Five Reasons Why Minerva McGonagall Decided Not to Date Tom Riddle by ficexchange

Merry Christmas, Kerstin (Oxymoron)!

A/N For an unknown person in the UR Fic Exchange, this has been the most difficult thing I've ever written. :p

Five reasons why Minerva McGonagall decided not to date Tom Riddle

1. He never laughed.

It was a cool winter day when Tom Riddle walked up to Minerva McGonagall and asked her if she would accompany him on a walk. Blushing, Minerva stood and followed him out of the Great Hall. As she walked out the door, she could hear her friends giggling behind her.

They took a long walk on the snow-covered grounds, and held a conversation on school, the prefects meetings, and many other things. When he finally got around to inviting her to Hogsmeade, she only hesitated slightly before agreeing. With a grin (though charming, the expression seemed slightly off), he thanked her.

Laughing happily, Minerva bent down and grabbed a handful of snow. Waiting for him to turn his back, she tossed it at the back of his head. Expecting him to retaliate, she ducked behind a tree, giggling. However, she wasn't prepared for his eyes to flash and his stiff voice to say, "I must get back to my common room."

He left her confused, standing in the snow.

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2. He didn't like her friends.

Minerva's friends had taken to bugging her about when they were going to meet the mysterious Tom Riddle, a sixth year whom they'd only heard of.

So during lunch one day, Minerva asked him if he would like to be introduced to them. He said yes, and when she led him over to the Gryffindor table, she saw her friends' eyes light up. Emily, Maria, Charlotte, and Paloma all waved cheerfully, and he replied "Hello" in an aloof manner.

After a long pause, Minerva smiled awkwardly at her friends and told Tom that Paloma was dating Richard Sprout, a seventh-year Slytherin that he probably knew. Nodding his head, he looked back over toward the Slytherin table. Minerva, coughing embarrassedly at his lack of interest in her friends, said "Well, you should get back to your friends."

Nodding his head, he walked away without a second glance at the girls. Minerva sat down and, ignoring the offended looks her friends were shooting her, began to eat her food. She didn't look up from her plate the rest of the meal.

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3. Her mentor didn't approve of him.

Finishing his lesson, the professor flicked his wand toward the board where the chalk rose and began writing the homework assignment. To the class, he spoke, "When you're finished copying that down, you have five free minutes before you leave."

As the students began tittering to their neighbors, Albus Dumbledore kept his eye on one girl, who was giggling loudly with the girls around her.

He called over the noise, "Ms. McGonagall, a word after class, if you please?"

"Of course, Professor Dumbledore."

&

Following her head of Gryffindor House into his office, Minerva smiled the array of instruments on his desk, of which she had no idea their purpose.

She sat down in the chair before his desk and watched as he placed himself behind it. There was silence as he leaned his elbows on the desk, and looked at her over his steepled fingers.

"Minerva."

"Professor?"

He sighed. "What do you think you're doing?"

Lowering her eyes to her hands resting in her lap, she replied, "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."

Sternly this time, "What do you think you're doing?"

Minerva lifted her head to look at him. "It's just a trip to Hogsmeade."

The professor exhaled. "No, it isn't. Not to him. I thought you understood the situation, Minerva. You know what he's like."

In her annoyance, her Scottish brogue became more pronounced. "No, I know what you say he's like. He's never been less than a perfect gentleman to me, and I don't understand what the problem is, sir."

"Minerva--"

"No! I didn't agree to go out with him last year because I didn't know him, and you warned me off him. I listened to you, because you were my mentor, and I trusted you." She glared at him. "I know Tom for myself now, I do rounds with him, and he's nice. He's handsome, and smart, and extremely charming. It's one date."

Professor Dumbledore just looked at her.

"It's one date. It won't hurt anything."

He didn't answer.

She rose. "I have to get to my next lesson. I'll think about what you said, but I can't promise I'll change my mind."

With that she spun on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her. Professor Dumbledore stared at the closed door for a long moment, and then buried his face in his hands.

_____

4. He was too secretive.

Minerva was walking through the dungeon hallways during her free period when she saw Tom walking out from behind a tapestry in front of her. She called his name, and she knew he'd heard her, but he turned the corner without looking back. Jogging slightly to catch him, she started to call his name as she turned the same corner, but the long corridor was empty. Frowning in confusion, she headed back to her common room.

&

"Hello, Tom," she said, smiling, as she spotted him in the library later that day.

"Minerva," he replied, looking up shortly before returning his attention back to his book.

She sat down next to him. "I saw you today in the dungeons, but you didn't hear me call your name. Were you working on a potions project?" she inquired nonchalantly.

Looking up from his book, he replied, "I haven't been in the dungeons today, since I left the common room before breakfast." Then he looked back down at his book, clearly a dismissal. Slightly hurt, Minerva stood and said, "Well I'm going to head to dinner a bit early. I'll talk with you later?"

He simply nodded his head.

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5. Sometimes he truly frightened her.

"Minerva!"

Said girl spun around in the hallway, and only when she saw who had called her did she smile. "Hello, Tom."

He gently took her books from her arms. "I was hoping to walk you to your next class, but I heard you were meeting with Headmaster Dippet first. I hope you don't mind that I waited."

"I don't mind," She smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. "But aren't you late for your next lesson?"

They began walking as he said, "No, I have this period free."

There was a slightly awkward silence, until Minerva said, "That last meeting was quite tedious; I hope you and the rest of the prefects weren't too bored."

He smiled at her, "With a Head Girl as pretty as you, it's impossible to be bored."

Flushing, she started to speak, but was interrupted when a first-year boy ran around the corner and into Tom, causing him to drop his books. Minerva immediately dropped to pick them up, but stopped when she heard Tom's chilly voice, "Let him pick it up."

Looking up, she saw Tom sneering at the young boy, who was quivering with fright. No one moved, until Tom practically spit at the little boy, "Now." The little boy seemed to snap out of his frozen state, and hurriedly gathered the books, stuttering an apology before running off.

The malicious look on Tom's face stayed for a long moment as he watched the boy scamper, but then he began walking. Minerva stood still, however, unable to stop her mind from thinking about his cruel behavior from moments before.

Stopping, Tom looked back and said, "Coming?" in a pleasant voice. Minerva snapped out of it and threw him a nervous smile. "Sorry, I... I just realized something. I... I'm late for a meeting with Professor Dumbledore."

His eyes flashed at the mention of the professor's name, and a grimace passed across his face.

"Of course. I'll meet you tomorrow in the entrance hall before we head to Hogsmeade?"

She threw him a nervous smile. "Actually, Tom, about that... I think I'm going to go with the girls instead – Maria and her boyfriend just broke up, and she's been really upset about it."

He just looked at her. She laughed apprehensively and said, "I'm really sorry, but I'm sure you understand?"

With a tense jerk of his head, he turned around and began walking towards the dimly lit end of the corridor.

Minerva couldn't stop the shiver that ran through her body as she turned and went in the opposite direction. As she hurried away to her "meeting with Dumbledore", she occasionally threw glances at him over her shoulder to see if he was watching her.

He wasn't. He entered into the shadows, and never once looked back.