Last time: Severus approached him faster then he meant, and soon realized it as Harry started, and stared at him with wide frightened eyes. Severus stopped, and waited until the child had calmed down. He, meanwhile, cursed mentally. What had those Muggle's done to the boy? He was determined to find out, and distribute justice if need be. Best to do it at some later date, however, as it was too important to make sure the child was safe and warm. After all, it wouldn't do for the boy to die of hypothermia or frostbite when he could do something to prevent it. 

Reaching into one of his many pockets, Sev pulled out a special made sedative. He had learned early in his career as a Potions Master, that Calming droughts rarely worked on hypothermic patients because they lowered the body's core temperature even more to try and keep the patient calm. As he seemed to have at least one hypothermia case a year since he'd been teaching, he had developed a special sedative that would keep the patient calm without risking their already tentative health. It seemed to work, and it allowed him to help patients, especially abused ones, without them getting upset and having their heart speed up too fast. The heart's rhythm was already irregular in hypothermic patience, it didn't need the extra stress fear would put on it. 

Approaching the boy much more slowly, he knelt down so that he could be on the child's level. He said softly "Harry, I have a potion here for you. Will you take it for me?" Though normally he wasn't in the habit of asking students anything concerning potions, he knew from experience that it worked better with those whose life depended on getting into a warm environment in a few short minutes. He watched Harry quietly, waiting for the child to make a decision, while silently wondering when Potter had become Harry in his eyes. He couldn't deny that it had happened though, and he had come to care for Harry. Why, he had know idea, but he would do whatever he could to help this innocent survive; he would do so for as long as he still drew breath. 

Harry gazed surprised at the professor, feeling himself calm slightly knowing that it hadn't been an attack that he'd heard. He looked at the innocuous looking potion. He thought on it, and finally asked in a very quiet voice "Will it help with the cold feeling?" He was still shivering terribly, and even he could sense through the growing haze that his body temperature was getting worse. While this was the worse he had been since that long ago day when he was smaller, he knew the pains of trying to rid one's self from a bad case of exposure such as he'd just had. 

Severus both nodded and assured the boy that it would help, though only a little. The thing that truly helped was the cocoa, blanket and warming fire that was the following treatment for those who had stayed out too long in the snow. Or just in extremely cold weather that the patients hadn't been ready to deal with. Winter often came fast an unexpected to Hogwarts, and many of the first years weren't prepared for it, often coming to school without warm sweaters and the like. Though this was the coldest winter, it wasn't the first that the Potions Master had had to help a child recover. Particularly his young snakes, as they were often the cases that were neglected or abused; usually less so than Harry obviously had been, but enough that it kept the man on his toes. 

After he had assured the child that the potion was safe to drink, he handed it over, while staying close enough that he could help the nasty liquid be ingested if needed. Most potions were bitter or otherwise disgusting, as the base elements couldn't easily be flavored without ruining the effects. Some, like Dreamless Sleep or the Nutrient potion, were rather flavorless, if sometimes thick, and less unpleasant to swallow. This sedative had a rather distinct flavor, but not over-all bad; it was more the fact that it was like a shot of warming liquid that caused children to sputter or spit it back up. 

Surprisingly, Harry was able to swallow the liquid, though it was obvious that the boy did not appreciate the feeling in his throat. He did, however, like that it warmed him up a bit, as well as stilling the need to chatter and shiver. It wasn't the same as becoming so cold that you no longer could, but rather the opposite. He was still in danger, but he was more able to receive help then he had been. His instinctive need to flee had been somewhat suppressed, though he would wonder why it had been so easy for him to accept the drought when he normally trusted nothing that he didn't immediately recognize. He would later figure that it was because the Professor somehow exuded trust, loathe though the ever cautious Harry was to admit it. The man had never harmed him physically, and had cut short the torment he had tried to make the first class. That and the fact that the Professor had always tried to help him when he needed it, made a very good combination to help ease his trust issues. 

Severus had, while Harry was contemplating all this, had picked the child up and summoned a blanket to wrap him in. He then strode quickly, not for the Infirmary, but for his own quarters. Whatever had happened to the child that had led him outside, Severus did not wish to risk a repeat by putting the small preteen in a place that wasn't easily guarded. That was why, a few minutes later, the two found themselves safely ensconced within the homey quarters of the Potion Master. Severus had a cup of tea while the boy had been given a mug of cocoa and a few biscuits. 

A well known cure for hypothermia is a warm fire, a blanket, and a very sweet hot drink without caffeine. That is why, after a half hour or more, Harry was able to look around. Had he been in any other House but Slytherin, he might have been surprised at his Head's choice in decor. As it was, it only made sense for the strict yet oddly sensitive man to live in a satisfactory large suite of rooms, done in gentle midnight blues and forest greens. Admittedly there was silver around, but there were also some reds, golds, yellows and blacks. Unlike some Heads of House (namely McGonagall), Professor Snape did not feel the need to only have his house colors. He was quite comfortable in all the colors, it appeared to Harry. And for such an eccentric man as the Professor, it was only natural. 

Time passed swiftly for the two males, and it wasn't long before Severus had the boy tucked in on his couch, teeth brushed and temperature much improved. Though he wouldn't admit it, he smiled slightly at the child, and brushed some bangs out of Harry's face very gently. He thought to himself So help me, but I'm coming to care for Potter, despite myself. The Christmas Holidays are going to be interesting indeed, if this is just the beginning.