I didn't expect that ending and I certainly didn't expect the pregnancy, though I did like it. I thought that the story would end on a sadder note, especially because of how the last chapter finished. However, I do always enjoy a happy ending and I think that the ending you gave is pretty much the only possible realistic and believable happy ending possible. There was no way that they could have stayed in England, not after Voldemort had discovered that Lily was a traitor as well as Severus' home.

There was a very interesting parallel between their new life now and the life Lily would have had with James. She's pregnant and she's living under the Fidelius Charm- I do wonder what it will be like for the child to live in secret. How will they attend school? Have friends?

On a side note, I didn't realize that Lily had been the one to kill Sirius- I thought that it was Severus.

I think that you've done a great job of resolving the main conflict of the story (Severus and Lily have a more than satisfactory relationship) and you've left us with a sense of hope for a brighter future. I do wonder about Lily's thoughts to having a death on her conscience, especially one who was almost her friend, and if they will ever regret leaving the war behind. I don't think that they will ever return to fight, though. They've probably learned their lesson and will want to keep their child as safe as possible.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this story and I think that you did an excellent job with it.

Author's Response: Oh my, I'm tickled pink! I struggled so much with the ending for this story. I wanted to give them the happy ending I always thought they deserved, but at the same time, I wanted to make sure to keep things realistic. It seems like every Snily I read either has them tragically separated or in a flawless relationship, and I don't like either one. I wanted this to be different, and you thought it was, and you LIKED it, and... oh. Oh my.

The ending does leave a lot of 'what ifs', yes. I did that on purpose... I wanted to give the reader's imagination a chance to finish the tale. Does the child change its name and appearance? Do they pretend to be Muggles? Do they run a juice business out of their home? There are a million possibilities, and yes, a million fears. They'll never really be safe, but at least they're somewhat happy. Lily's not made of stone, and she probably does have some regrets. But I wanted her to break away from the pain of her life as it had been and get to experience something nice for once, and that requires a sacrifice or two.

Oh, yes, sorry if that one point was confusing: Severus was indeed the one to kill Sirius, but since he and Lily are traveling together, I meant that Voldemort would associate his crimes with her, and would surely wreak his vengeance upon them both if he caught them.

Thanks again for all your wonderful reviews!

Amanda

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This was another great chapter. I knew that something would have to happen but I didn't expect an ambush by the Death Eaters... I think that you led up to the ambush beautifully- the image of the crushed pansies was so striking because only a few chapters ago Lily had said that they were the only well-kept thing about the house.

And Severus killed Sirius! I don't know quite how to feel about that- I know he was one of the bad guys in this story but he still seemed to genuinely feel something for Lily (though it might not have been purely love). The lines "Good. That'll make this easier then.", coupled with the slight frown on his face, made it seem as though he was hiding his pain behind a mask.

The ending to this chapter was slightly heart-breaking. They'd just gotten back into the swing of things, becoming good friends (and then some), and then this happened. I do hope that Severus somehow finds it in himself to trust Lily, because I know that she didn't know about the ambush. She couldn't have.

I look forward to seeing how you finish this story in the next chapter! Hopefully everything will be resolved and Severus and Lily will at least be friends.

Author's Response: I'm so glad you like my imagery. I work really hard to fit it in wherever I can and make it powerful, and it's always wonderful to see a reader who picks up on those details and appreciates them.

You got it! He's not soulless, like Voldemort, and I think it's important to recognize that. I wrote him from the mindset that he was powerful within Voldemort's ranks and saw Lily as a perfect match for him because of her prowess and isolation from the others. Therefore, he would be quite disappointed to see another man win her heart, let alone someone whom he views as inferior.

No, she didn't, but poor Lily is accustomed to tragedy, unfortunately. I couldn't give her a happy ending in good conscience... at least not in this chapter ;)

Thanks for another kind review!

Amanda

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I really enjoyed this chapter. It was very interesting to see the Order meetings from the point of view of someone who is not trusted. It was sad, because you could see that she was not well liked, perhaps just barely tolerated, and yet she was the one who had to give the worst news to the members of the Order- that they were next, that they were the ones being hunted.

I enjoyed the little mentions of the history of the characters because it helped to root the characters and define their differences from canon. I found it interesting that Andromeda wasn't that different from the character we know of in the books- she was still on the good side of the war, still considered to be a blood traitor. It was interesting and telling that Lily respected her- a woman who has, at the surface at least, found her path in life and is content with it.

And finally- they kissed! They kissed! I wasn't expecting them to kiss just yet- it seemed a little soon, and yet I can understand why they did so. They are living in a war, where every day could be their last. I particularly enjoyed the way you followed the tea cups as they fell and broke. It was very interesting and it gave some brilliant imagery to the scene- and there's probably a metaphor in there somewhere, if I take the time to think about it.

I think that this was another great chapter and I'm very interested to find out what happens when Voldemort learns of her betrayal- because he will. She can't hide forever.

Author's Response: Yep, you nailed it on the head! That's how I always envisioned that it was for Severus in canon, which is probably why he never hung around for meals or socializing and always ducked out at the first possible moment. It's kind of sad when you think about it, but then again, I'm sure he had business to attend to.

I like Andromeda's character, and I didn't see a huge need to change her, but I did want Lily to see her as the kind of brave, selfless woman that she'd always wanted to become.

Yes, wasn't it Molly Weasley who said something to the effect that in wartime, lots of people got married just because they didn't know how long they had left, and that it was okay for her and Arthur because they knew they were in love anyway, so why wait? I liked using the teacups as a metaphor, and I'm glad you liked it too, because I don't think anyone else has mentioned it to date.

Yes, he will, unfortunately :( Stay tuned!

Amanda

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It's been such a long time since I've last read this story, but it's just as good as ever.

I found the change in Severus really interesting. Lily described him as a shell of what he once was, an apt description since war can have an insanely damaging effect on a person. Though I hadn't liked Narcissa much in this story (a side effect of having Lily be the narrator), I felt very sad and sympathetic for poor Severus. He had very little time with her before she was killed... And killed defending her husband. He must still feel very guilty about that. As well, I found Lily's sympathy for Severus very interesting. Even though she didn't like Narcissa, she was sorry that Severus had had to suffer through a loss such as that- it helped to bring out a softer, more human side to her and generate sympathy from the readers.

I also found Dumbledore's actions very interesting. I think that you did a good job characterizing him- he wouldn't be soft and happy with students who have disappointed. When he used his gift of knowing more things about a person than most would think possible to taunt Lily, I saw a side of Dumbledore very suited to war- he knows that lives are hanging in the balance and he can't afford to be overly kind. I still found it interesting that he would ask Lily to betray the names of her fellow Death Eaters as well as prospective ones because it's not the impression that I had of him in the books, but I do understand that it was a good way to gain an edge in the war as well as test Lily's willingness to change sides.

You're doing a great job of continuing the story in such a manner that doesn't feel either rushed or deathly slow. I look forward to reading the next chapter!

Author's Response: You're so sweet to have returned! :)

You said it well -- though my main focus was to generate sympathy for Severus and Lily, I do feel a twinge of pity for Narcissa. I tried to make her a parallel of James here in that she died defending the person she loved, showing a different side than the one we saw when she was a student and a bully. I think it mirrors her canon life as well, since her husband's affiliation negatively affected her and she obviously held a lot of love for her family. I did try to create multi-dimensional main characters here, and it seems like that worked for you, which is wonderful to hear.

You make a good point about Dumbledore, as I saw no sign of him demanding that Severus give him the names of other Death Eaters in canon so that he could systematically hunt them down. It's interesting to me how he interacts with whoever is in that role, be it Severus or Lily. It's a bit like a cat playing with a mouse, never taking too much but always taking a little bit for his own gain. However, as you said, these actions are necessary for Lily to gain his trust here.

To hear that the pacing is satisfactory for you allays a number of my fears. Thanks for another very kind review! :)

Amanda

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I'm almost rather curious as to how Lily was able to hide from the Death Eaters along with Severus. I wish that would have been explained a little further. Other than that however, the ending was something along the lines of what I expected.

Author's Response: Well, that's a valid point, one that has been made to me by other reviewers as well. I guess I was coming at it from the angle that there is much left to the unknown in a war-themed story, and that maybe the reader would want to have some things to imagine on his or her own. It's interesting that you expected the ending; others have said that they expected something awful to happen, or at least for the two of them to not work out. However, maybe my bias came through for you :)

Thanks for all of your great reviews!

academica

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Lily probably should have been a little more careful when visiting Severus. If she had been, this wouldn't have happened.

Author's Response: Well, perhaps, but there was only so much she could do. Voldemort would have known that she was in contact with him; it's just the content of their meetings that he wasn't aware of initially. Besides, people in love get carried away easily.

Thanks for your kind review!

academica

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Interesting ending. I think that you should have included the reconciliation because this chapter really feels disjointed from the rest. It also would have been good to show how they get to America, since it all feels really rushed right now, and kind of out of the blue.
Overall, it's been a really good story, with lots of interesting bits, but I think that it could have definitely been fleshed out to make a really good whole. Still, good stuff in here.
Thanks!
-Houlestar

Author's Response: I'm sorry you find the chapter disjointed, though at least you think it was interesting. I did write this with the intention that the reader would feel that everything isn't quite resolved, and maybe that came across as things being rushed. This is simply the direction that my muse took me in at the point at which I was writing this story.

Thanks for all of your awesome reviews! I appreciate you taking the time to read the whole story.

academica

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Nice... This is getting really intense. I'm excited to see how this all plays out.
-Houlestar

Author's Response: Glad you enjoyed this one! :)

academica

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Woohoo! Finally. This is going good. I like your take on Eileen/Tobias. This'll just be a quick review because I want to read more!
-Houlestar

Author's Response: Glad you liked this chapter! :)

academica

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This was a nice reunion, though not what I'd picture with the typical Lily-Snape personalities back in place, but a definitely a good depiction of it.
Nice Narcissa twist there... though you should have shown it... but I understand why you didn't. Maybe if you ever went back and decided to put more meat into it, it'd be nice to see it there.
-Houlestar

Author's Response: I didn't want to show it because I thought it was more powerful here for Severus to just recall it, so that Lily could really see the pain he felt. I am glad you liked the reunion, and I'm curious as to what you would have written for them.

Thanks for another great review! :)

academica

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Hmm... Dumbledore's a really tough character to write. I don't think you quite hit the nail on the head with this one, but it's close enough so that it doesn't feel too jarring. (There are some stories where he just feels so OOC it's painful... not the case here though).
I like the last line. That was very good. Tehee.
As to comments in my previous reviews, 1) yes, the grammatical errors are punctuation/capitalization/etc. surrounding dialogue. It's not that big of a deal, but it'd make the story feel much more polished if that was taken care of. Of course, it's up to you. 2) When I said Severus felt weak, I meant that the transference of Lily onto him was weak. He feels like a very hollow character, now, without much motivation or real development. Perhaps it's because you've spent so much time with Lily, but I think that Severus's-Lily personality could definitely be strengthened so if feels more real.
-Houlestar

Author's Response: I'm glad you liked what I did with Dumbledore, though I kind of wonder what you think was missing. (I'm not saying my depiction was perfect, far from it. I'm just curious.)

Thanks for clarifying your comments from the previous reviews. I may go back and change it at some point in the future when I'm not working on other material. I probably won't worry about it too much, since it doesn't seem to bother too many readers. As for Severus, not a bad point there either. I guess I was in the canon mindset, where we know little about Lily and much, much more about Severus. However, since both are living in this story, perhaps I could have fleshed that out more. If I write more Snily, I'll make sure to do that.

Thanks! I always appreciate constructive criticism.

academica

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This chapter was brilliant. I loved how you set up the scene. The description was excellent. (Mrs Black is a dear, as always). The meeting had the right pacing (which is really hard to get right). Another successful chapter.
I can't wait to read what happens next. The plot is thickening.
-Houlestar

Author's Response: Thanks! This, like the initiation ceremonies, was fun to write. I think I kind of painted a little of Bellatrix's personality onto Sirius's mother, while still trying to keep her a bit prudish and traditional. I'm also glad I got the pacing of the meeting right - you're correct, it can be hard!

Thanks for all of your kind reviews! :)

academica

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This chapter was excellent. I loved your version of the Mudblood incident. It worked really well. I loved the contrast between the two initiation ceremonies, very nice touch. Still too much summary for my liking (but that's just because I want to read more of this because it is awesome). I really like what you've done with Lily. Nice transference of Snape's personality onto her. I think that Severus is a little weaker, but it's still good writing.
I've noticed a lot of errors relating to the punctuation of dialogue (which doesn't detract from the story, but would be really nice to fix up to make the fic completely awesome.)
Overall this story is kicking butt.
-Houlestar

Author's Response: I'm glad you liked how I switched around the Mudblood stuff and how I wrote the initiation ceremonies. It's been fun to think about what it would be like to be initiated in either group. I feel bad for Lily, but it's also been interesting to write her because I like angst. I'm sorry you saw Severus as weak - I suppose I was trying to contrast his goodness with the pain that dominates Lily's personality.

Again, I wish you had been a bit more specific about what errors you noticed. If you're talking about using periods instead of commas to conclude dialogue, that was brought to my attention at one point, and so I remember to change it in some stories and not in others. If there's something else, though, I'm not sure what you mean. Whatever the case, I'm glad it doesn't take away too much from the story.

Thanks for another great review! :)

academica

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I really like Sirius in this one. I wish you hadn't put in so much summary, but I understand that you wanted to not draw the story out too much.

Author's Response: Yeah, I wanted to keep this short since the challenge was over long before I finished posting it. I hope the summary was at least interesting.

Sirius is interesting here, isn't he? People seem to be fairly divided on how they feel about seeing this other side of him, the "what if" version of his life as a Slytherin and future Death Eater. I'm glad you like him, though :)

Thanks for your kind review!

academica

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Aw, I really liked the ending. You had me so worried there for a second at the end of the last chapter that they wouldn't end up together. But I'm glad he finally let her in again. It was a really cute ending.

Although I will admit I was a little perturbed that Snape and Lily patronuses (patroni?) would still both be does. I mean James and Lily were sort of alike in that his patronus was a stag and Lily's a doe, but I always thought of it as Severus' patronus changing into a doe after Lily's death. And since Lily never died and they do end up together and happy, I didn't really expect them to have the same animal as their patronuses. Although I can't really think was else would be a suitable patronus for Severus. I did have a sort of thought that maybe his patronus was for Narcissa instead... but then why would Lily have the same patronus. It's all very confusing to me. I'm going to stop rambling now.

Anyway, I really loved your story. You're an amazing writer and I hope you will keep up the excellent work.

xxEnigmaticEyes16

Author's Response: You were worried? Good, that means I set up the suspense the way I wanted :) I'm glad you liked the ending of the story and felt happy that they ended up together.

Well, I went with the twin does for a couple of reasons. One is that the doe patronus is one of the big symbols from canon that reminds everyone of Snape/Lily, and I've tried to keep some of the major Snape/Lily storyline events in this story, like both of them growing up in close neighborhoods, the two of them being sorted into different houses, Snape joining the Order after leaving the Death Eaters, etc. I really like the matching patronuses and always thought it was a particularly romantic part of the ship.

The other thing is that I think we conceptualize patronuses in a different way. Patronuses take their form based on whatever makes the person feel safe and secure. So to me, even if Lily hadn't died and even if they had ended up together, Snape's patronus still would have been a doe. Severus made Lily feel safe and happy in this story, so her patronus matched his. The other part of that is that I don't totally buy the idea that Snape's patronus changed into a doe. Based on the logic I gave above, I thought his patronus would have been for Lily from the first time he was able to cast it. Since he loved her all of his life, according to canon, she would always be the dominating force that made him feel happy and secure. In this story, Lily was only able to learn to cast a patronus when she wasn't living under the thumb of the Death Eaters, and so naturally her choice when she first began casting one would be a patronus that matched that of Severus. I hope all of that makes sense! It was just what I chose.

Thanks so much for all of your reviews, and I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! :)

academica

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Aw, I'm so happy for them, they finally get to be a couple! At least, I hope. There's still two more chapters left, which I have every intention of reading even though this is your last of the five reviews.

It hadn't even occurred to me that Lily would go to Dumbeldore, even though I know Snape obviously went to Dumbledore. Although it's clearly turned out a bit differently since Narcissa is already dead and Snape is still alive and there was no baby like Harry, or prophecy, or anything like that.

And she joined the order like Snape originally did! Although I do worry about what will happen if Voldemort finds out that she's no longer on his side. That certainly wouldn't turn out well. Oh, I can't wait to read the next chapters!

This is really good story and I'm so happy I read it! And I will read the last two chapters either today or tomorrow. And I'll probably review the last one. Keep up the good work, and congratulations again on your win in the Birthday Massacre Challenge!

xxEnigmaticEyes16

Author's Response: Yes, they finally get to be a couple. My shipping dreams come true at last :)

It is a bit different - as you've seen, Lily walked back into Severus's life to find nothing but tragedy, and it hurts her to see someone who was previously so happy hurting so much. I think she's struck by the fact that his life didn't turn out much better than hers, and it was a bit conducive for their coupledom. Yes, she did join the Order, and of course Voldemort will be unhappy if he finds out...

I'm so flattered that you've enjoyed it enough to finish it out. I hope the last couple of chapters don't disappoint. Thanks again for choosing my story -- I really loved writing it!

academica

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Okay, I read this last night and started to review it and then I must have gotten distracted because I only got one sentence down. Anyway, this is my fourth review, I believe. And I really liked this chapter. I liked the detail you put into it with the dark mark in the door and how the death eaters have to put their arm up to it in order to get in. That was really neat.

I also found it interesting how Voldemort likes to have conversations with Lily, like he might sort of play off ideas with her, but she turns him down to doing so solo and he never makes an physical advances. I thought it really said something about them, and about his respect for Lily, which showed even more when she interrupted him and he didn't punish her for it.

I wonder what's going to happen. If and when Lily finds Severus, I don't think she could actually stand to use the cruciatus curse on him. I could see her maybe trying but stopping the moment she sees the pain and agony she causes in him. And if she fails then Severus may get it twice as bad and she'll be seriously punished as well. Guess I have to continue reading to find out so off I go.

xxEnigmaticEyes16

Author's Response: Hey again!

I'm glad you liked my idea for the entrance. I figured Voldemort would want a little extra security, and using the Mark would ensure that only authentic Death Eaters could get in.

The Voldemort-Lily relationship is interesting to me. As a parallel to canon, he treats her with a little more respect than some of the others, because she's quieter and keeps to herself but clearly has great magical talent. I think their personalities are compatible, sort of like how Snape's is like Voldemort's a bit. It also made me consider how things would be different for a woman in Snape's position; we can't deny that the wizarding society was a bit male-dominated, and so I think it would be more difficult for a female to cope with that.

Thanks for your review! :)

academica

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A happy ending! I don't know whether to be ecstatic that someone actually managed to write a Snivily that ended happily or suspicious that, at any moment, Voldemort's going to pop out and kill them both. There's still the potential for it, you know.

Haha, I didn't expect this ending, actually. It's funny because while it's beautiful and happy, I feel that the story isn't over. What were the consequences of Lily killing Sirius? What did the Death Eaters do? What did Voldemort do? If Snape and Lily remained in England that long, did anything happen to them, any more attacks? Or did Dumbledore do something to protect them once he heard of Sirius's death? Murder always seems to have its consequences in the Potterverse - even for the good characters, there is always a price. That's the only thing that I think you could have fleshed out further.

Otherwise, this chapter contains fantastic descriptions, very rich and Romantic with all the natural imagery and the idyllic setting. There's a softness to this chapter that I would not have thought possible in earlier chapters - Lily has finally known what it means to be happy, and I think it's wonderful that both of your characters are rewarded with this kind of ending. The suffering is over and they can move on, far away from the war between Voldemort and the Order, not that they can ever fully escape that war, but in this scene, they do.

What I like is that in this chapter, you've written fluff in a pleasing way. The language flows and the details of the setting pull the reader right in. Usually, I feel resistance to fluff, but here, not at all because of how you wrote it. The characters are so natural together - they're like two sides of the same coin. *sigh* It's very romantic. ^_^

Congratulations on finishing this story! It's been wonderful to follow the characters through your alternate universe! I look forward to whatever new story you have up your sleeve. :D

Author's Response: You know, I think that's just it -- Voldemort could very well pop out and kill them both at any second. The Death Eaters could show up on their doorstep looking for revenge. Mundungus Fletcher could turn around and sell them out. It's a very calm, pleasant scene, but I did want the reader to realize that the mood is still tense, that it could all be ripped away. I even thought maybe the reader would imagine what could happen for themselves, and maybe I could have made that more obvious. Thanks!

I'm glad you like my fluff -- I realize the story was paced a little quick toward the end, and I'll probably write more of them in the future (now that I know I can actually execute it!). I tried to package it up in nice imagery and, as I mentioned in my last response, make the reader want a happy ending for the two of them, at least a happy ending for right now.

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews -- they are one of the reasons that I love to work on new pieces and publish them. I promise I'll be by to catch up on the reviews I owe you soon! Over break, if not earlier :)

Amanda

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Oh my gosh! I know that I wasn't sure what to expect next in this story, but in my wildest dreams, I never would have expected this! And yet I feel silly for not thinking that such a conflict was inevitable - the tensions between her and Sirius, and between her role in both the Order and as a Death Eater, had to come to a head at some point. But this... wow!

To begin, I'm going to backtrack to your opening description, which, I wanted to say as soon as I read it, is beautiful. Perhaps the fact that winter is soon starting makes me yearn already for spring, but I loved the image of Lily sensing rebirth in the world just as it was occurring in herself. You know, you could probably write a one-shot extra of Lily and Snape's time together, if you really wanted, just to provide more of the details that, for plot reasons, you couldn't do here. I can tell how much you love writing them together just from that paragraph near the beginning. :P

The battle scene was well-written, with a slight level of confusion that such scenes require to fully reflect the speed of the action. They're difficult scenes to write, and I think you pulled it off, showing both Lily's surprise and her ability to defend both herself and Snape. Yes, I disagree with Snape - she did, after all, kill one of their attackers. Snape had a faster reaction time, which makes me wonder how much he had expected such an attack as an eventuality, a result of his relationship with Lily (and he must have been on guard ever since Narcissa's death). She, on the other hand, did let herself slide into a safe space, naively thinking that she couldn't be found, that the Death Eaters wouldn't come looking for her. Her surprise kept her from taking control of the battle, but killing Sirius should have made Snape trust her more, if anything.

Your characters are human! And that's a good thing. But it doesn't stop me from thinking them both silly idiots for acting like they are. The stress of the situation is making Snape irrational and Lily weak, and I really, really hope that this schism won't send either of them into further, and more extreme, irrational action.

With my luck, that's just what will happen. If it was me writing, I'd do something really nasty. :P We'll see if you're as cruel to your characters as I tend to be.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this chapter and think that it's one of the best yet for this story. It makes me super excited for reading the final one - another bit of procrastination shouldn't hurt, right? ;) This turned out to be a very long review, and I apologize for that. Your story makes me too excited, I think.

Author's Response: I'm glad you liked the opening! It was a pity to make things go dark so quickly after that, but it was a nice little respite for me and the characters, a foray into the possibility of happiness. I've tried to cultivate some semblance of sympathy for Lily throughout this piece, and so I wanted the reader to want her and Severus to be happy at the beginning of this chapter. It's interesting - although she's supposed to fill his canon role, I feel like I've discovered more about her rather than him in writing this. I've realized how different it would be for a female in that position, with the constant sexual tension and the male-dominated society. I never expected that!

I re-wrote the battle scene before posting this, because I've never felt particularly apt at writing them, so I'm glad it came out well. It is meant to be confusing. And I agree with you that Snape did overreact here. I was trying to get at the sense we got from canon about Lily being so hurt by his betrayal that she refused to even hear him out after the fact. Now, what he did to her was obviously awful, and I can understand her point of view, but I did want to convey that sense of hopelessness here.

They are human, and that does make them become sort of stupid, doesn't it? I think the times probably had that effect on many people from that era, the continual sense of danger. Lily is clinging desperately to him and he's learned to look out for himself. I wonder what you would have written? Hah. Being a shipper and this being my first "real" piece that focuses on their relationship, I couldn't resist giving them a happy ending. I think I'll know that I've grown up a bit when I can write a not-so-happy ending for them and be okay.

Your reviews are always a pleasant surprise! If this makes you excited, that's great to hear.

Thanks! :)

Amanda

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Did you just decide to switch everyone's life/personality? Cause that's what I'm starting to think. Not that I'm against it. I'm just really surprised that you picked Sirius to lure Lily to the Dark Side. It's also a little surprising because she's a Hufflepuff, and maybe it's just because the last two stories I've read about Hufflepuff contained everyone being buddy-buddy, but I'm surprised that no one else in her house would want to be her friend, or even talk to her. But I guess I can see how that would turn her dark. She doesn't like a lot of people so she wants to prove that she's amazing at everything and hates them for not liking her. Although I also find it interested that Sirius is interested in Lily, because let's face it there were four guys and one girl and we've all had suspicions that Sirius or Remus or both were also in love with Lily; she's so amazing, how could they not be? But I also find it interesting that you picked Narcissa (did not even think of her when you mentioned that blond girl) to be interested in Snape, because we've also wondered, because of the unbreakable vow, if something was there between them. I wonder if these things even occurred to you, it happens to me all the time someone reads my stuff and takes some deep meaning out of that I hadn't even caught on to yet.

Well, keep up the good work! And I will make sure I come back for the last chapter if I've finished the five reviews before it's posted. Or I may save the fifth review for the last chapter. I don't know yet. What review am I on, my third? And there's six more to go already? Yeah, I might just come back and give you a special review for your last chapter.

xxEnigmaticEyes16

Author's Response: I didn't necessarily switch everything about everyone. I made some changes that would be pivotal to the plot -- Sirius, for example, is extremely important here. I know Hufflepuffs are typically painted as being really sweet, but Lily is kind of an oddball and I needed her to be ostracized so she would fit in with Sirius. That's reflective of Snape from canon. I chose Sirius because I thought it would be neat to explore the "what if" scenario, considering his family's background from canon. As for Narcissa, I had always wanted to try a Snape/Narcissa, and she seemed to fit here. Their potential from canon did occur to me, though :)

Your reviews are lovely. Thank you!

academica

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Ah, this is for the Switched Personality Challenge, gotcha. That makes more sense now. I feel less lost. Totally didn't see that or really catch on when I read your summary.

This is certainly curious. After figuring out the switched personalities thing, I was surprised that Lily was sorted into Hufflepuff and Severus into Ravenclaw. And Sirius was sorted into Slytherin and Remus stayed in Gryffindor and I'm not sure who James is yet, unless he's the boy she followed onto the platform and then he ended up in Ravenclaw with Severus. And I'm really curious to know who this blonde girl is watching him. Although I do like how you kept their talents, Snape and his interest in Potions from growing up with it, and Lily was skilled in charms, right? I'm pretty sure she was. This story is getting more and more interesting. I just want to keep reading it.

Sorry this review isn't as long. You're doing a really good job with this story though!

xxEnigmaticEyes16

Author's Response: Yeah, I tried to mix it up a little, as I tend to find the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry a little overdone. James actually doesn't make an appearance in this story except in the beginning; if you'll recall, he's a Muggle in this plot. The boy who got sorted into Ravenclaw with Severus is a character from canon, though, one who will be sort of important in later chapters. James's role will be replaced by someone else who was hinted at near the end of this chapter :) I did want to keep the talents, though, because I think they're fitting.

Thanks for another great review :)

academica

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Hey! EnigmaticEyes here (finally) to give you your well-deserved five reviews. I've decided to use the five on this story and I will probably try to spread them out throughout the chapters.

Anyway, I really like your attention to detail here in the first section, talking about the elves writing up and stamping the envelopes and McGonagall signing them, and even going to so far as the explain how many students usually accept Hogwarts' invitation, how many deny it, and how many (muggles) think it's a joke. All of that was just amazing.

I also enjoyed Snape's section, although I was surprised you've written a not so terrible father for Severus, unless he gets worse later on. I do like how his mother conjures up these concoctions with syrups and juices and such, that's a really cool thing for someone who's really good at potions to do with their time.

It's even more interesting though that you've made Lily a pureblood with arguing parents. And no sign of Petunia. I'm curious to see where this story ends up going. I did like the bit about the garden though. Clearly Lily's mother must have had a thing for flowers to names her daughters after them.

This was a really well written chapter though, I don't think I saw any spelling or grammar mistakes. And now I am off to read and review some more!

xxEnigmaticEyes16

Author's Response: Hey! I'm glad you picked this story; the final chapter should be up today or tomorrow and I'm pretty proud of the completed product :)

People do seem to be fans of the letter-sending process that I detailed in the beginning. I thought the visual of the two owls coming to deliver the letters would be interesting and provide somewhat of a parallel to the beginning of the canon series with Harry's generation. I'm glad you also found it humorous and interesting!

Snape's father is pretty different here. I always saw him as a significant force in the formation of Severus's personality in canon, so I felt like he was an essential change for the swap. I did enjoy thinking about all the different combinations possible for juices; kind of a cool use for potions skills, huh? :)

I'm glad Lily makes you curious as well. She definitely undergoes some drastic changes for this story. I did want to keep the flower theme, though, because I thought it was cute.

Glad you're enjoying it, and I look forward to your next review!

academica

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So, I just started reading your story, and so far, I'm really impressed! It's so weird to think of Sirius as a Death Eater and Snape as part of the Order, yet you've made it totally beleiveable! And please, don't think of me as some person that hands out compliments like they're air, I'm just really impressed with your story! Please, write more!!!

Author's Response: Hey there! I'm so glad you've enjoyed the story so far, and I really appreciate your compliments. Unfortunately, there's only one chapter left, and it'll be posted as soon as I finish editing it. However, I hope you'll check out some of my other stories once this one is done :)

Thanks again for such a kind review!

academica

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Lily was muggle born. Her mother didn't own a wand

Author's Response: Yes, I'm aware of that. But as the summary clearly states, this is an AU story in which personalities and roles have been switched. Thus, in this story, Lily is a pure-blood.

Thanks anyway for your review!

academica

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This was soo great when are you going to get the next chapter out? I CAN'T WAIT!

Author's Response: I'm glad you're enjoying it! The next chapter is already in the queue and will hopefully be made available in the next couple of days.

Thanks for reading and reviewing :)

academica

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