On the Darkest of Nights

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+

 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. 

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!

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

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!

shudder!

Wonderful story!  Thank you.  I hope your imminent novel is successful

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

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

It's good that they have at least addressed their feelings. And I hope her charmed key will somehow be essential in his survival.

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!

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

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.

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

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

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! 

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 

I am so glad Snape was able to change her self image and encouraged her to take back her strenght.

‘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

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!

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

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

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

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!!

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.