Minerva loves Severus like a son. But she is between a rock and a hard place. She needs to run the school, and with parents and the Board of Governors breathing down her neck, plus bad press, she is being forced to act. Please go easy on her. The next chapter is written, but putting it in the queue is a process I won't have time to accomplish for a few days. Sorry.

Minerva loves Severus like a son. But she is between a rock and a hard place. She needs to run the school, and with parents and the Board of Governors breathing down her neck, plus bad press, she is being forced to act. Please go easy on her. The next chapter is written, but putting it in the queue is a process I won't have time to accomplish for a few days. Sorry.

I promise I will not abandon the story. I finish what I start. I may have to beg for your patience a few times before it is all said and done, but I will finish it.

I promise I will not abandon the story. I finish what I start. I may have to beg for your patience a few times before it is all said and done, but I will finish it.

Like a bug you want to squash but is just out of your reach!

Like a bug you want to squash but is just out of your reach!

Snape doesn't want anyone to know that he abducted Rita. Then they would become an excessory after the fact. As for why Hermione hasn't told Snape about Rita's ability to become an insect... she did promise to keep Rita's secret in exchange for her writing about Harry's experience in the Graveyard all those years ago. And besides, she has had a lot more important things on her mind lately... (divorce, getting her children back, moving into a different home, settling into a new job, researching a blackmail case [deep breath], and falling in love with a mysterious and sometimes difficult man). Need I say more?

Snape doesn't want anyone to know that he abducted Rita. Then they would become an excessory after the fact. As for why Hermione hasn't told Snape about Rita's ability to become an insect... she did promise to keep Rita's secret in exchange for her writing about Harry's experience in the Graveyard all those years ago. And besides, she has had a lot more important things on her mind lately... (divorce, getting her children back, moving into a different home, settling into a new job, researching a blackmail case [deep breath], and falling in love with a mysterious and sometimes difficult man). Need I say more?

Hi Jenidralph. I'm glad you found my story, and I'm even more pleased that you are enjoying my take on the characters. Everyone matures (even my brother!), so I let Harry mature as well. And yes, Severus let slip his true opinion of Hermione. I imagine that it is her mind and heart that attract him, but the pleasant package those come in is an extra added bonus.

Hi Jenidralph. I'm glad you found my story, and I'm even more pleased that you are enjoying my take on the characters. Everyone matures (even my brother!), so I let Harry mature as well. And yes, Severus let slip his true opinion of Hermione. I imagine that it is her mind and heart that attract him, but the pleasant package those come in is an extra added bonus.

Ron can be a jerk sometimes, but deep down he is a good guy. You'll see. I didn't want him to become a villan, just a regular guy who mistook obsession for love.

Ron can be a jerk sometimes, but deep down he is a good guy. You'll see. I didn't want him to become a villan, just a regular guy who mistook obsession for love.

Hello and welcome to my little story. I hope it continues to intrigue you.

Hello and welcome to my little story. I hope it continues to intrigue you.

If you look back to the previous chapter, Hermione did ask Snape to stay, but he mistakenly interpreted her plea to be insincere.Please keep in mind that Snape has a somewhat low opinion of himself throughout most of this story. I know people who will twist another's words around to interpret them in the worst possible light. Snape isn't quite that bad, but he usually sees things in a negative light where his personal life is concerned, because he still doesn't believe that he deserves to be happy. As for Hermione's ordeal and her reaction... please keep in mind that she's had a rough day. Snape leaves her with Viktor when she would have preferred that he stay, Otto Steingold manhandles her and accuses her of blackmailing him, and Victor treats her like a piece of meat instead of extending the hand of friendship she was hoping for. He didn't rape her, I never said he did. But if you have ever had to fight off a man that has had too much to drink and is not thinking clearly, and you had to do something drastic to get out of his grip, and if he was groping you roughly in the process, you would know that it is a demoralizing and traumatic experience. Are you a guy? Because, "It appears to me the whole thing was just miscommunication and clumsiness, which is merely embarrassing, not traumatic," sounds like something a guy would say to describe the situation. If you are a girl, I hope you never have to find out the hard way what it feels like.

Not only am I a girl, I am a particularly small, weak, physically fragile girl who has always been paranoid over the issue of rape since I am completely incapable of defending myself. This is one reason I would love to be a witch like Hermione and therefore feel confident of being able to deal with large, strong men who take unwanted liberties. Hermione somehow forgot that she could have castrated Vikor on the spot; if I could do that, I would never forget it for split-second.

If you look back to the previous chapter, Hermione did ask Snape to stay, but he mistakenly interpreted her plea to be insincere.Please keep in mind that Snape has a somewhat low opinion of himself throughout most of this story. I know people who will twist another's words around to interpret them in the worst possible light. Snape isn't quite that bad, but he usually sees things in a negative light where his personal life is concerned, because he still doesn't believe that he deserves to be happy. As for Hermione's ordeal and her reaction... please keep in mind that she's had a rough day. Snape leaves her with Viktor when she would have preferred that he stay, Otto Steingold manhandles her and accuses her of blackmailing him, and Victor treats her like a piece of meat instead of extending the hand of friendship she was hoping for. He didn't rape her, I never said he did. But if you have ever had to fight off a man that has had too much to drink and is not thinking clearly, and you had to do something drastic to get out of his grip, and if he was groping you roughly in the process, you would know that it is a demoralizing and traumatic experience. Are you a guy? Because, "It appears to me the whole thing was just miscommunication and clumsiness, which is merely embarrassing, not traumatic," sounds like something a guy would say to describe the situation. If you are a girl, I hope you never have to find out the hard way what it feels like.

Not only am I a girl, I am a particularly small, weak, physically fragile girl who has always been paranoid over the issue of rape since I am completely incapable of defending myself. This is one reason I would love to be a witch like Hermione and therefore feel confident of being able to deal with large, strong men who take unwanted liberties. Hermione somehow forgot that she could have castrated Vikor on the spot; if I could do that, I would never forget it for split-second.

I agree with you, as you'll see in a later chapter where Winky tries to convince him that he is better than he sees himself. Please keep in mind that most of the paragraphs are written in either Snape's or Hermione's point of view. So I don't view him that way, but he views himself that way.

I agree with you, as you'll see in a later chapter where Winky tries to convince him that he is better than he sees himself. Please keep in mind that most of the paragraphs are written in either Snape's or Hermione's point of view. So I don't view him that way, but he views himself that way.

You're welcome. So glad you are enjoying it. I'll try not to disappoint you the rest of the way.

You're welcome. So glad you are enjoying it. I'll try not to disappoint you the rest of the way.

Didn't mean to offend you by putting Spinner's End near London. I don't know anything about British people's accents to be able to say they are from the north or south, only Ireland or Scotland. If they are from the USA, I can usually tell where in this country they grew up when I hear them speak. I don't remember Manchester being specified in Book 6, I just remember there being factories nearby, something I'm sure the outskirts of London has plenty of.

Book Six doesn’t explicitly state where Snape lives, but I’ve read articles on the net saying that Snape’s home and much of his behavior (including bluntness of speech, reluctance to give praise, and the word “dunderhead”) indicate the north of England. http://members.madasafish.com/~cj_whitehound/Fanfic/Spinners_End.htm

With over 50,000 hits and 575 reviews, you are the first person to point this out to me. Sorry, but there are times in the story where the owls must go back and forth between where Hermione works in Diagon Ally and Snape's house rather quickly. Since we know the location of Diagon Ally, I needed to put Snape's house near by, which meant near London. So for this story at least, that is where he will stay.

Didn't mean to offend you by putting Spinner's End near London. I don't know anything about British people's accents to be able to say they are from the north or south, only Ireland or Scotland. If they are from the USA, I can usually tell where in this country they grew up when I hear them speak. I don't remember Manchester being specified in Book 6, I just remember there being factories nearby, something I'm sure the outskirts of London has plenty of.

Book Six doesn’t explicitly state where Snape lives, but I’ve read articles on the net saying that Snape’s home and much of his behavior (including bluntness of speech, reluctance to give praise, and the word “dunderhead”) indicate the north of England. http://members.madasafish.com/~cj_whitehound/Fanfic/Spinners_End.htm

With over 50,000 hits and 575 reviews, you are the first person to point this out to me. Sorry, but there are times in the story where the owls must go back and forth between where Hermione works in Diagon Ally and Snape's house rather quickly. Since we know the location of Diagon Ally, I needed to put Snape's house near by, which meant near London. So for this story at least, that is where he will stay.

Just in case this one stayed and the one that I replied to was deleted, I thank you for your high praise. I hope I don't disappoint you as we near the final phase of the story.

Just in case this one stayed and the one that I replied to was deleted, I thank you for your high praise. I hope I don't disappoint you as we near the final phase of the story.

Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. There may be a bit of time between chapters, but I won't be taking any more year-long breaks. The next chapter is in the queue.

Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. There may be a bit of time between chapters, but I won't be taking any more year-long breaks. The next chapter is in the queue.

I am so pleased that you found this and that you are liking it so far. Next chapter is in the queue!

I am so pleased that you found this and that you are liking it so far. Next chapter is in the queue!

Don't know if there is a scientific "cause" for their shared dreams. I just had the idea and I went with it. Sort of an ESP connection, I guess.And Rita is just... well... Rita. The reporter we love to hate. I'm afraid you will hate her even more shortly.Thanks for hanging in there with me. Glad you liked the update.

Don't know if there is a scientific "cause" for their shared dreams. I just had the idea and I went with it. Sort of an ESP connection, I guess.And Rita is just... well... Rita. The reporter we love to hate. I'm afraid you will hate her even more shortly.Thanks for hanging in there with me. Glad you liked the update.

It's a long one. Hope you have plenty of time on your hands. I have read some of the other stories on this site over and over again. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much the second time around. :)Thanks for sticking with me.

It's a long one. Hope you have plenty of time on your hands. I have read some of the other stories on this site over and over again. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much the second time around. :)Thanks for sticking with me.

Yes,

, I am still alive! Hopefully I will not expire in the next twelve to fourteen months, so this story can be finished finally!. Snape does not know that Rita can become a bug. And no, he and Winky did NOT blow their cover. They were very careful. So Rita still doesn't know who took her, but Severus has no idea how she escaped either.And I can't kill off Umbridge because she still has an important part to play. Besides, she is just too much fun to write!Thanks for sticking with me.

Yes,

, I am still alive! Hopefully I will not expire in the next twelve to fourteen months, so this story can be finished finally!. Snape does not know that Rita can become a bug. And no, he and Winky did NOT blow their cover. They were very careful. So Rita still doesn't know who took her, but Severus has no idea how she escaped either.And I can't kill off Umbridge because she still has an important part to play. Besides, she is just too much fun to write!Thanks for sticking with me.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm glad to be back, although I continuned to read on TPP the entire time. But it's great to be submitting chapters again. And the reviews have been so very welcoming and encouraging.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm glad to be back, although I continuned to read on TPP the entire time. But it's great to be submitting chapters again. And the reviews have been so very welcoming and encouraging.

Thanks for your vote of confidence, Chris. I will try to submit another chapter into the queue before Christmas, but then it will still take a little while to be posted. The next five chapters have been written, but there is a transformation that I must put them through to submit them. Don't have much time for that right now with work and all of the holiday stuff going on. I as once again for you patience. Sorry.Happy Holidays!

Thanks for your vote of confidence, Chris. I will try to submit another chapter into the queue before Christmas, but then it will still take a little while to be posted. The next five chapters have been written, but there is a transformation that I must put them through to submit them. Don't have much time for that right now with work and all of the holiday stuff going on. I as once again for you patience. Sorry.Happy Holidays!

Hi

. Thanks for the warm welcome. A bit more must be uncovered to find out what is really going on with the blackmail scheme. And Hermione and Severus do seem to be having similar dreams, don't they? Hummm... Can't give too much away here. And you are definitely right about Rita. No excuse for the stories she writes and the way she has ruined so many lives. But she is under some pressure. All questions will be answered eventually.Thanks for being so patient with me.

Hi

. Thanks for the warm welcome. A bit more must be uncovered to find out what is really going on with the blackmail scheme. And Hermione and Severus do seem to be having similar dreams, don't they? Hummm... Can't give too much away here. And you are definitely right about Rita. No excuse for the stories she writes and the way she has ruined so many lives. But she is under some pressure. All questions will be answered eventually.Thanks for being so patient with me.

Sorry, but you will have to suffer through the "friends" phase for a bit longer. Thanks so much for holding out hope for so long. I will finish this story, I promise. It may be slow going sometimes, but I will finish.

Sorry, but you will have to suffer through the "friends" phase for a bit longer. Thanks so much for holding out hope for so long. I will finish this story, I promise. It may be slow going sometimes, but I will finish.

If you have been as busy as I have for the last four years, time has definitely gone by at warp speed. Thanks for remembering and sticking with me.

If you have been as busy as I have for the last four years, time has definitely gone by at warp speed. Thanks for remembering and sticking with me.

Hi

! Yes, a new update. I should be able to submit another one in a few days. Then it will take a while to get through their very busy queue, but take heart and be patient. We will make it to the end eventually. Thanks for keeping the faith.

Considering I've been posting my story now for almost three years, I think I keep the faith good, yes? ^_^

Yes, quite good!

Hi

! Yes, a new update. I should be able to submit another one in a few days. Then it will take a while to get through their very busy queue, but take heart and be patient. We will make it to the end eventually. Thanks for keeping the faith.

Considering I've been posting my story now for almost three years, I think I keep the faith good, yes? ^_^

Yes, quite good!

I have five more already written of the ten I estimate it will take to finish. Hopefully I will be able to keep a decent pace from now on. Thanks for sticking with me.

I have five more already written of the ten I estimate it will take to finish. Hopefully I will be able to keep a decent pace from now on. Thanks for sticking with me.

Thanks so much for your kind words. Nice to know people really do want to read the rest of it. I love Alan Rickman. And, like you, I had a bit of a recovery period before I could start reading SS/HG stories again. But there are so many great writers here on this site. They all can't be wrong!! Their amazing stories convinced me to keep writing. Keep reading. I'll keep writing, I promise.

Thanks so much for your kind words. Nice to know people really do want to read the rest of it. I love Alan Rickman. And, like you, I had a bit of a recovery period before I could start reading SS/HG stories again. But there are so many great writers here on this site. They all can't be wrong!! Their amazing stories convinced me to keep writing. Keep reading. I'll keep writing, I promise.