A/N: I don't own Harry Potter

Warning: cheating, drinking, language

Word Count: 752

Hermione downed another shot, she'd lost count of how many she'd had already. She knew it was more than three, since that was how many glasses were sitting in front of her. Or maybe there was only two in front of her? Her vision blurred as she put the latest empty glass down in front of her.

"Another," she called, swaying on her stool slightly. The barkeep didn't even blink before plunking down another shot in front of her.

"You know, you really should reconsider your idea of fun for the evening," Severus stated from the seat next to her. Hermione looked over at him, her eyes narrowing.

"Why don'tcha jus' mind your own businessss," she slurred.

"I would, but you're about to fall off that stool, into my arms, and probably do something incredibly stupid afterwards."

"And you care why?" Hermione asked, downing her latest shot. Severus shook his head. He wasn't surprised to find Miss Hermione Granger drinking herself into oblivion, not after what had just happened in the Great Hall.

"I don't. You're still technically employed by Hogwarts."

"McGonagall sent you then," Hermione muttered, ordering another drink. Severus grabbed it before she had a chance to drink it.

"No, she didn't, she would have, if she'd been able to find me, if I wasn't already on my way here."

"Lovely, can I have that back then?" Hermione asked, nodding to the drink.

"No. I'm not going to let you do this, Miss Granger."

"Why not? The man I thought I was going to marry, someday... maybe, never mind! All that matters is that his and Lavender's lips..."

"They did seem quite attached to each other, yes."

"So, let me drink until it doesn't hurt any more."

"No," Severus stated, drinking the shot he'd stolen from Hermione. "You are too brilliant to waste your life on him. You wouldn't have worked out in the end."

"What do you care? Why do you give a bloody fuck what I do with my life? You've never cared before," she snapped.

"Things have changed, Miss Granger. The war is over. I am no longer required to lie on a daily basis to both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord."

"And I care why?" Hermione asked, managing to order and drink another shot. "So, you're just going to be a barrel full of sunshine now?"

"No. I am, however, going to stop you from making a mistake you'll end up regretting."

"Really? And what might that be? I don't think getting drunk is a mistake, or the fact I'm going to bash Ron's head in when I finally manage to get back to the castle."

"That there would be the mistake, going back to the castle tonight," Severus answered. Hermione laughed.

"And what should I do, get a room here, with you and make Ron see that I can have any damn wizard I want?" she asked.

"The first part of that statement, yes," Severus answered, managing to slip yet another drink away from Hermione.

"McGonagall didn't send you, you were already on your way here... you're not here to keep me from killing Ron."

"Is that a question, Miss Granger?"

"No, it's a statement. You came after me. You care about me," she laughed.

"I care about a brilliant life being destroyed because of the actions of one dunderhead," Severus answered, forcing himself to drink the shot before Hermione managed to reclaim it.

"That's three. Keep this up and you'll be as drunk as I am," she teased. "Maybe then I can get the truth out of you," she laughed.

"That is the truth, Miss Granger."

"You like me, don't you, Severus," she whispered, looking into his dark eyes. He shook his head. It was unlikely Hermione would remember anything about this part of the night. He watched her finally fall off her stool and, as predicted, into his arms. He watched as she gave him a smirk before passing out from her own drunken behavior. He carefully carried her upstairs, the room he'd already booked. Laying her on the bed, Severus shook his head again.

"Even I'm not drunk enough to admit those feelings to you, Miss Granger, but I do care about you, not that you'll ever know," he whispered. He set out a hang over potion for Hermione when she woke, and swept from the room, leaving Hermione to sleep off the alcohol in her system. Hermione stirred slightly, her eyelids fluttering.

"Love you too, Sev'rus," she mumbled before falling asleep.