Sirius, James and Snape - A History?

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 96532

 "meriaugust wrote:

 I was thinking the other day about old, pure-blooded wizarding 
families, and the speculation about the 
> existence of social events in which engagements might be arranged 
> between sons and daughters of old clans. I was also thinking about 
> the animosity...well, hatred between Snape and Sirius, and was 
> wondering if they perhaps met at one of these old family socials, 
and 
> had a, shall we say, negative encounter? This, added to their 
issues 
> from their school days, would give ever more reason for them to 
> dislike each other. I would speculate that Sirius would have been 
> forced to attend these functions with his family before his 
> defection, and that maybe some experience with Snape led him (and 
in 
> the end, James as well) to detest Snape. 

> Meri - who wants more than ever to know about the history of the 
> Marauders

Marianne:

I've always thought it odd that the names "Snape" and "Potter" didn't 
leap out at Harry when he spent some time with Sirius looking at the 
Black family tapestry.  I'm sure it's very dense with lines and names 
all over the place, but the name Malfoy caught Harry's eye almost 
immediately.  And, you'd think that Snape is probably a pureblood if 
he's the head of Slytherin house.  So, I find that odd.

I've thought about the potential for social interactions among the 
Wizarding worlds finest, too. (Makes my skin crawl...) So, I wouldn't 
be surprised to find out that Sev and Sirius crossed paths at one or 
more of these.  I've also wondered how much the pureblood families 
have tried to arrange marriages.  If not by actual agreement between 
families, at least through heavy-duty arranged social affairs, the 
real aim of which is to get Miss Landed Gentry hitched to Mr. Big 
Bucks. All the while keeping the blood lines clean.  I can also see 
this sending a teenaged Sirius screaming into the streets.  Maybe 
there is some history between the Sirius and Severus through a 
potential Snape female relative that Sirius' parents wished to wed to 
their eldest.

Another thought I've had about our two favorite black-haired 
antagonists is that Snape is really Sirius' half-brother. (Don't ask -
I have trouble sleeping at night and I go insane...) It's odd that 
most of what we've heard about Sirius' parents is centered on his 
mother.  We hear very little about Daddy Black. What if Daddy Black 
had a bit on the side - a meek pureblood woman who had fallen on hard 
times?  She's docile and quiet - nothing like the harpy he married. 
They have a child.  He won't recognize the boy formally - it's just 
not done.  The scene we saw in OoP of the man berating a woman while 
a child cowered was Daddy Black, his mistress and his son, Severus.  

And, Severus grows up to know all of this while Sirius doesn't. 
Severus sees the rich, good-looking, popular Black offspring and 
wonders at the injustice of why this can't be his life.  And to see 
that Sirius doesn't want it, doesn't value it, while he, Severus, 
doesn't have the luxury of making that choice, just drives young Sev 
nuts.

Marianne