Disclaimer: i own nothing.
To say that the news of the great Lord Titus Prince's daughter's miraculous pregnancy was nothing short of outstanding would be an understatement. It seemed that for the past two months, all magical news outlets had been reporting on the sudden scandal involving Eileen Prince. Articles detailed how the Hogwarts graduate was seen in the early stages of pregnancy and how her own father had cast her out of the House of Prince in a desperate attempt to save face. Pregnancies out of wedlock were not unheard of in the wizarding world, but they were certainly frowned upon and viewed by those of noble status as a stain on their name. Eileen Prince was struck off the family roster and left to reside in the small, dingy residence of Knockturn Alley, where she found work in a small potions shop. She was fortunate to have a kind employer in Mr. Hudson, who allowed the young pregnant witch to stay atop his small shop and provided her with emotional support.
And on the eve of January 9th, 1960, the inevitable occurred, and the discarded heiress of House Prince gave birth to a small, feeble boy with a shock of jet-black hair, who soon rested in the arms of Eileen. A boy who shared so much with his father, a man whom Eileen had all but forgotten until this point. But in a brief moment, she wondered if she should have returned to the small Muggle town of Cokeworth and to the man she had met many moons ago. However, her thoughts were cut short when she realized that returning would provide her with nothing. And while she may live in Knockturn Alley and be a disowned member of an old pureblood house, she had her passion for potions to keep her grounded.
"You caused a lot of trouble, mister," she muttered down to the infant in her arms, her eyes drifting over his features. He shared a lot of his face with his father, Tobias, if Eileen recalled correctly, but his dark pools were unmistakably a Prince trait.
"Eileen," the voice of Mr. Hudson broke Eileen's musing, and she watched as the elderly wizard walked into the small bedroom that had once been used as a storage space for potions but was now enchanted to be big enough to house Eileen and her child. Mr. Hudson slowly waddled towards Eileen, his grey eyes moving from the exhausted witch to the small bundle in her hands.
"Are you alright?" the elderly wizard asked with a concerned tone; his concern seemed more directed towards the baby that Eileen held in her arms than Eileen herself.
"I'm fine," Eileen quickly answered, smiling at the elderly wizard. "And he's fine."
"I see," Mr. Hudson retorted, his small frame coming to a stop at the foot of the bed where Eileen lay. He watched the mother and child before pulling out his wand. Eileen did not hesitate, allowing the elderly wizard to run his wand in a means of examining the infant's health.
Several minutes passed, and the aura around the infant slowly faded. Mr. Hudson placed his wand back into his dusty old robe before nodding.
"He is indeed fine," he confirmed before meeting Eileen's eye. "Have…have you thought of naming him yet?"
"I…don't know," she answered, and Mr. Hudson responded with a half-smile.
"If I could make a suggestion," he said softly, "I think the boy deserves a name that complements his status. He is a prince, regardless of what your father or other purebloods state, and should be given a strong name to match it."
Eileen nodded, peering down once again at the infant, their black eyes meeting and her heart jumping in her chest. This child would not live the life she had; he would not be accepted by the family that had loved her at one point, and he would be shunned for simply being born out of wedlock. But those were all barriers he would face later. Right now, he was a nameless infant who knew nothing of his blood and status.
"S... Severus was the name of my grandfather. He was kind to me no matter what I did," Eileen began, her eyes not leaving the infant. "I had always planned to one day honor his memory."
"Severus would be a fine name, dear," Mr. Hudson replied, a smile upon his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. He slowly turned and began to waddle back out, choosing to give the mother some time alone with her son. But as he reached the door, he turned slightly and muttered, "Severus Prince, the prince of Knockturn Alley. It has a fine ring to it."