"Is that...?"
"That must be...!"
"What was his name again?"
"Sebastian."
"Wh-what?"
"You were dozing off. Come, let us board the train before it leaves without us." Without waiting, Severus turned and began striding towards the nearest entrance.
"Yes, father — coming, father!" Sebastian said, chasing after him. As he passed other people, he saw them all turn and stare whilst whispering to each other. Discomforted, he hunched his shoulders and moved to the side of his father nearest the train, with the hopes that his father's billowing cloak would block him from view.
Severus glanced at him then, and his expression softened. "Come along, then — the sooner you board the train the sooner you'll be out of sight of those nosy gawkers."
At his words, Sebastian relaxed just the slightest bit before picking up his pace, eager to be away from the watchful eyes of so many. As long as he could remember, his father had always kept him hidden away from the public eye — they hardly ever went out, and when they did it was only when it was necessary. During the winters when his father would teach at the school, Sebastian would get to stay with his god-brother, Draco, at his mansion, with his father visiting on the weekends.
But besides the Malfoys, and on occasion Dumbledore and his Headmistress, McGonagall, Sebastian never saw many people. He'd spoken with Draco about it, and Draco always said that Severus must just be overprotective...but Sebastian always wondered if there was more to it.
Lost in thought, he didn't even notice when they reached their carriage, not until his father took him by the shoulder and steered straight him through the open door; Draco was there waiting for him.
"Draco!"
"Seb, how was the trip?"
Sebastian plopped himself down on the seat beside Draco, while Severus closed the door and took the seat across from them, nearest the window. "Absolutely stifling. Who knew there could ever be so many people in one place!"
Draco laughed, "If you think that's bad, you should see the manor during one of mother and father's gallas — it's absolutely horrid!"
They laughed, and in the presence of his father and his most trusted friend, Seb was finally able to fully relax. Away from the noise and bustle of the station platform, he finally felt safe enough to breathe — the effect of being sheltered for so long, he figured.
Shortly after, they were interrupted by a knock on the apartment door, and the doors slid open to reveal someone they didn't recognize— a student. "Excuse me, Professor, if I could have a moment of your time?"
To the untrained eye, it would appear that Severus was completely unphased, but his son could tell how bothered he was. He huffed exasperatedly, and his shoulders shifted as he put his book down on the bench next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Seb could see Draco fidgeting and bouncing in his seat.
As soon as Severus had left and the compartment door shut behind him, Seb turned to Draco and asked, "What's up with you?"
"Didn't you hear," he asked excitedly.
"No, hear what?"
"About Harry Potter — The Boy Who Lived — he's the same age as us, you know! Which means...he'll be going to Hogwarts this year!"
"But," Seb frowned, "Why did you wait until now to tell me? And what's so important about him?"
"Well," Draco shifted nervously, "you know how your father is..."
"...right..."
"He doesn't like him very much, nor does he like us talking about him," he continued, "but my father told me to try my best to get on Potter's good side, and that's what I plan to do! The only question is how..." Draco stared off into the distance, his brow furrowed.
"But you still haven't told me what's so important about him? Why does your father want you to make friends with him?"
"Well — " Draco blinked, and turned to look back at him, "well...don't you know?"
"Know what," Seb asked, exasperated.
"Well...he killed the Dark Lord. But you knew that, right? Don't tell me you didn't know that!" Draco shouted, horrified.
"Hush! Before my father hears!"
The two of them quickly quieted and then proceeded to listen in silence for a few moments, breathing as quietly as they could, until they felt it was safe enough to continue. "Anyway...of course I know about that. The Dark Lord tried to kill him, but the spell bounced back for whatever reason and killed him instead — everyone knows that." Before Draco could interrupt, he continued, "but he was just a baby! It was probably an accident — an early case of accidental magic, I don't know. You don't really believe a baby could defeat the Dark Lord, do you?"
"Well...no...of course not..."
"Then what's so important about befriending him?"
Draco straightened, "Well, even if he is stupid! He is still a person of great importance! Every wizard in the world knows his name; Imagine the political power if you could befriend him!"
"Hm...well, I see your point, but still —"
"Shh!" Draco hushed him suddenly, putting his hand over Seb's mouth. "Quiet," he whispered, "I think he's coming back — and he'll kill us if he hears we were talking about —"
The door slid open suddenly, and Draco let out an embarrassing 'eep.' The two boys sat frozen as Severus stared them down, before finally raising a single eyebrow. "Boys," he said, before returning to his seat and picking his book up where he left off — it was an extremely advanced book on potions, that seemed to focus on purely theoretical potions too dangerous to ever even attempt in real-life. "The train will be stopping in about half an hour, so I suggest you two start getting ready."
"Y-yes, sir!" They squeaked out.
"Hmpth." Snape didn't even bother looking up, and just turned the next page in his book.
Draco glanced at Seb and whispered, "You don't think he realized I paid off that student to —"
"Shh!"