Mmmmmmm...  I love having my neck and shoulders massaged.I wonder why she burst into tears?  Could it be....?  I'll just go read the next chapter.   Beth

"...thus had all the subtlety of a turd in a punchbowl..."ROFL!  I haven't heard that saying in years.  You write a wonderful and witty story.  Thanks.Beth

Aaaaaahhhhh... nice.  Is that coffee I smell?  I think it is!Well done!Beth

YES!

A sweet reception at home after nine hours with the Dark Lord.  I know he intends to go to Spinners End tomorrow, but I wonder if Hermione has plans to go with him?  It would surely be something that had crossed her mind.I can't wait to see what happens, so I'm off to the next chapter.  I am thoroughly enjoying your story!Beth

OMG!  Is his close call with Voldemort going to make him reconsider his relationship with Hermione?  I would completely understand if he came to that conclusion, but it would devastate both of them... and me, too.The Plot Thickens!!!  Good job!Beth

What she said!!!  She knows this part of Severus better than he knows himself.You write "feelings" and "emotions" so well that I can imagine what they are feeling... heartbeats, breathing, a tiny shiver that runs over their arms...Good writing and an excellent plot make for a great read!Beth

Whew!  He is so lost in her.  And her feelings for him are not making it easy for his logical self to assert itself over his need for her, Miss Hermione Granger.  What are they gonna do?  *I'm off to the next chapter to, hopefully, find out*Well done!!!!Beth

*Sigh*  That was awesome !  Their growing trust in each other is another benefit of his teaching her Occlumency.Good job!Beth

God Almighty!  You really had me going there.  I kept reading that part over and over again... down as far as "he took hold of the waistband of her woolen tights and yanked downward--"  If I had could have disciplined my mind enough to read the next few lines I would have realized what he had really done, but I was just fascinated with the turn of events... kinda like watching a train wreck... you don't want to watch, but you just can't turn away.You're a good writer, Fawkes.  Well done!Beth

I love you. "You are a remarkable woman, Miss Granger."I want you. "Any good, Professor?"Says it all, does it not?  We all want Severus!I love this chapter.  Being able to see Hermione's thoughts as she watches the Professor in class was delightful!Beth

Now that was funny!  I can see Lucius now... trying to make his way around the whispers in the hallways at the Ministry, avoiding people, hoping beyond hope that what he thinks he's hearing isn't what he thinks he's hearing.LOL!!!  Great chapter!Beth

This cracked me up!"Good evening, Mish Granger. Hee hee hee." If he'd had a knife handy, he'd have stuck it in his thigh.Snockered!Snape is a hoot.  I loved it when he pulled Miss Granger into his lap.  Apparently the Firewhisky had relaxed him enough that he is actually giving voice to his thoughts.  YES! 

He closed his eyes. What a night it had been. First the prat, then the toad; this was the sort of night that typically ends with broken glass or china and a stiff drink, and yet here he was, nothing broken, maybe even something healed. Somehow Snape's confession and then his promise to never again raise a hand against her had brought them to a place where they were both stronger together than they would ever be apart.He'd renounced the vow that bound him to Voldemort at enormous risk, and she knew it, yet she trusted him implicitly to keep his promise to her. Was she so naive, or was she aware of something he himself barely understood?Seeing Miss Granger's pouty lip in her silhouette on the drapes surrounding his bed led Severus to think back on the night she had come to him with her proposal.  And now all he could think about was that he had utterly wasted his only opportunity. I'm happy that she is reading to him again... he needs it and so does she.Well done!Beth

Severus has just given an Oscar-winning performance!  He has not only aborted Delores' advances toward him, he has neatly caught Lucius by the short hairs... or rather, he has just handed Lucius' short hairs to Delores.I love it!!!  Beth

Her bookmark had advanced only eighteen pages, and he had no memory of most of the text. He scanned the page from the bottom up, as was his custom: ...Have you been reading over my shoulder?  When I was a teenager, I would read the last several chapters of a book so I could keep and eye out for "things" I should pay attention to when I read it from the first chapter to the end.  I liked to examine the way an author wove their stories together from disparate threads until each had been joined in the tapestry.  I don't do that anymore, I just read from beginning to end, but my adolescent pursuits did give me a better understanding of the skills of different writers.I like your skill set.  This is a wonderful story that is wonderfully told.  Beth

This was insane. No one would accept the truth if she were discovered coming to his room every night. Frankly, it would almost be worse if they did! If it came to that, he'd prefer to be thrown off the faculty for disgraceful conduct than admit he'd been having midnight liasons with a young lady for the purpose of bedtime stories.I absolutely love your writing style.   I love the way you think.  Your chacters' behavior is true to concept, but they seem to have taken on a slightly unexpected... uh... willingness to push the boundaries.I can see Severus arguing with himself about what he has agreed to do, and with whom, and losing every battle with himself.  Brilliant!!!Beth

Not so fast, Professor.  You promised Miss Granger that she could read to you in your bed... well, she won't be in your bed... just you will be... in your bed.  *for now, at any rate*This is very quirky and unexpected.  I think that's what I love about it.Beth

"It's a deal."  I like a decisive Snape, and now he gets to fall asleep each night to the sounds of Miss Granger reading him to sleep.  Of course, we all know *rolls eyes* that his only interest is getting her to teach Harry Occlumency.Very adroit, Professor Snape.I love it!Beth

thank you for this little chapter i cant wait untill you can update again merry christmas and a happy new yra and yes you still have a following

So glad you posted. I hope all the real life issues are on a mend, or otherwise resolving. Have a Merry, Merry Christmas. We will all be so happy to see you pick this tale up in 2009.

oh dear...well then! >.> snape's a daddy! ~grins hugely and steals away the centaur foal and raises it muhself yus!~

Whoa, shit!  Hahahaha!Holy crap woman!  Broke your ribs?!?!  Yipes!!!

LMAO covers just about it all, I think. Also, I <3 the word mindfuckery.

LOL For a moment I though ol Hagrid ahd... whew. Okay. Well, so did Snape so I ain't that far off me rocker!