Oh, man.  A jealous Snape can't be a good thing.  I hope no one is harmed in the breaking of the sealed lip problem;)  Doesn't it figure that she would win awards when she can't speak.  On the other hand, her acceptance speech might have been a mile long, so it is just as well.  I love how he ended up on her side of the bed... if he could just convince himself while he is awake that he is over Lily and on to Granger things might really get interesting!

Does he realize that he's acting like the little boy that pulls pigtails?

Snape is in full 'dick head persona' here.  Honestly, I don't really see why Hermione is at such a loss that she would go to work for him.  She is capable of a great many things and could have many options.  Your portrayal of her as a person totally lacking in ANY sense of self worth is a bit over the top (IMO).  Still waiting for the 'cursed' part.

Well, that was both grisly and unexpected... Poor Minerva--she's not going to get to enjoy her retirement with her husband--I wonder if she will still want to go on alone?I like the story so far, but I am puzzled by the summary--nothing like it has happened (yet). To all appearances Hermione is done with the house elf union stuff...   Either this is a really long set up, or the plot has developed in a different direction from the original summary.

Whew. I can only see trouble ahead. Hermione is still not accepting that her reasoning was wrong for the union. If she brings it up with the Hogwarts elves, she is only asking for her own troubles.

With Hermione's bum on his mind, it's a wonder he didn't fall off his chair!  I can almost see him quantifying and qualifying the sensation of brushing against her flesh.  I'm glad the chat with Minerva came about.  :D

Great chapter! I'm looking forward to more of that tension...

Oh, yes, it was Severus' fault that her dumb idea didn't work.  Good show, Hermione.  It's time to take some responsibility, dear.

Hermione really should give Severus a hard time.  He is having entirely too much fun tormenting her.

Gosh, Winky's always been rather hard-headed and outspoken for an elf--her vehement defense of Crouch proved that!  And I imagine that Severus rather likes that about her as well (when he agrees with her), so hasn't really reprimanded her about it.  However, he may be regretting that very soon...  Will Hermione be able to stop herself from trying to bring up the House Elf Union idea again to the Hogwarts elves?  I have a funny feeling that the answer is 'no'.Naughty Severus, looking at Hermione's bum! 

I almost feel sorry for Snape.  Surrounded by all those kids he used to teach.  LOL :)

Minerva's death really was a blow to Hermione.I had to smile at her forgetting all courtesy and the time while chatting with Minerva's portrait.Snape seemed to be getting soft. :-)And finally Winky showed her dismay of Hermione clearly. Her words are foreshadowing dramatic events methinks.

What's gotten into Winky?  That is pretty evil for a house-elf.  Did she take Kreacher lessons?  Severus needs to get over himself.  Poor Hermione.

That was a nasty way to kill of Slughorn and possibly Minerva.  Poor thing.Now I have to agree a lot with Severus about Hermione.  She's constantly looking for someone to bolster her up.  Hopefully, she'll learn to bolster herself up.

It seems some aspects of Hermione's personality never came to grow up. She still craves approval from the one person that never granted it to her - and not getting said approval is a very sore spot.Stubbornness is needed in order to make a career, but one has to see when it is best to let go. She still hasn't learned that, as it seems.Snape on the other hand seems to be nothing more than a sour, embittered man with no character traits to make him likeable. I'm very curious as to how you will manage to get them together without killing each other.I'm very sorry Hermione had to loose (for I doubt she is going to survive) her confident and friend. I was very fond of your Minerva and had hoped she would guide Hermione for the time being.So, I'm not fully happy with your Hermione and Snape, but I'm following you and your characters along the way you intend to take the readers. I'm curious what you have in stock for us.

Oh my goodness. Not only has Hermione been made the laughing stock of the Wizarding world, but she has distanced herself from her two best male friends, and now faces the loss of her closest remaining friend. I also wonder how Snape will deal with this?

omgosh!  What a frightening sight to apparate into.  So sad. 

O.o

Here I was feeling sorry for Hermione and along comes something worse.  I guess that goes to show that there is always someone worse off than you, no matter how bad you think you have it.  This is not quite going how I expected but I am anxious to see what comes next!

Poor Minerva, badly burned and widowed!

Interesting story.  I am anxious to get to the cursed part.  Hope its fun!

Wow, that is sooo sad! Why did that happen? I'm intrigued!

At least she hasn't forgotten how to be heroic.  Of course she was let go, that job was a joke. 

To be honest I have mixed emotions about this story. It is very well written, no doubt about that. But, the ridicule of Hermione is not my  cup of tea. In my oppinion Severus is the last person on earth to tell others what worthless pieces of shit they are: When he was her age he, by his own actions, lost the woman he claim to love for eternity, a woman who never loved him romanticly, but prefered his worst enemy. He got himself a nice tatoo and then went on and got the love of his life killed. He of course only hoped that her hated husband and child should be killed, but alas....  How dare he pity Hermione???  He should be on bended knees in awe in front of her! From the very beginning she stood up for what was rigth, she risked her life countless times, as a true friend she stod by Harry when everyone else turned their back on him. She faced Death Eaters and came out winning! But nooooo, she dared do her homework, she dared show a brain, she dared letting it be known that she remembered what she learnt. One can only guess the punishment she as a mudblood Gryffindor, friend of Harry Potter, would have received if she had dared doing experiments or in any way stepped out of line in potions? Severus would have eaten her alive and spit out the remains for his precious Slytherins to tramp on. Severus Snape, a grown up man, is so hung up in the past he destroyed himself that he has spent years hating a innocent child, a child who never got to know his parents due to the fact that Severus contributed to getting them killed, and he dares thinking of himself as a more valuable person????? I very honestly think that you are a talented writer, I wouldn't be surprised if I have read and liked other stories written by you, but stories where Hermiones has any worth only if she admits that she is nothing but a worthless, brainless, ignorant mudblood who need the superior Severus to show her the rigth way and if she beg hard enough he migth lower himself to care for her is not my cup of tea. I don't think the character Hermoine is flawless, far from it, but she is by far a better person than Severus. So, to avoid me getting annoyed because I don't like the how the characters are presented, and for you not to receive reviews from grumpy old farts like me, I think we are both better off by me following other stories and let your plot unfold as you want it to:-))

How terrible!  I hope that Slughorn is the only character death in the story warning...  Hermione's life is going through a lot of changes right now, and it really shows that life truly is "often darkest just before the dawn."  It will be interesting to see how Hermione copes with the new directions her life is taking her and just how she deals with being cursed.  I'm also excited to see how House Elf curses may differ from those cast by humans, and what the consequences are.Great story so far!