She Said What?

finally.... i'm back. with another chapter, even. can you believe it? no, i can't either. will miracles never cease. well, here we all are in the land of lust and... erm... well, lust. pretty much everything contained within this fic is from the imagination of one j.k. rowling and i'm simply borrowing it for my twisted purposes. i'm sure that, at some point, i'll put everything back the way i found it. maybe.

there isn't any smut in this chapter. i think its going to be a while, but then again... i could be wrong. you'll just have to read and see. maybe i can get off my arse and get more written and on a more timely basis. stranger things have happened. we'll just have to wait and see.

and finally, if you like... please let me know. reviews are nice. but they aren't necessary.

Chapter Seventeen: A Woman Scorned
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It was exactly eight p.m. sharp when Hermione lifted her fisted hand to knock on the door of Professor McGonagall's private study for her first night's detention. Somehow, she got the distinct feeling that what her Transfigurations teacher had in mind for detention and what her husband and Potions teacher had in mind for detention were two entirely and completely different things. While she knew what her husband would like to do to her and with her during a detention, she had to wonder if what Professor McGonagall had said they were going to do would actually be as hard for Severus as she'd implied. Squaring her shoulders, she knocked soundly on the wood. Going in was the only way she would find out.

The wooden panel opened and Hermione found herself looking at a side of Professor McGonagall that she didn't get to see very often. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever seen this side of her at all. The Deputy Headmistress was clothed in a charcoal gray sweater and a deep, emerald green skirt. The sweater was cable knit, with a high collar and long sleeves that had been rolled at least once to keep them from hanging over McGonagall's hands. The skirt was wool and hung to the floor with a slight flare at the bottom, hiding the stern, sensible shoes that Hermione knew the woman favored. In place of her usual bun, the older Witch's dark hair hung down her back in a braid. In all, it was the most relaxed that Hermione could recall ever having seen her Head of House looking.

'Right on time, Miss Granger. Please do come in and make yourself comfortable,' McGonagall said, one hand gesturing to the two chairs pulled up close to the hearth. A cheery fire blazed away, taking the chill from the air while casting a good portion of the soft light that enveloped the room and chased the darkness away. Hermione stepped in and made her way to the chair that didn't contain a book. As she settled into her seat, she took note of the title of the book and couldn't help but smirk at what she read.

The cover showed a windswept moor leading to a cliff, vibrant with green grass and spotted with clumps of wildflowers in blues and purples. Off to the right, a dark, foreboding castle loomed up over the landscape. In the foreground was a couple. The woman was young, with pale blonde hair and a very buxom figure. She wore what appeared to be a rich looking gown that was cut low and clinging. Behind her, with one hand on her petite waist and the other holding her head back by her hair, was a very virile looking man with a bared chest and a kilt. He had a head of full, thick hair in raven's wing black that hung to his shoulders and a strong, angular face.

Minerva McGonagall, the school's most sensible Witch, was reading a bodice ripper. And not just any one, but a Muggle one. Had it been any of her other teachers, Hermione doubted she would have even batted an eye. She was of the opinion that Trelawney probably read them by the dozens. But she'd always thought her Transfigurations Professor to be above them. There was no intellectual value or purpose to that kind of literature and Hermione had always thought that books should be able to teach you something of importance. She'd read one or two such books as she'd gotten older, but she'd never quite understood the appeal. To find that someone as reserved as McGonagall was reading them was a shock. And that was putting it mildly.

As the older woman settled into her chair, Hermione schooled her face. She watched as Minerva moved the book aside without apology, setting it on a table next to her. Then the Deputy Headmistress gave her a stern once over. 'I trust that Severus isn't being a complete arsehole about this whole thing, is he?'

'Professor?' Hermione asked, not quite certain where the conversation was headed. She was under the impression that McGonagall had intended to tell her how to make the man as miserable as he made her. The question was a touch out of left field, leaving Hermione to wonder just what was going on. There must have been a look of complete confusion on her face because McGonagall started chuckling softly.

'Surely that question isn't so difficult to answer?' Minerva returned, her eyebrows shot up toward her hairline.

'He...' Hermione began, then stopped and collected her thoughts. It wasn't very often that she was so flustered that speech slipped away from her. But the question had thrown her for a loop. She hadn't expected Professor McGonagall to ask her about her welfare. 'Actually, Professor, Severus is always an arsehole. But he's no more an arsehole than usual.'

At Hermione's honest answer, Minerva threw her head back and laughed outloud. When she finally calmed herself, she was wearing a wide grin on her face. 'Good answer, girl. Good answer. Don't let his snarky attitude wear down your Gryffindor courage. Give as much as he does.'

'Trust me. I do just that,' Hermione told her with a mildly evil smile. Minerva's eyes glowed with her enjoyment.

'Damn right. Its the least he deserves for being such a prat,' she told the girl with a brief nod of her head. She leaned around the chair and drew another small table toward her. This one contained a silver tray laden with a beautifully decorated tea pot and two delicate looking bone china cups on saucers. There was a plate on the tray that was piled with finger sandwiches and another that held an assortment of cookies. Silently, she poured a cup of tea and handed it across to her student, then offered her sugar and lemon. Hermione added a slice of lemon, then helped herself to a sandwich and a pair of chocolate chip cookies with sprinkles that blinked a different color every few seconds.

'Dobby's addition?' Hermione asked with a grin, motioning to the cookies. Minerva nodded, heaving a sigh.

'Yes. And its driving the rest of the Elves mad. Last week, it was sandwiches that flashed with irridescent messages about how wonderful Dumbledore was. Albus is working on finding him another area of the castle to work in. Sibyll practically had a seizure last week when her kippers got up and began doing the Can Can on her plate at breakfast. I have to admit, though, that I've never seen Severus smirk as he did that day.'

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the image that presented. She could actually see a line of kippers standing on a plate, decked out in sequins and chiffon, kicking up their little fins to a loud chorus of festive music. She could also see Trelawney going off in one of her infamous fits of hysterics. She whole heartedly shared in the jocularity that Severus got from it. Everyone knew just what she thought of Trelawney and her ability to see into the future.

'Yes, it was rather amusing,' Minerva nodded. Her face sobered and she pinned Hermione with a stare. 'Severus isn't treating you badly, is he? If he is, I'll hex him soundly.'

Hermione took a sip of her tea, drew a breath and pinned the Transfigurations teacher with her own steady look. 'No, he isn't. At least, not intentionally. He's being Severus. Only with a sex drive,' she shook her head, which meant she missed the look on Minerva's face at the suggestion that Severus Snape did anything other than scowl, brew potions, take points and terrorize students. 'Every time we get together, all he wishes to do is shag. Not that its entirely a bad thing. The man is most... gifted in that department. He certainly knows how to please a woman. But... all he seems to want to do is shag. I know the man is intelligent. He knows I'm intelligent. And yet, he can't bother to talk to me beyond whispering dirty words and suggestions into my ear in the midst of the act.'

'Miss Granger, please!' Minerva managed to get out. When Hermione looked at her, the woman had a bright blush staining her cheeks. It took her a moment to realize that McGonagall was blushing with the knowledge that Severus Snape was a dirty pervert when in the midst of giving his wife a good, hard drilling.

'Oh, erm, excuse me. I'm sorry, Professor,' she apologized immediately. Minerva nodded, giving her a prim expression before sipping at her own cup of cooling tea. 'You said something about helping me make his life hell?' she prompted, easily changing the subject. Minerva nodded again.

'Yes, Miss Granger. I did,' she smiled. It was a look that Hermione had never seen on her face before. It was almost.... evil.

~*~*~*~*~

'She's gone mental, I swear,' Ron stated, shaking his head as he said it. He missed the loud sigh that greeted his statement. The library was full of students who were busy cramming as much information into their brains as they could for the coming exams and several of them lifted their heads to glare meaningfully at him. Which he missed, because he was lost deep in thought. Luna had asked him to go to the library with her and Ron had absently accepted, his mind consumed by his problems with Hermione.

Luna had thought that a bit of time alone would drive such a distraction from his head. But it hadn't. Not even the arrival, and subsequent departure, of Neville and Seamus had served to disspell any of the thoughts that plagued him. She was beginning to regret ever asking him to accompany her to the library.

'You should have heard her. She yelled at me as if she were...' Ron paused while he searched for the right word, then his face went red and he snapped out the rest of the sentence. 'Professor Snape! I swear she's gone completely mental.'

Luna reached into her book bag and retrieved the latest copy of The Quibbler, promptly opening it to page six. There was an article there about how one could use common ingredients such as spider webs and troll boogies to create a new kind of marble to be used in making sculptures. Apparently, all of the great sculptures from Greece and Italy had been made from this mixture and it had fooled mankind for centuries. She was terribly fascinated with it.

'And this thing with Harry. It doesn't feel right. Don't get me wrong. Harry's my best mate and Hermione, despite her state of mental meltdown, is one of my best friends. But still. There's something not quite right about their relationship,' Ron shook his head and pinned the table with a glare that he thought would do nicely to menace a first year.

Luna rolled her eyes and turned the page, reading about how some obscure tribe from the plains of Africa with a name she couldn't pronounce were using the venom of the fabled giant Neeteeru spider as a beauty treatment. The women pictured in the photograph all appeared to be as young as a girl freshly out of school, even though several of them had full heads of gray hair. She made a mental note to see if she could find some of this spider venom for her own, personal use.

'I would have pinned Harry as a... pouf. Some of the things he's done or said. At the time, it seemed like nothing. But now, it just doesn't add up. He and Hermione look happy when they're together. But still, I can't help but feeling that they're not really a couple. The only thing that keeps me from fully believing that Harry's gay is that all of the guys in the dorm are dating someone.'

The tip of Luna's quill flashed as she worked the crossword puzzle at the back of the paper. Ron glanced at her and grumbled something foul. His words must have caught her attention because she lifted her head and stared at him with her large eyes, a question in them.

'You haven't heard a word I've said, have you?' he asked her.

'Frankly, Ron,' she set the quill down and looked him square in the eye. 'I haven't been paying much attention. I didn't ask you to come to the library with me so I could listen to you go on and on about Hermione. You've been talking about her for over an hour.'

Ron blinked at her, his mouth gaping a bit as she calmly cut him off at the knees.

'So Hermione yelled at you. So she and Harry are dating. What's the big deal? You've been carrying on as if you're in love with her or something,' Luna pointed out. Ron could only stare at her a moment, his face pale and his eyes wide as saucers. 'Let her be and enjoy her time with Harry. If you can't be happy for them, then maybe you should stay away from them.'

'But honestly, Luna. Harry and Hermione? Did you ever think you'd see that?' he asked her, his tone indicating just how likely he thought the pairing was.

'Well, no,' she began hesitantly, bringing a victorious smile to Ron's face. But it was dashed only a moment later when she continued on. 'Especially since I caught sight of Harry and Draco slipping into a closet the other night. But I suppose they were searching for Melovenian blood leeches. They can only be found in the dark, you know.'

'Erm...' Ron stared. For the moment, he was going to ignore that Luna said she'd seen Draco and Harry going into a closet together. It gave him only one thing to latch onto to keep his mind from imploding with the images and thoughts that would come to mind with that information. 'The Melovenian blood leech? Just what the bloody hell is that?'

'The Melovenian blood leech is about sixteen inches long and bright pink. It climbs into the trousers of an unsuspecting male victim and attaches itself to his.... erm... thing,' she told him, her cheeks going a bit pink at the thought. 'That's how they mate, you see. They find a female and attach themselves to her. Then they... um... Anyhow, men who've been found with the Melovenian blood leech attached to their.... Well, it shrivels up and Medi-Wizards and Witches can't figure out what happens. I suspect that Harry and Draco were making sure that neither of them had one.'

'You're off your bloody rocker, Luna,' Ron shook his head. Luna stared at him a moment, then frowned and stood from her chair. Wordlessly, she gathered her things up and hitched the book bag up on her shoulder. Then she spun away from him and stalked for the door. Left on his own, Ron's mind soon turned back to the problem at hand.

Luna had seen Harry and Draco going off into a cupboard together. That didn't sound right. Or good. Harry and Draco hated one another. They had since the first time they'd met. But what if that hate was only a cover? What if, secretly, the two of them liked one another? Maybe they'd been friends all along and had been able to keep it hidden up until now. That might explain their going into a closet alone together. Ron shuddered, not even wanting to consider what else they might have been meeting in a closet for.

Then there was Hermione's sudden change in behavior. Never in all the seven years he'd known her had Hermione ever acted as she was now. Over the past few weeks, he'd seen a variety of expressions on her face. Sometimes, she had such a disgusted look on her face. Other times, she seemed mad and a glimmer of dislike boardering on hate shone in her eyes. Still others, she had such a blissful expression that he'd had to think that she'd just had the best shagging of her life. It was a confusing situation, to say the least.

As he pondered it, he could come to only one conclusion. He didn't like it one bit, either. Luna had seen Harry and Draco going into a closet to have a clandestine meeting. Harry was going out with Hermione. Hermione was not acting like herself. In fact, her behavior of late reminded him of how Snape and Malfoy acted. She was acting like them. Like a Slytherin. Harry and Hermione both appeared to be having some kind of affair with Draco. It had to be.

He really couldn't picture Harry having a sexual relationship with Draco Malfoy. He didn't think the ferret wasn't good enough for his best mate. Or for Hermione, for that matter. However, Hermione had a way of making them look at things in a different kind of light. She always had. He supposed it was entirely possible that she'd done something similar with Harry in regards to Malfoy. He didn't think anything would have ever swayed Harry's mind about his school time enemy. But... maybe... The two of them....

Ron shook his head to clear it of some disturbing images. With a stern mental warning to himself about just how bleeding crazy Luna was, he put the thought from his mind. She was wrong. That was all there was to it. Harry Potter had not gone into a closet with Draco Malfoy to do anything. Hermione Granger was not in the closet with them, watching or participating. Neither of his friends were letting that pasty faced git give it to them. That thought was just too horrible to contemplate. It would be almost as terrible as Hermione sleeping with Professor Snape.

Ron shoved his books into a bag and stood. He needed to clear his head and a good bit of Quidditch practice was just the thing to do it.

~*~*~*~*~

Severus paced his study, hands clasped tightly behind his back. His lips were set in a deep scowl, one that would frighten former students at twenty paces. When he'd assigned those detentions to Hermione, it had been with the intention of having her alone so that he could rid her of her anger with round after round of shagging. Yes, he'd admit that he'd had alterior motives in mind when assigning the detentions. The sex would have been as much for him as for her. Very well. He'd be honest and admit that the sex was more for him than for her.

And the sneaky little witch had easily maneouvered her way out of it. If he'd had his way, even now she'd be in the midst of screaming his name in mindless ecstacy. Of course, if he'd had his way, he wouldn't even now be contemplating the merit of actually... dare he admit it?... speaking to her about her day. About her family. About her. The very thought struck fear into his heart. Shrivelled black thing that it was.

He moved to the table before his couch, reaching down to pick up the goblet of brandy that sat there. Lifting the glass to his lips, he took a deep drink of the amber fluid and allowed it to slide slowly down his throat. The flavor coated his tongue before painting itself thickly along the back of his esophagus and moving swiftly like fire to his stomach. Severus usually didn't partake of such drinks on school nights. It tended to make him forget that he was supposed to be the largest horse's arse on record so he steered clear of it until the weekends, when he was capable of avoiding the students for a time.

Unfortunately, this night was not one that allowed him to ignore the fire burning in his loins for his wife. A woman he couldn't stand. Nor could he hide from the disturbing thoughts his mind was entertaining without help. So he was indulging. Piss on what the students thought of him in the morning. Maybe he'd get lucky and get so bombed that he'd be a right bastard in the morning. Or more of a bastard than he normally was.

After setting the glass back down on the table top, Severus threw himself into his favorite arm chair and stared moodily at the fire. It annoyed him to see the flames eating away at the wood, crackling happily in the face of his misery. He so wanted to hex someone. Or something. The evening was perfectly well wasted sitting in his private rooms, thinking of shagging his wife while she was spending her detention with a prune faced McGonagall. No doubt the woman would sour her to all men in only an hour's time.

He was never getting laid again.

Snorting, Severus wondered if that would be a plausible excuse to avoid going to Azkaban. Was sexual frustration a good enough reason to avoid the Dementor's Kiss? And how long would the Wizengamot laugh at him and his pathetic tale of woe? One moment, he'd been happily shagging his wife without a worry in the world. The next, she'd been studiously avoiding him and telling him all kinds of facts about how disgusting and vile he was and that sex with him had been akin to handling disease infested rat droppings without the proper equipment. She'd then gone on to tell him that she'd decided to become a lesbian based purely on the wretched state of affairs between the two of them. Certainly the male members of the magical council would understand and exonerate him

In all of his years at Hogwarts, Severus had never once worried about what another person would think of him. Well possibly Dumbledore, but he'd gotten over that notion quick enough. Now, though, he was actually slightly concerned with the idea that Minerva would sour Hermione on him for good. It was an irrational fear, as he didn't care one whit what the ungrateful little chit thought of him. Yet, for some strange reason, he did. If Hermione suddenly developed a serious dislike for him, she'd never set foot in his bedroom again. But beyond that, there was a small amount of fear given to the idea that he'd be alone again.

It was an idea that he found stupid and, without reasonable explanation, unacceptable. Which he found to be unfathomable. He'd been alone all his life, which felt as if it were a very long time. He was used to being alone, used to not having anyone to count on but himself. And yet, somehow, he'd become accustomed to Hermione invading his life. He could feel her skin against his own. He could feel her body wrapped tightly around his. Both during sex and when she's been asleep in his bed, pressed tightly against him. Even now, he could still smell her on his sheets and his pillow. She haunted his dreams and kept him with almost constant, painful erections. It was almost as if he... needed her.

A few curses rumbled up his throat and out of his mouth at that. He didn't need anyone and certainly not an annoying, insufferable Know-It-All like Hermione Granger. Now Hermione Snape. He was of a mind to go up to McGonagall's office and demand that Hermione go with him. After all, she was his wife and her place was at his side. She might be Muggle born, but she'd been married in a magical wedding. There were certain stipulations and rules that came with those that he doubted she was aware of. He could simply claim his rights.

He knew though, that if he did, she'd never willingly come to him again. It was something that was ingrained into her character. She would give herself to him if he didn't force her to. The moment he started forcing her to do anything, she'd stop being amenable to the idea of being his wife. Frighteningly, he didn't think he wanted that to happen. He was caught in a huge mess and it pained him to realize that doing nothing was really his only course of action.

Sighing, he leaned back in the chair and allowed himself to be disgusted with this new sense of nobility he seemed to be displaying. There really was nothing for it but to get reacquainted with the feel of his hand and just how rotten it was to resort to masturbation after the incredible sex he'd had with his wife.

'Albus, I shall personally gut you for this,' he snarled as he stood and made his way to the bathroom.

~*~*~*~*~

Hermione stared at her Transfigurations teacher and shook her head. So far, they'd discussed everything but ways to make Severus simply miserable. Until now, she'd had no idea that Professor McGonagall had once aspired to being a ballerina. Nor had she known that the staunch Deputy Headmistress had wanted to settle on a small farm and raise pigs. In fact, that was far more information that she'd needed to know. 'Professor,' she began, setting her tea cup down gently on the table beside her. 'Pardon me for asking, but what is all this to do with Severus?'

'Absolutely nothing, my dear. But, since you asked, I suppose we'll get down to it,' McGonagall settled her own cup back in its saucer and was once more stern-faced and business-like. Hermione shifted further back in her chair, making herself more comfortable, and geared her mind up to take notes. 'There are many ways to unsettle Severus' finely ordered world. What I'm going to do is discuss one thing each night of your detentions. Then I'd like a report on just how you chose to use that information and how it affected him personally. Do you understand me?'

'Yes, Professor,' she nodded, then frowned a moment. 'Um, Professor? Why are you doing this for me? I mean, what can you possibly get from this?'

'You're one of my best students ever, Hermione. And, despite outward appearances, I care a great deal about what happens to my students. Past and present. I don't want you to be unhappy in the course of your life. Especially in this marriage to Severus.'

Minerva paused to watch her a moment, seeing by the look in the girl's eyes that she was absorbing and processing the information in much the same way she did any other article of knowledge she was given. After several long moments of silence, she nodded, signifying that she was ready for the older woman to proceed.

'As much as he is a sour old grump, I care about Severus as well. And I know him well enough to know that he will take you for granted, child. He'll use you to his own ends,' she said with a prim expression, then leaned forward to whisper something as if it were a deep, dark secret. 'Which means he will most assuredly use you for nothing more than sex. But I don't want him to treat you in such a poorly manner. I want him to know that he's got himself a prize as a wife and to treat you accordingly. And so, you must teach him so.'

'By making his life a living hell?' she asked, wondering how pissing the man off was to be in her best interests.

'I can assure you that, when the misery comes to an end, Severus is going to stand up and take note of the fact that you aren't there to make his life hell. By annoying him, you'll make him see that you aren't to be used and considered little more than a possession. My dear, when you're done, he'll see that he can't live his bloody life without you.'

There was a grin on McGonagall's face that Hermione thought boded ill for Severus Snape. She returned it with her own smile and folded her hands in her lap. Minerva took that as her signal to begin. 'Severus has many little quirks that will, when plucked at, make him angry. If you use these to your advantage and don't push him too far, you'll be able to upset him, drive him mad and make him understand that you wouldn't affect him in such a way if he didn't feel something for you. Something other than lust.'

'And he certainly is lusty,' Hermione couldn't help but add. She watched as McGonagall's cheeks flamed with embarrassment once more. She thought that it was rather funny to see such an unshakeable Witch flush at the mention of Severus Snape and sex. She would have to, on occasion, use that to her advantage. Chasing away the grin that threatened to take over her mouth, Hermione schooled her face into a plain, mildly curious expression and waited for Professor McGonagall to continue. 'What is my first lesson to be?'

'Severus loves order. He lives amongst it. This is one of the reasons he cannot stand children. He finds them to be so noisy and unorganized. This love of order is what makes him a damn fine teacher. No matter what subject he teaches. He's always had a love of Defence against the Dark Arts, but Potions is his first true passion. He knows Potions like he knows the back of his hand. His brain is a catalogue of information. But only because he lives in such an ordered world.'

Minerva watched as Hermione absorbed the information. Slowly, a knowing grin spread across the younger woman's face. Together, the two of them nodded their heads as if they knew what the other was thinking. Then McGonagall glanced at the clock on the mantle and smiled. 'Would you look at that? Your detention is over, Miss Granger. You may go. I expect to see you here tomorrow night at exactly the same time. And do make sure you have your report readied for me.'

'Yes, Professor,' Hermione nodded and stood from her chair. Minerva watched her move across the floor to the door. The girl turned to look at her before opening the wooden panel and slipping out into the hall. When the door was once more shut, Minerva leaned back in her chair and stared at the fire burning in her hearth. Slowly, a wicked gleam came into her eyes and a chilling, almost evil smile crept over her face.

'Severus, my boy. I do believe you've met your match in this one,' she murmured into the silence of her room. The clock ticked into the silence of the room, marking the time as it passed. The smile grew and was followed by a chuckle. 'Go get him, Hermione. Go get him.'

~*~*~*~*~

Hermione lay on her bed, thinking over what Professor McGonagall had told her about Severus. She'd always thought that he was an orderly kind of person. And now she was to use that against him. All the way back to her dorm, she'd thought about what kind of havoc she could bring about while trying to mess with her husband's neatly organized world. She'd taken a shower, thoughts ricocheting back and forth off the walls of her brain. None of them had seemed to be the right kind of havoc. She was sure that McGonagall would be most disappointed in her if she didn't come up with something that would rival the Weasley twins in ingenuity.

She'd been laying in bed for what seemed hours, trying to come up with something that would destroy the carefully crafted order that her husband surrounded himself with. And finally, a plan worthy of all the best mischief makers came to mind. It hit her with the intensity of a ton of bricks and made her smile in the near darkness of her room.

Tomorrow morning, she would put her plan into motion. Tomorrow, she was going to unorganize Severus' life. Tomorrow, she was going to start making the man's life hell. Eventually, he was going to realize she was more than some kind lf living sex doll.

Eventually, Severus Snape was going to realize that she was a real woman and that he couldn't live without her in his life.

end chapter seventeen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i must, as always, say thanks to my usual group. they do so much to keep me going and, if not for them, you wouldn't be reading this. so i hope that they know just how much i love them and appreciate all they do for me. hugs to you guys. i love you lots.

and many thanks to everyone who reads this and enjoys it and who keep coming back for more. i appreciate each and every one of you.

and finally, allow me to thank those who left a review.

to calamitysandra: i'll do my best to give it to Snape. erm... i mean, have Hermione give it to him. i'm sure she'll do the job admirably.

to Pam: i'm glad you like the attitude i've given Hermione. i only hope that she is as much in character as i can make her. i know there will be a certain amount of OOC with any of them, but only Jo Rowling can keep them truly in character.

to DawnEB: i'm glad you're enjoying it and i apologize for the length of time between updates. i have no intention of abandoning this story. i'm simply trying to balance RL and this. four stories at once. that makes it a bit difficult to update as regularly as i want to. i'm sure he'll eventually figure things out and start talking to her as well as shagging her.

to Red: i'm glad you're still reading, hon. that's all that matters. i'm glad you like it. and i loved the advice from the two of them. of course, Minerva is likely going to have so much more fun with this.

to Ailo: sorry about the lack of interaction between the two. there will be some in the next chapter, i think. haven't quite gotten there yet. i plan on it, but the two of them seem to have their own ideas about it all.

to Bambu: i rather think that most adults do that because they don't actually think that teenagers think beyond hormones or whatever. i see Hermione being a little more intelligent than that. and it will be interesting to see how Hermione and Minerva plan on making his life hell.

to Anguloce: i shall do my best to continue on in the vein in which you've become accustomed.

to Michael: no worries, darling. i plan on finishing it.

to elementaldeity: yes, he is in for it, isn't he? two women plotting against him? he doesn't stand a chance.

to cocoachristy: glad you're enjoying, hon. and i'm sorry its been so long. i'm sure, at some point, that he'll use the advice he's been given.

to pumkin: i'm sure the two of them can find good ways to properly torture him. keep reading to find out.

to sweetdreams123: fantastic cliffhangers? well, if they weren't fantastic, you wouldn't come back to read more. would you? hope you like this.

to Morticia Heartless: all in good time, my dear. all in good time. and i'm so glad you're enjoying it. i hope you keep reading.

to Primmie: i'm glad you've enjoyed it and i didn't take the comments as flames. firstly, no one but the actual author can be perfectly to canon, so there will always be some OOC-ness. i do my best to keep them as close to canon character, but it isn't always going to happen. there is a reason for the marriage, but that won't be revealed until much later. as for Poppy, since we see the books through Harry's eyes, we don't really know what any of the other characters are really like. we only see what he sees. therefore, in my view, it leaves much to play with. and that's what i try to do with each story i write. the feel of the character may change from story to story, but basic things stay the same. always.

to SteffieSnape: glad you enjoyed the last chapter. the conversation was a good one. i think i really liked that Draco gave him advice. perhaps Harry should do the same? hope you like this chapter as well.

to fjd_88: thank you for the kind words. i'm so glad you're enjoying it.

to funky_faerie87: glad you enjoyed it. i had fun writing it. i think its good that Hermione isn't going to just roll over and allow them all to run roughshod over her.

to FelicityGemfiar: thank you so kindly for such kind words. i'm so glad that you enjoyed reading this. the bunnies of this story were just evil to me. i do hope you continue to read and enjoy.

to Satai Delenn: i'm so glad you're enjoying this. yes, Hermione is getting pissed off and she likely will let him know how she feels about his insensitivity. he might eventually speak to her as a human, but that might be a long time coming. you know how stubborn Severus can be.

to queenp: hope this meets your standards and expectations. its going to be a while before Hermione lets him touch her again, i think.

to Ania: of course i plan on finishing this. i'm simply busy with so much that it often times takes me longer than i would like to get the chapter written and posted. but never fear.... you will know all by the story's end. promise.

to Amethystique: i'm sorry you feel that the A/Ns and thank yous are too long. however, a writer is nothing without their readers. i could cut back on it all but that would, in my opinion, be a slight to those of you... and this includes you as well, my dear.... who took the time to tell me what you think. it isn't as easy as some think to get out there and let other people read what comes out of my brain. i had to be dared, basically, to start posting. forgive me for wanting to make sure that everyone knows i appreciate them. now, that said and not meant to be mean or condescending, as i know your review wasn't meant that way, i would like to thank you for sharing with me that you find my characters so believable. that means alot. i will update as often as i'm able.

to Ginger: hope this one is as good as the rest and that you continue to enjoy.