"Closer, come closer," hissed the Dark Lord from his chair. Ginny whispered a silent 'thank you' when Peter Pettigrew slid over, bent down on one knee and kissed the extended hand.
Riddle had not aged well. The skin on his fingers hung loose around the bone as though he were an aged rose-bush wrapped in burlap. Ginny winced as Peter smacked his lips on each finger. This is who Pertha was all this time? A disgusting suck up—a rat through and through. Ginny had to keep from vomiting.
"What is that I hear? Our guest is not happy?" Riddle said.
"My Lord, I had tried to keep her from coming," Peter stuttered. "I had tried, oh master, please do not be angry-"
"I am not angry at you Peter. You have been a good and faithful servant. Turn me so that I might see…ah!" Riddle's body and face came into view as Peter turned the chair to face Ginny. He could have used magic, but Voldemort probably got off on the fact that others were crawling on their knees to serve him.
"Miss Weasley-"
The face of Voldemort was not the young face on Riddle in Ginny's memories. Here was a man shriveled up and aged like a prune. Two marbles—his red eyes—rolled lazily in his sunken sockets and glared at her from above. Had he not been shrouded in robes, Ginny was sure his body would be that of a decaying skeleton: his thin neck and wrists clearly indicating that Riddle was no longer the image of vitality.
"It was the girl, the girl!" Peter chortled.
"Is it true, Marcia?" Voldemort whispered. "You brought Miss Weasley to us?"
"Yes."
"Yes, my Lord, " Voldemort whispered.
"Yes my Lord." Marcia's hand clutched Ginny's so tight, Ginny was sure her circulation was cut off. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to take her wand and hex the balls off the Dark Lord, plans be damned, but what she was afraid of were the shadowed faces lurking on the periphery. His faithful and loyal servants, the Death Eaters still alive after the war, waited upon their master and likely would hound her down if she flinched. Ginny was sure these wiccans were either true believers or too stupid and weak to run from obvious danger.
Peter ran over and yanked Marcia's hair, dragging her before the Dark Lord. "Let's punish her, oh, let me be the one to do it, my Lord."
Marcia squealed as Peter knotted his pudgy fingers into her scalp, lifting her head to face his master.
"Patience-"
"Let her go!" Ginny said, a touch definitely.
The room fell silent. Even Peter released Marcia who crawled off to the side to lick her wounds.
"She said it!" Peter pointed. "The Weasley girl said it, my Lord. Let's punish her. Let's call the-"
"Silence Peter. Let the child come forward."
The fingers inched Ginny on and she came over and knelt down before Voldemort, just like Severus taught her to. "Forgive me, my Lord. I had asked to be brought before you to swear my loyalty. The Obscurial Marcia revealed the location to me because I swore to pledge my loyalty."
Voldemort's lips curled into a grin. "After so many years. Come now, come forward. Show me your commitment."
Ginny rested her head on Voldemort's knee as he placed his frail fingers on her head. "Legillimens."
He was inside her head, shifting through her memories. Unlike Severus, Voldemort's path was slow and painful. He slowly lowered himself into her subconscious mind, his every step like a knife scratching the walls and floors of her head. Like she'd been taught, Ginny relaxed her mind, letting him penetrate her memories—searching for the ones he pleased.
Pictures of a young Tom Riddle surfaced. Ginny was holding his hand, saying 'you'll always be my friend, Tom. Always.'
An incredible warmth filled Ginny as she relived the memories again, the image of Tom Riddle as fond as the ones of her mother and father and brothers that Voldemort only lazily glanced at. He'd seen what he came for and a satisfied smile curved on his mouth the moment he released her from the Legilimency.
"Excellent. You will make a good addition to my collection." Voldemort coughed, giant green mucus coming from his nose. Peter instantly brought him a kerchief to wipe his nose.
"Let's mark her now, my Lord," Peter said.
"Patience, my servant," Voldemort said. "Severus Snape is nearby. I've seen it in your mind. Tell me, has he forgotten me already?"
"My Lord, he seeks your apology. He knows he is unworthy," Ginny said. "He has failed to bring you Harry Potter."
"That he has. But Severus may still be of use to me once I take my rightful place as head of the Ministry. Bring him to me. We will need him for our final task—to show the world that I have returned."
"Yes my Lord," Ginny whispered.
Taking Marcia's hand, the two of them exited the warehouse, bowing as they walked backwards towards the door.
The moment they were out, Marcia hugged Ginny. "Thank you. Thank you, for everything."
Marcia wasn't her friend, but Ginny hugged her back. It felt genuine, like the Obscurial was more than happy to be out of the Dark Lord's clutches. Ginny couldn't see how he was a threat. His Death Eaters and Peter seemed more violent than the prune in giant robes. Still, she and Severus would need much more backup if they were going to strike against the dark army.
"I owe you one," Marcia said.
"Oh, you really don't-"
"Law of Reciprocity." Marcia put her palm on Ginny's and a mark lit up and faded into her skin. The shape of a magical pentagon left a white scar on Ginny's hand. "If you need a favor from me, the mark will Summon my presence to you. Just close your palm and say my name and I'll be there."
"Noted." Ginny smiled.
-xxx-
The first thing Ginny saw when she returned to the Crooked Crone was Severus' yanking up her sleeve to see if the skull and slithering snake was imprinted on her forearm. It was not.
"Ginerva," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper.
"Yes."
"I leave you out of my sight for a single moment and you-" Severus pinched his crows foot. Ginny quickly told him all about Marcia and Voldemort, the successful pass of Legillimency on her part. It seemed to ease Severus a bit.
"You've earned the trust of the Dark Lord. A significant accomplishment on your end."
"It's what we said we'd do," Ginny said firmly, the sickening feeling of bile rising up in her throat. "I knew it was dangerous going there, but it was my choice. I needed to help."
"I shouldn't have allowed you to go alone," Severus mumbled to himself, letting Ginny's hand drop from his grasp. "Has he hurt you?"
"No. I did everything you said-"
"He could have marked you. He could have...touched you."
"You're marked too-"
"Yes I am." Severus sighed and poured himself a drink and downed it instantly. "I apologize. I said I would be there to assist you and failed. The moment you left me on the ground...you should have made an excuse and turned back. We could have formulated a different approach."
Ginny walked closer, taking the glass from Severus' hand. Her fingers curled around his for a brief moment. "There was very little chance you could have passed through the wards to have stopped me."
"Yes."
"You're angry."
"I'm disappointed. With myself."
"You warned me this might happen. I willingly accepted. I am no longer a child." Ginny said. Harry's words ran like a reel in the back of her head. He wanted to protect her, to keep her safe, he didn't want her to have to go through anything painful since her brother's death. But Ginny was no longer that scared eleven year old girl in the Chamber of Secrets, unable to make her own choices.
"I'm not scared," Ginny said firmly.
Severus stilled. "You are much more brave than I was when I was your age. When I was marked by the Dark Lord, I wanted-" All this time, his hands remained in hers. Ginny wove her fingers between his—the way she imagined she'd do the night at the Silver Fox restaurant. His fingers were indeed long and remarkably less bony than she imagined, but his palms remained cold and clammy.
Ginny leaned in, her nose hovering over the collar of Severus' shirt. Today it was black with a small sign written near the middle. It must have been the brand. She ran the tip of her nose over the fabric, inhaling his scent and listened to the quick beat of his heart and watched his Adam's apple gently sink and float up.
"What did you want ?" she whispered, rocking back and forth gently.
"I wanted–"
"Hm?"
"I wanted-" he whispered back. "What I had done was awful, I just didn't realize how truly horrible my choice had been at the time. I suppose I wished I hadn't been alone-that someone stopped me before I became a Death Eater."
Ginny readjusted her fingers around his, bringing his hands closer. "I think I'd have wanted that too."
She heard him smile and his arms reached around her back and pulled her into his chest. Her cheek sank into him and then she exhaled deeply, pushing back her tears. Not here, not now. It wasn't about any specific moment, at least not one she could recall as she dug herself into the folds of fabric and wrapped her hands around his back. Slowly, he melted deeper into the embrace, warming her. Then, much too soon for her liking, pushed her off, stationing her before him.
"I don't believe this is a wise idea," he said, his eyes glaring into hers. "Very clearly, my interference with your subconscious could produce such an…effect."
"It's not that," Ginny said softly. "I have grown to like you, even before."
"Unlikely. I am not a pleasant wizard to be around."
"Pleasant enough-"
"As banal as it may sound... you," Severus said. "You do not know me and rest assured that you do not want to ever know what I had been capable of doing to those that are close to me. I like you as well, but respectfully would like to keep my distance to ensure that my friendship does not become a liability to you in the future."
"Right, I understand." Ginny replied, her heart sinking.
They sat in silence for a bit, Severus leaving the room for a drink, presumably also to gather his thoughts.
"There is something else," Ginny summoned the book. "Tonight I saw someone I didn't expect at the meeting. I saw Pertha. She was Peter Pettigrew."