Ten-month old Draco Malfoy sat upright in his highchair, distractedly nibbling away at a large biscuit. Encroaching on his personal space, Narcissa and Lucius stood before him, eagerly trying to coax a first word from their child. Severus, for his part, sat at the kitchen table and enjoyed his breakfast of quiche. He would have no part in annoying his Godson.
"Say Mama." Narcissa implored, wagging another biscuit in her child's face.
"Say Daddy." Lucius insisted, bribing Draco with a cauldron cake.
Draco squawked indignantly, and launched his soggy biscuit at Lucius. Cackling merrily when his makeshift weapon made contact with his father's nose, Draco swiped a second biscuit from his flabbergasted mother's hand.
"Draco." Narcissa admonished, pursing her lips.
"No." Lucius scowled. "That was very improper."
The youngest Malfoy frowned at the unfamiliar word, having seldom heard the word no from anybody other than Severus. Highly amused with his antic, Draco broke his second biscuit in half and shoved one entire side into his mouth before chucking the other at Narcissa's face. The sweet fell short, falling instead, down the front of Narcissa's robe.
"Draco Scorpius!" Narcissa scolded, frowning heavily.
In response to the unfamiliar sounds of chastisement, Draco simply opted to blow a loud raspberry in his parent's faces. Oblivious to the fact that this wasn't some new game, Draco giggled softly to himself as his mother summoned the biscuit from down her shirt.
"Such a naughty boy." Narcissa tutted. "Theodore Nott doesn't throw things."
"Theodore Nott is also talking." Lucius contributed, looking pointedly at his son.
"Draco isn't even in school yet, and you're comparing him to other children?" Severus scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Don't be ridiculous." Lucius scolded.
"How could anybody possibly compare their child to my baby?" Narcissa puffed, tickling Draco beneath his messy chin.
Severus shook his head at their denials and turned back to his meal, resolving to make certain that Draco grew up knowing he was irreplaceable. Very clearly, his own parents weren't going to be doing that.
"Please, Draco." Narcissa cooed. "Say Mama."
"Mama." Lucius assisted. "Ma-Ma."
Draco, evidently having grown bored of this new game, turned and squawked pleadingly at Severus. Recognizing the sound as a plea for help, Severus rose from his seat and plucked Draco from his incarceration.
His Godson smiled up at him appreciatively, tapping Severus on the chin in his usual display of affection. Reseating himself at the table, he allowed the baby to grab up his fork and wave it about wildly. Ignoring the bits of quiche that splattered his chin, Severus smiled softly at the annoyed looks the elder Malfoy's were sending him.
"You'll spoil him." Lucius accused.
"I'm going to spoil him?" Severus snorted.
Coming to his defense, Draco blew another raspberry, his chocolatey spittle flying across the room in a disgusting shower.
"I really wish you hadn't taught him do that." Narcissa sighed, shaking her head.
"You can't prove I did any such thing." Severus smirked, guilty and proud.
"You're such a bad influence." Lucius teased, wiping crumbs from the front of his robes.
Draco babbled excitedly then, poking the fork into Severus's cheek. Flinching slightly, Severus pulled away from the assault. Undeterred, the young child continued to jab the fork at him. It was only then that Severus realized his Godson was trying to feed him with the bits of quiche still left on the fork.
"Sevus!" Draco yelled, sticking out a bottom lip.
Severus's jaw dropped at the same moment Lucius's did, and Narcissa gave a shocked gasp. Draco giggled proudly, blue eyes shining brightly. It wasn't until the toddler jabbed the fork into Severus's mouth, stabbing his tongue, that everybody recovered.
"Draco, sweetie, what did you say?" Narcissa pressed, looking almost wounded.
"Sevus." The boy declared, tapping Severus's nose with the fork.
"His first word!" Severus exclaimed, overcome with excitement. "I'm his first word!"
Intuitive as always, Draco sensed the excitement in the room and clapped clumsily, bouncing up and down in Severus's lap.
"Sevus!" The toddler yelled. "Sevus! Sevus!"