Draco continued to spend all his time on the cabinet, even forfeiting his place in the Slytherin Quidditch match against Gryffindor to work on it.

"I KNEW IT!" Harry bellowed upon hearing the news of Draco's 'sickie'. "DEFINITELY A DEATH EATER!"

"Give it a rest, mate," Ron muttered, looking sick himself as he tried to swallow down his breakfast.

Ron soon cheered up though when he won the game and proceeded to stick his tongue down Lavender Brown's throat.

"Like I care!" Hermione bristled, obviously caring.

I visited the Room of Requirement as often as I could, Draco and I keeping our 'relationship' contained within the room's confinements.

"It's the best way to keep you safe," Draco insisted when he explained why we should retain our distance out in the hallways.

It was never easy though. The need to reach out to him when I saw him looking so forlorn in class or walking past him in the corridors was often too much.

And I didn't persist any further about going to Dumbledore for help. Instead, Trevor and I would sit with him and offer him comfort as he worked on the cabinet, whilst I secretly prayed that something would happen to stop Draco from fulfilling his murderous task.

"You shouldn't have to endure this," Draco said to me one night after I watched him break down crying over a bird's failed journey in the cabinet.

"I want to be here for you, though," I told him earnestly, holding him in my arms.

As Christmas approached, I felt dread at leaving him. Suddenly, two weeks seemed like a very long time.

"I'll still be here when you get back," Draco reassured me, curling up with me on the sofa as I expressed my fear of him succeeding in his task sooner than expected. "I'm nowhere near fixing that damned cabinet."

The fact that this was music to my ears had me questioning if that made me a bad girlfriend.

On the plus side, my invitation to the Slug Club Christmas party had finally managed to find its way to me, and was hand delivered by the man himself just two nights before the party.

"Thought I'd forgotten about you, oh ho?" Slughorn chuckled jovially, as he passed me a thin piece of card in the hallway, which looked nothing like the fancy invites Harry, Hermione and Ginny received. "I have a very special task in mind for you, Longbottom, so I do hope you come now."

"I'll be there!" I gushed happily, skipping off to the seventh floor to tell Draco the exciting news.

"I know you want to keep our relationship a secret but please say you'll come with me," I begged him as he eyed the invitation disdainfully, "I couldn't imagine going without you."

But Draco just shook his head regretfully. "Neve, you know why that's not a good idea. Besides," he said, waving the piece of card at me, "it doesn't say anything about a plus one on here."

Frowning, I took the invite back off of him. He was right. It just said it requested my presence at the party and that I was to arrive at seven o'clock sharp, which was odd because I was sure the party started from seven thirty.

The next evening, Draco presented me with a gift wrapped present.

"What's this?" I asked, looking down at the beautifully wrapped oblong box, my heart thudding excitedly in my chest.

"Look, I'm so sorry I can't come to the party with you," Draco said as I started to eagerly remove the wrapping, "but I know how much it means to you that you're going, so I thought maybe you could wear this to make up for me letting you down."

I pulled out the most stunning and dazzling beautiful green dress I had ever seen in my life.

"Oh, Draco!" I cried, holding it up and twirling around so that it shimmered and fluttered against me. "This is perfect! Thank you!"

He didn't say anything, but just stood watching me with his hands thrust in his trouser pockets, his silver eyes flashing softly as they fixed tenderly upon me.

There was a sort of sadness about him which made my heart squeeze and I immediately ceased my twirling.

"Draco?" I trembled. "Is everything okay?"

"You just look so beautiful, Neve," he murmured softly, his voice silky and low, "I can't believe how lucky I am that you even want to look at me."

"Are you sure you won't come to the party with me?" I tried again, crossing the room to him and brushing my lips against his. "For just one night we can act like any other couple."

But again he shook his head, sighing heavily. "I need to spend all the time I've got on this cabinet. If the Dark Lord finds out I've been attending parties instead of working on my task, then I can't bear to think..."

He trailed off fearfully and I didn't push it anymore, but the next night, I stopped in on at the Room of Requirement before going to the party.

"Christ Neve, you look- you look... stunning," Draco breathed, almost dropping his wand as I approached the cabinet where he was working with his sleeves rolled up; my new green dress shimmering elegantly around me.

"I wanted to give you your Christmas present," I smiled, sighing blissfully as he pulled me to him.

"Neve, you didn't have to get me anything," he murmured, kissing the top of my head as he wrapped his arms tightly around me. "All I want is you."

"Well, it's from me and Trevor," I grinned, stepping back to hand him a small velvet box.

His eyes lit up amusedly as he lifted the lid to reveal a pair of silver cuff links shaped like toads.

"Cute," he chuckled softly, fingering them fondly. "Thank you, and say thanks to Trevor for me. I'll save him a nice stash of extra disgusting flavoured beans over the holidays."

He kissed me hard before I left for Slughorn's party, wishing me a good time.

When I arrived ten minutes after seven however, I seemed to be the first one there.

"Aha!" Slughorn cried delightedly as I stepped into his office where he was putting up the finishing touches of decoration. "I was about to send out a search party! Well, you best get a move on, the guests will be arriving in just twenty minutes."

I looked at him baffled, wondering what on earth he meant by 'get a move on.'

I soon discovered however, when he handed me a set of folded up clothes. "Now chop chop, Longbottom, I need you to get changed into this, and as soon as you are ready, start grabbing trays. I want my guests to get the full Slughorn treatment tonight."

"T-Trays?" I stammered stupidly as I looked down at the clothes in my arms and then back up at him.

"Oh ho!" Slughorn cried jovially upon seeing my confusion. "You should be grateful, Longbottom! I don't just choose anybody to serve at my elite club!"

And then it dawned on me as I looked back in horror down at the 'uniform' I was expected to wear; something that resembled a milkmaid's outfit.

I was never intended to be a guest, I thought as hot tears of humiliation pricked behind my eyes; he just wanted me to be his waitress.

*****