Title: Disguises

Author: Nemesis

Feedback: Not mine. Too bad.

Pairing: HP/SS

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Harry and Severus use Polyjuice Potion to sneak around until they are caught.

Beta: My girlfriend, who is just the most amazing person ever.

Challenge: Coming Out Challenge

Archive: Dawn-to-Dusk Wave IX

A sharp knock resounded on Severus' door. "Enter!" he called.

Draco Malfoy opened the door and entered. "Good evening, Severus," he greeted.

Severus looked up and saw the careless way Draco shut the door, the unsureness in his moves, and repressed a smile.

"What do you want, Draco?"

Draco awkwardly sat down. "Oh, cut the crap, Severus," he snapped.

Severus laughed. "Hey, Harry. I'll wait until the Polyjuice wears off; I hate the thought of kissing Draco, even if it's only his body. Until then, talk to me."

"About what?"

"Unless I am mistaken, you have a job. You do have a life, don't you?"

Draco – Harry – chuckled. "Yes, I have a job and a life. Not sure you'd be interested in the latest gossip, though."

"Oh, really? What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing. The Minister's being a jerk again and trying to control the amount of time spent on missions, my partner's been hitting on me, the Commission is considering whom to appoint to the position of Head Auror…"

Severus made sympathetic noises.

"And how are you?"

"I have brats for students, idiots for colleagues, and an insane meddler for a boss."

"Lovely," Harry sighed sarcastically.

"Indeed," Severus answered, chuckling.

"So, who are you going to be next week?"

"Well, I've been Granger," he shuddered, "Ron, Fred, George, and Ginny Weasley, Finnegan, Thomas, Creevey, and Longbottom, so I'm not quite sure who to be this time."

"Remus," Harry suggested wickedly.

Severus nodded. "Fine. Only if you're Albus next time."

"Deal," Harry answered.

They had been seeing each other for over two years, and every time they visited each other, they used Polyjuice to turn into someone else to 'sneak' into each other's rooms. Someone who would normally visit them.

Harry gasped suddenly and felt the transformation begin. Two minutes later, he was sitting there in his natural body.

"You know, it's dangerous to be sneaking about Polyjuiced. What if you don't get here in an hour?"

Harry grinned and held up a flask full of the potion. "Took a leaf out of the faux Moody's book."

Severus shook his head in bemusement. "You frighten me sometimes."

Harry smirked. "Good. I like the 'frightened' look on you. If I can tell that it's the 'frightened' look. Most of your looks resemble each other very closely."

Severus chuckled, and Harry got up. "Now can I give you my greeting kiss?" Harry asked almost petulantly.

Severus nodded, and Harry crushed his lips against Severus'. He sat down on Severus' lap.

"I must say, it was rather amusing watching you try to be Draco."

"And it will be as amusing watching you try to be Remus."

"Don't forget I know the man."

"I know Malfoy."

Severus grinned wickedly. "But nothing will be as amusing as watching you try to be Albus."

"Merlin, no one knows him."

A week later, a sharp knock resounded on Harry's door. "Enter!" he called in a bored tone.

Remus entered almost apologetically. "Hi, Harry," he greeted, shutting the door behind him.

"Hi, Remus. Sit down. It's good to see you again; you've been so busy lately."

Remus sat down immediately, smiling. "It's good to see you, too. Yeah, problems. Stuff with the Ministry, bloody thing."

Harry made some sympathetic noises.

"I really hope this isn't a bad time," Remus continued.

"No, not at all. I'm not expecting anyone."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Really? I heard Severus muttering something about barging in on you tonight."

"Well, then, that wouldn't be an expected visit, would it?" Harry asked.

Remus shrugged. "I suppose you're correct." Harry could see him fighting not to add, 'What a surprise.'

"Did Severus mention when he'd be by? I should be prepared, oh, I really should. It would be so unfair if Severus came in, and I just stood here stupidly. Oh, please tell me when he's going to come. Oh, I shall just die if he comes without my knowing it." He looked entreatingly at Remus. It had been delivered with a naïve, childish 'I do so want to help' tone.

Remus started laughing hard. "Oh, sweet Merlin, Harry, you're too good at that. Fine, I give up."

Harry grinned. "I know I'm good, Severus. How much longer?"

"Seventeen minutes exactly. And don't forget, you have to be a perfect Albus next time."

"Oh, Merlin, I have to visit him to get a hair of his."

Severus chuckled. "Nope. When he invited me up for one of those disgusting 'tea and a chat,' I swiped one." He handed it to Harry, who shoved it into a vial.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I wouldn't want Albus to get suspicious."

A week later, Harry downed the potion and felt himself turn into Albus. He left immediately for Hogwarts, knowing that he was wearing, by far, the most dangerous disguise. It was the only bluff he could be called on almost immediately.

He was surprisingly lucky until he reached the dungeons.

"My dear boy," Albus called.

Harry turned around, facing the real Albus.

Albus clucked his tongue. "Really, using me as a disguise, too? What will you two think of next?"

Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Harry, then. It's your turn, anyway. Besides, Severus just did Remus last week. Don't look at me like that. The two of you have been doing this for two years now. I know all of your disguises. I was wondering when Severus would challenge you to dress up as me."

Harry wondered idly whether the floor would swallow him up if he wished it enough.

"I suppose it's some kind of thrill for the two of you. You don't want anyone else to know you're visiting each other. I've seen you going in to Severus' rooms many times now, Harry. And I've seen Severus leave many times to go to your flat. But you don't have to hide."

"We're not exactly hiding. It's just that… well, in the beginning, Severus didn't want to be seen leaving. Then it became a game." His voice sounded strange to him, too Harry with Albus' tone.

Albus nodded. "It was protection, wasn't it? A way for the two of you to laugh at the rest of the world. Something to occupy yourselves with. You both wanted to remain so very independent. It's why you won't go into each other's rooms without a disguise. Well, come along."

Albus grabbed Harry's hand and led him to Severus' rooms. He knocked sharply. He turned around suddenly, and, as an afterthought, made Harry invisible. "It'll be fun," he explained.

"Enter!" Severus called.

Albus opened the door and entered, Harry right behind him.

"Ah, Albus, so nice to see you," Severus greeted him, thinking it was a Polyjuiced Harry.

"Tea, my dear boy?" Albus asked.

Severus frowned. "Albus, these are my rooms. I should offer you the tea."

Albus sighed. "I know, Severus, I know. But, now that I have asked, tea?"

Severus nodded, glaring.

Albus conjured a pot of tea and two cups. "So, how have you been doing?"

"Fairly well, thanks. And you?"

"Oh, the usual. I hope I'm not barging in on you."

Severus barely stopped himself from saying that was a line usually said before conjuring the tea.

"No, Albus, you're not interrupting anything."

Albus' eyes twinkled at him. "Now, I did have a few questions for you about…"

Severus was determined to beat Harry this time. To wait until Harry transformed back into himself.

Nearly fifty minutes passed. Albus was still talking animatedly, very much himself.

He took a deep breath. "So, my dear boy, I was thinking that perhaps you and Filius could…"

"Oh, Harry, cut it out. I don't know how you managed to get the Polyjuice into the tea without my noticing it, but you win."

Albus looked up at Severus, seemingly puzzled. "Severus, are you alright? Maybe my hearing's wrong. I thought I heard you speak to Harry." He did not mention that he had referred to Harry by his given name.

Severus gaped. "Wait a minute…" He frowned at Albus.

"You're not Harry?"

Albus chuckled. "I think you should get your eyes checked, Severus. I'm very much Albus Dumbledore."

"Then where's Harry?" he demanded.

Albus waved his hand dismissively. "Around, I'm sure. I haven't heard from him for a while."

Harry suddenly materialized at the wave of Albus' hand, having already undergone the transformation. Albus looked up. "And there he is. Splendid, splendid."

Severus blinked owlishly.

Albus chuckled. "Really, Severus, did you really think I wouldn't realize the two of you were sneaking about with all of your ridiculous disguises?"

Severus opened and shut his mouth a few times. He looked surprisingly like a beached fish, a look that most certainly did not suit him.

"But I am going to ask you two now not to continue this ridiculous affair with the Polyjuice Potion. If you want to sneak around, find a different way, please."

Severus and Harry nodded dumbly. Albus stood up and swept out, still chuckling.

Harry sat down on Severus' lap. "I feel like an idiot."

Severus nodded. "Me too."

"He didn't catch you trying to be him," Harry pointed out dryly.

Severus chuckled. "Pity I didn't see that."

"We could still play that game. But this time, in our rooms, all alone."

Severus nodded. "It could be fun."

"It could indeed. He is right, though."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"We really should stop sneaking around."

Severus smiled. "We should." He kissed Harry. "Love you."

"Adore you, admire you, worship you," Harry answered.

"Brat," Severus sighed fondly.

"Git," Harry answered, smiling.

-- End