These are gen recs especially starring Severus Snape. Consider them pure gen unless otherwise noted.
The 500 Pieces of Bartemius Crouch (R?) by jacquez. In which we find out how Snape is really spying on Voldemort. Awesome premise. One shot. Please note jacquez' disclaimer and distribution license.
A gift for Severus by Dana. Severus returns the presents that Albus has been giving him for years. Unopened. I love Snape in this one. One shot.
A Gutter Rat's Tale (R) by Minnionette. Canon James/Lily, but otherwise pure gen. The tale of how a gutter rat was adopted into the Potter family and christened Severus Snape, and his further adventures. Not OotP-compliant, of course, but quite well plotted and thought out. Novel length.
A Little Knowledge (PG) by MusIgneus. Severus explains how he is connected to the prophecy to Minerva. Good reasoning and nice characterization. One shot.
A Little Night Air (PG?) by penknife. Snape and McGonagall, talking as they keep watch from the Astronomy Tower. Thoughtful. One shot.
A Reflection Out of Time (PG) by shadowycat. Snape gets stuck. One shot.
A Small Truce (PG-13?) by Marina. Severus Snape threatens an owl, faces a moral quandary, and talks to a wall. Features Snape and Black. Chaptered.
A Sorting Song by Severus (G) by TextualSpinx. It's not really a fic; Snape writes a Sorting Hat song set to the tune of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General" from The Pirates of Penzance. It scans perfectly. One shot.
A spirit of brotherhood (PG?) by torch. Snape, Black, and Lupin go to a small cottage to work a spell with interesting implications. One shot.
A Thousand Words (G?) by Bernice. I'm not sure how well I can describe this fic. It's about Snape, and a warm day by the lake, and it's probably the only fic of its kind. Read this. One shot.
Acts of Necessity (G or PG) by Jedi Boadicea. Snape washes his hair during second year, with surprise appearance by Lockhart. One shot.
Again I turn Around to You and its sequel Believing In What You Will (both PG-13) by Along Came the Spider. Pure gen, though the second includes the wedding of Lucius and Narcissa. Sirius' story, from his first year onward. But what's this? He's friends with Snape? I like the way Pureblood culture is portrayed in these fics, and I'm interested in seeing where the author will take the story next. One novel length fic, one novel length WIP.
All Save the Good (PG) by !Super Cat. Absolutely loffly interaction between Snape and Draco, and a keen insight into the way things seem to work at Hogwarts. One shot.
All This Time (PG) by Sam Vimes. AU in which Snape is Sorted into Ravenclaw and makes friends with MWPP. Novel length, abandoned WIP.
Amidst Scarlet and Gold (G) by Lara Bartram. Dumbledore has a talk with Snape after the Shrieking Shack incident. Bitter. One shot.
And Yet He Flinched (PG) by H.L.B. Sad, and angsty, McGonagall musing on Snape. One shot.
Andantino (PG?) by Mincot. Sirius finds out that he and Severus have something in common. I like the piano playing. One shot.
Anywhere But Here (G) by Sam Vimes. Five years after the Final Battle, Professor Snape runs into Harry Potter by the seashore. They talk. I'm not sure if James is quite right in this, but Snape and Harry are. One shot.
Apothecary and Auror (PG-13) by Pasi. Infinitesimal amounts of Snape/Lily and James/Lily. When young apothecary Severus Snape takes a post at Azkaban, he's assigned to work with the last person he'd expect. Political. Novel length fic.
As Before (PG) by Atrata. Harry becomes Snape's executioner. Ron doesn't understand. Angsty. One shot.
Best Wishes (G?) by hannelore. At Harry's Christening, Severus Snape gives him a gift. The whole thing is canon Snape, especially the last two lines. One shot.
Bleak Midwinter (PG?) by Jolie Black. Sirius is made an offer by the Death Eaters, which sends him into remembrance. Jolie does an awesome job of portraying Sirius. Long one shot.
Camaraderie (R) by stiletto. Includes allegations of homosexuality, but otherwise pure gen. A series of vignettes from Snape's life, many involving his roommate Avery. In my opinion, stiletto's Snape is one of the most IC I've ever seen in fanfiction. One shot.
Cannibalistic Moon (PG-13 or soft R) by dovielr. One of the creepiest stories I've ever read. Snape and full moon!Lupin. One shot ficlet.
Catechism (R) by Dreamfall. Pure gen, though there's a bit of sexual abuse in the first chapter. What if the Dursleys were smarter? Smart enough to turn Harry against magic- against himself. A disturbing look at a Harry who has been taught from infancy to hate and fear everything he is. Dark, of course. Novel length WIP.
Charlie Weasley and the Vampire-Vanquishing Solution (G) by After the Rain. Snape recieves an unexpected visitor to one of his potions classes. Funny, and thoughtful toward the end. One shot.
Childhood Living (PG) by Dommichan. There's an accident in Potions class and Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco, Pansy, and Blaise are all transformed into 5 year olds. What will Snape do with them? And what is Voldemort up to? Very funny and cute. One shot.
The Chocolate Frog War (G) by Leni Jess. Stuck in Azkaban, Snape is drawn into an escalating conflict with his jailors. Clever. One shot.
Choices (R) by Alannis. Canon Lucius/Narcissa and Andromeda/Ted (though she makes him a Muggle for some reason). When the Order has some doubts about Snape's loyalty, Dumbledore forces Snape to broadcast his memories to them. A whole lotta hurt and not a lot of comfort -- and we haven't even gotten to the end of the spell yet. WIP, novel length.
The Conspiracy of Silence Series (PG?) by Nomad. Link goes to Nomad's author page; the fics can be found near the bottom. Canon Lily/James; otherwise pure gen. Severus Snape's seven years at Hogwarts. Young Sev is quite logical, and has a plan to combat the Death Eaters. I'm not sure how IC this Snape is, especially in light of OotP, but he's lots of fun to read about. Seven fics; each is novel length.
The cupboard (PG) by enahma. I went back and forth about whether or not to rec this. I think at times it bashes Sirius and James more than I'm comfortable with. However, other than that aspect I think this fic is very well done, so here it is. One shot.
Dark Avatar (R?) by Julie Fortune. A Slytherin girl is raped at Hogwarts, and Snape and McGonagall must figure out who the attacker was. Dark, obviously. One shot.
The Day thou Gavest (R) by Kulfold. Pure gen, but maybe SS/AD if you squint. Snape helps Harry lay his ghosts to rest. One shot.
Defying Gravity (PG-13) by Felicite. Severus meets Lucius Malfoy for the first time. One shot.
Denial (PG) by schtroumph_c. Snape watches Harry sleep after the Third Task. One shot.
Derailed (PG?) by lethe medusa. A green-eyed boy picks Snape's pocket in Diagon Alley. AU, novel length fic.
Dumbledore, or The Magical Prometheus (PG-13) by marginaliana. A very interesting theory on who--or rather, what--Snape might be. Dark. One shot.
The Eulogy (PG-13) by Viridis. Harry Potter gives the eulogy at Snape's funeral. One shot.
Every Day This Week (PG-13?) by Predatrix. Pure gen, though there's a non-graphic depiction of masturbation. Severus earns detention with Mr. Filch in his first Flying class. But it's not as horrible as he's been told. Sweet. One shot.
Factories That Make Factories (G?) by alibi_factory. Goyle's hidden talents show themselves. Sweet. One shot.
First Snow (PG) by Fabula Rasa. Professor Snape reminisces about an old injury. One shot.
Fidelis (G) by Catherine Cook. The adventures of Snape and the Beanie Baby Hermione gives him. Cute and silly. Chaptered fic, most likely abandoned.
First Day (G?) by Nym. Link goes to the index page; the fic can be found under "Fan Fiction". Snape, the new Potions master, has a spot of tea with Hagrid. One shot.
First Kiss (PG-13?) by Bernice. Snape's thoughts as he's about to be kissed by a Dementor. Impossibly angsty, but Bernice pulls it off without losing momentum or the reader's emotional investment. One shot.
The First Signs of Magic Series (PG?) by Icarus. So far there's Draco, Hermione, and Snape. It's pretty self-explanatory: the first time these three displayed powers. Fluff, humor, and angst. Each is a one shot.
First Steps (PG) by Bugland. Link goes to intertexius.com; enter and select 'Vignettes' to read the fic. Little Severus walks down to the lake with his father for the very first time. One shot.
Fourteen Fathoms (PG) by Vain. Snape discovers something disturbing about Harry and acts . . . like Snape. Angsty. One shot.
Games of Skill and Chance (PG) by Snowballjane. Snape's last term teaching, after the war is over, and he has to adjust. And then a bunch of kids start a games club in his potions classroom. Redemptive, in a reasonable and non-sappy way. One shot.
Green And Red (PG) by Arsenic. Severus and his ongoing relationship with McGonagall. Sweet. One shot.
The Hall of Heroes (PG-13) by Pavonis. Severus comes to his final resting place, which is not what anyone expected. Cool concept and great characterization. One shot.
Herbology Lesson (PG) by Tess. Snape and Sprout have a talk. One shot.
Honour (PG-13) by Josan. Could be read as pre-SS/McG. Snape and McGonagall's relationship, from McGonagall's POV. One shot.
I Died in my Dreams (K+) by DescendingAngel. Snape has been having weird dreams lately. The plot is a bit convoluted, but it comes together pretty well at the end. One shot.
If I Should Learn (M) by MusIgneus. Tonks tails her quarry and remembers Severus Snape. One shot.
In Blood Only (M) by E.M. Snape. It's a Severitus fic, so of course there's past Snape/Lily, and there's also some Harry/Tonks and a few other minor het ships, though you can happily ignore them if you like. Harry finds out that Snape is his father, and gets drawn into various intrigues and revenge schemes. AU, novel length WIP, nearly finished.
Invisible (PG) by FernWithy. How Snape left the Death Eaters, saved the Weasley twins, and delivered James Potter's Invisibility Cloak to Dumbledore. Long one shot.
The Last One (PG-13?) by Lady Brinna. Reference to Severus and James crushing on Lily in the past; otherwise pure gen. Remus and Severus begin to understand each other over drinks. Nice friendship fic, though the end is angsty. One shot.
Learning Curve (G?) by Nomad. Snape reflects on why he ended the Occlumency lessons. One shot.
Learning to Uncurl (G?) by amorettea. Harry helps Snape accept his animagus form. I love the gentle humor and the adorable relationship between Harry and Snape in this fic. One shot.
Lesser Languages (PG) by The Treacle Tart. SS/MM, but only if you squint. Minverva learns how to read Severus. Sweet. One shot.
The Long Road to Damascus (R) by Morrighan. There's some one-sided Snape/Lily in the third chapter you may have to scroll past with your eyes closed, but after that's it's gen all the way. The story of Snape's turning and spying for Dumbledore. I like her Snape, except for the Lily thing. WIP, novel length.
The Man Who Lived (PG-13?) by Beth H. Whoa. Just.. whoa. It's in second person, from Snape's POV as the good guys prepare to defeat Voldemort. The ending is awesome, and Snape is very IC. One shot. The remix, rated PG, can be found here. Written by Donna Immaculata, it does a wonderful job of reinterpreting this fic in light of OotP revelations.
Meeting With a Cousin (K+) by Green Eyed Lady. Set during OotP, Snape and Lupin have a chat about Harry's occlumency lessons. Bonus appearance by Umbridge. Nice characterization. One shot.
Minnaloushe (PG) by byrdgirl. Ron has a wonderful, horrible idea, and next thing you know Snape's got a kitten! Amusing. Novel length.
Missa (G) by Mirabella. A series of post-War vignettes. Bittersweet. One shot.
Mortal Comfort (PG) by teawithvoldy. Harry doesn't want to die alone. Angsty. One shot.
My Day At The Ministry: Severus Snape (PG-13) by Faith Accompli. Includes het snogs. Severus Snape fills in for Minister Fudge for a day and is wildly effective. Fun. One shot.
Neville Longbottom and the Moment of Truth (G) by Dien Alcyone. Neville finally goes off on Snape one day in Potions class. One shot.
The New Boy (G) by LizBee. A short AU in which Harry is sorted into Slytherin, from Snape's point of view. Short one shot.
Nox Redux (PG-13) by Cas. Set the summer after GoF, Sirius Black gets sidetracked while he's alerting the old crowd. Good plot. Novel length.
Once Upon A Time, In Egypt (PG-13?) by Josan. There's an offhand mention of m/m. Bill Weasley tries to convince former Hogwarts professor Severus Snape to come to Egypt and work on a burial dig. It's excellent all around. Long one shot.
One Art (PG) by Nix. Post-War, Snape gets a visit from Lupin. Very bitter. One shot.
Patronus (R) by Tycho. Technically pure gen, though with SS/HG overtones. Snape goes to the Dementors as an emmissary from Voldemort. Creepy. One shot.
The Penitent Man (R) by Koanju. A missing moment -- the interview in which Snape became Dumbledore's spy. Well characterized. One shot.
Phantom Cruciatus (PG-13/soft R) by Liz Barr. Mention of one-sided, teenage Snape/Lily, but that's it. Snape is tortured by Voldemort for his betrayal. During and post-War. One shot.
Prayer of a Child (PG) by Indarae. Mention of past Lily/James and Lily/Severus, but other than that pure gen. This is a Severitus fic that is also AU in that the Longbottoms cracked and told the Lestranges that Harry was living at 4 Privet Drive. Well plotted and thought out. The author ended up deciding to finish the story, so now it's novel length.
Prophet of Doom (PG-13) by Elspeth1. Caligula Snape is killed in an Auror raid; Severus takes extreme measures. Not OotP-compliant. Angsty. One shot.
Pudding (PG?) by Dana. Dumbledore is forced to fire Snape, but Snape's not angry at all. He even bakes Dumbledore a nice pudding. Funny. One shot.
Remus (PG) by MidnightsChild. After OotP, Severus and Remus talk and hash some things out. One shot.
Requiem for the Enemy (PG?) by Canopus. This fic is based on Andantino, but can be read independently of it. Severus Snape thinks of the second time in his life that Black was civil to him. One shot.
Resonance (PG-13) by GreenGecko. There are several het relationships, but the focus is gen. Harry's adventures from the middle of his Sixth Year to his Apprenticeship, including his defeat of Voldemort and his adoption by Snape. It does a good, IC job of showing this rather unlikely scenario. Novel length WIP, currently up to the end of Harry's Seventh Year.
Revenge (PG-13) by mary_re. How Harry learned to cast his first successful Cruciatus Curse. Dark. One shot.
A Reversal (G?) by tarigwaemir. Snape and Lupin sit across from each other in Potions. A quite intriguing spin on canon, made all the more plausible by the excellent characterization. One shot.
Sands of Time (PG) by Ariana Deralte. A thousand years ago something inexplicable happened at Hogwarts. Now strange things are happening at Hogwarts again. Creepy, and far more disturbing than it has any right to be. Novel length.
The Six Month Secret of Severus Snape (PG-13) by Dust Bunny Assassin. A little teenage romance. A chance at revenge against James Potter comes from an unlikely source; is Snape willing to risk everything to get the thing he most desires? Novel length WIP.
Sixteen (PG-13) by MMM. There's some failed flirtation. Snape's life the summer and fall after the Pensieve events. Plotty. Novel length WIP.
So Long and Good Night (PG-13) by Jaxmari. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of a few. Peter Pettigrew thinks in the simplest terms as Harry Potter lies on a dungeon floor, dying. Cool theory. One shot.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (PG-13) by jacquez. Bits of implied Harry/Ginny here and there, but mostly gen. I'm not sure that I like Snape in this fic; he seems to know a lot more than I'd give him credit for. But I do like the concept, and most of the execution. Harry becomes apprenticed to Snape (just in general, not specifically for potions) for five years. I especially like their relationship. Novel length, WIP that may or may not be abandoned. Please note jacquez' disclaimer
and distribution license.
The Staff of Orkney (PG-13)
by Ms. Snape. Professor Severus Snape's cousin, Salazar, comes to teach Defence at Hogwarts. He also
carries the Staff of Orkney, a magical device with great powers. Ms. Snape does a good job of giving
this OMC a well rounded character, and the plot isn't half bad either. Novel length.
Still One Left (PG-13) by Mortalus.
There's a teeny allusion to romance in the last chapter. When Severus Snape is
wounded near death, his brother, the Seneschal of Europe, comes to his bedside. Angsty, but with a
satisfactory resolution. Not OotP-compliant. Novel length.
The Strength of a Slytherin (PG-13)
by Ilmare2. Pure gen. Severus Snape finds a box under his bed and reminisces about his childhood.
Angsty. Novel length. There's a WIP sequel also, called The
Sorrows of a Slytherin which is projected to be novel length.
Teacher's Pet (PG-13) by Didodikali. Hermione is studying the Animagus transformation, and she discovers that she can turn into a snake! The trouble is that she can't seem to turn back again. And guess who picks her up, of all people? The story itself is nothing spectacular; the illustrations are really what make it cool. Two chapters.
That's What Friends Are For
(PG) by Dien Alcyone. The new Defence professor shows up. And he happens to be friends with Snape. (Pause
for shock/gasp/horror.) A nice little story. WIP, most likely abandoned.
The Truest Master (PG-13) by Bugland. Nine year old Severus at his home. Dark. Chaptered.
Twelve Again (PG-13) by Dhrevla. After Professor Snape fails to return from a Death Eater meeting, Hagrid finds a young dark-haired boy who believes the year is still 1968. The victim of an experimental time-reversal potion, young Severus tries to adapt to a changed world. Very good. WIP, novel length.
Two Down (G) by Rowan
Redford. After attending Black's memorial service, Snape does the crossword and has a visit from
someone from his past. Well written, with a well characterized Snape. One shot.
Water-horse (R?)
by Igenlode Wordsmith. Snape comes into possession of a kelpie and decides to harvest its blood, with not
so good results. Scary, and it doesn't end well either. Novel length fic. You probably shouldn't access this
page without your pop-up blocker set.
Welcome to the Dollhouse
(R) by Lilith Morgana. Sometimes hate is the only thing a potions master has to live for.
Dark. Short one shot.
When A Student Becomes A Friend
(G?) by Taran. Filch finally meets a student who he likes. Cute. One shot.
When We Were Gone Astray (M
by skyhawke ratings) by Malecrit. Severus visits a former friend for Christmas in 1981. Good
characterization. One shot.
Where She Stands
(G) by amberdiceless. Minerva runs into Severus right after the Pensieve incident. One shot.
A Year Like None Other (M) by
aspeninthesunlight. There's a bit of offscreen het. In Harry's 6th year, a letter from Surrey sends
him down a path he'd never have walked on his own. Lots of Harry, Snape, and Draco interaction.
Very long novel length WIP, updated regularly.