Chapter One Hundred-Seven: Reparation
Chapter 108 of 118
MMADfanGertrude and Severus have a bite to eat, and she has a request of him. Severus offers reparation.
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Chapter One Hundred-Seven: Reparation
Easter Sunday, 4 April 1999
Gertrude sent her long grey cloak over to a cloak rack across the room, and indicated that Severus should do the same with his. Severus noticed for the first time that Gertrude was wearing trousers of dark green wool, with a pink blouse and a heavy, cream-coloured jumper.
The cottage was larger than Severus had imagined it, always having envisioned Gertrude in a tiny, rustic cottage, barely larger than Hagrid's hut, but he realised now that for all the years that Gertrude had lived there, never knowing when she would return to the world, if ever, and with the family and friends who had visited her at times, a two- or three-room hut would hardly have suited her for long. It was well furnished, too, and comfortable, with a sitting room filled with bookshelves, presumably once filled with books, though now only a few dusty paperbacks lay stacked in one corner shelf.
The walls were plastered and painted pale yellow. A dark wooden staircase led up from the living room, presumably to bedrooms, one of which would have been Gareth's as a boy...and where the younger wizard would have stayed during that year on the island leading up to the war. Gareth had said that it was the most time he'd spent with his mother since he had been a teenager, and he was glad of it. There were two closed doors, one to the cupboard under the stair, and one on the back wall. Odd to think of a woman living alone in a house for almost twenty years, isolated from society, and yet having doors to close off rooms, each room having a separate function . . .
Gertrude led him through the sitting room into a plain dining room, its plaster left white, containing one long table, a few chairs around it, a sideboard, and little else. To the left, there was an open door which seemed to lead to the room behind the living room. It was dark, but Severus had the impression of a study. Through the dining room, at the back of the house, lay the kitchen.
"There's a loo through there, Professor, if you'd care to freshen up." She began to unpack her bag: two small loaves of bread, a packet wrapped in brown paper, jars of dark mustard and mixed pickle, and a small flask.
Rather than stand there awkwardly as Gertrude prepared their supper, Severus opened the door she had indicated. A lamp came on, and he saw a small, utilitarian room with a wash basin and a toilet, one very small mirror set just above the sink. He had to bend slightly to look in the mirror, and he saw that his cheeks and nose were spider-webbed with broken blood vessels and his eyes were bloodshot. Petechia, indeed. He looked like he'd been on a week-long bender. Tearing through Thousand-Year Wards did not improve his appearance any.
He emerged from the toilet to find the table set and Gertrude using her wand to pour boiling water from a kettle into a teapot.
"Have a seat, Professor. Help yourself to some of the bread and cheese."
Gertrude Summoned a basket from a high shelf, then stepped out the backdoor, and a lamp lit just outside it. Severus looked at the bread, cheese, butter, and condiments, but didn't touch them. Despite his resolve, apprehension had settled in his stomach, and it seemed that every nerve of his body was vibrating.
"You aren't hungry?" Gertrude's voice startled him.
"I thought I would wait for you."
She nodded. "I found some nice young cress, if you would like it. It is too early for much else, and the garden hasn't been tended."
"Thank you."
"Pour our tea," Gertrude said as she flicked a finger at a large bread knife, then held down a loaf with her hand as the knife obediently cut thick slices from it.
Severus poured them each a mug of tea. He recognised the scent: mint, berries, balm . . . That tea which Gertrude made here on the island.
"There is milk in the flask, if you would like it. I prefer it without, myself."
Severus nodded. He left the flask where it was.
Gertrude sat down, taking a few slices of the bread, then cutting off some cheese from the large, pale block that lay on its brown wrapper. Severus, self-conscious, took one slice of bread and a bit of cheese.
"The cress is quite a peppery one, if you enjoy that sort of thing," Gertrude said as she spread brown mustard on half of one slice of bread, placed some cress on the other side, and then folded it around some cheese.
Severus did as Gertrude had. He forced himself to take a bite, chew, and swallow. As he did, he felt his appetite return, and he took another, larger bite.
Gertrude finished her first sandwich and made another, this time with pickle rather than cress. As she folded the bread around the cheese, she said, "I have a favour to ask of you, Professor, in your role as Head of Slytherin House."
"Of course," Severus said, though feeling more than slightly puzzled.
"I understand that there is a particular new treatment that might allow Millicent Bulstrode to play Quidditch again."
"I was unaware of that."
"It is available only in the United States. I made a few inquiries. I would like to enable Miss Bulstrode to receive the treatment from the American Healer who developed it. Medicus Nathan Morgenstern. However, I do not want to involve myself directly."
"You want to . . . do what? Raise funds..."
Gertrude shook her head, swallowing a bite of her sandwich. "No, no need for that. I will provide whatever is needed to cover the costs for her treatment, and to allow her to travel there with her mother. Whatever incidental expenses there may be, as well...lodging and so forth. You will simply find a way to make it happen. Tell them there's a special Slytherin fund for . . . injured Quidditch players who have recently left school, something of that sort. They can make the arrangements with you, I give you the money, and you see that their expenses are taken care of."
A generous offer. "And what would you like in return?"
Gertrude stared at him blankly for a moment. "I would like to see Miss Bulstrode play Quidditch again. Not literally, of course. I have little interest in attending such events."
"Of course."
"So, will you do it?"
Severus nodded. It was hardly a favour he could refuse. "Healer O'Donald might be able to arrange it."
"She could."
"I will speak to her, then," Severus said.
"And do not mention my name."
"You could speak to her yourself..."
Gertrude shook her head. "If you had been unable to act as intermediary, I may have done so. But I would rather this remain between us."
"As you wish."
Gertrude finished her sandwich, then buttered one more thick slice of bread. Summoning a small crock from a cupboard, she smiled slightly. "I worried they had completely cleared out all the kitchen cupboards, but they did leave a few things. Glad this is still here. I apologise for the lack of any proper dessert, Professor, but I find this is nice, myself." She sprinkled cinnamon-sugar thickly over the buttered bread. "Would you like some?"
Severus spread butter on a slice of bread then sprinkled it with the cinnamon-sugar.
"Goes well with the tea, I always think," Gertrude said, picking up her mug.
Severus nodded, trying to think of how to broach the subject foremost in his mind. Before he could find the right words, however, Gertrude was standing and putting away the remains of the food. "We can have another cup of tea before we leave," she said, "but at the moment, I want to find the things I came for, and we also need to take care of your face." She squinted at him. "Doesn't look good. Does it hurt?"
Severus shook his head. "I don't feel it at all, actually."
She nodded. "Come with me. I have something that might help...a kind of heal-all potion, likely not what you'd choose, as a Potions master, but I think it will do."
Severus followed her back out to the living room and up the stairs. She flicked her wand and a ceiling lamp lit the upstairs corridor.
"Four bedrooms up here, but three of them fairly small," she said, opening a door, "and the bathroom is here. Now, I hope . . . yes," she said, nodding as she opened a cabinet above the toilet. "Here it is." She handed him a small jar. "Hold that."
Severus held it as she opened it, then dipped her fingers in the ointment and spread it over the affected areas on his face.
"Don't know what to do about your eyes. Haven't anything here for that. A Glamour will do, though, until you can find something for them. There, that's better."
"Did you brew this?" Severus asked as he replaced the cap on the jar.
"Oh, no, this is one of Albus's. I did do a little brewing while I was here. Just a few very simple things. Potions was never my forte, though the few potions I did brew, I became quite good at."
Severus waited awkwardly in the hall as Gertrude went into her old bedroom and gathered a few things, including the bedspread. She folded it neatly with a quick flick of her wand.
"Professor, if you wouldn't mind carrying this, or Levitating it, if you prefer," she called to him. "And the carpet bag, as well."
Severus dutifully gathered up the folded bedspread in one arm and hefted the half-empty carpet bag in his other hand, then followed her back down the stairs.
"And then this . . ." Gertrude opened the door to the cupboard under the stairs, pushed aside a couple of heavy woolen cloaks, then drew out a shimmery garment, seemingly woven of ever-shifting greys, blues, browns, and mossy greens, the fabric almost liquid in appearance. It was the finest Chameleon Cloak Severus had ever seen.
Gertrude noticed his appreciative look. "When its charms are activated, it's quite effective. It was a gift from my husband, Gareth's father."
"I have never seen one quite like it."
Gertrude felt around in the back of the cupboard and pulled out a pair of high shearling boots, then felt around a bit more. She pulled back out of the cupboard and shook her head. "I thought there was another large carpet bag in here somewhere, but they took it. Probably at the estate somewhere, or in the attic at the Kilderkin Lane house. We can just shrink the blanket and put it into that bag, the boots, too."
When they were through packing the bag, Gertrude looked over at the clock on the mantlepiece. "We have time for one more visit tonight. Something that you might appreciate, and which I would like to see again. Get your cloak. I'll wear this one, I think." She tossed the Chameleon Cloak around her shoulders.
A moment later, Gertrude had taken his arm and Disapparated with him. Severus looked around. The moon wasn't up yet, but the sky was clear, and the stars plentiful. They were in a valley, ghostly shapes rising up around them. Standing stones, Severus realised, a neolithic henge surrounded by a circle of stones. They had Apparated beside a cove, a rectangular arrangement of shorter, slightly rounder stones set in the centre of the circle.
Gertrude released his arm and beckoned to him, and Severus followed her across the circle to an avenue set with paired stones on either side. There was a slight depression just inside the circle, perhaps what was once a ditch.
"There's another avenue just like this, which leads west," Gertrude said. "This one leads in the direction of the tumulus, where the early dead of the island lie."
Severus could just make out the shape of the burial mound in the distance. He shivered involuntarily. Gertrude seemed to take no notice.
"The house is above us," she said gesturing to the mountain to the north. "But the way the henge is set in the valley, it's not easily visible from there. If we were to walk out to the tumulus, there's a path that leads up the hillside to the remains of some houses where earlier wizarding families lived, though they were not the ones who raised the henge or created the tumulus. They have their own small cemetery not far from where their houses stood."
Gertrude, her cloak shimmering in the dark, walked the path between the lines of menhirs, and Severus followed. She did not activate the cloak's charms, but in the dark, they were hardly necessary, and she was scarcely a shadow ahead of him. The tumulus seemed to rise as they approached, but Gertrude stopped before they reached it. They had passed beyond the stone-lined avenue, though there were still menhirs scattered in the valley. One, tipped on its side, lay half-buried in the earth. Gertrude placed her palm upon it, then she startled Severus by swinging herself up to sit upon it. She patted the stone beside her, and Severus used both arms to hoist himself up.
"Those who lie now beneath the tumulus lived not far from here, further along the valley and down by the sea," Gertrude said, gesturing, "they and their descendants, who later chose to be buried elsewhere. And then . . . there were attacks. Danes, perhaps, Vikings . . . perhaps others from nearby islands or from Ireland or Scotland." Gertrude shrugged her left shoulder. "There was little to hold the invaders here, though, and they left as swiftly as they arrived, leaving carnage behind them. And the few who were left buried their dead and they carried on living, but they created protections for themselves, making this island more difficult to reach by any invaders. Still, their numbers slowly dropped, and other newcomers arrived, seeking a sanctuary from a violent age, bringing different magic with them . . . more time passed, and the community, even as it was then, dwindled. But still, some few stayed on, all of them with the gift of magic, and now they lived with their small clan up on the hillside, not in the valley, and they travelled often beyond the bounds of the island's shores. But times are rarely easy, and even a peaceful people can find that violence comes to them. So they strengthened their wards and hid the island well, much as their neighbours on Innis Ablach had hidden themselves. More and more, though, the young people left and did not return. They found wives or husbands and new homes. Finally, one very old man, living in a small cottage at the southern tip of the island, found that he could no longer care for himself alone here, and his children came and took him to their home in Inverness, and he sold the island to a younger wizard. Thus Aberforth came here to be at peace with his goats, out of reach of the Ministry's meddling . . . And after Aberforth took his brother's cottage and acreage in the Dales, Albus came into possession of this island, and he and Minerva together strengthened the island's protections, creating wards that will last a thousand years. And here I lived, with the dead and with their echoes, until I felt near to an echo, myself," she ended softly.
"Professor . . ." Severus took in a deep breath. "Madam Gamp . . . I do not deserve the forgiveness you have given me..."
"We have spoken enough of that, Severus. You have it. Do not dwell upon it."
"But..."
"What more is there to say?" She shook her head and looked toward the standing stones of the henge. "Do you not see? Look, Severus. The past, the present, the future . . ." She sighed. "What occurred, what you did, the choices you made, shaped both our lives, and the path of the entire wizarding world. But you were part of the currents of the times we lived in, and you still are. Look to your future; remember that it does rest on your past, but do not let your gaze constantly turn backward rather than ahead."
"I cannot give you the future you would have had if I had not attacked you as I did...or that you would have had if the Dark if Riddle had not targeted you. But I can return to you one thing that I took, and I can make reparation for some of my part in that attack."
"What are you talking about?"
Severus drew his wand for the first time on the island, and he quickly whispered, "Lumos," lest his wand be seen as the weapon it had once been. He reached into his pocket and drew out the small book.
"In here, there is the key to my reparation to you," he said. "I can restore to you what I took." His fingers found the pages easily. "Here. I brought what we require. It is a matter of minutes only, and your arm will be restored to you."
Gertrude gazed at him blankly. "My arm . . . you incinerated it, you said."
Severus nodded. "But you can have a new one, one just as good. Here, here, look, read this, and you will see."
Gertrude took the book, but did not look at it. She was still for a moment, gazing at him, and then she turned her head away.
"It is a simple ritual," Severus said. "It will restore your arm to you."
"If it were possible, the Healers would have done so when I lost it," Gertrude said, her voice low.
"It is . . . an old magic."
"And not anything the Healers would approve of, I am sure," Gertrude said.
"Read it."
Gertrude shook her head.
"You must," Severus insisted. "It is you who . . . you must perform the ritual. I cannot do it for you, or I would. I would simply do it here and now. Read it."
Slowly, Gertrude looked down at the book in her hand, then she shook her head. "Hold it for me. I cannot read it like this." She conjured a small ball of light that hovered over the pages. Her gaze seemed unwavering as she read the first pages then turned to the next. Suddenly she straightened, shoving the book away from her. "Take it away," she said hoarsely.
"I have all you need here," Severus repeated. He held out his right hand to her, spreading his fingers. "Here, and in my pockets. Everything is ready. I am prepared."
"Take it away from me," she repeated. She slid from the stone. "We will fetch my things and leave, and we will not speak of this again."
"It is quick," Severus insisted, standing beside her. "Before we leave, you would have your arm back..."
"It would not be my arm, Professor. It would be . . . it would be a cursed thing. However much you may wish to give this to me, it would be taking what is not mine. It would be forever foreign, at the very least, and at the worst . . . no, I cannot think it. Do not tempt me! I did not bring you here to tempt me with this."
"Dumbledore always says that intent matters," Severus argued. "It would not be a cursed arm..."
"It is Dark magic. The pain required for you to endure in the severing, the words I would have to utter in taking your hand from you..." She shuddered, closing her eyes and turning from him.
"I would give you more than my hand if I could restore your arm to you," Severus said softly, "and this . . . you could accomplish this with less than my full hand. I would still have a thumb..."
"Hush! No more!" She stepped away from him, toward the tumulus. "No more."
"What better place than here at the henge?" Severus persisted. "At the centre, in the cove, the magic would be strong; we could use a fallen stone there."
Gertrude turned to face him. "If you wish to cut off your hand, Professor, if that would make you feel better, if you believe that your soul would feel more whole for doing so, then be free to do so, and I will bind your wounds afterwards. But I will not take your hand, not even your little finger. I do not need to take from you in order to make myself whole. I have no arm, but if I were to create a new one in this fashion, I would be less than I am now."
Severus bowed his head, anguish and relief wrestling in his chest. Gertrude stepped toward him and placed her hand on his arm.
"Severus, I do appreciate this. And in making the offer, you have already performed your reparation. No more is needed." She touched his cheek gently and raised his face. She nodded. "I have shed tears here, too, lad, and they helped heal me." She took the small book from his hand and slipped it into the pocket of his cloak. "Let's go have that tea and then get you home, hmm?"
Severus nodded, swallowing.
"We don't want to cause anyone any worry about you, after all," Gertrude said lightly, "and Minerva will worry if you aren't returned before curfew. She does that. I promised you I would get you back safe and sound. I want to keep that promise."
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Latest 25 Reviews for A Long Vernal Season
1058 Reviews | 7.24/10 Average
OMG! How did I miss these last two chapters? Totally wonderful! I'm so in love with Severus and Poppy, I hope it works out for them, I'm worried about Gertrude's attack getting in the way of their happiness, Severys should really talk to Poppy about it and clear the air, I'm sure Gertrude wouldn't mind talking to her as well and explaining she's forgiven him. I'm also so curious about Poppy's middle name! I' suspicious of Gwen bein the vigilante although Severus doesn't think her capable of it, I'm dying to know whow it is and why she's doing it. Are Gertrude and Quin together now? I thought I saw a gleam of something there. Please, tell us soon! I read you haven't forgotten about this fic or any of your other WIPs so I'm hoping for an update in the near future, if live allows. Thanks!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hi! How lovely to see your name again! :) I'm glad you enjoyed those last two chapters -- though they won't be the last ones, I do hope! I am planning to pick up my WIPs very soon. I've written a couple short fics recently (for Minerva Fest and for the HoggyWarty Christmas exchange), so that kind of helped grease the fanfic cogs a bit. So many (astute!) questions -- but you'll have to wait for the answers!Thank you so much for sticking with the stories! It's very encouraging to know there are still a few folks looking forward to more chapters. :-)
Response from doralupin87 (Reviewer)
Hi! I'm glad to see you are back in fanfiction again and I do hope the cogs are all greased up and ready to go! I've been waiting (patiently!) for an update to this story and to Charming The Scottish Garden, I do love me some Johannes and Siofre! Oh! So, my questions are good? That means I might be onto something, although you did give me a little preview that Gertrude would have a new man in her life, you didn't say who it was, so I think Quin might be a good choice just because they seem connected, although I don't remember quite well if they are related or not. I don't know how much I'll like Trudie with someone other than Malcolm but since you'll be writing it I'm sure I love it, you have this way of making me fall for the craziest couples like Severus and Poppy, never in a million years would I have liked them together if it weren't for your story. Anyway, I look forward to any updates you post. Thanks for coming back, I hope life is good to you :)
OMG. I love these two. Poppy and Serverus are sooooo cute. Please update soon. I want to know what happened to Severus'sbparents and how will Serverus react when Gertrude comes to Hogwarts to teach???
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hi,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! I'm sorry it's taken so long to respond to your comment. I really appreciate your review. I am coming back to fanfic after a longish hiatus, and I hope to update all of my WIPs very soon. (Some of what went on with Severus's parents can be glimpsed in "Charming the Scottish Garden," which is set in the late 50s and focusses on Siofre and Johannes. You don't have to read that story to enjoy LVS, though.) Thanks very much for your review! I do hope to post a new chapter of Long Vernal Season within the next couple of weeks.
Im glad i chose to read this chapter last before going to bed. It's raining outside my window now which makes it even easier to imagine the scene you've set before us. I love that Severus and Poppy are moving forward with their relationshp and growing more comfortable with each other. And who wouldn't wanna be snuggled up with the one they love when it's raining outside? Sigh. LOVED IT!!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thanks! It's good to write a relationship that's progressing.I'm glad you liked the rainy seaside snuggling! :-)
It's a lovely story. I look forward to new installments.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thank you very much, Dorit!The next chapter is underway, though slowly. I'm glad to know you're looking forward to it! 
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thank you very much, Dorit!The next chapter is underway, though slowly. I'm glad to know you're looking forward to it!
Yay, an update!!I loved the interaction with Siofre, Poppy, and Severus in this chapter. I think Siofre is trying, in her own way, to make Severus feel welcomed on the estate and I think it was great that she gave them each a charm so they could Apparate. And the surprise with the flowers and the note at the cottage was perfect. I loved it and I think my heart melted with Poppy's. lol
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Siofre is trying to make Severus feel welcome, as you say, and to let him know that he is both safe and trusted there. It's a bit of an unusual circumstance for him.Poppy's heart sure did melt -- I think Severus should be very happy about that! :-)Thanks for the review! (I'm hoping for another soonish, but I'm working on CSG at the moment -- it's kinda fun writing Siofre at these two different points in time.)
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Siofre is trying to make Severus feel welcome, as you say, and to let him know that he is both safe and trusted there. It's a bit of an unusual circumstance for him.Poppy's heart sure did melt -- I think Severus should be very happy about that! :-)Thanks for the review! (I'm hoping for another soonish, but I'm working on CSG at the moment -- it's kinda fun writing Siofre at these two different points in time.)
I was so thrilled to see you posted another chapter! Glad to hear that the writing bug has bitten you again and hope you are well.
Regarding this chapter I found your ideas about arithmantic charms fascinating; what a creative mind you have! Severus bringing up procreation was funny and interesting. I had assumed Poppy was past her childbearing years. As always, looking forward to more.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thanks,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! Glad you liked the Arithmantic charms -- it was fun to be able to work them in here and show Gareth practicing his specialization. I figure that with much longer lifespans than Muggles, witches have correspondingly longer procreative years, although it would be a rare thing for a witch past a certain age to actually have a child, both due to a decline in fertility w/o recourse to potions and to personal choice. You may remember that in Death's Dominion, Severus didn't automatically realise that Gareth was Gertrude's son because, as he remarked later to Hermione, she was pretty old when she had him, unusually so (67 yrs old). So Poppy continues to take contraceptive potion on the off-chance that she might become pregnant even without any fertility potions. It's good to be back with my characters and stories again -- I've missed them! I've also just missed having the mental and emotional space to write; it's good to have RL calming down a bit! I'm glad to see you're still around, too! It's been a while!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thanks,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! Glad you liked the Arithmantic charms -- it was fun to be able to work them in here and show Gareth practicing his specialization. I figure that with much longer lifespans than Muggles, witches have correspondingly longer procreative years, although it would be a rare thing for a witch past a certain age to actually have a child, both due to a decline in fertility w/o recourse to potions and to personal choice. You may remember that in Death's Dominion, Severus didn't automatically realise that Gareth was Gertrude's son because, as he remarked later to Hermione, she was pretty old when she had him, unusually so (67 yrs old). So Poppy continues to take contraceptive potion on the off-chance that she might become pregnant even without any fertility potions. It's good to be back with my characters and stories again -- I've missed them! I've also just missed having the mental and emotional space to write; it's good to have RL calming down a bit! I'm glad to see you're still around, too! It's been a while!
Loved it! I thought Severus was about to propose! You're killing me. 
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hiya,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! I'm glad it didn't kill you, since then you'd miss the rest of the story! haha! 
I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! It was really fun to get back to the story.Thanks very much! 
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hiya,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! I'm glad it didn't kill you, since then you'd miss the rest of the story! haha! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! It was really fun to get back to the story.Thanks very much!
This is the first time she said it, isn't it?Oh, that's wonderful :) glad you're back again!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Indeed it is!It's good to see you -- I'm glad I'm back again, too!
Response from herby (Reviewer)
Oh, I forgot: Congrats on 2nd place! :)
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thank you!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Indeed it is!It's good to see you -- I'm glad I'm back again, too!
Response from herby (Reviewer)
Oh, I forgot: Congrats on 2nd place! :)
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thank you!
When will your next updaate be?
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hi,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! I'm not sure. October was a really hard month, so I wasn't able to write for the last few weeks, and November is looking a bit better, but I'm trying to get myself back on track with things before I can write. I'm glad you're still following the story! :-) Thanks for staying in touch with it even if it's been a bit skimpy in updates recently.
Response from BitBit (Reviewer)
Sorry you've been having a hard time! Don't worry, I LOVE this story. Can't wait!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hi,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! I'm not sure. October was a really hard month, so I wasn't able to write for the last few weeks, and November is looking a bit better, but I'm trying to get myself back on track with things before I can write. I'm glad you're still following the story! :-) Thanks for staying in touch with it even if it's been a bit skimpy in updates recently.
Response from BitBit (Reviewer)
Sorry you've been having a hard time! Don't worry, I LOVE this story. Can't wait!
I can't wait to hear what happens next! Hope to see the next chapter soon!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hi,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! It's in the works -- it's been a really tough month, so little energy for writing, but I'm trying to plug away. Thanks for dropping me a note! I always enjoy hearing from readers who are enjoying the story. It's very encouraging.
Response from Applebee545 (Reviewer)
So happy to hear that!! Your welcome and can't wait to see it! :)
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hi,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! It's in the works -- it's been a really tough month, so little energy for writing, but I'm trying to plug away. Thanks for dropping me a note! I always enjoy hearing from readers who are enjoying the story. It's very encouraging.
Response from Applebee545 (Reviewer)
So happy to hear that!! Your welcome and can't wait to see it! :)
First off let me just say I love this story, very creative, but come on! You're driving me insane! Please just marry them already it would be adorable! And Severus talking about children- I almost fainted! Can Poppy still have children? Anywyas, I can't wait for your next update! 
Response from BitBit (Reviewer)
Oh and when will you tell us Poppy's middle name, that whole thing is hilarious!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
I'm glad you love the story! There's more to go -- mysteries to solve & all that -- and I hope you enjoy that, as well. :-)Witches can continue to have children a few decades longer than Muggle women, though in the last decade or two, they may need a bit of help from potions. Gertrude had Gareth when she was 67 with a bit of help from potions -- and because Malcolm really wanted a child with her. There are actually hints to the reader as to what Poppy's middle name might be -- in the title of the story (though that also expresses what Severus is experiencing throughout the story), in Firenze's prediction back in Part 2, and in Aine's prediction a little while back.Thanks for the review! I might try to write a bit on LVS today.
Response from BitBit (Reviewer)
Oh and when will you tell us Poppy's middle name, that whole thing is hilarious!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
I'm glad you love the story! There's more to go -- mysteries to solve & all that -- and I hope you enjoy that, as well. :-)Witches can continue to have children a few decades longer than Muggle women, though in the last decade or two, they may need a bit of help from potions. Gertrude had Gareth when she was 67 with a bit of help from potions -- and because Malcolm really wanted a child with her. There are actually hints to the reader as to what Poppy's middle name might be -- in the title of the story (though that also expresses what Severus is experiencing throughout the story), in Firenze's prediction back in Part 2, and in Aine's prediction a little while back.Thanks for the review! I might try to write a bit on LVS today.
Another awesome chapter to the story, woo hoo.Loved the "procreation" bit of the chapter. I can't believe Severus went there, teehee. And poor Poppy ... that must have caught her off guard. Cracks me up. And I'm dying to know more about the letters!!!Update soon.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Yep, that certainly did catch Poppy off-guard! Glad it gave you a giggle!We'll get to the letters, never fear! Thanks! Glad you liked it. 
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Yep, that certainly did catch Poppy off-guard! Glad it gave you a giggle!We'll get to the letters, never fear! Thanks! Glad you liked it.
Woah! That's a teaser! I am DIEING to know what the letters say! Awesome way to set the chappie up. I loved the nudges - and I won't say more on that. I am most interested in all the explanations of Arithmancy - a lot of your ideas about magic give me ideas on how to work around my ideas of magic, if that makes any sense. You and Squibby both have great scientific ideas in relationships with magic - and I just love to read how they weave together. As I grow older, I am learning - everything in this world - living, dead or otherwise, even history, is interwoven into nearly everything else. Almost every act and every creature has a direct affect on the rest of the world if you travel along the path long enough. I find this interweaving so facinating.Bla bla bla, enough of my rambling - an excellent suspense chapter - has me chomping at the bit to find out WHAT is going on with Severus' parents!And, was I misreading, but is Poppy a tad uncertain about Sevy here? She doesn't seem as relaxed and confident as usual.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
You'll find out a bit more about what the letters say in the next chapter, but not everything until Severus reads them. It ties in with a lot of bits and pieces we've been gleaning about Severus's parents since Part One, as well as tying into what we learn about Eileen & her father in Charming the Scottish Garden -- there will be a bit of a recap of that in LVS for Severus's sake (and for readers who aren't reading the late 50s, early 60s CSG fic).Poppy isn't uncertain, though she does show hesitation in a couple spots. Naturally, she was a bit taken aback with the sudden mention of procreation! lol! But her other hesitancy has a reason for it, which will come out in the next chapter. No big deal, though.
Response from Fishy (Reviewer)
I was thining she might be a tad threatened by Gareth, since Severus has told her of a more friendly relationship that they had - thought she might have some doubts. I certainly have to get back into CSG, that's for sure - I've forgotten a great deal.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
No, she's not. Gareth just dominates the conversation here a bit. As he is quite capable of doing! lol!
Response from Fishy (Reviewer)
HAHA! Some of us are like that, especially when you get us on a subject we love. Gareth has good company - is all I'm gonna say! *grins* 
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
You'll find out a bit more about what the letters say in the next chapter, but not everything until Severus reads them. It ties in with a lot of bits and pieces we've been gleaning about Severus's parents since Part One, as well as tying into what we learn about Eileen & her father in Charming the Scottish Garden -- there will be a bit of a recap of that in LVS for Severus's sake (and for readers who aren't reading the late 50s, early 60s CSG fic).Poppy isn't uncertain, though she does show hesitation in a couple spots. Naturally, she was a bit taken aback with the sudden mention of procreation! lol! But her other hesitancy has a reason for it, which will come out in the next chapter. No big deal, though.
Response from Fishy (Reviewer)
I was thining she might be a tad threatened by Gareth, since Severus has told her of a more friendly relationship that they had - thought she might have some doubts. I certainly have to get back into CSG, that's for sure - I've forgotten a great deal.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
No, she's not. Gareth just dominates the conversation here a bit. As he is quite capable of doing! lol!
Response from Fishy (Reviewer)
HAHA! Some of us are like that, especially when you get us on a subject we love. Gareth has good company - is all I'm gonna say! *grins*
I enjoyed the exploration of Arithmancy and its many applications in the wizarding world. It must be a lot of fun to take canonical concepts and expand on them in such an interesting way.Poor Severus had a bit of a slip there! Procreation?
He's certainly blunt about his intentions toward Poppy in that bit. He can't have had much of a love life in the past, though, so enjoyable sex must be something new to him, as well as someone who reciprocates his love for her. It's lovely to see him have a second chance at love as well as life. I always love to see Gareth and his relationship with Snape, particularly their banter. They've come a long way from their first hostile meeting in DD, that's for sure!It was a lot of fun to see Angus Og make a little cameo at the end of the chapter, especially now that I know he's the Celtic god of love. A suitable entity for Severus to call on, certainly.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
It is fun to play with magic in the stories. I enjoy trying to systemetize it while still keeping it magical and a bit mysterious. (Heck, a lot mysterious in most cases, since it's magic! ) I see basic Arithmancy as a bit like symbolic logic combined with physics, and advanced Arithmancy like theoretical physics plus its practical application in creating effects in the world, not just describing it, so rather well differentiated from "Muggle" numerology, in which everything is reduced to numbers. In my version of magical Arithmancy, other symbols are used to, and they can mean different things and have different "powers" depending upon their juxtaposition with other symbols, whether numeric or otherwise. Yep, I have spent far too much time contemplating a wholly imaginary magical system! lol!Severus did have a little slip that showed Poppy the general direction of his intentions, didn't he?Yes, good ol' Angus Og. Minerva has been using terms from Celtic myths & legends this year for her passwords, and she's particularly fond of that one because of the story her brother Malcolm told her about Angus Og.Glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
It is fun to play with magic in the stories. I enjoy trying to systemetize it while still keeping it magical and a bit mysterious. (Heck, a lot mysterious in most cases, since it's magic! ) I see basic Arithmancy as a bit like symbolic logic combined with physics, and advanced Arithmancy like theoretical physics plus its practical application in creating effects in the world, not just describing it, so rather well differentiated from "Muggle" numerology, in which everything is reduced to numbers. In my version of magical Arithmancy, other symbols are used to, and they can mean different things and have different "powers" depending upon their juxtaposition with other symbols, whether numeric or otherwise. Yep, I have spent far too much time contemplating a wholly imaginary magical system! lol!Severus did have a little slip that showed Poppy the general direction of his intentions, didn't he?Yes, good ol' Angus Og. Minerva has been using terms from Celtic myths & legends this year for her passwords, and she's particularly fond of that one because of the story her brother Malcolm told her about Angus Og.Glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Welcome, Welcome back! I have so enjoyed your stories. I am currently rereading this one to again familiarize myself with the 'danglimg plot clues.' I must admit to a secret desire... Would truly love to see you get the Potions Master into a kilt. Full Scottish.regalia would be even better! Thank You again for taking the time to dream and compose a follow-on tale for the Professor.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hello, Sehkmet! (Love your name!) Yes, there are a very many dangling clues in this story, and they are going to begin to gradually come together. I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story. :-)Severus in a kilt? Hmmm, must think about how to achieve that one . . . maybe in a side-story. Could make for some fun. Naturally, it couldn't be of his own accord. Bad bet with Gareth, perhaps? The possibilities abound!Thank you very much for your kind words! It's especially encouraging coming back from a longish hiatus.Have fun with the reread! 
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Hello, Sehkmet! (Love your name!) Yes, there are a very many dangling clues in this story, and they are going to begin to gradually come together. I'm very glad that you're enjoying the story. :-)Severus in a kilt? Hmmm, must think about how to achieve that one . . . maybe in a side-story. Could make for some fun. Naturally, it couldn't be of his own accord. Bad bet with Gareth, perhaps? The possibilities abound!Thank you very much for your kind words! It's especially encouraging coming back from a longish hiatus.Have fun with the reread!
It was interesting to see Alastor again here. He seems to be on slightly better terms with Snape, although their relationship is certainly a tense one. They're both intense figures who can hold grudges. Burns certainly sounds like a suspect! I'm interested to see where questioning her leads. She doesn't seem to understand that not all Slytherins are as bad as Polyphemus and the toe-rag (in the immortal words of Minerva McGonagall) were.I hope the vigilante is caught soon, especially now that someone has died as a result of her actions. The use of the Conruptus spell is a truly disturbed touch, especially combined with the "diseased flesh" rhetoric. I'd certainly be wary if I was a crook and had Mad-Eye Moody on my tail!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Moody is trying to be conciliatory to Snape, but Moody doesn't do conciliatory very well, and Snape isn't the most forgiving soul. Considering their personalities and their histories, they're actually getting along pretty well now! lol!Yep, the vigilante's choice of hexes is particularly nasty. "Disturbed" is a good word for it.I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Moody is trying to be conciliatory to Snape, but Moody doesn't do conciliatory very well, and Snape isn't the most forgiving soul. Considering their personalities and their histories, they're actually getting along pretty well now! lol!Yep, the vigilante's choice of hexes is particularly nasty. "Disturbed" is a good word for it.I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.
I will put a £ on Burns, can't wait so learn if I am right.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
I'll make a note of that!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
I'll make a note of that!
Seems like forever since we've had an update so I'm very happy to see one now. I'm very pleased Poppy rushed home to be with Severus after the attack. I think these two are just adorable (don't tell Snape I said that) and for her to endure the wrath of her friends upon coming home early ... I think Severus better really appreciate her gesture. And the bit about Minerva and Gertie before they became friends ... awesome. I love how all your stories tie in together. Can't stand Moody, though that's probably b/c you've written him so well. haha.Hope you'll update again soon!!CFP,the GLM
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Yeah, Moody can be pretty abrasive, and since Snape still doesn't like him, that comes through here.I'm sure that Severus both appreciates the gesture and regrets it -- since it raised questions in her friends' minds about why she would leave -- but on the whole, he is very glad she's back, and he's glad that she is willing to leave her friends when she believes he needs her, and that she is willing to be put in an awkward position to do it.I'm working on "Stray" at the moment. It's a bit weird to switch back and forth between "Stray" and LVS, but sometimes I write on one, sometimes the other. It's easier when I'm writing two RaMverse fics because, as you say, the stories all tie together, but "Stray" is not set in the RaMverse and it has a canon-compliant (pretty much) Snape, not the more reformed Snape of the RaMverse.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Yeah, Moody can be pretty abrasive, and since Snape still doesn't like him, that comes through here.I'm sure that Severus both appreciates the gesture and regrets it -- since it raised questions in her friends' minds about why she would leave -- but on the whole, he is very glad she's back, and he's glad that she is willing to leave her friends when she believes he needs her, and that she is willing to be put in an awkward position to do it.I'm working on "Stray" at the moment. It's a bit weird to switch back and forth between "Stray" and LVS, but sometimes I write on one, sometimes the other. It's easier when I'm writing two RaMverse fics because, as you say, the stories all tie together, but "Stray" is not set in the RaMverse and it has a canon-compliant (pretty much) Snape, not the more reformed Snape of the RaMverse.
*snip*“He’s dead. Died an hour or so after reaching St. Mungo’s. Poor sod didn’t have a chance. It was another Conruptus, but this one hit his abdomen, practically dead centre. The damage was extensive. Even if he’d been found right away, the Healers say his chances of surviving such a bad hit were close to nil. Looks like his wife has a good chance of pulling through. She was hit second, and she’d turned to shield her children. The youngest was in her arms.” Moody’s cheek twitched, and his natural eye blinked. He swallowed and shifted in his chair, his claw-foot scraping against the stone floor. *snip*Awwwwwwwwwwwwww - is that Alastor nearly getting choked up???? AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I wuvs my Alastor! 
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Yeah, just a bit! I know you love your Alastor!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Yeah, just a bit! I know you love your Alastor!
Two witches, managing their men... both very skillfully.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Sometimes necessary!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Sometimes necessary!
Poor Poppy. It's a miserable feeling to constantly watch out for someone else at a party, making sure they're enjoying themselves or at least not unhappy.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
If Poppy had any clue that Severus is particularly uncomfortable with Gertrude, then she'd be even more worried about that, but she is certainly drawn from her enjoyment of the party during her initial worries that Severus is unhappy. Fortunately, that improves, because, as you say, it can be miserable to constantly be watching to see if someone is enjoying themselves! You can't enjoy the party yourself.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
If Poppy had any clue that Severus is particularly uncomfortable with Gertrude, then she'd be even more worried about that, but she is certainly drawn from her enjoyment of the party during her initial worries that Severus is unhappy. Fortunately, that improves, because, as you say, it can be miserable to constantly be watching to see if someone is enjoying themselves! You can't enjoy the party yourself.
Ha! Panacea - I knew it. The contrast between how the three of them approached the door-riddle was perfect. Flitwick loving the challenge, Poppy game for it but seemingly unconcerned about failing, and Severus annoyed at the inconvienience and protective of his dignity.And the contrast between the way Severus and Poppy viewed her younger self was sweet, too. She's still a bit worried and insecure about their age difference, and he's so in love with her that he considers any Pre-Sev version as simply Poppy-in-development.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Panacea is definitely a good one to add to the list!Glad you enjoyed the different perspectives!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Panacea is definitely a good one to add to the list!Glad you enjoyed the different perspectives!
I'm so glad he got that off his chest! And that Poppy took it well. It's a good thing she's both mature and has a real generosity of spirit, otherwise his habit of blurting things out could get him into deep trouble. And this time they were only cuddling, not even post-coital. LOL.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
That was a big blurt, too! Fortunately, Poppy also has learned to try to digest something that surprises her before blurting something herself. lol!Severus is trying to behave differently with Poppy and be as open with her as possible (though he's still hiding some big secrets from her), and he's unfortunately going to an extreme in his honesty. Still, his instincts are basically right; he's just not very good at timing or wording yet, to say the least!
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
That was a big blurt, too! Fortunately, Poppy also has learned to try to digest something that surprises her before blurting something herself. lol!Severus is trying to behave differently with Poppy and be as open with her as possible (though he's still hiding some big secrets from her), and he's unfortunately going to an extreme in his honesty. Still, his instincts are basically right; he's just not very good at timing or wording yet, to say the least!
Anonymous
Sorry if this is a short one - I just wanted to let you know how happy I was about the update, and how much I liked it.
Poor Severus, to have to meet that Gwen person - but it's only natural, of course, that this will happen to him now and then. And I nearly had forgotten about the attacks. I'm getting more and more curious about their origin!
Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. It has been so long since I've updated on a regular basis, it's not surprising you had forgotten about the attacks. I hope to update at least twice a month from now on -- barring major disruptions in RL.
Thanks again!
What a lovely fun chapter! I'm so happy and excited to be reading a new chapter of this story. I so adore your Severus and how he's come to interact with the others in such a friendly way. Reading about dueling parctice was fun - I think I've said it before but I vastly enjoy your creative use and explanations of magic. Charms, Transfiguration, Jinxes, spells, intention, all of it actually seems to make sense in a way that I could actually use it (if I were a witch and if magic actually existed.) You make it so real, so effortless, such a part of the way of things -- it's like watching Fred Astaire dance... effortless - we all think we could actually do that. Seeing how Madam Fuller reacted to the situation makes me appreciate Poppy all the more. I loved Melina oblivating her - what a surprising and fun moment. I can just imagine the look on Severus' face and the conspiriatorial comradery he'll now feel with Melina. Hope there will be more to this story soon. Thank you for your creativity and hard work.
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
Thank you very much for the review,
Response from MMADfan (Author of A Long Vernal Season)
! I am very glad you enjoyed it.If you ever wake up to discover yourself a witch in the middle of the HP universe, you can put your knowledge of magic to work! lol! (And not go trying untested zero-g charms on people!) I'm glad you like the magic. It is fun to construct. I had a particularly good time with Flitwick's hyperbaric treatment, although the details of it weren't sketched out here.Glad you enjoyed Melina's little surprise at the end of the chapter!Thanks again for your review and for returning to the story after such a long hiatus. Hopefully, the next chapter won't be so long in coming! (I'm working on a novella-length Hooch fic at the moment, and I'm trying to get that finished sometime this week. We'll see! Keep an eye out for that one. It's not RaMverse, though -- Snape's in it, and he's our canon Potions master.)