The wards on Severus' floo were going off yet again.
Without opening his eyes Severus already knew it was too early in the morning to be awake and whoever kept setting his floo off was going to die. Rolling out of his bed gracelessly, still dressed in yesterday's clothes, Severus grabbed his wand from his bedside table and flicked it to show the smokey numbers of 4:17 in the bloody morning. He definitely needed to maim whoever was in his floo and then try to intake some caffeine so he could hide the body afterward.
Using his wand, Severus straighten his appearance some before stepping out of his bedroom and into the hallway. It had only been a couple of days since Hadrian let him set up his room separate from Severus' room, but Severus made sure Hadrian's room was the guest bedroom that was across the hall from him. Peeking into Hadrian's room to find him still sound asleep, curled up in his big emerald comforter that Severus had given Hadrian from his old Slytherin supplies just until they could make it out shopping. Closing the door and putting a one-way silencing charm on Hadrian's room so he wouldn't wake up to the sounds of his new Daddy killing someone in the living room.
Grumbling to himself, Severus made his way to his floo that was sparking for attention. Lifting the wards to allow the call to come through, hoping that it was important so he wouldn't just strangle the culprit to ending his first good night of sleep in two weeks.
Even before her face was showing in the fire, Narcissa's voice was carrying through and echoing in his living room, "Severus Tobias Snape! How dare you not contact us for weeks. I had to hear from Lucius about your new ward and you know how pointless he is with details." Narcissa lectured as she took in Severus' appearance. Faintly in the background, Lucius could be heard protesting, both Narcissa and Severus chose to ignore him.
"Cissa you better have a good reason for waking me this early other than lecturing me," Severus grumbled, resigning himself to Narcissa's mothering, sitting down in front of the floo.
"Did you think that we wouldn't have helped you, Severus? I understand bonding with the boy but you don't have anyone else helping you. Will you accept a house-elf now? I am having Miffy make you some meals for the week. Merlin knows you can barely take care of yourself as it is. Now get out of the way Sev I am coming through." Narcissa spoke with barely a breath between thoughts, not leaving Severus much time to move out of the way before Narcissa was making her way into his home and straight for his kitchen. Lucius the coward did not follow his wife into his home.
Seriously thinking about laying down on the floor and sleeping while Narcissa took over his home, but Severus knew that if Hadrian woke up that he needed Severus to be the one to be the buffer of Narcissa and her overwhelming personality. Getting off the floor he went into the kitchen and sat down at his kitchen island, watching Cissa work herself into a fury as she nitpicked everything that was and wasn't in his cabinets.
"Honestly Severus, we have been friends for eight years. Please let us help you a little bit? You do that little boy no good if you neglect yourself in the process. We love you and just want you to be happy and more importantly healthy. I may not love you as Lucius does, but we have both been worried over the lack of communication over the last couple of weeks." Cissa scolded him. Making them both some coffee, she handed Severus a mug of his favorite roast with no sugar and a little cream just the way he likes it. Cissa always had a way of making one feel like they were only two feet tall.
"I'm sorry Cissa. I didn't mean to worry you both. I just didn't want to scare or overwhelm Hadrian. I have helped take care of Draco before, I figured I could handle this. I am so tired though. I just want to give him the world. He deserves so much after everything he has been through. I do not know how to describe how I feel Cissa, but I never want to see him hurt again."
"You love him. He is your little boy and you are going to be a good father Severus. But being a good father doesn't mean you have to do it all alone. Lucius and I will help you, Draco would love to have a new friend, and once Tom is back from Egypt and he hears everything I am sure you will have more help than you know what to do with. Now I am going to get a house-elf in here to clean and stock up your cabinets, no arguments Sev, you are going to go take a shower, get dressed, and take a pepper up. I am going to have food ready for you to eat and then you are going to introduce me to your son once he is awake. We will go from there, okay?" Cissa may have made it sound like a suggestion but Severus knew she meant business and he didn't have a choice but to do exactly as she said. Nodding, finishing off his coffee, and going to do as she said, slightly relieved to have someone here to help him.
*Silent Compassion*
After the best shower Severus has ever taken in his life, another cup of coffee, a pepper up, and some fresh, clean clothes, Severus was feeling more human and ready to take on the day. It was now nearing 7:30 in the morning and he could hear Narcissa speaking to a house-elf in the kitchen as well as the quiet noises of Hadrian beginning to wake up. Severus made his way to Hadrian's room, knocking lightly on the door so he wouldn't startle his jumpy son.
"Good Morning Hadrian… we have more guests here today. Still, someone, I trust so you don't need to worry okay?" Severus spoke softly as he entered Hadrian's room. Hadrian was sitting up in his bed, still coming out of his sleepy state, yawning quite big making Severus smile. Even with the blood adoption potion, Hadrian's hair was still a little wild, much tamer, and darker in color than it had been prior but not even Severus' DNA would calm Hadrian's bed head.
"Good morning Daddy." Hadrian sleepily responded with a tentative smile.
"Let's get you showered and dressed, I will try to attack your hair, and then we will go have breakfast with my friend okay?" Severus found if he told Hadrian everything that was happening or going to happen he would remain much calmer.
"Okay, Daddy… Can I have a good morning hug?"
"Of course you can." Severus smiled wide at his sweet boy's request. It had become somewhat of an accidental routine for Severus to hug Hadrian right after he woke up. He had started to do it when Hadrian would wake up from nightmares but even after Hadrian would wake from a nap, Severus made sure to give him a big, long hug. Severus sat on the edge of Hadrian's bed and pulled the small boy gently into his arms, just letting the small boy soak in the warmth and comfort of being held.
This had to be Hadrian's favorite part of the day. He loved the secure feeling that came with having his Daddy hug him and hold him close. Just listening to his Daddy's heartbeat calmed something deep inside of him.
"I love you Daddy." the words still felt heavy and new to Hadrian, but they felt good to be able to say as well.
"I love you too Hadrian. Now let's get you ready for the day." Severus said before picking Hadrian up and taking him to the bathroom to make him presentable for the day's adventures to come.
An hour later, with several drying charms and one broken hairbrush, Hadrian was dressed and his hair was mostly tamed. Keeping a tight hold onto his Daddy's hand, Hadrian slowly walked with his Daddy through the house and into the kitchen where he could hear noises of other people moving about. Hadrian trusted his Daddy but meeting new people made him nervous. What if they didn't like him? What if they convinced his Daddy that he shouldn't have taken him in, that he was a burden? Hadrian didn't want to lose his Daddy so soon after learning how it felt to be cared for.
Narcissa watched as Severus guided his little boy into the living room. The boy was so small, definitely looked younger than her Draco. She could see faint bruises and wounds that were on their last days of healing, some looked as if they would scar permanently though. A strong wave of sadness filled her for such a small child having experienced so much horror so soon in his life. She knew her son was spoiled and sheltered but she couldn't regret it when staring at a boy who couldn't have had a more different start to life than Draco had.
Narcissa also saw how much Severus already loved his son. She knew that no matter what happened now that Severus would die for that poor injured child that had a death grip on Severus' hand. She already pitied anyone who looked at Hadrian wrong or tried to date the boy once he was older. She would place bets that Severus would destroy anyone who tried to break his son's heart.
"Hadrian, what can you hear?" Severus crouched down next to Hadrian, still letting his son keep ahold of his hand. Severus had started to ask this question to gauge how Hadrian's body had begun to adapt to losing one of his senses. In two weeks Hadrian's hearing had increased quite a lot as he tried to make sense of his surrounding environments.
"I hear… quiet light footsteps to the left," Hadrian said focusing, head tilted and facing the direction of the house-elf that was making its way across the kitchen as it stocked Severus' shelves. "I also hear a chair creaking close to you. The sound of bacon in a pan and the coffee machine is going as well." Hadrian said with a firm nod.
"Good job, you are correct. Do you remember Lucius from yesterday? His wife Narcissa is sitting at the table with a cup of coffee. She is brewing more coffee because she knows how grumpy I am without my coffee." Severus says to Hadrian, making the little boy smile. "There is also a house-elf to your left cooking breakfast and filling my cabinets with all kinds of unnecessary supplies that Narcissa is forcing upon me. Do you remember reading about house-elves last week?"
"Yes. They are small creatures that bond to wizarding families to help control their overflow of magic because without a bond their magic is wild and harmful. They are often considered servants but only families that are cruel and don't know they will be punished by Lady Magic treat their house-elves poorly." Hadrian recited with a firm nod. Narcissa smiled, Severus was going to make himself a little Ravenclaw if he kept at it like this.
"Good job Hadrian." Severus praised, kissing the top of Hadrian's head, making Hadrian smile brightly up at Severus. "Now can you welcome Narcissa into our home as Lucius taught you yesterday?"
Hadrian nodded, a serious expression coming over his face. Keeping on hand firmly in Severus' hand as he bowed as gracefully as a five-year-old can.
"Welcome to the Prince household Lady Narcissa. I am Hadrian Prince, heir to Severus Prince, and I will offer the best of my um… hospitally while you are here." Hadrian tried his best and for five years old with only one lesson, Severus was very proud.
"Hospitality not hospitally but good job Hadrian, you did very good for your first try." Severus corrected gently, making sure to hug Hadrian while he did so Hadrian would know the correction wasn't a negative.
"Thank you Heir Hadrian Prince, I am looking forward to getting to know you and will enjoy your gracious offer of hospitality," Narcissa said with a smile, seeing how easy it was to adore this small child.
Hadrian blushed embarrassed but also pleased with the praise from both Narcissa and his Daddy.
"Now let's get some food in you and Narcissa can fuss over us both afterward," Severus said as he picked Hadrian up and set him in a chair across from Narcissa and next to him. Miffy served them all breakfast and in between eating his meal, he helped Hadrian eat his breakfast.
Narcissa refrained from asking any questions until after they had all finished eating breakfast, just taking the time to observe the flow and bond between Severus and Hadrian. Once they finished their meals and Miffy had taken all the dirty dished out of the way, Narcissa faced Hadrian.
"Hadrian, I have a son named Draco who is the same age as you. He doesn't have very many friends so I was wondering if you would mind if he came over to visit tomorrow? I know it isn't much time to prepare but I think you could help Draco out by being friends with him." Narcissa asked Hadrian, wanting him to know that it was all up to him. Severus was unsure how Hadrian would respond but was grateful Narcissa wasn't forcing Draco upon them.
"You want your son to be friends with me?" Hadrian asked unsurely. No one had wanted him to be near their kids before. Normally nobody wanted him near others at all. Maybe this magical world was different.
"Yes, I really would like you and Draco to be friends. But you don't have to be if you don't want to Hadrian, this is entirely up to you." Narcissa reassured.
"I… I would like to be your son's friend if he likes me." Hadrian said shyly, making both Severus and Narcissa smile.
"I am sure he is going to love you. Now, your Daddy requires a nap, would you mind keeping me company this afternoon? If not I am sure that Lucius would like to hang out with you again." Narcissa said, watching both Severus' and Hadrian's faces. Severus frowned unsure about leaving his little boy alone so soon, and Hadrian looked deep in thought as he considered Narcissa's offer seriously.
"We will stay in the house?" Hadrian asked unsure if he could leave with someone he didn't know.
"Yes we will stay here and your Daddy will be right up the hall just in case you need him."
"Okay, I would like to spend the day with you Lady Narcissa," Hadrian said with a nervous smile. Severus hugged Hadrian close to his chest.
"You come to get me if you need me okay Hadrian? Don't worry about coming to wake me up. I love you and you are the bravest little boy I know." Severus said quietly to Hadrian.
"I love you too Daddy, go get sleep so you can have dinner with me tonight like we always do."
"Promise I will be awake and ready to have dinner together." Kissing Hadrian's head one last time before entrusting Hadrian to Narcissa's care while he slept. Narcissa nodded at him in reassurance before starting up a conversation with Hadrian.
It wouldn't be long before the days of it being just Severus and Hadrian would become rare. Lucius and Narcissa were always good at inserting Severus into their lives so he wasn't alone. Severus having Hadrian didn't make a difference to either one of them, just another lonely Prince boy to love and bring into the family.