On the day of the match, Eliza only gave Ron a sympathetic pat on the back before sitting with Seamus.

"You think we'll win today?" He asked before stuffing his face with toast.

Eliza looked at Ron and saw him in the most deplorable state in the past week.

"Maybe if we're very lucky." She said before taking a bite from a delicious looking apple.

But they won. They got lucky and Ron saved every blow towards Gryffindor. It was amazing to see him play so well and Eliza was sure there was some spell involved or else he wouldn't gloat like that.

"It wasn't." Harry said once they met on the way back to the castle. "I faked dripping liquid luck in his pumpkin juice this morning."

"Power of suggestion, huh? It may not work a second time, though." Eliza added, the cheers covering most of the talking done in the vicinity.

"It doesn't have to. Maybe now he'll believe in himself and stop sulking every time." Harry continued as they got inside the castle.

Ron's victory against Slytherins has been properly celebrated by the whole house. Eliza slipped out for one moment and when she came back, Lavender was all over the ginger. It was very weird how two people could be so all over each other.

"It looks disturbing." She finally said to anyone close to hear.

"I know what you mean. But he has to start somewhere." Ginny answered as she passed by.

However amusing it was, parties weren't Eliza's type of noisy fun. She slipped out in complete silence and walked around thoughtfully.

Hermione was not in the common room and Eliza was curious if she saw Ron and Lavender or not. It was better if she didn't but Harry slipped out before her which meant only one thing. Was it a disaster or wasn't it? It was confusing, love, and Eliza was the last person to give opinions over that matter.

The first place she thought to go to was the library. That changed abruptly when she remembered the girl' bathroom from the second floor. She went there once and found out very plausible information. However, she was curious what the Dark Wizards knew about Voldemort and her mother.

In the end Eliza went in the library. No one was there and she could freely read for how long she wanted. Shelf after shelf, book after book, she found nothing relevant. It was an hour later and the only interesting things she found was an article about a Morfin Gaunt that got in Azkaban and a witch that died after a muggle attacked her in Birmingham. The two articles were noted in the same year, at a difference of a few months. It was the closest she could get, really.

On the way back, she was hoping she could meet Malfoy so that she could question him further. Luckily, she did see him standing in a howl of the wall, right below a window; his blond hair was messy and his face was paler than usually. Eliza was ready to go and bug him when she noticed he was fidgeting nervously, whispering stuff that she couldn't hear because she was hiding too far.

She sighed and leaned against the wall, watching him squirm while at the same time trying to find his courage for whatever he had to do. Eliza couldn't help but pity him and the direction he had chosen; whatever he was feeling at the moment was only the beginning of a very hateful life.

It was a few weeks later when Slughorn trotted to Eliza while she was in the Great Hall. Her eyes widened and she looked around for help but everyone was busy.

"Eliza, my dear! I just wanted to assure myself that you will be at my Christmas party tomorrow night! I hope Mr. Zabini told you about it? I also wanted to inform you that you can come with a partner if you'd like." He started with that perky smile of his.

Eliza sighed and nodded. "I'll be there, professor."

"Wonderful!" He said before he walked out of the Hall.

"Wonderful." Eliza repeated in a less joyful tone as she sat next to Harry. "What are we going to do? I don't want to bring anyone with me. It's bad enough that he's forcing us to go." She hissed.

"At least someone's having fun." He mumbled, both Gryffindors turning towards the newest couple in the house.

"They should have less fun then. It's disturbing and uncomfortable. I don't know how you can stay around them and not vomit." Eliza grunted when she saw the two going at it again.

"Don't even mention it."

Thankfully, her eyes found Malfoy again and her attention shifted completely. She saw him say something to Parkinson when she hung herself over him before he got up and walked out with a frown.

"I've gotta go. If something happens with this new issue don't tell me." She rambled before leaving.

Just like before, she followed the blond up the stairs. Unfortunately, she couldn't follow him furher because some little impediment interfered.

Snape was standing before her, glaring at her.

"Think before acting, Black. You are placing both yourself and Draco in dangerous positions." Snape's voice echoed on the stairs."You may not value your life but he does."

Eliza turned towards her teacher with a frown. "And should I stay and watch him destroy his life for someone who will get him killed sooner or later? He's being used and I want to know what for."

"Stop meddling and keep yourself in the shadows." He responded coldly, looking from the side at her in that superior manner of his as he passed her.

"Believe me, I will." Eliza clicked her tongue before turning around and leaving.

Snape closed his eyes and sighed, having a sudden memory from when Ophelia was in her daughter's shoes.

"You can't do it. I won't let you destroy your life, Severus!" A younger Ophelia snapped at her friend. But Snape turned his back on her, a glint of disappointment in his eyes.

"My life doesn't represent a concern to you. Go play with Black and leave me alone."

He was really cold and those words did nothing but hurt her.

"Listen to me, Sev. I know him and he will rip your heart out if he has to. Once you give your life away for someone so selfish you can't expect to ever return to a normal, happy life."

She knew what she was talking about and Snape was aware of it. She told him the truth and trusted him with her secrets for eight years.

"Why are you working for him, then?" He asked, glancing at her pitiful face over his shoulder.

Ophelia sighed and looked down at the floor, "Because I have no choice."

Ophelia used to say that every time he'd ask her about her responsibilities. She never blamed anyone for her choices but she tried to help her friends choose the better life for their own safety.

Unfortunately, Ophelia forgot they were proud and young and her life experience was hers alone.

But Eliza wasn't her mother and no matter what blood was running through her veins, she wasn't going to surrender and submit to Ophelia's inheritance.

Eliza couldn't sleep that night and started to play with the ring given last Christmas. The silver serpent was shining in the middle of a green stone while the ring itself was handmade, crafted with an elegant eye to the smallest detail.

"Eliza? Are you awake?"

Hermione's voice startled Eliza and she quickly hid the ring under her pillow, "Yes."

Getting an affirmative response, Hermione rose on her bottom and leaned against the mattress.

"Lavender is infatuated with Ron." She started in a tone that would have made her sound jealous; of course she wasn't going to admit that.

Luckily, Lavender wasn't in the room while Parvati was sleeping deeply in her bed.

"She is like a headache, it will pass." The green eyed witch comforted her friend, though she wasn't sure if it will pass fast.

Hermione scoffed, "What does she see in him, anyway? He is not very smart, not very perceptive and all he does is eat."

"But he is also loyal and doesn't question the weird. He just goes with what is thrown at him." Eliza continued, staring at the ceiling, her mind swirling with thoughts that weren't even remotely close to what they were talking about.

"And he is handsome and funny," Hermione added quietly, snatching a light laugh from Eliza.

"I haven't noticed." She mumbled, leaning on her elbows so she could see the blush in Hermione's cheeks.

"What about you? Zabini fancies you." Hermione changed the subject.

Eliza rolled her eyes and laid back, "He is the last person in my mind."

There was a slight pause before Hermione spoke again, "What about Malfoy?"

Eliza blinked and squeezed the ring under the pillow, "Malfoy has his own issues."

"I'm not blind, Liz. For the past year you two have grown closer. I can see you two glancing at each other during breakfast and dinner." She sounded bemused which only made Eliza's eyebrow twitch.

"Yes, well I don't think it has anything to do with emotions." She muttered, rolling on her side feeling quite disappointed for some reason.

Waking up in the morning, Furvus decided he wanted to have a bit of fun and he dragged something that looked like a plush toy from the common room; it had the W initial on it. Hermione noticed the merchandise immediately but Furvus was holding so tightly onto it that no one could snatch it from him. The cat was smart and placed the toy at the edge of the bed, knowing Eliza was going to walk over it when she will wake.

When Eliza did wake up, Hermione was standing aside, patiently waiting to see what was going to happen. As planned, she walked over the plush toy and it made a moaning sound before it exploded and covered the witch in powder made from love potion.

Hermione chuckled and shook her head bemusedly, "That cat is way too smart."

When they got into the Great Hall for breakfast, the boys close enough to smell her started to act absent-mindlessly and overwhelm Eliza with attention. Her eyebrow was twitching for the whole time and so was her hand.

"Don't look behind you," Hermione advised her friend but Eliza did and met the dark eyes of Blaise Zabini. "He's quite far. Do you think he can smell it too?"

At that particular moment, Zabini raised an eyebrow and pointed to his left, where Malfoy was standing, watching his plate with interest.

"No." Eliza muttered, turning to the table, "He's just making sure I won't get away from the party tonight." Suddenly, Eliza remembered something, "Hermione, what about you? Did you ask anyone to come with you?"

"I have a plan, yes." The bushy haired girl mumbled, glancing around the Great Hall for someone. "What about you?"

"No. He should be jumping with joy that I'm coming in the first place. I'm never going to lie about detention ever again." She said, feeling a chill go down her arms when she mentioned it.

The only lesson that day was Transfiguration and Eliza finished coloring her eyebrows in around ten minutes before she started to change Dean's. During the class, Ron and Hermione bickered again to the point where Hermione ran away close to tears. Harry grabbed her stuff and ran after her while Eliza shook her head in disappointment.

A few hours later and Eliza ended up following Malfoy once again. She was tailing him up the second floor when she remembered a certain girl' bathroom with a ghost. Eliza glanced at the retreating blond head before she turned back and went into the bathroom.

"Hello?" Eliza asked loudly, expecting the ghost to appear out of nowhere.

"You are back~" The ghost sung, her eyes scanning Eliza from afar.

"I am. It's been a long time. You told me before that Tom always looked after me, remember?" The green eyed witch started, using herself as her mother's image.

But it wasn't the same, "Not you; the other one, Ophelia." The ghost corrected, "You look alike but there's something darker about you."

"Tom came to Hogwarts, right?"

The ghost raised an eyebrow and nodded, "Yes but not during the same time. Tom was much older than Ophelia."

Eliza dived straight into the subject she wanted to unveil, "Then, did he meet her before she entered Hogwarts or during Hogwarts?"

The ghost chuckled, "I don't know. I never saw them together. Ophelia would always come here to discuss Regulus."

"What about the others?" Eliza urged, taking a step forward.

The ghost clicked her tongue and flew around, stopping right in front of Eliza. Up close, those green eyes were making her feel like she was looking in the eyes of the basilisk.

"You are more alike than her; you have the same dark glint in your eyes as he did." The dead girl stated watching Eliza very carefully, "Uuu~ so cold~" She shuddered, rubbing her arms even if she wasn't really feeling anything; she was dead after all.

"You didn't answer my question." Eliza's tone seemed to amuse her.

The ghost chuckled and rose above the toilets, "What do I get if I give you the answers you want?"

"What do you want?" Eliza was ready to give pretty much anything.

"Draco Malfoy." The ghost mumbled, Eliza having to blink twice, not sure if she heard correctly, "Keep him safe. You can do that." The ghost continued.

Eliza frowned, "I didn't know that you two got acquainted so well. Anyway, I can't keep him safe when he is the one barging into the dark world."

"You can," She emphasized, flying behind her, "After all, you and Tom share the same blood. Poor Draco, I saw him coming in a few times, so pale and scared. It reminded me of Regulus."

Eliza looked to the side and urged the ghost to continue, "What do you mean? What about Regulus?"

"She made them promise; even used the Unbreakable Vow." The ghost whispered, moving to the side, "She made them promise they will never tell anyone the truth about her heritage."

"Then how do you know?" Eliza asked warily.

"Because I heard them, of course. Lucius Malfoy was Ophelia's best friend. I watched them made the unbreakable vow right here; him and Severus."

That conversation was probably the only one that made sense in the past years and she finally knew where to begin questioning and who could give her real answers.

The hours sifted incredibly fast and Eliza found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror. The white dress she was wearing was nice and simple and it was surprisingly comfortable. She didn't even know where it came from but it reminded her of the red dress from the Yule Ball.

The way to Slughorn's office made her feel like she was doing the walk of shame - which wasn't the case but still, it felt so. She pulled the door open and took a deep breath, chanting in her head that she could stay around for an hour and just leave.

"Molley, I wasn't expecting you to come!" A very gallant Cormac started the conversation, a drink in his hand already.

"I wasn't expecting to see you either... with Hermione." Eliza responded, her smile and eyes expressing exactly just what she was actually thinking; it wasn't good.

"Yes, well. How can you resist me, right?" He noticed food and glanced at Hermione before whispering something to her and leaving for a moment.

Eliza shook her head and let the mask fall in front of her friend, "His charm is making me dizzy."

Hermione chuckled and playfully hit the green eyed girl, "You didn't even try looking for a date."

Eliza shrugged; it wasn't like she didn't want to have one it was just far easier to come alone and sneak away.

"Ah, Eliza! I'm so happy you could come this time~" Slughorn noticed her dark long hair and green eyes as soon as she entered.

"I am too. It's a lovely party, professor." She was using flattery and it wasn't even the first time nor it will be the last, "I noticed that you have quite a large range of students here."

"Of course! I'll tell you a secret; everyone I invited might get on my special shelf one of these days," He laughed about that but it only offered Eliza the entry she was looking for.

"I would be the only Molley on the shelf," She made it sound like a joke but Slughorn's smile cracked at the mention of that name.

"Well, your mother was never good in my class, was she?" He laughed.

The brunette chuckled and nodded before she took a sip from her own drink, "But she wasn't the only one now, was she? Some students in here are not gifted in potions or school altogether."

His smile cracked a bit more, "I recognize some of them just piqued my eye."

Eliza thought about the ghost and what she said about Tom and Ophelia being in Hogwarts. She looked down at Slughorn and decided to risk it. He had been a teacher for a long time until he retired and Eliza was sure if he met Ophelia then he knew Tom as well.

"Like Tom?" She asked, not giving any surname.

That question broke any trace of happiness on Slughorn's face, "I guess so. Tom was gifted in potions. But that doesn't have any connection to you of course."

Eliza raised an eyebrow and stared at her professor bemusedly, "Now, we both know that's not true." She whispered, making the professor drop his glass on the floor. He looked at her with wide and nervous eyes, "We're both gifted in potions, aren't we?" Eliza continued, covering up everything she said before.

Slughorn still seemed a bit shaken but he definitely got himself back together after that sentence added at the end, "Of course."

"How is the party?" Harry came over and asked Eliza when he didn't see Hermione anymore.

"Boring. Thankfully, someone is having a bit of fun,"

Harry tilted his head to the side confused until Eliza chuckled and pointed at the curtains. They both saw someone standing there, hiding. Harry laughed and walked to her while Eliza took that chance to get out.

She only made it into the corridor when she noticed blond hair hovering around the corner. Eliza rolled her eyes, ready to go there when she saw the blond getting pushed into the light by Filtch. She walked in the opposite direction and hid behind a stall quickly, sighing heavily when she remembered the ghost.

"Keep him safe. You can do that."

"After all, you and Tom share the same blood."

Remembering that bit, she couldn't help but cringe at the thought. Family was very important and having the same blood as that man wasn't making her feel any butterflies in her stomach.

Just like any other day, Eliza followed wherever Malfoy was going and saw Flitch getting him to Slughorn's office. She waited a few more minutes until both Malfoy and Snape walked out and entered the closest classroom.

Eliza got out of her hiding spot and followed them until she just stopped. She was sure that she heard soft breathing behind so she turned around and poked the air.

"Ow. It's me, Liz." She heard Harry's voice before he pulled her under his cloak.

"Invisibility Cloak? Really? Where did you hide it anyway?" She asked but he covered her mouth and pointed at the classroom. "Right." She muttered and walked with him, eavesdropping to the conversation.

*"... cannot afford mistakes, Draco, because if you are expelled --"

"I didn't have anything to do with it, all right?"

"I hope you are telling the truth, because it was both clumsy and foolish. Already you are suspected of having a hand in it."

"Who suspects me?" said Malfoy angrily. "For the last time, I didn't do it, okay? That Bell girl must've had an enemy no one knows about--don't look at me like that! I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid, but it won't work--I can stop you!"

There was a pause and then Snape said quietly, "Ah... Aunt Bellatrix has been teaching you Occlumency, I see. What thoughts are you trying to conceal from your master, Draco?"

"I'm not trying to conceal anything from him, I just don't want you butting in!"

Eliza's eyes hardened at the mention of that. It was a surprise that Snape would go so far for Draco. But the blond didn't seem thankful at all, he was rather annoyed by Snape.

"So that is why you have been avoiding me this term? You have feared my interference? You realize that, had anybody else failed to come to my office when I had told them repeatedly to be there, Draco--"

"So put me in detention! Report me to Dumbledore!" jeered Malfoy.

There was another pause. Then Snape said, "You know perfectly well that I do not wish to do either of those things."

"You'd better stop telling me to come to your office then!"

"Listen to me," said Snape, his voice so low now that Harry had to push his ear very hard against the keyhole to hear. "I am trying to help you. I swore to your mother I would protect you. I made the Unbreakable Vow, Draco--"

Eliza's eyes widened and she tensed. She looked at Harry and saw him listen without blinking. Was that mission so important that Snape made such a vow?

"Looks like you'll have to break it, then, because I don't need your protection! It's my job, he gave it to me and I'm doing it, I've got a plan and it's going to work, it's just taking a bit longer than I thought it would!"

"What is your plan?"

"It's none of your business!"

"If you tell me what you are trying to do, I can assist you ..."

"I have all the assistance I need, thanks, I'm not alone!"

"You were certainly alone tonight, which was foolish in the extreme, wandering the corridors without lookouts or backup, these are elementary mistakes--"

"I would've had Crabbe and Goyle with me if you hadn't put them in detention!"

"Keep your voice down!" spat Snape, for Malfoy's voice had risen excitedly. "If your friends Crabbe and Goyle intend to pass their Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. this time around, they will need to work a little harder than they are doing at pres--"

"What does it matter?" said Malfoy. "Defense Against the Dark Arts--it's all just a joke, isn't it, an act? Like any of us need protecting against the Dark Arts--"

"It is an act that is crucial to success, Draco!" said Snape. "Where do you think I would have been all these years, if I had not known how to act? Now listen to me! You are being incautious, wandering around at night, getting yourself caught, and if you are placing your reliance in assistants like Crabbe and Goyle--"

"They're not the only ones, I've got other people on my side, better people!"

"Then why not confide in me, and I can--"

"I know what you're up to! You want to steal my glory!"

There was another pause, then Snape said coldly, "You are speaking like a child. I quite understand that your father's capture and imprisonment has upset you, but--"

Harry had barely a second's warning; he heard Malfoy's footsteps on the other side of the door and flung himself out of the way just as it burst open, pulling Eliza with him. Malfoy was striding away down the corridor, past the open door of Slughorn's office, around the distant corner, and out of sight.

Hardly daring to breathe, Harry remained crouched down as Snape emerged slowly from the classroom. His expression unfathomable, he returned to the party.*

"Did you hear that?" He asked only when he was sure no one was in the corridor anymore. "I was right all along and Snape offered to help him."

"I know." Eliza mumbled, feeling the knot in her stomach form again. "I know." She repeated softly, looking down at her hands.