"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

-Shel Silverstein

Besides a half-giant, tiny Harry Potter stood. They were in Gringotts, the wizarding bank run by goblins; yes, it sounded crazy to Harry as well. He was still in shock. He was a wizard! He didn't understand what was happening, but a small group of the funny, little goblin-men had gathered off behind the podium, slightly to Harry's left and away from Hagrid. He was confused because they would whisper in gibberish before turning to look at him. They would then turn back and discuss among themselves. It was making Harry extremely self conscious. Suddenly two goblins approached them.

"Mr. Potter, is it?" One asked, a folder tucked under his arm.

"Yes," Harry answered while Hagrid batted a giant hand at the goblins.
"Ge' away; off wit'cha," a goblin promptly froze the half giant before looking absolutely appalled at the man's behaviour. They would think that someone of half creature status would at least be a little more courteous towards disrespected and mistreated races. Urguss, one of the two goblins that introduced himself to Harry, and Ernust the goblin that had introduced himself, smiled a crooked smile at Harry which scared the boy. That smile looked mean, like he was going to get punished soon, get hurt. The goblins took in his nervousness and knew, if this was the boy they thought it was, that he likely had a rough life. They stopped smiling and kindly, more kind than any normal goblin would treat a wizard, gestured for the boy to follow them. Harry was hesitant upon following the stranger goblins towards the back of the bank, he hadn't seen anyone else go back there. He followed anyway, not wanting to be seen as rude, and they led him into a well furnished office. It was warm with cool navy blues and lined with gold which sparkled in a way that made Harry think that it could be actual gold. Urguss sat at the desk and Ernust stood beside him. They discussed among themselves in that gibberish-like language before Urguss crossed his fingers on the desk over a file. A file that read 'Will'. Who was this 'Will' person? Harry wondered in a rather childish manner, appropriately childish.

"Mr. Potter, our alarms, when you walked through the doors, alerted us that you are wearing a glamour. Recently the glamour has been tweaked in an attempt to make it through our security, but it seems that the attempt to improve the spell has failed. We would like to offer you a removal of this glamour for a small fee. We are neither the Potter or Black vault managers, but something else alerted us to you. Your magical type. It isn't similar to James nor Lily Potter and it is far from Sirius Black. While sometimes families have a 'odd' sibling or child, we don't suspect this to be the case."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't understand," it was horribly embarrassing that Harry admitted such a thing, he groaned at himself softly and hid his face in his hands embarrassedly.
"That is quite alright, young sir," Ernust told him with sympathy, "we actually just want to remove your glamours and do a blood test, if that is alright. We will tell you about the fee later, and if it is too much for you to pay right away, which is shouldn't be, then you can make payments to the bank, or you can file financial assistance with the Ministry."

"A-alright."

"Just come here and prick your finger on this needle. Let your blood flow onto this here sheet of paper and the rest is magic," Urguss said indicating a needle that appeared on the desk while he gave instructions and the sheet of parchment, called paper for the benefit of their muggle raised client. Harry stood up and pricked his finger before pulling away. He didn't flinch at the pain, rather he was scared when he saw the blood. He squeezed the wound out a little so a few drops of blood dripped out of his puncture and then it was healed just like magic. Harry looked up at the goblins who just looked down at the paper. The young man's eyes followed the goblins to the parchment. It read:

Name:

Hrabanus Severus Slytherin

Harry James Potter (adoptive)

Parents:

Severus Snape-Slytherin (birth parent)

Thomas Marvolo Riddle "Marvolo Slytherin" & "The Dark Lord Voldemort"(father)

Lily Rose Potter nee Evans (adoptive mother)

James Fleamont Potter (adoptive father)

Albus Brian Percival Wulfric Dumbledore (adoptive magical guardian)

Bellatrix Black Lestrange (godmother)

Lucius Malfoy (godfather)

Sirius Orion Black (blood adoptive father/godfather)

Alice Longbottom nee Prewett*(godmother)

Lordships:

Lord Potter (requirement: 17 years of age)

Heir Slytherin

Heir Black

Lord Slytherin (requirement, death of current Lord, 17 years of age)

Lord Black (requirement, death of current Lord, 17 years of age)

Heir Prince

Lord Prince (requirement, death of current Lord, 17 years of age)

Monetary Assets**:

Vault 316 - Slytherin-Prince Heir Vault:

Galleons: 4,562,924

Sickles: 15

Knuts: 23

Vault 733 - Potter Heir Vault:

Galleons: 1,802,201

Sickles: 7

Knuts: 2

Properties:

Potter

(See Folder for more information)

Potter Mansion

Godric's Hollow

Black

(See Folder for more information)

Black Castle

Black Estate

Number 12 Grimmauld Place

Slytherin

(See Folder for more information)

Slytherin Castle

Herbaria Cabin

Slytherin Estate

Prince

(See Folder for more information)

Spinner's End

Marvolo Manor

Darque Castle

Harry stopped reading when it mentioned his name. He stumbled back and collapsed in one of the chairs provided. He wasn't really Harry, he wasn't even related to the Dursleys then. Why had he been living with those fuckers then?

"Sirs," he chirped, "Do I have any living family?"

"Yes, you do," Harry, or Hrabanus, perked up and leaned forward in his seat. "You have your birth parent who is currently alive, in body, and he lives in Slytherin Castle. Your godparents, all of them, are alive as well as the man who claims to be your magical guardian, Mr. Dumbledore."

"Does my birth parent," Hrabanus leaned forward and looked at the parchment, "Severus - Snape? - Know that I'm alive?" Urguss shook his head so that the child could understand despite head movements not being custom in goblin culture. It was very much a gesticular language using mostly the hands.

"We don't think so. He came, along with your birth father, after you were stolen from them and they asked us to keep an eye out for you. We respect your parents very much, your birth parents at least, they were extremely polite and courteous towards us," Ernust decided to inform Hrabanus. "Perhaps you would like us to floo call him for you?"

"My birth parent is a boy?"

"Yes; forgive us, sometimes we are unused to children who grew up in the muggle world. Males can fall pregnant if their magic is strong enough and if they are with the person that their magic is compatible enough to give a piece of their magic to a growing foetus," Urguss excused himself to floo Lord Prince of the development in their son's disappearance. They had found him, perhaps the man would stop being so reclusive and start fighting for them once again. Goblins were very oppressed creatures since the Ministry labelled them as dangerous and even before that. The Dark Lord fought for them, and while they didn't like to interfere with wizarding business, they assisted quietly, operating in the shadows and the crystal caves where the light families, the families who despised them, got their money. Ernust pulled out folders and let Hrabanus look at the moving photographs of his properties. They were all so beautiful, all besides Godric's Hollow which was in ruin. He flipped through the pages, looking at the pictures and descriptions of all the rooms along with the other items housed within the properties such as dark artifacts (whatever those were) and valuable portraits. Hrabanus, honestly suffering quite a shock, didn't realize his surroundings and didn't notice when Urguss brought a man into the room.

The man didn't look like what Hrabanus looked like at all. His hair was long and black, braided messily down his back, as if it had been braided a week ago and he slept with it in and never bothered to fix it up, his face was so gaunt that his fangs were protruding slightly from his upper lip, but he had half of his face covered with a black shawl wrapped around his shoulders and head. He knew he looked horrible, scary even, but he couldn't wait to see the person who was possibly his child. Severus Snape-Slytherin watched as the boy in the chair looked at the moving photographs with awe and flipped the pages, scanning the contents of his properties.

Hrabanus, if the child was indeed his son, did not look like him at all. He couldn't sense the glamours since his magic was weak as it was trying to sustain him. He had been in something near a coma; a vampiric coma per say from lack of everything needed to sustain his body and strength. Urguss cleared his throat and Hrabanus snapped his attention to the goblin. He caught someone in the corner of his eye and he quickly looked at him and fell back against the other chairs. Severus frowned.

"Lord Prince, this is Mr. Hrabanus Severus Slytherin. It was confirmed by a blood test. He has strong glamours on his person, we wish to remove them."

"For a fee, I believe. Take it from the main Prince vault," his voice was gravelly and rough as if he hadn't spoken in years. In truth, he hadn't. Once he had lost everything he locked the doors of the castle, turned off the floo and decided to take a long sleep. He wanted to die, but being a vampire made it difficult and honestly, he had hope (the deadliest thing a person could have) that he would one day find his son, and that his husband would find a way to get his body back. He felt weak and helpless, and therefore he decided to stay away from everything, not wanting to form any more attachments that would only be severed. One of the ravens that carried the post to Slytherin Castle brought him the last Daily Prophet he ever got that mentioned the trial of Lucius Malfoy, this was a year after the trial and conviction of Bellatrix. His two best friends, he knew he would lose them too, everything horrible seemed to love him. He sent his ravens to their aviary (or their crypt as Severus and Tom liked to joke) and had the house elves feed them, but he requested they not leave or bring him letters. Any letters that came from Lucius were intercepted by the house elves at Severus' request to be left in peace. He only made his suffering far worse at his attempts to isolate himself. He was brimming with sadness as he looked upon the child that looked so much like his enemy, his tormentor during school, James Potter. It would be just ironic if the Potter's, one of which was Severus' first, best, and only friend for most of his life, had taken his child from him.

"Are you Severus Snape?"
"Slytherin, it's hyphenated," Severus approached cautiously and sat beside the boy, he kept his shawl wrapped around his mouth to hide his fangs and everything else that could be rather terrifying for someone unused to their world.

"Oh. Okay," Hrabanus looked down at the picture of Slytherin Castle, it was in detail, it was actually a picture of a rendition of the castle as photographs of the castle wouldn't be seen by anyone. Most of the photographs of the homes were actually photographs of the renditions, paintings, of the homes. Some had the inside of the home in pictures which appeared, but this was strictly for the goblins and family to see, still Tom had been very cautious about their safety. It hadn't been good enough; if only Severus had been a better parent. The thought made him horribly depressed, and in the moment Severus bowed his head.

"That's where I live," Severus pointed to the photograph, "It's much more beautiful in person. There are a variety of magical creatures that live in the forests around it as well. I think there is a small gnome infestation in the garden however. House elves can't do much when their master has locked himself away I suppose," he looked up at the goblins. "When can his glamour be removed?"

"Right now, if you would like," Urguss piped up. Hrabanus shut the folders and set them in his seat.

"Okay, I'll go right now then. Thank you for paying for me, sir," Severus almost cried, he frowned and turned to look at the wall, away from everyone in the room.

"Consider it an apology for not being better," and then Ernust led Hrabanus to the magic removing rooms. He had Hrabanus strip, and folded his clothes neatly before grabbing him something to wear so he wasn't uncomfortable: a plain white robe was all he got and Hrabanus felt like he was wearing a dress or something. He was instructed to stand in a pool of water, sort of like he heard baptism could be like, and a few goblins started to draw runes around the pool he stood in. They then chanted around him until the runes started to glow and then all the goblins dispersed and Hrabanus soon fell unconscious, only feeling intense pain shoot down his spine and into his scar as if he was splitting in half.

Hrabanus came to in the office he had been in. He was in his clothes again and on a small cot where he had been sitting in a chair. He let his eyes stay closed while he listened to the conversation Severus was having with the goblins.

"He was either taken by the Potters or his magical guardian, we however assume it was the magical guardian as he would have been the one to have had to claim rights over him in order to be the guardian. If he didn't override your parental control, then he wouldn't have had control and Hrabanus would have been able to live with you. When I said his name, he had no recognition of the name. He came with Mr Hagrid in search of his Hogwarts items, much like a muggleborn being escorted by a professor."

"Nippy! Take Hagrid, the half giant oaf, and lock him in the Wailing Cells," then with a soft pop, the house elf was gone. Severus looked back and down at Hrabanus before the goblins once again, "Do you know where he has been living?"

"The only 'relatives' he has are muggles, and he is assumed to be muggle-raised, we can assume that he has been with the muggles on the Evans side. I can't divulge their full names and we obviously don't track muggle addresses, but we are sure you can find them with the information we have provided, can you not?"

"I can," Severus took his shawl down and fiddled with the edges in an uncharacteristic gesture of nervousness. "Can I take him home? I will deal with the filth who raised him once he is comfortable with his surroundings. I would also like to renew my Gringotts card," both goblins found the same card and gave it to Severus, informing him of the fee for the credit card and telling him the rules in case he forgot, which he didn't, before excusing themselves and leaving the office.

"Hrabanus… Harry?" Severus asked with slight hesitation. "Would you like to accompany me to Slytherin Castle?"

"How do I know you aren't evil? Hagrid said th-"

"Hagrid did not carry you around for nine months," Severus shot back before Hrabanus could finish, "He was sent with the man who was supposed to be taking care of you. Albus Dumbledore. Do you know of this false guardian that took you away from your family?"

"Hagrid told me that there are people that are evil, called Death Eaters, and that their leader Voldem-"

"Please don't say his name, child."

"-that 'You-Know-Who' was trying to kill me so he could kill all the muggles," Severus wanted to embrace his son and tell him that he had been lied to so horribly, by so many people who were so ignorant they only believed what was fed to them by the fucking Daily Prophet. He thought about what he could do for a moment.

"I'm so sorry that they told you that… they aren't true, you need to believe me when I tell you that Voldemort, your father, did not mean to kill you. He meant to kill the Potter child, and while this doesn't make this any better, he had truly lost his sanity after you were stolen from us. He was angry and scared that we wouldn't have time to find you and I-I… I wouldn't speak to him, I didn't speak to anybody, I just sat in bed and wallowed in the despair I felt," he felt shameful for admitting weakness, but if he couldn't tell his son, then who could he tell? He didn't trust anyone more than his child, even if he didn't know him. "I can take you back to those muggles if you would prefer living with them," he repressed a sob. He was truly despicable. "Please be careful around the headmaster of Hogwarts, he is definitely trying to use you, that's what he's best at, hurting and manipulating people."

Hrabanus was given a choice. He could go back to the abuse, starvation, neglect, general horribleness of his adoptive family or he could go back with his father, or one of them at least. A magical man, literally, that so far hadn't tried to harm him at all. He wanted to go with his father. He wanted to love his father, and he wanted his father to love him. He just wanted love so badly, he craved it.

"I'll go with you," he wanted to make the other man promise to not leave him. They were related, actually related. He couldn't be called a freak if they both had magic, right? He wriggled off the cot and stabilized himself on his feet before walking towards Severus and slipping his tiny hand into the skeletal, stained hand of his father.

"Let us depart now, would you like to get some clothes before we go home? You are a Prince, you should not be in such off-putting rags," Severus noticed that he finally faced Hrabanus without covering his face and Hrabanus looked scared once again. He quickly maneuvered the cloth to hide his face once again before pulling the hood of his cloak up. He sighed, he was horrible at this parenting thing, at least Hrabanus probably had better parents than him with the muggles. "Don't be scared, you are half vampire as well, and I would never hurt my child," he said, reaching a hand out hesitantly because he was truly scared that his son would reject him. Why wouldn't Hrabanus reject his hand? He had likely had a nice life with people who loved him, right? Muggles? He had a lot to learn.

"I would like to get my school supplies, sir," he whispered, reaching up to take Severus' hand.

"Then we will get your supplies and anything else you would like."

So the two left the bank, a Gringotts card in Severus' hand, and went to get a trunk first. Hrabanus was nervous to getting such an expensive and nice trunk for school. It was a dark green/teal trunk with leather straps and beautiful golden locks and corners. The trunk he got even had three different compartments. Two of which were for school, one was a walk-in (walk-down) closet for all of his clothes and the second for school was for all his books and extra things. His third compartment was for all the books and things that Severus wished for him to have and practice/learn while he he was away. Severus also wished to have him hide a two way mirror in that compartment so they could speak without needing to fear that their owls are intercepted.

Second was book shopping and Hrabanus grabbed all the books he could possibly hold and then started to blush.

"I got carried away, sir, forgive me. I'll put them back," Severus stopped his son by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, get whatever you would like," Hrabanus beamed up at his parent before he continued to grab books, eventually handing some to Severus to carry as he started to ramble about how he hadn't been allowed to read at his uncle and aunt's house. That his favourite book, The Princess Bride, had been burned after being found in his cupboard. Severus, in his mind, retracted his earlier thought that he was a bad parent and that the muggle would have been better for his son. In fact, the more Hrabanus rambled about his life due to his shaken nerves, the more Severus wanted to throttle those despicable muggles.

Soon, they were making their way to Madam Malkin's for school robes and then they would be heading to Twilfit and Tattings for a new wardrobe for Hrabanus.

Severus sat in a chair off to the side, crossing his legs and keeping an eye out for any Order members who might try to take his son away from him again. Hrabanus was lead onto a pedestal and then Severus thought he saw Draco, his godson, adjacent to Hrabanus. He was correct when Lucius walked into the room. He entered with elegance before frowning down at all the simpletons beneath him. He approached the boys.

"Draco, I trust everything has found you well… who is your friend, my son?"

"This is Hrabanus," Draco says before frowning upon his father's second of shock. He composed himself and looked around the shop only to see the figure in black, dark eyes staring at him, narrowed dangerously. Oh, that must be Severus! No one else could look so pissed for no apparent reason besides his Lord and the Dark Lord's consort and husband. Lucius lowered himself to a bow and took Hrabanus' hand and pressed a kiss to his knuckles.

"Is that your father, Mr. Slytherin?"

"How do you know me?"

"I was a friend, to your fathers, both of them," he offered a charming smile before Hrabanus nodded and looked over towards Severus, scared he may have done something wrong. Severus made his way to his son, godson and friend. "It's pleasant to see you, I have sent letters but…"

"Yes, I saw a box full of unread letters when I left for Gringotts. I apologize for my rudeness, I didn't think that… I couldn't, not after what happened. Luckily, Hrabanus has been found, he's so perfect. He looks like his father," Severus looked towards Hrabanus and his eyes softened from their cold, dark gaze into a lighter, more familiar stare despite not being entirely familiar with his son. He felt horrible for the child. From what he had heard from Hrabanus about his life, it seemed that his childhood up to then wasn't as he and Tom wanted, in fact it was the opposite. They had planned to give Hrabanus the life they never had, something that all parents wished for. Lucius leered down at Hrabanus, the beautiful child standing and staring up at him with doe-like eyes. Rather than blue or green like a fawn however, they were red in colour.

"He does look much like his father, he looks very much like you too as well, old friend," Madam Malkin finished measuring Hrabanus and started to make adjustments to the three plain black robes that were required for Hogwarts. Severus planned on doing as his mother had, against his father's wishes of course, and continue the tradition of sending the tie, patches and other House coloured things the day after the sorting. Lucius insisted on paying for both his son, Draco, and Hrabanus' robes before the quartet exited the shop.

"It's totally unfair!" Draco shouted upon passing the broom and Quidditch supply shop. Hrabanus asked him what was unfair, confused. "First years aren't allowed to bring their own brooms," he stated, clearly peeved at the rule. "Grandfather said that the rule wasn't in place until Dumbledore became Headmaster and wanted to make things 'fair' for mudbloods," Hrabanus didn't know what most of his statement meant, but he nodded, agreeing quietly with the other boy, scared that the first child his age that didn't get scared off by his freakishness would leave him if he didn't agree.

"Now, now Draco; rules are put in place to do what the majority thinks best. You may complain all you want, but that will not change the rules."

"I don't want to change the rules, father; but not wanting to change them doesn't make them any more tolerable," Draco crossed his arms only to get glared at by his father. Lucius seemed like a strict parent and Hrabanus was intimidated by him greatly. He must have been friends with his other father too, but if his father was a [the] Dark Lord, did he have friends or were they followers? Hrabanus didn't understand all of this, it sounded like something exclusive to the magical world.

"Madam Malkin will send your measurements to Mr. Grenke of Twilfit and Tattings and we can just send our requests for cuts and styles," Severus stated as they entered Ollivander's wand shop. They purchased wands before Lord Malfoy and Draco bid farewell to the two Princes. After them, Severus held onto Hrabanus and apparated to Slytherin Castle.

Hrabanus looked at the entrance of Slytherin Castle with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Was this his new home? Seriously? He looked to Severus, waiting for it to be a joke and for the shack to show up, but Severus only led him through the large wooden doors. Inside the first room there was a warm fireplace, or at least one that was lit. It was huge, taller than Severus. And there were three more just like it around the rooms against the walls, framing the doors. Then there were doors that lead to the courtyard in the center and then doors to the east and west.

"Your room will be opposite to your original room. It's still a nursery and you are much too old for a crib. We can redecorate it before you go to Hogwarts if you would like," Severus said. Half of the despair and dread he had been wallowing in had been lifted. He had his Hrabanus back, his precious child, the light of his life. Rather than being completely alone, he at least had his child; if he couldn't have his entire family, he would take his son over his husband. He loved Tom, but he loved Hrabanus in a different way, a way that was entirely different and much more powerful. Hrabanus followed Severus as he led him through the courtyard filled with vines that writhed with life and flowers that moved to watch them walk past them. They passed the kitchens filled with house elves and bustling with living chickens that ran away from the frantic and panicking servants. Hrabanus covered his mouth as he laughed, Severus only looked back to smile. He was glad that someone found the house elves' incompetence amusing. They walked up the stairs of one of the towers and it opened into a magically expanded hallway lined with rooms. This was the children's - or child's - ward and it had a few special places that allowed for the parents, Severus and/or Tom, to apparate directly into the rooms as well as walk through a few portals created with very intricate and arithmancy and ancient runes. It was Tom's addition to the castle while Severus usually, or had for a long time, tended to the gardens and potions labs.

"This is your room for the time being," Severus pushed a door open which led into a beautiful room. The bed was large and plush with soft emerald blankets and there were moving photos of a forest, enlarged and used much like a headboard for the queen sized bed. There were dark wood, nearly black, dressers and a door leading into a small powder room. It wasn't meant for people to stay for more than a few nights. This was for the friends of the heirs, not the children themselves, but they only ever put one room in their son and it was currently a nursery, having been left alone, expect to be cleaned by the elves, since Hrabanus' disappearance.

"This is amazing!" Hrabanus immediately jumped on the bed, before coming back to himself and looking up at Severus, waiting for some form of punishment. "I'm sorry."

"For what? I'm glad you like it. This room is only for guests for the heir, but in two or three days, the nursery will be moved and put away and the room will be clear for you to designed as you like. I will give you a limit of one thousand galleons however. I don't want you to get too spoiled," he smirked at his joke. He was sure that this child though wouldn't spend near that much, but he was very welcome to use all thousand if he pleased. Hrabanus nodded, not knowing the amount of pounds that would be if he converted it, but a thousand of anything was quite a lot of money. He took off his shoes and set them neatly against the wall near the bedside table before getting back on the bed. He looked around the room and noticed a bookshelf full of books. Severus followed his eyes.

"Those are all beneath age appropriate, especially if you would like to learn. They are mostly ancient in appearance due to your father's love of the dramatic. They are actually usually 'normal' books about princes and princesses being saved by their heroes from many things. There is one tale of a prince being stolen by a group of mermaids, the pictures are a little disturbing but it is a good story. If you would like to learn something, I can show you to the library. It was created with your school years in mind. It is down the hallway. It actually leads into a stairwell down to the first floor which leads right back to a stairs well down and one back up to the next tower. It leads to the dungeon, the first floor of the dungeon actually."

"There's a dungeon in this castle?"

"Yes, and there are seven floors to the dungeon just as there are seven floors to the castle. Seven if a very magical number," he explained before leading Hrabanus out to the library. Hrabanus entered the two story library and ran around into the aisles of books and picked out a whole stack that rose from his hands to his nose before sitting back down. Severus drew his wand and shot a bolt of fire at the fireplace to start the fire and it crackled in a homely manner. Severus sat down to read as well, and Hrabanus sat on the floor, eyeing the couch and more specifically Severus up over the top of his book. Eventually, with an hidden by amused smile, Severus raised a rather intimidating brow.

"Do you need something, love?"

"Can I sit beside you?"

"Of course," Severus set his book on his lap and waited for Hrabanus to gather his wits and join him on the cushy chestnut suede sofa. The child sat besides his bearer and continued to read his book, unconsciously seeking out his guardian and leaning closer and closer until he was pressed against Severus' side. He eventually fell asleep, his book half on and half off his lap, close to tipping over his knees and tumbling to the ground in a move that would wake him up no doubt. Severus slowly shifted so he could lift the book from his son's lap and close it, setting it on the pile of books he had chosen. He looked at some of the titles and smiled at his son's interest. He had known of the wizarding world for such a short time yet he was ready to immerse themselves in their culture and learn all he could. Books on etiquette and pureblood manners along with one of the original, if not one of the four original copies, of the Hogwarts charter was in his pile. He had a book on goblins and another on the laws in the wizarding world.

Severus continued to read his book until one of the elves arrived offering a meal. They were all excited that their master and young master had come home. They had someone to care for again, someone to help, a purpose besides cleaning. They thrived on interaction with their bound masters, and without it they could grow ill. Mipsy whispered, or spoke as quietly as she could, in order to keep the young master sleeping. Severus nodded and gently woke Hrabanus up.

The informal dining hall had a rectangular table, not nearly as large as the one in either of the formal dining halls, but it was still enough for about five six people. Severus sat in the spot he had alway sat, on the left to the head of the table to the northern wall. Hrabanus didn't know where to sit. Wasn't it traditional for the adults to sit at the head of the table? Like a king? Wasn't Severus the king now? Hrabanus sat down besides his father and soon the opulent bowl of fruits was replaced with a feast. There were so many choices on the table, it was difficult for Hrabanus to pick something to eat. His father, he decided, ate much like a bird, picking at his food but not really eating it, just sort of pushing it on his plate. He did notice that the elves brought him something to drink in a rather conspicuous chalice (conspicuous due to it's rich golden hue and jeweled sides). It was obvious he was drinking something that Hrabanus wasn't allowed to have, since he hadn't been offered any. Going on what Hrabanus had seen of Severus, he bet, that if magic was real, then his father was also magical, perhaps a vampire or a demon. He certainly looked like a vampire or demon. He wondered what he was.

The goblet disappeared and Hrabanus focused on his brussel sprouts, drenched in butter and seasoned to perfection. He had heard Dudley complaining about his vegetables, but he found all vegetable delicious, probably more delicious than meats in fact; at least he thought this until he took a bite of the roasted duck with rosemary and other spices and it melted in his mouth like butter or ice cream. He had eaten too much and eventually held his stomach, quite sick. One look from his father had the other man shove a sickly green vial into his hands. Hrabanus looked curiously at his father before drinking it. He made a face, one of pure disgust because the concoction/potion he was just handed was rancid, and then he swallowed it before picking up his cup and drinking the rest of his water before turning to the smaller glass of milk and then he refilled his cup with juice. He couldn't get the taste of rotten socks and mildew from his mouth but in his panic to rid of the taste, he had forgotten about his stomach pain (but it also could have been because his stomach no longer pained him). With a chuckle, Severus watched as his son tried to drink as much as possible.

"Take another bite of food, that will help," he finally offered. Quickly, Hrabanus took another brussel sprout into his mouth and chomped down on it. Soon, the taste faded and he was good. He smiled and leaned back in his chair. Now that he was full, he was utterly exhausted.

"Thank you for that stuff… can I go to bed?" Severus decided that manner can be taught a little later, the boy was likely nervous due to being in a new place, and with a different person. Hrabanus looked at his father and realized that his face had filled out, he actually looked as if he could be healthy rather than starved. He wondered what was in that chalice because he wanted some.

"Yes, you may be excused. Would you like for me to show you back to your room?"

"Please?"

They went off to Hrabanus' temporary room and Severus found a pair of pyjamas to fit Hrabanus until his clothes came in from Twilfit and Tattings. Hrabanus didn't understand why he had to brush his teeth, he had never had the privilege of having a toothbrush before so Severus just charmed his mouth clean before showing him the charm and wand movement although he hadn't needed a wand for that spell. Soon, his son was in bed and tucked under all the blankets, looking ever as much a prince as he should have always been. Then, Hrabanus was asleep and Severus was on his way to his room to do the same.

The first night went without nightmares, but the second night, after a long day of Severus explaining magic to him, Hrabanus woke up screaming, covered in sweat, and with a heart beating a mile a minute. Severus was beside him, holding him and offering cool water to soothe his scratchy throat. He continued to cry until he once again fell asleep, this time, holding onto his father's robes and not letting go. Severus eventually lay against the headboard to sleep while Hrabanus clung to him, his face sticking to his robes due to his tears.

When morning arrived, Hrabanus looked up and looked absolutely horrified. He couldn't believe he had cried in front of his father. Now he wouldn't want him. Why would he want a little crybaby?

"Mipsy, can you bring us some breakfast in here?" Severus asked the elf and she nodded eagerly before popping out of the room and back to the kitchen. Soon, Severus had one arm wrapped around his son, and a goblet of blood in his other hand while Hrabanus hesitantly ate his strawberries and bacon and egg tart.

"I'm sorry, about last night," Hrabanus said as he pushed his half empty plate away.

"You did nothing wrong," Severus wanted to hurt someone for making Hrabanus believe that nightmares were punishable. "Would you like to discuss what had you so scared?"

"It was just my uncle. He was coming at me with a belt, and I didn't want to get hit, but he grabbed me by my collar and was dragging me towards the wall next to my cupboard," he sniffled and wiped the tears from his eyes before they could fall, "and I didn't want to get hurt again. It felt so real! And Dudley was laughing at me, encouraging his bastard father to hit me harder and Petunia was ignoring me, humming in her perfect kitchen, perfect because I cleaned it and made sure it was nice!" Hrabanus leaned back against his father, but it was clear he was still stressed since his shoulders were very tense and his hands were clenched into tiny fists.

"That will never happen again," Severus just whispered, unsure how to help soothe his son. He had felt similar things at the hands of his father, his mother had also ignored him, pretending that he didn't exist while Tobias would whip him with his belt, taking cruel pleasure when the buckle broke his skin open. He rans his fingers through his son's hair with one hand and rubbed small circles between his shoulders as he lay on him and cried. Slowly Hrabanus relaxed. The house elves took breakfast away from them and Severus picked his son up and carried him towards the library where he deposited him on the sofa before picking up one of the books he had been reading and handing it to him. Hrabanus took the book and opened it up to the page he had been reading and dried his tears on his pyjamas. Severus was also in his pyjamas and he picked up a book as well before wrapping an arm around Hrabanus' shoulders and pulling him closer to him.
"Thank you," the child eventually said, breaking the silence.

"No need to thank me, I'm so sorry that you had to go through that," they continued to read, Hrabanus picking up on some of the formal skills which Severus helped correct. Hrabanus was surprisingly intelligent and could retain information he read very well. Severus wondered if he had inherited his other father's memory.