First_Order As Summer Ends Challenge Week 1

[swissmarg]

Title: Defiance
Rating: G
Characters: Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore
Pairing: None
Word Count: ~500+
Summary: Dumbledore extends an invitation to Snape.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter characters and settings are the creation of J.K. Rowling and are copyrighted by Scholastic Books. I make no claims by sharing this little figment of my imagination with you.
Author Note: Written for the first_order As Summer Ends challenge. Prompts: Severus Snape; Listen to me

“Listen to me, Severus! You are not like them! You are strong. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have held out this long."

Seventeen-year-old Severus Snape worried at the cuff of his robes, avoided looking the headmaster in the eye. His fingernails were chewed down to the quick, and he curled his fingers under so that Dumbledore wouldn’t see. He hated being here. He’d never been able to say ‘no’ to an authority figure, though. He was a coward. Deep down, he knew that. If he weren’t, he would have walked out the front doors a long time ago and never looked back. He was afraid, though. Afraid of what was out there. Here, at least, he knew what to expect, even if it meant sleeping with one eye open and eating with his back to the wall.

“But you’re seventeen now. People will be wanting you to take your place in society. It has come to my attention that a certain group of witches and wizards has extended an invitation to you. You don’t need to join their club. There is another way. Another ... club, if you will.”

Ah, that was the way of it. Now things were beginning to make sense. He hadn’t really understood why Albus Dumbledore cared what crowd he ran with. He’d left him pretty much to his own devices for the past six years, anyway, and even Snape had to admit that he hadn’t always chosen the most wholesome of company. But now it appeared that Dumbledore wanted Snape for his own organization. He wondered with just a bit more interest now, whether Hogwarts’ headmaster also wanted to take over the wizarding world, shape it to his own beliefs. Everyone said that Albus Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard alive today. No one really knew much about Lord Voldemort, not even his disciples.

“If you wanted, I could introduce you to some of the other members. I think you’ll like them.”

Snape didn’t like anyone. Not even Lily Evans. He worshipped her, yes. But he didn’t much like her. It wasn’t important to him to like people, or to be liked. What he really wanted was to be left alone. If only everyone would just leave him alone.

“Like you, they are interested in doing what is right. Standing up for their principles.”

Snape didn’t really think he had any principles. He wondered what ‘principles’ even were. And of course, what was ‘right’ depended on which side you were on. That was the first tenet that any Slytherin learned.

“I’ll leave you some time to think about it. This is a very important decision, Severus. I cannot impress that upon you strongly enough. There will be an informal gathering this weekend. I should like very much to bring you along. No one will expect anything of you.”

Snape squirmed inside. The trap was set. He knew he had to walk into it. It would make him feel safe. He didn’t want to be caught.

“Saturday at seven o’clock then?”

It was a date that Snape never kept.



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Comments

[meelsie-love78.livejournal.com]

This is a very intriguing look at Snape, his twisted motivations and tortured psychology. I also like the slightly manipulative edge you've given Dumbledore; very in character, imo.

I'm very interested in this line in particular:
He worshipped her, yes. But he didn’t much like her.
I'd like to read more of this perspective on his friendship with Lily; it seems to be a refreshing change from the usual blanket, vaguely pathetic adoration ascribed to Snape in reference to her.

Going to check out your LJ in search of more fic... :)

[swissmarg]

Thanks for the comments. That idea about Snape and Lily came to me while writing another chaptered fic that I'm in the midst of over on ff.net (under swissmiss1), that Snape really didn't have the maturity at the time to love Lily, nor the opportunity. He was childhood friends with her, then had a bit of a teenage obsession over her, but after that she really was out of his life, and I thought he probably resented her for that.

Anyhoo, I haven't really used LJ much for ficcage, but you can find me on ff.net as I said, or on FictionAlley as SwissMiss. :)

[vegablack62.livejournal.com]

I find this to be a very different picture of Snape, but one I really like. This was a very thought provoking ficlet about how we move forward in our life. I liked the last sentence. Dumbledore seemed to me to be spot on.

[swissmarg]

Thanks, I wanted Dumbledore to come off as sort of manipulative, but not evil, like he could be actually good, just trying to steer Snape in the 'right' direction.

[vegablack62.livejournal.com]

I don't think Dumbledore came off as evil at all.

[inverarity.livejournal.com]

I like this brief look at Snape and Dumbledore interacting... Snape comes off very much as an angsty, emo teenager who's fallen in with the wrong crowd, which I find quite believable. I dislike Snape very much, but a lot of stories don't do a good job of explaining how he wound up a Death Eater in the first place without making him either a psychotic kitten-torturer or a naive idiot who hasn't really grasped that these people are planning genocide.

Dumbledore did seem manipulative but well-intentioned. He also seems almost naive, though -- where did he get the idea that Snape wants to "do what's right"? That's canon Dumbledore, though -- I found it frustrating in the books where it seemed that he watched several generations of psychopaths blossom right under his nose, without doing much about it. At times, he takes on an almost God-like persona: watching, knowing what's happening, wishing everyone would do the right thing, but unwilling to compel them or interfere in their choices.

[swissmarg]

*glomps inverarity* Haven't seen you around much. :) I don't know if this explains how he became a Death Eater, but think it might hint at why he *didn't* join the Order right away, like the rest of Dumbledore's proteges. I'm glad you found them both in- (canon) character. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.