Oh my, what a slap in the face when Severus comes to know the truth.  Thinking he has buried the last of victims...Thank you again~

If anyone could come out of this it would be her, your Hermione.By the way, this is wonderful.  Thank you for sharing~

Uh oh... the games afoot, and Severus is curious.  Not good.Great fun though!Thank you for sharing~

A victim of sexual abuse, and having your virginity taken in such a way, possibly therapy would be good for her to find a foothold into healing.Thank you again for sharing~

My last was born like that.  She came so fast, and naturally. I do believe I was calmer though, knowing what to expect.  I can't imagine having to go through it without my husband there, supporting me, and loving me the whole time.  My heart aches for your Hermione. Thank goodness she is fictional. I forgot that for a bit being swept up into her labor process.Well done, I'm teary.Thank you once again for sharing~

Well...the plan is in action. The lie is out there in the world.Repercussions be damned, aye? *sigh*Thank you again~

Oh my goodness, this is wonderful.  It is so heart pricking.  You feel for Hermione, Nevil, Luna...and damn if Augusta hasn't made Severus someone you would do your best to rally strength for.I look forward to the next chapter.Thank you for sharing~

interesting, very interesting.  can't wait to see what's next.

Oh my GOD how cruel.  Sorry, that baby needs some colostrum.  Yeah, I breastfed both my babies.  Also nursing right after the baby is born helps to get the uterus back to normal size.  It can hurt like crazy because the uterus contracts when the baby nurses, but it really does amazing things for recovery.Great story so far, my heart breaks at Hermione not being able to see her baby and the baby not getting to nurse, though.

more, ineed more! D: does he still think that the young woman is missing? use your brain, Severus! So, i take it Alice H. "Longbottom" is 9 or 10, in this chapter, since Avery said it ws 10 years ago?

Nooooo! There are no more chapters. I knew I should have slowed down. Oh this is getting intriguing. I felt so much for Severus, how he must be beating himself up over the part he was forced to play in the violation of innocents.I am so looking forwrd to finding out how this plays out. How he will interact with Alice and whether or not he makes a connection. He has clues already, he just needs to start to put pieces of the puzzle together. And how will he and Hermione cross each other's paths again? Looking forward to your update.

Fabulous chapter. From the descriptions of the Parisian wizarding world to Snape's sorrow and anguish at the end, Poor Hannah Abbot. I can't wait to find out what Avery has to say. Loving this.

oh wow, this should be interesting... can't wait for the hermione/snape reunion...

“I tell you God’s honest truth, Snape. There were no markings on her back. Her skull had been crushed. Besides, there was still hair left and it was not brown. It was blonde: a type of blonde that never could be mistaken for brown. You’d best prepare yourself for the possibility that this girl might be alive.”  This entire chapter was filled with the discomfort of the spirit that had been with Severus since the night of his “birthday party” at Avery’s home.  But when I read these comments Robards made to Severus after Avery had been taken away, I got chills all over. 

For so long Severus had tortured himself with remorse each time something recalled that night to him, but he had had a name, a face to put with his regrets, he had had a locus for his sorrow.  Now in a matter of moments, that locus has been shattered, and that means that he will have no one on whom to focus his regret... it means that there will be more names and faces to come to him in his nightmares.  It means that Hannah Abbot was not the birthday “victim” on whom he had centered his self-castigation. 

When they don’t find a body in the dungeons of Avery Manor, a body showing evidence of branding, or no body at all, Severus will face a new round of searching every young woman’s face he looks upon –in fact or in memory– for signs of revulsion directed at him.  Every off-hand remark he overhears will be taken to heart whether it has anything to do with him or not.  It all starts over now.  And that is what makes this chapter so chilling. 

This is great writing, Livvy. 

Beth

Oooo, getting closer to the truth now, are we? Good chapter. It is helping to flesh out your story considerably. ^_^

Oh I believe Snape will be truly livid when he finds out the truth....

That was a powerful chapter.  Poor Avery - seeing the errors of his ways only to be taken to be Kissed.  The wizarding way of dealing with criminals is so cowardly.  Death would be better than being Kissed.  Maybe it's to stand as a deterrent to other would-be criminals, but to leave the body and remove the soul is sick.  Hermione's brand will undoubtedly be the proof that she was the one in Avery's dungeon. I can't imagine many got away to tell the tale afterwards.

Thank you for another great update, you write this story s well, I am hooked, lined and sinked. I can not find it in my self to feel sorry for either Avery or Severus, in my book they deserve every painfull moment they suffer as the price can never be grand enough compared with the pain they inflicted on innocent people, children included. I do love the story, no doubt about that,  but I must admit that I love every minute of remorse Severus claims to feel. He didn't hurt more badly than finding time to have sex with the first female death eater that offered her self, what he claim to have done for show are one side, he managed to get an erection and enjoy it after seeing his victem laying on the floor, branded for life, so nope, no forgiveness for Severus, I honestly don't find hes selfaclaimed pain belivable. But again, I love the story and plot as strange as it must sound, stories that engage me as much as this one is few and far between and I truly enjoy it. :-))

an excellent and sad story. i would not personally agree with hermione's choices, but I do understand them! keep up the good work!

I'm liking Augusta more and more. Way to write about characters we don't get to hear enough of!

Wow, that was intense.  Snape is one step closer to finding out that it was Hermione that night.  I love how you bring out his emotional side without really revealing anything.  This was a great chapter.

If Robards truly knew how badly Snape was beating himself up over this, he would surely not feel the need to berate him for crimes gone by.  I don't suppose now that Snape will stop until he finds the girl and makes amends somehow.  Although I doubt at this point he even feels it is possible to make amends.  I wonder what is the thing that will finally make the connection for him?  Will he encounter her somewhere, or will it be from piecing things together regarding Alice Hermione.  I can't wait to find out what's next!

Wow, he's got survivor's guilt! It seems to me to be so deep in him that he even lies to himself about the girl's true identity.  Snape's been told "dude, no, this girl had brown hair" and he's still going on about "no, no, no. Poor Hannah. Poor Hannah."  If that's not delusion, I don't know what is!

Interesting. I wonder what will come next. I'm surprised at Hermione's ordeal. Those two must be pretty fertile! ;)

Lots of twists and turns and false avenues on this journey. Nicely done.