Dear Exchange Gifter (or anyone else taken with the urge to shower me with gifts),

[silburygirl]

(Because if you are anything like me, I know you are probably reading this right now.)

I can be sold on almost anything, if it's done in a way that I like. Really. But if I asked you not to do it on the sign-up post, then it would be best avoided.

Instead of dwelling on the things you can do wrong, I will

Comments

[harmony_bites]

I see Snape as fundamentally insecure, and therefore love fics that portray him in a more vulnerable light. (You may have noticed a pattern in which suave = dull.) He's also a bit of a tool and, based on canon, doesn't really understand how to interact with women. Or, well, people, generallyPersonally, I feel mixed on this. Mind you, I do see him as fundamentally insecure and vulnerable, and far from suave. I despise "Snape Hall/Prince Manor" Snapes, which I find horrifically OOC, and I'm not sure if I hate more Lady's Man Snape or those fics where he gets his sex pointers from his frequent visits to prostitutes. And God, how he treated his students

[silburygirl]

I think, politically, he's very adept at managing people and probably did have friends among the Hogwarts staff (it would have been incredibly sad if he hadn't, seeing as they were all basically in forced confinement with each other for ten months of the year), but that doesn't mean that he knows how to interact with people on a personal level effectively. And, well, some of the best mentors I've seen were incredibly awkward and ineffective with their peers (in my world, the Slytherins all adored Snape wholeheartedly).

Also, based on what we see, his friendship with Lily really seems like her humouring him a lot of the time. It's not like it was a friendship that taught him to express himself freely or trust other people...

[harmony_bites]

Also, based on what we see, his friendship with Lily really seems like her humouring him a lot of the time. It's not like it was a friendship that taught him to express himself freely or trust other people...I'll agree there

[silburygirl]

Well, we've talked about this and I can't say too much about my present thoughts on the matter without giving away Vital Details About My Exchange Fic, but...

There are many good points to Snape! And many reasons to adore him! His ability to interact socially is not one of them. He's the person at the party hovering in the corner, who has been forced to be there by well-meaning individuals, and you stop by to say hi if you're feeling bitter so you can feel less alone and laugh at his witticisms. Every party needs one!

But, yes, trust issues (and I can sympathise here) and deep insecurity.

So many exclamation points. Must not type comments when yoga-stoned.

[harmony_bites]

Being the life of the party doesn't mean being socially inept though. I've never been a party person. I hate them. I'd be that person in the corner (involuntarily) leaving as soon as possible. That doesn't mean I'm a hermit. I have my friends, and I lurve them. But some of us introverted types don't like to travel in herds.

[netzgeek]

Moo.

[harmony_bites]

Boo

[silburygirl]

Baaaa.

[silburygirl]

It's not just that he wouldn't enjoy the party; I feel like he would actively try to make other people unhappy (see: rosebush-blasting incident in Book 4). But he'd show up to make sure you knew how much he really didn't want to be there.

Therefore, good company for anyone else having a miserable time.

[harmony_bites]

I feel like he would actively try to make other people unhappy (see: rosebush-blasting incident in Book 4).

However, someone pointed out to me once that blasting the bushes wasn't really about trying to stop happy couples--that there was someone lurking about at the time Snape might have wanted to flush out.

Just sayin'

But he'd show up to make sure you knew how much he really didn't want to be there.

Otoh, somehow that sounds just like him...

[silburygirl]

Two birds with one stone, then. Because you know he enjoyed interrupting illicitly drunk teenagers.