A/N: Okay, so here's Ch21, hope the wait wasn't too unbearable. I'd like to say thank you to my lovely reviewers for encouraging me to continue with this story. You may notice that there's lyrics at the beginning of this chapter, and if you go through all previous chapters you'll find them there also. I thought this was a nice little addition to the storyline, so enjoy!

Now, the first half of this chapter I owe all to my reviewer Marina and my bestie Countess Sia. The situation credit goes to the former and most of the dialogue to the latter.

I'm also going to use this author's not to do some advertising. I wrote a nice little smut fic involving George and Oliver that you guys should check out if you like slash and such called Bottom of the Bottle. Also, if you're not reading Countess Sia's fic, Behind The Crimson Door, well you probably fucking should be xD

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that I did not make-up.

Chapter 21 – An Afternoon Alone

I wouldn't know what to do with another chance
If you gave it to me
I couldn't take the embrace of a real romance
It's race right through me
I'm much better off the way things are
Much much better if, better by far, by far

(The Way Things Are by Fiona Apple)

I managed to grab some gifts for my family before we left the mall. I wasn't sure if the whole ordeal was a success or an emotional disaster so I tried not to think too intensely on it. I still had about two weeks to go before the return to school; it was too early for me to blow up yet.

I got through the next few days well enough. Draco kept mostly to himself and my cousins frequent visits kept me nicely preoccupied. The Slytherin continued to be nothing but courteous to my family. My parents were often raving about his good manners which usually had me huffing in annoyance as he soaked up the compliments. I could use a lot of words to describe Draco Malfoy, but "well-mannered" was not one of them.

I sat snuggled up on the couch, an old episode of the Powerpuff Girls on the TV and a stack of Oreos on the table beside me. It was early afternoon, none of my family seemed to be around and I'd decided to be lazy. I had wondered briefly why my own parents had left me alone in the house with Draco, but they probably thought him such a damn gentleman that he'd never try anything. I knew he wasn't much of a gentleman, even if his family was upper class, but I wasn't about to let him try something anyways. I'd been down that road before and even though there was a sexy devil at the end of it, I wasn't a fan of the aftermath.

I pulled apart an Oreo, licking the filling in true Oreo-eating style (that's how they did it in the commercials!) just as Mojo-Jojo revealed another evil plot to destroy the young superheroes. I was one for simple pleasures really.

"Is that some kind of muggle ritual or something?" came a voice from the doorway. Even if we hadn't been the only two in the house, I knew his voice. It sent shivers down my spine in a most disconcerting way.

"What?" I asked, rather confused by his question. Was he talking about the TV show? He pointed to the cookie that I was pulling apart.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes Draco, see if you take it apart just right it becomes a potent aphrodisiac."

His eyes bore into my with that intense way that he had, like he wasn't sure what to make of my comment.

"Geez, Draco, I was kidding. Calm down," I said. "Idiot pureblood," I added under my breath.

"I am not an idiot," he said defiantly, leaning against the doorframe lazily. The look he shot me dared me to challenge his statement. I wasted no time in obliging to the dare.

"Seeing as you traveled halfway across the globe with no reason that you can even think of, to crash my holiday, sorry if I lack some faith in your brilliance."

He scowled at me, something I noticed he did when he was annoyed but otherwise lost for words. I pushed myself off the couch. I didn't want to deal with him right now.

"Where are you going?" he asked briskly as I moved past him.

"To take a shower, do you have a problem with that?"

He didn't say anything so I continued on my way, heading up the stairs to the bathroom down the hall from my room. I could use a refreshing wash and it was the only place I knew the Slytherin Prince could not come bother me. I shut the door of the bathroom and leaned against it with a sigh. I was overdosing on Malfoy and I wasn't sure what to do about it. He was like a potent drug being forced down my throat. Or up my nostrils. Or however it is people take their drugs.

I started the shower and let the water warm up, enjoying the steam that quickly filled the small room. I stripped off the clothes I'd been wearing and stepped under the man-made waterfall, letting myself relax. It was the one place that Draco didn't exist these days. He was in my house, my thoughts, my dreams, but he wasn't in my shower. Not yet. Yet! What kind of harebrained thought was that? More like never! Draco Malfoy would never be in my shower, at least not with me in it. The thought of showering Draco was of course now implanted within my mind and thinking about it made me shudder. I wished the shudder was in revulsion, but I knew that wasn't true.

I could not let my mind go down that road. Ever. Not even for a short stroll. Hell, not even to cross over that road to get to another one. It was just not happening.

I picked up my sponge, determined not to think of the stony-eyed blonde devil anymore. I needed a distraction. Sing! That was it; I'd be like all those terrible clichés and sing in the shower. It was a favourite pastime of mine, and I was confident that Draco wouldn't be able to hear it all the way downstairs. I racked my brain for a song I knew by heart. There were quite a few actually, and I finally settled on Joss Stone's Fell In Love With A Boy.

Did my song choice have anything to do with the Slytherin in my living room? I chose not to think about it, pushing the niggling question from my head.

"Fell in love with a boy, I fell in love once and almost completely."

The pounding of the water on my back felt amazing as I let myself sink into the song. I hated singing in front of others (like when Fred and George tried to get me to do karaoke) but it was something I really quite enjoyed when by myself. It helped me release stress, something that I desperately needed to do.

"He's in love with the world, and sometimes these feelings can be so misleading. He turns and says 'are you alright?' Oh I must be fine cause my heart's still beating."

I massaged shampoo into my hair, soap dripping down me, oblivious to anything else.

"Come and kiss me by the riverside, Sarah says it's cool, she don't consider it cheating."

I even sang the "ooh's" as I moved onto conditioner, fairly confident that my voice was fading into the sound of the water around me.

"Red hair with a curl, mellow roll for the flavour and the eyes were peepin'. Can't stay away from the boy, the two sides of my brain need to having a meeting."

I chose not to think about how those last two lines reminded me of my ever-complicated relationship with Draco.

"Can't think of anything to do, my left brain knows all love is fleeting. He's just looking for something new, I said it once before but it bears repeating."

I was just moving back into the "ooh's" when I heard a voice from by the door, not nearly muffled enough to suggest said door was closed.

"You sing very well."

I let out a gasp of surprise at the sound of the easily definable British accent.

"Malfoy what the BLOODY HELL is WRONG with you!? I'm not wearing any clothes for god's sake!" I practically shrieked, peeking my head out of the shower and firmly holding the shower curtain to the wall. I didn't need to give a show to the inconsiderate prat.

His eyes widened in panic, as if he had just now realized what he'd done. He turned around quickly so that he was facing the door. At least he'd have the decency to look away.

"I'm so sorry," he said hurriedly. "I heard singing so I came to check and I forgot what I was doing…" His voice trailed off as I studied his back curiously.

"That's the third time you've said sorry to me," I said, rather forgetting that I was naked and dripping wet.

"I… what?"

I rolled my eyes. Boy, was he dense sometimes. I chose to drop the subject however. "You could have knocked you know."

"You could have locked the door," he said tightly, hints of his usual steeliness sinking into his voice.

"I'm in the shower!" I sputtered. "Which in case you didn't know, generally involves being naked!"

I saw him tense a bit. "I'm rather aware of that thanks."

"Now you're aware of that! You're lacking some serious common sense in my opinion!"

"Now you listen here," he said angrily, whirling around to face me.

I let out another shriek, wrapping the shower curtain tightly around my soaking wet body. Maybe if I blew out his ear drums he'd leave me alone.

"Bloody hell woman! Who you be quiet!" he shouted over me, face twisted in annoyance at my high-pitched performance. I had to admit, even I was impressed with my vocals.

"I will do no such thing you damn ferret!" I replied loudly.

His eyes narrowed at my choice of insult. "Pick up a few cutting remarks from Potty and the Weasel then?"

I glowered, desperately trying not to look too deeply into those fiery mercury eyes. I spent a lot of my time trying not to do that I realized. But now would definitely not be a good time to succumb to his charms, especially since I was, as I said before, not wearing any clothes.

"I saw the incident myself Malfoy. Just because you chose not to acknowledge me until this year doesn't mean that I did not exist."

He opened and closed his mouth, an action that slightly reminded me of a fish. He didn't seem to know how to reply to that statement.

I sighed. "If you don't mind I'm going to finish my shower now." I pulled the curtain shut, letting the hot water run down me and rinse away the conditioner still in my hair. I grabbed my sponge and scrubbed myself in a rather angry fashion. I heard the bathroom door shut and I resisted the urge to punch the wall.

It was true; Draco had not known that I walked the planet for four years of being in the same classes. It shouldn't have hurt so much, but it did. A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly whipped it away. But it didn't matter because no matter how much I told myself that it didn't matter, I couldn't keep myself from sobbing into the patter of the water coming down around me.

A/N: Tada! What did you guys think? Drop a review, I thrive on them. Next chapter is Christmas in which presents and such are exchanged. Be excited! xD