Severus and his women:
This is a brief exploration of Severus and his non-sexual relationships with women. (I hope it's okay to discuss the non-sexual and non-romantic aspects of his relationships with women here.)
Severus and Minerva:
I had always believed that Snape and McGonagall developed a close working relationship, affectionate and respectful of each other as Heads of Houses. On reflection, that seems to be shaped by a combination of wish-fulfillment and fanon rather than any particular canon evidence.
Ar the end of OOTP, when Minerva starts restoring house points to Gryffindor (and Ravenclaw), Severus seems to annoyed by the situation but isn't rude to Minerva. Minerva sets to restoring points with aplomb, but isn't disrespectful of Severus. Of course, this could be motivated by a shrewd understanding that to show disrespect for another teacher in front of students coukd adversely affect student discipline
The hostility Minerva expresses to Severus in DH could indicate a long-held poor opinion of him, but could equally be read as an expression of the betrayal and disappointment she felt when a long respected and liked co-worker is clearly a traitor.
Severus and Madame Pomfrey:
I think I've absorbed the fanon trope that these two have a warm and respectful relationship - I can't think of any speciific canon evidence to support or refute that. I think this piece of fanon stems from the idea that Snape would require meddical treatments after some of his meetings witb Voldemort. Sounds plausible enough, I guess.
Severus and Sinistra:
There's no indication that Severus is particularly close to any of the other women at Hogwarts. In fanon, Severus frequently depicted as being on good terms with Sinistra, who (in fanon) also came fron Slytherin (at least I'm assuming that it comes from fanon, unless JKR did a rave about Sinistra's Slytherin background in one of her interviews.)
Serverus and Irma Pince:
Another fanon cliche is that Irma Pince is Severus' mother, cunningly disguised from possible (DE-related?) danger by reverting to her maiden name and removing the letter "r".
One of![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif)
drachenmina's stories plsys on that cliche - Severus is mystified to hear the students inexplicably referring her to "The librarian formerly known as Pince" after she has resumed her original name and revealed herself as his mother. In a story by skitty_kat, Severus is Pince, dressed in women's robes and with his hair in a tasteful chignon. Apparently cataloguing, shelving and silencing noisy students is a form of stress-relief for him.
Although Pince is only briefly described by JKR, the few details do make her sound rather snape-like - hooked nose, dark hair, always scowling....
I would imagine that Severus would rather approve of her strict interactions with the students in the library - if she were an efficient librarian, Severus might have her in some regard. JKR's representation of Pince as a librarian is not explored - I get the sense of her as a librarian in a caretaker sense, that is, reshelving books and presumably cataloguing them, rather than a librarian as an information manager, who might be consulted by students. Since many people do see a librarian merely as a caretaker of the books in a library building, that's not really surprising (the amount of times people have said to me, "Do you need a degree to be a librarian?" in tones of utter shock, clearly having little idea what a librarian does.)
Severus and Narcissa:
I could imagine that they got on well enough, even if they weren't especially close. In HBP, Narcissa refers to Severus' friendship with Lucius, so it seems that is the point of connection for them, rather than the two have them having much intimacy apart from Lucius.
Severus and Bellatrix
Other than Alecto Carrow, Bellatrix is the only female DE I'm aware of, and I can't imagine him holding Carrow in much regard. Severus seems to feel contempt for Bellatrix. In interactions with her, he is sneering and contemptous, seeing her as both a danger in regard to the parameters of his mission, and as a crazed-pyscho-nutter.
EDIT:skitty_kat's story mentioned above is How To Relax.
This is a brief exploration of Severus and his non-sexual relationships with women. (I hope it's okay to discuss the non-sexual and non-romantic aspects of his relationships with women here.)
Severus and Minerva:
I had always believed that Snape and McGonagall developed a close working relationship, affectionate and respectful of each other as Heads of Houses. On reflection, that seems to be shaped by a combination of wish-fulfillment and fanon rather than any particular canon evidence.
Ar the end of OOTP, when Minerva starts restoring house points to Gryffindor (and Ravenclaw), Severus seems to annoyed by the situation but isn't rude to Minerva. Minerva sets to restoring points with aplomb, but isn't disrespectful of Severus. Of course, this could be motivated by a shrewd understanding that to show disrespect for another teacher in front of students coukd adversely affect student discipline
The hostility Minerva expresses to Severus in DH could indicate a long-held poor opinion of him, but could equally be read as an expression of the betrayal and disappointment she felt when a long respected and liked co-worker is clearly a traitor.
Severus and Madame Pomfrey:
I think I've absorbed the fanon trope that these two have a warm and respectful relationship - I can't think of any speciific canon evidence to support or refute that. I think this piece of fanon stems from the idea that Snape would require meddical treatments after some of his meetings witb Voldemort. Sounds plausible enough, I guess.
Severus and Sinistra:
There's no indication that Severus is particularly close to any of the other women at Hogwarts. In fanon, Severus frequently depicted as being on good terms with Sinistra, who (in fanon) also came fron Slytherin (at least I'm assuming that it comes from fanon, unless JKR did a rave about Sinistra's Slytherin background in one of her interviews.)
Serverus and Irma Pince:
Another fanon cliche is that Irma Pince is Severus' mother, cunningly disguised from possible (DE-related?) danger by reverting to her maiden name and removing the letter "r".
One of
drachenmina's stories plsys on that cliche - Severus is mystified to hear the students inexplicably referring her to "The librarian formerly known as Pince" after she has resumed her original name and revealed herself as his mother. In a story by skitty_kat, Severus is Pince, dressed in women's robes and with his hair in a tasteful chignon. Apparently cataloguing, shelving and silencing noisy students is a form of stress-relief for him.Although Pince is only briefly described by JKR, the few details do make her sound rather snape-like - hooked nose, dark hair, always scowling....
I would imagine that Severus would rather approve of her strict interactions with the students in the library - if she were an efficient librarian, Severus might have her in some regard. JKR's representation of Pince as a librarian is not explored - I get the sense of her as a librarian in a caretaker sense, that is, reshelving books and presumably cataloguing them, rather than a librarian as an information manager, who might be consulted by students. Since many people do see a librarian merely as a caretaker of the books in a library building, that's not really surprising (the amount of times people have said to me, "Do you need a degree to be a librarian?" in tones of utter shock, clearly having little idea what a librarian does.)
Severus and Narcissa:
I could imagine that they got on well enough, even if they weren't especially close. In HBP, Narcissa refers to Severus' friendship with Lucius, so it seems that is the point of connection for them, rather than the two have them having much intimacy apart from Lucius.
Severus and Bellatrix
Other than Alecto Carrow, Bellatrix is the only female DE I'm aware of, and I can't imagine him holding Carrow in much regard. Severus seems to feel contempt for Bellatrix. In interactions with her, he is sneering and contemptous, seeing her as both a danger in regard to the parameters of his mission, and as a crazed-pyscho-nutter.
EDIT:
skitty_kat's story mentioned above is How To Relax.
Re Madame Pomfrey - whether or not he needed the treatment after DE meetings, I think they would have to have developed a reasonable working relationship as presumably he brews potions for the infirmary?
I tend to think that Minerva's hostility in DH is so open that it could only come from a sense of betrayal Personally, I agree that there must be a sense of betrayal heating her response to Severus. Flitwick likewise. But as you say, it's hard to be certain if she feels betrayed because of a friendship between them, or because he's kiled Albus and betrayed the cause.
Forgot about Severus maling potions for the Infirmary. Yes, that would mean even more interaction between them.
In other words, Poppy MAY have the most used potions provided by outside sources, but when it comes to specialty potions (the mandrake potion in bk2, the ten potions Hermione needed at the end of bk5) then Snape's the one to brew them.
However, there is also Snape's specialty in healing Dark Curses (Katie Bell). I presume from this that Snape was also probably working with Poppy on Ron and Hermione after the fight in the DoM. Harry was not around to see them when they were first brought in.
It's even possible that Snape helped Poppy with Harry at the end of 1st year. Being attacked by VaporMort was hardly in Poppy's usual scope and Harry was out of it for days. With Snape's promise to protect the boy, I cannot see him leaving Harry's welfare solely to Poppy. -- Hwyla
On the 'no' side, there's SWM. He probably SHOULD have gone to the Infirmary after being dropped on his head, but it's doubtful that he did, since he's outside Gryffindor that night, intending to stay there until Lily comes out to see him.
On the 'yes' side, there's the instance of at least one kid whose head they swell up to twice it's size, if that was also typical of the sort of 'prank' they would pull, then he probably would have needed to go get unhexed on at least a few occasions.
Surprisingly UNCLEAR is whether or not he was sent to the infirmary after the Werewolf Incident. It's also unclear how Poppy would have felt about it, since he was trying to reveal Remus' secret.
Therefore, I'm undecided how Poppy would have felt about him as a student, but considering her 'praise' of Remus over dispensing Chocolate, I would hope she was just as admiring of Snape's healing abilities - Hwyla
Well, since later he only talked about it to Lily rather than make a big stink or start a general rumor I think she must have cooled off of whatever negative feelings she had about this.
However, when we see Lily speaking to him a few days afterwards, there's not a mention that she didn't run to see him because Poppy wouldn't let her into the Infirmary (a good excuse for why she hadn't yet seen him yet). So, I'm halfway convinced that he wasn't sent (or at least KEPT) in the Infirmary over the Incident. -- Hwyla
duj has Severus involved in dealing with Hermione's Polyjuice mishap.
I do wonder what to make of Snape's taking care of his own Fluffy-bite (with Filch's help). I tend to wonder whether he and Poppy didn't quite 'get on' back then. Perhaps things were still a bit 'stiff' between them back then?
I really do wonder about Harry's treatment at the end of year 1. He's out of it for days - after dealing with VaporMort. I feel really pretty sure that might have needed a Snape 'consult' IF so, perhaps that was a chance for improving the working relationship between Poppy and Snape? -- Hwyla
I do wonder what to make of Snape's taking care of his own Fluffy-bite (with Filch's help). I tend to wonder whether he and Poppy didn't quite 'get on' back then. Perhaps things were still a bit 'stiff' between them back then?
I don't think this means anything except Severus being as self-sufficient as possible. After all, he only needed help with having the bandages handy, he didn't need professional help.
OTOH, Snape is fond of McGonagall. At the end of OotP he becomes quite emotional when she shows up. "Out of St Mungo's, I see!" is a Captain Obvious line that he'd sneer to pieces from anyone else.
Agreed that Snape and Madam Pince would probably get on, too. Besides that they're both stern disciplinarians, Snape can be trusted around books. And Madam Pince is definitely cranky and misanthropic enough to be Eileen. But it would be risky for Eileen to use an anagram name; Voldemort is too good at them. Also, Pince has a big beaky nose and receding chin, while Eileen had a "long face" and presumably, an ordinary nose (since Harry doesn't mock it). Snape as secretly-Pince totally works for me, though. :)
I used to imagine that he might have been friendly with Bellatrix or Narcissa, but clearly it wasn't so. Which adds to the general frustration in that whenever we get a potential friendship for Snape in canon, it turns out there's no there there. Of the few characters he truly likes on the page, no one cares half as much about him as he does about them.
-L
Re. Pince - yes, I always imagine Snape as the most prolific reader, and I'm sure he could be trusted not to mark library books. For some reason, I see the equally book-loving Lupin returning library books a little dog-eared and tea-stained.
Also, Pince has a big beaky nose and receding chin Ah, I'd missed/forgotten the chin. Mind, I do love the idea of Snape and Pince being the same person - just the notion that someone finds cataloguing soothing tickles m.
I'm not sure about affection, but I think that Pomfrey would at least have some respect for Severus, since he probably brews some of the healing potions for her. And it's completely fanon, but I like to imagine that she would have noticed that the students' injuries from the Carrows' punishments were not as bad as they could be, and that she might have suspected that Severus was restraining them as best he could. Although she'd probably still be pretty upset that the students were being injured at all.
Sinistra: I'm one of those fanfic writers who made Sinistra a Slytherin because of her name. Not exactly subtle, I must admit, but then again, neither is the name "Sinstra." ^_^
I can totally imagine Severus masquerading as Irma Pince, except: between spying, teaching Potions, and running the library, when does the poor guy find time to sleep? ~_^ Maybe he uses a Time Turner?
And slightly OT but...a Master's degree in Library Science is usually a requirement to become a librarian in the US, and in a school library, they probably need a teaching degree or certificate as well. Librarians do more than shelve books and go around shushing noisy students, people! ^_^
Sinistra: I'm one of those fanfic writers who made Sinistra a Slytherin because of her name. I do like the idea that there are more Slytherins employed as teachers in the school, though. And not just teaching Potions either.
I can totally imagine Severus masquerading as Irma Pince, except: between spying, teaching Potions, and running the library, when does the poor guy find time to sleep? ~_^ Maybe he uses a Time Turner? Yes, in the story I'm thinking of, he did have a Time Turner!
Librarians do more than shelve books and go around shushing noisy students, people! I'm always surprised that other people are surprised that I'm going post-grad study to be a librarian! ^_^
Part I
But as L said: "Of the few characters he truly likes on the page, no one cares half as much about him as he does about them."
Part II
1) Poppy, like Severus, is utterly no-nonsense when it comes to caring for her charges, combining strictness and real but unsentimental caring. As a HoH I think he'd respect and understand this (I think it quite likely that he spent some time training at St Mungo's, in fact, due to his own approach to and skill at healing). (Not that this makes him a good patient himself - he would hate to be seen as vulnerable or weak.) And I think v-v Poppy could recognize the same qualities in Severus, see that he does his best to protect his students despite his sharp tongue with them.
2) As pointed out already, Poppy and Severus would likely have a great deal of ongoing contact due to their respective roles. If Severus assists with difficult or unusual cases, I imagine his healing skill would earn her notice and respect. And he would have reason to respect her skills if she treats him after DE meetings, tho he would undoubtedly claim at the time that he was perfectly fine and not in need of 'coddling.'
3) Poppy was also the matron when he was a boy, and so if he did visit the infirmary after any run-ins with the Marauders, she would have seen the damage firsthand and treated it. Also: though there is nothing in canon specifically proving that Severus was physically abused at home, the glimpses of his home life we do get in combination with his behavior as an adult (displaying classic signs of an adult survivor or abuse) indicate that possibly he was. If so, Poppy would also know or at least have suspected it, and would have treated him for it. So the tone of their early relationship would be set by her caring for him.
4) As a mediwitch, I'm sure there must be some sort of confidentiality requirements for Poppy to follow (unless the WW is even more severely messed-up than we thought). I imagine this would make it somewhat easier for Severus to trust and confide in her. And I think that in general Poppy is discreet while not being in the least stupid or unobservant; to be a competent healer you do need to have a degree of observational skill, logic, and intuition, and I doubt Poppy is as unaware of what is going on in the background as those around her might think. ;) Severus would appreciate this (and not be fooled by her).
Re: Part II
Specifically # 3 is something I hadn't thought of earlier (although it is alluded to in one of the comments). I would imagine Poppy would know Severus very well.
However, I thought that since I was reminded of the fic I want to suggest by this subject (Snape's friendships - with Minerva and Poppy in particular) I would post it here in this section. In other words, these posts here are what reminded me of this particular fic. And a great deal of the fic is about Snape beginning to understand what it means to have true friends and truly BELIEVE they CARE for him (not pity him). It is also about the people who care for him, opening their eyes and truly seeing HIS situation.
It's AU since she began it just before HBP (bk6) and finished it just around the time DH (bk7) came out. So, canon up to the end of OotP (bk5). Because of this, Snape's background is different but with a few similarities (pureblood, but grew up on Knockturn Alley, still poor, but I'll let you read it to see the difference in abuse, etc.) And has one of the most original ideas I've read for Snape's 'nasty' disposition.
I read it faithfully, as it came out - week by week (more or less) have reread it several times since then and cried over it many times. No love interests for Snape, no lemony sex - mention of very underage slash with undertones of abuse and also of outright sexual abuse pre-Hogwarts.
Hope some of you might enjoy it! -- Hwyla
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2470334/1/Th
by excessivelyperky
She completed training as an Auror about a year before we meet her in August 1995. Which probably means she attended Hogwarts between September 1984 and June 1991 and Severus taught her Potions the entire time. A NEWT in Potions is a requirement to enter training (unless you are 'special'), and Severus only takes those who got an O on their OWL into his NEWT class. So the clumsy, accident-prone Tonks managed an O with Severus as her teacher. How did this happen? I doubt she somehow avoided dropping things or knocking her cauldron over altogether. How did she deal with Severus' insults? How did her interactions with Severus differ from Nevile's?
The only place in canon we see any interaction between the two of them is in chapter 8 of HBP, when he commented that her new Patronus looked weak, causing her expression to show shock and anger for a moment. We know her Patronus represented Remus. Initially it looked like Severus was just being nasty, but it could also be read as him protecting a former student from an inadequate love interest. After all he knew Remus very well - and he was right about him. (I suppose it can also be read as jealousy - are there any Severus/Tonks fics? And I guess Snupin shippers read this as an attempt to keep Remus to himself?)
I can't imagine Severus having a great deal of respect for Tonks. Even assuming that he wasn't as harsh to other students as he was to those in Harry's year, I just can't see him having much tolerance or patience for Tonk's clumsiness and her positive upbeat attitude.
I must admit that I was much happier when I could still believe she was a Slytherin (and a smart one who helped earn that House Cup for the past 7 years). Now that we hear from JKR that she was a Hufflepuff, I'm not sure what Snape thought of her. I think he would have less trouble with the clumsiness (as long as it wasn't endangering anyone) and more problems with her 'cheek' - don't TELL me she never impersonated HIS nose!
BTW - my take on the 'weak' patronus is that it literally IS 'weak'. Harry cannot determine that it was a werewolf instead of Snuffles. Harry may not have often seen Remus as Moony, but he HAD seen Snuffles often enough to recognize that this wasn't 'him' IF it had been a strong, clear patronus. I personally think Snape is telling Tonks to 'shape up', that she's letting her 'emotions' weaken her - hence the no color hair and most especially the reason she WALKS Harry from the station instead of apparating to the front gates.
He was most direct about saying that Harry was NOW safe since he was now with Snape - fully implying that he was NOT safe walking around in the dark with Tonks for about an hour or more, especially not after a summer FULL of disappearances caused by DEs. -- Hwyla
Samvimes' AU fic "Laocoon's Children" has a beautiful (and rather believable) Severus/Tonks romance. This pairing is a secret favorite of mine, actually.... :)