infidelity is very hard to write about, especially if you still want the main couple to be together at the end of the story
Ain't that the truth! :D Thank you so much for giving this a try and reading it through, despite the infidelity theme. I admit I have a penchant for emotionally angsty fics (better to work out those cravings in fanfic than in RL, I say!) so I have a fine time wrecking things, but putting them back together can be a challenge. Here, the challenge wasn't so much in fixing the situation (given the lack of a confrontation) as much as in determining what Snape's motivations were, and how much of them to definitively sketch out in the fic. I'm glad you found the atmosphere the fic created pleasing, as I wanted to make it warm, and comfortably tender at times.
I only hope the shopkeeper does never seek his revenge on severus and tells harry about the affair!
You know, I had thought about this while writing and considered the possibility of hinting that Severus had arranged for some measures of secrecy, like a spell or a potion or a vow with himself as secret-keeper; or maybe something involving Obliviating the shopkeeper and trusting his own supreme Occlumency skills. But then I thought that those wouldn't make any sense, because this wasn't something premeditated on Severus' part--he treated this casually, not with all these safety measures--I mean, it wasn't like a wartime strategy or anything. So in the end, I left it, and figured that Severus was essentially trusting in the shopkeeper's discretion--which might not seem in character, but I think it's reasonable for Severus to have mulled over what the shopkeeper might gain from seeking Harry out to tell him, and the fact is that the shopkeeper wouldn't have much to gain. Maybe some modicum of gratification through revenge--but the shopkeeper isn't a vengeful type and Severus is relatively certain of that. And anyway, why would Harry believe him? Harry's not suspicious of Severus--and Severus' love for Harry is sincere. But it's an interesting thought and I did ponder it while writing! :D