Spinner's End

"He won't eat you!" Lucius laughed. "Don't worry, they don't eat meat. They may be used for war, but they're not full of blood lust." He walked over to a large bag of feed, dragging it back over to where Severus was. "No, I don't feed them. They're not mine, they're father's war horses." He collected all the feed bags, bringing them all over to the feed bag.

"Though they're fairly friendly... I guess they're good in battle." He shrugged. "We'll split the job. Fill the feed bags up to the line." He turned one inside out, showing Severus the line. "And I'll put them on the horses, since I'm taller. Working together, it won't take long."

He reached out to pet a white horse. "All of horses, the stable cats, whatever terrible things father keeps in the house are his." He glanced down at one of the gray stable cats as it passed him by. He patted it's back, watching as it jumped into one of the hay stacks to sleep. "I'll get my first pet when I go to Hogwarts next year. They let you take a small animal with you. Usually people take owls, so they can send messages back home."

"Hogwarts..." Severus said wistfully. He put food into one of the feed bags, making sure it was exactly to the line, and handed it carefully to Lucius.

"Can't wait 'til I'm older an' I can go too. Maybe I'll be really good at wizard stuff. I can already do a little bit if I think really hard, but lotsa times nuffing happens or it don' do what I mean for it to. I wish I was good at sumfing." Severus dropped his gaze down to the feed bag in his hands, crinkling up the material in his hands as he thought, and spoke.

"I'm not very good at things. I...don' think I'm that good at being a friend either." Here he paused longer, still looking down at the bag in his hands, and eventually he looked up hesitantly. "Are we still friends, Lucius? I get it if ya don' wanna be after I got you in trouble."

Lucius strapped the feed bag on the first horse, patting the side of it's neck before stepping down from the ladder. "You're still little. Why are you so worried about it? Sometimes it takes awhile for people's powers to really start. If you're already doing something, then that is special!" He waited for the next bag and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, Severus- I'm not. It's over. Done. Gone. This is our punishment for what we did, and when this is done, what happened last night is just a memory. I knew we were going to get in trouble for going up there, and I should have fought harder to not go up there. ...I guess deep down I wanted someone else to see him so father wouldn't think I was crazy."

He blinked at him. "Yeah, we're still friends. I'm not mad. Father's not mad. Sometimes stuff just happens, Severus." He shrugged. "And there's nothing you can do about it when it does. This isn't a bad punishment, really. It doesn't take long..." He wondered why Severus was so preoccupied with being punished, so he asked. "Why are you so upset about it, anyway? How did your parents punish you at home?"

At Lucius question, Severus dropped the bag in his hands, spilling the food out of it and onto the ground. He knelt and began to pick it up, putting it back into the bag.

"I didn't mean to drop it--I'm sorry." He said quickly, fretting.

He had put the food back into the feedbag, but now it was mixed with dirt and pieces of dead grass. It was dirty and he'd probably ruined it, how would he fix that? He picked a few pieces of grass out of it, wondering what he was to do. There was more food for the horses, he could simply refill the bag, but that would mean dumping out the food he had just put back in there, and that was wasting. Wasting things was not allowed, wasting things meant getting into trouble. Severus chewed on his lip, at a loss. When he spoke again, it was very quietly.

"My...my Father gets real mad. A lot. I make him mad. Lots of times I don't know why I make him mad, he just is. I get in trouble lots but mostly don' mean to. He gets madder when he drinks that stuff that smells bad. When he gets mad at me or Mum...he..." Severus trailed off, his chest feeling tight and his words knotting up in his throat. He didn't want to go on. He was still looking at the mess in the feed bag. He looked up to Lucius through strands of black hair which had fallen into his face.

"Can the horses still eat it, or did I mess it up? I didn't mean to just...I...really don' wanna talk about that, please?"

Lucius looked down at the feed bag. Normally he simply would have gotten new feed, but he didn't want to cause the younger boy more confusion. He gently took it from Severus, picking the pieces of dirt out- just to be safe. He wasn't sure if they could eat dirt, and assumed that they could, but just to be safe he wanted to remove it. "It's fine. Horses eat grass all the time outside." He put the bag up on the second horse, pulling the stool over to the third stall, and went back to Severus.

"Hey- it's okay. We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I was just wondering why... you took getting in trouble so seriously. I think I get it now..." He said softly. "Sev, your father sounds awful. But my father wouldn't do that. He'd never hurt a child, or a woman no matter how mad he is. 'Cause he knows that's not what you do. That's not the person he is. He'll protect us, like he did last night- even if he's upset with us."

He wasn't sure what to do, Severus looked so upset. He chewed on his lip, and decided to hug him gently. "You and your mum are safe now. Things aren't like they are back at your home."

Severus went stiff when Lucius hugged him, drawing in a gasp. The older boys arms wrapped gently around him, the long blond hair brushing against Severus' cheek. It was awkward...but there was also something nice about it, something a bit comforting and reassuring. Severus relaxed into the encircling arms, and then they were gone. A small smile curled the corners of his lips. Lucius was right. Severus admonished himself, he had to stop thinking the same way that he did at home. Things at the manor were so very different from there, and Mr. Malfoy was not an angry monster.

"I know." Severus said in a small voice. He went quiet, and filled the rest of the feedbags, handing each one to Lucius to strap onto the horses until they were finished. By that time, Severus was in a better mood than he had been for the earlier part of the morning. He enjoyed the horses, and being hugged, and he was excited to see Diagon Alley.

Lucius looked around at all the horses happily munching away on their oats. "That's good work, Sev- wouldn't you say? They're all well- I believe we can clean up now and get to Diagon Alley. We have a lot of things we'll have to get. You need clothes, you'll need books, and every child must have toys. Even father had toys, though... I'm not sure what he did with them."

Abraxas walked into the stables, patting the side of one of his horses. "I see you're both all done. Excellent work then. Come on inside and get cleaned up. Brush your hair, clean off your hands, all of that."

"Yes father!" Lucius chirped and took Severus's hand. "Come along with me." He lead the smaller boy into the hallway bathroom so they could clean up. He stuck his hands under the water, cleaning them off. He undid his braid, running a brush through the platinum locks until they were smooth as silk. "Want me to fix yours?" He asked gesturing to Severus's dark hair.

Severus looked into the mirror, touching the lank strands of black hair. Did he want Lucius to fix his hair? It didn't look broken. He probably meant he wanted to put a ribbon in it, or put it in one of those braid things like the Muggle girls wore back home. Severus shrugged his small, bony shoulders. He would let Lucius do it, and if he didn't like it, he'd just put it back the way it was now.

"Suppose so." Severus said. He stood up on his tip-toes so he could see better over the sink and into the mirror. He washed his hands too. "What are you gonna do to it, then?"

"I don't... know." Lucius said as he ran his fingers through Severus's hair. It was clean, but oily still. He tilted his head to the side, utterly perplexed. There wasn't enough of it to pull back into a proper ponytail- it would simply look messier. "Huh." He ran his brush through it, pushing it to the sides to keep out of his face. "I just want it to stay out of your face. How can you see Diagon Alley properly with strands of hair in your way...?"

When he was done, he had Severus's hair pushed to the sides of his face, out of the way of his eyes. "I guess that will do. Come on, our parents are waiting for us." He put his brush back on the counter, leaving the bathroom for the living room- where the biggest fireplace was.

Abraxas was waiting, wearing all black with a charcoal colored duster coat, and cream colored scarf hanging at the sides of his lapel.

Severus followed Lucius, and then moved towards his mother when she came into the room. They were all congregated around the fireplace, and Severus wondered why. There wasn't a fire in it, so what were they doing? Weren't they going to go to Diagon Alley, or stare into an empty fireplace? Not just an empty fireplace, but an ornate one, and it was huge. It was large enough for grown-ups to stand in, probably. Severus thought about the closet of a bathroom back at Spinners End. This fireplace was probably as big as that.

"Mum, what're we doing?" Severus whispered, touching her hand.

She looked at him down her long nose, and smiled.

"We're traveling by Floo, Severus. This is one of the ways wizards get from place to place." Eileen's dark eyes sparkled in a way that Severus could not remember having seen before. He had noticed that since they'd left Spinner's End and come to live in the magic world, his mother--though still quiet and somber--seemed to have some sort of life in her that she had not had before.

Severus stared at the fireplace, with a look of deep concentration on his young face, which slowly changed to one of confusion, his dark brows drawn together.

"But...it's a fireplace."

"A magic fireplace." Eileen corrected. "We'll show you how." She took his hand, and squeezed it. His face melted into a smile. Severus thought that going somewhere by magic must be a lot of fun.

Abraxas nodded. "You'll see, Severus." He glanced to the fireplace, flames erupting suddenly from the logs in the hearth. He removed the cover of an ornate urn, revealing the stock of floo powder. "This, Severus, is floo powder. You take a handful like this." He reached in, grabbing some. "Toss the powder into the fire. When the flames turn green, say Diagon Alley loudly and clearly- then step into the fire. You'll be transported there instantly, where my son and I will be waiting." Abraxas tossed the powder into the fireplace, and once the flickering flames turned green, he shouted DIAGON ALLEY- stepping into the fire. He was gone instantly- the flames turning back to red.

Lucius grabbed the powder out of the urn. "See you there, Sev." He grinned and followed his father's suit- vanishing into the flames. On the other side, he stepped out of the fireplace in an inn in Diagon Alley. He went over to his father, holding on to his hand while they waited for Eileen and Severus to come through.

Severus gasped when Abraxas disappeared into the flames. First came shock, and then he was impressed. Severus waved to Lucius, who disappeared next. The flames were now burning bright orange wisps, and at their cores, a deep red. Severus could feel the heat from them.

"What does it feel like?" He asked Eileen, who had taken the urn, and knelt so Severus could reach in and grab some powder.

"A bit dizzying." She answered, watching as her sons small white hand disappeared into the urn and then came up, with powder leaking from between his fingers. "Go on." She urged, nodding towards the fireplace.

Severus moved towards the fireplace, and launched the powder into the fire.

"Diagon Alley." Severus said, and stepped into the green flames.

His Mum was right, it was dizzying. Severus closed his eye shut tightly, and gave a small cry when he landed on a stone floor. He picked himself up, looking around. He saw Lucius and Abraxas and he couldn't help the smile that burst onto his face. He had done it correctly and ended up in the right place. Severus scampered over to them, one of his cheeks and the end of his hooked nose streaked with powder.

"I did it!" He exclaimed proudly, just as Eileen showed up.

She wasn't smiling as largely as Severus was, but her eyes gave away her happiness. It seemed like ages since she'd done something as minor as travel by floo. It did feel good to be back in this world, and especially seeing her son discover it for the first time. She was pleased by his enthusiasm.

"Very good." She said. Severus hugged her legs. Eileen raised an eyebrow, surprised at his show of affection, as he did not normally display such things. She patted the top of his head.

"You did it! I knew you could!" Lucius grinned at him, and took his father's hand. He was ten and probably didn't have to, but he missed his father and wanted to remain close to him when he was home from work.

"Very good is right, Severus." Abraxas said watching the little boy hug his mother's legs. He looked up to Eileen, and even though the smile on her face didn't match the jubilation in her eyes, he preferred it. Her dark eyes were very expressive, and the glint just made them pop out to him. "Very good indeed. Well, come along then." He walked over to Eileen and Severus, putting a hand on the small of her back to guide them out of the inn and on to the busy street full of all sorts of odd stores.

Lucius beamed- he loved being in the midst of Diagon Alley, seeing the sights and sounds of such a strange place. There was a man selling what looked like pigmy dragons in little cages outside of Magical Menagerie as a side walk special. Zonko's had a special on fireworks they were demonstrating right outside of the shop. The sweet shop had it's door opened to let the wonderful smells inside drift out to entice people inside.

"First thing's first. You need clothing, young man." Abraxas glanced down to Severus.

Severus was busy trying to look everywhere at once. He fidgeted excitedly at his mothers side, itching to run off and explore everything, but he knew better. Instead he just put every detail down to memory, meticulously studying all of it, as if he may not see it again. The fireworks were dazzling, brilliant colors and taking on all sorts of shapes. The smell from one of the shops was so strong and sweet, it made Severus' mouth water. His eye caught the cages outside another shop, and he gasped at what he saw inside of them. It looked like there were tiny dragons flitting around. He wanted so badly to see them, but he stayed quiet, hoping his Mum might take him over to see them before they left.

Severus looked up to Abraxas when he was spoken to, and nodded. He supposed Abraxas was right. He didn't really like the velvet purple knicker much, either.

Eileen likewise stayed quiet, taking everything in. It was like she remembered, but in some way, it was better. She hadn't properly appreciated this place when she was a girl, but coming back to it after the things she had been through as a woman, kept away from her heritage, she had gained the proper appreciation.

Lucius would have been all for clothing shopping, but once he saw the dragons, he wanted one. He loved dragons, and those looked like they stayed the same size. "Fa-"

"No."

"Bu-"

"No."

"You don't even know what I'm asking!" Lucius protested as they walked past the dragons and toward the clothing store.

"Does it concern the tiny dragons in cages?"

Lucius pursed his lips together. "...Yes."

"No."

He scowled and kicked a rock, trudging by his father's side as they entered Madame Malkin's. The namesake of the store was hard at work, working on a first year's Hogwart's robe, while her daughter interned. Lucius took a moment to imagine himself where the student was, getting his first Hogwarts robe. It made him forget all about the dragons outside.

Abraxas directed them to the back, to the children's section. He knew where it was by heart as he had had spent the most unfortunate total of hours over here while his son tried on everything in his size. He knelt down to look at Severus. "Now, young man. I dislike shopping for clothes. I have an inkling you may find it unpleasant as well. However, you're a smart little boy and I bet you can do this well." He gestured toward the table with clothing for very small children Severus's age displayed on top. "On that table, I want you to find five pairs of pants. Three black pairs." He ticked three off on his fingers. "One pair of blue. One light colored pair. Get them in the smallest size. You can tell which is the smallest size, because it will have one of these on the tags." He pulled off a cloak from the closest display that was a small, showing him the S.

Severus looked shocked when Abraxas said to get five pairs of pants. Why did he need that many pairs of pants? It sure was a lot, but he didn't ask, and he didn't argue.

"Yes Sir!" Severus said, and went over to the table Abraxas had instructed him to. He looked through the pairs of stacked black pants until he found three pair that were size small. The piles looked rather messy from him leafing through them, but he didn't really notice it. Next he was told to get a blue pair. Severus looked at the stacks of blue pants in all number of shades from powder blue, to a blue so bright it looked like it almost glowed, to a blue so dark it was nearly black. Severus started to look through the darkest stack for pants with the 'S' on them.

After looking at a few tags, Severus was aware that he was being watched. He looked up to see a lady with a name tag on her shirt standing over him, looking cross.

"Young man, I've just arranged this table and look at the mess you've made of it." She slapped his hand away from the stack he had been looking through, and began to straighten them. Severus glared at her. He pushed his way between her and the table, and grabbed at the pants she was arranging. She huffed, offended.

"How rude!" She crowed. "Where are your parents? A boy your age should not be off on his own, sticking his dirty hands onto things." She actually put her hands around his thin waist, and moved him aside. Severus wiggled and kicked at her, and bit her wrist before she put him down, jerking away from him. The shocked woman stared at him for a moment. He glowered up at her through his dark hair, concentrating his anger onto her. She leafed through the stack of dark navy pants and threw a pair of the smallest size at him. Severus was wishing her hair would fall out, but it didn't happen.

Eileen had seemed to appear suddenly, and with an expression on her face nearly identical to her sons. She took the woman aside, berating her for treating her son poorly and laying her hands upon him.

Severus turned back to the table, and found the last pair of pants he needed: a light color. He chose gray, and then stood for a moment just looking at the stacks of pants in every color upon the table. A slow, malicious smile broke out on his face. He glanced over to where his mother and the woman were. His Mum had her back to him, so he decided to do it. He swept stacks of pants off of the table with his arm that wasn't loaded with the items Abraxas instructed him to get. He stamped on some of the pants that were on the floor. That would show that nasty woman, he thought.

Severus returned to Abraxas.

"I got the pants."

Abraxas watched the scene unfold with amusement reflecting in his gray eyes. "I see you did just that. Five pairs of pants, in the right colors. I'd say you did very well. I also see... that you got creative with the clothing." He got down to Severus's level again. "That woman was quite rude, don't you think? You tell me if someone lays their hands on you whom you don't know, or don't want to- either your mother or myself will take care of them soundly." He murmured and then stood back up.

"I think then, that you're set for pants. You'll need a few shirts, ones that you'll want to wear." He glanced over to Eileen, smirking just slightly as he watched her berate the woman. "Let's go fetch your mother." He walked over to Eileen, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Eileen, would you mind helping Severus find shirts? I haven't seen Lucius in a bit, and I don't know what he's gotten in to or is trying to purchase without me knowing. Just in case..." He pulled out some galleons for Eileen to pay for Severus's clothing with.

-

Lucius was outside again, by the dragon vendor. He was looking longingly in the cages at the small pigmy dragons, flapping their wings and snorting little balls of fire. "How much?"

"Sorry kid." He grunted and adjusted himself on the stool. "You ain't old enough to buy a dragon. You ain't got no license. Bring your bloody parents an' have them buy one a these for ya."

Lucius looked crestfallen. "Fine." He mumbled and started back toward the store before his father realized he went back to see the dragons. He snuck back into the store, sitting down on one of the big chairs to wait.

Eileen took Severus through the childrens clothing, hunting for a rack of items that were marked down. She was used to being thrifty, and did not see why good sense should change just because their situation was better now. There was no reason to spend Abraxas' money on something brand new and three times the price when she could find some shirts for Severus that may not be the newest style, but were functionally fine. Severus wouldn't care either. He already seemed to be growing bored with the shopping and seemed to be happy with anything Eileen pulled off the rack, as long as it was black.

"You'll look like you're attending a funeral." She said, but there was no use getting things he would not wear. She bought him some button ups, a black turtle neck sweater, and a couple of thick woven sweaters with V necks; one black, and one a dark grey with flecks of a muted green. That was the closest thing to a color that Severus liked. Lastly came a pair of black boots, since Severus shoes were really pitiful: barely held together.

She paid for their things, keeping an eye on Severus as stood near the mens department looking whimsically at the wizard robes and cloaks, and the rack of pointed hats of various design, material, and embellishment. She was sure she could never imagine her son wearing many of those things, as he had already shown that his range of taste in clothing was plain and black. It was just the newness of those kinds of things to him, and that they meant something to him that he had fantasized about back home; being a wizard.

Eileen took her bags, collected Severus, and found Abraxas. She handed him back some of the coins he had given her, not having needed them all.

"Ah, thank you. Didn't need them, I take it?" He put the coins back in his pocket. He kept a tight grip on Lucius's hand, having a feeling that the blonde boy would go straight back to the dragons. What was it with that child and dragons? "I think then, we should go do something more pleasurable."

"Can we go to the chocolate store?" Lucius asked, tugging on his father's arm. "Or Florish and Blotts?"

"I suppose we could. Maybe a stop at Gambol & Japes as well is in order." Abraxas wasn't the type to like jokes, but they had a wide variety of toys and other goods to delight children, and maybe Severus would like something there. Children needed to have their own things, after all.

Lucius's eyes widened. "Gambol & Japes..." He said nearly in reverence. His father never let him go in there before. He glanced over to the dazzling colorful store, wanting desperately to go in right away. "Come on, Sev! We can go to Gambol & Japes!" He took the smaller boy's hand and made a beeline for the joke shop three shops down.

Severus was dragged into the joke shop, towards the toy section. He was amazed at the quantity of everything in the store--shelves and shelves, so many colors, so many things, so many toys. He had never seen so many toys in one place, he had never been to a toy store and was unaware that such a thing existed. His toys back at Spinners End consisted of a few hand puppets Eileen had made out of old socks, a handful of wooden blocks, two cans attached by a string which he and Eileen would pretend to talk to each other on, and a dilapidated, dirty, Teddy bear that Severus had loved since he could remember. If he still had that bear, he would have brought it with him when he and Mum left Spinners End--however, his father had snatched it from him in a rage one night, and tossed it into the fire.

Severus had made to dive in for it, not thinking only acting to save his treasured friend. Eileen had grabbed him back, and taken him away as he screamed and sobbed over his lost Teddy bear and his burned hands. She had used some healing magic on them that night to heal the angry bubbles of burned skin gloving Severus' tiny hands. The pain was gone quickly, his hands returned to normal. Just the same, she had wrapped them in strips of clothe and instructed Severus to leave them on for a few days so Tobias couldn't see that she'd used magic.

Magic would not bring the bear back, however. It was ash in the fireplace. Severus had cried and moped over that bear for far too long. It made his father angry to see him still moping over it days later; crybaby, his father jeered. Severus could not help but be heartbroken over the loss of it--he had hugged the Teddy bear to himself every night, through the late darkness when he could hear his parents screaming, through his tears, to comfort him when he was hurt, it had always been something that he could cling to. Sometimes he had even talked to it, pretending it was his friend for lack of a real one.

Here there were so many stuffed animals and toys, plushy not lumpy, brightly colored not faded and stained, large shiny eyes, not one missing and another a broken button hanging by a thread. There were so many things, all bright, and new, and...it was just so much to take in. Severus stood there with glazed eyes. He decided to just let Lucius lead him around, as he couldn't possibly decide what to touch or look at first.

Lucius stared at all of the items in the forbidden store. It was everything he could have ever dreamed it would be and more. Flying toys, stuffed toys, enchanted toys- figures of famous quidditch players! Everything he imagined and more. "Wow." He murmured, startling when he felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"Lucius- take Severus around the store and help him pick out a few things. I don't know-- pick out five things for starters. We can always get more. And then pick out something for yourself." He gently pushed his son toward the toys to get him to get going.

"Yes father!" Lucius nodded and quickly pulled Severus toward a section of moving toys. One of them was a replica of the Hogwarts Express, as a train set. "Look Sev. That's what we take to get to Hogwarts! Only... like... several hundred times larger! Father said you can pick out five things that you want. It would be neat to have a train set." He suggested. "Oh! Or... or what about these?" He pulled him over to a display of enchanted toys of quidditch players, dragons, and all sorts of creatures. "There's games... wizard's chess- everyone should have one."

He glanced toward the massive wall of stuffed toys. "And then there's the plush dolls. I have a dragon one at home." He walked over and pulled one down off the shelf that looked like his dragon. "...Every kid should have one of those too. Doesn't have to be a dragon..." He carefully put it back on the shelf.

Severus continued to be assaulted by all the toys, attempting to take in the ones Lucius was explaining and suggesting. The stuffed dragon looked pretty cool, but he didn't want one that was the same as Lucius. He looked at the rows of various plushy magical creatures. He picked out the black, three headed dog. Each head had a playful, goofy expression and a pink clothe tongue. The tail wagged when Severus hugged it, and the three floppy tongues licked his face. It was perfect. He looked over at Lucius, a sly smile curving his lips.

"Lucius...ya better run away...my dogs gonna slobber all over you!" Severus went after Lucius with the stuffed three-headed dog, chasing him up and down a few aisles.

Lucius blinked at Severus's choice in stuffed animal. "Ha- that's Cerberus- three headed dog of Hades, kind of like your name. ...Wh...what are you doing? Noo! No dog slobber!" He laughed and ran off down the aisles with Severus. "Don't get it near my hair!"

He stepped on a roller skate not paying attention, sliding off a bit before falling back. He stared up at the lights. "O..ow." He winced.

From around the corner came Sirius Black, the same age as Severus. He looked to the small boy holding the dog plush, and the blonde boy on the floor. "Did you push her?" He asked pointing down to Lucius. "You don't push girls."

Lucius scowled. "I'm a boy!" He stood up in a huff.

"No, no you're not. You're a girl." Sirius nodded knowledgeably as if a master of gender at the ripe old age of four. "Girls are pretty. Boys aren't. You're pretty, so you're a girl. I'm handsome, so I'm a man. Men have girlfriends, and you're gonna be my girlfriend. C'mon." He tugged on Lucius's hand. "You're supposed to meet my parents now."

"Whelp! I'm not your girlfriend!" Lucius scowled harder. He pried the boy's hand from around his and went back to Severus. "...Let's go find father."

Eileen entered the store and found the boys. She smiled as she watched Severus take the stuffed Cerberus down from the shelf, and chase Lucius. The two boys disappeared an aisle, and out of sight. It wasn't often she had seen Severus so playful or happy--or interacting positively with another child. Being out of that place and away from those people was already doing so many good things for him, and they had only left it behind a couple days ago. She thankful that she would now have a child that would not be fearful, anxious, or upset more often than not. Perhaps he would become more confident, and his self esteem would rise, now that he had more positive influences in his life and no longer had his father to constantly berate and belittle him.

What sort of teenager and adult would he have been had their life continued on in the stagnant hell of their previous life? Would he have made it through, or would he have broken under the heavy black weight of a depressed existence like Eileen had often felt too close to? It was Severus that had kept her fighting to cling to herself in those darkest hours when she was in danger of mentally slipping away.

Eileen saw the boys heading towards her. Severus was giggling as he shoved his stuffed Cerberus towards Lucius, the pink flapping tongues threatening the older boy. Severus was clearly enjoying himself, his dark eyes alight, as he hopped along some of the square tiles on the floor, picking out a specific color to follow along their way back. Eileen was overwhelmed with gratitude towards Abraxas. Could he possibly know the difference he had made in Severus' life? Could he possibly know how happy he made her, by giving her son a smile? Eileen sniffed, feeling tears prickle at her eyes. Her usual reaction was to hide her emotions away, but then she decided she didn't want to. She wanted Abraxas to know how happy he had made her. She took his hand in one of hers, and when he looked at her she locked her glistening dark-eyed gaze to his, and squeezed his hand gently, and then let go.

"Mum!" Severus ran up to her, holding the stuffed dog up over his head. He stood on his tippy toes. "Mum...he wants ta kiss you 'cause you're pretty." Severus announced.

Eileen raised an eyebrow, her lips in a small smile. The dogs pink tongues flapped. All little boys think their mothers are pretty. Eileen hoisted Severus up into her arms, and he put the dog in her face and the triple tongues went to work with their clothe kisses. Severus giggled. Eileen laughed. She looked over at Abraxas with a mischievous look, and then whispered something to Severus. Severus looked seriously at Abraxas, and then turned back to Eileen, whispering back.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Eileen nodded. She held Severus under his armpits, towards Abraxas, and Severus held the dog out at Abraxas' face. The clothe tongues licked Abraxas cheek. Eileen put Severus down, and he ran back to Lucius, tumbling to the floor in a fit of giggles. Eileen studied her nails, looking as if she had nothing to do with the idea, though her small smile gave away her amusement.

Abraxas heard the commotion of the two boys playing off in the store, followed by the crash of what could only be someone falling. He winced, waiting for the whine that should follow- but when nothing did, he relaxed. He did see Walburga Black dragging her son away from one of the aisles while carrying her other tiny son Regulus. He figured the crash was caused by him, judging by the way Walburga was carrying on.

He blinked in surprise when he felt the hand holding his, the long fingers grasping his own for just a moment. It had been a very long time since a woman had held his hand. He glanced down at their joined hands, watching her dark eyes before reaching down into his pocket to pull out the handkerchief in his pocket. He dabbed at the corners of his forehead- the little joke store was getting a bit warm. "It is good to see the children having such a good time..."

He watched Severus come toward them, smiling when he had his plush dog lick her face. "Oh now. What are you two whispering about?" He asked slowly, watching the two of them act in conspiracy. "..What?" He looked at Severus who was now slightly out stretched to him. When the dog licked his cheek, he chuckled and patted the toy's heads, watching the boy run off toward his own son. "Perfectly innocent, aren't you?" He gave Eileen an amused look before turning his attention to Lucius and Severus.

"I believe we should go collect the children before they don't want to leave." He put a hand on the middle of her back, walking with her toward Lucius and Severus. "I believe it's time to go, boys. It's mid day and time to eat." He reached down and snagged his son and Severus- one on either side of him- carrying them toward the checkout to pay for Severus's toy dog.

Lucius yawned, resting his head on his father's shoulder. He was starving, and wanted to eat something.