Slytherin/Slytherin pairings create Power Couples. You can’t help but marvel at their determination, elaborate plans and particular talent of intimidating the peasants with a pointed glare.
Slytherins get a bad rap in the Harry Potter series. Painting them as villains only out for themselves completely disregards the strengths of this house.
For those unfamiliar with the intricacies of the Hogwarts House system, Slytherins are best known for their personal ambition, cunning and deep-set loyalty to the people they choose. They look after their own and strive to be the greatest they can be – a trait that shows up in the way they support their family and friends. Slytherins push their loved ones to grow because they see their potential and want to help them realize their own ambitions, too.
While generous with loved ones, Slytherins still have a strong sense of self-preservation and are always keeping an eye out for shifting power dynamics and signs of betrayal. This can cause them to fall back to manipulation if wronged and cause a whole lot of angst in a dual Slytherin relationship.
Double the loyalty, double the resourcefulness… and double the mistrust. For these two green peas in a pod, mutual respect and shared (or at least well-aligned) ambitions are key.
Take a look at some of these Slytherin power couples!
1. Frank Underwood (Slytherin) and Claire Underwood (Slytherin)
Ok, Frank and Claire Underwood aren’t exactly moral paragons, BUT their relationship is Peak Slytherin – including their downfall (spoilers, but… I mean, it’s been years since House of Cards ended.)
The Underwoods are partners in crime, bound together by their hunger for political power. Claire is the Lady Macbeth to Frank’s Machiavelli. She’s a ruthlessly efficient ice queen (and he’s a silver-tongued commander with a southern drawl). Perfect match to get to the top.
In true Slytherin fashion, they turn to one another in moments of calm and chaos. They don’t have to explain themselves to one another, only their plans and intentions. No one else “gets” their ambition quite like the other.
They have a tradition of sitting by a window of the White House and sharing a cigarette (despite both having claimed to quit the habit) in the dead of night. Sometimes they talk, sometimes they don’t.
The Underwoods aren’t a particularly warm or even a healthy couple. But neither are looking for warmth in their relationship. They want mutual success and respect. Things go wrong anytime one Underwood tries a power play against the other. When Frank pulls rank as President, Claire will remind him who made him President in the first place. If they’re not together in this, they’re opponents – and Slytherins don’t let their opponents win.
It’s only once Frank starts to disregard Claire’s ambitions and goals that she takes off the kid gloves. Claire’s loyalty and (perhaps) love for Frank keeps her from outright killing him, but she fully intends to make him suffer for belittling her. She’ll take the reins and succeed without him.
And honestly, after the whole Kevin Spacey fiasco – go for it, Claire.
2. Cece Parekh (Slytherin) and Winston Schmidt (Slytherin)
“Schmece” seems like an opposites-attract situation with try-hard Schmidt and effortlessly cool model Cece, but they have more similarities than you’d think – especially as Cece comes out of her shell and reveals herself to be just as weird as the rest of the New Girl gang, cucaracha doorbell and all.
Schmidt gives everything his all. He’s status-conscious, trying to move up in his career and try out the next “cool” thing. He has incredible willpower as seen in his commitment to look his best and stay fit after growing up overweight. He’s organized, efficient and has impeccably high standards for himself and others.
Schmidt wants to do his best and be at the top of his game, and he works hard to make sure his friends get that same support. He’s the “Papa Bear” of his den and won’t let anyone sit down and give up.
Let’s face it, Nick would be buried under old hoodies and empty cereal boxes without Schmidt there to push him forward!
Likewise, Cece would 100% pull a knife on anyone who spoke ill of Jess. She starts out reserved in the series, not one to share much about her life but over time she opens up to Jess’s friends and claims them as her own. With that loyalty comes Cece’s steadfast support in the form of advice, access to celebrities and anything else she can offer to ensure their success.
Schmidt supports Cece full-stop as she starts her own business. He knows she can do it and he will fight anyone—including her doubts—who says otherwise. Meanwhile, Cece’s confidence in Schmidt helps him channel his ambition to his goals instead of wasting time trying to look cool for people who she knows isn’t worth his time.
3. Blair Waldorf (Slytherin) and Chuck Bass (Slytherin)
Blair and Chuck are the only couple worth their salt and sass in Gossip Girl. They revel in their fashion and riches, scheme together against enemies and catch each other’s eye across the room to share A Smug Look when someone else’s life falls apart.
Queen Bee is the girl in charge. She has her posse with a dress code and specific rules. There’s no doubt that she runs the social scene. Blair is petty, manipulative and all-or-nothing in her desire for The Best. It’s her way or the highway, and she nurtures her connections.
Blair is an incurable romantic, wanting to be proposed to on top of the Empire State Building and live a life worthy of Audrey Hepburn’s glamor. But she’s no fool. No matter how much she loves Chuck at the beginning of their relationship, she’s expecting to be betrayed.
Chuck doesn’t care if people thing he’s a “bad” guy. He already has an empire and isn’t afraid to throw his name, money and influence around to get what he wants. He’s distant and believes himself superior to everyone else in New York (except for Hufflepuff Nate. Chuck would literally offer him the jacket off his back if asked.)
Blair, however, might just be Chuck’s match for manipulation. They spar and scheme, and all will be well if they keep their emotions out of it.
But nope. Chuck falls fast for Blair, too. It just takes him a few seasons to accept that he can let go of some self-preservation to trust her and that she means it when she offers her loyalty in return for his. Nice try, Bass
…XOXO Gossip Girl.
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