I chose to read this first before I change to the AU-version. Very well done, and piercingly insightful when it comes to Snapes character. Maud is realy the woman he'd have needed by his side, with her strength, witty humour and "no nonsense"-attitude. What a pleasure it is to be surprised by a good author!

Cúthalion

Good. Sad. And surprisingly still fits cannon even with book 7 out. Which makes it even sadder. Now to read the AU version which will surely make me smile.

Oh, nice. This fits in very well with my view of him after HBP - you do so well at keeping Snape unpleasant and conflicted, without having him actually be a traitor.

I've loved your fics since I first read them ages ago, even if I hadn't the courage to review. Your Maud fits Snape so perfectly I can hardly picture him without her; my first response on reading the end of HBP, aside from shock, was wondering how Maud would react. This made me much more inclined toward the "Snape-is-good" side of things, naturally. I was delighted to see you'd actually written the fic I'd been picturing. Now I'm finally getting up the words to tell you so--sorry it took me so long.

You write pictures and characters that stay. However many other books and stories I read, yours will be locked into me forever. And as a near-constant reader I don't think there's a much higher compliment I can give.

Nice continuation! Aberforth, who'd have thought?

Why have I not heard of this update? (Because you didn't check, duh!) Ranting aside...very nice, as always. I like Aberforth's rather Alastair-ish mumbling...he's quite in character (at least how I imagine him!) Thanks for the fic, I'll look forward to more!

This was a great little fic. I like the idea of Aberforth being the liason between Snape and the order, should he really have killed DD on his order. (I so hope that's the case:-P)

Amazing as always. I half wondered if you were going to try to revise Personal Risks to match HBP, but this works just as well (okay, ALMOST, but much less time consuming!).

Manda

Whew. You had me mesmerized.

I have to say, Maud Moody is one of my favorite OC characters in HP fanfiction. She's just so... potent. And yet, believable. I love the tenacity of her love for Severus. I love that she *chose* him, that she loves him at his worst, that she gives him complete honesty and requires the same of him.

Thank you. And please, if you feel inspired, write more in this series. It is always welcome.

omg. When I saw that you had written another Snape story the first thoughts in my head were "I'm not worthy! I'm not worthy!" with a chibi me bowing down. lol I'm really glad to see someone be able to write a decent post hbp snape story(although yours is greatly beyond just decent) You capture how him perfectly. I know you wrote 'the end' but i really hope maybe someday you'll go back and write a post hbp story to comepletly replace 'if we survive' i love that one just as much, but your so good at writing him in character, that a 'end of the war, post hbp' story would be grand being written by you. and i do wish for a happy ending for them. so write more snape!^_~

Rebecca, that was amazing. You have completely captured the spirit of Severus Snape - and Maud Moody, his perfect foil and a woman truly worthy of him. This is the best post-HBP fic I've read, and I've read a few. I hope you write more in the same vein - a few stolen meetings, perhaps - Severus gets wind of a plan to kill Alastor? Maud is needed as a go-between when Aberforth can't manage it? Hey, lots of possibilities here!

Anyway, if you ever publish in the "paper world," please do remember to let me know. I would be so eager to read anything you write. Congratulations on what for me is now part of the canon! (till JKR tells us otherwise, darn it)

Lovely! I was so happy to discover you've written this "alternate ending," although I certainly don't consider it the ending. Snape WILL be redeemed! I'm counting on it. (If he's not, I will throw Book 7 out the window -- literally.)

Great character development in a very limited amount of space. I already want to know much more about Aberforth, Severus, and Maud. I assume from "The End" that you don't plan on continuing this train of thought. But if this story is a stand-alone, it's a wonderful stand-alone. Thanks for sharing!

Sweet, Snape definitely isn't. Loyal, steadfast, unblinking, determined and strong, those are better words.