He'd been making preparations for days, decorating the room (or rather having the elves do it), buying gifts he thought children ages 11-17 would like and wrapping them, buying candy and filling stockings and buying other treats and putting stasis charms on them to keep them fresh. He'd even taken board games from Slytherin and brought them to the room so the children he brought there would have something to keep them occupied.

It was eleven am now and he'd already sent Draco Malfoy to the room along with a first year Hufflepuff girl who he'd found crying alone in the corridor. Apparently she'd changed her mind about going home after the train had already left days before and was now homesick. He'd known beforehand he'd need to get Draco into the room (and nearly had to bribe him to go) because he'd been depressed for weeks. This year his father was too busy on errands for Voldemort and his mother was too depressed to put anything together for Christmas, and had told Draco to stay at the castle. He shook his head, feeling disgusted with the situation in general.

Over the course of an hour and a half, Severus had made his way through Slytherin common room, as well as Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor. He'd picked up two second year Ravenclaws, and a fourth year Hufflepuff and sent them all to the room. Not being there to supervise, he hoped they had pulled out some of the games to play. After each of the common rooms, he'd gone to the top of the castle and made his way down, being sure to check the library, the Hospital Wing, and every dead end corridor and secret passageway he could think of. He passed Potter twice, sitting in the same location on the floor with his head buried in his arms, and the child hadn't given any indication that he knew Severus had passed by. Severus passed him by a third time on his way to check bathrooms, and when he came back a fourth time and the fifth year hadn't moved from his spot, Severus was unable to keep in the heavy sigh he'd been wanting to release for twenty minutes. The sigh made Potter look up, and the green eyes seemed startled to see the Potions Master standing there staring at him.

"What are you doing Potter?"

"Just sitting sir. I can go somewhere else if you want."

"Why are you not in your common room?" He asked, but he already knew the likely answer. Granger and the Weasley's had gone home for Christmas and the only other Gryffindors there were several seventh years who were studying for their NEWTs.

Harry looked away. "Just- wanted some time alone I guess sir."

Severus narrowed his eyes at him and then turned and stalked away. He was all the way down the corridor and around the corner before he cursed quietly. This was just the brat seeking attention! That was all it was! If he wanted time alone, the empty Gryffindor common room was the place to have it. No, it was just a lie. The Gryffindor should be up in his dorm with his piles of presents instead of trying to get attention from whichever student or staff member happened to pass him by. Severus kept walking and was nearly back to the room before his mind started spinning in an irritating fashion. Even if Potter had been seeking attention, he had looked tired, like he hadn't slept the night before. And the way he had cast his eyes down and refused to look at his Professor bothered Severus. Potter reminded him of Draco and possibly a little of the first year Hufflepuff girl who was homesick. Why hadn't the stupid boy just gone home then if he was going to be homesick over Christmas? It wasn't like this was his first year at Hogwarts. He should have known better. Regardless, Severus grudgingly came to the conclusion that Potter should be one of the ones rounded up. With another sigh he turned on his heel and stalked back towards Potter on the third floor. He found him exactly where he'd left him.

"Potter, get up."

Harry lifted his head from where he'd buried his face again and looked uncertain for a brief moment, before he did what he was told. "Do you want me to go back to my common room sir?"

"No," Severus snapped. "Follow me." He strode off. If the brat chose to do as he was told for the first time since he'd come there, then so be it, and if he chose to run off and hide, then that was fine with him. There were children who genuinely needed to be in that room this Christmas, and he wasn't about to cater to and coddle Potter just because the boy wanted a little more attention for himself over the Holidays. He didn't turn back to see if the Gryffindor was following him until he made the guest quarters on the second floor. He narrowed his eyes at the boy when he found him there behind him and opened the door to let him in.

Laughter met his ears, and his expression softened for a moment. The first year Hufflepuff and two second year Ravenclaws were playing a game of Exploding Snap and Draco was in the middle of a chess match with the fourth year Hufflepuff. They all looked over as their Potions Master came in, followed by Potter. Severus had expected Draco to roll his eyes at Potter's entrance, but the blond's gray eyes only seemed dull. He turned back to his game as his opponent made a move. Severus was surprised by what happened next. Harry went straight over to Draco and the chess set and sat down in an empty chair. Severus thought for sure that he had gone to pick a fight with Draco and cause trouble, but neither boy exchanged words, and as soon as Draco check mated the Hufflepuff a moment later, the Hufflepuff got up and Harry moved into his seat and started setting up the pieces for another match. How... odd.

He watched the pair play for a few moments before there was a startling explosion from the Exploding Snap game and another bout of laughter. He looked at his watch. It was twelve thirty and time for lunch. He could see that some of the sweets like cookies and muffins and sticky rolls had been eaten off the plates that littered the room and mantle piece, but knew the students needed a less sweet and more substantial meal. He called one of the two elves that was supposed to be serving just this room and asked for him to bring lunch. After a few moments, food began appearing on the large table in the guest quarters, along with plates, cups, and cutlery, and four of the six students gathered there excitedly went to the table to start serving themselves honeyed ham, roast chicken and turkey, potatoes, vegetables, rolls, and the wide variety of other foods available. Draco and Harry simply continued with their game, and Severus tried to watch and listen over the excited noise and chatter of the younger students.

"You missed breakfast," Draco commented dully, but Harry didn't respond aside from to move his bishop several spaces. "I can hear your stomach rumbling," Draco told him after moving his queen.

"I'll get lunch after I win."

"You never win."

And it seemed like Draco knew what he was talking about in that moment as he moved his queen again and said, "Check mate." Harry didn't seem angry though as he rose quietly and went to the table to fill up a plate. Draco followed him and Severus frowned. It was almost a comfortable familiarity the two had, though how that could be Severus didn't know. Outside of this room they were frequently to be found getting in trouble for dueling in the halls, and were almost always heard throwing rude comments back and forth at each other. Every person, elf, and ghost in the castle knew that Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy were enemies, but here they seemed indifferent to each others presence.

Harry took his plate of food to one of the two gray couches and pulled out a gobstone game and began setting it up on the coffee table, and when Draco sat across from on the other couch with his own food, they began playing and eating.

"You always lose," Harry commented as he ate his roll with one hand and moved his gobstones with the other, and Draco scoffed. But Potter had been as right as Draco had been at the chess set twenty minutes earlier. Draco did lose, and they set the game up again as they finished their lunch.

When everyone had finished eating, Severus said, "There are presents for all of you." The first year, Janna, and the two second years, Peter and Jason seemed surprised, and even the fourth year, John seemed excited. Harry and Draco watched as they younger students went to the brightly decorated tree and sat in front of it.

"You may each take two presents," Severus told them, "a large one and a small one." That was all that really needed to be said though, as the next moment they were picking presents based on their favorite colors and ripping into them. They squealed with delight at what they found inside. Board games and toy dragons, hats and mittens, magical cameras and wizard rock music. Harry and Draco didn't move for the presents until the other children had cleared away with their gifts into different parts of the large room. Draco brought the four remaining presents back to the coffee table and pushed two towards Harry. They opened them silently, not seeming happy or excited like the other children, just present and accounted for. Harry had opened a new pair of flying goggles and two Quidditch posters, one each for two different popular teams. Draco had opened new emerald green mittens and a snow cap, and a magi-camera. They looked at each others gifts, and Severus wondered if there was some sort of telepathy going on as they silently exchanged them. Harry handed Draco the leather flying goggles and Draco handed him the mittens and cap. What was gong on here?

Harry unrolled the two posters and Draco seemed to be eyeing the one for the Falmouth Falcons so Harry handed that over to him as well. Why on earth would Potter give Draco the expensive flying goggles in exchange for a hat and mittens, and then give him a poster to boot?

Unsettled by this display between the two rivals, Severus cleared his throat to get the attention of the students gathered and pointed at the stockings lining the mantelpiece. The younger children rushed to get a stocking for themselves, filled with candy and small toys, and Harry got up this time to bring two over to the table, giving one to Draco. Draco dumped his out and began organizing into sets of candies and Harry pulled one thing out of his stocking at a time, laying certain things down on the table and others on the empty couch beside him. Severus narrowed his eyes, wondering if they were going to start exchanging things from their stockings as well, and wasn't disappointed when he saw Draco starting to set things on the table. Draco reached forward and took one of Harry's chocolate frog boxes and Harry took a bag of Draco's every flavor beans. They swapped this way until only a few things were left, which they left there as they began packing their sweets back into their stockings. Finally it was too much for Severus and he went over to them and cleared his throat. Draco looked up, eyes a little less dull then they had been that morning.

"Might I inquire as to what you are doing?"

"Eating candy sir," Draco said. Harry's eyes flickered between the two of them, clearly wondering if Draco would get in trouble. If he had said that, he would have gotten points taken away for cheek.

"Clearly," Severus said. "Why did you exchange gifts and candy."

Harry looked as though he wasn't sure how to answer, so Draco spoke again. "He had things I wanted and I had things he wanted."

"You have barely spoken several sentences to each other since this morning. How did you know?"

Finally Harry looked at him and said, "It's this way every year. We put out the candy we don't like on the table and trade."

"Every year?"

"Well I went home first year," Draco said, "and I didn't come second year, but this is my third year in the losers room."

"It is not a losers room," Severus was quick to say, aware that the other students might be listening, but if they had heard they didn't give any indication. They were busy eating candy and telling jokes around the large table in the dining area and devouring the last of the lunch food. "I was unaware this was your third year." He turned to give a curious look at Potter, who didn't feel inclined to say how many years he'd been there.

"He comes every year," Draco supplied for him after a moment though. "His stupid friends never stay for Christmas."

"Ron stayed in first year, and they both stayed second year," Harry said, though his voice lacked any real conviction and he sounded depressed.

Draco scoffed. "Two years, big deal. If they were real friends they would stay every year instead of leaving you alone."

"We had a row this year," Harry mumbled, and Severus cast his mind around for any indication he had seen of the golden trio fighting or being on the outs. Maybe he wasn't as observant as he prided himself on being.

Draco gave him a hard look and Severus was pleased that the blond no longer looked dull and apathetic. "They didn't give you anything this year did they?"

Harry looked up, hurt in his eyes and then looked back down and began fiddling with his new gloves. "Pratts," Draco said, and he seemed genuinely angry.

"Professor Snape, can we use this in here?" Severus was forced to drag his attention away from the two fifth years and go over to the table where they were asking to use a Potions Kit one of them had opened. When he'd helped them set it up and warned them about working safely, he looked back to where Harry and Draco were sitting, but they'd already opened up another board game and were starting to play. So Potter and Draco had both been in the round up group for the last few years? And apparently they were comfortable with each other in this place. He knew Minerva had taken the group last year, Pomfrey the year before that, and the Headmaster the year before that. He wondered if each of them had been as shocked as he was to see the two schoolyard enemies sitting in a comfortable silence with each other and playing board games, and trading gifts and candy. If they were this civil here, why weren't they during the rest of the school year?

The afternoon passed in a flurry of laughter, another game of exploding snap, and the finishing off of the plates of treats that Severus had prepared. Finally it was time for the Christmas feast and Severus informed the six children that they would need to gather all of their things and take them with them as they would not be returning after the feast. Harry was the first to leave, and Draco the last. Finally alone with the blond, Severus gave him a curious look and asked, "Why would Potter give you the expensive flying goggles in exchange for the hat and gloves?"

"He doesn't have anything warm to wear. Whenever I get winter clothes in the room I give them to him."

"What do you mean nothing warm to wear?"

"His family are jerks. They don't send him to school with winter clothes. You've seen the garbage he walks around in."

"I have not."

Draco raised his brows at him. "Every year he borrows one of Weasley or Longbottom's coats, and the only long sleeve shirt he has is whatever ridiculous thing Weasley's mother knits for him. But if he had a row with them I doubt she gave him one this year." Draco went to the door, not wanting to be late for the feast, but then stopped and turned back to his Head of House. "For a while, I didn't think you were going to bring him in." And then he left, arms full of his presents and stocking full of candy.

Severus looked around the empty room, still festively decorated, and stared at the spot Potter had occupied all afternoon. He didn't have warm clothes, and his friends hadn't sent him presents this year, and he came to this room every year. That also meant he never went home for Christmas. Why was that? Severus knew why he had rarely gone home for Christmas when he was a child. He had often found himself in the round up group in his school years, but not every year. There were years when Lily had stayed behind and they'd spent Christmas together, and he always had presents. Surely Potter's family had sent him something? The two gifts he'd received from Severus couldn't have been the only ones he'd received?

Deep in thought he made his way down to the Great Hall where the feast was just getting under way, and where everyone was sitting together at the Hufflepuff table. Potter, he noticed, was the only one present wearing only a t-shirt. He was sitting with a group of Ravenclaws and Draco was sitting with the other seven Slytherins who had stayed for Christmas. He seemed in a better mood and was even laughing at something one of the younger Slytherins had said, but Harry still seemed down. Severus watched him as he pulled a Christmas Cracker and a pair of warm red socks fell out. He took them and disappeared under the table for a few minutes and then reappeared. He'd probably put the new socks on.

"How many this year Severus?" Albus asked, leaning closer to him so he could speak more quietly.

"Six."

"I can spot two of them," Albus said, eyes traveling from Harry and then to Draco. "Who were the others?"

Severus told him, but wondered that the aging man knew that Potter stayed behind at the castle each year.

"Potter's family-" Severus started, and then stopped, not sure he wanted to get involved and ask certain questions.

"Yes?"

He grumbled internally. Now he had to ask. "They send him presents?"

"I wouldn't know Severus," Albus said, "I would assume so with the large stipend I give them every year to take care of him."

Albus turned back to his plate and was soon drawn into a conversation with Madam Hooch about new Quidditch regulations. Severus however was busy turning things over in his mind. If they got a large stipend and weren't spending it on clothes for Potter (his shirt did look old and thin), then he was willing to bet they probably weren't sending him presents either. But what family didn't send their children presents? Granted they weren't Potter's parents, and Petunia Dursley was always a sour woman, but still. They would send him something wouldn't they? Severus excused himself from the meal early and went to the staff lounge on the first floor. There were wooden cabinets with neatly organized school records for each student. He rifled through the P names to Potter and pulled out the file, trying to find the owl inventories. Each owl that brought items to students was cataloged by the castle's magic. It was a necessity to ensure students weren't having dangerous books or potions ingredients shipped to them, though staff rarely checked the files. There was a short list for the year and he scanned down it quickly:

*Hedwig - Letter - Sirius Black
*Hedwig - Letter - Remus Lupin
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet
*Hedwig - Letter - Ginny Weasley
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet
*Prophet Owl - Weekly Prophet

The list went on to list several other deliveries of the Weekly Prophet, but nothing else. No presents, not even from Molly Weasley. Presumably she could have sent him a gift through one of her sons, but from what Draco had said, it was unlikely. If Harry was on the outs with the Weasleys (Severus wondered over what) then even if Molly had sent him a gift, Ron or his brothers may have withheld it from him.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't Potter he was reading and thinking about. It couldn't be. Potter was spoiled. He got hundreds of letters from adoring fans and hordes of presents and candy, and his family was responsible for his spoiled rotten attitude and the way he strutted around the castle like he owned the place. Only he hadn't been strutting earlier that morning when Severus had found him, and he couldn't remember the last time he'd actually seen him act like he'd owned anything of value at all. He had a Firebolt and invisibility cloak, those were things of worth, but Potter didn't flaunt that he owned them. Damn.

Severus put the file away and went back to the feast, but it had wrapped up by now and most of the students had cleared out. Potter was gone and so were the majority of the staff. He left and started back towards his quarters, but suddenly felt too wound up to sleep, so instead turned his steps towards the upper castle. Maybe he'd catch a couple out past curfew doing something they shouldn't. That would take his mind off of Potter. But he didn't find any couples. He did come across Potter in the library just before curfew however. He was sitting at a table near the front of the empty library, writing something on parchment. Severus watched him for nearly ten minutes before the Gryffindor seemed to realize the time, got up, and hurried out so he could get back to his dorm before curfew. He'd left the parchment though, and Severus was too curious for his own good at this point in the evening. He walked over and picked it up and was surprised by what he saw. It was a letter to Santa. Letters to Santa were supposed to be written before Christmas, and sent away by owl where the Wizarding Post office banished them since there was no real Santa to send them to. And besides that, fifteen-year-olds didn't write to Santa, but apparently this one did.

'Santa,

I know it's late to write to you since Christmas is almost over. I haven't written in a while. Things haven't been so good though. I got a couple of nice presents this year. A hat and mittens and a poster and some candy. It's nice that they do that for us here. My friends are mad at me and I don't think they're going to be my friend when they come back, and you know my family doesn't ever send anything. Even my godfather forgot about me this year. I thought since I haven't asked you for anything in three or four years that maybe you could give me all my presents in one go. One really big present. This year for Christmas, could you just send me someone who cares? It's all I want.

Yours,

-Alone'

Severus stared at the letter in disbelief. Not even Black had sent him anything, he knew that from the owl records, but it was even more real seeing it written in Harry's own hand. He folded the letter in half and went back to his quarters. He wasn't Santa. How was he supposed to just grant Potter's wish? Surely the boy didn't believe such things were possible. But the letter felt like it was burning a hole in his pocket, begging to be replied to. Severus sat down in his chair to think, and couldn't get the image of Potter sitting sadly in the corridor out of his mind. He had been right in his earlier assumption that it was a ploy for attention though wrong in what he thought the motivations were. Harry had been sitting there waiting to be found and rounded up. Waiting for anybody at all to care enough about him to give him a good Christmas. And this year it had been Severus' turn...

* * *

Harry Potter sat at his desk in front of the only window in the dormitory. It was dark and snowing out, and the hours were moving on towards midnight. He just stared out onto the grounds and wondered if there was anybody out there who felt as lonely as he did right now. He bet Ron and Hermione had had a wonderful Christmas, and wished he could have been a part of it. In November Ron had hinted at inviting Harry home for Christmas this year, and Harry had looked forward to it and to maybe being allowed to see Sirius, but then they'd had their falling out a few weeks before Christmas holiday.

Harry had asked Ginny out without asking Ron or the twins first, and Ron had gotten angry. Then they'd come to blows and Harry, swinging wildly had punched Ron in the nose. The twins, though they didn't care if Harry dated Ginny, or asked her out without asking them, did care that he'd hit Ron in the face with intent to harm him (even though Ron had thrown the first punch and had hit Harry in the side several times). Hermione also didn't seem to appreciate that Ron had thrown the first punch. With that one argument blown out of proportion, Harry's dreams of a Christmas with friends, of dating Ginny, and of having friends at all, disappeared completely. It had been a lonely month spending time by himself, sitting in classes by himself, studying by himself, and in general, being all alone by himself. Ginny sometimes gave him sad looks, and occasionally Hermione gave him tense greetings if they passed each other in the halls or the common room, things like 'Hello Harry,' or 'did you pass the Potions exam,' but that was it. Ron and the twins wouldn't even look at him. It had been nice to play games with Draco today in the 'losers' room as Draco had called it, but he knew that come tomorrow Draco and he would be rivals again. It would be back to, 'Your hair looks worse than a hippogryff's Potter,' and, 'when are you joining the ranks Draco?' He wished it wouldn't be like that, but he and Draco clearly weren't meant to be friends. They were in different houses and their parents were and had been on different sides of the war. Different things were expected of them and it made Harry sad.

Harry didn't see the owl that flew up to the window, he was only startled from his thoughts as there was a sharp tapping directly in front of his face. Eyes focusing, he found an unfamiliar owl outside, trying to brace itself against the wind. He quickly let it in and looked it up and down. "Got ruffled out there didn't you?" It was a snowy owl like Hedwig, but obviously a boy, and he wondered if his owl knew this one. It held out it's leg and Harry took the envelope. "For me?" He hoped it was from one of his friends, but was surprised when he opened it. The owl flew out the window and Harry closed it quickly to keep the snow and wind out, and then turned back to the letter. At the top it said his name in an unfamiliar handwriting, and at the bottom it clearly said, 'From Santa,' but it couldn't be real. It wasn't even Christmas anymore. Harry looked at his watch. Ok, so it was ten til midnight and was still technically Christmas, but Santa had never written back before. Harry wasn't even entirely sure there was a Santa.

'Dear Harry,

I received your letter. There is someone who cares about you. I do. So does your Headmaster, your head of house, and someone who is waiting for you in the room you spent the day in. If you want your Christmas present, hurry to the room before Christmas is over.

Sincerely,

-Santa'

Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Santa was real! And if he could get down to the second floor in the next nine minutes, he could actually have a real Christmas present from someone who cared! Harry raced out of the room in his socks and pajama bottoms and t-shirt, not even bothering to put shoes on, past the studying seventh years, and out the portrait hole. His watch read four til when he made the door to the 'losers' room and stopped to breath heavily. What was his present going to be? Had Santa somehow brought Ron and Hermione and Ginny back? Was Sirius there?

Hand shaking slightly in anticipation, Harry turned the knob and pushed the door open, but was surprised to find the room occupied by Professor Snape, who was on a step stool taking Christmas decorations down.

"It is well past your curfew Potter," he said, giving him a lazy look as he took the red and green garland down and put it into a box.

"Oh- I- I'm sorry sir, I-"

"Yes?" He sounded impatient.

"I came for a present," Harry said lamely.

"The things I gave you earlier weren't enough?" Severus queried, though Harry noted it was more surprise and less anger than normally would have been aimed at him. He flinched anyway, and remained silent. "And that on top of the rest of the things you received for Christmas from your friends and family?"

"I'm sorry sir," Harry said, backing out of the door, but Snape called out for him to stop and come back in.

"While you're here, the least you can do is help me clean up Potter, since you're awake."

"Yes sir." Harry moved to begin stacking dirty plates and cups without a complaint, and Severus wondered at that. Draco would have complained, he was sure, especially at this hour of the night. It was only one minute until midnight.

"I asked you a question Potter," Severus said, using his wand to tightly seal a box full of decorations that would be put into storage until next year.

"Sir?"

"About the hoards of presents you received."

"Oh."

Harry began scraping up a piece of cake from the floor where someone had dropped it and forgotten about it behind a chair. "I- I only got what you gave me sir."

"I'm sure Black spent some ungodly amount of gold on flying gear for you. That is why you gave the goggles to Draco isn't it? You already have several pairs?"

"No sir. Draco knew I wanted the hat and mittens."

"How could he possibly know that? What use would you have for those?"

Harry put the cake in the thrash. Maybe it was because he was tired, or disappointed, or just sad, perhaps all three, but he didn't stop to think about lying or not having to answer these questions the terse Potions master was asking him. He just answered dully, knowing he had no one else to talk to anyhow, so he might as well talk to Snape while he cleaned and be thankful he wasn't losing points for being out after curfew or getting a real detention.

"It gets cold out. It's nice to have something warm to wear. Once Draco gave me a sweat jacket the day after Christmas. It was lucky that someone had given him two and he doesn't like the color red."

"You think he gave it to you because he had two?"

"That's what he said."

"It's not possible that it was a gift to you since he knew you had nothing warm to wear?"

Harry paused from the frosting he was trying to clean off the floor, and looked up, confused. "Why would he do that sir? No one gives me presents unless they have to."

"Your friends do," Severus observed.

"No," Harry said sadly, going back to the mess. "Not anymore. They only give me presents because they have to as friends. But they're not my friends anymore."

"The golden trio is finally broken?" Severus asked, and Harry was too busy being sad to realize that his Professor didn't sound snide or angry.

Harry shrugged as he put the cake and napkins he'd been using to clean up in a trash bag and then moved to clean up a spilled drink behind the couch. "They're not talking to me or looking at me anymore. I was going to go home with Ron for Christmas but they left me here."

"Why?"

"I punched Ron in the nose."

"And pray tell, what would make you do such a thing?"

"He punched me in the side a bunch of times. We were having a row because I asked Ginny out and I didn't ask him about it first. And when I punched him in the nose he and the twins and Hermione stopped talking to me. And Ginny won't talk to me either."

"They do not care that he apparently started the fight?"

"Nobody saw it. We were out on the grounds. They only know that he came in with a bloody nose and a big bruise. He told them I hit him and that was it."

"And you care so little for your friends that you are willing to let them believe whatever it is he told them without telling your side of the story?"

"I tried to tell them," Harry said, suddenly feeling more upset about the whole thing than he had all month. "They wouldn't listen. They just walked away. I think Ginny knows what happened but she wont talk to me because they'll get mad at her. She can't choose me over her own brother."

Severus sighed. "So you spent Christmas without them."

"They spent it without me. They always do."

"Why did you not go home?"

Harry seemed to realize himself then and who he was talking to. His face turned red and he looked away.

"Well?" Severus asked impatiently.

"I don't have one anymore," Harry said very quietly. "Not since... not since they died."

"It is my understanding that you live with relatives."

"They don't like me."

"Hm."

They worked quietly, taking down decorations and cleaning for a few minutes, before Severus asked, "Is that why they do not provide clothing for you?"

Harry's face turned red in embarrassment then and he shrugged and mumbled something along the lines of, "I guess."

"As it so happens Mr. Potter," Severus said, "there were several packages of clothing left under the tree. We had expected more students this year and there were presents left over."

Harry looked up and Severus was disturbed to see that his eyes were wet though the tears hadn't yet fallen. "You should give them to someone who needs them."

"You need them Potter. Do not be foolish." Severus waved his wand and several presents flew out from behind the tree where Harry must have missed them before. He went to the couch and sat down, and carefully pulled one of the boxes towards himself. When he unwrapped it he found a white clothing box with several shirts inside. They were his size. In the other three boxes he found several pairs of pants, a coat, socks and underwear."

"They don't usually give people clothes," Harry said, looking up at Snape who was watching him curiously. Severus didn't respond and Harry continued, "They're all my size."

"Perhaps Santa left them."

Harry frowned at him and then said, "Do you have a snowy owl sir?"

"What of it?"

"You wrote back to me. It wasn't Santa."

"What would make you suggest such a thing?"

Harry held up the blue coat that fit him perfectly. "You didn't yell at me when I came down. And you could have let the elves clean all this up instead of staying until midnight. You staged all of this."

"What did your letter say Potter?"

"You know what it says!" He was suddenly angry, feeling like a big joke had been played on him.

"Tell me anyway."

Harry pulled it out of his pajama pocket, fumbled with it angrily for a few moments and read it out loud until he got to the part that said, 'I care.' He looked up and met his Professor's eyes.

"Why would you care about me? I'm a Gryffindor and you don't even like me."

"I did not know you."

"You still don't."

"Tonight you told me about yourself. It is a start."

Harry opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it. "You shouldn't care about me. That's not nice to say things like that and get my hopes up when you'll just leave me alone like everybody else."

"It is no business of mine how other people choose to ruin their relationships. I cannot control them. I can only control what I say and do."

"And what are you going to say and do?" Harry asked, uncertainty filling him and showing in all of his features.

"Care Mr. Potter. About you and your well-being, whether you like it or not. Now take your new clothes and go to bed, and the next time you decide to break curfew in the middle of the night, remember to put on slippers or shoes so you don't catch a cold."

Harry stood with his armful of clothes, feeling uncertain and overwhelmed at the same time and Severus ushered him out the door. Harry wondered if the man knew what he was getting himself into. Everybody chose to leave him in the end.

He made his way back to Gryffindor tower, and just outside met McGonagall. Apparently one of the seventh years had gone to get her when Harry had rushed out at ten to midnight.

"Mr. Potter, where were you and what are you doing with all of those clothes?" She didn't seem angry, just concerned, and Harry remembered that the letter from Santa- from Snape said that she cared about him and so did the Headmaster.

"Santa gave them to me," Harry finally decided on telling her.

"Santa?" She seemed surprised.

"Yes maam."

"And- you were with him?" Maybe she thought he'd been with Dumbledore. He did have the long beard.

"He made me clean up the Christmas room and then scolded me for leaving the dorms without shoes or slippers."

"Santa did this you say?"

Harry turned to climb into the portrait hole with his armful of clothes and then turned back and gave her a half grin. "I wonder where Professor Snape keeps his sleigh." And then he was gone, leaving Minerva McGonagall feeling perplexed, at half past midnight on the day after Christmas.