That's the thing about alcoholics. They can stay on the wagon for years and do fine, but sooner or later they always fall off. All you can do is hope they'll climb back on again. Nobody with a history of getting drunk and hitting kids should ever be left alone with a kid--for both their sakes. Severus did the right thing. Until Tobias gets into AA and drops the so-called "friends" who drag him into pubs, he definitely doesn't need to be around Harry (or Severus, it's causing him too much stress too.) If Tobias decides to turn himself around--then supervised visits might be appropriate--maybe. The first priority in a case like this ALWAYS should be the safety of the child. You've done a very good job of portraying the effects of alcoholism on families and the difficult situations that alcoholics' relatives are in.
Author's Response: Thanks very much and I agree with all your observations. Children who are with recovering alcoholics need to be monitored to make sure that the adult isn't hurting them if they have a history of abuse or even if they don't. I think Tobias will be going back to a few meetings and trying to win back Severus's trust. I'm glad you find my portrayal so realistic, since I've been in a similar situation.
Ahah ! Good job, Sev ! *not sorry for Tobias at all* Way to go ! Well I'm still a bit sorry for Harry, though...but they'll find a way, won't they ? ;-) And I hope that Tobias will really come to regret his actions... present and past !
Author's Response: Oh he will believe me! he's already begun to, but his willpower is not up to resisting alcohol, which is true of most alcoholics.
AWWW I don't know which one of the three to feel sorrier for. I really hope Tobias doesn't start drinking again and that Harry convinces his dad somehow to let him see his grandpa again. They need each other even if they don't see it right now.
Author's Response: That's true, and I'm torn myself into who I feel sorrier for, but hopefully it will all work out.
awe... poor Toby! look forward to more. :)
Author's Response: Thanks and I'll be posting a new chapter tonight!
| Title: Never Again
| 22 Apr 2008 12:27 pm
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| Reviewer: Keats (Anonymous)
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It is a cruel lesson that Tobias has learnt but has only been brought about by his own actions; i hope that this will be a reminder every time he looks at a bottle that the price for drinking is very high
Sev is very right to be angry, any body lay a hand on my kid that way they would have been scattered to the four winds. But i hope that Harry's love for his grandpa (and his love for Harry) will win out in the end that Tobias and Sev will reconcile and they could be a whole family.
Author's Response: Yes this whole mess is Tobias's own fault as he realizes and now he must work at regaining the small level of trust that his son had in him and maybe they can all manage to forgive each other eventually.
| Title: Never Again
| 22 Apr 2008 11:00 am
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| Reviewer: Anonymous (Anonymous)
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Please don´t let Snape give in. Drunkards always say it was only a "mistake" and they are oh so very sorry. Tobias is the one who has to prove that he can be trusted with Harry and even then their contact should be controlled and supervised visits at the most.
Author's Response: You're absolutely right, as I know, having a recovering alcoholic in my family. And Tobias will have to work damn hard to win back Sev's trust.
Oh wow. Fantastic. Poor Tobias, but what a mistake! Hopefully, he will learn now, for good not to drink. Too bad.
Great chapter!
Author's Response: Thanks Jan! Yes, Tobias should have learned his lesson after this! But will he be able to convince Severus of it? That is the question.
| Title: Never Again
| 22 Apr 2008 10:26 am
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| Reviewer: iluvchocs (Anonymous)
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Brilliant chapter - I can't wait to see what happens next, and I love how believable you made Tobias' drinking. Maybe Harry will run away to try and see his Grandpa again?
Author's Response: That's a possibility *grins* but I'm not sure just yet which direction this will take. Thanks for your idea though!
I knew something was going to happen! Paradise couldn't last forever. I can only hope Sev will let Harry have a supervised visit with his grandfather once and a while. Somehow I doubt little Harry will tolerate not visiting his grandpa. As uaual, this was an excellent chapter!
Author's Response: Yes, something had to give eventually and I was planning on some supervised vsits eventually, once Severus gets over being mad at his dad, that is!
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