I was folding clothes to replace in the dresser, when I felt a hand on my neck. I gasped and spun around, dropping the pile of laundry. It was him, Tom, and I put a hand over my racing heart
"You felt the need to scare me out of my skin?" I gasped. He smiled down at me, and I could feel the old feelings of trust and admiration trickling back into my heart. I shook my head to clear it.
"It was an accident. Here," He offered and lifted the unfolded clothes from the floor and folded them with his wand. He then directed them to the empty drawer that I had been about to put them in. "A lot faster with magic." I looked down and bit my lip angrily. He flopped onto the bed and put his hands behind his head. "Aw come on, Gin, can't we go back to the way it was?" I placed my fists on my hips.
"Oh, do you mean before or after you possessed me and nearly killed me?" He propped himself up on an elbow exasperatedly.
"That was a mistake. I shouldn't have done that."
"Oh really?" I asked hysterically. "Tom, I haven't seen you in six years. I was eleven years old and you took advantage of me." He cocked an eyebrow and grinned. I gritted my teeth. "I've changed a lot since then."
"I can see that." His eyes raked over me, and I clenched my fists.
"Can you be reasonable?"
"Depends what that is."
"Just…let me go home. Please, I-"
"And what will you do when you get there? Do you think that Potter and his cronies will just let you go without telling them all about my organization, where I am, what it looks like, who's running it?"
"You don't need me here Tom, please, I'm no help to you."
"You think that now."
"What are you going to do? Torture it out of me?"
"I'd really rather not. I'd rather you just gave it to me."
"Tom, please, I love him-" He slapped me hard, and my head snapped to the side painfully. I raised a hand to my cheek, as he roared,
"YOU DO NOT LOVE HIM! You can't love him while you're here!" He crouched down to where I was on the floor. His face was full of malice. "I'm an extremely jealous man Ginny, and possessive. It isn't nice. I hate Harry Potter for stealing you away from me. Don't you get it? We're bonded. Our souls call out for each other, they're fated to be together. That was set when I took part of yours out from you, and poured some of mine into you, back when you were eleven. You'll never love another man now that we're reunited. It's the same for me. It's like the world is completely new to me, and the only important thing is you." I shuddered away from him, every word reverberating in my head.
"I hate you." I whispered, and he laughed harshly.
"Do you think that changes anything? Part of my soul still wants to be with me, just like part of yours pulls me to you." He ran a hand over my head. "I'm sorry. I'm very sorry that I hit you, but I just can't take it." I looked up at him. There must be some truth to what he was saying. Voldemort would never have apologized. He did look sorry. "But, I'm not sorry that we're bonded together." He stood straight, and took my hand to pull me up. When I stood he didn't let go of it. He placed it over his heart and rubbed soothing circles into it.
Draco popped his head in the door. "Alright?" He asked me. "Tom, do you need me here?" Tom rolled his eyes.
"For gods sake, Draco. Stop calling me that. You're my right hand man, but still." Draco smiled impishly.
"It separates you from Voldemort." He explained. I looked back to Tom, who was still grinning. Draco left, and Tom dropped my hand.
"Alright, servant. Bring me dinner." I raised an eyebrow and he added, " Down the hall, take a right, a right, then a left. It's behind the portrait of Salazar Slytherin. It just swings out. May as well get yourself some food too." I swept him an ironic bow, and I heard him chuckle as I left. I walked into a kitchen that was a flurry of movement. What seemed like hundreds of little elves scurried around my knees and prepared food. One noticed me, thrust a serving tray into my arms, and a plate full of steaming food. She also added a goblet and a bottle of wine.
"You are the servant for our master?" She asked in a squeaky voice. I nodded.
"But can I get another plate of food?" I begged. She bowed to me, and hurried off. She placed another plate and goblet on my tray, and I raced out of the portrait hole. I walked more carefully down the hallways, and pushed the door open to his chambers. I set the tray on a table that hadn't been there before. I unloaded his plate and goblet, then moved around to the other side of the table and did the same for my food. He sat in the seat I had left for him, and I stood nervously on the other side of the small table.
"Are you going to eat?" He asked amused. I cocked my head. "Sit, please." He said, and gestured to the other chair.
"So much for treating me like a servant." I grumbled. He banged his cutlery down, making me jump.
"Just because I'm polite to you doesn't mean I tolerate being spoken to without the utmost respect, Ginny." I ducked my head and nodded, then wolfed down my food.
"Where do most people eat?" I asked once I had finished. "In their chambers, or…"
"Some choose to eat privately, but we have a ballroom that is used for a meal hall. It's much like the great hall." He popped another piece of steak into his mouth. I had finished much before him. I was forced to sit and wait for him to slowly eat his meal.
"Do I take the dishes back?"
"No. A house elf will come for them."
"So…what do you do? For the rest of the evening."
"What would you do were you home? I talk to my death eaters, and my friends. Occasionally we have meetings, like tonight. I play chess, or else do anything I want to." He said simply. "But now, I'm going to be late for the meeting. I'll see you afterwards. Feel free to roam, but try not to get lost, will you? It's tiresome to need to find people. The doors are locked against you, so no need to waste time on that. You can use the washroom for whatever you need, there's a shower in there if you want it. But I really am late, so I need to go." He ran his hand over my head again, and rested it on my cheek. "Goodbye." He whispered.