Interesting, I'm glad he realized that Hermione won't hang around forever.  Let's hope he secures his relationship with her.

Wow, every chapter has been enjoyable.  I love all of Snapes internal monologue and his fears, anxieties, hopes.  Real people carry on these kinds of conversations wtih themselves when trying to process confusing human interactions so Snape feels very real to me here.  He wants so badly to just live a normal life and he wants to be liked.  It seems a simple thing but for Snape life is always complicated.

Wow what a chapter!  I'm thinking Gareth is going to be put in his place by his mother.  I imagine that was quite an interesting conversation.  However I think having Severus and Gertrude meeting again will be beneficial for them both and they'll admit it at least to themselves if no one else.  Poor Severus, for someone who isn't used to dealing with emotions he was put through the wringer today. Luckily the day ended on a positive note with a date with Hermione.  Just a final random thought, I don't like those inheritance laws that give only Alroy the Gamp Estate.  It would seem much more fair to me that he, Aine, Robert and Gareth split it evenly.     

Neat story.

I really enjoyed that party.  It sounded great and was so descriptive!

severus willingly kissing people and not getting super upset about it? he really HAS changed!  :Dand that was sweet of him at the end to make sure albus and minerva had privacy

im glad they got it all straightened out.  i can see how such a worry could turn into despair at never finding out the truth.  i had never thought of severus as suicidal but now that i think about it, i wonder how i never thought of it before.  it just seems to fit him so perfectly....or rather, it DID fit him once upon a time.

Now who on earth would want to avoid any upcoming chapters/parts? Certainly not me :) Very happy to see this update, it's helping me through my psych midterm studying. Always an enjoyable read, whether emotive, amusing, or inspiring. I'll admit, I was hoping for a bit more sexual tension for Severus, but Minerva kept her promise, all for the best no doubt :) too much "festivity" in one evening may not a happy Severus make. Looking forward to the birthday!

Success! An entire party without committing any major faux pas or being subjected to anything embarrassing - that would be Severus's definition of a successful party, I guess. He even managed some VERY brief small talk and a dance without too much trouble. But I had to laugh that he would end up insisting that he get the mistletoe to keep Minerva's secret. I suppose the role of spy and supporter of subterfuge will always be where he feels most natural. Hopefully, he will one day be able to get through an entire party without constantly comparing it to his time with the Death Eaters, though. His careful analysis of party behavior and satisfaction in successfully emulating it was pretty funny. But totally plausible. How else can he learn to behave in social situations, if not by imitation and experimentation? I remember doing that, myself, when I was an awkward pre-teen. RE: the previews - bring it on! I enjoy the hint of what's coming, and you're right that people can avoid it, if they prefer! I feel like I might be missing something at your LJ, though, maybe I should check it out?

i know dumbledore was just trying to protect severus sotospeak, but he could have worded it different.  especially considering everything they've been through.

thanks as ever for updating - I loved Severus 'wobble' on the  road to recovery and I thik that Albus and Minerva' sreactions were perfect!hope you get a chance to write more soon, Linds

I loved the sharing of memories, I think it did help Severus feel better.

well done.

Oh wow, I'm glad the next chapter is already done.  I'd hate to have to wait for it!  This is such and excellent story.  I love reading all of the emotions that Severus experiences.  They feel quite real to me.  The emotions are complex and this is how it would be for a real person.

its so weird to see snape being nice!  lol  i have way too many stories on my reading plate and the writers often portray him as a snarky bastard even after the war :)i liked his speech.  it was short and got his point across.  what did firenze mean when he all but told severus' future?  basically that if he kept on the way he had been recently, life would be relatively nice?  i think i made sense enough of that lol.

i wondered when moody would apologize, if he ever would at all.  im glad he finally manned up and did it.  it no doubt helped severus to reach his unusually good mood that evening. :)

I just love it when I come home from work to find a new chapter waiting in my inbox. It's a nice reward for a hard day's labor.I remember that JKR once said of the canon Dumbledore that he is essentially a very lonely man, that, because of his enormous intelligence and magical gifts, he really had no equals to share his thoughts and feelings with. Your Albus has Minerva, and he is more open and giving than he seems in canon, but perhaps he still is prone to act on thoughts and conclusions that he'd be better off using a sounding board for, first.I'm glad he and Severus had their time alone, to patch up the rift and to renew their friendship. But I wish Severus had been able to talk to him the way he talks to Minerva.

First of all, it was my pleasure to read the chapter and offer my opinion. Anytime you need someone to read over a chapter, I'm your GLM!I'm very glad Minerva took time to show Severus the memories and to help him understand Albus' actions. It can't be easy for her being stuck in the middle of these two wizards, but she does an admirable job of keeping them in line.Despite seeing the memories and fully understanding what happened, I'm still glad Albus took Severus to the spot and showed that both he and Harry trusted Snape enough to reveal the location of Riddle's remains. I'm sure that went a long way towards bridging the gap between Albus and Severus.And what's not to LOVE about the ending bits with Minerva. I always love it when the chapter ends on a happy note with the two of them. A nap, a cuddle, and a shower ... what's not to LOVE!!!???

Nice chapter, the preparations for the duel was interesting.

OOOOOOOH what a place to stop!  It would be so much better for them if Severus and Albus could really listen to each other.  But they have to muddle their way through as they learn to adjust to their new roles.  Minerva must get tired of being the mother hen to two grown men when she already has a castle full of children to look after.  I can’t wait until the next chapter is up!

Evil, EVIL cliffie! It's a good thing you update so frequently, or I'd be sending you some nastygrams over this one.Poor Albus really bungled this one. I imagined him still standing in the same spot, after Severus stormed out, staring at the door and thinking, "Well, shit." Or whatever the Albus Dumbledore version of that sentiment is.Thank goodness for Minerva and her sensible way of dealing with Severus. I'm sure that, whatever those memories are, it was terribly painful for both her and for Albus to have to revisit them, and a mark of their love for Severus that they would do so to help relieve his pain.

Hmm, that conversation could have gone a lot better between Albus and Severus. I hate that they seemed to be at odds, especially over something like that. I can understand Albus being concerned about Snape's obsession but I can also see the obsession being born from needing to put everything to rest. I just wish Snape hadn't stormed off to Minerva. sigh. I swear she must feel like a mother or at least caught in the middle of them sometimes.

Eeeep! Pomona brought out the claws towards Severus. She could have phrased her thoughts in a less acidic way. Good thing Albus and Filius worked together to try to smooth things over quickly.The bit with Firenze tugged at my heartstrings. I think the following sentence was just utterly beautiful:“I saw the reflection of the dawn in the moonlight on water,” Firenze said, his deep voice melodious but sad, “and was left pondering the deeps and the shallows.”

Hearing Filius talking about the duel between Malcolm and Albus all those years ago makes me want to go back and read that section in RaM. Ah, the "good ole days" lol.The conversation with Moody was awkward at best but I'm glad it went as well as it did. It will take a long time to get over what happened. And I'm glad Vector mentioned that she knew it was Snape who'd helped her out at the party.

Wow, I go away on holiday and come back to find all these chapters have been uploaded. eeep. Gotta get on the ball and leave my reveiws.The lunch between Snape, Gareth, and Hermione seemed to go well. I'm glad Snape is slowly branching out and enjoying life again. The story of Frances Flint and Valerianna (nasty as she was) was very sad. I would love to have "heard" what Minerva said of Valerianna to Snape that allowed him to pick up on the fact that Minerva disliked her. lolOff to read another chapter.