The King and I
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns pretty much everything, I am just borrowing her creations and playing with them.
Thank yous: Althea, Dark Angel215, orlin, Sarahamanda, EsScaper, Ceyxa, Marblez, Will's Girl, inumoon3, pixy, sirian1234, My Bloody Hell, Chrysler, Sophie Malfoy, Sezza Rikda, Digmon Girl, vytiri, and Rivalovery.
My Bloody Hell: Thanks for the news report!
Many of you were right; you haven't seen the last of Narcissa's revenge.
A little side note, this story is moving into my TOP PRIORITY category – I have decided to try and finish my stories one by one now, rather than randomly updating (because let's face it, that wasn't working too well). But do not despair, if I get great inspiration on other stories while I am working on this one I will most certainly update right away!
As you have probably noticed, Lucius/Sirius and Severus/James are the more prominent couples in this story because there is more going on with them than with Remus/Regulus.
I'M BACK! My exams have finished and I can now spend the rest of this year and the first month of next year writing for you guys! I hope you haven't all abandoned me.
ANOTHER NOTE: Just ignore anything said at the end of last chapter about this chapter. I'm changing the way things go because I'm having such trouble writing now that my exams are finished.
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Chapter 7: Now What?
Professor Severus Snape walked slowly along a fourth floor corridor late one night in early December; he was on after-curfew patrol tonight, which was always a good time for him to think because it generally meant silence and no James to incessantly talk or snore (despite the other man's protests that he didn't). He pulled his robes tighter about himself as he walked the corridor, it was getting very cold at nights now, which made him glad to have another body in the bed with him because James had a thing for snuggling.
It was a pity really, he had not come across any students on his patrol so far this evening, he really did rather enjoy making their daily lives a living hell; the Gryffindors he especially enjoyed taking points from.
Children. The Head of Slytherin had never been overly fond of them, especially many of the students at Hogwarts, but he did not all together loathe the very thought of them.
But if he had to be entirely honest with himself, the thought of his own impending fatherhood was quite frightening. Recent events concerning the King's son had done nothing to make him feel anymore confident about having a child with James.
Then again, he and James having a child seemed like a natural progression in their relationship; they had been together nearly thirteen years and been married for nine of them. They were fairly well-off – James had made a bundle when he was an Auror and his parents had left him a fortune in inheritance, not to mention Severus had a steady income as well – so they were perfectly able to support a family.
Another worrying thought occurred to the raven-haired Professor as he turned a corner, what if he was a horrible father? If his teaching methods were anything to go by then that could very well be the case; he had often been called an 'evil bastard' in the staffroom, though that was by Minerva McGonagall and she did do anything she could to rile him up. That aside, what if he did treat his own child like he treated his students? What if it just happened whether he wanted it to or not?
What if he turned into his own father?
Severus shuddered at the mere thought of his own father, Tobias Snape, he hoped there was some god out there that would not let him become like his bastard of a father. Hopefully James would make sure he never went in that direction…
Speak of the devil.
James was meandering down the corridor from the opposite direction towards him; dressed in simple muggle attire with a winter robe thrown on over top; his natural bed-hair and the happy spark in his hazel eyes was making him look quite tasty right now.
"No more peace for the wicked, then?"
James smiled, "Oh marriage is such a chore, isn't it?" he said teasingly as he came to a halt in front of the Potions master.
"Mm, bloody awful," Severus drew James to him and pressed a kiss to his still smiling mouth. "I thought you were having an early night?"
James gave a shrug, "Decided I couldn't sleep, and my bed warmer was missing," they started walking again, closely side by side, in the direction that he had just come from. "You were looking troubled before, what's wrong?"
Severus glanced at his husband out the corners of his eyes; he noted the look of concern, "I was just thinking…"
"What about? You just missed a snogging couple back there, by the way."
"What?" Severus made to turn around and storm back to the couple but he felt James grab one of his arms. "James!"
"Come on," James linked one of his arms with one of Severus's. "Just leave them, you can't be a bastard your whole life," Severus huffed and reluctantly allowed himself to be dragged along. "Anyway, we were one of those late-night-corridor-alcove-snogging couples once, remember?"
"Yes, and look how often we were caught…some Head Boy you were."
James gave him a wink, "Had its perks though, didn't it?"
Severus rolled his eyes, he was quite glad that James had gotten distracted from the question he had asked a few minutes ago; he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to relay his fears about becoming a parent to James just yet. "True, but then we would never have been caught so often if you had just made less noise."
James sidled closer to his husband and rested his head on one shoulder, "Sev, you know what you do to me, I like letting you know."
Severus snorted, "I've noticed," he got his arm out of James's grip and wrapped it around that slim waist instead. "You are distracting me from my duties."
"Good."
…
Sirius was lying awake in the King's massive bed late that very same night, his head resting on the strong chest of His Majesty. Draco had been returned to them four days ago and every night since then Sirius had stayed awake for a few hours so that he could watch their son sleep in his crib, which had been placed near their bed. "Luce?"
"Mm."
"Are you awake?"
"Of course not."
Sirius smiled slightly, he knew Lucius was awake right now for the same reasons as himself. They both woke up at intervals throughout the night now to make sure that Draco was still safe and sound in his crib, so Sirius often found the blond was wide awake at the same time as himself. He nuzzled his head against the chest that was steadily rising and falling beneath his head, "Love you."
Lucius smiled, as he threaded his fingers through Sirius's hair, "I know-Ow! Jesus Christ, Sirius! There's no need to bite…"
Sirius pressed a kiss to the bit of pale skin that he had just bitten in feigned offense; "I only bite 'cause you're being a prat."
Lucius grabbed Sirius under the arms and dragged the surprised man bodily up the bed, only to press a kiss to his slightly open mouth; "I can't help it if you bring out the prat in me."
Sirius grinned and rested his forehead against Lucius's, relaxing his weight half on top of the Royalty beneath him and he felt those arms encircle his upper body; if he had to be honest with himself, he had never felt this happy before. He and Lucius could be together now without any secrecy and they had their son back within their grasp, everything seemed pretty much perfect right now. "So, what now?"
Lucius frowned, "What do you mean?"
Sirius propped himself up a bit so that he could see Lucius's whole face through the dim light, "Well…we have Dray back now, apparently I am living here, the public know about us now so we don't have to be together secretly, and you're divorced now… You know, I just thought that maybe something more could happen, now…" he gave Lucius a sheepish look when he saw a smirk on that gorgeous face. "What?"
Lucius smiled and pressed a kiss to Sirius's lips, "I can see where this is heading…" he kept his arms securely around Sirius's waist. "I would love for nothing more than to marry you."
Sirius beamed, his grey eyes alight with happiness, "Should I take that as a proposal?"
"Unofficially, I think so."
"Unofficially?"
Lucius started trailing one hand up and down Sirius's spine, "Yes, well, there's no ring and I have not gotten down on one knee yet or actually asked the required question."
Sirius smiled and settled back down, resting his head back on Lucius's chest, "So, what's a suitable length for a royal engagement?"
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Author's Note: Yes, I know, very abrupt end to a very short and not-so-good chapter, but…well, sorry.
Next Chapter: A few months later. The Royal engagement. James and Severus become parents and other things. Any suggestions?