Hogwarts was covered in a thick layer of snow. Most of the students had left the castle a few days ago to spend the holidays with their parents.
Severus had attended the Christmas party in the Great Hall, as had almost all of the remaining residents. Only his silent guest had not turned up. To his great surprise and relief, very few Hogwarts residents seemed to have noticed that Severus had taken in a guest in his private quarters for nearly two months now. He hadn't really done so voluntarily, but as Headmaster he couldn't possibly be responsible for one of his students discovering Harry Potter in the Hospital Wing. Especially not under these particular - unpleasant - circumstances.
After the small Christmas party had come to an end, Severus had taken his leave. The usual suspects would sit together for another two or three hours, but Severus had never been part of this 'hard core'. Relaxed, he went to his private room.
He carefully locked his door, always aware that as a spy he could be a target at any time. Regardless of whether it was Christmas and regardless of what position he currently held. Severus took off his headmaster's robes and washed his hands out of habit. Then he waved his wand skilfully across the table and a tray with two cups of hot coffee appeared. He carefully levitated the tray behind him and knocked on his bedroom door. In his black shirt and black trousers, he looked almost like a shadow.
Without waiting for an answer, he opened and entered the cozy room. When he moved his unusual guest from the hospital wing to his room, Severus had thought long and hard about where to put Harry Potter. He came to the conclusion that the last place anyone would look was his own bedroom. And so it was that there were now two beds in his private rooms. In one lay a sleeping man. His tangled black hair was streaked with the first gray strands and his eyes lay deep in his haggard face. Hidden beneath the long strands was the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, one of the few features by which Harry could still be recognised. The curse had done a great job and turned the teenager into a middle-aged man in just a few hours.
Severus sat down on one of the two wing chairs with a small table between them. The headmaster watched his sleeping guest while allowing his mind to wander.
Harry's appearance had come as a shock to Severus. First when Poppy had timidly asked him for help with the unusual case. Then when he found a way to break the curse with Miss Granger. And lastly, when he witnessed Ms Weasley break Harry's heart to weaken his mind and body enough. With combined forces they had managed to break the curse.
Harry didn't age well. Pain and loss had marked his features. Severus could sympathize with him; his face was also marked by his past and his loss. Even in his sleep, Harry looked tense.
Severus sipped his coffee and wondered whether he should let his guest sleep or wake him up. Harry had slept almost exclusively for the last few weeks. A clear sign that his will to live had not yet returned. Severus dared to doubt that he would ever return, but Harry still had a task to fulfill. The headmaster cleared his throat loudly and Harry began to awaken. After so many hours in the dream world, his consciousness was close to the surface and he was there quickly.
"Hello," his unused voice rasped. "Merry Christmas," Severus replied and Harry looked at him in confusion. "Is it actually Christmas already?"
"Yes, I think you might want to leave this room to get a feel for the time again." Severus replied, although it wasn't his thought to steer their conversation in that direction. But instead of being angry, Harry sank into thought.
Severus almost thought he had fallen asleep again when he suddenly replied, "The Great Hall was always beautifully decorated. I'd really like to see it." He pushed himself up in his bed so that he could lean against the headboard and looked at Severus with his green eyes. Even those had changed under the curse. They were no longer bright emeralds, but deep green lakes that looked like the gateway to a dark world.
"We'll arrange that," Severus replied. He had stopped wondering a few days ago why he was trying to fulfill all of Harry's wishes. The headmaster handed Harry his mug of coffee and the two of them drank in silence, each following their own thoughts.
"I left my cloak to Hermione," Harry said suddenly and Severus nodded. He had expected something like this as Ms Granger and Mr Weasley continued their search for the artifacts.
"Too many questions would come up as a guest." Harry continued thinking aloud. Severus nodded in agreement as a solution formed in his mind.
"Polyjuice. You could visit the hall as one of the teachers." the headmaster offered after a while.
"It would have to be someone who knows about my situation so that there aren't suddenly two versions in the Great Hall." Harry pointed out.
"That leaves Poppy and me," Severus replied.
"I'd prefer your body." Harry said carefully after a long sip from his cup. The coffee was only lukewarm and Serveus refilled their cups. The conversation had earned a second cup.
"That could certainly be arranged. But we need to lay down a few rules first. What do we do when you're approached? How do we change? We have to decide that beforehand," Severus explained.
His gaze was directed through the leaded glass window into the distance. "I still have a flask in my stash. We could try it out today." he finally said.
"Oh yes," Harry said, almost euphorically, and the first smile since the unfortunate day was on his lips.
OOOoooOOO
Two hours later, "Severus" wandered through the Great Hall alone. His eyes shone when he saw the huge Christmas tree. The magical ceiling was snowing fine flakes onto the bushy branches. Ornaments sparkled in the colors of the houses. And Harry felt a tiny spark of hope for the first time.