A/N: Hey guys! Thank yous are in order to Sachita, Sherbet, Eva, and my wonderful "grandson" Aquitane. Your reviews were lovely. Anyway, here's part two of my "gift" to you! I actually wrote it before the New Year's party one, so I hope you enjoy it.

"Welcome," Riddle said, throwing his robe aside, "to the revival of the Hogwarts dueling club." He looked at the assembled students as he continued. "I'm aware that a number of you attended to skip your next class, or -and I find this truly disturbing- to stare at me, something I find exceedingly inappropriate and creepy if the rumors are to be believed." He looked pointedly at Eustacia Edgecomb, a Ravenclaw seventh year, who flushed and looked away. "Nevertheless I recognize that a sizable number of you are here for the reason you should be, namely, to learn how to duel." He turned on his heel. "Let us begin."

Riddle hadn't given much thought to how he would begin the first lesson, but decided it would be enough to provide them with a brief bit of the historical background of dueling, followed by a demonstration between him and Minerva. She had surprised him by suggesting he teach the first lesson. Perhaps Dumbledore wanted her to evaluate his behaviour with the students. It was a noble effort, but rather transparent. More than understand her motives, though, he was curious to see how much she had improved since school. He was confident that the one time she had managed to beat him it had been a fluke, but still. It would take quite the formidable wizard to beat him, even if his wand was locked away and he only had one arm. He spent a brief amount of time covering the basics, finally asking the students if they would like a demonstration. Naturally, the response was overwhelmingly affirmative, and Riddle felt the old sense of excitement well up in him as he prepared to trounce yet another opponent.

"I need a volunteer...let me see... minett- ah, Minerva," Riddle said, correcting himself hastily, "would you care to join me?"

Minerva rolled her eyes at him, but nodded. I so saw this coming. She encountered a spot of difficulty ascending the steep rise to the dueling strip in her skirts, hesitating before she accepted Riddle's hand and maneuvered her way up. A slight irregularity in the wood caused her to trip just as she reached the strip, resulting in her falling forward. Rather than steady her with his arm, Riddle pulled her up to him apparently by accident, causing her body to fall flush against his and filling her nostrils with the scent of his cologne. Minerva felt the beginnings of a blush as the students fell silent, and began to whisper. She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Tom," she said loudly. "Do you intend to teach dueling, or a dance lesson?" Their audience tittered, and she felt increasingly flustered.

Riddle released her hand. "Notice any weaknesses the opponent may have," he said, ignoring her comment. "Perhaps she is uncoordinated, or unsettled by... recent events." He locked his gaze with hers. "Perhaps the opponent has a weakness to be exploited."

"Next," Minerva said brusquely, "niceties must be observed. We bow to one another, Tom." She curtsied.

"I don't fancy the idea of exposing the back of my neck to you when you're armed, darl- Minerva." Despite his words, Riddle inclined his head in something that was more of a deep nod than a bow. Again, the students exchanged whispers. "Next, assume your stance." Riddle walked over to where Minerva stood, a few feet away, to further explain. "There's no set guideline for this, as it depends a great deal on personal preference. Take Minerva's, for example." Minerva preferred a versatile stance like that of a fencer. It allowed for offense and defense effectively, and was rather simple to look at. Her wand arm was held out with a grip reminiscent of one for saber, and her free arm was thrown out to the side for balance.

Riddle gestured to her grip on the wand, his fingers grazing hers. "Notice her grip. It's very relaxed and comfortable, something ideal for casting a great variety of curses and countercurses. She does well to avoid an overtly firm hold on her weapon." Standing close behind her, Riddle changed her positioning slightly with a delicate touch. "Her balance is nearly perfect, but it leaves...something to be desired," he said nonchalantly. "Her spare arm is bent at approximately a 120 degree angle-" Running his hand along her arm, he lightly repositioned it to a less pronounced angle. "Finally, she leans her weight slightly forward. Minerva, lift your skirt a bit so I -they- can see the positioning of your feet." She did so, but apparently didn't raise her skirt enough, as Riddle lifted it nearly to her knees, never once moving from his place behind her. "As you can see," Riddle said, his breath warm against her cheek, "she has her right foot a few paces in front of her left." He handed her the folds of her skirt and walked around to face the students, firmly taking her shoulders in his hands. "Bend a bit less at the waist," he said, still addressing the students, and pushed her torso back a bit, bringing his hands to her waist to further perfect it, his hands lingering for longer than strictly necessary. "There you have it," he concluded, reluctantly letting go. "This is what I expect to see from the lot of you -something resembling it, anyway. It's a fairly simple stance, and quite versatile, as I'm sure Minerva will display momentarily."

Riddle assumed his stance, a decidedly more dramatic one, his wand held nearly at eye level and his elbow bent to nearly a right angle. He held his wand more as a violinist holds his bow, in only his fingertips. "My stance, as you can see, is a bit less... standard." He looked at Minerva. "You aren't going to critique me, ma minett- Minerva?"

Minerva smiled tightly. "Not your form; I think that would be a bit too... suggestive." She paused. "Of the idea that you didn't know how to duel, of course."

"Of course." Riddle raised his eyebrows.

"But," she said addressing the students, "notice where he holds his wand. Professor Riddle prefers an aggressive stance. The consequence is, of course, a delayed response for defensive manuevers."

"And now, at the count of three, we begin," Riddle said once she had finished. "One...two...three."

Minerva sent a bolt of red light towards him, aimed relatively low in relation to where his wand arm was. "Aim for areas that are more distanced from your opponent's wand," she said over the crackle of energy from the spell.

Riddle cast a shield charm quickly, returning with a quick slashing motion that sent a palpable shock wave towards Minerva. "Choose a method of attack that is more.. difficult to parry," he explained, as Minerva sidestepped the onslaught and ended the enchantment with a tight flick of her wrist and a murmured spell.

"Seek to disarm your opponent." Minerva sent a nonverbal disarming charm towards Riddle, which he easily parried. "Much more effective than expending energy trying to overpower him." The lesson continued in this manner, each casting increasingly complex spells and drawing increasingly nearer to one another with the progression of the duel. Before long, they appeared to be performing an intricate sort of dance, complete with the added entertainment of vibrant bolts of light punctuating every flourish, every turn, and every gesture. Many times, it seemed as though they would collide with one another, and yet they preserved a physical distance, even when their very faces remained mere inches apart. It ended at last though, in a rather anticlimactic fashion. Riddle, tired of the demonstration, sent two spells at Minerva in rapid succession, first a stunning spell, and second a disarming charm. She blocked the first and was too late for the second, and her wand left her hand even as she leaned after it. Riddle caught her hand in his own as he waved her wand in his left hand tauntingly, brushing her knuckles to his lips as the formerly silent room burst into applause.

"Well done," he whispered, releasing her hand. "And you were rather provocative. Was that your way of exploiting your opponent's weakness?"

Minerva brushed her unravelling hair off her face. "Not at all. But I'll keep it in mind for next time." Her breathing came in short gasps. Riddle's was unaffected. Life was so unfair.

Riddle faced the students. "Divide into pairs," he said. "I hardly expect you to reproduce what you just saw, but try nonverbal spells all the same." He hopped off the dueling strip. "Minerva and I will be walking around, critiquing as we see fit. Divide up and show us what you're capable of." As the students dispersed, Riddle offered Minerva his arm, and she accepted it as she dismounted.

"Was that necessary?" she mouthed as they circled the room, trying to force her breathing to return to normal.

"Was what necessary?" He kept his eyes trained on the room. "Bones, keep your gestures smaller and tighter, they're easier to control that way." The blonde fourth year flushed and resumed her duel, keeping his advice in mind.

"That display," she said. "The students were...transfixed." A large flurry of sparks caught her eye. "Macleod, do try and cast a shield charm. It will be more effective than parrying in these early stages."

"Transfixed? Isn't that the point? They're supposed to be paying attention, ma minette." Riddle said as he pointed his wand at a burly Slytherin sixth year, correcting his form from afar.

"See, that 'ma minette' business is what had them transfixed," Minerva snapped. "And I personally have nothing against it, but the students-"

"Stop encouraging me then if you have such a problem with it," Riddle retorted. His eyes widened, and he brought his face close to Minerva's ear as he whispered. "Look at Euphemia Smythe. Rather excellent for a fifth year, don't you agree?"

"Her form is very good," Minerva agreed, not wanting to turn her head to face him. "Shall we pair her with someone who'll offer more of a challenge than Lestrange?"

"No," Riddle said, continuing to walk. "I think we'll return to the subject of us and how you find my endearments embarrassing."

"I never said that."

"Ah, but you thought it."

"Fine," she conceded.

"You're tremendously indecisive, you know - Prince, no jinxes allowed- one moment you don't want anyone to know about us, and you're giving Slughorn a photo opportunity the next. Make up your mind."

Minerva sighed in frustration. "I'm fine with people knowing, but you didn't need to act as though you were...seducing me in front of the students." She cast around for a simile to express her feelings on the matter. "It's dueling, Tom, not...tango-ing."

Riddle smiled slyly. "You found me... seductive?" He drew her closer until she was pressed against his side. "How...delightful," he murmured, his hand leaving her arm for her waist. He smirked when Minerva was unable to hide a shiver.

"We should split up, we can cover more ground that way," Minerva said hastily.

"Excellent suggestion, ma minette," he said blithely. "And I suggest you make up your mind," he added, lips to her ear. "Though invigorating, your indecision frustrates me to no end." He walked away, pointing out more mistakes than attributes, and effectively inspiring in the students a large degree of respect and fear.

"Professor?"

"What is it, Miss Bones?" Minerva asked, still rather distracted.

"Okay, first don't get mad at me.. but would you and Professor Riddle critique together? He's so much more... understanding when he's with you."

Minerva raised her eyebrows. "I'll talk to him. Is he being rather harsh with the criticism? Because that's the only way you'll learn, you know."

The girl nodded. "I know, Professor. But.. well, I don't know. Why don't you come over and judge for yourself?"

Minerva nodded, following the girl to where Riddle was overseeing a duel between two fourth years. "Again," Riddle snapped. The boy shakily cast another stunning spell, but his aim was poor and the spell lacked the intensity necessary to make it an actual threat. It continued on for several minutes, Riddle providing the child with no respite. Minerva could no longer watch in silence.

"Tom, a word with you?" Minerva called, arms tightly crossed in front of her.

Riddle's cold, disgusted expression dissipated, replaced with a winning smile. "Minerva. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Minerva walked over to him stiffly, eyes ablaze at his pretended ignorance, and pulled him aside. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe... terrorizing the students?" Her voice was soft, but the anger behind her words was unmistakeable.

"Terrorizing? Really, ma minette, you must stop exaggerating. I would prefer a more neutral term, such as 'correcting' or perhaps-"

"Darling," Minerva said, hoping a softened tone might influence rather than anger, "try being a bit less belittling. They aren't as brilliant as you were at that age."

"Flattery, sarcasm, and manipulative tendency duly noted." Riddle inclined his head. "But I'll take it into consideration-"

"Good."

"-on one condition. Give me a kiss."

"What? Here?"

"You heard me." He was smiling infuriatingly. "Do you want me to coddle them, or not?"

"It isn't coddling! And I'm your superior, so I technically don't even need to bargain with you at all! You're being-"

Riddle kissed her quickly, eliciting a sputter of indignation from Minerva, and strode away, critiquing with a much less harsh approach. Minerva could feel her face heating, and carried on as though nothing more than a talk had transpired, hoping no one had noticed.

Staff room

Minerva was sitting with Pomona when Riddle walked in, apparently deep in conversation about shallow topics. "Mind if I interrupt?" he asked, sitting beside Minerva on the sofa and lazily draping his arm along her shoulders.

"Yes, actually," Minerva said smiling sweetly. "We're talking about you."

"Oh." Riddle was rather taken aback; he had not expected this. "A worthy topic."

"Indeed." Minerva and Pomona exchanged amused grins. "Darling, I'll be all yours in an hour...or three. Why don't you...read a magazine, or something."

"Or perhaps a catalogue," Pomona said, jokingly.

Riddle frowned. "I don't think you quite get it. I think Slughorn knows we're responsible for the...gatecrashing."

"That was you?" Pomona exclaimed. "Minerva, I never would have thought. Why would you do such a thing?"

Minerva frowned. "But I thought you liked the prank."

"Well yes, but I never thought you would do that."

Riddle sighed, impatient. "Can this conversation wait? Slughorn is on his way over, and I want you to get our alibi straight. So stop the insipid gossip, and listen to me."

"Fine." She looked at Pomona. "I can't fathom why I'm with him."

"Minerva!" Riddle realized a second too late he had allowed his voice to grow sharp. "Minerva," he tried again, relaxing. "We're going to have to appeal to Slughorn's stupidity. Namely, we're going to take an angle he already wants to believe, because then he'll throw logic and reasoning out the window."

"And what angle will we be taking, Tom?" Minerva asked. "I have a suspicion that I already know."

"If your guess was something to the effect of us being in your room, you're on the right track."

Pomona snorted.

"Go on," Minerva said, eyes narrowing and a smile spreading over her face.

"That's it. He'll accuse us, we'll deny it, I'll say we were in your room in a most casual manner, and then you blush bright pink." He shrugged. "You don't actually have to admit to anything, and it'll set him on the completely wrong track.. and indulge his matchmaker tendencies."

Pomona raised a finger. "Can I say something?" The two looked at her. "Not to butt in or anything, but Minerva can't really blush on command."

Riddle frowned. "That may be a problem, yes. Don't worry though, I seem to have a talent for making ma mie here turn pink at the most…convenient of times." He gave her a significant look.

Minerva scoffed. "Now you're just trying too hard. That sort of thing only works when the timing is perfect."

Riddle arched a brow. "I'll just have to make the timing perfect, then," he replied, placing his arm around her again. "Go back to whatever you two were doing. I'll… act natural." With that, Riddle pulled out a small leather-bound book from his pocket, and doodled.

Minerva glanced at the pages, curious. "Is that supposed to be me?"

"God no," Riddle replied. "Just someone whose face I remember seeing under rather unusual circumstances. Your glasses are triangular, minette."

Time had scarcely passed when Slughorn burst into the room, out of breath and quite red from the exertion of climbing so many stairs. "Tom! Minerva! What are you two playing at?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Professor," Riddle said quietly. "Minerva?"

"Sir, what's the problem?" Minerva asked, rather taken aback. She fancied herself quite adept at identifying a liar when she saw one, but Riddle was by far the most natural liar she'd ever seen. His voice was as steady as ever, his dark eyes puzzled, and his body relaxed, completely devoid of the typical subtle signs of agitation so common when one was being dishonest.

"One of you –or both of you, for all I know- released Cornish pixies at my New Year's party! You completely ruined the evening-"

"Sir," Riddle said, snapping the book shut and standing up, "Those pixies wouldn't have waited quietly the whole day. The perpetrator must have put them there about an hour before the party."

"And where were you both, an hour before the party?" Slughorn said, still vindicated.

"In Minerva's room, and I think I'll leave it at that." Riddle sat back down, waiting for Slughorn's rage to ebb and be replaced by glee. Pure, unadulterated, matchmaker-brand glee.

"Minerva, is that true?" Slughorn turned to her. "You've kept awfully quiet."

"Professor, I-" Minerva stopped speaking abruptly, and flushed a magnificent shade of scarlet. "You see, we-" She stopped again, quite unable to continue, but not because she was consumed by embarrassment as Slughorn imagined.

"No need to elaborate further, Minerva," Riddle said smoothly. Carefully, he manipulated the signals transmitted from Minerva's nerves, giving her brain the impression that she felt his touch even when his hands rested -quite appropriately- in his pocket and on her shoulder. He was sure to make it tantalizing and constantly changing location; at one instant he targeted her scalp, then her arm, then her neck, then her back. It was amusing in concept; he could do a simplified version of the magic without a wand, but with this degree of finesse it wasn't wandless magic, so he tried to do it subtly.

She turned to him, an expression he couldn't quite read in her eyes. "How are you doing that?" she whispered in agitation.

"Not here, Minerva," Riddle said evenly. "Later." He looked at Slughorn who had by now completely forgiven him everything. "Sir, if there's anything I -we- can do to help repair your office-"

"No, dear boy," Slughorn said happily, "no, I think I owe you an apology. Would you mind a quick word with me though, in private?" He smiled at Minerva, sunken eyes twinkling. "I won't keep him from you long, my dear."

Minerva returned the smile, though hers was decidedly feral. "Oh no. Take all the time you need."

"Tom, is this a confession?" Slughorn said once they were out of earshot.

"I never confess to anything," Riddle returned, smily flippantly. "You know that by now."

"True, true," Slughorn chortled. "But when you set a date for the wedding-"

"It hasn't even been a month, Professor."

"Oh, that's right," Slughorn said, barrelling on. "Well, when the inevitable happens-"

"Sir, is there a reason you dragged me over here other than to make predictions about my future?"

Slughorn frowned. "Not really, though I do remember now something about quite the intriguing dueling lesson." He waggled his brows, making Riddle resist the urge to jinx them into plasticity.

"What was said?" Riddle asked slowly.

"Well," Slughorn said, apparently savoring the delicious bit of gossip he had stumbled across, "according to Mr. Flume -wonderful lad, by the way- you two were quite...ah." He looked flummoxed. "I don't want to use the word he used."

Riddle rolled his eyes. "If you have a question for me go ahead and ask it, sir."

It was the invitation Slughorn had been waiting for, and he jumped at the opportunity. "You two are a couple now, yes?"

Riddle made a show of hesitancy before replying. "...Yes."

Slughorn lost it then, and in quite an uncivilized display, followed Riddle babbling incessantly about how he had always hoped for such a relationship between the two, and how he looked forward to the day he would be wishing them joy. Riddle smiled at Minerva and Pomona, winking as he sat by Minerva again. "Good bye," Slughorn chortled as he left the room. "Try and get some grading done tonight." Minerva's head snapped up and her eyes flashed as Slughorn, clearly devoid of decency, winked at Riddle and left the room.

Pomona smiled slyly. "Congratulations, you two. When's the wedding?"

Minerva smiled. "Oh, stop, you're scaring him. I don't think Tom is fond of committment."

How does she always know? Riddle wondered, even as he said, "Don't jump to conclusions, ma minette," kissing her as he did so.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Minerva said with a smile. "Oh, and I get to choose where we go tomorrow."

"Fine."

"Pomona is coming with us."

"Also fine."

"Lowther is coming t-"

Riddle jerked into awareness. "What?"

Minerva laughed. "Kidding. Excitable, isn't he?" she said to Pomona as Riddle glowered.

A/N: They are SO CUTE. So cute. And Sherbet, Shipper!Slughorn was for you. :)

Anyway, hope you enjoyed it, I don't really know how to do romance OR dueling so hopefully it came off all right. And I'm not sure how Slughorn decided it was Voldy, but give suggestions in the reviews. Have a lovely holiday season, guys. And leave me a present in the form of a review!