Young Love

A/N: I would like to say a special 'Thank You' to all my reviewers. I love you guys. And I always want to know what my readers are thinking, so please, don't hold anything back. And, not to keep you waiting, here is the next chapter.

The Burrow was getting a very thorough cleaning from the tip top of the attic to the gnomes in the garden. While Fred and George had made a game of using the small creatures that ran amuck in the garden to clean out the sheds, Harry and Ron had found themselves with the daunting task of helping Mrs. Weasley scrub the kitchen floor. She had to admit that the two boys had done a very good job without the use of their wands. What she did not know was that Charlie was helping them when she was not looking. Bill was excused from the fanatical cleansing because he was tending to his young fiancé's every beck and call.

Ginny and Hermione were in charge of all the linens and, when she was not fawning over Bill, helping Fleur with any last minute wedding details. The Delacour family would not be arriving until a few days before the wedding, so there was the constant flutter of a grand silver owl flying to France and back with notes from the worried Mother of the Bride. The girls were also in charge of making sure any members of the Order who happened to be trailing into the house removed their shoes and any dirty clothing before sitting on the furniture.

To say the least, the four were having a hard time finding the time to go through the memories left to them by the elusive Minerva McGonagall. They still had not heard a word from her or Snape since they had been safely returned. Snape had warned them that he would have a hard time relaying them real information, as Lord Voldemort was ordering him to feed them false leads in order to entrap them further. The Order of the Phoenix was still divided on his loyalties even after the evidence he had produced on the contrary. Therefore, they were treading carefully over what information they would share with him and were still running their own operations to discover the Dark Lord's movements.

It was under the midnight moon that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny found themselves gathered in the kitchen one evening preparing to read the next letter. Just as Harry was about to start reading, Hermione let out an uncharacteristically desperate sigh. He paused and raised his eyes nervously from the parchment. Silence met him, but when he looked to his friends, Hermione sat with her eyes cast down and Ginny and Ron seemed just as confused as he was.

"Um…Hermione?" Biting her lip, she wrapped her arms around her upper torso, something she had been doing a lot lately. Perhaps it was a reaction to being in the cold cellar for so long or maybe she trying to keep herself whole in this entire mess of their lives. The latter seemed more likely and Harry wasn't sure which reason he thought was better. All he knew is he would rather her not make the motion at all. It scared him a bit.

"I'm…I'm just worried about her."

"Who?"

"Professor McGonagall." Ginny reached over and patted her friend gently on the knee. "This is just seems so out of character for her. I mean, she was always so steady and such a supporter of Dumbledore. And now this. I just can't help but be worried about her."

"She's a grown woman. I'm sure she knows what she's doing," said Harry hastily.

Ginny glared at him. "You sound like Mad-Eye. Just because you don't agree with the way she's doing things doesn't mean you have to all the sudden hate her!"

"I don't hate her," he defended quickly; "I'm just confused on her course of action is all. I just wished she would've explained a bit more."

"I think this is her way of explaining. She is a proud woman and-" Hermione was interrupted by the sound of running water. She, Harry, and Ginny all turned to look at the sink where Ron was filling up a kettle with water.

"What are you doing?" asked Ginny, staring incredulously at her brother. Ron looked as if he had been caught red-handed filling Snape's goblet with a love potion.

"Well, Hermione was upset and I just thought, you know, when I'm not feeling well Mum makes a cup of tea…and I just thought…"

"The thought was wonderful, Ronald, but I do believe we have business to attend to," blushed Hermione. Clearing his throat, Ron set the kettle on the counter and moved awkwardly back to the pensive where he pulled the stopper from the vial and poured the memory in.

Harry glanced down at the neat handwriting and read aloud, "As my students well know, I was born with a very passionate temper, as my father use to refer to my raging outbursts as. Many times it would lead to fighting matches with my mother, brothers, and friends, especially Augusta who was incredibly talented at screaming back at me when we disagreed. As a teenager, my lack of control when it came to my emotions was always landing me in trouble. The only detentions I ever received in my school years were for cursing my fellow students in the hallways when they agitated me or picked on my friends. I was quick with my wand and with my mouth and was actually banned from three Quidditch games over the six years I played chaser for fighting on the pitch.

"So, I'm sure you can imagine what happened when Tom and I disagreed. While Tom tried to remain calm and collected in an argument with other students or Professors, I brought out what I believed to be the worst in him. I must add that Tom never struck me or abused me in any way. The arguments we had were equally as harmful to each other and actually quite balanced. And, I must admit, kept us coming back for more. We loved the fighting as much as we loved each other. Even at our young age, we knew what kept us together often tore others apart. Therefore, we assumed that we were met for one another…destined to be with each other. For there was no one else in the world who could understand us."

Minerva walked briskly through the doors of Hogwarts with a wide smile, a book tucked firmly against her chest, arms crossed. She greeted a few people on her way across the lawn and toward the lake. However, instead of stopping on the bank where most students found little niches to read under trees, she continued toward the edge of the Forbidden Forest. With a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was following her, Minerva walked between the trees and the edge of the bank.

She tip toed over rocks that were in the middle of a small stream and climbed up the side of a small rocky cliff. There was a ledge that had clearly been cut out by magic. Even though Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were as transparent as ghosts in this memory, the small path was a tad scary. Minerva, on the other hand, ambled gracefully along the narrow ledge as if she was use to the walk.

They all rounded the corner of the small hill to find Tom Riddle sitting in a small inlet on a blanket overlooking the Black Lake. The view was amazing and the large castle was nowhere to be seen. It was as if there they were in the middle of nature with no civilization for miles. Tom had a pile of books next to him and a quill and small notebook in his hand. When he noticed Minerva's arrival, he closed the notebook and all four of them gasped. It was the diary that Ginny had poured her soul into just four years ago.

"You're late." Even Tom's bitter voice did not deter her brilliant smile. There was pure excitement in her eyes made the green glow as she settled herself on the blanket in front of him. The book was still clutched to her chest.

"You are never going to believe what Professor Dumbledore told me!" Tom did not even try to hide his displeasure at the mention of Dumbledore's name.

"Him again," he spat, but Minerva continued as if she had not heard.

"I finally got the nerve to ask him about what it would take to become an Animagus!" She was practically breathless in her exhilaration. "And he said that if I continued to study Transfiguration after I graduated, I had the potential to become one! Can you imagine? Becoming any animal I wanted!"

"It's only a way for him to spend more time with you." Tom's dark eyes were narrowed so much his eyes were practically slits. Those words caused Minerva's smiling lips to thin out, just like her elder self did every time a student angered or worried her.

"Excuse me?"

"You are so blind." As soon as Minerva's joy had vanished, Tom had relaxed and a faint smirk had appeared on his face.

"He just wants to help me!" She flipped the book around. It was entitled Advanced Transfiguration and it was worn, probably a hand-me-down from her current Transfiguration Professor. "And for your information, he would not be teaching me. Professor Dumbledore is going to talk to Griselda Marchbanks about taking me on as an apprentice."

"Yes, because he refers all of his students to Madame Marchbanks for apprenticeships. Who, may I mention, hasn't taken an apprentice in nearly a decade." Sarcasm dripped easily from his mouth only infuriating Minerva more.

"He doesn't treat me any different than Slughorn favors his Slugclub."

"Do I need to remind you that Slughorn invited you to be a part of it and you chose not to be?" Minerva rolled her eyes.

"That wasn't my point." She stared at him for a moment before sniffing, "You're jealous."

"Jealous of an old man?"

"He's not an old man and he's said to be the most powerful wizard of the century." Tom scoffed at the idea and this was clearly the fight he was looking for.

"Such loyalty to a man who only teaches little children how to turn a porcupine into a pin cushion. He can't even teach you to become an Animagus," he taunted and anger burned in her eyes.

"Jealous that he sees no talent in you?" She slammed her book on the blanket and stood quickly. "What is your problem with him? Is it because he is the only Professor who doesn't think you've hung the moon?" She struck a nerve in him; one that it seemed was very tender.

"Jealous? That he does not see what I am capable of?" Tom Riddle may have only been fifteen years old, but his self confidence in his abilities as a wizard was vast. He stood slowly to meet her heated gaze, so mature for such a young man. "Minerva, can you really be that ignorant?"

"You are only a fourth year. I'm not even seventeen. Of course we are ignorant." She must have read the disgust in his eyes because she blanched and changed her stance immediately adding defensively, "And what are you capable of? Hmm? Of reading books about magic that you'll never do? Trying to invent spells that will never work? And what if you do succeed? Who will you fight?"

"People like him! People who are unworthy of my knowledge!"

"And what if I'm like him? Then what?"

"Then you will be nothing to me." Minerva blinked, pausing a moment in her fight as if she did not believe what he had said. Then, under his resolute dark eyes, she pursed her lips and turned on her heel and turned back down the narrow trail. Tom seemed lost for a moment but quickly followed her out. He caught up with her about half way down the trail.

"Minerva! Wait! I didn't mean it like that!"

"How could you have meant it any other way?" Her voice caught, but the stubborn young girl was holding back the tears. "Nothing. Just for liking one Professor that believes in me, I would be nothing to you."

"I just don't want to see you becoming his pawn."

"So you would me rather be yours?" she spat, clearly offended that Albus Dumbledore would try to use her in any sort of fashion.

"No. Never!" He took a step closer to her, but she kept her distance by backing away, closer to the edge of the small cliff. "I would have you beside me. You are an equal and deserve to be treated as just that. Min, Albus Dumbledore is a fraud. And none of his intentions toward you are pure. I am trying to protect you!"

"What if I don't need protecting?" Intending to continue back down the pathway, she turned to her left, but she had gotten too close to the edge. With a scream, her foot missed the rocks and she toppled over into the water several feet below before Tom could reach out to catch her.

"Minerva!" Tom looked around quickly, but realizing there was no one close enough to help him, he gritted his teeth, took a deep breath and jumped in after her. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny ran along the pathway down to the shore to witness Tom pulling his sputtering girlfriend onto the bank. Both were soaked from head to toe and shaking in the cool air.

Minerva was laying on her back, breathing heavily while Tom kneeled over her, straddling her legs with his hands on either side of her head. "You bloody idiot."

"It's not like I pushed you." He gently brushed her wet dark hair from her face with a smile. He brought his body down on her own, capturing her lips ever so tenderly. She chuckled under his kiss and he pulled back with a smile.

"You may not have pushed me, but it's your fault I fell." She stuck out her tongue at him only to have him kiss her again.

"If you keep arguing with me, I'm going to push you back into the water," he replied with a smirk. She pouted and swiftly flipped them, so she was lying across his chest. This time, it was Minerva who initiated the kiss and the four onlookers shifted uncomfortably at the intensity of the kiss.

Fortunately, it did not last long, and when she pulled away, she murmured, "I love you."

For the first time in his life, Tom Riddle said the three words he did not know the meaning of. "I love you, too."

Preview: A Fighting Passion

"Fine. You want to know my every thought? My every need? I'll give you everything, Minerva, everything. Stay with me and I'll give you my soul." As she began to open her mouth to retort, Tom's lips crushed into her own.