Uhm, sorry in advance...

Ch. 47
The Cage of Darkness

Ginny opened her eyes to see darkness. It wasn't like the darkness that surrounded you as you went to sleep at night, or the darkness that spread across your city as the sun went down.

No, it was bold and absolute. It was suffocating, like she was in a coffin and she could feel the weight of the earth on top of her. Her ears sought out the tiniest of sound, but got nothing except for the buzz of utter silence, it was like the universe was a rowdy kid who couldn't stop speaking even for moments and instead had to start humming or whistling.

There was the smell of wood and fresh dirt, but when Ginny reached her hands out in front of her she could feel nothing. She took a step... two... And there was nothing.

"Hello?" She immediately regretted yelling, as her voice multiplied over and over again, threatening to make her topple over with the force of just one word.

She slowly turned in a circle, her eyes straining against the darkness. Just when she determined that there was nothing, and completed her circle, she looked in front of her to see light. Just like that, she had a beacon that could guide her. It had just appeared, but she didn't exactly care.

She walked forward, stepping on the awful feeling ground lightly. It was like she walked on Jell-O, the dark substance quivering under her feet with every move.

The light wasn't that far away, and she reached it soon, but something pulled at her stomach. She felt something like a compass needle pointing behind her, directing her away from the light.

She turned to be face to face with a boy.

Ginny... Harry said in relief. Without any thought she threw her arms around him, but there was no pain. Instead, she felt pure happiness. The scratching was gone, and she could hold him in her arms.

Her lips slammed onto his again, and they kissed. It wasn't slow and hesitant like their last one, but it was like this was the last time they'd ever kiss. Which it could have been.

Merlin, how she had missed this.

Harry was whispered words into her mind and against her lips, I love you. I love you. You scared me. I love you.

She realized that they were communicating through the Bond and pulled back slightly, Harry's face traveling with her. She smiled slightly and moved his lips off of hers with a quiet gentleness.

Harry, The Bond. She reminded him, looking down to where her hands were at his chest. They glowed heavily.

Where are we? He asked, looking around. Ginny turned and he grabbed her hand immediately like he couldn't stand to not be in contact with her.

The glow behind them was expanding towards them, and she looked at the color. Gold. Beautiful gold.

She had a feeling she knew exactly where they were. And her heart clenched.

Oh, no...

"If you two would mind..." A voice said at the edge of the darkness. Ginny almost had a heart attack right then, and pulled Harry into the light with her.

A boy stood at the edge, his hands against the glow, his eyes fiery, "I've worked very hard, you know, and would appreciate it if you didn't ruin my progress." His words boomed toward them. His hands leaked a darkness that zoomed through the Bond like ink in water. Tom looked the same as before, all handsome features and crisp clothes. His hair was pitch black, swooping across his forehead, and his eyes were completely black.

The scratching was back, but it was all around them and not necessarily just in her head. It was in sync with the pulsing of the darkness that poured through Tom's hands.

"Tom..." Harry growled. Ginny looked over at him and thought she had never seen him so angry. His eyes were glowing, something that didn't happen often, and his teeth were clenched.

"Hello, Harry Potter." The handsome boy sneered, "Nice to see you again, but, I don't need you here." He pushed his hand forward and the darkness spread faster, racing toward Harry.

Her Bond-Mate put up his hands and a shield expanded around them. The darkness would hit the glow and sizzle out, leaving behind the sound of tiny voices screaming. Tom smiled slightly, amused.

"Well then," He squared his feet, "I guess I'll just have to get rid of you the hard way." His eyes squeezed shut.

It was like someone had put puppet strings on her. Ginny's limbs moved jerkily at first, but then as Tom whispered commands in her mind she started obeying, against her greatest efforts.

Harry looked surprised as she lunged at him, his eyes wide, and wrapped her hands around his neck.

Ginny! He screamed into her mind. She could barely feel her limbs, but knew that she just tightened her grip on his neck. He was struggling to move against her, as he would do nothing to harm her.

Stop! She told the boy who had invaded her mind, Tom! Don't hurt him! Take me, don't hurt him! The words echoed around her, even though she had said nothing.

She snapped out of it almost immediately and flung herself away from Harry, breathing heavily as she tried to regain feeling in her limbs. Harry coughed and choked, pressing his own hands where her's had been.

A glow spread around his neck like a collar and he slowly took several deep breaths. His eyes bugged out still, but there were no marks on him from where she'd been strangling him.

"You can't kill him in here anyway, all I wanted was a little fun." Tom laughed cruelly. There were tears in Ginny's eyes, but she refused to let them fall down her cheeks. Harry was gasping for breath, slowly regaining his color but still glaring daggers at Tom. The anger coursing through Ginny tinged her vision red, and she stood on an impulse, marching towards the edge of the Bond.

"You son of-" She never got to finish her sentence, because as she moved to shove Tom away from the Bond, her hands lit on fire. Not literally, of course. It felt like every nerve in them had exploded, and she screamed, looking down to see where the black inky substance was wrapping around her fingers. Tom smiled sinisterly, stepping towards the immobile girl with the black ink seeping from his hands in pulses.

Harry lifted his hand, a burst of gold shooting towards her. It blasted away the bits of darkness, leaving Ginny with red hands and wide eyes.

"You touch her one more time, Tom Marvolo Riddle and you'll be dead ten times over." Harry seethed. But Tom wasn't fooled, he knew the boy could do nothing to him.

"One bit of raw power bouncing off the walls of this place and she's dead." Tom smiled, "If only I had the power to do that myself, but sadly I am only able to make slow, agonizing progress against the Bond."

Ginny blanched for a moment, her eyes flitting around the area, "Oh Merlin..." She breathed, "We're in my head..."

"Caught up now, love?" Tom laughed, shaking his head, his cold eyes bearing no mark of humor.

"Harry?" Ginny glanced towards him. All she wanted at the moment was to wrap her arms around him, apologize for letting Tom take over her mind, but she couldn't. Tom whispered in her ear that one wrong move and she'd be blasting her soulmate into a million pieces with the magic of the Bond.

"Ginny, let's go." Harry stood, the vein in his neck bulging slightly as he glared at Tom. He had his hand on his side, from where he'd hit the floor earlier, and every move seemed to make him wince. She hated seeing him in pain, and silently willed the Bond to heal him quickly since he was too preoccupied to heal himself thoroughly. "Ginny, let's go. Get us out of here." Harry turned to her.

This time, a tear really did roll down her cheek. Tom's face was lit up in a joy that only a psychopath could harbor.

Do it... He whispered, so low that only she could hear him. Obviously, as it was her own mind.

She knew what he wanted. He wanted her trapped here, and he wanted Harry gone. As long as Harry was there, the Bond could be healed. As long as he was there, Ginny could do the unthinkable to keep him safe. But if she refused, she'd kill him.

"I'm sorry..." She whispered. Harry's eyes widened as she slowly closed her own, imagining a door at the edge of her conscience.

"Ginny, no. Don't do this." Harry said, and she knew that he could feel her forcing him towards the edge of her mind. She did this by blocking the Bond, forcing him to evacuate her mind.

"Ginny, please," He said quietly.

"I'm so sorry..."

And he was gone. Tom's eyes shine with victory as more darkness shot through the Bond, quickly this time. It wove around her, creating a cell-like structure using darkness. In a matter of seconds, she had been closed in.

She could only lift her hand about five inches in front of her before she started to feel the burning.

"He'll kill you." Ginny said angrily, "He will."

Tom smiled, "Not if I kill him first."