wow, great chapter.  I can't wait to read the next chapter.  They both made big mistakes, but maybe they can both make up for them now.  can't wait for more!

It seems like things are heating up, and although i was most interested in teh SS/HG aspect of this story to begin with, I can't help my curiosity at what exactly happened to Hermione at that lab she'd once worked at.

I like this Severus; taking the lead and confident. It's nice to see him so comfortable in his own skin.

So the Potions mistress does have a few new tricks to teach the old dog. LOLReally enjoying this story. I hope to catch up in full over the weekend.

hee hee... what a wonderful re-introduction. :)

Well, I'm glad Hermione wasn't sacked. I can't wait until Severus decides to get back to Hogwarts. :)

Eep! Well, if Snape is the same man who taught her all those years ago, I'm afraid Hermione may soon be unemployed with Snape demanding his job, and his quarters, returned to him immediately. LOL But maybe, just maybe, they will share these alrge quarters? Almost like the Head Boy/Girl stories of DM/HG. It kind of makes me chuckle just thinking of such an arrangement. :)Can't wait til I get another moment today so I can read the next and see jsut what it is that Snape and McGonagall were talking about, and... how it affects Hermione. :)

I'm so glad I am finally able to start on this story. It seems like an easy task, yet I've read the beginning of this chapter many, many times and always an interruption seems to call me away. I've seen this story praised many places now and from the start, and your writing style, I think I too will very much like this tale. Your explaination of Snape, his missing portrait, was wonderful and I felt it caught the emotion of the moment very clearly. What a thing to realize after the fact. That you have left a man to die who was NOT, in fact, dead. I enjoy the pace here as well. At first I assumed Snape was just going to show up at the castle to begin teaching again, to Hermione's shock (as I said, I read the very beginning several times so I had time to speculate). I figured he'd give some small explaination of the events, make snarky remarks to Hermione about her and her friends being the dunderheads who'd left him in the shack without checking his pulse... yada yada yada. But when I (finally) read that Neville goes to visit him, and the very believable explaination you gave for Snape remaining alive - sort of - I found it refreshing. I'll stop babbling now and hopefully get the next whole chapter read before I have to be pulled away again. If you don't see a chpater 2 review, then I didn't manage it, but I'll review as soon as I read the chpater in it's entirety. :)

What a wonderful update! I'm glad that Hermione finally got the Arglist story off of her chest. It hadn't occurred to me before, but there is similarity between their situations -- the desire to do more with their intelligence blinding them, at first, to the pitfalls and dark times ahead.

Yay! love it!

Its a rare occastion that I leave a message/review for most authors. Its most rare mainly because I hardly find a story that I can get into, spend hours reading over the chapters and waiting more. You have done this to me with your story. I'm simply inlove. I almost NEVER read anything that isn't completed, so I truly hope that you will complete this story. Wonderful work so far. I will check back daily in hopes to see new chapters. I'm simply in love.

that chapter wrung me out!  i'm so glad they're at least touching and speaking.  great update.  thanks so much

I'm so glad they worked it out.  I think Severus is in deeper than he wants to admit!

I eagerly awaited this chapter, knowing that one was coming thanks to PP's notification.....I really enjoyed this chapter.  They've reconciled, but I still think that there is some underlying issues to work through.  Communication obviously was the key to resolving some of these issues, I hope it continues. Your storytelling is captivating.  Thank you for sharing it.Oh - and Snape had an interesting reaction to Hermione's whispered, "No more secrets"...almost like he still has some of his own... interesting ;)

Very engrossing chapter!  I loved the description of Hermione's stepwise progression down the slippery slope of ethical ambiguity.  And being a 'lab nerd' myself I thought that your detailed description of her research added a great deal of realism.I am glad that they both have begun to understand one another too, and that Snape feels some remorse for his actions. (But I still think he owes her an outright apology--she has apologized for her mistakes about a dozen times already!) 

So, I have re-read everything and it's apparent with a second reading that despite the kissing I loved at the end, they really have far to go. I notice other reviewers seem to be surprised that Hermione blames herself for everything, but she's not the same naive teen we last saw in the books. She's been through a war, where people she cared about and knew had died. (She thought Severus had been one of them) and what she did at Arglist obviously shattered her. When you have gone through alot at a young age it does things to you. You start to wonder if things are your fault and you don't always recognize that other people can be equally to blame. Severus obviously still loves Lily alot and his comparing them bothers me a little. I've also seen the similiarities between Lily and Hermione and have explored them in my own stories, and reading about Severus doing it here disturbs me. If I was Hermione I would think that he cared about me only because I reminded him of the love of his life that he never had and never will. I'd feel like a replacement, especially with how Severus has been treating her. I don't know that I could be with someone tied up too much in the memories of a person from their past. perhaps Severus will surprise us and Hermione, but if he doesn't I hope she won't cling to him just because he's there and no one else is. Been there before and it's not a fun thing to realize. As always your story makes the readers really think things out well after they have finished reading. The mark of a talented author!

I absolutely loved your analogy on forgiveness and Christmas cake. Unfortunately, forgiveness tends to be rather delicate and illusive, whereas Christmas cake is so very solid and there forever! Apparently love is the key to transposing their personalities!Gads, getting all soppy here!

Excellent update.  I love the reconcilliation. 

Hmmmm.  I'm glad Snape has the guilts.  Even though Hermione also looked at his memories without permission, his invasion was much more physically brutal.  The idea that legilimency isn't normally painful somewhat reduces his culpability.  However, his behaviour afterwards was, to me, still concerning: yelling, looming,lack of concern and - worst of all - pointing his wand at her as a threat.  An honest apology from him would be worth more than all his inspoken concern.Although he is remorseful now, I still find the dynamics of their relationship quite worrying.  Hermione seems to be a glutton for punishment (due to guilt over Arglist), and Snape is only too keen to lash out at her with such punishment whenever he feels angry, or insecure, or jealous.  That is not a healthy combination.  Bleurgh - the dreaded Lily problem! ;)  I always thought that Lily's reputation for cleverness was probably due to copying Snape's homework a lot :)  After all, once she bagged her rich husband she seems to show no further interest in academic matters. :)  At least Snape seems able to see that Hermione and Lily are very different (and that Hermione is the better woman! :P)I think Snape is still hiding something from Hermione.  I can't pin what it is, though!  It's driving me crazy!! :D

OH thank goodness. I feared that was it between them. They still have a ways to go yet, but they've started talking (and kissing to make up!)It seems they both have learned something and are trying to use what they have learned. A new chapter before Christmas will be one of the best gifts I receive this year. Fabulous writing as always.

Brilliant as always. Their tentative resolution and the end was quite believable and had me holding my breath.Love that she drew the connection that BOTH of them had indulged their curiousity.Was waiting (though I suppose it would be OCC at this juncture) for Severus to draw connections between her temptations at Arglist and his time as a Death Eater. I love how he pawned the comparison off on Albus instead.And I love that he hadn't realized the Legilimency would harm her as it did.

*sigh* *sigh*I do love it when things work out! Another brilliant chapter, love! A triumph!

Awesome chapter, very touching conversations and great development of the relationship. Thank you for sharing!

My initial reaction was Thank God, now I can breathe again!  Everything's out on the table, confessions and apologies made, and a bridge built - even if a delicate one it is nonetheless a bridge.  Great chapter!  While I was reading it I think I was holding my breath and probably let out a sigh of relief just as Hermione felt hers - I felt just as guilty for my past actions as she did.  Your ability to portray the depth and complexity of their connection is remarkable.  It will be interesting to see what happens as they continue to navigate their relationship.  It was really nice to see Snape be the first to reach out - he may be a grumpy, snarky man but he is nothing if not loyal.  Maybe it was the threat from Lucius that was the catalyst to his forgiveness this quickly but on the other hand he is a protector at heart and I don't think he could have stayed away too long... he is not heartless after all.  With this in mind, the comparison to Lily and her choice of friends is interesting.  Because of Snape’s reaction to Dumbledore's plan for Harry in DH, I think he probably learned something new about himself and Harry that freed him – specifically that Harry really wasn’t that bad and quite possibly more like his mother than he would care to admit.  Maybe this combined with his memory of Lily made it easier to forgive Hermione. 

It's amazing how we often think that keeping a secret somehow sets us free from judgment and once it comes out we realize just how much it actually held us captive. My apologies if it is a bother but sometimes my reviews can be quite long.

You write eloquently.  And the story, while twisted and turning is quite a bit like real life.  Bravo and play on McDuff.