I thought Cordelia behavior toward Severus was the height of hubris, but I loved his rejoinder.  Good on Severus!  His reply was extremely generous:  "I have not, to date, interfered in your personal affairs, Cordelia, but if you give me reason, I can make your life exceedingly difficult.”

As I read the part where Hermione was trying to tie her hair back as she was brewing, my heart begin to beat faster.  I dearly recalled that lovely silver hair clip falling out of her hair and leading to such a glorious display of love and passion.  That is one of my most favorite scenes in all of SSHG fanfiction. 

She watched in delight as the uncertainty left his eyes and was replaced by desire. “We can work on the details later,” he said with the smallest of smiles. “First, however, let us do this thing properly.”

I am all in favor of their doing this thing properly.  Here we go.  What a great chapter!

Beth

BWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA ...
deep breath...
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!!
Thanks for the laugh!

I remember this!  I guess I thought it was part of Denial all along....  Love it!  Theo is so trapped in his own plush, hashish infused bubble.  Whiny, foul-mouthed little Lord Fauntleroy.  Scorch him, Hermione!  Thank you for including this, LB!  --Ruth

LOVE IT!

Oh, poetic justice. :D

That was an awesome outtake! I'm glad you found it! I love that Theo's interpretation of a "permanent solution" would be to chop off his finger! What is he -- a Gryffindor??? LOL

this was wonderful and just what he deserved!!!  I am so glad someone was able to find it; it goes very well in this story!

Brilliant!  I really enjoyed that little snippet into Theo's POV.  Even though all he can think about is himself and still has to have the solution spelled out to him.

Looking forward to the next re-post!

Oh it felt so good to read this, Theo not likeing the pain now he knows how much he hurt Hermionie.  I dont think he cares about the pain or thr humiliation. He is very self centered just like his mother.  I hope they both get what they deserve.

I did read this one shot before, but it fits in really well here as well.  

Two awesome chapters to read, I saved up so I'd have more to read.

Cranky little thing, isn't he?  I hope for the sake of our couple that he needs the potion a lot. ;)

Another fantastic chapter!  You've written Severus and Hermione so realistically and believably, especially with the added touch of Hermione sending the murtlap.  Looking forward to seeing Theo's reaction (as I don't remember reading that one)!

I'm sorry I haven't reviewed the last few chapters - they are all fantastic, as usual! I got behind in my reading and am catching up in one fell swoop.  This is such a great point in the story - all the pent up emotions and passions coming to a climax (pun intended! LOL!).I agree - I don't like warnings at the beginning of a chapter that give the plot away. Either you're expecting it, based on previous events, or it's supposed to be a surprise! In this story, it was pretty much inevitable - it IS a story about Severus & Hermione, after all! And their situation is completely intolerable - the Ministry should be ashamed!!I'm glad you found "Ring of Fire" - I was sure I had it, but to my surprise, did not - I will soon! :) I'm so sorry you didn't make it farther on Amazon, but I did get the excerpt and am looking forward to reading it. Keep your chin up - you'll find the right publisher!

Great!!! I just love this story! I read the foot notes on this chapter, and I can see you are in Dublin... greetings to you from Peru in south america. LOL!Thanks again for the new chapter! looking foward for the next one, have a great sunday.

Such a tangled web they weave...  I find it interesting how Severus truly believes "guilt is off the agenda", while Hermione compensates with Murtlap.LB, your updates are definitely a double edged sword.  Although, I eagerly anticipate your next installment (can't wait can't wait can't wait, I realize that we are getting close to the end of the story.  Which makes me sad...  thank you again for reposting this lovely story!  --Ruth

Love the idea of seeing Theo's reaction. :)

Fantastic chapter.  As far as the adultery goes, it was inevitable.  It's hardly fair if Theo and Cordelia can carry on and expect hermione and Severus to remain faithful. Hermione's reaction was understandable but I'm pleased she realised the effect it had on Severus.  :D

Doing it properly was a great idea.  I love the contrast between their tryst in the lab and then in the bedroom. It worked out perfectly that Cordelia was out of town for the week.  It really gave them a chance to establish where they stand withone another and grow closer in their new relationship.  But, all good things must come to an end.  It is lucky though, that they don't have to hide so much from Moe and Lance.  Those are the two who would definitely figure it out.I am certain that Hermione is sending the Murtlap essence to be nice, because that is the kind of person that she is.  However, there is a part of me that hopes there is a little bit of "I plan to have so much sex in the near future that your hand might fall off if I don't send you this" sort of message behind it. :)Looking forward to more, as always.

LOVED this chapter! I really enjoy how Hermione still isn't 100% comfortable with "cheating" on her husband. It's very... *Hermione*. Sending him murtlap essence is, too. And I agree with Severus -- there's no way Theo will stay away for too terribly long. Hermione's having too much fun! LOL (Although I'm looking forward to seeing how Lance finds out, and his reaction.)

Sorry to hear you YA didn't win. I tried to find it on Amazon but no luck. I am so glad you are posting Denial again. I remember reading it way back when but it great reading it again. I can't wait for more. It's the highlight of my week.

Another great chapter, bittersweet but powerful.  Where will they go from here, I expect Cordeila to cause some unplesentness and Lance will be happy for them.  

*sigh*  I love this chapter... and I've been waiting for it for what seems like forever.  The tension between them was so thick you could cut it with a knife, and I was, again, blown away by the dance they shared on the roof top.  It made me happy that Hermione's friends from classmates to Lance, Minerva, and Moe have come to believe that, under the circumstances, it's not an unreasonable thing that the two of them should be attracted to each other.*sighs again*  Thank you for this lovely update.  Beth

None of us needed an Adultery warning. I can't imagine anyone who has continued checking every day to see if you have posted an update wasn't positively panting for this to happen. I never expected it wouldn't eventually happen or I wouldn't have even started reading the story. While I would never do it in real life, part of the beauty of reading romance is the vicarious enjoyment of what you can never do. I loved the clip falling from her hair. I can't think of a better excuse for Severus to touch her without intending it to go further except you having to resort to her being injured. Cordelia has a lot of nerve. Though the fact that Hermione is her daughter in law is a little Jerry Springer, there was no way out of it unless she and Theo divorced first and that would be far too many chapters from now to wait for them to finally make love.  And making it too easy would make the story less complicated and interesting.  The conflicting interests are what makes a plot compelling.  Not everyone in this story will be upset about the idea of these two together, like Lance and Moe.  They will have to be very careful indeed to keep it on the down low.  Being caught is the only thing I would think they should be ashamed of.  I hope Padma isn't too hard on her. I'm sorry to hear about your other story. I love your writing and can't wait to see you published. Hang in there. You have woven a worthy plot and the writing is well done. Your character development has been great too. You have it in you to be a published author. It will happen; I am certain of it. I can't wait for the next chapter of this story. Please don't leave us waiting too long. I hope you find Theo's POV. If not, I know you can write it again and you might even find that you like the second incarnation better. 

I knew as soon as they both said 'we'll just be friends' they were doomed.  Yep doomed.If anyone is shocked by the adultery well, that would just leave me scratching my head, as it has been an underlying player in the story.  Theo cheating on Hermione, Cordelia on Severus.  Nope not right but realistic.  Not all stories are about rainbows and unicorns.Very glad you are feeling better.  Sorry about not winning the Amazon bid.  All I can say is chin up and keep trying because the evidence is here that you are a good writer.  I know that doesn't really help and sometimes it is hard to keep a postive attitude but we'll always be here for you if you need us (just like in Labyrinth).

Ahhh... this chapter!  I love that Severus is fascinated by her neck and throat (underneath all that hair). Soo erotic!  Now, how did Theo respond?  Can't wait to find out (again!).Thank you Little Beloved!  --Ruth