Alternate Universe Harry Potter fanfic links

Return to Harry Potter fan-fiction links

Post-Deathly Hallows
Post-Half-Blood Prince
Pre-Half-Blood Prince canon-compatible
Experimental
Poetry
Recently-added fics This page uses images which re-size to maintain a constant appearance across all browsers and resolutions. Please allow scripts or ActiveX controls to run if asked.

Harry Potter fanfic links (most of them involving Snape!):
Alternate Universe or canon-shafted

[Stories which I consider to be especially well-written or significant are marked with a star – ]

A Noi Si Schiude Il Ciel by E.K. Stanton
Time fractures during the GoF scene where Mrs Norris is found petrified, and Harry is replaced by much older versions of himself and Draco, who claim they have come back to change history and prevent Voldemort's otherwise certain victory. But Snape suspects that things are not as they seem. Unfinished and likely to remain so, which is a pity because the writing is excellent, full of wit, character and suspense. The title is a quote from Guiseppe Verdi's opera Aida, and means "The Heavens open to us". Absence of Light by Gryph1
Surreal vignette of Padfoot watching the final battle. The Absolute Worst by Andolyn
Snape gets stage-fright! Canon-shafted because Dumbledore is still alive after the war without explanation. Absolution by Dauphin
Poignant and witty bit of stream-of-consciousness from the viewpoint of Sirius Black. So well-done it made me feel quite sympathetic towards him – which takes some doing. Canon-shafted only in that it repeatedly refers to Snape as a pureblood. About A Boy by Catherine Cook
During Occlumency lessons, Harry accidentally breaks through into a part of Snape's memory which had been suppressed by a Memory Charm, and the shock sends Snape into a coma. The memory itself however is benign – of a teenage summer when one of the Marauders' attacks went wrong and ended up shifting him thousands of miles, leaving him stranded for weeks on a small farm in America. That sounds as though it's a recipe for something really corny, but actually it's well-written, vivid and touching. The Accords by drakien
Humorous one-shot which gives a new and original spin to the standard Marriage Law Challenge plot. Achluophobia by NinePurpleClouds
The viewpoint is fractured, terrified and slightly crazed but always Snape's, jumping back and forth between his childhood, himself as a teenager pursued by the Marauders, and himself now, hiding with Hermione in a Muggle warehouse while unnamed enemies search for them. I've listed this as AU, for the moment, but it may turn out to be post-HBP. The title means "fear of darkness". The Act of Murder by Bil
Harry kills Voldemort in cold blood, and then feels very uncomfortable about it. Canon-shafted because Dumbledore is still alive after the war without explanation. The Adventure Inherant by Sare Liz
HGSS WIP, AU from the end of OotP. A sparkling, amusingly-written version of the Marriage Law Challenge story: one in which Snape has realised to his embarrassment that he would actually enjoy love and companionship if he could only get them, and sees the Marriage Law as a possible opportunity rather than an imposition. After the Fall by Rebecca Hb.
One-shot: Hermione and Snape are the only survivors of the plague which hit Hogwarts, yet somehow they achieve a sort of competent domesticity amid the emptiness. After the Storm by unlikely2
Multi-part story which is part of the Shakedown series, q.v. . Harry falls in with a girl who proves to be Snape's daughter, and Snape eventually becomes Harry's protector. Much more convincing than it sounds as if it ought to be. Against All Better Judgment and Throwing Caution to the Wind by aphrodeia
A post-victory, post-graduation ball and a large quantity of firewhisky leads to Snape and Hermione getting rather closer than either of them had expected.... Alternate History by Ormhaxan
Alternate-timeline WIP in which Minerva becomes aware of how badly the Marauders are attacking Severus, prior to the underpants incident, and decides to intervene, changing their futures. Always In Your Shadow by Arinus
A brief fling between young Severus and Bellatrix leads to a daughter. Bellatrix tries to shape the child into a perfect servant for the Dark Lord, only to lose her in a confrontation with the Order. After Voldemort's fall and Bellatrix's arrest, Snape locates his daughter in an orphanage, takes her home and tries to establish a connection with the withdrawn, untrusting little girl, but Bellatrix's influence extends farther than he knows. Complete multi-part story, continued in The Blood of Your Veins. And a Star Falls by sabecat
After the loss of his friends in a Death Eater attack, Harry persuades Snape to help him in one last desperate throw to bring Voldemort down. And One Who Will Never Return by Carmilla
A very sad piece in which Snape and Harry have become at least moderately friendly, but Snape is captured and everyone assumes he is dead, and Harry is mourning him without realizing that he is still alive, a prisoner and suffering miserably. Would be unbearably sad were it not that a partially-written sequel, Broken, finally got Snape out of his private hell. An Apostate by LSD Feniks
A very dark and harrowing story in which Snape's betrayal of Voldemort is discovered and he is tortured and raped under the supervision of Lucius Malfoy, without any obvious hope of rescue or relief. The reason I include it is that if you add about 2½ years to the characters' ages, and gloss over the canon-shafted idea of Severus and Lucius being in the same year, it could easily be a vignette from about two weeks before the start of the main action in my own story Mood Music. The violence which underpins Mood Music is mainly off-camera and/or mentioned only briefly and restrospectively – but if you want a vividly ghastly take on the sort of thing from which Snape was fleeing in that story, this will provide it: including the fact that Lucius is recalling a schoolboy sexual relationship which he thinks of as romantic seduction but which was clearly abusive and manipulative, and that he makes Draco watch some of what is done to Snape. Apparently by JiM1
Odd, sweet little vignette in which Snape is boggled to find out that Harry wants him to be his best man. Canon-shafted in that Dumbledore is alive after the final battle, without explanation. Apparitions by BrownRecluse
Hermione tries to bring her dead lover, Severus, back from the dreamtime, but for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Surreal spiritual one-shot. Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? by fyre
Snape tries hard to save Harry's life after the final battle, but Harry doesn't really want to be saved. Armistice by JiM1
Disowned by his former family, Draco suffers dangerous bullying and Harry and co. end up protecting him. Sequel to Of Arms and the Man 1. Artemisia Absinthum by Shiradine
Long after the war, Snape has become the owner of a high-class potions shop in Diagon Alley, and Harry and Lupin are living together in amiable rustic poverty. Lupin invites Snape to dinner but relations between them all are more than strained. This is a slice-of-life piece which intersects dramatic events – the kidnap of Harry's godson, for example – but leaves them unresolved. AU only because there is no mention of Snape being accused in relation to Dumbledore's death. Artwork by Rockhandjive
Slash piece which puts a very dark spin on the events of Harry's life, though the ending is bittersweet. As A Mother Would by Chervil
Sad/humorous slightly slashy vignette: Snape's taste in lullabies is uncomfortably dark.... As the World Falls Down by Martian Aries
Snape and Hermione find a little comfort in each other in the last days before Voldemort's triumph. Touching and tragic. Ashen and Sober Skies by zhaneraal
A grim premise – Snape is betrayed to Voldemort and assumed by the Order to have been killed, but following the final battle he is discovered in Voldemort's prison catatonic, half dead and three-quarters mad after nearly a year of torture. The story is mainly concerned, however, with the realistically slow, complex and painstaking methods by which Dumbledore, McGonagall and Poppy Pomfrey endeavour to get him functioning again. The dialogue in particular is very realistic and has the authentic bite of genuine hospital chatter, and the whole thing is less depressing than it sounds. Unfinished at time of listing. Ashes of Armageddon by Emily Waters
An extremely grim but very well-written multi-part EWE. Harry never met with Dumbledore's spirit at the astral King's Cross, so he never got confirmation Snape was telling the truth. Five years after the war, an increasingly dark Harry, now Minister of Magic, has convinced himself Snape was lying. He forces the convalescent ex-spy to become his bonded slave so he can make him suffer for all the crimes he imagines him to have committed, but the nice Harry and the inner sadist are in constant struggle. Although there are some very cruel scenes this is not as nasty as "Harry punishes Snape" stories usually are, since Snape knows from the first that he has allies in Hermione and Ron, who want both to protect Snape and to work out what is wrong with Harry before he metamorphoses into the next Dark Lord, and the story is ultimately hopeful. Will be slash eventually. Aspectus Infestorum by red day dawning
Creepy, tragic, intense (and very explicit) supernatural slash one-shot. Severus's Foe Glass shows him Remus's face, but there is more than one sort of danger and more than one sort of enemy. Azeneth Petree by soberloki
Humorous slash vignette. Snape is roused from the bed he shares with Harry by the wizarding equivalent of spam e-mail. The Basement by Marz1
Harry stops to pat dog-Sirius on his way to meet the Knight Bus at the beginning of PoA, and events take a very different turn thereafter – including Harry saving Snape from Lupin, and getting bitten. Beautiful Nightmare by Sky Samuelle
Elegantly-written one-shot: Snape's final desperate conversation with Lily outside the portrait hole takes a different turn, which radically alters his life in some respects – whilst leaving it much the same in others. Beauty or Precision by fyren galan
Odd little slash one-shot for Snape and Neville. Because We Will by Caster
Numinous, gentle, philosophical little slash piece – Harry sits on a windowsill high up in the Astronomy Tower, and Snape must always be there to catch him if he falls. Before the Dawn by jharad17
Following an episode in which Harry was kidnapped and abused by Voldemort, Snape has become the boy's guardian and has dedicated himself to overseeing Harry's recovery from trauma. WIP Sequel to Walk the Shadows. Beg, Somewhat Miscalculated and Obliviate by Tien Riu
A series of highly explicit/erotic, humorous slash pieces, in which Harry has accidentally absorbed Snape's magic, and the only safe way to put it back is through a sixteen-hour sex rite. Meantime, Harry has come to a very strange arrangement with Lucius. N.B. whether you think Obliviate is fun or nasty depends on whether you think Lucius is kinky enough to enjoy it. I think he probably is. Beneath the Silk by ArchArtist/Writer
A very dark take on Dumbledore – Remus notices Snape flinch when Dumbledore touches him, and gradually uncovers the truth, that Snape was sexually abused by the headmaster when he was a schoolboy. This is on the whole a well-written and thoughtful look at a serious subject (and it has telepathic pet rats, which is always a plus) – but IMO it is let down by a fudged ending in which it is established that Dumbledore never abused anybody else, and is forgiven. Since child-abuse is nearly always an obsessive behaviour it's vanishingly unlikely that an abuser could spend his entire adult life surrounded by children and only ever abuse one. Best Behaviour by Rex Luscus
Very mild slash: Snape and Ron are an item, and Ron takes Snape to have tea at The Burrow.... The Best Revenge by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Complete multi-part mentor-fic in which Snape realises that eleven-year-old Harry has probably been neglected, and goes to rescue him instead of Hagrid. Stunningly well-written, with many intelligent and original insights and a believable characterization of Snape and other Hogwarts staff (although Dumbledore is colder than he probably is meant to be in canon); on the down side, Harry is the rather wet boy of the films rather than the tough cookie of the books, the Dursleys are much more truly nasty than in the books, there are a lot of irritating little Britpicks and many of the details of the world are AU (making Hogwarts fee-paying, for example), as well as the plot. Continued in The Best Revenge: Time of the Basilisk. The Best Revenge: Time of the Basilisk by Arsinoe de Blassenville
Mentor-fic WIP in which Snape has become Harry's guardian and all the events of the books take a different turn. Stunningly well-written, with many intelligent and original insights and a believable characterization, but also with some annoying unneccessary changes to wizarding culture. Continued from The Best Revenge. Betrayals by Josan
Snape is framed so convincingly that even Dumbledore believes him a traitor, and is abandoned in Azkaban where he is tortured into a state of near-total mental and physical collapse. Remus and Sirius discover evidence that he may be innocent and rescue him, to be cared for by a raffish relative of Sirius's and his eccentric collection of house-elves. The story was completed in 2003 and is very heavily canon-shafted, including the characterizations: but it's still a very good (and very long) read. Better Angels by lmk05
A quite traumatic Marauders-era story in which the Marauders discover that teenage Severus is actually and literally the Malfoys' slave, battered and abused – information which makes James have an attack of moral maturity and behave far better towards him, and makes Sirius behave even worse, if possible. Realizing that he has landed Severus in appalling trouble with the Malfoys, James actually buys him free – but is too dim to explain this to Severus, who is left absolutely terrified; thinking that James has got hold of him in order to torment and humiliate him at close quarters. This dramatic premise could easily have turned into melodrama – but in fact it is thoughtful, psychologically complex, painfully vivid and also very witty. Complete. Between Shadow and Blinding Flame by Tess3
A strange, elegaic vignette in which Arabella Figg, newly-appointed to the Hogwarts faculty, remember her late husband and wonders uneasily whether it was Snape, in his Death Eater days, who betrayed him. Heavily canon-shafted in that it portrays Arabella as an Auror rather than a squib, but this is an exceptionally beautiful and haunting piece of writing. Bindings of Love and Pain by Bil
Harry is surprized at his own reaction to his aunt's terminal illness. Birch Wood and Dragon Heartstring by Ada Kensington
Shortly before he is due to start at Hogwarts, young Severus saves the life of a strange dragon which is being hunted by Ollivander for wand material, and an association is formed which will shape his schooldays. Beautifully written, and includes a fascinating and original original male character, but I list it as AU because Severus's schooldays, as portrayed here, are not really compatible with the fact that neither James nor Sirius could come up with any strong grievance against him which might justify their treatment of him, even when it would have been to their advantage to do so. WIP The Birthday Present by excessivelyperky
In an attempt to force Snape to become more sympathetic to Harry, a cold, manipulative Dumbledore undermines Snape's only hope of safety by threatening him with Azkaban, and curses him with nightmares designed to make him see how badly he has behaved towards Harry. Snape is already isolated, exhausted and ill, after a year spent being kept at arms'-length by the Order and wishing he could keep Lucius at arms'-length, and the nightmare-hex proves to be just too much and sends him spiralling into black depression; yet when Harry begins to experience Snape's nightmares as well, Dumbledore is much more concerned about Harry than about what he did to Snape. The portrayal of magic is impressive, profound and convincing (Snape communing with the soul-beast of Slytherin House, for example), and the story is emotionally-intense to the point of being painful to read; but it suffers from a tendency to be a bit maudlin, portraying Snape as a pathetic victim without his usual fire and bounce. Long multi-part story, complete. Birthdays by PatrickMcKinney
A pair of vignettes of Remus and Severus celebrating their birthdays, very slightly slashy, arguably AU because Remus is teaching (at least as a part-time sub) in Harry's fourth year. Bitter by FoolishWishmaker
Surreal, minimalist one-shot, set in a time-line where Hogwarts has fallen in battle while Sirius is still alive. After Harry is injured by Dementors, Snape scrabbles in the ruins to find the ingredients for a chocolate cake which may save a life. Black Light by Earth
Someone sits contemplating the robes of a Death Eater, which will soon be his.... Elegant and sensual (but hard in the eyes, because the formatting has gone wrong and the paragraphs are neither spaced nor indented). Black Martyrdom by LadyRhiyana
Snape's decision to defect to Dumbledore – with a fascinating, though ultimately canon-shafted, take on the structure of wizarding society. Black Poppies by lexywrites
Atmospheric, creepy, slashy vignette: Harry and Severus contemplate the imminent prospect of death in battle. Blasted Wreck of a Cat by Zero Is Plural
Humorous WIP. Crookshanks has taken a shine to Draco, and when Hermione stops him from going down to the dungeons again Draco decides that strong measures must be taken.... The Blood of Your Veins by Arinus
Snape's daughter Calista has survived their epic psychic battle with her mother, Bellatrix, and she is now old enough to start at Hogwarts: but her mother's malign presence still hovers in the background and Calista herself has a somewhat difficult nature. WIP, continued on from Always in Your Shadow. The Book of Love by cecelle
A gentle look at Hermione and Severus as a couple. Born Lucky by Tetsubinatu
The war was won but the Order is out of favour and many Order members were imprisoned. Snape is released after ten years in solitary confinement, outwardly calm but very institutionalized and spaced-out. The surviving Order members try to help him to settle back into normal life, and a cautious friendship grows between him and Ron. Delicate WIP, probably slash eventually. Bottoms Up by The Treacle Tart
Sweet silly slash piece, nothing like as crude as the title suggests. Snape wakes up in bed next to Lupin after a drunken night he can barely remember, and they end up trying to cap each other's stories of "Disastrous, embarrassing and plain bizarre moments from my sexual history." The Box by RaeWhit
Charming fluffy slash one-shot – a sleepless Snape rummages through his lover Harry's collection of mementoes. Breaching the Forgotten by Ethelinda's Window
Occult thriller, set in an alternative sixth year: two mind-warping demons have an interest in Snape, one to harm and one to protect. It falls to Hermione to investigate the reasons behind the strange changes in his behaviour, and in so doing she stumbles across an ancient prophecy relating to the sealing of the gate between the world of demons and the world of men. WIP Breaking the Lie by blood-poisoning
One of a series of challenge stories in which the Dursleys begin actively abusing Harry, and Snape ends up caring for him. This one is more emotionally-complex and less melodramatic than most. Slight slash. Unfinished. Breathing by Erimenthetic
An odd, atmospheric WIP, AU from the end of OotP, which looks at the trauma and attempts at healing of the survivors of the war – especially Headmaster Snape and Deputy Headmistress Granger. Bride of the Potions Professor by SeverelyLupine
WIP which takes an original look at the Marriage Law Challenge theme. Both Dumbledore and Snape survive the scene on the tower at the end of HBP, and Snape and Hermione are afterwards forced to marry as part of a eugenics programme. Grim physical realism and a convincing look at both their less-than-ecstatic feelings about this. Brilliant Lies by Gemmi
Odd, dreamy little piece, about Draco getting trapped into becoming a spy for the Order, and learning not to want what his father wants him to want. Broken by Carmilla
Partially-written, unfinished sequel to And One Who Will Never Return, q.v. . This at least gets Snape out of the appalling situation he was in at the end of the earlier story, and it's touchingly written and interesting to see Snape still being his competent self even when totally spaced-out. Broken Ravens and the Art and Science of Regret by Bloodcult of Freud
Teenage Severus acquires a friend and lover whom we will later come to know much better under a slightly different name, and who ultimately treats their relationship far less seriously than he does. Heavily canon-shafted as regards Snape's background. Butterfly by Snake79
Alternative version of sixth year: Neville realizes that there is something unpleasantly different and strange about Harry this year. WIP By the Book by Scattered Logic
Hermione, now a teacher, has mutant measles, and Snape is trying to cure her. Under the influence of fever she reveals that she has been trying to flirt with him – but since she got her technique out of a book, he didn't notice. Call Me Clemmons by bellaballlerina
After the Order catastrophically lose the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione escapes to an alternate identity and an alternate universe, where she hopes to help the Snape of that universe to pull down his own alternate Voldemort. WIP Cambiare Podentes: Invocare by Jordan Grant
Harry and Snape can pool and multiply their combined magical power, giving them the strength to defeat Voldemort, but only if Harry marries Snape and submits to being his slave in all things. Neither of them is very happy about this, but they try rather awkwardly to adjust to the idea. Camerado by MillieJoan
WIP, AU from the beginning of Harry's sixth year. Hermione asks Snape to teach her Occlumency instead of Harry, so that she can then teach the boys at their own pace. Convincing characterization, especially of Snape and Dumbledore. Candle by Cybrokat
Dreamy one-shot: Hermione has stayed at school for seventh year, and Headmaster Snape wonders who it is for whom she lights three candles every night. Candles by Skull Bearer
Creepy little vignette – Harry feels his soul being drawn away into darkness. Captivity by Eulalie Moire
Sad gentle slash piece. Snape has survived the war but his reputation has not; Dumbledore is dead (of old age – not HBP-compliant) and no-one else in the Order has a powerful enough voice to convince the public of his innocence. Vilified as a Death Eater and self-exiled to Muggle London he is drinking himself numb when Lupin shows up, and they become lovers; but Snape, being Snape, is convinced Lupin only stays with him because his condition makes it hard to find anyone else. Care of Magical Creature by mia madwyn
Exceptionally well-written version of the Marriage Law Challenge story, funny and serious by turns. WIP The Case of Missing Whisky by Mundungus42
Sherlockian crossover: a stolen inheritance leads Holmes and Watson to discover the wizarding world of the late 19^th C. Casting Off Shadows by Tubesox
Psychologically complex and delicately handled slash piece in which Lupin is assigned to look after Snape and keep him from killing himself, after Snape has a mental breakdown as a result of repeated sexual and physical torture at Death Eater meetings. Snape's initial seizure is realistic and harrowing, though IMO the story was let down by the last two chapters in which Lupin appears to have had a personality transplant, and after handling Snape gently and sensibly through the first part of the story then proceeds to make a total pig's-ear of dealing with him when he is distraught. Canon-shafted by having Lupin returned to teach at Hogwarts during the lifetime of both Dumbledore and Voldemort. The Cat on my Windowsill by theKnowItAll
Harry writes to Sirius after his death – mainly about the mysterious cat which seems to be watching over him. Cat's Cradle by sylphides
Tragic one-shot: Hermione and Snape were lovers, in the past. He made her a promise, and Hermione knows he'll keep it. Catalyst by Madame Y
Snape asks Minerva to teach him to be an animagus. After her death, grief drives him to spend an increasing amount of time in the mentally-simpler form of a cat, and Hermione befriends him in that shape. Charm Attack by Ella Diver Sophis
Draco sets out to manipulate and seduce Ginny as part of a malicious game; but it rapidly becomes a case of the biter bit. Unfinished. Cheating Fate by Bil
Snape saves Harry's life in the final battle, only to realize that it had been his time to go, and he has condemned the boy to a weary half-life. Child of Mine by Akukama
Peter is more genuinely rat-like than he is in the books, and does not betray the Potters, so Voldemort does not fall and attacks on Muggles escalate. The following year, Death Eater turned double-agent Severus rescues an orphaned Muggle toddler with bushy brown hair, and then has to decide what to do with her.... Annoyingly Britpicky in places but she writes Severus in particular very well indeed, and is able to write convincing toddlers without making them too cutesie. WIP The Children by samvimes
The war is over, but the victors are all maimed (told from Draco's p.o.v.). Chimes at Midnight by Codalion
In a world in which, it appears, the Prophecy never happened, the Death Eaters won Vold War One. Lily and Harry, hunted fugitives, are captured in a Death Eater raid and then taken into protective custody by a very stiff, distant Professor Snape. WIP Cold by the original killerpineapple
Sad non-explicit slash piece. Harry and Draco are lovers, apparently very happily. Snape and Lucius are lovers, very unhappily, since Lucius is a violent control-freak. Deals seriously with domestic violence. Coming Back to You by Michmak
A series of drabbles tell how Snape survives (barely) his encounter with Nagini, and his growing friendship with Hermione. Listed as AU because Lupin has also survived. Confessions of a Cornwall Grad by Librasmile
Extremely well-written and well-thought-out WIP which addresses (and combines) the twin questions of how the wizarding world deals with teenagers who are too magical to be Squibs or Muggles but not magical enough to cope with the curriculum at Hogwarts, and what Hogwarts does for administrative staff, with a potential Snape/OFC romance (with a very sensible un-Sue-y OFC) thrown in. Very AU, however, as it turns Hogwarts into a fee-paying American "magnet" school and grafts American social problems onto Britain. The cupboard by enahma
Detention with Snape accidentally leads to Harry uncovering evidence of the Marauders' cruelty to the young Severus, even worse than the infamous OWLs incident, and the revelation ultimately brings Harry and Snape closer together. There are oddities in the author's style which suggest English may not be their first language, and the story is a bit sentimental and could have done with being longer – some bits of it seem very rushed – but it's still touching and convincing. Curious Incidents in the Night Time by Snape's Nightie
Hagrid and Snape are lovers, and Hagrid sits up watching Snape sleep, very expressively. Bizarre but very sweet. Cursed Artefacts For Sale by Icarus
Humorous slash piece. Snape collects cursed artefacts and leaves them around the house – much to Harry's alarm – and they go to a very strange auction to buy more. Dance the Dance by riynariddle
Harry dreams of Lily, and he and Snape share a moment of odd understanding. Dark Eyes by Not-Willing-to-Admit
Slash/mpreg WIP: Snape and Dumbledore become briefly lovers, following which Snape is taken by the Death Eaters, subjected to weeks of traumatic abuse at the hands (and other bits) of Polyjuiced Dumbledore-clones and impregnated with Dumbledore's proxy-child, to turn him into a weapon which will drain Dumbledore's energy. He is eventually rescued but is left terrified of Dumbledore, even though he knows intellectually that it wasn't really the Headmaster who abused him, and Dumbledore's social clumsiness doesn't help matters, driving Snape to flee and fall in with a very strange foreign wizard. I couldn't make up my mind for a long time whether to list this or not: the writing has an odd, jerky effect and the sexual element has a sleazy edge, with prolonged emphasis on the highly unpleasant abuse which Snape suffers in the first part of the story – yet the plot is strikingly original and the original characters are colourful and interesting. A Dark Mirror by Leni Jess
At time of writing, this story seems to have got lost during Sycophant Hex's transfer to a new archive. Harry and Snape resume Occlumency lessons after the Pensieve incident, and come to some sort of grudging understanding. You may find you have to go to the Sycophant Hex site and set up an account before you can access this story. Darkness by Doomspark Deathfire
After years of happy marriage to Hermione end with her accidental death, Snape plans a strange and elegant suicide. The Dead Man is Gone by paranoia.pink
A series of beautifully-written scenes from the lives of various characters, building up to a slightly AU history in which Vernon died when Harry was ten. Defences Down by Ashura
Both exhausted after the final battle and the death of Lucius, Harry and Draco come to an odd sort of truce. Disarranged Reality by HulaHula
WIP which takes a realistic look at what would happen if adult Snape was de-aged to his teenage self. Distant by Jibril1
Snape thinking about isolation and redemption. Canon-shafted because it shows him as an aristocratic pure-blood. Negative take on Dumbledore. Do Not Go Gentle by whydowefall
WIP which takes a (so far) lively, well-written look at the fannish trope in which Voldemort triumphs and Hermione ends up as a slave with no-one to turn to except Snape. Don't Scream by Farseeker
Snape is held captive by Voldemort, who refuses to kill him until he has managed to make him scream. Only the mysterious voice in his head, which promises help on its way, keeps Snape hanging on. This is well-written and dramatic and was obviously going to be a thoughtful story about trauma and recovery, but sadly it only ran to two chapters. Dramatist by Beyondthebloodredsunset
Dreamy non-explicit Snape/Harry slash piece in which Snape seems to be having a minor breakdown, following the fall of Voldemort, whilst dryly mocking his own capacity for self-dramatization. Echo by thesewarmstars
Sad but hopeful slash one-shot which tackles a serious issue. Snape and Harry are a couple and they have a small son (called Teddy, so probably Harry's godson Teddy Lupin), but there are things in Snape's past which make it difficult for him ever to touch the child on bare skin. Eight by Lily Elizabeth Snape
With Sirius in Azkaban, Snape turns out to be the next-listed godfather for an eight-year-old Harry, and decides to take on raising the boy for Lily's sake. The story is heavily AU and discounts the blood-protection issue, as well as portraying the Dursleys (and incidentally Minerva McGonagall) as far more vicious than they are in canon; but as a story about one abuse-survivor trying to help another it is touching and dramatic, as a traumatized and beaten Harry gradually learns that a snarl from Snape doesn't presage anything worse than another snarl. WIP Eleven Steps to Desperation by Lady Memory
Snape takes vicarious pleasure in Hermione and Ron's burgeoning relationship, but the past will not let him go. Supernatural one-shot. Elfin by Bone White Butterfly
Strange, humorous WIP about an elf-boy who gets stuck in semi-human form, and becomes a student. Sparky writing and many interesting ideas, although the background, as well as the plot, is so AU as to render the Potterverse almost unrecognisable: she has the Ministry as an above-ground palace and Hogwarts as an exclusive fee-paying independent school, with poor children being forced to attend some other school run by the Ministry, for example. Empire of Dirt by Unruhe
One-shot looking at a pragmatic and rather desperate sexual relationship between Snape and Tonks. Not really how I would see Snape, but well-written. The End of It All by Not-Willing-to-Admit
Slash/mpreg WIP: Voldemort has won. An apparently brainwashed, almost catatonic Dumbledore is impregnated with Snape's child (without Snape's knowledge or involvement) and then given to Snape as a plaything. With the aid of a damaged house-elf, Snape cares for his near-mindless former commander in his own rueful, prickly way, but he dare not tell his colleagues of the Order what has happened, even when the phoenix begins to be seen again in the skies. I couldn't make up my mind for a long time whether to list this or not: the writing has an odd, jerky effect and the sexual element has a slightly sleazy edge – yet the story is strikingly original and Snape's dour wit is charming. endless, numbered days by whydowefall
One-shot giving an alternative version of Snape's death, one where he has time for a little sympathetic companionship. Ensnare the Senses by icefalcon
Atmospheric slash vignette. Snape's sense of smell has a direct connection to his changing, developing and ultimately tragic emotions. Implied character death. Ensnare the Senses by Invaderk
The seventh-year students are attending a graduation-ball, and Hermione asks Snape to dance.... One-shot. Eternal Sunshine by Vaughn
Snape remembering Hermione, years later. You may find you have to go to the Ashwinder site and set up an account before you can access this story. Executioner's Promise by Skye13
Snape and Lupin are imprisoned together with the full moon almost upon them – tragic, horrible and intensely sweet. Expedence [sic ] by Dyce
After the first fall of Voldemort, Snape decides to take steps regarding Lucius which will have far-reaching consequences. [Yes, the title really is spelled that way – she had a fever when she wrote it, and when she cooled down she decided to keep it. ] Explorations by yapyap
Humorous, rather racy SSHG one-shot: Hermione discovers that her Animagus form is a cat, and Crookshanks is exceedingly interested. Filling the Void by goldencompass
In the previous story, Harry was left traumatized and temporarily mute after an attack. Snape proved to be good at coaxing him back out of his shell, and has now become the boy's guardian, but they have a long way to go before Harry will be well. WIP, sequel to Reading the Signs . Finding His Voice by michmak
After the war, a weary and psychologically-bruised Snape is widely disdained by the wizarding world, and Hermione sets out in her chirpy, gung-ho manner to stick up for him and make him feel better about life. It goes without saying that it's well-written or I wouldn't have included it here. Incomplete at time of writing, this is a companion-piece to the more sexually-explicit one-shot She Never Stops Talking. Canon-shafted because Dumbledore is still alive without explanation. Fire on Darkness by Asrai
Highly original slash WIP which is Alternate Universe in the fullest sense of the word. Two Harries from alternate time-lines swap consciousnesses, so that a (straight) Harry who thinks Snape is a murderer ends up in a world where Severus is a peaceable researcher, and Harry's lover – and a gay Harry who is in love with Snape ends up in the post-HBP time-line. So far, the slash aspect of the story is far less important than the intriguing look at how differently things would have turned out for Harry had Voldemort targeted the Longbottoms instead of the Potters. Fly Away by Dahlia
A very sad, elegaic story about Hermione suffering a breakdown and falling away into fatal depression after the last battle, despite Snape's rather awkward attempts to help her. For All Joy Wants Eternity by katzenhai
Very grim story in which Snape allows himself to be curse-bound bodily and sexually to Voldemort in order to maintain his cover, leaving him unable even to touch another human being. I have mixed feelings about this one because it contains nastily graphic scenes of abuse – but these make up only a small fraction of the story, which is mainly concerned with Snape's grim courage and the growth of a delicate, tentative friendship with Lupin. [Unfortunately, when they do finally get as far as a little consensual sex, it's not so much a lemon as a plum – lots of purple prose.] Unfinished at time of listing. You may find you have to go to the Occlumency site and set up an account before you can access this story. For Better or Worse by roxierocks
Delicate non-explicit slash vignette – Harry reads Snape's diary and finds out more about his past than Snape would have liked him to know. Sad and kind. Forbidden by 2plus2make5
One-shot of Snape's thoughts about a relationship with an eighteen-year-old Hermione, which he knows to be dodgy but can't (or doesn't) resist because it gives him back his own youth. A Forest Tale by waterside
WIP which continues on from A Prison Tale. Severus has joined the Order (aided by a bizarre spirit-entity Patronus) but Lily and James, and Voldemort, are all still alive and the Dark Lord knows about his change of sides. The Forgotten by dianehc
WIP which progresses through a series of atmospheric vignettes. The time is a few years after the end of Vold War One. A hard-line Ministry has undermined Dumbledore's influence and forced him to to sack Snape, who is scrabbling a living at Spinner's End but is respected in the local Muggle community as a force to be reckoned with. Harry, badly injured and dumped by Vernon, is found by some youths and taken to Snape, who at first does not recognise the boy. Four Weeks In April by melissophobia
Long one-shot: while attempting to teach Harry Occlumency, Snape uncovers a buried memory he fears is affecting Harry's mental health, just as Sirius's mental health has been affected by Azkaban. He wishes to help the boy, but can't do so too openly. Fourteen Fathoms by Vain
Snape discovers that Harry has been beaten by the Dursleys, and has to confront memories of his own childhood. Elegant high-art writing and psychological insight rather than melodrama. Fracture Mechanics by lovesrainscent
Grim one-shot in which a very manipulative Dumbledore deliberately applies stress to Snape – including encouraging a doomed relationship with Hermione – in order to harden him as a weapon. Fragments by CJK
Sad, beautiful little piece about Snape's funeral. Fragments by lovesrainscent
The war is over, but not without its losses. A grieving Snape seeks solace in the bottom of a glass. Freaks come out at night by Jadeite no Miko
In a Hogwarts under siege, last bastion of the free wizarding world, Snape stands guard in the rain and communes with a friend – but is the friend there in the body, or only in spirit? French Culture by septentrion
One-shot: Hermione is giving Snape French lessons – French language, French food, French culture – but when it comes to French kissing he can show her a thing or two. From the Mouths of Babes by thomas hobbs
WIP set in a world in which the Potters accepted Dumbledore as their Secret Keeper and Tom never fell. A believable, not-at-all-twee-or-annoying five-year-old Harry watches the interactions of the adults around him, and develops a curious kind of understanding with the prickly young man with the big nose. Furious Wielder of Storms by Pavonis Mons
A dreamy, bittersweet story about a strange friendship between Colin Creevey, Luna and Grawp, whose name is really Grah-wuh-phag. A Gambler's Lucky Streak by Ithilwen C. Malfoy
Snape and Harry are waiting to be executed by Lucius, and spend the last night of their lives in a sort of bitter, mutual amusement. Witty and tragic. Mild slash. Games of skill and chance by Snowballjane
Post-war, and Snape is itching to leave teaching behind – but somehow finds himself fostering inter-house cooperation by hosting a games club. A sequel, A Playground for Alchemists , was begun but sadly only ran to one chapter. A Gash of Colour by wishfinger
The war is over, and Harry and Draco are lovers in an edgy, difficult, sullen way. AU because Draco never took the Dark Mark (as well as because canon Harry appears to be straight). Genesis by Helen C
Dry gentle low-key slash piece about Harry and Snape drifting into a relationship – with a little bit of help. Ghosts by witchy1
Snape and Hermione had a relationship in the past, and split up. Now they are each thinking about what they lost. You may find you have to go to the Ashwinder site and set up an account before you can access this story. Good Enough by Perse
After the final battle Harry is left brain-damaged, and Snape ends up caring for him – and acting as ad hoc house-father to all the other survivors as well. The Gossamer Web by glassdragon2
WIP which concentrates heavily on Snape's relationship with the Order (and, eventually, with an OC Ministry official), AU from the end of GoF. Fudge is caught diverting Ministry money into his own pocket, leading to his departure from office much earlier than in the books, which changes the subsequent course of the war. Grasp Only Your Whiskey Bottle by Novocain
One-shot: two soldiers in a magical war of attrition which drags on and on, a cynical, war-weary Snape shows a harsh sort of understanding of an emotionally-numbed Hermione. Grave by Nyarth Kyukon
Dumbledore is attempting to teach Occlumency to the teenage Severus, and they discuss loyalty and treachery. Billed as implied slash, but you'd need quite a dirty mind to see it that way. Canon-shafted in that Snape is only seventeen and has already turned against Voldemort, whereas canon suggests he was twenty or twenty-one. The Guillotine Manifest by frozenhalcyondays
Decades after the war, Dennis Creevey comes to interview a now-aged Snape about Hermione's fate. WIP The Guiltless by kilara25
A really exceptionally well-done version of the standard plot in which Harry is beaten up by the Dursleys and returns to Hogwarts with his bruises hidden under a glamour, which Snape discovers. The story is told in the present tense and mainly from Snape's viewpoint, and is one of the most convincing versions of Snape I've seen. Followed by The Poor of God. H is for Helga and S is for Slytherin by Draegyn
Hermione casts a spell designed to turn Harry into the likeness of Helga Hufflepuff, as part of a demonstration, but instead he falls back in time and actually becomes Helga. Returned to his own time and gender years later and years older, he forms a teasing relationship with Snape, who bears a remarkable resemblance to the original Salazar Slytherin. Slashy and silly. Hands of Red by Tycho
His treachery towards Voldemort uncovered, Snape is confined to Howarts for his own safety. Feeling himself to be of no further use he contemplates suicide, but is saved by the timely arrival of Hermione. Hell by zeegrindylows
Powerful, touching and depressing one-shot: Hermione is killed during a post-war mopping-up skirmish and Snape, her lover, has a complete and fatal breakdown. Deathfic. Helplessness by saphirefox-irl
WIP set in an alternate reality where Voldemort managed to claw his way back to physical form soon after he was disembodied, hanging on to the momentum of his Vold War One campaign and succeeding in taking over wizarding Britain. A young Snape and a very young Draco are imprisoned together, but when Snape hears that the whereabouts of Lily's son has been discovered, he seizes an opportunity to escape and take both boys into hiding, where they are assisted by a refugee Remus. Her Laughter by Shyfoxling
Well-written but extremely dark and graphic vignette of a Snape who has evidently been revealed as a spy and is being tortured by Death Eaters, showing what Bellatrix's madness and sadism would really be like in practice. Heritage by ZahariaCelestina
Snape speaks to a Muggle psychologist about his hatred of his father. Canon-shafted only in that the father is a wizard. Hermitage by Fabula Rasa
Snape ends up in Azkaban for three years as a result of a ruse that goes wrong, and is very traumatized and institutionalized when he is finally released. Sirius is told off to help him adjust, since he has had similar experiences, and this leads to them settling their differences in a way which seems fairly believable. Starts as dark angst and eventually ends up as witty slash. The Hidden Room by Madame Y
Hermione thinks, in dreamy, metaphorical terms, about the question everyone asks her – why she married Snape. Hinge of Fate by Ramos
Hermione wakes to find herself pregnant, with no idea how she got that way, and learns that she and Snape were briefly captured by Death Eaters who forced him to rape her under Imperius, as a punishment to both of them. Less melodramatic than it sounds, as it concentrates on everyone's efforts to stop Snape from falling apart mentally after the event, and the way in which Hermione gradually comes to feel first sympathy, then love towards him when she realizes he is more traumatized than she is. A grim story, but with some very amusing descriptions along the way – though IMO the pacing falls off considerably towards the end. His Sleepless Nights (a whiff of cigarette smoke) by ShinigamiForever
Harry/Draco slash – Harry has left, and Draco is left with only the sea. His Way by Teslyn
One-shot: a single twist in fate brings Lily and Severus to a different outcome. Home by samvimes
Dry, low-key slash: Lupin, fleeing from unspecified pursuers, takes refuge in a bedroom which turns out to be Snape's. The Horse by Elsa2
Hogwarts is under siege and Snape is missing, presumed dead. Harry has to go back in time to retrieve a magical artefact which may save the day, and ends up briefly friends with the younger Severus, and allied with him against the Marauders. In his own time, Harry forms an equally unexpected alliance with Luna and Draco, united in caring for a mysterious black horse who appeared to have strayed into the Forbidden Forest while the siege was being set in place.... Very long, complete multi-part story. How It Is by wishfinger
Slightly slashy vignette – Harry being vicious towards Draco. Hubris by AllisonfromRavenclaw
Harry was captured by Death Eaters and Snape was forced to use Cruciatus on him to maintain his cover, before he was able to rescue him. Melodramatic premise but the story is literary and creepy and mainly concerned with Snape's self-tormenting psychological complexities. A Hundred Years From Yesterday by Sihaya
A very dark, cynical Dumbledore leaves Snape to rot in Azkaban to cover up his own involvement in Snape's activities as a spy – but he does have the grace to leave instructions for Snape's release in his will. Free but utterly shattered after seventeen years of the Dementors, Snape is cared for by Dumbledore's weird brother Aberforth. Unfinished at time of listing. You may find you have to go to the Ashwinder site and set up an account before you can access this story. I'm Sure You'll Contract My Disease by siriusblackatemybaby
Sad sweet funny angsty friendship/mentoring story – Snape realizes that Harry is having a breakdown and is even more depressed than he is, and endeavours to help him. Very emotional take on Snape. Unfinished and likely to remain so. I Can't Be The One Who Cares by Meredith Bronwen Mallory
Snape thinks about Lily, whom he loved like a sister, and his increasingly disturbing feelings for her son. Slight slash. I've Just Seen A Face by cathedral carver
Snape is baffled and disoriented when he starts seeing Hermione wherever he looks – light-weight amusing HGSS one-shot. I, Macnair by Deathofme
Gruesome, tragic and horribly well-written one-shot: after Severus and Hermione are captured by Voldemort, Macnair allows them one final dark mercy. I Prefer St George's Day by kcinlondon
On St Valentine's Day, Snape writes somebody a very dour, witty, self-mocking love-letter. I Wish, I Wish by wellyuthink
Sweet two-part "mentoring" fic in which nine-year-old Harry wishes for a proper Christmas, and gets one in an unexpected way. If not now, when? by Losseniaiel
An alternative version of what led Snape to quit the Death Eaters – intense and slightly surreal. If You Love Me by Missy Jade
Delicate one-shot in which a series of vignettes sketch in a situation, never fully explained, which has left Hermione and Snape fleeing together through an extended war and a world in ruins, and managing to make their own consolation even so. Ignored by QuidditchFlea101
Neville toys with death, just so someone will notice he was alive. In Between Dreams by Kumari T
WIP, set after an alternative version of the final battle which Dobby, Dumbledore and Snape have all survived. There are many seriously injured, including Snape, who is ignored and scorned by the Healers who should be caring for him, but who regard him as a Death Eater. Hermione, as the most nearly-functional of the patients, has taken it on herself to watch over and assist Snape, with the encouragement of Poppy Pomfrey and Dumbledore – but not of Snape himself. In Care Of by Fang's Fawn
With the aid of a potion, Snape becomes an Animagus to further his spying. Injured while in beast form and temporarily unable to transform back, he is found and cared for by an unsuspecting Harry, and must decide whether or not to blow his cover in order to protect Harry from what he gradually realises is a very physically-abusive Vernon. Multi-part, complete, continued in Tightrope. In His Keep by Cesario21
With his true allegiance betrayed to Voldemort, Snape is lying low at Grimmauld Place when he finds himself having to deal with Luna's reaction to the death of her father. In my pocket by Tyrotinge
Surreal, slightly slashy stream-of-consciousness piece, from the point of view of a mentally-disturbed Draco who is gradually surfacing from a coma following a heroin overdose. In Principia by Vasaris, the Fuzzy Dragon
This is set after The Half-Blood Prince but I class it as AU because the portrayal of the wizarding world, and of Ron, is very non-canon. Snape and Harry are both gay and end up being executed for it, despite bringing Voldemort down. I include the story because it is powerfully done, even if powerfully nasty. In Reality by SEP
Sad, low-key, atmospheric little slash piece for Harry and Snape. In the Final Hour by Vasaris, the Fuzzy Dragon
Grim surreal slash one-shot – the war is escalating, Harry and Snape are lovers, and Dumbledore is... what? In the Grey by sethnakht
Snape dies before his time. To his intense annoyance, he is promptly sent back to be Hermione's ghostly guardian. In The Way by Siriuslover4eva
A well-written version of the challenge plot-bunny in which the Dursleys begin seriously abusing Harry, and Snape rescues him. The whole concept is very non-canon, since it is clear in the books that Harry has no serious physical fear of his uncle, but this is a tale well-told, with a good in-character version of Snape, neither too harsh nor too mushy. In Your Dreams by duj
Snape and Hermione share a series of seemingly-prophetic dreams which indicate that he will be dead in a few months unless he marries a student; but he would rather die than impose himself on someone to whom he feels himself to be in loco parentis. WIP Pretty-much anything by duj is worth a look as she writes very well, and her stories about Snape have a quality of kindness and tenderness towards him which is very appealing. Incarnation by QalaChaki
Dark and sexually-explicit one-shot: Snape contemplates the erotic possibilities of Polyjuice. Not in character in the slightest IMO but so well-written I included it anyway. An individual or two by whitecoatswontgetme
Brief one-shot of Harry and Severus rattling around an otherwise-deserted post-war Hogwarts, two lost souls surviving in the ruins and finding some comfort in each other (not slash). Intoxicated Babbling by Scorpia710
WIP which has lively, interesting and amusing characterisation and dialogue (provided you can wade through the distracting level of typing and grammatical errors). An accident in the Honeydukes tunnel leaves Snape and Harry stranded together, with Harry souped-up on painkillers which leave him excessively chatty and slightly delirious. Invictus by Doomspark Deathfire
This is one of the best of the Hollow Man Challenge stories. The war is over and Dumbledore is missing (but not presumed dead, hence this is AU). Many captured Death Eaters have been mind-wiped into obedient zombies and are being auctioned off as slaves: with no Dumbledore to speak for him Snape suffers the same fate. Hermione buys him for his own protection, and sets about restoring him to himself. Invidere by Narsus
Dreamy creepy slightly slashy piece – Draco thinking about what it means to be a Slytherin, and what it means that Snape is (as he believes) a Death Eater. Iris by miasnape
Very sad non-explicit slash piece based around the language of flowers. Harry has died, and no-one else knows how much reason Snape has to mourn him. An Issue Of Trust by Sirenny
Long WIP: an attempt by Voldemort to magically-eliminate Harry goes wrong and instead propels him into a future where Voldemort has won, most of the wizarding world has been Obliviated of his, Harry's, name and history, and only Snape knows who he is and can help him. It's Just A Hobby by Tinkering
Sexually-explicit slash piece which has something to say about sex, as opposed to merely being a PWP. Je Te Plumerais, The Exaltation of the Lark and Birdseye by Nimori
Dreamy, moderately explicit slash piece. Harry and Lucius Malfoy are imprisoned together, and gradually become lovers – initially out of sheer boredom, and then with real emotion. What will happen when they are released? Killing The Stars by Demeter1
Snape agonizing about the fact that he isn't allowed openly to try to persuade his students away from the Dark path. Slight slash elements. King of Pain by Cyrelia J
Sad, powerful slash piece in which Snape develops a life-threatening eating disorder. The Knight Errant Chronicles by Guernica
Snape has a brief, passionate fling with a woman he meets while waiting for a train. Each of them thinks the other is a Muggle, so he is startled to find her turning up as a new teacher at Hogwarts, and feels that she treated him very shabbily which, to some extent, is true. In fact, she is a sort of ambassador from the Fae – who are portrayed in accordance with Celtic tradition, not New Age mush. The story is very well written, full of fascinating cultural background and good character development, and has won several awards; but I haven't given it a star because IMO the pacing is too slack – it goes round and round the same points and the same misunderstandings for chapter after endless chapter, until you just want to take Snape and the OFC and give them both a sharp slap. Immensely long (101 chapters at last count!), and still unfinished at time of listing. You may find you have to go to the Occlumency site and set up an account before you can access this story. Knight in a Shining Apron by Slightly Sinister Sinestra
Starts in the middle of OotP and then changes the timeline. Molly is concerned to see Snape coming back injured from Death Eater meetings and then getting nothing but nagging and criticism from the Order, and when he is discovered as a spy and barely makes it back alive she decides to adopt him as an honorary Weasley. Molly, Arthur and Poppy Pomfrey proceed to take on all comers (including a rather callous version of Dumbledore) in his defence. The writing has a slightly immature and melodramatic tone, but there are some very interesting touches: especially the matter of the prosthetic hand which is nearly a person (or possibly a demon) in its own right. WIP Knight of Pentacles, Queen of Wands by jaderook
A true Alternate Universe story: following his death in DH, Snape is given the chance to loop back into an alternate timeline and and relive his life differently, starting from just after he took the Mark. WIP The Larks Fly by dragongirlG
WIP, canon up to partway through the Battle of Hogwarts, telling a well-written version of the standard plot in which Voldemort wins and Hermione ends up nominally as Snape's slave, but in fact under his protection. The Last Sanguimagus by valis2
Snape encounters a new young Faculty-member to whom he did serious and lasting damage when he was a Death Eater, and who has had to resort to Dark magic to keep herself functioning. They end up collaborating in an attempt to heal injuries which were designed never to be healed. Very, very long, and still unfinished at time of listing. You may find you have to go to the Occlumency site and set up an account before you can access this story. A Law to Herself by Shiv5468
One of the marriage-challenge stories, in which, subsequent to the defeat of Voldemort, Hermione is legally obliged to choose a husband in a hurry or be forced into an arranged marriage, and picks Snape. Canon-shafted both by having Snape as a pureblood and by having Dumbledore still alive without explanation – but this is a particularly well-written, witty and in-character version of this plot-bunny, with a truly creepy take on Dumbledore. Unfinished at time of writing. Legacy of Dust by whitecoatswontgetme
Vignette of a rather dark Harry in an alternative time-line, looking in the Mirror of Erised and seeing how dark his heart's-desire has become, although his mind has the sense to know he mustn't seek what his heart evidently wants. Hints of a slash relationship with Snape, or at least a very close friendship. Legilimens by Natasha-Von-Lecter
A version of the Marriage-Challenge story: Hermione and Snape contract a marriage of convenience to protect her from Death Eater attacks. Told from the viewpoint of a realistically sour, witty, nervy Snape. Let It Go by spheeris1
A sad, minimalist, gnomic little slash piece. Severus and Draco have been lovers, but Draco asks Severus to let it go – never thinking that he will comply. Let Them Fade by Tethered Serpent
Years after the war, Hermione does some research and discovers that the Pureblood lines are dying out due to inbreeding; but if she tells the Ministry, they might impose forced Marriage Laws. AU because she ends up discussing the matter with Snape and he is portrayed as Pureblood. The Letter by alexa83
A misinterpreted letter leads to a productive misunderstanding between Snape and new young Professor Granger. You may find you have to go to the Ashwinder site and set up an account before you can access this story. Letter from Exile one Merciful Morning by Textualsphinx
Snape has been sacked from Hogwarts after having an affair with a 7^th-year Hermione. He writes her a letter which Ron, filled with rage and spite, reads out to the whole school – but which results in Snape's reputation going up considerably. Sweet and painful and funny and full of interesting character insight. Letter From The Dead by wild wolf free17
A suicide-note.... [But from whom? – could be either Snape or Draco. ] A Letter, Unread by wallyflower
Horribly sad one-shot, made more so by the title: after a relationship fails, Severus writes Hermione a pained, patient farewell. Letters from Lily by Deathofme
Strange, sad long one-shot, written before DH, in which the adult Severus of HBP begins to receive mysterious letters from Lily. Made AU not only by some details of their relationship but by having Lucius and Bellatrix much too close to him in age. Letting Go by AmanitaMuscaria
Brief, sad slash one-shot: Harry and Severus are lovers, but Harry is dying and Severus will follow soon. Libera Me a Malos by katzenjammer
Original, well-written and creepy little one-shot, portraying the Death Eaters as a warped quasi-Catholic sect, and young Severus as a would-be crusader for the light, gradually coming to realize he's stranded on the wrong side. Lies or I'm Fine by Bradcat
The war is over, almost everyone is dead, and Snape tells anyone who asks that he's fine. Sad, short and rather dark. The Lightning Letters by Ari Munami
Eight hundred years after the fall of Voldemort, a team of historians are trying to identify the author of a series of famous love-letters sent to Harry Potter. Mild non-explicit slash. Like body, like soul by Mormiel
Snape has been revealed as a spy, imprisoned and tortured by Voldemort – or then again, maybe not.... Like Shadows on the Winter Sky, Interlude – Dreary Hour and Door of the Morning by Resmiranda
Snape is permanently blinded by Voldemort, and it falls to Hermione, as a Muggleborn who knows about things like Braille, to help him to cope. Realistically grim and unfluffy. Litany by Mary Caroline
Ginny becomes interested in religion – but is it a good idea for her to open her soul? A Little Noise by Ociwen
Humorous slash PWP. Ron can hear strange noises coming from Harry's bed.

Long Summer trilogy: Returns of the Day, Within the Pale and Noons of Dryness by Ellen Fremedon
The story contains a sexually-explicit slash relationship between Snape and Harry, but is mainly concerned with a realistic and suspenseful account of Hogwarts under siege from Voldemort, with the castle turned into one vaste refugee-camp, and busily twisting and re-shaping itself according to its own logic. Vivid and atmospheric – both in the battle-scenes and the sex! The Longest Year by Scorpio Grudge
After spending 18 months in Azkaban, a very-much shaken Snape is freed to be retrained as an animagus-spy. Lost and Found by Borolin
This story was sparked off in the first instance by a ffic called Missing in Action by Sheriff of Nottingham, which should be read as a sort of prequel to Lost and Found. In that story Snape was captured by Voldemort and then returned to Hogwarts after months of torture, so horribly maimed and cursed that Dumbledore and co. could do nothing except keep him company while he died.

Lost and Found takes off from that premise but changes the ending, to show Snape being pulled through his terrible injuries by a combination of Muggle and magical medicines. A team which includes Hermione, Neville and Luna, as well as Dumbledore, McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey and a left-handed black Geordie junior surgeon called Adrian then have to try to save his sanity, as well as his life. The story follows Snape through the year after his captivity and his return to Hogwarts. It starts off grim and harrowing – it could hardly do otherwise, given Snape's appalling condition as established in Missing in Action – but as he slowly recovers it becomes progressively more light-hearted, finishing as a witty flirtatious HGSS romance. WIP.

duj has written a poem called Attribute/A Tribute, to accompany the chapter What Hermione Did Next. It is based on the structure of Emily Dickinson's poem Pain (but IMO is more powerful), and shows Snape struggling to cope with the weight of memory. The court referred to in the poem is his own self-judgement.

Borolin is actually a combined ID used for stories written jointly by whitehound (me, of course!) and Dyce. Lost Lamb Returning by Memento Mori
Painfully intense version of Snape's decision to quit the Death Eaters, and the distrust and cruelty he encounters as a result. The Lovely Bones by Emily Waters
Voldemort won and his enemies, including Snape and the Trio, have been Kissed and then handed out as slaves. Their captors, for various reasons, all wonder where the soul in the soulless body went, but none of them knows the truth. Sad, dark but ultimately hopeful. Complete multi-part story. Lucky Boy by Corbin Slate
A variant on the by-now traditional "Harry is abused by the Dursleys and Snape rescues him" scenario, but very well done and with excellent descriptive writing. The Dursleys move and leave five-year-old Harry behind, and Snape ends up rather awkwardly trying to look after him. WIP Lyrical Summations by L.C1
Moderately sexually-explicit but decorous slash piece for Snape and Draco. If you can get round the dodginess of a student/teacher relationship it's very touching and elegantly erotic. Made of Steel by Bohemian Storm
Snape considers suicide, and Hermione tries to coax him out of it. Meet Me in the Moonlight by Crookshanks Girl
A very romantic romance for Snape and Hermione. Meeting the Criteria by Draegyn
Hogwarts is being attacked by a magic-draining curse, and the only way to break it is for two members of the school to perform a sex-magic rite – but how many are qualified to do so? Very silly. Memorable by Dahlia
Painfully sad but wonderfully well-written and witty one-shot of young Severus brooding about his first-ever kiss. AU only in that it credits his family with having house-elves (possible but unlikely) and shows Lily Evans in a very bad light – but if you mentally substitute some other female friend of the Marauders for Lily this could be canon. It's the sort of thing you could easily imagine that the Marauders would do. Mephistopheles by Imaculate Grey Lady
This is one of the best of the Hollow Man Challenge stories. The war is over and Dumbledore is missing (but not presumed dead, hence this is AU). Many captured Death Eaters have been mind-wiped into obedient zombies and are being auctioned off as slaves: with no Dumbledore to speak for him Snape suffers the same fate. Hermione buys him for his own protection, and sets about restoring him to himself. Then the pair of them embark on a lengthy, adventurous quest to find Dumbledore. A Merciless Affection by Verity Brown
Romance between Snape and an of-age OC student – that may sound like a recipe for a Mary Sue but in fact the heroine is strong and genuinely interesting and is one of the best OCs in the fandom; a Death Eater's daughter who hates Voldemort and yet knows that she does have more than a streak of her beloved father in her. Snape is complex and difficult and very much in character, except that he sometimes seems a little heavier and less brisk and witty than he is in canon. The writing is superb: technically probably one of the best fanfics ever written. Canon-shafted due to details of Snape's background, although Verity is one of the few ficcers who worked out that Snape was working-class prior to The Half-Blood Prince . Mico, Mico by wintry
Sad elegiac piece – might be slash, might not be. Draco feels some spark between himself and Harry and tries to save him – with disastrous consequences all round. Midnight Oak by Shiv5468
Racy, fairly explicit long one shot in which Severus and Hermione make a bet concerning a magical plant, and each of them expects much the same (sexual) forfeit of the other. Mio by Serathe
Beautifully written, sad/creepy one-shot. Snape and Hermione have a sexual relationship which began when she was underage. He's not a paedophile – he was genuinely attracted to her as a person, in spite of her age rather than because of it – and she is a very willing participant, but he feels miserably guilty and mourns the innocent she used to be and that he thinks he killed in her (although it's moot whether she ever really was very innocent or whether he's kidding himself). The story is translated from a foreign language so the English is a bit odd in places, but the style is of very high quality nevertheless. Miracle by Flutiste
A condensed, intense version of the Hollow Man Challenge story, in which Snape is turned into a mindless slave-automaton, and Hermione must work to restore him to himself. One-shot, slightly mangled English but perfectly intelligible. The Missing by GuTTerArT
An alternative version of the nightshirt scen from GoF, in which the false Moody isn't present, and Snape succeeds in catching Harry. Mist and Vapor by cecelle
Snape, vindicated but still widely distrusted (and being threatened with dire revenge by Peter Pettigrew), indulges in a little holiday dalliance which develops into something more. I won't give away the major plot-twist, but suffice it to say the story ends up examining, very convincingly, an aspect of wizarding culture which has been glossed over in the books. The OC is likeable (neither wet nor idealized) and the growing romance delicate, mature and believable. Unfinished at time of listing. Canon-shafted in that Dumbledore is alive after the final battle, without explanation, and in some aspects of Snape's background. A Mist of Freedom by LaSuen
Harry chooses not to return to life and he and Snape go on together. Atmospheric, strange and uneasy rather than sentimental. Montage by Ria
Sweet sad slash piece: Harry and Snape have been lovers for many years, but now Harry knows that their difference in age will soon part them. More Than Blood Shall Spill by teecrushfic
Harry deals with his emotional numbness after the death of Sirius by cutting himself, and it falls to Snape to try to get him out of it. I have mixed feelings about listing this, because although it's beautifully written and has excellent dialogue it shows Snape behaving in a way which is ultimately quite abusive – improbably so imo, although the build-up to it is handled quite convincingly. Long one-shot. Morning Prayers by Iulia Linnea
Grim snippet of young Severus watching his parents fight – slightly canon-shafted in that the father seems to be a wizard. Mornings by goldheart
Gentle sad low-key slash piece: describes three mornings'-worth of Harry and Snape waking together. Mors Mortis by Vicis
Vivid, meditative vignette of what might have happened if Severus had succeeded in saving Lily's life, at the cost of his own. Mother Tongue by Clere
Very sad slash piece: Remus and Severus are both seriously injured in the final battle.... Mouth Shut, Mind Closed by steveness2310
A series of delicate, dreamy stand-alone drabbles which explore different possibilities for a relationship between Harry and Snape. Slash but not very explicit. WIP Murderer by bookslug
An exceptionally well-done version of the challenge story in which the Dursleys are very abusive and Snape ends up rescuing Harry, with lively dialogue and characterisation. Long complete multi-part story. My Addiction by CaramelBoost
Dreamy non-explicit slash one-shot: Harry fantasizes about Snape. My Dear Boy by dianehc
Neither Harry nor Voldemort is a born, mortal person; instead they are both immortal constructs created to be Horcruxes for Dumbledore. Harry doesn't know how he's going to live in this new knowledge. Freed from his allegiance to Dumbledore, Snape doesn't know who he's going to be now either: as part of his project to reinvent himself, he applies to be Harry's guardian. Despite the rather OTT premise the story is vivid, touching and quite funny. My Doomed Children by Yulara
Snape contemplates the bodies of the slain after the final battle – especially those of Slytherin House. Slightly canon-shafted because Dumbledore was in the battle without explanation. You may find you have to go to the Occlumency site and set up an account before you can access this story. NABAKOV by carpetfibers
Following the death of Hermione's father, Snape ends up spending the summer with the remaining Grangers to protect them. He finds himself becoming increasingly wistful over Hermione – but is too responsible and too self-doubting to act on it. Never Cry by zorro x
Psychological recovery drama, sadly unfinished. Harry is tortured by Voldemort, then rescued – but even he isn't sure if he's still sane or not. Never Mind by Huldra
It's summer, James and Remus are visiting Lily at home but Remus doesn't want to be a gooseberry, and he and Severus strike up an uneasy alliance. WIP New Coin by jacquez h. valentine
Dumbledore is dead, and Harry and Snape are both in mourning. Slash elements but no "ship" – it's the delicate handling of grief which is important. A New Country , Broken Arrow and A Quickening of the Heart by brensgrrl
Delicately-written, unusual non-explicit slash sequence. Ron develops precognition, and begins to have visions of himself and Severus as a future couple. A New Game by zenni
Odd little HGSS one-shot which starts off sounding as if it will be grim, and ends by encapsulating the brisk and bouncy side of Severus. Night Terrors by CorvetteClaire
Grim but ultimately hopeful slash piece – Harry dreams of a time when he and Draco are held captive by Voldemort. A Night to Remember by dedanaan
The war is over and Voldemort won. Snape is Headmaster of Hogwarts, officially a loyal Death Eater, unofficially a prominent member of the resistance. He discovers in the most startling way that several witches who had been assumed to have been killed in the last battle, including Hermione and Lavender, survived and are being forced into prostitution to service Voldemort's inner circle. Unfortunately neither he nor Hermione knows where the brothel is located, geographically speaking. Unfinished (and ends on a cliff-hanger). No More Black Cherries by Ella Diver Sophis
Snape compares Hermione with the hard, coldly promiscuous women he knew (and had sex with) among the Death Eaters. No More Mentors by Thirteen Ravens
Sad, minimalist piece – Harry contemplates Snape's grave. No Other Option by JestersTear
Snape has to take very extreme and unpleasant measures to save Hermione's life. Incomplete. Noble House on Fire by dentedsky
Sirius is dead and Remus is left alone at Grimmauld Place, crushingly depressed and overwhelmed by the malign spirit of the house. Harry, Draco and Snape do what they can to bring him out of it. Exceptionally well-written, despite a rather creepy explicit slash scene. Nocturne by Cebaje
Beautifully-written WIP: Draco's sister supposedly died when he was a toddler and she was seven, but after Dumbledore's death a weary Snape, come to Malfoy Manor in search of solace, makes an unexpected discovery. Noise and War Begets Quiet by Telanu
Harry and Snape are lovers and long married, but Harry is ageing much faster than his husband. Not Love by Paladar
One-shot: a moderately explicit and decidedly sinister look at a rather rough, S&M (but mutual) relationship between Snape and Hermione, with Dumbledore's knowledge and sanction. This isn't remotely how I see Snape, but it's very well written. Not Quite the Shilling by Annie D
Humorous, moderately explicit HPSS slash piece, AU from the end of OotP but incorporating later canon background. Harry returns to teach a year after defeating Voldemort, but will tell no-one where he's been in the interim. Meanwhile, a Potions accident leaves Snape in an attractive predicament. Multi-part, complete. Not Yet by Bil
Harry and Voldemort are doomed to stalk each other through many lifetimes. Of Animagi by Allani
One-shot: Snape's Animagus form reveals his true soul. Of Arms and the Man 1 by JiM1
Harry finds out how great a sacrifice Snape is prepared to make for Draco. See also the sequel Armistice. Of Blood, Red, and Flowers by Karasuk
One-shot, dealing with a mutually agreeable but rather violent relationship between Snape and Hermione. I list it as AU because the scene where Hermione is injured in the Forest isn't canon-compatible (Dumbledore seems to be still alive, and if Hermione had been injured during the books to date it would have been mentioned) and because I personally don't believe in S&M Snape – but it's elegantly written and actually quite sweet. Of Dreams, Delusions and Demons by Silverthreads
Snape is captured, tortured and brainwashed by Muggle security forces, intent on gaining access to wizard powers. He is rescued by the Order from a Muggle psychiatric hospital, no longer knowing even his own name. Of Hell and High Water by celari
A well-told version of the standard plot in which Harry is beaten up by the Dursleys and returns to Hogwarts with his bruises hidden under a glamour, which Snape discovers. Of Summons and Salt by Grym
Drabble: Hermione, working as Snape's assistant, tells him about a Muggle superstition. He pretends to scorn it, but knows he needs all the luck he can get. Of Wizards and Dirty Magazines by Random Dent
Humorous, non-explicit slash piece: Ron catches Harry with a stack of gay porn. Oh, Just This Once by Telanu
Humorous, non-explicit slash piece: a drunken attempt at a one-night-stand for a twenty-something Harry and a forty-something Snape gradually develops into something more. Old Scrooge and Scrooge Versus The Mistletoe by Chernobyl!Ghost
Harry never went to Hogwarts, and instead he and Snape meet as fellow patients in hospital, and strike up a curious friendship. Slash, eventually, but not creepy: Snape looks at the 15-year-old Harry and finds him attractive, but in a wistful rather than a predatory way – there's no suggestion he's going to do anything about it until the sequel, where Harry is 17 or 18. Once an Enemy by Charis M
Sad, low-key (and canon-shafted) version of Snape's decision to switch sides from Voldemort to Dumbledore. An Open Book by sssnakeling
Longish one-shot: the Pensieve incident doesn't happen, and Harry and Snape continue to improve their relationship during Occlumency lessons. Our Lives Erased by lordhellebore
Voldemort has won and the surviving Order members must live as slaves. Grim (though ultimately fairly hopeful) long one-shot, very out of character imo but well-written. Over, Sideways, Always Under? by Elladora Ketteridge
Moderately explicit slash vignette – Harry and Draco have a somewhat turbulent and energetic sex-life. Over Tea by thesewarmstars
Desperately sad vignette of Snape visiting a Dumbledore who has survived only to decline into senility. Painless by The Treacle Tart
Following the death of Sirius, a depressed Lupin tackles some Death Eaters single-handed, and is badly injured. Snape treats his wounds, and thinks about the past. Parent – Teacher Conference by Caged Eternity
Humorous two-parter: Snape and Hermione have a daughter, whose Muggle primary school teacher is finding her a bit of a handful. Paring Knives by milee
Snape recognizes self-harming tendencies in Harry because he has them himself, and ends up caring for the boy. Beautiful, weird, frustrating and ultimately tragic (you have been warned). Path to Greatness by Peradan
One-shot which looks at the staff's reactions if Harry hadn't been warned-off by Hagrid and Ron, or scared off by Draco, and had accepted being Sorted into Slytherin. Pensieve by Spyke Raven
Non-explicit slash pairing Snape with Dumbledore – whether you think that's feasible or not this is a sad, sinister piece which is very well done. Perdition by wallyflower
An examination of Snape's feelings, as a responsible teacher, on discovering that Hermione has feelings for him. Intended to run to three chapters; up to two at time of listing. Perdition Catch My Soul by Armelle-Madeline
Strange dreamy erudite low-key slash piece for Harry and Draco. A Perfect Hell by Tavalya Ra
Sad grim elegant understated little vignette in which Voldemort's interest in Snape is unpleasantly personal. A Perfect Storm by bccaw
A nice bit of HGSS fluff, with Hippogriff. Perfection by Marston Chicklet
A lengthy and formerly popular HGSS WIP which for some unknown reason was deleted by ffn, and is now being reposted. Hermione develops bulimia as a result of problems in her parents' marriage; a chance meeting in a London hotel causes Snape to become concerned about her health, and a quirky friendship develops. The story is peppered with irritating Britpicks and Hermione's mother has been given a Latin name which is both improbably flowery and male, but despite this the characterization is good (except of Harry, who is out of character to a degree which is truly bizarre) and the developing friendship between Snape and Hermione is delicately handled. Pessum Ire by jill the
Snape's life flashing before his eyes at the point of death (horribly sad). Phantom Cruciatus by LizBee
Painful, but ultimately hopeful series of atmospheric scenes, beginning with Snape as a prisoner at Malfoy Manor. Please, Not a Ferret by Elfflame
Draco waits to find out what his animagus form will be.... The Poor of God by kilara25
This WIP follows on from The Guiltless, an exceptionally well-done version of the standard plot in which Harry is beaten up by the Dursleys and returns to Hogwarts with his bruises hidden under a glamour, which Snape discovers. In this follow-up, Snape's concern, and Harry's realisation of it, begets an on-going, teasing correspondence. But a magical accident, followed by an attack, leave Harry struggling through nightmares and Luna struggling for her very life. Practically Brothers by ReeraTheRed
Snape and Lupin evolve a close and rather doggy friendship.... Preoccupation by drygionus
Young Severus and Remus each fancy the other, and each think that the other doesn't fancy them and that the whole thing is disgustingly embarassing anyway. I'm not sure if this is going to be a one-shot or a WIP; either way it's exceptionally well- and amusingly written. The Price of Magic by ac1d6urn
Exceptionally well-written WIP with (so far) a not very explicit slash element. The final battle culminated in an explosion between the twin wands which destroyed most of the magic in Britain and brought the wizarding world to its knees. Snape and a ghostly Harry struggle to preserve what little they can. The Price We Pay and The Price We Pay: R Version by Ilmare2
Snape was discovered as a spy and taken by Voldemort eight months before the end of the war, and most of the Order has given up hope of ever seeing him alive again. After the final battle, however, he is discovered in one of Voldemort's torture-chambers, mute, traumatized, near-catatonic and barely alive, and Dumbledore dedicates himself to helping his friend to recover. The author produced a finished story and then went back and started again with an R-rated version, in which there was a strong sexual element to the tortures which Snape had undergone. This seems highly likely, given what we've seen of the Death Eaters, and despite some occasionally frivolous remarks to reviewers it doesn't come across as gratuitous: the writer has thought hard about the psychological implications and the R-rated version is much more thorough and serious in its descriptions of trauma and the lengths the people around Snape have to go to to save his sanity. It's a pity, therefore, that this darker and more serious version was never finished. Both versions are what I would consider true hurt/comfort stories, in that they concentrate on the comfort – on the care and effort needed to restore someone who has been badly traumatized – rather than lingering too long over the initial hurt. A Prison Tale by waterside
Bizarre but very original WIP. When Voldemort targets the Longbottoms instead of the Potters, Lily nearly becomes a casualty anyway but Severus manages to save her, at the cost of being captured by Voldemort himself. Alliance with a strange being who has become trapped in the Death Eaters' prison results in him fleeing through a half real, half imagined astral assault course, where he meets various possible future versions of himself. Continued in A Forest Tale. Prisoners of Azkaban by JunoMagic
Voldemort won the Battle of Hogwarts. Snape and Hermione survived only to be thrown into Azkaban. Released on probation eleven years later, they must try to cope with their own minds and the world they find themselves in. WIP The Problem with Cupboards by opalish
Harry decides he is fed up to the back teeth with doing what is expected of him. Puzzle Box by Alice I.W.
Hermione returns from the summer holidays able to see Thestrals – but with no idea why. Snape helps her to recover the missing piece of her memory. Unfinished at time of listing. Rain by Tien Riu
The rain just keeps on falling – atmospheric, sweet and slightly slashy. Rain and Wings by whippy
Many years after graduation, Harry and others try to come to terms with the death of Cho Chang. Remarkable for a very different but entirely believable take on Snape's personality, as well as for the delicately atmospheric writing. Mild slash element. AU because Dumbledore is still alive without explanation, and Snape didn't start teaching till he was almost thirty. Ragazzo perso, dove siete andato? [it means "Lost boy, where have you gone?"] by Quiet Requiem
Partial, incomplete angst piece, but powerful enough to be worth preserving. Snape is left caring for a Harry who has been driven out of his mind by a Ministry-sanctioned brainwashing programme. Reading the Signs by goldencompass
Harry is ambushed by other students and left traumatized and temporarily mute (because of a throat injury, not the trauma). Snape ends up grudgingly helping him, first with healing potions, then via a rather difficult, prickly sense of common ground when he sees the boy's scars and realizes that they have a violent upbringing in common. Multi-part, complete, continued in Filling the Void . Red by wishfinger
Odd, spiky, atmospheric little slash vignette, Harry and Snape. Remember Him, or Penance by ThePet
Long, sad but ultimately hopeful meditation-piece following the final battle, told mainly from Snape's point of view but also with contributions from Sirius and Harry. Hard on the eyes, because in later chapters the formatting has gone haywire and there are no proper paragraph-breaks (neither spaces nor indents). Remember Remember by Emerald-Leaves
WIP which takes a fresh, touching look at the "Snape deaged by potions accident" theme. Retribution by murdock
Sad, creepy little one-shot – Harry follows Snape everywhere he goes. River of Dreams by Tajjas
A magical accident lands Harry and Snape in the Amazon jungle, where the struggle to survive causes them to become more tolerant of each other, and Snape becomes concerned about Harry's home life. WIP Rules to Life by Caster
The final battle against Voldemort is years ago, when Dumbledore finally succumbs to old age. Harry, now a teacher, comforts Snape through their mutual mourning and they become good friends – but who will be the new Headmaster? Slash, eventually. Sandcastle by Loxodonta-Magica
Literally dreamy one-shot – not sure if it's AU or post-HBP. Harry tries to use Occlumency to keep Voldemort out of his dreams, but Voldemort makes him see his mental defences, and Hogwarts itself, as a castle of sand which is slowly washing away – until Snape comes to stand with him. Scar Tissue by Ella Diver Sophis
Sad dreamy regretful songfic of Hermione and Snape both regretting an unguarded moment which led to – probably just a kiss, although that isn't really explained. Scars and Lovers by wishfinger
Slash piece: a battered Remus watches how a succession of lovers (Sirius, Harry, Severus) react to his scars. A Scent of Memory by Lady Letitia
Beautifully-written, sad and very creepy atmospheric piece – Harry thinks about the loss of Sirius and of Snape, missing and presumed dead. Searching by tyger666
Slash one-shot: a believable, touching and un-squicky look at how Snape and a sixteen-year-old Harry might end up as lovers. Season of Healing by Dien Alcyone
Another of a series of challenge stories in which the Dursleys begin actively abusing Harry, and Snape ends up caring for him. This one credits Snape with a background so over-the-top that IMO it becomes a bit farcical – living in a castle full of ghosts and improbably exotic pets – but it's well-written and seems very much in character. Slight slash. Unfinished. Second Sight by Tigerlily3rd
Snape ends up rescuing Harry from the Dursleys, and the two of them learn to look again and each see things about the other which they had overlooked. The Secret and the Man by Ramshackle Bolt
Snape watches Harry at the Dursleys, realizes they are knocking him around, and rescues him – without Dumbledore's permission. Was intended to be slash, so presumably Snape's secret was that he fancied Harry, but the story is unfinished – a pity, as it is well-written and has a sort of fresh, clear style. Secrets Best Kept by Shy Violet
Hermione has undertaken to learn Occlumency from Snape – and desperately doesn't want him to see in her mind how much she fancies him. You may find you have to go to the Ashwinder site and set up an account before you can access this story. See the Sun by Xela Lupe
Songfic. After the death of his lover during the final battle Snape sinks into deep depression. Tonks loses at cards with Dumbledore and is assigned to try to talk Snape into living again. Send Me To My Grave by EmilyKamara
Drabble which gives an alternative version of Snape's death and his thoughts on dying – vivid and touching. Severus by Zerestor
Severus is in a state of mental confusion, listening to a voice he half recognises but cannot identify, and neither he nor we know whether he is prisoner or patient. WIP which at time of writing consists solely of the prologue, having suffered a severe delay due to the theft of the author's laptop, with all her work on it: but she hopes to recreate the rest of the story. SeverusRemus Drabbles by PatrickMcKinney
A series of non-explicit slash drabbles looking at a relationship between Remus and Severus, post DH, more or less, but AU because both are alive and there seems to be no explanation as to how they survived – they simply weren't killed. Sexual Magic by Emily Waters
Humorous one-shot which lampoons many of the classic clichés which slash writers use to get Harry and Snape into bed. Shadow Dance by Alysun
Strange, gnomic, beautifully-written – could be tragic, Snape could have been horribly murdered – and then again, possibly not.... Shadows by Emily Waters
Dreamy, sad, low-key one-shot: Severus gets what he thought he wanted, and Lily survives, but at a price which changes how he feels about her. Shattered by veneratio
A version of the challenge-story in which Harry is severely abused by the Dursleys and is rescued by Snape. Has some annoying plot-holes – such as Vernon crashing the car while drunk and nobody bothering to breathalyse him – but is much more original, well-written and genuinely nerve-racking than these stories generally are. WIP She Never Stops Talking by michmak
Fairly sexually-explicit but very touching scene of Snape and Hermione making love, with brief background detail on how this came about. This is a companion-piece to the much longer story Finding His Voice, which examines the build-up of their relationship. Canon-shafted because Dumbledore is still alive without explanation. Shining Apples by stellamaru
Mild slash: Snape and Harry begin to mingle their memories through the Pensieve. A Simple Matter of Anatomy by rhitmcshanm
Hermione hits puberty rather harder than she had expected. The Singing Sea by Auxphono
Dreamy, elegaic, very slightly slashy piece about Harry, Ginny and Snape sharing a drink before a battle in which they all expect to die, and musing about what Tom Riddle means to each of them. [Warning: annoying centre-justification, slightly hard on the eyes. ] Sinking Feeling by wellyuthink
The last few months of Harry's fifth year take a different turn, after he provokes Snape into first chasing him into the Forbidden Forest and then rescuing him from a dangerous situation, and they discover a shared sense of humour and collude in getting rid of Umbridge. Long one-shot, with sparkling dialogue. Sixty Mondays by Spyke Raven
The tentative, nervous beginnings of a sexual relationship between Hermione and Snape are enough to invoke an ancient curse.... A smile for a smile by crazyconey
Half-serious, half-humorous WIP with lively dialogue: Hermione is traumatized after having had to kill an attacker during an ambush, and Dumbledore thinks that if Snape counsels her it will do them both good. Neither of them agrees. Smoke by liquidscissors
Hermione has washed up as librarian in a small wizarding village. After her library burns down, she spends a strange, half sad, half affectionate afternoon with Snape. A Snake of a Different Color by Natasha-Von-Lecter
Canon-shafted only insofar as Dumbledore is alive after the final battle, without explanation. Told from Snape's point of view, as Hermione tries to persuade him to unbend and join in the post-victory celebrations. Touching, sweet and very in character for both of them. A Snape sort of Sequel by Madea's Rage
Humourous one-shot: Severus complains about his life, with heckling by Lucius. Snapshots by poetic licence
A series of images of the things and moments various characters like best. Canon-shafted because it includes mention of a sexual relationship between Draco and Harry, as well as having got some dates wrong in Angelina's sequence. Snivellus by Gedia Kacela
A very dark take on the "Snape's worst memory" scene and why it was his worst memory. Canon-shafted because Severus and Lucius are too close together in age. Snow Angels by Autumn Whispers
Slightly sentimental but rather sweet – Snape and Hermione sharing a moment of awkward togetherness on a snowy night after the war. Canon-shafted because Dumbledore is still alive without explanation. Some scars run deeper than others by Kaiya Darkwolf
Vignette of Hary and Snape arguing about how they deal with scars, visible and otherwise. Implied slash – or could just be an intense friendship. Something Special by Yulara lordhellebore
Alternative to Book Six. Snape is increasingly stressed as a result of the terrible things he has to do for Voldemort, abusive behaviour by Lucius and the memory of his own miserable childhood. Lupin, meanwhile, is nearly as stressed – mourning for Sirius, who was his lover when they were boys, after having spent a year helping Sirius deal with traumatic mental damage caused by his time in Azkaban. Snape and Lupin end up rather awkwardly propping each other up. I have slightly mixed feelings about this one – in the Author's Notes the author speaks as if she (?) is one of those people who gets off on writing about torture, which IMO is unhealthy, but the story itself doesn't really come across that way. And the writing though competent isn't brilliant – but it did hold my attention for fourteen chapters, so I decided to include it. Unfinished at time of listing. Something to Hold by Becky Hoadley
Sweet sad fairly explicit slash piece: Harry provides Snape with a pleasant memory before Snape sets out on one final, probably suicidal mission. Song of the Dispossessed by IWasAdam
A songfic of sorts incorporating lyrics by Dead Can Dance, although the music is part of the plot rather than just a comment on it. Snape shows Sirius an ancient ritual and a sad strange song. AU in that it portrays the young Snape and Sirius as friends. It's described in the notes as portraying a slash relationship between them at school but in fact there is nothing in it to suggest what age they are, or that they have a sexual relationship or even a close friendship – just Snape, civilly showing Sirius something that will interest him. Sonic Pain by Ginger Man
WIP mentor-fic written in a jagged style reminsicent of electronic music – fifth year Neville is heading for a breakdown, and Snape may be the one to pull him out of it. The Specialist by cefle
After the war, Snape is suffering from the lingering effects of a curse, and mediwitch Hermione arrives to help him. They become lovers – but what is her real motive? Erotic, sinister and sad. You may find you have to go to the Ashwinder site and set up an account before you can access this story. A Spinner's Tale by Running Thunder
A very eccentric story: a clerical error in the Department of Mysteries leads to baby Harry mistakenly being sent a journal belonging to the three personified Fates. When Harry is ten years old, Snape is sent to check up on him, and this magical journal causes a magical accident which throws Harry and Snape forwards and sideways into a different timeline – one which almost follows the Potter books – and thence to another ditto. Meanwhile, the Fates want their book back, before the universe begins to unravel. WIP Stay with me Sway with me by coffeeonthepatio
Somewhat against his will, the young Potions master realises his growing affection, and attraction, for one of his students: Tonks. WIP. Still Alive by Miss Saigon
Harry is kidnapped and publicly killed by Voldemort. Two years later, he apparently returns from the dead – only to turn out to be a Death Eater in disguise. Some years after that, a mysterious stranger stumbles through the wards of Hogwarts.... A very interesting action story, which includes some original student characters who actually manage to be interesting and believable. Stranger by The Lone Pillow
Someone whose life barely touched Snape's is nevertheless deeply affected by his death. Vignette, listed as AU because the details don't really fit with DH. Strong Poison (formerly Yours and Yours and Yours) by wallyflower
A very sad (but ultimately hopeful) version of the Marriage Challenge story. Hermione is convinced Snape married her only out of duty; he loves her desperately but is sure she won't want to hear it, and feels that she would be better off without him. WIP Stupid by Elizabeth Turner
Beautifully-written, dreamy, canon-shafted WIP in which Ginny becomes anorexic following the death of her parents, and is given into the guardianship of Snape, with whom she develops an uneasy emotional connection. So far this cool, sad version of Snape is very likeable but there are hints that he may turn out dark in the end. Remarkable partly for the contrast between the author's notes, which tend to be written in overheated txt-msg-spk with enthusiastic fan-comments on the Jackass movies, and the limpid, sophisticated, elegantly-constructed prose of the story itself. Suddenly Burn So Cold by moretoplease
WIP in which Snape is discovered as a spy and punished by being blinded. Out of his initial need for assistance, a slow, delicate friendship grows between Snape and Remus. Nicely-characterised and emotive, intense without being sloppy, will be slash eventually. Sugar For Severus Snape by Anniely
HGSS one-shot: touching look at some awkward, prickly moments between two awkward, prickly people. sugar makes it useless by wishfinger
Sirius and Remus are lovers – but does Sirius have reason to be jealous? Listed AU only because canon suggests Remus is straight. The Summer Wind by TellAllYourFriends
Dreamy, beautiful one-shot which examines Snape's years-long friendship with Lily, but which isn't canon-compatible (it has her starting off their first Hogwarts train-ride with friendly words rather than accusations, staying friends with him after fifth year, and starting to date James in sixth year). Sunburn by Nubbin
Odd, mildly racy little humorous one-shot. Bill and Severus are friends, and they discuss the possibilities of what their respective colleagues might be doing with the large quantities of slippery sunscreen potion which Severus brews. Survivors of the War by LiterarySpell
Almost hallucinogenic one-shot: a different and unexplained ending to the war has left both Snape and Hermione alive but with shattered nerves, and they find a difficult, prickly, damaged companionship. Sweet Root by Shyfoxling
In an alternate timeline (presumably, since they are eighteen and still the best of friends) Severus and Lily indulge in some heavy, alcohol-fuelled flirting. Taking Umbridge by Graciella Bellanotte-Diadora
Realising that the Blood-Quill isn't modifying Harry's behaviour, Umbridge takes her physical punishments to a new level. Snape finds out, and intervenes on Harry's behalf. WIP Tell Me Lies by Auror Boralis
Sirius gives Hermione Veritaserum and then asks her what she thinks of Snape, expecting she will insult him – but the answer isn't quite what he expected. Unfinished. Testament by Cephied Variable
Harry's lover and murderer (unspecified, but probably Draco) contemplates the fate of the wizarding world. Theme and Variation by L.C1
Draco as a Death Eater – deeply horrible (and portraying him as a sadistic killer which is why I listed it as AU) but so beautifully-written that I felt I had to include it. This Ae Night by Semjaza
Dark but well-written WIP: after being sent on a probable suicide mission, Snape ends up at Grimmauld Place and in Remus's care with severe, possibly fatal injuries. This Grief Feeling by S. Thanatos
Snape comforts Hermione after the deaths of Harry and Ron during the war (not a "ship" piece – just Snape being a responsible teacher). Canon-shafted only because both Snape and Hermione are back at Hogwarts without explanation. This Vicious Cabaret by GoddessofSnark
Twenty years after the war, in an alternate future in which magic has been forbidden, Snape and Hermione encounter each other in a pub. Meanwhile, a young soldier is disturbed to find himself manifesting wandless magic. WIP Tide by Alphard
Snape before the Potters' death, trying to cope with his duties as a spy and being the youngest member of the faculty. AU because the timing (Snape's age, the number of years he's already been spying etc.) doesn't quite fit with what was later established in canon. Tightrope by Fang's Fawn
WIP, continued from In Care Of, in which Snape became a potion-induced Animagus as an aid to spying, was injured in beast-form and cared for by Harry, and witnessed Harry being severely physically abused by the Dursleys. Harry was mortified to find that the pet he had confided in freely was really Snape. Now Dumbledore must cope with his guilt for having left Harry in what proved to be such a bad situation, and Snape must regain Harry's trust. Time by MyGildedCage
Jagged series of images from an AU time-line in which Dumbledore is still alive, and Harry is sent back to spend the summer before seventh year with a physically and sexually abusive Vernon. There isn't enough of it yet to say if the plot will be good, but the writing is quite vivid and atmospheric. Time and the Bell by blademouse
WIP, AU from the Ministry battle at the end of OotP onwards. Begins with a realistic, affecting look at the stress Snape suffers as a spy. Later the story will rotate between several viewpoints, as Snape picks up the pieces after a mistake made by Harry. To Meet the Black Crow by Grym
Snape is walking a knife-edge with Voldemort, when he and Hermione end up carrying out an alchemical project together. Sadly this was barely begun – only two chapters of what would have been a long story – and looks unlikely to be finished: a pity, as what there is is very well-written. To Sever the Lining from a Cloud by Textualsphinx
Teenage Snape, in love with Lily but knowing she finds him physically repulsive, decides to give her a gift which will be beautiful in her eyes even if he isn't. To Stopper Death by unlikely2
Creepy little one-shot. Snape hates James for saving his life – or then again, perhaps not. To Whom It May Concern by Patchye
Unusually well-written version of the Marriage Law Challenge story, vivid and realistically dark and yet also humorous. WIP Trap by AnonyMiss J
Snape's true loyalties become obvious after he protects Hermione from a Death Eater attack, and Lucius kills two birds with one stone – neutralising two enemies of the Dark Lord whilst protecting his old friend from reprisals – by secreting them both in a comfortable but tedious imprisonment, where they proceed to get on each other's nerves. WIP Trick Steps by pokeh
A gentle little slash piece about Snape gradually realizing he is attracted to Lupin. Weak grammar and dodgy formatting (half the paragraph breaks have gone missing), but still a nice read. Trying by Snowballjane
Some months after the war the stress finally catches up with Snape and he suffers a breakdown. Various people try to help him deal with it, but only Lupin has any sort of success. Exceptionally well-written, low-key and touching slash. Twisting the Knife by Tycho
Hermione's mother sacrifices herself for Hermione's baby sister, as Harry's mother did, and yet the child is still able to be killed, and Snape wants to know why. Unfinished and likely to remain so – which is a pity, as it is well-written and includes some interesting character-development for Ginny. Two Men by Claggart
Gentle slash vignette – Snape feeling fiercely protective as he watches Harry sleep. Tyger! Tyger! by Bloodcult of Freud
A version of the Marriage-Challenge plot-bunny, in which Hermione is obliged to marry a pureblood [sic ] wizard, and picks Snape. Heavily canon-shafted as regards Snape's background (including the idea that even his conception was tied up with Dark Magic), and as regards the nature of pureblood culture – which is a pity as this writer's version of both is interesting and unusual. Explicitly sexual but in a way which is genuinely emotionally-intense and relevant to the story. Under the Teacher's Desk by Jess the Great
Naughty, humorous slash PWP. Snape tries to teach a class whilst very, very distracted.... Unexpected by duj
Just before Hermione is due to leave Hogwarts, Snape takes a last chance to tell her how important her presence there is to him. WIP Pretty-much anything by duj is worth a look as she writes very well, and her stories about Snape have a quality of kindness and tenderness towards him which is very appealing. An Unprecedented Shift of Perspective by Viskii
Somewhat AU version of Snape's teens, in which he has a wizard father who forces him to join Voldemort, and he begins spying for the Order when he is only thirteen. This is Dumbledore, thinking about the brave, lonely boy he has become so very fond of. Velvet Rain by Jadeite no Miko
Snape returns from a Death Eater meeting severely injured, and Sirius is a reluctant and queasy witness to the emergency surgery needed to save his life, and to the resigned, competent affection of all those around him. Very slightly slashy, but only if you want to read it that way. Waking Dream by Marauder
Following the final battle, Snape and Tonks make a hallucinatory journey through the tunnels underlying Hogwarts. Walk the Shadows by jharad17
After the Ministry battle, the Dementors run so far out of control that many Muggles flee: including the Dursleys, who leave Harry behind to be captured by Death Eaters. After Harry is temporarily blinded, a bodged escape attempt blows Snape's cover, and Voldemort's punishment of Harry leaves him a psychological wreck and open to Dark infiltration, even after they are rescued by the Order. It falls to Snape to try to help him to heal and to cast off Voldemort's influence. Multi-part, complete. Continued in Before the Dawn. Walking the Line by hairballl26
Splendidly well-written, convincing version of the standard plot in which Snape turns up injured on the Dursleys' doorstep and Harry has to hide him. WIP War, My Mother by mmeryll
Odd, atmospheric and original WIP which begins with an unidentified somebody consulting a fortune teller. Will be HG/SS. I've listed it as AU on the strength of the first chapter, but it may turn out to be canon-compatible. Wasting Away (formerly A Kiss of Sick) by Deathofme
Dark and gruesome but very well-written horror HGSS multi-part story. A hideous epidemic which mutates the victims into unrecognisable forms is ravaging the wizarding world. Snape and Hermione are working together at one of the few surviving clinics when Snape becomes infected. His condition is manageable in the short term, but in the long term his prospects, and Hermione's in her turn, are very bleak. [Warning – heroic character-death.] Waves of Steel by Heden
Tragic and elegiac songfic about Snape trying to come to terms with the heavy losses suffered during the final battle. Wax and other forms of sculpture by rhoddlet
Strange, elegaic, moderately explicit slash-piece pairing the teenage Severus and Remus. Thoroughly canon-shafted as regards Snape's background. We Dug These Holes We Crawled Into by violet gallagher
Very well-written slash one-shot portraying a somewhat turbulent relationship between Snape and Harry. We Sort Too Soon: The Life of Severus Snape by onoM
Very well-written WIP. Its take on Snape is very far from the usual one but is just about canon-feasible. The Weight of Fire by KatyaX
The war has been won, the trio are back at school and Snape is introducing the class to some concepts in Muggle chemistry. Feeling that he is losing Hermione's interest, he sets her a surreal philosophical problem. WIP What If? by Louisa
Long one-shot: at the point of her death, Lily is given the chance to go back to her first day at Hogwarts and live her life over, differently: but what changes will bring about the best result? What's The Matter Here? by Kittenmommy
A grim look at Snape's early childhood, from the point of view of a concerned neighbour. Canon-shafted as regards Snape's family home – although I suppose it's possible the family did live in London at some point. Whatever I've Done by Logospilgrim
Snape is tortured almost to the point of death by Voldemort and dumped back at Hogwarts with injuries which refuse to heal. It falls to Harry to find a cure. The writing of this story, though competent, is not outstanding: but I include it because it's nice to see a story in which Snape finally does get the appreciation he deserves for all his courage and sacrifice. I especially like the idea of a small turf-war breaking out between the houses over who gets to visit him in hospital first. When Snape Mentored Harry Potter by Emily Waters
Humorous drabble: exactly what kind of rôle model would Snape be? The White Road by perverse_idyll
Novella-length slash one-shot: Lily, watching from the afterlife via a kind of astral TV-set, looks at Harry's current life and possible future and forsees a relationship with the boy she herself had rejected, but whom she gradually comes to appreciate in hindsight. Superbly well-written and, apart from making Snape gay, absolutely canon-compatible, with witty and spot-on characterisation (Gellert, for example, is described as a "cat-eyed, mellifluous creep"). Listed as AU as well as Post-DH because it openly plays with the idea of alternative futures. Who By Fire by KzVL
Many years on from the events in the books, Snape is terribly burned during the final battle with Voldemort, and wakes to find Hermione, his ex lover, seated at his hospital bedside. Whom to Pity by Ballyharnon
Sparkling, outstandingly well-written story which begins with Snape and Hooch as old friends sharing a drink, and then goes into flashbacks to their friendship at school and what led Snape to take the Dark Mark. Very AU as he joins Voldemort as the Ministry's spy from the outset. Unfinished and likely to remain so (not updated since May 2004) – which is a shame as the writing is really remarkably good. Why, Oh Why by astopperindeath
Humorous vignette: Dumbledore has strange ideas about what clothes might render Snape inconspicuous in Muggle London. Why the banana? by EnglishTeaRoses
The hungover aftermath of an enthusiastic stag-night celebration. Wings by Juxian Tang
Harry has been seriously injured in the final battle, and has hazy, surreal memories of Snape saving him – which Snape downplays. Could be seen as slightly slashy, but only if you want it to be (Harry remembers Snape as kissing him, but it seems fairly clear it was a kiss-of-life). Wish for Me by CrypticSunrise
The knowledge of his own isolation eats at Snape's soul until something cracks and he makes a wild attempt at suicide – which is thwarted by an unexpected rescuer. Witch and Princess by E. M. Pink
An alternative version of Sev and Lily's childhood friendship, in which among other things Lily has a different, black father, and a quite different dynamic with Petunia. WIP Witness by Kelly Chambliss
The war takes a different turn and Snape and McGonagall end up together in a refugee camp, their relationship recalled years later by a former Durmstrang student and fellow refugee. Two-part, complete. Wordlessly by Super Lizard
A series of atmospheric one-shots without dialogue, centreing around Snape: in the first one Harry, wandering restlessly one night, chances to see Snape returning injured from a Death Eater meeting, and Dumbledore's combination of silent empathy and ruthlessness. I consider the first one as AU rather than Pre-HBP because if this scene had really happened, it's hard to believe Harry would have gone on doubting Snape as he did. A World Without by Kasei13
As Harry pursues Snape across the grounds after Dumbledore's death, he wishes, with magical force, that James had let Remus kill Snape in the Shrieking Shack when they were boys – and finds himself in the timeline where that was true which is, of course, also a timeline in which Voldemort's first rise was never halted. Excitingly-written and original, although so full of typing errors that it's quite hard to read. WIP The Wrong One by TimeTurnerForSale
Hermione blunders into a trap meant for someone else, and is captured by Bellatrix and taken to the Dark Lord. What if anything can Snape do to save her? WIP, very creepy and Gothic. A Year Like None Other by Aspen in the Sunlight
Harry has to return to the Dursleys during term because Petunia is seriously ill, and Snape (Polyjuiced to look like Lupin) accompanies him as bodyguard. A prickly rapport builds up between them which will eventually lead to Snape adopting both Harry and Draco. Very long. Yes by Spoon-Sharpwit
Snape receives an anonymous Valentine, and isn't sure whether it's a prank or whether one of the students really does have a crush on him. N.B. if you view the Valentine as a sexual pass then this is highly dodgy as the student concerned is very young – but in my experience kids this age send Valentines as gestures of non-specific general affection, there's no suggestion that Snape will do anything about it except feel touched and flattered, and the piece is so beautifully-written I felt I had to include it. Yes, but by aestel
Humorous WIP which takes the standard Marriage Challenge plot and pairs Snape with Tonks instead of Hermione. Canon-shafted by the revelation that Snape is a half-blood, but still wonderfully and hilariously in character for both Snape and Tonks. You are Remembered Still by mavidian
When Hermione's son tries to investigate the mysterious Professor Snape, he uncovers the story of a man who took drastic action to save a friend, and paid a terrible price. Bittersweet. Your eyes alone have seen my sin by moreteaplease
Rather OoC but sweet and well-written slash one-shot. Snape is sick from self-harm and self-neglect, and from injuries received as a spy, but he will let no-one but Remus, his former lover, see him stripped or care for him. Your Fading Light by fayzalmoonbeam
One-shot imagining what would have happened after the Quidditch match in OotP if Draco had insulted Harry's mother as well as Ron's – in Snape's hearing. Yuletide for the Mourner by Romann
Hugely atmospheric, moderately explicit slash one-shot: one dark night at Grimmauld Place, Ginny glimpses Harry and Snape apparently having a passionate argument, but she soon learns there's more than one kind of passion.