Author's Note: Hello! Happy early Halloween...or just plain Halloween...or maybe late Halloween...depending on where you are. Hope you enjoy this chapter, thank you so much for reading! XD
Review Responses:
MirrorFlower and DarkWind: Thank you, as always, for reviewing!
Gurgaraneth: Yay for Tom, his character is turning out to be rather interesting, even for me haha. Yeah, Albus is definitely a fool. Thanks so much for the review!
Elisisia: I love Severitus as well (if you couldn't tell lol)! Thanks for reading, hope you continue to enjoy!
Severus watched Verus bounce along the garden path in front of him, clutching the green cup in one little hand. He was excited by every single thing out there, though Severus had had to warn him away from a few of the plants that were magical and might have done him harm. Obviously, the gardens were the best part of this property, though it was looking more and more unlikely that this place would be the one for them.
"Can you find us a place to eat, Verus?" he called ahead.
"Yes, Da!" Verus exclaimed and darted off a little way, though never too far ahead, looking for a clear spot for them to sit.
Severus, for his part, simply followed the child through the maze of overgrown plants, enjoying the fresh air and the sunlight.
Five minutes after starting his quest, Verus latched onto Severus' hand and began to tug him along faster,
"Here, Da!" he said happily, leading the man over to a clear place right beside a little pond.
"Good find, Verus!" Severus praised him, "This is a wonderful spot."
With a flick of his wand, the man had a blanket spread out on the grass in the spot Verus had found. In no time at all, the two of them were seated and enjoying a lunch of sandwiches and fresh fruit from the Malfoys' garden.
Sometimes, the potions master couldn't help but sit and be amazed at how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time. He'd always assumed he would be an awful father and hated the thought of parenthood, what with how little patience he'd had as a teacher and his own upbringing, but sitting across from his small son he knew that he wouldn't give this up for anything.
"Da?" The child's voice had him looking up to find big green eyes fixed on his face,
"Yes?"
"This is lotsa fun," Verus informed him seriously, "Just me and Da." Severus smiled,
"I think this is fun too," he agreed, "when we get our own house, it will be like this most of the time."
"Really?"
"Yes though I expect Lucius will visit occasionally if you don't mind of course." Severus watched as Verus thought about that before nodding,
"He's okay." the child said simply, and that was that.
"What do you think about the house?" Severus asked a few minutes later, remembering that he had told the boy that he would get a say in this too.
"House is pretty," Verus replied, "Under house... I don't...I don't like that part." Severus nodded,
"I agree," he said honestly, "we will have to look at other places until we find one that's just right."
Verus' only response was a smile before he yawned and took a big drink from his green cup.
"Are you tired?" Severus asked, "You may take a nap if you'd like."
"Nuh uh, 'm fine." Verus said, shaking his head, "We see another house?"
Severus knew that was a lie of course, but he allowed it. The child would most likely fall asleep while they explored the second house unless that one was far more interesting than this one had been.
"Yes, we have another house to look at today," he answered, "let's pack up our things and we'll head out."
"Okay, Da," Verus said, handing his cup over to the man. Packing didn't take long and within the next ten minutes the two of them were standing in front of the next property. Magic truly was a wonderful thing.
Prince Manor gave off a completely different type of energy, that much was clear the moment they set foot on the property. Severus wondered if perhaps it had something to do with his connection to the bloodline, much closer than Verus' claim to the Peverell name.
"What do you see, Verus? How does the magic look?" he asked cautiously. The Prince family was known for their love of privacy, and the usage of plenty of nasty original spells to protect it, something he himself had inherited.
"...won't hurt, Da," Verus answered, "likes you lots."
"It likes me?"
"Yes, it's like...hugs," Verus informed him.
"That is likely because my family's magic is still prominent here," Severus said, more to himself than to the child who just looked up at him in confusion. "And how does the magic like you?"
"Um...don't know," Verus admitted, "Magic isn't angry, just...looking."
"Ah, the family magic is likely still settling."
Prince Manor had been built long before the birth of Severus' grandparents and still had its original wards intact, though they had been strengthened and added to throughout the years. Many of the original wards, due to the instability of the nobility in that time period, would have been able to sense the new addition to the family through blood adoption, a safety measure put in place to prevent line theft. Thankfully, magic worked on intentions and would accept Verus with little to no effort on their part.
"Da?" Verus asked, "Will magic here hug me too?" Severus gave the child a smile,
"I believe it will," he replied,
"Good."
The pair cautiously entered the house, noting that it once again appeared to be a classic pureblood manor. Entirely too opulent for Severus' tastes but at the same time...he could see himself learning to love living there.
"Bedrooms, studies, then the lab again?" Severus asked, pointedly ignoring Verus' yawn as the child frowned,
"No...other way..." he decided. Severus nodded, he certainly wasn't going to argue with seeing the lab first!
The trek down to the area marked as a lab on the map was uneventful, though Severus made a mental note to have the portraits of his distant relatives removed and placed in the family vaults...they were all far too nosy...and noisy for that matter.
"Alright, Verus," Severus said, coming to a stop right outside the door to the lab, "how does it look?"
Verus frowned and stared hard at the big wooden door for a few moments before he muttered,
"...'s okay, Da, this one's good." He trailed off into another big yawn and Severus cuddled him closer, though he didn't draw any more attention to the child's obvious need for a nap, opting to open the door instead.
Verus watched curiously as his Da looked around the big, weird smelling room but it wasn't long until he felt himself dropping off to sleep in the man's arms. He figured that would be okay since he'd stayed awake long enough to tell his Da that the place wasn't going to hurt them. He closed his eyes and a few moments later, found himself opening them in his park.
"Hello there, Little One," a familiar voice said and Verus spun to grin up at his friend,
"Pom! You're back!" he exclaimed, allowing the tall man to draw him into a gentle embrace. Sure his friend had talked with him earlier, but it wasn't quite the same as seeing him face to face.
"Yes, I'm sorry for worrying you, Verus." Tom said seriously, "I did not intend to do so."
"Was so, so scared," Verus informed him, "But Da said...he said maybe Pom was tired too!"
"Yes," Tom agreed, nodding, "I used up too much energy and had to take a nap, just like you."
"Better now?"
"I am, thank you," Tom smiled down at him and Verus returned the grin,
"Good. Swing?"
"Of course. How is your new father doing?" Tom asked as they headed for the swings.
"Da is the bestest da!" Verus exclaimed, "looking at, at houses so it's just Da and Verus...and Pom of course, but Da makes a funny face when I talk about Pom."
"Your Da doesn't know who I am, silly," Tom replied, picking the child up to plop him down on a swing, "perhaps you could describe me to him if he keeps making funny faces?"
"De...des...what?"
"Describe. I was suggesting that you tell your da what I look like,"
"Ooh..." Verus said but didn't reply any further as Tom began to push him higher and higher. He would maybe tell his Da about Tom eventually... He thought that, maybe, he would like his friend Pom to be just his friend for a little while longer, until they got their very own new house...then he would tell Da that he had a friend that lived in his head and played with him when he slept.
Severus was thankful for the weight of the child in his arms, it was the only thing that kept him from dropping everything to spend the next several hours inspecting every nook and cranny of the impressive lab.
He knew, without having to look, that the room next door, which was a lab of sorts but for spell creation instead of potions, was just as impressive as this one. Had he known of his inheritance and decided to put his animosity with his mother's family behind him earlier in life, there was a good chance that he would have been able to stay out of the war completely. Severus wasn't entirely certain that that would have been a good thing since he himself would not have a son if any of his personal history were to change so dramatically.
Even though he was mindful of the sleeping toddler, Severus allowed himself to spend almost a full hour familiarizing himself with both labs. He could see exactly where each of his own pieces of equipment would go and was already making a list of what he would brew first...though experimental potions and other, more practical ones seemed to be warring for the top spot as the very first one to be made. He could also see where his notes and books would go, as well as the target he would set up in the spellcrafting room. This place, dare he say it, seemed absolutely perfect so far. As it was, Severus finally had to force himself to leave his new favorite rooms to go inspect the rest of the property.
The studies were tidy, nothing out of the ordinary there. Like with the Peverell property, most of the heirlooms had been sent to the Prince vaults for safekeeping after the previous owners passed away so, other than the portraits, there really wasn't too much to give the place any character.
Severus followed the map until he found the bedrooms that were most important to him. He opened the door to the master bedroom and stepped inside to find a room that was surprisingly light and open. He knew that with his own touches here and there, it would quickly feel like home and, thankfully, would look and feel absolutely nothing like his old quarters at Hogwarts. The fact that the room also had a massive ensuite was just another plus.
He hadn't quite realized just how important it was to him that the rooms be completely different from anything else until just then. All Severus had ever known were dark rooms, cramped spaces, and secrecy. Now he needed something that was the polar opposite for his own new life with his new little family...well, perhaps not the opposite of secrecy, he did still enjoy his privacy.
"Da?" Verus' sleepy voice said though the child's head did not lift from his shoulder.
"Have a nice nap, Verus?" Severus asked and received a small nod in response, "I'm glad."
"Where...we, Da?"
"We're still in Prince Manor," Severus replied, "this is what would be my bedroom. You've awoken just in time to see if you like the room that would be yours."
That seemed to wake the child up quickly enough, Verus suddenly gaining the energy to lift his head off of Severus' shoulder.
"My room?"
"Yes, it's across the hall, shall we go look?"
"Yes, please, Da!"
Severus chuckled and exited the master bedroom, a few short steps taking him to the door that led to the heir room.
Verus gasped as he took in the room before them and Severus, after glaring skeptically at every part of the place, nodded approvingly. This would do nicely.
Like the master bedroom, it was completely different from any "room" that had been Verus' before. It was spacious and open, giving it an inviting air. A charm had been placed on a large (fake) window that let light pour into the space (this was, admittedly, a safety feature to protect the heir from outside threats) and dance around the room, something that had the little boy grinning in Severus' arms. With a few little touches and likely far too many toys, this room had the potential to be a place where Verus could feel safe.
Severus knew then that they had found their new home, even if they hadn't seen the rest of the place.
"What do you think, Verus?" he asked, though the look on the child's face said exactly what he thought.
"Love, love, love it, Da!" Verus exclaimed, "You like this too?"
"Yes, Little One, I believe I like this one as well." Severus agreed, "Do you think you could call it home?"
"Yes, Da! New home."
"Very well then, we will need to go back to Malfoy Manor for a little while, but we'll move into our new home within the week, how does that sound?" Severus asked, knowing very well what the answer would be.
"Sounds good, Da! Verus and Da's home! Oh, and Pom!" Severus smiled indulgently down at the boy,
"Yes, of course, mustn't forget Pom."
That night, Dragon waited for a really really long time after his Papa left the room before he grabbed his favorite plushie (a soft dog that looked exactly like his favorite of his Papa's dogs), carefully climbed out of his toddler bed, and tiptoed over to the door. For perhaps the first time in his short life, the boy was absolutely silent. He knew he couldn't let his parents or the old nurse elf hear him moving around or they'd be in to check on him before he could do anything fun.
He held his breath as he opened his door and peeked his head out into the hall. When no parent or elf appeared, Dragon quickly began to make his way through the dark manor to where he knew his Uncle Sev's room was (and if he walked much faster than usual because of the dark, well, no one else was around to see it!). He'd heard Papa and Mummy say that the sick boy was staying in a room by his godfather's so he knew he could find him and finally meet him! He knew they would be best friends and play and go on really cool adventures and it would be so so so fun!
Dragon was certain that the scariest part of this journey was when he had to pass what his Papa said was called the main staircase, though his Mummy always argued that it was the grand stair for some reason. He hadn't really seen this area at night though, and he'd certainly never been there alone. Without all the daylight or even the magical lights that were sometimes lit along the entryway, the stairs appeared to drop off into nothingness.
For a few moments, Dragon toyed with the idea of going back to his room and trying again during the day when he was supposed to be taking a nap, but he really really didn't want to wait and he knew he'd be in big trouble if Mummy caught him up during naptime. She always caught him if he was up at naptime.
"Red is here too, Dragon." his plushie said suddenly, "Red and Dragon are big! Not scared of the dark." Dragon nodded, took a big breath, and whispered,
"Dragon is a big boy. Got Red too. Not scared of nothing."
He repeated his new mantra to himself as he stepped out into the open area at the top of the stairs, trying to ignore the feeling that someone or something was watching him from the darkness.
"Dragon is brave like a real dragon," he muttered proudly as soon as he reached the other side and was safely hidden once again. Of course, this thought didn't really help him when he realized that this hallway was somehow even darker than where he had been before.
Dragon whimpered a bit, but he was a Malfoy and they were nothing if not stubborn...or at least, that's what his Papa said...or something like that...so he kept moving. His Uncle Sev's room had never felt so far away before, the hallway stretching on forever before he finally found the side hall that led to his goal. He had asked once why Uncle Sev did not have a room near the rest of the family and Papa had said that Uncle Sev really liked something called...er...pri...privah-see...(then he'd explained that that basically meant he sometimes wanted to be alone) and had requested the place specifically.
Dragon thought that was a very silly thing. No one liked being alone. He was glad he had brought Red, he really didn't want to be alone in the dark, scary hallway.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the door to Uncle Sev's room at last. Now there were only two different doors he needed to try before he would have a new bestest friend ever.
Dragon really hoped that his godfather was completely asleep and wouldn't hear him opening either of the doors, though if he was caught he was certain he would get away with it if he were to tell his Uncle Sev that he was just looking for him...
The small boy looked between the two doors that could be hiding his new friend and gasped happily when he finally noticed that a soft light was on in the one right next to Uncle Sev's. That had to be the right one!
Dragon carefully opened the door to the sick boy's room and peeked inside, squinting against the light. He wasn't really impressed with the place, it looked just like any of the other guest rooms in his home, but he was very excited when he noticed the small shape on the bed.
Completely forgetting to be super quiet and sneaky, Dragon bounced over to the big bed and scrambled up on top so that he could better see the other boy.
He immediately decided that his new friend's hair was the prettiest hair he'd seen, a little like Uncle Sev's but...well, prettier. Red agreed. He was much smaller than Dragon was and had just begun making funny little noises in his sleep. At least, Dragon thought they were funny until his new friend made a sad face.
Dragon wasn't sure what to do so he decided to try and comfort his friend like he did the puppies he got to play with sometimes, carefully reaching out to pet the other boy's soft hair. Dragon looked around and frowned, why didn't his new friend have a special blanket or plushie to help him be brave at night?
"Red can help!" the plushie told his boy. Dragon frowned and whispered,
"But...Red is Dragon's toy…"
"Yes, Red is Dragon's but Red can help the sick boy too."
"Cuddle both Dragon and Sick Boy?" Dragon asked,
"Yes," Red agreed and Dragon finally moved to put his puppy in the other boy's arms...only to discover that big green eyes were staring up at him.
"Oh, hi!" Dragon said quietly, still hoping he wouldn't wake his Uncle Sev, "My name is Dragon! This is Red! He wants to cuddle so Sick Boy isn't sad no more." To prove his point, Dragon plopped Red down on the other boy's chest and smiled as careful hands moved to pet the soft fur.
"Red is the bestest." Dragon informed him, "We gotta be quiet or Uncle Sev will be wakeded up." Of course, it was only the blond boy that was speaking so that information was pointless but Dragon was just so so happy to finally see the sick boy!
"nn...dreamin'..." the sick boy murmured and closed his eyes once again to go back to sleep, though he didn't let go of Red which made Dragon happy.
Dragon yawned and lay down so that he could be like his new friend...and so that he could comfortably grab on to one of Red's ears. He didn't even notice his eyes closing, his dreams filled with the grand adventures he would have with his new bestest friend ever and Red.
A/N: Soooo, Draco is a sweet child. Thoughts? Which characters shall we meet soon? I have a few plans and ideas but I'm always open to suggestions. Thanks again for reading, hope you have a great day/night! :)
