Well now this is depressing.  I mean it's totally awesome that they Aurors got that bitch Rita Skeeter!  But seriously this mess with Hermione and Severus is...well a mess.  I thought that things were kind of moving in the right direction but now...  Well now I just don't have any hope for them at all.  Well, I'm going to hang in here and see what happens.  ~Brena

Whoa!  There is clearly something going on that Severus is keeping from Hermione, but I can't tell what yet.  From hints in the past couple of chapters, he seems to have a disproportionate amount of influence over Hermione (aside from his obvious use of sex to soften her up, I mean). I wonder why he is manipulating her and what the potion he and Lucius were refering to is.  FYI, there's a minor typo in the first scene:  'head still titled towards the sky' -- should probably be 'tilted'.Great chapter and I am eager to see the next!

hmmm. yeah, pretty evil cliffie, there. now you've got me wondering about severus's motives just as much as hermione is!

I love the way this story keeps you guessing, never knowing - is he good or is he bad? At first I thought he was up to no good, then I thought, 'nah, not Sev' LOL, and now... well, now I don't knwo what to think. Is it an act? Is it real? Guess I'll find out soon enough. Your doing brilliantly at stringing us along with this mystery Snape. :)

It's almost done you say? With all the twists and turns each time I read a new chapter?? Hmmm... And I too prefer typing on my desktop - I feel for ya writing on a laptop (mine's a 12" which is great for toting around but not so much for long periods of typing). You keep writing and I'll keep reading. I"m not going anywhere. LOL

Great chapter. Unexpected, and I can't wait to see how they get past this one.

dear oh dear, very clever our little gryffindor isnt she!

OMG I was fooled. I was thinking what a great plot device that was for the reader by giving us something that HErmione didn't know about.  Then... well I was blown away by the end!  Great work!

Awesome love this story!!! Keep writing this is getting sooo good!! Southern you are my favorite author!

Oh I am so glad the spell missed her! I cannot wait to see what happens next! And Severus! So secretive!

Evil, evil author! Can't you cut them a break?  :P

good thing she slipped!  but what is going on?  is it otherworldlyevil!severus?  is he faking out the malfoys?  i can hardly wait for the next installment.  thanks so much

Ah, clever Hermione. So Snape is a bastard and has been using Hermine or Snape is playing the Malfoys to get what he wants? Could it be both? This story is so fascinating.

I'm betting that Hermione will be making a few plans of her own now...Interesting twist in the story.  I'm looking forward to knowing what is true and what is not.

Thank you for the update. There were a minute there where I went quite mad and thought to stop reading the story at all when I thougth Narcissa had sucseeded in obliviating Hermione. I would really, truly have hated that,  probably so much that the story had been totally ruined for me. While I still have some hope that Severus ain't the bad guy he seems to be at the moment, I to believe that he; A. had more than one finger involved in the planning of using Hermione in the first place. B. Plays his "role" as Lucius confidant a bit to good to be forgivable. I don't care what "lies", if they are lies, he feel prudent to tell Lucius to keep his cover, for me his words are unforgivable if he even only halfway ment them, and quite close to unforgivable if they were lies. There are just some limit to what you can say or do and claim to do so for "the bigger picture and greater good". What ever his reasons are, Severus should have to pay a price for his betrayal. No matter what his motivations are, it is a betrayal of Hermione and what they could have together, by talking about her like this to anyone. If he only "played" with Lucius, he should have told Hermione absolutely everything up front. I am usually dependant on happy endings, but I admit that in this case the happy ending would be for Severus to pay deeply for betraying Hermione. If you at some level plan for her to forgive him (which I deep down hope for), please, please, please, make it good: I hate it when stories let Severus betrays Hermione for some odd "greater good" scheeme, and later on get to tell her that she is an idiot who didn't realise that he is so almigthy that she should have known that he did what was best all the time, ending with her asking him for forgiveness rather than the other way around. The most important thing in a relationship, no matter what, is trust, and Hermione has no reason at all for trusting Severus at this point. Just as it is obvious that , if he still is a "good guy", Severus don't trust Hermione.

Update again soon!!

Marriages based on lies and misunderstandings can't be good, dearie...

Poor Hermione.    Even though she knows he's playing a role half the time she doesn't know which role is real and which is the act, and even if he is being 'real' around her she still isn't sure about his feelings or motivations.    Severus is just too good at being a spy!    Doesn't bode well for their relationship is she can never be sure if she can trust him...  At least Rita has been dealt with.  That's one bright spot anyway.  Great story!  Looking forward to the next! 

No, it's not good at all! If Snape's acting like this - things are not going to be good. The eyes being all dark again, his comments to Lucius... he's evil.

argh!!!!!  you wicked queen of cliffhangers!!  grumble.... well, my bet is that Severus has a lot of explaining to do, but he won't be able to if he has to search for Hermione.  she really needs to figure out that Severus is too smart to genuinely trust the Malfoys.  I'm guessing the potion Severus made for Lucius isn't what Lucius thinks it is.  thanks for the new chapter!!

Well, Severus has managed to confuse me this entire time, so I'm guessing he deserves this too. 

Oh, to know the truth!  We've seen Severus say anything to go along with a plan, but Hermione's musings are valid.  Is she right?  I hope not, but can you really trust the recently dead?

Well, I'm glad the curse missed her. What a horrible thing to discover! I hope this isn't real and Hermione is not being used.Livvy

Oh, this is getting good.  I'm so glad Hermione didn't get Oblivated, that would have just pissed me off *lol*  Can't wait to find out what happens next.  PLEASE don't make us wait long.

Wow.  I was totally unprepared for that chapter.  It's incredible.  Sorry, I'm so stunned I can't get much beyond the "oh, crap" stage of thinking. 

Not good at all!! Gah, what next?!