Ooh, beautiful realisation!  Thank you for the update!

I would send chocs and tea, but I somehow suspect they'd end up going missing via Royal Mail.    But if you find yourself in Yorkshire, I've got several varieties on the go if  you fancy a brew.  :D

Looking forward to the next re-post!

Mmmm, I should have waited to post my review for this chapter, as it's totally worthy of review. Am with you on the 'one of my very favourites' statement. And the rest of this opinion-drop should have a spoiler warning because reflecting on the awesome means revisiting most of this chapter just to savour it a little more.


The winter walk in the streets and park and fairy-tale fancy just sets the mood so nicely, and flows into the wonderful coziness of coming home feeling exhilirated and refreshed to settle into a familiar chair across a familiar face that's happy to see you and you can feel is appreciating seeing you so alive. Or how great it is to be the one to greet your lover as they bring in the winter air, rosy cheeked and vibrantly animated--that perspective also adds to the lovely warm fuzzy feelings that I can shrug into as you write. By this point I'm grinning and primed for laughing at the names (John: gets me every time) and Severus' reaction. The laughter segues naturally into the intimacies of a nice good chat with a girlfriend and how, even going into it anxious about what she'll think, in the end it feels great to dish, hash it out, and come away feeling resolved & confident, or if not resolved, at least heard and cared for - she's got your back and trusts you to have hers.


And then you take us from all that positive feeling and sensation of connection through common experience (to the characters, you the author, and fellow readers), and give us a guarded man lowering his defenses, allowing exposure of one of his most vulnerable and sensitive triggers, and finding exactly what he needs from the person he's decided to risk trusting. The sensations of intimacy, trust, connectedness, caring and cared-for are heightened even more, and continues the crescendo as we are shown just how much this lonely and wary man needs and appreciates the gift that that is.


You'd think that that's enough emotion-chocolate from a chapter, but no, it has one delicious last portion left: this sympathetic/empathetic, flawed, socially, emotionally, and physically scarred leading character realizes he is loved, accepts that he is loved, finds release from soul-crushing guilt, and finds closure on unrequited feelings past. He's finally found himself free of his heaviest emotional burdens.


And with a final, resounding, note of happiness his emotional confusion settles and clears to illuminate his own feelings of love.


Definitely one of my own favourites.


As happily blissed out as I am, even knowing there's got to be some conflict/obstacles on the way and that there are so few left, I still can't wait to read the next installment. More please!

I'm very proud of Hermione for not forcing the issue with Severus. I don't know if I could have that much self control or not, in their current situation. It's stressful and time is an issue. Waiting for Severus would be very hard. I suppose she did address the issue with him when she insisted he show her his scar.  

I am very happy that Severus has discovered his feelings for her and knows she also loves him. I believe he'll do the right thing in the end. Handy things, those potions. I love magic! 

I'm glad Padma is a good level headed friend who gives sound advice and doesn't judge her friend. 

I'm dying to know what happens next. How will he deal with this new revelation? Will Severus tell Hermione he loves her? How will he tell her? Will it be wonderful? Will he tell Cordelia? How spiteful will she be? What is Severus willing to do to assure she agrees to a divorce?  I'm sure he has enough dirt on her to have leverage. He won't be able to keep his lab in her house if they get a divorce anyway, so would it matter so much if he and Hermione moved to France?  She is entitled to half of his company. Maybe he should stay married and just move out.  He's never cared what people think. Cordelia would have the most to lose.  


I have an entire weekend ahead of me and can only wait at your mercy. What will I do with myself? Someone please tell me what to read while I wait! 

Ah, the Marriage Law. Always a great start to a story. Givn the state of th wizarding world, I was always surprised more purelood families hd not done what the Weasleys did.

It's impossible not to be completely giddy after reading this chapter! A Severus who knows his own mind is a Severus that must act, after all. I'm on tenterhooks waiting for the next chapter!

I'm so, so, so happy for Neville! Although if he gets to have a happily aver after with Luna, then Hermione definitely deserves one.

Now we just need Cordelia to stop being quite so awful and let poor Severus go.

I'm following this story like a soap opera - something I haven't had in fanfic for ages. Thank you so much for choosing to repost!

I still love this story So much and this chapter, among others, still makes me just... happy.I remember looking and looking for Denial some time ago when I was in need of a good story. It's one of those originals that sticks out in memory among the hundreds of fics read before and since. I must have looked through every HG/SS archive I could remember (and a few that I nearly didn't) to no avail.Needless to say I was thrilled to see it back in the posts a few weeks ago (I'm also sorry I haven't found the words to say so before now) and have been back in the TPP/Ashwinder habit near-like the addict I was, waiting for your updates. I'm looking forward to your next (which I just gleefully noticed is here) as well as your e-story, once I am a little more able to switch gears (yay sleep-shortage exacerbated attention problems!). It's great to hear you're Writing writing, or trying to. I'll have to try to keep an eye out - while I'll be sad it's not this pairing, your characters are interesting, amusing, consistent, and interact believably (from believable motivations) with each other & their environment, whether they're OC or grounded in canon. Worth spending time with. All that and a world-building I can easily, vividly, visualize without having to go back to reconnect with the action of the scene... Yep, I totally trust your work beyond the domains of these servers.I've digressed/expanded from what I drafted earlier and now I'm getting antsy to go read and spend some imagination time. So best of luck to you, and happy writing!

 Cordelia is going to be the main stumbling block, for Severus and Hermione I'm afraid. I'm glad that they are both clear in their minds, about each other now.

Be not afraid....he loves her!  But we all knew that, didn't we?  He just had to finally face his fears and the truth. Once again, a beautifully weaved chapter.  I read the story the first time around and, like all well written stories, it's better reading it again.  Thank you!

Wow what an emotional rollercoaster this chapter was. I laughed I cried and wanted to shake the both of them.  They need to sit down and talk to each other and decide what they both want, not what others want for them.  LB waht a great chapter. 

Severus could make Cordelia's life a misery if she insisted on refusing to divorce if he requested it. She must not know who she is dealing with. Bless him for helping Neville. I think Hermione marrying Lance if Cordelia won't let Severus go is a capital idea!!!! I can't imagine the consummation though. A lust potion or two might be necessary. I have a feeling before we are done Severus will divorce Cordelia. I only have one concern. Hermione was mad at Theo because he didn't want children, ever.  I don't think Severus wants children either. You haven't mentioned whether or not Hermione has thought about that. He has. I suppose he could have a change of heart. At the beginning of this story I couldn't imagine any scenario where he and Hermione would end up a couple, and yet...it happened.  I personally find babies and parenting quite overrated. It sounds much better on paper than it is in actuality. Scientific evidence even says women without children are happier than mothers. It's just so hard to convince them before it's too late.  Hermione has obviously completely gotten over any guilt she felt about committing adultery with Cornelia's husband. She also doesn't know all the mean things Cordelia had said about her since the divorce.  I really can't blame Cordelia for being a bit jealous. I think Severus would feel a little less generous if he had to see live across the street from his wife's lover and have to be polite to his face on a regular basis.  Though since they don't sleep together, I don't see how she could imagine that Severus would be celibate. It's just so in her face and under her very roof. Somehow I think 6 chapters are long enough for things to get worse before they get better for Hermione. Please keep those chapters coming!

That was such a happy chapter.  And a lot got done.  And Cordelia is no longer hiding her inner-bitch.  (Not that she was doing a great job before).  I suppose Severus could go talk to her lover or just threaten to be public with Hermione to get her to sign. He WAS Head of Slytherin afterall.

Awesome, I find I'm looking for an update all of the time and I am very excited to see when it arrives.

I'm wondering, in this rewrite is Severus's thoughts on his relationship a bit more revealing than the first time around? I remember some of his reflections from before but this time they seem far more indepth, more like Hermione's self reflection. Perhaps I just missed it and I'm now paying closer attention this time around.

I have two words for Cordelia, POT... KETTLE, she can fill in the blanks. Would she have prefered  Hermione to take half of everything? one story of a house would seem a small price to pay, given the size of Theo's fortune.

 I'm so pleased for Neville, he deserves the chance to find happiness. I don't blame Hermione, for running straight to Severus and showering him with kisses, I wish I could do the same.      

It's 4:15 am and It's grandma's day to take the boys. But just couldn't sleep. Maybe now with this new chapter under my belt I will be able to nod off.  Happy morning to all of you to the eastern US and across the pond.

What could she possibly hope will change in 6 months? The law will be rescinded? Cordelia will die and leave Severus a free man? I can't imagine any serendipitous event that would surprise us all and fix everything. The only logical course to follow is to see if Severus loves her enough to divorce Cordelia and leave her hanging in noncompliance of the law.  Maybe Hermione could marry Lance and keep seeing Severus. But she'd still be a Mill. On the other hand, Lance might want children.  In that case Hermione gets really drunk, makes a baby with her girl friend, Lance, but is able to continue to be Severus Snape's mistress.  I can't wait to find out what amazing way you work this out.

It floors me how Cordelia can be so accusatory toward Severus when she herself is seeing another man.  She is quite lucky that Severus has never pushed the issue.  I could sort of understand her dismay when Hermione was married to her son, but now, what is there to fuss about?

And the anonymous benefactor to Neville ... sigh.  Such an enormous gesture in both money and kindness.  I don't know if there is any thing (short of divorcing Cordelia) that Severus could have done to get further into Hermione's good graces. 

Still loving this story so much!

Excellent chapter! I loved Severus and Cordelia's confrontation. I loved that Severus figured out a way to help Neville. I loved that Hermione sussed it out and called him on it (in a good way). 

I'm going bonkers because I don't remember how Severus and Cordelia work things out. I know they do, but it's escaped my memory. Oh well, it increases the anticipation.

How absolutely wonderful!  I'm so happy for Neville, who knew Severus was such a softie?!?  And yes, he needs to get a move on.  As the saying goes, 'ride or get off the thestral'  lol! 

Excellent chapter!!!  :D

Hermione is now free, but for how long six months isn't long, and I can't see Hermione marrying someone else, so the ball is now in Severus' court. 

They are going to get sprung one of these days!  perhaps they should have Moe run interference! :)

Another lovely chapter, thanks for sharing!

What a lovely lovely chapter.  Neville was so happy to be going after his Luna I shed a few happy tears for him.  I know the end is coming soon,  Im just not looking forward to it.  Loved Severous in this chapter.  He cannot deny her anything.  Love is in the air I can feel it.