I wasn't thinking specifically of stem cell research debates, though that would be a very good example of the sort of real world debate I had in mind -- quite apt, actually. Thanks for noticing!

I wasn't thinking specifically of stem cell research debates, though that would be a very good example of the sort of real world debate I had in mind -- quite apt, actually. Thanks for noticing!

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a good one!Severus is under a lot of strain, physically, mentally, and emotionally, as Robbie points out. Hard for anyone to be even-tempered, but when you're already prone to it, whether from nature or from some maladaptive habit, it'd be really tough.Glad you liked to see Gareth again! He'll show up again before the end.Thanks for the review!

Happy Birthday! I hope you have a good one!Severus is under a lot of strain, physically, mentally, and emotionally, as Robbie points out. Hard for anyone to be even-tempered, but when you're already prone to it, whether from nature or from some maladaptive habit, it'd be really tough.Glad you liked to see Gareth again! He'll show up again before the end.Thanks for the review!

Given everything else on his mind, I guess we can't blame Severus too much for having a hard time with that, particularly since he tends to have a lot of resentment whenever he feels that he should feel grateful for something. He's not used to people who don't want double payment for anything they might do for him. And he does have a tendency to impute motives to Gareth that he himself would have. But he and Gareth are approaching an understanding of each other, and Gareth is able to be good for him in a different way than Minerva, Robbie, and Hermione are.Thanks for the review!

Given everything else on his mind, I guess we can't blame Severus too much for having a hard time with that, particularly since he tends to have a lot of resentment whenever he feels that he should feel grateful for something. He's not used to people who don't want double payment for anything they might do for him. And he does have a tendency to impute motives to Gareth that he himself would have. But he and Gareth are approaching an understanding of each other, and Gareth is able to be good for him in a different way than Minerva, Robbie, and Hermione are.Thanks for the review!

I'm glad you like the development in their relationship, and that you enjoyed the chapter.Thank you for reviewing!

I'm glad you like the development in their relationship, and that you enjoyed the chapter.Thank you for reviewing!

Thanks! Yes, there is progress in the relationships. And Gareth has hope for Severus's future.Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it.

Thanks! Yes, there is progress in the relationships. And Gareth has hope for Severus's future.Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked it.

Thank you -- the applejack brandy is very welcome!Severus does have something to live for, and he has motivations that go beyond that event which originally motivated him to turn to Dumbledore years before. That motivating factor will always remain pivotal in his life, and it shaped the last 18+ years, but despite the near-limbo he was in during the years he awaited Voldemort's return, he did not remain frozen in time. His life and his outlook have not remained static, and if he lives, he has the possibility for a future.  Severus also has supports that he either only dimly recognizes or acknowledges or that are invisible to him.Thanks for the review!

Thank you -- the applejack brandy is very welcome!Severus does have something to live for, and he has motivations that go beyond that event which originally motivated him to turn to Dumbledore years before. That motivating factor will always remain pivotal in his life, and it shaped the last 18+ years, but despite the near-limbo he was in during the years he awaited Voldemort's return, he did not remain frozen in time. His life and his outlook have not remained static, and if he lives, he has the possibility for a future.  Severus also has supports that he either only dimly recognizes or acknowledges or that are invisible to him.Thanks for the review!

I'm glad you were able to catch the chapter before your holiday. I hope you enjoy it!Yes, things have not eased up for Severus, and he is in a terrible position.Glad you like the way the RaM universe stories tie together. Thanks!Thank you for reviewing!

I'm glad you were able to catch the chapter before your holiday. I hope you enjoy it!Yes, things have not eased up for Severus, and he is in a terrible position.Glad you like the way the RaM universe stories tie together. Thanks!Thank you for reviewing!

Gareth has hope for Severus, too.You're welcome! Thanks for reviewing!

Gareth has hope for Severus, too.You're welcome! Thanks for reviewing!

Sorry about causing you to lose your train of thought!Minerva is steeling herself, working very hard at maintaining her self-control, particularly in public, but also with Albus. If Albus minimises to Minerva the extent to which he is uncomfortable, she is trying not to upset him by letting go and crying. Albus knows that she is suffering, even if she says nothing, but they are both trying to encourage each other, and they both need courage here. She does have her "off-screen" moments of weakness, but she tries to avoid even those, since she thinks it will just make everything more difficult for her. Of course, things remain difficult, even months later, and until it's all over, she will still be under significant stress.I think it is good for Albus to see how much he is genuinely loved by many of the people around him, as you say, and not just as some iconic figure, but as a himself.I am glad that you appreciate those lines of Minerva's, how she now understands how it was that Albus could develop tunnel vision. I think it provides some insight into their individual struggles with their responsibilities. And, as you also point out, Albus, who is used to acting in a more solitary fashion, sees the benefit of drawing on the strengths of others. In some ways, that Minerva doesn't have the gifts that Albus has -- the gifts that both give him great abilities and give him a strong sense of responsibility to use them for others' welfare -- that's a strength for her, since she knows this and draws on the assistance and strength of other people. And it certainly shows how far she has come in understanding Albus's mindset when it came to the Vow, the curse, Harry, etc.Yes, Albus does find out what happened to his father. But that's for another story . . .Yes, poor Severus . . . it was all so difficult for him.There is a sequel, which I work on when I don't feel up to working on DD, but I won't say any more than that!Thank you for your review -- tear stains are acceptable!

I meant to say in my first review:"His world was becoming smaller, until eventually, it would consist only of his bed."This is such the perfect sentence.  Perhaps not one of the most outwardly emotive moments in the chapter, but it says so much, and so accurately, about the progression of such an illness and the losses that accumulate long before the ultimate loss.I also note that you allude to the effects of low O2 levels...and Albus's thoughts do seem to meander a bit at times in this chapter...which is most convenient for giving us details that we need <vbg> but also very true to life. Similarly to what Hypnobarb (?) said in an earlier review, I'm sorry you can write this chapter so well...

Thanks. I thought that line encapsulated something of his experience and the experiences of countless others.Thank you!

Sorry about causing you to lose your train of thought!Minerva is steeling herself, working very hard at maintaining her self-control, particularly in public, but also with Albus. If Albus minimises to Minerva the extent to which he is uncomfortable, she is trying not to upset him by letting go and crying. Albus knows that she is suffering, even if she says nothing, but they are both trying to encourage each other, and they both need courage here. She does have her "off-screen" moments of weakness, but she tries to avoid even those, since she thinks it will just make everything more difficult for her. Of course, things remain difficult, even months later, and until it's all over, she will still be under significant stress.I think it is good for Albus to see how much he is genuinely loved by many of the people around him, as you say, and not just as some iconic figure, but as a himself.I am glad that you appreciate those lines of Minerva's, how she now understands how it was that Albus could develop tunnel vision. I think it provides some insight into their individual struggles with their responsibilities. And, as you also point out, Albus, who is used to acting in a more solitary fashion, sees the benefit of drawing on the strengths of others. In some ways, that Minerva doesn't have the gifts that Albus has -- the gifts that both give him great abilities and give him a strong sense of responsibility to use them for others' welfare -- that's a strength for her, since she knows this and draws on the assistance and strength of other people. And it certainly shows how far she has come in understanding Albus's mindset when it came to the Vow, the curse, Harry, etc.Yes, Albus does find out what happened to his father. But that's for another story . . .Yes, poor Severus . . . it was all so difficult for him.There is a sequel, which I work on when I don't feel up to working on DD, but I won't say any more than that!Thank you for your review -- tear stains are acceptable!

I meant to say in my first review:"His world was becoming smaller, until eventually, it would consist only of his bed."This is such the perfect sentence.  Perhaps not one of the most outwardly emotive moments in the chapter, but it says so much, and so accurately, about the progression of such an illness and the losses that accumulate long before the ultimate loss.I also note that you allude to the effects of low O2 levels...and Albus's thoughts do seem to meander a bit at times in this chapter...which is most convenient for giving us details that we need <vbg> but also very true to life. Similarly to what Hypnobarb (?) said in an earlier review, I'm sorry you can write this chapter so well...

Thanks. I thought that line encapsulated something of his experience and the experiences of countless others.Thank you!

You have my deepest apologies for the lack of a hanky alert!This chapter was a harder one to write than some of the others, you're right. I also really wanted to get certain things "right," and needed to be in the right frame of mind to do that -- connected to it but not bogged down by it, if you know what I mean.I hope you enjoy your tea! Glad you liked the chapter, even though it was lacking that hanky alert!

You have my deepest apologies for the lack of a hanky alert!This chapter was a harder one to write than some of the others, you're right. I also really wanted to get certain things "right," and needed to be in the right frame of mind to do that -- connected to it but not bogged down by it, if you know what I mean.I hope you enjoy your tea! Glad you liked the chapter, even though it was lacking that hanky alert!

You're welcome! I'm very glad that you are enjoying it so much!Thank you for letting me know you like it! I appreciate it.

You're welcome! I'm very glad that you are enjoying it so much!Thank you for letting me know you like it! I appreciate it.

So sorry about letting you get all choked up without a tissue warning!I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and especially Severus's chat with Albus at the end.Thanks for the review!

So sorry about letting you get all choked up without a tissue warning!I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and especially Severus's chat with Albus at the end.Thanks for the review!

Albus would be kind of orchestral, much as the metaphor in RaM describes it -- and what it would play . . . that would vary over the years, I think. Maybe at this point, something like the second movement of Beethoven's 7th -- also mentioned in that chapter in RaM where they attend a concert.The Saint-Saens' organ symphony is certainly quite evocotive in a similar way to what I was intending, so I guess the description worked okay! :-)I'm glad you liked the chapter so well -- and the Arithmancy bits.A kinder, gentler RL would certainly be very welcome right now!Thanks very much for your review!

Albus would be kind of orchestral, much as the metaphor in RaM describes it -- and what it would play . . . that would vary over the years, I think. Maybe at this point, something like the second movement of Beethoven's 7th -- also mentioned in that chapter in RaM where they attend a concert.The Saint-Saens' organ symphony is certainly quite evocotive in a similar way to what I was intending, so I guess the description worked okay! :-)I'm glad you liked the chapter so well -- and the Arithmancy bits.A kinder, gentler RL would certainly be very welcome right now!Thanks very much for your review!

Thank you! I am very glad you liked it so well!

Thank you! I am very glad you liked it so well!

I'm glad! You're welcome!

I'm glad! You're welcome!

Sorry for causing the typing difficulties!I am glad that you liked the gifts, and the watch was deliberately chosen to evoke what you sensed, so I'm pleased the image is strong in your brain.Thanks very much for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

Sorry for causing the typing difficulties!I am glad that you liked the gifts, and the watch was deliberately chosen to evoke what you sensed, so I'm pleased the image is strong in your brain.Thanks very much for the review! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!

You're welcome. I figure he deserves something more than a narrow existence and a more narrow soul, and some human warmth directed toward him, as well.Thank you for your review!

You're welcome. I figure he deserves something more than a narrow existence and a more narrow soul, and some human warmth directed toward him, as well.Thank you for your review!

I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. It is certainly hard on both Albus and Minerva, as you say.I am glad you liked the scene with the gifts, and you liked the gifts that Albus gave.Thanks for your review! I'm hoping to update at least every two weeks -- more frequently if I can. RL and all that.

I'm very glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. It is certainly hard on both Albus and Minerva, as you say.I am glad you liked the scene with the gifts, and you liked the gifts that Albus gave.Thanks for your review! I'm hoping to update at least every two weeks -- more frequently if I can. RL and all that.

Robert's not her nephew. He is Gertrude's son, but he's not a blood-relation to Minerva. And do you really believe I would write a Minerva who would allow herself to be used? Severus's point-of-view is biased, and the events could have quite a different interpretation if seen from the p.o.v. of Minerva or someone else.   Perspective is important in this story.

Used, probably not :), him being able to take advantage of her while she's distraught and under immense amounts of stress running a school, running Harry and co., running the order, and grieving, yes.  He may not be entirely selfish, but so far it seems to me that he is fulfilling his personal selfish desires more than he is trying to help her.  That is, he's thinking of himself first and her second.  That doesn't mean that he isn't thinking of her well being at all, but he is putting his own first. IIf a lady says not now that means not now.  Him not respecting her response is what gets me.  Even if she hadn't completely meant it, she still pushed him away.  But we shall see what happens.  I read Acts of Love, but not RaM so learning more eventually will clear up my speculations and change my opinion.  This is all my immediate reaction, so I probably ought to keep reading no?   I did start to read RAM when I saw that it was connected to this one.  I've read stories that were longer, but in all honesty I don't know if I could read anything that long that didn't have Severus in it.  He and Remus are very much my favorites. 

"This is all my immediate reaction, so I probably ought to keep reading no?"Oh, yes! It is a puzzle, so definitely keep reading! And Minerva didn't push Robbie away. She raised her hands to touch him, but it was Severus's notion that it was "as if to push him away." Minerva might have something different to say about what she was thinking and feeling at that moment. (Well, she would have . . . LOL!)You might actually enjoy RaM even w/o Severus. Just eat it one bite at a time! haha! There's a version on ffnet that is "T-rated," and the later chapters are edited for the mature content, if you might prefer to read it over there. It's not as polished in the first chapters as it is on TPP, though, and the chapter numbering is different because the ffnet version started off as my draft version, but I eventually started posting the polished version of the chapters to all the sites. Anyhow, it's up to you!

Robert's not her nephew. He is Gertrude's son, but he's not a blood-relation to Minerva. And do you really believe I would write a Minerva who would allow herself to be used? Severus's point-of-view is biased, and the events could have quite a different interpretation if seen from the p.o.v. of Minerva or someone else.   Perspective is important in this story.

Used, probably not :), him being able to take advantage of her while she's distraught and under immense amounts of stress running a school, running Harry and co., running the order, and grieving, yes.  He may not be entirely selfish, but so far it seems to me that he is fulfilling his personal selfish desires more than he is trying to help her.  That is, he's thinking of himself first and her second.  That doesn't mean that he isn't thinking of her well being at all, but he is putting his own first. IIf a lady says not now that means not now.  Him not respecting her response is what gets me.  Even if she hadn't completely meant it, she still pushed him away.  But we shall see what happens.  I read Acts of Love, but not RaM so learning more eventually will clear up my speculations and change my opinion.  This is all my immediate reaction, so I probably ought to keep reading no?   I did start to read RAM when I saw that it was connected to this one.  I've read stories that were longer, but in all honesty I don't know if I could read anything that long that didn't have Severus in it.  He and Remus are very much my favorites. 

"This is all my immediate reaction, so I probably ought to keep reading no?"Oh, yes! It is a puzzle, so definitely keep reading! And Minerva didn't push Robbie away. She raised her hands to touch him, but it was Severus's notion that it was "as if to push him away." Minerva might have something different to say about what she was thinking and feeling at that moment. (Well, she would have . . . LOL!)You might actually enjoy RaM even w/o Severus. Just eat it one bite at a time! haha! There's a version on ffnet that is "T-rated," and the later chapters are edited for the mature content, if you might prefer to read it over there. It's not as polished in the first chapters as it is on TPP, though, and the chapter numbering is different because the ffnet version started off as my draft version, but I eventually started posting the polished version of the chapters to all the sites. Anyhow, it's up to you!

Nope, the man in the shadows was Robbie. I don't think I put the wrong name down, but I'll double-check, since it's always possible! (I have occasionally typed "Minerva," when I meant "Hermione," but I catch that easily.) Robbie is teaching DADA and MacAirt is teaching Transfiguration, so maybe that's what you misremembered from the conversation in the car, and it confused you. (Harry asked if he would be teaching Transfiguration again, and Robbie said, no, MacAirt would be, and he would be there in another capacity.)MacAirt and Crouch are familiar to people who read RaM, so they have a little more knowledge of their characters, but not much.

Here is the paragraph from the previous chapter:. . . this interloper was now the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Severus had protested his appointment strenuously. The man had been an apothecary in Amsterdam, for Merlin’s sake, not an Auror. He may have fought against Grindelwald, but that had been decades before. When the previous June, Minerva had announced to the staff that Alroy MacAirt was going to teach Transfiguration beginning in September and step into the position of Gryffindor Head of House, Severus had anticipated continuing to teach Defence.Crouch, the apothecary, become Defence teacher, MacAirt becomes the Transfiguration teacher, and it is the Defence teacher, Crouch, who is sitting in the shadows. And it's not obvious here, but MacAirt is a good deal younger than Crouch and had been a student of Minerva's. Crouch is slightly older than Minerva.

That makes more sense.  However, in connection to my most recent review (of number seven) review, I really thought that Robbie's mother (who Severus lowered the apparition wards for when she was severly wounded) married Minerva's brother.  That was a second marriage (I thought) but I was under the impression that Robbie was from that second marriage making Minerva a blood relation of his.  But if Robbie is slightly older than Minerva, the time interval between her and her brother would have to be rather large, so I suppose it's more logical to assume that Robbie is from the first marriage making him not a genetic relation of Minerva.  If that's so (so many if's and I think's!) than I feel decidedly better about Robbie and Minerva having sex, although I still think Robbie has selfish swine tendencies.

As Robert tells Severus when they first meet, his father was killed by Grindelwald and then years later, his mother remarried Minerva's brother.In the chapter where Severus meets Robert, Robert tells him:“Yes, my father, brave Gryffindor that he was, spoke against Grindelwald, and Grindelwald killed him personally. That was in nineteen thirty-five.” The stranger’s words were careful and precise but oddly accented, the speech of an English expatriate who had spent almost his entire life abroad, man and boy, rarely speaking his mother-tongue. “Then in nineteen seventy-nine, my mother was targeted . . . .”And then later:“But – your father – ” [Severus said.]“Was killed by Grindelwald. Then she found happiness with another, after many years. But he was a brave Gryffindor, too, and not one to shirk his duty. He was killed before you left Hogwarts. You wouldn’t remember Malcolm McGonagall or his assassination the day before his wedding anniversary. You were still a student,” Crouch said softly. “Though you would not have observed Minerva’s grief, as her brother was murdered in July. The July before your . . . seventh year, I believe.”

In Resolving a Misunderstanding, Minerva meets Robert for the first time (in 1957), and then Gertrude (Robert's mother) meets Malcolm (Minerva's brother) a little later in the story, just FYI.Hope that helps clarify for ya!

Nope, the man in the shadows was Robbie. I don't think I put the wrong name down, but I'll double-check, since it's always possible! (I have occasionally typed "Minerva," when I meant "Hermione," but I catch that easily.) Robbie is teaching DADA and MacAirt is teaching Transfiguration, so maybe that's what you misremembered from the conversation in the car, and it confused you. (Harry asked if he would be teaching Transfiguration again, and Robbie said, no, MacAirt would be, and he would be there in another capacity.)MacAirt and Crouch are familiar to people who read RaM, so they have a little more knowledge of their characters, but not much.

Here is the paragraph from the previous chapter:. . . this interloper was now the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Severus had protested his appointment strenuously. The man had been an apothecary in Amsterdam, for Merlin’s sake, not an Auror. He may have fought against Grindelwald, but that had been decades before. When the previous June, Minerva had announced to the staff that Alroy MacAirt was going to teach Transfiguration beginning in September and step into the position of Gryffindor Head of House, Severus had anticipated continuing to teach Defence.Crouch, the apothecary, become Defence teacher, MacAirt becomes the Transfiguration teacher, and it is the Defence teacher, Crouch, who is sitting in the shadows. And it's not obvious here, but MacAirt is a good deal younger than Crouch and had been a student of Minerva's. Crouch is slightly older than Minerva.

That makes more sense.  However, in connection to my most recent review (of number seven) review, I really thought that Robbie's mother (who Severus lowered the apparition wards for when she was severly wounded) married Minerva's brother.  That was a second marriage (I thought) but I was under the impression that Robbie was from that second marriage making Minerva a blood relation of his.  But if Robbie is slightly older than Minerva, the time interval between her and her brother would have to be rather large, so I suppose it's more logical to assume that Robbie is from the first marriage making him not a genetic relation of Minerva.  If that's so (so many if's and I think's!) than I feel decidedly better about Robbie and Minerva having sex, although I still think Robbie has selfish swine tendencies.

As Robert tells Severus when they first meet, his father was killed by Grindelwald and then years later, his mother remarried Minerva's brother.In the chapter where Severus meets Robert, Robert tells him:“Yes, my father, brave Gryffindor that he was, spoke against Grindelwald, and Grindelwald killed him personally. That was in nineteen thirty-five.” The stranger’s words were careful and precise but oddly accented, the speech of an English expatriate who had spent almost his entire life abroad, man and boy, rarely speaking his mother-tongue. “Then in nineteen seventy-nine, my mother was targeted . . . .”And then later:“But – your father – ” [Severus said.]“Was killed by Grindelwald. Then she found happiness with another, after many years. But he was a brave Gryffindor, too, and not one to shirk his duty. He was killed before you left Hogwarts. You wouldn’t remember Malcolm McGonagall or his assassination the day before his wedding anniversary. You were still a student,” Crouch said softly. “Though you would not have observed Minerva’s grief, as her brother was murdered in July. The July before your . . . seventh year, I believe.”

In Resolving a Misunderstanding, Minerva meets Robert for the first time (in 1957), and then Gertrude (Robert's mother) meets Malcolm (Minerva's brother) a little later in the story, just FYI.Hope that helps clarify for ya!

The story is deliberately nonlinear, unlike my other stories, which are constructed in a more traditional manner. Your questions will all be answered! It's something of a puzzle to be put together, different strands of the story, different perspectives, etc., all eventually contributing to the whole. It is not the best format for serialized fiction, and probably works a lot better with a completed work. Chapters 1 through 4 all proceed chronologically, but unlike Resolving a Misunderstanding and An Act of Love, I am not giving an almost day-by-day (or even hour-by-hour!) account. It's psychology-driven, much like Act of Love was, but with a more modern, nonlinear construction, and it's not very event- or action-driven, the way that Misunderstanding was, though that was still a very character-driven story. DD is definitely not Action/Adventure! haha! The Prologue, showing the funeral, sets up a particular, central event, and the story branches out from that, like spokes of a wheel. The summary and first paragraphs of each chapter should clue a reader in about the time frame for the events of the chapter, in most cases. Anyway, the construction has been thought-out, and the choices of where the chapters are placed are deliberate. I think that once the entire story is up, the structure of the story will all click into place. (BTW, if you think this is confusing, read As I Lay Dying or Slaughterhouse Five, and my little fic -- which I would never compare in quality to either of those! -- will seem postively transparent! haha!)Thanks for your review! (If you take a look at some of my other review responses for the chapters you have read, you might find them interesting. Or not!) I hope you continue to enjoy it, even if you are occasionally puzzled!

The story is deliberately nonlinear, unlike my other stories, which are constructed in a more traditional manner. Your questions will all be answered! It's something of a puzzle to be put together, different strands of the story, different perspectives, etc., all eventually contributing to the whole. It is not the best format for serialized fiction, and probably works a lot better with a completed work. Chapters 1 through 4 all proceed chronologically, but unlike Resolving a Misunderstanding and An Act of Love, I am not giving an almost day-by-day (or even hour-by-hour!) account. It's psychology-driven, much like Act of Love was, but with a more modern, nonlinear construction, and it's not very event- or action-driven, the way that Misunderstanding was, though that was still a very character-driven story. DD is definitely not Action/Adventure! haha! The Prologue, showing the funeral, sets up a particular, central event, and the story branches out from that, like spokes of a wheel. The summary and first paragraphs of each chapter should clue a reader in about the time frame for the events of the chapter, in most cases. Anyway, the construction has been thought-out, and the choices of where the chapters are placed are deliberate. I think that once the entire story is up, the structure of the story will all click into place. (BTW, if you think this is confusing, read As I Lay Dying or Slaughterhouse Five, and my little fic -- which I would never compare in quality to either of those! -- will seem postively transparent! haha!)Thanks for your review! (If you take a look at some of my other review responses for the chapters you have read, you might find them interesting. Or not!) I hope you continue to enjoy it, even if you are occasionally puzzled!

Severus definitely needs a hug! (And you're right about most people on the planet, too, IMHO! :-))Thanks for the review!

Severus definitely needs a hug! (And you're right about most people on the planet, too, IMHO! :-))Thanks for the review!

Yes, somehow Gareth, as paradoxical as it might seem at first, is able to understand and relate to Snape in a way that helps draw him out. They are related to each other in a strange way. And that Gareth brings him dessert, a food meant for enjoyment and not mere sustenance, and then Hermione encourages him to eat it is reflective of his "soul getting fed a little," as you put it. Poor guy has not had very much of a normal life, and you're right, it's a wonder he hasn't starved to death!Thanks much for the review!

Thanks, except that it was good for him, and it did give him a chance to say something, which he wouldn't have if he didn't want to. He and Gareth are developing a relationship. One with an odd start to it, but I think you can see it's there in nascent form. Hope you like the coming parts more.

Don't get me wrong.  I didn't dislike it, just felt empathy for Severus. 

Thanks