The Upper Hand

"I'm sorry Mr. Riddle, but the headmaster believes the wisest course of action is to send all students home." Tom hung his head in disgust. How was it that Dippet could ruin his plans while staying completely oblivious to the true nature of the situation? He looked up at Dumbledore.

"There's nothing more to be done, sir?"

"I'm afraid not. I will have Professor Slughorn contact the orphangage -"

"No!" Tom stood to his feet and lowered his voice. He did not want the rest of the Slytherin table to hear. He walked a few steps away and Dumbledore followed. "I actually have…other plans." He glanced quickly over at the Gryffindor table.

"So you will have time to work on the alchemy project?" Dumbledore asked knowingly, pursing his lips.

Tom nodded slowly. He knew that Dumbledore did not trust him and he had hoped he wouldn't find out about Christmas break, but it was almost better this way. Now the professor would think he had nothing to hide.

Dumbledore studied him for a few moments and apparently ascertained whatever information he was looking for in Tom's eyes. He smiled slightly. "You will have the pleasure of perusing the McGonagall's rather - extensive - library. I am sure you will find it much to your satisfaction. Very well. I hope you have a safe and productive break. I shall look forward to seeing you both" he emphasized the word with a nod to Minerva across the room "when you return."

Tom tipped his head forward in acknowledgment. "Happy Christmas, Professor," he mumbled before walking away. He walked toward the doors, but saw the Gryffindor table out of the corner of his eye. He was almost afraid that she would rescind her invitation when faced with the reality of it. Well, he'd have to face her at some point and it might has well be sooner rather than later.

She was sitting next to Avalon Figg who was laughing loudly at something Orlando Hoff had said. He cleared his throat and walked towards them. He slid into the seat on the other side of Minerva and said in a low voice in her ear, "Can I have a word with you after breakfast?" He figured that a few hours would be enough time for her to owl her mother. The train wouldn't be leaving until the afternoon.

The Gryffindor table took immediate notice. A few people from the Hufflepuff table also seemed to pick up on something amiss. Tom was unconsciously leaning very familiarly against her arm. To the surprise of nearly everyone watching, with the exception of Avalon Figg, Minerva didn't move away; rather, her cheeks turned red and she nodded in affirmation. To the further astonishment of all viewing parties, Tom remained at her side after her answer, instead of joining his Slytherin comrades or slinking from the room.

"How is your project going?" Avalon asked happily, breaking the awkward silence that had filled the room.

"Satisfactorily," Tom replied. They hadn't worked on it in some time, but what they had done was fairly good.

"I'm so glad!" Avalon gushed. She eyed the two of them. Tom could see her flash a smile at Minerva, who sent a stern look back. He smirked.

"You seem to be a bit less on edge lately," Orlando remarked. "Although I haven't seen much of you in the last few weeks. Where exactly have you been hiding?"

"Studying," Minerva said quickly. "We have been working some, but mostly studying." "What exactly is it that you're doing?" Rab Kilgore asked warily. He eyed the Slytherin with a look of suspicion.

Minerva jumped in before Tom could answer. "A research project. Nothing more. It's a bit boring really. Not something at all that you would like," she said shortly. Tom looked at her in confusion until he noticed the caustic glare he was receiving from the Gryffindor quidditch captain. So that was it. He wasn't the only one vying for Minerva's approval. Tom laughed to himself. As if an idiotic athlete was any competition.

"I see." Rab jabbed his fork at something and continued to stare at Tom.

Minerva surveyed them both nervously and tugged slightly on Tom's sleeve. "I'm done," she said with a nod towards the door.

"Then let's go have our little talk," Tom said, not breaking eye contact with Rab. Minerva rose quickly and began heading for the door. Rab slammed down his glass and Tom grinned.

"See you later, Tom," Avalon called with a flutter.

He smiled at her and turned to follow Minerva from the room. She walked straight for the ground floor portrait room and waited for him to enter before closing the door tightly. She leaned up against it with a sigh. "What on earth was that all about?" she asked.

Tom drew closer. "What was what all about?"

"That thing you and Rab were doing."

"Thing?"

"With your eyes. I thought you were going to hex each other right there. What did you do to him?"

"Come now, Minerva. This is only the first full day you've had to trust me and you're already accusing me? I'm hurt." He gave her a look of mock disappointment.

"I'm not accusing you of anything. Did he do something to you?"

Was she seriously this thick? He eyed her furrowed brow with confusion. Apparently she was. "Minerva, I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but there's this thing called jealousy -"

"What?"

"Jealousy, envy, covetousness…"

"Yes, I know what it is," she snapped. "What does that have to do with you and Kilgore?"

Tom smiled with satisfaction. She was still on a last name basis with the quidditch captain. "I have the feeling Mr. Kilgore is a bit put out that you haven't spent much time with him lately because you've been spending it with me."

Minerva stared at him, dumbfounded. "You think Rab is jealous of you? Because of me?"

"It's a rather fundamental male reaction. We tend to be a bit possessive at times."

"Well, it's too bad that neither of you possess what you think you do," she said sharply. Tom looked at her in surprise. She took a step away from him and continued. "And if I ever hear of such nonsense again, you'll not only not possess me but you'll also be lacking a few necessary appendages needed to possess anyone else." Touché. One point for Minerva. So maybe she wasn't completely thick.

"Point noted," Tom muttered. "Now what I really wanted to speak to you about was -"

"Dumbledore has already spoken to me," she interrupted without looking at him. "I owled my mother this morning and I've received a reply saying that she would love to have a guest. You will meet me in the entrance hall at one-thirty. We'll floo to my house from the Hogsmeade station at two o'clock this afternoon. My mother will have tea set out when we get there."

No. She most definitely wasn't thick. Maybe slightly oblivious when it came to relationships, but that was her one weakness. She knew exactly what to do to get to him.

"So I guess you've figured it all out, then," said Tom. He shoved his hands in his pockets feeling fairly useless.

She smiled at him and he caught a glimpse of her glimmering eyes. Why did she always have to do that when he was frustrated? It was so much easier to just grumble and get it over with in his usual manner.

"I guess so."

"So why didn't you just say that at the table?"

"Did you really want the entire school knowing you were spending your break with Miss Know-it-All?" She put her hands on her hips. "Because the second Avalon heard that you were, she would have told it to anyone and everyone who would listen." Tom grimaced at the thought. "I'm going to ignore the fact that you said nothing to deny that you do indeed refer to me as Miss Know-it-All and take that as a no."

She walked past him toward the door. "Besides," she said turning to face him, "She'll be staying with us for the New Year and it will be so much more fun to see everyone's reaction after we get back. Avalon will have the entire spring term to tell stories." Point two for Minerva. She strode from the room, shutting the door behind her.

Tom stood alone in the room in wonder. Well, that was a change. Perhaps she was feeling embarrassed for their argument the night before and felt the need to make up for it by making him feel insignificant. At least she was utterly Slytherin about it. That was some consolation.

He had just been bested by a Gryffindor. Twice - in about two minutes time. He got the feeling that the break wasn't going to be much better. She would be home and he would be incredibly out of his element. She would have the upper hand and a mother to back her up. He groaned slightly. How had he gotten himself into this? He was spending Christmas with two schedule-crazed women with hundreds of years of pure blood to make them as stubborn as they could possibly be. "Happy Christmas to Tom," he mumbled and swept from the room.

He grumbled angrily on his way down to gather his things. He had never been incredibly fond of the Christmas holidays, mostly due to the fact that classes were suspended for two weeks. He flicked his wand lazily and his clothes shot out of their drawers into an open trunk. It was going to be two weeks of Minerva - two weeks of intellectual sparring escalating into open quarreling descending back to muttered apologies and more intellectual sparring. It was the routine he was becoming so accustomed to; it was hard to imagine anything else.

He put out his hand and reduced the size of the trunk to fit in his pocket. A few of his fellow roommates began trickling in to pack and he quickly ducked from the room. He did not want to have to explain to Avery where he was going. He was a aware of the plans, but would not understand them.

Tom left the dungeons and took the stairs up to the second floor to make sure things were in order. He made his way quickly down the hallway. It was empty. Nearly everyone was packing. He pushed the door open to the girl's restroom. He had almost gotten to the sink when he heard something a small sniffle. He paused.

"Go away Olive," a muffled voice cried from inside one of the stalls. "I don't care if I'm not any good at anything. At least I have…" the sound of someone blowing their nose echoed through the room. Tom grimaced. "Personality."

Tom began slowly inching backwards. He was in no mood to explain to Myrtle why he was in the girl's lavatory and then listen to her sob story about whatever Olive Hornby said to her. Just as he had about reached the door, it swung open into him. He quickly ducked behind it and waited for the person to come through. She entered and he slipped out before being seen. Running down the hallway, he ran straight into a smiling Orlando Hoff.

"Tom! Just the person I was looking for."

Tom raised his eyebrows. "Yes?" he asked expectantly.

"Oh it's nothing serious. I just wanted to apologize for Rab earlier. I think he was just a little jealous of the thing you have going with Minerva."

Tom studied him carefully. "And that is?" he asked dryly. He was not accustomed to having people speak to him about his own business or apologize for others. It was all very Gryffindor.

Orlando seemed a bit perplexed. "You mean there isn't anything going on between the two of you? I find that rather hard to believe. I haven't seen her around anywhere in the last two weeks. I figured she was with you."

"If she had been, do you suppose I would tarnish her glowing reputation by speaking about it without her permission? I have no doubt that my mere presence has done her enough damage socially within her house. I cannot imagine the repercussions should she ever be truly implicated in some kind of relationship with me."

Orlando gaped slightly, but regained his smile. "Well, honestly Tom, it wouldn't be the first time."

Tom grimaced. He had forgotten about Avalon's ridiculous assumption earlier in the year that had spawned so many discussions.

"True, but I have no desire for the gossip of fools to resurface."

Orlando continued to grin. "You talk just like her. I always thought she was the only one."

"Just because Minerva and I share some semblance of an intelligence does not make us soul mates," he said shortly.

"Minerva, is it?" Orlando asked slyly.

"Yes," Tom snapped. "At some point when working on something closely with someone else one finds it necessary to depart from the formalities of last names. Nothing else has changed." He was annoyed. He didn't need the whole bloody school watching the two of them and Orlando tended to be able to bring the whole school to attention..

"We'll see then, won't we?" Orlando tipped his head and walked away. "Oh, and Avalon and I are looking forward to seeing you at New Year's," he said with a smirk. Tom stopped cold. "We're pretty sure you'll love Mrs. McGonagall's rhubarb pie." He walked away with a slight spring in his step leaving Tom fuming.

That miserable, scheming, know-it-all wench. She had already told them. Of course she had; they were her best friends. It was probably Gryffindor loyalty or some such nonsense. He was beyond annoyed now. He scowled, knowing she was probably off laughing at him somewhere. On top of everything she knew that he was going to have to be nice to her for two weeks. That meant no retaliation, no confrontation, and no emancipation from her evil, feminine contrivances. She held the power; she had made absolutely sure of that. Tom shoved his hands in his pockets and strode towards the entrance hall, knowing that her passive aggressive victorious gloating would be unavoidable. Sure enough, she was standing near the entrance sporting a sickeningly saccharine smile. Bloody Gryffindors.

Author's note: I hope you guys liked that one. I was kind of tired of Tom always having the upper hand and I knew he'd been infuriated if he realized that Minerva had some kind of power over him (he hasn't really realized that she has power over him anyway). This will probably be my last update in a while. Deathly Hallows comes out in a little over twenty-four hours and a day after that I'm going out of town for a week. I hope this chapter is enough to hold you guys over. You'll have to wait to see how their holiday is until I get back. Thanks for your reviews! Keep at it!