In Need

CHAPTER 14

Hellooo my dear readers!

It's finally here, the Christmas chapter! I hope you enjoy it! I've tried to include some of your suggestions, some others I will try to include in upcoming chapters.

As always, thank you for coming back.

ENJOY!

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It was finally two days before Christmas Eve. Lessons were over.

The last days of the term had been hectic with work. Keeping students focused in class had become a titanic task, their minds already in a festive state. The Christmas decorations were both beautiful and a daily hazard, since Peeves tried to make people trip over them.

But it was finally over.

Harry left his bag full of papers to grade on his desk; he had a few days to rest before he had to take a look at those. He sighed, feeling for the first time in days that he could breathe.

A knock on his open door distracted him from his thoughts.

"May I?" came a voice from the threshold.

He turned around and saw Severus standing there, with his customary black robes.

"Hey, you were quick," Harry said with a smile "come in."

Harry's smile stayed on his lips, the last few days he had seen a tremendous change in Severus.

While he still had reservations, as he should, he seemed to finally start to believe and trust that Harry wouldn't leave. And once this knowledge has finally permeated his mental defenses and barriers... well, Harry knew there was nothing Severus could achieve.

He seemed to be in a lighter mood, more comfortable and less defensive. He had become more open with him. He had resumed his light banter with Minerva, even their Quidditch bets were up again, much to Dumbledore's dismay. He'd also resumed his weekly evening teas with the Headmaster, something Harry knew Severus needed and had dearly missed when Dumbledore wasn't speaking to him. And after finishing the restock of potions for the Hospital Wing, he had even resumed his experimental potions. Sometimes Harry would keep him company, and he would watch him make annotations on journals and mutter to himself as he worked. Harry couldn't say why, but he tremendously enjoyed watching Severus focus on his potions, his shoulders squared and his frown deep in concentration.

This change had made Severus even physically better. His appetite had returned to normal standards - well, normal standards for him -, he had gained a bit of weight, and his skin wasn't as pale as it had been. His hair was a bit longer and had a lustrous raven black colour.

Harry had seen first-hand how Severus could be forgetful of his own hygiene, but it wasn't that he didn't have good habits. Quite the opposite, in fact, Severus was methodical. With everything.

No, he'd worked that out and had realized that, when experiencing trauma, it is natural for a child to feel detached from their body. Some people lose awareness of their body's physical needs since they try to avoid feeling any sort of sensation, physical or emotional. Given what Severus's life had been like, besides his very obvious neglect and abuse, it didn't surprise Harry that his hygiene wasn't the best.

For the past months, Harry had tried to establish a routine. Washing often, shaving, brushing teeth, using clean clothes... bit by bit Severus had improved his personal hygiene. He now made sure to shower and use clean clothes, and Harry had noticed how he took special care of his hair. The way he cleaned it and brushed it every night before bed helped in making it appear soft and smooth, not greasy or slick. Harry enjoyed tangling his fingers in that lustrous hair, and Severus seemed to like how it looked now. But what Severus seemed to like best, was to sit on the floor with his knees against his chest, and allow Harry to brush his hair. The memory made Harry smile, those lazy evenings when the only thing that could be heard was the crackle of the fire, and their own slow breathing.