The next day

Gianah walked towards the Library, needing to finish her Charms homework before the Slytherin team returned from practice – she hated when they went to the library and their fans followed. And by 'fans' she meant the hordes of giggling girls (and boys) that followed the Quidditch players as if they were the best thing to have ever graced the wizarding world.

She scoffed inwardly, reaching the first floor and raising her arm to push the Library door open, but her hand never touched the wood for she was suddenly pulled into an empty classroom across the hallway by someone she immediately recognised.

"What in the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!" she shouted once Stephen let go of her, pushing him out of anger as he closed the door.

He faced her, looking uncharacteristically serious, "I need to talk to-"

"See if I care," she interrupted him, trying to walk around him to reach the door, but he didn't let her pass.

He exhaled: "Just listen to me, Gianah. Please."

She took a step back, surprised by the strange tone of his voice, eyeing him with wariness.

"Fine," she conceded, letting her schoolbag fall onto the floor and crossing her arms over her chest, "What do you want, Snape?"

He raised a hand to his hair, touching the back of his head as he sometimes did when nervous; she wondered if he knew how much she enjoyed seeing him touching his own hair, and how much she yearned to touch the soft tresses herself.

"I, well," he began, quickly trying to come up with something to say that would make her less angry with him, "I want to let you know I wasn't mocking you the other day."

She slowly let her arms fall to her sides, going from angry to mildly confused, "O-kay," she drawled, tilting her head to the side, "Is that all? You pulled me here to tell me that? You could've said that in the hallway, Snape, I have homework to finish, I have to use all the time I have in the library before the team–" she paused, "Wait a minute," she whispered as she slowly realised something: "What are you doing here? You should be at practice! Slytherin is in the finals, you–"

"Knowing a lot about my schedule, aren't you, Weasley?" he couldn't stop himself from lightly teasing her, immediately regretting the small provocation as she scowled.

Fuck. That was not a good way to start that conversation.

She crossed her arms again, her lips pressed in a thin line, "Get out of my face, Snape," she ordered, picking up her schoolbag.

"Listen, I'll go to practice in a minute," he kept his voice low and calm, trying to placate her, "I decided to come find you before practice because I think we should talk."

"And what on Earth," she said, her frown deepening, "do you think we have to talk about?"

"This," he motioned between them, "Us."

"There's no us, Snape," she scoffed, looking at him as if he was insane, "We're barely even friends!"

"I know!" he let out in a harsh exhale, "And I hate it!"

She gaped at his outburst, completely baffled by his words.

"What–" she stammered.

"We have to stop this, Gianah," he continued, deciding transparency was better than any lame excuse for a conversation he could come up with, "We have to talk about this!"

"There's nothing to talk about, Snape," she tightened her hand around the strap of her bag, "There's no 'this'. I don't even like you."

His green eyes travelled down her face, stopping on her lips for a moment and then moving back to her blue eyes.

"Look, I consider you a friend," he offered, reining in the need to call her a liar and make her angry, "And you can deny all you want," he exhaled, fearing he was seconds away from being either smacked or hexed, "But I know you're upset with me because you saw those girls kissing me after my first game."

Gianah's eyes widened for a second, her chest expanding due to a sharp inhale as she took another step back.

So he saw me that night. She thought, her heart breaking even more by his admission of having seen her. And he didn't care I was there... he still kissed those girls in front of me.

Gianah didn't need anymore proof of his feelings for her– of lack thereof.

"Upset?" she retorted, her voice calm, hiding the emotional turmoil inside.

She straightened up her shoulders and forced out a laughter, "You think I'm upset because you were snogging what's-their-names?"

"I know you are," Stephen took a step towards her.

She rolled her eyes, "I couldn't care less who you stick your tongue into, Snape!"

He stopped right in front of her, his eyes moving from her eyes to her lips, "You went after me in the locker rooms..."

"Yes, and you were kissing Robertson," her arms crossed over her chest again, her blue eyes fixed on his, and he could see she was fighting tears.

"Gigi," he said in a low voice, the lines between the girl he'd dreamt about and the one in front of him blurred and he had to control the urge to caress her cheek.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped, the fury returning to her eyes, "We're not friends, we've never more than tolerated each other!"

"True," he nodded, his eyes fixed on her angry ones, and then he closed the gap between them and kissed her.

Great Hall

The usual dinner sounds were cut off all of a sudden, causing the teachers and staff at the high table to look up and try to identify the reason for such silence.

"What in Merlin's name–" started Severus at the same time that his twin sons, sat to his left at the long table, burst out laughing.

Crossing the room towards the Gryffindor table was a jaw-clenched Gianah Weasley, and moving to the opposite direction, was Stephen Snape – sporting a very bright red and yellow hair.

"What happened– how?" asked Severus in a frustrated sigh.

"No idea," replied Florence, her eyes narrowing at her youngest son and Stephen averted his gaze quickly, so she added: "But, whatever the reason for that, it was your son's fault."

"Well," replied Severus, sipping his wine unhurriedly, "They're both your responsibility, Madam Head of Slytherin."

Florence turned her annoyed gaze to him, "Well, headmaster, that has most likely got something to do with Quidditch and girls – so that, husband, is your problem."

Severus pressed his lips in a thin line and put his goblet down, looking from Stephen to Gianah fcor a few seconds, "Since they're both here, all four limbs intact, looking unharmed, I say nothing is wrong."

Florence narrowed her eyes, "Stephen has Gryffindor hair, Severus," she pointed out.

"Looks... modern," he drawled.

She rolled her eyes and pointed her wand towards her son, planning on removing whatever spell had turned his dark hair colourful, but it was useless.

"That's… odd," she frowned, lowering her wand.

"What?" asked Severus.

"It seems... I can't fix his hair," she then turned to Nicholas, who sat three chairs away from her, "Nick, tell me if I remember it correctly: a spell cast unintentionally out of passionate outburst can only be altered or removed by its original caster. Right?"

"Yes, mum, I believe you're correct," Nicholas nodded, reaching the same conclusion his mother had: "Which means, someone with strong feelings towards Stephen cast that."

Severus let out a snort, Well, that gives us a hint at the reason why his hair is like that.

Yeah, he annoyed Bellatrix's niece. The tone of concern wasn't missed in her voice.

Severus frowned, You killed Bellatrix, her niece won't be a problem.

Florence looked at him in surprise, I'm not hurting Gigi because your son's an idiot! I'm her godmother!

Severus looked at her as if she was crazy, Of course you're not hurting her!

So, what are you insinuating? She demanded.

For fuck's sake, I don't know! He replied in exasperation, before touching his temples and muttering: "Bloody hell, why do people have kids?"

"Oy, watch it. We" said James in mock offense, pointing at him and Nicholas, "are angels!"

It was Florence's turn to snort, "Sure, James. So was Lucifer in Christian mythology."

"Baby Fabian is an angel," offered Nicholas, defending his son.

"Exactly, And so are my–" James stopped himself, wincing as he realised he couldn't finish that sentence about his own children.

"Hmm... has Luminara stopped vanishing the bathwater yet?" asked Florence with a lilt in her voice.

"No," James replied between clenched teeth.

Florence laughed and shook her head, resuming eating her breakfast.

They're amusing, she sent her husband. That's why people have kids.

Severus stared at her with an arched eyebrow, So are Cornish pixies, Florence, and yet you don't see me inviting them to live with us.

She huffed another laugh and pulled her husband's face towards hers for a brief kiss, before glancing worriedly at the ginger Slytherin sitting at the Gryffindor table. Gianah had certainly been the one to hex Stephen, but why?

"What happened?" whisper-shouted Lily the moment Gianah sat across from her at the Gryffindor table.

"Nothing," replied Gianah, starting to put some food on her plate and avoiding looking at her friends – she could feel they were all staring at her.

"Pff," scoffed Lynne, "C'mon, Gigi, do you really think we'll believe that you have nothing to do with Stephen's new hair colour?"

Gianah shrugged, not wanting to talk about that – the kiss (her first kiss!) that Stephen had stolen was something she didn't want to share, at least not then. She wanted to take her time and think about it, about how it had made her feel and the reason why he would kiss her after everything they had been through, after all the animosity and–

"Gigi?" asked Tiana, touching her arm.

"What?" Gianah asked, realising she'd been momentarily lost in her thoughts and had missed that they were calling her name.

"What happened?" asked Lily once more, her purple eyes filled with concern.

Gianah let out a sigh and conceded partially: "I hexed him, he was being annoying at the library."

"Library?" interjected Sirius, "What was he doing there? Slytherin had practice this evening."

"I don't know, Potter," huffed Gianah, as if irritated by his comment, "I don't keep notes of Snape's schedule; if he had practice, he missed it," she finished with a noncommittal shrug.

Most of her friends seemed to accept that nothing but the usual had happened between her and Stephen, and that she had hexed him as it was the norm, but Lily kept her worried gaze on her for a few more seconds, as if certain that wasn't the full truth.

"Mate," chuckled Charlie when Stephen sat across from him at the Slytherin table, "What the fuck?"

"Don't ask," Stephen replied, piling food on his plate and eating without looking at anyone.

"Why did you do that to your hair?" asked Sam.

"I didn't."

"Why not wear a beanie?"

"Don't you think I've tried that?" snapped Stephen, "It went up in flames as soon as I put it on."

"Damn," cursed Patrick, sniggering with the other two boys Stephen considered friends.

"Oy. You missed practice, Snape," he suddenly heard Flint's voice coming from his right.

"Sorry, Captain. I lost track of time in the library," Stephen replied, "Won't happen again."

"Make sure it doesn't," added Flint, looking at his hair and frowning, but making no further comment.

"Madam Snape," Florence heard a student call her, as she walked up the Marble Staircase beside her husband after dinner.

"Yes, Mr Flint?" she replied, stopping halfway up.

"I'd like to file a misconduct, Ma'am," said the student, standing two steps below her and her husband.

"Of course. Is it of a private matter?"

"No, Ma'am."

"So tell me what's this about."

"Stephen missed the practice this evening; we're in the finals, and he's new to the team, therefore he's needed in all practices. When I asked him why he didn't show up, he said he had to study. I can understand that, but one hour of practice won't be in the way of his grades – I know he's a good student."

She nodded, "I understand, Mr Flint," then her eyes turned to her husband, silently letting him know that was his problem to solve.

"I'll deal with him," said Severus in a resigned sigh.

"Good," she smirked, "See, don't worry, Mr Flint. The Headmaster will deal with your rogue Chaser himself."

"Thank you," the student bowed his head in deference, "Have a good night, Ma'am. Headmaster," then he walked downstairs to the dungeons.

"So, Stephen missed practiced and got himself Gryffindor hair," murmured Florence as they resumed walking upstairs, "I'm honestly curious."

"Can I expel him?"

"No," Florence chuckled, wrapping her arm on his, "If you do that, Slytherin won't win the Quidditch Cup."

Gryffindor Common Room

"What do you reckon happened earlier between Gigi and my brother?" asked Lily, sitting on the sofa with her two boyfriends.

Teddy seemed to be lost in thoughts for a second, before replying: "I think he skipped practice to go after Gigi."

"Yeah... that's what I think..." Lily exhaled, fidgeting with her hands, "I'm afraid I made a mistake..."

"Why? What happened, love?" asked Sirius, touching her hair affectionately.

"I told Stephen Gigi would be in the library this evening. Alone."

"And why would he want to talk to her alone?" Sirius tilted his head, a bit confused, "Is that still about him liking her?"

"Yes, and he truly does, you know," nodded Lily, "He admitted to me that he likes her that way..."

"He admitted? But," said Teddy, "He's dating Robertson."

"Yes, I know," Lily sighed, entwinning her hand on Teddy's, "If he at least stopped dating every skirt that approached him... maybe then Gigi would... I don't know..."

"Maybe she doesn't like him," offered Teddy, "I think she did, once, but now... he's given her reasons enough to dislike him."

"I guess you're right," Lily nodded, "He missed his chance with her. And she's better off without him."

"Hey," complained Sirius, "Stephen is a good friend."

"He is," agreed Teddy, "But you have to agree he hasn't treated Gigi well."

"She's been a jerk to him too!"

Lily shook her head at Sirius's defence of her brother, "Well, we can all agree they are both better apart."

And both boys had to agree.

It took a week for Stephen's hair to fade back to its natural dark colour, but when the time came for the Slytherin team to play in the finals, he no longer sported bright red and yellow locks.

Note: Sorry for the delay (again), previously mentioned sick kid had to have surgery done and that was an experience I hope to never have to live through again. I will complete this story, don't worry.