Disclaimer - I own nothing! I'm just borrowing from J.K. Rowling!

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Chapter 25

Ron opened the door for Hermione as they walked into Absinth, which was a bar that was a few steps away from Knockturn Alley. Unlike the Three Broomsticks, it was really just a bar in which many people just drank, and of course, there were no students around or even allowed inside the establishment.

After making their orders with the bartender, they sat themselves down at one of the booth seats, getting a little privacy for themselves. There were a number of customers that were already very drunk and getting rowdy.

"So, where's he at this time?" Ron asked.

Hermione's eyes slightly narrowed at him. She knew exactly who 'he' was, especially with that tone of voice Ron used. There was a hint of anger and jealousy in it, a sound she knew too well. "Please Ron, not again," she said, wishing Harry would've come. With him around there was some control, Ron wouldn't voice his opinion on Severus.

"I'm just asking!" Ron said defensively. "What do you see in him anyways Mione? I'm a great catch you know? Better than him actually."

Gritting her teeth, and counting to ten, Hermione told herself inwardly not to snap, so as not to draw attention. She was tired of this discussion, and knowing how Ron was, she was probably never going to see the end of it. "Please Ron! As a friend, I want you to at least respect who I'm having relations with. I know it's hard, but Harry's learned to respect it. Why can't you?"

Ron reached out and placed his hand on top of Hermione's in the center of the table. "Because I like you Mione. I really do, and you know that. Why can't you respect that, and give us a chance?"

Hermione pulled her hand away, and could feel her anger start to boil. "Ronald! For the nth time, I'm telling you I am not and never was interested or attracted to you in any way. I love you, but only as a friend—even like a sister, but nothing more, and it will remain to stay that way. With you bringing up this stupid subject again and again is threatening me to make me love you less, and trust me you wouldn't want that," she stated. "Now, I'm going to the ladies room for a bit, and when I come back, this discussion had better be over, or I'm going home, and I'll be leaving you alone for the night." She slid away from her seat, and stood up roughly, and started to walk to the comfort room. Hopefully Ron would shutup about his feelings for her later. There was a possibility that he would since she knew he really liked spending alone time with her. On the other hand, he was still the annoying whiney prat, that always complained.

Ron glared behind Hermione as he watched her walk away. He drummed his fingers on the wood of the table very much in deep thought. For some time, he had hoped to get her alone, having thought of a plan to make her his. And tonight seemed like the perfect time to work it all out.

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"God, do you remember when Harry's arm went all rubbery in second year?" Hermione questioned with a slur, later on snorting before she ended up laughing. "Let me tell you, I had to swallow the bile that had come up from my throat that time. Hush… don't tell Harry though." She reached for her cold mug of beer, drinking down what was left of it, before she grinned and wiped her mouth with her sleeve.

"I'm not going to say a thing," Ron muttered as he smirked behind his own mug of beer. His plan was working out perfectly. Only two beers in, and Hermione was very drunk. He knew how she couldn't hack her liquor. Raising his hand, he signaled to the bartender for another round.

"Too bad he couldn't come hmm?" Hermione said as she peaked into her empty mug.

"Yeah, too bad," Ron lied. It was great for him that Harry didn't come. When he was sure that Hermione wasn't looking at him, her quickly slipped in two little white pills into her new mug, before offering it to her.

Hermione knew she had reached past her body's limit for alcohol as the world revolved around her. "No," she said, shoving Ron's hand away as he offered her another fresh mug of cold beer. "Enough… I'm drunk as it is. I don't think I can make it home on my own if I get drunker."

"C'mon Mione. Just one more drink," Ron urged with a pout. "I promise to bring you home, safe and sound."

"Alright," Hermione sighed in defeat. She trusted him. After all, he was her best friend and would make sure that she did get home safe. "Sev's not home anyways. Can't wait till he gets back from Dublin."

Ron felt jealous again. Hermione was supposed to be his, and not Snape's. It didn't matter anymore anyhow. He was going to make her his later on, he was sure of that. Snape would soon be nothing to Hermione when she would realize just how wrong she was to be with him, and how right he was all along. Oh yes, he thought, when her pass out on with her head on the table. She was definitely going to find out soon enough.

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Ron carried Hermione into Severus' chambers in Hogwarts, knowing earlier that his wards would recognize her and allow them entry. He stood in the middle of the living room and waited for a moment, and listened if he was to hear anything or anyone. Thankfully, there wasn't a single sound he heard except for Hermione's mumbling against his neck. He couldn't wait another minute to make her his, and made his way towards the bedroom.

"Sev…" Hermione sighed dreamily into his neck.

"That greasy git!" Ron muttered through clenched teeth as he entered the bedroom. He promised himself that before the end of the night, she would be saying his name instead of his, and tomorrow would be a perfect day to start a brand new life with her.

As soon as Ron got to the edge of the bed, he tossed Hermione onto it, slightly waking her from her drug induced slumber.

"Love… that you?" she barely asked. Her eyes slightly opened, seeing a blurred figure standing next to her.

"That's right, it's me," Ron said as he smirked. He was Hermione's love, and not Snape's. He fumbled quickly with his belt and trousers, and later discarded the rest of his clothing, leaving it in a messy pile on the floor. Without waiting for an invitation, he threw himself on the bed right next to her, and grabbed her chin, kissing her roughly.

"No, not… now," Hermione complained groggily pushing him away.

"Yes, now," Ron growled, as he claimed her mouth again, keeping her there, with his hand holding her tightly at the back of her neck. Finally, he was kissing her! Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined it being this good—so fiery and sweet.

Hermione tried to push him off, but he was too strong. After a few failed attempts, she gave way, sighing, "Just be quick Sev."

"I won't be quick babe." Ron pulled off her knickers, and wandlessly, the rest of her clothes were on the floor right next to his. He tested her with a finger and then two, making sure she was wet. After sometime of teasing her, he noticed that she didn't get wet enough, but could no longer wait for anymore preliminaries. "Get ready, here I come."

"Sev…" Hermione just said, laying still with her hands up next to her head when she felt him thrust in.

Ron again, jealous that he was saying the other man's name grabbed Hermione by her cheeks and made her look at him. "Say my name! Say my name!" he demanded.

"Sev, Sev…" Hermione gasped, before her eyes rolled back as she blacked out.

"Mother fucker!" Ron grunted when he realized that she had just passed out. Noticing that he was still in her, he wasn't going to lose the opportunity fully. He still kept on thrusting in and out of her. It felt good, but she wasn't as tight as he thought. Regardless, he still continued on for a few short minutes, until he came, shouting out his triumphant release.

He collapsed on top of her, trying to catch his breath. By far, it was the best sex he had imagined. When he rolled of her, he looked at her sleeping form and smiled to himself. Yes, tomorrow, she was his.

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Hermione felt her head pound painfully as she tried to open her heavy eyelids. To her surprise, she saw herself looking up at a very angry Severus. "Good morning," she groaned as she up. How did she get to bed last night? "I suppose the symposium didn't go well at all?"

"How dare you!" Severus growled in complete anger and heartbreak. "You think everything's peachy between us after sleeping with him?!" he asked pointing to the other man in his bed.

Ron who was awakened by his voice earlier, sat up with a smile on his face. With Snape in front of him, he was going to take full advantage of the situation. "Morning Mione, my babe," he greeted her with a smile, and kissed her on the cheek. He then wrapped at arm around her, and smirked at the other man for a moment. "Last night was great. It should've been us long time ago."

Hermione was too shocked to find Ron naked with her in her boyfriend's bed. What the hell happened last night? This had to be some sort of weird nightmare. Her brain then seemed to function through the blurry and achy hangover effect. They were together! Naked! She snapped her head and looked up at Severus, pushing Ron's arm off her. "Oh God Sev, it's not what you think!" she stammered in shock.

"Oh really?" he drawled.

"C'mon babe," Ron said before Hermione could say anything. He wrapped his arm around her again and pulled her towards him more firmly. You can't say that now, not with all the promises you and I made last night. Promises that you said were meant to be made long time ago.

Hermione's jaw dropped open as she stared at Ron. She couldn't remember saying anything like that to him last night. She most certainly wouldn't have in any case. However, she definitely remembered that before they started drinking, she made her feelings clear to him. So where was all this bullshit she was hearing coming from?

Having heard and seen enough, and not to mention feeling the most unbearable pain he had ever felt from his chest, Severus started to make his exit. He had to be a million miles away from the woman he loved. The woman he thought loved him unconditionally. The woman who broke his heart. Never had he felt so vulnerable. "When I come back, you'd better be gone, along with all your blasted things," he told Hermione in the sternest voice he could say. At the moment, he could feel a burning beneath his eyes, and he refused to cry in front of her.

"Severus!" Hermione shouted aloud, calling after him. She pulled away from Ron's grasp, and wrapped the blanket around her body as she tried to run after him. "Sev, please wait, I can explain!"

Just when she made it to the bedroom door, her foot got caught on one edge of the blanket, making her fall to the floor. Had she not reacted quickly, catching herself on her arms and elbows painfully, she would've fallen flat on her face.

"Sev," Hermione sobbed as she watched him slam the door as he left his chambers. She was crying, and it wasn't because of the physical pain of falling. Right then and there, she felt her heart breaking, and as far as she knew, she wasn't in the wrong.

Still naked, Ron rushed to her side, kneeling on the floor. "You alright?" he asked trying to help her stand up.

"No!" Hermione screamed through her tears as she shoved him away. "I'm not alright, thanks to you."

"He's gone now, broken up with you. What's the problem?" he asked with a frown. He stretched both arms at his sides and said, "I'm right here babe."

Hermione couldn't believe just how arrogant Ron was. Now he was presenting himself to her as if her were some sort of Norse god, which truly seemed pathetic. He absolutely was of no comparison. If anything, it was Severus that looked like a true god beneath his robes. "You can't even compare to him!" she spat as she stood up on her own, making sure to keep herself wrapped up.

"Of course I can't compare. I'm better than him," he said arrogantly, as he watched her walk towards the bed. "I don't see what you're complaining about, I'm here babe."

Hermione grabbed his clothes and threw them towards him, hard.

Ron caught them right before they missed his face. "What about all the promises we made to each other last night? you said I truly was the one, I was—am your true love babe."

"I was drunk."

"People tend to tell the truth when their inhibitions are down."

"Then I can't imagine ever telling you those things because for the last time…" she rummaged through her clothes, and found her wand. Hermione then stood up and pointed it directly at him. "I have no intimate feelings for you whatsoever. Never have, and never will be. Now get out before I hex you into next century."

"Aww, you don't mean that now babe." Ron suddenly ducked before a hex hit him. It barely missed him.

"I am not your babe!" Hermione shouted angrily.

Without another word, Ron snapped his fingers and was dressed in a split second before running out.

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"Why you—" Severus growled after he pulled himself out of Ron's mind. However, the sentence wasn't finished as he launched himself at the younger wizard.

Ron's chair tipped backwards as his head hit the concrete floor. He winced in pain for a second before he felt a stronger pain on his face, which was then met by another. Tied up to the chair, he was helpless to even try and defend himself.

"You bastard!" Severus shouted as he was kneeling above him. He started punching Ron's face, left and right, one after the other. Not even slowing when he broke his nose or spilt his lip, more damage had to be done.

The Malfoys ran and pulled Severus off, stopping the man with his assaults. If he continued on, there was no doubt that the youngest Weasley son would be dead.

"Fuck you!" Severus roared as he was pulled away further by strong arms. He tried push them off, only to be dragged away further, until he was a safe distance from him.

Alan pulled Ron's chair up, and looked at how much damage had been done—a broken nose, and jaws, not much. He wondered exactly what Severus had seen in his mind.

"You drugged her!" Severus exclaimed. "And then you took her and raped her, and continued on when she lost consciousness. She clearly didn't know what was happening."

"It is any different from you taking her almost every night. Disgusting to even think that she would sleep with you," Ron countered back. After spitting out some blood, he continued on. "I'm sure you took advantage of her countless of times—not that she would see it."

"Never have I taken advantage of her or raped her!" Severus said back. "I give Hermione freewill to do whatever she pleases with her life. Unlike you, she'll never be a dotting little housewife for you." He stopped struggling against Lucius and Draco, but never broke his deadly glare for Ron. A smirk went on his lips. The Weasel had lied to him in order to make him jealous. Now it was his turn, and this time, it was no lie. "She thought I was you. She never said your name, and repeated mine a few times while you were at it before she passed out. You're such a low prick to even lie about such a thing. It was always me Weasley, and it will always be me. You've got to live with it when you're in Azkaban." He nodded to Alan giving him the signal.

Alan pulled out his own wand along with a vial to store memories in. after muttering a spell against Ron's temple, he pointed the tip of his wand into the open vial and watched the cloud of memories fill the vial before closing it with a stopper. The memories were to be used for a pensieve.

Ron snorted and shook his head. It was no surprise that they were stupid. "You can't press charges of rape against me. It has to be Hermione. Do you think she's stupid enough to see things that way? Never, and she'll never see it that way. I'm a friend, and she'd never hurt a friend. She's too good for that."

"Trust me Weasley," Severus started as he was finally let go, raising his hand to levitate the vial towards him. "Things will change by the end of the week. You're friendship will become past tense, and you will be in Azkaban.

"You ran before anyone else could figure you out, when she was still trying to come back to me. If she truly loved you, she would've actually stayed with you but no. You panicked and you ran when the damned tabloids were printing stories about a false affair that you two had. Instead of standing by her, and stating that things were true with all the lies, they became too big for you to handle."

"You're actually going to show her my memories?" Ron questioned.

"If I must," was Severus's reply.

"You'll break her, you know that?" But Hermione wasn't Ron's issue. Now he was really worried that he would get sentenced to Azkaban after years of thinking that he was a man free from his crime.

"Then that's my problem," Severus replied when he held onto his wand. With a flick of it, the warehouse was empty.

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AN – The entire truth of that unfaithful night finally revealed. More flashbacks to come next, but of Sev's. Please review!