She watches, bemused and a little heartsore, as the couples twirl around the Great Hall, newly converted to a ballroom for Christmas. She knows now is not the time to sulk, but to enjoy herself with her friends, and Minerva crosses her arms and twists her mouth into a rueful smile. A short laugh escapes her. Why is she being so immature? It isn't as though she had anything more than an easy friendship with Bilius. Why mope about what never was?

Because of all people, her...

Ridiculous. Rolanda is a sweet girl.

But sometimes, it felt as though-

No, the whole thing was contrived.

The exchanges with herself made her almost dizzy, combined with exhaustion from a series of end-of-semester exams and Quidditch matches, and she leaned against the wall behind the punch table with her eyes closed. In her self-imposed darkness she found it easier to relax, letting the footsteps and music and swishing sounds of fabric wash over her. Her hands stretched out to the wall behind her, feeling for the tapestry covering the walls. Finding it, she slipped behind it and with a sigh of relief sank to the ground, back to the wall, the deep green skirt of her dress pooling around her. She kicked off her shoes, smiling when she heard the heels clatter on the stone floor.

"Pardon me, but this tapestry is taken."

Minerva opened her eyes to narrow slits. "Am I taking up too much room, Tom?"

Tom Riddle shrugged. "If you're looking to be alone and escape the painful sight of Biliu with Rolanda Hooch I'd suggest you leave. I'm fully prepared to talk about them until you do."

Minerva's eyes widened briefly, but she closed them again and laughed. "If you want to, go right ahead."

Tom shrugged again. "All right." She felt him sit down next to her. "He's probably completely drunk, and she's pretending to be amused." He poked his head outside their enclosure. "Ah yes, they're being very... cuddly."

"They're both lovely people," she said staunchly, "and they are adorable together."

"If you say so. I doubt they'll last very long... though I suppose Bilius could surprise us."

"Rolanda is a pretty girl, and intelligent too," Minerva said evenly. She's very sweet, playful even, once she's with the right people."

"So, a blonde version of you?" he said with a trace of amusement. "Perhaps you're right, then. Maybe they will last. He does seem to be partial to blondes."

His words sunk in. "What is that supposed to mean?" He was silent. She turned to him to see that he was smirking. She arched a brow. "Well?"

"He talks about you," he said coolly, leaning back again.

"What does he say?"

"Minerva, you're an idiot." Tom twirled his wand between his fingers. "He liked you. He likes you still, Hooch or not."

Minerva snorted. "They're seeing one another. Don't be ridiculous."

"Exclusively?"

"One would assume." But no, when she had seen the two in Hogsmeade a week ago he hadn't said that. "You both are darling together," she had said. "How long have you been a thing?"

"Oh, it's nothing official yet.."

"You're a terrible liar. My god, you actually asked him that?"

Her face flushed. "Believe it or not I was already friends with both of them... we all went to Hogsmeade together. I invited Rolanda and he asked to tag along." She frowned suddenly. "Why am I even talking to you about this? Why do you even care?"

Tom shrugged yet again, but the faintest hint of color rose in his pale cheeks. "I have a gift for noticing things. And you forget that as head boy he has dealings with we prefects as well."

Minerva looked at him curiously. "Honestly, I'm quite over that. I think I told myself he may've liked me, but I knew that wasn't the case."

"All right," he said, but he sounded skeptical.

"Okay."

"Fine."

She looked at him a few moments longer and wondered with amusement what he would do if she were to leave him without warning. She had never expected a heart-to-heart with Tom Riddle. Instead, she dropped her gaze and looked away. "So, why are you back here?"

He smiled darkly. "Why indeed?" He moved a stone aside, revealing a magical cage seemingly made of a night sky soldered into a cube. There was a number of snakes inside. "Harmless, all of them," he explained, "but eager to be let loose."

Minerva studied them, hand at her chin. "And you want to ruin the party why?"

He surprised her by suddenly smiling boyishly, dark eyes twinkling. "Because, Minerva, everyone is mine to torment." She wasn't sure if he was daring her to laugh or tell Dumbledore.

"Why, Tom!" she said, playing along. "I had no idea you were such a sadist. You will have to be dealt with immediately."

"Going to reform me, Minerva?"

She watched him speak to the caged reptiles, his voice soft and gentle. They listened attentively, calming down and coiling as close to the side of the cube facing him as possible. Gracefully, he traced patterns over the cube's surface, murmuring incantations she was certain had not been covered in his defense against the dark arts class. "Of course," she said.

"When do you plan to start?" he asked, a challenge in his eyes.

"Tomorrow," she said. A bolt of energy from her wand freed the snakes, which poured out of the newly weakened enclosure and set off toward the unsuspecting party-goers. Quickly, she seized his hand and pulled him out into the open with the others, taking his shoulder in her other hand. "Dance with me," she said. "I don't want to implicated."

"Don't tell me what to do," he said, but he looked amused. "You just want to watch the show."

"You may or may not be correct."

They had completed three dances when they heard the first scream.

They were halfway through their fourth when pandemonium broke out.

Minerva was breathless and laughing in moments, but when a larger snake came their way and briefly wove around her bare feet -her shoes lay forgotten behind the tapestry- she jumped, quickly reddening and looking away. "Ah.. shall we stay and watch the fun a bit longer?"

"Sound incriminatory," he said, inclining his head in the direction of frantic students headed for the exit. "Let's join the herd."

They slipped in among the others, joining the petal-colored skirts and sweeping dress robes in the made rush to the adjoining hall. Dumbledore was saying something, his voice magically amplified, but she tuned him out. "Tom, how would you like to join me on patrol tonight?" She smiled pleasantly.

"Well this is unexpected," he said. "I abhor the idea, but I suppose someone competent who isn't easily frightened by the larger than average snake ought to patrol the lower level after all..."

"So rude."

"Now, now... didn't you say you'd begin reforming me tomorrow?"

"I did," she admitted. "I just can't wait to start."

"I wish you the best of luck," he said politely. His words sounded fine, but his smile said otherwise.

It didn't matter, though. Minerva had always enjoyed a challenge.

A/N: Idk if I want to leave this a oneshot or continue it and develop it. I do need something to do between work and summer classes homework... Drop me a review. :)