GO MINERVA!!!! If Alastor doesn't feel properly admonished for his actions now, he has no heart at all. I think Minerva chose the snippets wisely and it served as a wake up call, not only for Alastor but for Severus as well. Maybe next time the brute will think twice before putting the "spy" in mortal peril again. The more I see interactions between Robbie and Minerva, the more I adore the two of them together. It's so clear that Robbie loves Minerva very much and I'm sure she loves him too. Their cuddle on the couch was very tender and on the verge of becoming very... warm, shall we say? haha. I feel bad that they won't get to enjoy the Tower rooms because of Alastor's stupidity!The interactions between Hermione and Snape are just too cute for words. It's easy to see how they might develop more of a relationship after she finishes school and the war is over, providing they both live. I'm glad he agreed to see her even though he wasn't all that keen on the idea to begin with.And Gareth! A delicous man in a kilt! What more could a girl ask for??? Tee hee. I'm sure the overall effect was lost on Snape but it was hilarious to see them together, especially with Gareth putting the salve on his back and giving him the massage. I bet that was awkward at first. haha.Overall, another great chappie and I'm ready for MORE! Hey, I'm not called the GLM for nothing ya know!

I appreciated Minerva's handling of Moody.  Your characters have so much integrity and history.  I've really enjoyed this story.

I think that Minerva's talk with Alastor will be very efffective - at least, I hope it will be!  That was completely wrong of him - he was just as bad as the Death Eaters.Wow - Gareth made a huge change in his attitude towards Severus - and I'm glad that Severus accepted it.  I'm quite glad that he's doing better.But I am quite curious as to the circumstances in which Robert and Minerva began their... deeper... relationship.  When did he leave Thea?  Did he give her an explanation?  Is he really in love with Minerva?

Anyway, great chatper, as always, and I look forward to the next one.  I also hope that you are able to post the epilogue to "Resolving a Misunderstanding" soon, as well!

how wonderfully minerva handled moody!  i'm not certain i could have refrained from hexing him but she was perfect.  thanks so much for this terrific story and i look forward to hermione's visit.                                     

"I do not expect or deserve your forgiveness, and the forgiveness of any others always amazes me. I do not understand it.”So true.  So sad. 

wow, he certainly pegged severus to a tee.  great update.  thanks

Fantastic.

This was a phenomenol chapter. I was really drawn in by Gareth and I can completely understand his anger towards Snape and his instant rage. It was spellbinding to sit back and watch as he got the best of Snape and was able to get rid of his anger, to some degree, only to be interrupted by Robbie. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when Robbie and/or Minerva had a little chat with Gareth. I found it incredibly moving that Gareth even went to Snape's rooms to tell him he'd have his back if push came to shove and then to go into great detail about how he once hated his Uncle Albus. I'm sure that broke both Albus and Minerva's hearts at the time. I'm just glad he was able to get over his anger and repair those bridges.It was also interesting to see Hermione's reacctions to what she'd overheard and then to offer a bit of comfort to Snape, in her own way.I love how you're developing this story and I am always looking for more! This just gets better and better with each new chapter!TTFN,GLM

Very good chapter, the tention of Severus meeting up with his past so to speak really made this chapter.  Hermione was wonderful as well.

Gareth is Malcolm's son, all right.  Whatever he feels, he feels passionately.  No wonder once Malcolm realized that he was attracted to Gertie, their romance happened pretty darn fast.Gareth was certainly like a thunderstorm rolling in, with high winds and lightning strikes, and gone just as fast.Severus' guilt has been his salvation, but it is also his Achilles heel.  He allows it to paralyze him, because he feels he deserves the punishment.People like Gareth are one of the reasons I wonder if Severus could live in Britain after his commitment to the war is finished.  There will always be someone waiting for an opportunity to make Severus pay for the deeds of the past.

Gareth understands Severus better than he does himself  I think

Superbly brilliant.  The dialogue between Snape and Gareth is terrific, and I really like seeing a believably contrite (but not sappy) Snape.  Fabulous!

Wow - that was quite an emotional chapter.  I hope that Severus one day has the chance to apologise to Gertrude.  What he did was awful, and the fact that he had wanted to entertain himself was worse.  This was a great chapter, though - very well-written, especially for such an emotional scene.

Ooh, a very good chapter; I'd been hoping for a continuation of 'the plan', but seeing what happens in the present is also good too, lol.  I really liked the conversations between Gareth & Severus in this chapter (esp. with Gareth's brutal honesty).  They were painful and true, but in a good way.  I laughed so much when Robert stopped the argument; I wonder if, for Severus, being in his debt was almost worse than the fight having ended!   Gareth seems to be quite like Malcolm: apparently careless of consequences, dedicated/loyal, & slightly whimsical (I can see Malcolm silently opening a tense conversation while the other person fumes.).  Yet, his 'more is less' & to the point policy smacks of Gertie.  A good mix.  It's clear that he's a a child of war and hurting badly; no wonder he hasn't settled (apart from youth).  An important part of him was left behind when he grew up too quickly, and he can't get it back.  Severus is the best fuel for the fire.  A great chapter; thank you for continuing this part so soon!  Looking forward to hearing more about 'the plan'.  (Even though I enjoy it, when you switch between plot lines, I'm so caught up in the previous one, that I have to re-calibrate and put the 'other' climatic ending on hold, lol.)   Thanks again!  BT

Very powerful chapter. I hope Severus connects the dots between Gareth's tale and Hermione's reaction to him. He just can't truly accept that anyone can love him--even though he can't deny that Albus did and Minerva does.Did Gareth end up actually working on any of the arithmancy calculations as Minerva refined her plan, or did he only serve as messenger to his mother? IOW, does he know the details of the plan? I imagine he and Robbie had *quite* the interesting talk after Severus left the suite. He and Minerva too. Seems their presence and words called him back to the better parts of himself. He is indeed clearly the child of both his mother and father.

Loving this story.  I like that Minerva is so staunch, yet is not shrill or inflexible.  And I am really curious about Melina's spell!

Minerva is absolutely right.  Albus is sick, clinically depressed, and unable to see alternatives anymore.  It is sad to see him in this condition.  I want to know what Melina's spell means.  I think I'll go onto the next chapter and see if the answer to my question is there.You are doing a very good job of writing deteriorating Albus.  I hope it is not based on personal life experience, but many of us draw on things we have seen family members go through.

Ack!  What a place to leave it at!  Melina casting odd and interesting spells at Minerva.  And Albus, being so unwilling to try anything...well, I'm sure Minerva can run circles around him and his tunnel vision, and am eager to see where she's going with this, involving all the family.  Maybe it'll explain the oddities with Robbie?

This chapter was a delight in many ways, despite some of the sad stories.  I actually cheered at the end when Melina cast the spell on Minerva!For some reason, that Calum is a Muggle chemist absolutely delighted me;  Murdoch and Robert with Minerva in her sitting room, and then getting all of the parchments out of Albus' view was great.  Silly, stubborn wizard (although this is the Minerva I really love:  obstinate and loving, all at the same time).The Agnus Dei has always been one of my favorite parts of the Mass;  not just for the beautiful way it is sung, but also for what it says.  That Albus would sing it often is touching and poignant to me.I am ready for the non-linear parts!  Do we get to visit Gertie at Refuge Island?  I hope so.BTW, a chapter like this one makes it easier to trust in your promise!  ;-)  Have any of the gals at CR begun reading this one?Still wowzers!  I hope you are well,Di

Oh, poor Minerva.  I can understand why Albus is defending himself so--he has set his face towards Jerusalem, and does not want any distractions or tempations from that most difficult path.  Nor does he want anything that might lead him to question his own reasoning and problem-solving in this, b/c so much hinges on it.BUT(T)....even giving him a big dose of understanding, and knowing  he has only the best motives for it, and is probably so upset he's not thinking totally clearly--still, he's treating Minerva horribly.  He comes across as both condescending and patronizing, which in any other circumstances would be intolerable (and which he would never tolerate in himself).  Minerva has done very well at keeping her frustration in check but no wonder she says she's more irked w/ him than at any other time, ever.  And what would it have cost him or his own plot to let Melina do the full exam?  Nothing at all.  It's as if he's drawing a line in the sand just to prove to Minerva that he will NOT be told what to do, even by her, even when there is no apparent down-side to complying.  Which is really treating her and her love for him quite shabbily and being incredibly arrogant.  He is refusing to believe there is anything that she might be capable of thinking of that he has not.  If, after the exam and her revealing part of her plot to him, he'd balked, that would be understandable.  But to balk this early is just being stubborn, and doubting both her intelligence and her love. On top of having deceived and lied to her for months.  I can see why on some level he questioned whether she'd still stand by him--deep down he must realize how badly he's treating her and how much he's offending and even insulting her. Even though his motive is love, the manifestations do not appear loving.On other matters, it's sweet to know that Gertrude and Malcolm had a child.  Sounds like they waited about 7 yrs into their relationship to do so, so neither one was young, esp. not Gertrude, who would have been in her late 60s.  Even for witches that must be late in the child-bearing years.  Gertrudes existence does sound very bleak; maybe being involved in this will give her something to engage her mind and heart.  She surely still loves Albus and will want to help him and also to know the outcome.Hmm....doing the math, sounds like Gareth lost his father even younger than Robbie lost his?  I imagine the two half-brothers are pretty close despite being several generations apart in age.  And no wonder Gareth is a bit of a wild thing--hes his fathers son, plus perhaps  having some issues about losing his father so young  And then Gertrude was maimed when Gareth was only around 16 or 17, and evidently has never come close to mending emotionally.  Poor boy.  Amazing hes turned out at all well.  (Did Robbie and Thea  help raise him after Malcolm died, and even moreso after Gertrude was attacked? And of course Im sure Albus and Minerva tried to do as much as they could, but they were in the middle of VoldWar I.)  Sorry about the AWOL apostrophes--my keyboard has gone mental.

Good chapter, I'm enjoying the banter between Albus and Minerva, and I'm wondering if you will change canon (which is my hope).

Good for Minerva (and Melina)!  Poor Albus - he really won't know what's hit him.  Such a black comedy, seeing him try to out-manouver Minverva McGonagall on such an important matter!!  His protests were painful to 'listen' to; but, that's what happens when someone thinks that they know the best....  So nice to see the plan in action. 

The details that you've worked in about Melina, Gertie & their families (esp. Gareth) are wonderful, if occasionally sad; as always, a great job dropping details without disturbing tone (I felt especially proud of Melina, when I read that, lol.).  And, while it was a dreadful thing they argued about, it was nice to see them try to make the best of one 'last' evening.    (To add, the booby-trapped candy drawer sounds like a very fun vignette; what would have made her so enraged?)  Thanks for the update!   

So Gertrude is living on Albus and Minerva's island?  That is quite a good hiding place.I do wish that Albus would do what Minerva is asking of him - he does have "tunnel vision" as this point, it seems, and it certainly seems to be making it more difficult for Minerva.  I wonder what the effects of the spell Melina cast will be?

This was a great chapter, as always, but very sad.  I feel so bad for everyone in this story!

Great job, as always, and I hope that you are able to update soon!

This was such a very moving chapter and it really had me empathizing with both main characters.I am very much intrigued by Minerva's plans for Albus and even more so after meeting with so many different people with various talents. She's obviously orchestrating something intense and I wish she could make Albus put a little more faith in her plans, despite being kept in the dark. I think it was very clear that she's feeling a bit hurt by his lack of cooperation, especially when she presented him with the poem he'd written for her decades ago. That was so sad.Albus, on the other hand, has such a logical mind that I'm sure he feels he's exhausted all avenues. I find myself getting a bit frustrated with him for not "humoring Minerva" more. If he'd consented to the medical tests from Melina, he oculd have spared them both an argument and it woudl have moved him closer to finding out what Minerva's got up her sleeves. I know he's trying to spare them both as much pain as possible but at times it feels as if he's making things harder for Minerva.Albus singing Agnus Dei from Barber's Adagio would have been utterly amazing, beautiful and incredibly moving to say the least. It's such an amazing piece of music and it truly touches the soul. No wonder it had Minerva in tears.Melina is awesome. I'm anxiously awaiting the results of the spell she cast as well as the fallout when Albus realizes what's been done. WOO HOO! Silly wizard should have known Minerva gave in too easily before he went for his walk. tee hee.Hope to see more soon!GLM

Now he will have to cooperate if I remember that spell correctly  from before