You've really brought Severus and Hermione a long way in this story. I really liked Hermione's brief foray into exploring a different relationship and the fact that her integrity shone through. I also liked Severus' unfamiliarity with the chest tightening and odd aches he felt when thinking about Hermione. I can hardly wait to see just how you unveil Hermione's captor.

I can't get over how much I enjoyed Hermione in this chapter. hehe (does this mean I'm a naughty wench?) Thanks for posting.

Horrid, perverse, sick, disgusting ... 

Rachel, I'm so glad you are continuing this story...  You're doing a wonderful job!!  Personally, I think Severus should bash Potter over the head, the prat!!  This is such a twisted situation for both of them to be in, I hope they both make it out whole and happy.  Lucius is a bit off his rocker, and I hope Hermione is relatively safe with him.  I also hope he doesn't poison her too much with his ugly memories.  Can't wait for the next bit!!  *hugs*  GG

I'm glad that Snape and Harry are able to work together to find her. I'm also glad that Snape is jealous of Harry. It just shows he cares to me. I'd given up on an update for this, but I was quite happy to see it. As far as the Pensieve, yuck, I know some people that do like to do that to themselves though. Wait. Not personally,  but I've heard about it. Hahaha... You know what I mean. Lucius does seem off in the head, but I feel sorry for him. He means well, though he's still mental. Hehe... I'm glad that Snape thought about the instructions he gave her. I hope he realizes that she read that before she "did" Harry. ~snicker~ That'll teach his arse. Anyway, hopefully there aren't just yuck memories of Snape, though I'm certain Lucius was quite selective of what he put there. Good luck in writing.

Yikes!  I do hope she remembers that these are selective memories chosen by Draco with the intent of motivating Lucius to hate Severus - no memories of evil Lucius, who would have no memories of Severus working with the Order, etc.  I'm glad Severus and Harry are cooperating for now.  I still think Severus loves Hermione in his own way, although he doesn't say "I love you" or give her flowers.  Thank you for the new chapter!!  You ARE a good writer, and I'm glad you're continuing with this story.

Pomfrey and Viktor are misspelled. You also have a lot of mistakes with misplaced apostrophes and commas, or lack of.

Obviously this review is too late to make a difference in the story, but there are a lot of errors.

I have to suggest, it would make a lot of sense to put in the A/N at the end of the last chapter over at Ashwinder, that this alternate ending is available over here. The only way I found it was to go back over all 16 pages of reviews, trying to figure out why you wrote the ending so abruptly.  I was happy to find your in your replies, the directive to see this version for the alternate ending. I was so frustrated with how Severus was originally portrayed as not really learning how to deal with Hermione after being married to her, and being too stubborn to want to try to work things out; I was so elated to find and read this version just today! I'm not saying every SS/HG story has to have a happy ending, (I'm a big fan of "Awake" by Natasha_Von_Snape), but at the same time, twisty endings that don't really flow with the overall premise of the story don't make much sense to me either. I appreciate the effort you made into taking time to offer both versions of the story, and the courage to leave both up.  Kudos to you on a wonderful story I've been reading for two years!   

I must say that this story, on the whole, was one of the better I've read in this genre - until the final few chapters.

I've read both versions of the ending, both here and at ashwinder, and I find this one is a bit more in keeping with the rest of the story and the characters as you depicted them, but I found both to be rather disappointing and unsatisfying.... sorry.

You seemed to make quite a change in both the characters and the plot at around the mid twenties chapters - they'd settled into a comfortable routine, both seemed to be becoming fond of the other, and Severus had appeared to have been more secure within himself and the relationship that his need for sexual dominance had become more of a game than a necessity - he wasn't ordering her as much, and often gave her the choice of play, with mention of the fact that the BDSM was declining in favour of more "vanilla" sex.
Hermione had started to have truly fond feelings for him, had a sense of autonomy, and, even if the relationship had failed, as you implied in your notes, so I was expecting it, it appeared as though it would end on a more agreeable, if sad, note - with both having grown from their time together.

I'd have found your ending more believable if Snape had remained the same immovable bastard he was in the earlier part of the story, but you showed him to be changing in many ways, and by the time you had Hermione leaving him, I found her need to get away for a while and have some proper choices believable, but I honestly thought that the reasons you gave her concerning her relationship with Severus were no longer really valid.
If she'd been harbouring a long resentment towards him, I'd have understood, as that can leave your emotions stuck reacting to incidents in the past (personal experience in this, I'm afraid to say), but that isn't how you'd portrayed her. You showed her as noticing and accepting the changes to their relationship, with no resentment for the past - so it just didn't ring true when she finally decided to walk.

Perhaps a bit more of an internal dialogue may have helped with this issue, as you gave us every indication that she was pretty content. I'm not suggesting that you slapped us in the face with it, but a bit of a hint would have helped the reader along this path.

I found this ending the more believable, if horrific, of the two, as once under pressure, and with insecurities firmly back in place, I could see Snape reverting to the control freak again - and I could even see him initially viewing his actions as "helping" her (rationalisation is a wonderful, but scary thing sometimes) but I think that most likely, with time, he would hate that situation, as he'd always wanted her WILLING submission - and even had a long rant about his hatred of what he percieved as weakness in his mother, and other partners he'd had that were like that.

I think the ending would have been much more believable if, over time, he came to hate the fact that Hermione on potion wasn't the Hermione he wanted, but was stuck in the cycle of having to dose her lest he lose her......in otherwords, a hell of his own making. Once again, a very canon situation to put him in when you think of it (well.... sort of)
Now THAT would have been a more believable ending.

I found the plot device of Lucius Malfoy's "rescue" quite a good one, until used to facilitate her leaving the relationship - sorry, but she seemed very OOC to how you had portrayed her thus far - and using the "outing" of the BDSM as an excuse seemed very weak - of course, there would be an outcry, but I don't think she would have reacted the way she did, given the character you had given her.
I also found the interlude with her and Harry quite OOC...sorry.

Please don't take this as a flame - it isn't - really...... I read your answer to sceptic00's review, and congratulate you on leaving an abusive relationship - been there myself, and understand how hard and incredibly scary it is to start over - but how satisfying it is in the long run - even if, like me, it can be tinged with regret.

I can also see how your experiences coloured your muse, but maybe, one day when you are far enough removed from it all, you can look at this piece again, and perhaps give it the ending  it so rightly deserves, as this is a bloody good story!

All the very best in your future endeavours, and, if tempted to be sucked into the abusive relationship cycle again, and want to be a "good girl" to please your abuser (I've been there myself, so I'm not judging, just empathising) -  think of this quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, an historian who has written some marvelous books about women in history -

"Well behaved women seldom make history"   

So stand up, stamp your foot, speak up, DON'T be a good girl, walk away if necessary...... and make your own history! (always works for me!)

So I've just read some of the other reviews and your comments, RachelW, and I strongly suggest more kinky sex to get you through this last bit ;)

Hey, what an awesome fic so far. I only add stories to my favourites list if I think they are really worth it, and this one is. I think you've done a wonderful job in capturing the characterisation of Snape and Hermione particularly. In case you think you can't bear to finish this mammoth fic, please reconsider- I've spent the last three days ploughing through it instead of writing assignments or going to lectures- don't leave me hangin' :)It really is a great fic, and I'm desperate to see how the scenario resolves itself.Good work :)

I've just finished reading your story thus far - what an accomplishment!  I do hope you will finish it.  I've read the other reviews - while it may be annoying that some people aren't happy with the direction in which this fic seems to be going, isn't it wonderful that you've written something that actually promotes a reaction!  once again, I do hope that you will complete it!  thanks for a great read.....

Wow! this fiction is so intense and wonderful, this is my first foray into reading any BDSM fics, wasn't sure what to expect at first but I've read all 30 chapters in one sitting and have since re-read it. I thoroughly enjoy your style of writing, the emotions and faults you've endowed to each character makes them all the more believable and relatable.  Though Hermione and Severus are going through a 'rough patch' I hope they can work things out and be happy in the end, I'll keep my fingers crossed that they end up happy and with each other in love, but what ever ending you conclude with I'm sure will be wonderful.

Are you still working on this? I know it must be hard but i really hope you haven't abandoned it... this is one of my favourite fics because it's so different. I'm dying to know how it ends!

OH MAN!!!! this is soo intense, good chapter!

Hmmmm. I have many thoughts on this chapter. Hermione is being unreasonable. Snape made sure she was safe, helped her with her studies etc and all she had too do was keephim happy. Although, his BDSM fettish not exactly the thing to introduce to your new wife. It's both of there faults and if she annuls the marriage she's a fool.

Hmmmm. I have many thoughts on this chapter. Hermione is being unreasonable. Snape made sure she was safe, helped her with her studies etc and all she had too do was keephim happy. Although, his BDSM fettish not exactly the thing to introduce to your new wife. It's both of there faults and if she annuls the marriage she's a fool.

I read this entire story in one night and at first I truly adored it. But I was so disappointed with how it all turned out. I guess I just didn't understand the reasoning behind the Harry twist and the aftermath. Hermione's reactions to everything just seemed so wrong and ooc. I wish it would have ended on a true hea. Other than that, I enjoyed the plot (for the most part) and the story was well written.

You can't leave it like that!!I neeeeeeeeeed MORE!!Please please please please write more!!Love 'n' hugs

A bit too much explicit sex but I really want to know how it all works out.  It's quite an interesting plot.  I really feel sorry for Snape; what a dreadful life you had him live.  I think that at any time Hermione could have handled him.  She really was a wus (if that's how you spell it).  Harry is really a bit of a bitch, isn't he?  I hope that you can update soon.  Is there any way that this site annouces updates?  I just recently found this archive and am trying to find my way around it.

Woah. Thank you for the tip to find this ending, and for a great story, that made me think! I am not particularly satisfied with either end I read, about the same amount of dissatisfaction as the 'other ending' at another site (Ashwinder), just very different. I think that this one is more believable of Severus - I can't see him being as easily put off as he was in the ending at that other one. However, I Really would have liked to see 'Door number 3', with her talking with him about the decision she had made just after she was with harry and was going to ask for him to try things other ways - Severus really does love her, had finally begun to learn what love was, was finallybeginning to let go of some of his suspicion and need for control, finally starting to be more able to have a cooperative relationship and start to learn about true intimacy, and 'if only' they could have had that discussion, I would hope for a healthy relationship.  That said, in this instance he continues in his self=delusion, never really being able to have true trust, as he is keeping her drugged. Yet, it would be the more true Slytherin response - and he was a top spy! As such, the other site, even though in the immediate sense, terribly sad, gave hope that with the counselling it may be that was hinted at that he was going through, in a few years time they may be able to meet and start up again, only this time, as equals.   

Brief review of story.

Quality of the writing and the story is very good. This story managed to make me really hate Snape. I feel that Hermione is written OOC. The topics of abuse and control made me squirm with indignation and anger and frustration. I assume that was the idea.
Well done, but I think the content made me so uncomfortable I will not be returning to your stories.

MillieFirst off thank you so much for the best fan fiction i have ever read. I sometimes get confused ebtween what is real harry potter and what is written by you.I've read both endings and I have to say I prefer this one. The 'nice' ending really upset me although it was well written as always. It seemed such a shame not to bring them togetehr in the end. I did like the hint of Trevor and Snape having said that, I didnt see it coming.The one here was better although i have to say i had not given up hope of a happy ending between Hermione and Snape.

Wow.  I am truly shocked that Hermione intends to end her relationship with Severus, but I can't say that it isn't wholly out of order with the rest of the story.  I do hold out hope for a reconciliation, though.

30 chapters is an accomplishment.  Well done.