Current mood:	sleepy
Entry tags:	november 2007: meta month

Snupin Meta Reposted From my Old Blogathon Posts (LONG)
Back in July, I wrote a series of posts on Remus, Severus, and the draw of Snupin for my Blogathon posts. After which, I promised to clean them up a bit for spelling and grammar and post them to the L_S comm to share. Then, I promptly moved my site to a new host and spent the next several months rebuilding everything.

With this month's theme being Meta, it seems like a good time to finally post these.

To explain the set-up a bit, what follows here are three mini-'essays'. Each 'essay' consists of four posts written within 20 -25 minutes in order to make a deadline of a new post every 30 minutes with no pre-writing. These were written during my initial growly period over DH and contain only what references to canon 'chapter and verse' as I could manage to locate within the alloted writing time. Luckily for all of us, these were all written before the dreaded 'eighteenth hour' when my brain habitually shuts down and struggles to form coherent sentences during the last six hours of the event.

I have included them all in one post to prevent spamming the comm all at once. (I might have posted them separately over the next couple days, but I have company arriving on Friday and cannot guarantee when I'll be able to post again during the attempts to get ready between now and then.)

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Remus Lupin, A Brief Character Study

Part One - The Prisoner of Azkaban

The first time we see Remus Lupin is on the Hogwarts Express, bound for the school at the start of term Harry's third year. He occupies the end compartment, asleep, is dressed in neat but shabby robes, and carries a worn briefcase engraved with Professor R. J. Lupin. As Harry and his friends rightly guess, he is to be their Defense Professor that year. But, who is this man and how does he come to be here at all?

By the end of Book Three we have learned that Remus is a werewolf, bitten as a very small child. He is one of the four self-styled 'Marauders', four boys who became best friends in school and included not only Remus, but Harry's father James, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. We learn there is a decades old grudge between the Marauders and Severus Snape, Potions Master at the school.

But, what does all of this tell us about Remus the man?

When I first read this series, Prisoner of Azkaban was the only book in which Remus had yet appeared and it was solely from this depiction that he became my favorite character in the entire series. From his manner, Remus appears soft-spoken and gentle. But after the life one can assume he's led as a werewolf (and we must assume great portions of it at this point), one can also read into his character a core of strength he may not even realize the depths of. Yet, it would seem, underneath it all, Remus simply wants to be liked. Understandable, really. Werewolves are shunned to a disturbing degree amoung wizarding society. It is likely the man has had very few people to truly call friend over the years.

And friendship, companionship, all those interpersonal relationships are very important to Remus. We see this time and again throughout Book Three as he takes the time to get to know Harry, as he strives for a more balanced working relationship with Severus, in the guilt he feels at betraying Dumbledore's trust, and the lengths he will go to for those three boys who may have been the first he could call 'friend' in his young life many years ago. At thirty-six, Remus has led a lonely, difficult life and now, he must relive it all again by going back to the place where it all began -- Hogwarts.

So, why go? Surely, if he could get work there, it must have been possible for him to find something else, some other employment?

Whether or not that is the case, I would like to put forth that the number one reason Remus took the job was not the money, but Harry himself.

As I've stated, it is the interpersonal relationships Remus values the most. Harry is the last connection, or so he believes at the time, to those friends who had been as close as family to him as a boy. We see in Book One that Dumbledore wastes no time, after James and Lily's deaths, in taking little baby Harry to his aunt and uncle. In fact, the only ones to see Harry afterwards are Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, and Sirius Black. Sirius then goes off to hunt down Peter and ends up in Azkaban himself. But, what of Remus, the last of their little group? He is never given a chance to say good-bye to any of them. James and Lily are dead. Peter is presumed dead, Sirius incarcerated for his murder. And, Harry is taken away to live with muggles, unaware of his heritage.

Then, twelve years later, Sirius Black is loose and most likely headed to Hogwarts where Harry is. Why wouldn't he, when given the chance, jump at the opportunity to be at Hogwarts and protecting Harry, his last link to his own past? After all, he knows Sirius better than anyone. Who better for the job? And, if he is allowed to finally get to know Harry, this young man who looks so like Remus' friend James with Lily's eyes, so much the better.

Remus tells Harry in Deathly Hallows that his kind do not usually breed. In Book Six, we see him fight against his attraction to Tonks, giving such excuses as being "too old, too poor, and too dangerous". It is likely. then, he doesn't think he shall ever have children of his own. Given that, I would say it is very likely as well that he believes Harry to be the closest he shall ever come to having a son of his own, despite Sirius being the godfather. That being the case, he would feel even more protective over this son of his heart, determined to be there should Sirius, the supposed betrayer, make an attempt to finish the job first begun twelve years ago.



Part Two - The Alpha Wolf

As anyone who has read my fic or watched my RPG for any length of time will know, I tend to view Remus as an 'Alpha Wolf' personality. There are many out there who would disagree with me. Based on a cursory reading of the text, I can understand that view.

But, I present the theory that Remus subverts his natural Alpha tendencies in favor of the learned behaviors to make others like him. We see several examples throughout the series where that strong, leadership strain comes out for a moment. Rarely does Remus ever have to yell to make others listen to him. In fact, it could be said the only reason his years as Prefect lacked leadership potential is because he didn't use it.

The first clear example of this trait we see is in Prisoner of Azkaban when they are all together in the Shrieking Shack. Despite his lust for revenge and redemption, Sirius (who we have been shown time and again to have been the 'leader' of the Marauders along with James) acquiesces when Remus insists they must first tell Harry and his friends the whole story before doing anything with Peter. In fact, the only one who doesn't listen to Remus, unsurprisingly, is Severus Snape.

Later, in Order of the Phoenix we see both Molly Weasley and Sirius Black shut up and stop arguing at a quiet word from Remus (pg 86 UK ed). Then later in the same conversation, again it is when Remus speaks up to declare Harry and his friends too young to join the Order, they acquiesce, not before. (pg 92 UK ed.)

Time and again, Remus is either in charge or one of the leaders in Order operations. We see this with the Advance Guard, several scenes in Book Seven I shall discuss in full in the next post, the Battle of the Ministry (where it might also be noted that he is the only Order member to come out unscathed physically), the Battle at Hogwarts.



Part Three - Remus' Relationship to Harry in Deathly Hallows

So, this post is the real reason why I wanted to go into certain aspects of Remus' character and, in particular his relationship with Harry.

We have a scene in Deathly Hallows , during Chapter 11, in which Remus tells Harry and friends Tonks is pregnant. Remus wants to go with Harry on his quest, for protection, and leave Tonks and the baby behind.

It's a powerful scene that changes their relationship forever, I think. But, the crux of this post is this: I've read many commentaries on this scene. Amoung Remus fans it's either seen as grossly out of character, or in character solely due to Remus' fear and self-loathing as a result of the war and his lycanthropy.

I present another option: Remus' role in the war this entire time, outside the short time he was attempting to sway the other werewolves away from Greyback, has been to protect Harry.

As I've already stated, I believe Remus came to teach at Hogwarts primarily because of Harry. Until Tonks becomes pregnant, he doesn't believe he is capable of having his own children. In a way, he has set-up Harry as a replacement for those children he never imagined would be his. When he makes his offer to follow Harry and the others on their quest, I don't think he has yet had any real chance to come to terms with the idea that he is about to be a father for real. In fact, the idea of having a baby during the war and with his lycanthropy scares the hell out of him. How can he ever hope to protect his child when he's sitting around waiting for Harry to save the day?

And Harry had the place of a son in his heart before now. Amoungst all that is happening, it is likely Remus sees Harry as a son about to go off to war. And, Remus, being a warrior already, wants to protect him still. Perhaps fear was a driving force in his offer, but I don't think we can rule out that a large portion of his fear is for Harry, that he will always feel paternally towards the young man that became a son to all of them: James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus.

More than anything, I think Harry's outburst reminds Remus, not that he is about to become a father in truth, but that Harry is a man grown in many respects and does not need Remus' protection as much as when he was younger. It's a hard lesson to learn and often a bitter one.



Part Four - Remus' Role in the War

So, if Remus' role is no longer to protect Harry, as supposed in the previous post, what's a poor werewolf to do?

This is where I think we finally see Remus start to become the leader he could have been all along if he'd only let himself. To explain:

Harry and his friends have gone off on a quest to do who knows what. Voldemort has taken over the Ministry and Hogwarts. The Wizarding World is a place of fear and distrust. His in-laws don't like him; his wife is pregnant. And Remus, a half-blood werewolf, is left with almost no purpose other than to site at home with Tonks and her moods? (Let's be honest, we saw how emotional she became in the last book. Does anyone think a pregnant Metamorphmagus and Auror would be sun and joy to be around for nine months straight?

And what is the Order doing, anyway? Who's in charge? Is anyone fighting back? We've had several figures step forward with potential leadership abilities since Dumbledore's death and even before. What's happened to them?

Well, Mad-Eye is dead. Severus is believed to have betrayed them. McGonagall is trapped at Hogwarts. Arthur is under constant surveillance. Kingsley is on the run. And Remus...? He's not exactly on the run, is he? Yet, is he still working with the werewolves? What's happened to the werewolves anyway? We hear nothing more of them in this book.

The answer is presented to us in two specific scenes.

First, in Chapter Twenty-Two, we are given a glimpse at what the underground forces are doing to subvert Voldemort's control. Let me hear all you Christian Slater fans say it! Yep! They've Pumped Up the Volume! (Sorry, I couldn't resist. It was my first thought when I read it.) So, we find the members of the Order have gone into pirate radio. It's a classic move. We see it in resistance movements time and again throughout history and fiction. And this is where Remus finds his purpose once more.

Clearly, he is still one of the few out there, still fighting the good fight in whatever way possible. And there's Kingsley, another of the leaders of the Order, right by his side as they give not only hope to the Wizarding world, but instruction. It's Remus who is advising others on what action to take or not to take.

Second, in the final battle, we see Remus once more taking point Defensively as he has done so much already; first in the Battle at the Ministry in OotP and then in the battle at Hogwarts in HBP. It's a shame, really, that we see him fall this time when he has always come out unscathed in the past. But, such is battle, I suppose. At least, he had found a purpose and some measure of happiness before he died. (more on that later, I promise you!)

And as I realize I have only a minute left in which to post this, I would also like to point out that it is still Remus with the connection to Harry. It is Remus to whom the others turn for insight on Harry's whereabouts and chance of survival in the radio broadcast. And it is Remus who, though he doesn't know it directly, is still giving Harry hope and guidance in his words of support.



Severus Snape, a Brief Character Study

Part One - Severus Snape, Potions Master

This is the first persona we are given for Severus Snape - Potions Master and Professor at Hogwarts. When we initially introduced to Severus he is described as having "greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin". Upon asking Percy Weasley who he is, Harry and the readers learn his teaches Potions and is rumored to be after Quirrell's post -- Defense Against the Dark Arts. "Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape," Percy tells us. (PS pg94 UK ed.)

In fact, it is not until the fourth book in the series that we learn for the first time that Severus was not on the 'side of Light' as it were for the first war. While we knew he was an unpleasant man in many respects, it is halfway through the story before we learn there may be something truly sinister in his past. But, as that information comes from Sirius Black, a noted hothead who openly loathes the man, one has to ask at that point (even though Harry is incapable of doing so) how much of what Sirius says can be taken as fact?

What can be taken as fact is that Severus is a highly gifted wizard who had a rivalry with Harry's father that has carried over to the son, and is amoung Dumbledore's most trusted aides.

How do we know these things?

The rivalry is pretty obvious. Severus admits it. Remus admits it. Sirius admits it, as does Dumbledore. The reasons for it vary with each person's point of view, as does the blame. But it's always fact that Severus and the Marauders were nearly always on opposite sides of any conflict. Well, isn't that reason enough to assume he's an evil wizard, you say? After all, the Marauders, with the exception of Peter, were seen to be on the 'side of Light'. And yet, Peter's betrayal is exactly the evidence that allows for the possibility that Severus is not evil. Appearances are not what they seem and so far we have truly seen very little of Severus' character, too little to say with any certainty.

So, if it's not fact that he's evil, how is it fact that Dumbledore trusts him?

The first piece of evidence we get is the fact Severus is amoung those teachers entrusted with the knowledge and protection of the Philosopher's Stone. We see Severus taking this guard very seriously as he goes to check on Fluffy when the troll is let loose and when questioning Quirrell about his activities on the Dark Lord's behalf. Though it is not proven until after the fact, looking back on these actions, we can say that he proved Dumbledore's trust to be well founded in this instance.

Next, I would point to the fact that, once the false Mad-Eye's treachery is revealed, it is Severus who, along with McGonagall accompanies Dumbledore in search of Harry. With an entire stadium full of teachers, Aurors, Ministry, and Order members, surely, had he not trusted Severus implicitly, Dumbledore could have found someone else to take the task. Indeed, we often see that it is Severus who joins McGonagall in flanking Dumbledore when such times arise.

Lastly, after publicly (well, in a room with non-Order members present) declaring his former participation in the Death Eaters at the end of Book Four, Dumbledore still sends him off to resume his earlier activities, activities we are later given to assume to be spying upon the other side. If there was the slightest doubt in his mind that Severus was his man, would Dumbledore, the master chess player he turns out to be, have truly sent him off to play with the enemy?



Part Two - A Good Man Isn't Always a Nice Man

"The world is not separated into good people and death eaters." - Sirius Black, Goblet of Fire

Now, why on earth am I starting a post on Severus with a quote from Sirius Black?

Because Sirius' statement is true. The world is not all black and white, good people and death eaters. The hero is not always the white knight on his sparkling steed and the villain doesn't always wear a black hat to identify himself. We see several examples of things and people not always being what they seem throughout the series -- Peter betrays his friends, Barty Crouch Jr. impersonates Mad-Eye Moody, mild-mannered Remus Lupin turns into a vicious beast once a month, Dumbledore's past as revealed in Book Seven which I plan to discuss in a spoilery post later.

Nowhere is this lesson more evident than in the person of Severus Snape.

The Severus Snape Harry knows is unfair, cruel, sarcastic, bitter, and self-serving. He is a man who ran with a gang of Slytherins who nearly all became death eaters and knew more curses starting Hogwarts than many seventh years. Those not of his house suffer under his detentions and punishments, no one more than Harry. He would gladly have allowed Sirius Black to have his soul sucked dry rather than plead his case, all for the sake of an old grudge.

And yet, he constantly protects Harry. He goes back into a life of spying and "double agentry" almost guaranteed to kill him. Even after he has committed the unpardonable sin of killing Dumbledore, he works tirelessly to ensure Harry's success. True, his initial change of heart was motivated by entirely selfish goals. But, he did change. It would have been very easy for him to save his own skin. All he had to do was turn Harry over to the Dark Lord. Given what Dumbledore asked of him and the manner in which he asked it, Severus would be entirely within his rights to turn his back on the old wizard's cause.

And yet, he doesn't.

Perhaps it is because of his friendship for Lily. Certainly we are led to believe so. But, surely his love for Lily would urge him to protect her son and not allow him to sacrifice himself as Dumbledore so obviously intended. After all, Severus was not told that Harry would likely be able to come back and destroy the Dark Lord for good. The truly selfish thing to do would have been to save Harry from the first death.

Yet, even after Dumbledore's death, when Severus is given Headmastership and is no longer under Dumbledore's watchful eye, he follows the plan. He makes the choice to allow things to happen for the greater good. And, really, he is the only one who can make that choice. He is the only one with knowledge necessary to send Harry on either path. And he chooses the right path, even though it ultimately leads to his own ignominious death as a decoy.

If one of the lessons Harry must learn is self-sacrifice, surely there is no better example in his lifetime than Severus Snape, who sacrifices himself not for the woman who was his best friend, but for her child whom he loathed.



Part Three - True Motivations

If Severus is a good man, albeit not a very nice one, we are left with the question as to why he joined the Death Eaters to begin with.

The answer to this one, I think is simple. And yet, is anything concerning human emotions ever simple?

As a young man, Severus Snape did not have a good home life. In fact, the only thing about his young self that he feels is special or good is the fact he can do magic. It is what draws him to little Lily Potter who lives nearby. It is what sustains him when his father rages or the Marauders tease him. Magic, in general, is the one pure thing in his life and it becomes an obsession after years of clinging to it as the one thing that makes any sense and has any meaning in his life.

We are given several brief glimpses into Severus' past in the later books of the series:

- a hooked nosed man assumed to be his father raging at a woman assumed to be his mother while Severus watches
- lonely young Severus shooting down flies in his room
- being laughed at as he tried to mount a broom the first time

All of these are his direct memories as Harry sees them in Occlumency lessons.

Then, once Harry begins examining the memories Severus leaves him upon his death, we see Lily ask if his parents are still arguing. To which Severus answers yes, and, upon further questioning from Lily, admits there isn't much his father likes. But, soon he, Severus, will be going away to Hogwarts, presumably where he believes there will be others like him, others with magic that will accept him.

And yet, what he finds the first day on the train is none other than the prejudice of James Potter and Sirius Black. Even that first day, he earns the hated nickname of Snivellus. Before long one can assume the boys are to begin the rivalry that would eventually lead to the breaking of the only real friendship Severus ever possessed -- Lily's. With even Lily turning from him toward Potter and Black, it is somewhat understandable that Severus, whose pride seems to have been all that's kept him going through his brief, tortured life, would turn to others who promised acceptance and retribution for those who looked down upon him.

Though their methods differ, like Remus Lupin, Severus just wants to be liked and recognized for who and what he is underneath it all.



Part Four - Recognition and Redemption

If Severus craves recognition, what motivation could he have for continuing on the 'straight and narrow' in Deathly Hallows?

Perhaps, by the end, recognition is not all he desires. Perhaps, what he truly needed was redemption? Something which could only come by righting the wrongs he had helped to create.

There is no doubting Severus wants recognition for his deeds. In Prisoner of Azkaban we see this most clearly. He hungers for the honor of having captured Sirius Black and practically preens at the Minister's praise, nearly salivating at the opportunity to receive the Order of Merlin. In looking into his past, we can assume he has had little recognition growing up. His father does not seem exactly the type to pat his son on the head for a perfectly executed levitation spell.

And yet, early in this last book, Severus presumably has the prestige and recognition he has always craved. Having been the one to kill Albus Dumbledore, he is amoung the highest ranking of the Dark Lord's followers. The Dark Lord listens to him, taking his advice over Yaxley's despite the fact Severus can not possibly be in contact with the Order directly after his actions. After the fall of the Ministry, he is given Headmastership of Hogwarts, perhaps the greatest honor for any educator in Britain!

What could he need that only following Dumbledore's plan could give him?

The answer, I think, is Redemption.

That his own actions were the reason the only person who had ever offered him unconditional friendship was killed nearly destroyed him. Secretly, one can easily believe Severus always hoped he would become powerful and special enough to win Lily's affections back. The rivalry with Potter extending even to his wife, who was Severus' friend first. Dumbledore himself cannot even be said to have accepted him unconditionally. The Headmaster scoffs at his (admittedly selfish) change of heart, deriding his weakness before ever giving him the chance to make amends.

The only Redemption to be found is in undoing as best he could what it was he had done. Protect Lily's son. See to the Dark Lord's destruction. Follow the path of Light, even though it means incarceration or death. In fact, perhaps Death is preferable. If he is dead, would that not mean his trial is over and he might be given the chance to apologize to Lily in the afterlife? And, in giving up his life for the life of others, he is finally able to understand the truth of Love as Dumbledore preached it, to see that quality he had once thought solely Lily's embodied in the son in those last moments. And Harry is finally allowed to see and appreciate the truth behind the masks Severus has worn all his life.

In the end, through turning aside his need for Recognition in the search for Redemption, he earns both.



Why Snupin Works For Me

Why Snupin? Or, Why Straight Girls Write Slash.

No, it's not just get to us some hot man on man action.

For me, I came to the Remus/Severus pairing about a year before I ever read a single fic with it. It was shortly before I joined the Haunted Chambers RPG as Severus Snape. I'd been reading some Severus/Hermione fic (ones where she was out of school) and looking for some Remus/Anybody fic. For some reason, Remus wasn't a well written character back then, at least outside Marauder gen fic. I was toying with the idea of writing fic and I got to thinking who I would pair Remus with.

None of the female characters in the five books out at the time worked for me. Hermione was bright and quite like him, but I've never been able to deal with student/teacher pairings and Remus always struck me as the sort to see her in a more paternal light. Tonks was cute and there was that teasing scene over her name, but she still seemed to young for him, not enough life experience. And, well, honestly, I'm probably the only person who totally didn't read that as a hint for the future of the books. Minerva, Poppy, nice women, but too much like dating his mother. Really, unless you went OC or dabbled with little known characters like Sinistra or Hestia, the pickings in the women were pretty slim.

Now, despite my very conservative Mormon upbringing, I've never had any problems with the idea of same sex pairings. Perhaps acceptance was a gift from the Goddess, who knows. I've never been attracted to a woman, nor questioned my own heterosexuality. But, it's always seemed reasonable to me that love is love whether you find it with a man, a woman, or a Vulcan.

So, I started looking at the men in canon.

Sirius was right out for me. Besides the fact that I've always read it as more of a platonic relationship, I just never saw Remus as being able to trust Sirius again after the Shrieking Shack incident. Kingsley and Bill are fun alternatives, but still not quite right. The idea of Remus paired with Severus intrigued me.

They had a history, for one thing, something to tie them together through the years. Remus had never truly been in on the prank, so had not strictly betrayed Severus, which left room for future forgiveness. They both struggled against an inner darkness, were bright, studious men who had been given harsh tasks during the war. Remus' ability to allow Severus' barbs to simply roll off him was a necessity for dealing with the Potions Master. Severus' ability to brew the Wolfsbane Potion meant Remus wouldn't have to fear being with him. They just seemed to mesh in my mind.

Of course, once I started writing and reading fic in the pairing, and found the ship filled with what sometimes seems like a disproportionate amount of excellent writers, it quickly solidified itself as my OTP (one true pairing).



Snupin, The School Days

Alright, so they have a history. But doesn't the history between Severus and the Marauders sort of preclude any relationship with Remus?

You could read it that way. Or, you could read it as setting the stage for a deeper reading of the themes of Redemption and Acceptance I spoke of earlier in both Remus and Severus' character studies.

Let's examine what we know of their school days.

Already a werewolf and expecting to be ostracized if it's known what he is, Remus comes to Hogwarts with a secret. Then he finds himself with three friends he never expected to have...and they're good friends. They worry when it becomes apparent that something is wrong with Remus' health that causes him to stay abed once every month. They include him in their antics, come to him with revision questions, and in general open up a whole world of acceptance he never thought possible.

But still, he has this secret he can't tell anyone.

Severus came to Hogwarts looking for a place as well, somewhere to fit in and be special, be somebody. He finds some limited form of acceptance amoung his house, his half-blood status meaning he will never quite be on the same level as the purebloods that surround him. He still has his best friend, Lily. But, she's been sorted into Gryffindor, the enemy. And her housemates are the same pair of scoundrels hexing him in the halls.

Remus never participated in baiting Severus, perhaps knowing that could just as easily be him, the dark creature in their midst. I like to think, bolstered by the new friendships he's found at school, Remus tried to befriend Severus, at least initially. Perhaps, Lily introduced them one morning in the library and he found something of a kindred spirit in this dark boy with the intense gaze.

Then, Remus' friends learned his secret and gained one of their own! Now, not only was Remus a werewolf, but his friends animagi! And, oh! The adventures those four boys must have had!

Until one day, Sirius betrayed Remus' secret, nearly turning him into a murder and getting him executed in one shot. Suddenly the pranks and teasing of the other boys didn't look as harmless as they once did. But, it's too late now. Any chance of friendship with Severus seems impossible. Remus' earlier silence makes it all too easy to believe he was in on the joke.

For Severus, he likes to know things, be master of his own domain. Remus Lupin intrigues him. Why would this boy who seems to tolerate him be so complacent towards the antics of a couple bullies and worthless Gryffindors who were trying to steal Lily's friendship away from Severus? Maybe he even thought it'd serve them right if he stole Remus' friendship in Lily's stead? So, he grew curious about where Lupin disappeared to each month. Given time, he might even have worked it out on his own. But, Sirius' prank dashes any chance of that, right along with any trust he might have placed in Remus.

Still, Severus is not unobservant. Given time to cool down and reflect back in later years, even he would find it difficult to think Remus Lupin would have agreed to the joke.



Snupin, The Intervening Years

To me, some of the most intriguing years to explore in both men's lives are the years covering the First War Against Voldemort and the time between that and Remus' arrival at Hogwarts Harry's third year.

We know some facts of that time. We know Severus joined the Death Eaters and Remus the Order. We know Severus was the one to hear the Prophecy and tell Voldemort of it. We know Remus' friends suspected he was the traitor and that Severus eventually returned to Dumbledore, teaching at Hogwarts.

But, for a period of time that covers nearly fifteen years, we know very, very little in the way of facts.

- Where was Remus during that time?
- Why did his friends suspect him as the traitor?
- Why was Dumbledore willing to take Severus in (yes, after Book Seven, I can still ask this question. The answer given was not enough to satisfy me.)
- Was that year at Hogwarts the first time these two met since the first war?
- Or had they met again previously?
- Perhaps one or the other sought to make amends?

In Fiery Inception, I play Remus as having gone off to the continent, wandering around Europe for twelve years, alone and impoverished. It certainly would give him the experience necessary to come back and teach Defense. But, surely that's not the only explanation possible? Perhaps he stayed in Britain? Did he try to see Harry at all?

There's so much fodder for speculation during this time period for these two men!




Snupin, The Second War

So, let's look at the textual evidence one can use to support the possibility of a relationship between Remus Lupin and Severus Snape. Obviously, I doubt JK Rowling wrote this in here on purpose or that any of these canon facts make the ship 'canon'. But, for the purposes of character exploration, a review:

- My personal favorite moment is in HBP, when Remus tells Harry he neither likes nor dislikes Severus. He's been staring wistfully into the fire during a love song about cauldrons through the first part of the chapter. It's a relatively easily leap to "Of course he doesn't. Love is not like or dislike, but something more than each!"

- I think it is also telling that Severus, a man who demands control and dominance over his domain, hand-delivers the Wolfsbane to Remus during Harry's third year.

- In OotP, we see Remus offering to speak to Severus in an effort to get Occlumency lessons with Harry restored. Given their history, if there was not a certain rapport between these two men, would Remus be the one to offer to go to Severus?

- Book Seven gives us one last moment to share the hope for, if not romance, at least a sort of friendship for these two, when Severus accidentally cuts off George's ear. He was aiming for the Death Eater in an attempt to save Remus.

- It is also fairly telling that, during a time when everyone believes Severus to be truly with the Dark Lord, Remus continues to refer to him as the more personal 'Severus' than the cold 'Snape' everyone else uses, or worse, the hated 'Snivellus' James and Sirius christened Severus with.

- Let's also look at Remus' reaction to the news Severus has killed Dumbledore. The news nearly tears him apart as much as Dumbledore's death itself. More than any other in that room, he is incredulous that Severus could have committed such a betrayal. (Is it any wonder he later is the one to so furiously ensure there is no betrayer amoung those of the Order sent to retrieve Harry in Deathly Hallows?)

Beyond the textual support, however, I think the second war is the perfect time for these two to come together and find the solace each of them seeks. Two spies, both forced to confront their darkness, finding support and understanding in each other -- poetic. Still moreso, perhaps I'm an idealist, but I'd like to think, despite the end given them by the author, that they were able to find some measure of understanding before the end, that when Severus joined the others in the afterlife, he would have found more than Lily standing to welcome him.

Of course, in my own personal version, neither of them truly dies, but as I'm currently writing the fic for that, I'm not going to spoil it by going into details here. ;-D