This just gets more compelling as we go.  I love that Hermione has started a new life in a new place.  She seems to have lots of self-confidence which I'm sure  took quite some time to acquire.  The streets of wizarding Paris sound charming, even if they are home to some nosy witches.  I think Hermione started making a name for herself with her stand out muggleness but now is known for her reputation as a high quality business owner.  That is exactly how things would go for someone like Hermione.  Good for her.  She is going to have to have a strong base in her life if she is to battle the demons of the past.  And I see them on the horizon.  I wonder, because I don't think it has been mentioned, does Hermione have any contact with the Longbottoms?The ending was very sad to me.  Severus would have moved on and forgotten all of this a long time ago if he wasn't deeply troubled by it.  And as far as we know, Hannah wasn't a favorite of his or anything.  She was just a random student, but still the grief, the tears, the remorse, I think, justify any wrong doing on his part.  He could have chosen to spare the faceless girl, but at the cost of his life and/or the war.  The "for the greater good" business really blurs the lines of right and wrong.  I both anticipate and fear Severus' visit with Avery.

Aargh! I can't believe he thought it was Hanna all this time! Well, something's bound to happen soon that's going to open his eyes to what really happened and who really was affected. I wonder if Alice will have anything to do with Severus' enlightenment?

Oh Livvy. You've done it again. Another great read for me to get my teeth into. Your descriptions, dialogue, prose etc as usual second to none. And now that I'm snowed in again in Lancashire I have more time on my hands. Best wishes, Love Ali xxxxxx. 

I like how you have woven in threads of Babbitty Rabbitty and Beedle the Bard (La Lisette de Lapin Boulevard) and the tale of Lancelot whisking away Guinevere to France to save her from being burned at the stake (La maison de Guinevere).  Nicely done!

The detail you wrote about Wizarding Paris gave real depth to the place Hermione has chosen to be her home and her business.  I could picture the streets and buildings as she walked about looking for Gringotts and trying to find a place she could afford to buy.  The “shabby chic” two story building she found is perfect for her.  Also the detail about consulting a solicitor about how to protect herself if any of her clients chose to use any of the potions ingredients she supplied in Dark magic.  This is just the kind of “T-crossing” our Miss Granger would have planned for.That Hermione would have charmed Lucius Malfoy’s elderly cousin, Mousier Philippe Valois, is no surprise, especially since he regards Malfoy as “a pompous ass.”  This made me laugh.  I’m delighted that he took her under his wing.  The young hunter did indeed need an old dog to help her learn the ins and outs of elite Wizarding society, and now she is firmly established as an honest, knowledgeable, and trustworthy procurer of the more difficult to find ingredients.

At the same time that Hermione’s career is taking off, Severus’ life has become filled once again with regrets for the things he did as a “young fool cum Death Eater,” and what it lead to.  Getting the letter from his old friend Avery right on the heels of hearing about the discovery of Hannah Abbott’s body has brought all the sorrows back to him.  His act of contrition at Hannah’s funeral was from the heart, but what will he be thinking after he hears Avery’s confession?  What will he do when his soon-to-be-kissed old friend asks his forgiveness for having maneuvered him into violating one of his students.  ... I can well imagine that he is not looking forward to hearing Avery’s confession, but it was not Hannah Abbott whom he had violated; it was Hermione Granger.  And then I expect this house of cards that had been so carefully constructed to protect him, Hermione, and little Alice Hermione will come crashing down around them all.

The emotion you wrote into this chapter is gripping, and I can’t wait to see what the outcome of all this will be.  Well done!

Beth

She's bouncing all over the world. Eventually, she'll have to return to Hogwarts, rien? I didn't remember Hannah disappearing, but it may have been read in the first chapter and I forgot about it. ^_^

Sigh, to end on an angsty note.  Well-written of course.  And I am thoroughly embroiled in this fic of yours.  I can't wait for more!

Very touching, good to know he has such strong regrets. Could Avery's message be the true identity of the victim? Thanks for writing! More soon I hope!

Oh Severus I think your going to find out how wrong you are. I love the now happy Hermione.

Yea another chapter.  I so look forward to your updates.  Happy Holidays.

Fantastic!  I love how you're letting Hermione forge her own life and move on, at least in one aspect.  The irony isn't lost on me that Hermione's now garnered the approval and protection of a Malfoy and his good opinion of Lucius is icing on the cake.I like how Severus is allowing his grief to manifest, and I'm hoping that this letter from Avery will lead Severus back to Hermione, leading Avery to confess just whom the young woman was.  I can't bear to think he'll find out it wasn't Hannah any other way.Looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Thank you so much for the update. I love how you let Hermione grow up to a confident young woman, I hate it when she is presented as a damzel in distress, that is not "my" Hermione. What she went through would either break her or make her, and I love that she is able to build her life and having the necessary sucsess to give her the confidence and strength she surely will need later on when she meets her daugther and rapist again.For Severus, I am glad he felt remorse over Hannah, though it is probably easier to feel remorse and regret when the victem is dead than to face and accept the living victem of his crimes. For, my opionion still stands; there is only so much wrong you can do and still claim to do it "for the grater good". What Severus did to Hermione was unforgivable no matter the motivation and I do hope that he will have to pay a price for it, not to mention having to ask the living victem of his crime for forgiveness. I do want my happy ending, but not with a Severus who only has to serve a sloppy "sorry" and then is supposed to be forgiven for all crimes. He should have to earn the respect and forgiveness from both Hermione and his daugther. I am truly looking forward to read more, I love it so far:-))

c'est magnifique! i'm really enjoying this story.  i love Wizarding Paris.  Very descriptive!  

i really like how you're developing Adult Hermione... keep up the good work.

oh my goodness, when are these two finally going to interact???!  great, compelling, original story. can't wait to read more!

ngaw, i love alice! she's so adorable! =)i hope snape doesn't figure it out... for at least a little while =P great chapter, as always,, i love the character development <3

Love it so far!! Snapes sniffing around already! Look forward to more!

I LOVED this chapter. The apology was priceless. Fun to see him recognizing the mystery and starting to put the pieces together, and he is not yet even taking her intellect into account.  Hope Hermione makes good use of her time away and can come back on equal footing with Severus - maybe to teach?  THANK YOU!!!!

The scene of Hermione holding her daughter brought tears to my eyes.  How painful it would have to be to hold her child and know that she would not be able to be there to watch her grow, for her first steps, her first birthday, her first Welcoming Feast... it’s just heartbreaking to imagine. 

Her time at the Lovegood home wasn’t easy either.  Too much time on her hands and too many regrets on her mind weighed her down like a millstone.  At first I was shocked at the way Augusta spoke to her, but the more I thought about it the more I could see the wisdom in what she told Hermione.  It was best to give her daughter the best beginning she could, and for now that meant letting her be raised by Luna and Neville.  However painful these coming years will be, at least Alice will have a peaceful home to grow up in and parents who will love and support her.  I know that one day the child will learn the truth, as will Severus, and I think there will be “hell to pay” when it becomes known that Hermione gave Alice away to be raised by another couple, but after all the commotion settles down I hope they’ll all see the “big picture” that Augusta told Hermione about.

The trip to Australia was good and bad.  Seeing her parents again was wonderful, but not being able to answer some of their questions was painful and nerve wracking.  The discussion she had with her parents at dinner that night seemed to have unleashed a flood of thoughts that Hermione hadn’t wanted to think about.  The nightmares she began having tore her apart all over again leaving fresh wounds that had, however tenuously, begun to close.  The mixed emotions she has about Severus are confusing to her, but I think they make perfect sense... they’re just too painful for her to be able to think about with any objectivity.  In the years to come I hope Luna will be able to help her see these memories with new eyes. 

I think talking with her parents about what career she wants to follow will bear fruit.  She would like to travel the world and stay away from England, and if she sets everything up just right, she will be able to be practically anonymous in her business of supplying hard to get potions ingredients to brewers.  In fact I can see her working through Neville so that she can do this work that would both give her a pleasurable way to support herself and not have to be in the public eye at the same time.

There are so many possibilities, so many directions this story can take!  I’m really looking forward to seeing how you weave together this tapestry of disparate yet intertwining threads.  Well done!

Beth

My heart is breaking for Hermione on so many levels.  There is noone who is quite right for her at the moment.  Augusta is who she needs to keep her from being consumed with self pity and letting her life go nowhere.  But she is really harsh and while I have no doubt that she cares for Hermione, she is just so stern and emotionally removed.  Molly could make her feel comforted, and safe.  She would listen without judging and be understanding of her out of control emotions.  But she wouldn't probably be very discreet about things.Her parents really want to be there for her, but telling them the truth really doesn't seem like a good option.  And even a partial truth... they just can't possibly entirely comprehend her life and her world.It will be hard for her to spend time with Neville and Luna, I think.  what about her other friends?  Now that she is no longer pregnant she could go back and see them, but she clearly wants to be as far away from that life as she can.Hermione cried after she climaxed. She always did. She was so angry. Sex had not even properly been introduced to her before conceiving and having a baby.That is so sad.  She will not recover from this quickly.  Not to mention all of her conflicting emotions regarding Snape, and also her perception of herself and her self worth.I suspect Snape thinks about the girl in the burlap sack much more often than Hermione thinks he does.  I'm interested to see his POV, what the encounter did to him, and his current state of wellbeing.  These two meeting up could be the best or the worst thing for both parties.  I hope now, or in time, they will be able to help each other in the healing process and get on with some semblance of  a normal life.Thanks for a fantastic read.  This gets better with each chapter.

i like this story so far. please continue.

I'm so excited to how this develops. I'm so looking forward to Snape's view of that night too. You make your fics so gripping!

I like that both the issue of Hermione's rape and Alice were addressed in her conversation with Augusta.  Augusta's understanding, yet a strict taskmaster to Hermione and whipping her back into place.  Is being with her parents really what she needs, or are they just to help her find her new direction?I'm curious if Hermione's in contact with Luna and Neville (ie. photos of Alice / updates etc), or if she's just keeping a bare minimum contact?  Did Severus really 'complete' but cry off?  Did he realise whom he was raping without breaking his cover?  Oh so many questions.  Looking forward to seeing Severus in the next chapter!

I'm really liking your fic so far!  It's definitely a fresh take on both the "Snape rapes Hermione" and "Hermione has a baby" fics.  Very creative and well-written.  I absolutely adore Augusta!  Great job fleshing out her character.  I can hardly wait for more!

I really feel for Hermione, because the aftermath of rape is such a horrible thing, on top of that to have conceived a child, then have to give her up, she's lucky she's even remotely sane.

This has been a gutting chapter to read. Augusta impresses me endlessly with her strength and ability to nurture (with a little tough love). Hermione really ought to tell her parents, at least in my book.  Maybe not all of it, but some of it, so they can understand why their little girl's changed so much.  Even telling them the Greyback lie would help, since it seems like they think her year wasn't much different from all the rest.  And like the rest of your reviewers, I'm guessing Snape thinks of the girl in the burlap bag quite frequently.