Lily - Snape. An AGGIE?

[B Arrowsmith]

No: HPFGUIDX 77800

SHIPs are the source of endless fascination for the more romantically 
minded in the Group, others,  miserable old misogynist curmudgeons that 
we are, tend to sigh and pass on to the next post. But I feel that 
there should be a similar form of harmless entertainment for us too.

So why not explore the relationships that are never to be, the 
one-sided passion that is doomed to wither unrequited as the targeted 
party make their excuses and leave - hurriedly. It helps  if reasons  
are given for the ultimate failure of love to conquer all; that way we 
can all nod sagely at the pathetic efforts of a cock-eyed Cupid to 
ensnare the unsuitable.

To match the SHIPpers we need an identifier. As a possible contender I 
tentatively offer AGGIE after
St Agnes who rejected her suitors. If anyone can come up with something 
better we can change it.

Of course, the Lily - Snape AGGIE has been the subject  of many posts, 
with many fans speculating that Snapey had a thing for Lily. I've 
searched the canon and have found absolutely zero evidence or even the 
slightest hint that this is the case. Maybe it's the other way round, 
with Lily having  a pash for  ole Sevvie. But so far as I can see  
no-one  has explained just why romance never blossomed.

The Snape character is a fascinating one for many posters; dark, 
mysterious, forceful. Some girls would go weak at the knees when 
confronted by a  rampant Snape; did Lily?  After all, she made a public 
scene when James had a go at him. What does that tell you? A soft spot 
in Lilys' heart for the vulnerable heart-throb of the fifth year, 
perhaps? I've been told that vulnerability in a male is supposed to 
attract females and here was a shy retiring lad, subject to bullying, 
no idea of how to pick a decent shampoo  and with sub- standard laundry 
arrangements. Obviously, he needs some-one to take care  of him.

Nowhere  is there any evidence that Snape returned her feelings. Here 
he was, struggling to excel in his exams and Lily pushes herself into 
his life. You need  good marks to be a Death Eater; study hard, early 
nights, all that stuff.  Meanwhile, there's this love-struck female 
dogging his footsteps, following him down to the lake, defending him in 
front of everybody. What can a  chap do? One should be polite, but that 
may cause misunderstandings and encourage her. And her family! Who'd 
want to marry into that!? So it was the hard word, the rejection.

James was over-joyed. Snaffled the object of his obsession on the 
rebound after trying for so long. Being the under-handed sort of person 
he was, it didn't stop him sniping at Snape, though he didn't dare let 
him come to a sticky end  investigating the Shrieking Shack. Lily would 
have gone ballistic and given him the elbow for sure.

What was it that caused the breach? Was Snape eventually put off by 
Lily's green eyes - one pointing north-east, the other pointing 
nor'-nor'-west? Is this why everyone mentions her eyes but nothing else 
about her? Is this why Harry wears glasses? Could it be that her charms 
were not  up to the standard implied by Ollivander? Perhaps Snape was 
too career orientated to be bothered  with the opposite sex, exams to 
pass, muggles to torture.  So the opportunity slipped by; one of the 
great romances of literature never comes to pass.

But we can dream

Kneasy