Sandalwood Alert!

[kerravonsen]

If you've read enough Severus Snape/Hermione Granger fanfic(*), I'm sure you've seen it. That moment when Hermione suddenly becomes aware of Severus as A MAN. He's standing near her, and she notices for the first time, his scent: sandalwood. Some stories add the scent of "herbs" and/or "potion ingredients". Some stories even add an undertone of

Comments

[avanti_90]

*laughing*

I am not an SS/HG person, but these were so funny. Sandalwood? Snape? No, the two really do not go together in my head.

It's amazing how these tiny things spread in fandom.

[kerravonsen]

It's amazing how these tiny things spread in fandom.

Indeed.
Clichés become clichés because they are attractive and everyone wants to use them, and then they get overused and/or used as a short-cut.

[kerravonsen]

Oh, I don't disagree that there can be Such A Moment, not at all. I just find it rather bizzare that so many SSHG authors choose to mark the moment with a scent that is so un-Snape-like.

[kerravonsen]

And finally, it might be his own nose he's trying to please.
Ha! That hadn't occurred to me. (grin)

[jaxomsride]

That is at least one scent I won't be using in a fic. Apart from anything else, the stuff makes me sneeze explosively, so not at all romantic as far as I'm concerned.

I suppose it might be considered a masculine scent and hence the choice, but not by me!

Severus smelling of potion ingredients though implies he's a mite careless in his handling of them - I wouldn't be brave enough to suggest that - he'd glare at me!

Now Potion fumes ( which puzzles me - what do they use to heat the cauldrons?) are far more likely and a challenge to the author to describe.

Actually sandalwood and bergamot sounds like he's been washing in a soap popular in regency romance novels. Perhaps we needn't look far to find the author's source of inspiration, at least they didn't add bay rum, also a popular male scent. :¬D