An Introduction to Snape/Granger...
Without going into a huge dissertation as to why I'm endlesssly fascinated with Snape as a character, or the pairing of Severus and Hermione, I have, nonetheless, wanted to brainwash persuade some of my f-list that it is a viable, rewarding 'ship to read. Not wanting to proselytize too loudly or too wildly, the following is a quick encapsulation
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And I love the snark--the battle of wits you often see.
I've read all the above, and loved them, especially A Terrible Temptation and Soul Searching which would be on any top ten list of favorite HG/SS I made up. I think Quillusion's, with it's allusions to early HG/SS classics makes a particularly winning introduction. I'd add three more if I may:
Multi-Chaptered AU after GOF, WIP (Adult)
Falling Further In by KazVL
My first and still favorite--I think the reason I have to rec it is because I have yet to read another HG/SS that's better in placing Snape among his peers on the Staff, and in his role as Head of House--it really made me rethink every character--even Crabbe.
Multi-Chaptered PostHBP, Complete (Adult)
Survivors by Dyce
Short novel, one I think that does well showing what the two have in common--and also does well by such characters as Percy and Winky--I kid you not.
Multi-Chaptered AU after OotP, Complete (Adult)
The Fire and the Rose
Because it's funny--a body switch story of another sort that literally puts Hermione and Snape in each other's shoes.
(Harmony butting in, because she's just as bad about prostelizing trying to point people to good fic.)
Oh, and if you're so inclined to wander over to more of Bambu's HG/SS--can I venture a rec for Calling Card? It's another favorite that brings out so much of what I love in this pairing--intelligence, wit, and love where and when you've given up on it and yourself.
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Needless to say, I agree with all your points.
I, too, have read the three you include, and they're all excellent examples, and I think Survivors is my favorite post-HBP Snape/Hermione story. It's simply wonderful.
I don't think FFI will ever be completed, and it saddens me to think that one of the first, the best, Snape characterizations will languish incomplete.
For a long time, The Fire and the Rose was my only favorite body-swap story, but then I found A Terrible Temptation, and it became the ultimate in body-swaps for me. Still, there is a moment in The Fire and the Rose which has the ability to make my heart clench, even after all this time. In that moment, Hermione is completely alone, isolated from her friends or any source of comfort... and in the face of her fears and the terrors she's experienced she has nowhere to turn. At that precise moment, Severus arrives and comforts her. IMHO, it's the defining moment of the story.
::sigh:: There are so many excellent writers in SS/HG. It's such a rich and fulfilling 'ship.
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It's another that would be high on any rec list of my fav HG/SS for any number of reasons--though I think particularly as a good represenative of a fic where Snape and Hermione are more akin to peers. Though I understand why you chose "Spoils of War" instead--it's nice to choose shorter fics as an intro--and that fic nails the dynamics quite well--though I think this is one pairing that can use more time to sell people on it.
I don't think FFI will ever be completed, and it saddens me to think that one of the first, the best, Snape characterizations will languish incomplete.
It was updated last August though after a lapse of two years--so there's hope I think.
But I also can't leave it off my list because it's really one of the best Slytherin-centric works. A lot of HG/SS has Snape exceptionalism--where he's the best of a bad lot who should have been sorted into Gryffindor but wasn't - perhaps because B (as in Black) L, and P come before S. KazVL otoh, really develops things so that there are weaknesses and darkness in Gryffindor as there is strengths and light in Slytherin. I wish I could think of more in that vein.
I have a similar tale with F&R--where my heart clenched--though it's another but telling one. Snape wants Hermione to tell him what he's doing wrong in relating to her female friends since they're not being too friendly - her answer basically was "what friends?" It really is the "Freaky Friday" of HG/SS--both of them sometimes do better living each other's lives than the original while coming to an understanding of each other.
And, of course, I'd love it if you add "Survivors" to your list--I put it on mine for similar reasons--as the best representative of postHBP fic--to show it still can be done.
There are so many excellent writers in SS/HG. It's such a rich and fulfilling 'ship.
It is, which give me pause in rec'ing actually--I'm so afraid someone won't like my recs, and that would be an injustice to the ship, because its so diverse. Of course, this is your f-list, and that increases the odds. If they're not HG/SSers already, they must love your DM/HG--so they'd likely be amenable to your style and take--they'll probably like your recs, and because I love your stories they're likely to like my recs--it tends to work that way.
Conversely, there's a prominant HG/SS author I won't name for obvious reasons whose stories leave me absolutely cold--yet I can understand, in an abstract distant sense--why others would. It's not that her Snape isn't in character, or that she's not a fine writer. Well, what's interesting is that she rec'd her own favorite HG/SS on a list--and I tried them and hated every single one of them. Interesting isn't it?
And thinking of what's a good intro really is different that asking what your favorites are--I can think of several not mentioned I could name I love--but often I'd love them for say imaginative plotting or use of canon material--not because I particularly love the Snape or the relationship between him and Hermione. In fact, I can think of one favorite HG/SS where I rooted all the way for them to NOT wind up together. And another HG/SS story (The Twenty) would top any fav's list of mine for the remarkable Hermione and the relationships she builds with other Hogwarts girls--particularly Pansy--the most remarkable Pansy I've yet to find in HP--but the HG/SS relationship isn't really to the fore there.
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I specifically chose it as a post-HBP, one-shot, but I do agree with you about the long-form. It's exactly what one needs to appreciate the ship.
I'm so afraid someone won't like my recs, and that would be an injustice to the ship, because its so diverse.
It's actually one of the reasons I haven't rec'd many HG/SS stories in the past, but I've been asked several times recently and the choices have been bouncing around in my head for awhile now.
Conversely, there's a prominant HG/SS author I won't name for obvious reasons whose stories leave me absolutely cold... I found myself having that reaction to 'The Twenty.' I know it's a favorite of yours, and many others whose opinions I respect. I just can't get into it. I've attempted to read it more than a dozen times, and I keep stumbling against the characterization of Hermione. It just doesn't speak to me. It's like the Hobbit. I've read the book four times and I've hated it every single time. I loved LOTR so I don't know why the first does me in, but it does.
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It happens--I think it does increase the odds, but every once in a while I do come across stories on the favs list of fav authors that make me go huh????
Still, in general, I love your recs, just as, in general, I hated this other writer's recs.
I'm not sure how true this would be of other pairings. With D/Hr, I've only read on OWL. I've found that if it's well written at all, I've loved it. With R/Hr, in my rec list, I think the ones I picked out are very unrepresentative of the pairing. Which figures.
I'd never rec The Twenty as an intro to HG/SS though for a number of reasons--just as I wouldn't rec off the bat the one where I kept hoping Hermione would hex Snape and leave him writhing on the ground;-) I think for an intro to a ship, you want to rec one where you could fall in love with the Snape--especially if you're rec'ing to a DM/HG audience..
You gonna do DM/HG recs some time?
And btw--reading down thread--I have to agree--I think what I love about Snape was the way he protects kids he loathes at great personal risk, and despite getting scant thanks for it. It's what I find admirable, even heroic in the character, and I hope JKR doesn't destroy that.
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Exactly. It's so funny when that happens.
I think for an intro to a ship, you want to rec one where you could fall in love with the Snape--especially if you're rec'ing to a DM/HG audience.
I do want them to fall in love with Snape, and many of my f-list are D/Hr shippers.
You gonna do DM/HG recs some time?
I probably will at some point... hmmm... I'll have to give it some thought.
I think what I love about Snape was the way he protects kids he loathes at great personal risk, and despite getting scant thanks for it. It's what I find admirable, even heroic in the character, and I hope JKR doesn't destroy that
It's an excellent point, and I will be extremely disappointed, as you know, if JKR destroys the underlying nobility of Snape's character. I've just had an epiphany this afternoon about Snape and I'm going to put it in my little Dobby/Flitwick story.
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:winces: please don't call it that--I'm the one who had Dobby/anyone for my choice of squick paring and when you put it like that....
Ouch
(but delighted to hear otherwise about the epiphany)
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Hopefully it will be like my identity of R.A.B. A little bit of a surprise and then an 'A-ha!' I hope.
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I'm really looking forward to what that looks to be shaping up. I told you one thing I love about FFI you don't see in other HG/SS is Snape relating to other staff--so one where Flitwick and Vector would be important would be awesome.
Hmmm a relationship connection? Btw, did you know JKR reveled names for some of the teachers on her website? I heard Vector was Septima. Made me wonder if there's a connection there with Snape--since his name is Severus--and the most famous namesake in history is Septimus Severus--and emperor
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Sigh... I was so happy to think I had something 'new.' I was hoping to give you another 'gasp' moment.
I'm still going to play with it, because I haven't seen it written up yet.
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LOL. You will be first AKAIK--but I have to tell ya--I first read about that name in a A/N by Caeria in her latest update of Pet Project--and the first thing I thought of was hmmmmm. Sister? Cousin? What is JKR up to?
Some people have theorized Irma Pince is Snape's mother you know--because it's an anagram for "I'm a Prince"
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I haven't seen Caeria's most recent chapter, but I'm delighted you've told me. I'm sure there are any number of other fans who've had similar thoughts, but I'm definitely going to incorporate it into the story.
As for Irma Pince, StormySkize used that idea in her story, 'As the Pages Turn,' which was a response to the 'lost in a book' challenge by Lady of the Mask at Ashwinder. I think Irma Pince is a red herring actually. It's too convenient, and JKR is more clever than that.
Anyway... I'm off to proof-read the next chapter of 'Quest of Paladins,' so I can get back to 'The Summoning.'
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LOL. A typo. Should have written "AFAIK" which is netspeak for "as far as I know"
'm sure there are any number of other fans who've had similar thoughts, but I'm definitely going to incorporate it into the story.
I think that would be brilliant--and I'm looking forward to see just how. As I said, (or should have) AFAIK, no one has used it yet--and it can still be a gasp moment depending how--after all, I have no idea--sis, aunt, coz, mother? (Besides--how many people even know about the Septima thing) And does Snape even know they're related? Does Vector? If they were family and knew it all this time why didn't they interact? Still loads of different ways to play this. And it has to be interesting to have Vector interact with Hermione in a HG/SS--after all, we know Hermione's fav subject is arithmancy.
I did see StormySkize use the Pince thing--I thought that a fun story, although I agree with you probably too convenient for JKR to have it work out that way.
And more of Paladins and Summoning--all good;-)
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Exactly! I'm going to play with all those permutations before I begin to write the chapter... but I already have an angle.
I'm running off to dinner with my mom... it's her birthday.
Take care of yourself!
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Hope you had a great dinner with your mom;-)
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As for my vector on Vector, well, I'm letting it cogitate. I woke up with another little cog in the wheel this morning though. And, I've got my original short to write this week. But Dobby's Quest just keeps fermenting in a tidy corner of my brain.
Have a great week, my friend.
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