"Why are you bothering with this again?" Draco asked as he zipped up the back the black dress I had slipped on. I tossed my hair over my shoulder before turning around to face him.

"Because I was invited?" I asked with a scoff as Draco plopped backwards onto his bed. I had been invited to Professor Slughorn's Christmas dinner he was having this evening, and Draco was doing nothing but pester me about going. I had forgotten about the whole thing until Ginny and Hermione reminded me of it this morning at breakfast.

"Just seems like a waste of time, sitting around with a professor talking about nonsense." Draco said twiddling with his wand. I knew Draco, and I knew he was jealous that he wasn't invited to go. Blaise and his other friend Theodorre Nott were invited from Slytherin and Draco hadn't been given a second glance by Slughorn.

I rolled my eyes as I bent down and kissed his cheek. "Dont be angry, I saw Pansy sitting alone in the common room -- you should go talk to her," I told him.

Draco scoffed before sitting up more in his bed. "Why bother?" He asked quietly, looking down at his black slacks. I had been trying to slowly ease Draco onto other girls, especially since Harry and I have been doing so good lately. Yes I loved Draco, and that meant he needed to be with someone else -- someone who could love only him. It wasn't fair to Draco to be in love with me when I was clearly so in love with someone else --and he knew that. Pansy had been hung up on Draco for years and I was hoping he would give her a second chance.

I sighed before taking a seat next to him, reaching over and lacing his fingers with my own. "Because you're Draco Malfoy, thats why bother." I told him, giving his hand a squeeze.

"The Malfoy name doesn't mean so much anymore," he told me.

"Of course it does, we haven't failed anything yet. I told you I would protect you, and I will. Voldemort won't touch you, I swear that to you." I whispered as I leaned my chin on his shoulder. Draco was my best friend, and I loved him -- But I hated how often I needed to reassure him that he should just trust me.

"Just go to your dinner, I'll see you in the morning before I get on the train." He said as he kissed the back of my hand. Draco had decided to go home for Christmas but was going to floo back to the castle the next day, getting special permission from Dumbledore and his parents. I however had been invited to the burrow for the holidays, and as crazy as it sounded I accepted their offer. If I was going to die soon I'll be damned if I didn't get one of Molly Weasleys homemade pies before it happened.

~

When I arrived at Slughorns classroom, Harry was waiting for me outside. He smiled when he saw me before cupping my cheek and kissing me softly. "Hey you," I said when we pulled apart.

"Hello." He whispered before taking my hand and leading me inside.

"Ah! Mr. Potter, Ms. Soloria! Welcome! Welcome!" Slughorns boisterous chanting sounded the moment we stepped inside. Other students were standing around mingling with glasses of what looked like butter beer, and I inwardly hoped there was something else to drink as I hated the stuff.

"Hello Professor, thank you for inviting us." Harry said, reaching out to shake Slughorns extended hand.

"Oh I couldn't not invite the famous Harry Potter and Alisanna Soloria!"

"Call me Ali, Professor." I said with a soft smile. He nodded before announcing to the room to be seated at the large table in the middle of the room. Harry and I took our seats to the left of Hermione, I had Blaise on my other side.

The first course was rather bland, some sort of pudding with stale biscuits to dip it in. Harry chuckled as I waved my fingers and it all disappeared into Blaise's dish.

"I'm going to kill you, this is disgusting." Blaise mumbled to me before pretending to nod along with what Slughorn and some Hufflepuff student were talking about.

Dinner was actually delicious, with roasted baby chickens and vegetables to go along with it. I was starving and finished mine in record time.

"Now Ali, I've been especially intrigued with your special abilities. Could you tell us more about them?" Slughorn asked, now all eyes on me. Harry had reached over and squeezed my thigh for comfort.

"Um," I mumbled not quite sure where to start. Should I just say oh yeah I could kill everyone in this room in two seconds if I wanted to? I'm sure they would love that.

"I hear she's a freak," the same hufflepuff boy who was just talking said. He chuckled but he was the only one who did, the slytherins were shaking their heads as they had seen me in their common room practicing. And Ginny had slapped her forehead at the ignorance at this boy.

I smirked and made eye contact with the boy and within seconds he stood up and started stripping his clothes off. "What is happening? Why can't I stop?" He shrieked, trying his hardest to keep from taking off his underwear.

"Ms. Soloria! That is enough!" Slughorn exclaimed, running over to pick up the boys clothes to try and cover him. The students at the table were roaring with laughter, including surprisingly Hermione who had tears in her eyes.

"I'm not doing anything professor!" I exclaimed, holding my hands up in surrender. The boy was now completely nude and Slughorn was trying his hardest to cover the boy and doing his best not to glance at him.

"You're a damn liar!" The boy shouted.

"I'm just a freak, You can't prove it's me though. But if you apologize I'll be glad to help you out," I said with a smirk before laughing at Blaise who had now fallen out of his chair. His comment didn't bother me in the slightest, but I knew I could have some fun with him even if detention came along with it.

"Fine, I'm sorry!" He shouted, trying his hardest to cover himself but I wouldn't let him.

"Sorry for what?"

"You're not a freak okay, now please help me!" He shrieked, turning beat red. I chuckled once more before flicking my wrist and returning his clothing back to his body before he proceeded to sprint out of the room like an olympic runner.

"That was bloody brilliant." Ginny exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to send you to professor Dumbledore my dear, that was very uncalled for!" Slughorn exclaimed before taking his seat at the table.

"You can't prove that was me Professor, could have been anything." I said with a shrug.

"I'm aware of your mind control powers, and I do not condone using them on a student!"

"So you condone me using them on someone else?" I asked with a scoff. I really shouldn't be pushing Slughorns buttons, but I was having way too much fun. The castle had been too dark and dreary lately and we all needed a good laugh. Fred and George would be proud.

"No, that isn't what I meant." Slughorn said, clearly flustered.

"To answer your question Professor, My abilities include mind control yes as well as the ability to torture people. I'm pretty sure I can take a life as well and before you say anything, no I don't take these powers lightly. They are a huge burden and every day I wish they had been given to someone else." I said before excusing myself from the table, with Harry, Hermione, and Ginny tagging along with me.

~

Later on after we had changed out of our dinner attire and finished packing for Christmas, the four of us along with Ron were huddled around the fireplace in the common room. Ron had tears in his eyes as we told him of what happened to the Hufflepuff boy whose name I finally learned; Terry.

"I can't believe I missed that!" Ron exclaimed before digging into the pile of candy we had piled into the middle of the floor since we missed dessert.

"It was wonderful!" Ginny said, leaning against the front of the couch. Everyone nodded in agreement, and Harry had wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed the side of my head.

"So you two are finally together then?" Ginny asked, I could see the slight sense of jealously from her, but her happiness for two of her friends overtook any negative feelings that she had.

"I don't know Harry, are we?" I asked with a smirk. We hadn't ever had the conversation of us being together, especially since things were tense after he told me he couldn't be with me. I figured our profession of love and need to protect each other after he found out I was a death eater was enough.

"We are." He said softly before gently kissing the side of my head once more. I don't know what shifted with him, but I'm guessing his love for me was worth more to him than anything else in this moment. Besides, Harry knew I could handle myself -- I'm tougher than most.