In the room of requirements, the Gryffindor and Slytherin sat in silence, absorbing what they have just read. Molly Weasley and Severus Snape as a real, dating - married no less! - couple. Normally to the girls' logical minds, they will dismiss it and think nothing of it. Yet the strange novelty made the girls want to know more.

"Hey, look, Ann," the Gryffindor spoke, having risen from the couch to look for more books of the greatest love story that never happened. "The Room has DVDs of Severus and Molly. Strange considering magic doesn't work at Hogwarts."

The Slytherin, Ann, pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Maybe, the Room's magic works differently?" Almost as if confirming Ann's words, a television and dvd set appeared in front of the couch. The girls jumped in surprise. "Whoa! I can't - Adele - I will never get used to magic!"

After their surprise wore off, the two friends made the agreement to watch the episodes. They settled on the couch with popcorn and snacks, soon enthralled by the catching theme song that has remnants of an old muggle show's tune.

The Snolly Bunch (parody of The Brady Bunch)

Here's a a story, of the greatest witch

who was left with six sons and one daughter

all of them had hair of crimson, like their parents.

Here's a story, of a mean, old grump

Who was busy hating Gryffindors and Potters.

He was a wizard with lost dreams

And he was all alone.

Till the one day when the witch met the grump

And they knew it was more than any love potion

That this grump somehow gain a family of Gryffindors and Potters

That's the way they all became the Snolly bunch.

(end of tune)

The day had come.

Ten years ago, if Sybill Trelawney had told Severus Snape that on a fine summer morning, he would be getting ready to marry the Weasley matriarch, he would have had her committed to St. Mungo's as obviously mad. And yet here he was, putting on his best dress robes—black, of course, and of the same length that had started a rumor in his teens that he was a vampire. Severus looked at himself in the mirror and thought that he would be a dark stain on the bright and happy day.

Yet it was supposed to be his bright and happy day, at least a little. Molly had been thoughtful enough to ask him what he wanted in a wedding, and he had just as quickly turned all of the planning over to her.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Severus muttered under his breath, as he reached for a glass vial full of potion. He shook a few drops onto his palms and worked them carefully through his lank black hair, from roots on out, just like the sales-witch had shown him. He might be a greasy bat, but today was Molly's special day. He might not be willing to wear something colorful for it, but he would make an effort with his appearance. For her.

Molly had the preparations well in hand. Severus spent most of the morning sweeping about trying to look busy and useful while he avoided the Weasley brood. They did their best to avoid him, too. Most of them looked away when they saw him, and some (Ginevra and the twins) covered their mouths, no doubt in disgust at the thought that a wedding night tends to follow a wedding. As the guests began to arrive, they gave Severus strange looks as well.

They must be asking themselves what Molly is thinking. Granted, Molly was no great beauty, not like Lily had been, but she had to come out stunning next to Severus. Of course, Arthur Weasley had never been considered very handsome, either.

And there was the reason Severus Snape and Molly Weasley were getting married. They had both lost the love of their life and were tired of being lonely. They had no illusions about replacing Lily and Arthur, or about pretending a great romance. They simply understood one another.

Fleur Delacour Weasley—the first of the no doubt many step-daughters-in-law he would have to suffer—began to order people to their places. "At ze front, Professor," she said, and then whipped out a mirror to check her own (flawless) appearance.

As he passed behind her, Severus saw it.

Red.

Not orange. Not strawberry blond. Not copper.

Obnoxiously bright, ripe tomato, can't-be-anything-but-Gryffindor-beneath-that-mop red hair.

His hair.

Severus gaped at the mirror. His eyes widened, and he took in involuntary step back, right into Fred Weasley.

"Oop, hear that?" Fred grinned like a wolverine. "Wedding march. Can't have you jilting our dear old mum at the altar, can we?"

"No we can't." George appeared on the other side like a shark that smelled blood.

Severus pulled himself free and strode to his place at the front of the and strode to his place at the front of the wedding tent. He stood there in front of a horde of Weasley relatives and the Order of the Phoenix as a carrottop with a pronounced scowl. Only when Molly was walking toward him, dressed in white and cream with a bouquet of pink roses did Severus stop scowling.

She is beautiful, he thought. He didn't quite smile, but he didn't remember to feel annoyed until Molly reached him and whispered, "By Merlin, Severus, what did you do to your hair?!"

Severus' new step-children subjected him to a wedding speech by every single one of them. Bill said a few polite things about being happy his daughter Victoire had a new grandfather. Fleur stood beside him holding the strawberry-blond tot in question. She squealed in French "want cake!" Charlie stammered out congratulations and that he was going back to Romania in the morning. Percy made a pompous speech to his "new step-father, the esteemed war hero Severus Snape." Ronald gave a short back-handed remark: "You'll never replace Dad. I know you're not trying to, but you'll never replace him, so…yeah." Ginny, right after Ron, called a toast: "To the war heroes." Severus had a feeling she didn't mean him. Meanwhile, all the significant others (Harry Potter with Ginny, Hermione Granger with Ron, Angelina Johnson with George, and a girl named Audrey with Percy) looked relieved that they weren't yet officially part of the family. Molly looked torn between livid and teary.

Finally, Fred and George stood up together. Severus expected their speech to be the worst of all for several reasons. Arthur had died saving Fred's life at the Battle of Hogwarts, after all. The twins had treated Severus like an insult to his memory ever since. He felt like he had been living the Muggle movie The Parent Trap since the engagement was announced. Severus knew without a doubt they were the ones who had tampered with his hair potion.

The twins raised their champagne glasses and spoke in unison. "The Weasleys have always been redheads. Welcome to the family, Professor." The entire tent broke into applause. Severus could barely believe it.

George sat down, but Fred looked along the family table until he spotted Harry. "Congratulations on proposing to our little sis, mate. You're next." Harry turned pale. Severus began to think that he might enjoy Harry Potter's wedding more than his own.

The next three years saw five weddings in the Weasley family. In the week leading up to his wedding to Ginny, Harry tested his shampoo on his new owl before every show. By the middle of the week, Hedwig Jr. began to look distinctly ginger. He also refused to eat anything Fred or George brought him. Unfortunately, he forgot that he could not trust Ginny. He accepted a mint from her an hour before and by the vows, he truly looked like Lily Evans' son.

The day before her wedding to Ron, Hermione bought untampered Muggle shampoo without Fred and George's knowledge. She escaped without going ginger. Fred and George later confessed that they would have gone easy on her. "Maybe a russet-auburn." After all, it wasn't every day they got a new sister.

Audrey had the sense of humor Percy lacked, and went with Hermione to a Muggle salon to go red before the wedding. The twins were so impressed that they welcomed her with open arms.

Angelina warned George that she would file for immediate divorce if there was any funny business. She made it through that day (and every day after) un-gingered.

Then there was the day Fred brought home a Muggle girl, named Rory, he had met at a pub in London. Because of the International Statute of Secrecy, he hadn't been able to introduce her to his magical family until now. Rory was Irish. George came in, took one look at Rory's coppery ginger hair, and went down on one knee. "Marry him!" he begged the astonished girl. Fortunately, she had already said yes.