Chapter Text
16 October 1976
Fear had been an almost daily factor in Severus Snape’s life. Fear of making too much noise when going to use the loo and have his father wake up enraged from one of his many nights out drinking to the point of blacking out on the couch. Fear of his mother waking up in one of her moods, when the light in her eyes was stuffed out and a distant gaze replaced it. Fear of being in the wrong hall, at the wrong time and be surrounded by Sirius Black, James Potter and Peter Pettigrew, one against three.
Fear was a very common sensation for him and just when he thought he knew what that felt like, it somehow got worse.
Now he had something new to fear and this one he didn’t know how to control. With his father, if you didn’t walk on the last two steps of their staircase then the house wouldn’t make a noise and the snoring monster would keep on slumbering. With his mother, he just needed to give her a day or two alone and she would be back as good as new. He just took care of the house chores for the time, it wasn’t like he hadn't done that since he was four. With the marauders, he just had to stick close to his years’ slytherins which sometimes didn’t bode well, purebloods sure were picky with who gets to be close to them, but during his Hogwarts’s years he had gained a place in the snake hierarchy. He was still nothing in comparison with the normal pureblood but he wasn’t exactly a useless ‘ mudblood ‘ either.
But no, this was very different, a new territory and he didn’t like it one bit. All of this just because he suddenly could get pregnant. What a f*cking joke.
Last night had more closely resembled a fever dream and Severus was inclined to believe that, if it wasn’t for the fact that Nero Prince, the Lord Prince himself, was awake and staring at him when he first woke up. For all Severus knew, he might have spent the entire night there, keeping watch. Why? The teenager had no idea. Surely the man could go back to his house and if anything happened to him, then he would be notified as soon as possible.
But no, he wanted to make sure with his own two eyes. Again, Severus had no idea why but one thing he did know was that purebloods did whatever the hell they wanted to do, so the man’s reasons would always be his own and a mystery to the injured boy. Nero had even stayed when Madam Pomfrey had come and given him one last check before deming him satisfactorily recovered, meaning he could go back to classes and face the many students who would now surely treat him differently.
Only then did the older wizard say his goodbyes, stating that he had already sent to Severus’s dorm room his newest, very expensive, school uniform and robes, even along with brand new school year books. His poverty clearly hadn’t been a factor possible to ignore for a man who grew in money. Not that Severus was surprised, people who hadn’t starved for one day were always able to tell when someone lacked that type of security in life.
A short time after Neru’s departure, Narcissa had come to visit him, just shy of six in the morning. He wasn’t even sure if she had slept, she did look better than the last time he saw her but that worry and nervousness never left her eyes. The older girl made herself comfortable by sitting down beside his bed, Madam Pomfrey having so graciously allowed him to eat breakfast there before going to his first class of the day. So, the two ate together in a tense silence until Narcissa could hold on for no longer and finally voiced what was bugging her so much.
“ Have you met Lord Prince yet? “
Severus kept on eating, a slice of toast with peach jam spread over it. Just the way he enjoyed but at that moment it was taking him even a lot of effort just to swallow it.
“ He wasn’t exactly a very nice midnight surprise, if I’m to be honest “
Before the girl could interrupt him with further questions, he continued.
“ Yes, I’ve met him and we have talked. Apparently he has even gifted me new school clothes and books “ The Black sister was shocked but the slytherin boy couldn’t be mad about it. Purebloods weren’t exactly known for giving gifts to half bloods, even if those were placed under their care by the ministry of magic. For all he cared, Nero didn’t even have a need to come to school and see him for himself.
Narcissa opened and closed her mouth multiple times, clearly unsure on what to say or do but like the lady she was trained to be since young, she quickly recovered and the conversation thankfully moved on. Cissy likely could sense his discomfort with the topic of the Princes, so she gave him a small, sad smile before speaking once again.
“ Well, how about you finish your breakfast and then we can go to your room and you can show me your brand new clothes? “ By now Severus had his own dorm that he was already familiar with, it was located close to the dungeons but in a different hallway from the slytherin common rooms’s entrance. Because male carriers were very few and in various years and different houses, each of them had their own private quarters. His new living area included a giant bedroom with a king size bed, a fireplace, 18th century style sofas and multiple bookshelves against one of the room’s walls, filled to the brim with books of diverse topics. In addition, he even had his very own bathroom, including a comfortably enormous bathtub which the slytherin had already taken full advantage of. It seems that having a life changing event did come with a few benefits, even if they were very few.
He had given Narcissa full access to his new dorm, the teachers didn’t mind him sharing with friends but they were a bit stingy when he asked if male friends could also come there. To say the least, Severus had been pissed at that, if the teachers thought that he would do something that he shouldn’t, then they really didn’t know him. Not that any of them did, for them he was nothing but one of the many students and for the headmaster, a headache at times.
Whatever, he could probably bring Regulus and Lucius, if that one came to visit him again, to his room another time, when no teachers were looking.
Speaking of Regulus, he wondered if his young friend had already heard the news. Very likely. Severus bet that more than half the student population of Hogwarts already knew about his new condition and wasn’t that just great? The wizarding world really didn’t know anything about the right for privacy. He just hoped Reg wouldn’t be too unsettled, while some wizards saw male carriers as a great potential, others didn’t enjoy it very much. They thought it wasn’t natural, this way of thinking coming mostly from ignorant muggleborns and even some half bloods, including the rare pureblood. He had no idea what the younger Black would think of this and that scared him.
His friendship with Regulus was still somewhat delicate, Reggy was the future Lord Black and just that alone put him right on top of the slytherin hierarchy, like a little king, so it was to the surprise of many, including Snape himself, or should he start calling himself Prince now? that the two of them were such good friends, especially if you take into consideration that his big brother was one of his main bullies. Still, Regulus was very different from Sirius, much better in Severus’s opinion, and because of that they had formed quite a bond. So, he really didn’t want to have that destroyed for something that Severus simply had no control over.
Well, he would find out soon enough when he went to class or if he was so unlucky, even before that when he went to his dorm to change clothes. Afterall he was sure to run into some students. He just hoped this didn’t mean more bullying. He already got enough of that from the marauders, he didn’t need for that pile to grow.
Having finished his breakfast quickly and taking his described potions, apparently Madam Pomfrey still wasn’t satisfied with his current weight or with his weak constitution, guess years of hard poverty did that to you, both slytherins made their way out of the hospital’s wing.
Narcissa stayed close to him and Severus kept quiet about it but he was silently thankful for her decision. She also didn’t say anything about his trembling hands or the constant frown on his face or how he had been biting his lower lip, radiating anxiety with each step he took, for just the simple fact of leaving the wing’s safety and walking through Hogwarts’s halls, into the gaze of unpredictable teenagers.
Even with how early it was, they were still able to spot the one or two early birds making their way to the great hall and in that moment if the boy still had any sort of hope that he was still in a nightmare, waiting to wake up, that hope was absolutely, brutally destroyed. The moment they passed by two third year hufflepuff girls, their eyes widened in raw perplexion before they quickly, all but ran, made their way out of his field of vision, hurriedly whispering to one another and even if they tried to prevent it, Severus had still been able to hear some of their conversation.
‘ That’s Snape, right? The new carrier? ‘
‘ Yeah! I heard from Adams that he passed out when he saw the announcement in the Daily Prophet and that’s why he was in the hospital’s wing ‘
‘ Woah! I guess that explains the bandages then. I can’t judge him too hard, I probably would also have passed out if I saw that ‘
f*ck you, f*ck you, fu-
‘ But did you know his mother was Eileen Prince? It’s absolutely insane ‘
‘ I had no idea! Apparently he had kept his mouth closed about that, not even that gossiper girl from Ravenclaw, Evelyn Payne I think, knew about it ‘
‘ It' s insane! I even heard tha- ‘
Severus wasn’t able to hear anymore, partially because Narcissa had grabbed his hand and was now dragging him to his dorm. He knew she was just trying to help in her own way and he was pretty sure those two c*nts were gonna hear one or two unpleasant things from the youngest Black sister, but Severus couldn’t help but feel dread begin to spread within him at a quick pace. If just two students were enough to make him feel like this, then he didn’t want to think when he had to face the whole of Hogwarts.
When they finally reached their destination, the younger slytherin at long last felt like he was able to breathe freely again, a huge pressure off his shoulders, even if only for a moment. Cissy didn’t waste anymore time though, she basically pushed him into his bedroom before closing the door behind him, not a word said but he knew she would be waiting for him at the dorm’s entrance, giving him some very much needed alone time in order to process his thoughts and get himself ready for what would be an exhausting day.
It was in these moments that he was more than grateful for having the one and only Narcissa Black as his friend. Where he would be now and what he would be doing at this dire time? He had no idea, most likely having multiple panic attacks, but Cissy had been nothing but an absolute angel and a loyal friend, Severus would forever be in her debt. If after Hogwarts, he and the Black witch kept in touch, which he hoped they did, then he would be calling her his best friend or even his sister in all but blood. Lily Evans had once held that place in his heart and in his life but after that happened, he was pretty sure they would never be on speaking terms again.
The slytherin took a moment to take a deep breath, allowing the silence and coldness of the room to loosen his body enough to start getting things ready. He had around twenty to twenty five minutes before Narcissa checked up on him, insisting for him to hurry up or he would be late for his first class of the day. He nearly wanted to skip today’s classes but Nero would hear about it and be mad, and even if he did so anyway, he would have to face the sea of students the next day, unfortunately he couldn’t hide in his dorm forever.
Taking another shaky breath, the dark haired wizard walked up to his bed, noticing the new robes and books that the Lord Prince had promised him, neatly laid on top of his bed covers. They were clearly of very high quality and in turn very, very expensive too. Severus hoped the older wizard wouldn’t be asking him to pay for these back because he was pretty sure that he wouldn’t be able to give him the money in this lifetime, even if he wanted to.
He took a look at the brand new books and couldn’t contain his smile. No longer would he need to use his mother’s old school books or second handed ones that they had brought in an old shop in Diagon Alley, always having something written on them. No, now he had his own and his classmates would stop giving him looks of judgment for the state of his school material. There were even a few new quills and ink bottles, along with a black leathered book just for his notes.
Stopping himself from getting too excited, the young snake put the new materials into his bag and grabbed the new clothing, making his way to his private bathroom for a very quick shower. He didn’t want Narcissa to be waiting for too long, no matter how much of an amazing friend she was, patience was not her virtude and he really didn’t want her to walk in on him half naked when getting dressed.
So, that was what he did. A steaming, rapid shower to wash away all that previous sweat, even changing his head bandages for new ones. He dressed in just a few minutes too, finding out that the robes and uniform had an adjustment and heating charm on them. Thank Salazar. He did think it was a bit strange how Nero had gotten him new clothing without knowing his measurements but it seems that it had been an unnecessary thought. Hopefully even if he wasn’t placed under the care of the older Prince, he could still keep these gifts and use them for next year.
He had just finished dressing and was going to grab his bag to leave when Narcissa knocked on his door. “ Can I come in? “
Well, Severus was just going to leave the dorm but maybe Cissy wanted to tell him something first and if it was something delicate or private, he really just wanted to keep between the two of them without anyone listening to them. The sixth year agreed and watched as the future Malfoy lady entered his bedroom.
“ I thought that maybe I could help you with your hair “
His hair? His hair was fine, the usual oily, silky type that everyone had known since first year, nothing new, so he really didn’t know what Narcissa meant. It wasn’t even looking that bad today, especially in comparison when he spent nights working on his potion experiments and the fumes would make his locks pretty greasy. Because of that and with cheap shampoo not ideal for his hair type, he would always receive disgusted looks from pretty much everyone who didn’t know why it looked like that.
“ What do you mean, Cissy? “
“ Just let me do something with it, I promise I won’t go crazy “
Severus wanted to refuse, the older slytherin had offered many times to take care of his hair and the most he had allowed was for her to do a small braid that could be hidden with the rest of his hair. However, Narcissa had been there for him when he needed her most and hadn’t abandoned once. Even if he didn’t enjoy having others touching his hair, if this small act made her happy, he could endure it for today.
“ Alright “ and that response made her smile grow more. Narcissa picked up the hairbrush she had gifted him three years ago on his birthday and went behind him, accessing the situation before making up her mind and starting to work on her idea. Severus just hoped it wasn’t something that would bring too much attention to him. He knew he was already going to have all eyes on him today, and probably the next few days, but this was just a way of hers to try and make him feel better about the current events, so he kept his mouth quiet. Narcissa respected his boundaries and wouldn’t wish to make him uncomfortable, that he knew for sure.
The young man let the seventh year work but didn’t have to wait for too long, as Narcissa seemed to have finished her new art piece in record time. She brought his small hand mirror over with a silent Accio, another gift from her, this one from a year ago for Christmas, and let him have a moment to take in his new appearance. Cissy had managed to use his hair for a loose single braid that ended just after his shoulders, his bangs were loose and still let him hide his face under them whenever he needed to. Clearly a small but important detail Narcissa hadn’t forgotten.
He looked really different from his usual self but he didn’t dislike it. Actually, it was quite the opposite, dare he say this new hairstyle was more practical, especially when making potions. Again, just where would he be without his dear friend? Though, suddenly a series of noises were heard from the entrance, along with a very agitated voice.
xxx
“ Severus, are you there?! P-Please tell me you’re okay! Madam Pomfrey told me you left the wing half an hour ago but she didn- “ The fifth year snake was interrupted from making more of a spectacle of himself, the moving picture for Severus’s dorm entrance, a elegant glass vase with three white iris on the center of a small dark oak circular table, a small garter snake could be seen moving, trying to reach the flowers but because of its size, the task was somewhat difficult, moved aside and there stood Severus Snape looking rather annoyed.
“ Honestly, Reg, why are you making such a commotion? It's not like I just vanished from Hogwarts! You would still have seen me, you worrywart! “ While Snape was in the middle of scolding the heir, he hadn’t noticed the younger Black’s reaction to his sudden appearance. The Black heir had never been as flabbergasted before as he was in that exact moment. His mouth was slacked open and his eyes wide, like he couldn’t believe just who was in front of him and in truth he didn’t. He had thought to find a miserable Severus who was reluctant to go to class, who wanted to stay away from everything and everyone. He was even afraid that the older boy might have even entertained the idea of dropping out.
Over his dead body, would Regulus allow him to do that.
Snape was one of the most intelligent wizards of their time, only a fool would not be able to see it. He was kind, hardworking, beautiful, patient and an absolute genius. Reg would not allow the other to give up on his future just because of his new situation. Like any good friend Regulus would be there to support Severus, no matter what anyone thought, and the potion genius would turn into a worldwide known potion prodigy.
However, one thing he really hadn’t expected was to see Severus looking fresh, with what looked to be brand new clothes and with a freaking braid. This new hairstyle choice of his really made his doe eyes pop out, his bangs barely covering those precious orbs and his rose colored lips so easy to access-
What?
Regulus’s blush was intense and without warning but still the older student hadn’t taken notice and continued on chastising the younger, completely unaware of the other’s inner thoughts. Who was aware and found the whole situation very amusing was his older cousin, a sly, knowing smirk on her face as she gently tapped Severus’s shoulder.
“ Don’t mind him, Sev. He’s been asking about you all the time, I don’t even think he slept a whole night with all his worry “ Regulus’s blush increased as he closed his mouth, looking both ashamed and shy “ but enough of that, all three of us need to get going or we’re gonna be late for class “
Narcissa turned to give Regulus a look, an expression that told him that she knew something he didn’t, which he always hated whenever one of his cousins and even his older brother sometimes threw at him. It irked him the wrong way and this time, just like all the other previous times, began to irritate him. Just why was Cissy already trying to get him mad first thing in the morning? He had been worried about their friend and wanted to make sure that Severus was alright and that Sirius and his group of idiots hadn’t tried to hurt him. He didn’t want to deal with whatever the woman was trying to do.
“ Regulus, “ his cousin started, bringing his attention back to the present. “ How about you bring our dear Sev to his class? “ and just before Severus could protest or Regulus could actually reply to her, she continued, ignoring their gazes. “ My class is on the other side and I need to hurry, so you two behave! “ she pressed a chaste kiss against Severus’s cheek, somehow managing to piss off the future Lord Black even more but he dared not voice it. Narcissa was older and much scarier than she let on, one did not want to be on her bad side. “ I’ll try to see you before your third class, Sev. If not, then we’ll see each other again at lunch “ and with that, the Black sister walked away from her cousin and friend.
An uncomfortable silence grew after her absence until Regulus coughed, bringing Severus’s gaze to land on him. His blush was much softer now, barely noticed but when their eyes met, it started back up again. He stretched his hand forward for the pale wizard to grab it, like a gentleman would offer to their lady, but between friends, of course. The half blood looked like he was a second away from refusing the other’s offer but Reg intervened before he was able to do just that.
“ I would still follow you to your class even if you refused, so let’s just go, Sev “ and to further appeal to his point, he quickly added. “ Please? I just want to make sure no one bothers you and Sirius always backs off whenever I’m near you, so just let me do this “ Severus seemed to think it over, possibly the pros and cons of accepting the offer on the table despite his pride at being able to take care of himself, but in the end he relented and agreed.
He reached over and grabbed the pureblood’s hand, quickly adjusting his school bag on his shoulder. Again that blush grew bigger and brighter but Severus had yet to comment on it, he was probably trying to ignore it to not make his friend embarrassed. He did give Reg a look though, a look that screamed that he was waiting for the heir to do or say something and Regulus was pretty sure he knew what that was about.
“ Don’t worry about it, Sev “ he gave that pale hand a gentle squeeze, trying to make the older boy relax a bit “ We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to and you’re no less of a friend to me just because of your new…condition “ he threw in a sweet smile, hoping that his sincerity was noticeable. “ You’re still Severus Snape, the most intelligent wizard that I know and my dear friend, nothing is going to change between us, Sev “
At that, finally at long last, the eldest slytherin began to relax, letting out a tired sigh before a smile finally planted itself on his face. He looked so prett-
“ Thank you, Reg. You have no idea how much that means to me “ Severus squeezed his hand back, once more that blush worsened and Regulus was pretty sure he actually looked like a damn tomato now. “ I promise I’ll explain everything to you when I’m able to “
“ There’s no rush, Sev. I’ll still be here for you no matter what “
The sixth year student’s smile grew slightly but their little sweet talk needed to come to an end if they wanted to make it in time for both their classes. “ C’mon, let’s hurry up or we’ll get detention “ and with that they started making their way, still hand in hand and knowing they would be facing the unforgiving sea of students of Hogwarts with all their unwanted opinions on the matter of Severus Snape’s life.
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30 October 1987
By rule of pureblood custom, birthday parties for future heirs, especially heirs of great houses like the Black house, were a great, nauseatingly complex ordeal. Extended family and other houses were invited in a specific order. First were direct family members, so Sirius Black received the first invitation, even if the bastard was still disowned from the family. Honestly the older Black should just thank his baby brother for the opportunity, if this was left for Severus, the mutt wouldn’t even be allowed to look in their direction.
The next invitations were for the three Black sisters, or in this case just Bellatrix and Narcissa, Andromeda was still burned out of the family tapestry and while neither Regulus or Severus had anything against her, the whole situation with Sirius was already causing a lot of tension in the Black family, they didn’t need to add her to the equation. Because the sisters were already married, her husbands and their families were invited as well, meaning Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, along with their father and mother, Osbert and Adeline Lestrange. From Narcissa’s side, Lucius and Draco were obviously invited as well.
In addition to the Black sisters, their parents were also coming to the evening, Cygnus Black and Druella Rosier. Cygnus was the brother of Walkburga, and brother to Alphard who was also invited, and while his sister no longer remained in the world of the living, except her yelling portrait that Severus had tried many times to burn, their elderly parents remained and so too were Pollux Black and Irma Crabbe added to the guest list. To add to the ever growing mass, Pollux’s remaining sibling, not mentioning his brother Marius Black who had unfortunately been born a squib and processed to mysteriously die, the unmarried Cassiopeia Black was also coming to the gathering.
That woman had been a nightmare for the young lady Black, she had not stopped fawning over him and Reggy when she had learned they named their second born and eldest daughter after her. When in reality they didn’t, the naming process for a newborn Black had an enerving large number of rules and there was even an actual list, which looked more like a book, for what names they could and could not give to their children. Cassiopeia had been one both him and Regulus enjoyed, the Queen constellation, and even though the Blacks had an alive family member with the same name, it was still pretty rare among them, which was good, the couple was just done with constant choices of ‘ Sirius ‘ and ‘ Alphard ‘ and ‘ Arcturus ‘. They had even refused to name one of those after their only son was born, which made the previous Lord and Lady Black very displeased.
Anyways, they tended to try and ignore the woman whenever possible. They much preferred that she thought this was a weird homage to her than actually just thinking that the name was pretty enough and waiting to name their child with it. It was better to have an ignorant Black than an angry one.
By now, realistically that should be enough family members invited, even by pureblood rule but the Blacks like to be different and exceed expectations, as much as that annoyed the potion genius. This caused for the next round of birthday party invitations to be sent out. The Crouch house, Lord Bartemius Crouch, or as he was known as the senior Crouch, his lady wife Pauline Crouch and their son, who both Severus and Regulus went to Hogwarts with, the junior Bartemius Crouch. The Crouch were connected to the Black family tree by Charis Black, mother of the senior Crouch, daughter of Arcturus Black and sister of Callidora Black, who married into the Longbottom family. By a sort of miracle senior Crouch’s sisters wouldn’t be able to attend, two less purebloods to deal with.
The Longbottoms were already going to be invited, either as family or friends, as the future Longbottom heir was a close friend of the birthday boy, so the current Lord Longbottom, Donald Longbottom, son of lady Callidora, and his wife lady Augusta Longbottom were also invited, of course along with his son Frank Longbottom and Alice Longbottom and their own son, Neville Longbottom.
Fortunately the Weasleys weren’t needed to be invited as they too were burned off from the family, Severus would count these small mercies to his mental stability. He was already going to deal with a wave of mostly blood purists, he didn’t need the famous Weasley bunch causing a ruckus on his son’s special day.
Both the Prewett and Burke houses had been given invitations as well. While Lucretia was a Black and Orion’s older sister and so her whole family could attend the event, only her and her husband, Lord Ignatius Prewett would come while their children were attending business outside of the country and their grandchildren were already attending Hogwarts. For the Burke they still hadn’t received a reply but they didn’t hold out much hope, that house was known to keep to themselves most of the time and ever since tensions grew between muggleborns and blood purists, which were mostly purebloods, they have been famously in a neutral state and have refused to engage in any upcoming social events. Severus couldn’t really blame them, dare he say he was almost jealous of them, if he and his family were able, they too would stay out of these tensions but unfortunately for them they wouldn’t be able to.
The last invitations to be sent out to actual family members related to house Black were, as horrifying as it was, the Potters. When Severus had found that he was about to be somehow related to the Potters, he very seriously entertained the idea of fleeing from the country and changing his identity. Only his love for Regulus and knowing that both the Blacks and Princes would be after him, stopped him from actually doing such a thing.
He did invite James and Harry to the party through Lily but that was more for the benefit for the future Lady Potter than the other two, as she would use the opportunity for some help like they had agreed. Because of this, by virtue, Lily’s in-laws, Fleamont and Euphemia, were going to attend too, along with the current, very old, Lord Charles Potter, father of Fleamont and husband to Dorea Black, who in turn was the daughter of the other Cygnus Black and aunt to the late Lady Walburga Black, sister to Pollux and the older Cassiopeia.
Dorea herself had already passed away a few years back but the rules still applied to her husband and descendents. So basically the Lord and future Lords of the Potter house would come to the event.
Already there were way too many people to be comfortable with all together socializing and judging and of course things didn’t stop there. Because the Blacks had many ‘like minded’ allies, the invites extended to families like the Avery, Rosier, Mulciber, Carrow, Flint, Yaxley, Greengrass, Parkinson, Rowle, Travers and of course the Selwyn and the Nott, especially because his son just had to be friends with the heirs of those two last houses. Luckily neither the Flint and Parkinson lords would be able to come but they sent their well wishes through a well written letter. The Carrow, Rowle and Travers would only be able to attend for a short while before having to leave which pleased Severus greatly, the less purebloods he had to entertain, the better for him and his family.
To be the cherry on top of the ice cream, Severus had his own family to invite over, or in other words, the house of Prince would be in attendance. The current lord and lady of the Princes were still the same ones who Severus had the pleasure, or not, of meeting when he was just a sixth year in Hogwarts. Lord Nero Prince and his Lady wife Juliana Prince. The parents of his mother, Eileen Julia Prince, and her younger brother, Marcus Prince, who himself was married to the sister of Ignatus Prewett, the charming Donabella Prewett. Her and Marcus had once been the proud parents of Felix Prince, his direct cousin who had been born a year after him but unfortunately had a very weak constitution and would easily get sick. The family did everything they possibly could to prevent something bad from happening but when Felix caught a nasty flu from the outbreak happening to muggles and muggleborns, his body wasn't able to resist and he had ended up passing away while sleeping, surrounded by a devastated family.
When he found out about it, Severus hadn’t been able to fully grasp the reality of losing your child to something you simply couldn’t truly prevent, especially when he thought that Corvus was the age that Felix was when he died. Now that he had his own bunch of troublemakers, such a situation would be utterly horrifying. The moment Felix had gotten sick, it was the end for the young wizard but sometimes the potion prodigy couldn’t help but think what it would have been like if his cousin did live. Would they have been close as brothers? Or would Felix detest him so just for the simple fact that he was half blood? Severus would never truly know and he would rather not think too much about it.
So here he was now, dressed in formal long, finely crafted black robes that reached his ankles, a beautiful dark tone that once light passed by it, a soft blue hue appeared with his much darker outer robes. The fabric had been a gift from one of Regulus’s newest business partners in Germany, elf-made and left under three full moon nights, with a sparkle of a mature pixie’s dust. On his upper body, under the outer robes he had a simple dark corset, not too tight since he was already carrying but enough to make his curvy waist stick out and his body to seem more feminine than usual. His hair had small, carefully made waves with the help of a beauty charm and they ran free on his back. They still were nothing in comparison to his husband’s own mess of curls but it wasn’t his ordinary straight look either. Even his shoes were different, they were obviously produced for formal gatherings but only had the slightest of heel to give Severus a bit more height and a gracious charm to his step.
If he was back to his teenage years, when his transformation first occurred, he would be beyond shocked at how he looked at the moment but years under training from Walburga Black, Nero Prince and his wife, allowed him to have a sense of normalcy in these situations.
They had already greeted most of their guests but there were still a few remaining, including the mutt, the mutt’s best friend and the mutt’s best friend’s kid. Along with the Princes, some Black distant family members and some of their old schoolmates, which dreadfully meant Evan Rosier and William Mulciber. The Black couple had been standing near the entrance, appropriately greeting their guests like all good purebloods were trained to do in their parties, even if after a while these maneuvers were starting to tire them out. At some point Regulus had gotten a crystal glass of light champagne and had been slowly sipping at it throughout their task, meanwhile Severus was stuck keeping their one year old daughter occupied, safely sitting on his hip, while the many newcomers cooed over her.
This would be the first time many had met Lyra Columba Black, as the third child and second daughter of the couple, her existence wasn’t much brought to the attention of other purebloods in comparison to her siblings. It also didn’t help that Lyra was the shyest of the three and didn’t much enjoy meeting new people as much as her sister did, which meant that at some point her dummy had been placed on her mouth and her unicorn plushie given to her to prevent any temper tantrums from forming. It had worked out well for a time but after around twenty minutes she began to want to move about and whines began. Severus tried to switch her to his other side and that move bought him ten minutes or so before little Lyra finally had enough and demanded to be put down.
That’s how Sirius Black, James Potter and his son, Harry Potter, found him. A tiny toddler clutching his robes with one hand while her other gripped her beloved plushie. Her parents had kept an eye on her in case she decided to wander off, like Cassiopeia enjoyed doing, but the little one was more than satisfied just to stay standing near them. Meanwhile, her older siblings were entertaining their own sort of guests, more accurately the children of the various purebloods. Corvus had received a lot of well birthday wishes and the number of his presents was ever growing. He had even gone to his parents to greet some of the adults that haven’t seen him since he was but a babe. His younger sister Cassiopeia had gone with him but was now happily babbling with the girls of the group. Tiaras had even come out at some point in a spurt of accidental magic much to Severus’s relief, rather tiaras than flying scissors.
“ Merlin, I haven’t seen this place so full in ages “ The older Black had a look of bewilderment, his eyes with a shiny hint of nostalgia. The party had been located in one of the many Black’s mansions throughout the countryside. It was spacious, enough to accommodate two families of five, and screamed luxury, if the many marble statues and the golden chandelier wasn’t enough to show it, with a lovely garden for the children to play around in and tire themselves out.
It had come into Regulus’s possession after his parents' deaths. It was here that Lord Phineas Black had resided with his family and had his birthday celebrations, along with his children’s and all the future Black heir’s. Sirius and Regulus themselves had had many birthday parties and balls here, so it was only fitting that Corvus, as the next in line for the Black lordship, to have his own birthday here as well.
Regulus smiled at his brother’s entrance while his wife grimaced, perhaps Severus would never truly trust the older Black for those hellish years back in Hogwarts but he could try and be civil, Sirius himself has been trying as much as a mutt possibly could. Still, it didn’t mean that the two of them were friends now, seven years of mistreatment and cruelty couldn’t be solved in just a few months.
“ Lord Black “ Sirius greeted the younger male, a firm handshake between the two Black brothers. Maybe in another life they would have exchanged places. Sirius would have never left his pureblood life behind during fifth year and Regulus would remain the spare and not have the pressure of being perfect. In another life Severus Snape would have been married to Sirius Black and would have surely pushed out a litter, all snarky smirks and an unsatisfiable thirst for mischief.
Over his dead body would Severus ever let that happen.
“ Lady Black “ The potion genius sneered but offered his hand nonetheless, which Sirius pressed a quick kiss on his knuckles, as if doing this burned the man’s lips. Severus had half a mind to stop himself from slapping the bastard’s face right there and then, screw his reputation and others’ opinions. Though before he could think of much else, Sirius’s attention turned to his youngest child.
“ Hello, little Lyra. You’re not hiding behind your mommy’s robes, are you? “ he gently teased, hoping to make up for his past mistake of accidentally making her cry in the middle of Diagon Alley. The toddler asserted him up and down with a look that was too much like her mother’s. Severus thought she was on her way to start her famous bloodchilling wails but all the mutt got from her was a small unintelligent babble, dummy still in her mouth, before she snuggled closer to Severus, face half hidden by his robes.
Sirius smiled, not daring to push his luck further and turned to look back at the two Potters who had been momentarily forgotten while he greeted his family. Thankfully all three were dressed appropriately in formal attire but their expressions were vastly different from one another. Sirius had his famous smirk, just happy to be speaking again with his baby brother and his children, James had a annoying scowl, like he would rather be anywhere else but here, and his son, little Harry Potter, looked terrified, holding onto the square box for dear life, wrapped in gold and red wrapping paper, in front of him but his eyes never leaving Severus’s face.
The leader of the marauders stepped forward, also giving the young Lord Black a handshake but there was no happiness in the air like earlier. A weird tension existed between the two men, a staring contest of sorts. Regulus had always been protective of him, even before he started courting him but after they got together, that protective strike had only gotten worse. He was trying to reconcile with his brother, who had already apologized to Severus multiple times and was actively working on building a civil relationship with him, but James Potter was another thing completely. Some people couldn’t be so easily forgiven.
James greeted the Black couple like the good pureblood heir he was trained to be but protocol took a different turn with the potion genius. Even if Severus was not a woman, he was in the lady’s role because of his sex as a male carrier, so when greeting the couple, one gave a handshake to the lord and the lady received a kiss on the back of their hand. Regulus got his handshake but before James could move to grab his hand, the Lady Black offered his hand for a handshake of his own. A public insult to James Potter in the old pureblood fashion, even Regulus was slightly surprised. The Potter heir was shocked for a moment before recovering, giving a tentative shake before Severus all but slapped that hand away and turned to the youngest one in the group.
“ You must be young Harry Potter, if I’m correct “
Taking pity on the boy, the older Black patted the kid’s shoulder, making him snap out of whatever sort of trance he was in. The trembling child nodded before remembering that he had a mouth and the ability to speak. Shiny emerald green eyes filled with an unnerving amount of anxiety, the eyes of his ex-best friend but in Potter’s aristocratic face, with adorable chubby cheeks still filled with baby fat, much like his own son’s.
“ I-I am, Lady Black”
Severus nodded, how in Merlin’s name did Lily Evans, one of the loudest Gryffindors he had ever known, had such a delicate son he had no idea but then again he couldn’t exactly judge. Both him and Reg were true slytherins, cunning and ambitious, and while their son would most likely be going to the Slytherin house as well, their two daughters were a bit different. He wouldn’t be surprised if when Lyra went to Hogwarts, she was placed in Hufflepuff, and Cassiopeia displayed more and more signs of Gryffindor behavior. Severus secretly thought that it must be one of Sirius Black’s pranks on him as he influenced her, no way would his child willingly be a lion.
“ Follow me then, I’ll show you the way to the pile of presents and you can leave your gift there “ Harry seemed uncertain with the command, he even glanced at his father for some guidance which he received in the form of a quick nod and a soft pat on his back to urge him to move forward. Severus grabbed his daughter, once more positioning her against his hip as he made his way to the table on the corner full of all sizes of presents. Sirius had already asked one of the elfs to put his present in the pile but Harry, probably learning from his mother, wished to do it ‘ manually ‘.
As they made their way, the pregnant carrier couldn’t help but notice that the little one wanted to say something but each time the boy opened his mouth, he quickly closed it back up. After a while of that, Severus finally decided to just get on with it.
“ Is something wrong, young Potter? “
The child startled, not having realized the man noticed the battle inside his mind. After a silent beat, Harry finally responded.
“ A-Actually Lady Black, I wanted to apologize to you “
Oh?
Perhaps James’s son was smarter than his sire could ever hope to be.
“ And why is that? “
Another beat, possibly gathering his thoughts to form a well structured sentence and make his point straight across.
“ Because of what I said about you and Lord Black and for making Corvus mad “
Bless him, he looked properly ashamed for his actions, if that light blush said anything, and while Severus hated James Potter with a passion, Harry was not his father and his father’s mistakes were not his own to bear.
“ I thought what daddy said about you and Lord Black was true but after talking with uncle Siri, I understood my mistake “ Determination sat on the youngester’s gaze “ For that I’m sorry, Lady Black and I would like to apologize to Corvus as well “
They finally reached the table but the man’s attention was to the little shadow following him. He could be cruel here and feed into all the stereotypes that James had of him but standing in front of him was just an innocent soul that just believed his father’s ignorant words, and had understood his mistake and came to redeem himself. Just this was much more than James ever did to Severus in his whole life, pigs would start flying the day that short sighted marauder even felt remorse for what he did to him.
“ Thank you, Harry, that’s very kind of you “ he offered a sympathetic smile, hoping to ease some of the boy’s worries. He even moved forward to give the gentlest of pats on top of the boy’s mess of black curls. “ I also have my own apologies to make, Harry “ and without letting the child interrupt him, the wizard continued, silently adjusting the toddler in his hold. Lyra was already starting to show symptoms of a tantrum. “ Corvus shouldn’t have punched you like that, even if he didn’t like what you had to say. Hitting someone is never correct “ He left out the fact that maybe he told his son that words could be a much better weapon but Harry really didn’t need to know that.
Young Potter seemed to think about his response over and over in his head and at last reached a satisfactory conclusion. His gaze met Severus’s once more, a shy smile on his lips. “ Thank you, lady Black “
“ You can call me Severus, everyone has been calling me Lady Black all evening and I’m starting to get sick of it “ he let out one of his dramatic sighs that always made his children giggled, the many silly theatrics their mama made, and he was pleased that it also brought a giggle from the small one next to him.
“ Then you can call me Harry! “
“ Deal! Now, let’s put down your present “
Severus helped him place his gift carefully on the high table. There were already so many presents here but he doubted that his son would make use of more than half. Previous birthday presents had been an example of that. He also prayed no one had given his son any books about dark magic or dark spells, Bellatrix had tried using that tactic a year ago and Regulus was barely able to hold him down from strangling her.
Speaking of Corvus, he turned to take a look at the little group of children all happily laughing and playing together, his son in the middle, smiling brightly and leading the group, when an idea struck him.
“ Penny! “ He called and a sudden pop was heard before a little house elf with sharp eyes appeared, her outfit a soft lilac tunic and a flower crown on her head.
“ You called, Lady Black? “
“ Yes, I did indeed. Would you be able to tell my son to come speak with me? “
The elf looked more than excited at being given an order, after all Severus enjoyed doing most things by himself and their main residence didn’t have any house elfs. Penny had been a gift from Lucius when they first moved out of 12 Grimmauld Place and she spent most of her time cleaning and organizing the various Black’s properties, only speaking with the Black couple to report her activity and most often than not being told to go help Lady Narcisssa with whatever she needed when she was done with her tasks. She also enjoyed playing with the couple’s children and keeping an eye on them, when she wasn’t busy with the other chores but both Severus and Regulus rather take care of their bunch on their own.
“ Yes, Lady Black! Right away, my lady! “ and with another pop, the creature was gone.
Now, Severus could very well go get his eldest child but he had been standing for way too long and his feet were killing him, and that was not mentioning the fact that Lyra was beginning to full on whine again and it was only a matter of time before those screams of hers made an entrance.
“ Harry, could I bother you to come help me to that table over there? “ he pointed to a round table decorated with a delicate white cloth and a vase full of lilac and purple snapdragon flowers. The cutlery had been thoroughly washed and cleaned and carefully placed for each of the seats, Severus would have taken ages doing all that himself if he didn’t have Penny around.
Still filled with that profound determination, the little one offered his hand, which the older wizard happily accepted, and began leading the way to their destination. Severus held in his laugh at the cute display, he hardly could believe this was Potter’s child, he looked more like Lily than his sire right now.
Harry even helped him sit down on the chair when they arrived, and Severus couldn’t help but give a pat on his head once again at the adorable behavior. “ Thank you, Harry. You truly are a gentleman “ that made the boy beam in happiness and another pat to the top of his head. Severus had maneuvered Lyra to stand beside his chair, the toddler had been giving glances at the Potter boy here and there but her focus was to be let down to the ground.
“ Mama! “
Ah, Corvus has finally arrived.
“ Do you need me, mama? “
If Harry subconsciously moved closer to the man, Severus didn’t comment on it. He was most likely nervous for the upcoming conversation with the Black boy, all that gryffindor courage disappearing into thin air. Lyra let out one of her enthusiastic shrieks the second her brother appeared, her wobbly legs helping the toddler make her way to the older child. Corvus smiled and reached out to engulf his sister in a hug, gently picking her up, multiple giggles flying out the toddler’s mouth.
“ I did, honey “ he gave one last pat on Harry’s head which caused the boy to let out a small squeak but Severus didn’t mention it. “ I thought it would be good for you and Harry to have a little private talk while you go get me a cup of holiday blancmange “ It wasn’t exactly a direct order but it also didn’t leave much room to refuse. Severus, like the true slytherin he was, had a way with manipulating his words and could be quite tricky. Corvus knew it, that’s why he didn’t even try to protest.
With a sigh, the boy easily agreed to the task, putting his sister back down close to their mother. “ Alright, mama “ he turned to finally address the other child, a frown already forming on his face “ Come, Potter “. Harry immediately started walking in the direction of the banquet, which was easily spotted by the four layered cake in the middle, not waiting to make the other more irritated. Though, while Harry was unaware and moved ahead, Severus quickly grabbed his son’s arm and brought him close.
“ I know you’re not a big fan of that boy but he has already apologized to me and he wishes to apologize for you too “ The young wizard’s eyes widened but Severus moved the conversation forward. “ He made a mistake and is owning up to it, Corvus. Everyone deserves second chances “
The boy mulled it over, not agreeing or disagreeing with the adult but it was all pretend, what Corvus had to do was as clear as day. “ I also want you to apologize to him as well “
“ What? Wait, why?! “
Severus frowned and the boy quickly settled down.
“ You punched him, Corvus. That is wrong, I told you so weeks ago. You also made a mistake on your part and now you both need to reconcile “ a stern look was enough to not make the child protest any further. “ Harry was terrified of me just a minute ago but he still said sorry. Don’t let your pride stop you from doing the same, honey. You’re better than that “
Another sigh left the younger wizard, finally relenting. “ Alright, mama “
A proud smile stretched his mouth “ That’s my boy! Now go on, don’t leave Harry waiting “ with a pat to his back, Corvus nearly ran to the other child. Severus watched them as his son led the way, thankfully already making conversation with Harry. His frown was easing and the Potter child started to relax in the company of the other. Perhaps things would be getting better now.
A sudden champagne glass was placed in front of him, momentarily startling the carrier. He was about to shout at whoever dared do that when his black eyes met light greys. The older Black. Huffing in annoyance, Severus reached down to pick up his daughter and placed her on his lap, no whines emitted as the unicorn had escaped her clutches and was trotting on the table, near Severus’s plate.
“ Just what are you doing over here? “ From the corner of his eye, he could still see his husband still on the task of greeting the new wave of arriving guests. If his calculations were correct, most of their guests had already arrived, just the Princes have yet to come. He wasn’t worried though, Lord Prince enjoyed being the last to arrive to such events. Something about knowing how to make an appearance and avoiding unnecessary drama. Severus didn’t get it when he was a teenager and he much less got it now.
“ Regulus is still being a good boy and greeting the newcomers and James is talking with his parents and grandfather “ Oh, so Lord Charlus and his son and wife had finally arrived, must have been after Severus left with Harry then.
“ And you thought it would be a good idea to come here? “ Sirius sat down on Regulus’s chair which meant he sat near enough to the male to start unavoidably bothering him. The c*nt was chugging down his own glass and Sev prayed to all and any god that he wouldn’t be dealing with a drunk mutt soon.
“ I don’t see what’s the problem? Just wanted to spend some time with my dear brother-in-law “ Just that phrase alone made Severus sneer and the mutt to actually laugh, clearly he had a few too many drinks already and he had just arrived. “ Plus, thought I’ll bring you a little gift to make you relax “
“ I’m relaxed “ Again the man had the audacity to laugh at him. Deep breaths, Severus, deep breaths.
“ Sure, like you didn’t publicly humiliate James just a second ago “
“ The man deserved it, after his unnecessary comments it was the least I could do “
Black sighed, surprisingly letting the subject go and not insisting, not fighting to be right against slimy Snivellus. If this had been the younger Sirius Black, he wouldn’t have given up so easily. Actually, the Hogwarts marauder would have thrown all the hexes he knew at him before attempting to make any type of conversation, if he even did that.
“ Mama, here! “ A crystal cup, because of course everything had to be crystal, was put in front of him, almost knocking the champagne glass over if Sirius didn’t intervene. Severus huffed but quickly pressed a kiss on his boy’s forehead.
“ Thank you, baby “
“ Me and Harry are gonna go play, ok? I won’t be far, mama “ If Regulus was protective, then their son was just the same, if not more at times. He even decided to take care of his siblings when he thought Severus was getting too tired, going as far as to take little Lyra from his mother’s arms. He and Regulus had to have a talk with him about that though. While they appreciated Corvus’s diligence in taking care of his baby sisters, he shouldn’t do it all the time. Let the adults take care of them and let himself be a little kid. It worked for a while but too many times than Severus could count, his son would keep his sisters occupied while he and Regulus took care of something else around the house.
“ Alright, baby. Have fun “ The plan to get the boys to make peace appears to have worked, thank Merlin. They were even smiling and laughing to one another. Having received his mother’s reply, Corvus grabbed Harry’s hand and basically started dragging him to the center of the room, where the rest of the children were still playing. It was only because of Sirius that he stopped for a moment.
“ Not going to say hello to your favorite uncle? “
“ Hello, uncle Siri but you should know that you’re not my favorite uncle. Uncle Lucius is my favorite! “ A snort was heard from the carrier’s direction but no further sounds followed.
“ Guess I walked into that one “ The mutt chuckled a bit dejectedly “ Just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, champ “
The boys processed to start walking once more, ignoring the two grown wizards. Severus himself was already eating his favorite dessert, the creamy blancmange.
“ Thanks, uncle Siri. Bye! “
And little Harry added his own goodbye before both boys vanished into the sea of children. Sirius watched them for a bit, just waiting to make sure everything was really alright. Last time Corvus and Harry went playing, a fight had broken out. They didn’t need another happening here, surrounded by all these purebloods fanatics.
Severus felt the mutt staring at him not too long after though, but he didn’t give him much thought, his focus was on keeping a one year old fussy toddler sufficiently distracted while filling his stomach with much needed food.
“ Not gonna have a drink? “ Curiosity was evident in Black’s tone.
“ Can’t “ Severus said before he could stop himself. He mentally cursed, tightly gripping his spoon and hoping that Sirius hadn't heard him. Of course the universe wouldn’t have that and would take any moment to tournament the potion genius.
“ Oh? And why is that? “ Another laugh escaping the eldest Black which just added to Severus’s irritation. “ Don’t tell me you’re pregnant again “
Some say silence spoke louder than words and it couldn’t be truer in that moment. Sirius’s expression turned to one of absolute disbelief when Severus didn’t immediately deny it. He even leaned forward, closer to the other male as if that was gonna be enough to truly confirm his suspicion.
“ No way! You’re act- “
“ Severus, cousin. How are you two in this fine evening? “ Severus could kiss Narcissa right there and then, like many times previously, the slytherin woman had come to his rescue. The amount of debt that he owed lady Malfoy just kept growing bigger.
“ Narcissa, I didn’t see you when I first arrived “ Black turned to look at his older cousin, paying attention to her and for a moment forgetting his brother’s wife.
“ While you were too busy getting wasted, I was talking to our aunt Lucretia and uncle Alphard “ This shocked the man, afterall last he heard of his uncle, who had so graciously been helping him out by providing a flat in the center of London and his own allowance, going against the wishes of the previous Lord and Lady Black, he too had been burned off of the family tapestry.
“ I didn’t know uncle Alph was here! “ he turned to give Severus a look, silently begging for confirmation. If doing so made the mutt get off his back, then he would happily do it.
“ Regulus has been inviting him since Corvus’s fourth birthday, neither your uncle Pollux or you uncle Cygnus are too happy about it but since Reggy is Lord Black his word is basically law “ A simple explanation for something that had taken months to do. Just the number of times the younger Black had to sign multiple documents to reverse the decision of Orion and Walburga to kick out the man from the family could have been a task of two weeks. However the visits to Gringotts and the many howlers from various displeased family members they received just dragged the process through seven long months. “ You should go thank your baby brother for doing this, it was mostly for your benefit, you know? “
Confusion didn’t suit Sirius Black and it just made Severus laugh.
“ What do you mean? “
He finished the desert, elegantly cleaning his mouth with the cloth napkin. “ He knew how important your uncle Alphard was to you and hoped by getting the man back into the family, maybe you would be more lenient to talk with him “
Narcissa sat beside her beloved friend while her cousin’s brain short circuited, trying to make sense of what he had just been told. Severus almost let an undignified squeak when the man abruptly stood up. He managed to stop himself, though Sirius had the gall to point a finger at him, as if he was a father chastising his kid. “ I’m gonna go speak with Reggy and uncle Alphard but don’t think I’ve forgotten what we were just discussing “ and with that he left, empty champagne glass left on the table.
Severus couldn’t help but sigh in relief, he could at last somewhat relax in this wreck of an evening. A soft chuckle from his right did capture his attention though.
“ Mind telling me what that was all about? “ the witch inquired, obviously now rather curious herself.
“ Only if you go get me another holiday blancmange “
And an amused laugh was all he got and he couldn’t really be mad about it, maybe now with his friend by his side, things could finally start to get better.
