Now's the moment you've all been waiting for! My first slashy fan fiction! *Hears crickets chirping.* Ok, so, maybe you haven't been waiting very long for this. Yes, this is SLASH, as in male/male relationships.
We have two pairings here... they're both mystery pairings as of now, but I think you'll enjoy them.
Summary: Trelawney is allowed to take over the Valentine's Day celebrations. Students [and some of the eligible staff...] receive pink cards with the time and place they are to meet their perfect match' as chosen by the wacko Divination teacher. Every time there's a *~* thingy, the point of view changes... we focus on Harry and Snape (they are quite good together, but they aren't paired in this fan fiction).
Rating: PG to be safe... if SLASH squicks you, makes the pit of your stomach go kerflop or you'd just rather pass, that's what the back button is for. Just to make a reminder... SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH SLASH. There. I think you've got it.
Disclaimer: let's all bow to JK Rowling, the great. If I had written Potter, I would NOT be writing FAN fiction. Don't sue me, for I haven't a penny to lose.
Review, please! I desperately want to know whether the work of a twelve-year-old is appreciated or not. *Coughs* I've had feedback for fan fiction of mine before (on my Hogwarts site) that, although not being slash or overly-romance-y, had positive feedback. Thanks for reading this thingy, in which I blabbed too much, and happy reading!

.~*~.

Harry made his way down to breakfast with Hermione and Ron, his bag slung over his shoulder. He hated the holiday, but it had once again come as it always did... Valentine's Day.
Valentine's Day had been an ok' holiday before his second year... then it had been a horror that rivaled his meeting with Voldemort each year. Well, maybe not quite as bad....

Making sure that he sat as far from the Slytherin table as possible, just in case he got some embarrassing card of some sort, Harry was too busy to notice Professor Trelawney talking to Dumbledore and carrying a box and her wand. Hermione, however, did, and pointed this out to her two friends.
"What do you think she's planning?" Ron asked her, seeing what the bushy-haired girl was pointing at.
"Probably something bad," groaned Harry, who sunk as low as possible, resting his head on his arms, which were crossed on the table.
"Ginny's not looking your way anymore, Harry... look... is she watching the Slytherin table?! I wonder if Fred or George knows who...."
The scruffily-dressed boy tuned out his best friend's mutters temporarily, and watched the head table. McGonagall had her head in a hand, looking exasperated by the fellow teacher that was dressed in scarily bright pink. Professor Remus Lupin, who had returned to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts this school year was glaring at nobody in particular, and sat next to Professor Sirius Black, who was telling him something which he wasn't too pleased to hear. Harry's godfather had come to help teach Defense Against the Dark Arts with his old school friend.
Sighing, Harry sat up straight when Trelawney started to speak.
"As you all know, it is Valentine's Day, and your headmaster has kindly let me take charge of the celebrations today!" Ron groaned loudly, and Lavender, near enough to hear, glared daggers at him. "Shortly, a large number of owls will fly in here with your mail, and then each of you will get a card. Your card will say your name, and where you can meet the person you are most compatible with, should you choose to know. Once you have unfolded your card, you are spelled, and you must spend at least two hours with your match after you have met with them."

Harry and Ron looked at each other in confusion. The Divination teacher had been sketchy ever since Harry had defeated Voldemort in his sixth year.
The owls came in, hooting and screeching, carrying little folded pink papers, some holding candy, too. Great swarms of owls came and delivered cards to each of the five tables, and then flew out the windows. Harry watched his card land on top of his bacon, and noticed some kids comparing their cards to one another, trying to find out who their match' was. Hermione's landed on top of her Arithmancy book, and she winced.
Harry, while debating looking at the card, watched a small group of owls deliver pink cards to the staff table. He nearly choked on his orange juice when an owl dropped a card in front of Snape.

*~*

Indeed, Snape had gotten a card. He glared at it every few seconds, hoping it would pop into nonexistence, but it didn't.
It just sat there, enticing and dangerous, balanced on the edge of his soup bowl, ready to fall in. He grumpily used his fork to knock it onto the table, not wanting to touch it, and ate breakfast like nothing peculiar had happened. Remus and Sirius were both talking, their cards lying unfolded on the table, and Snape had to glare at them, too. They didn't feel threatened by the existence of a small piece of muggle stationery....

*~*

"By the way," Trelawney crossed her arms, making her many glittery rings and bracelets sparkle in the light. "All of you get out of classes today in order to meet the person on your card. Make sure you go to the correct place at the correct time, and then do something together for two hours, whether it be talking, doing homework, or something else."

Harry gave in and peered at his card, taking note of the time and location before pocketing it. Ron was trying to catch a glimpse of Parvati's card (and was failing miserably), and Hermione had moved the slip of paper to the table so that she could see her book.

*~*

It was still there, looking as harmless as a small child, but feeling as dangerous as a wild tiger. Snape was still glaring at the thin piece of paper, his morning meal all but forgotten. Dumbledore, sitting next to him, was talking happily to Madam Hooch about the coming Quidditch match (which would occur the coming Saturday), and Sirius, on his other side, had scooted his chair as far away from him as possible, and was still talking to Remus.
Stupid piece of paper, Snape thought to himself, sipping a glass of water. If Trelawney hadn't been allowed to take charge of the Valentine's Day celebration, I'd still be able to live my life as normal....
He looked over the student body to see how many had opened the blasted pieces of paper, and saw that most of the Slytherins had, all of the Ravenclaws, a few of the Hufflepuffs, and all but Granger of the Gryffindors. She was buried in a book, and, from what he could tell, could care less that there was a pink card tucked under the cover of her book.
Sighing, Snape touched the cause of his misery for the past ten minutes, and opened it. He caught surprised looks from some of the nearest students, but tactfully ignored them.

Severus Snape, you are to meet your match' in the North Tower at two in the afternoon.

Oh, great. He had done it. He had just committed himself to meet some mystery person in some tall tower in the middle of his free time. He inwardly slapped himself for his stupidity, and glared at his soup while he stirred it, not really eating it.
This was going to be one long day.

*~*

The Gryffindor trio made their way back to their dorms, and Harry used the extra time to work on an essay for Snape, while Ron played a game of wizards' chess against Seamus, and Hermione read her Advanced Potions book, the card in her pocket, still unopened. As Ron won his second game, she finished the book and unfolded the slip of pink-tinged parchment. Harry noticed this from the corner of his eye and didn't comment, as he was busy with the essay on truth potions, which wasn't getting any easier without her help.
When the clock rang out noon, the trio chatted excitedly on their way to lunch. Harry was to meet his match' in the Astronomy Tower just after the meal, and was feeling jumpy... he desperately hoped it wasn't some fan girl.
Hermione was looking thoughtful. "I wonder how they scheduled this out... with a lot of the younger teachers and all of the students, there must not be much time for a couple to get out of one place before another one comes. I'd guess about ten minutes at most, unless they go all the way until midnight...."
"Yeah," said Ron, not really paying attention, but trying to hear Parvati and Lavender's conversation. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and bit into a cookie, watching the staff table with interest. Harry smirked; his friends hadn't changed very much over the years.

*~*

At two o'clock on the dot, Snape made his way to the North Tower, feeling thoroughly sour. How had he gotten himself into this situation? Oh, yes. Trelawney was at fault.
He climbed the staircases, glaring at nothing; a few second year girls that passed him edged away from him in the hallways. Finally reaching his destination, Snape stopped outside the door, balanced at the top of a rickety spiral staircase. With one hand on the doorknob, he stopped to think. What am I getting into? Why am I doing this?
He sighed inaudibly. Because I am a curious fool.
Snape made up his mind and slowly turned the doorknob, and stepped into the room, very ready to stare his death in the face.
I just hope it's not some Gryffindork....

*~*

Harry watched the longer hand of the clock. He'd been staring at it for a while now. Anything to drown out the continual chatter of Dean and Seamus, who were predicting who would end up with who.
Finally, at ten short of one o'clock, Harry left them to find the Astronomy Tower. Surprisingly, he had passed out of the class along with Ron and Hermione two years ago; he needed to refresh his memory.
After thinking for a bit (and wandering a little longer), Harry remembered his old shortcut that he had learned in his third year, after getting the Marauders' Map from Fred and George, and he made his way up staircases and through corridors to the staircase he wanted.
He trudged his way up the staircase nervously, ending up in front of a wooden door with a bronze handle. Yes, the familiar old classroom he hadn't seen for a while now.
Any last wishes, Harry? Harry gripped the handle. Ok then....

*~*

Snape pushed open the door slowly, and didn't move inside the room. He didn't see anyone....
"Snape." acknowledged someone.
Snape spotted the person; crouched low in a corner, hard to see in a quick scan of the room, was Remus Lupin.
"Lupin." he answered, not moving more than to kick the door shut lightly, against his first instinct–to run.
"So you're... Trelawney's match' for me...." Remus looked tired, and he was resting his head on his hands.
"Old dingbat screwed the spell up, this can't be right...."
"Maybe," was Remus' simple reply.
The two men sat on opposite sides of the room, wrapped up in their own thoughts. Snape couldn't believe that he'd unfolded the card in the first place. It had been a quick, Gryffindor-type of decision.
Remus merely wanted the two hours to end.
"I think we should probably move somewhere else... some other couple is going to be needing this room, I'm sure." How thoughtful of you, Lupin. Where do you suggest we go, hmm?
"Fine. Where?"
"I don't know... I need to grade some papers, and I'm sure you do, too... we could use up the two hours by grading them in my office, or something."
Snape simply nodded at the werewolf's idea and opened the door.
"I don't think that Trelawney actually did anything to make it have us spend two hours together," Snape suggested once they had stepped onto the deserted landing. He said the word together' with a slight snarl.
"I don't know if she'd lie... you can test it if you want, I'm just going to my office."
"Fine. I will." Snape set off in the opposite direction. He thought he had succeeded when he went about ten strides without any problems; then, when he had almost reached the other staircase that went down to the dungeons, he was knocked to the ground. His feet seemed to be pulling him back.
Snape swore under his breath and followed Lupin, careful to avoid any students. If any of them found out about this and spread it around as gossip...!
When Remus reached his office, he turned around and saw Snape right away. Crossing his arms, he asked sarcastically, "Resorted to following me?"
"In your dreams, werewolf," Snape growled. "Trelawney's done something so that we can't stand too far apart. I want to go get some papers to grade like you suggested, so come along please."
"Fine, Severus."
Snape started out the doorway, but stopped after a few steps. He turned around with a suspicious look on his face. "What did you say?"
"I said fine," Remus replied, crossing his arms.
"You called me by my first name," Snape muttered, turning around again. The brown-haired man shrugged.
"I did, I guess... oh well."
They didn't exchange any insults on the way to the Potion Master's office; Snape gathered a few books off very tidy shelves and plucked a folder out of a filing cabinet.
"You sure are a lot tidier than I remember you being in school," Remus remarked mildly, more to himself than Snape.
"What do you mean? I've always kept my things like this so that I can find them easily."
"Never mind," replied the werewolf, shaking his head.
"Fine."

*~*

Harry was greeted with an empty room; he walked to one of the wide windows with a sturdy stone ledge and watched some owls flying lower down, around the Owlery, and watched a few happy couples walking through the snow together. Sighing, and feeling more nervous now that he had to wait for his match' to come along, he leaned against the wall and slowly slid down it.
He waited for about five minutes before it opened; a boy entered, wearing a Slytherin Prefect badge.
"Malfoy? Oh, drat it."
"Potter? What in the world did that woman do to figure out this Valentine thing?" He glared at the Gryffindor. "What now? We have to spend two hours together...."
"This is going to be horror," muttered Harry.
"You can certainly say that again," muttered Malfoy, sighing and glaring out the wide, open windows. They stayed that way for about five minutes, then Malfoy sighed and turned around, leaning against the blank patch of wall between the windows. Harry glanced up at him and then returned his gaze to the floor.
"Do you hate me?"
The words rang out into the immense silence. Harry looked up. "What?"
"I said," the Slytherin repeated, stressing each word, "do you hate me?"
"Uh...." Harry looked up at him again, thinking over for an answer. "I don't know."
"Oh." Malfoy suddenly found a brick in the floor very interesting.
Harry stood up, sliding back up the wall, and looking at the door. "You know... I reckon we should go to somewhere else... another couple' might come soon...."
"Yeah." Malfoy opened the door and started down the staircase, but stopped and turned around. "We have to stay as far apart as possible, Potter... I certainly don't want to be seen with you."
Harry sighed, hiding a grin. He liked this Malfoy better, not the quiet one that hid his emotions. Shaking his head, he followed Malfoy along, wondering where the Slytherin was going.

*~*

Snape and Remus graded papers in Snape's office instead; they sat on opposite ends of the room, Remus on a wooden bench near the back, and Snape behind the desk. They continued like this for about an hour, and then both ran out of papers at almost the same time.
"Now what?" Remus muttered, noticing that the other man had no more things to grade either.
"There's still about forty minutes until the thing supposedly wears off," said Snape, glaring at his desk. Remus stacked his papers and slipped them all into a large muggle envelope.
The werewolf sighed. "Yes, about that much. Do you have any more papers to grade?"
"No," was Snape's flat answer.
They stayed still for about five minutes, each wrapped up in his own thoughts. "Thirty-five now," muttered Snape, glancing at the clock. "This is going to take forever."
"Yeah." Remus looked immensely bored.
Both men were thrown out of their chairs towards the middle of the classroom. The bonds that the Divination professor had set upon them were taking effect.
"This is just great," muttered Snape, trying to stand up. Now they had to stand within five feet of each other.
"Trelawney seems to have an interesting idea of fun," grumbled Remus, dusting off his tattered robes. He took a seat before Snape's desk so that he didn't have to be on the floor.
The Potions Master glanced at the clock again. Half an hour, and I'm free....
Remus sighed. The back of his mind wished silently that Trelawney wouldn't push them any closer.

*~*

"Where are we going?" Harry whispered, following the Slytherin.
"Slytherin dorms. Nobody will be in there."
"Oh, great. Can't we go somewhere warmer? Or less like a dungeon, at least?"
Malfoy eyed him suspiciously. "How do you know what the Slytherin common room looks like?"
"In second year, when Ron and I thought you had opened the Chamber of Secrets," Malfoy smirked at this point, "we brewed a Polyjuice Potion and snuck in there, looking like Crabbe and Goyle."
"And why are you telling me this?"
"You asked," Harry offered. "And, since I can blackmail you about this bond thing, I don't feel as threatened."
Malfoy glared at him.

They reached the blank stretch of wall that hid the Slytherin common rooms, and Malfoy muttered a password to it so that Harry couldn't hear. The wall slid open, and after making sure nobody was there, Malfoy led Harry up to his dorm room.
"Woah," Harry gasped upon entering the dorms. "These are huge!"
"We have more room than you, being under the school," he answered. He sat on the bed and propped his feet up. "You can sit down, you know."
Harry stiffly sat on the bed across from Malfoy, eyes trailing to the cabinet beside the bed and a ribbon sticking out from under the mattress Malfoy was sitting on.
"There's still about an hour and a half until the bonds wear off," muttered Harry, glancing at the clock.
"Yeah," The Slytherin looked bored. "It's going to take forever...."
Harry nodded. "We need to do something to pass the time... maybe do homework?"
"Done with mine," Malfoy answered, scratching off that choice.
"Ok... chess?"
"No board," Malfoy said immediately.
"Then what do Slytherins do to pass the time?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We think."
"You... think. And what do you think about?" Harry was looking frustrated. He looks cute like that... Malfoy's eyes widened at the thought. What? I did not just think that....
"We think about everything," he answered quickly, trying to hide the fact that he had widened his eyes for no apparent reason. "School, friends, crushes, parents, people, the Dark Lord, grades, classes... everything."
Harry had raised an eyebrow on the word crushes,' but hadn't said anything. "Why don't we do that then? Sitting here fidgeting for an hour and a half isn't going to help much."
"Uh... ok then."
They sat in silence, each trying to will the other to start something. Finally, Malfoy crossed his arms and said something.
"I heard that you liked that Chang girl."
Harry almost choked; he glared at Malfoy. "And who told you that?"
"Blaise," he shrugged along with his statement. "She knows all the latest gossip'... gets annoying."
"Ah."
"Well, do you?" Malfoy urged, smirking at Harry, who was giving a [very bad] impression of the Snape glare.'
"Not anymore," he answered. Ever since the girl had turned him down for the Yule Ball, he had liked her less and less.
"Anymore'?" Malfoy grinned. "I see."
"How are you sure nobody's going to come in here?" asked Harry hurriedly, changing the subject.
"Father bought the room. I get the whole place. That's the reason there's only two beds."
"Why two?" asked Harry.
"I dunno... it just looked lonely with less furniture in the room."
"Oh."
Once again, the two boys had beaten themselves into silence.

*~*

Snape sighed and looked down at his textbook. The words seemed to jumble together and he ended up unconsciously paying less attention to the book and more attention to the quiet breathing of the other man. Said man was reading the words in the Potions script upside-down, and twice as fast as Snape.
"Can't you read any faster?" he complained, leaning back in his chair, waiting for the Potions Master to turn the page. Snape pretended to finish the text on that particular page and flipped it quickly... Remus continued reading, propping his head on his hand.
Snape glanced at the clock. "Ten minutes," he muttered, looking back down at the book. The words blurred themselves up, and he once again concentrated on something more interesting... the tapping of Remus' fingers as he read.
The clock above the door chimed four o'clock, and Remus kept reading. Snape was stuck uncomfortably... he was very happy to just stay put, but....
What should I do? I really don't mind staying right where I am....
"I guess you're ready to kick me out now," Remus sighed, standing up. "Can I borrow this?"
"Sure." Snape let his eyes fall everywhere but on the man in front of him.
"Were you really reading this?" Remus asked. "Or were you concentrating on something... else?" He smirked when Snape visibly tensed.

*~*

"So...." Harry glanced at the clock. An hour and ten minutes....
Malfoy crossed his arms. "Why do you socialize with Weasel and the Mudblood?"
Harry, not expecting the question, glared at him. "I'm not telling until you call them by their proper first names."
"Fine. Why do you socialize with... er... Ron and...." Malfoy thought for a moment. "Granger?"
Harry coughed, hiding a very big smirk. "Don't you even know her first name? You're a sad person, Malfoy."
"Not as sad as you," he retorted, and just avoided the temptation of sticking his tongue out as no proper, stuck-up Malfoy should.
"I doubt that greatly," said Harry.
"Is that a challenge?" Malfoy had a grin on his face, ready to prove to the other boy that he wasn't as sad as Harry.
"Sure," Harry answered, smirking.
They each stood up and took their wands out, and counted to three. Malfoy set a magical shield about himself before Harry could do anything with his wand, and the other boy grinned.
"I know what can get past a magical screen," the messy-haired boy said tauntingly. He knocked Malfoy backwards on the bed, tickling him. So he is ticklish....
Malfoy gasped for breath between bouts of laughter, and tried to shove the other off of him.
Neither was sure how it happened, or why, but it did.
Their lips connected and they stopped, motionless. Harry blinked, and pulled back hurriedly, but had gotten tangled in something of Malfoy's, and they both hit the floor in a soft thump.
"Er... Malfoy?" Harry was avoiding the Slytherin's eyes.
"Yes?"
"Did you enjoy that?" Harry went a very interesting color of red.
Malfoy had regained his composure, and he smirked in his own trademarked way. "Why do you want to know?"
Harry growled. He's turned it around.
"Because I might've liked it... if you did."
Malfoy stopped his smirk and Harry was surprised to see that his ears had a pink tinge. "I... liked that..." he said in a squeaky voice. Harry wasn't sure whether to flush or grin, so he chose the latter, and jumped back on top of Malfoy, tickling him. Malfoy didn't shield himself this time... it was more fun this way.

*~*

"In that case..." Remus grinned at the other man and brought him into a short kiss.
Snape touched his lip absently and avoided the other man's eyes again.
"So... I guess I'll be leaving now...."
"Wait," Snape stepped forward quickly, after Remus, who had half-fled after his bold move. "Be my Valentine?"