Chapter Three
Chapter 3 of 10
hexgirlHermione turns up at Snape's door. She is in no mood to be fobbed off.
ReviewedHermione Granger: Part One the first.
'What the hell do you think you are playing at?'
The door opened to reveal her former Potions master. His scowl went some way to make reparation for his appearance, a mere spectre of the formidable Head of Slytherin, but Hermione was incapable of responses beyond fury. She ignored the ominous furrow of the brow, the dark eyes that flashed incredulity at her audacity, and the thin lips which moved to begin the attack. The doorway provided little shelter from the rain which was slicing through the air like a million tiny arrows, soaking her through so that she practically dripped a lake onto his top step. She pushed past him and walked uninvited into his hallway.
'Granger, what in ...?'
'How am I supposed to use my "celebrated brains" if you don't turn up at the agreed place and time? You said I had a month; you haven't contacted me for a week,' she said, her voice rising with her anger.
'Won't you come in?' he answered, a half-hearted attempt at a sneer apparent in his drawl.
Hermione waited for him to turn and close the door on the weather. She shook the moisture from her hair and noticed for the first time that there was something diminished about the intimidating wizard whom she had known since she was eleven. As a teacher, he had always been immaculately dressed, despite the lack of variation in the colour and style of his wardrobe. She had been surprised to find that isolation and the passage of time had little changed his clothes preferences. He still wore a predominance of black, though no billowing robes seemed to have made it beyond Hogwarts. Nevertheless, dark trousers, boots and a plain black woollen coat, with the occasional white or dark shirt beneath it, was all she had known him to wear during the previous three intensive weeks. She was startled to note a definite crumpled and unkempt aspect to his appearance, usually so pristine. His personal hygiene had obviously been neglected: his hair, as black, straight and lank as it was ten years ago, was even greasier than usual; she doubted if he had had a shave for days.
Trying hard not to stare, she glanced around his dark entrance hall and noticed an open door to her right; she marched inside on the presumption that this was his main living quarters.
'Why is it so dark in here?' She wanted to know. Snape had followed her into the room, but rather than abuse her for her intrusion as she had expected, he walked straight past her as if she were a piece of furniture he hadn't quite worked out where to put, and threw himself into what was evidently his favourite armchair by the fire.
She followed his languid gaze into the dying embers of the grate and made her way over to him. 'And what's with the facial hair?' she continued accusingly, staring at the dark shadow which clung to his chin and jaw. 'Have you been drinking?'
He clearly had been drinking; she had caught the whiff of alcohol on his breath at the front door, once he had finally answered her incessant hammering. And now he was fingering a tumbler of some indeterminate ochre liquid, which was evidently not his first.
'None of your business on all three counts.'
Good! At least he was showing some spirit. Severus Snape without a sardonic quip was a fearful prospect; she preferred his anger to dejection. He turned his head slightly so that she could just about make out the look of disdain he was now sporting. 'If you must know,' he said, 'I'm tired of our little... arrangement. As such I am perfectly at liberty to break it if I wish.'
'NOT FAIR!' Hermione yelled. 'I want my month!'
'If I ever need a shrew to comment on my habits, I will inform you by owl,' he replied. 'As it is, I will say this once: you have no further obligation to me; I release you from our agreement.'
Hermione folded her arms and glared at him as he drained the contents of his glass and tapped his wand against the rim. She noticed a half-empty bottle of firewhisky on the mantelpiece and watched as a measure disappeared from it to reappear in the tumbler in his hand.
'That is not for you to decide,' she said, heatedly. 'I do have an obligation, and I will fulfil it, with or without your consent.' She watched as he took another swift swig without bothering to argue.
'You're drunk, Professor. It's not even dark outside and you're drunk!'
'Not nearly as drunk as I intend to be,' he spat.
Hermione exhaled deeply and glanced around the room. What little light there was came from the glow of the fireplace and a small chink in the drawn curtains. The room was large and reasonably comfortable from the little she could make out. Bookcases filled with dark leather-backed tomes lined the walls, but little else could be discerned in the near-darkness. She turned to move towards the window, obscured for the most part by long, thick drapes. Perhaps allowing a little light into the drab sitting-room would alleviate his sour temper? As she placed a hand on the heavy curtains to draw them back, his deep drawl cut across the room.
'Did I give you permission to touch or rearrange my belongings, Granger?'
She ignored him and pushed one of the curtains aside, just enough to afford herself a view of the street beyond. Similar Victorian town-houses to the one she now found herself in made up the rest of the street, blissfully unaware that number forty-eight was home to a reclusive wizard. She observed the pumpkins adorning the windows of the houses opposite, carved into grotesque grinning plump skulls. A cardboard caricature of a witch flying on a broomstick was stuck to the same window. Hermione was amused to notice a certain resemblance to Professor McGonagall in the profile of the cackling hag. Dancing skeletons bobbed up and down on pieces of elastic, and a sweet-filled bowl in the shape of a rotting hand sat perched on the window-sill in readiness for trick-or-treaters.
The evidence of the next day's Halloween festivities pointed to a possibility she had overlooked until that moment. The significance of the day for wizards was far more poignant than a mere excuse to dress up like ghouls and eat sweets. For Snape, she realised, the day was potentially an even greater source of distress. She turned her head to observe him.
'Professor Snape, are you wallowing?'
'What?'
'You are! Really, sir, it's been twenty-seven years get over it!'
It just sort of slipped out. The reason for his morose condition suddenly became as clear as Sleeping Potion: the next day was the anniversary of the death of Harry's parents. Twenty-seven years ago, Lily Potter had placed herself between Lord Voldemort and her son, refusing to step aside. Hermione contemplated the possibility that every Halloween brought forth this state of depression and anguish from Snape and was shaken by the implications.
Was it possible that the strength of his feelings had not diminished over the years? The fulfilment of his promise to Dumbledore, the vow to himself to protect her son and avenge her death, and his success in doing so, had apparently not released him of his devotion and grief. Not only did he continue to remember the woman he had loved, but was apparently still in agony over her loss. Hermione doubted whether he had ever spoken about Lily to another human being. Even though Dumbledore had known of his attachment, she doubted if the former Headmaster had ever encouraged his right-hand man to make use of his shoulder to cry on.
Hermione wondered how Snape could bear to carry so much pain and sorrow alone. She could hardly stand to remain by the half-closed curtains watching his misery, like some thrill-seeking voyeurist. The desire to run to him caught her off guard. She wanted to cast herself as the melodramatic heroine, kneel by his side and take his hand in hers, just to let him know the salve of human contact. But she understood him well enough to know that soft words and kindness were not the way to his soul. He would not relinquish his iron-clad armour without a struggle.
Hermione watched his anger fermenting from across the room. She realised that at some point in their re-acquaintance, she had decided that beneath the disregard, the loathing and the hostility was someone else. She had seen glimpses these past few weeks, and she wanted more. The possibility that she was beginning to romanticise this fiercely defensive man was shoved to the darkest recess of her mind, along with her self-esteem and her better judgement.
'Get out!' he snarled. 'I'm not interested in your contrition, and I do not need a lecture on how I should be spending my afternoons. Get out before I hex you into oblivion!'
'I seriously doubt your chances,' Hermione replied calmly. 'Half a bottle of firewhisky won't help your aim.'
She left the window the gap where she had parted the drapes allowed a streak of light to penetrate the room. The beam made its way across the floor, painting a stripe of colour onto the objects in its path, ignoring the darkness beyond its reach. Rather than create more brightness in the room, it seemed to add to the gloom, serving as a reminder of what was missing. Hermione crossed the shaft as she made her way across the room to Snape's chair, positioned well away from its scope; the harsh radiance briefly lighting her up like a prima ballerina before she joined him in the shadows once again.
Hermione was surprised that he did not argue the point as she sat herself down in the armchair that was twin to his. The pair sat sentinel by the fireplace. One slumped back in his seat, legs outstretched, both arms resting on the arms of the chair. The other sat bolt-upright, hands folded carefully over her knees, like a teacher waiting for her young charges to settle down. Snape looked as if picking up his wand and attempting a hex was beyond his capabilities, but Hermione was more worried by the fact that he appeared to care very little about that fact. He scowled at her persistence, but a verbal retribution seemed as likely as a curse at this point.
He continued to sip slowly from his glass. 'If your time is so insignificant that you can afford to waste it on watching me drink myself to a stupor, go right ahead,' he said.
'I fully intend to,' she replied, 'since you're not fit to be left alone.'
The next ten minutes were excruciating. Neither spoke. Each minute felt as if it lasted for five. The clock on the mantelpiece seemed to be mocking their silence by ticking every second away louder and slower than the previous one. But Hermione would not relent; she maintained her rigid position and stared into the grate, painfully aware of the intense gaze of her very drunk companion.
Snape finally broke the silence. 'As you are so determined to play the martyr, perhaps you could make use of your time more fruitfully,' he said.
'Meaning?' Hermione wondered if he had some Potions-related errand for her to run. She hoped he was of a mind to ask her to fetch him a Sobering-Up Potion.
The smirk which spread across his face was almost mischievous. 'I recall that you were willing to do anything to make amends for allowing me to bleed to death?'
'You didn't bleed to death.'
'You didn't know that.'
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and nodded slowly in reply. 'I said within reason,' she whispered.
'I believe it is reasonable to ask you to get on your knees,' he answered, still smirking, but with a definite hint of menace disguised by the cold softness of his voice. He tapped his tumbler with his wand once more, and the dregs at the bottom swelled to a generous measure as the bottle on the mantelpiece diminished.
Hermione opened her eyes and met his stare. 'You want me to beg for forgiveness?' She felt her fingernails dig into her flesh as she tensed.
The look he gave her hurled her straight back into the dungeon classroom fifteen years ago, where all her endeavours had been met with criticism, harsh words or flagrant disregard. It was a look intended to belittle and humiliate, to ferret out idiocy wherever it tried to hide and reveal it for public scrutiny and general censure.
'Charming as that image is, Miss Granger, it is not what I had in mind,' he answered.
Hermione had never needed to call upon her reserves of Gryffindor courage more. Facing a fury-filled Bellatrix Lestrange, wandless and alone, was barely less daunting than staring into eyes which seemed to emit the chill of the dungeon. His words bore the evidence of his intoxication. The slow drawl, which never failed to quicken her pulse, was now becoming slurred and, combined with his unkempt appearance, Hermione was put in mind of Dr. Jeckyll's fiendish alter-ego, Mr. Hyde. The Muggle reference would have made her giggle nervously if it wasn't for the fact that Severus Snape, her former teacher and current new-found acquaintance, had apparently just asked her to give him a blow job.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Regarding Severus Snape
125 Reviews | 7.16/10 Average
Wonderful story! I loved the mix of Muggle and magical, and that Hermione is bringing to him a bit of redemption of the Muggle world, since his experience of it had been unhappy. I love the uncertainty each of them feels as they are attracted to the other, but the strength of that attraction finally wins out for them to get together. The Ball sounded lovely, even if Severus came close to goofing up with his inattention. And the moments of flashback in this chapter were so beautiful, as they were able to concentrate on each other, feeling their way toward intimacy in their new relationship.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you so much. I do seem drawn to the bit where Magical and Muggle collide. You picked up on a really good point about Hermione representing something positive from the Muggle world in contrast to the rather bleak experience he had as a boy. I like to think that his future with Hermione will be one in which he is comfortable and welcome in both worlds :) Thanks for reading, and I really appreciate you taking the time to review.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you so much. I do seem drawn to the bit where Magical and Muggle collide. You picked up on a really good point about Hermione representing something positive from the Muggle world in contrast to the rather bleak experience he had as a boy. I like to think that his future with Hermione will be one in which he is comfortable and welcome in both worlds :) Thanks for reading, and I really appreciate you taking the time to review.
Beautiful story. I read this in an attempt to stave off my impatience for your *other* story. I loved it, and give it my highest rating. :)
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Well thank you so much for reading this one :) Glad you enjoyed it. The other one will be rather longer, so I hope you're in for the long haul :))
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Well thank you so much for reading this one :) Glad you enjoyed it. The other one will be rather longer, so I hope you're in for the long haul :))
Brilliant! I love how much in character you've written Snape and all the humorous little misunderstandings and the so so sweet admission at the ball and the vampire incident at the school and his thought process when they made love for the first time and I know I'm getting everything out of chronological order but this story was so good I'm babbling with my thumbs on my iphone!
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you. I get ridiculously excited when I receive porthumous reviews for this. I'mvery glad that you read it, liked it and was thoughtful enough to let me know. Much appreciated :)
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you. I get ridiculously excited when I receive porthumous reviews for this. I'mvery glad that you read it, liked it and was thoughtful enough to let me know. Much appreciated :)
Fabulous. Write faster please? Have you written ahead on another site? I can't stand the wait!
I entirely agree with the review posted by countrymouse. I have also found this through seeing 'forgotten' first. I think on syncopathex? Anyway, here I am, having also powered through this story.Somehow I have become a huge SS/HG shipper. But so far I have only read very very few writers who can do it well. The challenge of keeping them in character and developing them believeably whilst somehow bringing them together is an artform that can't be disputed and is really quite an achievement.In case it is not obvious, I have thoroughly enjoyed this story. I am an avid reader having read hundreds perhaps thousands of books and possibly an equal number of fanfiction, I fancy myself a bit of an expert at being able to recognise quality when I see it.I see it. Your work, my dear, is quality. Your writing is decriptive and flowery without being overly so. Your characterizations are apt, and you are able to develop your characters believeably, and true to their canon existence. And your correct grammar and spelling also deserves a mention, as even if the plot is great, I can't go through with reading if the spelling or grammar is terrible. I do admit to nitpicking and noticing the tiniest inaccuracies.To conclude this extensive dribble, I want to once again repeat that pretty much, I am in love with your writing and am fairly upset to know that you only have three stories up. I shall check the other one tomorrow. All the best, and I sincerely hope that you abandon RL in favour of more delightful fanfiction.x Julie
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
OH WOW! Thank you so much for saying such nice things. I feel thoroughly spoiled, but I'm not complaining.I'm so glad that you enjoyed this and particularly the character development, as it is very important in this kind of story which is sort of plot-light really.I'm fairly knew to the whole SS/HG shipping thing too (if a year is new), but I'm a big convert now and read and write little else in fanfiction these days.So once again thank you for reading, reviewing and enjoying.I now intend to put RL on hold in order to write ;)
Response from julezz30 (Reviewer)
Great :) Who needs RL if there is great fanfiction (or fiction) world to lose yourself in :) I love SS/HG but it is so so hard to find something decent. Yesterday I started reading one (that was highly regarded by readers) where in the first chapter Snape called Hermione beautiful after very little development. Unless it's light and silly and set after they've started dating or married... Then it's definitely out of character. As is him inviting an ex-student to first name basis after no plot or character development. That is why your stories are so strong, because you start of with believeable IN Character Snape and Hermione and then develop them. That's why they work! Keep up the good work! Thanks
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
And that's the great thing about fanfiction: there is something for everyone. I can't get on at all with gushy Snape, even after all the dancing around, misunderstandings, and will they, won't theys. I can't view him as anything but OOC when he starts with the romantic stuff. I like to think that it is all there simmering underneath but that he just isn't able to reveal that part of himself so openly. We just get little glimpses of his hidden depths by some small gesture or word. And it is up to the reader (and Hermione) to interpret that.That's the Snape I like to read and write. But what a dull world we would live in if everyone felt the same way.So I'm very relieved that there are readers out there like you who look for those things in a story too.
Response from julezz30 (Reviewer)
Exactly! The only woman (though I most certainly don't ship them) that I can see him openly (well not so openly but perhaps out loud) he would maybe call beautiful is Lily Evans. But twenty years ago. Nowadays he would just keep it in. And that's that. His praise is 'acceptable'. He is the master of understatement. I can understand (if once developed) he might be almost nice. In certain situation- but still keep it on the low. Even if it's Snape's P.O.V. I find it hard to imagine him to think of anyone as beautiful- he might have somewhat rogue thoughts that we all know mean he's in love with her, but he's in constant denial! That's what I love about him- he's so unlikeable and prickly and hard to live or get along with, but he can be fair sometimes (unless you're Harry Potter). And he's almost a lost case, but perhaps not quite. He has huge capacity for love. But little cause to give it. If a writer can masterfully write that... Then hat off to that. I've been wanting to write Snape centric fiction (Hermioneish) but I want it to be good. I've written small attempts at a Snape porny spin off (where he is a voyeur) but still don't quite feel up to the challenge that this would present! So once again, hat off to you! And I most certainly look forward to mre!
So how did he survive ?Great story by the way !!
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
His survival is covered in chapter 9. Thank you for your review.
Having just discovered you via "Forgotten" I HAD to come back and find if you'd written any other fics. I left no earlier reviews because I was bounding without pause from one chapter to the next through this, eager to know the end.I most definitely have a NEW favorite author.Hexgirl, your writing style is wonderful. You have very masterfully captured the tone and spirit of our beloved Potions Master. I also love the discernment with which you analyze (or have them analyze for one another) the inner workings of the mind and heart of your two protagonists. You made me think of angles and insights I had never considered before.I love the beautiful descriptive language you use that bring the scenes to life before my eyes. I love the analogies and metaphors and similies that sometimes have me in stitches. I love the way you can foreshawdow so excellently and yet still prepare TOTAL surprises for us as the story unfolds.You are a masterful writer--and I cannot wait to enjoy more of your work in "Forgotten". Now off to re-read this one....With thanks,Countrymouse
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
WOW! What a wonderful review. This has quite possibly made my week. Thank you very much for checking out RSS on the strength of 'Forgotten', I appreciate that so very much.I do love doing all that analysing stuff and I'm rubbish with actual plots so I leave that to the great story-tellers out there and stick to what I enjoy. You said such lovely things about my writing that I even read out your review to my husband I was so blown away.Thank you for reading it, thank you for reviewing it and thank you for your enthusiasm. I am a very happy bunny.
I absolutely adore this one. It's the best fic I've read in quite some time. I like the slow beginning and the way Hermione worms her way into Severus' life. Ver well done! :-)
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you very much. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. And I really appreciate you letting me know.
This was such an enjoyable story to read. It was the perfect length - not too long and drawn out. And I especially liked all the little flashbacks in the last chapter. hahaha do you think im made of money!! this was too good .
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you very much, I'm glad you thought so. It started out life as a four chapter story - two from Snape and two from Hermione's POV, but i got a bit carried away!
Wow! Brilliant!! Last chapter wonderfully well planned out with the flash-backs.Particularly liked: "turn her insides into a butterfly sanctuary" / "then I will judge you by your actions..." / "fat grey clouds thinned out into a willow pattern..." / "the edge of the table...& common decency". Well concluded with real imagination and inventiveness. This has been a pleasure to read from beginning to end. You have a lightness of touch, revealing depths of feeling between characters without the melodramatic - a very English feel to your style of prose that cries out for application to characters of your own making. Go forth and write prose! I await the results with anticipation!!
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you. Seriously thanks for reading this. It can't have been the easiest read in the world for someone not firmly entrenched in the crazy/slightly insane world of Snape-adoration. It means a great deal, therefore, that you made the effort to do it. It is so hard to do romance without delving into the safety of purple prose, but I think it might be a little unavoidable at times. I'm glad you didn't find it melodramatic. Nice prose without being melodramtic is DEAD HARD!!The thing is that all the characters I try to invent have billowing cloaks and bad attitudes. MUST TRY HARDER.
Absolutely lovely - it has raised a tear or three! The way you pan out at the end of this chapter is excellent; bringing together these two sparky and spiky characters in such a touching and tender admission of love: just lovely. Taking it from the top:Mdm Fouracre: you have a dry wit and are not overly explicit - enough to be clear but never unecassarily smutty, more of a deft touch."Coleridge's albatross" - nice touch which weights the writing well.Chpt 8 we saw much of her view - now we see more of his view which produces a wonderful balance."exchanging his comfort for hers" - this is a truly lovely way of expressing the depth of feeling he has for her - very subtle and beautifully put."The hush of an orchestra..." - just purely lush and lovely."I like the way your eyes soften.." - this passage in italics is so lovely and so true to life. The things we think but don't often fully express. A pleasure relished, alone, in the midst of the wonder of being in love.No, this is not boring at all. There is such sensitivity, sensuality and truthfulness in your writing that makes it a real pleasure to read.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
I'm thrilled by all the things you picked up on, and I'm so grateful for your affirming response to this bit of silliness. I would have definitely gone for unecessarily smutty, but it turns out that I'm no Anais Nin!! It wasn't for want of trying though 
.
"Even the climate...in reality" - excellent observational line. "lake of molten pewter" - good description. I believe it was a Chris Bailey S/S10 Burberry Prorsum creation. "What was a lonely wizard to do.." - good, humourous. Excellent alliteration: "speed of a pair of seekers after a Snitch". Much liked: "rifled her depleted stores of awkward moment fillers". Very amusing: "Muggle-born Discrimination Act" - like it a lot. Very enjoyable chapter, drawing out the tension of will they, won't they with all the self-doubting of undeclared love.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you very much for your lovely, detailed and positive review. BUT wait! are you calling Hermione a chav???
Next time - I'm putting her in Burberry!!
This was such an enjoyable story to read. It was the perfect length - not too long and drawn out. And I especially liked all the little flashbacks in the last chapter. Really great job!! Thanks for sharing.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
I enjoyed this. I'd have loved reading more but believe that ending with the reader wanting more is a good thing. Sometimes stories fizzle out at the end or take a disappointing turn. This didn't. I'm so glad they both have each other.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thanks - I'm glad the ending worked for you - They're tricky little buggers to get right, and what works for one, won't work for someone else. Glad you enjoyed it.
Yay! I love it!
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
I'm very glad to hear it - thanks!
This was an engaging and well-written story. I loved it. Just discovered it last week and read it during my free hours on a business trip. It was a delight. I could seethe agency woman explanation coming from a mile away.But you got me with Snape's "Do you think I am made of money". Very good. Please write another.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you very much. I suppose I had intended to fool Hermione rather than my discernig readers who are far to clever to be fooled by something so transparent - but I definitely got Hermione.
Shame on you! Such a busy time, and you go and post the ending to story which has been so fantastic that I felt I couldn't read the ending without going back and rereading the rest. By the way, it holds up quite nicely for a second read.I loved this ending. They totally deserved happiness, and you gave it to them in spades. One of the things that I liked best was how real these two were. They went into this, nervous and inexperienced, with him knowing he wouldn't be able to walk around reciting poetry, even if it was her deepest desire for him to do so, and they stayed true to that. And they are both ok with their relationship not being straight from a storybook. That tells me this will last.I liked the Christmas gifts and their reasons for choosing. And his making of the necklace held more meaning for her than even he knew. I think he'll find that one he starts using the phone and talking with her is an option anytime, anywhere, he will really appreciate what a great gift it was. Not to mention all those pictures ;)The misunderstanding with the housekeeper was priceless. You see this kind of misunderstaning with these two many times, but this wasn't too drawn out and angst-filled. There was no storming out and being apart for weeks while more misunderstandings piled up and feelings boiled over. They hashed it out right then and there and moved on. I came to the same conclusion Hermione did, although I'm sure the mirror never specified. Or maybe the mirror wants him all to herself and is intentionally causing trouble :) And of all the things he could say to show the absurdity of her claim, he chooses this:‘You mean to tell me that for all this time you have been under the impression that I have been hiring a prostitute once a week? Do you think I’m made of money?’HaHaHa. I found that particularly funny for some reason. Well, I don't know that there is much more to be said. This capped off a wonderful piece of writing which captured these two characters and kept them true to themselves while taking one who was lost, one who was lonely, and making them two halves of a whole. The scene in the prior chapter at the gates of Hogwarts where she is on the verge of leaving will go down in the books as one of my all time favorite 'reveal their true feelings' scenes. I've loved this start to finish and hope we see more from you in the future.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
I know! I feel bad - honestly! I don't post a chapter for months, then out comes an epic that won't make sense unless you re read the previous mammoth chapters. So I am in awe with gratitude for any one who was lovely enough and engaged enough to bother. Thank you for such a brilliant and detailed review. In the end, I suppose it was just my version of how I could imagine the two of them being with each other. Maybe Snape could be softer and more romantic, but I don't see him that way - I prefer him repressed to gushy! I like his feelings to be simmering away underneath so that we only get little glimpses.I think that many SS/HG fics cover the idea that it is Severus who needs help from Hermione, so I liked the idea of it being the other way around. In the end, she needed him, he could have managed to some degree on his own. Though, of course, he too is happier now he has been forced down the friendship/romance path. Thanks again for sticking with it and for your wonderful reviews.
This has been a lovely and engaging journey with Hermione and Severus at their very best. Your characterizations are completely in character, and I loved following the evolution of a witch on the verge of falling apart with remorse and grief and a wizard who has resigned himself to a life of solitude and loneliness.
They seemed to take two steps forward and one step back, and I despaired of their ever truly coming together. From the first meeting in the Muggle wine bar, to their meetings at museums and pubs, to attending the Victory Ball, to the misunderstanding about Madame Laverne coming to his home every week, I was so afraid this would all blow up in their faces. However you, dear author, had a fabulous future in mind for them!!!
Thank you so much for this wonderful ending to your wonderful story. It's been a joy to follow along!
Beth
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you very much, Beth for such a thoughtful and detailed review. I'm really glad you enjoyed their journey. To be honest their ending wasn't quite what I had in mind for them originally. I saw a more ambiguous/make your own mind up sort of ending, but Sev and Hermione forced me down the path of fluff, so what could I do?
In the last chapter as Hermione observed Severus' triumphant acceptance at the ball, she came to the realization that her interest in him wasn't just a need to gain his forgiveness: "She had approached him in that Muggle wine bar with some vague belief that he was in need of a fairy-godmother: some benevolent entity who could walk into his life and soothe away his ills with a kind word and a cheery smile. How could she have been so deluded? He was essential to her; it had never been the other way around."
Now in this chapter, Severus has come to a similar realization about this lovely woman who had entered his life in that Muggle bar: "Hermione Granger had wrought havoc on his safe haven of an existence during the past three months. She had brought discord where there was harmony, disquiet where there was calm, and yet, more significantly, light where there was none. The prospect of returning to life without her was now no longer a question of something he would bear and eventually recover from. He did not want to recover; he did not want her gone."
I was so afraid that Severus would not go after her when she told him that she would see herself home and headed for the gates of the castle. But FINALLY, finally he went after her, and after much awkward verbal fencing, Severus admitted that to him she is "all that exists." Good Lord, I was beside myself with the fear he would let her go.
The picture of them walking back to the castle, hand in hand, made me smile from ear to ear. What a great chapter this is!
Thank you, hexgirl. You Rock!
Beth
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Oh Thank you. I'm so glad you picked up on the similarity in the way their feelings for each other were developing. Sometimes I have a thing in my head and wonder very much if it is being conveyed, and even if only a couple of people 'get' it, it makes it all worth while, so I'm chuffed to bits about that. Thanks for all your fantastic reviews, they have been such an encouragement. This would quite simply NEVER have been completed without encouragement such as yours.
The ending was lovely, and well worth the wait.Well done, m'dear. Well done!
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you - glad you thought so.
GREAT JOB. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS STORY. HOPEFULLY YOU WILL WRITE SOME MORE STORIES IN THIS AU UNIVERSE. WOULD LOVE TO READ MORE ABOUT THEM. JIM
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thank you very much. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I'm writing a new one that won't be posted until it is finished. Thanks for the review.
Really lovely work *speechless, sighing and enjoying the afterglow*...where to start: from waiting at Oliver Cromwell's statue to their physical consumation of their relationship, and the final image of them going off to enjoy tea and scones (with all the diversions leading up to this), thank you for so lovingly and powerfully portraying their needs on so many levels ... 'Come here then', he commanded softly. & 'Well, what was a spurned wizard to do?' - Squeee to both of these, plus a loud - HA! Again, really beautiful story, thank you!
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Thanks, Nag!!! I'm dead chuffed that you enjoyed it. Thanks also for your support and your thoughtful reviews throughout this little tale - it has meant a great deal.
Yay! You've done it - your patience has paid off & you've got it completed on here aswell now - that's definitely a 'hat-trick' for which the warmest congratulations are due! :-)And I see you've sneaked a 'new' piccie in without my permission (LOL) - I LOVE it!! The whole thing is perfection itself! 
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
I did not sneak it on, Missis - I told you!! Thanks,
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
- for your rviews, your support, encouragement, patience, beta reading skills and for making me laugh (a lot). 
Couldn't have finished it without you.
Do you think I’m made of money? 
Haha. What a totally practical, non-emotional response.Thanks so much for the wonderful story.
Response from hexgirl (Author of Regarding Severus Snape)
Exactly! LOL! That man is exasperating in all his repressed hotness! Thanks for reading, and thanks for reviewing.