The age difference is irrelevant as they're both well and truly adults. I've lived long enough that I've come across happy healthy relationships between consenting adults with reasonable age gaps between them (both younger woman and older man and vice versa). It really depends on the writer weather it works or not. To me there aren't enough obstacles in this relationship to make it interesting. Minerva already for the most part thinks well of Severus and Severus seems to think well of her also. They're both teachers, on the same side of the war and have known each other for over 20 years. Their relationship seems kind of sedate? almost family like.

I don't like this pairing, and I really don't know why. It's not the age difference, and it's not the "he was once her student" thing. But something about just does not draw me in, no matter how talented the writer is. Maybe their relationship is like nene said: family like. I can picture them being intellectually equal, magically equal, respecting each other, and bantering, but not in a flirty, sexy way. More of a mother/son, older sister/younger brother way. And incest isn't my cuppa.

BINGO!! You've both hit it right on the head, thank you both so much for answering it for me.