Great read, I'm not usually too intrested in stories with origional characters, but yours were well developed and rounded. Thank you. :)

I am intrigued, so far so good.  Well done!

blimey that was a twist and a half. will keep reading, great story

xx 

Yes, the girls behaved just as I thought they would, Helen was pleased as punch and Julia was a typical difficult teenager. The only thing more difficult than a sulking sixteen year old is a sulking fifteen year old, so it could have been worse.It looks like politics and criminal justice in the wizarding world are no different that they are in the Muggle world. I hadn't even thought of a plea bargain, but it's so typical of Lucius.Things are winding down, but don't end the story until the baby is born, she finally has the right formula for Remus ( it looks like she's super close now), Julia finally comes round, and most of all what is brewing between Eileen and Adrian.I think they would make a great couple, and Adrian is even more fatherly towards him than Dumbledore was.  Another plus is that Adrian is much lees manipulative than DD was. You hint that Adrian has a great sorrow in his past, will we find out what it is?

I love the twist at the end! Eileen /Elaine was right and now he is forced to make a decision. I'm betting on marriage. I bet Eileen/Elaine will be thrilled to find out she's going to be a grandmother.it really shouldn't be a hard choice for him, he wants her there with him. After her materninty leave there should be plenty of house elves who would volunteer to do day care and she could commute by Floo or apparate back and forth to work every day. The baby would also have it's sisters and grandmother nearby and they would be a complete family unit. This story must be nearing it's conclusion, is there any way I could once again inspire you to write another sequel? I will miss Aurealia, her girls and the new character you added to this story, Eileen. I know Severus would never be a Mr. Chips, but how about Powlett-Jones from Delderfield's To Serve Them All My Days? That would take him into the Headmastership and then to retirement.Since this update hasn't shown up on the site where I usually read it, I decided not to wait, to read and review it here.

Oh, my!  I was not expecting that one!  Wow!  Wonderful job.  I really can't wait to see how Severus reacts to this.  This story has me captivated.  Thank you so much for sharing.  I can't want for the next update.  :)

How wonderful to find this updated! Must I hunt down and kill the plot bunnies attacking you or at least trap and release them later. So much is happening in this chapter - your unhurried pacing and attention to detail almost obscures that! Beautifully written as always!

Well done. Her anxiety is so believable and just when Severus is becomming courageous. Remus' timing is doing nothing to endear himself to Severus! Remus is the one I'm worried about falling into the love the doctor syndrome... Looking forward to more!

“Contrary to popular belief, the world does not revolve around you.” Well said! Coded banging? Is Remus just changed enough to be wily and deadly? Thank goodness the next chapter is posted!!

What with her nervousness and mourning and his awkwardness and insecurities, you'll need all your skill to get them together.

Feel sorry for the girls it must be hard to pull back from their previous relationship with Severus.The story has flowed nicely into the sequel.   Once more I am going to enjoy the promise and a brilliant story to read.  Best wishes

I've enjoyed this story and its predecessor very much. Aurelia and her daughters are very satisfying OCs. Part of me wanted some sort of an epilogue but I think that's more a harking back to storytelling convention -- really, it ends very nicely.

I hate to see the story end, is there any chance of inspiring you once more to continue with Severus, Aurelia and their children? Maybe a series of one shots as they grow up. I'd like to know if the have anymore children and what happens with Helen and Julia after they graduate; and maybe something about Marcus and his school days.I read and reviewed After the Awakening. Are you taking that beyond that day in the staff room when Eileen revealed her secret? If you do, then I hope there will be more of Severus & Aurelia in it. Eileen is Marcus's grandmother so it would fit in very naturally. I suspect there is something going on with Eileen and Adrian, but I don't think Severus would act in the bratty way that Julia did. I think he has matured emotionally now that he is a husband, father, and stepfather. Those hormonal mood swings taught him a lot of patience and diplomacy and he now seems to be a full fledged adult. Now about the baby'e name, I understand where the Aurelius came from, but if there was anything earlier in the story about the name Marcus I can't remember it. So where does the Marcus come from? 

He's learning fast how volatile pregnant women can be, after the baby is born the experience will make it much easier to deal with PMS. He's learning the magic words are yes dear, I was wrong, and I was selfish. He hasn't yet learned my favorites though, I brought you chocolate, have some chocolate, and would you like to go out and get some chocolate. When I was pregnant with my son my morning sickness was 24/7 for the first 5 months, the only thing I could eat that would stay down was chocolate. It's funny, isn't it how you can get sick of eating almost anything, but chocolate never loses it's taste or appeal. I lost 30 lbs. during those 5 months and when he was born I weighed the same as I did when I got pregnant. When I left the hospital I weighed just a little more (15 lbs.) than I wanted to weigh.His adjustment to marriage would have been easier if they had time for a shakedown cruise before she got pregnant, but that can't be helped. Besides, if it hadn't happened they wouldn't be married yet. He would still be courting her and getting up the nerve to propose.I had thought about asking you to have Eileen talk to Julia, but no one but Severus, Aurelia and possibly Adrian knows who she really is, do they? Or is her identity common knowledge since the wedding when she was so obviously close to both of them. Maybe Severus could talk to her, he has around 25 years of experience in dealing with petulant (I had to ge that word in there) adolescents and it's not him, personally, that bothers her. Although he was never known for tact and diplomacy in dealing with any of them. But he always did take his responsibility to the Slytherins very seriously and took good care of them. Julia has to come round sooner or later, maybe it will be the new baby that will draw her in towards her mother.

I'm going to try again, I hope the whole shebang doesn't collapse when I try to post it this time.It was amazing how far he managed to regress in his emotional development at the beginning of the chapter. It was as if he took 10 steps backward for every step he had advanced before. It just goes to show that every boy can benefit from a good chewing out from his mother. And when he actually listened to her, look what it got him, make up sex and that's always the best kind. Plus he got a fiancee, a wedding to plan, a baby to get ready for, and she told him she would come to Hogwarts to live with him. Maybe the chapter should be titled 'Mother Knows Best'.I have one small worry, how will Julia respond to her mother's news when she finds out about the baby? The first and second years at Hogwarts seem to be more innocent that Muggle children. Helen probably doesn't know the mechanics of sex, or of pregnancy, or the signifigance of counting to nine. Since she already tried to set them up she will be pleased at the news. Julia is past that stage and at the age when teenagers think they are much smarter that any adult. She will probably be highly embarrassed at the thought of her mother having sex and even more embarassed and highly outraged that her mother became pregnant out of wedlock. The wizarding world can be very judgemental and moralistic, so I can just imagine the reaction of a teenager from that background to her mother's news.

Hooray for this update! Now there's a sign of true love, Severus taking Harry along. Aurelia's captivity was very believable, espcially her alternating thoughts of capitulation, rescue and strength.

I'm thrilled to find an update to your wonderful story. I jealously watched as your other stories were updated here on PP... finally, this one :) Quite a cliffhanger, I'm hoping this has nothing to do with Malfoy. Anxiously awaiting the next chapter!

Well, there are indeed a few twists here! It would have seemed more natural to me to have Elaine's awakening back story. It felt too rushed here, what with the new job, identity and face. But it is nice that he will have someone with his best interests at heart to talk to. And I like the clever idea of hiding someone in Hogwarts as a new staff member. I don't think I've seen that done before. Also, how ironic and fun that Adrian would leave her door open for Severus!

You've doen an excellent job of capturing Severus' paranoia and awkwardness.

I'm so glad to find this sequel up so quickly. Helen a Slytherin, lol. I'm enjoying this more mature look at what happens after the war. In many ways harder to write I think...