Severus sat behind his desk in the dungeons rubbing the bridge of his nose and sipping on the strongest coffee the house-elves could find. Finals had finished and he was well and truly behind on his grading. He needed to create an antidote for an exploded potion which had doused the Weasley twins in a foul smelling slime that left them smelling like rotting fish and turned their skin green. And last night had been awful as they had attempted to give Julian a nutrient potion modified for vampires through his tube.

It had worked well enough, until they decided to increase the rate at which it was being given. Even after they had slowed the rate back down, Julian was still having such terrible cramps and nausea they had to stop. Six hours later, the cramps had died down enough he was no longer crying in pain at every spasm. But by that time it was nearly three in the morning.

And now this.

Severus sighed as he read over the letter he had received in the post. He had completely forgotten about Draco Malfoy’s birthday. While Severus and Lucius had never been friends in the traditional sense, Lucius had continued to keep in contact with Severus even after the war was over. While Severus knew this contact was more of a ploy to seem as though he were a spy as well, Severus also saw in the relationship an opportunity to perhaps prevent Draco from entering the same dark path his father went down.

Forgetting his birthday was an inexcusable error on his part, especially as Draco was in love with receiving presents. The boy truly had a good heart but was being spoiled beyond belief by his parents, namely his father.

Lucius, from the tone of the letter, was not pleased when Severus had failed to come to his son’s eleventh birthday party. Nor was he pleased when Severus had not sent any form of letter or card to the boy. Now, several weeks on from the event, Draco was beginning to believe Severus no longer wished to be his mentor.

Severus sighed once more as he cast a warming spell on his coffee. Antidote first, then he would worry about Draco and the massive piles of paperwork he had sprawled around him on the desk.

This was going to be a long day.

---

Lucius Malfoy glanced up from The Daily Prophet when the floo flared to life in his study. Only a few… select… individuals were allowed access to his home in such a way. Severus Snape, the spy, was one of them.

“You wished to speak with me?” Severus said, soot off his already black robes.

“You missed Draco’s birthday. He has been hoping since opening his Hogwarts letter to speak with you about classes and Slytherin house,” Lucius said coolly. “However, you have not once sent him a letter, a present, or any kind of explanation as to where you are.”

Severus looked at his previous mentor with tired eyes.

“I’ve been preoccupied with my work.”

“You have never been so preoccupied you forget something important. I know you, Snape,” Lucius sneered, throwing the paper onto the desk and striding over to where the potions master stood. “I know you have been grooming my child to go against his pure-blood heritage. I know what you are working at Snape. Do not forget, I can easily get your charges reversed. You break off your ‘friendly relations’ with me and the ministry suspects a thing, we both go down. So tell me, Snape, what part of your work has you so preoccupied you forget your other friends.”

“I’ve been working on a personal project,” Severus said tiredly.

“What kind of personal project?”

“One that, quite frankly, could land me in Azkaban for life if the ministry finds out,” Severus said, shuddering slightly

Throughout the time he was being tried as a Death Eater, Severus had spent several months in Azkaban as he awaited sentencing. Lucius had been there as well, though he had managed to buy his way out long before Albus had been able to get the majority of Severus’s charges dropped or lessened. Lucius had claimed to be a spy as well, claiming to have worked alongside Severus on many occasions. While not an outright lie, as the two men had routinely been paired for raids by the Dark Lord, it was also not quite the truth. But it was close enough Severus had answered a poorly worded question under Veritaserum in such a way that Lucius had managed to walk free as though he had been a spy as well.

“What have you done, Severus?” Lucius reeled back slightly, much of his fury dropping away.

Severus paused for a moment as he quickly tried to put together an origin story for the boy who was likely sleeping in the Hospital Wing. Albus had changed the date of the boy’s birth on the paternity paperwork to reflect the day he had been taken from the Dursley house rather than the actual day of his birth. 11 years and roughly 10 months before that, Severus had briefly disappeared from both the Death Eaters and from the Order of the Phoenix. He had tried to run away, but when Lily Potter’s pregnancy was announced, he knew he couldn’t stay hidden any longer.

“Remember when I disappeared for a few months in ‘79?” Severus asked.

Lucius nodded. It had been a strange time indeed. One moment Severus was there partaking in the revelry, the next he was gone. They thought he had been cursed, likely by Bellatrix. When he reappeared a few weeks later, they laughed it off.

“I ran away, a fact I am not proud of,” Severus said, carefully watching Lucius’s expression. “I ran away and attempted to start a life. However, it wasn’t what I thought it would be like, far too tedious. I had briefly found a girlfriend, however we broke up almost immediately. It wasn’t until a few years ago I found out she had tried to reach out to me and had never found me after I left.”

Lucius crossed his arms and glared at the potions master, nostrils flaring. They had needed him shortly after his disappearance, he was the best potions master in Britain no matter his age. Without him during those few months, several Death Eaters had been badly injured during a skirmish. His potion skills easily could have saved their lives.

None of this explained what he was risking his freedom for.

“She had gotten pregnant,” Severus continued. “I wanted nothing to do with the child, but when she passed away suddenly, I received a letter in the mail from his aunt and uncle stating I was the child’s next of kin and therefore should be his guardian. I turned it down initially.”

“I was told he was a sickly child, but I was sure I could cure him with a few potions. He had stayed with an aunt and uncle for a few years before I finally agreed to meet him. I was unaware of how ill he was. He was unable to eat, a fact I honestly thought they had been exaggerating. I tried every potion I could think of to help him. He kept getting worse, however. He then started showing some strange symptoms, and it finally clicked for me what it was.”

Lucius tried to look bored, but he was enthralled in the story. Severus had a child? He had been hiding a child? It sounded like all of the necessary paperwork had been filed, however, so what was the problem?

“I must reiterate, I did not know about this when I retrieved him. I honestly thought he had a stomach problem, but that was it,” Severus looked Lucius dead in the eye.

“What’s wrong with him?” Lucius asked, his interest certainly peaked.

“He is a vampire. But I fear he may have irreparable damage done to him from the level of malnutrition he has,” Severus said, continuing to look Lucius in the eye.

Lucius visibly recoiled. Vampires were dark creatures akin to dementors in that they could remove the soul of a being if they really wanted to. For Severus to be keeping one, even a child, he risked having all of the charges he had been exonerated of called into question. Lucius himself had dark artifacts stored within his house, but as they were family heirlooms it was considered excusable. The more modern evidence of his dark arts usage was hidden away.

But a vampire was a being which was inherently dark. As a known Death Eater, even a spy, being seen performing the Dark Arts, owning any form of dark magical artifacts, or ‘consorting’ with any beings which had been on the side of the Dark Lord was seen as an effort to bring about the rise of a new Dark Lord.

“Where, pray-tell, are you keeping him if he is so ill?” Lucius asked, wondering how this child was being hidden.

Severus smirked rather evilly knowing Lucius wasn’t going to like this.

“In the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts.”

“WHAT?!” Lucius roared, eyes wide in shock. “You are keeping a vampire in a SCHOOL?”

“Calm yourself, Lucius,” Severus said, glad to finally have the upper hand in the relationship. “He has no urge to feed yet, nor would he have the strength to do so.”

“I assume the barmy old man knows about this?”

“It was his idea to keep Julian in the infirmary. Albus has a penchant for trying to give all beings access to the same resources. If he were to get any worse, however, Madam Pomfrey has already decided she would send him to St Mungo’s for treatment. We all know what would happen to him if he were to be sent there.”

Lucius stood in silence for a moment, pondering his next move. The boy could not go to St. Mungo’s, that much was certain. If it were known that Severus had been harbouring a vampire, he would immediately be called to trial. And if Severus was arrested and his status as a spy called into question, Lucius would be tried as well.

“What sorts of resources do you need to keep this a secret?” he finally asked.

“As of right now, what I need more than anything is money,” Severus admitted. His bank account was still … rather shy on funds at the moment. He was thankful Julian could tolerate the more basic lollies as opposed to just the blood pops. “I have found myself woefully unprepared for having a child. I had presumed his relatives would at least send him with some clothing, however that was not the case. Add to that his… special dietary requirements and the fact I am having to do some experimentation in order to find potions which work to stabilize his condition.”

“Does the Headmaster know of any of this?” Lucius asked. “He knows the boy is on Hogwarts grounds and you are a professor at the school, has he not raised your salary at all to assist you?”

Severus sighed. Every time he had tried to bring up the fact that he was needing a forward on his salary at the very least so they could get by until he was able to start doing commissions for the summer, Albus made some sort of excuse or was called away on other business.

“Unfortunately, we have never gotten the chance to talk about this current financial situation.”

Lucius looked at the man in front of him flatly. He didn’t know what to think of the situation. Severus having a child. That child being a vampire. A child who was sickly to the point of needing higher care but not being able to receive it as he would then be marked and tracked like an animal. It all seemed highly improbable.

“I cannot provide you with funds outside of small gifts. Anything more than that and it will cause concern. I can, however, purchase some of the items you may need, particularly those of the more expensive variety,” Lucius said.

“Thank you, Lucius,” Severus said, bowing his head in thanks. This kindness was unexpected from the Malfoy patriarch.

“On one condition,” Lucius added suddenly, causing the hairs on Severus’s neck to stand up.

“Yes?” Severus asked hoping the condition wasn’t one requiring more work from him.

“I would like to meet the child,” Lucius said, picking up black and silver cane and summoning his travelling cloak.

“Now?” Severus said, trying to keep the shock out of his voice.

“Yes, now. I won’t be made a fool of. You say you have a child you’re keeping in the infirmary, I want to see for myself.”

“I would never try to steal your money Lucius. Nor would I intentionally put either of us in this situation.”

“Now, Severus. We go to Hogwarts now,” Lucius all but growled as he grabbed the man’s arm and apparated the two of them as close to Hogwarts wards as he dared.

Severus gasped on landing as the apparation was unexpected. The visit to see Draco had officially gone off the rails. He only hoped Julian was coherent enough to know he was in danger if he answered any questions wrong or let on that he lived with muggles.

Lucius followed behind Severus by several steps up to the castle. If anyone had seen them, they would have thought Severus was leading him in. Severus knew, however, that should he try any form of escape or to notify Albus of the visit Lucius would curse him immediately.

Albus met the two men at the front door as though he had been expecting them.

“Governor Malfoy, to what do I owe the honor of having a surprise visit?” Albus said rather happily.

“Good afternoon, Headmaster,” Lucius drawled calmly. “I have heard there is a young child staying here who is not yet a student. As it is not common practice for children of professors to stay in the castle, I felt it prudent to check on its well-being.”

Albus nodded and stepped to one side, allowing the men to enter into the building ahead of him.

“You don’t mind if I come with you to the infirmary, Severus? These old bones have been giving me fits, perhaps Madam Pomfrey has something which would help.”

“Not at all, Headmaster. However I do believe Lucius has prior engagements he needs to attend to.”

“Not to worry, Severus,” Albus said, coyly playing the part of the old man. “I’ll catch up.”

Severus nodded to the headmaster as he and Lucius strode down the halls, nearly running over Percy Weasley who was meandering slowly towards the library with his nose in a book.

“Five points from Gryffindor for not paying attention,” Severus snapped as the boy jumped to the side.

The two men continued through the halls to the hospital wing, garnering looks of both fear and curiosity. Some of the older students had seen Lucius Malfoy when the governors of the school would come and do a periodic inspection, however this time he was alone and with Professor Snape and they were both striding quickly towards the hospital wing. Immediately, speculation began to flow through the student body with a few even daring to try and sneak behind the men. These few students were not brave enough to follow the men when they did enter the hospital wing.

“Severus?” Lucius growled questioningly as they entered the empty wing.

“Do you honestly think me a fool?” Severus said rather exasperatedly as he continued towards Madam Pomfrey’s office. “Why would I keep a child I’m trying to hide in the hospital wing where he can easily be seen?”

Lucius huffed, he didn’t know which he should be more hopeful for. He couldn’t think of a good reason for Snape to attempt to dupe him into believing that he had a child, but he also couldn’t believe that a vampire was being hidden within the walls of the school. Either way, he followed Severus into the office and immediately noted the additional door.

“May I check to see if he is awake?” Severus asked, hoping Julian was up for having a visitor if he was awake.

“Do not shut the door. I don’t want you casting a glamour over whomever is in there,” Lucius said, continuing to not trust the spy in front of him.

Severus nodded. It was a reasonable enough request. He would have requested the same if the roles were reversed.

Severus flicked his wand and unlocked the door, a wave of dry heat escaped the room as he entered, making Lucius immediately back up a step. The heat, while not immense, would have been extremely uncomfortable to be in.

‘Unless you are unable to manage your body temperature,’ his mind reminded him. ‘Snape did say he was extremely thin.’

Lucius could hear some murmuring from the other room for a few seconds before Snape reappeared in the door and beckoned him in.

“Julian, this is Lucius Malfoy. He is one of the governors of the school and wanted to see how you were doing.”

Lucius stepped into the room and had felt his eyes immediately widen. Sitting on the bed before him was the most malnourished child he had ever seen. Even when he was an active Death Eater, he had never seen someone survive to be this thin. The boy’s magical reserves must have been the only thing keeping him alive, it was the only explanation.

“Hello, sir,” a rather meek voice snapped him out of his reverie.

“Hello, Julian,” Lucius responded, surprising even himself with how gently he said it. “How are you doing.”

“Better, sir. I can stay awake for much longer,” Julian said, smiling slightly. “It feels good to be able to read for more than a few minutes before needing to sleep.”

Lucius nodded mutely, trying to think of a follow up question. He had always prided himself on being prepared for every situation, but seeing the child in front of him shook him in a way he wasn’t prepared for.

“How old are you, Julian?” Lucius asked softly.

Julian thought about it for a moment. He had briefly discussed with his … father… his changed birthday. It had been strange to start thinking of himself as a totally different person, but he was getting used to it. If what his father had said was true, then he would have been extremely famous if he had kept his other name. He wasn’t too keen on that plan, he just wanted to be himself not some famous person.

Severus had also warned him of people trying to find out who he was and to be cautious around people who were asking questions or came to visit unannounced.

“Eleven,” he finally answered. “I slept through my birthday though.”

The same age as Draco.

It felt almost like a punch to the gut. True, Snape had been working on instilling ideals which went against what Lucius knew, but Lucius knew that in Draco would need to survive in a world where knowing all sides of an issue would help him survive. Severus missing Draco’s birthday had seemed like he had stopped caring, especially as he had broken off almost all contact with the boy for several weeks prior to Draco’s birthday.

Lucius would’ve done the same thing. His child’s life was more important than a birthday party. If it was Draco in that bed, Lucius didn’t think he or Narcissa would have been able to leave the bedside.

“I have a son who is your age,” Lucius continued. “He is going to be starting at Hogwarts in autumn.”

“I’ve yet to discuss with Albus the logistics of Julian starting on time, but if he is strong enough by September there is a possibility of him doing a partial schedule,” Severus explained.

“I just want to do potions,” Julian said, blushing and looking down at the book he held in his hands. “I don’t think I’m going to be much good at anything else.”

Lucius smirked slightly. Like father, like son.

“Did you get anything for your birthday?” Lucius asked.

Julian jolted slightly at the question. He hadn’t even thought about the possibility of receiving presents for anything. Besides, his real birthday was over a month away.

“I got to live.”

___________________________________

Albus and Poppy were speaking with each other in her office when Severus and a rather green looking Lucius Malfoy stepped out of the adjacent room.

Lucius briefly nodded to the two of them before continuing into the main infirmary.

“I’ll tell you later,” Severus said to the headmaster, following his former compatriot out of the office.

Lucius stood pensively in the middle of the infirmary, a million thoughts racing through his mind.

“You said he has no clothing?” Lucius said, hearing the door to the office close behind Severus.

“No, nothing other than that blanket and hat.”

Lucius just nodded.

“I apologize for threatening you,” he said. “I cannot begin to imagine the stress you are under at this time. I shall attempt to explain to Draco where you have been. I will not tell him of Julian until you inform me I may do so.”

Severus was shocked. Lucius never apologized for anything. And for him to look as shocked as he was now, something about Julian must have shocked him to his core.

“Thank you, Lucius. I shall do so when he is able to properly receive visitors.”

They stood in silence for a few more minutes before Lucius finally turned and walked to the door.

“Thank you for allowing me to meet him,” Lucius said, pausing once more at the door. “I shall see myself out.”

He then opened the door and left before Severus had a chance to say anything.

“What was that about, my boy?” Albus asked, having snuck rather quietly up behind the potions master.

“Lucius asked Julian what he got for his birthday and Julian said he ‘got to live.’ I’ve never seen Lucius so rattled at a statement, I honestly think he was thinking of how Draco is the same age and was imagining his own son in the bed saying that,” Severus said.

“He did seem highly disturbed,” Albus said.

Severus snorted. Lucius always had been disturbed, but he also valued family greatly and would do whatever was necessary to keep them safe. While many of Lucius’s morals were questionable at best, he truly did love having a child and would often brag about his son.

“I apologize, Headmaster. I had no intention of bringing Lucius here; he was insistent on seeing Julian once he learned he was the reason I had missed Draco’s birthday.”

“What is done, is done. No harm has befallen the boy, though greater care should be taken in the future,” Albus said, eyes twinkling subtly.

“I am dubious he will return for a secondary visit. He did, however, offer to assist with purchasing some items I will need for Julian’s care in the future.”

“Ah, yes, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that. I do believe you are due for a raise, as well as a cost of living adjustment. Especially now that you have a child under your care,” Albus smiled at the potions master.

“Thank you, headmaster. I’m afraid, however, I will be needing to request an advance on my next paycheck.” Severus said. The two salary adjustments would help lessen the burden of taking care of a child, but his money was still going to be stretched quite thin until he was able to start doing more commissioned work. And he wouldn’t have the time to do that until Julian was no longer requiring intensive monitoring. But it would help.

“I’m sure that can be arranged,” Albus said, smiling as though he had a plan in the works.
Severus sighed. Lucius’s visit was an hour of work time lost. He had so much paperwork he needed to get done and the term was almost complete.

He was going to need a lot of coffee.