The End of Summer
Chapter 12 of 19
morgaine_dulacAfter Snape has been told that Lily’s son has only been kept alive so that he can die at the right moment, he leaves Hogwarts for a little Muggle town where he once spent a happy weekend with his father. Walking down memory lane he finds a shabby little pub, a memory and hope. (Sequel to His First)
ReviewedChapter 12: The End of Summer
The fog hung thick over the little Muggle village on the last night of August, just like it had done most nights that summer. It was an eerie, seemingly impenetrable kind of fog that crept into the very marrow of the Muggles, made them shiver and hide in their houses with the doors firmly locked. They huddled together, arms wrapped around each other, crying and praying for their souls. They had no idea, of course, why the fog made them miserable, why it made them feel as if every ounce of happiness had been sucked from their hearts. But the witch and the wizard who were sitting by the window in the otherwise empty pub knew very well what the mysterious fog was all about. They knew that the fog was the result of Dementors breeding and that the risk of the world plunging into eternal darkness was more imminent than any Muggle could imagine. Yet they didn't speak about it. For even though they knew that the war which was about to begin in the Wizarding world would touch even this sleepy Muggle village, they were keen to keep up the pretence for the night. Here, the Wizarding world did not exist. There was no war, no Dark Lord, no shadows. Not yet, anyway. Not yet.
Absentmindedly, Snape traced the rim of his tea cup with one of his long, slender fingers. He seemed to be looking out of the window, but in fact, he did neither see the fog nor the dim street lights that desperately tried to lighten up the gloom. For his thoughts were miles away, in a place he'd rather not to think upon.
He saw himself crouching on the floor in a dark room, felt his father's belt on his back and heard his mother whimper beside him. But when he looked up, he did neither see his father's dark eyes nor his hooked nose. Instead he saw snakelike features and red eyes that seemed to be glowing in the dark. Once again, he felt pain, yet this time it wasn't his father's belt that tore the flesh from his bones. This time, the pain came from within, tore his heart apart and with it his very soul. He lay on the floor, bleeding, feeling his life trickle from his slashed veins...
'Where are you, Severus?'
Snape blinked fiercely. It took him all his willpower to tear himself away from the scene of doom, and as he looked at Hope, he felt his heart swell with gratitude. She had saved him. Had she not called his name, he would have drowned in his own despair.
'Forgive me,' he begged. 'I am not good company tonight.'
'Don't worry,' Hope replied. 'I am glad you found the time to come and visit.'
Snape had not been to the pub for over a month. He had taken his farewell from Hope at the end of July, and since then, quiet moments had been far and few between. He had been at the Dark Lord's beck and call, had discussed and dismissed plans, given advice and carried out orders, all the while weaving a elaborated web of lies, labouring towards the ultimate goal, the destruction of the Dark Lord. For he mustn't win. Whatever the costs. Whatever the sacrifices. But tonight, Snape had stolen away. He had once again lied and cheated and put himself at risk, but tonight he didn't care. He needed some last hours of peace before he returned to the Wizarding world for good, before he stepped out of the shadows and came to stand in front of the staff and students of Hogwarts. He, the man who had killed their beloved headmaster. He, a cold-blooded killer, the Dark Lord's man through and through.
'Are you sure you don't want anything stronger?' Hope inquired, pointing at Snape's now cold tea.
'No, thank you. I need to keep my head clear. Tomorrow will be a long day.'
He sighed and looked towards the clock that was hanging over the bar. It was a quarter past eleven.
'I should be going,' he said.
'You don't look like you want to go,' Hope pointed out, and Snape nodded.
'There are quite a few things I would rather be doing than returning to Hogwarts.'
'You will do fine,' Hope tried to encourage him. 'Succeeding Albus Dumbledore as headmaster is not an easy task, but if someone can do it, it's you.'
Snape sneered. He had told Hope that he had been appointed Headmaster of Hogwarts, but he had not told her by whom. Neither had he told her how Albus Dumbledore had died. She didn't know that the whole of the Wizarding world thought Severus Snape to be a murderer. She did not know about the hatred that he would encounter the moment he stepped into Albus Dumbledore's place. If he could help it, she would never know.
'Funny,' he said instead, trying to change the subject. 'When I was a boy, I couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts after the holidays. I would have my trunk ready by the beginning of August and count the days until the first of September.'
Hope nodded.
'I know what you mean. Returning to Hogwarts always felt like coming home. At Hogwarts there was happiness. There was freedom and friendship...'
'Freedom and friendship,' Snape mused. He had lost his best friend his only friend at Hogwarts. He had tried to win her back, had tried to apologise and impress her in every way possible, but she had turned away. And he had succumbed to darkness and lost his freedom forever.
'I know you associated with Mr Herrington,' he started, desperately trying to keep his mind from wandering yet again. 'But what about the other members of Slytherin house? Did you have friends?'
'I had to be very careful who I made friends with,' Hope explained. 'Father didn't approve of just anyone. I was used to him being angry with me, but I couldn't risk him getting angry with any of my friends just because they had the wrong last name or too little gold in their vault at Gringott's. For years, I told him that Professor Slughorn had ordered me to tutor Charles and that I actually didn't like him and hated spending times with him. I hardly dare imagine what Father would have done if he found out that my best friend was Muggle-born.'
'Your father... Did he...,' Snape broke off and bit his tongue, wishing that he hadn't said anything. Surely, this wasn't a topic Hope wanted to discuss. But he had opened his mouth, and now she was looking at him, waiting for him to go on.
'I saw your scars. Back then, that night at Malfoy Manor. You father abused you.'
Yet again, Hope nodded.
'My father was an angry, bitter man,' she replied quietly. 'I'd like to think that he hadn't always been that way, that he was happy once. But when my brother died and my mother shortly afterwards...'
She paused and lowered her gaze for a moment as if to gather the strength to carry on and drew a deep, shuddering breath before she looked back up at Snape.
'I have my mother's eyes, you know,' she said. 'Her hair, her nose. I've been told that I smile just like her as well. Father hated it when I smiled and gave me every reason not to. On my eleventh birthday he hit me so hard over the mouth that he knocked out two of my teeth. He cried bitterly afterwards, apologised over and over again. He went out to buy me more presents, a kitten, I think, or a baby owl and a gorgeous new gown covered with fairy dust. He lay on his knees, begging for forgiveness and telling me that I was the apple of his eye and that he loved me more than anything else in the world. And I chose to believe him. Every single time.'
She broke off and bit her lip.
'I don't know what makes me tell you those things. No one knows about this. I never even told Charles.'
Snape shrugged.
'I have been asking myself the same question,' he confessed. 'No person alive knows the form of my Patronus. It has been my most well-guarded secret for many years. But I didn't have to think twice about revealing it to you.'
He paused and extended his hand towards Hope's which was resting on the table. He didn't take it but simply brushed her fingers with his, a gentle gesture which made them both lower their gaze.
'Maybe we both realised that we are in need of a confidant now that the world we know is coming to an end.'
His own words sent shivers down Snape's spine, and as he looked out of the window once more, he thought that the streetlights were flickering and the fog becoming thicker.
'Don't go out there,' he heard Hope say. 'Stay the night.'
Snape closed his eyes. He wanted to stay. By the gods, he did! But he could not. He mustn't. He had to get back to Hogwarts tonight. If he didn't leave now, he might never be able to. He felt Hope's fingers on his, but before she could take his hand, he withdrew it and rose from his chair.
'I have to leave,' he said firmly.
'I know,' Hope said with a sad tone, and Snape steeled himself. He didn't know what to say or do if Hope started to cry now. But she took her time to raise her head and look at him, and by the time her green eyes met his black ones, she had managed to banish every trace of disappointment from her face.
'Don't be a stranger, alright?'
Snape drew breath.
'I don't know when... I shouldn't come back here. It's too dangerous, for both of us.'
He slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out the key Hope had given him at the beginning of summer.
'I should give this back to you,' he said, holding out the key, but Hope firmly shook her head.
'Keep it,' she said. 'As a memory if you want or a reminder that you are always welcome here.'
Reluctantly, Snape took his eyes off Hope and gazed at the key in his hand instead.
'If I keep something of yours,' he said, 'then I want you to keep something of mine.'
He closed his fingers around the key, and with his free hand, he produced a wand from the folds of his robe.
'Larch,' he informed Hope. 'It has a reputation for instilling courage and confidence in its owner. It hasn't been used for years, and I cannot guarantee that it will work well for you, but I know it will do you no harm.'
He held it out towards her, never taking his eyes of the slender piece of wood.
'It was my mother's. I am not asking you to use it on a daily basis. I know you won't. But please, keep it close. If the worst should happen... If someone should find you...'
'Then what?' Hope asked quietly, her eyes, too, resting on the wand in Snape's hand. 'I haven't used magic for half a lifetime. I won't be able to fight off a Death Eater, no matter how much confidence that wand will instil.'
Snape sighed. Hope was right, of course. But he didn't want to leave her without protection.
'You were a gifted witch once,' he argued. 'If nothing else, you might be able to produce enough magic to buy you time to run and hide and alert the Aurors.'
'What Aurors? Have you seen any around here for the last couple of months?'
Snape shook his head. Hope was right again. There hadn't been any Aurors around of late, neither in the pub nor anywhere else in the village. Of course not. The Ministry had bigger problems than keeping this little village free of magic. Most probably, even an Unforgivable curse would go unnoticed nowadays.
He lifted his gaze to find Hope looking at him, and desperately, he made his last proposal.
'Call for me then. There are charms with which two wands can be connected. If you use yours, I will know, and I will come to your aid.'
He looked intensely at her, and Hope held his gaze, her green eyes glittering like the most precious of gems. As she rose, she smiled one of her rare smiles, which lingered on her lips until she wrapped her slender fingers around the wand.
'May I never have to use it,' she whispered as she took it from Snape's hand.
Then the clock struck midnight, and the first of September was upon them.
~~~
'How did it go?'
'How do you think it went?' Snape snarled, glaring up at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore. 'They all loved you, and here I stand in front of them, taking your place as headmaster. I, your murderer. They didn't exactly burst into spontaneous applause.'
'I wouldn't go as far as to say that they all loved me, Severus. Slytherin House, for example...'
Snape raised his hand. He wasn't in the mood to discuss the loyalties of Slytherin House. The little snakes were loyal to no one but themselves. They would do just fine this year, sticking together and making sure that their house didn't come to any harm. For the Gryffindors, however, Snape was less hopeful. He had seen the looks in their eyes, the hatred, the determination, the bravery. They wouldn't surrender. They would revenge their beloved headmaster. They would defend their school. They would have to find a new leader as the Potter boy had not returned to Hogwarts, but already during dinner, Snape had seen Neville Longbottom straighten his back. That boy would not sit back quietly but rebel against the new authority. Who would stand behind Longbottom, Snape did not yet know, but he had his suspicions. Ginny Weasley was a given, of course, and so were Seamus Finnigan and Luna Lovegood. For surely, the gang that once had rebelled against Dolores Umbridge would fight. To the death if need be. Dumbledore's Army would not be scared into submission by the likes of the Carrows.
Snape shuddered. He didn't like the idea of two Death Eaters loitering about the castle. They were a danger to the students, the staff and not least to Snape himself. They would keep their eyes on him, monitor his every move, and report his every step. If they as much as believed that he was fraternising with the enemy, they would inform their master. And what would happen to the students of Hogwarts if the Dark Lord decided to remove Snape from his post? Who would protect the innocent then? Who would carry out Albus Dumbledore's elaborately crafted plans?
'This is a suicide mission, Dumbledore,' Snape pointed out, turning towards the window and letting his gaze wander over the dark grounds. 'I know you think that Potter has both the knowledge and the courage it takes to defeat the Dark Lord. But what if you are wrong? What if he can't find the Horcruxes? What if he can't destroy them?'
'He will not fail,' Dumbledore replied calmly. 'I believe in Harry.'
Snape closed his eyes and felt his shoulders slump. He was feeling tired and desolate, and for the time being, he found it hard to believe in anything, especially in the abilities of a seventeen-year-old boy. He saw the fog rise from the lake, felt a chill creep into his marrow and wished for nothing else than to be elsewhere and that somebody else would carry out his task.
'Go to bed, Severus,' Dumbledore suggested. 'There will come nights when the staff and students alike will need your protection, but there is no need to keep vigil tonight. Rest instead. Gather strength. We will talk again tomorrow.'
His footsteps echoed eerily through the empty corridors as Snape descended to the dungeons. He met no one, neither staff nor ghost, and he was certain that not a single student would be breaking curfew tonight. Surely they all sat in their common rooms, silently huddled together. Some of the younger students might cry themselves to sleep that night, maybe even some of the older ones if only furtively. For just as Severus Snape himself, they were mourning the dream of Hogwarts, the memory of the brightly decorated Great Hall and the loss of their freedom. No one would be playing Exploding Snap tonight. There would be no exchanging of Chocolate Frog cards and no excited discussions about what kind of wonderful magic they were about to learn. For magic, bright, glorious magic had vanished from Hogwarts, and all that was left were dark spells and curses.
His old chambers didn't provide him with the comfort Snape had hoped for, and after having paced his study for a while, he decided to sit by the fire. Sleep would not come to him in bed, he was certain of that, but maybe the flickering of the flames would hypnotise him enough to at least fall into slumber. Yet the hours went by, and Snape was still wide awake, his mind working feverishly in order to come up with answers to questions that were not even his to ponder. Once or twice, he played with the thought of taking a potion to help him fall asleep, but every time, he dismissed the possibility. He couldn't sleep. He mustn't. What if he was needed that night? What if someone called for him?
The fire in the grate eventually burned down, and the study was wrapped in darkness, and still Snape sat with his eyes wide open, staring into nothingness. What he was looking at, he did not know, and it took him quite some time to react to the tiny light that suddenly erupted in the darkness, a minuscule flame in the worn, wooden frame that resided on the top of the mantle.
'Hope,' Snape whispered and rose from his chair, his eyes unblinkingly staring into the flame. For a moment, he feared that he would once more see shadows, even the wraiths that Hope used to see rising from the depths of the lake. But the scene that unfolded before his eyes was one of utter peacefulness: Hope was sitting on the chair by the window, looking at the wand in her hand, turning it over and over and examining it from every angle. Her fingers traced the magical signs that were engraved in the handle, and as a handful of silvery sparks sprang from the tip of the wand, she did not even flinch. And in the darkness of his study, Severus Snape sat back in his chair once more, already feeling his limbs grow heavy and his eyelids flutter shut. Hope, however, had no idea that the candle she had lit for her own comfort was now giving her former teacher the peace he needed to find some rest.
Story Actions
To follow, favorite, like, and more either log in or create an account.
Leave a Review
Log in to leave a review.
Latest 25 Reviews for There Will Always Be Hope
64 Reviews | 7.31/10 Average
What a lovely final twist. The way you maintained canon was perfect. The fact that you still manage to give us a happy ending was absolutely brilliant. You're a very talented Author and I wish you the very best on your original works. The story earns a 10+
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
I just could not kill him off again. Just. Could. Not. (I'm getting soft, haha.) The Muse is lurking around with a part three to Severus and Hope's story, but we will have to work out some details before I even consider sitting down to write it. Thank you VERY MUCH for reading! I''m thrilled that you ejoy my stories. :)
That was truly heartbreaking. How devastating it must've been for Severus to learn about the elder wand and the dark Lord's need to master it. Reading this discovery as well as his journey leading up to and including his death of the shrieking shack was absolutely heart wrenching.
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
*hands over hankie*
As I have cried often and long when reading your stories I waited until this one was finished before I read it. The wait has been worth, it is simply a heartbreaking tale, thank you!
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
I need to stop making people cry. :P The ending of this story was nothing like I had imagined it in the beginning. Actually, both Hope and Severus stopped following the original plot around chapter three. As an author, I sat back and let them play. It is THEIR story, afterall, not mine. I think they did well. Thank you very much for reading and leaving a review. Both are very much appreciated!
When I first began reading this epilogue I wasn't completely clear about where all these students were and why they were there, but then it dawned on me that it was a group from Hogwarts and that they had to be at Hope's pub. But where was Severus? Had she managed to save him or not?
I really like the way the charmed key had brought Severus back to the pub. It was a brilliant bit of magic by a witch who hadn't routinely plied her craft for decades. But the Apparition to St. Mungo's with Severus was even more impressive! I don't know if "doing magic was indeed like riding a broom" or if it was an indication of just how powerful a witch Hope really is, but save him she did, and she erased the memory from the healer who had so skillfully applied the Phoenix tears, the bezoar, and the potions he had found in Severus' robes. Hope is damned good at memory charms, isn't she? She's very clever that way– no one is mortally damaged, and yet her purpose is accomplished.
When she went for her walk down to the lake, I was champing at the bit. Surely Severus would be there... YES!!! When a voice said, ‘Swans mate for life. Did you know that?’ I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I didn't realize I'd been holding my breath. I have come to associate Hope and Severus with the mated swans so much, and it was especially sweet to see that the lovely birds had their place in this epilogue, too. I sometimes think of Severus as a black swan, so when she looked toward the willow and saw him– "Black clothes, black eyes and black hair streaked with strands of silver"– it seemed perfect to me.
I love knowing that Hope and Severus are together. I love that they can tame each other's demons and wraiths with a gentle touch. And I love that both know that There Will Always Be Hope.
Thank you for sharing your wonderful gift for story telling with us. I have completely enjoyed this journey together, and "hope" to see more of these two sometime in the future. Likewise, I'm thrilled to know your first novel will soon be out and that you're working on a second one. Go, You!!! Of course I'm interested in finding out more about them, so be on the lookout for a PM from yours truly.
*sending loads of hugs and bouquets*Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Dear Beth, First, I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies for taking so long to reply. The last couple of weeks have been filled with editing and re-writing and sitting at the computer almost felt like a punihsment. I am ever so thankful to be able to count you among my most loyal readers. Your reviews and your willingness to share your thoughts with me have been ever so appreciated. I am quite sure that I will never be able to leave the Harry Potter fandom completely. Also, writing for me is like breathing, and sometimes writing in someone else's universe is easier than creating one of your own, so I am pretty sure I will return to fanfic sooner or later. When I do, Hope and Severus will be high up on my priority list. Their story certaintly isn't finished yet.Once more: many, many thanks for being there through the years! Hope to see you again!
When you told me there would only be two chapters left, I expected something like this, of course. But you write it so emotionally, eloquently and elegantly that it didn't matter the least. I absolutely adore your empathy with your heroes and how you keep the plot focussed on them and yet tell a whole story also on side characters. Even the village came to life before my inner eye.Would love to bestow a dozen or three more stars on your story!Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us and all the best for a career as a pro!
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Dear
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
, Thank you for making it through yet another story with me. Your continued support means the world to me!Hopefully I'll will be able to visit Severus and Hope one day and hope you'll come along. Maybe Hope will make her famous Shepard Pie for us?
Wonderful story! Thank you. I hope your imminent novel is successful
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Thank YOU for reading, for leaving a lovely review and for your best wishes.
Severus' conversation with Dumbledore' portrait and his return to his private study afterwords was heartbreaking. I cannot begin to imagine the soul-withering emptiness that must have claimed him as he sat before his cold hearth and watched the small candle flame in the wooden frame.
Reading his thoughts during his brief meeting with Lucius and Narcissa put tears in my eyes. And when he was finally able to cast his Patronus to guide them to Draco, I latched onto that beautiful Swan with all my mental might. I hope that the symbolism of the Swan, that they mate for life, would mean that Severus might somehow get lucky and find his way back to Hope. But then he was in the Shrieking Shack, and Nagini's attack was swift and vicious.
I hope it was a fortunate happenstance that led him to use his right hand to try to staunch the bleeding so that he found the key in his left pocket. "A spasm went through his body, made him convulse and involuntarily close his hands to fists, and in his left pocket, his fingers closed around a little piece of metal."
Oh, dear god, please let those emerald eyes he saw at the end have been Hope's eyes. Please let the key she had charmed have brought her to him. Please let her save his life. Please, even as Severus falls into nothingness, please let him awake to find himself alive and his love there with him.
Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
*hands over hankie and big girl panties and sends Beth to read the epilogue* Come on girl, be brave. You can do it!
When I'd finished reading this chapter I thought back to what Severus had noticed about the preparations Hope had made for the New Year's Eve feast. The simple fact that she couldn't make herself sit down, and the fact that "She had cleaned the tables so thoroughly that the wood shone with polish and had decorated them with white roses and tiny silver stars," spoke volumes about how tense she was. By the end of the chapter it was very clear that she was dreading the moment when Severus would have to leave, worried about him because of the things he'd told her about the light fading, and afraid she would never see him again.
I'm very happy that she used her magic to charm the key to the pub that he always carried with him. I hope she turned it into a Portkey that it will bring him back to her if he should be injured or unable to Apparate on his own.
George tickled me when he started giving Severus the third degree: ‘When are you going to take our darling Hope out for a date?’ Yes, I imagine many of the village folk have noticed a change in our Hope– she smiles when her friend is around.
I totally understood that Severus not staying another night was the right decision, but it broke my heart when he Disapparated. I had read this chapter the day it posted, but I just had to live with it a while to let my feelings sort themselves out. As always you have so entangled my emotions with those of Hope and Severus that at this moment my heart is trying to beat its way out of my chest.
When I came back to this chapter to reread it, I saw that the final chapter and the epilogue had already posted. So I'm going to put my big girl panties on and go find out what happened. Whatever it is, I know I'll love it because the way you write your stories it all makes sense. ~Lots of hugs~Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Oh, this was a tough chapter to write. I really wanted Severus to stay. I really wanted him and Hope to have a sweet night togethe. But nope, no sir, no way Jose. The Muse wouldn't have it. She really kills me at times!
It's good that they have at least addressed their feelings. And I hope her charmed key will somehow be essential in his survival.
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
*sits back and waits for you to read the two last chapters* :-)
Oh, she's reconnecting with magic and shows an interest in the wizarding world! I guess it will be a while until we know what spell she used on the key. So good for Severus to know there's a place he's welcome to visit any time, even if he cannot risk it. Once again a great chapter!
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
*sits back and waits for you to read the two last chapters* :-)
My gracious, so much has happened in such a short time. Edmunds' death came as a complete shock! I felt so sad for Hope and for Severus. It seems that how ever long it's been, things will happen that remind each of them of the sorrow, loss, and sadness they've known... separately and together.
Thank goodness they both had gotten a goodnight's sleep the night before because the day would be a difficult one to navigate. Laying Edmunds to rest seemed to open the lid on all those closely held memories for both of them, and I'm amazed that Hope was able to stay strong for all the friends who had come back to the pub to have a drink in his honor. These loving neighbors were people that Edmunds cherished and looked after just as he had looked after Hope.
I completely understand why Hope would want to be alone for a while to gather her thoughts. And even though she had asked Severus to be there when she returned, I became just as worried as Severus when she hadn't come back by ten. When he saw the crack in the ice on the lake my heart jumped to my throat. Whew! I'm very happy she was just standing on the shore looking out over the water.
I wondered what she was thinking when she asked him about what was happening in the Wizarding world, and it made me breathe a sigh of relief that she said she needed to know 'whether or not there is a chance that you will come back to me once you’ve left. I need to know if there is hope.’
‘There will always be hope,’ he said quietly, and for the duration of a heartbeat, he managed to believe it himself.
I think sharing Hope's bed that night lead to a wonderfully redemptive moment that I'm sure scared the pants off Severus when it began... 'How do you know? What did you lose?' By choosing to answer her question, I believe Severus finally allowed a deep festering wound to finally open so it could then heal. Even though it was painful, I think being able to talk about Lily to someone who obviously cares about him and to be able to shed the tears and say 'I loved her more than life itself' was immensely healing. The most beautiful thing about this scene was Hope's response: ‘I know,’ Hope whispered, bringing his hand to her chest and cradling it like a little child. ‘I know you’ve loved. And I pray that you haven’t forgotten how to.’
Thank you for such a lovely, sad, tear-filled, heart rending, and loving chapter!!!
Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Dear Beth, Imagine my surprise when the Muse looked at me with her head tilted to the side and an ever so innocent smile on her face, saying: "We're gonna kill someone today." My Muse is bat-shit crazy, I tell you. Needless to say, the crack in the ice made me wet my pants a little as well. :P They have a lot to work through, Severus and Hope, and none of it will be easy. But they'll manage... I hope. To more chapters and the epilogue to go. All written and beta'd. Should all be posted soon. Thank you, as always, for reading and your lovely words. Have a great weekend.
Response from braye27 (Reviewer)
Imagine my surprise when the Muse looked at me with her head tilted to the side and an ever so innocent smile on her face, saying: "We're gonna kill someone today."While she may be bat-shit crazy, she clearly takes her job seriously. The proof is in the pudding, m'dear! I'm excited to know the story is complete, but I'm beginning to suffer from separation anxiety myself. I can't find the words to tell you how much I look forward to each new chapter!!! ~hugs you lots~Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
I know all about separation anxiety. Spent the whole day yesterday feeling "hung over". The day after finishing a story is always totally weird.
This is a beautiful chapter. I suspect the next time Severus casts his patronus, it will have changed--released to Harry, on some level. And the spoken and unspoken in their discussion about sharing a bed was beautifully done. Except the imperative of the verb lie is "lie down." The past tense is "lay," as you correctly have it in your last sentence ("he lies down," "he lay quietly," and "he has lain still for hours.") The verb is intransitive. "Lay down" is the transitive verb and expects a direct object: "I lay the book down on the table at this moment," "I laid it there yesterday," and "I have laid it there every evening for weeks." The difference is the same as that between sit (intransitive) and set (transitive). Sorry to be pedantic, but from your writing you obviously care about such things, and a slip in this lovely story is unusual and distracting.
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Thank you for finding and pointing out my typo. Lie and lay confuse me. Alway have, always will. Which annoys me because if I think about it, it's actually pretty easy to understand. So again, thank you for being "pedantic". And thank you for reading, of course.
I am so damned glad that Severus has never found himself in the land of the of the fairies. I couldn't have borne it. And as painful as it was for him to send his Patronus to call Harry, I'm so glad he was able to call forth his Doe to guide the young wizard to the Sword of Gryffindor. He's going to need it...But the thing in this chapter that totally blew my socks off was the exchange between Severus and Hope. Thank goodness he was able to return to the village because I don't know what would have happened to him if he hadn't. The minute I read the last part of this chapter I realized how much it reminded me of Chapter Nine in His First!!! Except his and Hope's roles were reversed... he was the one whose lips had turned blue, he was the one who was shaking uncontrollably, and he was the one who was afraid that he would freeze to death. When I read this part I was so glad I had read the first story. It is a great feeling when an author ties part of a sequel to something so vitally important as this in the original story. Although there was no love making here in Hope's bedroom, I can't help wondering what the morning will bring. I have no idea what these two will tell you write in the coming chapters, but I guarantee I'll be here waiting with bated breath.Brava! Well done! Here is a lovely bouquet to show you my appreciation for all your hard work, my friend. Ten stars, not even twenty stars would be enough.Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Allow me to give a lovely bouquet to you too. Or how about some nice chocolate? You are spoiling me, dearest Beth. With flowers, your wonderful reviews and rec'ing my stories. Thank you SO MUCH!! Bit speechless right now, really. Chapter 16 should be up withing the next few days, and I just sent chapter 18 off to my beta. Now there is only the epilogue left to write. Need to buy chocolate tomorrow. And tissues. Seperation anxiety, here I come. Smooches!
As much of an interferer as Dumbledore can be, I was delighted that he interfered on Hallowe'en night so that Severus, his colleagues, and the students and ghosts can enjoy the evening without fear of the Carrows wreaking havoc far and wide. I don't know that the Carrows deserved to get a good night's sleep, but everyone else in the castle deserves that they have one... but that's not exactly how the evening turned out for Severus.
I went back to "His First" and reread Chapter 9 (The First He Cried With) so I could refresh my memory about what happened that night, and I have to applaud your gift for so seamlessly merging the two in this chapter of "There Will Always Be Hope." Take a well-deserved bow, m'dear.
When Severus and Hope were talking in the pub everything about her spoke volumes about her frame of mind, but I had no idea of what was about to happen– until she told him to speak to Dumbledore and tell him that she had sent him and that he needed to use the Pensieve, and then I knew what was going to happen.
I'm very sorry that Severus couldn't watch the entire memory, but I damned well understand why he didn't. But if he had, he would have seen something of monumental importance: '... Nadezhda understood. She knew you would blame yourself for what had happened. She knew that you wouldn’t be able to live with yourself. So she did the only thing she could think of at that moment. She used a Memory Charm on you.’
My heart is breaking for both of them. In the review I left for Chapter 9 in "His First," I said "...it is the passion we feel that gets us through the impossible times. Their passion didn't have to follow this particular path, but in the aftermath, in thinking about what has happened in these last few chapters, it just seems like the right path."
And it still seems like the right path to me. I don't want either of them to needlessly suffer, but I hope that Severus will go back to the village. Tonight. And I hope the fact that Dumbledore smiled after him when he turned and left will mean that he won't go off half-cocked. I hope he remembers what Albus said about Nadezhda understanding and that he will remember that Hope had told him that she was sorry: ‘I am sorry, Severus. Unspeakably sorry. And I’ll understand if you decide to never come back here. But please know that I never meant to hurt you.’ I hope this means that Severus will remember that the underlying meaning of this last thing Hope said to him, at the pub, on this night, is that she will understand if he doesn't come back, but that she hopes with all her heart that he will.
And I'm wondering when Severus will remember that Hope gave birth to a son.
This is one of the best chapters I've ever read. You've answered some questions and posed more. Now that we've reached this point, I'm already trying to guess how the rest of the story will read. What will happen? Will they both survive? Is their son still alive? If so, where is he?
A Thousand Point to your House! Perhaps I should just say "to Our House" since both of us are Slytherins. Thank you for this story! Thank you for hanging in there when I know there might been times when you could have thrown up your hands and walked away... and that would break my heart... so thank you from the bottom of my heart for this amazing gift.
Hugs, Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Dear Beth, sorry you had to wait so long for a response. For being off work, I have been ridicullously busy this week. But hey, I wrote the next chapter which will be posted in a few days, so I'm forgiven, right? ;-) Hm, Dumbledore... You've read a few stories of mine, and you know that I don't like the old man. But he is a good plot device. And he does have his students' best at heart. His means, however... Anyway, while you're on the edge of your seat waiting for the next chapter, I promise you that Severus WILL go back to the pub. I can also tell you that the Muse has decided to NOT follow the original plans for this story and that I am considering to take away some of the warnings I posted in chapter one. Curious yet? Hopeful? ;-) "See" you in a couple of days. /M
Response from braye27 (Reviewer)
*fist pump* I am totally curious and filled with hope!!! *big grin*
omg, I didn't expect her to let him know... and just now! Poor Severus!I wonder if she has used the wand by now.Loved also the fine notions like trading chocolate frog cards and feasts. It is a relief that Severus can remember simple habits like these!
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
There is no gentle way to roll in a hand grenade, and Snape needed to be told at some point. I figured Haloween was as bad a night as any other. Buckle up for the next chapter. Thanks for reading and leaving a review!
I love the way you described life in the village in the opening paragraph. The townspeople "had no idea, of course, why the fog made them miserable, why it made them feel as if every ounce of happiness had been sucked from their hearts." But Severus and Hope "knew that the fog was the result of Dementors breeding and that the risk of the world plunging into eternal darkness was more imminent than any Muggle could imagine."Hope and Severus have so much in common. Both were treated horribly by their fathers, both of them had had to lie and pretend to be someone else under circumstances that no child should have to endure. It gives me a feeling of comfort knowing that each of them carries with them something that belongs to the other. In his pocket Severus keeps the key Hope pressed into his hand so many months ago. And Hope now has the larch wand that had belonged to Eileen Snape. I like knowing that the key can symbolize "safe haven," and that larch bestows courage and confidence to its owner. In folklore the wearing and burning of larch was said to protect against enchantment and evil spirits. I have a feeling that before everything is said and done both of them will have need of a safe haven and protection against evil. I think Severus' discovery that when Hope lights her comforting candle he can see her and watch over her was one of the most important things to happen in this chapter– other than Hope agreeing to accept the wand.Thank you for another wonderful chapter.*hugs you*Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Dear Beth, I am - as so often before - impressed and honoured by the way you write your reviews. So detalied, so deep. And I love that you understood the larch reference! Well done! 10 points to your house! As you can imagine, there are hard times ahead for Severus and Hope, and they will need each other more than they can imagine. I'm hoping to have a new chapter for you soon. It's my last workday today, so I should have time to write. Yay! Take care and see you soon!
I am so glad Snape was able to change her self image and encouraged her to take back her strenght.
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
And strength they will need, both of them! Thank you very much for reading and reviewing. Just sent chapter 12 off to my beta.
‘If I left you a wand,’ he started, deeming that there was no point in waiting any longer. ‘Would you use it to protect yourself?’When Severus offered her a wand, Hope reacted just like I thought she would. But what truly surprised me was the gentle argument, the purest illustration that he employed to break through Hope's fears. May I just say that was one of the most gifted bits of writing I've ever read. 
You done GOOD, my friend!Thank you for this beautiful chapter. I feel much better about Hope's future in these coming weeks and months. If push comes to shove, I do think she will fight like a tiger. Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Dear, dear Beth, your words make me blush and smile and believe that there is hope for my writing. Smooches to you! Just sent chapter 12 to my beta, so it should be up soon. Hope you'll enjoy it.
omg, there's a horrid year ahead of them. Your Snape is almost nice, and you've created such a uniqe and loveable own character. Now pulling them through this hell is sheer terror for us as well! Nevertheless, keep going with this excellent story!
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
*giggles at "Snape is almost nice"* He's about to get a whole lot nicer! Well, not ooey-gooey-nice, but Snape-nice. Bit, scary, I know, almost as scary as the year that lies ahead! Thank you for reading and reviewing. I hope you won't have to wait too long for the next chapter.
I was afraid this would be what happened when Severus was Summoned. The nightmare has truly resumed, and all I can think about is what's to come:•How can Severus protect Hope and Edmunds while still playing his role as a spy for the Light? •How will they keep Edmunds from finding out that Hope is a witch and that Elisabeth was a Squib?•Will Hope be able to master her fear and depression to be able to aid Severus in his efforts to defeat the Dark?•What will Severus do if and when he finds out that he fathered Hope's child?•What about their son? Is there any chance that he is still alive?There is so much roiling beneath the surface, and I'm looking forward to seeing where you take this story!Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Your review looks almost like my check-list for the next couple of chapters. Great minds think alike, they say. :-) I've answered two questions with no, have ignored one and put a maybe on the others. Haha! Oh, I do wish that my muse would follow the original plot line just once!
I was afraid this would be what happened when Severus was Summoned. The nightmare has truly resumed, and all I can think about is what's to come:•How can Severus protect Hope and Edmunds while still playing his role as a spy for the Light? •How will they keep Edmunds from finding out that Hope is a witch and that Elisabeth was a Squib?•Will Hope be able to master her fear and depression to be able to aid Severus in his efforts to defeat the Dark?•What will Severus do if and when he finds out that he fathered Hope's child?•What about their son? Is there any chance that he is still alive?There is so much roiling beneath the surface, and I'm looking forward to seeing where you take this story!Beth
Response from braye27 (Reviewer)
Arrrggghhh! 
Please ignore this... I posted it to the wrong chapter.Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
And here I was, thinking that the story had become immensely popular. ;-)
I was so glad that Severus had been able to spend time in the Muggle village with Hope and Edmunds. Being able to feel rested, relaxed and utterly at peace would be a true blessing, one he probably hadn't known in any number of years, if ever. I also believe (with all my heart) that having Severus there was a blessing for Hope, too. Both of them have led such hectic and unpredictable lives that any peace and serenity would be gratefully received as the precious gift it was.When Severus felt himself being Summoned by the Dark Lord, my heart sank. Why couldn't he and Hope and Edmunds have had a little more time to enjoy each other's company. But one thing that stood out clearly was that Hope had felt his summons, too. That tickled some of my memory cells and I just had to go back to His First to recall that Voldemort had given Hope a silver bracelet on her seventeenth birthday... and this bracelet had turned into a silver snake with emerald eyes and had buried its fangs into the flesh at her wrist. It functioned the way Severus' Dark Mark did and she felt the summonds the same time he did. Thank goodness Severus didn't have any dangerous tasks being asked of him by th Dark Lord, and both Lucius and Narcissa should be grateful that he friend was there to help them. Bella is a right nasty piece of work. I hope she ultimately gets her just desserts.Will Severus go back to the village before going back to Hogwarts? I hope so because it would be nice if he and Hope could have a few minutes to be assured that the other hasn't come to any harm. I can't wait to see what happens next!Beth
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
I do believe that Hope and Snape are good for each other and that they are able to see things in each other that other people can't see. And I promise that I will give them some more time together. It will not be as carefree as before, but... Well, you'll see. Chapter 10 is posted. :-)
Oh, you're giving Narcissa a bit of spine here, although unwisely displayed. I'm very curious how you lead us through the seventh book!!
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
I'm quite curious about that, too. The muse hasn't been sticking to the original plot for quite a while. ;-)
I haven't been reading for quite a while and caught up a few chapters right now. This was a most touching and well-written chapter. You've given also the side characters a true story and their own backgrounds in so few words. Amazingly well done.Now I'll read on, although, considering, I should leave the story for a night to give Snape more rest.
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
Welcome back to reading,
Response from morgaine_dulac (Author of There Will Always Be Hope)
!