Disclaimer: Really, I swear I'm not J.K. Rowling, and I have NO RIGHTS to these characters! Except for darling Adelé of course.
A/N: This past week I noticed less of my normal reviewers reviewing! Nonetheless, I will reply to the wonderful few who take the time to review. I love you dearly. From the 125 people who read from the US, to the people from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kon, Philippines and Spain, and especially love to the people from Poland and Mexico who hit my story seven times each! High five!! I want to shout out to the two people who read from the Netherlands! Hi! I'm dutch too!!
SlytherinLuver: I love you. You always review. If I could send you some kind of delicious food I would. Thank you SOOOO much!!
Ncy555: Hello again my anonymous friend!! You read again…This makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Even anonymous people like my story!! Yay!! Thanks alot!
Sam: I can't even describe how cool it is to have people take their time to review even if they don't have accounts. You people make my day. All of you.
Kate: Why thank yew!! I'm quite partial to this story too :D
NailPolishRemover: Ah my sweet, sweet ironically named ex-wanna-be-beta. (in a good way of course) I like making Harry the bad guy. Pay back for OOTP. He was a prat in that book. PS: Since when isn't James Marsters English?? I like the name Blaise… huh
Beloved: I could almost pass out now from happiness. FOUR ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS FOR ONE CHAPTER!! Hugs all around!!
So yeah, I was rather disappointed that my normal reviewers didn't review this chapter. This shoutout goes to you three: Pixiedreamer21, Allychick1 and The Creatress: So whats up guys? No reviews this week? I totally understand, school is crazy for me right now, so being busy is a reason. I just wanted to say I really appreciate your reviews, and hope to hear from you again.
Hey, do you guys want to tell me what countries you're from when you review? I'm not making it like, mandatory or anything, it's just cool to know if any of you are from places that aren't Canada (where I'm posting from)
Onward!! (Phew, that was a long A/N!!)
Love iamthewalrus93
I woke to find Errol tapping on the window. I got up quickly and quietly and opened the window. I unbound the letter and sent Errol off quickly. I looked over my shoulder to see Tom fully awake in bed, leaning casually on an elbow.
"What's that Ginny?" He asked, his eyes never leaving my face. I looked down guiltily. "Give it to me." He ordered. I shuffled over and handed it to him. He tapped it with his wand, then opened it. His eyes roved down the page, then snapped up to my face. Wordlessly he handed me the envelope. It read,
Dear Gin,
If he isn't a monster, meet with us at the three broomsticks tomorrow at 3:00. You may bring an escort, but not him. If we notice anything odd going on, we'll call it off.
Harry, Ron and Hermione.
My eyes flashed to his face and I bit my lip waiting for a reply.
"No." He immediately said. My heart dropped and I looked down sadly. He studied me for a moment, then lifted my chin with a finger. "Do you want to go?" He asked me. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he stroked my hair softly.
"Not if it brings you displeasure. There are no words to describe our relationship. No one could possibly understand me, except you. I love you so much, so I won't bring you pain."
"If you want it, you will have it." I grinned excitedly, my eyes lighting up, then thanked him with a kiss and ran into the closet.
"Who's coming with me?" I called out to him, planning what I would wear that day.
"I'll ask Draco, and a few others." I popped my head out.
"You aren't coming?"
"I'll watch from afar." I could tell he really wasn't happy about the whole thing. I walked out to him slowly. His eyes traced my body, and I crawled up to him on the bed.
"I owe you big time." I murmered into his neck.
"That you do." He agreed.
"How will I ever repay you?" I giggled. He ran the back of his hand down my face, and merely grinned.
GGGGGGGGGG
Draco and I walked into the three broomsticks at 2:59 sharp. Harry, Ron and Hermione were all seated at a booth in the back corner of the room. I looked back out the window, and gazed in Toms direction one last time. He was seated in one of the rooms above the store across the road using omni oculars to watch. He had cast a spell on Draco and I allowing him to hear everything we heard. We walked towards the booth and slid in lowering our hoods.
"Ginny!" Ron whispered, taken aback.
"Hi Ron." I whispered back. Ron was glaring at Draco.
"I always knew you'd end up being one of them." Ron sneered.
"Yes, well things do have a habit of turning out that way." Draco drawled. "Let's make this quick, my master is anxious to have this meeting over."
"Your 'master'?" Harry demanded.
"Yes, I'm sure you saw him last time you were in Diagon alley. You know, tall, dark hair, black eyes."
"I know who he is." Harry snapped. "Balmy old codger who runs off with young girls, breaking up familys."
"Why did you ask me to come?" I demanded. "So you can be rude about my lord?" Harry looked down.
"I wanted you to come back to us Ginny. Please, we all miss you."
"Well I think that the last time, you know, when you took me by force, kept me in a dark room for a month and nearly killed my husband-"
"Husband?" Ron and Harry demanded together.
"Oh come off it I told you we were married."
"But we never thought of it, really…" Ron said. "Blimey, Gin, married to the bloody dark lord. I thought you had better taste than that." I stood.
"You know what, I'm leaving if you keep talking about us like that."
"No you aren't." Harry said, and I looked at him. "He's here isn't he?" I stared at him. He leaned close to me.
"Riddle, I know you can hear this. I challenge you, to the right for Ginny. Come down here."
"Nothing will give you the right to me!" I protested.
"Now we'll see if your 'lord' is brave enough to claim you." Harry said, scathingly.
"Draco?" I asked.
"He's coming." He said ominously, staring out the front window. Trepidation built in the bottom of my stomach. This wouldn't be pretty. I gulped, as Draco stood, and left the bar.
"Don't do anything stupid." I advised them as Tom came into the busy room. My breathing became erratic as I saw him approaching, and I smiled dangerously. He was a sight to behold, striding purposefully towards our table. He slid in beside me, and I kissed him fiercely. When we broke away, Harry was livid.
"I believe you wanted to see me Potter?" Tom drawled. I shivered. The very sound of his voice was intoxicating. I twined my fingers with his and I felt like I morphed back into the dark lady I was becoming at home. I smiled sardonically at Ron, who looked taken aback. Hermione was awfully quiet so I looked at her. She was huddled In the corner, staring at Tom in fear. I grinned. She was smart. She should be afraid of him.
"Yeah." Said Harry once he plucked up enough courage to speak to him. "I want Ginny back." Tom glanced at me sidelong, and I looked him over hungrily, as if saying, 'why would I want him when I have you?' He looked back at Harry.
"Well that's unlucky." Harry looked confused. "She doesn't want you."
"Why don't you let her speak for herself?" Ron demanded. I glared at him.
"He's got the right idea Ron." I said.
"Ginny," Harry said, leaning over the table at me, "Don't you want to come home? This is the man who possessed you in first year! Do you really want to be with him?"
"If he was being unkind to me would he have let me come?" I asked, inspecting my nails.
"You didn't answer my question."
"He's all I want, Harry. The only one I want." Tom moaned happily and nuzzled my neck.
"What about us?"
"What about us?" I demanded.
"Don't you care about your family? Or Hermione?" I shot her a glance. "Or me?" He whispered.
"Of course, I care about my family." I hissed. "Otherwise why would I have come?"
"To show us how infatuated you are with this monster?" Ron grumbled. I whipped out my wand and pressed it to his knee under the table.
"I really don't want to blow your kneecap off Ron, but if you keep pushing me…" Tom stroked my neck and grinned triumphantly at Harry.
"See, Potter, I think the thing that really irks you about all this is the fact that you, being the boy-who-wouldn't-die, are used to getting everything you want. Now, the only thing you want is Ginny and you can't have her. You could have, but you discarded her."
"It was for her own good." Harry hissed. Tom looked at him sympathetically.
"Oh yes, I'm sure it made her much happier, you're right." I kissed his neck, right below his ear, and he drew an arm around me. "Why did you call me down here again? Ah yes, you were feeling jealous and you said you were going to challenge me, am I right?"
"You want to duel me?" Harry spluttered. I tightened my grip on Toms arm.
"You were the one who issued a challenge. What sort of challenge? You thought I wasn't brave enough to come down here and talk to you about her?" Harry spluttered some more. Tom drummed his fingers on the tabletop and I laid my head on his shoulder and whispered into his ear.
"Thank you for being with me." I murmured. "I didn't want to be here without you." He squeezed my knee, and whispered back,
"Are you kidding? This is the most fun I've had in a while." I raised my eyebrow saucily. "Except for with you of course." He said, smiling smugly at me. All I could think about was meeting those lips with my own, but I had to restrain myself. I didn't want Ron to spontaneously combust or anything like that.
"Fine," Harry said snottily. "I'll duel you." Tom rolled his eyes.
"Where?"
"Not here." Tom raised an eyebrow and I smirked.
"Obviously."
"The shrieking shack."
"Very well Potter, lead the way." We all stood at the same time and Tom and I marched out the door behind the Golden Trio. Draco caught up with us.
"We've checked it out. No spells or traps as far as we know."
"Good. Surround the area incase of emergency. I won't run, but you'll need to take care of Ginevra." I gaped at him.
"There's no way you'll loose." I said.
"Glad you have so much faith in me." He said, grinning. "No, I won't loose, it's just a precaution. I don't want to start getting cocky. It's unappealing to females." I grinned at him, and we kept walking. We arrived at the site, and Tom and Harry drew the circle.
"I Harry James Potter officially challenge you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, to a duel. Who is your second?" Toms eyes flickered towards me and Draco.
"Draco Scorpius Malfoy." Tom said, grinning apologetically at me. "And yours?"
"Ronald Billious Weasley." Harry called out. I stood by the sidelines as they cast spells to keep the curses within the walls of the circle, and did the customary salute. It's true, I knew Tom would win, but I was still worried sick. Even if Harry died, I would feel awful. I watched closely as spells were cast between them, and gasped when Harry went down on a knee. He jumped back up though, before Tom could send another spell. The match continued like that, and I was starting to get hysterical. Hermione was much in the same state. Her hair was frazzled, and her eyes bloodshot. I felt sorry for her, truly I did, but then my eyes snapped back to the match.