Snape makes the first move

[resonant]

There are a lot of HP stories where Harry gets up from the table at the Leaving Feast and blows off a chance of the party of the decade in order to go down to the dungeon, shout, "I'm not your student any more," and fling himself at Snape.

Sometimes Snape is expecting this, and sometimes he's as shocked as Warner Bros.' lawyers. Sometimes he accepts Harry's offer, and sometimes he nobly sends him away to get old enough to be interesting gain Useful Experience and Perspective so that he can Make An Informed Relationship Decision.

What I want to know is, why is it always Harry who makes the first move?

Because, really, can't you see it the other way around? After the Leaving Feast, Snape comes up to the Gryffindor common room and sends everybody scattering, and he talks for a while to Harry in private and then sweeps away, and the rest of the Gryfs come cautiously back in:

"What'd Snape want, Harry?"

"Probably wanted one last chance to assign him a detention."

"Er, Harry? I really think it's not terribly healthy to be casting Scouring Charms at your lips ..."

And then Harry goes off into the world to get old enough to be interesting gain Useful Experience and Perspective and Enough Distance To Become Intrigued.

But meanwhile, Snape's despairing of Harry's ever changing his mind, since Harry didn't say "No thank you" or "I'm flattered, but" or "It's not you, it's me" -- he said "Wha -- aaaaagh -- no, no, no, make it stop, make it stop --, god, the nightmares, where's my wand ..."

That's a story I would really like to read.

Comments

Just throwing things out.

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

I particularly like the bit about Scouring charms. ^_-

I'm not certain why the fans often write Harry as making the first move though Diana Williams comes to mind as writing the opposite. (Whether I like them or think them believable or in-character is another story entirely.)

I think part of the reason, though, comes from the orientation of the writers. The majority of Snape/Harry fans are, first, Snape fans. And as Snape fans, Snape becomes the pseudo self-insert, who is wined and dined and taken home for a good long session of love making.

Then there's also the theory that Harry 'tops from bottom.' Or he's dominant enough to make the first move but not dominant enough to actually be a top. (Some day, somewhere, someone is going to write a Harry/Snape BDSM story with Harry as the dom and I shall rejoice. Of course, it'll likely be very fucked up and probably not be consensual, but oh well. We take what we can get, I suppose.)

Some of it may also be characterization issues. Ie, it's harder/easier (for Author A/Author B) to explain Harry/Snape's attraction and thus the person they can rationalize easily ends up making the first move?

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Huh. I never thought of that. I always assumed it was an age issue -- i.e. that people could handle the idea of a student pursuing a professor, but the idea of a professor pursuing a student creeped them out. (And the whole source of this story idea is that it would creep Harry out, as well -- at least until he went away and reflected that, hey, he and Snape were kid-and-adult for seven years, but they'll be adult-and-adult for a century or more and might as well get used to it.)

Some day, somewhere, someone is going to write a Harry/Snape BDSM story with Harry as the dom and I shall rejoice.

I would swear that I've read this. But I didn't like it, so I didn't save the URL.

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

I think that might be part of it as well, though given how many stories are set while Harry is a student, it might be a small issue. Maybe it connects to the idea that most everyone has a crush on a teacher at some point in their schooling?

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

Or it may simply be a characterization issue. Harry lacks fear; you could even say he lacks a sense of self-preservation. He's not cautious. Snape, on the other hand, seems bent on self-protection, to the point where it's difficult to imagine him making himself vulnerable.

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

Which is funny because Harry does spend so much time trying to avoid pain and death. He's entirely devoted to self-protection when it comes to his body (and the Dursleys). *shrugs* I don't know, really. But you're right in that it's a characterization issue to a certain extent. What it is and how far it extends... That's another story. ^_-

[tradescant.livejournal.com]

Seeker, of course, wrote The Unexpected series, back in the day.

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

Yes, that too. It's been a while since I've read Seeker's stuff as well. ^_^

Re: Just throwing things out.

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

There's also A Biddable Man (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=988739"), but it's been a very long time since I've read it.

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I skimmed that; power imbalance is a squick for me, so I had to sort of look at it with one eye. Plus it's unfinished, so make that half an eye. I remember it as being pretty well done for what it was, but what it was wasn't something I care for.

Re: Just throwing things out.

[switchknife.livejournal.com]

(Some day, somewhere, someone is going to write a Harry/Snape BDSM story with Harry as the dom and I shall rejoice. Of course, it'll likely be very fucked up and probably not be consensual, but oh well. We take what we can get, I suppose.)

I DID WRITE THIS! I DID! See here (http://aeristerra.com/switchknife/fiction/thecount.htm). Interestingly, most people said they were too unnerved by it, by my upsetting the usual power-balance. (Or imbalance, I should say.)

Darn it, I've spoiled the story for you just by pimping it, because most people who go into it are deliberately fooled into thinking that Snape's the aggressive one at the start--the twist is the key. Kindly Obliviate yourself before approaching the story.

Re: Just throwing things out.

[verstehen.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's a good thing you explained that Harry tops because I probably wouldn't have read it the other way. I'm not entirely certain I could ever see Harry as a believable masochist simply because he spends so much time in his life avoiding pain.

*goes to read*