Thank you!  Yes, she's feeling much better now. Maybe, just maybe, she'll be willing to help up the pace a little, so you won't have to wait so very long for the next chapter.  We can hope, anyway! :-)

Cheers! 

Thank you, Gin!  I don't think they'll be losing a whole lot of ground from now on.  Maybe a step or two every now and again, but in my mind, they are now making steady progress up that really, really steep hill.

The biggest block to their relationship is Hermione's grief due to losing Ron, but, yes, she is starting to do what's needed, so hopefully she'll be able to get over that hurdle with Severus' help.

I am so glad you liked it!  I am thrilled, really.  I hope to have more ready soon, although I can't tell you when exactly.

Cheers! 

Yes, I thought you'd like it.  I like it too, frankly.  I just hope I can keep the pace and tension up without falling back on angstier-than-thou type stuff.  Heehee. 

Thanks, Sun!  I always appreciate your feedback! 

Yes, I'm baaaaaack!  Hopefully my muse will stick around long enough to get this story finished. 

Yes, it's time for more humor, less angst.  Too much angst already.  Besides, ths is a new part, and pretty much a new story, and the tone WILL be different.

Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! 

Yes, I'm back!  I'm even catching up on answering my reviews, if you can believe that!  Maybe next I'll catch up with giving reviews!  Well... miracles have happened before, right?

Yes, Severus is starting to realize that he has to bend a little bit more if he wants Hermione to love him the way he loves her.  Being a Slytherin, he has examined the facts, thought about it, and realized that Ron's appeal was his good nature and humor. It was a bitter revelation, let me tell you!

Severus might be jealous of Teddy when he finds out about him, but he might not.  He is an arrogant bastard, after all.

Thank you,

!  I hope the chocolate helps keep my muse happy! 

Thank you, Ginny!  I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Teddy... yeah.  Teddy's a good guy.  Really, he is.  Poor boy.

Thank you, and I hope yours does as well!  Happy Groundhog Day! 

Yes!  I'm pretty much back!  Yeah, love letters is a bit strong for those snarky letters, but they're at least understanding each other, eh?

Teddy... thinks he wants to be just friends.  Poor boy.  As for the Arithmancy that'll get dealt with later on.  What he was going to say is directly relevant to that revelation.

Thank you, and I hope your holidays were wonderful, too!  And they were remarkably unbefrozen, thanks!

Yes, but then again, it could be seen as an expansion of boundaries as their friendship solidifies.

Thanks! 

Thank you!  Yes, they are slowly making the transition, but it'll be a while yet before they complete it. 

Yes, he does, doesn't he?  Poor boy.  But, fortunately for him, he is a Slytherin, and therefore should possess a fair amount of cunning to keep him (and hopefully Hermione) out of trouble.

Cheers! 

Thanks!  Yes, he's such a sarcastic little cutie.  It almost makes one want to tweak his big nose.  LOL!

Thank you! 

Thanks!  Hopefully it won't take too long to get the next up. :-)

Goodness gracious, I am sorry for leaving such a festering turd of a review. PMS? Mad cow disease? Sorry. You are the best and I had no right to be so icky to you.

LOL! No problem, dear. This story is NOT abandoned, but the muse had run away for awhile there. She's finally starting to come around again, so hopefully in a month or two I'll have something worthwhile to post. Sorry for the pains I've put you through. I understand completely! *Looks longingly at update status on favorite WIPs*

Cheers!

Thank you!  Even though it is undeniably fantasy (and a parody to boot), I am aiming for realism.  The courtship will probably be fairly rocky, just because these two aren't really the most compatable people in the world, but it'll have it's moments.

I'm not sure how long the hiatus will be.  This is completely new ground for me (actual romance... egads!) so I really need to brainstorm for a while.  But as for recommendations...

Probably you've already read the majority of these, but they're worth recommending anyway. 

Price of Madness (WIP) by plaidpooka; His Draught of delicate Poison (WIP that's almost finished) by Subversa; Wandless Magic by Deeble (just about anything by Deeble is worth reading); anything by Bambu, although her entry for the SS/HG exchange was simply stunning ("Morning Has Broken").

Speaking of the SS/HG exchange, most of the stories submitted for it are worth reading.  The Plushie Problem by Plaidpooka, Wolfsbane by Keladry Lupin (the summary is deceptive.  It's much better than it sounds),  and... gosh, I can't remember the title.  There's one where Hermione and Snape get trapped in a strange land.  Maybe it wasn't  an entry, but it was good.  I'll try to find it again.

Anyway, although some of the stories are gradually making their way onto familiar archives, all the stories are archived at  http://sshgexchange.serpentsstratagem.com/index.php

Enjoy! 

You are welcome.  LOL.  It's not going to be hearts and roses, though, I'll warn you now.  Severus (if I write it well) will remain an immature, insecure, sarcastic bastard through it all, except for a few moments here and there.

The entire wedding night is posted at OWL, but I had to split the chapter up for size.  Chapter I part 2 is the lemony stuff. And thank you!

I'm already working on the "love letters," so hopefully my muse will be nice enough to give me some story to go around them. 

Well, Severus can't help being who he is, and he does sincerely love her; that has GOT to count for something with her.  I see their dating as an opportunity for her to fall in love with him, as well, and I sincerely hope it moves that way.  Well, we know they stayed together for donkey years; it's not as if I haven't read the last bit of MAC.  But you know what I mean.  I think.

Hiatus does sound scary, but I understand (I think) the way you feel.  Finishing Poison will set me free in ways I haven't been in a year, and it's both giddy and scary to contemplate.

*giggles madly* I know.  I'm a heartless bitch when it comes to my characters, though.  Besides, I thought it funny.

Heheheh! Yeah, Minerva definitely rocks.  She is the friend their relationship needs the most.  

  Food poisoning?  Oh, my dear Dracontia!  I'm sorry.  Do go take care of yourself.  *pets soothingly and offers some pepto bismal*

Heehee!  Someone told me that they call them teddy bears in Britain, too.  Mikey bears... hmm.  That could be funny to have Karkaroff calling for his Mikey at some point...

Teddy's motives are... for the most part, they are straightforward.  He likes Hermione.  He will continue to be nice to her because he likes her (although, you know with Hermione's temperment, there will be a few fights in store).  More than that I will not say.

 Don't blame you there, kiddo.  I'm assuming you've figured out that Hermione has some issues with power and Severus and such, though.  That's the basics, no need for anything more descriptive.

And yes, Severus is, was, still brooding.  He will continue to brood, just more onstage.  Thanks for the review! 

, go ahead and state the obvious...) He forgot to check both of Hermione's hands, the left hand for her fate, the right hand for what she makes of her fate through free will. Otherwise, he seemed quite thorough. Am I correct in believing that some research/personal experience went into this bit?*sigh* not going into Albus as Minerva's dad, though that was nicely done as well. I'm still mushing on Teddy dearest.Simply smashing. Well, looks like I've got chapters to catch up on! (How did I miss all these?)

Yes, he's almost looking natty, thanks to us girls chasing after him.

I'm glad you're fond of Teddy.  He's a sweetie, through and through.  A very cuddly snake.  Just because he's a Slytherin (and full of ambition and cunning) doesn't mean he has to be nasty like all the others.  

He did forget to check both her hands, though it's very probable that what he saw on one hand startled him enough that he didn't really want to check the other one.  Mostly, though, I forgot about that.  Teehee.  A tiny bit of research went into it, but most was based on experience from years and years ago.

MM and AD as family... no, I don't believe it for a moment, but it's a reaction to all the romantic situations they get put into.  This is almost as likely (ie: not bloody).

Cheers! 

Yes, fresh starts all around, I say!  That's what act 3 will be for me (goodness gracious, but it scares me!).  I'll try to hurry back with more (already composing the first set of "love letters").

Excellent advice for the muse.  I will go pack her off upstairs right now!  

Thank you, doll.  I always love and appreciate your reviews. 

Oh, dear June!  Of course I'll miss you while on hiatus!  But  people like you who review so very faithfully (and thank you very, very much.  You might not know how much it means to me)  will definitely spur me to return sooner than later! 

Act 3 is (dare I say it) definitely the last part, though I also said this would be a short(ish) sequel.  HA! But whether it's the last part or not, you will learn Lucius' fate in the next part.  Of that I am certain.

And I'm not saying whether Severus really was watching over Hermione or not.  Either way, it bodes well, don't you think?

I probably will be working on other short fics while on hiatus, so hopefully your withdrawal symptoms won't be too fierce.  

When you return from hiatus, will you be adding new chapters to this fic - or creating Act 3 as a new separate fic?  (If you just add new chapters to this fic, then I'll get update notices for this as a favorite.)

It'll be chapters to this fic.  If I had known how long this was really going to be, I might have named this part differently (Like "When Porcupines Mate" or something ;P), but since I didn't... I'm stuck.  Maybe after I've finished, I'll edit and repost this as three separate fics...

Yes, he does need a dose of justice served, doesn't he?  It's so easy to forget that only four days have passed in this story so far!  (9 days since the beginning of MAC)  She will sort things out, though, and it will get better when she does.  Thanks for the review!

Soon, my dear, soon!  They'll be put in the position of having to deal with one another soon, and through that will come understanding, and eventually, tenderness.  Maybe even a little more than just tenderness.

As for Teddy, well, if Severus is jealous of him, then it's his own damn fault if he's hurt by their friendship.   He really needs to learn to trust Hermione, though, just as she needs to trust him. If he is jealous, showing it would be very unwise.

Thank you for the review!  I've finished the first part of the chapter.  Only four more parts to go! 

There are always going to be misunderstandings between them!  They speak different languages, and no matter how fluent they become in the other's dialect, there will always be some barriers to clear communication.

That said, I'll give you hope, because that first word of her note to him said more to him than everything else.

Thank you for the insightful review!  You sure are good at getting to the heart of the matter! 

*blushes* Thank you. For writing the fic and for answering my reviews.

They will always speak different languages, and little misunderstandings will happen. Hopefully they'll learn how to communicate to each other. I was speaking of the bigger misunderstandings that would lead them to even bigger problems (nothing as big as the one leading to their marriage, for instance). What with her feelings that uncontrolled and his porcupine attitude...

Yes, that first word was a great choice of Hermione ;) A Slytherin will sure be able to read into it.

LOL!  Even I think they've had enough big miscommunications to last through this story.  The story from here on out should be rather straightforward.  Probably.  A simple romance, right?

Excerpt from Snape's Journal from Tuesday, March 17 (the day "Marry a Choice" starts): What a glorious way to start the day! Breakfast was wonderful today, I must say.  Not only did Hermione box Potter's ears, but she gave him a dressing down that was, all in all, quite amusing.  And on top of that, I got to take points off of Gryffindor with Minerva's (reluctant) approval!  Ha ha!  Is it possible to start the day in a better way? Bugger, did I just rhyme?  Must watch that. Despite that, I actually have a good feeling about today.  ***

F**k.  Albus says the bill is going forward very soon.  He's sent for the candidates already.  The meeting will be at eight.  Is that enough Snape for right now?  I'm working on ch. 13 and it's coming along nicely, but...  Thank you!

That's a little cruel for Draco, don't you think?  Yeah, his dad is a murdering bastard with barely a drop of good in him, but he is his dad.  The guilt would rip Draco apart.

Of course, I'm not known for being terribly kind to my characters, so we'll see. 

Hermione and Severus WILL talk, I promise.  If not in the next chapter, then the one following that. (It all depends on length, you know.)  And yes, isn't Teddy a good friend?  I like him.  (Oh, dear, poor boy doesn't have a chance now, does he?)

You are a major sweetie, and I thank you for the vote.  It's nice to know I got at least one vote.

Yes, Lucius is Draco's dad, but Cissa was Draco's mum - and Lucius isn't showing any signs of repentance for killing her, attacking Hermione, his Death Eater actions, etc.  He needs "something," before he kills Draco too.  Eeps!

Oh, don't get me wrong!  Lucius definitely needs to (and will) get his, but I think it would be cruel to subject Draco to the filial guilt that would accompany that revenge.  But... yeah, Draco probably doesn't realize how thick blood is, silly twit.  ;-P