A/N: This is my failed attempt to write a chaptered story. I'm more of a one-shot person, but I'm trying! Focuses on Malec, with some ClaryxJace. It's basically what would happen if Clary found Alec's journal. It's gonna be fluffy. Just bear with me 'till we get there.

I'm not sure I'm loving this chapter, but it serves its purpose in that it sets the stage for the rest of the story. It's a bit lighter than I usually write, and I'm not sure if it works.

Oh! Italics are thoughts!

Sorry for the ridiculously long author's note… commence reading!

I've lived here for six weeks, and I still manage to get lost on my way to breakfast. There should be a rune for never getting lost; a Directions rune. Or something like that. Maybe an arrow, with… Clary's musings were interrupted by the whisper of a door gliding against carpet. Barely a month of training had given her a completely different perspective; anything that appeared out of the ordinary, was. And she'd learned enough to know that routine was good, and a breach of it was bad.

I am ninja. I am ninja. I am ninja fox. I am the fox. No one can catch the motherfucking fox.* The mantra, however childish, calmed her enough to realize the noise was simply Alec leaving the room to her left.

"Alec?" He froze. "Where are we?"

The boy's face scrunched up in confusion. "Um… in front of the library. Why?" Clary just gave up. She'd never be able to distinguish between any of the rooms in the labyrinth of the old church.

"I'm so lost! Can you help me find the kitchen?"

"Suuuure…" Although he didn't sound particularly enthusiastic about leading a tour, Alec breezed past her, heading back in the direction she'd come from. After a series of shortcuts through rooms and a maze of hallways, the pair ended up outside the kitchen. They were completely alone. The Lightwood parents were in Idris, Isabelle was sleeping off a hangover from another Downworlder party the night before, and Jace was already in the training room.

The soft plink of cereal on bowl is the only thing filling the void of uncomfortable silence between the not-quite-friends-not-quite-enemies.

In an attempt at conversation: "So, um, what's up Alec?"

"Not much."

"Hmmm…"

Clary tried again after another agonizing, awkward pause. "Got any plans for today?"

"I dunno. I might go over to Magnus's."

"Well," Clary could feel the blood rush to her cheeks in a ferocious blush. "That sounds like… fun." It was Alec's turn to flush.

"Um, yeah. It should be." The implications of his vagueness hit Clary like a ten-ton truck. When her eyes bugged out, they hit Alec as well. Turning an even deeper shade of red, he started to babble, "Oh! Angel, no! We're probably just gonna watch Gilligan's Island or something! We're not…! Oh Angel! No! Nonono!"

It'll probably just be easier to stop talking, shove the Lucky Charms in, and get out. Clary followed her own inner advice. Still trying to chomp down the last flavorless chunks of cereal, (Why did the last bite always seem to be the gross cereal and not the marshmallows?) she excused herself from the table, high tailing it out at the first possible moment.

Not remembering where exactly, but having heard that if you kept a hand on one side of a corn maze, you'd find your way out**, she figured the same logic applied to the Institute. Trailing her hand along the right wall, she followed it deep into the heart of the church.

Pushing open the door to her miniscule bedroom, Clary realized that she was once again mistaken; she was now standing in the library. Could this really be where Alec and I were less than an hour ago? Sticking her head back out the door, it was hard to believe that she'd ever be able to waltz around the Institute like Izzy, Alec and Jace did. The hallways were carbon copies of each other, and no rooms were marked.

Dejectedly, she flopped down onto the worn carpet. OK Clary… you've got two options. 1) Keep following the wall, and hope you find your way back to your bedroom or 2) go sit in the library and kill some time until you can find another escort back to your room. Her utter despondency at the situation and her aching feet played into her decision to stay where she was. Isn't that what they tell lost children to do anyways?

Picking herself up and brushing imaginary dust from her jeans, Clary sighed. As she re-entered the library, she made sure to leave the door open. A passing Shadowhunter was her only chance for salvation.

Idly, she skimmed the floor-to-ceiling shelves. Behind a massive mahogany desk- Hodge's old desk- a set of uniform books caught her eye. Clary pulled out a volume. The black leather of the cover felt smooth on her fingertips, almost like silk. There was no title printed on the outside. Even more curious now, she took a peek at the first page. In slanting, old-fashioned script, the letter M was inked in the top right corner. M? Randomly opening the book to a page in the middle, Clary finally understood.

The page was headed Medusa. One full page was occupied with sketches of a woman with snakes for hair. The other page was simply writing; the same elegant cursive graced the page, giving a complete description and useful information. An encyclopedia of demons!

She flipped through the other pages, staring at the drawings of the monsters like only an artist could.

When the M's were done, she grabbed another from the set. D's. Dragons, Drevaks, Dasas, Dumahs. For the demons she was less familiar with, Clary read the paragraphs about them. She studied Yanluo***, Iblis, Botis, and Chimera. She would have kept going, but her fervor was interrupted.

This book wasn't quite like the others. It was bound in black leather, but it wasn't as smooth or as worn. The pages weren't edged in gold, like the other volumes. No, this wasn't from the same set. Why would someone want to add another book into a demon encyclopedia?

Glancing around- which she wasn't sure why she did in the first place. If someone had come in, she'd have heard them and asked for help. She was defiantly alone in the library.- Clary opened the book. As she read the first few lines, she couldn't help but gasp. By the Angel!

* Looking for Alaska quote…. Anyone recognize it? Yeah, it doesn't really fit, but I've been trying to work in a John Green quote for ages. Nerdfighters for the win!

** It's actually true! It always works!

*** Clockwork Angel allusion!

That was my attempt at a cliff hanger. I leant my copy of City of Bones to a friend, so I couldn't look up the library for reference. Sorry about that! And Alec might have been a bit OOC. If this doesn't make any sense, it's because I don't have a beta and I'm a bit sleep deprived. I haven't had any sleep since I woke up at 5 AM on Thursday morning. Read and Review anyways! I need feedback! The next chapter, which I'm working on as we speak, will be up as soon as possible!