Bathed In Starlight.

[pekeleke]

Title: Bathed In Starlight.

Fandom: Harry potter (Snarry)

Characters: Harry Potter, Severus Snape.

Author: pekeleke.

Rating: G.

Word count: 790.

Disclaimer: Don't own these characters. No money is being made out of this work.

A/N: Unbetaed. Written for the adventdrabbles 2012 Prompt 11: Fairy lights.

This is the eleventh part in my Seeking home series.
 

Summary: Our memories make us who we are. Severus bathes in starlight while his heart remembers...

 

Bathed In Starlight.

Harry gasped, coming to a dazed stop beside the staff room's entrance. The open doors granted him an unobstructed view of the entire room and the image of Severus, standing beside the enormous Christmas tree that decorated it, took his breath away. The slytherin's upturned face looked directly towards the elaborate star at the top of the tree and the multicoloured reflexions of the fairy lights that glowed among the branches turned that usually pale skin into a delicate mosaic of softly coloured loveliness. His dark hair flew unhindered around his shoulders, absorbing and reflecting the gently winking lights in equal measure and, although he was wearing his regular black robes, his appearance lacked its usual severity. He looked mellower somehow, softer and more open to the beauty that surrounded him. He looked oddly at peace and inexplicably lost at the same time.
“Are you going to stand there and gawk at me all evening?”

 

“I might. I could happily gawk at you for all eternity”

 

A soft snort was his only answer, but those eyes turned towards him, pinning him to the spot with unfamiliar openness.
“Albus used to love that ugly star... It's chipped right at the top and so old that we have to charm it into shine every year, but he wouldn't listen to my suggestions of replacing it and now Minerva wants to keep it going, for as long as we can, in honour of his memory”

 

“I'm sure he's delighted about that.”

 

“Yes. He probably is”

 

Harry frowned when he heard that small, pain-filled whisper and rushed worriedly forwards. Up close he could see that Severus looked sad. His narrow features were paler than usual and those beautiful black eyes were dull with soul-deep sorrow.
“What's wrong, Severus?”

 

“Nothing. I'm behaving like a maudlin idiot, that's all”

 

His hand curled around a rail-thin forearm, preventing the slytherin's attempt to walk past him.
“Maybe I can help.”

 

The smile that flitted through Severus' lips was wan, but genuine.
“You do. You are here.”

 

“Is this about Albus?”

 

The arm he'd been holding onto jerked back and Severus' head turned away, dark eyes fixing with pained wistfulness on that golden star once more.
“I miss him. We spent all afternoon decorating the tree and then Fillius brought out the star... It's difficult for me to remember him as he was before the war. He used to be so happy... always full of laughter and wacky ideas. He was so full of life that he brought everyone around him, myself included, to life too. And now he's gone”

 

“He isn't gone. He's upstairs, snoring up a storm inside his portrait. I spoke with him just this morning. He's complaining that you haven't gone to visit in three weeks.”

 

“His portrait isn't him. It's just... an echo. I find it really hard to talk to it.”

 

“A part of him is locked in there, though. It holds onto his love for all of us. For Hogwarts. Seeing you shy away from his painting pains him deeply. Not a day goes by without him asking about you. He was overjoyed when I told him about us”

 

Severus' dark eyes closed slowly. His long neck arched backwards, as if it's owner lacked the strength to keep holding his head high. He looked beyond heartbroken, a man trapped in a tangle of treasured bittersweet memories and a thousand dark regrets.
“He used to say all I needed to be happy was companionship. Drove me nuts every Valentine's day, trying to set me up with one idiot or another. He was convinced that a knight in shining armour would charge into the castle one day and save me from my dungeons... Yes. He'd be happy to know about us”

 

Harry's arm curled gently around Severus' slender waist, puling that stiff back against his chest with tender patience and feeling his own heart swell with relief when the slytherin leaned against him.
“Well, your knight in shining armour thinks it's time for you to stop wallowing in the past. Albus's portrait might never be good enough to replace the man it represents, but he still loves you enough to miss you dearly. You should go, talk to him. Tell him that his old star glows on this tree. That someone built you an entire copy of Hogwarts out of gingerbread. Tell him that you've discovered you love ice-skating and that you think he'd have loved it too. Tell him that you miss him every day, that there are fairies lighting up this tree who carry long, white beards in his honour. Tell him that you are well and safe and happy. Tell him that your knight in shining armour has finally found you...

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