This Bit of Innocence

by Catty-the-spy

Part II

The silence at the dinner table was strained, and it was staring to make them uncomfortable.

Eassan wriggled unhappily in his chair. Ama! He reached out. Severus picked him up, cuddling him. "What's wrong?"

Eassan nuzzled his chest in an attempt to find something he knew was there, and Severus understood. That said, he was prepared for the hunger his mind was met with, and consoled his charge with a whispered "Soon."

Eassan was not happy with that option. He had waited as long as he could and his tummy was starting to hurt, and all this aside from the cold that was starting to get to him despite his thick garments. Eassan whimpered to prove his point.

Severus sighed. "Not in the pouch, child, and I'll have to be excused from the table."

Eassan countered this by attempting to suckle through Severus' shirt.

Harry looked at them and raised an eyebrow. "Problems?"

Severus resisted the urge to stick out his tongue. "Unless you have an idea…"

Harry motioned to one of the servants lining the walls.

After being given a large and fancily decorated cloth, Harry turned to Severus. "This is what those ladies near the end of the table have clipped over their dresses, c'mere."

Harry led them to a small alcove and clipped the cloth into the clips on Severus' shoulders. "Now you know what those are for. I forgot to tell you about them earlier. Now come on and we'll stop Eassan complaining before he drives my mother mad."

Severus chuckled and let Harry unlace his shirt under the cloth.

Eassan was obviously happy with the arrangement. He suckled happily, and loudly.

One of the ladies with a baby giggled and winked at him, leaning back in her chair to say "If only they stayed this content with what they ate, eh?"

"Content?" he replied. "Only because this is all he can ingest at the moment. A time will come when this won't suit his tastes anymore that then I'll really have problems. He's already demanding enough."

The lady giggled again and motioned for him to return to his meal. "Maybe when can talk more after dinner."

Severus smiled and nodded his acceptance of that.

Lily was staring at him.

Severus turned away from her disconcerting gaze and instead listened in on the discussion Harry was having with his father, who happened to be much nicer.

"…the use of Magick. It might have been useful in Merlin's time but for us it has become obsolete."

"Yes, our spells are quicker and more efficient but they need frequent renewal. Old Magick isn't like that. The spells surrounding Avalon are Magick, and they have yet to fall or weaken. The spells holding this castle together are made from Magick and have never in history wavered. Our spells work faster and take less time to cast, but they are far too weak. I'm not saying we should dispose of our new spells all together, just that we should acknowledge our roots and work for efficiency and durability rather than speed and degree of difficulty."

James nodded his acceptance of that. "I'll hold to my views and concede to yours. Trust me son, this isn't over."

Harry grinned. "Is it ever over?"

He noticed Severus looking at him.

"I don't think you've met my father. Severus, this is James of the Potter Clan, ruler over Gryffindor and one of the four highest Lords in all of Hogwarts."

Severus smiled and freed a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. How are you liking our mountain abode?"

"I think it's lovely."

"Just the castle?"

"No, everything. Most of the people here are really nice, and everyone and everything is so lovely…"

James seemed pleased. "I'm glad you like it. Now…" he leaned forward and adopted a serious look. "Has my son been treating you right?"

Severus nodded. "Yes. He's a really wonderful person. And he doesn't get mad at me when I don't understand something."

James nodded. "Good, good. Have you tried the pie? Wonderful stuff. Here."

James heaped a large piece of the aforementioned pie onto Severus' plate.

Harry pulled him aside after the meal. "I'm sorry about him. He's a good person, and his hearts in the right place, but he's more than a little insane. That's one of the reasons he's having to push for an heir for me: the people want me to be extremely ready to take the throne, or at least our quarter. My mother is evil, and my father's a little too crazy. How did I survive?"

Severus chuckled. "You're that good a person. The gods gave you your mother's beauty and your father's good heart. Nothing to regret there."

Harry smiled at the shorter man. "And you. The gods gave me you."

Severus grinned, and Harry gave him a departing kiss no the forehead before the young Drygun set off to find his new friend.

"Uncle Sevewus! Look what I can do."

A shirtless two year old (by drygun standards) Draco spread his wings and ran, flapping hard. Eventually he lifted from the ground a good many inches, and teetered there.

Severus clapped when the boy finally toppled down. "Good job, Draco!"

The blonde boy chuckled, immensely proud of himself and delighted with the opportunity to show of for Severus and his mate and maybe possibly the baby if it was awake. His father had explained to him that babies slept a lot more than big boys and grown ups did because they were smaller.

"Uncle Sevewus, what the baby name?"

"Eassan."

"Essauwnne?"

"No, Eassan. Eassawn."

"Oh…what's he doin?"

"Eating."

"Can I see?"

Severus invited the child over, and as Draco watched, sleepy green eyes opened and met curious grey. The children eyed each other, till the baby grunted and the toddler nodded his head. "Uncle Sevewus, where Eesan Apa?"

"His Apa?"

"Mhm. You his Ama, you hewe. Where his Apa?"

"You mean my mate?"

Draco rolled his eyes, as if it was blatantly obvious.

"Harry is talking with his parents. Why?"

"Cause I want to meet him."

"Maybe later."

Draco nodded and looked back at the baby. "Hello Eesan. My name Dwaco. You my cousin now."

The baby grunted once more before closing its eyes.

Ron and Lucius appeared from the bottom of the hill.

"…won't work. There is no conceivable way."

"That's what the nonbelievers said about Avalon."

Ron sighed. "I hold to my views but concede to your opinion. Trust me, sir, it's not over."

Lucius smirked. "Is it ever over?"

Harry sighed at the little blonde boy standing at his bedroom door.

"And you're here because…?"

"Daddy told me come stay with you and Uncle Sevewus while he and Won do gwon-up stuff."

Harry sighed. Who knew? His best friend and his husbands best friend, banging each other. This just got better and better…

"Come in then, little bit."

Draco stumbled sleepily into the room, and Harry nodded at the guard who'd escorted him. "Tell Ron after breakfast that he needs to start hiring a night nanny for these occasions."

Auror Fred of House Weasley nodded with a grin on his face. "Righto, sir."

"And don't interrupt or walk in on them or anything like that. Don't give Ron a reason to be in anyway disgruntled till after I've spoken with him."

Fred pouted but did as told.

Severus peered at him from under the covers. "Why is Draco standing beside the bed?"

"Lucius and Ron are getting acquainted in the way required to produce an heir. Draco was sent here."

Severus sighed and pointed to the bed in the corner. "Eassan isn't using it anyways and wont for a while.

Harry lifted the boy into it and tucked him in, smiling as he released the child's hold on his light blue blanket and wrapped it around the boy and the bear accompanying him. "Night Draco."

"Night Uncle Hawy."

A/N: I am simply awed by the response to this story. Truly, you guys rock.

This is the second installment, and there is definintly more on the way. Thank you so much for reading.

Please, let me know about amy mistakes or anything that I need work on. Questions are also welcome.

Thanks again,

Catty-the-spy

ps: Flames will be used to heat my bathwater.