Hello everyone :) Looky a update! I dont have a lot of time on my hands because I am now working a 2nd job. So updates will be slow. Thank my wonderful editor BAFAN who still puts up with me! Enjoy the chapter.

Hadrian shifted; everything felt heavy, and yet somehow at the same time he felt like he was drifting. He found that he could not move very much, and that opening his eyes just didn't seem possible. So, he lay drifting in and out for what seemed to him like days, until the heaviness started to fade, leaving a fuzzy, floaty feeling in his head and limbs.

He cracked an eye open, peeking out; it was hazy and the lighting in the room was low. He opened both eyes, and tried to blink away the haze. Groaning, he lifted a shaky hand to rub his eyes before opening them, hoping they would focus a little more. It took a second, but then things came into focus, or as focussed as things could be without his glasses.

He glanced around the room, looking for the adults that had accompanied him to the hospital. In the corner he saw a woman whom he did not recognize sleeping in one of the chairs. She had delicate features, long blond hair, and wore long blue robes. She looked very classy, Hadrian thought to himself.

Hadrian looked around the room, and found that other than the woman, he was alone. The other adults were missing. He turned back to face the woman, and tried to call out, only to start coughing due to the dryness of his mouth. The woman woke with a start and immediately rose to her feet and approached him. Seconds later a cup was held in front of him, and her soft voice encouraged him to take small sips.

Hadrian took the glass and sipped at it, happy to find it had nice chilled water. He sipped some more at the water, until the glass was empty. The woman took it from him and filled it again. "How are you feeling, little one?" the woman asked.

Hadrian lowered the glass, and looked up to meet her eyes. He noticed at this point that he could see her better than normal. Normally without his glasses things were quite blurry; however, he could make out a bit more of her face than usual. "I don't feel any pain, and there is a slight drifty feeling. The water helped my thirst, but now I feel hungry," he answered.

She nodded. "You are on some strong painkillers, so you should not feel any pain. The drifty feeling is perhaps a small high due to the particular potion you were given. As for food, you will need to wait until a Healer comes and assesses you. I am sure they will encourage you to eat. Would you mind if I ran some diagnostic spells on you?" she asked.

"Ah, I am not sure if that would be okay. You would need to ask Mr. Malfoy or Madam Bones. They said that they would stay with me while I was asleep…" Hadrian said, trailing off at the end.

A look of chagrin crossed the woman's face. "OH! Dear me, I am so sorry, I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Narcissa Malfoy. Lucius and Severus just stepped out of the room a few minutes ago. It appears your parents and the Headmaster are trying to force their way inside, and they left to deal with that. They will be right back, I swear! They never meant to leave you alone; however, it was necessary," she assured him, laying a gentle hand on Hadrian's shoulder.

"I am also a trained Healer; I even work in this very hospital. Lucius has not left your side in five days, and I've been here with him. My husband sometimes gets frustrated with the way Healers talk, so I translate for him," she said in an amused tone.

Hadrian giggled slightly at the joke, then blinked as he took in her words. "So, I've been asleep for five days?" he asked incredulously.

Mrs. Malfoy looked at him with compassion. "Yes. Hadrian, I'm afraid you are in bad shape. It was decided to keep you in a drugged sleep because the Healers had to vanish and re-grow a large number of your bones. The bones were badly disfigured from multiple past breaks and they never healed right. It is a very painful process, so it was best you sleep through it. Normal sleeping potions, however, get burned off by the Skele-gro, so the Healers used an herb called Dormi Fern to keep you asleep. It is a very rare herb, that can knock someone out for weeks at a time if they inhale too much of its pollen. You were given a very small dose, which the Healers estimated would keep you out for a day or two. However, the infection that your body was fighting off was so bad that your body took longer to expel the pollen than they had expected."

Hadrian rubbed his arms to warm them a little. They felt heavy still and a little shaky causing him to wonder aloud, "How much of the damage were they able to correct?"

Mrs. Malfoy's forehead wrinkled just a little, and her eyes narrowed. "Not as much as I would have liked. However, your magic is simply too weak right now to assist the potions. As I stated, you are in very bad shape. Your bones are going to be weak and frail. To resolve this issue you will have to be on strong potions for at least a year and a half, I suspect longer. There is a fair amount of damage to your organs that will also need potions to repair. You lack a number of different nutrients and are very malnourished. Your immune system is almost nonexistent right now, and your magic is dangerously low from sustaining you for so many years. You are going to not only need a special potion regimen, but also a strict diet and exercise routine. You are going to require around the clock care and supervision. Getting you back to full health is going to take time, and it's not going to be pleasant."

The news did not surprise Hadrian at all. He had done some research on the effects of long-term neglect when he had computer access at school. Truth be told he was expecting the diagnosis to be a lot worse. However, from the sounds of it, with the help of potions and magic, he should recover quicker than if he was only using modern medicine.

Mrs. Malfoy reached out and brushed some of Hadrian's hair from his face, causing him to flinch. She gave him a small smile, and pulled her hand back. "Do not worry about it too much, Hadrian. Lucius and I will be with you every step of the way. We are related, did you know that? You are a distant cousin of mine, on your father's side, that is."

"No, I didn't know. I do not know much about my father's family, and I know more about my mother's side than I would like," he responded.

Mrs. Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "They are the cause of your state?" she probed.

Hadrian nodded, and shifted a little in his bed. "I was left with them, they did not want me. Lily, however, never gave them a choice. I do not know why they didn't just ship me off to an orphanage. No, they kept me, used and abused me like one would a slave," he spat out, his voice laced with disgust.

Mrs. Malfoys eyes softened. "You will never have to go back there, and no one will ever lay a hand on you like that again."

"No one except the Potters," Hadrian responded, his shoulders slumping a little when he thought about the slap he had received from James.

"What do you mean by that?" Mrs. Malfoy asked.

"The night I got to school, I was Sorted into something called Slytherin. James was upset, and in anger struck me across the face. It seems as though I have left one abusive home, only to be placed in another."

"The bruising on your face, then?" Mrs. Malfoy touched his sore cheek gently.

"It's from him. My uncle doesn't normally aim for the face; he wouldn't take the chance of someone seeing."

"I see." Mrs. Malfoy looked grim. "Hadrian make sure you bring this up to Lucius and Madam Bones when you speak with them next. It's important that they know you are worried about your guardians; there are other places you could go."

Just then the door burst open, letting in all the noise from the hallway. Professor Snape swept into the room followed closely by Lucius. Hadrian could hear raised voices, among them Lily and James yelling, along with Madam Bones's voice too. Lucius shut the door behind him. When he turned around he gasped, "Hadrian, you are awake!"

"He has been up for about ten minutes. I explained to him that you had stepped out for a minute," Mrs. Malfoy stated.

"It's a good thing that you are up. I will go fetch a healer; it should only take a minute," Lucius said, before quickly exiting the room once more. This time when the door was opened Hadrian heard no raised voices.

"Mr. Potter," Professor Snape called out to him. Hadrian turned and looked up at the man standing near his bed. "I wanted to apologize for my hostility toward you at Hogwarts. Your parents and I do not have a favorable past, but I should not have been so harsh with you."

Hadrian studied the man for a second; Professor Snape was very guarded. However, Hadrian could see that the man's eyes did hold some sincerity. He had a feeling that his professor did not admit he was wrong often and probably never apologized. "Apology accepted. I can understand not getting along with my parents; it would appear we have similar opinions of them."

Professor Snape lifted a brow at his admission. Hadrian said bluntly, "They don't want me. They only fetched me because they had to. They basically told me that at lunch, before we arrived at school."

"I see," Professor Snape retorted. "I can guarantee, Hadrian, that right now a lot of people are questioning your parents' motives. Be sure to share your feelings regarding this matter. Lucius and Madam Bones will listen to you, and ensure that you end up in a place where you are taken care of and happy. "

Hadrian smiled. "Thank you for your reassurance."

Lucius stepped back into the room, with a big grin on his face. His eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement.

"Lucius?" Mrs. Malfoy inquired.

"The Potters and Dumbledore were forcibly removed from the hospital. I got to witness Black dragging Dumbledore out the doors. All the while Dumbledore was giving demands and authority speeches."

Mrs. Malfoy chuckled, and Professor Snape groaned. "That man has been insufferable every time I return from here. He keeps asking for information, which I have to deny providing him due to the confidentiality of the situation. He is persistent."

"Why would the Headmaster care so much?" Hadrian asked.

"The short answer to that is because he is very close to the Potters. He is also a very influential member of our society, and a nosy busybody!" Mrs. Malfoy answered.

Just then the door opened and a healer stepped into the room. "Good evening Mr. Potter, My name is Healer Cole, and I will be your primary healer going forward," Healer Cole said, introducing himself and holding his hand out to Hadrian in greeting.

"Hello sir, please call me Hadrian," he responded as he shook the Healer's hand.

"Well Hadrian, how are you feeling? Rested, I hope?" Healer Cole asked as he started to run some scans on him.

"A little numb, and floaty. Mrs. Malfoy explained that the floaty feeling is from the drugs I am on. I was parched when I woke, and I am hungry," Hadrian responded.

"Hunger is to be expected," Healer Cole nodded. "We will get you something to eat right away. According to your scans the infection is gone, but you still have a lot of healing left. However, I think so long as you can keep your meal down, you are well enough to go home tonight with the Malfoys. You should be just fine under the supervision and care of the both of them."

"That quick? What about school?" Hadrian asked.

"You will not be starting school this year, at least not at Hogwarts," the Healer told him, matter-of-factly but also kindly. "I see no reason why you can't be tutored at home; however, the school is no place for you in your condition. You physically should not be moving around too much right now, and the school would require a lot of walking. Then there is the issue of your weak immune system; being around so many other people puts you at a higher risk. You also are missing vaccinations, which you cannot be given right now. Then on top of that, your magic is exhausted. So right now you should stick to studying books. You can do some practical; however, you should not use your magic too much right now. School would be place too high a demand on your magic."

Professor Snape cleared his throat. "I have spoken to some of the other teachers, and we are making plans to assist Hadrian in his tutoring. Many of us have already agreed to supply him with course work and assignments. I am working on getting schedules together so that a teacher will come once or twice a week to pick up the completed assignments. That way he will be graded for this year, and he can work on them when he feels well enough to do so."

Hadrian felt a flutter of happiness that he would not be missing out on further education. It pleased him that the Professor was going out of his way to make accommodations.

"Lucius and I have already started thinking about tutors. We have one in mind, but we need to sit down with you and discuss that topic more. Perhaps once we get you settled at home," Mrs. Malfoy included.

"Thank you, all of you, for going out of your way like this for me," Hadrian said.

"It's not out of our way, so do not worry. After everything you have been through, it's time that an adult takes initiative and sees to your needs," Mr. Malfoy responded.

"Well, that settles schooling. Mr. Potter, I am going to go place a food order for you. Healer Malfoy, if he has any issues please send for me," Healer Cole requested, before exiting the room.

Hadrian turned his attention back to Professor Snape. "I am grateful that you have made accommodations for me."

Professor Snape gave him a nod. "I must be heading out now, I am required back at the school. Next time I visit I will bring you a packet of assignments. You focus on resting and healing, and let the Malfoys take care of you."

"Yes, sir," Hadrian responded, with a smile on his face.

"I must go now. Lucius, I will be by this weekend," Severus said before he swept from the room.

"Hadrian, has my wife had time to introduce herself?" Lucius asked as he took a seat next to the bed.

"Yes, she did, after tending to me when I first woke. Thank you for staying with me; I am sorry I was asleep for so long," Hadrian replied.

"It was no problem at all," Lucius assured him, then admitted, "However, I will be honest, I cannot wait to get you home, so that I can slip into my own bed for a good night's sleep. Narcissa has had the house elves prepare you a room in the family wing."

Hadrian's eyes widened and teared a little. "Thank you, that sounds wonderful. I've never had my own room before."

Lucius placed a hand on Hadrian's arm. "I am sure that while you are with us you will find yourself experiencing things that are a lot different from what you grew up knowing. No matter what, I will make sure that you have a proper childhood going forward."

Hadrian closed his eyes in relief. He knew that Mr. Malfoy was making a promise, and it would be one that was kept. Hadrian could not wait to heal fully, so that he could start living.. A knock on the door drew the attention of the three in the room. Narcissa stood closest to the door and went over to open it. She held it wide, as a nurse carrying a tray of food was brought in. The tray grew legs as the nurse lowered it over Hadrian's lap, before it was settled to perch over his legs.

"I know they say hospital food is bad, but honestly we pride ourselves on our meals. Sadly, young one, it appears Healer Cole is trying to make us look bad. Lots of bland food, you poor thing. Don't tell him, but I slipped some cinnamon on your applesauce, and a dab of honey in your oatmeal," the nurse said in a hushed voice and followed by a wink, as she uncovered his food. The tray consisted of some toast, applesauce, oatmeal, and a sliced banana. "You don't have to eat it all, best just to nibble and take your time. We don't want you to get ill," she instructed, before leaving him to his meal.

Hadrian started eating his applesauce first; it was one of the foods he'd enjoyed when he was still in school. He took small bites and savoured the flavour on his tongue. Another knock on the door drew the attention of the adults once more. Lucius stood from his seat, waving to his wife to remain where she was. He opened the door a crack to peek out. There was a hushed exchange before Lucius turned his attention to Hadrian. "Would you mind if I stepped out into the hallway for a minute?"

Hadrian shook his head. "I'll be fine," he responded.

Lucius smiled, and then exited the room, leaving Hadrian to his food.

~_~_~_~ Hallway ~_~_~_~

"Thank you for speaking with me, Lord Malfoy," Sirius said as Lucius exited the hospital room, closing the door behind him.

"It's no problem, Lord Black, how can I help you?" Lucius asked while standing in front of the hospital room.

"Is what the Potters were screaming true? Is Harry here? Is he in that room?" Sirius asked.

Lucius could almost feel a tremble in the other's voice. He took a moment to study the other lord. His hands were trembling, and he kept clutching his coat. His eyes reflected hope and eagerness. Lucius knew that Lord Black and Lord Potter had a falling out several years ago, but the cause had never interested him. Looking at the other man, he now had a feeling the child in the room behind him might have been the cause.

"Yes, I can confirm that Hadrian is in the room behind me. He is currently under my guardianship as his lawyer and will remain so until Madam Bones has finished her investigation, possibly longer if it is decided that remaining in my custody be for the best," Lucius answered.

Lucius eyes widened as he watched Sirius Black fall to the floor on his knees, with a choked sob. "Sirius?" Lucius called in shock. Over the last few years Sirius and his wife had been corresponding in attempt to mend their old family bonds. During that time, he had never seen Sirius crumple so.

"Please, Lucius, please let me see my godson. Please don't keep him away from me too. When they sent him away, I looked everywhere, tried everything to find out where they sent him. Please, Lucius, I am begging you, please." Sirius sobbed out

"Your godson?" Lucius whispered in surprise, as he looked down at the begging man.

"Gentlemen! You are disturbing others. Please take your conversation elsewhere!" a nurse hissed at the both of them.

Lucius wasted no time in hauling his wife's cousin up off the floor and tugging him into the hospital room. He met his wife's surprised eyes as he guided the sobbing man into a chair across the room from where young Hadrian rested on the bed, eating a slice of toast. Narcissa stood from her seat and crossed the room to sit next to Sirius. "Sirius? Are you all right?" she asked.

Sirius shook his head, as a few more sobs wracked his frame. "Narcissa, are you aware that Hadrian is Sirius's godson?" Lucius asked.

Narcissa's eyes widened, and then softened as she looked back to her cousin. "Oh Sirius, this explains so much. You disappearing and then coming back with that nasty drinking habit."

"There's more," Sirius sobbed out. "He's mine, Harry is mine." (*sniffle*) "I can't father children, Cissa; mother cursed me. So Potter, when the twins were born…" Sirius sobbed some more, "He's mine, I blood-adopted him with Potter's blessing. He's my heir. My Pup. He's mine. They gave him away. I wanted him, he's mine!"

Lucius was shocked. He glanced up at his wife, who held her hand over her mouth in shock. He then glanced over to the bed to see Hadrian gawking at the figure of the sobbing Sirius. "Hadrian?" Lucius called out as he took a step toward the bed.

"He's Padfoot!" Hadrian exclaimed. Sirius's head snapped up so fast that Lucius was sure the man would have whiplash.

"Pup!" the man shouted, jumping from his seat as he made to move across the room. Lucius stopped him by grabbing his arm, causing Sirius to snap his attention back. "Lucius, please, please. That's my Pup!" he cried out.

"Sirius!" Narcissa snapped, drawing everyone's attention to her. "You will take a moment to center yourself right now or I will evict you from this room. Hadrian is injured and does not need to be jolted by you suddenly launching yourself at him. Now calm yourself, and then you may take a seat next to his bed. Once you feel calm enough, we will then have a discussion."

She glared at him from where she stood, hands upon her hips. Lucius dropped his hold on Sirius's arm and watched the man close his eyes and take a few deep breaths. "Would you like me to go get a calming potion?" Narcissa asked.

Sirius took a deep breath and wiped his eyes with a handkerchief. "No, I'll settle. Just, let me sit." He looked longingly at the chair next to Hadrian and without hesitation moved to sit in it. His gaze lifted to the boy on the bed. Sirius could not pull his eyes away from Hadrian, who gave him a smile from around the toast he was nibbling on. "Hello, Pup. Wow, you're so lovely, a real sight for my sore eyes."

Hadrian blushed at the compliment and glanced away from the man. His eyes briefly met with Lucius's, before turning back to his godfather. "It's been a long time, but I remember you, Padfoot." Sirius eyes visibly lit up.

"Why did the Potters make you Hadrian's godfather and not William's too?" Lucius asked the question that had been nagging at him. "You were his best friend."

"Yeah, was his best friend..." Sirius replied bitterly before turning to look back at Hadrian. "Your brother being born first, he automatically gained the title of the Potter Heir. Dumbledore was named Godfather to William. Your parents followed that man blindly, even back then… But at that time, we had found out that my mother had hit me with a barren curse, preventing me from siring or bearing children of my own. So Potter suggested that I be named your Godfather, and that I blood-adopt you and name you my Heir, so that both of you children would be lords when you grew older."

Sirius smiled at Hadrian and reached a hand out, setting it on the bed not far from Hadrian's arm. Hadrian smiled and moved his own hand to grasp Sirius. "You were such an angel, always quiet and calm. Wide-eyed and curious. It wasn't until after they gave you away that I found out that it wasn't Potter's idea at all to name me your Godfather, but had only done so because Dumbledore suggested it to Potter. They gave you up, and then told me that I should switch to William as my Heir, just because he was the Boy Who Lived. We got into a big fight. They said you were a squib, I know that's not true, I remember on two different accounts when you used magic on me," Sirius said with a fond smile on his face.

Hadrian squeezed Sirius's hand in support and his Godfather continued, "The first time was just after your one-year birthday. I was trying to feed you something yellow, perhaps it was corn? You just didn't want it, but what you did want was the apples from the dish in the center of the table. You floated all eight of them in the air and right on to your tray. No one believed me when I told them. They said it wasn't possible because William wasn't showing any signs of accidental magic."

Sirius smiled brightly as more memories flashed across his mind. "Now the second time you used magic on me was not long after that. I was tickling you with my fingers as I changed you. Your laughter was so contagious that it had William laughing from the playpen across the room. You kept chanting 'Da Da Da.' You were the first of the twins to talk, but you only ever called me Da. Then apparently you finally had enough of my fingers, because the next thing I knew it was as if I had a tickle charm cast on me. I was rolling around on the floor laughing." Sirius paused.

"And I sat on the changing table and clapped my hands, laughing," Hadrian finished.

Sirius gazed into Hadrian's eyes. "You did! You remember?" Sirius he asked.

Hadrian smiled. "I remember everything. I have what normal people call total recall. I can remember everything. I remember when I was younger, that you always seemed to be there." Hadrian squinted, realizing that he remembered that Sirius was around a lot more often than his parents. That his care was mostly provided by Sirius. "You took care of me...where were the Potters? I was with you most of the time, and just me…" Hadrian trailed off as he frowned at Sirius.

"They were with William, the prophesy child. They knew before the attack that it was going to happen. Dumbledore came to them with a prophesy, and your brother fit the description, so they kept him close. Dumbledore put them into hiding to protect your brother, I was worried you would feel left out. So I gave you as much attention as I could, so that you would grow up happy. You're my angel, my Pup, my son." Sirius responded, his voice cracking a bit at the end.