on Snape's lap and storming out of the infirmary.

Phew! Well, I hope that's enough to tide people over until I can get the next chapter off whatever hard drive I've left it on.

Please, review early and often!

Obtuse question: It takes a month to brew Polyjuice Potion, right?

*The first reviewer to tell me where I got the Smoke Ender from gets to name to doohickey Wolfram and Hart will send later on. :D