Starting out on the right foot are'nt they? Sounding like a typical married couple. This is going to be a fun story to read...It sounds like things are back to normal between Snape and Hermione....She the terrified student and he, the terrifying teacher. I'm sure Harry and Ron will be full of questions for her, when they see her again.It was a great chapter, and I'll check out the next one!

Excellent story! And Hermione must learn from her teacher, how to please him...It sounds like she is enjoying consumating their marriage. Snape it seems, is a willing lover...Sex 101! lol  Wonderful chapter, and I know I'll enjoy reading more!

Thank you for that wonderful chapter. I'm breathless with anticipation.

I love the idea of Severus and Hermione both finding out about the Deathly Hallows at about the same time (and both thinking it to be just a fairy story).  I'm very glad Minerva finally figured things out, though I'd have respected her more of she'd done it by reasoning alone.  Nevertheless, she's bright enough to know not to let Albus know everything she's puzzled out.  She can help Severus more this way.

It is an interesting point--she did operate as though she had something really compelling driving her onward, didn't she?  I'm so glad you figured out what it was!

And in some ways, having her in his life almost makes the burden Severus carries worse right now.  Because it lets him know what it really would be like to be seen, to be valued.  It gives him hope where he never had it before, and he doesn't quite know what to do with it, and that's so terribly sad.

But good for Harry for figuring out a few things, and good for Hermione for knowing what he needs to keep him going.

And it truly does suck that the boys destroyed the locket without her.  She did deserve to at least share in its destruction, after all she's been through!

It is an interesting point--she did operate as though she had something really compelling driving her onward, didn't she?  I'm so glad you figured out what it was!

And in some ways, having her in his life almost makes the burden Severus carries worse, doesn't it?  Because it lets him know what it really would be like to be seen, to be valued, it gives him hope where he never had it before, and he doesn't quite know whatto do with it, and that's so terribly sad.

But good for Harry for figuring out a few things, and good for Hermione for knowing what he needs to keep him going.

And it truly does suck that the boys destroyed the locket without her.  She did deserve to at least share in its destruction, after all se's been through!

This chapter is especially exquisite in its writing.  You have spelled out how deeply intertwined they have become, how thoroughly they are mated, how well they understand one another, and it is incredibly touching and moving.  You were particularly inspired when you wrote this one; I see from your Author's Notes that you had more cheerleaders than usual.  Bless 'em all!  (I'm glad I'll get the chance soon to thank Shell in particular for her support all through this.)

And with the creation of the Vita Secundus, you have actually redeemed Albus ever so slightly.  In canon, he simply sent Harry to his death--hoping however feebly that the purity of the sacrifice would allow Harry to return from the dead.  Here, you have allowed him to do more than simply wish for it, which makes him a little less of a monster. 

But he still doesn't seem to understnd that this isn't just some cosmic chess game.  If he had faith in the intelligence of those he enlisted, he might've been able to win sooner and more triumphantly.

Adding in seeing this whole, terrible incident from the perspective of Severus and Hermione makes it so much more suspenseful!  No one is having a happy Christmas this year--and at lesat that includes Voldemort, thank heaven!

Ron continues so very much in character.

I am suddenly struck by the realization that Dumbledore was not only about as obtuse as he could've been but was also obstructionist--couldn't he have spared them a lot of horribly sleepless nights if he'd sent the damn sword straight away?!

I absolutely adore the fact that you have let Severus figure out what's going on--and figure out that this means he now has freedom and choices!  And perhaps (probably!) that is exactly WHY Dumbledore never did tell Harry anywhere near enough...because he would then have lost his control (even in death!) over Harry and his mission!  DAMN, I hate that man!!

You've made incredible use of the Horcrux's slimy, evil power to explore Hermione's own fears.

(I wondered briefly if it turns only good thoughts into horrible ones, or of maybe, let's hope, it tortured Umbridge a bit, too?)

What an awful predicament for them all!

Y;know the whole interminable camping sequence in canon was kind of a prolonged agony but it was also a little bit of a narrative desert, yet you've turned it here into a genuine impediment to the advance of the Severus/Hermione relationship, which somehow makes it more interestingto endure.

(And it all still reminds me of the effects of the Ring on Frodo....)

The truly ironic thing is that if Albus had been honest with them from the beginning, they both probably would have agreed to the plan for the reasons he set it in motion.  The fact that he had to be so fucking devious and also that he underestimated both of them in their ability to figure things out has already given them a stronger bond than they might ever have had.

(I wonder if Albus intended for her to overhear that conversation, to test her loyalty once again or simply to see what else he could find out?  Curious....)

I love hearing so much of this from Snape's point of view!

And that faculty meeting--how can he bear it?  Come, Minerva, put the pieces together soon!

(It's been a long time now since I read the original, and I don't think I can do it ever again without hearing this echo through it everywhere.)

One thing I don't believe I noticed before is that you've provided an explanation for how Hermione would've known which portrait to take with them.  Did JKR provide an explanation, or was that another "trust me" moment?

And I love Ron's look at Hermione when she says she'd never performed a Memory Charm.  Brilliant of you to notice that in canon!

Oh, god, she's given him a reason to live when he doesn't want one!   You have done an incredible job of communicating his despair, his emptiness, his near-hysteria in the face of the war that has begun.  It is simply lucky that he still has work to do, for this is a man who might very well kill himself to save the woman he has come to love...not realizing how much his own life means to her.  Dear lord!

I reember loving Arthur the last time around, and I still do.  That scene is very touching.

And you've done a splendid job of showing how all that got set into motion, including having the plan come from Mundungus and be accepted by the Order, which didn't by itself make a lot of sense.

My heart hurts for so much that has to come!

This chapter is so quiet and sad and heart-wrenchingly beautiful. i love how their relationship has evolved throughout this story. And I love how real and nuanced you've made both Severus and Hermione. Thanks for another amazing chapter!

Well, Im sure these two will live happily ever after, *smirk*  Truthfully, neither party seems all that excited over the fact, but they must go through with it.An excellent chapter, and it looks like an interesting tale. Already, Hermione and Snape seem to be butting heads...This should be fascinating to watch.

Dumbledor can be fiesty, even as he's on the brink of dying. Great chapter! Severus seems relunctant to ask Hermione to marry him when she comes of age.He obviously feels unconfortable about it, but it is for his own good. And could buy him time.Hopefully, Snape won't back down.

Lariope! How do you write so poignantly? How can you reduce me to tears with such ease of expression? The mastery of this story is without equal in the fandom. Words can not express...well, perhaps they can, but I fail to use them in such a magical way as you do. Thank you for this beautiful chapter. I enjoyed it immensely. Severus' memories were beautiful and horrible to behold. The way you've written it, you've given his life meaning. You've given us the "why" and what he was thinking when he created that phial for Potter. Sigh. I love your work. Sadly, I did not receive a notice that your story had been updated. I never get story alerts from TPP but am unsure why. I will contact admin and see what I can do. I never want to miss an update on this fic.

Some great thinking on Minerva's part. I really enjoy her character.

Oh dear lord.  Please don't kill Snape at the end.  You've followed canon sooo closely.  It's going to break my heart if Snape dies.  *Sigh*  This is just so very lovely.  The sweetness between Hermione and Severus is so real and desperate in the midst of war.  You've done a very good job.

I love the speed with which things rae happening in this section--almost too fast to process, with that true sense of desperation that must've infused the need to get the Grangers out of harm's way.  I was tremendously touched once again by what she chose to save and by the fact that they are both able to think things through under such pressure.

I am struck once again by the brilliance of having this Snape's plan, Snape's execution--of course it had to be!  It makes no sense that Hermione would have been able to pull it all off by herself.

I am especially moved by the fatality of his thinking.  He truly doesn't expect to live through the war.  That is so painful to realize, and yet is so in character.

The first time I read this, you had me on tenterhooks, terrified of who was waiting for her at the house.  Even this time, when I knew, you were still able to hold me with the tension and danger of the situation.  I loved all the details about her parents--the people who love her, trust her, want to protect her, and matter to her.

And I adored things like his noticing in her mother the woman she will become (the bravery in moving to confront him) and the exposed ankles when his disguise is removed.

I also love things like the suggestion that the ghoul in the attic was pretty much Hermione's idea, but that Ron does rise to the occasion when it matters most (unless, later, he's wearing a Horcrux of course).

And the Fat Lady--I'm glad you gave her her moment in the sun!

Again, you make me cry.  You capture her confusion, anguish, and secrets so beautifully.

And damn Narcissa and Draco for betraying Severus like that (he can take it, and perhaps it is simply one more confirmation that he's chosen the right course of action, but damn them anyway!).

I love that he agrees to the exact letter of Voldemort's order: "Dispose of them."  He will, Voldy, he will....

Ack!  Such pain and heartache here!

This is exactly what happened--but not exactly at all, and that's what's brilliant about this whole story!  Of course they shared the last swallow of Felix!  How else could everything have happened precisely as it needed to?  Stunning!