Mirabilis Dominus
"What? What did you say her name was?" The employee looked at Severus like he was stupid and sneered at his shabby and wrinkled robes that he normally wore underneath his teaching ones.
"I said her name is Severia Snape." Severus swore under his breath, "Sheet!" Draco cooed from his arms. "Shush Dragon," Severus gently chided, "We do not say those things." Draco pouted but nodded, he was getting tired, something told Severus that he had not taken his full nap that day.
"Sweepy Sev." Draco murmured, while pressing his cheek against Severus's shoulder. "I know Dragon, do you want to stay here with your father while I go get my sister?" "Sisa? Motha?" Severus chuckled "No not Narcissa Dragon, my sister, a friend for you." Draco smiled, "Where Dada?"
"Right here Draco darling." Lucius had gone to get the paperwork for the adoption of his sis- Severia if all went well. "Here you go Sev." he handed a thick folder to his friend who took it with a nod. "I'm gonna go see her now, and here's Dragon." he handed over the sleepy toddler.
Draco waved a sleepy goodbye as Severus walked away, he hid his shaking hands in his pockets as he followed one of the employees. The clinical walls of the only magical orphanage in Britain unsettled him more than anything, it looked just like the permanent spell ward at St. Mungos not the best environment for children. There were also tissues scattered everywhere, there was a reason him and Lucius called it the Phlegmy Pit.
"She's in this room, she refuses to talk to any of the other kids..." "And?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow. The employee shifted from foot to foot, "She made a couple of them cry, this is pretty common but she's worse than most of the other kids that we get in here for abuse, we don't know how to deal with her."
Severus suppressed the urge to comment, "Yeah, because you guys can't deal with anything." a voice sniped from behind them both. They both whirled around and Severus felt like he was looking in the mirror,
The child had his same nose from his father, the thin lips and face from his mother, and the darkest hair from them both. She looked almost exactly like he looked in the few photos that he had that were taken when he was four. She seemed to notice the similarities too because she was staring at him, even the same black eyes, it was disturbing.
"Are you Severus?"
"What?"
"I asked if you were Severus? Eileen always talked about you." Severus snorted, "I'm her biggest mistake right?" the child nodded. "Yeah, she did say that."
The employee chose that moment to remove themself from their presences to let them a 'bonding moment' as Dumbledore would put it. "Alright I'll just say it, no beating around the bush, you're obviously to adult for that despite your age. Would you like to come live with me?"
She just stared at him, "I can live with you, at Hogwarts?" Severus stopped. "How do you know that?" "Eileen mentioned it a couple of times." "Yes you can live with me at Hogwarts, I'll answer all of your questions once we get out of this cesspool."
That was when he noticed her eyes were welling with tears, "Severia what-" she ran forward and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you." she whispered. "Of course." the two of them stayed in that position for a few minutes just Severia clinging to him.
"Do you want to loosen your death grip on my carotid artery so we can leave?" Severus finally asked after running his hands up and down her quivering back. "No." he sighed and wrapped his arms under her knees and picked her up. She gasped and instinctively kicked him in the stomach.
Severus wheezed and doubled over, "Oh, I'm sorry!" She exclaimed in the loudest voice that Severus had heard from her so far. "It's alright love, it's instinct." Severus whispered and pressed a hand to her hair.
Her hair was longer than his hair had been in years. It was down to her elbows, part of Severus knew that it was very likely that it was that length because she didn't want to cut it herself but neither of their parents would do that.
Severia made a content noise and pressed her face into his neck. "We'll need to stay here for a bit so I can sign the papers and so they can make sure I'm not adopting you so I can kill you and that you actually want to come with me but after that we can go."
"Funny that they're so thorough in that process to get the kids out but if a kid so much as shows up in a kitten box all they do is shove them into some clean clothes and into a room." Severia murmured against his cheek. Severus just smiled into her hair, "Do try to keep that mouth under control in front of the public." he could feel the scoff of air against his neck.
As soon as he stepped into the waiting area she stiffened. "Who is that?" she asked, her voice trembling, the only person in the waiting room was Lucius.
"That is Lucius Malfoy, he is my most cherished friend. Have you seen him somewhere?" the little girl sounded like she knew him. "I don't like people." Severus smiled. "I think you'll like him, you two as well as myself share the same opinion on people a lot of the times." Severia scoffed, "Alright."
"And that child is my godson Draco Malfoy, I do think you two might grow to be friends." Lucius who had been busying himself with watching his sleeping son and reading one of those trashy waiting room magazines looked up.
"Oh, is that her?" He stood up, careful not to jostle a napping Draco. "Why don't you ask me instead of Severus?" The child snapped from her new position, sitting on Severus's shoulders.
"Oh dear me, you two are definitely related." Lucius smirked, "I suppose so considering we share the same parents." Severus scowled.
"Unca Sev!" Severus could feel Severia stiffen on his shoulders and send a stinging death glare at the toddler. "Are all children that loud?" Draco pouted, "You mean!" "I try."
"Oh my Merlin... Draco this is my sister Severia, you two have to be nice to each other okay?" Draco pouted and made grabby hands, "Dragon, Severia is sitting on him right now, he can't hold you at this moment."
Severus would ordinarily have expected Draco to start crying over that but surprisingly enough he just nodded and sat back with a huff. "I can get down if he wants you to hold him, I can feel the tension in your old man shoulders anyway."
Severus smiled and gently deposited his sister on the ground, "That was very nice, thank you. Am I to take this to assume that you won't find having him around?" Severia scoffed, "Of course not, and he's Blondie's kid right? If he came with you I'm sure I'll be seeing him a lot anyway, I gotta get used to his kid."
Severus sighed and was surprised that instead of settling down when he was in his arms Draco continued to squirm, he was making grabby hands towards his sister!
"It looks like he wants you to hold him." Severia was startled, "I can't deal with children! I make it a rule not to touch the ones here until they can walk by themselves." Severus rolled his eyes and shoved the child into her arms anyway.
"He's got a hard head, just like Lucius, and you're not that tall so not much will happen if you drop him, it's not that far to the ground anyway." Severia scowled at her brother but didn't comment and bounced Draco a little bit so that she could get a better grip on him. Draco babbled happily and twined his hands in her hair and gave a soft tug.
"Dragon what did we say?" Lucius gently chided, "No pull!" Draco helpfully supplied. "It's fine really." Severia offered, "I don't mind, I mean I've obviously had worse right?" Severus pursed his lips and crouched down in front of his sister, "Severia, I need you to tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable okay, but the exception is Draco pulling your hair because you and I both know that it does not hurt."
"You mean Unca Sev!" Draco squealed at the same time that Severia protested, "This little Imp is torturing me with his death grip!" Lucius was unamused at their antics, Severus on the other hand was grinning manically "Looks like they've both got the Malfoy dramatics down."
"Do not test me Severus." Lucius scowled "You are just as if not more dramatic than I, flapping around the castle like a great bat." Severia stifled a giggle, and Severus turned on her. "Silence you great menace!" Severia pouted at him and was about to say something else when one of the employees came up to them, "Excuse me sirs are you planning on adopting this child?" she pointed to Severia who frowned at her.
"Why else would they be here?" Severus sighed and nodded yes, "That's good to know but we will have to run a background check before we allow you to leave here with her, we need to make sure that there are no unfortunate intentions behind this adoption." Lucius was appalled, "They are clearly related you buffoon! Must you embarrass yourself so?" The employee did a double take and blushed a bright red and mumbled something before rushing off, not before reminding them sharply to do the paperwork before leaving.
"Wasn't she just another ray of sunshine?" Severia muttered under her breath as she followed the two men back to where Lucius had been sitting. "Merlin! Look at these papers! They'll take hours!" Severus scoffed at the folder. Lucius grunted and reached over to snatch a bunch of the papers away from his friend.
"And how do you suppose that you will fill out those forms accurately?" there was a definitely eye roll on Lucius's part "Severus I have known you for far too long, I can probably tell you what underwear you are wearing at this moment." Severia was watching them openmouthed, "You guys are insane."
Severus huffed, "That does not count Lucius, you were with me when I bought them and you seem to take pride in organizing my dresser because apparently I have 'abysmal' organizational skills." Lucius was once again about too retort with something no doubt ridiculous when Draco screeched, "Bored!"
Severus winced at the high pitch, "I'm sorry Dragon we're going to be here a little longer, then we can go home." "Ice cream." Lucius groaned, "In a moment Dragon, we need to finish all of this up first." "I help!"
Severia giggled at that, "Can you even write Draco?" the little boy frowned at her, "No..." "What was your grandmother's name Severus? On your mom's side? They want to make sure that you're actually part of the Prince family."
Severus gave such an incredulous look that Severia couldn't help but burst out laughing, "Hell if I know! Why should I care about that anyway? Because my mother was very loose lipped about her family." he snarled. Severia's face turned cold all at once, "Yeah she never mentioned anything about her family other than you, Severus."
"For crying out loud Severus you are Lord Prince! Don't you think it's a good idea to actually start catching up on your family history? I mean even the lowest goblins at Gringotts know more about family trees than you do." Lucius muttered and skipped to another question.
But he didn't notice that Severus was staring at him, "What did you just say?"
Lucius scowled at him, "I said that you should actually keep track of your family-" "He said that you are Lord Prince." Lucius stopped. "Wait are you telling me that you didn't know?" Severus looked at him frantically, "No. I did not I cannot imagine how-" "Dumbledore, he's holding your mail, he must be. Those goblins never stop when it has something to do with our families."
Severus was practically vibrating with anger, "All this time, I have had to live in that hovel of a home, I have had to borrow money from you-" "Severus you know that I do not mind-" "THAT IS NOT THE POINT LUCIUS!" Severus was standing up and he looked absolutely deranged, and his magic was causing everything in the room to shake, the pens to rise.
He hardly even registered when Severia came and tugged on the end of his robes or when Draco did the same. "Severus. You need to calm down, this sort of display does not instill confidence that you are the right person to bring Severia home." Lucius.
The blonde was standing in front of him and had his shoulder firmly grasped in his hands, his cane leaning against his chair. "Severus we have to fix this, and we will but right now what is important is that you stop scaring the living daylights out of your sister so you can take her home." Severus blinked a couple of times and looked down at his sister who was looking at him with concern and poor LIttle Draco had no clue what was going on but he looked like he was about to cry.
"Why you mad Uncle Sev?" Severus sighed and crouched down in front of Severia to take the baby from her, "I'm not upset with you Dragon, there is someone that I know has not been telling me things that I need to know." then he looked at his sister who was looking at him wearily.
He sighed knowing what she was thinking, "Listen here you and listen well. There will never be moment where I hurt you or this little one, are we clear?" she nodded instantly, "Yeah because Lucius will stop talking to you if you do!" Severus paled, "Now you listen here you little-" "Severus, you seem to be making a hobby of making this entire process difficult, now plant your arse in this chair and sign these papers!" Lucius barked.
Severus nodded with a small smile on his face and he ruffled Severia's hair with his free hand and went to sit back in his chair. He took his quill from Lucius and was about to start writing when Draco decided to be an interfering little turn and started chewing on the end of the quill.
"Thats dirty Draco you'll contract the plague." Severus looked up at his sister with a raised eyebrow, which she returned. "Do not tell him such things, he'll remember them forever." Severia huffed, "Our Grandmother's name was Claire." with that she walked back down the hallway that she came out of. "I'm going to go get my things, the few things that I have at least."
While she was gone Severus and Lucius finished the paperwork somehow managing to come up with names and answers for all of the obscure questions, and they handed it in. They promised to file it with Gringotts right away and handed him all the files they had on his sister. When he turned around Lucius crushed him in a hug, a happy one with Draco standing next to him shakily, holding onto his father's robe.
Severus hugged Lucius back happily enough, making a very conscious effort to not notice how nice Lucius's hair smelled. Everything was good, he was happy, except for the fact that Albus Fucking Dumbledore decided that it was a good idea to keep both his sister and his title from him.
That was going to be a problem.