A/N: Wow, it has been awhile. I've missed you guys! I apologize for the delay but life has been and continues to be very busy. I seriously don't have any time to write right now, which is rather unfortunate. Like, it took me four days to write and post this chapter when I can usually write an entire chapter and get it posted in about an hour or two of one day. But anyways, at least I'm not one of those people who abandons their stories for six months, or a year, or several years, so let's be thankful for that. A huge thank you to everyone who stuck to me and kept reading. Many thanks to:

BigBird: Wow, thank you so much. I'm so glad you like it. I really enjoy replying to every review. For one thing, there are so many interesting people out there who have lots of interesting things to say and it's great to communicate with them. For another, replying to everyone individually makes it a lot more personal. In each reply, I'm talking to one person and one person only and I think people can appreciate that. Also, unfortunately, some authors out there think themselves superior to their readers, which I don't think is right at all. If anything, authors are a little inferior to the reviewers. As a writer, all I'm doing is creating something and then putting it out there and whatever the readers say determines and show's me whether or not the story's any good. But in replying to everyone, I find that it kind of puts us all on the same level because really, all I'm doing is having a bunch of conversations and I really like the equality of it. Anyways, I'm done babbling for that part. I'm worried that what I just wrote makes no sense whatsoever. It does in my head but I always struggle to find the words to explain things properly. Ah well. Whenever something doesn't make sense, you just try to find new words and different approaches until it does.

Goodness, what a compliment! Those three qualities are what I strive for in my writing and to be told I am all in them in such an early stage in my writing is completely… indescribable. I thank you so much. I'm already working on books and such but I never seem to get very far. It's my dream to become a published author and to make a living off of it. It's all I've ever wanted to do. Lol, that's a good point. If I do ever make it, my book with be under my name but I'll be sure to put 'also known as horseluver18' under it and then thank all my FF readers in the acknowledgements. Thanks so much for the review. You just made my century.

Hmm, the only anonymous review for today? Off to the story then! Chapter 13!

Chapter 13: Withdrawal

I missed him. That went without saying. Actually, miss isn't the right word. I craved him in all forms: physically, emotionally, mentally. I craved him like a junkie craves their drug. One didn't see a lot of that kind of thing in the wizarding world; our drugs are usually potions, various concoctions that accomplish various things. But I knew all about the hardcore drugs of the muggle world. People addicted to drugs like heroine and cocaine were topics I found fascinating, especially now that I felt like one of them. I felt like a drug addict going through withdrawal and I didn't like it one bit.

I shouldn't have been missing him. I knew it then and I know it now. The more I thought about it, the more Draco seemed like a drug to me. The highs with him were so sweet but the lows were some of the hardest things I've ever experienced, including my months of abuse. He was bad for me, I knew it, but, oh Merlin, it felt so good.

I hadn't seen him in two weeks. It was double the amount of time I'd been with him before our break up. It was alarming, really, to realize that it had taken just over a week for me to become oddly reliant on him. It wasn't logical that I needed him, which upset me, because logic is something I have always cherished. I had everything I needed: great friends, boys interested in me, excellent grades. Speaking rationally, there wasn't a thing in the world I should have needed him for. But love, lust and attraction are three things that don't bow down to rationality or time or request. It was then just a matter of figuring out exactly which of the three I felt for Draco.

Draco. Even thinking his name made me shiver. My time without him just wasn't as sweet. I began paying less attention to things like friends, schoolwork and eating again. My friends noticed, of course. Well, Ginny noticed, at least. But I shrugged it off, just as I always have.

It wasn't just that I missed him, his body, his voice, his touch. I was still so curious about him. I hardly knew a thing about the boy I liked. Basically all I knew was that he had a gripping past and that did absolutely nothing but make me want to know even more.

When I saw him again he looked so bloody good that I wanted to jump his bones right then and there, and that kind of behavior is the polar opposite of my own. I couldn't help it, though. He was dressed casually. He wore trousers and a loose, white shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, revealing creamy, muscular skin. His white blonde hair wasn't gelled but left down and natural. The soft strands graved his intense silver eyes and well defined cheek bones.

I couldn't help but stare. I was standing at the top of a staircase in an empty hall when he emerged. I knew he was very deep in thought by the pronounced frown on his face and the darkness of his eyes. He didn't seem to notice me and walked right past, down the stairs. I watched him go, expecting him to disappear from sight in a matter of seconds when suddenly, he stopped.

"Is there a reason you're ogling me, Granger?"

The sudden deep sound shattering the silence of the hall startled me and sent tingles throughout my body. I didn't stutter, though.

"Ogling?" I repeated scornfully. "Hardly. Don't flatter yourself, Malfoy."

He turned to face me and smirked.

"Quick as ever," he said, tilting his head and continuing to grin.

"Oh, wipe that look off your face," I said, rolling my eyes.

By now, he was returning back up the stairs. He approached me with an almost predatory look on his face. He stopped only when he was less than an inch from me.

"Maybe you should do it for me," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear. He gently traced the side of my face with his hand and kissed the skin under my ear, his tongue lightly creating patterns on my flesh. I couldn't help but shiver.

"Am I the only one who makes you tremble?" he murmured.

I debated denying it but eventually nodded my head.

"Good," he said, his voice still low. "That's how it should be. And to think, with only one kiss. I wonder how much I could make you tremble if I had but a little more time."

"We're broken up," I whispered, my voice shaking slightly. "You shouldn't be… saying those things and… doing those things when we're broken up."

"Ah, yes," he chuckled, sending vibrations through my skin. "Why is that again?"

"A lot of different things," I said. "It was a nasty break up."

"Oh, it wasn't all that bad," he said. "We did do some nasty things, though…"

"Draco!" I scolded. "Don't say things like that!"

He only chuckled again. "Apologies, love."

He wasn't sorry at all.

By that time, he hand had slowly moved and was caressing the soft skin of my lower back while continuing to kiss me.

"Well, maybe we shouldn't have split," he said thoughtfully.

"Draco, all we did was fight," I sighed.

"That's not all we did," he whispered.

"Okay, that's enough," I said firmly, stilling his hand. "You need to stop. Go do whatever you need to do. Just leave me alone."

He was still laughing. "What? Am I getting you all hot and bothered?"

"Go."

"Whatever you say, Granger," he laughed, turning and leaping down the stairs. I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. As much as I hated to admit it, he had definitely gotten to me.

Draco's taunts didn't end there. They came at unexpected times, so they always caught me unprepared. A heated kiss here, a lingering touch there. It was all driving me crazy. I hated that he had control over me. He kept giving me tastes of what it was I was missing when I knew moving on was what was best for me, and he thought he could just get away with it. I didn't understand the child. We fought all the time when we were together but the second we were broken up, he was back to being the old, playful Draco. It had to stop.

One day, he went further than usual. As the Slytherins and Gryffindors trouped grudgingly to Potions class, he slipped out of the shadows and pressed me up against a freezing dungeon wall. Before I could protest, he kissed me passionately. When he drew back, looking smug as ever, I waited until everyone else had gone inside the classroom before I smacked him on the chest.

"What do you think you're doing?" I whispered loudly, trying to control my urge to shriek. "Why do you keep kissing me and touching me lately? Are you not aware of what broken up means? That's not allowed, especially not in front of all our classmates!"

"I was just having fun," Draco shrugged, looking completely unconcerned.

"Well, it's not fun," I sighed. "Let me ask you something, Draco. Why is it that you always want me the second I'm not yours anymore?"

His face hardened. He didn't deliver a response.

"You can't keep this up," I muttered. "Look, I'll be honest with you, Draco. I miss you. I miss you a whole lot. And you kissing me all the time is not making it easier for me to get over you. So, just leave me alone, okay?"

"Fine," he said, his tone steely. He turned on his heel and walked quickly into the freezing cold classroom.

A/N: And there you have it. It's a little short but hopefully it's alright. I'm sorry if it's not one of my better ones but I haven't written anything in months and it will be a little while before I get back into what I like to call my 'writing groove'. Thanks to all my reviewers and continue to review! Oh, and before I forget, happy holidays everyone!