Oh noes!I can't believe this is all happening!And everything was just starting to come good!I am feeling sniffly.Or maybe thats just my book subscription ;pAnother good chapter, and looking forward to the next!Angela~~

You're a gem in the middle of a rough patch here at home.  Thanks for the great update.

And the year's not likely to get any better. The changes you've made to the book storyline to make your storyline work are amazing. I can't imagine Harry and Ron will have quite the same year without her there to guide them. 

it would be so painful to watch when you know what's to come.   great update.  thanks so much

It's really exciting watching this all play out.  I got so upset when I got to the end of the chapter and realized that I had to stop because the next chapter wasn't up yet. :)

Very exciting! Can't wait for the aftermath of the infamous 'mudblood scene'!

And the ingenious tale continues... thank you very much for sharing it with us!

I absolutely love this story! I feel so bad for Severus and the fact that his heart is going to get broken so badly, but at the same time I'm looking forward to it. The Mudblood comment and the way Hermione was able to see that it was out of anger, that really shows that she's a better woman than Lily. I can't wait for him to open his eyes and see the real Hermione. He deserves happiness.

As I have commented before I'm not into the "time-turning" stories but Livvy ....you are converting me. I don't know how old you are....I'm a couple of years younger than the Marauders.......but I'm getting the feel and memories of being a teenager in the 70s again. Great stuff. I moved from Scotland to just outside Oldham/Manchester in 1976 which was quite traumatic for a fourteen year old. And ironically this is the area that I think Severus was from. There were plenty of mills and rivers near to us......though not quite as dilapidated as Jo has painted the picture. But as I was married in the early 80s and 90s and had moved to Cheshire dahling...perhaps certain areas were in need of a clean-up by the mid 90s. Your style of writing and plot detail just get better and better and it is an absolute joy to find you have updated. And I'm glad that your Lily is not the sensitive saint everyone thought she was. Best wishes, Love Ali xxxx.    

I am glad Hermione summoned her courrage, slapped Severus, and then told him that she forgave him! I look forward to read more.

Its always gets me that you made Lily into such a piece of work. Everytime I read this I'm trying to pscyoanalyze her. *sigh* I really should stop that and just enjoy the story.

Oh, so much in this chapter!  Where to start... I'll start at the end.  Thank you, Hermione, for giving Severus another chance when his mouth ran away from him.  She truly shows herself as the better woman over Lily in that little encounter.My heart just breaks for Severus in this.  He's truly between a rock and a hard place.My love and regard for Lily hasn't improved one bit.  She's just too bizarre to feel sympathy for.  Her lack of understanding of the reasons why Severus hexes the Marauders just shows her lack of depth.

That being said, I must give her the tiniest bit of credit.  I'm glad she discussed her misgivings about Severus' other relationships with him.  In canon, we don't really know what happened, we see so little of Severus' memories.  But to me, it just seemed like she got mad about the Mudblood comment and threw everything at him all at once.  It came off as if she just told him all of her grievances, but didn't give him a chance to correct anything.

Now, who knows if he would have changed.  Perhaps his motives in canon were the very same as in this story.  I can see that truly being a motivator for Severus.  But she never even gave him a chance to change in canon.  At least here, she is, and I can understand her break up of their friendship a tiny bit better than how it was written by JKR. 

yay, another update!! i am anxiously awaiting the next chapter!!! your characters are so unique; it's like you have took what jkr wrote and kind of bent them to make them more of your own style. i love what you have written so far!! (and i am wondering what will end up happening in the end!!!) please update soon!!!!!

Woah!  I can't believe Severus called Hermione a Mudblood!  I'm glad she let him know in no uncertain terms that she wouldn't stand for that — ever.When Lily and Hermione were talking about Severus at the beginning of the chapter, when Hermione referred to Severus by his first name Lily was so shocked she didn't know what to make of it.  Being the self-centered girl that she is, Lily thought the reason that Hermione and Severus had become friends was because she, Lily, had not been paying attention to Hermione.  So what does Lily decide she should do?  She wants to snog Hermione!  Honestly!  What is wrong with Lily?  She thinks the answer to every problem is to engineer a situation where there is something sexual going on... between her and Hermione, between her and Severus, between her and James.  I was beyone glad when Hermione put a stop to that and told her, “It’s late, I’d best go to sleep.”Great chapter, Livvy!  I can't wait to see the next update!Beth

This was an interesting chapter, a lot going on.  I guess the first big thing to register with me was that Severus was working at Malfoy Manor... being introduced to Tom Riddle.  It really has begun.I was not surprised the Petunia decided to spend her summer in Scotland with the Dursleys.  She has always been treated a the "second" sister, not quite as special as Lily.  And, I think, there in lies one of the problems.  Petunia, despite her poor attitude, has had to learn to cope with disappointment and not getting her way.  On the other hand, Lily has been catered to and put on a pedestal, and when she falls, it is likely to be a make or break situation in her life.   What kind of decisions will it lead her to make?  Will she regret them or be consoled by them?Hermione's friendship with Eileen is a nice thing for both of them.  Eileen obviously enjoys having Hermione around;  maybe she sees her as the "daughter" she never had.Lily's behavior toward Hermione continues to puzzle me.  If Lily is so devoted to Severus – or James, even – why does she continue to want to "practice" with Hermione, and why does Hermione allow it if she wants Lily to love Severus?  Just wondering.I think that Severus' new found confidence (with his association with the Malfoys and his introduction to the Dark Lord) he is more determined than ever to shield Lily from the wrath to come.  I'm touched that he includes Hermione among the ones deserving of protection.  I very much enjoyed their afternoon of "cloud watching."Lily is so enamored with her own wants that she can't see why Severus has to stay on the good side of the other Slytherins and the pure-bloods.   Poor Severus has taken on an impossible task, and I fear for what is to come.Again, this chapter was chock full of clues and things to ponder.  Well done.Beth

Poor Severus - and Poor Hermione, so hard to watch events you can't change yet know will hurt the very people you care about.

I am on the edge of my seat!I can't wait for the next chapter!The position that Hermione is in would be so hard!And I can't help but to feel sympathy for Sev!Great Job!xo.

Oh, I don't want to think about what is going to happen in the next chapter. But of course, I do want to read the next chapter.

Everyone is so frazzled that they aren't always thinking clearly.  Especially Severus, poor fellow.  I can see how he would be on edge every minute of every day, but his treatment of Hermione at the gates of Hogwarts that first day set the stage for the confrontation they had when he came to The Three Broomsticks.  I couldn't believe he feigned attacking her to make his point that he was so worried about her, and I can't blame her for reacting the way she did.  Hopefully Severus will take time to think and remember how much they mean to each other and understand why Hermione could not just sit back and hide.  I think finding out that Hermione had become an Auror frayed his last nerve, and he did not handle it well at all.

I'm happy that Ginny is talking to Hermione again.  Somehow I think their being able to talk to each other will be a key element in both Hermione and Severus coming to terms with what happened in Hermione's room that night.  It’s like Ginny can be an objective observer and tell each of them how she sees their estrangement affecting the other.  Sometimes we need "a new pair of glasses", and Ginny can be that for them.

Harry's obsession with the Half-Blood Prince's potions book is understandable.  If I remember correctly, by this time Severus will have made the Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa, Draco is working on the Vanishing Cabinet and his plan to get Death Eaters into the castle, the time is approaching when Severus will have to kill Dumbledore, and Harry is learning the Sectumsempra spell.  God almighty, there are so many that can go wrong that I can hardly think of them all.  I don't know how you're going to do it, but I hope that Severus and Hermione can put the fear and hurt feelings behind them and come together so that they both have at least a small space in their minds where they can take refuge during the coming weeks and months.

Thanks for this great update, Livvy!  It's a real corker.Beth

Wow.  I'm very glad Ginny is starting to speak toHerms again, but very sad that Severus and Hermione aren't talking.  I suspect Herms has no idea just how much stress Severus is under or else she'd be more supportive.  C'mon, Ginny - get that book!  Thanks for the new chapter.

Okay i don't get it, I'm a woman but I wouldn't necessarily have reacted that way. Maybe if someone had attempted to rape me at some point I would have. But as my objective stands now, in Hermiones shoes after what Severus said I wouldn't see it as attempted rape or assault or anything... him trying to scare her perhaps... but i dunno... ***I think I'm having trouble seeing Severus as any type of rapist particularly in this fic...*** Just my thoughts on the matter...

"Song #1 - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues. Music by Elton John..."That was truly the most perfect song for this scene!

Well, things have gotten quite bad for our couple.  And I don't know who to side with, or who to have sympathy for.  Nothing is black and white here, and they are both really strong willed.  Hopefully there is enough love and enough history for them to get through this intact.  I am glad to see Hermione and Ginny talking, even if things are still a little frosty between them.  As always, looking quite forward to the next installment, angst and all.

I love updates!!

Goodness what a chapter!  I don't blame Hermione for tossing Severus out of the room, he deserved it. I agree with her if they want her they will find her but at least she will have a chance to fight back. I hope things get better for them but I got a feeling it will get worse before it does. They got a tough road ahead of them.