Ooh evil cliffie!Hopefully he's given Dumbledore the spell for the potion or is it already infused in the potion?Looking forward to the next chapter!

I'm so glad to see you! *hangs up WELCOME BACK banner*  In your absence, I had forgotten how horribly evil you are.  *ponders taking down banner*  Things were going along so well, and I was so happy for them, even though he made her promise to move on without him. I was just feeling like he was truly going to reform, and then he went all duplicitous on her. No, that's not strong enough of a word. Maybe septplicitous?  How many times has he wavered back and forth between loyalties, at least from our perspective?  Things are pretty bad when you have me making up words.  But I digress...I'm just certain that this is all part of his plan and he is still on her side, but I can't fathom how this is a good plan when she is not privy to the details.  I should just trust him, I guess.  And trust you too.  I mean, how bad would you feel if you falsely led me here and then made him choose the wrong side?  *places guilt on your conscience* After all that typing, I can't possibly remember if I told you how much I enjoyed this chapter, and how excited I was to see it post.  I hope you are on a roll and keep churning out chapters, but I will wait however long necessary to see this to the end!

Wicked twist at the end! I'm so glad you're back! I was starting to worry about you. :)Livvy

O.M.G.  Shell, you iz ebil.  And you iz a geat writer... ebil, but great!What are you up to?  I can't believe Severus would really turn on Hermione like this... please tell me that this latest apparent insanity is all a ruse to lure the Dark Lord into a false sense of complacency.   Please tell me this is all a show.  Please tell me this is not really happening.All those shared memories, the tears, the tender lovemaking, making her promise to go live her life without him after Voldemort is vanquished.   I don't know what to believe anymore.  Please update soon because I am beside myself to see what's going to happen. Pretty please, with sugar on it.  OK?Beth

Evil, evil cliffie!! I can't wait to read the next chapter! Update soon! I'm very interested to see how this story turns out with all the twists and turns. Keep up the wonderful work.~Jen

I don't know to be honest. I guess quite a few will find  a truly dark Severus interesting and intriguing, I have to admit that I don't find anyone to allign them self with Voldiebut either interesting or intriguing, backstabbing cowards would be my description. Then we have the scenario  of Severus not being dark, just plays it to the outmost consequence to gain  his goal. If that is the case he makes even Dumbledores "for the greater good" rather pale in comparisment, and even more unforgiveable. For me it sums up with no matter why he did what he just did, the line for what can be forgiven and what can not, were crossed and he has reached the point of no return. I admit that I will be curious enough to read the end, to know what happened, but the only happy ending would be a very dead Severus laying over Voldibutts ugly corpse while Hermione is tapdancing in joy over the both of them.

I see you are still around and writing chapters with evil cliffhangers ;-) Good for you and all your readers! Oh - and hugs from Germany, love!

WHAT THE!?!!?!?!  He turned evil at the end? He's going to give her to Voldemort?  What an ebil cliffie! And the plan sounded so good, the ingredients, especially the werewolf essance should have been a clue to his switch  but the way he made love to her.... eek.

Amazing!

That's a heck of a note. Wonderful chapter, as always.

Please don't tell me this story is finished!  Every day I check for new updates. Please don't be done, you're just at the most exciting part of the story.Thank you, so much, for sharing your beautiful talent.

Tease. :(

lordy lord!  getting info out of that man is like pulling teeth!  fantab update.  thanks muchly

OMFG!!! I LOVE where you are going with this!!!! You, my darling friend, are just brilliant! Thank you so much for this chapter! Hermione is still sounding a little sanctimonious, but then, she is still young, isn't she?  And Severus... there aren't enough words for me to express how much I love him.Now I'm on the edge of my seat waiting!!! Again!!!!!

This was such an incredible chapter. The transformation of Severus, no longer evading his feelings, being as truthful as he knows how, daring Hermione to face all that he was and is, daring her to face herself and her feelings.And this line just flayed me, " You may have greatly consumed me, woman, but I have also done the same to you." Greatly consumed me... ugh!! Perfect, babe. Just so fucking perfect.

Holy cow, I am at the dreaded point of being caught up.  There have been no evil cliffhangers for me thus far and now I am desperate for more story!  Thanks for the encouragement to stick with this, it has not disappointed.  I am glad that they are acknowledging how horrible his past transgressions have been and chosing to move forward rather than pretending it never happened and all is forgiven.  I have a pretty good idea of the other mysterious ingredient due to having read that particularly disturbing chapter earlier this evening.  Or I may be way off base.  Either way, stop reading my review and get back to writing...now!

This was really well done.  I like the parallels between Dumbledore and Voldemort.  I also like how you've covered a lot of ground in explaining his life and the things that shaped him into his adult self without dragging us through long drawn out tedious memories.  We got just enough to get it.  I actually feel sympathy for him after this chapter...although for Hermione's sake I am still furious at him.

YIKES!

ok, I reviewed in chapter 3 that I was unsure how I felt about this story, a little too dark for me.  I am still hanging in there and am eagerly anticipating the upcoming chapters.  I hope that Snape has really decided to try a different tactic to get Hermione, and the way he is treating her is at least semi genuine, but I can't help but feel weary about him.  This really is quite good and I'm now dreading the point where I am caught up with the posted chapters.  One of the things that pleases me about this story is that even while he has been treating her poorly, she is written as a  strong character who gives it back to him, not the weak victim that she is sometimes portrayed as when this version of Snape is present.  Well, onward and upward!

Thank goodness the tension between them has dissipated. Of course it now sounds like the Dark Lord could show up on their doorstep at any moment. Yikes. Damn Dumbledore. What a schemer.

I started this story quite some time ago and only made it through the first 2 chapters.  While I don't necessarily want a fluffy Snape, if he is too dark it creeps me out.  But this is getting good reviews so I decided to give it another go.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued so I will continue to read.  I am encouraged that you have said previously that there is an underlying romance so that gives me hope that there  will be some light at the end of the darkness.  However, he will have to have a really good excuse for doing the things he does for me to be ok with any romance from Hermione.  Even if he suddenly turned into the perfect gentleman, it would be hard to erase in my mind the things he has already done.  This is starting to sound like a negative review (not my intention).  Suffice it to say that this is so well written that even though your Snape makes me feel icky, I'm still reading.  On to chapter 4...

Oh, wicked, wicked author!  What ingredients are so rare that Albus can't get them and how did Severus do it?

Wow! I loved this chapter! It was perfect.  Hermione forgave Severus and they are going to destroy all the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort. I love the powerful bond between them. Thanks for posting!

phew quite an intense chapter!!these last memories were the most necessarey, but they also were the overkill, she really was shattered.I almost feared, that  he would show her the scenes whith her cousin, too. and he did. awful. but as he said to himself, she needed to know everything. needed to know who he was, what he did, why he did it.And hope that she would see him in and behind all this damage, destruction, filth.The long quiet moment. wonderful. The calm before the storm.Even ALL the stages you let her live through with her anger and hate and disgust and analytical attempt to get to the deeper knowledge behind all this, was just perfect. shattered on the floor, running away, longing for fresh air,  silence, accepting point zero, from here on life will be different, being in his arms. and then the blow. the famous right cross!!!  liberating!!And it is in his defenselessness that she truly sees him.not all the memories, not his words and explanations. no, his accepting her stroke, her power. No murderous frenzy, no, two people growing. very very much.wonderful chapter !Thank you so much!! Kudos to you!

Love It! Wow!