Me too!  I am really interested in his emotional response to intimacy.  I want tot keep him in character and true to canon as far as I can... but in this story I am called upon to make his reponses not quite as I have written them before, as you will see....  He is about to behave in a not quite Severus sort of a way.... Pxx

Thank you!! His grapes are indeed sour... deeply so...!  tahnk you for taking the trouble towrite to me!! Pxx

Thanks Beth! I'm working hard on the final chapters... When the plots will become clearer and the finale will play out.  *Waggles eyebrows* Pxx

Mmmmm... I like your thinking...!  But... Lucius can't be that transparent... And just why was he so irritated to find Nott accompanying Hermione anyway....? Working hard on the finale now, and hopefully you will be pleased with the results!  RL keeps slowing me down but it's all plotted out - I just need to write it!  Pxx

Don't worry,

!  It looks grim at the moment, but I believe in happy endings (and retribution... and redemption... and Rioja...).  More to follow soon... Hermione's got to realise that something is up soon! Pxx

HI

!! Great to hear from you!  I hope you don't mind me mangling your prompt O.o....!  I just couldn't do this thang without a baddy... and a hopped-up, creepy crawley Draco Malfoy seemed to fit the bill.  Working on the last few chapters now as we hurtle towards... what?!!! Pxx

Oh yes. Every one of them.  She is exactly that... But she'll rally. Next chapter gets a bit darker as we see more of what Draco is up to.  Thank you so much for your review! Pxx

Yes - poor chap... he is distracted... and then even more so by the end of the chapter, I think.  Nott is an interesting character and I wrote him in to keep you guessing! :) I was deliberately trying to keep our heroes apart so that I could do proper justice to all of your prompt (heh-heh).  More soon - probably in a few day's time.  I'm writing as fast as I can! Pxx

Oh goodness, there are plots aplenty here.  Nothing is quite as it appears, and each Slytherin has something on his (or her) mind....  I'm so pleased you're still intrigued by the story.  Game on! Pxx

Ahhh-haaa, how Lucius became a member is quite pertinant to the plot, you'll not be too surprised to hear.  Membership of the All England Club is strictly controlled and guarded with levels of secrecy that would rival MI5.  Nott was behind Draco in House in that he was not a prefect (in my world anyway)... and also that there was something else between them as well -- I didn't mean that he was in the year below.  There will be more on Nott and Draco's relationship later! Pxx

Clearly I am a complete berk as I have indeed written that Nott was in the year behind Draco in school.  I am about to scuttle off and sort that out.  Cheers, m'dear! Pxx

Ha!  I knew you'd ask me that... and I'm hanging on to my thought about it for now.  He is not on tip-top form at the moment and Pomona's teasing wil not be appreciated! Glad you liked the chapter, sweetie! Pxx

Yes - they are not working perhaps as clearly as they are going to need to right now -- but she will start to demand answers soon enough.  Severus is... not himself at the moment. Pxx

Ah-haaaa, hm88! *Taps nose and waggles eyebrows* More is coming soon.... thank you so much for your review! Pxx

She's nearly there, but surrounded by Slytherins and rather overwhelmed.  There are various plots and ploys taking place and her nature will demand answers soon enough! Pxx

Hi

! In and to your review: Yes, Lucius is up to something.  Yes, Nott knows more than he's letting on (and there's more in their back-story than currently meets the eye).  Draco... Draco has something on his mind, and at his fingertips.  More to come next week... Pxx

Thank you, Beth!  More awful tennis puns to come I'm afraid, as I try to marry humour with angst in an unholy alloy hangst? Humgst??!  The next chapter will be up soon! Pxx

Yes, he does.  They had both been invited separately, as their new relationship was a 'secret' (although it had been assumed by Lucius that they would accompany each other becasue Nott had tipped Draco off that something was going on between them.  Severus is hoping to apologise to H in a brisk and businesslike manner before escorting her to London.  He assumes that she will wish to 'move on' as he does in the face of an impending social engagement.  Severus does not know how to react to Hermione after their row.  In this story he is pretty inexperienced in these matters and the last time he tried to confront a girl about an argument it ended in losing everything - so he is trying another tactic (which is also rubbish, we can see that!).  He has assumed that she won't bring anyone (which is outrageous and stupid of him) but if you noticed, he did not ask Nott either - he was surprised that Hermione had on the very day they were due to go to meet Lucius. So he had taken on board her anger at his suggestion that they each take another partner to Wimbledon during their argument.  It's probably also worth saying that she had not really pushed him to reconcile their difficulties and resolve them either - being almost as rubbish at such matters as he is.  I HOPE that this makes sense, mick!  More soon.... Pxx

You are the author so if you say so, so be it, but there is inexperienced, and then there is just plain dumb as a box of rocks, and Severus has never struck me as dumb. 

He's not dumb in the intellectual sense... But he did hold a torch for someone who went off with the man who bullied him unpleasantly for years and stuck to his role of protecting her son for years.... So there is something not entirely rational about him.  I'm sorry if I've pushed this too far for you as a reader - authors should just fold their arms and blow a raspberry, saying "whose the author??" or something like that. I'll take the criticism absolutely willingly and thank you genuinely for it.  There is something else underpinning Severus' nerves about meeting Lucius again which might also explain his attitude.  Scratches head.  Will try harder to keep things believable.  Please do keep giving me the feedback, mick!! Pxx

I have a great respect for all the authors that post here, and if this has to be this way for the purposes of your story ok, but Severus Snape is in his forty's, and has not exactly lead a sheltered life, not only has he been a spy but he has also been head of house for Slytherin for half his life. He would have had to deal with all kinds of things from the students, both male and female, that should have given him at least an inkling, that it's not a good idea to just ignore a woman you have just had a row with, and then expect her to behave as if nothing has happened.    

No problemo, mick! As I said, I absolutely take your comments on board and will endeavour to address the issues you raised.  Thank you -- I really welcome constructive criticism.  Let me know if you think I'm still waaaay off or I'm getting it back. :) Pxx

Aaaaah... yes, isn't it always the way? The prompt for this story was fascinating and very, very tricky (which is why I haven't published it yet) - so the story will twist and turn.  But now I have assembled the Slytherin pieces, with their conflicting and overlying wants... I'm almost ready to 'serve'...  More ghastly tennis puns to come, I'm afraid! Pxx

Ohhhhh, yes.  On every level.  They have both jumped to the wrong conclusions about each other - with the added problem of their past histories (Lily / Ron), and their mutual awkwardness in relationships (neither have much experience).  Next time we start to see a little more of Draco's plans.... Pxx

I think some people are just... Made for each other, don't you? *wicked grin* Pxx

Brilliant!  Thank you for letting me know that you enjoyed the chapter,

!  I'm sure it was a picture.... Pxx

You know, I will admit to a sneaky enjoyment of writing Narcissa.  And yes, Severus will mess this up spectacularly if he succumbs to his assumptions about matters.... Waggles eyebrows suggestively....  Pxx

Thanks, mick!  Things will definitely not stay calm for long.... Oooohhhhh.  Snort. Pxx

Thanks!  I'm glad you liked Narcissa. I am always picturing Charlize Theron for some reason when I write her...! Pxx

Hello, hm88!  Lovely to hear from you.  I'm blushing a bit as I type this.  Thanks for your very kind words.  This story has been fun to put together and I've set myself some challenges on the way, so I'm really pleased you are enjoying it.  Pxx