Crimson Ink

"T-T-T-tom?" she stuttered. She shook her head, as if to clear it of all prior thoughts. "What are you...How did you..." She trailed off, still unsure of what to say.

He laughed at her confusion and hopped off the desk. "How was your time without me, sweetie? Missed me, didn't you?"

"Well, yes," she confessed, "but-"

He cut her off. "Didn't I tell you you couldn't live without me?"

"I think I've been living just fine," she retorted. She glared at him, all her feelings of relief at seeing him fading. "Just cut to the chase. Why are you here?"

The laugh came again, derisive and mocking. "I think not, sweetie. You're not going to get answers from me that easily."

"I don't have the patience for games right now, Tom."

He walked over to her, knelt down, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with one of his long fingers. She shivered slightly at his touch.

"What happened to you, Tom?" she asked, suddenly hit with memories of what had happened in the Chamber. "You've changed..."

"You're the one who's changed," he replied, and at his words, she realized it was true. He had stolen something away from her; she had felt it even before, she just hadn't realized it until now.

"Why are you here Tom?" she asked, growing angry. "Just quit all these games and tell me."

"Tsk tsk tsk. Better watch your temper, sweetie," he reprimanded, as if he were speaking to a four-year-old.

She slapped him without knowing she was doing it. There was a vague stinging feeling in her hand, and from the way he had placed a hand to the red spot on his cheek, she knew that she had actually done it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I was just so angry!" she started, her words coming out in a rush, before she grasped the fact that she didn't have to apologize. In fact, why should she? It was his fault that he had provoked her and made her so angry.

A pale hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, squeezing it tightly. She winced from the pain. "Let go Tom, you're hurting me."

"That's the point," he said, his voice coming out low and deadly. His eyes glittered with malice and his lips were twisted into a dangerous smirk. For the first time since she had met him, Ginny was genuinely scared.

"Ginny!" a voice called from downstairs. "It's time for dinner!"

"I have to go," she said shakily, glad for the distraction. "It's dinner, and if I don't go down, they'll start to wonder."

He let go of her wrist reluctantly, though his expression stayed the same. "Don't go think it's that easy to get away from me," he hissed at her. "You are mine, Virginia Weasley, and I will be back to claim you."

Ginny felt a shiver go through her at his words but she kept on walking just the same. When she finally did look back, her hand hovering by the frame of the doorway, he was no longer there.

~

"We have something important to tell you," Molly beamed once everyone was sitting in their places around the dinner table. "You all know how your father's won that Daily Prophet Draw. Well, we're using that money to take a trip to Egypt!"

There was silence for a moment and she looked at them uneasily. "Well? Don't you like that idea?"

Fred spoke first. "Egypt? You with the pyramids and the cursed mummies-"

"And the piles of treasure from the dead mummies' tombs?" George cut in.

Molly smiled. "Well, yes, and so much more. Egypt is going to be a very educational experience for us all. Did you know it's home to one of the oldest wizarding communities in the world?"

The twins weren't listening to her, Ginny could tell they were already plotting all the pranks they could pull with the things in Egypt.

She turned her face to Ron, who was looking somewhat sullenly at their mother still. "Isn't there more important things we could be buying with this?" he asked.

Her mother instantly got what he was playing at. "Oh Ron, we'll get you your new wand. I still say it was careless of you to have broken your last one, it could have lasted you through the rest of your years at Hogwarts, but your father says there's more than enough to get you a wand after we pay for the trip, so I suppose we might as well."

Percy was the only one other than herself who hadn't spoken, Ginny noticed, but there was no need to ask how he felt about this trip. His expression showed it all. She hadn't seen him this happy since he got notified that he was made Head Boy.

"Ginny?" Her mother's voice cut through her thoughts. "What do you think about this?"

She forced her mouth into a grin. "It's great, Mum," she replied. "It'll be nice to see a new place. Especially one that sounds so interesting."

And, she reflected later on, it would be. Egypt did sound fascinating, as much as she doubted her parents' opinion of things. She had heard mentions of it in some of the books she had read when she was younger, and she remembered wanting to see the monuments her books had so vividly described.

"I'm glad you're all so happy about this." Her father finally spoke up, looking at them over his dinner. Ginny was suddenly aware of how old he looked, how tired he must be. "Your mother and I spent a lot of time discussing this before we finally decided on Egypt. You see, Bill recently got transferred to the Gringotts over there, so you'll get to see him. I wrote to Charlie too, just today, and hopefully, he'll be able to take a few weeks off and come with us."

Charlie! Ginny felt a stab of guilt when she thought of the pile of letters she still hadn't sent to him, and probably never would. Some of the things she said had gotten too personal to tell, and she didn't want to worry him.

It would be wonderful to see him again. Bill too. She couldn't remember when the last time they visited had been, but she was sure it had been ages ago.

"This is going to be great!" she could hear Fred cheer as she ate the last of her vegetables. "We haven't had a vacation in years!"

~

Dear Charlie,

I feel like I'm going burst out crying any second now. There is really no way at all to describe how I feel. I'm just so bloody confused...It's almost like the things in my life are just flying by way too fast and I can't catch up.

That stupid therapist lady, for one. I still can't believe they would let someone so horrible talk to children. The things she said...they won't get out of my head. I can hear her words in my ears, just repeated over and over again until I feel like I'm going to burst.

And yet, I can't help but feel that there was a grain of truth in her words. There was some sort of exhilaration I felt when I was helping Tom. No no no, what am I saying? Not helping him, not helping him at all. Doing what it was that he forced me to, when he took over my mind and body.

But it wasn't really forcing, was it? I think I agreed to his actions on some level, in the back of my mind maybe, I just didn't realize how horrifying the effects would be. How so many people would be hurt by my actions...

If I could go back and undo it, I would. Maybe I wouldn't be able to help it, maybe I would be just as weak to Tom's wantings as I was before, but I would try, at least. Try to stop him, try to stop myself from doing as he asked. Even if it were just to help the people I hurt...I hate that they had to suffer that pain and that I was the cause of. They weren't hurt all that badly this time, but they could have been. It could have been much worse, I was just lucky, I guess. And that I made so many people disappointed in me...

Oh God, I really am crying now.

I can't do this anymore. I can't go back there, can't have her sit me on a chair and tell me exactly how I feel. I know I felt that before too, but it's just not for the same reasons anymore. I can't let her tell me because I know in the depths of myself that she's going to be right. And right now, I just can't accept that. At least I'll keep my sanity if I just go on pretending that Tom was the manipulator, that he had the power to make me do as he wanted.

I can't take this. It feels like my head's going to explode. Why did Mum and Dad have to choose now, of all times, to take us on a vacation? I'm going to break down, I just know it. With them hovering around me all day...how can I not? I just need some time to lock myself in my room and think for a bit, maybe.

I didn't mean for this letter to turn out like this at all. I figured I'd write to you a bit about how much I wanted to see you, how happy I was that I could take this trip and see the sights and all that... and instead, out comes this. It's like I can't even control my hand anymore, the quill just writes down exactly what I'm thinking.

And once again, Tom is at the root of all my problems. I saw him again today, I don't know how he got there, but he was. Looking as conceited as ever, perched on my desk, when I came back from the therapist's office, when I felt worse than I thought I ever could.

I thought all these stupid feelings would be over when I told him to go away. I guess I should have known better. Tom isn't really one to follow directions. I don't know what made him listen that day, but whatever it is, I guess I don't have it anymore.

How did he get there? That's the thing that's bugging me most, not all the mean words he said, not the way he grabbed my wrist and became a whole different person after I slapped him. I'm just wondering what he stole this time to make himself whole.

I guess I should have asked him that instead of all the stupid questions that I did ask. None of which he answered, by the way. At least, not answered in the way I wanted him to answer. Answered with insults and sarcasm, yes, but he never gave me a straight answer.

This should make me hate him. I want to hate him, only I find that I can't. What is wrong with me? After all he's done to me, it should be easy, only it's not...

I'd be okay if I understood what in the world was making him do this too, but that's not exactly possible either. He's just so difficult...one minute, he's the picture of happiness, the next, he snaps at me whenever I open my mouth.

If he doesn't like me, why doesn't he just leave? I've been leaving him alone, why won't he do the same? I just don't need this right now, with everything else going on...

I can't write anymore. Maybe you'll be glad to see that I can't drone on about this any longer; I can barely see what I'm writing anymore, with all the tears coming out. Maybe I'll write more this a bit more when I'm less confused, maybe not.

Well, I'm off to have a good cry. Maybe that will help things a little.

Love,

Ginny

~

She stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Music was playing from the little contraption her father had given her last Christmas and she hummed along, almost unconsciously.

She was swaying on her feet. "I look sick," she said to herself softly, fingers lightly touching the rings of dark purple around her eyes. Her hands moved to her cheeks, where her freckles stood out starkly against her pale skin. Skin that was just a shade darker than her cotton nightgown. "I am sick, in a way. Why hasn't anyone noticed?"

"Have you really wanted them to notice?"

She didn't bother to turn around, already knowing who was there.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"You wanted me to be here," he replied simply.

"No I didn't."

"Sure you did." He walked over to her - she could see him in the mirror - and wove his spidery fingers through her hair. "Your wish is my command, Virginia Weasley." His tone was mocking, satirical.

"I want you to go away." She was having trouble keeping her voice steady. Why did he have to come to her, touch her like that? The feeling of his skin on hers made her want to throw all her prior thoughts away and just give in to him. Again.

"No you don't." There was hint of a laugh in his tone. He looked up from her and into the mirror in front of him, gathering her hair into his fingers. He twisted it up into an odd sort of bun, then let it fall. "You don't even know what you want anymore, sweetie. Am I right?"

Of course he was right, he was always right, especially about things like that. She hated how he seemed to be able to break through all her defenses, knock all her walls down, and just see how she really was, what she really thought.

"How?" she asked.

"How what?"

"How did you get here? Whose energy did you take this time?" She whirled around angrily, eyes blazing, forcing him to step backwards. "You know what you are? A leech, a parasite! You need to suck the life from others to provide life for yourself!"

He brushed aside her insults, his half-amused smile never faltering. "Oh, I am glad I kept you alive, little Ginny. You've proved to be quite entertaining."

"I'm not little, and I'm not entertaining."

"Rebel all you want sweetie, it's not going to get you anywhere. You're making excuses to yourself. You want me to live, you want me here, all of this is your doing."

"I hate you," she spat at him.

"Quite the contrary, if you ask me." He walked towards her, forcing her backwards, away from the mirror and towards the bed. "If you really hated me, why did you always write that I was your best friend?" He took another step forwards, smiling as she stumbled and fell back onto her bed. "If you really hated me, why did you steal me back?"

He leaned forwards now, his arms on either side of her to support his weight. She could feel his breath, warm on her face, his hair dangling just above her, tickling her. Their faces were just inches apart, smouldering blue eyes looking into blazing brown. She wanted to squirm, look away or something, but she found that she couldn't move.

"If you really hated me," he whispered so quietly that she wouldn't have heard him at all if he weren't right on top of her, "why didn't you just let that Harry Potter of yours finish me off?"

Ginny couldn't answer.

And then the anger came, the anger that always came when he was this close to her, when he was touching her, but just barely. The anger that screamed at her for being so stupid, that told her what happened in the Chamber would happen again if she kept on behaving this way.

She brought up her knee as best she could, hitting him right in the stomach. A faint oof came from his mouth and as he clutched at his stomach with a hand, Ginny aimed her arm at his other one, barely realizing what she was doing. He fell on top of her with another grunt, leaving Ginny trapped beneath his body.

"This what you had in mind?" he smirked, once he had regained his poise. "I can go for a little of that right now..."

"Shut up!" Ginny snapped at him, flushing bright.

He bent down ever further, whispered the words in her ear. "Imagine what your family would think if they saw us like this." He walked his fingers downwards, towards the hem of her nightgown.

She slapped at his hand, and he gave her another smirk, but stopped his movement.

"I mean it Tom," she said through gritted teeth. "Get off me right now."

He lifted himself up, and for a moment, she thought he was going to listen to her, but with his next movements, she knew he was wrong. He started moaning very loudly, grinning at her the entire time, as he lowered himself down again and started grinding his hips at hers. "Ohhhhhh...Faster, that's it...Ohh, Ginny, I had no idea you were so good at this..."

"Tom!" she shrieked frantically.

A knock sounded on her door, followed by a voice. "Ginny? Is everything all right?"

"Just fine!" she called back, kicking at Tom as best she could. He wasn't even bothered by her efforts, though he shifted his position a bit so that he was lying beside her and not on top of her.

"Let me in then."

Ginny walked to the door, beckoning furiously at Tom for him to hide. She waited until he had slid under her covers, then opened her door.

George entered the room. She knew it was George and not Fred because George had a freckle on the tip of his nose and Fred didn't. It was a tiny difference but the only one she had managed to find between them so far. She was practically the only one in the family who could tell them apart, with the exception of Charlie.

"Hi George," she managed weakly.

He sauntered over, wearing a wide grin that spread from ear to ear. "You okay, Gin? Mum said she heard weird noises coming from your room and told me to come check on you."

"How did she know it was my room?"

"Your room's right above the kitchen Gin. She hears you loudest of us all." He winked at her. "Lucky for Fred and me. You ought to make trouble more often, it'll distract her from what we're doing."

Ginny cursed herself inwardly, wondering how she looked to her brother, how much her mother knew. "I wasn't making trouble."

"Of course you didn't," he teased. "You're the perfect one, aren't you, you never make any trouble."

She was horribly flushed, she hoped he wouldn't notice.

And he did.

"You're awful red, Gin, are you sure you're okay?"

"Just fine," she replied, sounding fake even to her own ears.

"Oh really? Then what's that lump under your bed? You hiding some bloke under there?"

She felt the colour drain from her face as she bit her lip nervously. "What lump?"

He cackled, seeing her expression. "You are, aren't you! My baby sister, only twelve and already doing unspeakable things with the opposite gender. Wonder what Mum will have to say about this." There was a twinkle in his eye, one that she had seen many times before, he always wore it when he was up to something.

"No I'm not!" she protested.

"You're lying Gin," he smiled, wagging his finger playfully at her. "Let's just see who you're hiding now. Harry Potter, maybe? Or is it that Creevey boy you started that fan club with? Spill it Gin, who're you shagging?"

"I'm not hiding anyone!" she said again.

He only laughed at her. "But you don't object to the shagging bit. I only want to congratulate whoever you're hiding for getting you over that crush on Harry. Unless, of course, it is Harry." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

She chewed at her lip even more, producing blood, as he walked over to her bed, but she didn't notice. She only hoped that Tom had escaped, by some feat of magic.

"Aha!" he cried, flinging them back.

There was nothing there.

Ginny let out a deep breath.

"Guess you were right then," said George, still grinning. "Unless, of course, your loverboy has already escaped. Guess I'll have to search the house, hmm Gin?"

"There's no one there!"

"I'm just teasing, honestly, by the way you were acting, if I didn't know any better, I'd swear that you were actually hiding someone in here!" exclaimed George, not losing any of his good humour. "I'll just leave then, since I'm so unwanted."

Ginny waited until her brother had left and the door was firmly closed before she collapsed on her bed. "Dear God, that was close," she said to the empty air.

"Pretty amazing disappearing trick, wasn't it?" came the voice from above her.

She looked up and saw Tom, floating by the ceiling. He jumped down gracefully, making nothing more than a swoosh as he hit the ground.

"Yeah," replied Ginny. She was much too relieved to say anything else.

"So," he said, smirking down at her, "want to continue what we were doing before?"

Ginny sat up and hit him with a pillow.

He ignored the blow, once again acting as if it hadn't happened at all. His expression changed suddenly; she watched as his eyes got darker, his smirk much more malicious. His eyes moved over her and she shivered, her knee length nightgown suddenly feeling very short. She opened her mouth to speak but found that she couldn't, her words had gotten caught in her throat.

Perhaps because it's better that way, her mind warned her.

He was above her in a stride, still looking down at her as if she was something inferior. She felt the goosebumps rise on her skin as he ran his hands down her sleeves. He felt so very cold.

"Tom?" she finally managed to get out. She wasn't sure if he had heard her, her voice had been very quiet, but she couldn't seem to get it to make a sound that was any louder.

He stared at her a moment longer, and again she had the feeling that her soul was being completely bared. She felt naked, vulnerable to whatever he planned on doing.

"Go to sleep, sweetie," he said finally, and brought a closed fist to his lips. He opened his hand and blew something at her, but she didn't remember him ever having put something there.

She stared at the golden mist for a second. "What is-" she started, but she didn't get a chance to finish her question. The mist had done what it was meant to do, and she fell back onto her bed, eyes closed to the doings of the world.

~

She was surrounded by trees. Her clothing was simple; she was dressed in what looked to her like a white smock, her hair ran loose, and her feet were bare. She took a cautious step forward, then another. Clouds of dust rose from her movements, enveloping her.

Through the thin brown haze, she could see a little boy, darting in and out of the trees.

"Hello?" she called.

The boy stopped his running and peered cautiously towards her from behind a tree.

"Don't worry," she called to him, softer this time. "I won't hurt you."

He seemed to have come to the same conclusion himself, for a burst of wild, uncontrolled laughter rang from his throat. He dashed towards her, reaching for her hand.

"Come play with me," he said, eyes sparkling brightly. The voice was that of a child's, but it was filled with authority. For a moment, she wondered what would happen if she didn't obey him.

"Come on," he said again, tugging at her gently. With a start, she realized that this was the same little boy who had been in her previous dream.

"But sweetie," she replied, reverting to Tom's choice of words for her without even realizing it, "I'm not dressed right."

"Play with me," he repeated yet again, a little more impatiently this time. She could see anger rising in his small features and she was suddenly struck with fear.

Don't be silly, she said to herself. Fear of what? He's just a little boy, he can't hurt you.

But something inside told her that he could, and that he would if it came right down to it.

"All right, I'll play with you," she said out loud.

"Yay!" He laughed again, jumping into the air with glee. She couldn't help but smile at his expression, his happiness over her agreeing to such a simple thing.

"So, what do you want to do?" she asked, stooping down, hands placed on bent knees so that she was the same height as him.

He pointed upwards, giggling as he did so. "Tree climbing!"

She followed his finger, and found that he was pointing to the tallest tree in their surroundings. She gulped. "But...But..." I'm afraid of falling, she wanted to say, but she somehow didn't feel comfortable letting him know that. "But I can't climb trees in this kind of clothes," she finished instead.

His lower lip stuck out and he stared at her from large puppy dog eyes. The tears began to flow, running down his dusty cheeks. "You don't like me," he accused her. "You don't actually want to play with me."

Overhead, a storm began to brew.

"No, no, no, I do," she protested. "I really do want to play with you. Just..."

"No you don't!" he yelled at her. "You're just a mean mean girl who lies!" The tears came even faster, and from above, the first drops of rain began to fall. A bolt of lightning flashed overhead, and with it came a crack of thunder. Ginny jumped at how close it seemed.

"Fine, I'll climb your stupid tree," she grumbled.

The boy's crying cleared up so quickly that she wondered if it had all been an act. The rain stopped when his sobs did, and the clouds cleared up, revealing a perfectly sunny day.

Can he actually control the weather here? Was that whole storm because I got him upset? She shuddered to think what would happen to her if she ever got him really mad at her.

"Come on!" he called at her. He was already standing at the base of the tree, and she hurried to follow him. He scrambled up the tree with amazing speed, and she could only gape at him.

"Come on!" he called again, much more forcefully this time.

Sighing, she followed him, finding that the climb wasn't as difficult as she had thought it would be. He was waiting for her on a large brand halfway up the tree, and by the time she had caught up with him, she found that she was much too tired to go any further.

She shook her head at him. "I can't do this anymore," she gasped.

His expression suddenly changed, and she felt her heart skip a beat. He looked the same way Tom had looked earlier, full of spite and willing to hurt anyone or anything.

He began chanting something softly, in a singsong voice. She leaned in closer so she could hear him, and found that with each time he repeated it, his voice got louder.

Ginny Ginny lied to me,

About climbing up this tree.

She didn't really want to play,

So now I'll make her go AWAY!

He was saying it so loud now that he was shouting, and she could hear the echo sounding in the trees. "What?" she asked him, bewildered. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she felt very afraid.

He only sang it again, only this time, when he shouted the words go away, he pushed at her with more strength than she thought he had, and she felt herself falling through the air.

"Ginny was mean, but I made her go away, so she can't be mean to me anymore. Bye bye Ginny." She could still hear his words as loud and clear as she had heard them before, and in her head, she could see him waving to her.

Her arms flailed frantically, searching for something that she could grab on to, but there was nothing there. She tried not to think about how painful it would be when she hit the ground, the odd angles at which her limbs would surely be arranged in.

Is this it? she thought. Am I really going to die like this?

She felt panicky, her breath caught in her lungs and she couldn't breathe. She watched as the tree flew by, and she hoped that her death would be a painless one.

That was her last thought before she hit the ground.

~

Ginny's eyes flew open as she sat up in her bed. Her nightgown was soaked in sweat, her breathing forced and heavy. She couldn't get over how real it had felt, how she had been so sure that she was going to die.

But it had all been a dream.