Well, well, well...!I've been following your story for some time now and I must tell you that it is effing BRILLIANT! Just so intense and real and immersive. I feel like I lose myself in the story while I read it.These last three chapters, especially. I was so heartbroken when she used her hurtful words to drive him off. Then, Sev and Alice was sweet. Finally, the whole lovemaking has me reaching for a smoke. Bravo.BRAVO

Liv, you're still here! Oh, you dear sweet girl! What a wonderful chapter! I can so totally understand Hermione's feelings. She was finally able to fully relinquish control and realize what a wonderful experience being loved can be! It IS scary to think about it going away! But when you don't have anything to worry about and can just relax and enjoy...no, I don't want to let that feeling go either. I know Severus will make sure those lovely times will surely stay just between them as long as she wants!

Augusta should be burned at the stake for what she did to manipulate Hermione just so she could continue the Longbottom family name. Shame, shame, shame. On the other hand, however, the lemons made nice lemonade. ^_^

That was so... beautiful. You've captured so much emotion and feeling into the sequence and choice of your words... Breathtaking for the reader as well.

beautifully done.

I'm glad you have updated and I wholeheartedly agree with the other reviewers who already have complimented the tasteful way you've described their interaction in this chapter. However there is one aspect of the chapter I have difficulties to believe in, and that is the fact that Hermione is able to feel comfortable during the whole love scene without any emotional relapse. For someone who still is so deeply traumatized and having so many highs and lows about her trauma I just can't imagine that having sex for the first time afterwards doesn't hold any emotional trigger of the trauma whatsoever.I'm glad Severus already has bonded so much with Alice. I'm curious when Hermione will have the inner space for getting to know her as well.

Such erotic and peaceful new memories to set next to Hermione's and Severus' bad ones! Just the one issue: it's a bit unclear to me how Severus can possibly have gathered the experience and confidence he displays here.I was shortly considering that Hermione as well as Luna could become pregnant fairly soon, but the excitement over new life in both pairs could make Alice suddenly feel abandoned by all four of them. Thérèse is a wonderful, unique character, very empathic and indispensable for Hermione's business as well as for your story. Now I just hope that Draco/ Harry/ Ron aren't coming up with their own ideas how to haul back Hermione into life. They certainly seem to have grown up, butI'm sad  what damage esp Draco has suffered! 

The pensieve was a great idea. Sure hope that Luna and Neville can get over their fear of having their own child as Hermione heals. It would likely help somewhat as Alice learns about her parents. Glad Severus went to Hermione instead of trying to wait her out. Thanks for writing!

I'm so glad she managed to overcome her fears to trust him completely. I'm also a bit jealous *wink*

Aaaaaah... Her first taste of feminine power. :D Good times. (Loved it!) ...Not to mention the amount of trust it took to get here! Woohoo!

Oh, Severus, you wonderful, thoughtful, brilliant and sexy man.  He did everything right here, and there was a lot of room for error.  The biggest gift he could have given her was a sense of control.  Now that she has that, it will be so much easier for her to trust him and give herself to him.  Plus, it doesn't hurt that he showed her extreme pleasure ;)  I don't know that they are entirely out of the woods here, but this was a huge turning point for them.  Yay!

Oh, that was so sweet, powerful, beautiful, erotic, poignant... Bittersweet, and as always, so brilliantly written!

Yeah! A new chapter! And we's got lemons, too! Way to go! ^_^

This is very beautiful... I love how you've portrayed Severus here. If you've read the story it does not at all sound OOC, and yet it is so far from the Severus shown in canon as well... In fact she is still a virgin, so innocent. I very much enjoyed how you had them do it all slow on Severus' encouragement, and had them get to know each other like that and enjoy themselves doing it without penetration having to be involved. Too many writers seem to think every sex scene needs it. Well done! 

I'm glad to see that Severus has managed to teach Hermione that she doesn't have to avoid being in a relationship with a man in order to maintain some control. She's definitely making progress, even if she is taking one step back for every two forward.

Very well done.  You brought about her fear as a rape victim but you also made her want as a woman.  Most men would not be so careful and Severus was perfect.  This was well worth the wait.

This chapter was so worth waiting for.. It was beautifully written, incredibly erotic and so loving.  Thank you for the update.

Sexy and lovely! He gave her just enough control to make her need it all the more.

I should think that Miss Granger could do with a great deal of counseling!  Reading her is making me crazy!  She pings off in all directions rebounding off the walls with manic energy.  It's hard to keep up with where her mind is going next.  And then you write this delightful afternoon with Severus and Alice where one can just envision the tall man, his hands behind his back as he walks along with the little girl, paying rapt attention to her every word and deed.  It is just so normal and right; especially when compared to the crazed rantings of Hermione in the beginning of the chapter.

In some ways I felt the turnaround in Hermione's attitude to be really abrupt and strange, but upon reflection I decided that Hermione's ACCEPTANCE prior to this happening was even more strange. Which all adds up to a perfectly believable "Hermione is a bit out of whack." There's no good way to reconcile all of the things that have been thrown at her. I do think Snape's quickly-realized love for her is a bit... well, OOC, but then again, it's an AU fan-fic (as is everything in this post-canon world) Looking forward to next chapter.

Wow.  Lovely to see Severus and Alice getting along so well and that she has traits from Luna are just too cute.Looking forward to seeing what happens next!

It has been a while since you posted a chapter, I hope you have not put this to the side to be forgotten.  I really am looking forward to more of the story.

It has been a while since you posted a chapter, I hope you have not put this to the side to be forgotten.  I really am looking forward to more of the story.

It has been a while since you posted a chapter, I hope you have not put this to the side to be forgotten.  I really am looking forward to more of the story.

I do love this!