Hark, hark, a new chapter has come! Sorry it took so long, my muse finally came, so I had to write the rest of it too. It's coming, just three more chapters! As always, I'd like to thank those that review, silentC and JB, you guys are very encouraging. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this chapter.

The adventure with Severus on Christmas was disconcerting. He seemed so happy to whisk me off to be alone, but than pushed me out within two seconds of finding the bracelet. I walked to my original destination and took a basket of toast upstairs. I didn't eat any, just left them in the common room, retreating to my room.

An hour or so later, a knock on my door rang through my eyes. "Come on in, it's always open!" I yelled, not moving from my place from in front of the fire. Gingerly, almost timidly, Hermione came in, tears streaking down her unusually pale face.

I jumped up and ran to close the door behind her. She then collapsed in my arms, forcing me to drag her to the bed. I stroked her hair, rocking back and forth, humming softly to comfort her.

After several minutes later, I asked, "Do you mind telling me what happened?" She nodded yes, but it took her a few more minutes to answer.

"He dumped me!" she wailed between sobs. I didn't need further explanation. My mind ran at a million miles a minute; what to do with Hermione, what to do with Severus, what this all had to do about yesterday, the bracelet. First, deal with Hermione than think.

"Harry!" I screamed, my voice reverberating against the stone walls. The thick steps of the newly awakened came trumping down into my room. Harry and Ron, both still in pajamas, came bursting in through the door.

"Wha?" he asked, very intelligently, through half open eye lids.

Taking Hermione in my arms, I instructed them to take her to her room and comfort her while I thought. Obediently, if not understanding, they complied. I sat, alone, on Christmas, thinking about what Severus' actions meant. For the rest of the day, I thought.

Vacation ended and still I thought, avoiding being alone with Severus. January ended and I was still thinking. What could this have to do with anything? Did I even want to know?

Valentine's day finally came and Draco, feeling long forgotten in my lack of thinking about him, decided that we had to do something romantic. "Make yourself up," he told me, as excited as any little boy would be. So, I made myself up. The whole nine yards, make up, hair, a dress, I even abandoned my gun in my dresser for the night.

At the instructed time, "roughly sevenish" were his exact words, I left the tower. All eyes were not on me as I left, but on the eyes of their lovers. Harry and Hermione sat in front of the fire holding each other while Ron and Lavender sat next to them, looking out the window. I sighed at them, those crazy kids. Wasn't it just two months ago that Hermione was sobbing in my arms?

I turned down twisting halls and up winding stairs to the Astronomy tower. My eyes were alight with the many candles, suspended in mid-air. Soft, gentle music played in the background as an extravagant dinner sat in the foreground, with a red and white checkered table clothe, two chairs on opposite ends and Draco, waiting.

He smiled when he saw my surprise. "I thought we needed a boost, you know?" I did know. I took my place (sans word) and we ate together, politely chatting, avoiding the things we really wanted to say. But as dinner winded down, the things had to be said.

"Do you really have to kill yourself like this?" he asked, not looking me in the eye. I was stunned at his brashness.

"I'm not killing myself, I'm defending what's good in the world," I stated calmly. Almost too calm.

"But what if the good needed you here?" he questioned quietly, finally meeting my gaze.

I sighed. This was why I wasn't suppose to have friends. "Draco, sometimes the good doesn't know that it's protector has to die for it to be safe. Do you think I want to leave you all behind?" It was my turn to look away from his eyes.

Slowly, he got up and moved around the table. Kneeling down he said the words that I had been hoping to hear since I arrived. "You're going to beat him, I just know it. You're going to grow old and he's going to be dead. You are better than him." My cool veneer clasped and I cried into his shoulder. He continued, "Dumbledore once told us that we'll all have to choose between what is right and what is easy. Unfortunately, that fell to you, my dear, sweet, lovely Jen."

In the benefit of hindsight, I think it was here that I started to love him.