Chapter 10: Herbs and Parchment

A week passed and Ginny finally received an owl from her father on the state of Ron. Harry was out of the Hospital Wing and if possible his constant haunted look became darker as one of his closest friends was attacked. They were no further to answers than they were the day Hermione and Ginny left the Headmaster's office that fateful night , though Hermione seemed to spend more time than usual huddled in the library with several books, a frantic expression ever-present on her face, Harry by her side with a vacant, almost defeated, look.

"He was Confunded for months." Ginny said upon arriving at the small desk in the corner of the library, slapping the hastily written letter from her father. Hermione and Harry both jumped at her arrival and noise-making, those closest to the trio not even bothering to silence them after the events the week previously.

"Confunded?" Hermione repeated bewilderedly, picking up the parchment promptly to read, her nose scrunched as her eyes darted down the paper.

Ginny nodded and pushed some books to the side as she sat at the table, leaning over on her elbows to read with Hermione.

"That's it? I thought you said that Dumbledore told you he was-" Hermione began

"-mindwalked, yes" Ginny finished, gesturing with her hand in a circular motion, clearly asking the older girl to turn the page over.

"Oh!" Hermione said as she did so, her eyes widening as she scanned the rest of the text "Oh." Her tone took a defeated quality as she returned the paper to the table

"Well…what does it say?" Harry asked, urgently

Both girls looked at the boy, forgetting for a moment that he was there.

Hermione pushed the paper to him as she began speaking but Harry did not bother to look down to read it or even pretend to read it. It was times like this when Ginny was reminded to how much Harry needed her.

"Well, Mr. Weasley has been at Ron's room every day for news and just-" at this, Hermione glanced down to read the top of the parchment for the date "-yesterday, the Mediwizard taking care of Ron diagnosed what is going on. He said that Ron was mindwalked, but not after being confunded for months. Whoever did it is inept at best. And, they think he was captured sometime during the summer holidays."

A lengthy silence filled their area as the three absorbed this information. Ginny, having already read it before flying down the stairs to deliver it to them in person, pressed her fingers against the smooth wood of the table, the top worn from generations of students before her. She glanced up at Hermione, taking in the girl's facial expression. It was almost as though she could see the cogs turning in her bushy haired friend's brain.

After the brief silence, Ginny could take the quiet no longer. Opening her mouth a sound escaped her lips to prompt the girl to speak, but Hermione beat her to it.

"This means….Ron was captured, we don't know by whom, and there's nothing we can do" Hermione said with a hard tone to her voice, dropping the parchment back upon the table.

Ginny sighed with defeat, hoping that Hermione would have a miraculous solution that even the best mediwizards of England could not discover. Glancing at Harry, her long ago crush, he saw her hard stare at Hermione as though he wanted to say something to her, but not around Ginny.

"I think I'll leave you two at it then" she whispered, standing. The sound of the chair scraping against the wooden floor did not distract Harry from his piercing gaze upon Hermione. The brunette turned her gaze to the ginger and gave her a weak smile that looked a bit wobbly, as though she was fighting back a frown.

"Thanks for the letter, love" she said in a low voice to Ginny, returning her gaze back to the Boy who Lived, sliding her hand over his in a brief caress

Feeling a sudden emptiness in her heart, Ginny turned away from the pair, the two more different than they were just the year previously. Voldemort, though not close to them at the moment, seemed to seep into their lives no matter how distant he was from them, poisoning their lives with torment.

Weaving past the towering bookcases and collection of chairs, students and books she exited the library, the tears threatening to overflow from her eyes finally finding release at the doors. One hand to her mouth, the other out before her to reach for the nearest side door among the corridor, she found the first empty room along the line and pulled it open, shutting it behind her. Pressing her back against the wood she slid to the ground, her body shaking with sobs, the wail of sorrow echoing in the quiet, dusty room. Tears for her brother, tears for those who have died, and tears for those she loved, reduced to shells of their former selves overcame her and she wept alone.

Time seemed to move by so quickly, Tom thought, examining the date on a calendar in a classroom. Winter Solstice was only weeks away and he had not gotten as far as he would have hoped with Ginevra. Stabbing his trowel into the pot of earth he turned his head and scowled at Professor Sprout, willing for this bloody class to be over already.

"I hated this class when I was attending it" Tom said suddenly to Draco

Draco was not really paying attention and snapped back to reality as Tom spoke

"Oh?" he inquired

"Indeed. I had a good time of snitching bits of herbs here and there and hiding them on the northern side of the-" at this Tom stopped and Draco stilled, a trickle of fear coursing through Draco's mind as Tom's memories flipped by too quickly for Draco to catch.

Tom smiled, and picked up his trowel, wiping the coating of dirt on the tip and pressing his wand against the worn metal.

"Eraxco!" Tom murmured quietly as Professor Sprout turned to assist a dimwitted Hufflepuff.

The trowel cracked and began to smoke, shattering after a quick prod from Tom's index finger. Ensuring nobody was paying attention, he then directed his wand to the extra supply of trowels beside Sprout's desk

"Evanesco" he whispered. The trowels disappeared.

"Professor!" Tom called, swiftly returning his wand to his pocket "My trowel is broken. May I please get another? Tom waved his destroyed trowel for evidence.

Professor Sprout looked up and her eyebrows furrowed with confusion as she set her gaze on the trowel and its complete destruction. After a beat, she spoke. "Of course, my dear boy. Please take one from my de-" the Professor frowned, her eyes on her work station "I must have left them in Greenhouse two. Kindly get another from the greenhouse- and return promptly!" she stressed

"Of course Professor" Tom said with a charming smile and Sprout returned to the other student.

Chuckling to himself, Tom exited the Greenhouse and made his way rather far from the greenhouse and to the far north of the castle, where resided a certain oak tree that he once frequented over fifty years ago.

Draco was getting sick of tired of this. Try as he might, he could not gain control over the stronger Tom. Draco spent hours at night while Tom was asleep trying to figure out what he could do to either gain control, and if not, find a way to get Tom /out/ of his body. The only solution Draco had come up with was to find a way to get himself within an inch of death again, though without a way to control his body, this was impossible. Draco also began to fear for Ginny, his feelings toward her changing rather quickly. He saw her so differently now, and it was something the boy was still not used to. Draco feared that soon Tom would grow impatient with Ginny and, like Pansy, dispose of her but not, of course, after first using /his/ body to ravage hers. While it sounded rather pleasant for Draco himself to do, albeit with a willing participant, he didn't appreciate a stranger taking away his virginity. Draco sighed in frustration, if it could even be called that, as Tom used his body to dig a hole inside a rather large oak tree with his wand.

"This tree is bigger than it used to be." Tom murmured, after attempting hole number four on the trunk. Peach sized gouges ran along the length of the tree and Draco mentally rolled his eyes.

"So glad to see you know how to properly dig a hole you asshole" Draco replied scathingly

Tom stilled, sending a bolt of pain towards the boy. Draco hissed at the sensation and retreated to the far side of his little 'mind' area.

"I will make you regret your words" Tom said in a quiet voice as he looked to either side of him to ensure there were no observers.

Draco said nothing

Raising Draco's wand high, Tom slashed the air in a line at the trunk. With a thundering CRACK the tree split in two.

"Accio box" Tom said, waving his wand once more

From within the deep confines of the trunk twenty or more feet up a small metal box roughly the length of Draco's hand came flying towards him and Tom caught it, his icy fingers sliding over the bent edges as he examined the half-century old box.

"looks to be in good condition to me" Tom whispered to himself

Flicking open the latch he opened the box, thumbing through the various small, bottled herbs and samples of hair contained within. The split oak tree gave way to its injuries and split in two completely, crashing to the ground. After taking a quick inventory of its contents he closed the box with a rusty 'snap' and slipped it in his robe pocket, walking away before anyone caught him by the dying tree.

After several long minutes, and after Tom's footsteps had carried him halfway to the castle, Draco finally spoke up.

"So, what exactly do you plan on doing with that tin of herbs?" Draco asked at an attempt of a casual query

"Don't you mean 'who am I going to use something terrible on next?'" Tom asked the boy as he reached the stone step pathway

"Yes" Draco replied after a moment. He could feel the amusement rising in Tom's mood. IF there was one thing he learned about the boy, it was that Tom Riddle loved to boast.

"Well, one of these plants in the tin-" and at that Tom patted his robe where the box was concealed "-is a very potent herb, which is most effective in inducing a….heavy infatuation for someone. In this case, it will be me."

Draco scowled "And how do you think you'll manage that?" he asked Tom

"All she needs to do is take the potion and then she will be attracted to the first person she sees. It will be over quickly. She cannot resist me." Tom explained

Draco groaned "And what happened to this 'make her fall in love with me slowly' bit?" he asked

"It is taking too long. At the end of this month I shall be reunited with my current self. Who knows what will happen. I will be far too busy to take Ginevra for myself so it must happen now." Tom said shortly. Fear flooded Draco's mind. He would not back down, that the boy knew.

"Problem is I need the exact potion from the library. I do not recall it" Tom spoke up.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wouldn't be immediate.

"Do not be so relieved, boy" Tom said snidely. "It's to the restricted section we go and then we will find Ginevra and find a way to kill Harry Potter if at all possible before the Solstice." Having reached the doors to the castle Tom opened them and swept through, taking long strides towards the grand staircase, and to the fourth floor where the library was.

Tom closed the fourth floor corridor door behind him and headed towards the large double doors that housed the knowledge of the school. At several feet away, however, the doors opened, a familiar ginger exiting, her frenzied face half-covered by her hair and her hand. Draco could tell that she did not see them as she ran past them blindly, groping for the nearest, to Draco's knowledge, empty room.

At the slam of the door Tom remained still, his mind processing what he just saw.

"How utterly convenient" said Draco sarcastically

"It seems fortune is smiling upon us today, Draco. That is to say, it is smiling upon myself, of course." Tom said smugly

"Are you going to go get her now?" Draco asked, after a beat.

"No, you dolt. I must get the spell first. But did you not see? She was crying. She'll be in there awhile. Plenty of time for her to sober up so I can give her something proper to cry about." Tom said with a wicked air in his thoughts, his ideas of what to do to make the pretty girl cry more than she was making Draco feel very nauseous indeed.

Clearly not caring for how Draco took his mental display Tom reached the library doors at last and pressed his open palm against the door and pushed, knocking over the Hufflepuff that got in his way and he promptly made a beeline towards the Restricted Section, unaware that Harry Potter sat only feet away and quite unprotected.

An hour later Tom exited the library, a thin tome in his hand.

"So, let's get this shite started" cursed Tom aloud as he skirted past a Professor who was entering

"Watch your language, young Malfoy!" scolded Professor Sinistra, her eyes scrunching in confusion when she saw he was alone. As Tom turned the corner without apologizing she made 'hrmmph!' sound and entered the library.

Tom pocketed the book in his inside robes as Draco droned in his head

"Tom do you really have to do this? I mean, seriously, you don't have to give her a potion or herb or anything! And here I thought you were talented enough without the cheap trickery for you to –"

"This conversation is /over/, boy" Tom said acidly and he waited until a group of Slytherins passed him before pushing open the door that he observed Ginny run into only an hour previously. Blinking rapidly, the boy tried to quickly become accustomed to the darkness of the room as he closed the door behind him, looking for any sign of her, perhaps huddled up in a corner of the dusty room, her tears pitter pattering on the stone floor.

"Draco?" came a familiar voice to his right. Tom turned his head and began to recognize her silhouette as his eyes adjusted.

Ginny stepped out of the shadows and gave him an embarrassed smile, tear streaks still smudging her face

"What are you doing here?" she asked

Tom put his hands behind his back, his wand in his left. Uttering a silent spell he conjured a goblet, then, after another quiet spell, filled it with water.

Shoving his wand into the back of his pants for the moment he brought his hands to his front, holding the chilly glass of water out to Ginny

"Here…I saw you come in here and thought you might be thirsty"

As Ginny reached for the water and brought the goblet to her lips, the corner of his lips curled into a smirk.

Chapter 11 coming soon, folks! Please comment.