In the center of the desk, a leather-bound diary sat in perfect stillness. Though it had been handled with excess care, the spine was broken and the pages yellowed. A beam of light caught on it. The book seemed to glow.

'...Well? '

Dazai blinked out of his silent musings. He turned to Draco, who was watching him with an anxious expression.

'Well what? '

Draco huffed, then kicked forward until he was just a foot away from the desk. Despite the edge to his whole demeanor, however, Dazai noticed he made a point to not get too close to Ginny 's diary. 'What now? Getting the diary is what my father wants from you, right? We 're done now? '

'Are you going to have Featherbrain ship that to your boss? ' Blaise asked.

'Even though we 're pretty sure this is what Lucius wants... ' Dazai trailed off with a hum. He leaned forward on a palm, deep in thought. Usually, Dazai wasn 't one to hesitate about conclusions like this. But...