I've gotten so sucked in by The Hunger Games that I've found no time to write at home. Work needs to slow down a bit so I can get some writing in when I'm here. That's what my boss had in mind when she told me to take more breaks, right?

Chapter 6
It was a quiet Sunday night. No owls had shown up at her window. Draco's blond head never appeared in her fireplace. It was complete radio silence. Perhaps the blonde at the bar was the new her. He was done with her, and Hermione was surprisingly fine with that. She knew their arrangement couldn't last. Draco seemed to grow tired of women after one night. She had lasted two.

"Fine, so we're done," she said to no one. Digging into the couch cushion, she found the television remote and pressed the power button. Nothing caught her attention as she rapidly flipped through the channels. Exhausting each channel, she turned off the television and tossed the remote to the other side of the couch. Sighing, she stared at the blank screen, and in it, her reflection. The dark countenance stared lifelessly at her as she stared at it. Shaking her head, she looked away and stood.

Abandoning the sofa, she decided a bath and an early bedtime were in order. Shutting off the living room lights, she made her way to the bathroom and began to fill the tub with hot water. As she undressed, she added rose and jasmine scented oils. Soapy bubbles skimmed the surface of the water as it rose to the top of the tub. She had just removed her lingerie when she heard a knock at the door.

Shutting off the water, she pulled on a robe and tied it tightly at her waist. Padding through her flat, her feet cold against the hardwood floors, she reached the front door and opened it. "Malfoy?" she asked.

"Forgot me already?" he wondered, quirking an eyebrow. "Expecting company? You certainly don't look dressed for it. Unless it's a different kind of company."

"Why are you here?" she inquired, using her front door to hide her robe clad form. "And how do you know where I live?"

He shrugged and leaned against the door jamb. "I have my ways," he replied. "Ya know, it's rude to make a guest stand in the doorway while you converse."

"I didn't invite you over," she reminded him. "And you can feel free to turn right back around and go home."

Draco smirked. "You seem mad," he observed. "Are you mad, Granger? Did Potter or Weasley do something to upset you, and you've decided to take it out on me?"

Brown eyes narrowed. "How was your date last night?" she inquired through pursed lips.

Oblivious to her anger, Draco's smirk grew. "Jealous, are you?" he asked. "And what reason could you possibly have to be jealous? This, what you and I have, is not a relationship, Granger. Clearly, you're smart enough to know that. I can go out with whomever I choose. Hell, if you want to go shag someone else, then go do it."

"Maybe I will," she retorted, standing a little bit straighter.

His eyebrows rose defiantly, willing her to accept the challenge. "Just -" he started, but stopped as his demeanor suddenly shifted.

Hermione's own eyebrows rose curiously. "Just what?" she wondered.

"Not Weasley," he grumbled.

She couldn't help the laugh she let out. He must not have heard that her ex-boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend were now a couple. Though he denied having ever had a relationship with Astoria Greengrass, it was well known throughout the wizarding community that the two were meant to be betrothed. But she wouldn't let on that she knew.

"Jealous, are you?" she asked, her smirk matching the one he had worn only seconds ago.

Draco scoffed, but averted his gaze. Staring off down the hallway, he replied, "Not in the slightest. I'm just not interested in picking up any Weasley germs just because I'm sleeping with you."

"So, then we'll just end this now," she suggested with a shrug of her shoulder. "You can continue to date around, have your endless string of one night stands, and never have to worry that you and Ron might have shagged the same girl. I'd avoid Astoria Greengrass if I were you, though."

Draco took a step back from her door. His brows knitted more and more together as he processed what she said. She was breaking things off with him. Never had a woman turned him down. Never had he been denied the woman he wanted. And some part of him still wanted Hermione Granger. She was a challenge. She didn't easily bend to his will, and he knew she would never be subservient to him. Hermione Granger would never allow a man to hold dominance over her. But he would not allow her to have the upper hand, either.

"We're not over, Granger," he informed her, his tone slightly menacing.

"We are if you insist on telling me who I can and cannot sleep with," she retorted. "I'm not your girlfriend, Malfoy. Hell, I'm thoroughly convinced you don't even see me as a friend. Perhaps it's best to put an end to this now."

He stepped closer. "Is that what you really want?" he asked. Mere inches separated them. Hermione still held onto the door as Draco attempted to push it open. When she wouldn't allow it to budge, he placed his hands on her silk covered hips. "Tell me that's what you really want."

Her hands flew to his wrists in an attempt to pry his hands from her waist. "It's what I want," she replied, her voice sounding small in her ears.

Determined to prove her wrong, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. He asked again, and again she said yes. Slowly, he bent his head until his lips hovered over her own. "Should we end this?" he asked breathily.

"Yes," she replied once more.

His lips covered hers in a bruising, passionate kiss. Hermione gasped at the ferocity, and with her lips parted, Draco took advantage. His tongue swiped her bottom lip before tangling with hers. Her hands moved from his wrists to his chest as he continued to kiss her into breathlessness. They fisted the material of his shirt, but it was to hold him closer instead of pushing him away. When the need for oxygen claimed her, Hermione turned her head, detaching his lips.

"Do we end this now?" he whispered in her ear, his hot breath sending a chill down her spine.

With her foot, she pushed the door open wider to allow him to come through. "No," she replied.