Great chapter - I really hope the next one will be along soon, I really need to know how the two of them are ever going to get past this. The ball could be such a great way to get them together. Maybe they will both turn up after all.

Oh Severus! Stop being so blind! Poor, poor Hermione, I feel her pain - he was so harsh. How on earth is she going to recover from that. The ending was heart rending, but even so I think this is my fave chapter. i love your little descriptions... the toasting forks, the blue china tea set (I wonder if that belonged to his mother?). How are they going to move on from this? I so want them to go to the ball together.

This chapter had me on an emotional roller coaster. And the end... How heartbreaking for both of them. I know he cares about her. He is sending her away because he thinks she will leave him when she has assuaged her guilt, and that will be more painful for him than just sending her away now.I just want to jump into the story and smack some sense into him!

Great update. I can understand the reluctance and bitterness in Severus, one hasn't lived the life he did without feeling bitter. I can even understand the bitterness towards Hermione: He still carries the hate for everything Potter, and Hermoine being assosiated with Harry, is obviously reason enough to resent her. Add the hate for everything Gryffindor and one can understand the diffecult mind of his, not to mention the lack of friends and trust, due to his role as a spy and a Slytherin, and you have the pattern for a bitter and recluse man. That said, I do want to see a Severus who also do a good bit of growing up him self. His hate of Harry because of his parents (and yes, I think he hates Harry for beeng Lilys son as well as James), is not suiting a grown up man. His hate for everything Gryffindor makes him just as immature as Ron who hates everything Slytherin, and I do not want a Severus who can be compared with Ron in any way:-)) I do hope he will find the courrage to meet Hermione for a walk in the park, but I won't hold my breath waiting. I hope though that if he stands her up, that she goes on with her life and force him to take the next step, if not for anything else than berating her for not making any more attempts to get his forgiving. I do not like for Hermione to be a doormat for all Severus wims and moods, making her weak doesn't make him any more appealing. I look forward for the next update.

Yay! So pleased to see that Chapter 2 is now up ... it just simply gets better and better! :-)

OH! I'm so glad you updated. I was wondering when we would get the next chapter. I like the tentative development of these two - methinks they are starting to warm to each other. But please tell me Severus won't leave her standing there all alone.I'm loving the pacing and your style of writing - so evocative - I really felt I was there at the art gallery with them. I also liked your description of the book shop which used to be a vital source of knowledge, but is no longer - I wondered if you had considered the parallels between the book shop and |Severus? After all he too used to be vital source of knowledge. Stupid question, I'm sure you have - you did write it LOL! Well done - can't wait for more.

I like where this story seems to be heading.  It's got a little bit of everything:  regret and remorse, the wish to make amends and ease another's pain.  This is going to be interesting.Well done!Beth

Fantastic start - What a pity this story had to be under the category of Potions Under Duress, it would have been a wonderful surprise to find out it was Granger. I love your dialogue, and both Sev and Hermione are very much in character. I am loving the idea of atonement as a theme, particularly as Snape knows all about those feelings himself I guess. Look forward to more.

Dear Hexgirl,I have to confess that  I have already read the first four chapters you published in fanfiction.net. But I have decided that I am not going to create a further account. thereforemy comments for the first four chapter:Congratulation! Your Snape is absolutely in character.I have read HG/SS fanfiction for many years on different sites. And I believe you know him best.I am looking forward to the next chapter!Regards Levinas

A mysterious and wonderful beginning. They are both very much in character. Well done so far.I anxiously await your next installment.

This is a brilliant read so far.  Wonderful dialogue, terrific writing within the Potterverse.  I look forward to reading what you have in mind :)

So glad you've posted this here; the more I read it, the better it becomes (seriously!)  I just love it! :-)

Cool beginning. Guilt can be a enormous burden if you let it. I like this and can't wait for the next chapter. ^_^

5 stars for the "You are all that exists" line alone. Love when Snape gets mushy and/or romantic :)

Author's Response: Thank you. How lovely to get a review after all this time.

Wow! It's a good thing so much can rush through one's conciousness in the blink of an eye as someone walks away from you. Otherwise, they'd be down the block and around the corner by the time so much could be have been thought through.  I liked the complexity of the characters thought processes as they wrestled with their feelings. I'm happy for Severus.  He got more love than Hermione did. She got it from her old friends and I guess he got it from his old collegues that were never really his friends.  Will he be their friend now? Hermione believed in him when the others didn't trust him. I'm also very happy with the Pheonix tears healing.  It makes perferct sense! I'm sure that's what must have really happened and is why his body wasn't there.  

I'm supposed to be in bed but I must see this resolved for Hermione. 

I hope he plans on more of those kisses.  I really felt sorry for Hermione.  At least the fact that she told everyone he was her date, they thought she was delusional, then he actually showed up might squelch some of the haters who might think she's under imperious. Who would need to be when the man can kiss like that.

He came for her!!!! And she kissed him!!! It was worth it wasn't it, Severus?  You can make them believe it because it will be true. She wants you you ...I don't know what to call you. You can be such a bastard but I know it's a show to hide the pain. Treat her nice. She will worship you. You will worship her and hate it at first, but it will grow on you once you realize she isn't going anywhere. 

Good for Hermione.  I'm glad she came over.  I couldn't review the last chapter because I needed to get to this one fast. I do hope they work this out to a satisfactory conclusion that relieves both their misery. 

This sounds really sad and bad.  I hope he doesn't follow through. If he does I hope Hermione finds his house and hexes him into next Sunday before moving in and refusing to leave. 

I do hope this turns out well for the both of them. I am intrigued. I feel sorry for Hermione.  I've always felt sorry for Severus.  As all of us reading this know, they belong together.  They don't match anyone else. Too brainy, too damaged by the war, don't get along well with others, don't give a rip what most people think about them. Except, Hermione always cared what Professor Snape thought even when she didn't care about anyone else's opinion. Does he realize that? Someone who doen't care what anyone else thinks about her but him?  He should think about it. 

Oh, how I love well-written stories! Thanks, I really enjoyed this one!

What a positively delightful story. Thank you.

THIS IS GREAT I LOVE THEM FINDING EACH OTHER!!!!

I love this chapter: the mirror especially made me laugh, but I also loved how you resolved the cheeky end to the last chapter. I'm not surprised that he's trying to push her away, it's what he's best at. Good job this is Hermione Granger we are talking about. The ending too was nicely done. I love this line:  'Her last thoughts were of dancing couples, a rousing waltz, and a tall dark man with the biggest nose she had ever seen'