Helloo, I love your takes on Snape!!
What's your opinion on the Xenophilius/Severus crackship? For some reason Ive completely fallen in love with the concept. They're quite the opposite in many regards (grumpy/sunshine, goth/hippie, weed/nicotine lmao), but I think it could honestly be so cute in a post war setting. Xeno might be a conspiracy theorist - they'd bicker soo much about this - but I don't think he's academically unintelligent. I think his creativity and thinking outside the box could inspire Sev in his potion making and inventing and stuff. And I don't think he'd take Sevs tendency to be quite mean/lash out very personally, might even laugh at it. And they'd both like flowers 🥺 I could write an essay about them.
Also it's peak comedy potential.
Thank you! <3 Now, wouldn't that be an odd pair?
I see where you're coming from and I agree that there's cuteness in the contrast of their aesthetics. Opposites are nod-approving.
This being said, I think they'd be a huge mismatch intellectually speaking. Not necessarily because Xenophilius is inherently less intelligent than Severus (though if I had to take a stance I'd say he is) but in the way their minds work.
Severus is a pragmatic and a scholar. He'd get so annoyed so fast at Xenophilius's antics. The problem isn't that the other man is a mad conspirationnist, it's that he's not backing his claims with hard evidence! And this would be totally unacceptable for our Potion Master. Severus has a curious mind and loves to experiment, yes, but he is set on method, prudence and does a lot of researches beforehand.
We also know Xenophilius is ignorant and reckless. When gifted an Erumpent horn - a highly dangerous object to have in one's house - he wasn't able to recognize it and believed wholeheartedly the lie he had been fed by the person who gave it to him. We can be nice and say he's a bit candid, but Severus would absolutely loose his shit over stuff like that. This story alone makes us wonder how the hell that man hadn't killed himself and his daughter years ago.
Can you imagine Xenophilius in a potion lab? This would be a total nightmare! He'd take jars, not put them back, scatter volatile or dangerous ingredients everywhere, inhale stuff, spill stuff, even maybe 'try to help' and put something in Severus's cauldron because 'it felt right'. No, honestly, pretty sure Severus would prefer to be locked in with Neville any day in comparison. He'd get so many grey hair so fast.
He is intelligent, that's for sure, but people have outwardly described him as 'unbalanced' and we have seen in text their claim wasn't unfounded. Sure sometimes he'd get a genius idea because he totally thinks out of the box and that's his greatest strength but he also seems unable to use critical-thinking about himself.
Honestly, as hard as it sounds, I think Severus would be embarrassed to be associated with him.
This being said, when faced with evidence of Xenophilius being right about something, Severus would be very puzzled. It's just hard to say if that man has a good instinct or if he's just weirdly lucky sometimes. Unfortunately, looking at canon events, the odds aren't in his favor.
Xenophilius is a very volatile ingredient, which doesn't feel to me like what Severus might want in a post-war life. He's been through so much stress, all he'd want is peace.
Unless he can't deal with peace and unhealthily seeks chaos. Then maybe? But I don't think it would last. At best I can imagine them going on a few dates and Severus going a few times to his house and every time he'd leave swearing he'd never go back to this madhouse ever again.
One thing Severus would appreciate though, is that Xenophilius wouldn't be prejudiced against the Dark Arts. It feels like he's got a broader view on magic than most and would just consider it... well, magic. And that would be very refreshing to Severus. Also Xenophilius would tell him about non-existent Dark Creatures and Severus would sigh but entertain him and be patient until Xenophilius hits him with the 'But can you prove it doesn't exist?!' and then he'd get a teacup smashed onto his head.
So I agree, there's comedy potential in here.
Also, imagining gothic-looking-Snape beside omelette-yellow-Xenophilius is quite a mind treat.
Part 2 of this ask
But I'd be curious to hear your counter-arguments if you care to share them with us.
