Ten Years Later
Ten years later, on July 31st, 1991, everyone who was friends with either Hadrian, Damian, Severus, James, or Thomas came to the birthday bash.
“Hades!!”
“Vik!!! Drake!!!”
A blur of blonde and brown rushed past James to get to the older of his boys. Damien walked towards the gossiping trio and hugged Draco from behind.
“Hey, Dray-Dray.”
Damien frowned as Draco continued to talk to his twin and Viktor without even saying hi to him. Damien sighed and went to talk to Canis.
“Hey, Canis Major.”
“Hi, Dame!”
“Why are you sitting by yourself?”
“Oh, Dad and Papa are busy gushing over a baby who isn’t even here yet. Uncle James and Uncle Tom told me to sit over here when I said I wanted a hug. You’re the first person to remember I’m here actually.”
“That’s upsetting, wanna come sit with me?”
“Why?”
“Because I’m your older cousin and you deserve some type of attention even if it is my birthday.”
“Thanks, Damien.”
“No problem, Can.”
James sighed as he watched his sons socialize. Hadrian had been talking to Viktor and Draco about Quidditch for the last 20 minutes and Damien and Canis have been talking about god know what for 10 minutes. He walked over to Tom and Severus and kissed them before walking over to Hades.
“Hades, time to get ready for dinner.”
“Okay, Mom.”
“Ugh, I wish your father had never taught you to call me that.”
“But you are my mom?”
“Yes, I am and you are my son. Now, get ready for dinner. You can talk about Quidditch later.”
“Yep.”
James smiled as Hades ran off to get cleaned up. Damien continued to entertain one of the youngest guests at the party.
“Damien, go clean up for dinner.”
“Of course, Mother Dearest.”
“Drop the tone and attitude now, young man.”
“Yes, sir.”
Damien sighed and went inside to prepare dinner. Unfortunately, he ran into Hadrian. You see, the twins have never gotten on since they were 5 and met the Krums, Malfoys, Delcours, and Weasleys for the first time. Hadrian had naturally enticed the adults while Damien had hung back and allowed his big brother to speak for both of them. He had every parent dazzled with his charms and vocabulary. Damien on the other hand was shy and avoided contact whenever possible. He only talked to a few people freely and that was his twin and his godbrother. Even his parents only got 3 worded answers.
However, when Damien met Draco Malfoy, Viktor’s little brother Xavien Krum, and Charlie Weasley, he enjoyed talking to other people. Hadrian saw him chatting with them and he got jealous. Hadrian always had to be everyone’s favorite twin. Which sucked because he never let people make their own decisions and they all assumed Damien was mute just because he wouldn’t talk to strangers or people he didn’t like.
“Damien, hey, can we talk?”
“Depends, Hades, are you going to be an a-hole about your new found popularity?”
“Fine then, be that way.”
“I’m sorry that I don’t want to talk to my twin when he makes me feel like a loser all the damn time.”
“Look, I’m sorry I try to talk to people.”
“No, stay the hell away from me, Hades. I don’t care what you do.”
“We used to be so close. Wha-”
“No! We aren’t doing this. Just go the hell away. Go hang out with your buddies since they want nothing to do with me.”
“You asshole. Did you ever think that they only talk to me because they want to meet you and get to know you?!?!”
“No.”
“Exactly! You act like I’m the bad guy when you don’t allow yourself to be hugged or touched at all.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Whatever, Damien. You don’t want to talk, fine. I’ll see you at dinner.”
“See you.”
Damien sighed and walked to his room. He knew he was more introverted than his mother or father wanted him to be. His dad seemed to appreciate his quiet demeanor. Why did Hadrian always get praised? Damien knew he was more into reading than Quidditch or politics, but why did that make him different? Damien sobbed and hiccuped at the revelation of not being as good of a son as Hades.
“I’m worth their time. I’m worth their love. I’m worth their respect. I deserve to be loved. I deserved to be wanted.”
Damien locked his door and sat on the edge of his bed, letting his tears run down his face. He sobbed for almost an hour before someone came knocking at his door.
“Damien, love, open the door please. Your brother wants to cut the cake.”
“JAMES!!”
“What? He typically opens the door when he hears that his brother’s waiting on him.”
“Son, open this door now before I bust through it.”
Damien hiccupped and sobbed some more as two of his three fathers threatened him and dismissed his feelings to get him out.
“Leave you two. You’re doing nothing but making this worse. I’ve got this.”
“If you’re sure, Sev…”
“I am, now go.”
“Alright, Severus, be down in 30 minutes.”
Damien sobbed when he heard the retreating of people.
“Damien, honey, open the door. I want to help but I can’t if you won’t let me in.”
Damien stood and unlocked the door. Severus sighed when he saw the mess his son’s face was in.
“Oh, honey.”
“Papa!”
“Shh, shh. It’s going to be alright. I’m here and I’m not leaving, promise.”
“Papa, why don’t Dad or *hic* Mom love me?? Why *hic* does Hades get all their love and affection?? What’s wrong *hic* with me??? *hic*”
“I’m sure they love you, Damien. They just dote on your brother more and I’m sorry for that. Is this why you didn’t come down?”
“Mhm. I-I d-don’t want to be a b-bother and b-burden an-anym-more.”
Severus sighed and hugged Damien closer to his chest. He’d be having a serious talk with his husbands after this.
“Papa?”
“Yes, my love.”
“Can I not go to Hogwarts?”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to be stuck in Hades’ shadow anymore. I want to stand out again.”
“I’ll talk with your father and mother. Okay?”
“Mhm. Cake?”
“Sure, sweetheart.”
Damien went and washed his face clear of snot and dried tears, leaving only his puffy eyes and cheeks as the only way to tell he’d been crying. They both went down and walked into the dining room where everyone had already started singing to Hadrian. Damien whimpered slightly when he realized that the party wasn’t for him, it was for his brother and only his brother. Severus clenched his jaw at the way everyone dismissed Damien as though he wasn’t worth their time.
“Everyone but my son and husbands leave. Now!”
Everyone looked up and gasped when they saw Severus and Damien standing there. James and Tom looked at Severus, who had his jaw tight and his hands clenched into fists, and Damien, who had tears running down his face and looked ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
Tom realized why everyone was asked to leave. They had not only forgotten their youngest, but they had neglected and excluded him the entire day.
“But, Da-”
“Not a word, Hadrian until everyone is gone. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Hadrian told his friends goodbye and went back into the living room where his pere and mom were sitting. He took a long look at Damian and realized that he was miserable. He had snot and tears drying on his face, his eyes were puffy and red from crying, he wouldn’t look at anyone, and he curled himself into a small, tight ball. Severus walked in and Hadrian gulped, knowing he, his pere, and mom were in big trouble.
“Now, explain to me why the fuck you were singing Happy Birthday when Damien was upstairs, crying?”
Tom and James looked at one another before James answered, “Because, Hadrian shouldn’t be stopped from enjoying his birthday.”
“So, if he was the one upstairs crying, everything wouldn’t have been put on hold for Damien.”
Tom raised an eyebrow, “It would be put on hold. Seeing as how Damien’s a carrier and Hadrian’s the heir to the Potter, Prince, Guant, and Slytherin Lordships. Hades is naturally more important.”
“So, I’m just a human incubator for you to sell to the highest bidder?”
Severus looked at Damien and saw that his eyes were getting darker than normal.
“Dame, honey, calm down. That’s not what you are at all.”
“Sev, why lie to him?”
“Mom, Damien isn’t a sex doll. He’s a person with a heart and emotions, too.”
“Well done, son. Go upstairs with Damien while I talk to your father and mother.”
“Alright, Dad.”
Once they both had gone upstairs and shut Damien’s bedroom door, Severus turned on his husbands. Tom and James paled when Severus turned his glare onto them.
“ARE YOU TWO INSANE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I KNOW YOU DIDN’T TELL OUR SON THAT HE WAS NOTHING BUT AN OBJECT TO BE BOUGHT, TRADED, SOLD, AND BARTERED!!!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU TWO!!! DAMIEN ISN’T HADRIAN AND HADRIAN ISN’T DAMIEN!!! THEY ARE TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PEOPLE!!!!! HOW DARE THE TWO OF YOU TO NEGLECT HIM TO THE POINT WHERE IT BECOMES EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL ABUSE!!!!”
“Severus, stop. Now.”
“No. You two can find comfort in your own hands and each other for a while because I refuse to have sex with or sleep with the monsters you two have become. Oh, and Hadrian isn’t going to Hogwarts.”
“Why the bloody hell not?!?”
“Because, James, Hadrian shouldn’t become a bully like you and he won’t become an asshole of a manipulator like Tom. He’ll be better off in Durmstrang with Viktor Krum than in Hogwarts.”
“But, Sevvy-”
“No, James. I’m going to comfort my son because apparently I’m the only one who cares enough about him to treat him the same way I treat his twin. Learn from this or I swear that if I forgive you and this happens again, it’ll be the last time you see Damien or me. Goodnight.”
James and Tom sighed and went up to bed, putting the transfer letter to Durmstrang they needed to write in the back of their minds until the next day.