Needed

Severus had to admit that he was impressed with Draco. In the past few months, he had come a long way in accepting Harry as his little brother. Sure there was still squabbles over this and that but they were always easily resolved, it was actually Harry that started most of them unwittingly, wanting to spend all his time with Draco and didn’t understand that there were just some things he wasn’t able to do, no matter how much Draco tried to explain it calmly to him.

Draco had gone back to Hogwarts and was put in the littles curriculum and was thriving there. Harry was still recovering from life with his relatives and was being tutored at home with Lucius. Draco loved coming back and telling Harry everything he had learned that day. It was a relief he was so happy in his new course, Severus ad Lucius were worried when he first entered it, wondering if he would be able to be away from his usual classmates but there was obviously no need to worry because he took to it brilliantly.

Severus supposed it helped that Theo and Blaise were in the same class as him. Draco was as obsessed with Theo as he was Harry, taking it upon himself to be his protector when Blaise wasn’t around. Severus would never admit it to him but it was unbearably cute how he acted with him. It was also extremely cute how jealous and possessive Harry would get with Draco.
He was brought out of his musings when he heard Harry shriek angrily from his bouncer.

Ah.

Draco had just come in holding Theo’s hand with Blaise walking behind them, so that’s why Harry was so put out. He was glaring at the hand Draco was holding as if it were a personal insult to him. Draco just ignores it though, as he usually does.

“Baby! I’m home from school! How was your day?” He asked, rushing over to Harry, bringing Theo along for the journey.

Harry just glared in response. “Mine!”

Theo blushed. He hated getting between the brothers but he also loved the attention Draco gave him.

“Yeah baby, I’m yours. Theo is here to play with you though!” Draco tried to placate the younger boy but he was having none of it.

“No. Dray, play!” He demanded instead. He hadn’t seen his big brother all day, and now he was trying to pawn him off to Theo? No way.

“I’ll play with you in a few minutes. I just have to talk to Blaise, can you keep Theo company while I do that?” He asked instead.

Harry eyed him and Severus tried his best not to laugh. He looked completely unimpressed with Draco. Severus could see he was about to let out another shriek so decided to intervene before Draco lost his patience.

“How about we get all of you boys a small snack. All of you run along to the table. I’ll take Harry in with me.”

Draco dragged Theo into the kitchen with him, Blaise walking slowly behind him.

Severus went over to his now pouting baby, giving him his best-unimpressed look. He couldn’t scold Harry too much, usually, just a firm pitch to his voice or a look would let him know he wasn’t happy with him. Harry felt the same way if the look of betrayal he received back was anything to go by.

“Maybe we can share Draco for a little while?” Severus asked, picking Harry up. Harry shook his head in denial.

“No.”

Well, Severus supposed, that settled that.

“You have to have manners, either way, little man. I don’t think Papa will be too happy if his little angel was rude, do you?”

Harry shook his head but didn’t stop his pouting. Severus held back an amused snort, he didn’t want Harry to think that he was okay with his response. The funny thing was that Harry and Theo were actually best friends. Draco of course always came first to Harry but outside family Severus would argue that it was Theo every time, no matter how much Harry pouted when Draco took an interest in him.

Severus placed Harry into his highchair beside Draco. They had a second highchair set up for Theo who always ended up in their house with Blaise. Theo was already set up in his while Blaise made sandwiches for them. Severus counted himself lucky that Blaise was so proactive. Usually, Harry and Draco would delay Severus.

“Daddy where’s Papa?” Draco asked, looking up from the colouring book that was always ready waiting for him at the table.

“Papa is at the ministry today at a board meeting, he’ll be home after your nap.”

Draco blushed, “Daddy, I don’t take naps, baby does.” He reminded him. He didn’t need Blaise to think he was a little little. That was Harry and Theo, not him.
Blaise looked up from cutting the sandwiches, “Everyone needs naps sometimes Dray, even big boys like us.”

Draco looked at him suspiciously, “Did my Dad tell you to say that?” That was totally something his Dad would get Blaise to say to convince him that naps were okay. He wasn’t buying it for a second though.

Blaise laughed, “No, but I’m sure your Dad agrees with me.”

Severus nodded, mixing some avocado for the babies, “I do. Even Daddy’s and Papa’s need naps, especially with cheeky boys like you two.”

Harry grinned at him from behind his pacifier while Draco continued to scowl. “I’ll help baby get to sleep but that’s it.” He turned to Harry, “Baby, want to know what we did in class today?”

Harry nodded eagerly, he really wanted to go back to normal classes but Daddy and Papa said he was still too fragile to be going, whatever that meant. Harry felt like he was strong enough to go, and with Draco there he’d be okay, he was sure of it! It would be scary going back to his old housemates and trying to explain it to them though. No one had seen him since he was taken out of his aunt and uncles house over the summer, he was sure everyone was wondering where he was. He didn’t even go to meals in the main hall, staying with Papa when Draco and Daddy had to go. Nana told him he wasn’t missing much but he really wanted to see everyone.

Draco set off into giving Harry a recount of his whole day from his first-class up until right before he walked into the living room where Harry and Daddy were. He only finished up when Daddy put a plate of sandwiches in front of him. Harry looked at it longingly. He’d love something like that but choke once and everyone gets all in a tizzy. They even brought him to Saint Mungo’s little’s ward to see how they could stop it.

Turned out a little in his headspace should be on a lot of mashed food, with only a little bit of chewing. So any type of chewy food was out. Harry didn’t mind too much though when Daddy or Papa showed him the alternatives to what Draco was having, they always tasted amazing and went nicely with his bottle after.

Today he was having avocado with scrambled eggs which were one of his favourites. Theo was having it as well and he told Harry he loved it too so they were both happy!

“Daddy, Harry goes to school?” Harry asked like he always did after Draco told him about his day.

Usually, the response he got was a no of some sort, but not this time. Daddy actually paused for a second.

“We’ll talk about it later when Papa is home okay?”

Now Harry really wanted Papa to come home. This had to be about him going back to school finally!

Draco looked up at his Dad’s unusual response, baby might be coming back to school? Draco’s tummy churned unpleasantly. He didn’t think he wanted Harry back with the general population, he didn’t want people to be around his baby, only Theo and Blaise were allowed to be around him. If they went back would baby be sitting with the other Gryffindors?

No, no way. He would not have it. Baby would just have to sit with him, no matter what house he was in.

“Daddy, if Harry goes back to school does he have to sit with the lions or with the snakes?” Draco asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. Harry, Theo and Blaise all looked one curiously as well. They all wanted to know what would happen to the little lion if he went back.

Harry wasn’t too sure he wanted to be at a table all by himself though.

Severus contemplated it, “I’m not sure of the details but I’d say he would sit up the top with me and Papa.”

“Papa isn’t a teacher though?” Draco said. He’d never seen someone that wasn’t a teacher sitting up there.

“He’d be fine too, he never did before because he was at the office. Dinner in Hogwarts is extremely early.”

They had put it early to account for the little’s bedtimes and Lucius was never able to make it.

“Sit with Nana?” Harry asked happily, opening his mouth for another spoonful of avocado.

“Yes, you will be able to sit with Nana,” Severus replied.

“Sit with Draco?” Harry asked, wanting to know if his big brother would be able to sit with them as well.

“Draco can sit up here if he wants but he might want to sit at the Slytherin table,” Severus explained.

Harry nodded, that made up his mind. “Harry sits at the Slytherin table.” He said decisively. He wanted to be where his brother was.

“Baby, you need Papa, Daddy or Nana to feed you. I can’t do it silly!” Draco laughed, him trying to feed Harry would be funny. Harry wouldn’t be happy at all!

“Exactly Harry, you have to stay with us, Draco can eat with us as well though. Is that an okay compromise?” Severus asked, wanting this conversation to be over until Lucius got home.

“Theo and Blaise?”

Severus sighed, this was not going to go well.

“They can have dinner with us when we have it here Harry, we can’t have everyone up at the teacher's table.”

All of them could see it happening before it did. Harry’s face slowly crumpled and he began to sob. He wanted all of them together in the hall!

Theo took one look at Harry and began to wail along with him. Blaise looked to Severus in a panic he needed Harry to calm down!

“Daddy I want them at the table!” He wailed, Draco was beginning to look teary-eyed, looking between the two crying babies.

“Daddy.” He whimpered, trying to clear the tears.

Severus wasn’t sure who to go to first. Then Harry looked at him and proceeded to spit up all of his avocados in his upset. Severus sighed once more. Maybe he should start this day over again?