The Welsh cabin soon had more visitors that a tourist attraction once the new was announced that Veronica had given birth to a healthy baby boy. First came her own family and Severus felt overwhelmingly awkward. He had met Veronica's parents before Valerian was born, but it had been an uncomfortable introduction With Veronica being six months pregnant and they had only been together for little over a year.
But, much to his relief, Mrs. Largo's appreciation for him had not wavered with these new events. Her father, while not ready to clap him on the back, did welcome him with a firm handshake.
Veronica's brothers, on the other hand, were a different story.
The Eldest was Angel, and while he wasn't exactly intimidating, Severus knew the air of distrust when he felt it. At about 46, his hair had already started to thin, and his long face was mapped with the marks of middle age.
The youngest twins, Marco and Cesare, presented a similar yet different issue that left Severus with the vibe that even after they left, they were still watching him.
"Your family doesn't like me."
"It's about 50/50." Veronica shrugged. "But it doesn't matter. "I like you enough for all of them."
Severus nodded and eyed her from the side for a moment, "So, uh." He sighed. "Narcissa Malfoy was asking…"
Veronica glanced at him carefully, adjusting the baby in her arms. "yes?"
"She wants to know if she could come see the baby." Severus offered hesitantly. "or perhaps you could- "
"No."
"Now Veronica."
"I don't want those people around my bay Severus." Veronica snapped. "Any of them."
"I've known the Malfoys for a long time." Severus explained, "Lucius practically raised me from age 11, they're my friends."
"Your friends would have watched the Dark Lord murder me without saying anything but sorry afterwards, Severus" Veronica growled. "You may know them well, but I do not. And I will not have those people in this house, and I will not have their hands on my child. Do you understand me?"
Severus nodded slowly, raising his hands in surrender. "Very well, I understand." He sighed. "I'll just come up with some kind of excuse."
"People get around excuses." Veronica stood, tucking her breast back into her dress and hoisting Valerian over her shoulder to burp him. "It would be better if you just told them the truth."
"What? That you don't like, trust, or want anything to do with them?" Severus scoffed, "You know that's not safe. Especially not after you accepted help from them before, that makes you look ungrateful and that's not an acceptable position to be in."
"What would you have me do?" Veronica turned on him, "Let them pass him around like a collection plate until I've proved I don't fear and despise each and every one of them?! Let the Dark Lord himself rock him to sleep for good measure?!"
Valerian squawked at his mother's anger and Veronica began to bounce him gently. Severus stood in silence, letting her anger simmer and fade before speaking again.
"I understand how you feel." Severus folded his hands, "don't you think I feel very much the same way?"
Veronica swallowed hard and cradled her son closer to her, pressing a kiss to his soft forehead in a way that made Severus's heart ache.
"But we can only deny them what they want for so long." Severus moved to sit beside her, "Before it becomes more dangerous than it has to be."
Veronica sniffed, hot tears rushing to her face. "I don't know what to do." She croaked, "We swore they would not be part of his life. None of this would."
"I know, I know." Severus held her, kissing her temple. "But sometimes for security you must make compromises. I'm not saying unlock the nursery door, just let one of them visit as a show of good faith. And with luck they will be satisfied."
Veronica took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. Okay." She whipped her tear and let out a shaky breath, "I will invite Narcissa Malfoy for tea tomorrow, but only Narcissa Malfoy. And there will be no second visit."
"There's my brave girl" Severus rubbed her shoulder. "You should try to sleep, you're exhausted. I'll stay with him."
"Okay." Veronica nodded, passing Valerian off to her partner. "I pumped this morning, so if he gets hungry there are bottles in the icebox. Warm them for about fifteen seconds."
Severus nodded and watched her go before slipping off his jacket and propping up his knees to Valerian lay semi-upright. He squirmed and yelped a bit before settling and accept the dummy Severus eased into his mouth.
He really was a beautiful boy, and despite his distrust of his former friends, he couldn't stop himself from boasting slightly about his new son. It was foolish of him, he realized afterwards, but he smiled while doing it.
"There's my boy." Severus smiled as Val opened his eyes and blinked in befuddled way. "Clever boy."
He was clever to, at least Severus thought so as he began to reach and grab for the bobbled on his mobile or turn and listen when he heard a new voice. He was terribly bright, just as Severus knew he would be, and he was sure to encourage that by always talking to him as he would a grown person instead of an infant.
"He doesn't understand you any more than he does me, you know." Severus pointed out once when Veronica teased him for being so matter of fact with the baby. "I don't even understand you."
Severus made sure to read to him as well. He didn't have much of a storytelling side, or else he would make up his own, but he made do with his own books plus some of Veronica's
"Do you really think that's appropriate to be reading to a newborn?" Veronica gasped when she caught him reading Charles Dickens in the middle of the night to get him back to sleep.
"Why not?" Severus shrugged, "It's not like it's A Clockwork Orange. Plus, he doesn't understand English yet anyway, so it doesn't matter."
In truth, Severus didn't know much about being a parent.
He didn't exactly have the best examples to look to.
His father was a mean drunk, and his mother, love her as he did, was so mentally checked out he wasn't sure she noticed he was there half the time.
For a split second he thought of looking to the parents around him for inspiration, then realized took a look at Draco Malfoy and promptly decided against that.
So, he decided to just go with it. Less qualified people than him bred like rabbits and raised them. So surely, he could do it too.
Severus watched his son doze on and off with a smile before standing with him and sighing. "I still have work to do." He informed the child tiredly. "So, you're going to sit with me, while I grade some papers. But you have to be quiet, because your mum's tired and trying to sleep."
Valerian didn't respond, but he did fuss slightly as his father placed him in a portable bassinette that sat in the study. Severus sat next to him, pulling a stack of Seventh Year essays from the desk and fumbling with a fountain pen with a grumbled. He still didn't understand wizard's obsession with feather quills, but he knew that if he dared grade these papers with a ball point pen someone somewhere would have a heart attack. So, he compromised with a fountain pen that looked close enough but was infinitely easier to use.
"First thing you need to know about the world, kid." Severus sighed, "People are stupid. Not all the time, sometime people can be extremely smart, but you can't come to expect that because then you'll end up in trouble."
Valerian watched his father, clearly not really watching him, but Severus liked to pretend he was.
"You see, for example, your mother is a brilliant woman. Brilliant. She's a writer, she's well educated, and generally she makes good choices. However, occasionally, she'll do or say something not very smart. Usually when she's emotional." Severus explained, "That's when most smart people do stupid things. When they're afraid, or upset, or angry. Sometimes people forget that they're still animals, with animal instincts. But this world isn't a place for animal instincts, you need to always take a moment to take stock of your own mind and make a rational decision what you want to do. That way you don't hurt yourself, and you don't hurt other people."
Severus glanced over at the boy who had dozed off in the bassinette and smiled a little.
"Well." He conceded, "I suppose you're a little young for all of that. You'll understand one day, you won't find out like I had to."