I thought about making this gen, and I easily could have. Except that my heart ached for Snape being physically marooned in that portrait for so long. I mean, never touching another human being for fifty years. I couldn't do that to him. So, sure we have more gay men in this story than you can shake a stick at. But you know, it's not about teh gay love, it's about love to me, so their genders aren't the driving force. Although the bit about Sirius and Remus I would have left, because what ELSE would have propelled Sirius to do such a vicious thing. I really wish she had answered that, because by leaving it hanging, it calls into question Sirius' character in such a fundemental way. I mean, if he was capable of attempted murder, then he's an unworthy object of Harry's affection, which calls into question all sorts of issues. So, for me, I had to create some sort of really horrific event that would place Sirius under Snape's thumb. Being outed in a boarding school would qualify.
Yes, a legitimate criticism of this story is its meandering pace. But I wanted to give the reader a sense of the passage of time. Of course, I also didn't want to LOSE the reader, it was a fine line to walk. To create the sense of time slow moving forward, events taking place over a continuum, Snape being virutally incarcerated in this portrait, helpless to stop everyone aging around him, and yet he doesn't age. Glad to hear it worked! Thanks for the lovely comments!