Demonstration
Chapter 15 of 19
KingPig***Winner of the Judge's Choice: Best Avada Kedavra in The New Library Awards 2008***
A conversation between two friends ignites a passion, if not an obsession, to uncover Severus Snape's dark and violent past.
Snape slumped to the floor as Hermione repeated, "I'm sorry," in a faint whisper. His mouth moved mechanically, mouthing an echo of her words, yet no sound escaped from his thin lips. His usual clear, glittering black eyes now seemed clouded and dull, as if the light behind them had been snuffed out.
Hermione trod carefully closer to him, fearful of the now diminutive shape that her former professor posed. His clothes seemed to have swallowed him whole, his entire posture seemed to crumble upon itself. He resembled a small child to her suddenly, and this chilled her. Again, the self-loathing she had tried to repress was openly feeding upon her conscience now, even as it prompted her to kneel beside him.
"P...Professor?" She stumbled on the word as she fought valiantly to silence her tears.
He did not respond in speech or in manner, but continued to stare at her oddly with eyes unseeing.
"Sir?" she asked firmly, unwaveringly, her voice laced with concern, but her tears now held in check.
Still no response. He did not blink, did not twitch, and only barely breathed.
Hermione wrung her hands nervously before her as she studied the still flowing stream of blood spilling from his nose and languidly dribbling onto his lips. She could not help her slight cringe when the pink tip of his tongue slowly licked the blood away from his mouth indifferently.
Taking a deep breath, she called out, "Severus?"
Snape blinked several times before fixing her with an inquisitive gaze; the film of despondency covering his eyes was now clearing rapidly, a bright flame within sparking to life.
She released her breath in a sigh of relief.
The silence thrummed and vibrated in the room. And although Hermione was no more than a foot away from Snape, her kneeling and him half-sitting, half-coiled, she felt as though a vast sea existed between them, stagnant and diseased.
"Severus," she whispered again, testing the waters with a gentle, coaxing tone, "I don't know how this happened, but it did, and I can't change it." She swallowed thickly before trudging ahead, "But you, we, need to talk about it. I think..."
His hollow, broken bark of laughter interrupted her. "'We need to talk?'" he hissed at her incredulously. "Talk? What do you suggest we talk about?"
She frowned disapprovingly at him. "Well, I think it's obvious..."
"Obvious?" he bit out through clenched teeth.
Her eyes narrowed to tiny slits at the evasive tactic he was employing. He twitched as though he could feel the heat of her glare scorching his skin.
"What are you?" he inquired quietly, unable to meet her gaze.
"Your apprentice. Your former student. The 'insufferable know-it-all.' A Gryffindor. Are any of those the answer you were looking for?" Each sentence she spoke was a harsh staccato that reverberated throughout the room, making the silence that followed all that more deafening.
Hermione shifted her weight on her knees and smoothed her robes as she mentally counted to ten to ease her building frustration. When she next spoke, it was in a far gentler tone. "I am someone who wants to..." She paused for a steadying breath. "Someone who wants to help you," she whispered.
The pallor of his face became infused with crimson.
A vein pulsed near his temple frighteningly.
A fresh fountain of blood poured from his nose.
He sneered at her with the bald expression of disgust.
She was undeterred.
She reached out determinedly, her fingers slowly seeking out their target despite their conspicuous trembling. When her hand brushed against his shoulder, he recoiled violently, his shoes fighting to gain purchase on the stone floor as he scrambled away.
She let her outstretched arm fall lamely to her side. "Your nose," she pointed out, "is bleeding pretty badly."
With a fleeting look of surprise that was quickly suppressed, Snape wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve, smearing it across his face. With a sigh, Hermione fished around in the pockets of her robes until she produced a clean handkerchief and offered it to him. He examined it disdainfully and made no move to accept it. After several long minutes, she stowed the piece of cloth back into her pocket.
She rose to her feet noiselessly and slowly headed for the door. Before she exited, she turned back to face him, her eyes roaming over his rigidly tensed form. "I will not give up on you," she whispered.
***
Remus Lupin left his office with a full feeling in his stomach and lightness in his heart. It was not often that his lunch hour was free from professorial obligations, and in the rare occasions that it was, he always sent an owl to his wife moments beforehand and spent the rest of the blissful, student-free hour stowed away in his office with Tonks and his toddler son, Teddy, sharing a meal at Hogwarts' expense.
This afternoon was no different, and these stolen moments with his family fed his hungry soul as much as the food fueled his body. It was always difficult, near the end of the hour, when it came time to say their goodbyes, but the feeling of sadness was fleeting when they knew they would see each other again in a matter of hours.
Remus was one of the few professors in the history of Hogwarts to be both married and be blessed with a child, as well as have the option to live outside school grounds. And though his relationship with his students did suffer at bit with the absence of their professor's availability, he gladly traded this for the opportunity to nurture the bonds within his own family for the very idea of a family, a true family, was a new and novel discovery for the werewolf.
Within the walls and halls of Hogwarts, he had, over his relatively short life, been lucky enough to be surrounded with friends that not only did not mind his condition, but worked tirelessly to create an environment where he would not be alone during his darkest hours this was a deep love that he never took lightly. He had many surrogate family members, many who cared for him far more than his own parents had, many who had put their lives in danger for his well-being, which he always attempted to reciprocate in kind.
But this family, this newly born and tenderly cherished family, this one which consisted of a beautiful wife and a gorgeous son, this family brought from the furthest most depths of his heart and his soul a love that he had never known existed. And now, now that these feelings had been unearthed, stirred, awakened, he knew he could never exist without these two people. They were a part of him as surely as the drowsing wolf was; they were connected to him, bodily, spiritually, mentally.
And so it was this realization, this epiphany, that swelled in his mind as he casually left his recently vacated office for his daily afternoon stroll about the castle, this comprehension that distracted his brain from the mundane task of setting a clear destination for his feet to follow. And it is why he found himself suddenly at the threshold of the dungeons, mere inches away from a head-on collision with a frail, equally dissociated young woman, who fostered a look of immediate surprise and expression of apology to match his own.
"So sorry, Mrs. Malfoy," Remus quickly said, halting effectively in mid-step.
"No, no, my fault, I should have paid attention to where I was going," murmured the apprentice as she stepped back and allowed him room to pass her. Her face was drawn and pale with a lackluster expression, her eyes heavy-lidded and framed underneath with dark, purple bags. She was painfully thin (almost nearly enough to match the emaciated frame of her employer). Her hair was dull and stringy.
He stared at her with unconcealed concern, and she squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.
"Are you alright, Mrs. Malfoy? Here, let me take you to the Infirmary," Remus whispered as calmly as possible, reaching out to her in a gesture of help.
She waved off his hand dismissively as she spoke. "It's alright, really. I just, I just need to finish up a few things."
"Surely you can take a few hours to rest? Severus isn't denying you the basic need of sleep, is he?"
"No, no! No, it's not that at all. I just," she sighed, "I just have some other business to attend to." She moved forward in an attempt to brush past him, but he swiftly, gently, grasped her forearm and held her until she stilled.
"Mrs. Malfoy, I understand that we have not exactly gotten on in the past, but I want you to know, and don't dismiss this, I want you to know that my door is always open, and anything you say will be held in the strictest confidence."
She merely stared at him in response, her eyes probing his expression for evidence of dubious intent. Without another word, she gave the slightest of nods, released herself from his grip, and continued forward without a look back.
*
He was staring at the corked vial with a hunger dancing within his black eyes, delicately grasping the glass container between his thumb and forefinger, watching the light glittering through the clear liquid inside. His expression was of childlike wonder and awe. His back was pressed against the wall, his knees drawn up to his chest with a thin arm snaked around his shins.
His nose still bled profusely.
He paid it no mind.
When the thundering sound of a knock on the door echoed throughout the room, Severus Snape seemed oblivious. He continued to stare longingly at the vial that held his attention captive, his eyes both unseeing and unblinking.
This was how Remus found his former classmate upon entering the room. Once his thrice knocking went unanswered, and his calls unheeded, he took it upon himself to proceed through the unlocked door, the risks of doing so weighing heavily upon his mind.
But he need not have worried.
Severus was as incapable at this moment of barring Lupin's entry as a Diricawl could take flight.
The state of the Potions master, in the eyes of the werewolf, looked nothing like the severe figure that was always associated with Snape. Instead, he looked like an awkwardly tall, gangly boy, drowning in a sea of black robes and gazing at a glass vial with an expression Lupin likened to that which James Potter wore when presented with his first broomstick.
For several minutes, Remus could only gape in horror at the sight before him.
When he at last had the presence of mind to make his attendance known, Lupin noisily cleared his throat. Several times. But it was to no avail.
"Severus?" he asked gently.
There was no response.
"Snape?" He affected a firmer voice. "What's that you have there?" Remus pointed to the container in Severus' fingers.
Snape shrugged.
"You're bleeding!" The werewolf rushed to the perplexing wizard's side in one bound, his hands roaming his own robes for a handkerchief. Once one was located, Remus unceremoniously pressed it against Snape's nose without a thought. It was a bold and brash and thoroughly Gryffindor thing to do, and had it been any other time than the present, Lupin was certain he would be writhing on the floor under the effects of a painful curse for his troubles. As it was, Snape did not so much as flinch at the physical contact. This worried Remus far more than the threat of an Unforgivable.
Muffled by the linen that was currently pushed against his face and stifling his breathing, Severus stated in a broken voice, "Bad blood will out."
"What?"
The bleeding man said nothing more, but locked eyes with Remus with such a fierce gaze that the werewolf stumbled back and momentarily lost his grip on the soiled handkerchief.
"Snape, what's going on? Where's Hermione? Why are you bleeding? Why does Mrs. Malfoy look like she hasn't slept in weeks?" Lupin's voice was getting frantic now, panicked, and the words began to run together in a rush. "Snape! Tell me what the hell is going on!" He snatched the vial violently from Severus' hand.
This seemed to break the spell that had fallen over Snape, and within an instant, he was on his feet, his previously occupied fingers now crushing Lupin's windpipe, holding Remus inches off the floor. The vial shattered across the stone ground. The werewolf struggled, his legs kicking wildly into the air, his hands scrambling, clawing at the hand that held his throat in a vise-like grip.
And then, just as quickly, he was released, crashing down to the floor spectacularly, inhaling deeply with rasping breaths and vigorously rubbing his neck.
"Lupin?" Snape asked, blinking rapidly and staring at the man sprawled on the floor with marked confusion. "What the f..."
"What," Remus hissed with a deep gulping breath, "is," he coughed and sputtered, "going on?"
Author's Note Thousands of thank-yous to my extraordinary beta, Angel Mischa, and the invaluable advice from both Amsev and Irishredlass. Since I haven't spoken to Amsev in a while, my summary has suffered. You will notice it is quite redundant. It's all Amsev's fault. Hehe!
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Latest 25 Reviews for Conversations
323 Reviews | 6.63/10 Average
Wow, what a wonderful story!I've been finding those kind of stories for a long time.Love the way you describe Snape and his horrible past.This is the first time I've ever wrote a review on a fic.Please continue with your story! :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so very much! I'm so honored to be the first receipient of a review from you! I know I haven't updated this story in almost a year, but my RL career has had me working overtime constantly, and I'm almost finished with my all-consuming project, and around this time next month, I should have the free time available to post the next chapter. Thank you again!
I'll say that you've continued to write wonderfully. I like your plot, and the way you protray the characters. I've happily favorited this story and hope to see it up-dated soon. 
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! The story is on a little hiatus right now, as I have a deadline for my RL work – but in the next few weeks I should have time to come back to Conversations and update! Thank you again!
I LOVE your banner!! It looks amazing! And I really like the chapter! I hope the rest of this story is this good!
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so, so very much! I hope I don't disappoint!
Anonymous
I do love Luna. What a wonderful vehicle she is for all things wise. If you need any help with chapter 20, don't hesitate to poke me. I promise there'll be no more disappearances! ;)
Author's Response: LOL! I'd be really, really, really grateful and appreciative of any help you'd offer! Kittylefish has graciously offered to beta for me, but I can use all the help I can get! LOL.
I have all but the very beginning of chapter 20 – which may be superfluous anyway (the beginning). Not sure.
I just found this story by accident a couple of days ago. Now I see that you have not updated for months. I do hope that nothing has gone so terribly wrong in your life that you cannot finish this thrilling tale. That is a selfish attitude, I know, but it is all your fault for being such a good writer. I simply must know how Hermione wins him over and helps him to realize how precious and beautiful and special he really is. Please, please update soon. Don't abandon this exquisitly written piece of fan fiction.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
LOL, no, not a selfish attitude at all! I greatly, truly appreciate your review and encouragement! I do feel very guilty about the lack of updates, and thankfully I have no tragic excuse – I have just been extremely busy with "RL" issues regarding work, vacations, and, unfortunately, a horrible case of writer's block. However (!), I have written a bit of the next chapter, and am posting a little snippet of it on my livejournal today (I'm a bit worried that this particular section of the story might be too... fluffy, so I'm looking for some constructive criticism), which you can check, if you'd like, at http://kingpig.livejournal.com/ ... please let me know what you think if you do take a look at it, and don't mind a bit of a spoiler. Once I get it all worked out, and find a willing beta, then I should have something posted here soon. Thank you, thank you, thank you again!
I've been reading all day long to read this story in one rush and it was so, so worth it! Psychological stories are hard to write and I have to say that I love this one! Please keep going! xox
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it, and I agree, psychological stories are very difficult to write (and very draining) – but without at least some psychological aspect, a story can become very hard to read. I am working on the next chapter, but I am stretched a bit thin when it comes to RL occupation, RL in general, and the SBB project... plus the fact that Severus is just not cooperating :( But I am working on it, so please stay tuned, and thank you again!
Oh, welcome back! I just love having my empathy beaten up from all directions at once. Your portrayal of Snape's PTSD is so believable. I can imagine that he must feel like a accident victim brought to a trauma center to have his life saved. First you're found (by strangers), then immobilized on back board and hard collar to prevent further injury (whether or not you find it uncomfortable or claustrophobic), then you're poked and prodded and a mask put over your face. Transported who knows where. Everyone is talking at you all at once. You arrive at the ER and then they cut off all your clothes in front of God and everybody and proceed to expose you, open your wounds, clean them out with industrial solvents, manipulate your body, more needles but no pain meds, blinding lights, a whole cacophony of incomprehensible sound, and no control, no say in what is being done, nowhere to hide, no way to escape. And all the while, they say they are helping and you're supposed to believe them. **small animal sounds of distress**Hermione will need every bit of her very old soul's experience to help this terribly battered hero with the new soul to learn that there really is love in the world for him. Bravissima. Please continue.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
I absolutely adore your review, and I don't think I could ever apologize enough for my response being so late. *hangs head in shame* I'm very, very sorry!I love the analogy as well, as I never really thought about it in that context, although I had quite a similiar experience! (On top of all that you described, my little sister had witnessed the car accident, and because they put me on a board with the collar, she called my mom and told her I was paralyzed, then she called my grandmother to say I was dead. She was only ten, and I 16, so you can imagine my surprise when I was wheeled out into the lobby in a wheelchair, with only superficial wounds and one cut needing a paltry three stitches, and my entire family – including some I had never before met – greeted me with tear stained faces and the expression as though they were looking at a ghost. I fear most of them were disappointed I didn't at least break a bone, LOL!)And I agree that Hermione will need to draw on her wisdom-beyond-her-age reserves, but she'll also have a few issues of her own, in regards to emotional maturity, so it probably become a "blind leading the blind" scenario for a small bit.Thank you, thank you, and thank you some more! I don't know when the next chapter will be posted, but I am spending what little free time I can to devote to it! Please stay tuned!
Minerva must have a lot of grief on hr plate. She made some serious mistakes with Severus over the years. Hopefully he will be willing to try to let her make amends.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much for the review! Yes, I believe Minerva is just now realizing the magnitude of her and AD's past behavior. I think Severus may be feeling as though it's really convenient, that MM and RL and PP suddenly want to apologize, now that the damage is done and was ignored for so long. But, that's not to say that Severus will completely shut her, them, out.Thank you again!
Yay! I'm glad you're back!This is a great story, gripping and intense, though I found difficult to read sometimes.A lot of authors who go high on angst can't portray their characters as -well- f#cked up enough for what they've allegedly been through - your Snape is a stellar exception!It's chilling to watch him vacillate between the persona of the controlled Professor and that of a wounded child. You make it all psychologically believable - great job!My only worry is how on earth will he be capable of forming any sort of functioning relationship with Hermione.You DO have "romance" listed in genre tags for that story, albeit at the very end - is that how long we'll have to wait to see some lovin'?Do you have this story mapped out, or do you write as it unfolds for you? (I think I've read in one of your Author's Notes that it started off as one-shot. Sorry if I got it wrong, I seldom notice A/N's when on a reading binge.)Good luck in all your RL exploits, may nothing distract you from updating ASAP!Thank you for a great evening!
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so, so much! Although it can be very difficult indeed, I'm so thrilled that you stay with it. And I very, very greatly appreciate your comment about my characterization of Snape as a realistic survivor of intense trauma. I often feel, because I'm my own worst critic, that I'm not truly conveying the gravity of his circumstances, so a review like yours means so, so much to me! I also share your concern over how he and Hermione will be able to form a healthy relationship – I know it will happen, as that's the true plot and original direction of the story, but <i>how</i> and how long it will take is a little worrisome, I admit. I do know that it is possible, as I write some of his childhood directly from my own experience, and I have found and formed a healthy relationship with my husband – it just took a while to do. And, also, I sadly don't have this story really mapped out, there was no outline – you are correct, it did just start as a one-shot, and I'm letting the story write itself. Which may upset some readers, because I have no idea how long this story will be, or exactly what obstacles it will contain, and I have a feeling people can tell that it's unfolding as it goes... mostly because, to me, it seems to jump around a lot, and there are a few scenes that have yet to be really explained (what Minerva saw when she walked into his room that made him so angry, what Hermione will do with the shoebox of mementos, what kind of potion Severus was about to drink before his fight with Remus...). Sorry to make this response such an epic novel in and of itself, but I really appreciate your insightful review, and I wanted to reply to it with the respectful explanation that it is due. Thank you so, so much again! Chapter 20 is in the process of being written as we speak!
“I bet this is a strange world to him.” Luna is so remarkably perceptive! And I do hope she is right about Hermione's ability to help this poor, tortured, brave soul.I think it may be a testimony to his courage that he did not become a true psychopath, that he did what he was driven to do yet still did not break into a thousand pieces.And good for Minerva trying to get through to him, telling him of her own shame and shortcomings, as well as of her love. He may never truly believe it, but his confusion suggests that perhaps he might be able to at least know that she believes it.Who is Patsy communicating so carefully with? And how will they use the knowledge of Severus' role in the family tragedy?Fascinating!
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! In regards to the Luna comment, I'm really relieved that you enjoyed it. Their entire dialogue (HG and LL) was something I wasn't sure of including, even up to the point of clicking "submit." It was in constant risk of being cut, and I'm so glad that you liked it!As for Minerva and Pansy, I can't really elaborate on that just yet, as it's central to the upcoming chapters, but I don't think you'll be disappointed! Thank you again, your reviews are always delightful!
This was a most interesting chapter!! I loved the 'discussion' between Luna and Hermione. Luna always has such a deep understanding of life. I think her 'knowing' always leaves people a little confused. What really surprised me was the whole bit on Pansy's letter writing. It made me laugh as it is basically the same way I write things. The rewriting, the editing, the careful scanning to make sure it says only what I want it to say... it was funny to see my own unconscious process under a new light.I was also very taken with Minerva's heart-felt speech to Severus. "And every time you proved your intense loyalty, your passionate veracity, your inherent Light that shines so blindingly bright, it casts pale shadows over all the others I had ever perceived as heroes – every time, Severus, I would stand in awe..." - Oh Yes! That is our Severus.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you! I'm so relieved to hear that you enjoyed the scene with Luna and Hermione – it very nearly ended up on the cutting room floor. Even after it was submitted, I was very uncertain about it.LOL, yay, another person who writes things with such a neurotic process as Pansy and I do! I'm really bad about it, for because of this, it takes me forever to even type out a text message. And I see tones and inflections in emails, texts, etc., so people are always confused when I call them and say, "What did I do to make you so disappointed/angry/sad/etc?" They're like, "Wha?" and I say, "You used '...' after [insert word here], which could only mean you were slightly annoyed/uncertain/etc." It drives my friends, family, and especially my husband insane. And I'm thrilled that you enjoyed Minerva's speech to Severus, it was, admittedly, my favorite piece to write in this chapter. Thank you again!
this has to be one of the darkest fics i've ever read. but phenominally well written. everyone failed severus, everyone. and your story shows that perfectly. thanks so much and i await the next chapter.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! The next chapter is currently in the works, but has been delayed due to a recent death of a family member as well as current job deadlines looming over my head. I hope to have something up in the next few weeks, please stay tuned!
well, the idea of young snape having to take matters into his hands that way is fairly disturbing, and pansy sending off that article with her letter is of concern. perhaps minerva's words will somehow get through to him. very dense and complex chapter.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so very much! Things are starting to come together, and the next chapter is in the works!
Can't wait for the next chapter! Plese don't make it too long! I've just discovered your story and I really appreciate its psychological depth. But I have to confess that so far, I really don't see how Severus and Hermione could end up together. Not that I don't want them to! Snape seems to be a "hopeless" case. But I trust you to make it credible:)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! I know it seems bleak for our heroes, but love often pops up in the most unexpected, even inappropriate, times. I can say it won't be all roses and rainbows – but have faith... love may not be able to heal <i>all</i>, but it can still heal.Thank you again! The next chapter is in the works, but may be delayed due to a recent death in my family in addition to a looming job deadline. I do, often, give updates to the story's progress on my livejournal – my LJ name is kingpig (I'd post the link but I don't know if I'm allowed to...)
okay, so Pansy might just be caught in a bad situation and not really doing something wicked, although she knows she needs to be careful. Minerva has finally communicated to Severus, and I hope she sticks with her intentions. the article Pansy found is heart-wrenching, and I can see a small Severus always regretting that he didn't act soon enough to save his mother's life. stupid wizarding world had no Dept of Social Services to care for wizarding orphans and maltreated kids! Dumbledore was not a good parent-figure to anyone.thank you for the new chapter, and thanks to Sonia and shellsnapeluver for stepping in to help you!
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! I agree, a Wizarding equivalent of a Dept. of Social Services is desperately needed – hopefully, in the future, Hermione will be able to remedy that. :)
I usually can't read stories that involve abuse and rape, but your writing manages to do that in such a touching manner that I find myself helplessly reading it all in one go. Thank you for such a powerful chapter.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you for such a wonderful review! I do apologize that it has taken this long to respond, RL has really caught up with me these last few months.RL as in real life, not Remus Lupin, lol. Just for my own clarification.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you for such a wonderful review! I do apologize that it has taken this long to respond, RL has really caught up with me these last few months.RL as in real life, not Remus Lupin, lol. Just for my own clarification.
Just re-read this wonderful tale, well as much as you have written, and am eagerly awaiting your next chapter...
Loves you, Sonia :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! I dearly appreciate your reviews. I did write a little of the next chapter, and it is turning out to be pretty dark. Grrrrr, I can't wait until things start to look up. Did you have a chance to go over the SS/HG x-change stories I sent? Did they send okay? I ask because the last time you replied to my email I didn't get it, only your message on LJ. If you haven't had a chance, I totally understand!
Response from sbrande (Reviewer)
No I went through it that night and wrote you back a lengthy reply as well as beta'ed it.
Damn it... Did you get either of them back??? I am VERY reliable and if I say I will do something I do. Shite a brick, I think I deleted it too. Please re-send.
I think you should go with the second one as the Zombie one will be too complex, unless you want to write like the wind. I like the Zombie one better for plot, but I think you will receive more reviews for the other one as that is what people want... NOT ME.
Love Sonia :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Aaaw :( I'm so sorry. For some reason, it seems as though I can't receive emails from you, but I can send them to you. I'll give you another email addy to try (kingpig@mac.com) when I resend you the files. I didn't mean to imply that you didn't do it, just that I'm afraid I can't receive emails from you, or that perhaps you are a little busy. I agree with what you said, and I will probably go with the first prompt (though I'm afraid to state either here, as the prompter may be reading the reviews...). It is less complex, but I really would have loved to do the, uh, more interesting one. But I agree, it is something that does not lend itself to a short story format – it is something I'd like to explore in depth. So, I'll do the the prompt that most people might want to read, and then after the exchange, I'll probably write the more interesting prompt in a chaptered format, dedicate and credit the idea to the prompter, and probably ask permission to write it. I'll resend!
Response from sbrande (Reviewer)
Okay. Have just woken up. Am feeding the dogs and then the kids are next however, I shall get right on it.
love Sonia :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much! I dearly appreciate your reviews. I did write a little of the next chapter, and it is turning out to be pretty dark. Grrrrr, I can't wait until things start to look up. Did you have a chance to go over the SS/HG x-change stories I sent? Did they send okay? I ask because the last time you replied to my email I didn't get it, only your message on LJ. If you haven't had a chance, I totally understand!
Response from sbrande (Reviewer)
No I went through it that night and wrote you back a lengthy reply as well as beta'ed it.
Damn it... Did you get either of them back??? I am VERY reliable and if I say I will do something I do. Shite a brick, I think I deleted it too. Please re-send.
I think you should go with the second one as the Zombie one will be too complex, unless you want to write like the wind. I like the Zombie one better for plot, but I think you will receive more reviews for the other one as that is what people want... NOT ME.
Love Sonia :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Aaaw :( I'm so sorry. For some reason, it seems as though I can't receive emails from you, but I can send them to you. I'll give you another email addy to try (kingpig@mac.com) when I resend you the files. I didn't mean to imply that you didn't do it, just that I'm afraid I can't receive emails from you, or that perhaps you are a little busy. I agree with what you said, and I will probably go with the first prompt (though I'm afraid to state either here, as the prompter may be reading the reviews...). It is less complex, but I really would have loved to do the, uh, more interesting one. But I agree, it is something that does not lend itself to a short story format – it is something I'd like to explore in depth. So, I'll do the the prompt that most people might want to read, and then after the exchange, I'll probably write the more interesting prompt in a chaptered format, dedicate and credit the idea to the prompter, and probably ask permission to write it. I'll resend!
Response from sbrande (Reviewer)
Okay. Have just woken up. Am feeding the dogs and then the kids are next however, I shall get right on it.
love Sonia :)
Hey Babe,
I am going to read this wonderful story again now. Just read the first chapter because I love it so very much.
Love Sonia :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
LOL oh no! If you read it all from the beginning, all the plot holes will become obvious!! *ducks*
Response from sbrande (Reviewer)
No, because it is not complete yet. If it were complete then sure there would be a whole heap of plot holes ;)
Love Sonia :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
LOL I need to remember to fill those holes at some point...
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
LOL oh no! If you read it all from the beginning, all the plot holes will become obvious!! *ducks*
Response from sbrande (Reviewer)
No, because it is not complete yet. If it were complete then sure there would be a whole heap of plot holes ;)
Love Sonia :)
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
LOL I need to remember to fill those holes at some point...
Uh oh. So many intriguing questions! What is Pansy's role in all this (and it's interesting to see her reluctance); Hermione's decidedly odd not-Hermione'ish dream certainly explains her sleeping through the disturbance Pansy caused.I really liked Poppy here. Her concern for Severus feels achingly real.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much for the thoughtful, encouraging review! I very much enjoyed writing Poppy's scene, and I felt very saddened that I have to write him leaving like that, which only ramps up her anxiety and concern to new levels. I hope she'll forgive me.Thank you again!
I enjoyed Poppy the most in this chapter. Her concern made the chapter for me.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Oh, I am so glad you enjoyed that! It was very cathartic to write Poppy's scene, in a way. Thank you for the thoughtful review!
Ah so, the precious, precious shoebox and its contents have once again been "found." Hermione still seems to be tangled in Severus' most intimate memories. Is he in any way tangled in hers? And Pansy Malfoy ne Parkinson, a woman who feels scorned by everyone, presented with such an "opportunity"... What will she do with it? I wonder what happens when someone hands a beyond-Hades fury a monkey wrench? Welcome back.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review! Unfortunately, I'm not quite "back" yet... I will try really hard to update before Feb 1st, but as that is my newest work deadline, I can't make any promises. But I'll try! And, though it'll be explained more in coming chapters, I'll go ahead and answer at least one of your questions... No, Severus is in no way entangled in Hermione's memories. It's a one-way phenomenon. Thank you again!
The dream Hermione is having is quite interesting!
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you for the review! I'll be able to explain the dream more fully in the coming chapters.
Another tantalyzing chapter, filled with more questions than answers (that is not a criticism!).Poppy's concern is very touching, while Severus' near-catatonia is frightening. And what in heaven's name is Pansy up to, and at whose behest? (I know you've warned of a not-at-all-nice LM, so I'm assuming he's part of it, but part of what, I wonder?) That letter (and the box it came from) should be interesting--what is it doing there?And what's with that funky, odd dream? Who is dreaming, and how do Hermione and Severus get so mixed together, and in Lily's presence?SO many questions! Hope you have time to give us more soon--this is a dark and twisty tale, and I am hooked!
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
LOL, thank you so much!! I just adore your reviews! I had a lot of fun writing Poppy in this chapter, and I think if she had her way, she would have showed up at his doorstep intending to spend the next two weeks with him, 24/7.As for the dream, it will be explained in depth a little more later, but I'll try and clarify it a bit for you now. It's not quite so much a dream as it is one of Severus' memories, inexplicibly (for now, and did I even spell that right?) connecting her and Severus like a long-distance, unconscious Legilimency... thing. Heh. I promise, it will all become clear (...eventually)!I will try really hard to update before Feb 1st, but as that is my newest work deadline, I can't make any promises. But I'll try!
(blinks...) wha??? I need more, please!!! what did Pansy find, are Lucius-Cissa-Draco part of the thing she's in, who is masterminding the thing that Pansy is in, what is the meaning of Hermione's dream?? at least I know Severus is able to get about on his own, and he prolly feels "safe" at Spinner's End. I will cross my fingers for you to finish your yourdeadline! thanks for updating.
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! I really, really want to answer your questions right here in this response, but then I know it will take all the fun of discovery out of it. I will try really hard to update before Feb 1st, but as that is my newest work deadline, I can't make any promises. But I'll try!
so happy to see the update! and i do hope it won't be so long until the next, as what a place you've left off! i shudder to think of pansy seeing what's in that box - poor snape has already been violated enough. plus, not knowing what her agenda is, it worries me. anyway, i am still really enjoying this story. happy holidays and good luck with the work stuff. and i hope rl lets up soon so we can hear more from you on this story!
Response from KingPig (Author of Conversations)
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review! I do have a work deadline of Feb 1st, so I can't promise an update until after that date, but I will work really hard to try!