Relationship between Snape and the Malfoys

[houyhnhnm102]

No: HPFGUIDX 142324

Julia:
>  I have been wondering about 
> the relationship between Snape and the Malfoys and what the other 
> people in the group really think about it.
> 
> From the favoritism of Draco in school, to the fast movement Snape 
> does at the end of GOF when Lucius' name is mentioned, to the UV - I 
> am not sure how it all fits together.
[...]
> The way Snape responds to Narcissa in Chapter 2 - is that genuine 
> affection or part of a long time act to get and stay on the Malfoys' 
> good side? 

I've always thought of the relationship between Snape and Lucius Malfoy as that of client and patron.  In fact, my first thought reading about the sitting room in the house on Spinner's End was that many of those black and brown leather bound volumes must have been bought with Snape's sportula.  Snape renders his obsequium by favoring Malfoy's son.  His behavior towards the eponymous Narcissa is consistant with what he would show towards the wife of his patron.

Of course they may both call it friendship.  I'm sure Lucius Malfoy has many he calls "friends" who are more in the nature of followers whose loyalty is purchased with Malfoy gold.  On Snape's side, the Malfoy's may provide the only social invitations Snape receives.  They may be the closest thing to "friends" that he has.

This is all what I imagined, and I assumed the relationship went back to the time of Voldemort's first rise to power and Snape's early Death Eater days.

When I really think about it, though, there is not a lot of cannon support for any of it.  They are never shown together, I believe, in the books.  There is the fact that Snape hung out with Bellatrix and Rudolphus, so he and Malfoy must have been known to each other, but nothing conclusive to show they knew each other well.

There is Draco in CoS
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"Yeah, right," said Malfoy, smirking.  I expect you'd have Father's vote, sir, if you wanted to apply for the job--I'll tell Father you're the best teacher here, sir--"  (Scholastic pbk., p. 267)
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Then Umbridge three years later.
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"Lucius Malfoy always speaks so highly of you." (OotP Scholastic pbk, p. 745)
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Narcissa at Spinner's End.
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"Draco's favorite teacher...You are Lucius's old friend..."
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So maybe Snape only began to cultivate the Malfoys when he found their son in his class.   Either because he was still spying for Dumbledore or because Lucius Malfoy is rich and influential.  Probably both--Snape's motives are always mixed, IMO.  




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