Thanks, so much kitty, that's the way I hoped it would make people feel.

Wahoo K.P.!  You made my day!

Thanks for rising... and writing, Phoenix.  I'm glad Sev's seemed in character to you.  He doesn't express his feelings in words well, but his actions say it all.I just had to have a reason for the eggs making Hermione sick after the food was so good the first night.  (I feel sorry for cooks and caterers.  They get dumped on a lot.)I remember reading in one of the HP books that Hermione wasn't related to D-G.  I didn't really want to use him as Umber's uncle, but he was the only famous canon Potioneer I knew.   (I don't like making up new characters if JKR has one ready-made.)  So I had to throw in the denial from Hermione for anyone who didn't know that.

*Cackles with glee*  Yeh, the mystery continues.  Will they or won't they?  Thanks Southern Witch.

That's right,

.  Everybody has a different take on this relationship, and it's nice once in a while to let the ol' imagination take over.  Thanks for your thoughts.

You got it exactly right, Luce, That's how I feel about Severus.  He just doesn't know how to talk about his feelings.  Hermione will draw him out, I'm sure.Yeh, I love hitting meanies with cauldrons, even if they are the cheap, giveaway variety.  Makes a lovely, ringing sound.

Now, Hermione Jean, you know I couldn't give away all your secrets.  ;)  Thanks so much for the compliments.

Thanks,

, we did have a very thorough plot-outlining session at the beginning, and everyone did a great job of filling it in.  My team mates gave me a lot of interesting stuff to work with, so the chapter pretty much wrote itself.  The hard part was getting it down to 2000 words.

Aw, sorry, Snitchette, but, you see, I suck at romance-writing, and with a 2000 word limit and so many other plotlines to get in, I figured all the H/S lovers out there could fill in the blanks... maybe even dream a little dream...

Well, there's the mark of a good short story; you just don't want it to end.  But you can always make up sequels in your mind.  Hurray for imagination!! Thanks,

.

Thanks, for your kind words, C.  What's UST? (Or do you mean the L word?

Thank you,

, from the entire team.  Funny how those prompt words just seemed to fit in.  I got lucky I guess.  A Snape farting challenge?  Well, I don't think I'll be writng for that one...

Yes, that's why I love her so.  Thanks for the thought.

Thanks,

(my fave Star Trek character).  I've had a lot of practice with condensing chapters.  My first-ever fan fic was a series of adventures for Hermione for a contest on Sugar Quill.  We had to fill out each plot bunny in 1000 words or less, and there were 12 of them.

Yeh, I love that word "smuck".  Great image, great sound.  Sums Umber up perfectly. I was trying to hint that the development of their relationship would be ongoing, and wanted to pique the reader's imagination, and I have to admit, I s--- (rhymes with smuck) at romantic scenes.I'm pretty sure Hermione said she was no relation to D-G in my chapter as well and was relieved not to be because otherwise it would have made her Umber's cousin.  (At least, that was my intention.) Thanks for your thoughts, be.  Or is it bea?

You hardly s--k!  It's jsut dare I say - I wish you had to write another chapter to this cuz I'd love to see the 'morning after' to this set up! bea~

**blushes and does happy dance** Thanks, Zuse!!