Ha!  That's it!  Severus is brewing interesting Margaritas! :D  I like a less invasive Harry and Ron myself, so I'm trying to let them be more sensible.  Thanks, June!  :)

Too true!  I expect the whole trio will have to be on their toes when Severus is brewing.  Lol, who wants a madman playing with his chemistry set in the basement?  Severus definitely knows things he's not letting on, but I'm not going to tell you what! :D  Thanks so much for the kind review!  :)

Dichotomy.  I like saying that word. it has a strange symmetry when spoken.  Kind of like windowsill.  *giggle*  Harry and Ron are sneaky.  I think that they'd think it was a fair trade, not to mention that they just enjoy teasing Hermione.  Glad that you liked it, doll!  Thanks!  :)

Thanks for the birthday wishes, and thanks for the kind review!  I couldn't ask for a nicer present!  :)

I'm afraid that I don't do email updates; I've just never had enough prople interested to make it worth the trouble.  But i do post update news on my Live Journal:  http://plaidpooka.livejournal.com/    and I believe that if you bookmark this fic, the Petulant Poetess will send you an email alert when it updates.  Hope that helps!  Hmm...  I guess I never saw Severus as autistic, to me canon Snape seems more obsessive/compulsive, but that's a really interesting thought!  Thanks for the kind review!  :)

Well, here are the characteristics I saw as autistic tendencies in his past behavior:

1. Becoming expert in and taking comfort in the rote repetitive behaviors involved in a structured activity (potions) - and an aversion to the less methodical and predictable "silly wand waving"

2. Stacked-up clothing and forbidding presence could be mechanisms to avoid being touched.

3.  Out of control behavior if things don't fit his worldview. Tendency to fall apart or throw tantrums when certain topics (eg James Potter) come up.

4. Poor social skills.  An apparent inability to empathise with other peoples' emotions, and poor insight into his own emotional triggers. 

5. Idiosyncratic personal habits (won't eat around others, apparently doesn't bathe much, keeps odd things around his office and classroom)

The present behavior (in your story) also includes features like self-injury with distress, and the expressions of the above tendencies are also a lot stronger.  One thing I like about this story is that the qualities that make him mad were pretty much all present in the past, to a lesser degree. 

And yes, most autistics have strong obsessive-compulsive behavior.  So it'd be pretty difficult to come to a definite diagnosis of a fictional character!

Great story, and I've put it on my favorites list (is that the same as bookmarking it?) so hopefully will receive the update notices. I'm really enjoying your other work as well - you write well in a wide range of story types! 

Thank you!  I'm having fun with it myself!  ;)

I'm so glad that you are enjoying it, QP!  I promise that I'll update as soon as I can, but I have to write the bugger first!  :D

I'm going to try to buckle down and write the first draft today!  :)

Thank you so much!  I'm having fun with those quotes as well, glad you enjoy them also!  :)

I was proud of Harry myself.  Now Ron was a huge prat, but he'll get over it, I promise you!  Thanks!  :)

*giggle*  Won-Won was a prat, wasn't he?  I don't think muggle explosives would destroy a magical object anymore than a car crash could kill the Potters.  But i bet Hermione would try it if she thought it might work!  Thanks, June!  :)

Thank you!  :)

Thanks!  Sorry about the delay.  I'll try to get back to writing as soon as I can!  :)

*giggle*  Ron's been so mature during this whole fic, that I thought it was time for him to slip.  I think that is exactly Hermione's problem.  Yes, Severus is mad as a hatter, but he's still Severus and still has a lot of qualities that Hermione might admire.  Thanks, Sun!  You're a sweetie!  :)

I think that you have hit the nail on the head.  But Hermione is feeling a bit insignificant, so I think she is not giving herself enough credit.  As for Severus, he may be mad, but he's no fool, lol!  He did manage to snuggle into Hermione's breasts, after all.  Mad as a hatter, but still a Slytherin in all his glory! ;)  Thanks!  :)

I adore the character of Severus, but I can't resist putting him into the most odd situations I can think of.  I'm so glad that you are enjoying this fic so far.  Thanks!  :)

Lol!  I'll volunteer for back scrubbing!  Thanks!  :)

How sweet!  I'm glad that it cheered you.  The kind reviews that I have recieved have certainly cheered me!  Thanks!  :)

Thank you so much!  Lol, I couldn't help but let Hermione peek.  I would have peeked too at that age, my innocence did not stop my curiosity!  I've been proud of my Hermione and especially my Ron and Harry.  I honestly can't stand it when stories have them acting at 18 or worse, at 30, the same way that they acted at 11.  Boys do grow up, at least somewhat!  Now, they may still have their prat moments, but I'll never have them acting like morons, I hope!  Thanks for your kind comments!  :)

I've been hitting the chocolate a little hard lately, what with the rain!  I'm surprised there aren't chocolate refferences all over this fic! :D  Severus is definitely having more stable moments now that he is safe and reasonably comfortable, but he's still mad, so don't expect too smooth a ride! ;)  Thanks, June!  You're the best!  :)

I definitely would have peeked!  Hmm...good question.  I always thought that Malfoy's handing off of the sock was a bit fishy.  Surely house-elves can take care of a wizard's things without it being considered a gift?  Otherwise, who does all those students laundry at Hogwarts! :D  But that's quite a dilemma; I wonder what JKR would say about it?  In any event, my Kreacher is not free, because Harry would have to be the one to give him the clothes.  (I wouldn't let that little bugger free for anything!  Before you knew it, he'd ruin my whole fic! :D )  I'm trying my best to let Snape be mad as he wants to be, but also let bits of himself show through.  It's hard to do though!  Thanks, doll!  :)

I imagine it's very hard!I agree about the house-elf bit, but I was thinking of how Hermione used to make and leave all the hats around the common room. Only Dobby would go round after to clean it because of the "clothes" there.I wonder if it has to have the intention of freeing tagged along with it. Well, no, because then we get the Malfoy and sock thing again. Bzzzzzz.....Pay no attention to me. I'm just glad he's not free!

Good point about the Hermione thing.  I tell ya, sometimes JKR makes my logic train derail!  I'm not complaining, mind you.  I love her books or I wouldn't be here!  But there are definitely some inconsistancies!  Maybe it's a question of giving them something vs telling them to work on something.  But the fact that Hermione could even try to "trick" the house-elves into freedom never did sit well with me.

Thanks, GG!  Lol!  Severus Snape and the Sex Pistols!  Now that's a nice parody idea if I ever heard one!  Glad that you like it so far!  More soon, I hope!  :)

I'd have to say that Severus is never going to exactly be his old sour self.  I am putting him through rather a lot, after all.  But he's not going to go skipping through any fields picking daisies either. ;)  Thanks!  :)

*giggle*  Hermione better keep on her toes, it's going to be a bumpy ride! :D  Thanks, love!  Kiss the piggies for me!  :)

Thanks!  :)