Paper Should Be Good Enough

Paper should be good enough--Chapter 3

He hears, and he calls to what is left of her.

"Step into the fire, Ginny.. I'm here, it's Tom, come to me, Ginny Weasley.."

She obeys like a good girl, and with the suddenness of Floo powder, she is in a musty cellar. And he is there--Tom is there. A smile on his youthful 16 year old face, charming as usual.

"How.. how did I get here?"

He smiles again, twirls his wand between his fingers. "You called and I answered."

She steps towards him, a hopeless smile on her face. "I've missed you so much, Tom.. you wouldn't believe it.. no one listens like you do.."

"I would imagine so, I'm quite a patient man." He brushes back his longish black hair. "Sit if you like, Ginny. We have as much time as we need. They won't miss you back at Hogwarts."

It's true, it's true, they won't miss her at Hogwarts. She sits on a chair that may have just appeared.

"How is Harry, Ginny? Tell me how Harry is. Is he as handsome as ever?"

"Not as handsome as you, Tom." He grins and she smiles meekly, as usual. "He's going out with Hermione, at least they went out once. He still thinks I'm a little girl, really.." she stares down at her shoes. "Do you think I'm a little girl, Tom?"

"Of course not, Ginny. You're one of the most intelligent, mature women I know." He smiles that smile again and she can't help but blush that Weasley blush. "Do go on."

"Ron thinks I'm a little girl.. just at dinner he and Harry were arguing about if I could do something for him, something important, and Ron refused.. it hurt, Tom, you know, it really did. I'm not some little first-year who doesn't know anything. I could help.."

"I know you could help, Ginny. You're valuable, very valuable, and Ron doesn't see that. He sees you as that little girl blushing at the very glance from his best friend; you're nothing to him, Ginny."

"Too right, Tom." Bitterness rises in her throat. "I hate Ron. And Harry, too. They both think I'm a little girl."

Tom leans forward. "Do you want to prove yourself to them, Ginny?"

"Yes, Tom, I do, yes.." she feels drugged, blank, her body heavy. "Ron.. Harry..."

Tom, the lovely 16 year old boy Tom, leans forward and kisses her. So much like Harry, so intelligent, charming.. even through the fog she finds herself kissing him back.

It's pure ecstasy at first, then blinding pain.

"Remember that you wanted me willingly, Ginny, that you accepted me into yourself so eagerly, when they ask you why..."

-----

"Why?"

Her eyes snap open. "What, Ron?"

"Why did you run out of dinner last night? You scared me, I thought something was going on."

"No," she says, smiles. It hurts a bit, she's got a headache. "I just had to get out of the hall, the noise there was driving me mad. I've got a killer headache."

"All right," Ron says, but he looks doubtful still. "Where were you that you weren't in the common 'til ten?"

"What's with the interrogation?" She touches her hand to her forehead. "I went out for a walk."

"Okay, okay," Ron says. "I wish you wouldn't, Hogwarts may be getting dangerous quite soon, because.."

"Because of Harry," Ginny finishes. The bitterness suddenly arises in her throat again, with Tom's voice.. he thinks you're a child.. "I can handle myself, Ron, I'm not a child," she snaps coldly.

Ron is obviously surprised. "Ginny, I--"

"Forget it, Ron." She stands and quickly departs to her dorm. And Tom is sitting there, on the bed.

"That was wonderful," he says. "You really showed it to him. Keep that up."

"You saw it?" She's quite pleased.

"Don't you know, Ginny?" His smile never wavers. "I'm always with you now, I'll never leave you. You want me to stay, right Ginny?"

"Of course," she says. "Of course, Tom."

"You're just a lovely woman," Tom says. "Why Harry and Ron couldn't trust you with something I don't know. What was it that they couldn't trust you with?"

She blinks. "I'm not sure.. some charm, but Ron said I was too weak.."

"The.. the Fidelius Charm, perhaps?"

She blinks again. "Yes, yes, that was it." She sits down beside Tom. "What is that?"

"The Fidelius Charm protects a certain person. Harry, for example. One person keeps the secret.. imagine, Harry thinks you would blab his whereabouts to everyone, like Colin and all of his fans! You wouldn't do that, would you, Ginny?"

Indignation rules. "Of course not!" she says. "I wouldn't betray Harry, never!"

"I didn't think so. Of course not." Tom smiles that smile at her again. "I know a way to get Harry to trust you, to trust you with everything."

"Really? You're so smart, Tom," she says. "How?"

"Just trust me," he says. And she does. She can always trust Tom...

"You just tell him this," Tom says. "Tell him exactly what I say and he'll be yours, however you want him. I'll do anything to make you happy, Ginny, just say the word."

She thinks about it, and says, "I want Harry."

Tom smiles and says, "That's what I thought."

-------------

"Harry," Ginny says, and he turns. He is surprised to see her, no doubt, in this deserted hallway.

"Ginny, what are you doing here?" He looks at her closer, and he quickly looks away.

"You.. you ought to be in the common room. It's late."

"Only ten-thirty," she says. "Not late at all."

"Well, it's late enough," Harry says, the faintest trace of blush visible on his cheeks. "I--I really must go, Ginny, so should you.."

She touches his shoulder. "I don't understand you," she says.

"What?"

"You know that I care about you, maybe even love you, probably; but then you ignore it. And now, when I don't try, you see me this way, and you blush. I don't understand you, Harry."

He blushes deeper. "Ginny, please, just.." he trails as he sees the serious look on Ginny's face. "You're serious, aren't you?"

She nods. He shakes his head. "I.. I can't," he says. "You're Ron's little sister, Hermione and I.. I can't," he finishes lamely. Ginny remains silent. "I can't," he repeats.

She silences him by kissing him. Harry does not resist. She breaks the kiss, then stares at him, silent still. "Ginny," he says. "You're different.."

I've always been this way,

Tom whispers. "I've always been this way, Harry."

"Ron.. Ron would kill me," Harry says. "I have to go." He tries to push her away, but she presses him against the wall, puts her arm around him.

He doesn't have to know,

Tom whispers. "He doesn't have to know."

"Hermione--"

"Neither does she."

They kiss again, until Harry breaks it, panting, whispering, "Ginny." She silences him again with a kiss.

Everything you want, Ginny, anything to make you happy. I'll make sure you get it. You can trust me, Virginia Weasley.. you can trust your Tom.