Ashwinder :: To bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses

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Why Hermione/Severus Works
by Kaz

I know, most people are immediately squicked by the thought of the Hermione Granger/Severus Snape romantic pairing. ‘But he hates Hermione!’ ‘He’s so much older than her!’ ‘She’s a Gryffindor and he’s a Slytherin!’ ‘He’s so ugly!’ ‘But she’s a Muggleborn and he’s a Pureblood (supposedly)!’ ‘But he’s her professor!’ Yes, those are all true. But that doesn’t necessarily rule out the possibility of a romantic relationship between the two.

‘But he hates Hermione!’

Throughout the books so far, we have seen evidence that Severus Snape is a cruel man, at least where certain characters are concerned. He’s even gone so far as to tell Hermione that he sees no difference in her teeth when they’re hit with an engorging charm. Some would think this is proof that Hermione and Severus don’t belong together. I say not so!

In each of the books so far (through Order of the Phoenix), Snape has done whatever is needed to protect his students, whether it’s Harry, Ron and Hermione or his Slytherins. He has demonstrated time and again that he is looking out for their well-being, even if he may not always be fair or pleasant to them. Much of his behavior can be explained by the façade he is showing to the world, especially to the Death Eaters and Voldemort. If he were to be kind and fair to the Gryffindors, he would not be trusted by Voldemort as they’re everything he is supposed to hate (Muggle loving, etc.) Now some of his behavior toward *Harry* was due to James Potter’s treatment of Severus as a teenager, but since Hermione’s parents never did anything to him, we can assume he includes her in his cruelty to mask his true feelings about her. After all, if it got out that he liked a student, and a Muggleborn one at that, he’d be no use as a spy. His position as a teacher could also be in jeopardy due to this. So what would be a better way to hide how he feels about her than to be very cruel to her? Nobody would ever guess!

It should be noted that Hermione is the one who is always defending Snape to Harry and Ron. She tells them to be nice to him, to give him another chance, etc. in each of the books. Perhaps she’s nursing a crush herself!

One should also point out that the books are from Harry’s point of view and therefore are biased against the ‘greasy git’ of a Potions professor. We don’t see Severus how he is around his colleagues, friends or family. He could be a fair, reasonable man when he doesn’t have to deal with whiney students or men who tried to kill him in school.

‘But he’s so much older than her!’

This is true. However, he is the youngest professor by a good measure (discounting Hagrid). If he were in school at the time of James and Lily Potter, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, then he is approximately twenty years Hermione’s senior. In a society where longevity is increased dramatically, it is entirely possible that such an age difference would be normal or accepted After all, if one lives to the age of one hundred eighty, then middle aged would be considered ninety years. A mere twenty year difference between the ages of people in love would be considered minor.

‘She’s a Gryffindor and he’s a Slytherin!’

Yes, Hermione is a Gryffindor and Severus is a Slytherin. Your point? Surely people marry outside of their house once they leave school! An entire society can’t be divided like that and still function. Only within Hogwarts do the houses really matter, unless you’re trying to take advantage of old house ties of course. JK Rowling has never even intimated that there isn’t cross-house relationships both in and out of Hogwarts. In fact, one of the most popular unconventional ‘ships in the HP world (Draco/Ginny) is a cross-house relationship. And besides, it’d certainly make for some spice in the relationship!

‘He’s so ugly!’

Yes, Severus is described as having greasy hair and yellowed teeth. Not to mention a very prominent nose. But again, I point out that this is from Harry’s point of view. Harry is very biased against Snape so it’d be interesting to see how other people view the potions master. Both the teeth and the hair can be fixed relatively easily with Muggle products. In fact, I’d be on the Grangers (who are dentists) using teeth whitening treatments on him free of charge if he were to date their daughter.

While we’re on the subject, we’ve never been told that Hermione is drop-dead gorgeous. She’s a normal girl. Yes, she looked lovely at the Yule Ball in Goblet of Fire but normally she has frizzy, bushy brown hair, is a know-it-all and can be very bossy.

The thing to remember when saying that someone would never get the girl ‘cause he’s too ugly is that nobody’s perfect. Hermione seems to be a forgiving woman, who would be able to look past the outward appearance to see the true man inside. Hermione would need someone smart (which Severus certainly is), witty (he can be—some of his observances have been quite funny) and brave (he’s spies on someone who would kill him without a thought if he was discovered). Severus fits all of these characteristics. She’s not one to get particularly hung up on his physical appearance.

Besides, how many times have you seen the incredible dorky guy get the really attractive woman? It happens quite regularly! It's not totally implausible in the HP world.

‘But she’s a Muggleborn and he’s a Pureblood (supposedly)!’

Yup. Again, this is true – or at least we think so. It’s never been specified if Severus really is Pureblood, but from the fact that he is in Slytherin it can be assumed that he is. Although, it’s good to point out that Tom Riddle, a half-blood was also in Slytherin. Besides, does it really matter? Isn’t that the whole point of the book series—that one’s background and bloodline have nothing to do with one’s true power?

‘But he’s her professor!’

This is the only argument that is a bit tricky to counter. As a teacher myself, the idea of dating one of my students is absolutely appalling. However, it has been known to happen in schools where the student is of age. Or, if the fact bothers you, have them get together after Hermione leaves school. There are no restrictions against that anywhere that I’ve seen, nor any negativity attached.

Seventeen years marks one’s adulthood in the wizarding community. Hermione would most definitely be seventeen in her seventh year (or eighteen, depending on how old you think Hermione was in Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s been debated that she was ten-turning-eleven, or eleven-turning-twelve. Since it hasn’t been absolutely said in canon, it’s up to the author to decide for his or her fic). However, one would have to ask if Severus would allow himself to date a student. Also, would Dumbledore? What would McGonagall say? And Hermione’s parents?

The Hermione/Severus relationship is a fascinating one to write about. There are many obstacles in the way of the ‘ship, but all are surmountable and can be dealt with in a variety of ways. If you don’t think your Hermione/Severus plot works, get a beta reader and brainstorm ideas! Good luck with your story!