Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Sporks

[rj_anderson]

I just watched this again to see if it was as eyebuggingly, earwormingly horrific as I remembered, and yes, yes it was. I think the cracked-out dancing girls may actually be the worst bit, because dude, the choreography. Anyway, the only way I could make the pain go away was to share it, once more, with the rest of you:

The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.

In other and completely unrelated news (unless you think that Leonard Nimoy reminds you of Snape, which is possible in a random sort of way), I have actually started writing a post-HBP Snape/Maud fic, to serve as a more canonical alternative to the now-AU If We Survive.

I've been moving toward a less romanticized portrayal of Snape for a while -- you can see it in "Cold Water" and "Bewitching the Mind, Ensnaring the Senses", both of which were written after OotP. But the "Spinner's End" chapter of HBP was, in a strange way, comforting and confirming to me: it showed that I hadn't been that far off the mark in guessing what Snape might be like, how he might converse, in a situation where he was on reasonably civil terms with the others present and his hatred of James Potter & Co. wasn't uppermost on his mind. (Plus, so totally Snape pulling the wool over Bellatrix's eyes and manipulating the situation to play out with his and Dumbledore's planned endgame, but I digress.) So while Snape is certainly not any normal person's idea of a good date, and I can no longer imagine him in a situation like the one I wrote in IWS Ch. 3 (pity, as I rather liked that crimson turtleneck), I still don't think he is hopelessly screwed up when it comes to all human relationships.

Anyway, the fic. Don't worry, it's short -- I have not completely parted ways with sanity. But the challenge of writing Snape again, given what we now know of his personality, was too tempting to resist. lizbee and cesario have seen the little bits I've written so far and seem to think they're all right, so I shall continue as time and responsibilities permit, and hope to have something to post here soon.

Comments

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I know better than to download anything described in terms of "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" and Leonard Nimoy.

...but yes, the fic so far is indeed lovely, although I feel there's more room for cheap goat humour. (There's always room for goats! /Aberforth)

One of the things that always amuses me about "Spinner's End" is the way it really does reinforce as much Snape fanon as it destroys. Of course, it helps that I was never attached to the notion of his having a country house* and an aristocratic title.


* "No Such Place" notwithstanding. I liked Snape's crumbling, haunted mansion of gothic angst.

[zakhad.livejournal.com]

I had heard the Ballad of BB before, but never seen the video. Dang! What is with the clothes-throwing, dayglo-sweatshirted glee club? Wearing pointed ears? Are they supposed to be elves or Vulcans? Love the very last frame where he has a very Spockian expression of perplexity, after a whole video full of grinning and singing flatter than a sheet of paper.

Ouch.

[ravensnape.livejournal.com]

RJ, you rock my world. But I still vote for the turtlenecks! So we get to read it when? And remind me...didn't you start one where Snape is in the cellar of the Hogs Head just after D's death?

Ah, back stabbers. Caesar didn't see it coming, are you certain Dumbledore did?

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

You get to read it as soon as I get the chance to finish writing it -- which means your guess is as good as mine as to when that will be, because, y'know, the baby. I don't get much time to type with both hands on the keyboard these days... but thanks for the vote of confidence!

And BTW, this story is a continuation of the Hog's Head one, so yes, you remember correctly.

Caesar didn't see it coming, are you certain Dumbledore did?

Well, if Caesar had drunk poison and spent a while staggering around before collapsing on the steps, then looked Brutus straight in the eye as he approached and said "Please..." I would probably be questioning whether he'd planned his death beforehand too. :)

[ravensnape.livejournal.com]

akjfjaklghjklf;hgha;gahk!

[sunsethill.livejournal.com]

All I can say is Yippee! More RJ!Snape.

[rose-in-shadow.livejournal.com]

Yay! I wondered and wished you might write a post-HBP Snape/Maud fic, but with a new baby and the health problems you've had, I wasn't sure if you'd have time.

Needless to say, I'll be looking foward to it.

BTW, whatever happened to the Alias/HP fic you posted a snippet of ages ago?

Bwaahaahaaa!

[serenasnape.livejournal.com]

Your icon is legendary!

Re: Bwaahaahaaa!

[rose-in-shadow.livejournal.com]

Hehe. With good reason. Normally I don't like taking icons that are seen everywhere, but this one I had to have.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

whatever happened to the Alias/HP fic you posted a snippet of ages ago?

It is in eternal limbo, thanks to my waning interest in Alias and my realization that the idea of Sark being related to the Malfoys was a rather thin premise on which to hang a whole story.

I can at least tell you that Rambaldi was a wizard, the artifact in question was magical, and that Sark was assisted in his thievery by Pansy Parkinson, who thought that if she couldn't have Draco she might as well have the next best thing, Muggle or not. There was going to be a nifty action scene where Snape and Sydney broke into the (heavily guarded and security-wired) estate where Sark was holed up, with Sydney using the best technology the CIA had to offer, and Snape surreptitiously casting spells that made Sydney wonder just what kind of super-duper tech he was using.

Of course, none of the magical stuff would ever be quite clear to Sydney or Vaughn, but I had hoped to delicately imply it in such a way as to amuse the informed reader.

Oh, and I forgot the bit where Snape visits Irina in her prison cell and it's obvious they've worked together in the past. That was fun, at least in theory. Irina was ever so slyly amused.

[rose-in-shadow.livejournal.com]

the bit where Snape visits Irina in her prison cell

Hee! That sounds like fun. If you ever wrote that part as a drabble, I'd be a willing reader :D.

I just thought of something totally random while glancing through the reponses here and seeing your Snape and Knife icons... What would happen if Paul and Knife met Maud and Snape.

O_o

Somehow I get this vision of Knife and Maud exchanging amused glances as Paul and Snape bare their teeth at each other and try to be polite... *L*

[sreya.livejournal.com]

Thank goodness you put the good news about writing more Snape/Maud after that link, because you definitely needed to make up for sharing that particular piece of history. *shudders* Thank goodness I was born after the 70s!

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Here, have a spork. I'm not using it at the moment, since for some reason I find that music video fairly entertaining.

[kizmet-42.livejournal.com]

Why do I remember this from being a kid?

I'm certainly old enough to have seen it the first time it was aired, and I've always been a fangurl for Spock.

He sings better than Shatner.

[autumnmist.livejournal.com]

I am glad to see more Snape/Maud!

[(Anonymous)]

I liked Turtleneck!Snape, but I'm sure I'll enjoy any version of him you choose to write. 8-) New fic--I can hardly wait!

Mary Anne

[infiniteviking]

TBOBB is indeed seriously scary.

Looking forward to more of Snape and Maud! New RJA fic is always welcome.

[callyperry.livejournal.com]

Squeeee! More fic! You can have all my sporks!

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Eee! Where have you been?! *hugs* I've missed you!

[mara-3333.livejournal.com]

Yeah, more Snape and Maud. Yipppeeeee !

I too would love to know how dear Sev ( hope he doesnt mind me caling him Sev ) is getting on in that cellar. Aberforth just puched him as far as I recall. Hope that nose is ok - hehe

Are you absolutely certain that Snape killing(?) DD was part of some big end-game. I hope your are correct, however, I am beginning to have my doubts.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

You'll find out about Severus in the cellar, because it's part of the same story.

Are you absolutely certain that Snape killing(?) DD was part of some big end-game.

If I were any less sure, I would be worried about it and trying to bolster my confidence by looking for more evidence in favour of the theory. As it is, however, I can't even be bothered to look for further evidence, because I feel so very certain about it. Felix Felicis proves it all as far as I'm concerned -- if Snape killing Dumbledore had been a bad/unlucky thing, then Hermione (who was full of Felix Felicis at the time she encountered him, just after he Stunned Flitwick on his way to kill Dumbledore) would certainly have stopped him. As it was, both Draco and Snape successfully ran the gauntlet of Ron, Ginny, and Hermione -- all of whom had taken Felix -- to meet Dumbledore at the top of the tower. That means Dumbledore's death was meant to happen, and that it was (strange as it may sound) good luck.

[sannalim.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay, I've been hoping you would do something like this.