At breakfast on April first, Harry's friends were quietly discussing their virginity, or lack thereof in some cases. Harry had no idea how they'd gotten onto this topic, when they'd begun by debating whether they should pull a prank in honor of Fred and George. Neville had already nervously explained that he'd lost his virginity over the summer to a nice Hufflepuff who'd graduated two years ago. Lavender had apparently had a similar experience with a Slytherin boy, also graduated a few years earlier. Harry absolutely refused to partake in the discussion, but he privately agreed with Hermione and Ginny. Why should he give up the last, precious sliver of his innocence in a rushed coupling that took place either in fear of discovery, or in an agony of embarrassed fumbling?

It did leave him to wonder, though, about his relationship. If his friends, including his boyfriend, were to be believed, it wasn't a matter of love, or even of fealty, so why couldn't he just do it? Get it over with and move on, as it were? A part, which he acknowledged to be slightly feminine in voice, knew that it was because he was "waiting". What on Earth he was waiting for, he had no idea, but he assumed he would know when he found it. The rest of him still wondered, though. Neville was a nice enough boyfriend, and he'd certainly grown attractive over the years.

At that moment, Severus Snape stalked in through the open doors of the Great Hall, silencing half of the tables. Harry's green gaze followed the tall, lithe form as the man moved between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Severus had a nice body. It was impossible to tell under the man's stifling teacher's robes, but Harry knew from the summer just what was hiding under the billowing black. The Muggle clothes he'd worn in the park had been well-tailored, conforming enough to emphasize each dip and curve without being skin tight. Harry traced those contours now with his mind's eye as he watched the man's ascent to the Head Table. Yes, Severus had a very nice body.

"Harry?"

The Wizarding Savior started and turned back to his friends and boyfriend. "Sorry, I stopped listening. What are we talking about?"

Neville frowned. "What were you staring at?" He looked to the Head Table, where the Potions Master was just taking his seat amongst the other professor's.

The larger Gryffindor then ducked his head and covered his mouth to muffle a snort of laughter. This captured the attention of their other friends, who all turned as one to look up at the Head Table. Harry frowned when they all turned back trying to stifle their own laughter. He glanced around the Great Hall and realized that most of the students were trying to hide laughter with puffed cheeks and hands over mouths. He looked up at Severus again with a furrowed brow and snorted before he could stop himself.

Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin, renowned Potions Master, and former Death Eater had dyed his hair. Where his shoulder-length strands were normally a glossy, raven's-feather black, they now hosted stripes of silver and green. The sneer on his face as he surveyed the student tables said that this sudden change in look was not intentional. It also spoke volumes about what would happen to those bold students who were doing nothing to hide their laughter.

"Who could have done something like that?" Dean asked, breathlessly hiding his own laughter.

Seamus shook his head, turning blue as he tried to smother the bellowing guffaw trying to work it's way out of his throat.

Lavender tittered helplessly. "Whoever it was will be dead tomorrow."

Hermione squeaked, not even pretending to be stern for once. "I'm more curious about how. Teacher's rooms are off-limits, and only a potion could've done that, or he'd have changed it back by now."

Harry did his best not to scowl as his friends began debating how a student could've managed the April Fool's prank without already turning up dead. After a time, the conversation turned to what might happen, once the guilty party was caught. The Wizarding Savior couldn't help but look up at the Potions Master sympathetically. If it was a potion, Severus would catch hell in his classes until he'd brewed an antidote. It was hard not to feel sympathy when you knew what that kind of humiliation felt like.

-Break-

The next morning, the sun rose on Harry and Severus walking across the Hogwarts landscape. Their hands were already clasped carelessly between them, and Harry was already half-finished with his coffee. He'd been up into the wee hours with the other boys in his dorm, trying to undo the prank the girls' dorm had played on them. Apparently, they thought it was hilarious to fill their room with so many fake snakes and spiders that you couldn't move. Harry suspected Hermione had been the one to find the spell that would make them impossible to banish, and he and Dean had spent hours tossing the rubber critters out the windows. Seamus, Neville, and Ron had been too scared to go anywhere near the dorm until the last of the spiders and snakes were gone. Harry had felt no compunctions about leaving snakes and a spider respectively on their beds…under the blankets. Of course, none of the boys in his dorm had been willing to admit that it was well-deserved payback for turning the stairs into a slide any time a girl got close to the top of the staircase for the majority of the day.

"You fixed your hair," Harry commented idly.

Severus grunted. "It was a simple matter of brewing the appropriate antidote. Regrettably, it took longer than I would have liked."

Harry grimaced sympathetically. "Yeah, I noticed it was still…colorful…even at dinner. I can't imagine how horrible your classes for the day went."

"I'm sure you noticed the result, though, in the House hourglasses this morning," Severus said, smirking maliciously. "And I shall have all the assistance I need over the next week to clean my entire classroom."

Harry couldn't help but snicker, thinking that all of the students who'd earned a spot in detention had more than deserved the punishment.

"Who did it?" He asked. He couldn't imagine that the man didn't know. "Hermione said it had to be a potion, but I can't really see a student sneaking into your rooms to spike your shampoo."

"A student did not," The Potions Master answered, glowering bitterly.

Harry frowned. "Then who-"

"Albus," Severus growled distastefully. "Yesterday's ill-planned incident was the first time it has left me humiliated by the students, but the Headmaster pulls a prank on each staff member every year, myself included. Albus Dumbledore draws far too much enjoyment from the thrice-damned April Fool's Day."

Harry snorted. "Dumbledore gets too much enjoyment out of every holiday."

Indeed," Severus sighed. He looked at Harry with an appreciative smirk. "You are the first to agree with me on the subject. It is heartening, to know I am not alone in thinking the man…" He trailed off.

"Mad? Bonkers?" Harry supplied helpfully. "Completely and utterly off his rocker?"

Severus actually offered up a sincere half-smile, nudging Harry's shoulder lightly with his own. "All apt descriptors, to be sure."

Harry chuckled, and they turned back towards the brightening horizon together.