Thank you! I'm glad you liked it -- and seeing Melina again! Don't take a Hufflepuff lightly! ;)

Oh no, I would never - as you well know that is my second House - I was 98% Gryffy, but 92% Huffie - I could go either way really - and loyalty is paramount with Huffies!

Yes, now that Melina has taken an interest in Severus and he's become one of "hers," she's very protective of him. She also knows what he's suffered, and she knows that without his help, Quin would still be living a partial life.

And I'm sure it doesn't hurt that her aunt and uncle think the world of Snape, either? Gosh - it has been a while since I dipped into the RamVerse... so much is coming back.

Indeed, and that he has become one of her cousin's closest friends, too.Of course, if she thought there were a good reason for the report, it wouldn't matter how close any of her relatives were to him. She'd do the right thing as she saw it. But she figures that a report like that could potentially harm him, and having a Prior Incantato performed on his wand could remind him of his criminal past and drag him down.

I imagine dueling practice would be much like fencing practice, or boxing - people are going to get hurt - no two ways around it - I did find it interesting that Flitwick got the bends from zero gravity - I had the bends once in my life - a very mild case - due to diving and not decompressing correctly - and its extreamly painful - but I never considered having nitrogen issues with zero gravity - I suppose it would be an issue - but then I've never been in such a situation - still its an intersting idea and slant on the concept. Good job being original and interesting!  Which, of course, I would expect nothing less!

It's the sudden change -- or too-fast change -- in atmospheric pressure that does it, and Severus's spell that created the zero-g also brought the atmospheric pressure down to near nothing, which is what caused his bends. With a bit of work and a little more thought about what he wanted the spell to accomplish and what he wanted it not to do, Severus could refine it so that Filius was merely floating "weightless" but without the bends -- and without suddenly shooting up and being plastered to the ceiling! LOL!

Since Severus is not a diver, or space traveler - it fits that he wouldn't think of these consequences - if you've never been in an environment where pressures and gravity change so much, its completely alien to you. I know the whole concept of nitrogen building up in my blood stream and weightlessness during diving was something I couldn't relate to until I experienced it.By the way - when I was sick with the bends - I did not get treatment (didn't realize what it was until it was nearly over) I had a wicked headache, extream dizziness and lots of vomiting - it was much like having the flu - I imagine Filius won't have to endure that with Melina caring for him.

Exactly, he'll be spared that, the massive joint pain, and all that. People have actually had such bad cases of the bends that they've been crippled for life, and in really rare cases, it can cause strokes. Usually, though, it's just a matter of getting sick, and it will usually get better on its own even without treatment -- but like you say from your own experience, it's really unpleasant without treatment!Severus just didn't know enough about what he was dealing with, and he's one powerful wizard, so what he "asked for" in his spell is what he got -- the whole shebang!

I had to read this chappie again - forgot why Melina used the Obliviate - and I just have to say, this is pure genius. Brilliant chappie, brillant original medical/magical situation and a brilliant punch line at the very end.And of course, Melina is brilliant!

LOL! Yes, Severus has a whole new appreciation for Melina.

LOL! I'm glad it surprised you! It sure shocked Severus!I think that Severus could modify the spell so that it worked "right," but I think he'll not be casting at other poeple for a while yet, at least!Glad you liked it!I'm now working on a Hooch fic, a long one-shot tentatively called "Blackie" -- more explicitly canon-compliant than some of my stuff, and not part of the RaMverse. I'd started it last autumn then went into winter doldrums and almost forgot it. And I've started the next chapter of Charming the Scottish Garden, so hopefully I will have something more posted this coming weekend. We'll see.

Yes, Melina didn't dawdle about there, did she? She has more appreciation of the subtleties of Severus's position than Fuller does (Fuller only knows him third-hand, after all), and she saw no point in letting the witch have an opportunity to talk about what happened.Severus has great faith in Poppy, that's for sure. I'm hoping to get to another chapter of Charming the Scottish Garden this week, then maybe next week, I can do another of LVS. Thanks very much for the review! I was a little afraid everyone would have completely forgotten the fic by now! :-)

I could never forget it! I'm just hooked. I hope you'll be able to update more often now, I miss Severus and Poppy's guessing game, I'm curious about Poppy's middle name! You're going to update CSG? Really? For real? Ohhhh how nice! That's my favorite of your stories, Siofre and Johannes are just so sweet! Thank you for posting!

Yes, I'm sure he would have been abashed if Poppy had been there, but at least he would have had some confidence in her abilities! LOL!I hope it's a sign I'm back to writing, too!Thank you for your review -- er, I mean, "Cheers for Reviewing!"

Thank you very much, PB! And apologies for being so remiss and tardy in replying to your lovely review. Re: Snape and who he ended up paired with. I realized early on in writing LVS (which I wrote a good deal of before beginning to post it to TPP) that I couldn't pair him with Hermione in the RaMverse; it just wouldn't work for me or for the story I was feeling spinning out for Severus. I am very glad that you like the Poppy/Severus pairing -- and I do think it's a very rare pair, but I think that, at least in this version of the HP universe, it works well. We see at the end of An Act of Love that Poppy is beginning to wonder about Severus, beginning to see him beyond the persona he presents to the world -- or at least to get a glimmer of the fact that there is something more there. In Death's Dominion, we see that she treats him as a confidant, and he treats her as one, as much as he is able to -- she is the only one whom he speaks to about his concerns regarding Robbie and Minerva's relationship. He also trust her enough to break down in front of her, as humiliating as he may find it, and she accepts it. With someone else, he may have raged and thrown them out of his suite before he was able to get to that point. So their relationship had some basis in the earlier stories, some genuine fondness and loyalty between them.Re: Trinidad and Tobago. I love to envision a wizarding world that is global and that is as varied as the real world is. T&T seemed a "natural" for a vibrant wizarding population. I set a part of one of my Flitwick fics in Australia -- just a little glimpse of it -- and that was fun, too. (It's the last installment in the "Cheering Charms.")Ever since DD when I wrote about Gertrude and the way she lost her arm, I've been building her backstory between that time and when she finally reappears during the battle -- I knew she didn't stay on the island out of fear, but out of strategy, and it was a great feeling to be able to write it, and to do it in that way, in an encounter with Severus that she engineered. I'm glad you liked it. :-)I am glad you like Eoghan. He sprang into my mind one day while I was working on Death's Dominion, a boy somewhat like Severus, and yet quite different, distantly related on the Prince side, and he grew into a boy with a personality, habits, and interests before he'd done much more than sit at a table during the awards dinner at the end of DD. Imagining how Severus would react to him -- getting into Severus's skin and seeing Eoghan -- was very satisfying to write.It will be good for Severus to have an extended "family" through Eoghan and, in a way, through Minerva and Gareth. It's rather like what Albus said to Severus when he was "dying": "My family is taking good care of me, and they will care for you, too." Now Severus has a chance to experience something of a family that accepts him and cares for him.If you want to see more of Harry and what he's like now, you could take a look at "Draco's Heart," which is a very fast-paced, rather light, story that runs parallel to LVS. You'll see more of Ginny there, too -- and maybe get more of your answers about whether she might be the vigilante. ;-)The letter from Severus's father, and Eileen's motivations for hiding it, will eventually reappear in the story -- which I'm feeling in the mood to work on again after several months' hiatus.Thank you very much for the review! It was very meaty and I enjoyed seeing the story again through your eyes! (I think it's part of what's brought the characters to my mind again and made me think about doing a bit of writing on the story.)

I have been surprised by how much so many readers like her character. I hadn't anticipated it, certainly, when I first brought her into the story way back in RaM, but I've always enjoyed writing her. I am very gratified that she remains well-liked. From the moment she first appeared "in person" in the Great Hall, I felt that she was one of those "still waters run deep" sorts of women, and one with a strong core but many layers.I'm glad that you enjoyed her conversation with Severus. These chapters, and revealing the true reason for Gertrude's long exile, were ones that were a long time coming.Thanks very much! 

LOL! Yes, he had absolutely no clue what he was doing! He should have tried baby steps with the flirting, and maybe tried it with someone he hadn't been having a (little) fantasy about the night before. Thanks for the invite. I'll likely send you an email later this evening.(I'm glad you liked Death's Dominion!)

Thank you! Their relationship does nudge Severus to be more open with those he's closest to, and they show him that he can trust others, at least some others, without being betrayed or injured, either physically or emotionally.Thank you very much for your review!

Thank you very much! I'm very glad you enjoyed it. I did work at trying to convey a certain tone and evoke an atmosphere, so I'm glad that you sensed the underlying emotions throughout. :-)

That is the trouble with getting caught up with the most recent chapter of a WIP, isn't it? Well, I'll try not to keep you waiting overly long, but I'm also working on a couple other things, so LVS has gone into a bit of a break.I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Severus being "social" in his own way, and Flitwick trying to find out what's on Severus's mind and what he had done the previous day without appearing to fish too much.Thanks very much for the reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed getting caught up! :-)

There is a small part of him that still clings to the past, and to the Dark, you're right about that, though he does really want to leave it behind.Twiskett's a loyal little guy! :-)Yes, he was very glad to get back to Poppy, and they are becoming even closer. Severus keeps trying to find a way out of telling Poppy about what he did to Gertrude when he was a Death Eater, and yet he's worried about the consequences of not telling her. He's trying to avoid even thinking about it. We'll see how well that works!Thanks very much! Glad you liked it.

Thank you! It was fun to see Minerva using the portrait network, and, of course, using her special living portrait, to find out more of what she wanted to know.I'm glad that you liked the conversation between Gertrude and Severus.  It changed a lot for him that night.Thanks for the review! Very glad you enjoyed the chapter.(And yes, poor Filius. He had a rocky time there sometimes.)

The cottage that Albus and Minerva have on the island is much smaller, of course, with only a few rooms downstairs, and down at the other end of the island. The new one they built for her during her first summer on the island was better for a long-term stay, as Severus noted, with visitors coming and going, and also allowed Albus & Minerva to continue to come to the island themselves and stay in their little salt-and-pepper cottage down by the shore.Gertrude is trying to help Severus put his own personal history into a greater context, and, as you say, encourage him to look forward and not back, to learn from the past by not be hampered by it. I'm glad you liked her advice and her reaction to his offer. It was hard for her to be tempted like that, but she didn't allow the temptation to gain any kind of grip on her, so it was never a genuine choice for her. Gertrude, being the sort of woman she is, made the only choice she really could.I'm glad that you're still enjoying the story! I hope you do find some time to continue reading it. :-)Many thanks for your review!

Thanks for reminding me Albus & Minerva's cottage is still on the island. I was somehow imagining them expanding it for Gertrude - but I guess I was just too tired to remember.  I love all the details and picturing it all unfolding in my mind. Now I have a better picture. Hope to get to another chapter this evening.

Gertrude did end up with a rather expanded home there, with the chickens, goats, various sheds, gardens, and so forth. She could be fairly self-sufficient.Hope you enjoy it if you get to it! :-)

LOL! Yes, that is a "Severus" line there! Glad you liked it!Gertrude has been worried a little about their friendship, but not very much until Gareth told her about the house -- then she did feel very protective toward him and worried that Gareth might be headed for some pain.Thank you!

He was experimenting, and also just "experiencing" his hand, trying to prepare himself mentally for what he was about to offer.Thanks for the review!

I'm sorry! I never received the review notices for this set of reviews! Glad I clicked to see "all unanswered reviews" -- I was astounded when I saw how many there were!Probably good for Severus to hear, as well as good for Aine herself to confront him about it.Glad you liked the party!

I enjoy Filius in this chapter, very much. It has been far too long since I dipped back into the RaMVerse, so it was really wonderful to do so. Filius is truly a Ravenclaw in this chapter - disecting every idea, topic, spell, emotion, tune or expression in detail! HAHA.

*grin* Glad you enjoyed the chapter and liked seeing Filius in a few of his Ravenclaw moments. Thanks!

Aye, I do! That's a Ravenclaw if I ever saw one.

Its true, I've met couples that are still that way after years and years, but not many. Very, very few, and I am so thankful that Minerva and Albus have that tendernes, trust and respect for eachother.

Thank you! I'm very glad you liked that bit. They do still have a very deep well-spring of love for each other, and their attachment and care is in some ways greater than it was when they were first together. All that they've shared together, whether bad or good, has helped them grow closer, and they both find life better for having each other in it.

If my father were affectionate and personable, he and my mom would be like that - but he's lacking in expressing love and personality - hehe. Still, I love to see this in Albus and Minerva, love it, so love it.

It's one reason I so enjoy writing Albus & Minerva together. Minerva is a bit more restrained than Albus, normally, but not with Albus, particularly not in private -- and Albus is very affectionate and has a lot of love, but also a lot of need for love, so he's very happy to have his snuggles with Minerva. I think that Minerva is very good for Albus in the RaMverse, and that without her, he would have become ever better at "compartmentalizing," to the point where he could keep himself from feeling a lot of the love and affection for others because it would be easier for him in his role.

She's also liked to stay below the radar for Slytherin reasons -- not merely from a desire to be out of the limelight for some Hufflepuffian sentiment. It's more calculated than that, and she does have her own ambitions. ;-) Snakes can also be quite solitary creatures -- and they can also like to work behind the scenes and take great satisfaction in that.  I am glad you liked the passages in this chapter, Gertrude's explanation and Severus's appreciation. She has a lot of complicated motivations for what she does, and how she carries out what she wishes to accomplish, but there's a real mixture there of Slytherin and Hufflepuff, as you say!Glad you like her!

How could I NOT like her? She's beyond awesome and so amazingly humble, especially for a Slytherin!

Oh, that little side-side-side story has been kicking around in my head for a while. Likely this is the only appearance it will make!Must run and get more coffee! I'm glad you've been enjoying the story!

Tease!

And you know you love it! hee!

*snorts*

My spidey senses tell me that Gareth may find himself in danger hooking up with Helena! Shame, I hope its not her, because I like her. She's fun.That's strange -- do you really dislike Gareth that much? He's one of my favorite characters. I don't understand why you wouldn't want him and Helena together.Weird huh?That is odd! Her hair is long and very straight, as straight as can be, her skin is dark, but coppery, she's very short, and she has blue eyes. She's one-quarter Cayuga, and part Irish, part Scottish, and part Italian. Funny how your imagination created an entirely different physicality for her!Aw, you're so sweet!I am glad you're enjoying it.

Dislike Gareth? No, not at all - where you get that notion? I'm worried Helena is the murderer - so obviously I don't want Gareth hooked up with her if she is!Yeah - Helena in my mind is black with thick, long, spiral curlies for hair - and i don't think you can change that notion now - no idea where that came from - but its stuck in me head!

Oh, you are afraid she's the vigilante. Could be! But Gareth's in no danger yet. Maybe you put her in a funny wig! haha!And back the DD/LVS/RaMverse: I'm really glad you are having fun with the extensive alternate universe! And that you're finding LVS an enjoyable part of it. Thanks!

She was fairly deadpan, and suppressing an amused smile, though she was also flattered. Naturally, she told him to simply continue being the role model for Slytherin, as he was doing quite well!I'm glad you liked it!

*blush* Glad you find Papa Filius adorable!

The danger still looms for the Brooding One! He still must take care!I'm glad that you appreciated Gertrude's kindness toward him, and her ability to deny herself in order for them both to remain whole in the ways that count.She was also trying to show him something of himself by analogy, to give himself some perspective on where he'd been, who he'd been, what he'd done, and how it all fit in to the greater scheme of things.Glad you found it gripping! I'd been waiting a long time -- with Gertrude! -- to write this chapter, this set of chapters, and I had hopes they would work well. :-) thanks!

I'm glad you liked it -- and Gertie! Thanks!