A/N: La la. I have nothing to say. Aren't you all happy about it too.

Just a little time-line update. Somewhere within the next 5-8 chapters we'll get to the Yule Ball. Lots of Tania fun in that little party too.

Anyway, the point is, yes we are making some progress. If you could see my List of Scenes To Be Written you'd know that.

Oh yeah, a quick question: Does anyone want to know what I think Alex and Blaise look like? Cause if so I'll go through the trouble of uploading the pics I've found and posting the URLs for you all.

There were no mixed reactions to go with their mixed success. Instead a quiet, grim determination to "get on with it" infected the conspirators.

But of course none of this could be talked about at table Monday morning for breakfast. And of course, there was little that hadn't been talked to death on Sunday.

The day dawned with a bright warmth that heralded a break in the chill, for which the entire student body was thankful, and little other fanfare. Getting up a little later than usual Alex trooped to the required breakfast as obediently as she did anything. Waiting for her was the usual people, the usual chatter and the usual food.

She ignored a yawn that threatened her 'social face' and chose a seat, then a pear.

"Morning Lex."

"Blaise."

"Alex."

"Draco. Oh and good morning Tania."

Very quietly, "Morning, Alex."

"Anyway…" Alex couldn't think of anything to add and so left her sentence as it was. Silent as ever Greg and Vince joined their 'merry' band of not-so-morning people.

The overall mood wasn't disturbed in the least by the pale flutter of a couple dozen wings. The Daily Prophet had begun to deliver at off times from the rest of the mail. Alex glanced up long enough to see Draco's owl swoop in gracefully before returning to her pear. After all, as a Bellmonte she certainly didn't get her information from a newspaper.

She grinned at her own conceit. A brown barn owl, completely ordinary in everyway so that it was impossible to find any defining marks on it, flew in unnoticed with the rest of the birds. It paused only a second over Alex and dropped it's thick envelope onto the empty plate next to hers before exiting with the rest of the small flock. She didn't have time to do more than split the heavy wax seal before Draco caught her attention with the hint of strain in his voice.

"Listen." It was command and request but it pulled in the attention of every Slytherin in earshot.

Unexplained and Unsolvable

These are the words on everyone's lips. At least those who know. For those of you who don't, I'll explain.

On the quiet end of Knockturn Alley is a small, unassuming shop known as Jackle's. But as unassuming as the establishment is, it's list of clientele is filled with the famous, infamous or both. Among them some of the most known names of our time. And everyone who shopped there knew the owner: a small, unassuming man in his own right was Meleris Jackle.

"Was?" an unidentifiable voice asked, speaking the discrepancy they all recognized instantly.

"Read." Hunter Dethart ordered, silencing any other comments with a stern Look.

Late Sunday afternoon a long-time friend of Jackle's came by to pick up an order of books his daughter had placed and, after ringing the bell several times with no response, went around the back of the building. Once there he saw several set of footprints in the mud. Knowing that Jackle never used the back set of stairs to reach his apartment, as there was another, more convenient set inside, Lord Bellmonte raced in to find the body of his childhood friend sprawled across his bedroom floor.

It was a tragic scene to behold, the infamous, reclusive Lord being supported by his wife as the Ministry Investigators questioned him before a backdrop of the body being removed from the apartment.

"What killed him is unknown," says Coroner Wizard Giri Legunus. "As far as I can tell he was either tortured to death, without the tiniest trace left upon him, body of mind, or he was frightened to death."

The Ministry refuses to give a statement other than saying that "the investigation is underway." And, as usual, no one can reach either of the Bellmontes for comment. Several of his best customers had this to say about the man's untimely death:

Draco looked up from the paper. "The rest is absolute drivel. All quotes from idiots who actually admit to being good customers. Worse this is a minor commentary on the 12th page."

A frown passed its way around the table. Most of them had been to Jackle's at least once. No one had ever disliked the man, which was saying something.

"I was wondering how they managed to get all that past the Ministry. Truth it might be but it isn't exactly the Ministry Line." A pretty seventh year, Tara Cromwell, commented softly.

Alex had a sudden desire to know what was in the large, unmarked, envelope but she was too well trained to open it now. The name Bellmonte had been brought up twice already. If her parents hadn't come forward with the Family Line yet then she wasn't going to get involved.

She carefully slid the package onto her lap and out of sight as around her the table fell into a lively discussion of ways to kill without leaving a mark.

The day went by normally enough. First was a brief stint in Care of Magical Creatures. There was, confusingly, homework handed out at the end of the class. This was an event that had yet to occur this year and as such, certainly surprised quite a few people.

Alex spent her short Lunch break pouring over the "Monster book of monsters" and all other Magical Creature texts as she ate. Homework always coming before personal study…unfortunately.

After that came a rather stressful Transfigurations lesson; the class made stressful merely because there were Gryffindors and cactuses involved. But it was nothing out of the ordinary…and if the unopened envelope in her book back burned in her mind every second of it, well Alex was too well trained to reveal it.

The time between Transfigurations and dinner was absolutely consumed by a frantically methodical scribbling. Indeed most of her Professors would have been amazed at how quickly she turned out her usual O level papers.

Unfortunately she had several, as the planning for a certain weekend fieldtrip had forced her to procrastinate. Ancient Runes, Care of Magical Creatures and History of magic flew from her ink stained fingers. She condensed her notes and wrote up a comprehensive outline for her Potions paper, but Professor Snape knew her work far too well to rush…and as for Arithmancy. Well, it was mostly impossible to rush through Arithmancy anything but the work wasn't due for another three days anyway.

"Don't be late for dinner, if you please." Pansy said over her shoulder as she straightened her hair back to utterly perfect proportions.

Alex straightened up and carefully placed her quill back in it's stand. She picked up a book as she stood. "Here."

Pansy turned and took back her book with a tiny frown.

"Thank you for the loan." Alex said, blithely aware that Pansy had merely left it out, not loaned it to her. That she was getting it back was a thank you for her reminder of the time.

And Pansy knew it. It wasn't why she'd spoken though, the surprise in her eyes said as much. Which brought up the, Why had she said anything, question.

A shrug and a walk later Alex was in the Great Hall dying to race back to her dorm and pull a certain envelope out from under her bed.

"But-" Pansy whispered to herself, staring at the copy of "Magical Mis-uses of Money". Alex Bellmonte didn't reply to her half spoken question. Alexandra Bellmonte was gone. To dinner. Where Pansy should be.

Damn it.

Why had she said anything! If Miss Bellmonte was late to dinner what did it matter to Pansy?

She was new money. She was new blood. She wasn't in Alex's echelon. She wasn't on her level.

Alex had made that much clear on the day she'd walked into the dorm for the very first time after Sorting. Pansy had been the only one who'd arrived, having known no one to chat with in Common Room. She'd taken the bed all the way to the right.

Alex took one look at her and chose the bed all the way on the left.

"Damn it!" she snarled hurling the book onto her bed. "I hate this! I want to go home!"

But home was no refuge for Pansy, and she knew her own stupidity even as she said it.

"Dammit!"

Pansy went down to dinner.

One two three. Alex rapped three times on the door and settled her hands on her hips, waiting impatiently.

One, two, three, four…the door opened, faint light spilled into the pitch-dark hallway and she snapped, "Blaise! I need t-oh."

Vince absently scratched his bare chest as he looked down at her. Stifling a yawn he stepped back and ushered her inside.

Alex fell to blinking rapidly and absolutely refusing to let herself blush. It would seem Arithmancy had taken her longer than she'd thought. All four boys were sleeping, or trying to.

It would also seem that at least the fourth year boys didn't wear shirts to bed.

From what she could see of Greg and Draco, as they both sat up and blinked sleepily, they might be wearing even less.

As Alex was taking in that set of visuals Vince crossed to yet another bed and, reaching into the mass of blankets, grabbed a handful of Blaise's hair. He then used said hair to lever Blaise to a sitting position. From the lack of protest Alex was forced to come to the strange conclusion that it wasn't an unusual occurrence.

"Talk." Vince grunted eloquently, jerking a thumb in Blaise's direction while seeking his own mattress.

Crap! So much for subtleness.

Pulling herself up and calling on her best dimple Alex flashed a brilliant smile. "Hi boys."

There was a chorus of groans and someone unknown(Alex would've put money on Draco) muttered a few interesting words about her, a pillow and a confrontation at high speeds.

Blaise answered her smile with one of his own and climbed out of bed with a groan of, "Alright, Lex I'm coming."

Alex had to blink again. Blaise definitely didn't wear anything to bed. Between that and the sleepy grin she'd just seen Alex began to pray that Tania had a strong heart to her.

A few minutes, and some clothes, later they were in the dimly lit hallway outside the boys' dorms.

"So?" Blaise demanded grumpily.

"Hmph." Alex crossed her arms. "If you're going to be like that about it then I think I'll wait til morning."

"Woman!" Blaise growled warningly. "You just woke me up at…whatever ungodly hour this is! I am standing here, barefoot on this blisteringly cold stone floor for you. Talk!"

"Merlin but you're cute when you're grumpy, Grumpy."

"Clever, Lex." He fought and lost to a yawn. "Ge' on with it!"

She sighed and proffered a thick brown envelope he vaguely remembered her getting at breakfast.

"What's this?" he demanded suspiciously even as he took and pulled out a sheaf of papers.

"It would seem, that my parents decided to include me in family business again." Alex wrinkled her nose. "It would seem the death of Jackle is now family business. If the Ministry doesn't solve it we will."

"And…" Blaise trailed off, his question answered as he flipped through the papers, which included copies of the coroner's report, all the notes from all aspects of the investigation and several pages written in Lady Bellmonte's familiar hand detailing a list of possible suspects, motives and means.

"See anything you like?" Alex teased.

"Lex."

"What?"

"You said this was family business."

"Yes I did. What's your point?" she settled back on her heels and frowned at him.

"Why are you showing this to me?"

A glare joined the frown. "You're family." She stated ferociously.

"Your parent gave you permission to include me?"

The flash in her green eyes answered his question quite adequately even as Alex repeated, "You're Family!"

"So," Blaise suddenly felt very tired. Gods the girl was exhausting. "do you want to go over this now?"

"No." Alex looked profoundly disappointed. "We're going to have to dance our way out of this one anyway. We'll talk later, when your room mates aren't counting the minutes."

"Gotcha." Blaise covered another yawn. "What should we tell them."

"I had a nightmare."

"You don't look like you've been asleep and if you really had a nightmare we'd lie to cover it up."

"Fine! Umm…" Alex yawned and glared at Blaise again.

He sighed. Of course it was his fault she'd yawned. He carefully replaced the papers into the envelope and handed it back to her. "You had a question about your Ancient Runes homework that's due tomorrow."

"So I'm behind in my schoolwork. Sure. Why not." she shook her head and hugged him.

"Night Lex." He whispered, holding her close.

"Night Blaisey-boy."

He dropped a quick kiss on her hair and disappeared back into his dorm.

A/N: There it is. Isn't it pretty?

Now please excuse me. MyBox Set of all of the Gundam Wing episodes just arrived in today's mail I need ot go watch them.