This is a really beautiful story 3

I enjoyed this a lot. I wanted to say that I do understand why you made it 9 years later... I was just ... so looooonngggg, it's painful to think of the lost time, but so much healing happened and that does take time.

you write brilliantly and realistically. I am loving it.

argh, Harry did say about Sev asking after her when the NEWTs took place...

you wrote it in such a way that it's easy to understand her choice. Don't think that it's possible to know if it's right or wrong. I am trying to remember how many years later (I think it was 10) the other part of the story begins, but it feels unnaturally long.

ouch, I felt that icicle stab right through the heart.
been loving your story. I nearly didn't read it because of the spoiler in the beginning but I am so very glad that I am reading it because it's the best I have read in a long time.

I absolutely loved this. thank you!

Omg! You are a horrible horrible person!

Awww Sev you big dummy head

Oh please do pass on any reccomended reading you recieved. My phone won't let me see others comments and i need more to read! (The Ark is good but historical. A sunday kind of love brilliant)

This is really, really, good (and there at the end, I'm glad it was Phineas who welcomed Minerva, and not Albus).

I do so love how well Hermione and Severus fit together (let's see, books, Severus, books, more Severus, and a side of house elves to bring me chocolate? Sad that Hogwarts doesn't seem to be hiring...).

Well, Hermione could always mention her longer than she wanted it to be acquaintance with Bella Lestrange and her interesting ideas of fun if Lucius Malfoy kept ragging her about not knowing enough about Dark books and artifacts, but the hint about the Diary was enough, I see.

I enjoyed the story very much, and look forward to more of your work.

Oh, dear-they did settle the library properly, but it was clear that Minerva's life-blood was the clincher.

Not murder, not suicide-just sacrifice.

Happy but sad all the same.

Yes, Snape needed time to grow on his own, and in Hermione's absence he could do that. Part of that was accepting that he had to right to have something he wanted, and not always having to sacrifice. Plus, his place at Hogwarts had to grow strong enough that he didn't have to depend on any one single person for everything in his life. He could not love Hermione the way she deserves to be loved if all he could bring to the relationship was need. Hermione, on her side, had to grow old enough so Snape would no longer see her as a student, but as a grown witch; something he never really saw Lily as, since she was so young when she died.

That being said, I love this chapter and how Hermione spent her strength trying to bring the library to bay, and how the loss of her called forth Snape's full will and use of his being Headmaster and Hogwarts itself backing him. He wouldn't have had that ten years ago, either.

I've come back to re-read after stumbling upon it in my travels, and my love of your fic has not diminished in the slightest!

I wish all four House Heads could be there to backstop the Headmistress and Headmaster. I shall just have to reread everything to find out why that isn't possible, oh agony is me (not).

But as it is, it's just as well that Minerva isn't going to be part of the main effort-Snape would be divided trying to protect Minerva *and* Hermione, as well as fighting the books to a standstill.

It is very good progress that Snape isn't going to wallow, at least not more than totally necessary.