Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Too bad.

A/N: This is the last chapter in this book. It was the first book I started, actually. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thank you for the reviews! I love them!

When Red-Heads Stir Things Up

I observed how Ginny's spoonful of ice cream stayed half-way on the journey to her mouth as I recounted the previous night's events. The confection was starting to drip back into the bowl, but the ginger-haired woman paid it no mind as she listened. "And then?" She prompted, just as any good listener would.

"Well, he just kind of walked off." I told her. Ginny sighed and dropped the spoon back into her bowl.

"That man is a whole lot sexier than I ever thought he could be," She replied, fanning herself. I nodded in agreement, trying not to reminisce on the events of last night, as I had, over and over again, while trying to get to sleep. It looks like I'll need a bit of the Sleeping Draught if this is going to happen a lot.

"So, was it good? 'Cause it sure sounds like it was." Ginny interrupted into my thoughts, giving me a wink.

I roll my eyes. "Yes it was, and that's as explicit as I'm willing to go on this subject. If you want to know more about it, you'll have to ask Severus." I smirk, thinking that will deter her, but her eyes actually brighten at the thought. "Oh, no. Please, no Ginny."

"Oh, fine. Hermione, you take all the fun out of it!" She says with a little pout. I roll my eyes again.

"If you call fun being embarrassed, then I don't mind." We leave it at that.

Soon enough I am tramping back to the castle, not knowing how I should feel about this whole situation. The events from last night, my lack of sleep, and the unsolvable dilemma of how I should act around the man who thoroughly kissed me last night made me feel scrambled.

Seeing as it is about lunch time, I head towards the Great Hall, intent on getting something wholesome in my stomach after a bowl of ice cream. A nice salad will do. I walk up to the staff table and pause half-way there. Is it just me, or is there a Weasley up there? 'Please let it be Bill or Charlie or Percy or Fred or George!'

My little mantra is all in vain, as the red-head in question turns around, and is unquestionably one Ronald Weasley. I mentally groan. Could he have picked a better time? Not only do I have to play nice with him, I have to somehow get Severus to realize I didn't invite him here to scare the man off!

"Ron…What a nice, er, surprise!" I make sure to say this loud enough that the entire table can hear. I can see Severus sitting at the far end of the table out of the corner of my eye, and I hope he believes me.

Ron grins at me from where he is sitting, at my usual spot on the staff table. As I get closer, Dumbledore conjures another chair so there will be enough, putting me right between Ron and Professor Sprout. I tentatively sit down.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other, 'Mione. How come you never owl?" Ron says in between bites of food. He still has the habit of showing what exactly he puts in there.

"I could ask you the same thing." I say saccharinely, trying to keep from scowling. Surely the man hadn't forgotten what happened.

"Well, I'd say being a teacher at Hogwarts would give you more time to write than when you worked at that muggle book store." He replies, looking not quite as happy to see me as before. Yes, Ron. That's right. You might be able to forget what you did to me, but I sure won't!

"Oh, yeah? And you don't have time to write a friend in between all the hoards of fan mail you receive?" I manage to eat a few bites of my salad while he tries to think of a witty reply, but the food is tasteless. I sigh and push it away. "Why don't we talk somewhere private before we start a scene."

Standing up, I walk out, hoping that he got the cue to follow. He did.

Soon enough, we are in the hall, standing close to the dungeon entrance. I turn to face him, folding my arms. "Why are you here, Ronald?"

Ron fidgets a little before looking me in the eye, "Because I miss you. I miss us…well, what we used to be." I scoff.

"Well whose fault is it that we aren't still together, huh? Did you think that, when you'd gotten tired of those fan girls who'll 'put out' for you, you could just come waltzing back to me? Did you think that I'd have my arms wide open, crying for joy? I've already cried enough, Ron. I've moved on. There aren't any pieces left to pick up." I keep my arms tightly folded to myself to feel protected. I knew this would happen sometime.

"Hermione…I'm sorry. Isn't there any way I could have another chance?" He tries the puppy look on me, and it had a reverse effect.

"You had seven years of chances Ron." I reply in a quiet voice that brooked no argument. "Seven years of my life I waited for you. Then you had me and left when you knew you weren't going to get anywhere fast. Is that what friends do, Ron? If so, I don't think I want to see you here anymore. We can talk about this later, when I'm not busy. Goodbye." With that, I turn from him and head down the dungeon stairs to my rooms, unaware that our conversation was listened in on.

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I stayed in the shadows until the coast was clear. I then headed up to my rooms to brood on what I had just heard.

So Weasley had stupidly broken up with Hermione after he became the Chudley Cannon's star player? Well, all the better for me. No way would she go back to that sorry example of the male specimen for what he did. I felt my spirits lifting to the point they were before the knuckle-dragger appeared that afternoon. Hermione hadn't called one of her bodyguards for protection. Now that I think of it, it seemed as though she was showing more surprise than she usually would, for my sake. That left a lot to think about.

I sat in my armchair and thought on the events that had happened so far that day. Hopefully the Weasley brat would leave soon, and I'd have Hermione all to myself. Well, sorta.

She technically wasn't mine to have. Yet. I would soon rectify that.

I couldn't think of any woman more infuriating, intriguing, or passionate as the one I have just begun to get to know these last few months. I don't think I could ever meet her equal in my opinion, and if I ever did, well, I'd rather have Hermione.

My mind made up, I began plotting, like the Slytherin I was.

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It's midday before I leave the safety of my rooms to head to lunch. Even though it is the weekend, the Headmaster still expects us to come to at least one meal a day. Unfortunately for me, I knew that Ron was still here, and that he wouldn't leave until things got straightened, or I pissed him off enough. I'm really considering doing the latter.

I walk up to the teacher's table without hesitance, even though I can see Ron sitting there with baited breath, waiting to tell me something that will likely make me angry once again.

"'Mione, I didn't see you at breakfast. I wanted to know if you had thought over what I had said. I know we could be a great couple, me and you. C'mon, what d'ya say?" He once again tries the big eyed puppy trick, which doesn't work in his favor. In fact, it only makes me more annoyed.

"You know how I hate being called 'Mione. My name is Hermione, and I'd think you would know that after all these years. I don't need to think about giving us another chance, because I already know that the answer is going to be no, and I don't like to waste my time. And please, please, could you eat with your mouth closed?" This last part was said because Ron was giving her a surprised look, maw opened and all, displaying his half-masticated food for the whole world to see. He quickly shut it as he heard chuckling behind him. Angrily, he turned around to see Severus looming behind him.

"I know from experience that you are quite eloquent with your insults Granger, but it is so much more entertaining when hearing you verbally abuse someone else." His smirk was that of someone satisfied, and she couldn't help but think of what happened just two days ago while looking into those dark eyes.

"I'll be happy to oblige you if you ever feel the need to be insulted, but right now I need to be heading back to my rooms." I said this, knowing that I could only take so much, with Ron being his annoyingly stubborn self, and Severus being his annoyingly sexy self. I knew that if I stayed long enough, even Ron would notice my drooling over the professor.

I stood up and headed out of the Great Hall, walking towards the dungeon. I was not far away from the entrance when I was dragged into an empty classroom. Turning around, wand already pulled, I saw that it was just Severus. "Oh, it's only you." I remarked obviously. He raised an eyebrow.

"Only me? One would think that after the events of a few nights ago, you'd be a bit more afraid of being alone with me." He replied, smirking as he stood a few feet away.

I was about to fight back with a witty remark when I heard someone shouting my name in the corridor outside the class room. A certain red-headed person, who did not know how ugly pulling a puppy face looked on him. The voice was getting louder, and I was getting a bit frantic. "Bloody Hell," I muttered. Looking around, there were no places to hide, and Severus was looking at me with a quizzical look.

The door knob started to turn, so I panicked, and grabbed the dark-haired man, pulling him into a kiss. I could feel his shock, but it was soon melting away into compliance, and then willing participation. I hesitantly used my tongue.

"Hermione…" He moaned my name, and I felt myself flush, and not from embarrassment. His arms wrapped tight around me and I forgot the reason I had started the kiss, and instead wondered why I had never done something like this to the man before. Surely I could live off this alone?

"GAHH…." The loud noise was barely enough to tear my concentration from that soft mouth, and we broke away simultaneously to see Ron standing in the doorway, a gob smacked expression on his face. He opened his mouth as if to say something several times, but couldn't seem to get anything out, as if he'd been hit with a silencing spell. Wordlessly, he turned and walked out the door.

We walked to the doorway, only to see the front doors of Hogwarts close on the red-head as he walked out. I smirked. "If I had known it would've been that easy to get rid of the man, I would have done that yesterday."

Severus turned and raised an eyebrow at me. "I was hoping that you'd have a better reason than getting rid of Weasley to kiss me."

I knew my eyes were twinkling as I looked up at the man that had turned my world upside down. "Oh, I do. That's just a side benefit." With that, I closed the classroom door on us and resumed what we had both secretly wanted for quite some time.

I knew that life at Hogwarts would be different now, but I didn't mind not having to pretend I hated the man. I expect that loving him will be a challenge in itself. The keys to unlocking the mystery of this man were now mine. Mission accomplished.

The End.