“Repeat after me, say Harry.” Severus said.
The little boy just stared at him with a blank face.
“That's your name, Harry.”
“Pot.” Harry said with a pout.
“No! no that’s not your name, Potter is you-… just say Harry” Severus said, a little desperately.
“Mooey” Potter said. Sticking his drool covered stuffed wolf in Severus's face.
Severus took the damp wolf out of the baby's hand and put it on the floor next to them. “Harry… say Ha-rry.”
“Mooey” Harry insisted. Handing the wolf back to Severus.
Severus sighed in defeat, he had been trying to get the boy to say his own name for days now.
“Just go back to whatever you were doing, Harry” Severus said, getting up off the floor where he was sitting cross-legged next to Harry.
Harry immediately stuck the stuffed toy in his mouth and fell sideways on the floor, his head bounced off the floor making the boy giggle. Severus was glad that he had thought to put a cushioning charm on every floor in the entire house when the baby arrived.
**
Harry looked up at Severus expectantly, pointing at the picture of a cat in a book that he had gotten for the boy.
“Cat.” Severus replied to the boy's silent enquiry.
Then the baby pointed at a picture of a wolf.
“Wolf.” Severus said.
“Woof, Mooey.” Harry grinned up at Severus, wriggling his little body in excitement.
Severus rolled his eyes and adjusted the boy on his lap.
“Yes, Mr.Potter, that is a wolf just like your toy Mooey.”
The boy's grin grew more wide.
“Padfoo!” Harry shouted pointing at a picture of a dog.
“What? Pott.. Harry that's a dog.”
“Padfoo.” Harry said firmly.
“Dog.” Severus replied equally as firm. He wasn’t going to give in this time. Severus was going to win this argument.
Harry turned around so he was facing Severus. “Padfoo.”
“No, Harry that’s a dog.” Severus said wrapping his hands around the boy to prevent him from falling off Severus's lap, like the book that was now lying facedown on the ground.
“Padfooooo…” Harry screamed, his red face scrunching up, he was blowing air in Severus's face by the end.
“Alright Potter, let’s call it Padfoo.” Severus said with a defeated sigh, turning the boy around in his lap, to prevent the boy from accidentally spitting in his face.
**
“…Harry! Let go off me” Severus said, trying to put the boy in his stroller, while Harry held on to him with both hands, he was trying to wrap his little leg around Severus’s waist but came up short.
“Harry if you want to go to the park you have to get in your stroller.” Severus said, Harry did this every time they had to get out of the house. He would refuse to get in the stroller and insist that Severus carry him in his arms.
“Noooo!” Harry wailed, burrowing his face in Severus’s chest.
“Okay, okay, fine I will carry you.” Severus said before Harry could turn on the waterworks and adjusted the boy in his arms.
“Mooey!” Harry shouted just as they were about to leave through the front door.
Severus groaned but set the boy down on the floor so he could get his beloved toy. Harry toddled into the house towards the living room on unsteady legs.
**
Severus looked down at Harry when the boy squealed in delight. Severus felt his own face twitch into an unexpected smile at seeing the joy in the little boys face.
“Well Harry, what do you want to do? do you want to ride the swing? Or go on the slide?” Severus questioned, pointing out both the equipment to Harry.
Harry just wiggled in his arms until Severus put him on the ground. He immediately ran off to the sand box where a little girl in a yellow dress and a little boy in a purple onesie were playing.
Severus sat down on a bench nearby watching Harry. He put Harry’s wolf in his lap, which the boy had discarded as soon as they arrived at the park and Harry realised that there was more to life then stuffed toys. He frowned when the little girl started walking away from Harry.
Harry straightened from where he had crouched down next to the girl. He started toddling after the girl. Both of them ignored the other little boy when he garbled unintelligently.
Harry toddled on unsteady legs, tripping and falling all the time, While the girl walked briskly with sure footsteps. Harry followed her around while the girl tried to get away from him. Finally the girl stomped her little foot and turned around to face Harry and pushed him on the ground and stomped away.
Severus gasped, watching the boy fall on his diapered butt and rushed to the boy.
**
“Shh, it's okay Harry, you are okay.” He reassured Harry, while the boy cried his little heart out in Severus’s arms.
Harry sobbed brokenly and pointed an accusing finger where the girl had pushed him.
“Yes, Harry I saw, that girl was very mean to you. She shouldn’t have pushed you. It's just that girl's don't appreciate being stalked.” He said gently, rubbing circles in his back.
He held Harry until the boy had calmed down. Then wiped his snot covered face and then set him on his feet. He nudged the boy back in the direction of the sand box. Harry toddled away.
Severus face palmed when he saw Harry following another girl, this one was older around six or seven years old, but sighed in relief when the girl held Harry’s hand and dragged him to play in the sand. He snorted in amusement when Harry turned around and gave him a proud grin, already over his very first heartbreak.
**
Severus waited patiently while Harry and the seven year old girl hugged each other goodbye. Harry was reluctant to let her go, wrapping his arms around the girl's legs.
“Zoey! Come on sweetie we need to go now.” A blond woman called out.
“Coming mum.” The girl said, glancing at her mother.
“Baby, you have to let go, my mum's calling me.” Zoey said, patting Harry's head gently. “It’s okay baby, me and mummy come here all the time, we can play next time.”
Harry looked at her miserably. “It’s okay, go with your daddy.” Zoey said nudging Harry towards Severus.
Then she ran towards her mother. “ Bye, Harry.” She called out over he shoulder.
Severus looked at the girl in surprise and then at Harry. “Did you tell her your name, Harry?” He felt the warm feeling of accomplishment and pride.
But Harry had other concerns. “Daddy?” he asked, looking up at Severus.
“No, Harry, I am Severus, remember?” Severus said picking up the boy and handed him the stuffed wolf.
“Daddy!” Harry said, with a grin.
“Severus!”
“Daddy!”
“Severus!”
“Daddy!”
“Harry, go back to calling me seb” Severus pleaded. “Please?”
But there was no changing the boy's mind, he had already picked up his new favourite word. “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy….”
Chapter 3
To be continued...