YAY LONG UPDATE!!!! _>

Hm. Ok - I'm completely schnockered. And hysterical for unrelated reasons. But: “Jack’s my golfing mate, Julia. It wouldn’t be right. Look, I’ll just let turn off the stove and let things simmer here. Nothing’s ruined. I’ll be back in less than an hour.” seems to me like it'd make more sense if it said "I'll just turn off the stove" *to* *me*, but if your *SOBER* readers disagree, by all means, listen to them since they're logical and stuff (and tomorrow I probably won't even remember this comment. . .)

(It should be mentioned here that I *really* like how you've incorporated the real-time demands on the on-call physicians into this fic . . .) "Severus, forgive me for running off like this.” “I understand,” Snape said.

You know . . . he probably does, at that!

*****I'm making these comments before finishing the chapter*****Hermione flashed a brief, questioning glance at Severus. While she knew that her mother would not object to the use of magic to heal her hand, Hermione suspected that her own magical first aid skills weren’t up to the task if the damage was as deep as Julia suspected. Snape hesitated, speculating, then shook his head.

“We could…staunch the bleeding a bit, but it would be best if she went to the Muggle clinic,” he agreed.The counter to Sectumsempra won't work here? Or is it because Sectumsempra is a magical injury and her cleaver-slice is a Muggle/physical injury? Or is it something later revealed?Then there was the wedding photograph – Hermione looking radiant in a white robe, Ron Weasley clutching her to his side.

The wave of jealousy that washed over him caught Snape completely by surprise. For a marriage that was merely awaiting the official document to declare it legally dead, why should he feel so threatened by that photograph? And the truth occurred to him then: he wanted Hermione to look so radiant, so happy, because she was with him, Severus Snape, former Death Eater, murderer and friend to no one.Ruh oh. 8-OLawrence stopped short at the sight of Severus performing the cooking chores. “What happened? Where are the women?”

“Your wife accidentally cut her hand just after you left, and Hermione had to drive her to the Emergency Hospital.”

“Hermione? Drive a car? Did she even remember how?”

“From the way the car was veering about as they left, I’d say no.” _>“Poor Jules. For someone who’s so skilled at working in other people’s mouths, she’s an absolute disaster at home sometimes.”Sounds like Tonks.

Whoops.

Did I say that out loud, or was that my inner Snape? *innocent look*“The Japanese don’t call them mortars and pestles. They’re ‘suribachi’ and ‘surikogi’. You see, the sweet flavor of the roasted sesame seeds is more intense when they’re ground.” See, now I have the feeling that Snape would be completley into this purely for knowledge's sake. He's just not as much of a Know-It-All swot about it as Hermione is.The two men worked in companionable silence for several minutesYAY! (Hey, I'm easily entertained. Especially right now. Not to detract from your delightful story in the least. AFAIR, this is the only chapter I've been intoxicated on reading, and for 18 chapters, that's saying quite a lot....)

Snape, *snip* felt his nerves snap to attention. YA THINK?!He carefully hunted down the right words before speaking. Diplomatic and "slippery" as always. That's our Severus!We loved Ron, of course, but you could see where the two of them had grown apart over the years.THEY NEVER HAD ANYTHING IN COMMON TO BEGIN WITH *stabby stabby hate* Now would be a good time to note that Jo has likened HERSELF to Hermione, and instead of marrying her clowning and jokester best friend with red hair, she married a man with dark hair, dark eyes and a big nose who's an ANESTHESIOLOGIST! [In other words he MIXES THE DRAUGHT OF LIVING DEATH FOR A LIVING! *COUGH* (And how's *that* for "tilting your head and looking sideways"?

/me whistles innocently

Yes. Back to the fic. >_>Your child could be the next Bill Gate Um. Does Severus have the SLIGHTEST inclination who Bill Gates *IS*???

Severus didn’t quite know what to say. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was sixteen years old, waiting for a girl to descend the stairs for an evening out while her father issued thinly veiled threats regarding appropriate behavior.Except that's not quite what Lawrence is saying, is it? It's more "we trust our daughter and are proud of her, and if you're her choice, then come join the family, already, because she's said you're clever and cunning, and FAR MORE of a match for her than that imbecile Weasley, who didn't even RESPECT her, could ever *hope* to be. Dinner every Sunday good with you? When can we expect grandkids, damnit, because we're impatient!"

*cough*

(Projection much, CM? No, no, not at all! Whatever gave you that dea? >_>) “Damn. Might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb, I suppose. Here’s the thing, Severus: they wanted information about you. All the dirt, all the gossipy stuff, from what Hermione told me. And she wouldn’t give it to them.”

Severus stared at Lawrence Granger as the realization sank in. Hermione had given up her final shot at being published in order to protect him.And DIDN'T TELL HIM, no less.

*blanch*

So does he chastise her for being a foolish Gryffindor?

Author's Response: Gee, I don't think my update was nearly as long as your review. Uh, thanks?

Reader's Response: Yes, well, I don't usually write reviews - so when I do, I try to make them have some meat to them. *cough*

I have a feeling that Snape will press her for details about why she wouldn't agree to the publisher's terms. And perhaps he will permit her to write a biography of his life, hence the title of the story, Snape, A History! Am I right???

Author's Response: Ah, well, yes and no...

I'm glad Hermione didn't sell her work short. Maybe now she can work on the manuscript some more and try another publisher.

Author's Response: Sounds like the better plan. Thanks for reading!

Wow just read your story so far, it's great. I hope to see more soon. I like the slow developement between Snape and Hermione, and the fact that he has problems dealing with his feelings. It's great!

Ann

Author's Response: Thanks so much!

Wonderful as always, although Hermione really should tell Severus the reasons she declined. Watch if she keeps it quiet, it will come back at the worst possible time and bite her in the rear!

Author's Response: and it will bite her in the not-too-distant future, in fact!

I'm glad she made the right decision, but terribly disappointed that the book won't be published after all. I love the story, and eagerly await more!

Author's Response: Are you sure that the book won't be published?:-)

Wow! I want to see Severus's face when he finds out that Hermione refused because of him. What more words to say she care about him? But if she doesn't want to tell him then who? How will he find out? That's the mystery

Author's Response: You'll have to imagine the look on Severus's face, I'm afraid. I chose to leave that scene to play out in the reader's imagination. Thanks for reading.

The first semi-non-romantic SS/HG story I've fallen in love with in a while. I can't wait for an update.

Author's Response: 'semi-non-romantic'?