SHIP: Snape's slide into the DE's

[Lyn]

No: HPFGUIDX 144553

Like I said, as I am open to both theories, I have admitted in an earlier post this evening I have always had a feeling about the Snape/Lily possibilty. I agree with you on a lot of points in your post - a lot of it makes sense and connects. JKR could definitely be trying to throw us off by 'offering' information on Snape and Lupin, it's her style, and she's good at it. I'm not sure if this whole issue is really a big part of the plot in the end, but nevertheless, it's very interesting. Below I responded to some of your points:
  Why does Lily have a moment's shock and hesitation when Snape calls her a Mudblood? 
  Well, it's usually a shock to anyone in the wizarding world if they're called a Mudblood, right? But what do you mean by hesitation?
Why is that, of all things, his worst memory?
  JKR has so much significance to everything she writes, especially the titles, so it is really a good point as to why is this his worst memory? Especially when it appears that he had a rough childhood, and hard time fitting in with school. You may be onto something.
  Why does Petunia not mention 'that awful boy' by name, and never truly confirms Harry's assumption that she's talking about his dad?
It's still hard to believe that Petunia ever cared for her sister, but we have seen that she really seems to know a lot more than we will probably bargain for. Perhaps she listened a lot to Lily (maybe when Lily was talking to their parents) but Petunia tried not to act interested. JKR might want us to assume that Petunia was talking about James(?).
Why is special attention paid to Harry saying
'Snape hated my mother, too', and a moment devoted to the narrative's responding words: "But nobody ever asked how Harry knew this."  (Because he DOESN'T know it.)  
  You're right, Harry doesn't know it, but perhaps they wouldn't bother to ask him because of the possibility of anyone from that time knowing about it - and thought it best not to argue Harrys statement because Harry would be better off not knowing.
  If so much of unriddling Snape rests on a woman we know nothing about, Rowling's going to have to be a storytelling master in this last book in making us care about her, Snape, and what happened to their forbidden love.  
  Agreed. Very much agreed.
  Snape and Lily had a growing interest in each other, but it's Florence who Snape, for one reason or another, chose
to dally with behind the greenhouse - I can certainly see him having Ron's lack of confidence, responding to whatever affection he could get.  
  This makes sense because it's obvious Snape had a huge lack of confidence and it looks like he didn't have a lot of affection as a child, and of course as a teenager would resort to a sort of 'nice and different' affection, it would probably be typical action of many younger guys in that position.
  Lily's defense of Snape to James was possibly his last chance to make amends in response...and he blew it.
  That makes just about perfect sense now.
   
  -lyn