Hermione is getting weaker with every trip into Severus'mind, is his condition catching?

What an interesting premise for a story. It may not be so easy to sort things out in Severus' mind, but if anyone can it's Hermione.

I really like the way you handled this part of the tale. I think it's a fair representation of what would've eventually happened in a world in which young Severus enjoyed the comforts of safety and an opportunity to grow at his own pace. Given a little space and time, he would've seen that Lily thrived on attention, of being petted and admired, of always getting her own way. He would've tired of her needing him (along with everyone else in her sphere) to act as a mirror for her own wonderfulness. Instead, Severus was left with Lily Evans as the sole bright spot in his otherwise dark, ugly and lonely world. Little wonder that he put her on a pedestal and determined to spend the rest of his life worshipping at the altar he had built for her.But now he's awake, what's happened to Hermione? And why do I think it's going to be up to Severus to return the favor by saving her now?

Absolutely lovely!!!  I read both chapters this morning and am hooked.  I'm so sorry that I missed these when they were on OWL, but I'm glad you're posting them here.  Wonderful way to end my day.  :)

Perhaps the key is to somehow get subconscious Severus to see and acknowledge Lily as she really was, warts and all, and allow that reality to take the place of his fantasy of her as the epitome of flawless perfection. But I think that's going to be one tall order. Severus is liable to fight that unpleasant reality with all he has, tooth and nail.I also fear that Hermione's efforts are wreaking havoc with her own health and safety. Poppy's right to be concerned.

An interesting tale.

Severus' thoughts also suggest to me that he knows that Dumbledore used and abused him just as shamelessly as Tom Riddle did. If maybe only on a subconscious level. I'm not sure that Severus understands fully what it is to be truly loved. Lily might've held some fondness for him as a child, but I don't think I would call it love. If Lily loved him, even as a friend, she wouldn't have deemed a thoughtless word said in anger to be unforgivable.

A wonderful end to a fantastic story!!!  And you're right, it is much sweeter when the prince gets saved by the princess.  I absolutely loved how you changed each tale to correspond with Hermione and Severus.  I always enjoy reading stories with a fairy tale premise, they're my favorites.  :)

Oh, my goodness!  So close!!!  Excellent chapter.  I'm running to read part 6.  :)

Thank you for sharing your story.  I never thought about how horrible these fairytales are.  Especially the Little Match girl.

Love what you're doing with these fairy tales.  Each one brings them a little closer.

Wonderful, thank you!

Excellent update!  I'm so sorry that I missed the last one when it was posted.  I no longer receive updates from my bookmarked stories for some reason.  I'm so happy that Severus is awake, and that he and Poppy are working together to help Hermione out of her dream realm.