#Severus is about the other person and not the details

[fafodill]

Hi okay so do you think snape has a preference for body hair on a partner/on himself??? I could see it going many ways for his partners, but theres a scene in the first movie where his pants are ripped (🤤👅) and u can see the tiniest sprinkling of body hair on his legs so there's the possibliity he doesn't shave there buttttt...... other places???👀 who knows....

Now LISTEN, I'm very serious about body hair. I love body hair, I find it sexy as hell, on men and women. Armpit hair? Magnificent. The Happy Trail? Sublime. The Bush? Let me die with my nose buried in it please.

So I'm a tad biased.

More seriously, I don't think Snape is super concerned with his own body hair - he barely looks at himself anyway and nobody else does. I don't think he's super hairy but I do headcanon him as having some on his arms, under his armpits, on his legs (finer on his thighs), a good pinch on his chest, a happy trail and a nice bush of dark curls. I like the idea of him unconsciously struggling a bit with his masculinity so he wouldn't get rid of anything.

As for his partner, well, again, I may be pushing my own agenda here but... I think Snape like it natural.

First of all, even if he learned to look posh, deep inside he's not. He's from the slums and he will love burying his nose in it and smell his partner's scent - first of all because he'll be super appreciative of someone wanting him enough to offer him access to their body - second because he finds it sexy. The hair... it's adulthood. It's sensual. It's animalistic, raw, honest.

He's okay with the idea of having to look prim and proper on the outside but shaving is like trying to keep up appearances in bed too and he doesn't care about it. For him intimacy is about being real - even if he struggles with it himself (tho if his partner wants to shave he won't say anything, it's their body and he won't ever be controlling about it).

But I like the idea of a partner being a bit shy about their body hair as they undress the first time and him tilting his head while looking at them, searching for his words, clearing his throat before saying very slowly:

'No, no, I like it. You look.. untamed.'

[severus-snaps]

another snape dream (not mine this time)

my boyfriend (note: boyfriend of a few weeks) had a dream the other night in which our wedding anniversary was interrupted by a 50ft tall Snape

so, 1. he wasn't scared of telling me that he'd dreamt of us married so the vibes are right and i love that for us, and 2. he knows and accepts that he plays second fiddle to my obsession with snape, to the extent that alan rickman himself could successfully crash our wedding anniversary

[icancomet]

Severus Snape Romantic/Dating HC’s:  

A/N: I’m back for real this time! The end of school shut me down, but I am back! I will be busy for a bit after a few posts, but my timing will definitely be better than before. I wanted to try something new as I’ve been getting into Harry Potter again soooo. To note, I will NEVER do a Teacher x Student dynamic as that is NOT appropriate whatsoever! This is in the perspective of two ADULTS, (Like a Professor x Professor)

C/W: Romantic, maybe abit out of character? I haven't seen any HP content in a long time so I apologize if it is. 

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Absolutely infatuated with you, and I mean this in an obsessive way. Although he doesnt display it 100%, especially infront of other people, he will learn every single thing about you, even the slightest of details. (Find this cute or not is up to you but I’m not sure if this is a positive thing half of the time.)

Loved you from the very first interaction you had with him. Your smile, laugh, and even the way you shook his hand as a formal greeting had him hooked. He never felt like he could feel this way again, but you set up a spark inside of him that he couldn't put out. 

The thing he loves the most about you is your intelligence. The way you understand your craft, apply knowledge behind several situations, and never seem to skip a beat grows the urge inside of him to get to know you. Get to understand what you know, basically just enabling his obsessive nature of knowing everything about you lol. 

Again, will never be a PDA sort of guy in the castle. He likes to keep things professional, especially when theres his co-workers and the children around. He wouldn’t risk having rumors spread about your relationship, (which I bet there is already), but outside of the castle, probably max PDA would be holding your hand and being seen with you at all times. 

Now, not to say that if somebody came up to you trying to get your number he wouldn’t make that super clear you are taken. A hand sliding down to your waist, pulling you in and some words exchanged before practically dragging you out and talking about how stupid they were to attempt such acts towards you like the hand holding wasn’t a clear enough sign. 

Speaking of that, he is definitely the jealous type. Watching the moves of any person coming up towards you that seems to have a romantic inclination behind their actions, making detail of what they looked like and every motion they made towards you, to ask later who it was and what business that person had. Of course, he would trust you didn’t have anything to do with it, but rather doesn’t trust anybody else. 

When you two are alone, he is the sweetest guy. Although he still keeps the majority of his composure, he can't lie and say he doesn't have a soft spot for you. Asking you about your day while holding you and rubbing your back as you go into the types of antics all the students are up to, or making you tea as he forces you to rest in the bath that he drew for you. 

At some point, you have had a night where you talk about the drama with the students if you heard rumors about them. Mainly it would just to make sure that your relationship isn’t aware by all, but you can’t lie and say it isn't a bit fun talking about the potential relations between students in the classes you teach.  

His love language I believe would be quality time. Although you cannot spend every day together as you both teach classes, on the weekends he just wants you to himself since neither of you don’t have to see the world. He gets quite frustrated when your plans are ruined, so later in the evenings, he’ll sneak on by to your room to spend the evening, not particularly caring for wandering eyes. 

Remembers every single detail about you. What foods you like, interests, even how you like your hair to be worn. Not even just in general, but on certain days if you ask him to recall he could name what color your clothes were and how you were acting. This causes him to remember certain patterns about you which helps in the long run.  

Albus 100% has theories on you guys dating. He has pulled you both aside separately and asked about your relationship, which both claimed nothing outside of co-workers was occuring, deep down he has a growing feeling its more than that.

[wisteria-lodge]

What do you think about Draco’s and James’s similarities + differences but opposite treatment in the narrative?

Since Draco does have a full detailed explanation behind his behavior, he was raised to think it’s okay but they should keep up appearances, and he often witnessed others doing it first. James does not have any sort of explanation other than his parents pampered him.

Both said “Think I’d leave, wouldn’t you”. However Draco said it in context of trying to find something to bond with Harry over whereas James just wanted to bully Snape.

In Goblet of Fire, Draco points out how the death eaters could attack Hermione to scare the Trio into leaving him alone, however James actually did what the death eaters and threatened to do worse since he took his frustrations with Lily out on Snape. In Said confrontations, The Trio were the ones who accidentally came across Draco but James approached Snape out of boredom.

Both had prejudiced beliefs but Draco actually gave up his childhood prejudices but we have no proof James did.

While James did help Snape, he was also helping His friends and he went right back to sadisticly bullying and he was the main instigator.

Draco spared his enemies and tried helping them with no ulterior motives and fully expecting to be tortured/killed. While he did go to Harry in the room of requirement, he didn’t actively participate in the attacking, aside from trying to stop Crabbe from attacking the Trio. He also even expresses concern for Harry.

Yet James is somehow seen as more heroic.

James dies, Draco doesn't. It's the Draco vs Regulus framing thing all over again. As far as JKR is concerned, dying heroically just fixes everything, I guess.

A related part of her worldview is that suffering purifies you and makes you a better person. I do think that's the intended purpose of the super deliberate James + Draco parallels ("I think I'd leave, wouldn't you? [if I was sorted into X house]" - is really on the nose.) It's supposed to communicate how Harry would have looked, if he'd grown up like James or Draco. (Wealthy, only child, wizard parents who dote on him and spoil him.) Under difference circumstances, Harry could have had more of an ego, been more entitled, given into the brutal streak that he does have. When we first see school-age James, he's described as "It was as though [Harry] was looking at himself but with deliberate mistakes." That's a very interesting description, and I think ties in nicely to an "alternate universe Harry" reading.

This is also something that seems to have been on Dumbledore's mind. He describes 11-year-old Harry as "You were not a pampered little prince [ie, James], but as normal a boy as I could have hoped under the circumstances. Thus far, my plan was working well."

So: As far as he's concerned, leaving Harry with the Dursleys is not just justified but good, because it's made Harry a better person. Considering that Dumbledore, Snape, Dudley, Ron (arguably Draco) also have personal growth arcs kick-started through suffering... I'd say this is a point of view the text supports overall.

But another thing... is that I've always thought JKR writes friend group dynamics really, really well. They're messy, shifting, warm, tight-knit and complicated. Outside dynamics like class, politics, and discrimination come in, and bounce around in unpredictable ways. Even if there was some way to cleanly add up everyone's 'bullying points' and 'victim points' or whatever, and plug them into some formula, and be able to come out with some definitive statement like "Draco had it worse than Peter" - I wouldn't want to do it. What makes the Harry+Ron+Hermione+Draco dynamic interesting... and what makes the James+Remus+Sirius+Peter+Severus+Lily+Regulus dynamic even *more* interesting... is that basically everyone has an area in which they're powerful or privileged, another area where they're vulnerable or disenfranchised (with the possible exception of James)... and it makes for these fantastically complex character dynamics and vicious cycles.

Because every single one of these characters is written with some degree of ambiguity, (some more than others...) which ones you gravitate towards, and which ones you dislike end up being more of a personal Rorschach test than anything rooted in the books.

Like, I can see from your ask that you're inclined to give Draco a very positive edit. (and I mean, come on, I love Draco too.) You read Draco as vulnerable during the scene where the Golden Trio finds him the woods during the World Cup chaos, and decides to "scare the Trio into leaving him alone." That is absolutely a read that makes sense, but it's one that you're bringing to the book, there's nothing in that scene to suggest that Draco feels threatened. My personal read is that Draco - always squeamish about violence - is actually worried about Hermione on some unexamined level, because everything he says during that scene is advice on how to protect her, just expressed in a really asshole-ish way. But I think the read intended by JKR is - here's Draco, being an asshole, dishing out some exposition.

[a-small-safe-place]

Yandere Severus Snape x Potter!Reader

Severus didn't think much of you, even though you were friends with Lily. He actively tried to avoid you, considering you a Potter, and he harbored strong resentment towards your brother James and his group of friends. His infatuation with Lily left him entirely disinterested in your presence, as if your last name and older brother did nothing to change his opinion of you.

It was common knowledge that you and James were close; he played the role of a protective older brother, ensuring that nobody messed with his younger sibling. Anyone who dared to do so faced the wrath of James and the other Marauders. This was another significant reason why Severus chose to avoid you, fearing that getting close to you would make him an even bigger target for James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter.

Now, all of that feels like a distant memory. Lily and James are both gone, and you run a successful potions shop in Diagon Alley. Your shop boasts the best ingredients for purchase, and Severus has admired your work in potions. You do an excellent job, better than most, although Severus still considers himself a superior potion-maker.

While Severus once went out of his way to avoid you, circumstances have now led to consistent contact between the two of you. Every time he enters your shop, you greet him with a warm smile and inquire about how he's doing. He's surprised that someone so closely related to James Potter could be kind, but Severus understands that one's family doesn't determine their character.

On January 9th, you discreetly included a small cake in a protective case with a "Happy Birthday" message in the bag of items Severus was purchasing. Severus rarely enjoyed sweets, but it had been a long time since someone had made something for his birthday. He felt a flutter of excitement as he decided to taste the cake, finding it delicious. It was a simple, unadorned cake, something that might be served at a Muggle birthday party. Did you have feelings for Severus? Is that why you went out of your way to make him a cake? If it had been from anyone else Severus would be skeptical, but you two had a sound relationship even if it was strictly business.

As he pondered the implications and struggled with his own emotions. Severus couldn't possibly have feelings for you, he loved Lily. The cake, though, was so sweet, and it made him realize that Lily had never done something like that for him. The shameful blush on his cheeks revealed his inner turmoil. He couldn't betray Lily by developing feelings for you, especially after her passing.

Despite his reservations, you were undeniably kind, and Lily knew that. In fact, she had always wanted Severus to meet you, believing that you would become good friends. With James no longer a threat, there was no obligation for Severus to avoid you. Perhaps you could simply be friends.

As Severus spent more time with you, he found himself restlessly thinking about you. Lily's prediction proved true; you and Severus became good friends. He began to notice details about you that he had never cared to consider before. He diligently documented the information you shared with him in a dedicated journal. It may have seemed unusual to have an entire journal dedicated to one person, but Severus was never one to do things halfway. Your attentiveness motivated him to reciprocate in kind, though he aimed to do it even better.

However, the situation took a turn when you revealed that you had a partner. Severus felt his heart shatter at the news. He couldn't understand how you could betray him in this way, or more importantly, how you could betray Lily, who had sent you to him to ensure that neither of you would be alone anymore. There was only one option. Severus had to ensure that your partner would fall in love with someone else and he would have you to himself.

[maxdibert]

Having a shitty past is no excuse for being a horrible person, and Snape was a horrible person. Snape fans always try to turn him into a tragic hero, but there was nothing heroic about him when he was just an obsessive bigot who followed a group of genocidal maniacs

Well, I think I’ve said this a million times already and explained in exhausting detail why growing up in a particular environment—lacking social, emotional, economic, or essential support—and being subjected to violence during the most crucial years of cognitive development creates the perfect breeding ground for antisocial behavior. It also makes vulnerable or socially excluded youth prime targets for sectarian groups (whether religious, political, or otherwise) that prey on their situation, offering them promises of protection, safe spaces, surrogate parental figures, or social progress. These groups actively seek out kids with emotional voids caused by dysfunctional family dynamics, minimal to no financial resources, and a profound sense that the system has failed them at every turn. They offer these kids an alternative system—one that gives them a roof over their heads, a hot meal, a place to belong, and people who won’t marginalize them like the rest of society has—at the simple price of blindly following the group’s ideology. And they do it. Of course, they do. Because what other choice do they have? This group gave them life, a place in society, and restored their status as human beings.

But since I’ve spoken about this at length before and about how Severus’s life shaped his decisions, I feel like I’m starting to sound like a broken record. So, since I’m also reading a legal ruling I need to memorize by Friday, I’m going to indulge myself and dissertate as freely as I please—because hey, if you’re going to throw hate, I’m going to grant myself the privilege of replying however I want.

Here’s a question: why does it even matter? Seriously, what does it matter if he was a shitty person? Do you know that people go to space today thanks to the work of physicists and engineers who were literal SS members? That after WWII, all the top scientists, physicists, chemists, and engineers were granted amnesty and fast-tracked into citizenships so they could work on government projects? That people working within a stone’s throw of concentration camps are the pioneers behind some of the greatest technological advances of the 20th century? And you don’t care that the products you consume are derived from the work of collaborators with mass genocide, but you’re upset that people find a fictional character interesting? I don’t want to sound cynical, but honestly, it’s ridiculous to get so morally high and mighty about a character who doesn’t exist and who followed an extremist cult for, what? 3 or 4 years tops? and then canonically worked actively to take it down. If we put Severus in a real-world, wartime context, the guy would be a literal war hero with medals to his name. No exaggeration. If he survived, he’d be recruited with a fat paycheck to work in internal affairs for some major world power’s secret projects. That’s just how the world works.

And yeah, he was obsessive. But in an era where everyone suffers at least one anxiety episode a month, where the best-case scenario is that your panic attacks don’t spiral into chronic mental health issues—can we really judge him for that? Like, most of the people I see being ultra “snater” are folks who openly declare themselves neurodivergent, and one of the common denominators of all neurodivergence is obsessiveness. All of them. Whether it’s chronic anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD, paranoid schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or autism. Every single one has an obsessive component. So it’s kind of ironic—and even hypocritical—for people who are themselves pretty obsessive (because let’s face it, we’re all compulsively doomscrolling here to soothe our anxious compulsions with little dopamine hits) to judge this character’s obsessiveness as a negative trait. Maybe let’s take a good look in the mirror, too.

And let me just say, no court would convict Severus of collaborating with a terrorist group. Not a single one. Impossible. Especially since he literally collaborated against said group, so any judge would happily clear him—not after the war, but the moment he struck his deal with Dumbledore. Severus is what’s known as an informant. He worked from the inside, exposed himself to greater dangers than regular agents. Legally speaking, there have been cases where people guilty of heinous crimes—including crimes against humanity—were let off because they provided critical information. So imagine someone like Severus, who, as far as we know, didn’t even kill anyone during his time in the group, willingly spilling the beans and agreeing to work as a spy. He’d be celebrated as a hero of war. Hell, they’d probably buy him a mansion in Florida if he wanted one. That’s just how our system works, and honestly, this kind of moralist posturing is pretty cringy because you’re talking about a guy who literally saved half of magical society’s asses and without whom the kid destined to save the world would’ve died in his first year at school.

You can dislike him or think he’s a jerk, but he was damn good at his job. And compared to the people he’s often unfairly measured against (Sirius, James, Remus...), he actually did something. They didn’t. Absolutely nothing. Contribution: negative one.

[dufferpuffer]

What makes you say that Remus gets facts wrong or has put the class behind schedule? JKR describes him in an interview as a wonderful teacher (if you take much stock in her opinion), and the criticisms Snape has of him in the substitute teacher episode are just not well supported. For one thing, it's Snape who falsely tells a student that Kappas are from Mongolia. When he criticizes the progress of Harry's class, he a) doesn't give any consideration for the useless professors they'd previously had, and b) is already well known for setting unreasonable expectations. The students think Remus is great because he gives engaging lessons, not necessarily because he is objectively the best, but if Hermione never criticizes the pace of the class, then he's probably doing fine there as well. As far as disorganization, I can believe that Remus didn't leave good notes for Snape. However, Snape admits this isn’t actually a hindrance--he's just finding something to complain about to help cure the class of their love for Professor Lupin.

Snape's behavior in the chapter is a good example of why Snape's obvious contempt discourages other characters from engaging with him in good faith. Also, it's totally consistent with his character to take an opportunity to leverage the little power he has in response to Dumbledore putting someone he considers dangerous in a teacher's position. Personally I think JKR's accomplishment here is that Snape's hatred of Remus bounces between reasonable and unreasonable as we continue gathering information about Snape vs. the Marauders. Actually it's just fun in general to reread the series and see where Snape was right and where he was wrong.

What makes me say Remus gets facts wrong or put the class behind schedule... It is Snape's observation, mainly - I trust what he has to say - supported by what we see in Remus' classes.

Severus has been a teacher for 13 years and produces students with high level marks. He is a good teacher, just one not every student meshes with - and he doesn't adjust to suit stragglers. It's probably his biggest weakness as a teacher, other than being an asshole.

His critiques of Remus' class are:

'As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-' 'Please, sir, we've done Boggarts, Red Caps, Kappas and Grindy-lows,' said Hermione quickly, 'and we're just about to start -' 'Be quiet,' said Snape coldly. 'I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organisation.'

Lupin has left no notes for Snape despite knowing the schedule of every full moon for the year. He didn't tell Severus what they were up to or what activity he wanted the class to do - he hasn't even kept a record of what they have already completed up until this point.

That's disorganization. That's not knowing where they will get up to next week or the week after, despite having a schedule. Hermione is keeping better track of the class than Lupin is.

Could Snape be lying to the students about his disorganisation? That would be out of character, especially since the students don't give a shit about such a thing. That detail irks Severus, not the kids. He's just havin' a bit of a whinge.

If Remus had written a note he could have torn it up, complained that they are behind and set Werewolves as their task. No reason to lie.

'You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly over-taxing you - I would expect first-years to be able to deal with Red Caps and Grindylows. Today we shall discuss -'

Could Snape be being hyperbolic here? Yes. I expect him to be. Is Snape a hardass that wants a lot from his students? Yep. Does Snape want to make what Remus teaches them to seem babyish, and his lesson more grown-up and important? Absolutely. Does that mean he is lying? No.

I don't think he is the sort to be too hyperbolic. He wouldn't be out here saying 'I expect a first-year to be able to brew a Draught of Living Death' or something. He never expects the impossible. Whether Red Caps and Grindylows are first, second or third year topics - I believe him when he says they are below their level.

'Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognise a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…'

...This is harder to tell how serious it is. I don't think they would have been at Werewolves yet. Severus is teaching it out of necessity - would Remus ever do it...? Risk outing himself with his own two hands? I doubt it. Severus is also eager to teach it ASAP because he suspects Remus is a dangerous man working with a serial killer.

So does he seriously think that midway through the year a third year class should know how to identify a werewolf - or does he just want to tell Dumbledore he thinks Remus is avoiding it when he should be focusing on it for the students own wellbeing…? Could go either way tbh. Or both. (Hermione knew the answer but I don't really count that as proof lol)

[…]Snape prowled up and down the rows of desks, examining the work they had been doing with Professor Lupin. 'Very poorly explained … that is incorrect, the Kappa is more commonly found in Mongolia … Professor Lupin gave this eight out of ten? I wouldn't have given it three …'

You say Snape falsely told a student Kappa are from Mongolia. He didn't - he says they are more commonly found there. I don't see any reason not to believe him…? Why would he be spouting incorrect facts around students?

Lupin prioritizes student comfort. Snape prioritizes student learning. Remus is more likely to get facts wrong. Snape is more likely to piss people off. Remus is more likely to mark forgivingly - an 8/10. Snape is more likely to mark strictly - a 3/10.

It all lines up pretty well.

Remus' first lesson is poorly organised and he is lenient with points. He lets a Boggart loose amongst students without planning for every student getting a turn (Hermione misses out). He hadn't planned for Harry's fear ahead of time, or the risk of anyone else in the class finding Voldemort a little too much. He put his own secret at risk by revealing his own fear, which Hermione uses to work out he is a werewolf.

'Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone. Let me see … five points to Griffindor for every person to tackle the Boggart - ten for Neville because he did it twice - and five each to Hermione and Harry.'

He smooths everything over by giving out house points like candy. He is giving out points to Griffindor for doing classwork…? Whats next, points for tying their shoelaces?

Professor Lupin smiled at the look of indignation on every face. 'Don't worry. I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay.'

This gets me lol - he's happy they're all pissed off at having to do a big assignment, so he just cancels it. The sheer disrespect...

He could have shortened the length, or pushed back the due date, or dedicated another class to the topic, or even said 'well Professor Snape has his own way of teaching, if he set an assignment I'm sure it's because he thought you could handle it'. Nah. He wants to be the cool teacher that can boss Snape around.

I love the idea that he went to 'speak to Professor Snape' about it. What did he say...? 'Nice try, Sev - I'm cancelling it. B^)'

I don't put much stock into interview responses. The information needs to be at least published in some sort of 'official' format. People can say anything in the spur of the moment.

That being said - Remus WAS a wonderful teacher. I think he was a true natural at it and did a brilliant job overall. His stand-out skills are exactly the things Severus is bad at: connecting with students and encouraging them in ways that suit their individual needs. Remus is a people person and loves the chance to help rather than cause harm.

But he was also a first year teacher teaching a core subject. He was taking at least 2 days off a month and many days off-colour. I wouldn't expect perfection from him, and what Severus critiques (behind on schedule, disorganised, some incorrect information, overly forgiving marking) all sounds like new teacher mistakes. (honestly name a teacher who remains on schedule the whole year irl lol)

It is fun to reread and see where Severus was right and wrong. Especially since on a first read he seems so very wrong, always getting in Harry's way… but most of the time is right, or at least acting very reasonably with the information he has. PoA is a story where he was very wrong. Remus was not working with a serial killer, did not want Harry dead, wasn't working all that hard to bring Harry 'over to his side' (he was sorta annoyingly aloof) and was actually a trustworthy individual and a good teacher - just with a different methodology.

But I don't think that means Severus' observations of Remus' teacher habits were incorrect or grossly hyperbolic. He was looking for evidence that helped substantiated and supported his theories.

[danadiadea]

Keep making my comments into posts because I can. Basically, a lovely Marauders stan (and not a victimblamer) wrote in my comments that Snape wasn't sexually assaulted because "he commited hate crimes against Muggleborns and it's heavily implied he SAed Mary". For some reason, the comment got deleted after I posted the answer:((( But that turned out a good enough piece on that tortured Muggleborns/hexed everyone with Levicorpus/assaulted Mary bullshit, so here it is.

First of all, it's never ever implied Snape hexed anyone, except for possibly James (even that is questionable, since "James didn’t take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her" clearly implies Potter's initiative, but whatever). The worst things Lily accuses him of when giving arguments against their friendship is using the Mudblood word and planning to join the DEs, not hexing Muggleborns or anyone at all. She also confronts Severus about Mulcibier's actions – not about anything Snape did himself (according to her info, he wasn't even present! why would she ask "do you know what had happened", if Mary would've told her he was there!). The Marauders absolutely never say Snape hexed anyone – Lupin and Black try to exuse their actions as hard as they can, but the only related thing they bring up in Snape "liking" Dark Magic – not him bullying anyone, or his supposed anti-Muggleborn sentiment, or him using that same spell etc. Moreover, when Harry brings up the fact that James used Lvc on Snape in HBP, Lupin says "he wasn't the only one", not connecting Snape with the spell in any way, even though they are right there together in the sentence – but Lupin doesn't know that Snape invented Lvc, nor does he ever assign its use to Snape.

Other people who intentionally used Lvc, but for other reasons then James and drunk DEs, are Harry – to stop Amortentia!Ron; attempted in a duel against Draco; attempted at Snape after killing Dumbledore; and Hermione – for Harry to pick up Hufflepuffs cup. So this spell CAN be used not to "torture Muggles" – Voldemort himself calls what DEs did Muggle torture, this is how even fucking Voldemort classifies it – or expose your victim's body and threaten to take off their underwear.

Literally nothing implies Mary was sexually assaulted. The only thing we know for sure is that it couldn't be Levicorpus – because James used it, and "James hated Dark Magic", "they don't use Dark Magic though"; plus no-one hints anywhere in the books that Lvc is Dark. Lily's main argument why it had been bad and unfunny at all was "but it's Dark Magic" – not that Mary was violated and hurt (especially since Mulcibier "tried to do something", and not "did", so it's very possible he failed at least partly. I mean he was probably a bullying piece of shit and maybe even used Lvc, just on different occasions, but you people take that extremely vague statement of Lily and invent wild shit like that Mary was tortured and SAed or whatever, while ignoring the person who we actually see being violated in great detail). There is absolutely no sexual implication there anywhere, Lily would consider any kind of Dark Magic creepy! Justifying bullying was Student!Lupin kind of shitty behaviour, not James and Sirius – and considering Snape wasn't there according to Lily, maybe I'd even cut Snape slack more than Remus.

But even IF Mary was SAed and Snape didn't care – what James did would still be sexual aggression and bullying and disgusting! James doesn't get a pass on violating bodily rights of people with bad morals! Like, I don't think that anyone is entitled to forcibly undress Lupin because he was an enabler, this is just justifying cruelty and consent violation. No one is even entitled to undress James Potter, because sexual violence is not a punishment, and a person who commits it even to the biggest criminal is dangerous for society overall. Again, the only people we directly and openly see doing what James did were drunk DEs, and everyone was horrified, and it was classified as muggle torture by the narrative. This is what we see. In the books. Directly.

Also, a well known Snape's friend Mulcibier, whom Sirius doesn't remember being affiliated with Snape, and who, just as any other slytherin, is nowhere around during SWM – not only to help against James, but to discuss the important OWLs exam on a subject Snape greatly cared about, like the Marauders did together, and Lily did with her friends. Yeah, all those Snape's verrry close friends, and surely not just people he lived with.

And yes, undressing a person in public without their consent, especially your long term victim, especially if they are forcibly physically restrained during the episode, is sexual assault, regardless of victim's morals.

[sevinagreatergood]

My baby, my child, my sweetheart. I'll tell you Snape fans. I would rob Snape out of that cradle made of twigs and raise Snape myself. I do not see him sexual at all. He gives me so much maternal energy when I look at his younger self. I wouldn't even care if I was magical or not. But I wished HP was real so I could look after Snape.

So when I read bullshit. Like 'i was sexually assaulted, but I didn't join a cult'

Or

'I was bullied, I didn't join a cult. '

I get very angry to put it mildly. It's the expression that whenever I read this an angel loses their wings. To me however it feels like they shot the angel in the torso, away from the vital points. Tear the feathers one by one, chopped off the limbs so it won't struggle, gag it, shave it, make a stew from the head, peel the skin for bacon, anything inedible goes to the collection basement or fridge then season the rest to put it in the oven and bon a petit I guess. But they didn't fo all all of that to eat the angel themselves. No, they tortured the angel to feed it to the dogs.

That's how I feel to put it in detail. Be it abuse or assault, I'm sorry your privileged ass wasn't assaulted or bullied enough to talk in such a degrading way about a victim (fictional or not). It's like the people that reason with a rape victim "you're afraid men? I was raped too, I'm not afraid."

When I tell them they are privileged, they become defensive. Because it is. You don't use your trauma to reason with people to shut them up and say "see? I went through it, I know what it looks like so shut the fuck up."

Oh gosh, well at least you know someone (me) wished you experienced worse to see if we could compare trauma more if you want to compare so much. If you want to compare, elevate the person's trauma, never talk down. Only reason I could let trauma comparison slide is to make sure the other person doesn't feel like shit about going through that such as elevating the person their trauma. In a sense of "You went through that, I did too. So I know how hard you held on and fought to make it until now" only that version I accept. And if another person starts to talk about shitty trauma comparison so I begin to compare shitty traumas too. They-started-i-finished kind of scenario.

I hate it when people do that shitty trauma comparison that. Some adult told my sister to stop being depressed because worse things exist in the world. Uhm, fuck you. I spoke to the woman the same night. What kind of fucked up person do you have to be? Oh, suddenly my sister would forget all the problems that made her depressed.

It doesn't work that way. Ironically, the woman supports death penalties of gays in those Muslim countries. People are fucked up. It's always those that act nice that say the most fucked up shit or support the most heinous crimes.

I still can't get over the fact that people compare genocides to Death Eaters. My baby was traumatized to the core. Trauma leads to irrational and radical decisions. Literally nobody, nobody experienced so much as Severus Snape. Not Remus, not Sirius, not Harry, not Tom, not Regulus, not Neville, and not Lily.

If you compare to degrade a victim, fuck you. Now, I'm not saying the others had it rainbows and sunshine either. Just not as horrible as Snape. That is the truth. I don't dismiss their problems either. The others found everything they needed at Hogwarts or had it had home. Snape had none of those. So keep your shit to yourself I guess.

[writingpandagoth]

Hey queen, it’s the corporate girly that asked for the fic a few days ago about sev with a curvier gal💻💻💻

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!!! I put a green velvet dress on my thrift wishlist already 💃

Anyways, I was falling asleep last night and was thinking how great it would be to have a little fic that’s super cutesy about sev just loving the little things about fem!reader, because I KNOW that man is such a detail oriented person that he would itemize them all in his mind and ugh 😩 it doesn’t have to be smutty or anything, or even have to be with the curvy reader but like I love your writing so much I just had to ask

Ohh he so would!

I hope it's what you had in mind.

An Altar of Ordinary Things

Before your fingers curled so easily into his, before your laughter found a home against his shoulder, there were other things. Smaller things. Things he gathered when loving you was a silent, sacred thing tucked behind his ribs.

He noticed the way your handwriting changed with your moods, tight, slanted lines when you were anxious; wide, looping letters when you were content. He could read the weather inside you by the tilt of your script.

He noticed the way you touched objects as you passed, the brief brush of your fingertips against a doorframe, the absent smoothing of your hand along a tabletop as if anchoring yourself to the world one breath at a time.

He noticed how you hesitated just a fraction before speaking, always weighing your words, as if language was something precious you would not waste.

He noticed the way you sat on the very edge of benches, books clutched tight to your chest, as if you needed an escape route but never truly wanted one.

He noticed that you were soft with the forgotten things, you straightened crooked picture frames, wiped chalk smudges from abandoned slates, returned fallen quills to empty desks.

You stitched the frayed edges of the world without anyone ever seeing the needle in your hand.

He noticed your silences most of all, how you carried them like gifts, offering space where others crowded with noise. How your presence never demanded, only invited.

Before you smiled at him like he was something to be chosen, Severus had already chosen you a thousand times over, in a thousand breathless, invisible ways.

He never let himself hope.

He only let himself see.

And he saw everything.

You do not notice the way his eyes track you across the room, quiet as a dropped pin in a cathedral.

You rarely notice the things he sees. That is, perhaps, why he treasures them.

He loves you in details—not the grand sweeping gestures so many find necessary, but the grains of you, the whispered fractions that others might overlook.

He knows the precise sound your footfall makes on stone when you are in a hurry, a quick, uneven tapping and he can predict your entrance by it before you even reach the door.

He knows the way your fingers fidget when you’re thinking too hard, thumb tracing the knuckle of your index finger, looping once, twice, again, like some soft, private ritual.

He knows the scent that clings to your skin in summer, a faint wisp of sun-warmed soap and something floral he has never fully identified but he would recognize instantly, even if the world burned down around him.

He hasn't just catalogued these things.

He has built an altar of them in his mind.

Tonight, you sit at the far end of the table, head bent over some book, hair falling forward in a careless arc. You tuck it behind your ear without thinking—and Severus, seated silent in the corner, feels that invisible tug in his chest again, the one you summon without knowing.

You are all thoughtless grace. All unconscious poetry.

He watches the way your sleeve slides down your wrist, baring the delicate joint where pulse flutters—a place so small, so fragile, he wonders how the world hasn’t shattered you yet.

He watches the way you mouth the words as you read, the barest movement of your lips like a prayer uttered too quietly to hear.

You are not beautiful in the way paintings are beautiful, hung on walls for show, lacquered and loud.

You are beautiful in the way rain is beautiful—inevitable, essential, taken for granted until it falls.

Severus loves the way you laugh, though now he lets himself tell you, sometimes, when the world is soft enough. It is not a careful, polite laugh. It is the kind of laugh that escapes you, unwilling, breaking out like light through cracks. It is messy. Honest. It is, perhaps, the single purest sound he knows.

He notices, too, the way your brows pull together when you are puzzled, the way you tap a pen against your lower lip when lost in thought. The way you always, always find a reason to stay a few moments longer than necessary in any room where he is.

He counts these things like a miser counts coins, greedy and reverent all at once.

When you speak to him, you do not flinch from his gaze—and Merlin help him, that undoing is slow and excruciating. You speak to him as though he is not something to be pitied, or feared, or avoided. You speak to him as though he is simply there, solid and real, deserving of place and time and conversation.

You know the reverence you inspire, now. You know it because you have chosen him, again and again, in a thousand quiet ways.

You are aware that when your hand brushes his—a fleeting, thoughtless contact—Severus feels as though his skin has been branded. You are aware because you lean in closer afterward, as if to say, I see you, I choose you.

He notices the way you hum sometimes, under your breath, when you think no one is listening. He notices the songs—simple, half-forgotten tunes from nowhere in particular—and he commits each one to memory as though they are spells of a sort, spells that bind him to the earth.

When you are tired, your voice softens, slurring just slightly at the edges. When you are angry, your hands clench at your sides, and your eyes flash, fierce and alive. When you are happy—truly happy—you glow, and Severus is afraid to blink, lest the vision vanish.

He aches with it, sometimes. With how much he loves you. With how much he gets to love you.

It is in the small things that he lives: The way you tuck yourself tighter into your chair when you are cold. The way you always smell of paper and ink and something sweeter beneath. The way you whisper apologies to plants when you brush against them too hard.

He loves you like a man starved of softness—hungrily, reverently, hopelessly.

He loves the messiness of you—the way you sometimes forget where you set things down, the way you bite your cheek when nervous, the way you scratch behind your ear when embarrassed.

He loves the order of you—the way you line your books up by subject without thinking, the way your notes are color-coded even if your robes are a tangled mess.

He loves the contradictions that make you whole.

He has loved you for a thousand quiet moments and will love you for a thousand more, and you know it.

Tonight, you glance up from your book and catch him looking. You smile—small, soft, real. It is a smile that offers everything without needing to ask.

You blink, tilt your head a little, beckon him closer without words.

He obeys, like a moth to a steady flame, like gravity drawing a stone to earth.

You pat the chair beside you. You offer him a piece of your world—simple, thoughtless, vital.

And Severus, for all his cynicism, for all his broken edges, knows that he would follow that offer into oblivion if you asked him to.

He sits. You lean slightly against him, your warmth bleeding into his side. You thread your fingers through his with easy familiarity, and he closes his eyes for one fragile second, cataloging the feel of you against him, the scent of you, the sound of your breath.

It will be another item for his endless list. Another line in the quiet hymn he sings for you, in the deepest, most secret places of himself.

You know now. You know the entirety of it—the depth, the devotion, the painstaking detail. You know the way he has mapped your existence onto his own bones.

And Severus, broken, wary, rebuilt by love, lets it be enough.

[tricksterringmaster]

hello beloved artist! you may have probably answered this, and you did apologies, but i was wondering, how did (if they did) the marauders, the prince family, and the black family react to sirius and severus having a kid (corvus)?

Hii, no, I don't think I answered that before!

Tha Black Family

Well, the first person to find out about the situation was actually Regulus. He had a certain fascination with Severus, so he managed to both notice him among other young Death Eaters and figure out that something was wrong with him. It took some convincing for Severus to admit what was going on with him, but Severus also needed at least someone to help him, so it didn't took long for him to tell everything and agree to take Regulus' help, although under the conditions of secrecy. Regulus was initially shocked and maybe even felt a bit betrayed, but he still helped as much as he could before and after Corvus was born. He actually wanted Severus and the child to have more support and social standing, so he wanted his family to know, even offered Severus the idea to tell them that Corvus was actually his, but Severus saw too many possible negative outcomes and refused the idea, so the other Blacks never learned about the child, since Regulus died soon and didn't have time to change Severus' mind.

Although when teen Corvus came to Grimmauld he actually encountered infamous portrait of Walburga, who screamed at him the same way she screamed at Sirius. I actually have a story about it here, and although I didn't go into details, the implication is that the last time she had seen Sirius he had been similar age that Corvus when she saw him for the first time, so she literally saw Sirius in Corvus.

The Marauders

James was diesd before he can learn about it. Peter never really get a chance to. But Remus actually figures it out, because, well, he has to spend a whole year teaching Corvus and bickering with Severus. I have this idea, that he has this feeling of nostalgia when he looks at Harry, and he understands where it comes from, but the same thing happens when he looks at Corvus, but it's harder for him to explain to himself, so he spends enough time to come to certain conclusions. He can't be 100% sure, so he keeps it to himself, but in OotP with Severus being the one to bring Corvus to Grimmauld and then checking on the kid too many times, Remus feels sure enough to tease Severus about it. He has many questions, of course, but his thought process about it all was so gradual (and he knew about Sirius and Severus' relationship in Hogwarts, although not about the fact that they met again after), so there is no shock in it.

The Prince Family

Well, they are all dead, so it's not like they can find out about Corvus or meet him in person. But I kind of consider The Palace (their house) a part of the family, and while it's quite angry and violent after decades of isolation when Severus visits for the first time, for Corvus the first visit is more welcoming. And also, yeah, they have portraits, and the portraits are very curious about new members of the family they've never met before.

I think it's important to remind here that I don't go with "blood purist pureblood family" for my Princes, so they are not dramatic about it in any negative way, in the end they are happy to see new people when they thought their family's story came to its end years ago.

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

It was quite something to cry alone in the dark. Her cries were all that it was heard in the empty room.

Lily used to be afraid to be alone in The Common Room at night when she was younger. Now it was all she craved. And taking her advantages of prefect, she could cry alone in peace.

Lily didn't know why she felt so guilty. Why did she miss Potter's stupid comments and stupid smile that once drove her crazy. She used to wish he would disappear. And now that he ignored her, and openly hated her, Lily wanted to go back to how things were.

But it was stupid! Sev was right. She should be the one ignoring him. The one angry with him. Potter had played her once more. She had been a fool. Lily should be relieved to have him off her back.

Then why did she feel so hallow?

Lily's sobs turned into sniffs and she blew her nose.

She thought she was alone. Until a hand touched her shoulder.

Her instant reaction was to scream, making the other person scream. Then she remembered they were in the Common Room. They would wake everyone up. So she shushed them. The other person shushed too.

"What the fuck?" Lily whispered now, rising from the couch.

The shadow in front of her was from a boy. But Lily couldn't see in a dark.

"Sorry, Lily" the other person whispered back. A familiar voice.

With her heart still racing inside her chest, Lily stumbled to the light switch.

Lights on, Rick Stevens raised his hands like a criminal being caught. Rick was a Gryffindor, a year below Lily. Known to be part of the Rugby team. Marlene's first kiss in a weak drunk moment. And kind of nice.

Not Lily's friend precisely but an acquaintance. She sighed in relief. It wasn't a ghost or a murderer.

"Oh," Lily grabbed her chest "fucking hell Rick. You scared me"

"I didn't want to scare you" he shrugged "I was coming in and I heard you cry..."

Lily blushed humiliated. She was supposed to be alone.

"It's nothing... I..." Lily shook her head, thinking how to explain when she remembered she was a prefect and shouldn't give explanations "Were you just coming in?" she raised an eyebrow "It's way past carefew"

It was Rick's turn to go red.

"What were you doing, Rick?"

"I can ask you the same thing" he put his hands on his hips. Lily noticed he was still wearing his uniform but all messy, tie undone and hair tangled.

Lily also noticed the lipstick marks on his neck.

"I am the prefect. I ask the questions!" she mirrored his position.

"Nice pijamas..."

Lily felt her cheeks on fire. She covered herself.

"Rick!"

The boy sighed "Fine!" he grinned "I was with this Slytherin girl. Shelby." he nodded "Found me attractive so we snogged in an empty classroom and then, out of nowhere, she was sneaking her hand inside my shirt and down my..."

"Okay!" Lily snapped, flushed by the thought of how easy it was for kids her age to do stuff like that with practically strangers "I don't need details, Rick. I can imagine what happened next"

Rick grinned even more. Cheeks pink as the marks on his neck.

"You're still past carefew, so I will have to write you down"

Rick's smile disappeared from his face.

"No, Lily, wait!" he begged "I'm just an hour late! It's still early"

It was not early. Everyone had gone to sleep. Lily pursed her lips. It was her job to follow the rules.

Rick was begging with his hands "I promise I won't be late ever again. I just cannot have more detentions. My folks will kill me"

'Then you should have thought about it before breaking the rules' Lily wanted to say.

She should have said that before. Back when she was Penny Prefect Lily and everyone hated her for not being cool enough to be blind about their mistakes. Back when her only friend was Severus. And back when Potter and Black made fun of her and she hated them.

This year things were different. She had been having the taste of what it felt to be a real teenager. She had new friends. She went to parties and gossiped and had the attention of a boys for the first time.

Lily had been relaxing a little and enjoying herself. Until Potter ruined everything.

Lily didn't have the energy of making Rick hate her. Everyone hated her already. Potter, Black (the worst), Pettigrew. Even Remus. And the girls... Mary and Marlene were angry as well.

Lily had chosen Severus over them because he had been her friend first. And he deserved a second chance. Plus, getting involved with Potter had been a huge mistake.

"He just changed the strategy, Lily" Sev had said "He pretended to be your friend so he can have you as his trophy. You've been a fool to believe him! Now he is probably bragging to everyone how he managed to kiss you"

"Can I go?" Rick asked, bringing Lily to the present.

Lily took a deep breath "Alright"

The boy in front of her was static for a second. Lily Evans was letting him go! What a miracle.

"Really?"

Lily nodded.

"You won't write me down?"

Lily shook her head.

Rick laughed in relief. He gave Lily a quick hug.

"Oh Lily! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he chanted, Lily giggled "You are the best! I knew you were cool in the bottom"

Lily smiled embarrassed. It felt good to be cool.

"There was a reason why I fancied you before"

That comment shocked Lily.

Lily Evans wasn't popular amongst boys. She wasn't pretty like other girls. She wasn't cool like other girls. She just had her first kiss at seventeen.

Severus liked her because she was his only friend. Potter liked her because she was an impossible and he had a huge ego. Luke had been the only exception.

Lily had begged and prayed to be more noticeable for boys because she wanted her epic romance and her prince charming.

"What are you talking about, Rick?"

Rick nodded "Back in my third year when you got pretty"

Lily blinked. Got pretty?

"You didn't have braces anymore and you started keeping your hair lose" Rick clarified "And damn those..." he pointed to her breasts "Grew considerably..." he nodded "Like a lot"

Lily covered her chest with her arms. Rick looked away.

He chuckled "Anyway, lots of blokes were after you that year"

Lily almost laughed "Lots of blokes?"

Rick nodded as if it was obvious.

"That's impossible"

"Trust me" Rick said "You were one of the top girls boys talked about. At least in my circle"

Lily remembered fourth year. Boys were finally noticing girls. And her classmates starting having boyfriends, dates, first kisses and romantic memories.

Not Lily. Never Lily. She was the loner who listened to others' experiences wishing it was her.

If that had been the case in fourth year, then why did Lily was never asked out? No boy had showed interest. Only Potter dared. Humiliating her of course. Because it had been for a bet with his stupid friends.

"I didn't know that"

Rick smiled "Trust me. I wanted to ask you then by you were with that boyfriend of yours... So..."

"Boyfriend?"

Lily's list of boyfriends were none. She had never dated a single soul.

Rick nodded, looking at Lily as a crazy amnesic old lady.

"Yeah the Slytherin bloke you always hung around with..."

"Severus?" Lily asked.

"Yeah!" Rick snapped his fingers "That's the one. Snape! The creepy one"

Lily snorted. It was common for people to believe Lily and Severus were just friends. People just couldn't accept some boys and girls were friends. Well, that was before Lily found out Severus had feelings for her.

"Sev was never my boyfriend, Rick" Lily clarified "We're just friends"

Rick frowned rather confused.

"That's not what he said"

"What?"

"He threatened every single bloke that showed interest in you" Rick added "Saying you were his and that you were foolishly in love with him"

Lily frowned. That couldn't be.

"Actually, that's what he told anyone who asked about your relationship" Rick continued "He said you were obsessed with him and a little crazy for him. And he could do whatever he wanted with you"

Lily was open mouthed at this point.

"Which is okay, I guess I don't judge" Rick added quickly "Then when you were seen with that Gardener bloke this year, he said it was because you got into a fight and you were making him jealous. And that eventually you were going to fall back into his arms. Which you did"

Lily had a strong knot on her throat. She didn't know if it was sadness or rage. That was the reason they stopped talking in the first place. Lily heard him talking. But he assured her it had been a one time thing. That he had been pressured by his Slytherin peers. And he had been angry because Lily never kissed him back at New Years.

Turned out Severus had been doing it since fourth year. Lying about Lily being his girlfriend. Pushing everyone away from her? Lily had believed there was something wrong with her.

"I never heard him talk, he mostly told things to the Slytherins" Rick added "But he did threaten me to stay away from you when he heard I was interested" he shrugged "That's why we were surprised when Potter carried asking you out" he said "We thought he just did it to piss Snape off"

Lily realized she was panting in rage, her fists were squeezed inside her arms.

"I honestly thought it was true" Rick seemed guilty that he had said something that fucked it up. Maybe he had.

"I've never dated him" Lily shook her head "We haven't even kissed"

"Oh"

"I'm a virgin"

Rick was surprised "Oh!" but Lily didn't care anymore.

Lily looked at him.

"You wanted to ask me out?"

Rick blushed.

"Oh yeah well, I fancied you for a while. But then I fancied other girls as well"

"You think I am attractive and there's nothing wrong with me?"

"Sure!"

Lily laughed then. And she was aware that she sounded like a maniac. But it was ironic that the only person she had trusted had been lying to her and manipulating her.

Severus had been her best friend for a long time and she just didn't understand why people didn't get it. How people just paired them up as boyfriend and girlfriend because they didn't understand their friendship. She blamed Potter and Black for their stupid jokes.

However it had been Severus himself who initiated the rumor and spread it around.

Lily liked Rick but he didn't fancy him. Although, he could have asked her then and maybe Lily would have agreed. Maybe they would be dating. Or she would have dated other boys. Who knows?

All her life, thinking she wasn't enough that there was something wrong with her. And that she wasn't pretty enough or attractive enough.

Maybe Lily would have rejected Rick but because it was her choice. Not Severus's.

Shit! What if he did the same with Luke and that was why he stopped talking to her and acted weird around her?

Lily had been sad thinking Luke just didn't like her.

Then, the thing with Potter started. Severus had been angry because Lily had kissed James. And the condition to be friends again had been to stop talking to her Gryffindor friends. Especially Potter.

Lily had felt guilty. She thought she had truly hurt Severus.

But Severus had been lying all along.

"Are you okay, Lily?" Rick asked with concern.

"Yeah, Rick" Lily snapped with fury "Everything is perfect"

The boy looked at her.

"I would ask you out now but I don't think I fancy you anymore, plus, I think I'm with Shelby..."

"It's okay" she smiled "I don't want you to ask me out"

"Okay..."

"You just opened my eyes" Lily said "Thank you"

"Alright" the boy shrugged.

"So, I'm guessing Snape was not the reason you were crying before, eh?"

It had been because of James Potter. It had been because she missed him. But she had to choose Severus. Or at least that was what she believed.

Lily shook her head.

"I've been an idiot, Rick"

Rick ducked his head to the side.

"I've been angry with the wrong boy"

Maybe Potter's reason to ask her out were selfish as well. But at least he had been upfront. Maybe she could talk to him about it.

Now Lily was finding out that her supposed best friend was worse. Fake all along.

Lily wanted to kill Severus Snape.

[picthos]

the son of Spinner’s End's Snape

In the past, I have written about this topic, but today I aim to provide a more detailed explanation.

When Petunia saw Snape, she contemptuously referred to him as "Spinner’s End's Snape boy." I believe that Petunia must have learned about Severus and the Snape family’s reputation from adults. My reasoning is as follows:

1-Children, when speaking negatively about someone they don’t know well, usually mock their appearance, clothing, or create derogatory nicknames based on the person’s name.

2-For instance, James Potter referred to Snape as "Snivellus" after hearing his name. Similarly, Sirius, who was aware of Snape’s poverty and unkempt appearance, described him to Harry as having an ungroomed appearance and also mentioned Snape’s knowledge of dark magic during their school days.

In most cases, when children ridicule someone they are unfamiliar with, they typically do not criticize the person’s family name.

To put it simply, Petunia’s use of "Snape Boy," invoking Snape’s family surname, is not something children would ordinarily come up with on their own. The way she not only uses his name but also disparages the neighborhood he comes from reflects a level of disdain that surpasses what children typically develop independently. While Spinner’s End, the neighborhood where Snape lived, was already stigmatized due to its poverty, outright contempt for the area is more likely to be an attitude instilled by adults rather than one children form on their own, especially without direct exposure to such biases.

In the story, another character who targets a family name is Draco Malfoy. Draco, having been raised by pure-blood parents who disdained the Weasley family, mimicked this sentiment by mocking Ron for his family background. This highlights how such attitudes are often shaped and reinforced by adults rather than naturally originating among children.

The issue of children in contemporary elementary schools dividing each other based on family background and parental occupations remains prevalent today. Parents often pass their prejudices down to their children, encouraging them to avoid or exclude certain classmates. Consequently, marginalized children become targets, with others mocking their homes and families and labeling them as being from "poor neighborhoods" or "poor households."

When I saw Petunia calling Severus "Snape Boy," it reminded me of these harmful societal prejudices. This suggests that Snape’s family had a poor reputation among the townspeople, much like the way such biases are perpetuated in real life.

Petunia’s hobby, as seen in Book 1, is eavesdropping on the neighbors. If neither Mr. nor Mrs. Evans were critical of Snape’s family, it is likely that Petunia picked up the term "Snape Boy" from other adults in the town.

neighbors and strangers, who hardly know him, would judge him with prejudice by mentioning the father he dislikes and wishes to avoid. Based on what we see from Petunia’s words and actions, I believe there are plenty of reasons, beyond his father’s issues, for young Snape to have no attachment to the Muggle world.

[wisteria-lodge]

What are your thoughts on Lily Evans? For being the whole reason the books happen, she gets surprisingly little insight into her.

And I do think that's the point. For Harry, she is more of a cosmic force than a person. She's like gravity. Her sacrifice is this single huge thing that will always protect him and connect him to her, even though he never really learns everything about her. This lets Lily be the perfect, tragic everywoman, and lets Harry explore the tragedy of never really being able to know a parent.

(Like - I think it's very interesting that the *films* give us a lot more specific details about her than the books do. Slughorn's whole "Francis the Fish" anecdote, Lupin reminiscing about her, the detail that she was close with Lupin. Movie specific. The way the books treat Lily as this ever-present benevolent force is honestly pretty literary.)

But that means. That because Lily is purposefully vaguely written, she gets defined by her place in the narrative and her relationship with the people in her life. So Petunia, Severus, James. Which MEANS that people with strong opinions about those characters are going to characterize Lily to *fit.* Severus was a sad, manipulated woobie? Well, then Lily was too harsh to him and never should have married his bully. Severus is a obsessive stalkery incel? Lily is a girlboss who kicked him to the curb. James is a trashfire who you ship with Sirius or Regulus? Lily is a goddess who is too good for him. James is cute and snarky and Harry 2.0? Lily is... probably an author/reader insert. Hermione got hit (gets hit) with MAJOR reader insert syndrome, which I completely understand. She's the only central girl and a relatable conduit who can date... whoever you're into. Harry, Ron, Draco, Severus. I imagine that Lily gets that times a million, being the *only* central girl in the Marauder era. So you get Jilly, Lillypad, Jillypad. Do people ship her with Regulus?

If I were to write her... I think "model minority" vibes makes sense. She's a muggleborn, from a poor background (which is something we know her sister struggles with.) Slughorn (with his pro-pureblood prejudice) thinks she was fantastic. I think Lily probably felt the pressure to be EXTRA good, in a Hermione kind of way. She's also the "special one" in her family, which Petunia resents her for. So I'm thinking at home she's the Golden Child? Which is a ego-boosting, but also stressful place to be, because failure isn't really an option.

I don't think I'm meant to pair the Petunia/Vernon "marrying up" vibes with Lily/James, but if I'm getting all psychological about Lily, I probably would. James DOES represent wealth and security, after going from one situation where she's got shaky societal footing... to ANOTHER situation where she's got shaky societal footing. Only difference is now she can make potions. Severus ingratiated himself with the Slytherin purebloods as a survival tactic, and Lily probably did the same thing with the Gryffindor purebloods. The difference is she's not willing to put up with as much bad behavior as Severus is (but like... she's willing to put up with *some.* The Marauders canonically got pretty brutal.)

Also, Severus is kinda a snarky bastard, and so was Sirius. James was a bit more jock flavored, but she got along well with all of them. She herself probably has a bit of a wicked streak, I don't think any of those people would have hung out with someone who was just sweetness and light all the time. Also, we know how important it is to JKR to be "not like other girls" and like... Lily is her ideal girl, so...

I also 100% get sports couple vibes from Lily and James. I mean, baby Harry is flying around on a baby broomstick. Lily's 100% got a sports jersey that she wears around the house, and she and James make a big deal about Game Day. But really, there's not much specific about her I can extrapolate from the books.

(This meta also does a really nice job of going into how ultimately Lily is a mirror, in a fascinating kind of way.)

[fafodill]

FIRMLY disagree that the reveal that James was a vicious bully in order to make Snape more sympathetic wasn’t planned before OOTP and was done in response to Rickman’s casting (though I do think his style influenced dialogue in later books)

Snape is a main character. Honestly, the secondary protagonist. The entire plot is made possible by *his* choices, not Harry’s (Harry is always going to oppose Voldemort, there’s no tension there). James’ sole function and only real purpose in the narrative is to serve as a villain in Snape’s origin story. Every single detail about the character - rich, athletic quidditch jock, Gryffindor, popular, vocal about his feelings for Lily, from a family of haircare product inventors - is written to contrast with Snape. Even the name James means ‘supplanter’. And JKR always knew Snape’s backstory, this is well documented.

If there were any unresolved feelings JKR was working through when crafting the James/Snape dynamic, it’s about her abusive ex husband who is clearly the visual reference for James.

Well I'm not an expert on the subject but from what I've gathered reading other people's brainy metas, it's indeed kinda recognized that Lily is one of jkr self-insert and James her ex-husband.

I think it may be a bit naive to think she had everything planned out exactly as it is since the beginning. She wrote the book over the span of what... 10 years or something? A person's writing style, objectives and motivation will evolve over such a long period of time.

It's suspected that at the beginning it was more or less planned to have Severus and James both being in love with Lily and Snape being a sore looser.

James is depicted as a very unproblematic figure thorough the first books. Only good things are said about him by everyone except Snape, who is still a school villain caricature at that point. Then 'all of sudden' in OotP there's this big reveal about truly awful, heinous acts he inflicted upon Snape, and again I'm no timing expert but apparently it's also at a time where jkr had finalized her divorce and revealed that it was an abusive relationship.

To me this makes a lot of sense on a human level. She may have wanted to 'correct' James's image in the book as it was deeply personal to her. I have personally worked on original worlds and characters with my ex and let me tell you, now that we're not together anymore it's really difficult to not scrap every part of him from it. It's like, 'this world is mine, you're tainting it, you don't deserve to be part of it anymore, get out!' Of course she couldn't get rid of James so she 'adjusted his image' in a way that served the plot. She may have been planning something along those lines for a little while but clearly a lot of things changed between the third and fifth books.

An author is a human who process their feelings through their work as well. After all, the act of creating comes from deep within us. Whether we want it or not, we always put some of us inside of our work. If she had put some of her ex in James then she needed to correct it for herself. She couldn't just let him remain as this amazing character because now - he wasn't anymore.

I do think tho that she had been growing fonder of Snape (possibly because of Rickman, she's been very vocal about adoring him in Snape's role) and he was an extremely important character regarding to the plot so she worked all the pieces out okay imo.

And JKR always knew Snape’s backstory, this is well documented.

I couldn't tell you. What I can say is that had she been super clear about what she intended for Snape and James from the beginning, then said beginning is quite wonky at best. You could argue that she learned to write better with time but like I said, the work evolve with the author (and also the public response/fandom sometimes).

And it's fine, you know? It's fine if she changed her mind. We know the books are flawed and littered with a lot of her emotions and beliefs regarding a lot of things so why would it be so surprising?

I don't mind personally. It's a good change I think.

[maxdibert]

tbh I’m convinced Sirius was intended to be read as unrequitedly in love with James, the vibes were there. And he fails to notice the girls eyeing him up in the exam, plus he’s SO fixated on Severus. It would mirror Snape’s doomed feelings for Lily, kids from bad homes who latch intensely on to the happy carefree cherished person they want to be. Characters have been interpreted as queer for much less.

(in this theory the posters of muggle women got written in as a detail because JKR realised that Sirius seeing James in Harry gets a little weird…)

Or maybe it just pissed him off that Severus might have a chance with Lily while he would never have one with James, because James was fully heterosexual, and his feelings had no possibility of being reciprocated—leading to a bitter projection based on envy that was completely unconscious but sublimated into anger.

Leaving fanon theories aside, I really think—and always have—that Sirius was obsessed with James. Just as Lily was Severus’s attachment figure, James was Sirius’s. I believe Sirius saw James as a role model: his equal in blood status and social class, a sort of mirror image of himself. At the same time, though, James’s parents were loving and warm, and they weren’t blood supremacists. James was like a better version of Sirius, and Sirius wanted to be like him because he felt that was the way to shed the stigma of being a Black.

I also think we can interpret this type of attachment without fear or shame as something that, over the years, evolved into something also sexual. Sirius genuinely developed an attraction to James that went beyond the platonic. His relationship with James is very reminiscent of Severus and Lily’s, but without the falling out. I also think Sirius, in this case, didn’t understand or wasn’t fully aware of his own emotions. He likely had a ton of internalized homophobia or simply didn’t know how to identify those feelings properly because, after all, “a boy is supposed to like girls, not boys,” and all that nonsense.

I’ve always seen Sirius as bisexual, but not fully aware of it—thinking his fixation on James was just “normal” between friends, and simply believing he loved James as much as a “brother.” But let’s be honest: Sirius’s entire life revolved around James. Everything was James to him. Remus and Peter meant very little to him—I have no proof, but I also have no doubts that he only hung out with them because James genuinely liked them. Sirius didn’t care about them. That’s why he didn’t hesitate to involve Remus in an attempted murder and why he was the first to distrust him later. And it’s why he treated Peter like a pet.

The thing is, I’ve always thought Sirius was obsessed with James in a way that bordered on romantic or sexual, even if Sirius himself wasn’t fully aware of it. I’ve also always thought that if he had survived and settled down, he would have ended up with some wealthy, pureblood woman, just like James—because Sirius clearly has a type, and it’s not Muggle-borns, half-bloods, or poor people.

And I’ll go further: not being able to sublimate his desires with James, Sirius likely would have gone to the other end of the spectrum: being with a woman who was very similar to his mother. Without the ideology of blood purity or dark arts, but with the same dominant, awful personality—because Sirius is absolutely walking Freudian material. The guy is a true Black through and through.