Whom does Snape REALLY love? (ACID POPS?)

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 138726

Carol wrote:
> > How about ACID POPS? It's got a C and an S in it and it fits "the
nature of the affection." You can figure out what it stands for if you
like.
> 
Neri kindly responded:
ACID POPS is so cool but has very few letters to work with. 

Carol again:
Since you like my acronym but are struggling with it, I thought I'd
give it a shot. How about Alas, Cissy Is Despondent. Perhaps Old
Playmate Severus?

"Old Flame Severus" would be better, but that would make it ACID POFS.
Not perfect--it actually fits her going to Sevvie for help rather than
inflaming old passions and entrapping him, but at least it has the
right letters in the right places. Also, it seems like the perfect
complement to (or antithesis of) LOLLIPOPS. (Sorry to pat myself on
the back, but I've never done an acronym before and I'm fond of it.)

BTW, although I absolutely agree with you that the Unbreakable Vow
with its "I will's" and the couple kneeling in front of a "bonder" has
a sinister resemblance to a wedding ceremony and that Snape is much
more moved than he wants to be by a beautiful woman in tears pleading
for his help and kissing his hand, I think it's his desire to be a
hero, which we've seen before in SS/PS and PoA, that she's appealing
to and which, along with the appeals to his vanity, persuades him to
do what he can to help her. The Half-Blood Prince saving the damsel
from distress by rescuing her idiot son (whom he's fond of and feels a
duty toward anyway) would appeal to him for a number of reasons,
including the desire for recognition and reward for his services that
we've also seen so often. I don't mean a monetary reward or an
adulterous relationship. Simple gratitude and praise would be
sufficient. ("You were so brilliant, Severus! Oh, thank you, thank
you! How can I ever repay you?")

Regardless of whether Cissy planned it (I don't think she did--she
didn't want Bella along) or was inspired by his words as he looked out
the window and said that he suspected that the Dark Lord wanted him to
do the deed (The idiot! what possessed him to say that?), he's bound
by that vow in more ways than one. (I, of course, see it as the
manifestation of the DADA curse, using his own traits or flaws against
him to engineer his downfall. How ironic that the desire to be a hero
could backfire so terribly!)

Anyway, I'm glad you like ACID POPS. I'm not much of a SHIPper and
have never done T-BAY (I'd drown, thank you), but I had fun with this one.

Carol