I have located my old list of prompts for this story; there were nine more counting this one. Once they're all written out, this story will be marked complete.

~Multi-Faceted~

X: Color

After a childhood deprived of variety and imagination, Harry savored any bit of whimsy he could find. And seeking the opposite of the dreary dryness from his cupboard meant he was immediately enchanted by Dumbledore's colorful clothing and personality.

The headmaster's generally unruffled demeanor was already soothing to him, but the added splash of bright blue or dazzling purple from his robes, hat or boots consistently reassured Harry that nothing was as bad as it seemed if the man had time to pick out some eye-catching piece. It became a central tenet of his life at Hogwarts: stairs could move, flying would re-energize him, History of Magic was boring, Ron and Hermione would always find something to bicker about, Snape would take as many points off him as he could, Voldemort would come for his life at least twice a year, and Dumbledore would smile, twinkle and dress sharply through it all.

He even had a colorful bird on top of everything else.

Though Harry himself was restricted to black robes the majority of his time in the wizarding world, he found colors so uplifting that he learned to add them wherever he could. He purchased a Gryffindor-red scarf to wear in the winter; he found navy-blue gloves and boots to wear for Hogsmeade weekends; he even found a gold Snitch pin that would flutter from one spot to another on his clothes, and let it run freely over them one week (much to McGonagall's chagrin, and Gryffindor's when he lost points over it). The last even caught Dumbledore's eye one evening at dinner, and Harry was warmed by the approving nod and chuckle his little trinket garnered.

When he noticed a few extra rubies in his House's hourglass later, his grin was wide enough to split his face.

After that it became something of a quiet joke between them—Dumbledore would wear sparkling silver robes with tiny gold galaxies woven into the fabric, so Harry had Luna make him a handsome silver bracelet he could wear on his wrist; Harry added a tiny scarlet lion to dangle from his hat, so Dumbledore spent one week wearing orange boots that emitted tongues of phoenix fire whenever he took a step. Most of the other students remained ignorant to the reason for the randomness, but they enjoyed the light atmosphere all the same—and it didn't take Harry's friends long to notice the shared smiles between him and the headmaster whenever they noticed each other's adornments.

"You seem happier," Hermione observed one afternoon as they lazed about in their usual spot by the lake.

Harry hadn't noticed his brighter mood until she spoke; now that he had, he felt extremely aware of the upward tilt to his lips. "Er... really?"

"Yes! You smile a lot more these days... it's good to see."

He shrugged and kept watching the giant squid, unsure of how to respond. He didn't often feel content, or take time to dwell on it when he did—no need to start now. "Not much to say. I am happier, I guess."

Ron poked him teasingly in the side. "Only you would be in a good mood about your fashion contest with Dumbledore, mate."

"It's not a fashion contest—"

"Oh yeah? How many magical creature trinkets and barmy dress robes have you bought in the last few months from Hogsmeade, again?"

Harry tossed an ink pot at Ron's head. His Seeker accuracy failed him, and Ron laughed.

"Relax Harry; he's just winding you up," Hermione sighed. But she was smiling despite her exasperation. "Honestly? If sharing simple things like this with Dumbledore keeps you smiling, we're all for it. It's good... really good... to see you happy for once."

A flash of green from high above in the castle caught Harry's eye as he listened; he glanced up and spotted Dumbledore himself looking out at the grounds through his office window. Their eyes met, and the headmaster winked before sweeping off somewhere Harry couldn't see. His friends didn't have time to see the exchange, but they did see Harry brighten even more as a result.

"...It feels good for me, too."