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

[villeinage.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't write this story, since I have a deep-seated humiliation squick.

But a few words on Snape's characterization that might make his role as the pursuer more plausible:

Control: I see Snape as someone who is frequently *out* of control, certainly of many of his feelings and of his larger life situation. His vindictivnesss and impotent raging at Harry, Sirius, etc. (there are places where he's practically frothing at the mouth)are one example.

Also, he's not particularly attuned to emotional nuances (his own or others). I can easily imagine a scene where an under-the-influence-Snape(pick your preferred influencing agent)makes a pass at Harry and is brutally rejected. Because a little influence is probably all it would take.

It's harder for me to imagine a scenario where Snape makes a well-thought-out pass at a very young Harry. (As an aside isolde's story, Pragmatic Magics, features Snape planning Hagrid's seduction, and she makes very good use of Snape's emotional cluelessness.)

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

These are good points. I agree that it's easier to imagine Snape doing such a thing on impulse, in anger, or under the influence than actually doing it calmly according to a plan -- and I agree that it would be kind of painful to read The Tale of Snape's Drunken Pass.

Now, one thing I can see (thinking about it further) is Snape making, not a sexual pass or a romantic proposal, but a practical proposition. "As a young man with no partner, you undoubtedly are troubled by certain urges; I will make fewer demands than a partner your own age,and also have the advantage of a greater level of experience; certain observations I have made during your Occlumency practices lead me to believe that we would be highly compatible; so I believe an arrangement would be mutually agreeable."

(Harry, meanwhile, has either gotten derailed at the third polysyllable, or is blushing so hard that there's no blood left to power his brain ...)

[villeinage.livejournal.com]

Well, I think I can buy into a 'practical proposition" Snape under certain circumstances. He would need to have the impression that Harry is lonely, and/or unsuccessful at relationships.

Hmm...what about a scenario where Snape is under the mistaken impression that Harry is lacking opportunities for, err, companionship(but Harry is in fact popular to the point of fighting off advances, and Snape is the straw that breaks the camel's back, so to speak? Or even just simple shock and disgust on Harry's part would be sufficient.)At any rate, Harry is not at all in need of Snape's practical proposition.

Then, over the course of time,there's some sort of reversal in circumstance, and Harry has to rethink Snape's offer. (Something plotty might have to happen.)

Yeah, I could see this happening.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

This one sounds like dkwilliams's The Courtship of Harry Potter (at the SSFF), in a way.

It's really an interesting thought. I read something by mommybird where although both are willing, Snape's definitely the aggressive one - a nice change!

Wandering in, and I heard my name mentioned...

[mommybird.livejournal.com]

I think that was "Do As You Like"? I seem to recall that Severus initiated the first kiss, to be sure. Funny I'm commenting on that here--I think it was Res who suggested the title for that one.