Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In retrospect, he should have seen such an outcome happening.

The one time he allowed himself to lower his guard and savour sweet victory after years of such relentless work. He, the youngest British minister of magic at age thirty three , known for his ‘darker’, as Dumbledore enjoyed insinuating, alignments , pissed drunk and laughing aloud with his companions. Alphard and Abraxas not much better than him and Orion just frowning at the embarrassment that was the three of them, even while he tried to hide his own small smile.

Spirits were high and in moments of adrenaline and grand jubilation, one could very easily make simple mistakes, avoidable mistakes . Miscalculations Marvolo thought himself above. A foolish belief for he was now paying a high price, a consequence of a night of passion he had wished to forget.

The face of Eileen Prince sleeping beside him naked while his head felt like splitting in half was not one of his fondest memories. He was eternally grateful to have managed to silently gather his clothing and escape from Alphard’s four-storey summer home, the man in question most than likely still slumbering away in a corner.

He pretended not knowing about that night whenever he did encounter Eileen, by accident, afterwards. She, too, had been more than happy to think of it as a simple act of imagination as she had not sent him any letters or made any public comments about it. Last he heard of her, she had run away from the wizarding world and processed to get disowned.

At the time Marvolo thought of it as a miracle of sorts, a gift from the Gods themselves . With Eileen gone, the only one, besides himself, with the ability to tell the world such an embarrassing accident and get his public image destroyed.

Marvolo hadn’t cared where she would end up and he wished to keep it that way. His plate already full to the brim with simple-minded politicians and the holy saviour, Albus Dumbledore himself. He absolutely did not need to deal with whatever hell the gods decided to torment him with, the headmaster was already enough .

A baby, quietly sleeping on an old basket, unaware of his fate by the front door of one of the last descendents of Salazar Slytherin’s home. A simple, second-handed blanket barely covering the infant from the chilly January’s breeze. Marvolo had half a mind to stop himself from screaming in frustration.

He really didn’t need this.

Marvolo took a deep breath before summoning one of his house-elf. The tiny creature, with a deep red tunic, popping into existence and causing their newest visitor to startle awake, greeting the world with a blood curdling scream. Marvolo flinched at the sound, not used to dealing with children and the sounds they came with. He groaned and pointed at his newest problem with an irritated expression.

“ Bring it inside and take care of it, and make it stop crying “

The elf, Timmy he believes it’s called, seemed to want to comment on something but quickly changed his mind and did as told. With careful movements, it grabbed the basket with both hands and disapparated inside the three-storey victorian style mansion, the screams gone with it. Marvolo almost sighed in relief but stopped himself when he spotted a letter where the basket previously was.

He picked it up before the wind could blow it away and just took a second to ponder if he should or shouldn’t open it before ripping it open anyways. Whoever had left that thing here was stupid enough to leave evidence and Marvolo would make them pay for such a brainless behaviour.

Or maybe not.

‘ Greetings, Lord Slytherin,

I hope this letter finds you well. I’m sure you are confused by what is happening but I hope you first read this letter slowly and thoroughly for it is of most importance. 

By now you have surely met the babe on your front step and I assure you this is no joke. He was born around two weeks ago, on the nine of january. The doctors said his constitution is a bit weak but that he’ll survive and should hopefully grow stronger as the years go by. No other illness could be detected but you should keep a close eye, even so.

All this to say that, obviously this child is yours. It appears that night couldn't have been lost in the past and has now come to haunt us.

When I found out I was pregnant, I was already six months along and an abortion was not possible. I dare say, even if feasible, the healers wouldn’t have been too happy to remove a pureblooded fetus from a disowned witch and the doctors in the muggle world still don’t legally allow such acts.

This left me in a difficult position.

I have no means to raise this child, it is near impossible for me to achieve such a feat at the moment. Because of the lack of options, I have decided to reach you, his father.

I do apologise for the way I deliver such news. I had feared that if I went to personally meet you, your reaction would be negative and I would still have ended up alone with an infant. I couldn’t do that to him and to me. You have the means to take care of the babe, while I do not. So the decision to let you be his guardian was quite obvious tp me.

He currently has no legal documentation as I didn’t wish to be faced by aurors and policemen alike as soon as he was born. Though I’ve been calling him Severus, in honour of my great-grandfather, Lord Severus Prince. I, at the very least, hope you allow him to keep it as his first name. The rest is for you to decide.

Forgive me for this, Lord Slytherin and do not blame the child for this outcome, he’s innocent in all of this.

I wish you well,

Eileen Prince ‘

Marvolo remained still in complete silence, his gaze on the slightly crumpled letter. He allowed for no expression to grace his features and kept as stoic as possible. His mind, however, was a much different matter. Multiple thoughts swarmed in his head and strange emotions invaded him and left him beyond confused.

Only when his hands started to burn was his mind interrupted. The letter, likely charmed by Eileen herself, began burning itself in an attempt to destroy the evidence. Marvolo could only let it go and watch as it turned to ashes before it even hit the ground. Perhaps Marvolo could have stopped it but he was still so shell shocked to properly react.

Eileen was sneaky , he’ll give her that.

He took a deep breath, two, then three before taking a step forward and into the house. He was in disbelief and a firm voice inside his head told him to first and foremost, to make sure what this idiotic girl was stating was the actual truth of the matter. Only after everything was confirmed by a professional, would he allow himself to take a minute and try and understand these odds sentiments.

Inside the house, he could begin to hear a few whimpers in the direction of the front parlour, normally reserved for short term visits. He ignored it for now in favour of going up the stairs and to his private office. He was in desperate need of reliable assistance, excluding the house-elves . There were few worth being trusted with something as delicate as his current predicament.

He thought of Orion but the man had been having meetings with his cousin, Cygnus Black, his brother-in-law, for possible marriage candidates for his three daughters. A matter the current Lord Black dreaded for its tiresome lasting hours, as Lord Cygnus was never satisfied with any of the possible fiancés. Only young Lucius Malfoy, Abraxas’s heir and only child, had been agreed upon but the task was not finished for two daughters remained available for marriage.

Abraxas himself was currently out of the country on business, staying somewhere in the south of Berlin as he tried to gain the favour of a rather rich German lord. From what he wrote in his last letter to him, the man had an interesting connection to a dragon horn supplier, of questionable background, who may or may not be willing to work with British wixen. If successful, Abraxas could find himself richer than he left.

Alphard it was then. The man had no family to take care of and was a lesser lord in comparison to Orion and Abraxas, even Marvolo. He spent time either taking care of smaller matters in his father’s stead or Orion’s or getting himself so drunk to the point of passing out at two pm.

He quickly wrote down the essentials. Get here through my office’s floo. Right. Now . Simple and to the point, no use dilly-dallying. Marvolo called forward another of his elves, Peony this one, dressed in a small black dress. He instructed her to immediately deliver the letter to lord Alphard Black as he gave her the item. In a second the being was gone from his view, allowing him the opportunity to open the connection of his office’s floo.

Marvolo only awaited close to a minute before the green flames brightened the room and from them came a dishevelled Alphard stumbling, nearly falling face first when he didn’t move his right foot quick enough.

“ What is it? What’s happening? Are you okay? Wh- “

Marvolo ignored his rambling as he closed the floo once more. All that the young Black got from him was getting dragged by his arm downstairs and to the parlour. Alphard tried to get some sort of answer out of the silent minister but his questions were met with further silence. He had hoped to get an explanation when they finally arrived wherever Marvolo was dragging him but only more confusion arose. 

There, still in the basket but now awake and staring around the room with innocent curiosity, was a tiny newborn, all disoriented limbs and face full of wonder. A wisp of black hair like a crow’s feather, skin a tone of pale like he had never been in the presence of the sun and his eyes dark but not black. No, he has a midnight blue when the sunlight hits it just right.

Alphard opened and closed his mouth multiple times, staring in disbelief at what he was seeing. Only after a solid minute did he gather the courage to look at his friend, who too had been observing the babe with a pensive frown.

“ I assume this is your child then “

Harsh, blue-greyish eyes meeting his light greys, the frown only deepening.

“ That is what I still need to figure out “

Now was Alphard’s turn to frown in confusion.

“ Just what do you mean by that? “ He crossed his arms over his chest, frown turning into a scowl. “ Are you kidnapping children, Marvolo? Because I assure you, I will not let yo- “

“ You’re more of an idiot than I first thought, Alphard “ The man sat down on a Victorian wingback, forest green, or slytherin green , chair. His hands tightly gripping the arms but his face still held that tight kept expression. Marvolo wasn’t one to allow his emotions on display, that allowed for his adversaries to have an advantage on him and only over his dead body would he allow that.

He was a slytherin and no slytherin showed their weakness.

“ He’s Eileen Prince’s son “

Alphard’s eyes widened at the revelation. He glanced back down at the baby who was finding his own hand quite fascinating rather than the two adults around him or the nervous looking elves in the corner.

“ Still doesn’t explain why he’s here “

Marvolo sighed and rubbed his temple, carefully considering how he would continue their conversation without being further interrupted by foolish questions.

“ It appears she is unable to take care of him and as she believes me to be the father, she decided the best course of action was to leave him in my care “

Alphard raised an eyebrow at the simple explanation, his curiosity growing and hungry for answers.

“ So you’ve just agreed to it? “

The older man groaned in frustration, he should have known it would be a mistake telling Alphard first. He always had too many questions about things that were frankly none of his business. But Marvolo needed help and because he had been the only one available, Orion’s second brother-in-law would have to do.

“ We didn’t exactly talk face to face “

Alphard went back to confusion but before he could ask anything more, Marvolo supplied his curiosity.

“ She left him on the porch with a letter and before you ask, no, I do not have it anymore “ he sighed, his irritation only growing. “ She charmed it to destroy itself after it was read “

An amused laugh from his friend was not what Marvolo needed but one he got anyways. Alphard had a smirk full of mischief, it irked the half-blood the wrong way but, again, he didn’t let it show.

“ I told you that night would come to bite you in the ass “ He mumbled in a weird sense of satisfaction, Marvolo bet he had been plotting with the other two purebloods if such a probability would come into fruition. Marvolo would kill all three of them if he found out this was indeed what they were doing .

“ Wonderful choice of words as always, Alphard “ A huff from said man told him the Black lord could care less for his sarcasm. Alphard was now too busy picking up the root of Marvolo’s biggest issue, talking some gibberish which could barely be understood as baby-talk. He had unfortunately been a witness to such an occurrence when, at one of Orion’s ball parties, Alphard was seen cooing his nephew all night.

Disgusting.

“ I still need to make sure this is actually my child and that is where you come into play “

Thankfully that got the man to stop whatever nonsense he was doing, at least it didn’t make the infant shriek like previously. Rather it brought a series of high pitched giggles as Alphard gently bounced him up and down, a hand supporting his head and neck, while the other held the rest of his body safely close to his own.

“ Last I checked I’m not a healer, so you’ll have to find someone else to help you do the paternity test “

“ Not me, you “ Marvolo calmly stood up and walked over to stand in front of his friend. “ You have connections with certain healers. I need someone discreet and who won’t be opening their mouth later on “

Alphard hummed, gazing back down at the youngest in the room. The babe seemed intrigued by the man’s long locks and was trying in vain to grab them but his body was not properly cooperating. Marvolo was secretly relieved for his shorter hair, no chance for a wandering newborn to pull at it.

“ I think I may have someone then. I can get them here in a hour, if you want “

“ I would be most thankful, Alphard “

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mayhaps he should have stayed ignorant of the truth. Should have sent the babe to live beside a muggleborn or half-blood and cleaned his hands of any responsibilities. He really shouldn't have contacted Alphard with his big mouth and convenient contacts and just went about his day. That way he could have avoided this .

The healer of Alphard’s choice was a middle aged half-blooded witch, notorious for her extraordinary healing abilities and for knowing when and if to speak. Most of her work was on checking over infants from newborns until they were around six to seven years of age. Mostly bastards who lived with their mistresses mothers. Their fathers, pureblooded lords of high reputations, just wanted to make sure they were healthy without their wives or the public’s knowledge.

She was discreet as per request and didn’t make any unnecessary questions, just checked over the babe for any injuries while Marvolo filled a form with what he knew about the infant from Eileen’s letter. It wasn’t much but Alexandra had reassured him she could fill the rest after some health tests.

Severus, as Eileen had called him and as he wrote down on the document, had been curious by the newcomer but soon realised he did not quite enjoy her presence after she had poked his feet for some drops of blood. He made his displeasure known by his loud cries and a little present on his diaper.

Alexandra had been kind enough to push a new nappy and a simple changing mat towards Alphard, who had been annoyingly proclaimed babysitter by Marvolo, before the man disappeared to the next room over. The wails going with him.

“ Lord Slytherin, I just need a few drops of your blood for the potion “ Right. The paternity potion. Better to get it over with . Marvolo offered his hand and didn’t flinch when she poked his middle finger, massaging with her own to gather quite a bit of blood into the transparent liquid. She quickly disinfected the small wound for her attention was on another glass vial with Severus’s blood.

Alexandra picked it up and let drop into the liquid exactly three drops before putting it aside. Now it was a waiting game, around five minutes for a firm result. The liquid mixed with two types of blood began bubbling and while they waited for a result, Alexandra glanced over what Marvolo had written.

“ The babe is fine but his body seems to show initial signs of malnourishment, perhaps the mother didn’t properly feed him. I’ll prescribe a simple healing potion, just half a teaspoon in his milk every six hours, for two weeks. I’ll also recommend a calming draught, one I can brew myself, better suited for newborns, in case he becomes overly agitated and stressed “

Marvolo frowned at the last bit. “ What do you mean stressed? I thought you said he’s fine “

Alexandra sighed, knowing an irritated parent when she heard one. “ Yes but he did spend two weeks with a woman who later abandoned him. Lots of things could have happened and I want to avoid psychological problems further down the line. Plus the drought is completely safe for him to consume, just a teaspoon every morning for a week and a half “

“ And what if these potions don’t work? “ He couldn’t help but ask, the possibility of having an infant suffering under his care because Eileen just had to keep him away from proper care for two weeks, irked him in the wrong way.

The healer smiled reassuringly, writing down a few things on the document. From the corner of his eyes he noticed it was the part mentioning any sickness or genetic illnesses. From his part, Marvolo didn’t have anything but he also grew up in a muggle orphanage and only later had heard about his parents, not a lot but enough to know he was a half-blood with great ancestors. However, for the Princes he didn’t know anything.

“ I’ve helped plenty of babies in my life, Lord Slytherin. Rest assure that little Severus will be alright “

It was at that moment Alphard had come back from his little excursion, a tired expression present on him. Unceremonicaly, he placed the babe without further warning on Marvolo’s arms, who immediately tensed at holding such a fragile life on his bare hands. With the quick help of the healer, she instructed Marvolo on how to properly hold Severus’s head but the babe made it difficult by moving his limbs around like a puppet without strings.

“ A warning would have been greatly appreciated, Alphard “ If looks could kill, the young Black would be dead and buried six feet under. Thankfully, such ability was still unavailable for one Marvolo Slytherin, making Alphard shrug as he gave back the changing mat to Alexandra.

“ I changed his nappy, the least you could do is carry him a while “

Marvolo’s frown worsened but he didn’t give a reply. He used the opportunity to finally see the babe left at the front of his house, instead of timid glances whenever they were at close proximity. Marvolo wouldn’t admit it but he was afraid, terrified .

He had a horrible childhood at the hands of incompetent caregivers, hiding alongside scared children as bombs dropped on the houses nearby. He thought of finding his biological family, only to be disappointed that they all were dead. His father, a rich muggle man of blue blood and his mother, a pureblood descendent of the Gaunt house. It had made him feel like all his hopes were destroyed.

Marvolo wondered how Severus would fare in an orphanage. Would he cry himself to sleep wondering why his parents didn’t love him enough not to abandon him? Would muggles watch him in fear when he performs bursts of accidental magic? Would he be spending Christmas alone while every other child spent alongside their families, happy and safe, surrounded by love?

“ Oh, well, congratulations, Lord Slytherin “

Marvolo looked up from those dark ocean orbs to direct his gaze to the potion. No longer was the content inside transparent with two spots of deep red. Instead, now it was a vibrant, sparkly green. The colour of family as Alexandra had commented earlier.

“ It seems that little Severus is indeed your biological child “

Fuck.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Both Alphard and Alexandra had left an hour ago. The witch had promised to come back for another check up in three days, to see if Severus was adapting well to the intake of the potions, which were safely placed on his office desk, and if everything went well, she would be back at the end of two weeks to see the results and to administer his first magical shot.

‘ He should have been given it right away after birth but because he’s now under two potions, I want to wait a bit before giving that shot ‘ It had been Alexandra’s explanation and Marvolo, still in his mist of bafflement, had simply nodded at her words.

Alphard had promised to go shopping for the essentials of child care and get them delivered and set in one of the smaller guest rooms before nightfall. Marvolo had simply thanked him before watching the two, one by one, disappear out of his house through the floo. Now here he was, alone with a baby, his son , and a handful of nervously excited elves.

He hadn’t moved from the parlour, having sat back down on his wingback chair, eyes on the sleeping little human on his arms. Marvolo’s mind was swarming with thoughts and all of them left him rather nervous, full of anxiety.

Marvolo never wished to be a father, all too happy to let the Slytherin and Gaunt line die out with him. He wasn’t fond of children, the most interaction he had with one was a formal handshake with the five year old Lucius Malfoy and a glance at Sirius Black, Orion’s first son.

His own father was a complete stranger to him, along with his mother. How could anyone expect him to raise a child? Marvolo was a perturbed man, he could admit it. He had lived through harsh times and became cold as the world around him in order to survive. However, it didn’t mean his own flesh and blood had to subject himself to the same treatment.

“ I apologise in advance for the life you’re about to have. You don’t deserve this, no child does but fate enjoys playing with us all “ his voice was as low as a whisper, afraid of disturbing the soul resting against his chest. The only other sound was a couple of birds singing outside in the garden. None interrupted the father and son duo.

“ You’re lucky you’ll get food and a roof over your head but don’t expect much else from me, especially sympathy for I loath it “ Why was he even saying this? Severus wouldn’t understand a word he was saying, he wasn’t even aware Marvolo was speaking to him. Too busy in the lands of dreams.

Perhaps Severus would be better off somewhere else, he was still young, he could still get easily adopted. Maybe he would not grow up the richest but surely he would have all the love in the world at his disposal. Much more than Tom had growing up.

Though a tiny voice in his head whispered insecurities. Mayhaps, Severus would never be adopted and the possibility of being would grow smaller and smaller as he aged until that hope was entirely ripped from him.

No. Call him cruel and selfish, for that was in his nature, but Marvolo wouldn’t allow another child to fall victim to that particular sentence. Severus wouldn’t be another Tom Riddle, alone and surviving in a world set to kill him.

Tomorrow morning, another of Alphard’s contacts and a friend of Alexandra would be coming over for a meeting. A ministry employer on the registration section. He would allow for Severus to be registered without calling the attention of the public and the aurors. Tomorrow Severus would be his heir on paper, the next Slytherin and Gaunt lord.

“ You shouldn’t even be here, you shouldn’t have been born at all. If Eileen had been smart, she would have either killed you with her own bare hands or left you in a far corner of the world, on someone else’s doorstep. Maybe then you would have had a chance of having a good life “

Severus didn’t verbally reply to his ominous phrase but he did snuggle closer to the source of warmth that was Marvolo, his father .

Marvolo took it as an answer anyway.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It takes one uninvited guest arriving at his home and changing his whole life in a matter of hours for his abode to become a public space for all his friends. It looked more like one of Orion’s masquerade balls, full of snobby purebloods, but all their attention was for the newest arrival, young Severus.

It had been three weeks since Marvolo’s life took a sudden turn. The guest room on the opposite side of his own master bedroom was now a nursery for the boy. Tones of dark green and soft silver surrounded the small room. A crib and changing table made of cherry wood with white cushions. A silver sand settee facing the large window, with a beautiful view to the gardens. Curtains of dark emerald down to the ground and blocking any intruding rays of light.

Already an acacia wooden box filled to the brim with toys, beside it a redwood, clover green painted bookshelf that reached Marvolo’s hip in height. In the centre of the room resided a black rocking chair, which Marvolo hadn’t sat yet and wasn’t planning on changing that choice. Actually, he hadn’t truly gone inside the nursery, just took a quick look after the elves arranged it by Alphard’s orders.

He wished the room was the only change in his life.

Alphard’s and Alexandra’s associate had come the morning after Severus’s arrival. A young man, around the beginning of his twenties and an avid supporter of Marvolo’s ideals. His father was the chief of the sector and too a fan of the darker takes.

That morning his new found son had at last been given a full name.

Severus Marvolo Gaunt-Slytherin.

Pureblooded wixen child, his father Marvolo Gaunt-Slytherin and his mother Eileen Camilla Prince, heir to the Slytherin and Gaunt Houses. Abandoned by his mother, ignored by his father, a mistake of a child .

Marvolo was still working on the plan on how to present Severus to the public without causing curious minds to snoop around and find out about Eileen. The leading idea was that Marvolo had married a pureblood foreigner from a smaller house in secret, per her request, but she became sick not long after getting pregnant and had died in childbirth.

It would feed the public’s interest and hunger for dramatics, while also gaining some pity support for such a romantic, catastrophic life secret being exposed to the masses.

Marvolo hated it but none had thought of a better plan. Plus, he didn’t have much room for other options. Serverus’s existence would be found out either way, sooner or later. He preferred to be on his own terms.

Both Orion and Abraxas, who had been in disbelief at finding out one of their closest friends was now a father after a drunken night, for which they spent ten minutes laughing at Marvolo for, had assured him the plan was going to work. They would make sure no one would question Severus’s mother.

Marvolo didn’t voice it but he was indebted to his friends, for he would be utterly lost in such a predicament.

So this is how he finds himself in the middle of what he could only describe as a gathering between his closest supporters to introduce his rightful heir. He had been expecting revulsion and betrayal for ‘ how could their beloved leader hide such important matters from his most trustworthy followers ‘ .

What he didn’t calculate for was the enormous warm welcome of his son to the inner circle. The men congratulated him by shaking his hand and gave him joyful pats on his back, which Marvolo barely stopped himself from replying with a nasty stinging jinx. The women too said their congratulations but mostly spent their time cooing over the newborn.

It seems that Severus, the bastard , was a big fan of all this newfound attention, soaking it up like a sponge to water. It relieved Marvolo somewhat at finding that his son wasn’t shy around strangers. Marvolo was the minister and he was always at the centre of the British wizarding society. All eyes constantly on him and, in turn, to his son as well. Severus will have to get used to not having much privacy as he grows up.

“ Oh, isn’t he just the sweetest thing? He reminds me so much of my Rodolphus when he was just a little babe “ Lady Julia Lestrange playfully tickled his right foot. Severus was still a mess of twitches and spasms. Alexandra had explained to him that it was quite normal and when Severus got around that four month mark, he should be having better control of his limbs.

She also suggested a couple of books on how to better care for an infant and toddler. 

Marvolo ignored them.

The elves had been ordered to take care of Severus’s every need and would find better use for them than him.

“ Such a handsome boy you have, Lord Slytherin. Though, is it safe to assume he takes his looks after his mother? “ Lady Druella Black, Lord Cygnus’s wife, a poisonous vermin and when angered, she aimed to kill. The leader of the ladies tea meetings to discuss the latest gossip and, of course, Marvolo’s newly acquired son was at the top of the list.

“ Yes but his eyes take after mine, just a darker shade “ Marvolo spoke between gritted teeth. Oh, how he detested this insufferable harpy.

“ Oh? But his eyes are black, no? While yours are light blue, my lord “

“ Not quite “ Alphard interrupted, saving Marvolo from continuing to talk with that fool and Druella from possibly hearing quite unpleasant words from the minister. “ Heir Severus’s eyes are a darker shade of indigo blue but only shows when the light is just right “

“ And how do you know all this, Alphard? “ Walburga inquired, a thinly trimmed brow raised at her brother’s words.

“ Why, of course, I was one of the first to meet the heir! I was quite astounded when I found out their true colour, it’s such a rare tone “ He moved closer to the group of women, picking up the babe from Lady Beryl Avery’s arms. “ Here, allowed me to show you, lovely ladies “

Alphard moved them closer to the window, the last few strings of sunlight invading the space and carefully manoeuvred the infant slightly down. A collective gasp was heard, followed immediately by several compliments for ‘such a beautiful ocean shade’. Alphard grinning in victory in the middle of the ladies’s group.

It would have been a successful tactic to distract their minds from Marvolo’s imaginary wife to his very real offspring. An attempt that Lady Druella saw coming from a mile away.

“ Say, Lord Alphard. You mentioned you were one of the first to be introduced to heir Severus, which means Lord Slytherin trusted you enough for you to, at least, see his wife, no? “ Alphard paled at that, not having wanted for his distraction attempt to move into that direction.

Marvolo himself innerly cursed at the woman’s tactic.

“ W-Well, I- “

Orion’s turn to intervene, saving both Alphard and Marvolo.

“ Lady Druella, “ the man calmly approaches like a tornado coming straight at you. One would not realise it was moving until they were already engulfed by it. “ Lord Slytherin’s wife is still a delicate topic and this is supposed to be a happy occasion. Mayhaps we should leave such questions to another time, no? “

Drulle flushed, knowing when a battle was lost. While she was known to be a vicious lady, she was now part of the Black family and had to respect the current Lord and not embarrass him and the family with her insistence. Reluctantly, she simply nodded. “ Yes, I suppose so. My apologies, Lord Slytherin “ Marvolo would be having a few words with Cygnus on how he should be handling his wife better and not letting her run amok in important meetings such as this.

“ All forgiven, Lady Druella “ Fuck you.

The rest of the ‘party’ or as Abraxas had explained, a ‘ baby shower’ continued wonderfully. Marvolo made small talk with the various lords, listening to their ideas and unprompted opinions, formulating plans for the next Winzegamont. Severus was passed around from embrace to embrace and Marvolo was happy to note when the boy was laid on Lady Druella’s arms, he cried like a man being tortured until Lady Genevieve Malfoy, Abraxas’s wife, picked him up until he calmed back down.

One by one the guests began to leave his home, saying their goodbyes and wished the best for little Severus and poor Marvolo who had just lost the love of his life. Abraxas had to hurry his wife along before things turned bad when she suggested to the minister that, whenever Marvolo moved on from his grief, she could happily introduce her youngest sister to him.

Before the last guest, Alphard, left alongside Walburga and Orion, he had deposited Severus onto his arms with a cheeky grin. “ Just a piece of advice, you should give him a bottle before letting him sleep or you won’t be getting any sleep tonight “. Marvolo frowned in tired irritation as he watched the younger man hurry along.

At last his precious house was back to its tender quietness or as quiet one could have with a babe.

Speaking of.

Marvolo’s gaze moved down to the infant, who had been clearly fighting sleep for a good ten minutes. It was as weirdly adorable as absolutely irritating, if he was tired, then he should just sleep. It wasn’t like he did anything of much interest when awake, just screaming and shitting.

“ Master, sir, the baby’s bottle is ready “ A sudden voice interrupted his thoughts, an old elf with a long sleeve black dress the owner of it.

“ Already his time to eat? “ The elf nodded quickly before stretching her arms towards Severus.

Marvolo hasn’t paid much attention to the babe since he came here, still trying to get into his brain that he now had a son. The elves assumed all the child-care for their master not to lift a single finger. Yet, this time, the creature’s innocent action of wanting to hold the babe annoyed him quite easily.

“ Give me the bottle then, I can feed the boy myself “ Clearly such a statement shocked the elf and it only made Marvolo’s displeasure grow. He was a grown man, if the damn elves could take care of Severus, then he too could feed a one month old babe. Obviously the task wasn’t very complicated.

She looked down, ears dropping against her cheeks but didn’t fight back. “ Yes, of course, master sir. Kila will go get the heir’s bottle and bring it to you, sir “ and with a pop, she disappeared from his view.

Probably for the better , she was already getting on his nerves.

Sitting back down against the victorian style campaign loveseat displaying an aurora black tone and the pillows on the back a dark shadow grey. Marvolo silently adjusted his hold on his son, wondering to himself why he spontaneously made the decision of actually taking care of the boy himself .

He was halfway wondering if it was already too late to ask for Kila to take him when said elf appeared back into the room, glass bottle in hand and in it the lukewarm milk with a mixture of extra supplements, by Alexandra’s orders. ‘ He’s still fighting the beginnings of malnourishment, these can help him with that ‘ She had commented from her last check up on Severus over a week ago. ‘ He’ll stay on them for a month and then I’ll see if he should continue or not ‘

Kila shyly passed him the object, looking like she rather grabbed Severus and feed him herself. Must think me an incompetent father . Marvolo growled, causing the elf to let out a fearful small shriek. His son, though, remained unbothered, too tired from the exhausting day of meeting many different people. 

He grabbed the bottle with more force than needed, Kila immediately making a run behind the sofa, only her yellow eye peeking over to observe the little family. Marvolo chose to ignore her in favour of trying to safely hold Severus, who still couldn’t support his head well, while also feeding him.

Before any elves could think themselves advisers on how he should approach this, he managed to achieve his mission. It was awkward and slightly uncomfortable for Marvolo, a distant voice in his head telling him that this position didn’t feel right, but Severus hadn’t shown any signs of displeasure and Marvolo took it as a win.

With a gentleness not even he thought possible for himself to possess, Marvolo pressed the latex teat against the babe’s lips, only tilting the bottle slightly upwards. Mostly going by his memories of once watching one of the elves feeding Severus when he had been making his way to his office.

It took a few seconds, in which Marvolo innerly thought about giving up and pushing the infant unto one of the elves’s arms, but Severus finally understood what was happening and latched onto the teat, softly suckling the milk like he didn’t just have it three hours ago.

Severus was blinking lazily, no worries in this world could bother his soul. His father was almost jealous, his own life had all its normality destroyed in a matter of three weeks but here was his son, unaware that he was the source of that destruction.

“ I should have charmed your eyes to a lighter tone, maybe even a different colour altogether “ His voice firm in the silence of the room, the only other sound was of Severus calmly enjoying the watery milk. “ Black iris aren’t exactly common, Eileen was a rare case. Though I do believe the Princes are most notorious for their dark hair, so perhaps we should focus on that “

Once again, Severus proved to be an amazing listener but a terrible talker. Still, Marvolo didn’t seem tired of this one-sided conversation and his son nowhere near finished with his bottle. A spam from Severus made his arm hit against his father’s chest but Marvolo didn’t react. He was in awe, here was a defenceless soul just trusting him to make sure he was safe and had all his needs met. No one had ever tried to rely on Marvolo like that. Odd but fascinating nonetheless.

“ I also need to search for a proper tutor, someone highly knowledgeable not only in the pureblood society but muggle as well. My child will not be ignorant of a entire world just because he was raised in another “

A beat of silence, Marvolo’s gaze never leaving Severus’s face but soon finding a pair of dark orbs staring back at him. Dark indigo blue, midnight sky, deep ocean . A shade of blue that could just swallow you whole.

They wouldn’t stay like this, both the healer and Alphard had warned him that they would most likely darken. They would turn pitch black, voids for the windows for his soul . Marvolo couldn’t picture it, a part of him wishing to keep one of the few similarities he had with his offspring.

At the same time he despised them. They reminded him too much of the him from before. Of scared little Tom Riddle with a blazing anger enough to burn the whole world to the ground. Looking at Severus, at the light body barely big enough to fit his two hands but growing astoundingly fast, he just couldn’t imagine Severus being like that. So full of anger and disdain.

Noticing the now empty glass bottle, he vanished it with a wave of his hand. The boy let out a series of grunts at the action but Marvolo ignored them, instead holding out his index finger and gently caressing the babe’s plumb cheeks.

He was so focused on his task that he became shocked at the sudden grip around the digit, not expecting such strength from a one month old babe. It was like a death grip, no possible way to escape Severus’s clutches. The infant’s eyes sparkling up at him, a starry night , as if saying: ‘ I’m here and I’m not going anywhere and you’re staying with me too ‘ .

You won’t be alone anymore.

A wave of strange emotions filled his chest, almost knocking him out of his seat and he swore his vision was blurry for a second. Tears, they were tears . He turned and yelled for an elf, startling the babe and causing it to cry out. Marvolo laid Severus on Timmy’s arms rapidly before fleeing upstairs.

Downstairs there could be heard soft cries from a grumpy Severus and shushes from three different elves. Marvolo ignored them all and decided that he should stay as far away as possible from Severus, as long as possible.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A new routine was established and for three months Marvolo found a sense of peace in it. Severus was still mostly taken care of by the elves but now had frequent visitors. Alphard, Abraxas, Orion and their respective wives, after Marvolo allowed them to let the women in on the truth.

Safe to say neither Walburga or Genevieve were amused, his ears still ring whenever he recalled their scolding. He was able to subdue them by gifting the title of godmother to Lady Malfoy, which forced him to make Alphard the godfather, and Lady Black to set playdates whenever she wished between their sons.

The public had also been made aware that their minister of magic suddenly had a baby son. He thought if getting grown men with political power to listen was a tiring task, then having the whole of the British wizarding society do the same would be near impossible.

Marvolo was proven quite wrong.

It appears the people loved a good romantic, drama filled story. It was terribly annoying for Marvolo for he had to play the role of emotionless but devastated widower and sing woos of how terrible it was now that his son was motherless. With the help of his friends and their wives, who were amazing at manipulation any soul, the public bought the lie with ease.

However an unforeseen consequence of it was the wixen community pitying him to the point of sending him letters and presents to his public office to people stopping him in the middle of Diagon Alley to offer their condolences and foolish advice on childcare. Marvolo was nearly fuming by the end of the day and this idiotic behaviour went on for days. The only person who didn’t seem bothered by it was his son.

Severus was just happy to get more attention, he has recently begun babbling whenever Alphard’s face comes into view, stroking the man’s ego even more, for Severus remained silent for everyone else, Marvolo included.

Actually, Marvolo and Severus didn’t have much of a relationship. Marvolo was too busy with work and terrified out of his mind, with the reality of now having a son finally setting into his mind , to spare much time for the toddler.

Severus didn’t seem to mind, his biggest worry being his newest hobby of grabbing people’s hair and pulling the strands as hard as possible. Lucius Malfoy was his son’s most recent victim. The five year old had ended up crying against his mother’s chest, the right side of his head looking closer to a bird's nest than the clean look it was always presented as.

Marvolo couldn’t help but hope that Severus wouldn’t be like that with him, for he had no idea how to comfort a child.

All in all, Severus was a pretty happy babe, except when he screamed to be changed or when hungry or waiting to be held. Actually, he had formed a liking to physical closeness. The few times Marvolo had ended up picking up the boy again, Severus had cried like a banshee when the man tried to lay him back down.

Unfortunately, this soothing peace didn’t last for before long Severus began throwing tantrums left and right just as easily as breathing air. At first Marvolo, like usual, ignored the wails, making sure to remind the elves to keep a close eye on the boy while throwing a silencing charm over the nursery.

He thought the issue solved until one of the elves came to him in utter despair. Severus hasn’t calmed down in hours and no matter what they did, the babe wouldn’t stop crying. This was when Alexandra was summoned and the issue given a name.

Teething , his son was growing teeth and, as he was informed, was quite a painful procedure that one just had to wait it out. She gave him a point to subdue the pain and a pinkish gel to rub against his gums, supposedly to sooth the irritated gums. Marvolo passed on the instructions to the elves and, once more, the problem seemed solved.

He should have learned that by now, any problem with Severus isn’t easily fixed.

Severus was a big crier, Marvolo realised. Any sign of minimal discomfort, the babe shrieked until he became exhausted. So when his mouth was still quite sore, the boy kept crying. At that point even the elves were getting tired, so Marvolo finally intervened one night.

After another awful day at work where he just wished to stab Dumbledore until the old cunt stopped tormenting him with his muggle ideals, coming home near midnight to his wailing son was not his idea of relaxation. He had a quick shower before making a straight line to the nursery and opening the door with such force that straddle everyone, including Severus who paused his wails to watch his father.

Marvolo took the infant from Timmy and demanded they all leave before sitting down on the rocking chair, the moonlight coming from the window the only source of light in the small room.

“ This is frankly getting ridiculous “ The man began, scowl on his face and voice ice cold as if he was scolding a defiant teenager and not a growing babe. “ You’re gonna have to endure this for the next few months. “ Alexandra had warned him that teeth came out in ‘groups’ by the time Severus was one year old, he should have six teeth and the rest would appear until he had a full set at three years old. They could grow earlier or later , as she had mentioned.

“ So better get used to this and stop the theatrics! You are the heir of Slytherin, a noble house with centuries of history! I will not let you embarrass me just because you cannot handle a bit of pain! “

Severus’s reply came in the form of spitting out his dummy, leaving a trail of drool pooling down his chin. Marvolo sighed and reminded himself that the boy didn’t even have an understanding of the English language, no use wasting his breath on him.

He picked up the dummy, two bite marks from Severus’s bottom teeth and covered in spit. Marvolo grimaced in disgust and threw a quick cleaning charm on it. He was about to offer it back to Severus when he remembered something Abraxas had suggested.

‘ You must be patient with your son when he starts teething and walking, cold helps with the swelling of the gums and soften any sharp corners with a charm when he starts trying to stand up, especially tables and chairs ‘

Marvolo thought them idiotic words at the time but perhaps Abraxas hadn’t been as foolish as initially thought. Without a second glance, he made the dummy’s latex a gentle cold before putting it back in Severus’s mouth.

The results were instantaneous .

Severus visibly relaxed against Marvolo’s arms, eyes going half close as he lazily suckled on the dummy. A few fat tears still escaped from the corner of his eyes and his cheeks were still painted in a bright red from all that screaming. A sigh was heard from the corner of the nursery, where the older elves tended to hide when observing Marvolo with Severus. He ignored them and let out his own sigh of relief.

The next day he sent Abraxas a small but delicately carved golden pocket watch with a snake on its back, no warning or explanation and he ignored all the letters from Lord Malfoy thanking him for the gift but questioning him on why he did it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things subdued after the first teething incident. There were still two weeks, with various months in between, where Severus had howled in pain but had only lasted a week each. As his one year anniversary approached, the boy was now the proud owner of twelve teeth. He still couldn’t eat very hard foods but didn’t just rely on bottles of milk anymore.

His health had also greatly improved, he was no longer drinking supplements and his weight was a healthy amount. He was very vocal, babbling day and night and had taken to crawling like a man on a mission. Marvolo swore there had to be accidental magic involved as the boy was in front of him one second and the next halfway down the hall and in the direction of the stairs. It had forced him to move Severus' playpen downstairs to the living room in one of those rare occasions Marvolo decided that the elves were secretly judging him too often by his choice of absence.

Severus was developing well, perhaps a bit fast, and seemed like a happy baby. Abraxas, Orion, their wives and Alphard still visited quite frequently much to Marvolo’s annoyance and always showered the boy in gifts. His favourites being the two giant teddy bears who were charmed to stay comfortably warm. He had caught Severus a few times napping on top of them, drooling unto their pelts.

His next big step would be either walking or talking but Alexandra was more inclined to walking. Marvolo had noticed him try to stand up a few times, mostly grabbing a chair’s legs or, on the rare occasion, Marvolo’s own leg but would, at most, get halfway before falling back down. Lady Genevieve was sure Severus would take his first step before his birthday but Lady Walburga was confident that only during his birthday party would he try to take his first steps.

The party itself was being organised by Walburga, Genevieve and Alphard, along with an army of elves. If it had been left to Marvolo, a simple ceremony not lasting for more than three hours. Everyone seemed to disagree with him. Even Abraxas, who he too hated big events.

‘ He’s your first son, your heir ‘ he had said with a stern expression, one Marvolo hadn’t ever seen directed at him ‘ The public needs to see him to make his position more secure, especially after appearing out of thin air ‘

While most of the citizens had supported Marvolo and his new fatherhood path, there had been some of the opposition group that had questioned the whole situation, even taking it up in the Wizengamot. They didn’t believe the tale like ignorant little sheep following their good shepherd, to a fresh rained field or to their secure, unavoidable death .

This forced Marvolo to invite some members of his opposers to Severus’s first birth celebration. Dumbledore included. Marvolo had almost cancelled the whole thing right there and then when Orion had told him but managed to stop himself before making a big fool of himself.

It didn’t mean he was going to enjoy it, he had become similar to a guard dog whenever one of those mudblood lovers got anywhere near him or Severus. A rabid dog waiting to strike whoever it deemed a threat. At some point during the event, Severus was just passed over to Marvolo, who, after a year of being a father, still wasn’t comfortable holding his own son.

It was still a better option than following the poor soul responsible for showing off the birthday boy. Normally a role reserved to either Alphard, Walburga or Genevieve. With the occasional inclusion of Lady Beryl Avery, Lady Marie Rosier and Lord Hector Rosier and Lady Julia Lestrange.

‘ It’s quite normal to feel like that ‘ Lady Marie Rosier laughed, her caramel locks bouncing up and down with the movement of her chest, watery green eyes beaming with amusement. ‘ My dear Hector didn’t even allow me to pick up our Evan, those two were attached on the hips ‘

Sure. Whatever the hell that meant . If people think of himself as a protective father, then so be it. Maybe it could work in his favour when he inevitably murdered Albus. One could dream.

“ Lord Slytherin, you’re a hard man to find, I’ve been searching all over for you “

Fuck this, he should just rip that bastards’s hea-

“ Headmaster, what a pleasure seeing you here. I would have thought you too busy maintaining Hogwarts to come to mere birth celebrations “ A calculated smile with an ice freezing tone.

Albus remained unphased, the familiar twinkle in the corner of his eyes just served to further anger Marvolo. Though, Albus’s smile too was premeditated. He stood there in all his glory in horrendous goldish red robes, as if making itself the target.

A lion entering the snake pit .

“ I wouldn’t wish to miss the opportunity of meeting your beloved son, Lord Slytherin. I admit I’ve grown curious about the mysterious boy “

Marvolo was thankful he had just minutes ago passed Severus off to one of the elves, so he could be changed but he also knew sooner or later they would be back, so Marvolo needed to hurry up whatever this was and get these fuckers out of his fucking house.

“ Anything hardly mysterious about a one year old toddler, Albus “ 

“ No, I guess not but his sudden appearance is intriguing, no? I’ve just never expected for you to get in a relationship, much less father a child “

Marvolo’s smile dropped and his gaze turned deadly. Abraxas had once told him that when he was really, truly, blindly angry, it would look like his eyes turned red.

‘ It's terrifying ‘ The Malfoy Lord had admitted.

He hopes Dumbledore feels the same.

“ You’re quite cruel, Albus. Is it truly so unimaginable for me to love someone and wish to start a family? “ The headmaster’s twinkle seemed to diminish slightly and his smile to flatten but he wasn’t backing out from the fight.

“ Not at all, my boy “ How he fucking hated when the git called him tha- “ I’m just very surprised is all. You have always seemed to be the loner type, I was always afraid of you not being able to form meaningful relationships with others “ He chuckled, the bastard had the audacity to chuckle at him. “ I’m relief that I was proven wrong “

“ Hopefully it won’t be the last time you’re proven wrong. For a man said to be oh so wise, you make too many misassumptions “ That got the smile to completely drop. Albus leaned close and Marvolo was halfway to grabbing his wand when a pop on their side was suddenly heard.

“ Heir Severus is all changed, master “

Marvolo’s heart dropped, he quickly grabbed Severus who babbled up at him and pressed the toddler close to his chest. Severus, curious in nature, peaked between his father’s hand, which was an effort to hide his face, and the straight tuffs of his hair, another trait from Eileen , to stare up at the shocked old man.

“ Is that- “

“ Enjoy the rest of the party, Headmaster. It will be ending very soon “ and Marvolo walked away, ran away like a coward, an angry voice hissed inside his head. It doesn't matter. He ignored it, like he’s going to ignore that old bastard for the rest of the evening. He knew what Albus was thinking.

Severus didn’t look anything like him, even his eyes had turned darker as promised. He was all Eileen. No one would believe them father and son unless they saw the paternity test and he’ll die first before letting that be accessible to the public.

Either Dumbledore thought him insane enough to kidnap an innocent babe and pretend they were his own, fabricating a beautiful tale of romance and death to appease the public’s favour. Or he realised Severus was really his flesh and blood and would now be determined on finding out who his mother was, and if Eileen Prince was discovered, then the House Prince would be involved and whenever they were involved in something, things would just turn messy.

Albus Dumbledore had always wanted to get him out of the position of Minister of Magic and now he had a very clear way to do so.

No, he didn’t need Albus poking around his business. He needed the headmaster to stay in his place and leave him well alone.

Severus didn’t complain when Marvolo sat down on a parlour chair, deep red pillow against his lower back and Severus comfortably against his chest, still babbling on. It appears that, today too, his son has a lot to say. Marvolo looked down at the toddler, a tiny fist trying to rip out one of his vest’s buttons.

“ Severus, “ Unexpectedly onyx orbs looked up at him, awaiting for what he’s got to say next. Marvolo glubbed, feeling uneasy all of a sudden. Whenever Severus looked at him, like he held all the answers in the world. Marvolo felt lost, unprepared. Here was an innocent human waiting for him to guide him, to be a better man in the future when Marvolo himself was a mess of a creature.

Half man, half monster.

“ Don’t trust that man, alright? No matter what he says or does, he’s a dangerous wizard. Much more dangerous than me “

As per routine, Severus gives him no clear answer but just changed tactics and was now trying to munch on the button. Marvolo sighed and got up, searching for one of friends. He was in a desperate need of a drink and he rather not do so with a toddler, who had been trying to bite anything he mistakenly deems as food.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Time passed on and Severus Slytherin just kept growing.

Not long after his birthday, two weeks in fact, Severus ended up muttering his first word. On one of the rare occasions Severus was outside of their home, they had ended up visiting the Blacks during one of his free weekends. He and Orion had been discussing some business in the parlour, sipping on some black tea, away from the ears of the group of children and toddlers playing in the back gardens, under the watchful eye of the other many Black family members.

When all of a sudden Alphard had come running inside with Severus on his hands, an anxious expression on his face. Marvolo immediately thought the worse. Severus was a very cheerful toddler from what he could see. The moment he could form a proper smile, it had become a familiar sight. Giggles and laughter shortly following. His happiness was contagious, perhaps with the exclusion of his own father.

Marvolo had never been one for joy.

So, seeing a very different atmosphere from what he was used to did send his worry spiking. He was already getting up from his seat with the intention of grabbing Severus himself, a question about to leave his lips when Severus decided to speak for the first time.

“ Upie! “ Small arms stretched towards him, a smile consisted of just a few teeth and a night sky looking up at him, swallowing him whole. With the sunlight from the window, Severus’s eyes were undeniably blue.

Blue eyes, his son’s blue eyes. Marvolo’s eyes. 

Marvolo doesn’t remember much afterwards but holding the toddler against his chest and receiving firm pats to his shoulder from Alphard and Orion alike, those fools grinning proudly. Severus hadn’t been annoyed from being separated from his friends, mayhaps even happy to have a break from Sirius. Gods only knew why he and Severus didn’t get along, always fighting one another.

He had actually been in the middle of one of those fights when Alphard came over to the two toddlers and Severys suddenly requested to be picked up. Alphard had managed to stop standing there like an idiot, staring at the toddler, before picking up the boy and going to get him to Marvolo, so the man could witness it himself.

Truthfully, Marvolo didn't exactly know how to react. He knew this was coming, Severus was very vocal, mumbling and babbling even while falling asleep, from what the elves reported to him. It did nothing to prepare him for when it happened. Severus’s voice high pitched and dragging through the words like a drunkard, not even saying them correctly. It was odd and it created an even more odd feeling to blubber in his chest.

Joy? Bewilderment? Was he proud?

Marvolo gave them a second of a thought before proceeding to ignore them once again.

When Severus began walking, that was when Marvolo’s stress levels were truly tested. If he thought his son crawling around with the speed of a shooting star was worrying, walking was so much, much worse. The second thing Severus enjoyed most in this world beside talking one’s ear off was walking everywhere he pleased.

Marvolo would be walking towards his bedroom or office and out came a wobbling toddler, half squatting, half standing with unsure steps but a confident smile on his face. Three to four elves running after him, arms stretched to catch him whenever he inevitably fell.

Severus had taken his first time walking on a rainy morning. Marvolo had decided to take care of the papers requiring his signature to the grandroom. That day was particularly cold and as it had the biggest fireplace in the whole house, safely charmed to keep curioustoddlers out of its reach and harm, Marvolo had thought it was a good idea to take care of work there.

Severus too was placed in the room with his many toys scattered on the floor, though Marvolo didn’t pay him too much attention. His most recent obstacle as minister was getting a majority of the ‘light’ side to agree to stricter policies for early registration of muggleborns and half-bloods residing in the muggle world.

Accidental magic was common for all wixen children and they could use it as an advantage to inquire on those outside of the wizarding society’s abode. This way those children could be aware of a whole magical world out there and it would leave no room for future surprises and confusion when their Hogwarts’s letter arrived. A brilliant idea but it would seem some people don’t understand brilliance when they see it. Such a pity.

“ Dada! “

Marvolo flinched just like the first time he heard Severus called him that. It had caught him off guard and it kept getting the same reaction out of him whenever Severus said it. Both Orion and Alphard had scolded him for Severus could start noticing and stop doing it. Marvolo didn’t really know if he would be happy if his son did stop calling him father or not.

It was strange. Marvolo was not made to be a father, this should have never happened.

“ I’m busy, Severus. “ It was a solid reply and to the point. It would have worked if the other was not a one year old with no understanding of waiting.

“ Dada! “

Marvolo sighed, already feeling a headache forming. He gathered the papers together and carefully laid them on the table before finally looking up at the boy, only for his eyes to widen in raw disbelief. 

There, in front of him, was Severus standing up, fully standing up and not that half squad he did, and he was walking towards him with his wooden horse toy in his hand. He enjoyed when the elves and, at times, Marvolo charmed it and the horse galloped in circles around him. Now the one doing circles around him was Severus, chasing after that damn horse.

The next time his mates and their wives visited them, Severus greeted them by running towards them at full speed and jumping up to their embrace, only because of Alphard’s younger and quicker reflexes did he save Severus a trip to St.Mungos.

The boy had also taken a liking to jumping, much to his grief.

Marvolo learned from experience that a jumping and running one year old was not a very good combination.

He had just arrived home, around midnight, exhausted and ready for a good eight hours of sleep. When he was making his way up the stairs was when he heard him. Severus, of course, was still awake and causing a rampage when he spotted Marvolo, the boy standing on top of the staircase with a huge grin. What he did next ruined the rest of Marvolo’s night.

He jumped. The fucking idiot actually ju-

His heart practically leaped out of his chest, everything seemed to go in slow motion. Marvolo didn’t know how he did it but he managed to catch Severus midjump and hold close to his chest as he took the burn of the fall to his back. When he checked Severus, hoping the boy wasn’t hurt, he found the boy giggling, thinking this a new fun game of sorts.

Marvolo was pissed.

“ What the fuck are you doing? This was dangerous, Severus. Idiotic behaviour such as this will get you killed! Is that what you want, you un- “ He stopped midrand for Severus’s reaction was one he had never witnessed.

That was when Marvolo realised the boy was scared.

Severus was scared of him.

His usual skin tone of snow white turned a frightened pale, his eyes big and fearful, full of unshed tears threatening to break free and down his rosy cheeks any second. He was visibly trying to back away from Marvolo’s grip. The boy, usually so happy to spend any time with his father, was now scared of him.

Marvolo had given Severus over to Kila and disappeared to his office. He couldn’t sleep after what happened and the next morning came to work with dark circles under his eyes and his usually tidy brown locks messy and wild. He barely spoke to anyone that morning, even when Alphard had come to his office, for their routine lunch they had together, and tried to pry an answer out of him.

He couldn’t look his friend in the eye and tell him that his own son was now terrified of him.

Things didn’t exactly get better after that. Marvolo and Severus’s relationship which was basically nonexistent at that point was now utterly ruined beyond any chances of repair. Whenever Severus noticed his presence around, he would go eerily quiet, uncomfortably staring with those doe-like eyes up at him until Marvolo left the room. He would no longer call for him, ‘dada’ no more in his vocabulary.

It made his heart ache but Marvolo just pushed on. Perhaps it was better for his son to fear him. This way Severus wouldn’t create any expectations of him and be disappointed when Marvolo didn’t live up to those ideas.

This was how the family of two spent their second year living together. The situation only changed six months after his second birthday, a small event between Blacks, Malfoys, Lestranges, Averys and Rosiers. When Severus was either five or six, they could go back to complex, big scaled events, but for now he did not have the patience required to deal with mindling headmasters.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Marvolo had acquired a telly, a muggle invention which astonished wizards. He had bought it on a wimp, reminiscing of his orphanage’s days. He had wanted to smash it to a million pieces in a fit of rage, revenge for his lost childhood, but Severus had taken a liking to it. After their ‘ fight ‘, Marvolo let the thing be. If it made the boy happy, then it continued to have a place in the house.

He personally didn’t use it much, mostly putting a nature documentary as background noise. These days Severus spent the occasional afternoon watching cartoons and Marvolo had spotted him once or twice listening to the news, which was bizarre for a two year old but guess everyone’s tastes were different.

Marvolo had come home during his lunch break, after having forgotten an important document, for which he was severely teased by his mates. Marvolo wasn’t known for forgetting anything, quite the opposite in fact. He blamed the last two years for this new forgetfulness.

Severus, as per routine, was under the care of the two chief elves of the Slytherin home, Kila and Fiona. He hadn’t even noticed his father arriving, much too focus on a recent documentary about the different types of parents in nature. Including humans .

‘ Human parents are very complex in nature. They may be fiercely protective, with an attentive eye to all their young but they can also be one of the most negligent of parents, down right refusing to play a role in their children’s lives ‘

Creepy, bizarre documentary. He should probably stop letting Severus watch those.

 When Marvolo had stopped by the living room, a smaller, cosier area than the grandroom or the guest parlour, on the telly was demonstrated two parents hugging each other, in the middle a five year old.

Everyone smiling and content.

What caught him off guard, and made him stop from getting the stack of papers on the table, was the frown on Severus. His expression one of confusion and an aura of intrigue in his eyes. His two beloved teddy bears were on either side of him and in a moment, as quick as a blink, they began moving.

They weren’t charmed to be moving.

There had only been one logical explanation.

Severus was doing magic.

The bears mimicked the scene on the telly, wrapping their arms around him in a loving embrace. Severus relaxed against their pelts and one word was clearly heard from the boy.

“ Dada “

Marvolo’s ache, which had formed that day, suddenly hurt in such a violent way. All just because of one word he hadn’t heard in months. He used to hate hearing it, the reality of fatherhood craving deeper and deeper into his very soul every time Severus used it, until it made a special place in his life. When the boy had stopped saying it, had stopped reaching for him. It had left a wounding void. Marvolo did his best to not acknowledge it but it was unmistakable.

“ Severus “

He hated how his son jumped at the sound of his voice. Severus’s eyes looked up at him with unnerving caution, as if he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t. His ache grew bigger .

“ Severus, “ He started again, voice as gentle as he could possibly muster. He got down to one knee, giving some distance between the two of them. Severus kept watching him, like a scared animal waiting for the sign to start running. “ Did you do that? Did you make your bears move? “

A beat of silence turned to two, three. Marvolo started to think maybe Severus didn’t hear him properly. Afterall, he was only two, maybe he needed to use simpler words for the boy to better understan-

An uncertain tiny nod was his answer.

Marvolo let out a breath in bewilderment, a shaky hand going to cover his mouth, to hide his smile . He too had been quite young when he had his first accidental magic burst. He had made one of the children’s doll completely pink after the girl didn’t let him play with it. He only knew about it because the care workers in there processed to title him with a name that would follow him for years.

Demon.

But here was Severus, the same age he had been, maybe younger by a few months, still trusting him enough to accept his answer. Trusted him enough to not be ridiculed by it, not to be feared . He let out another sigh before slowly standing back up and walking over to Severus. His expression went back to its usual stoic nature.

The boy flinched and was getting ready to bolt when he felt a warm hand on top of his head. Gaze that before held anxiety, now was full of intrigue. There was a detail he couldn’t ignore, though. Severus had done magic to get teddy bears to hug him. A teddy bear which, as he now noticed, was dressed in one of his old jackets and worn out hats.

Severus was pretending it was him.

Marvolo didn’t know how to approach the subject though. Severus was just two years old, not really adequate to have meaningful discussions about deep emotions. At least he didn’t think so but he also wasn’t expecting the toddler to perform magic so soon. It seems he too can be wrong about things. So, he started on an easier topic before mentioning the elephant in the room.

“ That was amazing, Severus. I’m very proud of you “ He tried offering a smile but it fell quickly. It wasn’t usual for him to exercise his facial muscles like that and it was quite out of his character to do so. However, he was so incredibly delighted to have been present to such an important step in Severus’s life. “ Maybe we can celebrate. How do you feel about fish n’ chips for supper? “

Severus frowned but instead of concern, it was of confusion. “ Fish? “

Marvolo chuckled, almost in a whisper, it didn’t make it any less weird in his mind. “ Yes, it’s good. I promise “

Severus seemed to think it over for a bit before giving a slow nod.

“ Okay “

Well, here goes nothing. He went back to one knee, getting as close to Severus’s height as he comfortably could. Taking a deep breath and then letting it out, Marvolo embraced himself for the difficult conversation he was about to have.

“ Severus, I do want to apologise to you “ He began, voice as calm as a river. He wasn’t one to apologise. No one had ever told him sorry for the things they did to him, so why should he do the same for others? But Severus wasn't like the others. He was his innocent son who was still learning about the world.

“ That night, “ And that made the boy’s lips downturn, so he still can remember what transpired. The ache grew bigger . “ I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that or said those words. They’re bad words and should never be said “

Severus didn’t reply to him, so he continued.

“ I was just scared that you would get hurt. I was there that time to catch you but if you decided to do it again without me present, then “ He let out another sigh, this one shaky. “ It could have been dangerous and I don’t want to see you get hurt. Please don’t ever do that again, okay? “

Severus kept his silence and Marvolo was just about to give up and go back to work when he heard it.

“ Okay, I promise “ And he patted his hand with his own smaller one. “ No more scare “

Marvolo didn’t know how to properly react, too surprised by the action and words. He didn’t linger on it for too long. He coughed before standing up and going to ruffle the boy’s hair, making his strands to lay in all directions. Severus whined at his action but didn’t waste much time further complaining. “ I’ll see you tonight then “ and he turned to leave but was stopped by a tug on his pants’s leg.

“ Dada? “

Oh

Yeah, he had definitely missed hearing that word. Marvolo of two years ago would have killed him for being so sentimental. Marvolo of right now could care less about keeping his famous cold reputation. If it made Severus wish to speak with him again, then he would relax and keep his guard down. “ Yes? “

“ Me have chocolate? “

The second chuckle still didn’t feel natural but it had come out nonetheless. He patted the boy’s head, now fully smiling down at him.

“ I can get some for dessert “

And the beaming smile he received was enough to make the rest of Marvolo’s day. Alphard had caught him before he entered the ministry building and nearly passed out upon seeing Marvolo smiling, a smile . That did break him from his demeanour and after softly threatening the man to keep his mouth shut about what he just saw, he went back to work.

His colleagues did notice a difference. As if the air around the minister was lighter, softer, gentle. Happier . It was like watching a muggle perform magic, unreal, impossible. Very disturbing. Marvolo didn’t care. He had just reconciled with his son and had learned he could now do magic just at the age of two years old. Accidental and uncontrollable burst of magic but magic nonetheless.

He was a very proud father.

Chapter Text

“ There has been a small petition to make the Hogwarts’ subject ‘Muggle Studies’ mandatory for all purebloods and half-blood wixen and some even expressed the need for students to learn such manners already in their first year at Hogwarts “ Orion scrunched his nose as if he smelled something particularly unpleasant, the face of someone who had just step on shit with his brand new shoes. His thin lips pressed tight and grey eyes hardened in annoyance. The paper he held crumbled slightly where he held it, the man trying to contain himself from saying something inappropriately for a pureblood.

“ Clearly the work of the Bee Queen “ Abraxas sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. Marvolo and his political group have been working on getting a new school subject to pass in the board of teachers at Hogwarts. A pureblood version of ‘Muggle Studies’ but for muggleborns and half-bloods to be properly introduced to pureblood customs and ways of living. Albus was very obviously not pleased with their actions and this was his way of retaliating. “ There are only just a few signatures, so we can still swipe it under the rug “

“ Mayhaps we can use it to our favour, gentlemen “ All eyes turned to the minister of magic. Raised brows and shock on their faces brought forward his snake-like smirk. “ We can use Albus’s poor excuse of a threat to implement our very own ‘Pureblood Studies’ with much more ease “

“ You must be mad “ Abraxas grunted, looking at his superior as if the man had grown a second head. “ Your solution is to support our opponent’s proposal? “ 

“ Of course not but we are gonna approve both the ideas, that way it would make it look more fair for both sides “

Abraxas frowned, still not fully convinced. “ Many of our supports won’t be happy with this decision “

Marvolo’s smirk turned feral, his blue eyes glistening of red for a brief second. “ I know but they will be focusing that anger on the headmaster and afterwards we can- “

The neck of Marvolo’s white shirt was tugged, interrupting the genius plan the man had been in the midst of explaining. The culprit was a young three year old. Hair dark as night and straight down to his shoulders, at some point held back by a green ribbon. His eyes a pair of black tourmalines, shimmering with light as it revealed a vast ocean. He was dressed like a little lord, as a miniature version of his father, whose lap he was currently sitting on.

In front of him, papers were scattered on the desk surface and a book of muggle fairy-tales opened near the end. An illustration at the left page showed a young woman whose lower half was slowly disintegrating into foam. A nasty fate and for something as stupid as love . However, Severus seemed to enjoy the story, so he let the boy read it whenever he so desired.

Marvolo had been bringing Severus to a couple of his meetings, normally just the ones people Severus was familiar with were present. Marvolo wanted to avoid having Severus staying too long inside their home or the Black or Malfoy manors, and because the boy has yet to fully grasp what his father did for work, Marvolo thought it was a great way to introduce the boy to politics.

Not that a three year old could be very political but it was the thought that counted.

“ What is it, Severus? “

“ Dada, purpe “ The little one stated firmly, holding up a pink crayon to his father’s face.

“ That’s pink “ A gentle frown was directed at his son, a hint of amusement underneath. “ I would have thought you knew the colours by now “

The boy shook his head and held the crayon closer to the man. “ Tun purpe “

Marvolo raised a brow at Severus’s insistence. “ But you have a purple crayon, Severus “ He reminded, thinking this was just a matter of the boy being distracted and thinking the easier option was to get his father to magically make him a new crayon, rather than look for his old one.

Severus shook his head for a second time and then pointed at the fourth adult present in the room. Alphard was furiously making something that, perhaps once , vaguely resembled a dragon spitting fire. His hair was tied back by a familiar green ribbon and his attention was solely to his masterpiece he was currently creating. A purple crayon on his hand .

“ I was not aware there was a second child in this meeting “ Only by his boss’s sarcastic comment did the man look up, only to respond with a frown of his own.

“ Just so you know, your child challenged me to a drawing contest “ Each word was accentuated by using the crayon that started it all and pointing it accusatory at Marvolo.

“ And as the mature adult you are, you accepted it? “ Alphard turned to look at his grinning brother-in-law and his frown deepened.

“ I’m a Black, we never back down from a challenge “

“ Funny, I swear I remember your house’s words being ‘ Toujours Pur ’ “ This time was Abraxas’s turn to comment on the scene.

Alphard looked between his three friends and processed to put the crayon down, only to cross his arms over his chest, leaning carelessly against the chair. “ What is this? “ He did not look amused by the jesting at his cost. Though, the three other men found it very entertaining. “ Is today ‘Make fun of Alphard Black’ day? “

Marvolo hummed and gave a look as if he was considering it. Alphard’s eyes narrowed at the minister and Marvolo shrugged in response. “ I could propose it at the next Wizengamot and make it true “

“ Honestly, you all make it look like I wasn’t listening! “

“ Well, were you? “ Orion inquired, leaning comfortably on the desk, a pile of complaints from their group’s supporters to his right. Albus Dumbledore truly knew how to make enemies out of purebloods .

“ Yes! Abraxas was talking how St.Mungos is requesting the hiring of more specialised healers in curses “

Neither Abraxas or Orion tried to hide their sighs of disappointment and Marvolo had to restrain himself from publicly snickering. Afterall, he still had an image to uphold.

“ We already discussed that an hour ago, Alphard “

The man blinked in surprise, not realising so much time had already passed by. His reddening cheeks were all the signs that Alphard was somewhat embarrassed by his distraction.

“ W-Well, so I may have been a little distracted but surely I haven’t missed anything big “

“ Dumbledore has been trying to make ‘Muggle Studies’ a first year, mandatory subject “

“ He’s WHAT? “

Orion sighed and began explaining where they were at this point in the meeting. Abraxas would interrupt to add in his own two cents to the conversation before letting Orion continue.

Meanwhile, Marvolo’s attention went back to his son. Severus had used the opportunity and grabbed the damned purple crayon and doodled a quick series of lines on Alphard’s monstrosity of a drawing.

That’s when Marvolo finally understood it.

Severus had caused this ‘fight’ between the adults on purpose .

He knew he had no chance of winning against a grown up who knew the simple concepts of art, so he instigated the fight to sabotage his opponent’s work. Taking a quick glance at Severus’s own drawing,  the boy hadn’t even needed the colour purple on it. What could only be described as a dying lizard with one wing and a horn as one of its front legs, somehow much worse than Alphard’s piece. It was a mix of black, blue and pink and the figure seemed to be already fully painted, so there had been no need for purple .

A true slytherin and Marvolo couldn’t be prouder. He, however, showed it by a gentle ruffle of the boy’s hair before paying attention to the other three. It would seem they already had reached the part they stopped at, so Marvolo took it from there.

“ Shall we continue, gentlemen? “

And so the meeting went on. Even when Alphard let out a gasp at finally seeing his now ruined art piece, the conversation continued.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The relationship Marvolo had with Severus could only be described as that delicate moment when thin ice starts breaking beneath your first step but doesn’t fully break enough to pull you under the unforgiving waters. It could, at any given moment but for now it allows you to live for another day.

Marvolo has accomplished many things in his life. Top grades during all his years at Hogwarts, being Head Boy, receiving his Magical Merit’s medal, gaining powerful allies, forming his political party with an uproar of support and his greatest being titled the youngest minister of magic.

Yet, fatherhood was its own path full of challenges for which nobody had thought to warn or teach him about. Mind you, Marvolo never desired to be a father or even to marry. Sure he entertained the idea while surrounded by purebloods, who wished to marry their daughter and, sometimes, even sons to him in order to elevate their status but would all be quickly shut down.

Now he was known as a widowed father of an astonishing intelligent three year old. Severus had come into his life and destroyed every sense of normalcy he had acquired over the years and remade everything so he would be the centre of it. When Marvolo could sleep in or have a quiet morning sipping on a good cuppa by the fireplace. Now he carried a sleepy boy down the stairs while the kid drooled on his shoulder, only to be shaken awake so he could decide on which cereal he wished for his breakfast.

Marvolo from three years ago would have thought him insane, Marvolo of right now just finds some sort of peace in this new routine as a single father.

Severus was a son any father would be proud to have. Naturally brilliant and very quick-witted, a charmer whenever surrounded by the gossiping ladies, who would pinch his chubby cheeks at his ‘cuteness’ and give him cookies and cake slices from their own plates for being ‘such a sweet boy’. He was friends with many young heirs and heiresses, even young Sirius Black had become somewhat of a ‘best friend’, despise their complicated first meeting.

Three months before Severus’s fourth birthday, Marvolo had introduced him to who would be his son’s tutor until he went to Hogwarts. Elliott Selwyn-Clarke, pureblood who graduated from Hogwarts with top grades and studied for the position as a private teacher for young children from rich families. Teaching about each wixen house and their house words to poisons previously used to end unwanted marriage contracts and how to spot them. Anything that could prove advantageous for the young heir would be taught without a second thought.

His father was the third brother of the main branch of the Selwyn family but ended up falling in love with a half-blood woman. While the Selwyn show no mercy to a pureblood with just the tiniest of ‘impure’ blood in their veins, Elliott was granted permission to stay in the family if he hyphenated his father’s and mother’s surnames.

It proved to be a very smart choice as it allowed the men to have access to a comfortable childhood and endless funds for his studies. In secret, he has hired a muggleborn to help him learn about muggle subjects in depth, ones his mother could not have taught him. This had been an important point that resulted in Marvolo hiring his services. Marvolo himself was a half-blood and knew the importance of knowing about each world. Even if Severus was considered a pureblood, he needed to learn the importance of both muggles and wixen and their societies.

It had taken a couple of days for Severus to warm up to Elliot, which was surprising since the boy, while a quiet child by nature, could be very talkative as well and wasn’t exactly shy with strangers. Perhaps it had been because the tutor was such a tall individual, everyone Severus has met had a fair height, even with Alphard being the ‘tallest’ of the group by a few inches but Mr.Sewlyn-Claker was almost two metres tall.

Nevertheless, Severus soon got over his fear and so his preparation on how to be a proper heir and future lord of a noble house began. If Marvolo had any fears of Severus not getting used to having lessons in his day-to-day life, they vanished as he watched his son take learning like a duck to water. Severus enjoyed learning and for the first time ever, Marvolo considered that Severus could very well be placed in Ravenclaw.

Severus would enjoy training anything he learned from Elliott and many times Marvolo had to be the experimental guinea pig. When he was taught about which cutlery he should be using for which meal, he would pick up a spoon or a fork and call for Marvolo.

“ Dada, dada! “

“ Yes, Severus? “

“ Dis one, dada. Is dis one! “

He would state proudly and loudly, a radiating smile and sparkling eyes. Happily informing his parent as if Marvolo didn’t know it already. It was as adorable as it was irritating at times, especially in mornings when Marvolo had to stay up late working and woke up still needing another four hours of sleep. Though, he wouldn’t be letting his frustrations explode onto his son.

No, not again .

So he would simply nod, give him a tired smile and a pat on his head.

“ Very good, Severus “

The only part Severus was currently experiencing difficulty in performing was, as Elliott had stated, ‘not swallowing his letters’. By now, Severus should speak clearly and effectively without much problem but he still didn’t articulate his words correctly, neglecting a few letters and ‘munching’ his words. It did add to his cuteness effect and his guests would coo whenever Severus spoke but it was a habit Marvolo hoped to break.

Reading had become Severus’s favourite pastime by far, now everywhere the boy went, he would be holding a book. Many times Marvolo had witnessed his son taking a sloppy bite of his food while his eyes were laser focused on the yellowing pages. From fantasy literacy of muggle authors to instructions on how to take care of a swedish short-snout dragon by a famous british dragonologist. Though, a quick cough from his father and a pointed look at the book was enough for the boy to focus back on the meal.

The boy could devoured every bit of knowledge like a thirsty man in a desert but he would remember his table manners.

“ You know, if this continues he can very well be placed in Ravenclaw “ Alphard poked his side with his elbow, an insufferable ‘know it all’ smirk displayed proudly. Severus was sitting down in the middle of the Black’s guest parlour, a book comically big, larger than his body, on his lap as he read to his friends to the best of his abilities. It had been a month after his fourth birthday and Walburga had arranged this play date, for which Marvolo was also forced to attend.

His friends were formed by Lucius Malfoy, the eight year old gently correcting him whenever he pronounced a word incorrectly or had difficulty turning a page. Narcissa, a six year old and one of the three Black sisters, was behind him happily braiding his hair while quietly listening to the tale. To the boy’s right was Andromeda, Narcissa’s sister who was two years older than Severus, and she was gripping a doll tightly as she scaredly awaited to hear what was going to happen next.

Sitting beside her was her eldest sister, Bellatrix, another eight year old but who had a sadistic smirk as the protagonist of the story was about to be devoured by a three-headed monster. On Severus’s left side was Sirius Black, Orion’s oldest brat, who had been trying unsuccessfully to get the group to drop the book and go play outside on their broomsticks. He was sitting glued to his son’s side, head on his shoulder as he glanced at the pages every once in a while and fidgeted with his unmoving replica of a golden snitch.

It seems even if he was hating the activity, he wanted to be the one closest to the Slytherin heir. A weird friendship the two had . To Sirius’s left was his baby brother, the youngest of the group, just one year younger than Severus, and unfortunately because of his age, he didn’t appreciate the art of a good book just yet. So, one of his big brother’s toys was enough to keep him occupied.

The last two members of their ‘little’ group were the Lestrange brothers, Rodolphus, a seven year old engaged to Bellatrix, and Rabastan, a five year old who followed his brother like a lost duckling. They have been spending more and more time with the Black family in order for Rodolphus and Bellatrix to get used to each other’s presences, as the Black family were very tight knitted and tended to look at strangers with a suspicious eye. The only exception had been Severus but Marvolo had a feeling it was because he was the son of the minister and heir of Slytherin.

Marvolo would have agreed with his friend but as he observed the group he couldn’t help but notice how Severus almost resembled a leader surrounded by his fellow followers. The way these purebloods, who much preferred to die than listen to anyone else but themselves, were attentively listening to a mere four year old clumsily reading a muggle book, was an example of Severus’s power.

Severus had made two opposites, in this case a work of a muggle author and a bunch of snarky pureblooded brats, coexist together in peace. No matter what anyone said, that was a prime example of the raw manipulation abilities of a slytherin.

“ I still think he’ll be in Slytherin “ Marvolo mumbled, eyes still on his boy. “ Call it a feeling “

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“ Daddy, no “

Marvolo stared at the tiny figure in front of him, making him unable to form a way into the bedroom, decorated with gentle tones of green, various books and a couple toys in a corner. Severus was holding the door in one hand and resting the other on the wall, making it impossible for his father to get inside without going through Severus first.

Marvolo had a rare relaxing day at the ministry, after weeks of relentless work that had resulted in short hours of sleep and leaving the manor at dawn and only just coming home around midnight. Severus had been spending his days with the tutor on their many lessons and was taken care of by the house elves for the rest of the day, and so the two of them haven’t been able to see each other much, besides the odd morning.

Since today had been such an easy day, Marvolo had managed to come home earlier than anticipated and decided to check on Severus. He didn’t know what he had been expecting after knocking on his son’s door but having the boy prohide him from entering his room wasn’t it at all.

The man raised a brow, looking utterly unimpress and slightly irritated. “ And why can’t I come inside, Severus? “

The boy in question bit his lip and looked back inside, as if looking at something or someone but when Marvolo tried to use the opportunity to peek inside, Severus nearly slammed the door on his face trying to close it and stop Marvolo from finding out whatever the hell he was trying to hide .

“ Daddy, you can’t! It’s a surprise! “ Severus’s pout and huff did nothing to calm down his irritation. Marvolo absolutely despised when others hid things from him, he enjoyed being in control of the situation and to do that he had to know everything.

Additionally , it wasn’t much of a surprise when one announced they were doing a surprise.

“ And what is a surprise? “ Marvolo was just reminding himself that Severus was a child and he wasn’t trying to anger him on purpose. Perhaps this was one of the childish mannerisms he had learned from his uncle Alphard, who could act like a bigger child than the boy.

“ Your christmas present, daddy! “

It was like his whole word stopped, his annoyance vanishing into thin air as he looked at the boy like he was seeing somebody entirely different. Christmas present? Marvolo had never been given such a thing. Yes, sometimes when he went to the Yule Ball at the Malfoy’s, he would give appropriate gifts he knew purebloods would always enjoy and once in a while, one of his friends would give him something back, a piece of jewellery or new robes. Nothing that was essentially too much .

However, being given a gift for Christmas and from an actual family. That was a wild dream that always seemed unreachable during his complicated childhood. When bombs were dropping from the sky and you didn’t even have a simple wooden toy to hold for a strange sense of reassurance, dreams of your mother’s arms around you or your father’s laugh promising you will be safe were the closest to a present you would get.

But now here he was, his son of four, almost five years was preparing a ‘surprise’ christmas gift for him. It made Marvolo’s heart flutter, a warm feeling spreading over like a wave from his chest to the rest of his body. It was still so unfamiliar, even as it begins to happen more often as he spends more and more time with his son.

One time, in a rare moment of vulnerability, Marvolo had confessed to Orion as they shared a Romanian wine, rotated by dragon fire, between them. The Black Lord had looked over at him with a dumb smile on his face and chuckled.

“ That’s the feeling of happiness Marvolo. For a man so brilliant, I have no idea how you still haven’t managed to figure it out, yet “

And as he stands here, Marvolo wonders if he would ever have understood it by himself.

“ Okay “ Marvolo’s tone was full of uncertainty, his eyes glancing back and forth to the small glimpse he had of the boy’s room and Severus’s determined face. “ You don’t need help with it? “

Severus uncrossed his arms but still looked ready to physically fight his father to stop him from entering his room. “ I can do it, daddy. No worries “

They had what could only be described as a staring contest, one Marvolo could have very easily won if it was his goal but he was still too dumbstruck to properly realise what was happening. Severus’s unnerving gaze never left him, even as Marvolo gave him a small nod and began making his way back downstairs. Only as he reached the bottom, did the lord of the house hear the bedroom’s door close.

Afterwards, Marvolo tried endless times to get to even catch a glimpse at this present but with no success. It seemed Severus would always know whenever he tried to get inside, at some point Marvolo got suspicious of a detection charm but Severus was far too young to be making such precise magic. His core’s base layer has yet to fully develop until he is eleven and, even then, it would keep steadily growing until he reaches his twenties.

Whatever it was, Marvolo didn’t have to wait for too long as Christmas morning was just two weeks from when he first was made aware of this present. Marvolo and Severus had spent their Christmas’s Eve morning lazing around for a change of pace. These weeks leading to Christmas were always the busiest of the year. Marvolo had to walk around and be close to the community for this ‘family loving time of the year’ as Alphard had commented. Giving interviews, listening to complaints, giving money to various funds, all sorts of things to keep the public's fury at bay.

That day, lunch had been in one of the Black’s mansions, their biggest in fact and to the event they invited every member of their enormous family tree, along with fiances. Marvolo had avoided it to the best of his abilities at first but ever since two years ago, Walburga and Orion had joined forces and all but dragged the father and son duo to this lunch. Severus would pass most of the time playing around with his friends but Marvolo had to begrudgingly make conversation with people he just saw two times a year. They would leave when afternoon was entering, leaving their presents under the Black’s gigantic, dancing Christmas tree and leaving with bags full of presents given to them.

Dinner would be with the Malfoys, which means just the main branch of the Malfoy house and maybe a couple of cousins and uncles and aunts. Something much more simple and relaxing and perfect for the headache Marvolo would have after spending too much time with the Black family. They would leave their gifts under a silver pine tree and leave with just as many presents as they would leave the Black mansion, even if the Malfoys were fewer. One of their elves would get the bags off their hands and apparate home, while Marvolo would take Severus through Diagon Alley.

The once busy streets would be warily empty and bare of human life, with the expectation of a wandering soul persuading a last minute gift. Diagon Alley would be decorated with various nauseating sparkly decorations and layers of white snow. Light fairies that would dance from rooftop to rooftop to substitute christmas lights, pine trees which would grab people’s presents and refuse to give them back until you tickle their roots, giggling mistletoes under every door frame, warmed chocolate milk topped with golden marshmallows being offered by street vendors and the smell of baked goods of ginger and cinnamon in the air.

Severus would stare in wonder at every single detail and nearly squealed in delight when Marvolo allowed him to drink one of those hot chocolates being sold. Even with so few people outside, Marvolo kept a hold of his son’s hand. They walked around slowly, observing the stores and what Christmas theme objects they were trying to sell. They even passed by a small chorus singing harmoniously, Marvolo had offered him two sickles and the boy went and gently put them into the wooden box one of the members of the chorus was holding.

Their trip ended in the centre of Diagon Alley where a large tree decorated with vibrant red ribbons, shining balls of all sizes, porcelain angels who would flap their wings at random times, gentle white lights and sparkly tinsel all on it. Severus stared at it like it was the most marvellous thing he had ever witnessed, eyes wide and mouth gaped open, his cheeks and nose rosy from the cold weather. Marvolo couldn’t help but wonder if he would have reacted like this once, when he was his son’s age and had first witnessed the ‘magic’ of this winter holiday. Either way, he was happy Severus gets to experience this.

After such a tiring day, Marvolo would apparate them back home and Severus would only hold on for a few more minutes before finally falling asleep against his father’s chest. Marvolo would gently lay him in his bed, using his wand to put the books scattered on the floor to their respective places on the selves.

However, when Marvolo was making his way out of the room, he saw something black and shiny in the closet, its left door left ajar. He glanced at his son, making sure he was still asleep before going to see what it was. Marvolo opened the door carefully and came face to face with a small box, perfectly fit to carry on two hands and wrapped in sparkly, black plastic paper with the words ‘ For daddy ’ written in the corner. The handwriting was messy and large and in silver, clearly the work of a young mind.

It was then the man realised this was the blasted christmas present Severus has been trying so desperately to hide from him. It still left him in shock how someone could make a gift especially for him. He, a selfish man striving to achieve only his own interests, he a fucking disgusting monster-

With a sigh, he put the present back in the closet and closed the door before leaving the bedroom. Severus, obvious on what just happened, kept on slumbering. That night, Marvolo had difficulty sleeping and was just most thankful that the next morning was Christmas and everyone could just sleep in, if they wanted to.

Marvolo woke up around eight, his body already too used to early risings to allow him to have much of a sleep in. He sipped on a cup of coffee by the fireplace as his mind went back to what he found last night. He came to a very real realisation: No matter how much he tried, he would never be prepared for fatherhood. If he was shocked to find his son trying to give him a gift, then how would he react to other things which would happen further down the line.

He, the boy abandoned by his family, half-blood who had no prospects or riches to speak for, the man named the ‘dark lord’ for his views and ideals, the politician who had to fight tooth and nail to crave his place in this world. He, who had to kill the young Tom Riddle searching for love and acceptance and rise as Marvolo Gaunt-Slytherin, heir to the Gaunt and Slytherin houses. Marvolo, the youngest minister of magic in wizarding British history. He, the half man, half demon who his son loved enough to make him a present.

Merlin, what a fucking mess.

“ Daddy? “

Marvolo looked over to the parlour’s entrance and saw Severus, who clearly had been sleeping just a minute ago, his hair standing in all directions, sleep still in the corner of his eyes and, in his hands, that present .

“ Good morning and merry Christmas, Severus “ His greeting was automatic but it did make Severus smile regardless. The boy calmly made his way to the other chair, positioned in front of Marvolo’s own.

“ Merry Christmas, daddy. I have a present for you “

I know , Marvolo wanted to say. I know and I don't deserve it. Please don’t do this, you need a better father, you n-

“ Oh? And what might it be? “

Severus did his best to extend the box towards his father, who easily reached over and grabbed it from the boy’s hold. He looked up at his son, seeing his smile growing tenfold in excitement, and gulped before beginning to carefully open it with the precision of a surgeon.

Inside there was a small paper and it was the first thing Marvolo saw, he took it out and read it, aware of an anxious gaze fixed onto his face, awaiting some sort of reaction.

‘ Mery Christmas, daddy! I made you this scarfe but Lanna helped beceuse it need magic and I stil cant do magic well. I hope you like it, daddy!

Lots of love from Severus!! ‘

It was written in bright red, with obvious grammatical mistakes and somehow some letters looked bigger than others, yet it still made Marvolo’s heart beat fast, his throat tighten and he could barely gulp, and heat to come up to his face. He was even sure his vision had turned a bit blurry but he managed to get his emotions under control, a big help of occlumency. He refused to have whatever sort of mental breakdown this was and arranged it for later, right now he still had to see the actual present itself.

And what a present it was. What could only be described as a long scarf in dusky emerald green, some stitches appeared larger and wider than others, the work of two different tailors, a beginner and an expert. However, it wasn’t just a one colour piece. Oh no, it had a shimmering silver snake moving on it but each end of the snake had a head, two sharply long fangs ready to strike from each mouth and glowing, ruby eyes staring into your soul.

It could have appeared fearsome, if this two headed reptile didn’t have black, crow-like wings around it and that wasn't even the end of the strangeness of the creature. This soul was blessed, or cursed , with four lion front legs and instead of two simple nostrils, like most snakes have, both faces had mammal noses.

An interesting animal indeed.

“ Do you like it, daddy? “ Marvolo looked up into watery indigo orbs. Severus looked seconds away from crying his heart out and Marvolo couldn’t let that happen. Taking a second look at the scarf, he sighed.

It was ugly, extraordinarily horrendous , but it was his . Severus had specifically made it for him, even requesting the help of their old and grumpy elf to make this astordicy move and to make some of the stitches herself. The wool, while incredibly soft and tender to the skin, had strange lumps in certain parts. He had kept it hidden for, at least, two weeks, so he could make it to the gift-giving day and present it to his father, in hopes it was to his liking.

“ I love it. Thank you, son “ and he meant it. That was the oddest thing in all of this. Old Marvolo would have told the boy his creation was below average, regardless if it made him cry or not. However, the truth of the matter was that, while yes, the clothing was to his dislike, it had been made with love and time and Marvolo regarded all that above anything else.

This ugly scarf had just become his greatest possession and Severus probably had no idea about it.

The boy beamed, immediately getting off his seat and lunching at his father, tackling the older one in a warm, tight hug. Marvolo gave a silent chuckle, being careful to put the box with the scarf and paper inside aside before wrapping his arms around Severus and bringing him closer.

“ You’re gonna wear it, right, daddy? “

Marvolo opened and closed his mouth, trying to form an answer but Severus just continued talking, like he didn’t just leave his father in quite a predicament.

“ I tried to do it on my own at first but it was too hard, so I asked Lenna for help! I wanted to have the snake of our house but just a snake is too boring! So, Lenna suggested adding the other Hogwarts’s houses too but there wasn’t enough space anymore! “ He took a breath, moving to sit comfortably on the man’s lap, yet Marvolo couldn’t find it in him to interrupt his rambling. “ That’s when I thought about adding parts of the animals to our snake and now it looks really cool! Don’t you think so, daddy?”

Marvolo gave the scarf one more glance before nodding. “ Yes, it was quite the genius idea, if I do say so myself. You seem to have developed a talent in the arts “ A talent that needs lots of work but a beginning was a beginning, it couldn’t always be beautifully perfect right away.

“ You’ll wear it? “

Looking at those big blue eyes, Marvolo would first destroy himself before denying this simple request.

“ When we go out, I will “

And Severus' smile somehow grew bigger.

They had breakfast right there, a full English breakfast for each of them. They had a hearty meal and a full belly, during which Severus found himself responsible to teach Marvolo all the advantages of wearing a scarf. Marvolo saw right through him but let the boy be, finding it amusing his attempt at getting the man to wear his piece all the time. Afterwards, they move to stand beside their own christmas tree. It wasn’t anything special, Marvolo let the elves decorate it as they desired but ever since Severus appeared and then began walking, the boy had insisted on helping out.

Their tree wasn’t magical, the only magic in it was a preservation charm to keep it fresh and healthy as the day it was cut down. It had a few velvet and forest green tinsels and white plastic balls and, on top, a golden start. Below it were mountains of presents, most to Severus with just a few towards Marvolo. They spent a good half an hour just on opening gifts and with each one, Severus' happiness grew.

The boy got all sorts of presents. Animal figurines that moved as if they were alive, books on herbology and magical creatures, clothes that cost rivers of galleons with adjustment and temperature charms stitched in them, practice wands especially made for young children, new writing equipment with a quill made from a phoenix feather, the latest flying broomstick model and even a new children’s potion kit.

Meanwhile, Marvolo got the standard wrist watch or pocket watch, new robes, shoes, a piece of jewellery here and there and a couple of books that were very illegal to have. Nothing brilliant and worth taking the number one spot of the best gift he had ever received, the damn scarf .

They went to get ready after, they had to go meet both the Blacks and Malfoys at Alphard’s summer home. It was just the main branches and had a spacious garden for the children to freely play in. Just before they left, Marvolo put on the scarf and it was as uncomfortable as it looked, even with the natural softness of the green wool. Severus proudly smiled at him, moving closer to Marvolo before the older man apparated them away.

The first thing his friends did to him when they first saw him was laugh at his face, tears in the corner of their eyes and huge grins on their faces.

“ What the bloody hell are you wearing? “ Alphard had demanded to know, holding his belly and cheeks a vibrant red from all his laughter. Marvolo raised a brow, a vein throbbing in growing anger but before he could answer, Severus beat him to it.

“ I made it, uncle Alphard “ His smile from before was gone, replaced by a trembling one. His eyes, much like earlier, were filled with tears. The poor child looked like a kicked puppy. “ You don’t like it? “

Marvolo had to witness Alphard, Orion and Abraxas reassure the boy that they didn’t mean it like that. Oh , how they loved it and found it so beautiful and unique. How jealous they were of their boss for having such a piece of clothing. The conversation ended with Severus smiling once again and promising the three men he would be making them all scarfs as well, before he went to go play with his friends.

Marvolo snickered at the miserable souls, now fated to wear such a fashion piece in the future. He left them to their shame and went to greet the rest of the guests. Unlike his friends, Lady Genevieve was much kinder in her words but something she said stuck to him.

“ What a lovely scarf you have, Lord Slytherin “

Marvolo reached over to said object and gently caressed it.

“ Thank you, Lady Malfoy. My son made it for me “

The woman’s smile turned warmer, gentler from the normal, pureblood trained one.

“ My sister once did the same for me but instead of a snake, it was a couple of red pandas “

Marvolo hummed, naturally intrigued at the mention of someone he didn’t know but should. “ I don’t believe I ever met your sister, my lady “

Genevieve sighed but it was full of fondness, her gaze a bit distant.

“ She was five years older than us and went to Hufflepuff and then, after graduation, she went to Paris to study hippogriffs “ She suddenly chuckled, delicate fingers twisting the crystal glass filled with red wine. “ I guess it was a bit obvious which house she would be placed in Hogwarts. After that gift, nearly anything she gifted had an animal represented in it and puffs are known to be big animal lovers “

Marvolo pressed a lump of the scarf against his throat, the silver snake still thrashing around the green, and tried to hide his sharp smirk.

Severus Marvolo Gaunt-Slytherin a hufflepuff, what a mad thought .

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She had written to him weeks ago, requesting his assistance as one of the last descendants of Salazar Slytherin and one of the remaining few parseltongue speakers in the United Kingdom. She called herself Nagini, said she had been born with a blood curse that was taking more and more of her humanity away as the years passed and now she was at her limit. Not many could help her and nearly all would wish to kill her upon her last transformation.

Nagini wished to be allowed to live, even as a giant reptile.

Marvolo had made arrangements to go meet her near central London, in her apartment, under a disguise and during a rare two hour break in the middle of his work day. They already had exchanged a few letters and after signing a magically binding contract, the plan was for Marvolo to move her to one of his summer cottages in the countryside, while her possessions would be passed under his name. Their contract wouldn’t allow for either of them to attack the other, with the addition of Nagini also never causing harm to his son.

The meeting was quick, Nagini looking more like a reptile human hybrid than either fully human or fully snake but it was obvious she was still somewhat human by her stubbornness to keep on living. He had apparated them to the cottage, it had a large greenhouse in which Nagini could wander around freely. Her possessions were already in the basement and Marvolo had plans to sell the apartment in a few weeks but for now, the woman would stay there getting used to her new surroundings.

The two weeks that followed exhausted Marvolo, for he had to take multiple ‘breaks’ during the middle of his work and even leave his house various times at night to check on Nagini and keep her fed, hydrated and comfortable. He would have left the job for an elf but the maledictus had already tried to eat one and he would rather avoid that.

Nagini had already undergone her last transformation, only four days into her new home, now forever forced to live the rest of her days as a venomous, large cold-blooded killer. She had taken to exploring each corner of the cottage and the gardens and Marvolo tried to keep her company to the best of his abilities, talking to her and keeping her calm and relaxed. However, now came the moment of truth.

The reality was that he didn’t plan for Nagini to keep living in the cottage. He didn’t have the time and energy to keep doing these trips back and forth multiple times a day. Instead, he planned to introduce her to his son and, if everything went well, Nagini would be a permanent residence of their manor.

Though, if something went wrong.

Well , Marvolo wasn't above making her disappear .

So here they stood now, Marvolo had apparated the two of them to his manor’s garden and told her to wait there, while he went to fetch Severus. He would never admit it but Marvolo was beyond nervous about this encounter. He had no idea if Severus even liked snakes, he knew the boy was proud of their house’s animal but having a live one that was triple your size was a very different thing.

“ Severus “

The five year old boy had been in the middle of enjoying a quick snack when his father appeared.

“ Yes, daddy? “

Marvolo sighed and thought for a moment if this was a good idea but quickly shook the thought out of his head.

“ There is someone I would like you to meet “

That made Severus curious. The child left his seat and rapidly cleaned his mouth before walking over to Marvolo.

“ Who is it? “

“ She is a… “ A deadly maledictus that can kill you with just a bite to your throat. “ …a friend of mine. Her name is Nagini “

“ Nagini? “ Severus tilted his head. “ I never heard of that name “

“ Well, she isn’t from around here “ Marvolo let out another sigh. “ Come, I want you to go greet her “ He offered his hand to the boy, who happily took it and the both of them made their way outside. With each step, Marvolo felt his heart beat faster and he, for the first time in a long time, prayed to whatever deity that everything would go well.

When they got outside, Marvolo stopped a few metres away from the snake, Severus forced to stop alongside him as the boy’s gaze was fixed at their guest. His eyes had widened and he was as still as a statue, he was understandably shocked to his core by what he was seeing.

“ Daddy? “ he whispered but Marvolo ignored him in order to speak with Nagini.

“ This is my son, the one I spoke to you about. I must remind you of our agreement “ Don’t hurt him or I’ll hurt you, simple to follow really. Severus’s gaze shifted from the snake to his father as he witnessed a parselmouth for the first time in his existence. Marvolo never spoke it before in Severus' presence, mostly because he never had a need to and was mostly freaking out on suddenly being a parent. Now, however, he wonders if Severus had even inherited his ability to speak with snakes.

Nagini’s yellow eyes glanced up at him for a moment before looking over to the smaller human beside him. “ Of course, I would never do anything to break our contract “

With one last sigh, Marvolo looked back at his son and nudged him forward with a hand on his shoulder. Severus had gone back to looking at Nagini but had made no effort to move from his place.

“ Go on, Severus. She won’t hurt you, you have my word “

The boy, smart as he was, didn’t trust his words one bit, if the unsure expression was anything to go by but he showed immense courage by following his father’s order, even when scared. His steps were small and calculated, as if waiting for Nagini to strike at any given moment, but soon enough he was standing beside the moving pile that was the reptile. He nervously extended his hand and Marvolo held his breath as he observed Nagini slowly move closer and rub her snout against Severus’s palm.

The tense moment that seemed to last for hours was soon distributed as Severus began giggling. Nagini had used her tongue to tickle the sensitive palm and continued so until her mouth was against the boy’s cheek. Marvolo let out his breath, now finally able to breath in peace and let a small smile grace his face.

Severus was still giggling, trying to move away from Nagini’s ticklish tongue but with no luck. Marvolo should have realised by this first meeting just how close Severus and Nagini would grow to be.

From that day on, anywhere the boy went, a twelve feet snake followed him like a second shadow.

Following their first meeting, the two of them would be as close as ever. Many times Marvolo would check up on Severus and the boy could be found in the library’s sofa with Nagini surrounding him. One would think the poor boy was being suffocated, if not for how he was gently reading to the animal and stroking her scales once in a while. While Nagini had no humanity left in her, with the help of Marvolo she understood that the boy was no harm to her and her little bit of consciousness would keep her at bay when around him.

They would play, eat and sleep together, they would even sunbath beside one another. However, they were prohibited from being together when Severus had his lessons. When Elliot had fainted at the sight of Nagini, Marvolo had to be the good role model and intervene. That’s when Nagini would go from following Severus, to following Marvolo around or go, on the rare occasion, sunbath in her greenhouse or by a window.

Nagini’s first meeting with his friends and allies was as much nerve-racking as it was amusing. The ladies screamed and tried to run away, the gentlemen gasped and went for their wands, Alphard managed to climb the piano with Sirius safely on his arms, Orion and Abaxas were both in front of their wives as human childs and the children were being made to stand behind their parents, some looking terrified and others, like Orion’s firstborn, looked intrigued by the animal.

The fainting only started when Severus began petting her, Marvolo had to contain his grin when Lady Druella Black was the first to drop to the ground. When everyone began calming down from both the efforts of him and Severus simultaneously and Nagini with moving further to one of the corners of the room, the questions began dropping onto the minister.

“ I can’t believe you got him a bloody snake for a pet “ Alphard murmured, still tightly holding his wand against his tight. No one beside Marvolo knew Nagini’s real identity and, as per Nagini’s request, he would keep it that way. So he came up with this excuse of wishing for Severus to be taught about responsibility and duty, in the form of a pet. Of course most would think of a normal house pet, a cat or dog perhaps but not an oversized, no legged lizard.

Severus was showing a few of the more brave children how Nagini’s ‘skin’ felt like and by children, Marvolo meant Sirius because all the others stood back and observed with caution. Marvolo knew Nagini wouldn’t do anything to them, he had told her so and he had a feeling the maledictus had a soft spot for children, as she let Severus do anything he pleased with her. Marvolo had even witnessed Severus sit on top of the snake and be carried away across the living room. It was like watching a pony with no legs slytherin around with a tiny boy on its back.

Very amusing and very strange .

“ To be able to be so at ease with such a creature “ Lady Walburga whispered, gripping her two layer, black pearl necklace with such strength, Marvolo was surprised it hadn't broken yet. “ Your boy is truly brave, Lord Slytherin “

“ He acts exactly like a gryffindor “ The voice of old Lord Pollux Black, Walburga’s father, came in like thunder, disrupting the last remnants of tension and causing almost every adult in the room to look towards him. The man was already half deaf and with a foot in his grave but once in a while, he would flare up and cause a bit of chaos for his own amusement.

“ F-Father! “ Walburga flushed, embarrassed by her own father’s accusation to Lord Slytherin’s heir, nonetheless. “ Heir Severus would never be a gryffindor, don’t say such things! “

“ But it’s true! He didn’t even think twice before grabbing that snake of his “ the man chuckled, petting his nicely trimmed, snow white beard. “ I might be proven wrong but he is brave at heart “ The man’s ghostly grey eyes went over to the circle of children and Marvolo did the same.

The old lord’s words stayed in his head as he watched Severus show Sirius, and a few more children he had somehow managed to convince to move closer, including Lucius and the Black sisters, how Nagini would let him ride on her back.

A serpent in a lion den, that would be quite a sight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Severus was six, Marvolo was forced to witness perhaps one of the most horrifying events any parent has ever seen.

Severus began losing his baby teeth.

The same teeth which he had spent weeks crying, screaming, wailing and making everyone around him miserable and unable to rest because if that boy was uncomfortable, then everyone was also gonna be. Now he was losing them, one by one, leaving a visible space as permanent ones began growing.

Experiencing the loss of teeth in youth was a completely different experience from observing it happen to another. The only other thing Marvolo could compare it to was those muggle horror films.

Severus had run downstairs one morning and Marvolo had been about to scold him about not running inside the house when a small, bloody tooth was shoved onto his face. Thankfully he had been mid sip and the mug was used as a shield. Unfortunately , that also meant he almost coughed out all his precious earl grey tea.

“ Daddy, daddy, look! My tooth fell! “ Severus' open smile showed a space on his top right side where his canine should be. Marvolo tried not to grimace but couldn’t help it when his son was still holding his newest possession right in front of him.

“ How…” Disgusting. “ …nice, Severus. Now go wash your remaining teeth, Mister Elliott should be arriving soon “

Severus’s smile grew bigger at the mention of his tutor, who has steadily grown to be called a dear friend by the young heir. “ I need to show him too, daddy! “ and he ran upstairs, ignoring the house rules of no running and his father’s nauseous look. Let Elliott deal with bleeding mouths and fallen teeth .

Later that day, when Marvolo arrived home from work, he was presented with a tiny purple box and two freshly washed, small teeth inside it. Marvolo had half a mind to stop himself from vanishing the teeth and box out of his sight. Severus closed it and jiggled it with a giggle.

“ Mister Elliot said his mother would keep his teeth like this and then at night put them under his pillow for the tooth fairy “ Oh Gods, not this muggle creature again . He never believed it, finding it rather ridiculous how one could keep sleeping when a magical creature touched their pillow and he was proven correct when he caught one of the sisters taking his tooth out and replacing it with a dirty coin. The other orphans stupidly believed it and his son seemed to enjoy it, as well. “ She trades the teeth for coins. It's so cool! I can't wait for tonight “

Well, it seemed it's time for that important phase in fatherhood, when one had to have difficult conversations with their child. Marvolo would have expected the first one to be about the birds and the bees but explaining how the tooth fairy was not real was relatively much easier. Yet, when he was about to open his mouth and destroy his son’s hopes of teeth thief fairies, Nagini, who was, as usual, beside the boy when he arrived home, lifted her head upwards until she was at the same height as Severus and gave the older man a certain look .

One that read: Do that and you might get bitten . Marvolo wasn't feeling like being attacked by a venomous snake after such a tiring day, so he did what he does best.

He lied.

“ Then go put your box upstairs in your room or you won't be getting any money, and wash your hands “ Severus pressed himself to Marvolo’s side in a quick hug before making his way to his bedroom. Marvolo closed his eyes and sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose as he thought on how the hell he was going to get those damn teeth and place the coins under his pillow, without Severus knowing.

He opened his eyes and looked to his side, feeling the pressure of a gaze. Nagini still stood in the same spot, deadly yellow eyes looking through his soul to the point of causing a shudder to run through Marvolo.

“ I’m not telling him, you can relax! “ He sighed in frustration. Nagini flickered her tongue but kept on looking. Marvolo narrowed his eyes at her before calling forward an elf.

“ Did you call for Peony, master sir? “

“ Yes, yes. Here “ he placed two galleons on the elf’s small, bony hands with an irritated grunt. He can't believe he is getting intimidated by a fucking lizard . “ When Severus is asleep, exchange his teeth with these. They should be under his pillow, use magic if you have to “

“ But what should Peony do with the teeth, master? “

Right, he didn’t think about that detail.

“ Just put it on my desk “ Whatever, he could figure out later how to get rid of those teeth. The elf nodded and apparated away.

Marvolo just turned to look at the maledictus, still annoyed.

“ Happy now? “

His answer came in the form of another tongue flick before she made her way upstairs and to the young boy.

The next day, Marvolo was for the first time in a long time, awoken by someone else. Severus had jumped to his bed, looking eccentric and with two golden coins on his hand. Marvolo didn’t even get mad by the intrusion of his privacy, his son’s radiating happiness enough to subdue his annoyance.

“ She came, daddy! Look! “ Marvolo might have been too hasty giving the elf two galleons . He should have just given her two sickles but it was already too late. He gently manoeuvred the boy to lay on his side, making room for Severus’s head to also lay on his pillow. Marvolo also didn’t comment on a cold blooded animal getting under the sheets and wrapping herself around his heir’s legs, only her head peeking through.

“ I see, you mustn’t lose them, alright? They’re a gift from the tooth fairy “ Marvolo would later and much more calmly explain to his son the true value of money and how it worked in their society. Capitalism and economics were not morning conversation topics.

Severus nodded but suddenly went eerily quiet, his eyes gazing down at Nagini’s before looking back up at him.

“ Daddy “

Marvolo hummed, having already closed his eyes and waiting to go back to sleep. He still had an hour before he was supposed to wake up and get his morning started. He couldn’t understand how Severus, a young child, could be so jolly waking up so early in the morning. Mayhaps that would change when he got older and went to Hogwarts.

“ You don’t think Nagini ate the tooth fairy, do you? “

Lord Slytherin’s laugh was heard through the door of his bedroom, scaring a few elves who were just passing by.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Things couldn’t go well for very long.

It was a truth Marvolo had accepted long ago, during his years at Hogwarts. When he thought he had gotten away from a life of fearing when a bomb would drop on his head, he was forced to face the pressure of climbing the social ladder that was the snake pit. He, a poor half-blood who hadn’t known who his mother and father were, had to make a name for himself when everyone else was trying to put him down.

He had gone through it all. Humiliation, bullying, hatred and he had come out on top. Yet, as he was still there in the halls of St.Mungos, he felt like the most useless scum of the earth. He could do nothing to help the seven year old boy in the room in front of him. The healers had prohibited him to stay when he had threatened to annihilate one of the nurses for being too slow in aiding the boy. Marvolo bet that his reputation as a fearsome politician and his role as minister of magic were the only things to prevent them from calling the aurors to ‘escort’ him out of hospital grounds.

It was the beginning of summer, Marvolo had been in his office going through a pile of paperwork and Severus had been in the basement. He had recently taken quite an interest in his children's potion kit he had received two years ago but now that he had more maturity to handle it, he had been experimenting with it. Yesterday he had successfully brewed a sleeping draught and had been quite proud and feeling motivated to correctly brew other, more complex, potions.

Orion had commented one afternoon, when he had brought Sirius and Regulus over for some play date. Severus had been gathering ‘potion ingredients’ in the gardens, mostly poppy flowers and some growing moss. Sirius had been in charge of finding some bugs and Regulus, his loyal squire, was helping his big brother with his task. Marvolo had already skimmed through the children’s potions book as a safety precaution and hadn’t found a single one requiring live bugs but if this was Severus’s ‘mad scientist’ side developing, then so be it.

“ The Princes are highly respected potion prodigies “ Marvolo had been about to sip on his tea but froze at his friend’s words. They had moved their conversation to the sunroom in order to keep an eye on the children. “ Lord Prince was even a sponsor for various well-known potion masters. Last I heard, his newest interest was a young man by the name of Damocles Belby and his werewolf potion “

“ I could care less what Antonius Prince is doing in his italian hidey-hole “ With a chilling calmness, he set down his tea and turned to fully look at Orion in his grey orbs. “ What do you really wish to tell me, Orion? “

The man in question sighed and put his own tea down. “ There has been rumours that the Prince family is coming back to Britain “

The Princes had moved to Italy three months after Eileen’s disappearance, when it had become obvious from private investigations and the auror’s search, that the woman had left the british wizarding world of her own volition. The pureblood society is brutal and merciless and the Princes had to hear every sort of vile thing thrown at them. Apparently many found it ridiculous how such a noble house could just let their daughter run so freely.

They had sold a bunch of their unused patches of land and bought a mansion in the south of Italy where their heir was currently studying. They stated they wanted to have the family united in these trying times but everyone knew it was an attempt at salvaging the bits left of their reputation and running away from the harsh gazes of the pureblood elite.

“ Rumours or concrete evidence? “

“ They acquired a three-storey house near Manchester and another near Dublin “

Right, so they were coming back .

“ Well, it has been seven years. Hopefully by now they’ll have a much easier time here “

“ You know that’s not why I spoke of them, Marvolo “ Orion gave him a pointed look, appearing three times older than he was. “ If Lord Prince catches word of Severus’s true parent- “

“ He won’t. I have made sure those who know, won’t be opening their mouths about it and I trust my friends enough to know they won’t tell a single soul “

“ We would never betray your trust, Marvolo but you must understand that not everyone easily believes your story “

He knew .

Lady Druella had been a prime example. Even years later, the woman still made comments on how they have yet to see a picture of Severus’s mother and if the woman had truly been a pureblood or if she had been a mudblood whore. Marvolo tried his best to protect his son from these conversations but he could do nothing about the public in general. Years as the minister of magic have taught him that people wished to believe what they wanted to believe.

If the truth of who Severus’s mother came into light, it not only would ruin all the hard work Marvolo had done and would force him to resign from his position but it would also destroy his son’s life. Severus would forever be known as a product of a drunk night and a babe unwanted by his own mother. Not only that, the Princes had a very good chance of being able to get his full custody.

Marvolo might be of the Slytherin line and have a high ranking position but the Princes were from a distant line of Helga Hufflepuff, notorious rich and with generations and generations of pure blood and powerful life-long allies backing them up. They even had a large number of ‘friends’ because of their usual potion sponsorship, and those people would back them up without a doubt if it meant keeping the flow of money coming for their experiments.

“ I know, I understand what could happen, Orion “ Marvolo is more than aware and it is terrifying. He had hoped he could deal with one issue at the time but now another had appeared, one more urgent and nerve-wracking.

The peace of that summer morning had been interrupted when a hissing, very agitated Nagini had bragged into his office trying to get his immediate attention, for which it worked. Her words, even now that everything had calmed down and he was just waiting to receive news about Severus, still sent chills all over his body.

“ The boy is hurt, the boy! Help! In the basement! “

Marvolo had never run as fast as during that moment, he nearly fell head first downstairs if it wasn’t for the help of Timmy’s magic. When he reached the basement, Nagini trailing fast behind him, he came face to face with his son laying on his side on the cold floor, eyes semi closed, lips light blue and wheezing as if simply breathing took great strength. He had tears in the corner of his eyes, the boy looking a sickly pale but he managed to call out to Marvolo.

“ D-Daddy “ he had whispered and Marvolo felt in that moment his whole world shattering underneath him.

He didn’t remember much afterwards, mostly the details. He knows he had yelled multiple times, an elf apparated to St.Mungos, another to open the floo connection with the hospital. Nagini had been heard in the background still hissing and looking ready to kill at any second. Marvolo went to pick up his son, rubbing his back and trying to get him to breathe as he made his way upstairs and to the floo near the entrance.

When they got to St.Mungos, healers and nurses flocked around the father and son. One took Severus out of his arms and Marvolo had to stop himself from hexing the person. Now half an hour had already passed and no healer had been able to tell him much, just that he’s stable and recovering for now.

Severus is alive but for how long?

“ Marvolo? “

Said man looked up and was surprised to see Lord Malfoy standing in the middle of the corridor, looking in need of three days of sleep and an untrimmed beard.

“ Abraxas? I didn’t know you were here “ Marvolo went to stand up but his friend’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. Instead, Abraxas sat down beside the worried father. “ What happened? Everything okay? “

Abraxas hummed, silently looking down at his hands. Marvolo had the weird feeling that he wasn’t really looking at his best friend, one of his right hand men who had aided him in gaining a reputation and popularity, that had helped make the man he was today. One of the few he could fully, blindly trust with his deepest secrets. No, who he was seeing now was a shadow of that man, a ghost wandering around lost and without a purpose. A simple shell of Abraxas Malfoy.

“ It’s Genevieve, she- “ He made a sound close to a sob but forced himself to calm down first before continuing. If Marvolo thought today couldn’t go any worse, the universe would always be there to prove him wrong. “ she suddenly collapsed. She has been a bit sick but we never imagined it was to the point of- “ Abraxas stopped himself from uttering another word.

“ Abraxas, “ Lord Slytherin whispered, as if afraid of speaking himself. “ What does she have? “

And that was when the man, who he met since his first year at Hogwarts and rapidly befriended, looked at him with a sadness similar to a grieving man.

“ They can’t cure her “ And wasn’t that disheartening, completely killing any sense of hope. “ Genevieve was always- she was always a bit weaker , a bit more sensitive to simple illnesses “ Marvolo remembered, it had been the reason why she had such difficulty carrying to full term. Lucius had been their little miracle and even after he was born, they tried a couple more times but soon accepted the fact Lucius would be their only child.

“ Her body, for some bloody motive, started attacking her magic core and- “ He let out a shaky sigh. “ and her magic reacted back and started to attack the body. Her whole system is killing itself and they have no idea how to solve it “ Marvolo recalled, when he was still in the orphanage, he had a routine of going to the local library and picking the first book that he found. That day had been an old medicine student's book and it talked about how, sometimes, the body suddenly recognised parts of itself and began attacking it, thinking it was a virus. He wonders if it was the same thing that’s happening to Abraxas’s wife.

“ They said they can try a couple of potions and even contact some international healers, to see who else heard of this but her core is already so weak and- “ Another sigh, this time his hands were trembling as well. “ They don’t even know if she can survive treatment, if there is any. If only I insisted she go to a healer sooner, if- “

“ No “ Marvolo gripped the man’s arm as if he was afraid that if he let go, the other would disintegrate into nothingness right in front of him. “ Whatever you are thinking right now, stop it. This isn’t your fault and like you said, they don’t know if there even exists a treatment. You just have to listen to the healers and be there for your family, don’t worry about nothing else “

Marvolo wasn’t good with emotions, he always tried to put logic and realism into his feelings and process them from there. Furthermore , he wasn’t the best at dealing with emotional people, which had proven to be hellish when he became head boy back at Hogwarts. Though, one thing he did know he did well was leading people and that he did. He led Abraxas on what to focus on right now, rather than thinking about impossible scenarios and ‘what if’s.

“ I’ll see through my contacts and try to find someone who might be able to help. Perhaps some hermit scholar has been searching the very topic for years and could be of great help “ The man had helped him endlessly, the least Marvolo could do was pay back in the best way he could. That and the Malfoy couple were dear friends of his, it would go against his very nature to leave them alone in their misery right now.

“ Thank you, Marvolo “ Abraxas gave him a tired smile that didn’t really reach his eyes but Marvolo counted it as a win. A long stretch of silence befell onto the two anxious men, though none did anything to change it until, at last, Abraxas spoke once more. “ I didn’t ask but may I know what you’re doing here? “

Now was Marvolo's turn to look like he just received the news of somebody’s death. His son was still alive in the other room but he hated that it was all he knew for now. He has seen a few healers and a couple of nurses entering and exiting the room but none have yet to properly speak to him about what is happening and he feels his last strings of patience about to snap.

“ Severus, he, uh, also collapsed “ If Abraxas wasn’t alarmed before, he sure was now. “ They haven’t told me much, besides he’s stable “ Abraxas frowned and murmured an unkind word or two about healers and their lack of understanding when a small, petite young girl with a green healer uniform walked up to the pair.

“ Mister Gaunt-Slytherin? “

Marvolo quickly got up, causing the woman to jump slightly in reaction to his rapid movement. Abraxas also got up but slower.

“ Yes? “

“ Uhm, your son is awake and wishes to see you. Healer McHugh is in the room with him at the moment and she’ll be able to explain more about his condition “

“ Alright, thank you “ Marvolo nearly threw her aside, in order to reach for the room’s door. However, he did stop when he remembered he wasn’t alone anymore. He turned back to look at his old friend. “ Abrax- “

The man didn’t let him finish.

“ Go, Marvolo. Your son needs you, we’ll talk later “ and with a nod between them, Marvolo stepped inside the cold, hospital room.

He didn’t know what he had been expecting. Perhaps to still see his smiling boy, all worry-free and full of laughter but what he was faced with was much more different. Inside was Severus, looking like a sickly boy, his skin pale as he clutched the hospital bed’s sheets. His left eye was bandaged but his visible one never stopped staring at Marvolo in fright. From his chest, a soft baby-blue light was emitting, which Marvolo assumed it to be a spell from the healers, wixen mostly used potions and spells, instead of pills and machines to treat their sick.

He was in a hospital gown, two sizes bigger than him and looking like it was swallowing him. He looked so small, just like he had been as a crying babe in his arms, alarmed by the outside world and the horrors it held. Marvolo just wanted to go and pick him up and assure him everything would be alright.

“ Severus “ Marvolo immediately ran to his son’s side, he grasped the boy’s hand like it was his last lifeline. Only a soft hiss from Severus made him ease in his hold. “ How are you feeling? “

“ Tired, daddy “ he whined helplessly. It was in these moments Marvolo was reminded that Severus was just seven years old, a small, innocent soul who relied on him to survive. No matter how maturely Severus at times acted, he was just a boy and he was scared . “ I don’t know what happened, daddy! I was just trying to brew a more simple sleeping dra- “ A strong cough escaped the boy, interrupting his speech and shocking Marvolo for a split second.

“ Mister Gaunt-Slytherin? “ A new voice interrupted, this one from an older woman. Marvolo looked to the other side of the room and there, in a blueish uniform stood a woman in her mid forties. Her blonde hair in a low ponytail allowed her aged hazel eyes to show. In her hands, there was a small folder. Beside her, though, was another woman he hadn’t seen in a while. Alexandra, Severus’s personal healer, and a worried expression.

This wasn’t good.

“ Give me five minutes, I’ll just go speak with the healer and then I’ll be right back “ Severus looked unsure but nodded anyway. Pollux Black was right, his boy was brave, too brave . He didn’t wish for Severus to think that he should make himself look strong when it was also perfectly fine to be scared.

Even Marvolo got scared, he sure was terrified right now.

He made his way over to the two women and with a quick flick of, who he assumed to be healer McHugh, they were engulfed in a silencing charm. Marvolo arched a brow at the two witches. McHugh didn’t react but Alexandra had the decency to give him a sad smile.

“ Just so he doesn’t hear us, it’ll be quick, Lord Slytherin “

Marvolo sighed and prepared both his head and heart for what he was about to hear.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Severus was blind.

He had an asthma attack and the blood flow had grown weaker and he had been suffocating. His magic, still so unpredictable and untrained, must have tried to find a solution and in the middle of it all, Severus lost an eye. Whatever potion he was doing in the basement had triggered the asthma, which had remained dormant, possibly for years, and now Severus had gained a lung disease and lost an eye.

Potion prodigies , Orion had said. They can all fuck off. Their genius had cost his son to live life through just one eye. Alexandra and McHugh had told him they could try potion treatment and even look through certain spells but, most likely than not, Severus’s right eye would remain dead to the world.

Severus would stay in St.Mungos for a week for vigilance, in case he had another asthma attack. He would also be under new medication and it would be adjusted as he aged. A new vital to be taken thrice every week and he would be taught specific breathing exercises which could aid him when he felt another attack growing near or was going through one.

For the blindness, Severus had taken it with utter ease. Not really finding it much of a big deal , as long as he still had the possibility to see anyways, even with just an eye. However, Alexandra had to pull Marvolo aside and warned him about getting Severus to slowly re-learn his surroundings when at home and to be careful of corners and stairs. For a moment Marvolo recalled when Severus jumped down the stairs to his arms and he quickly assured the healer he would do everything in his power to make Severus as comfortable as ever.

During his week stay at the hospital, Severus had various guests. Abraxas and his son, Lucius, who had just come home from his first year at Hogwarts and had a long list of stories about it all to keep the young, recovering boy entertained. Meanwhile, Abraxas was glad that this brought a momentarily distraction to his heir from the fact his mother was dying.

Genevieve, when Marvolo had gone to visit the first time, was as white as a ghost. Her hair, a vibrant, sunflower-yellow tone was now closer to a silver tone and she, while naturally thin, had grown worriedly skinny. Still, she gave him a warm smile when she saw him and assured him that this was nothing to worry about, that she would be back on her feet in no time.

Marvolo didn’t dare say anything but everyone knew it was a foolish lie.

Mavolo had found three reliable contacts, two from Russia and one from France. One of the Russians had written and disappointedly told them what the healers already said. There was no cure but she could brew some potions to ease the effects and slow the process. Both Abraxas and Genevieve had immediately refused. The other had come to visit shortly after they sent him a letter but after an hour of examination and questioning, had all but told them the same thing with a pity in his eyes.

The french wizard had also come for a visit and after going through the doctor’s diagnosis and medical folder of Lady Malfoy, had proposed the idea of cutting off all connections between the body and her magical core. However, it was very risky, as she was already very weak and, if this small chance of being successful worked, Lady Genevieve would live the remainder of her life as a squib.

They both refused.

So Marvolo got Severus to visit the woman, hoping to make her happy, even if just for a moment. Severus had to walk daily around the hospital, so to get used to moving with just one eye. It was a bit tough in the beginning, he would go against chairs and tables that seemed to be purposely just on his left side, but the boy remained with the patience of a saint and kept on trying.

Although, he didn’t comment when Marvolo had destroyed one of the chairs from daring to be in his son’s path.

In addition to their visits to Lady Genevieve, Orion, Walburga and Alphard frequently showed up to visit both of them and they brought along Sirius and little Regulus. Alphard called them the three musketeers, they would cause mischief all throughout the hospital. They scared exhausted nurses and healers, performed circus shows to patients and, when bored enough, aided the secretaries with paperwork and visitors. Marvolo didn’t have the heart to tell them to stop, everyone ended up smiling at their antics and Severus was having so much fun. After such an awful event, Marvolo could, at the very least, allow him this much.

When his week had come to an end, they had gone to see Genevieve one last time with the promise of visiting her again soon. The weakened woman had laughed and hugged the child tightly. Marvolo hadn’t said a word about Genevieve’s condition to Severus but Marvolo had a feeling the boy understood that something wasn’t quite right. He was extra gentle and caring with her and their hugs would last a few seconds longer.

During the week Severus had been hospitalised, Marvolo had taken a week off from work which had gathered the attention of the news reports, for which he dutifully ignored for now. A problem for another time . He had only left the hospital to shower and feed Nagini and make sure she was okay. Only for the utmost essential reasons would he leave the hospital and sleep wasn’t one of them, the hospital’s sofas were enough of a substitute for a bed.

At home, the maledictus had been a ball of anxiety ever since Severus had been taken to St.Mungos and Marvolo’s brief explanation of Severus’s condition hadn’t been enough to calm her down. This meant that when they finally arrived home, Nagini had become extra clingy to the boy.

If Severus took just a step, Nagini would follow without question. When he had to take his medical potions, she would make sure he drank every single one of them. When Severus was eating, she observed him like he was an animal in the zoo. She tried to get inside the bathroom when he was using the loo or bathing, fearing for his life and she had even refused to step aside when Mister Elliott had come back for them to resume Severus’s classes.

Marvolo didn’t intervene, no matter how much Severus whined that, while he appreciated her company and loved her very much, she was turning, as he stated, annoying . If Nagini continued to keep a close eye on the boy, it meant that she could easily warn him if something happened to Severus or he had one of his attacks. So, yes, while he understood his son's point of view, he much preferred someone kept an eye on him, rather than Severus being alone and at risk.

One thing Severus didn’t enjoy was that he was now prohibited from playing with his potion kit for a year. The healer had warned him about the potion fumes and even some potion ingredients could cause him to have an asthma attack and until Marvolo found a solution for that, Severus would be kept far away from the kit, no matter how many tantrums, which he was subsequently grounded for, the boy threw.

No, Marvolo would take no chances right now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Life was stable for a while.

After their initial scare, Severus just ended up having another, much subtle, asthma attack which one of his assignment medical potions took care of. Marvolo had ordered, by the time summer ended, a small, silver earring which would alert Marvolo and tell him the location of the boy, when he had an asthma attack. He planned to modify it when Severus went to Hogwarts, so that the school healer would be alerted, as well, but for now it would work.

This meant that Severus had to pierce his ears and the boy had been absolutely mortified to do it. Getting blind? No biggy . Having such a strong asthma attack that he had to be hospitalised? Things that happen in life . Getting holes in your ears? Absolutely not . It got to the point he had to promise Severus that, if he got his ears pierced, Marvolo would too and then, his very loyal friend, Sirius had promised the same. Only when Orion’s heir said so, did Severus finally agree to do it.

Severus didn’t even feel a thing, didn’t shed a single tear and Sirius, who was shaking in fear, tried his best not to scream when it was his turn. Marvolo didn’t bat an eye when he, as the final one, got his own ears pierced and, at the end of the day, he got the two children ice cream as celebration for being oh so courageous .

Severus has also adapted well to life with just one eye, much to Marvolo’s relief. Though he still had the occasional bump against a wall or a table. He wouldn’t care much about those accidents but Marvolo would either shrink the object slightly or move it a bit to the side, so there wouldn’t be a repeat.

Life had moved on into a new normal but that didn’t mean the dark clouds weren’t approaching, promising a rough storm.

Their storm came three months after Severus’s eight birthday, a private event in which close friends and a few distant ones that had children, who could form new friendships with his boy, had been invited. Marvolo had planned his eight birthday to be more similar to his first, a more public event but after what happened still so fresh in Marvolo’s mind, the father opted to leave it for the next birthday.

The main branch of the Black house had come with their two sons and the three Black sisters, the Averys with their three sons, Rosiers with their son and daughter, Senior Crouch and Junior Crouch. Even the Carrows, who were notorious for refusing any invite, had shown up with their twins.

Their most important guests, however, were the Malfoys and Lady Genevieve had managed to gather a bit of her strength to come and congratulate the birthday boy. Severus had been delighted and beaming with joy and had even promised to share his presents with the woman. Genevieve smiled with such ease for which neither Marvolo or Abraxas had seen in a while. Marvolo would be forever grateful they had managed to give her such a happy day.

Three months later, Lady Malfoy passed away at home surrounded by her family.

A month ago she had moved back to her house, she had confessed that she didn’t wish to die in a hospital but at the comfort of her own home and Abraxas didn’t have the heart to deny his wife. Lucius had been granted two weeks leave from Hogwarts a week before his mother passed away, seeing as her condition was deteriorating rapidly.

Now here they were, getting ready for the funeral. Today had begun with drops of rain and it didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon, not a heavy storm but insistent and uncomfortable. A reflection of the current mood everyone was feeling. Marvolo ignored it in order to focus on Severus and adjusting his black suit and robes. Marvolo had told his son the truth, no use hitting around the bush like some parents did, life was hard and came at you without a warning, much like death. Lady Malfoy was dead and there was nothing any of them could do to change it.

“ Dad? “ Severus hadn’t been calling him ‘daddy’ for a while now. When, one day, he had gathered the courage to ask his son why. Feeling so embarrassingly stupid for asking such a thing. The child had just shrugged and tilted his head slightly to the side. 

“ It just came out and you didn’t seem too bothered by it, so I thought it was fine “ And to add to it. “ And I’m also no longer a little baby! Lucius doesn’t call his dad ‘daddy’ anymore and I want to be a big boy like him! “

Secretly, Marvolo had hoped Severus would keep calling him like that. He didn’t wish to think of his son growing up so fast, which he had been doing, right in front of his very eyes. Marvolo still remembered when he had first laid eyes on him, a wailing babe on an old basket. Now here he stood, a proud heir who let nothing stopped him from continuing living his life.

“ Yes? “ Marvolo used a quick spell to keep Severus’s clothes dried and another spell to keep him warm. He read that rain sometimes could trigger attacks and he wanted to avoid that with Severus.

“ Aunt Gene is dead “

Marvolo looked at his midnight eyes for a second, not sure if Severus was going to question the meaning of death. Maybe he should warn Elliott to approach the topic in their next lesson .

“ Yes, that’s true “

Severus looked thoughtful for a second, he fiddled with a loose lock of his hair.

“ Does that mean she’s where mom is? “

Right , Severus didn’t know the true identity of his mother.

For Severus, his mother was a pureblood witch from outside Great Britain, she and Marvolo had been in love and married in secret and when she fell pregnant with Severus, she also fell sick. She never recovered from her sickness and in giving him Severus, she lost her life.

The truth , however, was that Severus’s existence had been a drunken mistake. Marvolo and Eileen had never been in love, much less have regular socialisation. Severus had been abandoned at his front step like a rejected puppy and Marvolo had been forced to raise him.

What would be Severus' reaction if he learned the truth? Would he feel unloved, abandoned? Would he feel like a fraud, like the world had wronged him? Would he hate Marvolo for keeping it a secret?

No.

No matter what, Severus must never know the truth.

“ Yes, Lady Malfoy is keeping your mother company “ Words left his mouth with such ease, even Marvolo was astonished. The ease in which he lied to his heir, his one and only son, it should be sickening but it was a necessary evil. All in the hopes of protecting Severus, but a voice inside him added, or to protect you?

Severus smiled, a tiny one but a smile nonetheless. He looked ready to ask another question and Marvolo just thought that he rather they hurried up to the funeral, rather than answering innocent curiosity with more lies.

“ I hope they can be friends, wherever they are “

Geneveive would probably have a word or two to Eileen about responsibility and letting infants in front of people’s homes.

“ I’m sure they will “

And because Seerus had an undying thirst for knowledge, he kept on asking.

“ Dad? “

“ Yes? “

Please, Severus, enough. I can’t keep looking at you and lyi-

“ How was mom like? “

Merlin , may the Gods have mercy on him. Marvolo truly was the scum of the earth, a dark lord as the public enjoyed calling him. He was the worst of the worst. To lie to your child, at his friend’s mother’s funeral, and make him think that another woman was dead. When in reality, she was alive and well and possibly doing all sorts of things. Marvolo wanted to beat himself up and also write a letter to Eileen asking her ‘ How dare you?! How dare you do this to him?! ‘

But Eileen wasn’t the one lying to Severus.

Fuck , she probably would have told him the truth since day one and the mother and son would be living fuck knows where, while Marvolo would keep being his cold, selfish prick self and ruling the wizarding world with an iron fist.

“ Your mother was… “ Forgive me, Severus. Please, by Salazar’s name, please forgive me. “ …a beautiful woman “

Eileen wasn’t ugly but she wasn’t a rare beauty. Her features were sharp but aristocratic, generations of calculated breeding to show.

“ Very intelligent, one of the most brilliant witches I have ever known “

He found an old newspaper, a few days after his conversation with Orion, a twelve-year-old Eileen appeared on the front page of the Prophet with a small trophy in her hands. Who Marvolo assumed to be a younger version of her father stayed beside her, both their faces stoic and expressionless.

‘ Prince’s daughter a winner! ‘ It had read, Eileen had won some international potion competition. Marvolo couldn’t tell if she and her family were unhappy with the outcome or if this was how they normally posed for pictures. Either way, Marvolo put the newspaper away afterwards and thought if one of these days he would be in that exact same position but with Severus.

“ I was very fortunate to have met her “

She gave me you, she gave me a son I didn’t know I would come to care for.

On such a gloomy day, Severus looked as if he just received the best news on the planet. Marvolo despised that such raw cheerfulness was brought forward by Marvolo’s ability to easily deceive his loved ones. The boy’s eyes shone with a new found fire and so the questions kept coming.

“ And how did she look like? “

Druella Black’s comment on how Severus must look like his mother entered his head as fast as it left.

“ Mostly like you. Black hair, pale skin. She had a few moles and wasn’t overly tall “ Marvolo got up, finding Severus’s attire clean and properly nice for the funeral. “ Although her eyes were very dark, almost black “

“ Similar to mine? “

“ No “

No, those eyes are mine . All seeing blue, a vast river in which no one dares swim in, unless they wish to drown.

“ Your eyes are like mine, just a bit darker. That’s all “

They held each other's gazes, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. For the truth to be revealed, for their lives to change, for their relationship to forever be destroyed and rid of its existence. Marvolo was the first to look away, not being able to look into who was, essentially, a younger version of himself.

“ Let’s go, Severus “

Marvolo offered his hand and the boy firmly grabbed it. Marvolo had to assure himself that his son was still here. Still alive, still well, growing and living life to the best of his abilities. Their life would keep on going, Severus would still have his lessons, his daily walks, Nagini would still follow him like a puppy and Marvolo would be there.

Terrified and so proud .

Chapter Text

“ Are you sure you’ve packed everything? “

“ Yes, dad. There’s nothing missing “

“ But are you sure? It’s better to double check, just to be absolutely certain “

An exhausted sigh was his response. The eleven-year-old raven got up from his black-wooden desk to make his way to his father. He was all ready for bed, his nightly routine of brushing teeth, skin care and hair detangling already memorised and done and now all that was left was a well deserved rest.

Long gone were the days of failed attempts at persuading a playful five-year-old to brush his teeth before bed or getting a curious toddler to try to eat new vegetables and not spit them out at his first chance.

“ I’ve already checked five times! Everything’s there, you don’t need to worry! “

Easier said than done.

Marvolo has long forgotten what life used to be like, when he didn’t have a young one waiting for him at home. Now, that same little one was leaving him to go to a broadening school miles away. The manor would be cold and empty, the lingering ghost of a small child in its memories, who no one dared speak the name of. No more late nights watching a childish movie of Severus’s choosing during weekends, nor to the many playdates Walburga and the ladies had arranged for the children and no longer would little wandering feet find their way to his bedroom and under the covers, when nightmares invaded.

Nagini would lose her friend.

Marvolo would lose a piece of his soul.

Marvolo knew this day would come. Every wixen parent knew about this moment, they understood why this happened, with only a few opting to follow the homeschooling method for their own. Previously, Marvolo didn’t understand these exceptions to the rule but, now , he had been seriously entertaining the idea.

Severus had never been so long away from home, maybe it would be for the best if he didn’t go to Hogwarts at all.

They had only just gotten their life in order, it was cruel to have it all change again so soon.

After Lady Genevieve’s funeral, Severus resumed his tutoring lessons and healer appointments as scheduled. The boy still took his medical potion, thrice a week as Alexandra requested and because of it, his asthma had been kept at bay. Though, having your child nearly die did make any parent paranoid and Lord Slytherin was no expectation.

The elves had been assigned to clean the whole house four times a week, from top to bottom and to leave no object unturned, no speck of dust uncleaned . Severus was given an emergency vital which he carried everywhere he went and, for his utmost safety, he would never remove his charmed earring, no matter what . The heir was also to never be left alone, either Nagini, or an elf, or Marvolo himself would always keep an eye on him. Though this last rule, Marvolo had relaxed a bit by Severus' request after a year of the emergency hospital visit.

Six months after Severus’s hospitalisation, Marvolo gifted him a charmed mask. It was simple, a gentle shade of black and a light weight. Closer in resemblance to muggle smoke masks but would allow Severus the ability to safely work with potions without triggering his asthma. Marvolo still remembers how the boy’s whole face brightened up and he had only let his father go from his tight embrace to try on his brand new gift.

Marvolo still didn’t let him experiment with potions right away, afterall he did say that he couldn’t touch his potion kit for a year . Though, only two months after, because of Severus’s daily stubborn insistence , was the boy finally allowed to indulge with his hobby. The mask did its work perfectly but, until Marvolo was truly satisfied , someone would still be mandatorily present every time his son wished to explore the wonders of potion-making.

Other than staying at home under observation or being tutored, Severus still had his many playdates and, by Sirius’s influence and request, had begun to partake in many of those in the presence of the Potters. A pureblooded family with a century-old legacy in the business of potions. They had amassed quite the fortune over the years and, even while not being part of the sacred twenty-eight, were highly respected in wizard society.

They were related to the Blacks, through the marriage between Dorea Black and Charlus Potter, the current Lady and Lord Potter, and because Severus spent a lawfully long time with the Black family, the meeting between Severus Gaunt-Slytherin and James Potter, grandson of Lord Potter and second in line to the Potter lordship, was unavoidable .

The Blacks were loyal to Marvolo and his ideals, while the Potters were more in the grey area, staying away from any extremism. However, last Marvolo heard, Fleamont Potter, Charlus’s heir and James’s father, had publicly agreed on some of Albus’s absurd comments. Still, Sirius and James had formed a strong friendship despite their families’ contradicting political views.

In all truth, Marvolo could care less about anyone’s opinion of him but everytime he accompanied his son to one of the playdates where James Potter was also present, he couldn’t ignore the looks given to both him and Severus by the older Potters. A tension would be formed in the air, while all the children were completely unaware of it.

Even so, Sirius and James kept being as close as brothers and Severus would join the group in their fun attics, whenever he wasn’t being forced to play with one of the girls or entertaining one of the younger children.

And so, time moved on and life continued.

Severus’s ninth and tenth birthday celebrations, while with many more guests than previous ones, still wasn’t as public as Orion and Alphard had been bugging Lord Slytherin to make. Marvolo did hire a photographer and sent some pictures towards the main media companies and was pleased to see they made the front page the next day, on various newspaper outlets. It was also his attempt at burying Severus’s emergency visit to St.Mungos from being given too much attention. If he could give his heir a slight sense of privacy, he would do it so.

However, his son’s eleven birthday ball was a much different situation.

Just the guest list was visibly longer than Severus’s first ever birthday celebration. The Potters were new guests, along with a couple of light-sided and grey families. Because of this new development, Marvolo had to implement the rule of leaving their wands at the entrance with the elves and hire private security, just in case untasteful disputes broke out .

There had also been invited various members of the many newspapers’ publishers, who obviously always put Marvolo in a favourable light . Three photographers and a group of professional chefs and waiters serving drinks and snacks all throughout the event. Even a small band for some background noise had been positioned to the back of the room.

It was a lot. Marvolo knew it, Severus knew it but they had to make due with it for the day. After so many years since the public had properly seen the Slytherin-Gaunt heir, the two of them had to make up for lost time somehow and to keep the pesky public at bay.

If the father and son had their way, they would have a quiet event between just the two of them and a few selected close friends. But the world, unfortunately , had yet to do their way. Though, one good thing came out of it, Marvolo supposed , and that was the lack of a certain curious headmaster’s presence.

At the end of the night, the party was deemed a success.

Their guests offered lots of congratulations and well-wishes, along with an inappropriately enormous amount of presents. Severus ran around with his friends being mischievous and had even managed to drag poor Lucius ‘ I’m-too-old-for-these-types-of-games ‘ Malfoy for the occasional prank on an unsuspecting elf. Nothing too over the top but enough to keep a bunch of teenagers, pre-teens or soon to be pre-teens entertained for a couple of hours.

It had been such fun that Severus ended up crashing against Marvolo once their last guest left and the man had to be forced to carry him up the stairs, reminiscent of the earlier days of when Severus was still too little, too small to even take a step on the stairs without using his whole body to take even one step upwards.

His son was growing too fast and now he would be leaving him.

The day of Severus’s birthday, Marvolo had been in the midst of having breakfast when an owl entered the room. It was strangely familiar as he had seen possibly one of its ancestors back in his student days. One of the official Hogwarts’ owls for the students who didn’t have their own and in its beak Severus’s Hogwarts invitation letter.

The boy had grinned from ear to ear when Marvolo presented it to him and read it over ten times before begging his father for them to go to Diagon Alley to get his supplies. A bit early, as it was only January and the new school year would only start in September but the boy had been so fascinated with the possibility of finally having his own wand, that Marvolo had relented.

The weekend after his birthday party, the Slytherin Lord took his son to the ever busy Diagon Alley with the both of them under a glamour. For he wished to make this day special and stress free for his heir, so unfortunately glamour spells and notice-me-not charms had to be used , just for when they were on the streets.

The morning had started out well but it would be quite a day.

Severus, the bookworm that he was , urged them to get all the books right away for he wanted to begin reading them and be prepared before the school’s year began. Alphard’s comment on his son’s ravenclaw tendencies echoed in his mind at that moment but he agreed with the boy in order to please him.

Secretly though , Marvolo thought that he might have to seriously consider the fact Severus could very well be placed in another house besides Slytherin and that there would be repercussions from the public for it, and how it would affect the boy .

Marvolo decided it was best not to think about such an outcome today of all days.

They got the books but not all of them. Marvolo had to hide his smile when the shop owner informed a frowning Severus, standing with his arms crossed at half the man’s size , that they were still waiting on a couple of them which would only arrive in late May. Marvolo was only able to stop his son’s discontentment when he urged him to go get a few books just for his own enjoyment.

The boy came back with three books: one of poisonous plants, another for the different types of dragon teeth and the last one was of dangerous, rare magical creatures found in South America. The owner had looked at him up and down in suspicion until Marvolo threw him a bag full of galleons to keep him silent.

Their stop was at the Apothecary and was of no surprise.

Severus, at this point , was a very loyal customer and in there was one of the two places Marvolo dropped their glamorous and charms. Miss Elena Bennington was joyous seeing, as she called Severus, her ‘ little one ’. They were big shoppers, mostly because Marvolo didn’t enjoy making regular trips to the same places when he could just buy everything he needed in one go but, as his son warned him various times , some ingredients were better of fresh and some had very short shelf-life and would go bad before ever being used in a potion.

That was why Miss Elena saw them almost weekly, if not daily on some occasions.

They ended up buying quite the number of ingredients, unsurprisingly , and a smaller potion equipment for Severus to use when he went to Hogwarts, for his own personal use. Not for school projects and works, those the school would provide , but the boy always wanted to experiment and Marvolo had to find a solution before he got a letter stating they caught Severus sneaking out of the dorms to go use Slughorn’s classroom cauldrons. 

They left the shop after Miss Elena attacked his son’s face with kisses with tears in her eyes and made the boy promise her to also write to her when possible.

The only other instant Marvolo let their charms vanish was when they were at Ollivanders. By then it was already the end of the day, both of them were exhausted and Marvolo was desperate for a good cup of tea and to sleep for eight hours straight. However, he couldn’t deny that he too was excited, as seeing his own son receive his lifelong wand would be an unforgettable moment for any parent.

Garrick Ollivander was as eccentric as Marvolo remembered. The man functioned as if he lived in his own little bubble and the others were just meaningless characters in his ramblings of wands and their wonders. His first impression of the man, when he had been a simple eleven year old boy, was that the wizard was seconds away from making himself crazy and now, almost thirty years later, he still quite agreed with his younger self’s take.

The man had greeted them calmly but once Marvolo dropped the glamorous, his eyes went as big as saucers. He gave them a second greeting, this one much more enthusiastically . Very few had the honour of meeting the minister of magic and much less his son, having the both of them in his shop was certainly an ego boost for anyone. One Marvolo had to refrain himself from destroying .

During the first round Severus was presented with three wands. A pear-wood, dragon heartstring, ten inches which had refused to acknowledge the boy and any attempt at making a spell he did. A maple, unicorn hair, ten inches for which Marvolo raised a brow at Ollivander, the implications that his boy wasn’t powerful enough for a strong wand weren’t lost on him . Fortunately, it didn’t last long in Severus’s hand as a shelf broke when he swished it. The third was a walnut, dragon heartstring, twelve inches and it set itself ablaze the moment it landed on Severus’s hold.

They moved on to more wands and more disappointment for the young Slytherin heir.

Poplar, unicorn hair, fourteen inches.

Split in half at first contact.

Silver lime, phoenix feather, nine inches.

Went back to its box on its own.

Vine, dragon heartstring, eleven inches.

Fell after shocking the boy’s hand after he tried to perform the lumos spell.

Each wand that came was quickly gone. Rejection after rejection made the small raven disheartened bit by bit, to the point of holding back tears. Ollivander, who had been so joyous in the beginning, was now fervently searching through his shelves and pulling box after box, only to put them back in their place after another failure. At some point, Marvolo, whose heart clenched in pain and pity at his son’s growing discontentment, was now on his knees gently rubbing the boy’s back and murmuring encouraging words.

Marvolo was just a second away from breaking Ollivander’s neck and demanding the fool to stop this idiotic act and get his boy his damn wand when said man suddenly stopped as if struck by a spell, frozen in place.

“ No, no, it can’t be “ He shook his head, glancing at Marvolo up and down a couple of times with a weird suspicion before turning his back on them and going to the backroom. Shuffling and pulling were heard clearly but Marvolo’s main concern right now was trying to cheer Severus up. Whatever brainless idea Ollivander had just come up with, he wanted to hear no word of it.

“ All is well, Severus. Sometimes the process is tedious and long but you will leave this shop with your own wand. That I can promise you, son “

Severus looked up at him with eyes filled to the brim with tears. Marvolo marvelled how his eyes had the bluest shade at that moment, the bluest since his baby days , but the man couldn’t be nostalgic, for they were the result of much sadness and that infuriated him furthermore.

Damn Ollivander and his cursed shop. He should burn it to the gr-

“ Try this one! “

A dusty, dark wooden box was placed on the counter. Both father and son looked at Ollivander expectantly, waiting for the description of the wand but none was given, only insistence for the boy to try it out.

With shaky hands Severus pulled out a dark reddish wand with quite the pointy end. Marvolo’s own magical core detected something in the wand but he refrained from commenting. When Severus moved the wand around, nothing happened, but when he muttered a soft lumos , a gentle light emitted from the tip.

This was it.

This was his wand!

Severus’s happy demeanour came back tenfold, a cheerful smile back on his face where it belonged. Marvolo chuckled at his reaction and affectionately ruffled the raven’s hair as he got back up, feeling relief now that the boy’s happiness came back. When he stood up, his mood shifted and he narrowed his eyes at the shop owner, making Garrick feel like a prey in the presence of a predator.

“ What type is it? “

Ollivander shifted nervously, looking a bit reluctant to disclose such information but ended up doing it so anyways.

“ Holly wood, phoenix feather, eleven inches “

It didn’t explain his nervousness and that intrigued Marvolo. As if reading the man’s thoughts, Ollivander continued.

“ It has a brother, my lord. They share the core, feathers of the same phoenix “

Well, that’s… strange . Marvolo had never heard of brother wands.

“ And that’s bad? “

“ W-Well- “ All that fidgeting was irritating Marvolo and testing the thin limits of his patience. He just wanted to hex the man and be done for today. Ollivander sighed and relented the last piece of information. “ I-It’s your wand, my lord. Both your wands are brothers “

Marvolo went quiet, his eyes only widening slightly but Severus gasped loudly, still gripping his new wand against his chest.

“ That’s incredible! Does it mean we’ve basically got the same wand? “

Ollivander chuckled at the youngest’s enthusiasm.

“ In a way, young Severus. Both your wands are very powerful and picky, you can do lots of greatness and evilness with them “ Then his tone turned a chilling cold, his eyes became distant and ghostly as if he was seeing beyond the two of them. “ but because they have the same core, you will never be able to kill each other using them “

Severus flinched at the owner’s words and scootched closer to his father. Marvolo reached out and gripped his son’s shoulder, keeping him pressed close. Marvolo wasn't stupid, he understood perfectly the words left unsaid by Ollivander.

As many people adored him, many others feared him and for good reason . Marvolo doesn’t deny that he had to do whatever was necessary to reach his goal, the dark arts aren’t for the weak hearted and many lost themselves to it but Marvolo knew his limits with it. That was what most didn’t know, he wasn’t such a heartless monster as the ‘light’ side enjoyed propagating but he also wasn’t without sin.

If Ollivander thought his own son could become a Marvolo Riddle, young and unhinged, ready to beat the world into his desired shape, then he was very wrong. He and Severus shared blood and a name but they couldn’t be more different from one another.

Where Marvolo was a monster in disguise, Severus was the purest being created.

Both powerful, yet very distantly different.

Two sides of the same coin , one might say.

“ How much, Ollivander? “

Ollivander looked at him for a moment, a silent conversation shared with one another until the older man averted his eyes.

“ Seven galleons, my lord “

Marvolo paid the price and the family of two left the famously old shop without another word. As the father and son duo made their way to one of Gringotts’s public floos, glamours now back in place, Severus looked up at him with a hint of both worry and curiosity.

“ Dad “

Marvolo hummed but didn’t look down, keeping his focus on his hold of his son’s hand while they passed by wizards and witches alike.

“ Was what Mister Ollivander said true? Is my wand that powerful? Am I..” He let out a nervous, shaky sigh. “.. evil ? “

Marvolo stopped dead on his tracks, accidently causing the young boy to collide against his side at the abrupt stop. Severus gave a pained yelp, rubbing his left cheek which had softened his collision. His father didn’t even notice, he was currently thinking of all the ways to dispose of Gaddrick Ollivander and how to get away with it.

“ Dad? “

Severus’s voice made its way into the mist of his thoughts and put a pause on his murder plan. Marvolo turned to look down at the boy and sighed, even going down on one knee, so the two could comfortably make eye contact.

“ Severus, do you trust me? “

A beat of silence passed by before Severus nodded, with a little smudge of doubtness that Marvolo chose to ignore .

“ Then trust me when I say you are the farthest thing from evil, son “

A shy smile seemed to grace the boy’s young face, a much better expression than the previous one. Marvolo ruffled his son’s raven strands once again before standing up.

“ Now, let’s go home. I desperately need a good cuppa “

“ Wait! “

A small hand found his, the other pulling at his robes with as much urgency as he could muster at the moment.

“ We still need to look at the owls, dad! “

Marvolo sighed.

The last thing he needed was to look at some damn birds.

“ Another day, Severus “

The youngest arched a brow at him, as if challenging the truth in his words. Lord Slytherin groaned, that look was too much like his own at times.

“ I promise, you won’t be going to Hogwarts without your own oversized pigeon “

“ It’s an owl, dad! They’re much cooler than a pigeon and besides, Hogwarts doesn’t even allow pigeons! “

“ As long as it doesn’t create a mess, it could be a three-headed kneazle for all I care “

Severus’s giggles were loud and clear and managed to pull a smile from Marvolo’s normally stoic, emotionless face. When they finally made it back home, Severus spent some time adoring his new possessions, especially his wand. Showing it off to house elves who watched with barely hidden astonishment, as if their young master was showcasing the rarest of jewels. Marvolo just watched from his sofa, a warm cup of earl grey and a couple of biscuits on the side, feeling quite exhausted but happy and satisfied nonetheless.

They only returned to Diagon Alley, this time accompanied by the Blacks, in early June. How did Marvolo manage to distract his son enough to not go jumping at the slightest opportunity to get the rest of his school supplies? He had no idea but it was a success. Now he was back here, the streets much busier than during their first trip. The uncomfortable heat of summer being an unnecessary addition, in Marvolo’s opinion .

Yet , he kept his discomfort to himself as he observed a smiling Severus, hand-in-hand with both Black brothers, go from shop to shop to get the other two’s supplies and the rest of his. Lady Walburga was hot on their trail, afterall her eldest was a source of endless pit of trouble. Without a doubt he would manage to get Severus and Regulus into some problems. Meanwhile, Marvolo and Orion stayed a bit behind, keeping an eye on the group as they conversed with one another.

It was during this trip that Marvolo, once more, thanked his lucky stars for having Severus as his son. He would never have the patience to deal with the defiant Sirius Black, who hated standing still for his measurements to be taken at Madam Malkin’s, or Regulus Black, who made a young girl cry, with just his words , when she accidentally stepped on his foot.

Granted, Malkin did take an awful long time to do something so simple and one should always look in the direction they are going.

Young, dutiful and well obedient Severus Slytherin, who everyone knew as the beloved minister’s son, was a much better option than those two little demons .

Still, Marvolo couldn’t help but think how his son could have a bit more of that pureblood snark . One that didn’t let others step on him, to so easily hurt him . To have walls of his own making surrounding his mind and weaknesses.

No , instead his boy leaned towards the, for the lack of better words, softer side of things.

When Sirius got his owl, a giant beast of a great horned owl, he named it Godric , much to his family’s disappointment but, nonetheless, it was after a extremely powerful, legendary wizard of old ages. Even his little brother’s pet cat was named Belzebu , after a demon of all things. But then when it was Severus’s turn to reveal his new carrier bird’s name, an elegant, slightly on the smaller side, barn owl, Marvolo was reminded of his son’s lack of ‘ aggressiveness’ .

Biscuit , that was the name Severus gave that thing and Marvolo had to stop himself from nearly groaning out loud. Orion did his best not to laugh and Walburga just raised a brow before congratulating the boy, while the two other children just stared in awe at the two owls.

Marvolo watched the scene before letting out a sigh.

Well, as long as his boy was happy .

Though, he did force Orion to swear on his word and magic to not disclose the owl’s idiotic name to their other two mates.

Anyways .

Severus was clearly very excited about going to Hogwarts, it was the main thing he spoke about during those three months of summer before his first year. It was as annoying as much as it was nostalgic. Marvolo remembered when he first thought about going to a school, a magical school , away from the orphanage and towards a path for unlimited power. An out to his miserable, muggle life .

Now it was Severus’s turn.

To live in a place muggles could only dream of.

To learn the ancient roots of magic older than entire civilizations.

To make friends, life-long companions and form alliances.

To have his own sense of purpose, to make a name for himself, to be independent.

To abandon his father.

Marvolo tried not to think too much on the latter. His son wasn’t abandoning him, not really . He was going to study, to learn, like all young folks his age did, like Marvolo, himself, did before him . They would see each other during the holidays and exchange letters throughout the whole school year. And it wasn’t like Marvolo would just be waiting miserably at home for Severus’s next letter. This year he had a range of meetings, both aboard and within the United Kingdom.

Time would fly by so fast that soon enough Severus would be back home, just as if he had never left in the first place .

“ Alright, if you are indeed sure “

The raven gave him a funny look, a small smirk like he knew something Marvolo hadn’t yet deciphered. The adult chose to ignore it . Instead he adjusted the thick blankets around his son’s body as Severus got comfortable under the covers. Nagini was already on the bed and gave a gentle nuzzle against the boy’s cheek when he got beside her, bringing a one last tired giggle forward.

“ Goodnight, then. If you need me, I’ll be in the office “

“ Alright. ‘Night, dad “

Marvolo gave the boy a small smile before making his way out of the bedroom. He tried not to dwell on how this would be the last night Severus spent at home, at least for a few months. Tomorrow, when Marvolo would go to bed again, the house would only have him, Nagini and a dozen or so elves inhabiting it. He tried to drown those thoughts under a pile of documents in need of his signature, which he would be taking care of until he was exhausted enough for some sleep.

A couple of hours later, when he finally went to his bedroom , he was met with the slumbering figure of his son stretched out like a cat in the middle of the bed, Nagini wrapped around one of his legs and torso. Severus seemed to wake up momentarily with the new source of light coming into the room and Marvolo used the moment to question his boy.

“ Thought you would be sleeping, in your room “

The boy shrugged, closed his eyes and laid his head back down. “ Your bed’s bigger and I wanted more space for my last night “

A lie . Marvolo could easily detect those, there wasn’t even a need to enter the other’s mind to verify the veracity of his words. A warm sensation bubbled up somewhere deep inside his heart and a soft whisper told him that perhaps Severus was feeling lonely, that he would miss his family as much as they would miss him.

He shushed the voice quickly. Severus had become so independent with the passing of the years, such thought seemed almost silly.

“ Scoot over then “

Severus gave a half attempt at wiggling to his right, for which his father sighed. Marvolo manoeuvred the lazy boy further to the side and then climbed on the bed, ready to get some rest. As he finally settled, he felt Severus move closer and wrap his arm around him, head on his chest.

Mayhaps it would have been better if Severus really slept in his own bedroom, that way Marvolo wouldn’t have to think about this tomorrow, when his boy was miles and miles away from him and he would have no direct way to make sure he was safe and well.

“ Goodnight, dad. Goodnight, Nagini “

A quick hiss from the reptile was heard in the dark of the room. Marvolo wrapped his own arm around his son and brought him closer, taking in the scent of the flowery shampoo someone had gifted Severus a couple of weeks ago. Probably Walbruga , her and all the other Black women had the tendency to spoil his son like he was one of their own, or even Sirius, Marvolo had noticed a tendency with that boy to give special attention to his son.

“ Goodnight, Severus. Sleep well “

That night Marvolo experienced no dreams or nightmares, just peaceful quietness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Hogwarts’s Express was as glorious as Marvolo recalled, it was as if time, itself, hadn’t touched it. A relic lost in limbo, which still brought amazement and admiration for all the first years who laid their eyes on it for their first times.

“ It’s huge ! “

Marvolo’s own gaze drifted from the mechanical wonder to his son, who was holding his brand-new suitcase and admiring the train with an open-mouthed smile. The rest of his luggage on a trolley Marvolo spelled, to keep all of Severus’s belongings intact and for the trolley to follow the small family around, until they reached their destination.

“ It is and it has various expansion charms in it to allow all the students inside, so it will be much bigger once you’re on it “

Severus gave him an intrigued look and Marvolo had to fight the urge to smile. “ Really? The book didn’t say anything about that “

Leave it to his son to be an Hogwarts expert and read anything about it before even setting his own two feet on the actual grounds.

“ Well, they got to leave some information out. Otherwise your first trip wouldn’t be as magical “

A frown was his response and this time Marvolo didn’t stop his smirk from forming and showcasing.

“ Really, dad? Magical ? “

One good thing about parenthood was that it brought great satisfaction whenever he got the chance to annoy his heir and it always brought him great satisfaction when he did it successfully.

He tugged on the boy’s hand and began to guide him closer to one of the train’s entrances. There were many students on platform nine three-quarters, much more than during Marvolo’s student years but he supposed there was the muggle war at fault for that. He had to keep a steady grip on Severus’s hand as they moved closer to the train, so they wouldn’t be accidentally separated.

When he was able to, he moved them to the side and nudged his son closer, dropping down on one knee to be eye-level with the boy, while gently putting the owl’s cage down beside them. Biscuit was not much of a fan of the crowds and Marvolo had never related more to a bird than he did at that moment.

He looked over his son and sighed, now feeling quite nervous. Not that he would ever admit it . Still he was pretty sure Severus could sense his distaste at them separating for such a long period of time.

“ Remember what we talked about? Our rules? “

Severus sighed as if already dreading reopening this particular topic of conversation. Marvolo couldn’t really blame him, he had been insistent that his son knew what to do in certain situations and what not to do.

“ Yes, dad. You’ve just told them a hundred times already “

Marvolo huffed. He had certainly not said it so many times… right?

“ Then tell me, what are you to do in case you have an asthma attack? “

“ I’ll do the breathing exercises and if that doesn’t work, then I’ll take my vital and if it also doesn’t work, then by then my earring would have already alerted Madam Pomfrey and she will come to where I am, so I’ll stay put “

Marvolo had adjusted the earing’s runes and charms now that Severus is going to Hogwarts. Now both him and Madam Pomfrey would be alerted in case of one of Severus’s asthma attacks and the intensity of it. The healer would also be allowed to apparate to Severus’s location right away in case of a more grave emergency. This change had cost Marvolo a dull meeting with Dumbledore about the new muggleborn students and how they sometimes can feel oh so intimidated by the purebloods but he had to do it, all to ensure his son’s safety.

“ And if the earring doesn’t work? “

Another sigh but the raven continued.

“ Then I will go to whoever is close to me and try to ask for their help to the hospital’s wing “

“ And if that also doesn’t work? “

“ Then I’ll go to one of the portairs or a ghost and ask for their assistance “

“ Good “ Severus smiled in triumph but his father was far from done. “ And what about if something happens to your eye? “

“ Then I’ll go to Madam Pomfrey right away and I also won’t skip any of my meetings with her “

Weekly check ups with her, for both his respiratory issues and his eye blindness and her reports would be owled to Marvolo immediately .

“ And what about the other rules? “

Severus was growing irritated, a deadly scowl disturbing his face. But, despise it, he continued onwards.

“ No skipping meals. No staying up late. No experimenting with dangerous spells or potions, especially without my mask . No sneaking into professor Slughorn’s classroom to use his cauldrons “

Marvolo had always patiently explained about the finer details of life in the great Hogwarts and what to expect, what one should and shouldn’t do for maximum enjoyment and learning. He didn't wish for Severus to be caught surprised or confused, for an heir of an ancient house should always know what to do and how to behave.

That was why these other rules had to be put to use, even if Severus found them dull.

“ And- “

The child groaned aloud, rolling his eyes before giving his final answer.

“ And to write to you every week, even if nothing special happened “

They shared a silent moment, just looking at one another, and this time Severus won. Lord Slytherin simply stood up, brushed off a bit of dirt off of his knee and looked back at his son with a calm attitude.

“ And have fun. These are supposed to be the best years of your life “

The raven gave him a tentative, apprehensive, slightly quivering smile. Severus was nervous too, no matter how the boy tried to hide it , it would be foolish to believe he would be as confident as a seventh year, on his first time to Hogwarts. Marvolo hid his own smile of understanding and reached out to bring their bodies together in a loving hug.

“ Everything is going to go well, Severus. You have nothing to be nervous about “

Severus slumped against his warmth and wrapped his arms around him more tightly. Marvolo knew about this new found anxiety of his and they had already discussed it but still Severus understandably dwelled on it. The matter of what house the heir of Slytherin was placed might seem silly to outsiders but the reality was that Severus could very well be placed in a completely different house than the one he was expected to be in and, if that were to happen, the public would have quite the opinion on it.

Marvolo would do his best to protect his son from the calculating eyes of the masses but people would always talk, wherever they should or not . The father and son stayed hugging for a few beating moments, feeling as if they were the only ones in that platform, until Severus took a step back. When he did, the young heir was in much better spirits, to the point he even had a smirk filled with mischief.

“ And you’re gonna be alright, right , dad? “ His father’s inquisitive look encouraged him to continue. “ You’re not gonna go start crying just because you miss me, right? I don’t want you to become like Lord Cynus when all his daughters went to Hogwarts “

It was easy to recall how so awkwardly the lord would lament to anyone and anything about his house now was so much emptier and lonelier than ever. He had been a nightmare of a man to socialise with last year and Marvolo had done his best to stay as far away from his loudness, but now he couldn’t help but wonder if he’ll finally understand all that anguish.

He sure hoped he wouldn’t be crying quietly in an abandoned corner during a party like a grieving man, it had been embarrassing enough witnessing Cynus Black do such a thing.

He wouldn’t allow himself to step down so lowly.

Marvolo huffed at his son’s insinuation and as retaliation, he ruffled the neatly combed strands causing the boy to whine. He had spent quite a bit of time this morning fussing about his appearance and how he should look nice for his first day.

“ You have nothing to worry about. I’ll be far too busy with work to focus on crying my heart out “

His son’s smirk returned as he finished fixing his hair.

“ Well, I wouldn’t judge you, dad and I’m pretty sure you’re still gonna shed just a few tears when I’m gone “

Marvolo gave his son the most unimpressed expression he could muster at the moment.

“ Since when have you become so full of attitude? “

And somehow the smirk grew, his dark eyes shining with new found amusement.

“ I entirely blame Sirius for it “

At the mention of the Black heir, a frown made its way to his face. Lord Slytherin tried not to say it outloud but he felt like, at times, the young Sirius’s influence on his son wasn’t exactly for the best. Sure, Severus had always been playful and when showing interest in something in particular, he was rather talkative about it but Marvolo could do without the pranks and general terrorising during social events.

He already got enough looks as it is, no need for more because of his son’s inability to properly behave at a formal ball.

“ I’m sure you do “ He offered his hand, his other now back to holding Biscuit’s cage. “ Let’s go find one of the elves “ Hogwarts assigns a group of elves to travel outside school grounds to accompany the train and students and make sure all their luggage is safely inside the train and then distributed correctly. Once they arrive at Hogsmeade, they will put each students’ luggage into their rooms in order. A necessary, hospitable service as no first year would even have the strength to lift all their bags.

Biscuit fluttered her wings in protest when she was passed to the old elf with trembling arms, who had shyly assured them that the owl would be safe during the ride and well taken care of in the owlery, once back at Hogwarts. Marvolo knew that for a fact, elves never made false promises but Severus still seemed unsure of it. Only when his father led him to one of the express’s entrances, did he begin to relax again.

There they shared one last hug and Marvolo tried to engrave into his brain the scent of flowery, raven hair and the feeling of tiny arms around his neck.

By the Gods, he really was gonna miss his child .

Never, in a million years, would one think that the descendent of the great Salazar Slytherin would turn so soft over a brat half his size.

His brat , his mind added. You are like this because he’s your son . Blood of your blood but pure of sin. He’s an innocent angel for which you must protect.

“ I’m going to miss you, dad “ His voice was earnest and it tugged right on the strings of Marvolo’s cold heart. “ Please make sure Nagini doesn’t get lonely or I think she might actually start trying to eat the elves this time “

Marvolo let out a chuckle that sounded a bit more weepy than he would have liked. He patted the boy’s head as they finally broke the hug.

“ There shall be no dead elves while you are away, you have my word “ This is it, the final goodbye . “ I’ll miss you too “

Severus gave him a weak smile before adjusting his hold on his trunk.

“ I’ll send you a letter first thing tomorrow. I promise! “

Marvolo gave him a more confident smile that still didn’t quite reach his cheeks. The mask he spent years fabricating covering what he was truly feeling.

“ Of course, I’ll be waiting then “ he nudged the boy towards the door, urging him to get inside. To leave . “ Now go on or you won’t be able to find a empty compartment “

Severus nodded and climbed into the train. Though before he got inside and lost in the sea of students moving from point to point, he locked eyes with his father and gave him a triumphant smile and with a final, joyous wave he walked inside and immediately Marvolo lost sight of him.

His heart leapt into his mouth and he had to force himself to take a step back and breathe. Severus was fine, he was okay . He was just finding somewhere to sit for the long ride. He hadn’t suddenly vanished and no one had taken him away. No ill-minded ‘light’ supported, no member of the Prince House or associates and no one with a particular rancour towards the minister of magic.

Yeah, Marvolo wasn’t totally freaking out.

When next he saw his son, he had found a vacant spot, two compartments to the left from where he first entered. Severus had only time to put his trunk down and sit before Hogwarts Express began giving its final warning and the elves began moving tearful parents away from the engine. Marvolo passed by a few wizards, hissing as someone’s shoulder collided against his arm but only stopped when he went right to where his son’s window was.

So this is it. Severus is really leaving.

How in Merlin’s name did parents all over the world do this?

Their eyes met again and Marvolo let out a sigh of relief to see the raven’s smile still intact. Wherever the boy was trying to appear confident to assure his father or if he was honestly really happy to finally go into this next chapter of his life, Marvolo wasn’t sure but one thing he did know was that he would always try to be there for his son.

Marvolo never had a stable pillar in his life, no adult in charge who would be there at his most dire time. For the nuns he was a demon, the devil returned. For Dumbledore he was a second Grindelwald in the making. For the public he had been an unfamiliar man with way too much power for someone of his status.

But for Severus.

For his boy he had been trying to be a father, a guardian, a reassurance that no matter what, he would be there for Severus, even if no one was. That no matter what, he wouldn’t be abandoned like Marvolo had been, to find his place in the world by himself. Alone, scared , casted out.

No.

Lord Slytherin’s biggest wish was for his son to always be able to find happiness in life. The one thing Marvolo would never be able to truly grasp, no matter how much he tried .

But aren’t you happy? His subconscious provided. You are happy, proud. You have changed, you have come to love, to cherish, to smile. Love, family, it all changed you.

At long last the train began to move, Severus gave him another wave and this time Marvolo replied with one of his one. It almost seemed like slow motion, as if time was trying to stop itself. The train began moving, taking away his only family with it .

Marvolo just stayed in place as he watched it depart, ignoring the shouts of parents, the sea of waves and the silent sobs of heartbroken mothers and whispers of tender reassurance from fathers.

Severus would be alright.

Everything was going to be alright.

Life would keep moving but they would still be a family.

When he could no longer see the train, the platform was already becoming empty. People were leaving left and right, rushing to go home or work or whatever the hell they wanted to go. However, Marvolo was procrastinating.

Now going home just wouldn’t be the same.

The miserable man sighed and turned around, for he too had to leave. Nagini would soon need feeding, Alphard had just sent him a few new documents that needed urgent reviewing and tomorrow he had a meeting with Orion and later on Abraxas would come, then Alphard too and they would all have a glass of wine to relax.

Life would continue.

It was six forty-five in the morning when Severus’s promised letter arrived. Marvolo hadn’t slept a wink and Nagini only had a three hour nap after her dinner, for she was as restless as him. He had done some work, the usual paperwork for a minister , had supper and even got ready for bed but the silent eariness of an empty house left him feeling uneasy.

It wasn’t like Severus was a particular loud fellow. He mostly kept to his side of the home, unless he wanted to show Marvolo something in particular or during their shared meals or they were spending some quiet afternoon in the presence of one another. The boy was too focused on exploring new potions or reading a brand new book or his many classes and homework.

But, even then , the house felt difficult as if it was a strange territory for which Marvolo was now unfamiliar with.

The letter was simple and to the point but it was a breath of fresh air, an immense relief for the over stressed father.

‘ Good morning, dad!

I promise to write you a longer letter with all the details but I just wanted you to know that everything is alright and that I have been placed in Slytherin! Everyone has been very welcoming and friendly.

I’ll write more soon!

Lots of love,

Severus ‘

A maniac smile stretched his lips and he let out a laugh in close resemblance to a mad man’s. It was the oddest of sights and even Nagini and a passing elf were looking at him worriedly. However, the only thing he could think of was how wrong all those people were.

Those who dare think Severus, his son , was anything but a true snake.

He ignored the fact that he had also thought the same on certain occasions.

He tucked the letter into the chest pocket of his nightshirt and got up. He was done being as pitiful as a kicked dog in the living room, he had a busy day today and work wouldn’t wait for no one.

Not even for a sleep deprived father.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Two months passed since that day in early September. Marvolo has grown accustomed to the quietness that his life used to be before Severus entered it. Quiet mornings, quiet meals, quiet walks. Too quiet but manageable nonetheless.

Meanwhile, he and Severus had began exchanging letters on a weekly basis and Marvolo was happy to know his son was as talkative in paper, as he was when talking to his loved ones, for he didn’t leave out a single detail.

‘...and there is a ghost called Headless Nick but he doesn’t like it when we call him that. Sir Nicholas is how we must address him, he was very adamant about it. I’m just glad to know he mostly stays at the Gryffindor tower…’

Many mornings Marvolo had spent reading over a three page letter of pure rambling while sipping on some well brewed coffee.

‘...professor Slughorn is absolutely useless! Lucius and the others had already warned me but nothing could prepare me for this! He doesn’t even know how to properly brew a…’

When he had the few and rare, short lived breaks during meetings at work, he would bring out the letter which had arrived that morning and gaze over the many words his son had quickly written.

‘...even though Sirius is in another house, he still hangs out a lot with me and the rest of the group. Though he always manages to pick fights with Bella to the point Lucius has to step in the middle to stop them from having a duel…’

Even during late nights, when sleep refused to come no matter what and he was left laying awake on his bed. At times, he would retrieve one of the letters and reread it in hopes of easing his worries and finally managing to sleep.

‘...I have made a new friend recently! Her name is Lily Evans and she’s a gryffindor muggleborn, Sirius introduced us to each other and I never would have expected him to actually befriend such a bright person. I mean, sure Potter is smart but he’s horrible at potions and sometimes I feel like he has the emotional intelligence of a cockroach! I have no idea what Sirius sees in him…’

In addition to the letters, during this time away from his only family, Marvolo started to notice little moments of nostalgia, of longing. Of marks his son would leave around the house that now was too bare to live. Marks in his life, in his memories and unfortunately Marvolo couldn’t help but recall them, much to the irritation of his mates.

“ Gods, my head has been killing me “ Alphard groaned, in a posture quite unbecoming of a young lord. Both Marvolo and Abraxas ignored him, focusing instead on their teas. They just had a gruesome meeting with one of Dumbledore’s high-status supporter and they just wished for some nice time of quietness. One that Walrbuga’s younger brother wasn’t letting them have. “ I feel as if my head is splitting in half “

“ You’re quite the over dramatic one, Alphard “ Lord Malfoy’s comment incited another groan from the youngest of the group. One that none of them acknowledge. “ I told you your presence wasn’t needed this time “

Alphard shushed the man with a lazy wave of his hand, while his other rubbed his right temple in an attempt at smoothing the pain.

“ I just hadn’t imagined that it would take this long and be this loud and to make matters worse, we still have another three hour meeting “

Now all in the group groaned, dreading their approaching future.

“ I haven’t even had time to go to the infirmary and request a potion for my headache “

Orion sighed, putting down his cup in favour of absentmindedly playing with the hairs of his moustache.

“ I wouldn’t bother, miss Kate is in maternity leave and we haven’t found a suitable replacement yet “

Well, that wouldn’t exactly do.

Alphard was the communicator in their political party. While Marvolo was the first impression, Alphard made sure their allies and ‘friends’ were regularly communicated with and reminded that being on their side was a much better alternative than the other.

It also meant regular meetings all over the world and just this week he had been over in Yugoslavia and France and it was just Friday morning.

Now having a very much needed member of their political party not at his full health wasn’t the wisest of options.

Marvolo needed to take care of it as soon as possible, especially if it kept Alphard from whining like a little child just because of a little pain.

“ Perhaps I could be of some help “ Lord Slytherin said, gently putting down his porcelain cup before summoning one of his house elves and requesting a ‘relief-headache’ potion, one brewed by Severus before his departure. When Marvolo looked back at the two other lords, they had raised a brow towards him. “ It’s of excellent quality, unless you wish to still suffer the consequences of Lord Martin’s never-ending list of complains “

The reaction was immediate.

A shake of his head with wavy locks going from side to side before a hiss escaped the young Lord Black’s lips from the sudden movement. Both Marvolo and Abraxas chuckled at such ridiculous behaviour. In a matter of a seconds, a young elf had come back with an orange liquid, sealed in a tiny, transparent bottle and was ordered to give it to Lord Alphard, who looked at it apprehensively for a moment.

“ When did he make this? “

“ A month or so before he went to Hogwarts. He had been experimenting on trying to make a improved version with fewer ingredients “

“ And you are sure it is safe to drink? “ Abraxas questioned, giving his own once-over at the liquid. They all knew Severus was a genius for his age but they had never tested one of his potions before.

“ Are you questioning my son’s abilities, Abraxas? “ Marvolo’s tone turned murderous and dangerous, and if he didn’t consider Lord Malfoy as a close friend, he would have thrown a dark hex at the man right there and then for daring to say such a idiotic thing.

No one should disregard Severus’s intelligence.

Abraxas gulped, clasping his hands together and steering his eyes away from Alphard and the potion. “ Of course not but mayhaps it is no longer safe to drink after a month. I’m just being cautious, Marvolo “

Said man huffed at the words and, even if Abraxas was, in a way, correct, he would never allow for another to weaken his son’s abilities.

“ It is safe, I, myself, have drank one three days ago and the result was instantaneous “ He gave a pointed look at Alphard, who seemed more nervous now with the tension in the air, before going back to sipping on his tea. “ Do whatever you please with it, Alphard, but know that that headache of yours will be gone in a matter of moments once you do drink it “

Malfoy and Black shared a look, one that screamed they didn’t fully trust their lord’s words and it just served to further steer his irritation. Just when he was about to vanish the potion out of sight, Alphard sighed and took the liquid in one big gulp.

He vanished the glass with a flick of his wrist and waited, Abraxas alongside him. Yet, Marvolo could easily point out the moment the source of his pain began fleeing away, as if just a mere dream vanishing with the appearance of the morning light.

When Alphard looked back at him, with an apologetic expression already in place, Marvolo rolled his eyes and processed to continue reading that morning’s Prophent. “ Better save your apologies for when Severus is here “

The Black lord sighed, reaching over to one of the documents in need of revision. “ It’s just last time I trusted a child’s potion, I was bedridden for a week “

“ The only good thing Orion’s heir is good at is flying on a broom and causing havoc “ Abraxas interjected quickly. He, himself, now focused on reading over a few of their documents. Especially now that no strange side effect had occurred onto Alphard and there was no need to call upon urgent medical assistance.

Alphard turned to Lord Malfoy indignantly, a scowl already pulling at his brows.

“ My nephew is an intelligent, bright young man- “

“ He once tried to eat a frog and then processed to try and get all the other children to do the same “ It was Marvolo’s turn to add to the new topic at hand and it made Alphard the more annoyed.

“ Wha- That wasn’t even- He would never- “ The man groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose before looking back over to his two mates, trying to appear a bit calmer and, of course, failing to do so. “ What I wish to say was that I did not have such a pleasant previous experience, so I was apprehensive “

Marvolo raised a brow, silently ordering the other to continue. The young Black challenged the reaction by turning his scowl to a proper frown, rivalling his sister’s and all knew Lady Walburga could do a chilling frown.

“ But your boy proves, once again, to be a genius in the art of potion-making over and over again. My congratulations, Lord Slytherin “

It was always a pleasure to prove one wrong and Marvolo welcomed the smugnesses that came with it. Abraxas and Alphard rolled their eyes at their lord’s reaction, not finding it strange or surprising in the slightest.

“ My boy is far more intelligent than even you two combined “ Said men frowned at the thrown insult. “ I would not be surprised if he has already fabricated a more improved version by now “

“ Yes, yes. Severus is a very bright boy “ Abraxas began dismissing the subject, trying to bring attention to what they were supposed to be doing, which was working. “ Now, I have received a recent letter from Lord Lestr- “

“ Have I ever told you the story of when he first tried fusing a Pepper Up with a Dreamless Sleep? “

Abraxas and Alphard groaned in union and Orion simply closed his eyes, as if preparing himself mentally for what was to come. Meanwhile, Alphad had a feeling that his previous vanished headache would soon make a return, earlier than expected.

“ Please, Marvolo, we have already heard that story a hundred- “

“ And you shall hear it a hundred times more, if I so desire it “ A icy look was enough to shut all three of them but not enough to save them from hearing the familiar story one more time. Marvolo, uncaring of his friends’ opinions, began recalling the tale with a proud smirk pulling at his lips.

Marvolo had turned out to be one of the things he most despised.

An annoying parent berating about their child’s accomplishments at every moment and to any ear with a half intend to listen.

Although, he could not help it.

Now that Severus had gone to Hogwarts, every little thing reminded him of the boy, who had been the centre of his life for nearly twelve years. It was as strange as it was devastating as it was utterly fucking ridiculous. If he wasn’t talking about how smart his son was, how much better he was at nearly everything. Then he was sulking in a corner and looking like a lost, fuming duckling.

“ And why is he like this now? “ Walburga whispered to her baby brother, swishing her crystal glass filled with champagne between her fingers. The Black family had organised this formal party in honour of welcoming their french branch to the United Kingdom, as per their tradition, and Marvolo had been, obviously, invited as well.

However, none had expected for the man to show up with an ever present frown on his face. He had greeted the other many guests but all could feel the burning, unpleasant aura of the minister and desperately tried not to be the one to set off his irritation. When Alphard had finally managed to catch him more secluded, he had questioned the man about it.

And he desperately wished he hadn’t.

“ Severus hasn’t written in a week and he has been quite…moody because of it “

Walburga groaned softly, putting down her glass and smoothing down the front of her skirt. Unlike Marvolo, she had found the lacking presence of her first born to be quite the blessing in disguise. No longer would she have daily screaming matches with her oldest and, for once, could have some sense of peace in her house.

“ Well, then go change that. I already had many lords and ladies questioning me on why the minister of magic is like that and I do not need for them to start blaming me for it “

Alphard’s eyes widened but Lady Black ignored it, just politely shoving her sibling towards the scowling Marvolo, who was looking at his own glass of champagne like it had done him personal offence. The last thing he wished for was to interact with the angry looking man but Walburga’s hard look left no chance to find a middle ground, or a choice for that matter.

A reluctant Alphard Black walked up to his best mate and, for the rest of the night, he had to hear how worried Marvolo was for his son, who was safe and sound in a magical school. All because the boy hadn’t written in a few days.

Because of this, it was of no surprise to anyone that when Severus returned for the Christmas holidays, Marvolo latched onto the boy as if afraid he would turn to dust and drift away with the wind. He had missed his son terribly, even if he never dared to voice it, and it took all one glance to understand that the boy felt the same way.

Well, he and Nagini. The moment those yellow eyes had landed on the boy, the giant snake hadn’t left the poor soul alone for even a moment and Marvolo had struggled to pry Severus from her hug, which he had nearly been bitten in retaliation. Only when Severus tried to convince Nagini to let him go, did she decide to give the boy some room.

Unsurprisingly, this years’ winter holiday was one to remember for years to come.

Marvolo had spoiled the boy rotten during that Christmas. From rare-found potion ingredients, to expensive, hand-made clothing. Books of dark magic long thought lost to the world, the newest model for owl cages for his Biscuit, an enchanted never-ending ink, a Felix Felicis potion but quite the large quantity, a self-cleaning, for personal-use cauldron and even a rune-filled ring, which allowed the boy to immediately apparate from school grounds and back home in an instant.

That one caught everyone by surprise and it was fairly illegal, as no student should ever leave school grounds unauthorised.

Everyone should have known that Marvolo would find a way around it, especially if it concerned his son.

Severus had been so shocked, mouth agape like a fish out of water and staring at his father in disbelief until his mind was finally able to muster a well-structured sentence to speak it aloud.

“ D-Dad, I- “ He sighed, looking down at his newest book before meeting Marvolo’s eyes once again. “ Thank you but isn’t this too much? “

Marvolo had chuckled, with a strange wave of calmness radiationing from him. If another had seen him then they would think him utterly insane, which wouldn’t be too far off either way. He just reached over and patted the boy’s back before stating proudly.

“ I believe not. It is to commemorate your first year in Hogwarts and, either way, as my son and heir to the great House of Slytherin, you ought to have the best of the best “

Severus, at long last, had given him a small, gentle smile and Marvolo marvelled from it. He would always be proud of choosing a great present for the ones he loved and Severus’s approval had always been something he secretly sought after. He didn’t wish for his son to simply accept his gifts but to truly enjoy them.

It wasn’t only presents that Marvolo had showered his son in but apparated him throughout various spots in England, as they did their tradition of having night walks to see the Christmas decorations plastered around the cities. They visited the Malfoys and Blacks, as per usual around this time of the year, and had lunches and dinners with the families. Even deciding to have a small dinner with the two families in their own home this time around.

Though one thing was different and quite strange with Severus. For whenever Marvolo questioned him how school was faring or, to be truthful, anything mediocrely related to Hogwarts and his experience in it, the boy would become more withdrawn and quiet than his usual self.

As if he was afraid of uttering a word about it.

Marvolo had tried, in vain, to pry it off him but Severus would not budge and kept with simple answers, such as: ‘ Everything is going well, dad. No need to worry ’ and ‘ I’ve made quite a few friends and I’m excelling in nearly all my subjects. All is well! ’ and while such answers did bring Marvolo some relief, he knew Severus was hiding something else from him.

Marvolo hadn’t spent all these years raising a child, just to not know a thing about him.

And even if such a statement would have turned true in another life, in this one , he and Severus had a healthy relationship and that meant being transparent and commutative with one another. In other words, if Severus had any issues, Marvolo wanted to be informed, so that he could try and solve them as quickly as possible, for his son’s comfort.

The voice inside him snickered like an old school bully. ‘Why should he trust you? You, who lied about his mother, who never wished to be his father. Why should your own blood place his trust and his worries in such an evil soul, one such as you?’

Marvolo tried to silence it.

However, he did voice out his concerns to Abraxas, whose own son was in his final years of Hogwarts, and so, the man could thereafter present much better advice to his current situation based on his experience.

That was what he thought until Lord Malfoy had given his answer.

‘ Could be a number of things ‘ He had begun and already Marvolo was not pleased with it. ‘ Lucius often doesn’t tell me much anymore when before he wrote me weekly letters. Perhaps he is just trying to be like the older boys, trying to distance himself from his parent and be his own person. Gods know we had tried to do the same back when we were younger ‘

‘ Mayhaps ‘. Marvolo wanted to say. He had never tried to copy anyone, always knowing himself to be far superior than teenagers, who thought themselves superior just because they were younger. Either way, he let Abraxas think otherwise. He had another issue at hand.

‘ But Severus has always told me everything in his mind, so what could have forced this change? ‘ He wanted to say, to scream out. Abraxas was clearly not understanding the magnitude of the shift in his son.

Instead, Lord Slytherin had simply nodded, deciding he would try to resolve this on his own and the conversation went into a different topic but his mind kept thinking of ways to fix this.

In the end, he was not able to do so before the Christmas break was over, as those two weeks had flown by like a bird moving in a wind. Before he knew it, Marvolo was back at Platform nine and three-quarters trying to navigate between a sea of fussing parents and reckless children ready to be back to school, away from their parents' stern gazes.

“ Have everything? “ Marvolo had asked, hand still gripping the raven’s. ‘ What is wrong? What can I do to help? ‘ Was what the man wished to truly say.

“ Yes, I’m all ready to go “

Severus too, like the many other students, was a ball of enthusiasm at the prospect of returning to the magical school grounds. It made Marvolo a little envious but, at the same time, extremely proud knowing his own son, like he, himself, enjoyed the opportunity of learning the vastness of magic and its wonders and couldn’t wait to continue doing so.

“ Well then, I won’t hold you back much longer “ He leaned close and wrapped his arms around the boy, smiling as he felt Severus’s arms doing the same. “ Remember, if anything happens or you wish to speak, do not hesitate to contact me “

Severus huffed but when they separated, he had a warm smile pulling on his lips.

“ You’ve been saying the same thing all break, dad. Everything’s okay, you worry too much! “

Not enough.

“ No harm in saying it once more “ Marvolo replied with quick easeness, even if that worry was almost eating him alive. “ Have a safe trip, Severus “

There was something in those indigo blues that passed by so quickly, that Marvolo had barely been able to catch a glimpse but he could swear it was something as close as hope , and tenderness and love . When before such emotions disgusted a guarded Marvolo, now he welcomed them, even still with a bit of effort.

He was still, at times, not the most affectionate or emotional to deal with any sort of delicate situation but he was trying to change, especially for Severus.

“ I will! “ And that smile returned tenfold. “ See you in the summer then! “ And just like that his heir, his son was gone. Going inside a train, which would whisk him away for until the warm months and with the only way of communication being letters, delivered by dedicated owls.

It sounded like a bad joke but a reality for many magical families in the United Kingdom. A reality that Marvolo was still trying to accept, especially now that he suspected something was bothering the boy.

Perhaps Marvolo should propose a change. An opportunity for parents and children to meet one another a couple of days throughout the school years. Mayhaps then the strain of separation wouldn’t be too much on either party.

“ I’ll see if it's manageable “ He whispered to the wind as those metal wheels began turning. He stayed on the platform until the train was out of his vision and, only then, did he leave to return home.

There was a chance that Abraxas was indeed right, that this was simply Severus copying older students in hopes of seeming more mature and independent. After all, Marvolo wasn’t an expert in parenting and his friend had a couple more years of experience in it than him. It could be the reality of the situation and Severus had seemed much happier and relaxed when he left once again for Hogwarts.

So, maybe, Marvolo was just being a worried parent stressing over non-existent problems.

Right?

When Severus returned back home for his summer break, he returned as if a shell of himself. He did not smile, only giving strained, tentative ones and would visibly wince when questioned about school. He looked anxious, unhappy, scared and from that moment, Marvolo swore not to ask for any more parental advice from any lord, friend or not.

He had been right.

Something was wrong.

Something was terribly wrong.