St. Patrick’s day never went well for Severus Snape. Ever. All of the “luck” that was supposedly associated with it tended to be the bad kind in his case. He had almost considered, when he woke up, to just sleep in and not go to any of his classes for the day. But, as was usual with this particular day, he wasn’t so lucky. Dumbledore had personally seen to it that Severus was up in the morning. Quite loudly.

Severus had been planning his excuse when there was a loud crash in the front room. He groaned and removed himself from the comforting warmth of his bed. He walked barefooted to the room in which the noise had emanated from. That was when he had heard the giggling.

Growling, Severus stepped through the door and almost yelled. Leprechauns, several of them, were pouncing about in his room. Albus was smiling gently from Severus’ chair as the red-haired heathens were ransacking his room. His long white beard had clovers interwoven in it and his robes that day were green with dancing leprechauns.

“Albus. If you do not get those giggling green-suited nuts out of my room, so help me-.”

“Now Severus, where is your St. Patrick's Day spirit?”

“Albus…”

Dumbledore smiled and with a flick of his wand the little creatures were gone. “I hope they didn’t disturb you any.”

“Of course not,” Severus replied sarcastically.

“I do hope you are planning on coming down to breakfast. The decorations are quite exquisite. Professor Flitwick has most certainly outdo-”

“Merlin! I’ll go!”

Dumbledore’s eyes glinted as he stood and left for the Great Hall.

“Today is going to be a very bad day,” Severus muttered as the door closed.

---

Harry walked into the Great Hall with wide eyes. The Slytherins, he thought, must have been having a field day. The whole hall was covered in green. Clovers floated in the air and leprechaun gold was covering the tables. Green streamers were twisted along the tables with shining green confetti falling like snow from the ceiling. He was drawn from his musings by a sharp pain in his arm.

“Ow! What was that for?”

Ron smiled as he walked past Harry. “You aren’t wearing green. You get pinched it you don’t wear green on St. Patrick's Day. Everyone knows that!”

Harry sighed and took his seat by Ron. He had a bad feeling that today wasn’t going to be pleasant.

---

Severus was currently fuming. He stormed out of the Great Hall, his green hair flying behind him. Someone had spiked his drink - he knew it. It was only when the whole Hall burst into laughter did he realize something was wrong. He turned and glared at Albus whose smile was much too large for his taste. He lifted his knife to his face and his face flamed red. He stood angrily and left out the side door. Severus headed for the Dungeons, he refused to teach class now.

---

Harry Potter was livid. His hair had been turned Weasley red. He didn’t know who did it but he was going to find out. He knew it had to have been in his drink, he hadn’t touched anything else. All he knew was that he took a drink of his pumpkin juice and the whole Hall burst out in laughter. Hermione had to tell him what was wrong. He stormed out of the Hall and was now wandering the corridors angrily.

He had been staring at the floor on his walk and it was no surprise when he ran into someone.

“Watch where you’re going Potter,” Severus snarled.

Harry jerked his head up an apology on his lips when he started laughing, stopping shortly after seeing Snape’s expression. “I’m sorry sir.”

Severus didn’t say anything. He just stared. Harry’s brilliant green eyes seemed to glow with the red mop on his head. Severus was – for lack of a better word – enchanted.

“Professor Snape, are you okay?”

Severus jerked his mouth shut, unaware that he had even been gaping. “You have nothing to laugh about Potter. When did you become a Weasley?”

Harry’s expression darkened and his lips tightened. He opened his mouth as if to say something but closed it and walked away.

Severus stood in his spot a moment longer before deciding that he was going to go to class. Gryffindor had double potions that morning.

---

“There is a potion on the board. Copy the instructions, get your ingredients and get started.”

No one in the class had dared to laugh when they saw their professor’s hair. The look on his face alone had scared most of the students into a subdued silence.

Severus had been watching Potter since he had walked in. His hair was still red and his eye still glowing green. Severus had wondered why he had never noticed the color; it reminded him of emerald that rested in the eye of the snake on his ring only better. When Potter turned the flecks of sage green grew prominent. Severus sighed internally and looked back at his papers.

---

Harry sat confused. Snape had been acting weird since their run-in in the hall. And even though Harry hadn’t shown it he knew Snape had been staring at him since he walked into class. He sighed and started chopping his bat eyes into fours. Harry couldn’t think of any reasonable excuse for the strange behavior, He knew it didn’t have anything to do with his hair, it wasn’t that distracting. Harry also knew Snape loathed him, so it couldn’t be that – to Harry’s dismay – that Snape liked him. Harry glanced up once to meet the older man’s eyes then quickly looked back down. Harry hated his life sometimes.

---

Severus wanted to growl. Potter had looked at him! To Severus that meant that Potter was taunting him. Even if he didn’t know exactly how he was taunting him. Potters lips had gotten darker as well, redder... and did! Yes! Potter was now taunting him by licking his lips. Severus scowled and put his quill down. He had to do something about this foolishness.

---

Harry had hurried to take his seat next to Ron in the Great Hall.

“Ya know, mum would like seeing you with red hair.”

“Shut it Ron. It’s not funny. Ow!” another pinch. “I’m getting really tired of being pinched too. Don’t my eyes count for something?”

“You were born with them mate, that doesn’t-” the loud squawk of an owl interrupted the red head as the mail arrived.

Harry sighed and started at his lunch. He really didn’t understand what the big deal was with St. – A rose, a black rose with a green ribbon landed in front of him. Harry glanced at Rom who was staring at the dark flower as well. Hermione looked over with curiosity written all over her face.

“Well,” she said. “Who’s it from?”

Harry picked up the flower gently and looked at the small card attached.

‘The writing will only appear when you are by yourself.’ Appeared for a few seconds then disappeared.

“It doesn’t say anything.” Harry stood and walked out of the Great Hall by himself.

---

Severus watched from the front table as Harry stood up. “Foolish boy,” he muttered though it was spoken with fondness.

---

Harry ran to the Room of Requirement and pulled out the note.

‘Harry, I find myself in a bit of a predicament. It appears that I have been slightly enamored by your presence as of late. I do not expect you to guess who this is as, I am sure, you would find it difficult to believe or even stomach. However, I find myself pursuing you nonetheless. Perhaps you would like to meet me this afternoon by the lake after dinner. It is supposed to snow so dress warm.

Yours truly,

The Prince

Harry sat in the conveniently placed sofa and sighed. He knew whom it was from; there was no mistaking that. The sophisticated words and “disguised” spidery handwriting gave the man away. But why? What had spurred such a drastic change?

Sighing again Harry stood up and left for the dorms. He would meet him and find out what was going on.

Harry was sitting by the lake. He didn’t go to dinner; he didn’t think he would be able to eat. It was indeed snowing outside and Harry shivered as a cold breeze brushed over him. The moon was the only light and it reflected off the lakes surface making it look black and reminding Harry of Severus’ eyes.

He was sitting on a rock near the water letting the sound of the water lapping at the rock relax him.

“Are you daft? Do you want to catch cold?” Came the biting acerbic voice.

Harry didn’t turn around. “I was planning on asking you the same thing Professor.”

Severus chuckled and walked behind the rock. “So you knew it was me and yet you still came.”

Harry turned “Only you can sound like you are lecturing in a love letter.”

Severus smiled and almost sent Harry falling from the rock from the shock. “So I’ve been told.”

“I don’t understand. You hate me one minute and like me the next? That isn’t possible. Did you even consider that something might be off?”

“Wonder of wonders, Potter has a brain. And uses it!”

“Please, try to think straight. As much as I am used to strange things happening to me, this, I think, is too weird even for me. Maybe you’re under some kind of love potion or lust potion, I don’t know but please just find out,” Harry said desperately. It hurt him having Snape at his feet like this and knowing that something wasn’t right.

“I’ve got to go.” Harry stood up and started walking away. Severus grabbed Harry’s arm and pulled him into a kiss.

Harry melted. His lips, his body, were on fire. But it wasn’t right. He pulled away regretfully and looked up at the dark eyes of the man in front of him. He shook his head and walked back up to the school. Harry had to talk to the headmaster.

---

“Harry, I see your hair has yet to change back,” Dumbledore said happily.

Harry nodded. “I can’t undo it. I need to talk to you about something… There’s something wrong with Professor Snape. He’s acting… weird. I think maybe some one slipped him a potion or something.”

“I know.”

Harry’s eyebrows furrowed. “You do?”

“Yes. I gave it to him.”

“Did you think that maybe you should have asked me about this?”

“Harry, I did not give him anything that would make him purposely choose you. It is a form of Amortentia. However, instead of making the drinker fall in love, it makes the drinker find their true love, their soul mate, if you will. I did not intend for you to be that person Harry.”

“So he really has feeling for me?”

“So it appears. Harry, Professor Snape is a very unlucky and lonely person. He has sacrificed a lot for the cause and he deserves something in return. I helped the only way I thought possible. He should have already drunk the antidote by now. I spiked his afternoon tea. If you happened to see him tonight he will be clear headed.”

Harry sat dumb. Professor Dumbledore drugged Snape. The whole idea seemed as surreal as the idea of being Snape’s true love.

“I guess I should go then.” Harry stood up, stunned, and made his way to the dungeons.

---

Severus groaned for the third time. He wanted to lock himself away for the rest of his life. He kissed Potter. Potter!

Severus took a long drink from his glass of firewhisky, ignoring the burn as it went down. He would speak with Dumbledore after the day was up. St. Patrick’s day was not the day to do it.

There was a knock on his door. Severus groaned again and opened it then shut it.

“Please let me talk to you.”

“Potter, you need not say anything to me. I will talk to the Headmaster tomorrow about what I have done and it will be dealt with.”

“Snape just open the damn door!”

Severus growled and opened the door. “Potter that is no way to speak to-”

Harry kissed him.

Severus stood stunned as inexperienced lips covered his. He pulled back quickly. “What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?”

“Kissing you,” Harry said with a smile.

“Why?”

“The potion that was in your drink this morning – talk to Dumbledore about that – was a potion that was supposed to help you find your true love. That’s why you were obsessed with me.” Harry leaned in for another kiss. Severus stopped him.

“Potter. You should probably go.”

Harry frowned. “But –”

“Please.”

Harry looked away, hurt and started walking out the door. Severus waited until the boy was further down the hall. “Potter,” Harry turned. “10:00 tomorrow, wear your cloak.”

Harry smiled and walked back to his dorm.

Severus closed the door and sat in his chair with his drink. He smiled and charmed his fire green. St. Patrick's day really wasn’t that bad.