Part 2
I didn't relent calling Severus 'Papa' despite his obvious discomfort and his feeble attempts to get me to stop. The first time I said it in front of Daddy was actually the first day he came back from his monthly excursion. To say that he was surprised is a complete overstatement. He had simply looked at me with his usual calm gaze and raised an eye brow at Severus who deliberately had his nose shoved in one of his potion journals.
It was the night of my 4th birthday when Daddy finally brought up anything on the subject. Severus hadn't stayed over that night; he'd left after all the other guests had gone with the excuse of having a meeting early the next day.
"Did you enjoy your birthday?" Remus asked his son softly as he sat against the headboard on the child sized bed with the birthday boy between the vee of his legs. He ran a red handled brush through the wet tangled ebony locks.
"Mhmm, and I really like my new broom from you and Papa; it's brilliant!" Harry said with a yawn.
The young father smiled and kissed the head before him. "Mmm, well I'm glad you had such a great time. You know, you'll be starting your private lessons next year." Remus issued a final stroke through soft hair before setting the brush down on the nightstand. He motioned for Harry to get under the covers, waited for him to get comfortable then positioned himself next to his cub atop the comforter.
"Really? Just like Cedric does? You know Daddy, he's already seven; only a few more years till Hogwarts, right?"
Remus chuckled. "Yes cub, I know; I only just saw him a few hours ago." He tapped his index finger against the four year olds nose. "And yes, thanks to Severus being a professor, he was able to enroll you for a minimal price so that we could afford it. You're going to be attending tutoring just like Cedric. You'll be able to meet more boys your age and make friends. Mind you, the classes won't be very big at all." Remus brushed aside the rapidly growing fringe; he'd have to give Harry a hair cut soon. "I want you to make sure you thank Severus tomorrow, alright?"
Sleepy green eyes looked up. "Ok Daddy…is Papa coming over tomorrow?"
"Maybe, if he's not too busy." Remus paused before he stuttered over what he wanted to say; should he just outright ask Harry about the adopted title? He'd been trying to figure out a way to bring the subject up with his child, but had so far come up with nothing. He had watched the interaction between Severus and Harry for the past few weeks and was amazed at how well the two molded together. He had to admit to himself that even though he had pushed Severus to visit them, he had still been a bit apprehensive at how Severus would take to meeting his enemy's son. But since Severus had accepted their relationship despite their seven year animosity, he really shouldn't have been too surprised. Severus was wonderful with Harry; he was nothing like what his reputation painted him up to be. He listened to the small child and actually tried not to lose his patience when Harry had one of his moments. Severus was strict, but not in the Mcgonagall sense; he didn't often fall into those pools of emeralds and relent towards Harry's pleads like Remus did more than he'd like. Remus could honestly say without regret that Severus Snape added a nice balance to this small family.
Remus sighed; well there really isn't any sense in beating around the bush with a four year old. "Harry, why do you call Severus 'Papa'?"
Harry gave his Daddy a look and said, "Because."
Remus rolled his eyes then silently berated himself; Harry was sure to pick up this habit sooner than he wanted. "Because why?"
"Because I love him." Harry replied easily without hesitation. "You love him too, don't you Daddy? You guys always kiss whenever he comes over. When you kiss someone, that means you love them, right Daddy?"
Remus smiled at the simple logic that only children acquire. "Yes, cub, I do love Severus but when you kiss someone it doesn't always mean you love that person."
Harry was now confused. "But I kiss you and I love you. I kiss Papa and I love him. I kiss Cedric and I love him. I ki…"
Remus looked sharply at Harry. "What? Harry, did you just say you kiss Cedric?"
"Yes, he's my friend and I love him Daddy." Harry said, an annoyed expression crossing his features as he was interrupted.
Remus briefly closed his eyes against a looming headache and took a breath; he'd talk to Harry later about this but now he needed his answers. Small persistent fingers tapped the side of his face.
"Daddy, you're not listening!"
Remus took hold of the hand and brought it to his lips. "Sorry cub, I'm listening now." And Remus listened for a good while as Harry listed the people and quite of a few objects/toys he loved and kissed.
"So you wouldn't mind if Severus really was part of our family?" he asked with the child was out of breath.
"He already is Daddy." Harry said exasperatedly.
"Alright, but you wouldn't mind if Severus and I bonded and he adopted you?"
Harry shook his head but asked, "What's 'bonded'?"
"It's sort of like getting married." Remus put simply.
"OK." Harry yawned widely so that Remus was able to see his uvula. "Can I go to sleep now, I'm tired."
Remus kissed his forehead one last time before rising and tucking Harry in properly. "Of course, good night cub."
"'G'nigh." The slurred words were easily distinguished by the werewolf.
~**~
The bonding ceremony took place three days after our "father and son" talk that night. Even at that age I was able to tell the difference in Severus's mood, though it wasn't exactly obvious (you can't really use that adjective when trying to describe anything about the man anyways). For those two days between the ceremony, Severus would stay over for hours on end. Not to say he didn't spend a lot of time with us before but it was never from dawn to dusk. And I wasn't complaining, it was just a bit odd to have that little spark of light in those dark depths suddenly be a full out flame and a growing flame it was.
"Sit between us Harry. There you go…" his Daddy placed him to his right so that he sat in the middle of the two men. As Harry squinted, taking in his surroundings curiously, he noticed that they were, in fact, in their living room. He'd thought differently before since the room was pitch black and he was unable to make out anything in the room (not that it was any help that he'd just been woken up). Candles were lit in a circle around them but they didn't offer any assistance in lighting the room; the only thing Harry was able to see clearly was his Daddy and Papa. He shifted closer to the dark man when he swore he heard something move in front of him.
"Okay Harry, scoot back against the sofa while Severus and I complete the bond then it will be your turn for the adoption spell." Remus instructed and Harry obeyed, stopping when his naked back touched the ragged texture of the couch, the candles spreading wider as he did so. Harry watched with amazement as the two men, clad in only dark cotton pants, moved closer and gripped each other's forearms. They had their wands out and had them maneuvering in some odd non-distinctable patterns across their chests and biceps. Amber was locked on the darkest of brown and dark irises could not divert themselves if they wanted to from those soft golden pools. Severus was the first to speak the formal words to complete the bond, Remus following after a beat, the Latin language rolling beautifully off their tongues. The designs that now covered their flesh glowed a soft blue as their voices came to an end and the two men felt the pull in their desire, their bodies, their souls, their hearts and had no choice but to lean into one another and breathe the other's air. Their foreheads touched and Remus closed his eyes as Severus nuzzled his nose against his, lightly brushing their lips. Remus opened his mouth to take in…
"Is it my turn now?" Harry asked impatiently. He'd crawled over to the pair and had sat with his legs folded underneath him when the ceremony seemed to come to an end and the lines of blue started to fade.
There was growl from one of them (as there usually was whenever Harry interrupted) and the newly bonded couple parted with Severus's dissatisfied expression and Remus' soft smile.
"Later, love." Remus said tucking back a loose strand of hair behind his partner's ear. He intercepted the squirming body as Harry tried to squeeze his way between them and pressed his lips hard against the rosy cheek and blew, eliciting a squeal.
"Could you possibly be any louder?" Severus complained, grimacing as his ear drums throbbed.
Harry turned his gaze towards his Papa, eyes glinting with a challenge and promptly opened his mouth. Remus quickly covered his son's mouth with his scarred hand. "Don't. Try."
"Come here brat." Severus reached for his soon-to-be son, placed him in his lap and scooted just as Harry had against the front of the couch. Remus, following the pair on all fours, leaned over to kiss his favorite men before rising to his feet and walking to the kitchen for a glass of water.
"What do I have to do Papa?"
"Absolument rien, except hold your arms out in front of you as so…" Severus gently positioned the small arms. "You must keep still and quiet Harry, compris?" Harry whispered his acknowledgment and Severus began reciting the old traditional Adoption Spell. Harry sucked in a sharp breath as the spells from his first adoption and the ones being created traveled from his fingertips up his arm and across his chest and back. The light they emitted was a bright green and Harry slumped over as he was drained of energy. Severus shifted his son – his heart beat skipped at the notion – so that Harry's legs draped over his right arm and his head rested on his left. He leant down to press his thin lips to the four year olds forehead that was covered in a light layer of perspiration. A familiar roughened hand slid from his shoulder down his chest and curled its fingers in the soft hair found at his navel.
"He looks the same as he did when he was one; when I adopted him." Remus said quietly as he rested his chin on the shoulder close to his face and handed over the glass. "Here, have him drink a bit of water; his throat will be dry after that."
"Why is that?" Severus asked as lightly shook Harry back to consciousness and helped the boy sip the cool liquid. He set the glass aside after he started getting moans of protest and smoothed down the messy locks, shushing the boy.
Remus watched the action with a fond expression and shrugged. "Just one of those weird side affects I suppose."
"You suppose…" The, I-will-be-looking-into-this tone was imminent but all Remus could do was smile and tilt that dark head towards him and kiss his lover deeply, slipping his tongue into the hot cavern.
"Why don't we put our child to bed and then get to bed ourselves?" Remus asked breathlessly. He twisted off the couch and stood to his feet, offering to take the sleeping boy but Severus declined, standing with the usual grace looking as if he didn't carry a dead weight in his arms.
"And what do you presume we will do when we arrive at our bedroom, Mr. Lupin?" Shifting his son once more so his head lay on his shoulder, Severus followed the grinning man up the stairs.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure that wicked mind of yours is able to come up with some activities we can both engage in." Remus responded before extinguishing the candles, dousing the house in black.
~**~
Now, you'd think that after that night when we became a family, a spell binding family, that it would be nice to just wake up and realize that you now have two parents that love you instead of just one and now you wouldn't have to get that funny feeling in the pit of your stomach when you saw other children with their parents. But…that wasn't exactly the case with me, unfortunately.
I'd woken up like any other morning just lying there in my bed snuggled in my favorite comforter, waiting for Daddy to come get me so that we could go through our morning routine of brushing our teeth, washing our faces and such. But it felt like I'd been lying there forever so, rolling over, I swung my legs over the edge of my bed, walked out the door and down the hall towards my Daddy's room. The door was locked. That usually meant that Papa'd stayed over and… A jolt coursed through me as I remembered the ceremony from the night before. I had two Daddies! I tried the door again in my excitement but with no such luck. Sighing, I jam my thumb between my lips (an oddly new habit and one that Papa and Daddy hated) and decide to go retrieve my premade cup of milk from the cool cupboard; the door was usually cracked open by the time I made my way back up.
An odd noise drifted past my eardrums as I got to the landing. The noise sounded like yelling, though muffled by the walls. Instead of turning right towards the kitchen, I turned left towards the front door where I could hear a faint knocking that was steadily gathering momentum. I wasn't supposed to answer the door on my own… I shook my head and toddled onward to the window facing the front of the building and gently pushed the curtains aside to reveal a street filled with people who appeared to be yelling. Why was it so hard to hear them? Their faces red with exertion, the mob looked to be sick with rage, confusion and the chaos of it all. But why were the yelling? Why were they there? Flinching, my eyes widened in fear as something black flew into the window, emitting red and yellow sparks, and cracked the glass. Something shimmered before my eyes but it was gone before I had time to actually acknowledge it was even there. A whimper escaped my lips as the noise instantly increased; the rapid rapping on the door turned into pounding and the muffled yells turned into full out screaming "GIVE US OUR SAVIOR BACK YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!" and I did what my instincts told me.
I ran.
"DAAADY!" I screamed all the way up the stairs and didn't stop even when the doorknob to his bedroom turned without resistance under my palm. Tears welling and marring my vision, I rushed into the nearest tall looking figure. Strong arms wrapped themselves around me and hoisted upwards.
"Remus, take Harry and go to Malfoy Manor." I was suspended in the air for a second before another of arms circled around me, almost bruising in their franticness.
"But why…"
"Just go!" Papa hissed and this only served me to cry harder into the naked shoulder beneath my head.
"Alright," there was a pause in the harsh breathing before it continued a bit heavier then the last time. "Be careful."
A/N- Alrighty then, so how was this one?? Was the bonding scene corny at all?? I know for sure that it was probably beyond fluff though, lol. This story seems to be wanting to be more than three or four chapters long. I've got an outline of how I'd like the plot to run but it's still a bit fuzzy around the edges. And Harry's only going to be little for about 2 or 3 more chapters then it's off to Hogwarts! And just a small warning: this story is not going to stay all cuddly bunnies as you can probably tell from the ending of this chapter. ;)
Questions? Comments?? Constructive Criticism? Just click that nice little button down below ;)
P.S.-Also, I think I'd like to try a Beta, so any suggestions or offers can be sent through the private messaging.