Oh, you needn't worry! The initial flirting was experimental, but then he found himself . . . feeling more. (And not just in one particular area of his anatomy, either!) And the kiss, yes, he meant it.

I'm glad you liked his preoccupation with her assets! ;-) Thanks!

Yes, I think that's something that he wouldn't really think about. Poppy would be more concerned about him being concerned than he would ever be concerned! ;-)Glad you're enjoying it!

We can hope that he can do that now!I'm glad you liked the chapter. :-)

Thank you! I do think there is some eerieness in this chapter, a bit of other-worldliness and a sense of disconnection from normalcy, and a little bit of discomfort, too.Yes, she was pleading with him as well as warning him; association with Severus could be dangerous on many levels, and Gertrude is aware of that, but particularly concerned about her son being hurt emotionally by Severus. It was good that Severus was able to clear things up for her there and give her some reassurances.Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Yes, Severus would have done well as a Ravenclaw, I think! At least in that era, when so many Slytherins were being attracted to Riddle, and it might also have given him some insulation from the Gryffindors -- and he would have found it less attractive, himself, to set up a rivalry with them.

It's so WRONG that all the adults would fail to protect a kid, but it's also VERY realistic.  I see it all the time.  Even when I substitute as a support person in the local school I catch glimpses of it.  I report what I see and I'm sure it means more coming from an adult than from a kid.  They sometimes need a new set of eyes on some things and I tend to be very sensitive to the kids who need a bit of extra help and protection with my own children having special needs.

You're right. (Did you read An Act of Love, by any chance? There's a short discussion in one of the chapters, between Severus & Minerva, about one of the Gryffindors' "pranks" on him, and how she'd dealt with it -- AAoL is the prequel to Death's Dominion, which is the story that comes before LVS.)

No, I didn't read that one.  I will look at that once I'm sort of caught up with LVS.  :)

It's a lot about Severus's psychology, so you may enjoy it. Death's Dominion, though, is the best of my fics, any of them, and if you've not read that one, I am pretty sure you'd enjoy it.

I'm pretty sure I read that one but I'll go and have a look to be certain.  I love reading about Snape and what goes on in his head, that's for sure!

I just checked by filtering the reviews & looking just for yours, and you've read both An Act of Love & Death's Dominion! (I hadn't remembered, because it's been a while!)

Is An Act of Love the one in which Snape gets hit by a stray spell?

That's the one -- filled with a combination of humor & drama, or something of the sort.

and a gigantic dose of hurt/comfort which isn't listed as anything here on TPP but which is something I seem to enjoy a lot!

I never use that "genre" -- guess I'm too much of a traditionalist when it comes to genres! LOL! Besides, I dislike most h/c fics that I've read (or tried to read) -- they just dwell so on it, from the ones I've read -- so I never think of myself as writing it, especially as there's more, and the endings aren't what I've seen as typical of those fics, either. (It seems that when you have people relating to one another in a story, and when there is injury or illness for one of the characters, naturally you'll have other characters taking care of him/her, unless it's some kind of Dark!fic with torture and such other nastiness.) I'm glad you enjoyed it!

That's probably why TPP doesn't list it as a Genre.  I'm pretty clueless about that.  I know that I've seen some on other sites that were VERY H/C and they annoyed me because they were just kind of gross and sappy and disgusting.  You are careful with it so it doesn't become the whole story.  It's more realistic this way.  I don't do a lot of writing because my brain really tends toward stupid, sappy h/c and then I can't seem to pull out of that at all.  ROFL!  It's just fine in my head but not so great to read it when it's the whole story.  You have some very realistic situations and how could Snape not have some of the issues he has.  He's never dealt with the emotions of all the terrible things he's experienced.  I really like the way Poppy handles it when she's figured out she has hurt his feelings.  He is able to tell her that now and she always tells him she's glad he told her.  Which is a lot like some real life situations I've had to deal with.  I seem to surround myself with people who are on the autism spectrum and they have a really hard time using words to express things so when they DO express it I usually make sure to thank them for telling me in a calm way at a point before they're angry.  It's not easy but Poppy would need that skill in her profession.  Snape is learning that he can tell her negative things without it turning into a major ordeal that overwhelms him.  So he's getting to have people around him show him some compassion and kindness and he's learning how to show that as well.  So I do see the difference between strictly H/C and stories that contain some of that.  Sorry if I offended you saying "gigantic" that was an exaggeration but there's a pretty good sized element of it simply because Snape has so much to be hurt about.  Other people have some things to be hurt about, too and Snape is learning how to comfort as well as how to accept kindness and comfort from other people.

No, no offense taken! Just explaining my own take on that category of fics & why I prefer not to use it myself."I know that I've seen some on other sites that were VERY H/C and they annoyed me because they were just kind of gross and sappy and disgusting.  You are careful with it so it doesn't become the whole story"Yep, those are the fics I'm talkin' about! lol!Severus doesn't really have anything "wrong" with him organically, to use a short-hand word, but he's had an extremely abnormal existence, as well as not having had a particularly pleasant childhood (though as Gareth thinks in one chapter somewhere here, a lot of people grow up with less-than-ideal childhoods and don't become Death Eaters who cut off someone's arm for entertainment -- or what they thought would be entertainment until they actually did it), and he is a relatively introverted personality, too, so all that combines to make him have to play "catch up" with personal relationships and how to deal with his own emotions, as well as those of others -- but he's highly motivated to do so, and he's had the right kinds of people around him to encourage him n that direction.As you point out, Poppy, in addition to being a warm and loving person by nature, also has had experience in dealing with certain kinds of reactions and issues, and she's also motivated to want to "do the right thing" when with Severus, because she cares about him so much as a friend, even before this point, and now has come to care for him in other ways, as well.

Severus grew up in a difficult situation and that will have an effect, but not as much as something organic.  Also it doesn't sound like he was neglected as an infant or toddler which could lead to some really awful stuff.  Voldemort, I am almost certain, has narcissitic personality disorder and or reactive attachment disorder.  If Harry was a real live person I'd wonder why he DIDN'T have RAD because his parents died before he was 3 years old and after that I think the Dursleys were reluctant to have anything to do with him.  Poor babe.  There's a critical period between birth and 3 years during which babies learn to become attached to other people.  If it doesn't happen the consequences can be pretty awful, I think.  Sorry, talking about psychology again.  I find it so fascinating.

In Death's Dominion, Albus is reflecting on the past, and he hopes/believes that Lily's sacrifice also protected him from the consequences of his early childhood being so stark.

Indeed! Little did he know that he was hindering rather than helping! LOL!

It is good for him not to have to play such a narrow role that he was forced into as a spy and supposedly still-loyal Death Eater. I'm glad you're enjoying it again!

I would love to know what your previous guess was! (And, not to be mean or tease you or anything -- well, maybe to tease you just a little -- but Aine only said that she could tell whether it was someone at the table, and when she did the divination for Severus, she could tell that it wasn't he. She didn't go around and check up on all the guests that night! lol! But I'm just teasing!)Yes, I think that Aine and Hafrena are rather used to sceptics and people who, while not completely sceptical, do think of it as hardly real magic. Like what Flitwick says about it being a "quaint art." However, they do know better, and so are happy to be tolerant of the less "enlightened"! And Severus, sceptical as he may be, still has enough belief to worry about what Aine might be able to see. I do think that you're right, and his opinion of divination, at least from Aine and Hafrena, has improved!Thank you very much for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed seeing the various characters.

Hi. My guess was Helena. A while back she asked for a change in her dinner duty schedule because of a class she was taking and I thought it coincided with when one of the attacks occurred. On another topic, why did Hafrena act as she did when Gareth asked Calum if he was going to do a binding? I thought a binding was commonplace.

Hafrena is quite old-fashioned, and she feels that bindings are too serious a topic -- and too personal, as well -- to be casually discussed at a dinner party. And a binding isn't exactly commonplace in RaMverse, though it's not completely unusual, either.

I'm glad you liked the chapter! It was a crucial point for both Gertrude and Severus.Thank you!

Thank you! This chapter has been gestating since Death's Dominion, this one and the previous one, and I'm glad that you found it moving. It is healing for them both, and Severus will take away more from that evening than he realizes now, and it will resonate in him for a long time.I'm glad you liked the details of the cottage and the island. I wanted to have enough atmosphere, but at the same time, not overwhelm the interaction between Gertrude and Severus with description -- but to keep it in sync with it, if you know what I mean.Thank you very much for the review! I really appreciate all your feedback. :-)

Real life can certainly pull us away from the fun stuff!I'm glad you are enjoying it again! Thanks for letting me know you're back -- I've missed you! :-)Back to school -- probably a lot different from when I was in school, but I always loved getting new notebooks and pens and all. Everything seemed fresh & full of promise! The only thing better was the last day before the summer holiday! lol!

This may help, yes. :-)

Yes, there is an eerieness here, I believe, an otherworldliness that I tried to capture. A sense of being foreign but present, something like that. Both peace and unease at the same time.This chapter has been a long time coming, so I'm glad that you liked it.

Severus is healing some, but there will always be traces of his past that he will have to live with. This healing will make that easier for him, or has the potential to do so, as you say, though he still has a long way to go.I'm glad you enjoyed seeing Avalon!

Thank you very much! I am glad you sensed that unity here, and the courage that both showed in different ways. Even agreeing to meet with Gertrude was difficult for Severus, and frightening, something he would never have dreamt of doing even a year before. And Gertrude, in addition to her having forgiven him from afar so many years ago, has had an opportunity to observe how he has acquitted himself after the war, and to see his friendships with Gareth and Hermione, as well as with Minerva, and to see him in person, herself, and can thus gather the courage to bring him with her to the island, introducing a private part of herself to him, believing that he will be open to it and will benefit from it, as will she.And as you say, they have both reentered life after having had to hide for many years, and they do have an understanding of each other because of that.Thanks again! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much.

Yes, poor Caspar! Always the "nice guy" in Helena's eyes! I'm glad you enjoyed Aine. She is a multifaceted character, certainly, and while she may not be as out-going as her brother, she's no demure little thing, either, as you noted. And dutiful she may be, in some sense, but out of strength of character and love of family, out of choice, and not for lack of independence, if you know what I mean.Yes, Severus was practically fawning over her, but he tried to maintain his dignity! LOL!You're welcome for the lesson on sushi! ;-)Thanks for the review! Glad you're enjoying catching up, and seeing the various characters again!

You're very welcome! I don't know how long this pace of updates will continue, but I thought that while I could, I would!Yes, Gertrude will be in the next chapter, as well, and it won't be the last time we see her in this story!I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review!

Thank you! And I hope that more will be coming soon!

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed this take on Divination.Yes, poor Severus! At least he was captain and didn't have to choose himself to act anything out! lol!

You do have a good sense for Gertrude here, I think!I'm glad you enjoyed the suspense -- I do hope to get the next chapter out soon!I would love to be reading a new chapter of CSG, myself, so we'll see whether my Muse cooperates. Thank you for the review! I hope not to keep you waiting too long for the next one!