Snape Loved or In-Love with Lily?

[Jen Reese]

No: HPFGUIDX 148473

Jen discovers the lethal combination of the Cheerleader of Doom with 
Ceridwen's logic has acted like the drip, drip of a faucet to change 
her mind to the *possibility* Snape's unrequited love for Lily might 
be...OK. Still, there IS more canon for ACID POPS. Just had to say 
that <g>.

Sydney:
> I gotta say, when I read that [TIME magazine quote upthread], the
> only words I come up with were, "WTF?!"  Because okay, certainly
> there is some fantasty still being written about morris-dancing to 
> Greensleeves, but has this guy READ any fantasy novels post, what,
> 1975?  Fantasy writing is 'inherently conservative'? Ever hear of
> Ursula LeGuin?  WTF?
 
> In any event, I totally agree that JKR doesn't use basic cliches of
> fantasy.  She uses basic cliches of 19th century fiction, and
> turn-of-the-century school stories.  I don't think there's been
> this many fat jokes since the days of Billy Bunter.

Jen: Thanks for explaining that article comment. I get very confused 
about which genre IS primary at times and know nothing about fantasy 
literature. That last TLC/MN interview finally set it in my mind 
that JKR does see her primary genre as fantasy, with detective 
fiction as a secondary. And romance, which she seems to enjoy 
writing even though I feel like a test subject for that one. ;)

Sydney:
> Oh, TOTALLY.  Soooo much more interesting, why do you think sitcoms
> collapse when they resolve the sexual tension?  Unrequited, crammed
> into the furthest corner of black soul, unspoken.  Unless exodust's
> fiendishly clever idea just up-thread that poor Snivellus was once
> Veritaserumed in the middle of the Great Hall comes to pass... 
> although would even Sirius be that mean?  It sure brings a wallop
> to Snape's threat to use it on Harry.

Jen: OK, I'm getting the picture here. Then Ceridwen said this, 
which is very compelling: 

"Unrequited love isn't romance.  Been there, done that.  It hurts.
And JKR does pretty well with the torture.  I'm just hoping we won't
get CAPSLOCK!Snape if she does go there - Snape's already dramatic
enough.  Can you imagine him emoting?"

Snigger. NO. (Sniggering over Emoting!Snape btw and not the pain of 
unrequited love--been there, done that too). 

But I am suddenly getting a very humourous picture of Harry trying 
to take this in, that Snape loved his sainted Mum. Poor Harry--maybe 
that's what JKR meant about horrible things in store for him? But 
someone still needs to explain how this revelation will not turn 
Harry even more against Snape. That would be a repulsive idea to 
him. Well...unless he finds out from Lily that she didn't love Snape 
but did see something good in him and was sad to see him go down the 
path he took. Harry would believe in Lily if not Snape. Hmm, 
answered my own objection there.

Sydney:
> Speaking of Unrequited Love, nasty as Snape is, I don't think he
> would do this.  Not because it's wrong, but because IMO the LAST
> thing a guy like that would want would be to ACTUALLY GET THE
> GIRL.  I mean, then he'd have to, like, TALK TO HER.  Noooo...
> nice mile-high pedestal, that's the safe place for girls Snape
> likes.

Jen: Yeah, I think it's safe to say even Ron, with is tablespoon 
now, is way ahead of Snape on the emotional maturity scale. He 
pretty much insured Lily would go far, far away with the Mudlbood 
comment, didn't he? Maybe her trying to save him was getting a bit 
too close for comfort.

Sydney:
> Just plain yummy, that's the word <g>.  I mean, I think there's a
> danger of caricaturing the S/L thing into something really awful,
> but it doesn't have to be that.  Although, mind you, given the HBP
> romances... *shudder*... in my gut though I think JKR will be much,
> much more on her game writing something as messed-up as Snape's
> feelings for Lily than the shiny-happy-people H/G and R/H
> romances. Messed-up is what she does best, and much as I adore
> Snape he is definietly not A-Okay.  

Ceridwen:
> And as I said, CAPSLOCK!Snape would not be my idea of a quiet 
> read.  It would be worse if he collapses,CAPSLOCK and all, into a 
> heap of blubbering lost love!  But so far, I haven't been 
> disappointed overall with the series or I would have stopped 
> reading it a long time ago.

Jen: I think you are both saying it's all how it's written and like 
you Ceridwen, JKR hasn't ever let me down, personally. I've bought 
it all, even if sometimes I have to squint a little bit. Something 
Ceridwen wrote makes a good case for how JKR could pull it all 
together with Snape in-character and also believable that Harry 
could swallow the bitter pill:

Jen first: 
> Anyway, just read Tonks post before posting this one and think
> maybe she has a good idea: It's the hatred of the Marauders, the
> life debt and feelings for Lily rolled up in one. Now that sounds
> like some drama and angst, doesn't it? All those competing factors
> contributing in the end.

Ceridwen:
> And that could make all the difference in the scenario being
> believable, or being not just cliche, but trite and downright
> stupid.  Otherwise, Snape has had more than enough time to move on
> from both the unrequited love, and the schoolyard hatred.  That
>teensy little point of his info leading to the Potters' death is a
> very good hook to hang it all.

Jen, sobbing in her beer (Diet Coke, really) and crossing her 
fingers.