Bedtime
The night came all too soon. The days seemed to be too short and the nights too long. Though Hadrian would be a liar if he were to say he didn’t like it.
Night, and by extension, darkness, were old friends. They kept him safe and sheltered from those who sought to harm him as a small child. He had grown to love that more than he ought to have.
Unfortunately, his child had inherited that from him. She was too eager to stay up and protested bedtime to no end.
With a fond sigh, he rocked her in his arms. “Aren’t you tired, baby?”
“Noooooooo,” she whined, weakly pushing at his face. “Gotta stay up, mama.”
“It’s bedtime.” He shifted onto the bed, brushing soft hair out of her eyes. “Aren’t you tired?”
“No.” Delphini said, even as she yawned.
He snorted. “You literally just proved my point.”
She scowled at him.
“Come on, kiddo; it’s bedtime.” With a soft sigh, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. She sure was his child if her desire to stay away was any indicator. He, too, tended to stay up later than he should, easily trapped by projects and the promise of freedom.
“I don’t want to!” Her voice trembled.
“Why not?” There had to be something more. There had to be another reason behind her begging and panic.
After all, Harry wasn’t dumb. He knew better than most the scars abandonment and neglect could bring. He hated seeing it in Delphini, especially when she was such a sweet child. What had happened to him and her sire to leave her in such a state?
He knew he would never abandon his family, especially with his desire for one. Even if Delphini hadn’t been planned, he would have protected her with his very being. Harry would do nothing less for those he loved.
“What if this is a dream?”
Oh, baby. Her fear brought to life after being whispered broke his heart. She was six years old, too young to worry about such a thing.
“Delphi-”
“What if I wake up and you’re gone. ” She trembled against him, fingers cramping against his shirt. “I don’t wan’ you to leave again.”
“That’s not going to happen.” He said firmly. “I’ll never leave you.”
Harry would do anything he could to stay alive for her, to be able to protect her. He wouldn’t do what his parents did: follow a senile man into a war when they could have remained neutral and kept their family safe. History won’t repeat itself. He’ll make sure of it.
“How do you know that?”
“Magic, like the kind that brought you here, is not naturally reversed.” It was something he studied in depth when Delphini was sleeping. With insomnia plaguing his bones, reading calmed the racing of his mind. So he had used that time to learn how to protect his child because Delphini was his now.
Harry did not want her to return to where she had come. The people she had lived with did not care for her. They did not love her or truly provide for her. He wasn’t quite sure where the other him had been, but he wouldn’t let her slip into such an environment again.
“How do you know that for sure?” Her voice was soft, filled with a mixture of hope and fear.
“Magic.” He booped her nose.
“Mama,” Delphini whined.
“Your Aunt Hermione loves researching, and I am fond of obscure magics.” He smiled.
“Do you know-” She hesitated.
“Know what?” Harry encouraged her to continue.
“Know how I came here.”
He shrugged, a knowing glint in his eyes. “What do you think?”
“Mama.”
“Yes, Delphini?”
“What do you know?” She tugged at his shirt, eyes wide.
“You’re not from the future.” He began, forcing himself to continue. (He knew if he stopped, he’d never start again.) “You’re from an alternate timeline, one that was so cruel to you that you risked your life for the ritual that brought you here.”
She swallowed, breathing shallowly. “Mama, I-”
“I know you had to give your prized possessions away, which I imagine to be gifts from your papa and me.” Harry held her tightly against him, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, rocking her slightly. He wouldn’t let this revelation cloud her assurance of his love for her. While he had only known Delphini for a short time, he loved her with all his heart.
She nodded as she nuzzled into his neck.
“I’ve scoured the darkest of libraries, read every book I could get my hands on, and know the ritual you used.”
It had been quite the hunt, one he enjoyed immensely.
“I didn’t think-”
“I know,” Harry said fondly. “No one ever does, which is the point."
“No one will ever take me away from you.” He swore. “You’ll always have me.”
“You and papa, right?” She whispered.
“Of course, baby.” Harry ran a shaky hand through her hair. “Nothing would keep me from you.”
“Promise?” She looked at him with wide eyes.
“Of course.” He gently ran a hand through her hair. “I’ll keep you safe, no matter the cost.”
He curled up on the bed with her, unwilling to leave her. Delphini was a child, just a child. Hadrian couldn’t bear to leave her, not when she felt so close to falling apart.
“Mamma?” She whispered after a moment of silence.
“Yes, baby?” Hadrian ran a hand through her hair, absentmindedly noting the tangles in her hair. Sleeping in braids may be a necessity.
“Will you stay with me?” She pleased, tugging at his shirt. “Will you stay with me ‘til I fall asleep?”
“Always,” he swore as he kissed her forehead.
With a happy sigh, she tucked herself closer to him. “Night, night, mama.”
“Good night, Delphini.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep well, baby.”