The next morning, Eliza woke up feeling her face wet. The witch groaned and rubbed her eyes, head turning to the person sleeping peacefully next to her in his black silk pyijamas. His hair was sticking up everywhere on the pillow and his body was only half covered, his chest moving up and down as he was breathing in his sleep. It was one of the times he looked peaceful, just like when she held his hand in the hospital.

Furvus was being impatient and she had to gave in eventually. As small as he was, Furvus was peculiar and had humane tics and quite a lot of strength for a cat. He had something wrapped around his right leg, something that looked old and dirty. Eliza got rid of the rope –because it was rope- from his leg and placed the book on her lap.

"What is that?"

Draco took a peek if she was sleeping or not but fully woke up when he saw the book on her lap. He groaned and leaned against the mattress, acting nonchalantly.

She smirked and turned to him with a new glint in her eyes, "I think I know how I can escape."

"Are you sure this is possible? We haven't reached that level in Transfiguration yet." Draco muttered for the millionth time, watching closely as she copied the ingredients on a piece of parchment with invisible ink.

"I need you to buy me some stuff since I can't get out." She started, placing the parchment in his palm, "If you have any question as to where to find them, ask Mildred."

Draco frowned, "The house elf?"

Eliza nodded and returned to her book, preparing herself for the big project, "Let's see, it takes skill, practice, and patience for wizards and witches to become Animagi. The process of becoming an Animagus is long and arduous, and has the potential to backfire and cause the transformation to go horribly wrong. That's not very encouraging, is it?" She mumbled, feeling her mind getting foggy.

Being an animagus was the only way to get out of the manor; there was no going back once she would start practicing and once Draco would come with the leaf and Polyjuice ingredients, it was definite.

It was only an hour later when the blond returned to her room and found her sitting on the bed, staring at Furvus while he was glaring at her. It looked like they were going to fight yet at the same time she looked ready to skin her pet with scissors.

"What are you doing?" He sneered, not understanding how his heart was beating for a person whose personality was the vaguest thing he has ever seen.

She was in a desperate state just a few days ago and now she was so lively; suspiciously so.

"I need to take a piece of his hair but he's not very cooperative," Eliza mumbled, launching at her cat, squishing the poor pet under her, "Such a strange cat. Come on Furvus, you are the one who's always wanted me to become an animagus." She continued to mutter as she grabbed his tail and cutting a few strands of black fur.

Draco placed the ingredients on the desk before sitting on the bed, next to her. The cat jolted out of her grasp as soon as she moved and hid under the bed.

"There is some kind of sadistic urge inside of you, isn't it?" Draco mumbled, seeing the same glint in those icy eyes that have been threatening him.

Eliza's head turned to him in surprise yet she wasn't –or at least didn't seem- surprised by that statement.

"That may be true but I plan to keep that side of me locked away."

Draco was ready to question her more, especially now that he knew for sure that half of her blood was Voldemort's but someone jumped on his leg. Furvus' eyes were staring up at the blond as if he was advising him to shut up.

For the rest of the break, Eliza locked herself in her room, only letting Draco in from time to time in order to have a second wizard check out the potion. As it has been proven, Eliza was exceeding at that particular subject in school and Malfoy wasn't surprised when the color and smell were exactly the same as in the book.

From the moment Eliza begun the potion, she started to go around with a mandrake leaf in her mouth and it was slightly uncomfortable, especially because she had to take dinner with the rest of the Malfoys and it was hard to eat.

Lucius Malfoy was there most of the time and the Death Eaters were having a wonderful time in the Malfoy Manor, bringing despair in every corner of the house. The house elves were horrified and Mildred would often hide in Eliza's room, scared that someone might enter and kill her for existing.

"Mildred is not sure it will work, miss." The house elf muttered shyly from her spot in front of the dresser- if the door would open, she'd quickly hide behind the door or in one of the drawers.

Eliza's eyes were set on the cauldron hid under the bed, patiently waiting for the month to pass and add the last ingredients before performing the spell.

"It will work."

When the month finally passed, Draco didn't return to Hogwarts but spent a lot of time in the living room with his father.

Eliza's strange behavior didn't go unnoticed by the rest, especially Bellatrix who couldn't turn a blind eye to someone connected to her deception of a cousin.

That was why Bellatrix cornered Eliza when she walked out of her room.

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

The older woman tried to take a glimpse of what was behind that black door but Eliza was being a good shield. Those crazed wide eyes snapped to Eliza's face and narrowed.

"You won't be able to hide it forever, no matter what that is." Bellatrix hissed, leaning uncomfortably close to her.

"I doubt that."

Bellatrix started to laugh out of nowhere before she suddenly grabbed the young witch by her chin harshly, "The Dark Lord will hear about this tomorrow and you won't be able to resist him. He will find out what happens behind this door one way or another."

Eliza swallowed nervously yet kept a straight face so Bellatrix wouldn't figure what she was thinking. As soon as her aunt left, Eliza entered her room and threw aside anything she wanted to do that day. She pulled the cauldron out and added the strands of black fur. There was something else needed, something that would bind her to the animal so she bit her finger and let the blood drip in the potion. Eliza took a deep breath in before she closed her eyes and drunk the little cauldron to the bottom, even if the taste was horrific. As soon as that was done, she started to munch on the leaf and say the spell in her head. In those moments, she was glad she had her mother's talent.

The effects came right away. She cringed in pain that was coming from her toes and crawling up her legs, through her bones and muscles. As the spell was continuing she gulped and gritted her teeth hoping it would cease the pain somehow. It didn't, it only amplified and by the time she was done, Eliza started to scream in pain drawing attention to her room. She could barely see because whatever was happening to her was also affecting her eyesight. Since the screams were getting louder, she jumped on the bed and hid her face in the pillow, biting onto it as if her life was depending on it.

With her eyes closed and body aching everywhere, she felt slight differences like the way she suddenly shrunk and her fingers became sharp and fuzzy.

Draco was only passing by to check on her but when he opened the door he found one black cat staring at another black cat. He couldn't believe it actually worked, moreover that it worked so fast and accurate; maybe Eliza was gifted into the dark arts but that was still impressive.

The blond walked closer, warily as not to scare Eliza. He sat down in front of her and caressed her back softly, the cat purring at the sensation without really realizing.

Furvus jumped on the bed and patted Eliza's head, <Wake up, it worked!>

Eliza didn't know that soft voice so she quickly opened her eyes and scanned the place. Firstly, everything was bigger and clearer; she looked down at her hands and saw small cute paws.

<I'm a cat> That was what she said, turning to Draco who was staring at her with bemusement, <I can't believe it! It hurts everywhere but it actually worked!> She exclaimed, getting up a bit hard since she wasn't used to the new aspects of walking and sitting.

The only thing Draco could hear was meowing and it was so cute that it amazed him. As a cat, Eliza looked pretty much like a gentler and more elegant version of Furvus, with the same big green eyes that would melt hearts. She raised her paws at Draco, expecting him to take her in his arms and pat her head; she really wanted to be rubbed under the chin for some reason.

Draco chuckled and grabbed her in his arms, letting her get comfortable before rubbing her head fondly.

<You're making me sick. Please, take all the action somewhere I can't watch.> The new voice complained.

Eliza's head raised and turned to Furvus who was covering his eyes with his paws.

<I can hear you. I actually understand you!> She realized, her eyes widening. Eliza jumped on the bed and hissed at Furvus, <You have so much explaining to do!>

Furvus blinked and scrunched his nose, <I am a mere cat. You are the animagus here, granted to your beloved loyal pet.>

Eliza snarled which actually sounded weird in her small form, <This beloved loyal pet is a member of the Order; a messenger.>

<Not by choice but by needs. Why do you think Remus bought me in the first place? Just to be your pet?>

Eliza sighed and intended to rub her head but realized she couldn't, <So he did send you on errands; lots of them. What else?>

<Your father wanted you to have this book because he knew you will need it in the future and you did.>

<What about you? What's special about you? Why are you so smart and have human tendencies?> Eliza asked, walking closer, her eyes scanning Furvus' form.

<Circumstances> He responded bluntly, his eyes staring into hers, <It's so strange how much we look alike, though> He continued, eyeing her form from the corner of his eyes.

<I am a black cat> She repeated, the information of her animagus form still sinking in, <I was afraid this form will be the same as my Patronus but that's impossible since I am not a werewolf. That article I read was bullocks.> She started to ramble by herself, turning into circles before sitting in one comfortable place.

Furvus scoffed, which in Draco's point of view sounded like he sneezed, <It usually resembles your Patronus but that's why you violated my privacy and cut some of my fur, isn't it? You wanted to be sure.>

It was interesting as an outsider to watch two cats speak to each other even if it sounded like they were meowing for food in different pitches. However, the Dark Lord was expected to arrive in an hour and Eliza had to come back to her human form as soon as possible.

<The human is staring at you. He probably wants you to go back to your normal form> Furvus informed her since he was the one having eye contact with Draco.

<What for? This feels nice~> She mumbled, feeling like her worries could just go away in that form.

Furvus snarled and hit Eliza in the head, <Don't be stupid! The villain is right around the corner and I'm sure that crazed woman will tell him that something suspicious is going on in your room!>

Eliza pouted and sighed, closing her eyes and thinking of how she looked as a human, hoping that would be enough for her to turn back to normal. It did work but it was even more painful to feel bones and muscles shift and enlarge, especially her heart which was beating differently as a human than a cat.

Draco witnessed the witch change right in front of him and he couldn't utter a word as Eliza's body formed without any clothes. She was naked on the bed and she didn't look fazed about it. Once the pain faded, she got up and ran into the bathroom, staring at her face for some differences.

"I'm naked," She noticed and remembered Draco watched closely as she morphed into a woman.

Except that, she didn't look different and didn't have any signs on her body; her green eyes were the same, only slightly elongated.

"Do you need these?" Draco's asked sarcastically, leaning against the door frame with her clothes in his hands.

Eliza scoffed and snatched the clothes before closing the door in his face.