But you have to know I'D NEVER KILL SEVERUS!!! intentionally. Oh, okay, so email me your flight info and I'll even pick you up at the airport! Hope you like cats and drink hot cocoa?!teehehehe Actually, I have the next one ready and it'll be going in queue this weekend. OKay? Am I forgiven?You liked my fight scene? I wanted it to be intense and all but read fast like fights are. Thank you for the compliment.  and the pretty stars and for sticking with me on this one. Hugs~

Oh, I sooo cannot answer you cuz it is all answered in the next chapter!  and I almost have it ready to post! In fact, I'm going to put it in queue this weekend! Thank you so much for reading and for the review - I hope you like what comes.

, From what I know, in real life in England people are class conscious, and some take class very seriously. Class consciousness is at the heart of every Brit.  You have the nobles, the royals, the commoner… and well, it’s something that is very real. Part of Duchess Catherine’s new role is dealing with the royal hierarchy – there was even a royal memo sent to her about whom she curtseys to and such. It’s a big deal.  Princess Diana had to prove her lineage to be an acceptable match for Charles, and she went by Lady Spenser throughout her engagement. Nobility being a social class that possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than most other classes in a society, membership thereof typically being hereditary. That said, in a class conscious culture, and being British, (and as in the books) the pure-bloods wanted to be seen as the wizarding nobility, even though some like the Gaunts and Carrows were hardly upper class. They were pure magical blood heritage and therefore superior to Muggles and Muggle-born. People like the Lestranges, Blacks (the family not Sirius), Malfoys, Averys, Rosiers, Notts, Crabbes and Goyles – they were probably of a wealthier wizarding families and felt they had privileges.  So the mindset is already there. Hermione comes from a working class – the commoners, although from a well off family. (Their wealth is subjective to interpretation: all we know is that her parents are dentists and they vacation abroad skiing. But Dentists make good money, especially if they own a practice.) But even then, if Hermione had come across Prince Charles or Prince William, she’d be awed, curtsey to them and then tell her best friends “I met Prince William!” (Same as a person in the states would be excited to see a celebrity.) But she’s also a Muggle-born and learned from day one that there were those who thought her inferior because of her birth. (If this came as such a ‘shock’ to her, then the school representative who came to her house may have told her that the wizarding world did not have  nobilities or followed the social distinctions of a feudal system.)   With this in mind, Hermione’s reservations about the Malfoys having ‘changed’ toward her is understandable, and as you so eloquently pointed out, she’s not at all familiar with the ways and customs of the wizarding wealthy  elite. (Which I modeled after the upper caste of the 1870s New York wealthy society and its assumptions, ethics, codes and morals and fastidious rules.) Yes, naturally she thanks Draco for saving her, after the initial shock has worn off, she’s a kind, polite girl after all. And yes, she wears her heart on her sleeve and is open and honest with everyone. But she’s yet to learn of the world of the wizarding elite. She will, when she comes to realize that Narcissa’s efforts and change of attitude are genuine and real. This will take some time.  Yes, they are Severus’ friends, and as such, Hermione is married into the ethics, codes and morals and fastidious rules of this social elite. But while Severus can navigate the group with his quiet reserve (as seen by them) and fastidiousness fits in well. You’ll see. Yes, it’s hard that she wants to get to know him, his family his past and his … everything, but he only wants to talk about the now, and wants to forget a lot of his past, leave it behind and move forward. With the horrors in his past, the horrible things he’s done, I can’t blame him, and they will have to find a balance. Time together will help that, given time they will create memories, experiences and such to talk about.  Gads… sorry for the long reply! Your review sparked me, and I enjoyed it, but  I’m so sorry I got into a explaining-rant. Thank you for reading and for the review.

You are most welcome,

. I'm glad that you enjoyed the dinner bit. One that the Malfoy's may not forget for a while. lolDunno, could be the chemistry between them or the moonlight in the garden... or not.My beta has the chapter, so as soon as I get it back - so will you! Thank you for the review and the pretty stars.

Thank you very much, kimjo. ~Hugs back~

Thank you very much. More of them together is definately forthcoming. Thank you for the review, Jen.

Thank you very much. Well, unity in the face of thine enemies - was almost the title of this one! lol My beta has the next two chapters, but she's returned to school - so it may be a while. Good news - I have written them and waiting for her corrections! Thank you for the review,

. Hugs~

Yes, everyone was on their best behavior at dinner. Considering how I see each person's background, I wrote thier actions accordingly, and yes, they are kids. 18 year old kids. I see Neville's family as possibly a posh wizarding class. Luna has been spending most of her summer with Augusta Longbottom - so she'd been 'groomed' to be Neville's wife. Ron - really. At least he didn't tlak with his mouth full. Harry, I seriously doubted Vernon or Petunia ever took Harry to a restaurant, let alone one that didn't have paper napkins and you ordered your food from a counter. lol  I see Hermione as having had some formal dining. So that was all easy. Yes, she has, but a return will be a while in the writing - school starts on Tuesday in this story. The room - well, it's charmed. She can change the color of the bedding or the drapes. That's it. More to come on that one. teeheheheThank you for the review and the lovely stars, June.

Thank you very much. As kids - they would, and since Ron and Ginny, most likely haven't been exposed to formal dining much, and I really doubt that Vernon and Petunia would have taken Harry anywhere that you didn't order your food from a counter, the Yule Ball was the closest thing to formal those three knew. lol  I'm glad you appreciated the awkwardness. Thank you very much for the review, kimbee. Hugs~

No, I would not do that to you this early. It's not the ending I have planned. I think it's why Augusta Longbottom spent so much time with Luna -  teaching her the in's and out's of high society. lol All in all, Harry didn't do too badly. Thank you for the review, blue. Hugs~

We have two culinary schools in my area and they both have a bistro for the students to run. The food is awesome! Both times I have mentioned the food prepared at the manor, I have used Bistro 33's menue, only because its the most descriptive. Thank you for the review and the pretty stars.

Er, oops. Thank you. I'm glad you like the chapter. Thank you for the review.

Thank you very much. I know that JKR didn't have Bible references, but it fit so well with the snobery and donations bit. I'd like to think that some kids in the wizarding world had read the Bible, although Lucius having read it was a stretch. lol Thank you very much for the review, doll, and the pretty stars. Hugs~

I've always thought if JKR had thrown in a few random quotes , the "I love guns and God" crowd in the South would have been so confused. (A senate candidate sent out a press release that he loves God and guns.) I bet Malfoy can quote Confucius too.  Your quote was perfect in that context.

Oh, he knows the truth - he was there after all, and followed her to the Malfoys' manor.Yes, they do, however... Lucius' trial still looms...Nope, you can't, but the head in the sand thing is going to get her killed. Yes, this was a wake up call. Oh, the relationship - yes - working on that one. Thank you so much for the review and pretty stars. Hugs~

Thank you veyry much. Yep, if it was a dramione, it would, but it's not (this time around) Hugs and smoochies back, Kimjo.

Rita is emassing a few enimies she really shouldn't have and if they, any one of them, get too angry she could get squashed. lol  Thank you for the review and pretty stars, blue. Hugs~

Yep, Draco's timing was superb. You're right, if he hadn't stopped her, she would have walked right into Gibson. Whatever his reasons, he did the right thing, and his actions saved her life. It's not that his good deed goes unpunished, Hermione and Draco have 6 years of annomosity behind them and now the Malfoys want to simply let by-gones be by-gones?  Some people don't flip that easily. It was about time that he laid it all out and what she did was totally foolish. Yes, he ranted at her, but it was needed.  After 6 years of troubles, being on the run for a year, and a war, Hermione is in that "It's over, everything will be all right now,' mentality.  She was mostly protected from everything in books 1-6. She only had to face the DE's in book 4 at the World Cup and 5 in the Department of Mysteries. (Harry is the one who faced them usually) and each time, everything was fine after and she could go about her life with no apparent restrictions. At the World Cup, it was the Muggles that were attacked. She was running around with the Weasleys, seeking shelter among the other paniced people, but in the end, the Aurors arrived and the Ministry 'cleaned up' the mess.  Yes, it was terrifying and all, but no one really died, some were sent to St. Mungo's and there was property damage, but she went to school and everything was all right again. In the Department of Mysteries, agian the members of the Order arrived, followed by the Aurors and they wrapepd everything up. She was sent to the hospital wing where seh was patched up, healed, and everything was all better agian. So it should be the same, right? POst traumatic stress and denial, bad combination.Like she said, it was broad daylight on a busy street and there were families there.Before, the park was a place she went to before to think and no one knew her or ever bothered her there before... She's just so desperate to have 'normal' she's not considering anything. Yes, this is a wake up call.Rita's article--well, at least Severus and Draco will know the truth. lol  Don't worry the bug, er, witch will get hers. teeheheheThank you so much for the review, aeron, I really appreciated it and the lovely stars.  sorry for ranting... aeron's response: Your own character caused you to rant? ::snickers::When I said no good deed goes unpunished, I was pointing to the fact that Draco saves Hermione and then gets the Rita Skeeter treatment for his efforts.I wasn't even going to touch on the fact that Hermione was more than a bit ungracious when he tried to reach out to her in an attempt to get to know her better. I understand that Hermione also wants to just put everything behind her, but I guess she hasn't grasped the concept of being a gratious victor either.It's attitudes like her current one that make the healing process take longer or fail altogether. I have had to play the role of gracious victor in the past. It's hard, but the healing and improvement of behavior for everyone involved was worth my personal burying of the hatchet. Even if I wanted to bury that hatchet in less appropriate places at times. ::laughs::One of the things I love about this story and your rendering of Hermione is her 'head in the sand' outlook. She's not super!Hermione here - she's a normal teenager that is trying to regain what is left of her childhood while totally ignoring the fact that it flew the coop eons ago. It frustrated me at first, because the girl is smarter than that, but even the smart ones need a mental holiday at times. Thank you for creating this version of her.

I'm sure that it won't be as bad as some. Thank you for following along, Jen, adn for the review.

I don't really think it'll be bad either. I'm thinking more on the comical or slightly amusing side. Can't wait!~Jen

Yes, of course she is. Nope, Severus was there and knew what really happened. It was sooo long over due.You are very welcome. Thank you for the review.

Thank you. Well, consiering that he was there and knows what ahppened, not a problem there. I'm sure he will, but first he has to find the bug, er, woman. Thank you for the review and the pretty stars.

You are most welcome for the update, I'm sorry it took so long. Yes, they really needed that time together. Yes, I think it finally sunk in that nowhere is safe, something she hasn't wanted to admit to. Since when hasn't Rita's articels caused problems? At least Severus won't believe her. Thank you very much for the review.

You are very welcome. Happy to oblige - sorry it took soooo long.

Thank you

. Compliments like that really inspire me to sit down and get busy on the next one. Hugs~

Than you so much, luv. I look forward to it. Hoep things are going well, and give hubby a squeeze from me. Hugs to you too!

Kall, that is probably the nicest compliment I 've received in a while. Thank you so much. I'm deeply flattered. Thank you so much for the lovely review. Hugs~