Child of New Beginnings

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Chapter 25



“Sebastian, stop it!” Lucius said aloud as another small splash of water wet his shirt, thanks to Sebastian who was slapping the water at his direction. He was giving him a bath in the sink.



Sebastian laughed and said, “Roo!” With that, he splashed more water towards Lucius.



“Yes, wet your Uncle Lu all you want,” Lucius sighed as he shook his head. He didn’t have it in him to punish the baby. He was too cute, even though he was a menace in more ways than one.



“Lucius, are you here?” Albus’s voice asked.



“In here Albus,” Lucius replied as he poured some water onto Sebastian’s head, washing the last bits of the shampoo and soap.



“Ah, baby Sebastian is having his bath,” Albus smiled as he walked into the bathroom. “Though I’m not sure who’s wetter.”



“Then we should let Grandpa Albus bathe you next time,” Lucius suggested to Sebastian, who just laughed. He reached out for the small towel nearby and started to dry Sebastian on the counter.



“Severus and Hermione haven’t arrived yet?” Albus asked.



“No,” Lucius replied. “That’s what we hoped for, isn’t it? I’m sure that they’re enjoying their time in South Kensington.” He turned to face Albus with a smile, however, the smile faded when he saw that Albus wasn’t smiling. “Is there something wrong?”



“I got just got an owl from my brother.”



“And what did Aberforth say?”



“He was in a bar last night in Knockturn Alley, helping out a friend who was sick, and needed an extra hand. He saw and heard Rodolphus Lestrange and Crabbe Sr talk. Crabbe handed Lestrange some vial to be given to Bellatrix.”



“And what of the vial?”



“He heard that it was some sort of poison for Sebastian.”



Lucius gasped slightly, unable to speak.



“Their plan is not to kill him of course, but make him sleep,” Albus explained further. “It would be useless if they killed him. Once they get Sebastian to sleep, he can no longer defend himself with his baby magic.”



“And what about their hideout?” Lucius asked. The aurors have been searching for months and still nothing.”



“He didn’t hear them talk about it.”



“Should I call for Severus and Hermione to return?” Lucius asked as he carried the now dry Sebastian in his arms.



“There’s no need to do so,” Albus said as he reached out and pinched Sebastian’s cheek with a smile. “Let them have a little peace of mind for awhile, and enjoy their time together. They need it. We can tell them later on tonight when they arrive back.”



“Roo!” Sebastian said as he stuck his hand into Lucius’s mouth.



“I shall head on upstairs, and inform everyone via owl and floo.”



As Albus left, Lucius looked down at Sebastian who was grinning at him. After he pulled out Sebastian’s hand from his mouth he kissed Sebastian’s cheek. “Uncle Lu loves you very much you know,” he said.



Sebastian reached over Lucius’s shoulder and grabbed a hand full of his platinum blonde hair. He then placed his head on his Godfather’s shoulder as they walked out into the nursery.



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Severus stood in pajama pants as he walked around the nursery. After some time of examining the place and looking around, he stopped in front of the shelf with various photographs in frames. There were also two or three albums on the side, but he decided not to look at them.



He stared at the photos in front of him. All of them had Sebastian in them. There was even one that was taken only seconds after he was born. Even if Hermione’s face couldn’t be seen fully from the side, he knew that she was probably crying as she held Sebastian for the first time in her arms. It hurt him to know that she was alone that day as he remembered her tell the story. As he reached out to the photo and placed his finger on her cheek, he wished that he could turn back time and be there for her—be there with them.



In another photo, he saw Lucius with Sebastian in his lap. The background was slightly different, and concluded that it was Hermione’s old place before Lucius had bought the house for her. He no longer felt jealous for his friend for spending time with his son before. The jealously had faded away. He was thankful though that Lucius did take care of both Hermione and Sebastian when they needed it.



There were pictures of himself and Sebastian in Hogwarts. Few of them were taken during the monthly birthday celebrations. Others were taken when Hermione decided to take a photo out of the blue, with the father and son moments.



There was one photo that stood on the mantle of his fireplace in his chambers, and that was the photo of him with Hermione and Sebastian. It was the only family photo that they had. As he stood there and continued to look at the photos, he promised himself that there would be more family photos to be taken in the future.



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For about a minute, Hermione had been watching Severus near the door. She knew that he was deep in thought as he looked at the photos. Without saying a word, she walked towards him.



“Brunch is ready,” Hermione told Severus as she stood next to him side and wrapped her arms around his waist.



“You like this house don’t you?” Severus asked, his eyes still focused on the pictures.



“Yes, I do,” Hermione replied.



“Then I shall repay Lucius for it.” Severus looked down at Hermione. “You and Sebastian are my responsibility, as it should have been before. I have missed the first few months in Sebastian’s life, and I don’t want to miss a moment with him—or you.”



“Severus,” Hermione said softly. She was touched by his words.



“I have plenty to make up for, and I intend to prove myself to you.”



Hermione tiptoed up on her toes and kissed him on the lips. “You already have proven yourself to me. There is nothing else that you have to prove to me.”



“I hope that you understand that I want forever with you Hermione. And with that, I do intend to marry you one day. And if you want another child, then I promise you that I want to be there with you every step of the way. I want to hold you and be with you through the delivery. No longer will you be alone.”



“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Hermione said with a smile.



“Merlin help me, I love you,” Severus said as he wrapped Hermione in his arms.



“I love you too,” Hermione said as she put her head against his chest. She loved being in his arms, and loved it all the more when she woke up in them that morning. Never again did she want to sleep without him by her side.



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AN – A little Uncle ‘Roo’/Sebastian moment at the beginning. Let’s hope that nothing bad happens to Sebastian. Review!