Thanks. I'm glad you liked the award!

Thanks. I'm glad you liked the award!

Lots of shocks for Severus in just a few days, and that final one was a doozy!Harry didn't do too badly at evading, considering! LOL! He almost let the cat out of the bag -- or should it be the phoenix? haha -- but he corrected at the last second.Thanks for reviewing!

Lots of shocks for Severus in just a few days, and that final one was a doozy!Harry didn't do too badly at evading, considering! LOL! He almost let the cat out of the bag -- or should it be the phoenix? haha -- but he corrected at the last second.Thanks for reviewing!

Hi! Glad you found it exciting -- and I understand wanting to move on to find out who lived, died, etc! Thanks! :-)

Hi! Glad you found it exciting -- and I understand wanting to move on to find out who lived, died, etc! Thanks! :-)

The circumvention works exactly the same as was outlined in chap 11, "Break in the sun," with the only difference being the one that Minerva threw in.Yeah, I thought that was a nice little stream-of-consciousness bit there with Kingsley. ;-) Hermione may be in the thick of the war, in a sense, and taking on a lot of responsibility, but she's still a teenage girl, as you say!Thanks for reviewing!

The circumvention works exactly the same as was outlined in chap 11, "Break in the sun," with the only difference being the one that Minerva threw in.Yeah, I thought that was a nice little stream-of-consciousness bit there with Kingsley. ;-) Hermione may be in the thick of the war, in a sense, and taking on a lot of responsibility, but she's still a teenage girl, as you say!Thanks for reviewing!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked the way the story ended. Severus has set off on a new journey, and he will, as you say, have to reinvent himself.

Thanks for all of your reviews! I've really appreciated them.

Thank you! I'm glad you liked the way the story ended. Severus has set off on a new journey, and he will, as you say, have to reinvent himself.

Thanks for all of your reviews! I've really appreciated them.

Thank you for all your reviews! I've really appreciated them. They have been very encouraging.

I'm glad you liked the epilogue! And you're right about healing and suffering . . .

Thank you for all your reviews! I've really appreciated them. They have been very encouraging.

I'm glad you liked the epilogue! And you're right about healing and suffering . . .

Thank you! I remember when I was a kid and visited older family, I'd love to just sit in a corner and listen to them talk.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you! I remember when I was a kid and visited older family, I'd love to just sit in a corner and listen to them talk.

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you again!

Thank you again!

Thanks.

Oh, and I still haven't quite decided what to do with the sequel. I'll likely not decide that until I've finished it. It's up to about . . . maybe 375 now? Anyway, keep an eye out here and/or on my LJ to see news of it.(Now off to find some cold medicine . . . and another box of kleenex tissues.)

And that should be "375 pages" -- my brain isn't working very well at the moment.

Thanks.

Oh, and I still haven't quite decided what to do with the sequel. I'll likely not decide that until I've finished it. It's up to about . . . maybe 375 now? Anyway, keep an eye out here and/or on my LJ to see news of it.(Now off to find some cold medicine . . . and another box of kleenex tissues.)

And that should be "375 pages" -- my brain isn't working very well at the moment.

Thank you! Your line about the grandchildren lining up for the Hogwarts Express had me grinning.I'm very glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks forthe review!

Thank you! Your line about the grandchildren lining up for the Hogwarts Express had me grinning.I'm very glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks forthe review!

Hi,

!That is a very interesting theory! I like it! You are right that Robbie does seem to know a lot about Severus and be fond of him! (You're quite a sharp-eyed reader, I'd say.)I'm glad that you're enjoying the story!

Hi,

!That is a very interesting theory! I like it! You are right that Robbie does seem to know a lot about Severus and be fond of him! (You're quite a sharp-eyed reader, I'd say.)I'm glad that you're enjoying the story!

I'm glad you liked the way the various bits were tied up in this chapter, and that you liked the scene between Severus and Gertrude. I thought that was important, too.Thanks for reviewing!

I'm glad you liked the way the various bits were tied up in this chapter, and that you liked the scene between Severus and Gertrude. I thought that was important, too.Thanks for reviewing!

Awww! What a wonderful "squee"! I've never had such a squee before! I had to laugh, blush, and get the warm fuzzies all at once. I'm very glad I could make you happy!That's so funny about The Princess Bride! I love that movie, but I hadn't thought of that scene in conjunction with this. You're right: that is very funny!Albus hadn't entirely planned to tell Severus anything about his relationship with Minerva when he was Robbie, but he'd promised Minerva (and it was important to him, as well), that he'd be as open as possible with Severus and answer all his questions. Severus asked about the relationship between him and Minerva, and so he answered it. He wants Severus to understand the situation as well as he can, considering he'd spent more than a year thinking that Robbie was Robert Crouch and had so much to process.Severus is stubborn. He also has a lot of habitual ways of behaving, and they were developed in different circumstances than the ones in which he finds himself now, and a lot of them aren't very healthy, even under the former circumstances. He had opened up to the idea of changing a little, though, but he had also believed that he would be dead by now. His decision to tell Hermione to address him by his first name and to tell her that he was grateful for her friendship was motivated by the fact that he thought he would die. Now he will hopefully realize that living more like that all of the time, even though it makes him vulnerable, is a good thing.I'm glad you like Gareth. I think that if Severus hadn't shut down and tossed him out, he would have been a good listener for Severus. Of course, Severus might not really know what to say yet.Gertrude still has a bit of fear -- viscera and subconscious fear -- associated with Severus even if intellectually she can feel "free" to be in his presence, if you know what I mean. Kind of like someone who's had a frightening escape from a fire surrounding them and has an autonomic reaction to the scent of smoke or the sight of large flames. You can force yourself to face it and act in contradiction to what your body is telling you to do, but the first few times is hard. So even if she's forgiven him, and even if she knows she has no reason to fear him and he would do nothing to her, she might still feel a sense of anxiety or fear when she sees him, particularly close-up.I'm glad you had a laugh about the clandestine meetings! Yes, Hermione doesn't know where her parents are. That's the trouble with messing with people's memories and not being able to keep an eye on them or contact them. Hee! Thank you again for the gigantic squee! It made me smile!Hugs & hearts to you, too!

Awww! What a wonderful "squee"! I've never had such a squee before! I had to laugh, blush, and get the warm fuzzies all at once. I'm very glad I could make you happy!That's so funny about The Princess Bride! I love that movie, but I hadn't thought of that scene in conjunction with this. You're right: that is very funny!Albus hadn't entirely planned to tell Severus anything about his relationship with Minerva when he was Robbie, but he'd promised Minerva (and it was important to him, as well), that he'd be as open as possible with Severus and answer all his questions. Severus asked about the relationship between him and Minerva, and so he answered it. He wants Severus to understand the situation as well as he can, considering he'd spent more than a year thinking that Robbie was Robert Crouch and had so much to process.Severus is stubborn. He also has a lot of habitual ways of behaving, and they were developed in different circumstances than the ones in which he finds himself now, and a lot of them aren't very healthy, even under the former circumstances. He had opened up to the idea of changing a little, though, but he had also believed that he would be dead by now. His decision to tell Hermione to address him by his first name and to tell her that he was grateful for her friendship was motivated by the fact that he thought he would die. Now he will hopefully realize that living more like that all of the time, even though it makes him vulnerable, is a good thing.I'm glad you like Gareth. I think that if Severus hadn't shut down and tossed him out, he would have been a good listener for Severus. Of course, Severus might not really know what to say yet.Gertrude still has a bit of fear -- viscera and subconscious fear -- associated with Severus even if intellectually she can feel "free" to be in his presence, if you know what I mean. Kind of like someone who's had a frightening escape from a fire surrounding them and has an autonomic reaction to the scent of smoke or the sight of large flames. You can force yourself to face it and act in contradiction to what your body is telling you to do, but the first few times is hard. So even if she's forgiven him, and even if she knows she has no reason to fear him and he would do nothing to her, she might still feel a sense of anxiety or fear when she sees him, particularly close-up.I'm glad you had a laugh about the clandestine meetings! Yes, Hermione doesn't know where her parents are. That's the trouble with messing with people's memories and not being able to keep an eye on them or contact them. Hee! Thank you again for the gigantic squee! It made me smile!Hugs & hearts to you, too!

"Whew!  Okay, I am super excited, because as soon as I review this I get to read the last chapter you posted.  I have been punishing myself for not reviewing sooner by withholding that last one. (& no, I am not a house-elf, lol)"As long as you don't start ironing your ears! LOL!I appreciate your dedication to reviewing! It's always great, especially since you note what things you enjoyed as you were reading. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I'm glad you're enjoying the windingness of it all and the way it's gradually unfolding. Yes, Gareth's still Gareth, or as Severus might put it, he's as intolerable as ever! hahaYeah, poor Severus. At least he wasn't presented with the farcical "spaghetti" I got in the hospital. It was extra fat spaghetti, already cold, with tomato puree poured over it. Only tomato puree. No herbs or spices, let alone any other ingredients. It was completely inedible. *shudder*Glad you enjoyed the chapter! Many thanks for the review! It really lifted my spirits on a day that has actually turned out fairly . . . hmm, can't think of a polite word. Wouldn't want to relive its low point, anyway. So, thank you! You're an angel! 

"Whew!  Okay, I am super excited, because as soon as I review this I get to read the last chapter you posted.  I have been punishing myself for not reviewing sooner by withholding that last one. (& no, I am not a house-elf, lol)"As long as you don't start ironing your ears! LOL!I appreciate your dedication to reviewing! It's always great, especially since you note what things you enjoyed as you were reading. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I'm glad you're enjoying the windingness of it all and the way it's gradually unfolding. Yes, Gareth's still Gareth, or as Severus might put it, he's as intolerable as ever! hahaYeah, poor Severus. At least he wasn't presented with the farcical "spaghetti" I got in the hospital. It was extra fat spaghetti, already cold, with tomato puree poured over it. Only tomato puree. No herbs or spices, let alone any other ingredients. It was completely inedible. *shudder*Glad you enjoyed the chapter! Many thanks for the review! It really lifted my spirits on a day that has actually turned out fairly . . . hmm, can't think of a polite word. Wouldn't want to relive its low point, anyway. So, thank you! You're an angel! 

"Poor Severus" is almost the mantra of this story, isn't it? And you're right: Poor Severus!I think that at the moment, though he would do anything that Hermione might ask of him to help her, he's still too shell-shocked to do anything himself. He does need purpose, though, and productivity, so helping Hermione in Australia might help him . . . unfortunately, she doesn't ask him to go, and he also still has some time he needs to be at Hogwarts -- though Minerva would, of course, let him go to Australia if that was an option. She doesn't want to see him go and sink into isolation and depression at Spinner's End. She's worried about him.He does need a holiday, though. We'll see if he gets one!I'm glad you found the scene with Albus's near-death so suspenseful, despite being pretty sure of the outcome. Oh, it was Albus who couldn't stand -- Melina was asking Robert to bring Albus to the warded rooms. Albus had gone through something of an ordeal. But then, so had the other three people in the room! Minerva must have collapsed from seven kinds of exhaustion that night after she was out of the public eye.Glad you liked the Quin and Gertie bits. And you know Gertie, so you know how much she was saying with those words.CFR!

"Poor Severus" is almost the mantra of this story, isn't it? And you're right: Poor Severus!I think that at the moment, though he would do anything that Hermione might ask of him to help her, he's still too shell-shocked to do anything himself. He does need purpose, though, and productivity, so helping Hermione in Australia might help him . . . unfortunately, she doesn't ask him to go, and he also still has some time he needs to be at Hogwarts -- though Minerva would, of course, let him go to Australia if that was an option. She doesn't want to see him go and sink into isolation and depression at Spinner's End. She's worried about him.He does need a holiday, though. We'll see if he gets one!I'm glad you found the scene with Albus's near-death so suspenseful, despite being pretty sure of the outcome. Oh, it was Albus who couldn't stand -- Melina was asking Robert to bring Albus to the warded rooms. Albus had gone through something of an ordeal. But then, so had the other three people in the room! Minerva must have collapsed from seven kinds of exhaustion that night after she was out of the public eye.Glad you liked the Quin and Gertie bits. And you know Gertie, so you know how much she was saying with those words.CFR!

Hey, you are on a roll! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. You're right, it did take me some time. It was quite a long effort.Thanks for noticing Harry's comment to Harper. Harry has grown a lot in the last year, and he's learned to look beyond himself more and to relate to others' feelings more, as well He always had that potential, but his strange childhood combined with the fact that he was an adolescent didn't always have him looking outside himself.I'm relieved you started to breathe again! LOL But I'm also happy you found it breath-taking. I chose to show the battle through Gareth's p.o.v. for a number of reasons, and I'm really glad you found it worked.haha! I liked the image of Peeves flying along side the dragon fun, too!Thanks much for the review! I really appreciate it! (And I'm blushing!)*hugs* back!

Hey, you are on a roll! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. You're right, it did take me some time. It was quite a long effort.Thanks for noticing Harry's comment to Harper. Harry has grown a lot in the last year, and he's learned to look beyond himself more and to relate to others' feelings more, as well He always had that potential, but his strange childhood combined with the fact that he was an adolescent didn't always have him looking outside himself.I'm relieved you started to breathe again! LOL But I'm also happy you found it breath-taking. I chose to show the battle through Gareth's p.o.v. for a number of reasons, and I'm really glad you found it worked.haha! I liked the image of Peeves flying along side the dragon fun, too!Thanks much for the review! I really appreciate it! (And I'm blushing!)*hugs* back!

Yes, Hermione probably had to sit on her hands and bite her tongue!Glad you liked the Celebrare! All that research Minerva did for the Adfectus back in September for Severus certainly paid off, even if she didn't find a cure for the Adfectus except the one that they used.I'm glad you found the levity in Mafalda Hopkirk & her concern for protocol and her filing system! When dealing with other serious subjects, it's nice to throw in a little lightness now and then, I think. And Albus's old friend Philomena didn't grow less feisty over the years, did she? Tough old bird, indeed! Don't underestimate old witches!Albus and Hermione certainly did have a terrible time of it, having to witness what they did. But they were able to catch their moment and leap into action right away. I'm sure that Hermione's adrenalin helped her swing that sword!*blush* I'm glad you find my story angles cooler. *blush again*Thanks muchly for the reviews! It made my morning to see them waiting for me! TTFN!

Yes, Hermione probably had to sit on her hands and bite her tongue!Glad you liked the Celebrare! All that research Minerva did for the Adfectus back in September for Severus certainly paid off, even if she didn't find a cure for the Adfectus except the one that they used.I'm glad you found the levity in Mafalda Hopkirk & her concern for protocol and her filing system! When dealing with other serious subjects, it's nice to throw in a little lightness now and then, I think. And Albus's old friend Philomena didn't grow less feisty over the years, did she? Tough old bird, indeed! Don't underestimate old witches!Albus and Hermione certainly did have a terrible time of it, having to witness what they did. But they were able to catch their moment and leap into action right away. I'm sure that Hermione's adrenalin helped her swing that sword!*blush* I'm glad you find my story angles cooler. *blush again*Thanks muchly for the reviews! It made my morning to see them waiting for me! TTFN!

Hi, Stef! Reviewing before begging is always a nice thing! Riddle really is a madman, isn't he?Yes, Robbie's medications are interesting . . . and "poor Poppy" is right! Good thing she has a strong heart! LOLSeverus did his best to go down fighting and defiant despite his resignation, and not like a lamb to slaughter. I'm glad you were cheering him on!Thanks for reviewing!

Hi, Stef! Reviewing before begging is always a nice thing! Riddle really is a madman, isn't he?Yes, Robbie's medications are interesting . . . and "poor Poppy" is right! Good thing she has a strong heart! LOLSeverus did his best to go down fighting and defiant despite his resignation, and not like a lamb to slaughter. I'm glad you were cheering him on!Thanks for reviewing!

Two other thoughts that occured to me when thinking of the scene where Quin enters (after I recovered from my swoon)....a) hopefully Severus will come to understand how true genuine non-possessive love works....he's grasped glimmers of it before, in realizing that he never feels lessened by Minerva's assistance, and in his interactions w/ Albus and Hermione, but his rx to seeing Quin and Minerva and how he thought Albus would react shows he still has a long way to go.b) if Quin hadn't been incapacitated, he would have been a good candidate for someone for Albus to "become."  Known and yet unknown, and the people who knew him well in the Hogwarts arena could have been made to keep silent.  He could have easily taught something, and his 'affair' w/ Minerva would have even much more believable and explainable--it's very believable to anyone who knows their history that Albus would have wished Minerva to be w/ Quin after his death, and the two always had chemistry. And blue-eyed, handsome charismatic Albus could have impersonated him fairly easily, and I bet had lots more fun doing so...as much as he loved Robert, and loved being not-Albus, "Robbie" was almost 180 deg different in personality.  (Though admittedly that made it less likely that someone would have thought he was really Albus--only Hermione and Filius seemed to have sensed his Albus-ness underneath, and only Filius got its significance.)  But anyway, in an alternate-alternate universe, I could see Albus becoming "Quin" quite easily!  Of course he would have needed to be very strict on quality control at  his sweets factory--personally sampled lots of stuff!    Totally drivelous and OT, but an amusing alternative, IMO!

Yes, A & M were so focussed on the larger issues involved, and Minerva stressed by the possibility of killing him, and then Albus by his declining health, it was something that didn't really occur to them. Albus thought he'd use his new freedom as not-Albus to be around her more and more openly display his affection for her, but Minerva found it difficult to adjust to. Minerva thinks it would show undue vanity to use a Glamour, particularly when it's only her hair that's affected and others have scars, lost or injured limbs, and so forth. She does have a bit of vanity, but she finds giving in to her vanity more uncomfortable than not giving into it. I'm glad the scene with Albus and Minerva during and after the resuscitation was moving for you.Esoterica swooning! Smelling salts, please! As far as his becoming Quin, he could have done that and had quite a good time, but in a way, it would have been harder for him, since the differences between their personalities aren't as extreme as between his and Robert's -- it would be too easy to slip back into being himself -- of course, people probably would have found it more credible, particularly any who might be aware that Minerva and Quin had a little bit of a thing way-back-when (though that would have been few people, that information could have been spread, innocently, by people like Poppy when trying to explain the relationship). I think that although it might have been easier on some level for Minerva, on another level, it might have been harder, since she might feel torn about her purely physical attraction for the Quin replica -- even knowing it's Albus, and that she's not betraying him, it could still be uncomfortable for her, and she might worry that Albus thinks she's more attracted to Quin than she is, especially as he's younger, etc. Although the substitution might have been believable and easily done on several levels, it's probably just as well it was Robert. Besides, Robbie could easily stay relatively aloof from the  rest of the faculty without it raising suspicions, but Albus-as-Quin couldn't have without it appearing odd, which would leave many more opportunities for people to realise that Quin wasn't who he appeared to be (particularly if he suddenly displayed ignorance of something he should have known -- some interaction with someone many years in the past that he should have "remembered" but didn't). Also, Albus-as-Quin couldn't take the DADA position without people being curious as to how he managed to avoid the curse, since Quin taught DADA one year back in the sixties.I'm sure that Severus has thought about and puzzled over Gertrude's visit and what her meanings were, for certainly there were many.You're right about Severus and his experience of love, and his understanding of nonpossessive love. I'm sure he'll make progress once he gets going and isn't still so stunned about living, his life, no Dark Lord, having friends -- more than one -- and all that.

Sorry -- forgot to say thanks for the thoughtful review! (I have a peculiar fall cold -- nothing too terrible, but I'll use that as my excuse for being slightly absent-minded!)

Well, since they didn't know Quin could be cured until well into the Plan, it never was a real option, but it was fun to think about!In addition to all the Merlins that will be given out, Albus deserves the wizarding equiv of an Oscar for being Robbie for so long.  Minerva too.  It was probably even harder for her in a way b/c she was much less used to dissembling than Albus was, since he'd had to pull off lots of deceptions over the course of his life, whether or not he enjoyed doing so.  And while neither of them would ordinarily be thrilled to be thought to be having an adulterous affair and for MM to have 'forgotten' Albus so quickly, it was surely much much harder for Minerva to pull off that part of the deception.  "Robbie" just had to act out of character in mannerisms; Minerva had to act out of character in some more fundamental ways.  No wonder she wants to be 'out of the closet' WRT their marriage now--she is probably sick and tired to her very core of 'acting' or misdirecting others in any part of her life and will be for quite a while.  She definitely needs a nice long vacation on some secluded island--and maybe one w/ palm trees rather than the usual one! And yes, Albus you did act like a love sick puppy dog! :-)

Two other thoughts that occured to me when thinking of the scene where Quin enters (after I recovered from my swoon)....a) hopefully Severus will come to understand how true genuine non-possessive love works....he's grasped glimmers of it before, in realizing that he never feels lessened by Minerva's assistance, and in his interactions w/ Albus and Hermione, but his rx to seeing Quin and Minerva and how he thought Albus would react shows he still has a long way to go.b) if Quin hadn't been incapacitated, he would have been a good candidate for someone for Albus to "become."  Known and yet unknown, and the people who knew him well in the Hogwarts arena could have been made to keep silent.  He could have easily taught something, and his 'affair' w/ Minerva would have even much more believable and explainable--it's very believable to anyone who knows their history that Albus would have wished Minerva to be w/ Quin after his death, and the two always had chemistry. And blue-eyed, handsome charismatic Albus could have impersonated him fairly easily, and I bet had lots more fun doing so...as much as he loved Robert, and loved being not-Albus, "Robbie" was almost 180 deg different in personality.  (Though admittedly that made it less likely that someone would have thought he was really Albus--only Hermione and Filius seemed to have sensed his Albus-ness underneath, and only Filius got its significance.)  But anyway, in an alternate-alternate universe, I could see Albus becoming "Quin" quite easily!  Of course he would have needed to be very strict on quality control at  his sweets factory--personally sampled lots of stuff!    Totally drivelous and OT, but an amusing alternative, IMO!

Yes, A & M were so focussed on the larger issues involved, and Minerva stressed by the possibility of killing him, and then Albus by his declining health, it was something that didn't really occur to them. Albus thought he'd use his new freedom as not-Albus to be around her more and more openly display his affection for her, but Minerva found it difficult to adjust to. Minerva thinks it would show undue vanity to use a Glamour, particularly when it's only her hair that's affected and others have scars, lost or injured limbs, and so forth. She does have a bit of vanity, but she finds giving in to her vanity more uncomfortable than not giving into it. I'm glad the scene with Albus and Minerva during and after the resuscitation was moving for you.Esoterica swooning! Smelling salts, please! As far as his becoming Quin, he could have done that and had quite a good time, but in a way, it would have been harder for him, since the differences between their personalities aren't as extreme as between his and Robert's -- it would be too easy to slip back into being himself -- of course, people probably would have found it more credible, particularly any who might be aware that Minerva and Quin had a little bit of a thing way-back-when (though that would have been few people, that information could have been spread, innocently, by people like Poppy when trying to explain the relationship). I think that although it might have been easier on some level for Minerva, on another level, it might have been harder, since she might feel torn about her purely physical attraction for the Quin replica -- even knowing it's Albus, and that she's not betraying him, it could still be uncomfortable for her, and she might worry that Albus thinks she's more attracted to Quin than she is, especially as he's younger, etc. Although the substitution might have been believable and easily done on several levels, it's probably just as well it was Robert. Besides, Robbie could easily stay relatively aloof from the  rest of the faculty without it raising suspicions, but Albus-as-Quin couldn't have without it appearing odd, which would leave many more opportunities for people to realise that Quin wasn't who he appeared to be (particularly if he suddenly displayed ignorance of something he should have known -- some interaction with someone many years in the past that he should have "remembered" but didn't). Also, Albus-as-Quin couldn't take the DADA position without people being curious as to how he managed to avoid the curse, since Quin taught DADA one year back in the sixties.I'm sure that Severus has thought about and puzzled over Gertrude's visit and what her meanings were, for certainly there were many.You're right about Severus and his experience of love, and his understanding of nonpossessive love. I'm sure he'll make progress once he gets going and isn't still so stunned about living, his life, no Dark Lord, having friends -- more than one -- and all that.

Sorry -- forgot to say thanks for the thoughtful review! (I have a peculiar fall cold -- nothing too terrible, but I'll use that as my excuse for being slightly absent-minded!)

Well, since they didn't know Quin could be cured until well into the Plan, it never was a real option, but it was fun to think about!In addition to all the Merlins that will be given out, Albus deserves the wizarding equiv of an Oscar for being Robbie for so long.  Minerva too.  It was probably even harder for her in a way b/c she was much less used to dissembling than Albus was, since he'd had to pull off lots of deceptions over the course of his life, whether or not he enjoyed doing so.  And while neither of them would ordinarily be thrilled to be thought to be having an adulterous affair and for MM to have 'forgotten' Albus so quickly, it was surely much much harder for Minerva to pull off that part of the deception.  "Robbie" just had to act out of character in mannerisms; Minerva had to act out of character in some more fundamental ways.  No wonder she wants to be 'out of the closet' WRT their marriage now--she is probably sick and tired to her very core of 'acting' or misdirecting others in any part of her life and will be for quite a while.  She definitely needs a nice long vacation on some secluded island--and maybe one w/ palm trees rather than the usual one! And yes, Albus you did act like a love sick puppy dog! :-)

Trust away! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks!

Trust away! I'm happy to hear you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks!

I'm glad you liked the chapter. We'll see what happens in the next update!

I'm glad you liked the chapter. We'll see what happens in the next update!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. That encounter between Severus and Gertrude was important for them both, and difficult for each of them, too.Thanks for reviewing!

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. That encounter between Severus and Gertrude was important for them both, and difficult for each of them, too.Thanks for reviewing!

Thank you! I appreciate that you found it had a ring of truth to it.Thanks for the review!

Thank you! I appreciate that you found it had a ring of truth to it.Thanks for the review!

Glad you enjoyed seeing Quin again. That was hard for Gertrude, but she thought it was important for both herself and for Severus. Severus certainly is a prime candidate for therapy, as you say, but he's also one of the least likely people to seek it. He might find himself pushed in a therapeutic direction, though. I'm glad you liked seeing that scene. It's one that I'd thought to put in earlier, before Hermione had the big reveal (only up through the point where Minerva casts the spell to revive Albus, creating a bit of a cliffie).Thanks for the review!

Glad you enjoyed seeing Quin again. That was hard for Gertrude, but she thought it was important for both herself and for Severus. Severus certainly is a prime candidate for therapy, as you say, but he's also one of the least likely people to seek it. He might find himself pushed in a therapeutic direction, though. I'm glad you liked seeing that scene. It's one that I'd thought to put in earlier, before Hermione had the big reveal (only up through the point where Minerva casts the spell to revive Albus, creating a bit of a cliffie).Thanks for the review!

No. Minerva would have been utterly mortified, and neither of them are into performing for an audience. They had no idea that he was there. If you recall, in AAoL, Minerva was really upset about the mirror incident. And there was no intention for either of them to get under his skin -- that was in his mind. Minerva only intended to try to be realistically cool toward him following the incident on Boxing Day, just as Severus himself expected. It would not be in keeping with Albus's & Minerva's characters either to deliberately hurt him, beyond Minerva distancing herself, nor to have an intimate encounter in front of him or anyone else.

So . . . was Minerva having sex with ROBBIE, or with ALBUS in the library?  And if it was Robbie, how does she justify that?

I thought that you understood that Robbie was Albus. She was having sex with Robbie, and Robbie was Albus. Maybe when you read the next chapter, it will become clearer that Robbie was Albus, and that Robert hadn't been in the castle since the previous March, just after Albus kind-of-died, and this was more than nine months after that.

It looked to Severus, and thus the reader, like she was having sex with Robbie.  Particularly after Robbie was pressuring her and refusing to take no for an answer, and she was crying — she never consented, repeatedly refused, and he did it anyway.  Some people call that rape.  The tears and asking for someone else who is apparently not there certainly add credence to that.So if she wasn't having sex with Robbie, Albus wasn't raping her, and they weren't doing it specifically to get under Severus' skil . . . why did she consent to have sex at all when she clearly wasn't interested, why the tears, and why in the library?

The scene was deliberately written from Severus's POV because at that point in the story, the reader still was unaware of Minerva's plan, etc. Many readers guessed on the basis of that scene that Robbie was really Albus. Others who didn't guess that and who erroneously assume that Severus has the "correct" interpretation of events (though I'd think it'd be fairly obvious that he can't and doesn't), bought into his interpretation. Others who didn't guess that Robbie was Albus but who didn't think that Severus was an infallible witness still had one of the first clues that all was not as it seemed with Robbie.It wasn't rape. It wasn't nonconsensual. She was crying because of the stress she was under. She was interested, obviously, or she wouldn't have had sex. As for the library, why not? It's no different from some of the other places they've made love. She did consent, she expressed some discomfort at the location, etc., but she fully consented. As I've said before, if it were described from her point of view, it would appear much different. As I said, you might be less confused if you read the next chapter.

Oh, and as I said, it WAS Robbie. Robbie was Albus. If Severus had seen Albus, it would have made no sense at all -- or Severus would have been tipped off, and shocked for an entirely different reason.Robbie=Albus-using-PolyjuiceRobert was not there. It would have been really stupid of Albus and Minerva to have Robert running around the castle at the same time that Robbie was. In this chapter, she even TOLD Severus that Robbie was not who he appeared to be.

Oh, well, her crying "I miss my Albus" really threw me.

No. Minerva would have been utterly mortified, and neither of them are into performing for an audience. They had no idea that he was there. If you recall, in AAoL, Minerva was really upset about the mirror incident. And there was no intention for either of them to get under his skin -- that was in his mind. Minerva only intended to try to be realistically cool toward him following the incident on Boxing Day, just as Severus himself expected. It would not be in keeping with Albus's & Minerva's characters either to deliberately hurt him, beyond Minerva distancing herself, nor to have an intimate encounter in front of him or anyone else.

So . . . was Minerva having sex with ROBBIE, or with ALBUS in the library?  And if it was Robbie, how does she justify that?

I thought that you understood that Robbie was Albus. She was having sex with Robbie, and Robbie was Albus. Maybe when you read the next chapter, it will become clearer that Robbie was Albus, and that Robert hadn't been in the castle since the previous March, just after Albus kind-of-died, and this was more than nine months after that.

It looked to Severus, and thus the reader, like she was having sex with Robbie.  Particularly after Robbie was pressuring her and refusing to take no for an answer, and she was crying — she never consented, repeatedly refused, and he did it anyway.  Some people call that rape.  The tears and asking for someone else who is apparently not there certainly add credence to that.So if she wasn't having sex with Robbie, Albus wasn't raping her, and they weren't doing it specifically to get under Severus' skil . . . why did she consent to have sex at all when she clearly wasn't interested, why the tears, and why in the library?

The scene was deliberately written from Severus's POV because at that point in the story, the reader still was unaware of Minerva's plan, etc. Many readers guessed on the basis of that scene that Robbie was really Albus. Others who didn't guess that and who erroneously assume that Severus has the "correct" interpretation of events (though I'd think it'd be fairly obvious that he can't and doesn't), bought into his interpretation. Others who didn't guess that Robbie was Albus but who didn't think that Severus was an infallible witness still had one of the first clues that all was not as it seemed with Robbie.It wasn't rape. It wasn't nonconsensual. She was crying because of the stress she was under. She was interested, obviously, or she wouldn't have had sex. As for the library, why not? It's no different from some of the other places they've made love. She did consent, she expressed some discomfort at the location, etc., but she fully consented. As I've said before, if it were described from her point of view, it would appear much different. As I said, you might be less confused if you read the next chapter.

Oh, and as I said, it WAS Robbie. Robbie was Albus. If Severus had seen Albus, it would have made no sense at all -- or Severus would have been tipped off, and shocked for an entirely different reason.Robbie=Albus-using-PolyjuiceRobert was not there. It would have been really stupid of Albus and Minerva to have Robert running around the castle at the same time that Robbie was. In this chapter, she even TOLD Severus that Robbie was not who he appeared to be.

Oh, well, her crying "I miss my Albus" really threw me.