The (non-slashed) Snape-Draco relationship...a writer's rant

[darth_luna]

I'm working on this scene in my story, and this is giving me fits.  How do we get from Draco's arse-kissing of his Head of House in previous books to the "he's just trying to steal my thunder with the Dark Lord" whinging we get in HBP?

Comments

[harmony_bites]

It would be easy to go for spoilt user Draco, canonically speaking ,if it weren't for two things--the bathroom scene and the one on the Astronomy Tower. I used to despise Draco pre-HBP--its those two things that made me see him as possibly as symphathetic, and then the fanfic did me in. But truly, postHBP I think cruel no-conscience Draco is done for. He's no killer--he did lower that wand

[darth_luna]

Did he admire him, see him as a surrogate father

For Dracofans, I think that's generally the default position. And well, as overdone as it is, well, I like Draco, I like Snape, I want them to like each other. So that's where I lean.

And actually, you can even combine the above with 3 and 4. That could give a larger layer of resentment and mistrust.

Actually, that works well. 3 & 4 depend on him not being fully aware of *why* he's so pissed off at Snape. while the above gives him a rationalization for that anger-- while not being its legitimate source. Now I just have to write it...*damn*.

[harmony_bites]

LOL. If it's any consolation, I had this answer for you because I had to work it out myself. For one scene in my WIP I went on a "Draco Hunt" looking throughout the books for any passages describing him and making notes. Draco won't appear too much in my story for quite a while--because it's canon Draco avoids Snape till the Christmas party--but that doesn't mean I don't ultimately see him playing an important role.

Besides--I've grown to like the ferret too. Sympathetic Draco is I think the default position in HG/SS as Sympathetic Snape is in DM/HG--we tend to like our Slytherins.