The steady downpour that had plagued me upon my apparation into Paris had slowed to a light drizzle by the time Malfoy and I exited the restaurant. The last of the guests had gone long before, and the long line of carriages that had been waiting to whisk away one wealthy patron or another had dwindled to just two.

A cherry wood one with gold ornamentation that I took to be Fleur's because of the crest (a beautiful woman holding a lily). The other one was unmistakably Malfoy's. All black except for the windows which were curtained in steel gray that perfectly matched Draco's eyes when he was angry.

It was surprising what an attractive color it was. When it wasn't on Malfoy, of course.

He lead me to the carriage, then opened the door for me, and I was on the verge of thanking him for his gentlemanly behavior, when he stepped in before me, made himself comfortable on one of the seats, and opened a bottle of champagne he must have slipped off at some point, and told the driver to have chilled. Or, more likely, he hadn't ordered the champagne especially for this evening, as there were two glasses sitting next to the ice bucket. With a snort, I climbed in, wondering how many women he'd driven around in this carriage, and whether the driver had a standing order to keep champagne chilled for 'Master Malfoy' and his lady friends, or if he was simply anticipating his employer's needs.

Not that it mattered… not that I cared, or anything. In fact, I was just dying to get back to our hotel so that I could shower, and get some sleep.

At the thought I had to give a laugh. Imagine explaining that statement to Harry and Ron.I pictured Harry's face, ashen, and slack-jawed as he muttered "bugger me sideways," some other such phrase of astonishment, and tried to decide if there was another way of interpreting the phrase 'our hotel,' that didn't have anything to do with Malfoy and I staying in the same Hotel. Ron, on the other hand, would screw his face up in distaste, saying 'see, I told you it was a date.'

The whole mental image was a bit too much, and I couldn't repress a chuckle.

Of course, Malfoy took it all wrong. Turning his face to me, as he tipped his glass upside down to catch the last golden drops of liquid, he scowled slightly. "what, may I ask, is it that you find so amusing, Granger?"

"You may ask," I replied, as I stepped up into the interior, and settled myself opposite him, in a seat upholstered in charcoal velvet. In fact, the interior of the carriage was all done in shades of blues and grays. It had a very… tranquil feel. I was amused that Malfoy would choose to decorate anything tranquilly.

"You," he grinned, "are too coy tonight." He settled back into his seat as we started to move, and regarded me with a sly smile. "It's really quite unlike you."

"Don't be silly, Malfoy. I meant to answer you, but I was struck dumb by the interior of this carriage." I indicated around me with a sweep of my hand.

"Is that what it takes to shut you up?"

"Ass, I only meant that it has an almost relaxing feel… I never would have pegged you for the type."

He chuckled, "I'm not. You can thank Fleur for the color scheme. She decorated this carriage."

Fleur again. "She seems to do a lot for you. Events coordinator, interior designer…" and part-time lover, I'd wager. God, aside from her looks, her intelligence, and her ability to mesmerize weak-minded men with her Veela charms, what did so many guys see in her?

I had the sudden urge to strangle myself on the curtain string.

Malfoy only chuckled, his eyes twinkling amusement. "Jealous Granger?"

"No," I returned flatly.

"Don't worry, I promise you can decorate the next one."

"Gee, thanks… wow, what an honor," I deadpanned.

"You might not enjoy it, but I bet you'd be and excellent decorator… despite the rather unfortunate state of your flat."

"No one asked you to come to my flat, did they?"

"You have a complex," he went on, as though I hadn't spoken. "You're a compulsive overachiever. I think you're incapable of giving less than 100 in anything. Perhaps it's out of a need to prove yourself, or fill the empty void in your life…"

"That is quite enough, Mr. Pop-psychology."

"I suppose I should know better than to goad someone in such a fragile mental state, you never know when they are going to snap," he illustrated this with a snap of his long, deft fingers.

"It's never stopped you before, Malfoy."

"You know me too well, Granger."

"Know thy enemy."

"Sound advice," he conceded with a nod, "how would you like the chance to get to know me even better?" he asked, offering me the glass of champagne he'd just poured.

I sensed danger in his smile, and my inner voice was telling me to tread with caution. I declined him with a nervous shake of my head.

He broke into a low chuckle that raised goose bumps along my arms. And not proper, fearful goose bumps, but shamefully excited goose bumps. I flushed to rival a Weasley.

"Granger, Granger, Granger," he said, his tone mock-admonishing, "What am I going to do with you, huh?"

What indeed? "Don't even think about it," I advised him.

"Think about what?" he asked, grey eyes wide with mock-innocence, while a contrasting sly smile played upon his lips. While I watched, they twisted themselves into an 'O' of faux realization. "My, my, Granger, what a deliciously dirty little mind you have. Such a pleasant surprise! But unfortunately, my Beautiful, this is still a business trip, and I'm afraid that such… activities are out of the question, so mind out of the gutter."

"Malfoy," I growled dangerously, "first of all, you know that's not what I meant, and second of all, since when have you been concerned about separating business and pleasure." He opened his mouth, and I just knew I wasn't in the mood to handle whatever it was that was about to come out of it. I mean, for god's sake, I'd just spent hours being more or less civil to him, the last thing I needed was to deal with more of his bullshit.

"Get to the point," I ordered.

Malfoy's grin did not waver. "Relax, Granger, this is called 'playful banter,' and I find that many women enjoy it."

"Your playful banter is meant only to mock," I replied with a snort, "besides, I have no wish to engage you in playful anything. Usually, when you get playful, it means that you've just found a new and interesting way to humiliate, and/or annoy me."

"Suspicious girl," he intoned, his voice now low, and soothing, and dangerously enjoyable.

"Of you? Always."

"I only wondered if you might like to join me for a drink before we head off to bed."

I laughed. Well, what else was I supposed to do? I mean, this was Malfoy "Why, in God's name, would you think that subjecting ourselves to each other any further would be a good idea? I don't think-"

"That's it, Granger, don't think. Just come to the hotel lounge with me, sit down, order something feminine and fruity, and sip it while I sit across from you. I'll even be on my best behavior."

"Your best behavior?" I asked with a snort. He narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Draco Malfoy's best behavior. What exactly does that mean?"

"You," he informed me with amusement, "are an awfully surly little girl."

"In that case, why do you even want me there?"

He gave me a half smile, "because, I want another drink before bed, and there's nothing quite so lonely as drinking alone. The experience should be reserved for the very old, the very depressed, and the very heart-broken."

"Oh, I can't imagine you'd be alone for long. One flash of your pocket book, and the jackals would be upon you," I sneered.

"No need to get nasty just because women have the unfortunate habit of throwing themselves at my feet."

"Hmph," seemed the only appropriate reply to that statement.

"Does that mean you'll come?"

"God, you're relentless… alright, fine! I needed to talk to you about Ridgeback anyway."

"Alright," he said, drinking the glass of champagne he'd poured, and giving me a smile. "I suppose that's fair. You give me something I want, I give you something you want."

"Except that the thing that I want, I only want because I need it to do the job you gave me."

"Touché," He threw his hands up in mock surrender. Then poured himself another glass.

"Um… Malfoy… don't you think you should… slow down a bit? We are going to go out for a drink after all."

He drained his glass with flourish, "no harm in helping it along," he informed me.

"Perhaps," I said, in a tone I'll admit was a bit snotty, "you should answer my questions now, before you're too far gone to string together words, and form sentences."

"Granger, it would take more than half a bottle of champagne, and a few glasses of wine to make me incomprehensible."

"You're already incomprehensible."

"Then how will you know the difference?"

"God, you're infuriating!" I informed him.

"I thought I was incomprehensible," he replied in feigned confusion.

"The two are not" I growled "mutually exclusive."

He raised an eyebrow, but set his glass down, untouched. "You want to ask me, ask me."

"Who is Serena Geranium."

He froze.

"What."

"Who is..."

"I know what you said," he spoke over me, "But I don't understand how you managed to get that name."

I got that on the right track tingle again. "does it matter where the information came from?"

"I fucking told Cletis to clean out that old file cabinet." The change in his personality was startling. I admit that I'd been in rare form since he stepped into the carriage, and he'd handled it in stride, never once loosing his cool, or that faint edge of amusement. He was no longer amused.

"Who is she?"

"She was an employee, I fired her. End of story."

"That's motive," I said.

"Jesus, Granger, and you called me relentless. Look, it wasn't Serena Geranium, alright. You'd do well to just save you're time. And pay attention for once. Serena couldn't have done this."

"Serena?" Was she another of his… his… "So cozy with her? Must have known her pretty well."

"No, I didn't, as a matter of fact. We barely knew each other."

He barely knew her? God, that only made it worse. "God you're disgusting."

"Me? What the hell are you talking about, Granger?"

"She was just another one of your disposable dolls, wasn't she? Like your never ending stream of assistants. God you make me sick."

"I make you sick?" he laughed, and his voice was cold; seeming to say 'why should I care about that?'. "why is that?"

"You use them to fill that empty space on the bed next to you, so that you can have a warm body to lie beside. So that you can forget the fact that you lead an empty, meaningless life; you're a bully and no one loves you." It may have been the cruelest thing I've ever said, and I hope that I never say anything more hurtful.

I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd struck me. But I should have known better. He did muck worse.

He spoke, his voice was hollow and exposed, and the sound of it reached into my chest, and closed it's fist around my heart."

"Yes," he said, "is that so wrong? For one person to loose themselves in another, and forget for one moment how fucking alone they are? Jesus Christ, Granger, you might want to try it yourself sometime, and give the rest of us a break."

"Christ, Malfoy… I'm sorry. I didn't mean… I shouldn't have said that. It was…"

"True? I've never lied to any of the women I've slept with. They've always known that for me, they were just temporary. And I've never lied to myself either. They were there because they were a bit of fun. That's all. But I've always said that when I was ready to" and he pulled a face here, like a ten-year-old confronted with a much despised piece of broccoli, "settle down, I mean that once I'm ready to start making promises to someone, I'm not going to break them."

He was acting all too serious. I couldn't remember ever seeing him that way. "Malfoy?"

"Forget it… perhaps I have had a bit too much to drink. On second thought, I'll take your advice and take a pass on that drink."

I sighed with relief as his mood turned to something more like normal. "Finally, some sensible talk," I tried to be sharp, but my voice shook a little, and I was almost positive he heard me.

"Usually all the sensible talk comes from you. Are you jealous, Granger?"

"Prat." I informed him, as the rocking of the carriage slowed.

"I really did barely know her." And he smiled as I quirked an eyebrow at that, "And no, I didn't sleep with her either. For fuck sake Granger, if you'd done your research you would have known that Serena Geranium was nearly 15 years older than us. And she wasn't really my type." He grinned, "her hair was too fucking bushy."

My quirked eyebrow came down to furrow with its mate, as I gave him a scowl.

"Looks good on you, though." He said, smiling crookedly as the carriage stopped altogether. He hesitated for a moment. Before sliding from his seat, and pressing something into my hand.

"your key," his breath was wine sweet, and I could feel it on the skin of my cheek as he pulled his mouth back from my ear. "I'll be right next door if you need anything."

And then he did the most shocking thing of all. He pressed a chaste kiss into my forehead, and disapparated with a crack.

I didn't move from the spot until the driver came back to see that everything was alright.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

I groaned, and buried my face into my pillow.

Nope, that didn't work.

I tried pulling the coverlet up over my head, and stuffing the pillow over my ears…

That was a bust as well.

With an exasperated sigh, I sat up in bed. There really was nothing for it, I thought, and gritted my teeth. And then I thought 'God damn him, he knew I was supposed to get up early tomorrow,' but how was anyone supposed to sleep with the enthusiastic moans drifting through the walls. French moans, I realized, as I pressed my ear to the wall.

Fleur maybe? Or maybe just some random hussy he'd picked up in the hotel bar. I wondered briefly when he'd found the time, after our conversation. But then again, I supposed Malfoy made it a point to find the time.

Well, whatever his habits, there was no way I was letting him keep me up!

With a huff, I was out of bed, and pounding on the connecting door.

"Cast a silencing charm, at least, you inconsiderate, fu- oh, fuck"

I was cut short, as he ripped the door open. I was unfortunately leaning on it at the time, and so I came spilling into his room, landing in a heap on the floor.

"Ow" I managed, but I didn't move to pick myself back up just yet.

"Granger, are you alright"

With the door open, the noise was much louder, and, as Malfoy was in front of me (I was practically laying on his feet) and obviously not involved in any… um… rigorous activities, I wondered about that for a moment, until I saw the flickering light from the television set.

"Oh" was all I could say. I had to wonder what the odds were that I'd walk in on two different men, neither of whom I was dating, watching porn in a week.

"Um… You know there's a volume adjust setting on that thing." I couldn't believe I'd just said that, especially since all I really wanted to do was sink into the floor. And I thought it was embarrassing when it was just Harry…

My mind went back to that moment just before he dissapparated from the carriage, and I had to wonder if perhaps I had imagined it. He certainly didn't act like there was anything wrong, and surely, if he'd … you know… kissed me, well something would be wrong.

But then again, perhaps I'd read too much into it. Perhaps he was just tipsy, and feeling, er, friendly, and well… it was a stupid reason to lie awake for hours. The fact of the matter was, that if I'd been able to get myself to sleep an hour and a half ago, then I'd never have heard his… his… adult movie.

"Malfoy… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, er, barge in like this. It's just that…"

He leaned against the doorframe, and regarded me with amusement. "It's really alright, Granger. I see what's going on here… you find me irresistible."

I gasped in shock, "you arrogant little ponce! On the contrary, I find you quite resistible." I informed him.

"Is that so?" his voice was light, and amused, and edged with a challenge.

I let the look in my eyes speak for me, 'I am not in the mood for your games.'

Apparently something was lost in the translation, because a moment later, he had me caged between his arms, his palms spread against the door he'd closed so fast I hadn't even registered his movements. His breath fanned my face as the ever present moans drifted over from the television set.

He was unphased as he moved forward. "Granger," he breathed a split second before his lips came down on mine.

I think that he was just as surprised as I was. He looked so confused when he pulled his head back again.

I didn't really have time to find out, though, as the moment my hand found the door handle, I yanked it open and stepped back into my own room.

I barely got a wink of sleep for the rest of the night, although there were no more noises from next door. I spent the long hours, watching the door, which I didn't lock. He didn't so much as try the handle. Finally just before dawn, I fell into a restless sleep, and again, I dreamed of hands.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Ah… the much anticipated kiss. Well, wonder what's going to happen now, don't you?

Anyway, I've gotten quite a few reviews from people with theories about Omen. I have very specific ideas about what he is, and up until now, I've sort of left his nature ambiguous, but I was just wondering what people thought about him.

Also of course, I'm always glad to hear constructive criticism, though it may be a while before I act on some of them (revisions are being done, but unless there's something I really hate about the chapter, I usually don't get around to posting revisions, because I never find myself done revising) too bad though, because writing is re-writing, and I definitely consider the peer-review stage an integral part of the process.

Anyway, special thanks to mouse, who gave me a heads up on an update for a fic I've been following on AFF called Dragon's Bride… for mature audiences only, though, guys. All I can say is you must either be the author of the fic, or pay really close attention to who's reviewing what you read.

Oh, and of course, standard begging for Plastraa to update any of her stories… come on, it's been forever!