Chapter 70: Embittered Indifference

{A/N: Here's Another Update....Just got off work...figured I'd continue with the story...}

My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.

{"Feeling down 'n' dirty, feeling kinda mean...I've been from one to another extreme...This time I had a good time, ain't got time to wait...I wanna stick around till I can't see straight...Fill my eyes with that double vision...No disguise for that double vision...Ooh, when it gets through to me, it's always new to me...My double vision gets the best of me...Never do more than I, I really need...My mind is racing, but my body's in the lead...Tonight's the night, I'm gonna push it to the limit...I live all of my years in a single minute..."}, Foreigner

Unknown Pub, Knockturn Alley, Wizarding World...

Night fall had been no better with the increased rain as a less than thrilled Regulus Snape made his way through the infamous wizarding alley notorious for bad elements within the magical world. Seeing Hermione Granger again after all those years locked away behind the iron gray bars and equally gray stone of his prison cell had only infuriated him. She had not given him a second thought following his false conviction and now that Potter's lies had been exposed she figured she could just show up unannounced and worm her way back into his life. For the longest time Regulus had fancied himself in love with the amber eyed witch, whom had commanded his attention ever since their first meeting in the old brothel house in the very place he had been dead set on returning to, tucked well within the infamous Knockturn Alley.

The eldest son of Severus Snape wanted nothing more to do with the likes of Harry James Potter or Hermione Granger, or any Weasley for that matter. He had his fill of playing hero to a group of idiots whom had been so easy to manipulate that he didn't wish to waste his efforts in pointing out just how stupid they truly were.

Wanting nothing more than to forget about his less than thrilling experiences with the golden trio, Regulus turned his attention to what he knew best. Despite all of the issues he had with his vices before his entanglement with Hermione, the young raven haired wizard had been quite content with picking up where he left off.

If only to erase the memory of his former love interest from his mind entirely.

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Several Hour Later...

Daybreak had been on the horizon by the time Regulus had come to finding that not only had he been in bed with a rather beautiful service girl, but he had been in bed with two willing women whom had been eager to join him from the moment he arrived. Apparently, his previous visits had given him a reputation due to the word of mouth from several of the women whom had "serviced" him in the past.

Regulus smirked reaching over one of the sleeping girls whom had been a brunette sleeping on her side with her head resting against the right side of his chest. He grabbed the half empty bottle of Ogren's finest and smirk to himself before noting the shifting of the second beauty whom had been a fiery red head. She too had taken to lying with her head rested against his chest but on the left side.

It appeared that the younger Snape had not lost his touch so to speak when it came to pleasing women, at least there had been no complaints when it came to his vast line of sexual partners. Despite his prowess in bed, he never saw fit to become attached to any of the women he had taken to bed, until he met Hermione that was and sadly, his previous notion of keeping his emotional distance had been spot on when it came to her as well.

Regulus downed the rest of his firewhiskey before lying back down between the sleeping whores and looking up at the ceiling. He had not been much for comforts in terms of emotion given his abrasive nature but he wasn't immune to heartbreak. Despite his best efforts, Hermione Granger had managed to do what only his father had done before her crushing any further notion he had in having something other than sheer loneliness to look forward to.

{"Do not Despair."} said a rather familiar voice breaking the silence that had fallen since morning arrived.

Regulus looked around puzzled as to why he had been hearing the same strange voice that seemed to guide him while he had been locked away.

"Who are you?" he asked aloud forgetting that he had company.

{"As I've told you before, I am an interested party...given the relatively new aspect of our relationship, although it isn't as new as you'd like to believe."} replied the voice again.

The raven haired wizard had not known what to believe in that moment but he found something comforting about the voice...an odd notion given the strange happenings but it was the truth of his feelings none the less.

{"Why..."} began Regulus unable to come up with the proper words within the confines of his mind.

{"Why am I so familiar to you?"} asked the voice within his mind. {"As I've said before you are family...perhaps it gives you comfort to know that you are not alone in this world twisted by the elevation of the charlatan that is Harry James Potter."}

The mention of Harry Potter enraged Regulus and it appeared that even the phantom in his mind had taken note of it.

{"I would appear that you have no such notion to offer devotion to Harry Potter in the wake of his so called deed in Slaying the former Dark Lord."} it said.

"Fuck Potter." said Regulus not at all concealing neither his hatred nor his spoken words.

{Perhaps you and I can come to an agreement about how best to deal with the conniving little shit."} said the voice inside Regulus Snape's mind. {"I propose we met...in person...to discuss what might be done concerning the matter of your imprisonment as well."}

Regulus grew silent for a few moments. While he had been curious about this strange voice whom had been his only source of communication ever since he'd been tormented in Azkaban, he had been skeptical about it being anyone other than his own fractured psyche attempting to iron out his vastly varying feelings.

As he lied quietly in the semi darkness of his rented room, he came to the conclusion that he had nothing left to loose aside from hearing this person, if it had indeed been a real person out and if not, a few more bottles of booze and another warm body to cuddle up with for the night was definitely required to shake the echo of Azkaban from his mind at least for a little while.

{You pick the place."} said Regulus interested in getting the matter of the mysterious voice settled no matter what the outcome.

{"Meet me at Hogshead Inn in Hogsmeade Village."} replied the voice. {"I shall be awaiting your arrival, Regulus."

"You know my name, but I didn't catch yours." said Regulus once more forgetting himself in terms of his company.

{"All of your questions shall be addressed at the meeting place."} replied the voice. {"See you then."}

And with that the connection, if there ever had been any had been severed leaving Regulus to his own thoughts, or rather his more sane aspects of thought just as the morning light began to do away with the darkness of the former night sky.

Once thing he took away from the exchange had been the fact that he would only get the answers he was seeking if he ventured to Hogsmeade and to the Hogshead Inn.