Addicted to You

Epilogue

[AN: This is it, guys, the very last chapter. I wanted to play around with the idea of Snape opening his own bar and thought of this as the Epilogue, so here goes. Thank you for all the love and support! Seriously, your comments were the highlight of my day. Keep spreading joy. Lots of love!- Bonny❤️]

Finding this odd little backstreet in this city was a blessing, in retrospect. Its narrow path was paved with old-fashioned smooth and lumpy cobblestone, as if it had been looked over by the modern pavers. The walls around her were narrow and high, made of crumbling red and brown brick. Normally on any other day, she would have backtracked and been on her way home by now, but she decided to stay tonight. This little grotto didn't radiate the sinister energy that most alleys in big cities did; rather, it drew her in. Her feet moved almost of their own accord, and took her in.

She turned the corner to the left and saw the sign hanging above a doorway- hammered metal, burnished black with bold, shining brass lettering: The Potions Room. Its entryway was open, door-less and spilling out an odd wash of greenish-blue light. One would not be quite sure what to make of it until one centered one's self in the doorway and smelled the unmistakable odour of liquor; it was a pub.

She looked up at the sky; the summer sunlight has long since faded and a scattering of stars was beginning to glitter in the deepening blue above. It's the end of a long week- she could use a drink anyway, even if she wasn't planning on it.

This should be fun!

Four stone steps lead down into the place and her feet hit smooth tile on the landing. It's black marble. What rich, pompous airhead floors a bar with marble? She knows, but when she looked up, she understood the place robbed one of their breath. It was more of a lounge than a bar, really. Dark leather furniture sat along the walls, interspersed with stainless steel tables. The walls were laced with bulb strands lit in the colours of blue, green and amber- that explains the odd lighting- and flanked by dozens of pots with a variety of bizarre plants she bet no one could name, besides the owner, obviously. There were two game tables tucked into the corner. It was fairly busy; people were seated all about the place, laughing and chatting and drinking, but it's a haven of quiet and calm instead of the usual drunken, bawdy ruckus that a city pub would inspire.

Movement caught her eye and she looked to the bar itself. It's a sleek and clean black marble counter-top, offset by steel bar-stools. Behind the counter, the dark mahogany shelves and cabinets were stocked with clean glass bottles, jars and vases. It looked more like a pawn shop than a bar, but if the unusually polite crowd was any hint of the quality, one was bound to be curious to see what's on offer. She scanned the place again and frowned; there was an unusual menu and an extremely complicated drinks list appearing in intervals on a screen that magically shifted to different fonts and languages.

A few steps take her to the counter, where she looked expectantly to the bartender. He's had his back to her the entire time since she entered, and appears to be cleaning and restocking some bottles. His form was tall and sinewy in a trim black shirt and equally dark slacks, his raven hair tied back in a slightly messy but gorgeous fashion. He turned around as she took her last step and she was so caught off guard that she froze for a second, still not used to him, in all his glory.

His eyes fixed her on the spot like an extremely interesting specimen on an inspection board. They're impossibly, bottomlessly black in the sharp planes of his pale face, like a pair of tar pits in the snowy tundra, and they glittered brightly with every flicker of his gaze. He stared hard at her for a long moment, with his brows slightly raised as if in surprise and she was gawking at him too, before her brain caught up with her and fired signals to her mouth. She opened it, about to ask-

"Shhh," hissed the bartender, flicking up one long white index finger. She shut her mouth and he lowered his hand, his eyes never leaving hers. A tiny smirk formed at the corner of his mouth and he gave a soft, curious little grunt in the back of his throat before swiftly whirling away and opening the liquor cabinet. He fetched three different bottles and a jar, made a trip to the back room and re-emerged with a small bag and something that looked like a zucchini but wasn't any normal ingredient commonly found in a muggle market, grabbed the shaker and a scoop of ice and set to work. She watched his back for two minutes as he fixed her drink, and she was so caught up that she jumped slightly when he suddenly turned back around and offered her the finished product.

She took it and their hands brushed, his fingers lingering on her skin a second too long, hidden from others. "Thanks," she cleared her throat so as to not sound croaky. He said nothing but set his palms flat on the counter smugly and watched her sip.

Good God, it's amazing! It's just what she needed; cold, citrus-y and slightly tart but with a sweet aftertaste that lingers on your palate. She fought the urge to chug the entire glass right then and there, and when she looked up at the bartender again he had his arms folded across his chest and was wearing a cocky little smile.

"It's like you read my mind!" she admitted. Then softly asked, telepathically: Did you?

I asked you to stay out of my head and I'll stay out of yours: he replied.

Outside, he scoffed, whipping the dishcloth off his shoulder and wiping his hands. "Don't be ridiculous; I'm a bartender, not a wizard." he grinned cheekily, "I'm just very good at what I do."

She smirked too, knowing what he was implying through his eyes. She liked these role-playing games that they often engaged in, she was all for these little charades. Since the liquor business had boomed, the bar had become a famous haunt for wizards and muggles alike, and he was becoming rather popular among the ladies, who were lured in by his mysterious charm, but she liked to show them that he only belonged to her. Right now, several female customers were trying to get his attention but he had eyes only for her.

When she tried to fish out some money from her purse, he shook his head. "First drink is on the house." he said.

She glanced down at her glass, already almost empty. If it had alcohol in it, it was not very strong, but she was just starting to feel a buzz in her head and grew more daring. "What's your name?" she asked cheekily.

Those obsidian eyes blinked with surprise, but he was game. "Severus," he said, his rich voice curling around the 's' on either end. She was sure the people around her could hear the sound of the stir in her loins but no one was  really paying heed to this flirtatious exchange. She drained her drink, set it down on the counter and smiled at him. "Well, Severus," she let his name caress her lips deliciously, "Let's see if you can work your magic twice in a row. Something different this time, please."

His eyes glinted and he seemed to draw up a bit- "Do I hear a challenge, Miss...-?"

"Granger." Her smile widened. "Yes, it is. I'd like to be challenged to walk straight by the end of happy hour."

He smiled devilishly and cracked his knuckles, eyeing her intensely. Then he leaned forward and whispered only for her ears, "If I have my way...you won't be able to walk at all, Ms. Granger."

She blushed, having difficulty in meeting his gaze but when she did, she found herself awarded with a wink. And she blushed deeper.

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What if they had met some other time, when their hearts were not too scared, pounding with trust issues, 'cause all they've ever known was that people betrayed. What if they had met when their souls were not chisseled with cuts and wounds of experience. What if they weren't so tired of falling in love? But they did anyway. He gave her the warmth she needed and she gave him the home he sought. Had they come together in some other time, maybe they would have lasted, maybe not- maybe they wouldn't even have begun, maybe their forever would have existed or maybe they would have ended. All I think of is that, they finally found the solace they had been looking for and it never ended.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️