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"His bedtime is at seven forty-five, Dobby will make his meal at six-thirty. No playing in the garden past five 'o' clock, his blanket is on his bed." Lucius rattled off one by one as Severus nodded vacantly, remembering the last three times he had been told of the youngest Malfoy's requirements. Narcissa Malfoy was kneeling in front of said Malfoy, who was looking at her with a bored expression.
"You be good for Severus now, Draco." Severus heard her say. Draco nodded.
"Thank you for doing this, Severus. I know you most likely had other arrangements." Narcissa said politely as she slipped her arm Lucius's. Severus didn't. His only other arrangement was a pile of marking.
"It's no trouble. He really is very well behaved." That was no lie. Draco behaved better than most of his seventh years, most of the time. Lucius looked proud at that. Then they made their way over to the fireplace.
"Ministry of Magic!" Lucius shouted, and then they disappeared in a wave of green flame. Draco chewed his lip as he looked to Severus.
"Draco, your father told me that he had stocked up on some Potions ingredients. Would you like to see what he got?"
Draco nodded, and grabbed Severus' hand. He had been informed that Draco did that almost automatically whenever they took the boy out. Draco lead Severus down to the Potions Laboratory, which was almost always locked when Severus himself wasn't here. Severus unlocked it and the little boy bounded inside.
Severus, of course, knew exactly what ingredients Lucius had stocked up on, but he made a big show of pretending not to know for Draco.
"We have the ingredients to make an entire batch of Calming Draughts. Draco, get those porcupine quills,"
As Severus tutored his godson on how to make the potion, he idly thought back to the other times he had babysat the boy. The Malfoy's had knew from a young age that Draco was different to other children. The first indicator was when Draco simply didn't talk. He knew without even thinking hard about it that Draco was by far the quietest child he has ever met.
Severus was the first person other than his parents who Draco had actually connected with.
Three years ago
Severus pottered around the Malfoy's laboratory as he worked. Lucius was an old friend and was more than happy to let him use it when he needed to. The classrooms at Hogwarts were decent, but they weren't Malfoy standards.
Severus let his thoughts wander as he idly stirred the potion, not needing to consult the book to know what to do next. Narcissa was out with a friend, Mz Zabini or Mrs Parkinson - maybe both - and that left Lucius and the couple's four-year-old son, Draco.
He had met the boy on a few occasions, babysat him once, and the child was by far the strangest child he had ever met. Draco was very quiet, neither parent had ever heard him speak. Lucius had confessed to Severus whilst drunk once that he was at his wits end as of what to do with the boy - he never spoke, had all these strange habits, and the tantrums he had at times were medal worthy. Severus, sober, had suggested a Healer. Lucius looked at him like he was an idiot.
Severus was so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't realised that he was no longer alone until he heard a chair scraping back and saw a small boy looking up at him. He stared at the boy for a few seconds, wondering if the boy was going to do anything. He didn't, just stared at the way Severus was brewing.
Severus knew that the sensible thing to do would be to send him out, back to his father. But Draco wasn't doing any harm, he was only looking. Severus continued brewing, watching Draco out of the corner of his eye. He froze slightly when he saw Draco's arm dart out, but he only pulled a copy of the potions book towards him.
Draco flicked through the book, keeping an eye on the potion. He paused at a page, Severus looked over at what had caught his attention. He fought to urge to gape at the boy when he saw that Draco had found the page of the potion he was working on just by looking. There was thousands of potions in that book. Lucius' son may not talk, but he was certainly smart. Severus decided to try something.
"Pass me a mandrake root, Draco." Draco looked over the table, before spotting what was needed and handing it to Severus to grind up. He was impressed.
It had become a habit for Draco to assist him with Potions. Lucius disapproved of such a young child being in contact with potentially dangerous ingredients, but Severus had assured him that he would never let Draco handle anything very dangerous. Narcissa was delighted that Draco had found something that he enjoyed.
Draco may have become verbal earlier this year, but that did not mean that he was a loud child. He was having therapy in a private practice as advised by Draco's current Healer, and was gradually stringing sentences together more. He hadn't had one of his tantrums - 'Meltdowns', Lucius told him - for five months, a record for him.
Draco worked in silence, measuring out the exact amount of ingredients with a level of precision that was unheard of for seven-year-olds. Draco would put his seventh years to shame. After putting all the ingredients in the cauldron, Draco stirred the potions seven times clockwise and then anticlockwise. They allowed the potion to simmer until it turned purple. Draco added the moonstone until it turned a dull grey colour. They then let it simmer until it turned a bright orange, and Severus added more powdered porcupine quills until it turned white.
"Well done, Draco." Severus praised the boy. Draco helped him bottle it and then Severus looked out the window.
"Would you like to play outside now, Draco? The weather is still nice."
Draco chewed his lip before shaking his head. Severus let him lead him out of the Potions Laboratory and up the stairs to his room.
Draco's room was large, with his own ensuite attached. Draco's bed was on the corner of the room underneath his window. He had an entire bookshelf next to it. A broom stick was propped up in the corner, and Draco's Quidditch gear was hung outside his wardrobe. Everything in the room was a shade of green, and the room was far too tidy for a child.
Draco grabbed the dark green blanket off of his bed and wrapped it around himself, sticking his thumb in his mouth. He took a book out of his bookcase and handed it to Severus.
"Read." He mumbled around his thumb. Severus settled on an armchair in the corner of the room, Draco settling on his lap. He started to read from "Tales of the Beetle Bard." He didn't do voices for all the characters, Draco didn't always understand what the change in someone's voice meant. He had just finished The Tale of Three Brothers when he heard the crack of a house elf.
"Mister Severus, sir, Mister Draco, dinner is ready." And then Dobby vanished.
Draco had been half asleep, but woke fully at the sound of someone apparating. He slipped off of Severus's lap, not waiting for his godfather to follow before toddling downstairs.
They ate their meal in silence. Draco pushed his plate away once he'd finished. Just before Dobby took it Severus checked to make sure Draco had eaten enough - Lucius and Narcissa still struggled to get him to eat certain foods. He had eaten everything but the peas. Something about peas made them repulsive to the boy.
He still had forty-five minutes to entertain the boy before he put him to bed. He waited for Draco to wander off somewhere, but he didn't.
"What do you want do now, Draco?"
"Story," Draco mumbled. He had stuck his thumb back in his mouth and was nibbling at his nail.
"You just had one, are you sure you want another one?"
"One of yours. Potions story."
Severus sat at the dining table, telling Draco about the historical discoveries for the Calming Draught, and the discovery of Felix Felicas. Severus knew the day had been tiring for him, so was not surprised when Draco's eyelids closed and he let out a soft snore.
Severus changed his godson into his nightclothes and gently laid him in his bed, taking care not to wake him.
Then he went to the main living room and waited for Lucius and Narcissa to come home.