---Blazing Hells. It took me this long for such a short chapter. I can't believe this. I'm suffering from an acute case of ... well... not writer's block, but a refusal to write. I knew exactly what to write, but couldn't bear the thought of sitting at the computer to write it. And now, with other projects on their way and the school year coming in strong... well... we'll see how it goes. THANKS DAR! I have a sudden fondness for closet painting now. Disclaimer: these aren't my characters. Except for 2. Whatever. Please Review!----

Time passed slowly for the girls. What days had been occupied with endless questions and conversations, were now empty. The evenings were worse, for Chime and Anna did not know what to do with themselves, and instead indulged into their studies, hoping to fill the empty and barren void.

Draco showed up occasionally, and joined them, sometimes with little or no conversation. They merely sat there, and caught up with their studies, finishing off the extensive amount of homework that the teachers of Hogwarts seemed to enjoy bestowing. When they had completed their work for the night, they sat around the fire, until the light died slightly, and the trio felt sleep gently start to call to them.

Anna left early each night, and was up at the crack of dawn each morning. Chime remained the same with her sleeping habits- going to bed at a reasonable hour, and getting up in time for a relaxed preparation for classes. Draco followed her lead, and they would both be ready for classes together by the time Anna came to walk Chime to class.

"Chime could I talk to you?" Draco asked one late night after Chime had arrived from the library.

Chime cast him a scrutinizing gaze and felt her brow wrinkle in confusion.

"Sure I guess."

She shrugged and walked over to a chair opposite of Draco, dropping her school bad next to her.

Draco sat there quietly thinking about what he wanted to say.

Chime waited patiently for a matter a moments, and then grew annoyed.

"Was there something I could help you with, Draco, because um, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a little impatient."

Draco raised his eyes to meet hers and smiled slightly.

"Well... I just wanted to say 'Thank You'."

Chime cocked her head to the side, making her ear face Draco to listen better.

"I beg your pardon?"

Draco rolled his eyes in a mocking way.

"Oh get over it."

Chime grinned.

"So what exactly am I being thanked for?"

Draco shuffled his feet slightly on the floor.

"You know... taking care of Twiglefix- who seems to be quite taken with you... and looking after the journal..."

Chime laughed.

"For that? First of all, your cat won't stop following me around. Reminds me of a stalker, actually. And as for the journal, well, that's nothing."

Draco smiled a wider smile and stood up.

"I have something for you- as a thank you gift."

He went to the table and took a small wrapped package off of it. He brought it back, clutching it slightly in his hands, as though afraid that either she'd reject it, or that it might get away from him.

He handed it to her.

She looked at it closely, and grinned, looking up at him with a surprised and happy expression on her face.

It was a tiny blue box, with a thick silver ribbon holding it together.

She took it out of his hands, and gently began to undo the ribbon.

"Aw. Draco, you didn't have to do this."

"I know."

She pulled off the ribbon completely, and as the material fell away, she took the lid from the box. Inside, was a pendant on a black leather cord to wear as a necklace. The pendant itself was nickel, with a large 8 pointed star in the middle touching a circle on the outside, and the core of the star was another circle with cut points facing the inside. It was completely engraved, with deep grooves for shading the points and circles.

Chime stared at the gift and found herself nearly at a loss of what to say. She felt the sudden urge to thank him with a hug, and stood up, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him into her embrace.

He didn't fight, but he didn't return the hug, either.

She breathed in the scent of him and whispered.

"Thank you. It's beautiful."

She let him go, and sat back down. He continued to stand there, shock clearly etched into his features.

"What, is a hug a bad thing?"

He shook his head slowly, as though clearing his mind. He took a step forward and took the pendant from her hand, and stepped behind her. He draped the necklace over the front of her head and clasped it at the back.

He walked around her and looked at her, as she gently fingered the silver coin shaped jewel.

She grinned up at him, and as she opened her mouth to say something, Draco swooped in and gently pressed his lips to hers. He kissed her 3 more times, feather light touches to the corners and the middle of her mouth.

He leaned back, and knelt- his knees on the floor, all the while staring at her with an inquisitive face.

Chime looked at him, her brow lightly furrowed, trying to figure out what was going on. She didn't know what he wanted, or if he was just playing mind games. It seemed that her notions about not getting involved with Draco were headed straight out the window.

He continued to look at her expectantly.

"Err... uh... Draco. That was unexpected."

He smiled slightly.

"Well..." he started, but seemed at a loss of words.

Abruptly he stood up and walked a few feet away, standing with an expressionless face.

"Do you still have the journal I gave to you to keep safe?"

Surprised, Chime looked up at him, nodding as she did so.

"Yes. It's in my room- Do you wish me to get it?" Chime asked getting up. Draco nodded.

Chime walked to her bedroom door, fingering her necklace as she moved.

She opened the door, and gasped at what she saw. Her room was trashed. Books and paper were thrown everywhere; her bed overturned. The contents of her wardrobe scattered on the floor and the paintings on the wall had been thrown, ripped or completely in disarray.

Chime rushed over to the side of her bed, by the wall where there was a secret panel in which she'd kept the journal. She said the panel's password and the panel moved to show the space empty.

"WHAT THE HELL!!!!"

Chime punched the wall above the panel.

Seconds later, Draco rushed into the room, eyeing everything with a wild glint in his eye.

"What is it? What's happened?" he asked, somehow dreading the answer.

Chime spun around and threw her hands in the air.

"It's gone! The bastards stole it!"

Draco shook with hidden fury. She'd just jeopardized everything.

"You let the journal get stolen? The fate of the world is back in the hands of the Dark Lord!" Draco growled, grabbing Chime's arm as she tried to back away from him.

"It wasn't my fault." Chime hissed trying to yank her arm away, only to have Draco tighten his grip.

Draco analyzed all the thoughts rushing through his head. At the top of the list, he was seeing Dumbledore.

"We're going to Dumbledore about this. You now have gotten everyone killed!" he yelled, dragging her out of the room, out the portal, and all the way to the Headmaster's office.

"Sesame Snaps," Draco growled to the gargoyle, which leapt aside to allow them access to the moving staircase up to Dumbledore's office. Draco threw open the door and burst into the room only to notice that the room was a mess. Chime stiffened in his grasp as she surveyed the room.

The desk was turned over, Fawkes' perch on it's side. Several of the portraits were slashed, though all their occupants now sat having tea with other portrait inhabitants.

Draco let go of Chime's arm to look around the office to find the headmaster. Chime rubbed her wrist where Draco had held onto, and began to examine the scene

All was quiet in the room, save for mild murmurings from the old headmasters.

Draco turned suddenly when he heard Chime scream. He rushed over to find her crouching down behind a shredded wardrobe, next to an unconscious Dumbledore, who had a nasty cut on his forehead.

Suddenly, there was a swishing sound behind them, and both Chime and Draco turned to see not only Professor Snape, but also a man in gold robes behind him. The man in the gold robes raised his wand and muttered something inaudible, and purple light shot from the tip- hitting both students squarely and causing everything to go black.

---PLEASE REVIEW! I know it's not the greatest... but this is about the second last chapter. I think.---