Chapter 18: Good Morning
"Daddy?" A small hand nudged Severus in the cheek, startling him quickly from sleep. "Daddy, wake up," the little voice insisted softly.
Realizing that his sick child was in their room before sunrise brought the man to wakefulness quickly, his husband already sitting up. "Harry?" Severus leaned over and grabbed the child, lifting the little boy into his lap.
Harry had dragged his blanket with him, using it like a cloak as he relaxed into his father's warm chest. His forehead was still lukewarm, but he appeared healthier. Big green eyes glittering as he glanced sideways at Tom, whom had now turned so he was facing the pair.
"What's wrong child?" Severus inquired gently.
"It's Christmas," Harry explained, as if that would answer all the questions.
"It is, but why are you up so early? You should be sleeping to get better," Severus elucidated.
The child pouted, turning in his father's lap enough so that he could glance at both men. "Dwaco said I had to wake you up early, 'cause of presents!"
"Because," Tom corrected automatically. "Did Draco send you in here?"
Instantly the child shook his head, looking confused as to why Draco would be awake at the hour. It was obvious to the little boy that the only people who should be awake were his parents, they were the ones that controlled the presents.
"How about you wake up the rest of the house? And then we can have breakfast and get to presents?" Tom suggested, already standing at the side of the bed as he summoned his robes. He opened his arms, offering to lift Harry so that the child wouldn't have to walk to the different rooms, being sick.
Harry smiled, taking his Papa's offer the little boy took his blanket and curled up in the man's arms. His energy level was low, but he was obviously excited despite the illness.
"Why don't you get ready? Get the house elves to have breakfast ready?" Tom suggested, smiling gently as he turned and made his way to the hallway. He'd make sure everyone was presentable before little Harry could wake them.
First, they visited the room of their visitors, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. After making sure that the two of them were decent, he placed the child down and told him to first wake Narcissa as she would likely take the disturbance more kindly than Lucius.
Taking his blanket, Harry ambled across the room. He nudged Narcissa's cheek as he had done with Severus. "Aunty Cissy," he murmured. "Aunt Cissy, wake up!"
Unlike Severus, the woman had raised a very rambunctious child that had no problem waking her for Christmas each year, so she had been prepared for the little hand. With a laugh she reached forward and yanked Harry between herself and Lucius, the man also waking from the noise.
The black-haired child began to laugh, only refraining when it led to several coughs. Lucius sat up, rubbing the child's back to ease his fit. When it ended, the Malfoy's agreed that they would join them downstairs for presents, handing Harry off to his father.
Harry didn't hesitate to jump on his uncle's bed, seeing Sirius and Remus all but snoring in a pile. He laughed when Sirius merely threw the covers over his head and Remus just buried his head further into his pillow. The child shook both men, glad when his godfather (nee Uncle) finally let out a mock snarl and threw Harry underneath the covers with them. He got a few tickles, the same promise, and was promptly handed on to the next morning victim.
It was easy to see that the day was quickly turning into one of Harry's favorite experiences. His smile split his face, and his energy level had risen as he bounced in his Papa's arms. Glad that everyone had somewhat expected the morning wake up call, Tom stopped in front of Draco's room.
"How about we wake up Draco a little differently then the rest?" He suggested softly, grinning conspiringly with his adopted child. Harry trusted his Papa, so quickly nodded in anticipation.
Setting Harry down, Tom got down so that they were eye level before telling his child the plan. With an excited smile, Harry waited until Tom transfigured the blanket into a large rob for the child before he scurried quietly to Hermione's side of the bed.
"Hermione," he whispered very softly. When the brunette opened her eyes the child immediately put his finger to his lips.
Knowing that there was obviously something happening and knowing that Draco had been putting the child up to something the night before, she didn't protest. Hermione instantly sat up and slithered from the bed, picking Harry up on her way as she turned to see the dark lord grinning at the foot of the bed.
It was strange, how the man seemed to lighten considerably in the presence of his adopted child. With a flick of his wrist, Tom instantly levitated Draco and started towards the private bathroom door. Harry, squirming to get down, quickly crossed the room and opened the door for his father. He watched as Draco was gently placed in the tub before he was picked up and given access to the shower head.
"On the count of three," Tom murmured gently in his son's ear. "One, two…" And as soon as the last number left his mouth, the child slammed his hand on the shower. While the water was enchanted to start warm, it was still startling, and Draco immediately screamed and tried to scramble forward, only to slip and fall right back on his bum.
"Harry!" Draco reached forward, grabbing the laughing child from his father and under the spray of the water.
With a yelp, the little boy shook his head, spraying the liquid outside of the tub as he giggled at the situation. Tom was the one who turned off the water, summoned a towel, and wrapped his child up to keep him warm.
"Now that everyone is awake, Harry is ready to open presents. I'm going to change him, but I except the two of you downstairs." He left no room for argument, walking away even as he heard Draco start to protest that he would not have enough time to fashion his hair and Hermione's snorting in laughter in response.
"You're still sick, kiddo." Tom calmly spoke to Harry, whom had easily burrowed into the man's arms and towel, clothing dripping wet. "Let's get you dried and warm before your Daddy has a heart attack."
Severus had already headed downstairs, obviously ready for some coffee before he dealt with a hyperactive Christmas morning. It was quite easy to get the child ready, magic came in handy at the best of times and in less than ten minutes Harry had been dried and changed. His hair fell softly over his ears, the pajamas he'd been changed into enchanted with flying brooms and snitches. All in all, he looked as adorable. Fuzzy socks covered his little feet, and Tom had gotten another blanket to wrap around the child so that no sickness would befall him again.
"Uncle Luc!" Harry cried when they entered the dining room, reaching out his hands for the blond man so he could be gently transferred over.
Already having adored the child, the eldest Malfoy plucked him from Tom, the dark lord turning to retrieve a cup of coffee. Narcissa seemed to be the only one nursing tea at the table, while the rest of the men and Hermione chose coffee as their morning toxin.
"Presents?" Harry inquired, already peaking over Lucius' shoulder to try to catch a glimpse of the living room and the tree.
"Not yet child, you need to eat first," the man spoke gently, sitting himself next to his wife with Harry in his lap. And while the little boy hid his pout well, it was easy to see that his shoulders had drooped at the thought of having to wait another moment to see what was under the bright colored paper.
Draco, with his hair almost as mussed up as Harry's had been in school, looked around the table and inwardly cringed. It looked as if everyone had dark circles under their eyes from having been woken so early by the little boy in front of him. But then again, the excitement radiating off the child had bounced into them, so no one was too upset.
"How about some pancakes for breakfast Harry?" Draco asked the slightly output child.
"With chocolate?!" Harry instantly lit up, face bright at the thought of sweet food in the morning. Since he was sick he wasn't allowed to eat his favorite meals, not that his fathers would have given him sugary meals regularly.
"And whip cream," Severus affirmed. It was Christmas, the child deserved to feel normal.
"Yes!" The boy all but screamed, causing Sirius to jump a bit in surprise.
"No screaming at the table Harry," Tom was quick to correct. Glad the child was too caught up in his own excitement to get upset as he merely nodded and focused on the foodless table in front of them.
The house elves had cooked individual favorites for each person at the table. A child seat had been placed between Lucius and Tom so that the little boy could eat his own meal. The pancakes for Harry had already been cut up and set on a child's plate, the fork disguised as a broom so that Harry could pretend the food was flying magically into his mouth. It had been invented by parents several years back whom had fussy children when it came time to feed themselves. The mess was also less when the child was preoccupied with making it to the "goal."
Severus instantly conjured a bib for the child, the blanket lain over the back of his chair, so it wouldn't get dirty. When Harry saw chocolate, it was easy to see that his breakfast would disappear. No one mentioned the little boy's sound effects as he ate, choosing instead to converse quietly.
"I suspect that the twins know something," Hermione spoke. "Just the other day, they sent over a few presents, not prank one's mind you, but child ones for the tree." She had thrown a look at Sirius' excited expression.
Hearing that they weren't pranks, the man instantly deflated. After he had learned of the twins so many years ago, he was more than happy to join them in their endeavors. He'd even taken some time to help them in the business, although he pursued the auror job as they'd dreamed of in school.
"We may have to tell them," Severus added. "I think they may actually serve as great sitters when the needs arise. And with Harry growing up in this family, it might be better to have someone who knows how to handle him when he starts to show both the traits of a lion and a snake."
It was quite logical, and the table seemed to agree with him as they nodded along. Harry, whom had been consumed by his breakfast, finally looked up with his face smeared in chocolate. "Snake! Snake like Daddy!" He clapped his hands, the breakfast smearing around them.
"Yes," Tom swept a hand forward, using wandless magic to clean the child. "You'll be a wonderful snake." Having been quietly eating his breakfast, the dark lord stood and lifted the boy from his seat, once more wrapped the warm blanket around him and settling the boy into his lap. He sipped his coffee while Harry cuddled into the man's chest, enjoying the comfort.
"Now, finish your breakfast so we can get those presents open." Tom admonished to all in the room, thinking the child would soon be passing out from his tired exhaustion.
Everyone simply nodded and started to eat, conversing quietly. Their voices, and the warmth of his father's chest, was enough to sink the little boy into the land of nod. No one made to wake him, knowing that the childlike enthusiasm would return when he would wake in front of the tree surrounded by the family that loved him.