Severus got up from his chair and walked toward Draco. Draco stuffed some food into his mouth and mumbled around it, "I'm eating, I'm eating!"
Snape held his hand and pulled him a little, indicating that he should get up. Draco did. Snape walked to the couch taking Draco along. "Please no. I'm sorry. I'll eat. I'll do what you say. Please."
Snape sat down. Draco struggled against him as he didn't want another spanking but Snape just pulled him onto his lap and held him tightly. It took Draco a moment to realise what was going on and he started struggling even more to get up. But the potions master was much stronger and just held him tightly till Draco exhausted himself. Eventually Draco became silent but Snape just held him silently.
After almost half an hour, Snape said, "What's going on, Snake?"
He didn't get a response.
"Draco, if you don't talk about it, how will it become better?"
"I told you! I told you I didn't want to go to class and you didn't listen. Why should I tell you anything?"
Snape sighed, "Dragon, I did listen. And I allowed you to skip your DADA class."
"No."
"No what?"
"It wasn't enough."
"I won't always agree that what you want is the best for you Draco. As your guardian it is my job to make the best choices for your wellbeing."
"Okay sir."
"Come on, none of that now, talk to me."
Draco started struggling again.
"Draco, don't make me start swatting you to get you to cooperate."
"That's all you do. You just swat and lecture and say no and punish me."
"So I should just let you get away with being a brat?"
"I'm not a brat. And you should love me no matter what?"
"You think if I didn't love you I would try so hard to get you to talk and not just assign you detentions with filch till the end of the year and be done with it?"
"No you can't do that" Draco whined.
"Can't I?"
Draco was quiet for a while then he burrowed his head in Snape's chest and said, "I miss my parents. I shouldn't miss them, they were death eaters. But I do."
"Of course you miss them, Dragon. It's completely normal, they were your parents."
"It doesn't matter that they were death eaters?"
"You loved them, child. That's all that matters. Actually sometimes you miss people even when you didn't love them, simply because they were such a big part of your life."
"Who are you talking about?"
"Nobody."
"Come on, tell me. I told you stuff, now you have to tell me."
Snape wanted to drive the kid away to do homework but decided to extend this olive branch.
"Okay I'll tell you. But then you will sincerely complete all your school work. No distractions, no complaints."
"Okay!" the boy was quick to agree.
"When I said that, I was thinking of my father."
"Dumbledore?"
"If you're going to interrupt, you can make up the whole thing."
"No no please continue."
"Alright. No, I was thinking of my biological father, Tobias Snape. He was not a good man."
"Was he also a death eater?"
"He was a muggle, but in many ways so much worse than an ordinary death eater."
"What did he do?"
"He was cruel, to my mother and to me."
"What? How? But you're so strong, and powerful."
"But at that time I was just a little boy."
"Oh but parents are allowed to punish their children. They do it to teach the children, that doesn't make them cruel or bad people."
"Oh is that so?" Snape hugged the boy closer.
"I aim to please." Snape smirked. "But Tobias, he did not punish fairly or consistently or even proportionately. Sometimes he would spank me for just breathing wrong, and once for existing."
"But Uncle Sev, that's abuse."
"Yes, dragon, it was abuse."
Both of them were quiet for a while.
"I'm glad you're safe now."
"Me too, dragon, me too."
"Do you sometimes hate me as much as you hate your father, I mean Tobias?"
"Never, my Snake. I can never hate you. I might be annoyed or disappointed in your actions but I will never feel anything but love for you."
This time Draco hugged him tighter.
"I'm sorry I didn't just come and tell you what was wrong."
"Why didn't you Dragon?"
"Well I thought you'd be mad or disappointed or that your dark mark would hurt."
"Draco, I'm the parent. It is my job to think about your needs and wellbeing and take care of you. Not the other way around. I'd appreciate it if you did the things I asked you to do. There is no need to go around making such assumptions about what I might want you to do, especially when it goes against your own wellbeing. Am I understood?"
"Yes sir."
"And to help you remember along with all your schoolwork you will also write a 6 foot essay on the importance of talking to your guardians or the caring adults in your life."
"But Uncle Snape I'll never finish all that work! Do I have to do it?"
"What makes you think that there is a possibility that you might not have to?"
"Because you want to watch a movie with me and cuddle."
Snape laughed out loud at that. Tomorrow is a Friday. Finish your work now and we might do a movie night tomorrow."
"But uncle sev!"
"Or you can spend Friday evening studying or writing lines," Snape said with a raised eyebrow.
"No no, movie night!"
"Then can we get started with the schoolwork?"
"Will you help me?"
Snape knew that the boy didn't need help but saw the need to stay connected for what it was and nodded his head.
They rearranged themselves such that their chairs were almost touching and Draco got down to work.
Soon enough, now that he was focussing, Draco finished. "I finished my schoolwork uncle sev."
"Good, I'll look it over in a minute. Get started on the essay."
"But uncle Sev!"
"One more whine out of you and you will spend time in the corner. You are 15 not 5!"
Draco huffed and moved his chair away but Snape bridged the gap easily and rested his hand on the boy's back. Draco leaned into the touch.