Albus lifted Severus from his crib the next morning, earning himself a big smile from Severus. Snuggling his baby closer, Albus sat in the rocking chair and cuddled the boy as he enjoyed this time in the morning that allowed him this uninterrupted, peaceful bonding time.
"How did my boy sleep, hmm?" Albus asked softly, holding the baby close.
"Aba." Severus smiled, revealing a new tooth that had to have appeared last night during sleep.
"Oh my, another tooth." Albus exclaimed gently, better understanding the crabbiness of last night. "Three teeth now, goodness."
Severus simply gurgled, playing with Albus's beard, as he looked intently up into Albus's eyes. Albus hummed happily, enjoying nothing more than talking to Severus. Not only was it good for Severus's development as the memories and experiences would stick with him when he was re-aged, Albus simply liked to having these 'conversations' with Severus.
"Num-num?" Severus asked, after a good ten minutes of cuddling and conversation.
"Yes, yes, let's get you dressed and feed you some breakfast." Albus nodded, placing the child on the changing table.
Seeing the nappy needing changing, he quickly set to work, powdering and rediapering the bottom with quick precision.
"Aba." Severus babbled, a hundred times more vocal now then when he was an adult.
"Severus." Albus responded, leaning down to blow raspberries on the exposed tummy.
"Aba! Aba! Aba!" Severus giggled loudly, trying to push Albus away. "Aba!"
"Who's my ticklish little boy?" Albus giggled.
"Sevus!" The baby boy babbled.
"That's right!" Albus crooned, slathering Severus's face with kisses.
"Aba." Severus kissed Albus's cheek. "Brrrr." He said emphatically, making it clear he was getting chilly.
"Right, let's get you dressed." Albus agreed. "What color would you like to wear?"
"Gween!" The babe cried, sitting up on the table.
"Alright, arms up." Albus ordered, slipping a green onesie over the mess of black waves.
Gently laying the child back down, he buttoned the snaps and slipped on a pair of gray pants.
"Now let's cover those toes, hmm?" He asked, lightly tickling the bottom of Severus's feet before cover said toes with a pair of green socks.
"All done?" Severus asked happily.
"Alllll done." Albus agreed, carrying Severus into the office where he sunk down into his chair and worked a comb through the black locks. Severus fussed , like usual, when his hair was messed with but Albus quickly finished the work as the hair was silky and a comb slipped through it easily.
"Num num, now?" Severus asked, as Albus buckled him into the high chair.
"Yes, yes. Let's get you some porridge." Albus handed Severus his bottle, tying a bib around his neck, and placed a spoon in the porridge before placing the bowl on the tray. "Eat up."
"Num num." Severus agreed, beginning to sloppily eat his breakfast.
Albus nodded and turned to his own breakfast, letting Severus be as messy as he was because it was harmless and Severus liked his independence. Severus smiled as the boy ate heartily, filling out his still petite frame. If the Snape's were still alive today, Albus would have happily hunting them down to make them pay for abusing such a precious person.
"Aba- brr?" Severus asked, pointing out the window.
"Yes, it is very cold outside." Albus purred, allowing the child to stare from the window.
"Snow!" Severus yelled, reliving the joy he had felt when Albus took him for a walk outside a few days ago. Both had been happy when snow started to fall on the already snow-covered grounds, and they had spent the better part of the day froliking.
"Yes, snow." Albus agreed, settling the child by his toys. "Play nicely now, the Ministry officials will be here shortly for a meeting."
"Fud?"
"Yes, Fudge." Albus agreed.
Severus blew a raspberry at the mention of the name and turned back to his toys, setting up a variety of his plush toys (Which he refused to play with most of the time as they were 'girl toy's) in front of a miniature blackboard. Once they were seated properly, Severus proceeded to begin teaching, just as firm as he was as an adult professor.
He had grouped them up much like a classroom would be, with one house on one side and the other house on the opposite side. Apparently it was a Gryffindor/Slytherin class, and the Slytherins sat in front while the Gryffindor's took the back.
Among the plushies used as Gryffindor; a lion (of course), a hippo, a bear, a dog (that looks suspiciously like Sirius), a bull, a donkey, a goat, a hyena, a lemming, a moose, a pig, a monkey, a plush baseball bat, and a dragon. Among the Slytherins; a snake (obviously), a dragon, a fox, a wolf, a bat, a beaver, a cat, an elephant, a horse, a racoon, a crow, an owl, a swan, and a plush ring, all comprised the Slytherins.
"Dog."
Severus called on the plush puppy, scowling when the animal appeared to get the question wrong. "No! Fox?" He asked.
This animal seemed to please Severus with it's answer as the boy nodded happily. "Ten!" He said happily, unable to say the word points yet. "Good."
As the play went on, Albus began to suspect he only called on the animals with names he could pronounce clearly or somewhat clearly. He was also pleasantly surprised when a pig managed to get ten points, although Albus suspected that the reason the number was so high was because Severus could only manage to say; two, ten, one, and three.
A knock sounded at the door, but Severus was so engrossed in his play that he did not beg to allowed to open it. Rising from his desk, Albus ushered the order members in and bid them to sit as he offered them all tea and biscuits.
"Sus! Arr!" Severus's eyes lit up as he recognized Lucius and Arthur when he was finished putting the bear in the corner (his form of detention) and he crawled over eagerly to Lucius who he had not seen in quite a while.
"Severus." Lucius greeted, lifting the child into his lap. "Have you interrupted your class?" He asked, gesturing at the 'classroom.'
Severus nodded solemnly, as if it were a great affront, but then smiled at the Malfoy. "Poshun." He explained, pointing at the bear.
"I see, did someone explode a cauldron- again?"
"Boom." Severus confirmed, wriggling down from Lucius's lap and crawling to his potions shelf. He carefully grabbed Arthur's potion and Lucius's potion, before crawling back to Lucius. The blonde man willing scooped him up again with one hand, having had practice with Draco, and smoothed the black hair.
"Arr, Sus poshun." Severus pushed a pink vial of goop at Lucius.
"I see, and what did you brew me?" Lucius asked.
"Sleep Poshun." Severus warbled, as Lucius placed his 'potion' in his pocket.
"Lovely, I was needing one of those." Mr. Malfoy smirked, handing Severus over to Arthur. "Why don't you give Weasley his."
"Happy Poshun." Severus explained, thrusting the vial and Arthur who also pocketed it.
"How very thoughtful." He agreed. "Such an excellent brewer, aren't you?"
"I brew." Severus declared, gracing the entire room with a large smile when he realized he had said another new word. "I brew. I brew." He repeated, looking overjoyed.
"Oh my, another word." Albus praised gently, as the ministry officials fawned and fussed over him.
"Yes, he is rather fetching," Cornelius agreed, "As a child." He muttered as an afterthought.
Lucius narrowed his eyes at the minister but said nothing, clearly biding his time until he could formulate revenge in a crafty, Slytherin manner. Albus was actually rooting for this in this endeavor.
"He's just a precious thing!" Alicia Barron, one of those in charge of the auror office, gushed.
"Sevus." Severus grinned, displaying his teeth.
"OH goodness! I might take him home with me!" Fidelis Cosworth insisted, taking the child into his arms.
"I, Albus." Severus said firmly.
"Of course, of course." Fidelis soothed. "Can I get another smile?"
Severus smiled, enjoying the attention he hated as an adult.
"Aren't you just a little charmer?" Fidelis asked, passing a very cooperative Severus over to Alicia.
"Sevus?" The baby asked, looking confused.
"Yes you." Alicia cooed, tickling him beneath the chin.
"Someone's got quite the laugh."
"Looks like the cutest baby I've ever seen!"
"Look- he likes me!"
"Aba!" Severus decided, a good half-hour later, that it was time to end the cuddling. Back in Albus's lap as soon as he had made the demand, he stuck his wand plushie in his mouth and listened quietly as the meeting began.
