[HPforGrownups] Re: What *is* the attraction to those Slytherins?

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 68067

 

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jenny_ravenclaw" 
<meboriqua at a...> wrote:
> Okay. I have been reading many posts written by people who just 
drool 
> over Draco, Lucius and Snape. People think they're sexy! People 
want 
> to marry Lucius! They might even want to run their fingers through 
> Snape's hair! What is the deal with this?
> > 
> --jenny from ravenclaw, starting a new 80s thing in the spirit of 
> Darrin: great 80s songs. #1: "Rio", Duran Duran 
> *********************************************************
 
Crissy :

It's the "My love can change him syndrome" that many of us women go 
through. I am reminded of a poem I saw at the dressmaker's when I 
got my wedding dress. I don't remember the words exactly, but it 
starts off with: I found the perfect dress, but let's just elongate 
the sleeves, and add some flowers please, shorten the skirt, and 
lengthen the train, and change it from white to off white... 
Obviously the perfect dress you found in the begining is now changed 
into a completely different dress after the all "small changes". 
This is exactly what people do in all the fanfics that relate to 
Snape, Lucius and Draco. They change the canon of these characters 
to fit their idea of the perfect mate. Granted they are small 
changes, but enough to change the character's core.
 
Me -

If I miss a step in any of my arguements please forgive me but I typed up a
detailed and, I thought, insightful rely to this and tem my computer crashed
as I hit send and deleted it, so this is going to be shorter.

Firstly, I disagree totally with Crissy. While I'm sure there are people who
think like that I like Severus and Lucius just the way they are. Can't help
much with Draco because canon!Draco is an arrogant brat who needs to be
spanked :)

Lucius and Severus are totally different cases. Lucius is described in a way
that could be interpreted as being attractive, u nlike Snape. And Lucius is
without a doubt evil where as Snape is far more complex. With Lucius you
have a guy with presence, influence and money. He is stylish and well turned
out. He's machiavellian and evil and while I wouldn't want to be arund him
in real life I can indulge in my love of evil guys while remaining totally
safe because he's fictional.

Severus on the otherhand isn't at all physically attractive, but we (Sev
fans) don't care. He's fairly confident. He has a flair for the dramatic
(all that swooping around). A gift for language - his speech to the first
potions class was wonderful. He's obviously very intelligent (he's one of
the experts in his field, we know this because he can make, and imo may well
have invented, the wolfsbane potion). He's pretty powerful magically but,
generally, has a good control over that. He's passionate about the things he
likes (Potions) and the things he hates (Lupin, Harry). He's got a
mysterious past - how did he transform from the bullied loner we see in the
pensieve to the arrogant, confident person he is now, how did he join the DE
s, how and why did he leave etc. He's obviously fairly courageous - if you
believe that Dumbledore is rigth about him and he's spying on Voldemort then
that certainly takes nerve; if you believe he's working as a double agent
for Voldemort then equally that requires nerve because he's spending a lot
of time surrounded by people like Albus who would send him to Azkaban if
they found out. He's not a nice person and he's a lousy teacher, but
whocares? I don't think sexy Sev's fans are looking to be his student or to
start a long and meaningful relationship with the man :)

Lastly I want to mention Crissy's comments about fanfics. I write about
Lucius and Severus and while I certainly don't have them act exactly as they
do in the books at all times that's because they're not in the same
situations as they are in the books. People change the way they act
depending on who is present. I seriously doubt that Severus would act the
same when alone with Albus or with anyone else as he does when in public or
when alone with Harry. I like to explore all the facets that I can see in
these characters. Sometimes those faces contradict one another. I write
about them to explore those differences. Can I see Severus as a basically
good guy who puts on an act to keep up his work as a spy? Yes. can I see him
as a total bastard who exploits his power and enjoys belittling the kids?
Yes. Can I see lucius as evil to the bone? certainly. Can I see him as being
controlled from behind the scenes by Narcissa and really only wanting to
maintain his power and influence for himself and his son? yes. I see him as
a good father, but I also see him as an abusive fatehr. I see Ron (to
broaden the scope of this a little) as loyal sidekick and more brave and
heroic than Harry himself, but I also see him as jealous and with the
potential to become another Peter. I see Harry with hermione, I see him with
Ginny, I see him with Ron. Heck I've seen him convincingly with Lucius and
Draco. One of the things I love about the books is that the characters are
complex, that they can be interpreted in many different ways and that no two
readers take away exactly the same vision from the books.

So yes I'm all for Sexy Sev and Luscious Lucius but while I think Tom Felton
is a great actor I think Draco should have been drwoned at birth :) But if
you want to see him a  sex god in training - knock yourself out :)

K
*looks back at long post, uh, and this was the short version  aren'ty you glad my computer crashed?*