Chapter Text
“Uncle Sev! Uncle Siri!”
“...Your godson is awake.”
“Before breakfast, it’s your godson.”
“Uncle! Mom and dad’s door is waaaardeeed!”
“...Lucky bastards.”
“Uncle Sev! Uncle Siri!”
“He’s saying your name first.”
“Alphabetical order.”
Sirius laughs out loud, actually gets out of the bed and pulls on Snape’s sleeping pants. “Yes, baby,” he sighs as he flicks his wand to open the door. “What is it, little one?”
“I wanna go outside!” four years old Harry runs into the room and jumps in their bed. “Uncle Sev, get up! It’s snowing!”
“We are in the middle of the winter, Harry, of course it’s snowing.”
Harry giggles and Sirius joins them in the bed. Harry struggles a bit, but finds the way to climb over Severus’ sleeping body to sit on his side and peers down to see into his face. “Are you sleeping, uncle Sev?”
Sirius silently giggles, but leans over the bed to their side and rests his head on his husband’s shoulder. “Are you sleeping, uncle Sev?”
“Obviously,” Severus purrs.
Sirius’ chest rumbles with a badly contained laughter and Severus’ face splits into shit-eating grin, as he suddenly snatches the child and starts tickling him and blowing raspberries on his tummy.
Sirius soon joins in, and there’s a lot of yelling, screaming, laughing, tickling and kissing than there should be, for an early Saturday morning. When the child finally flops onto its tummy to calm itself, Sirius gets up. “Breakfast, baby?”
“Waffles, please,” Severus mumbles, as he softly kisses Harry’s long, dark hair, sporting the fashion his godfathers started. Lord Black looks back to the bed, where Severus is laying his hand protectively around the only child of the family. He would never guess his husband gets so soft, whenever there are children involved.
“Outside?” beautiful green eyes look up at Severus, all adorable and innocent.
“After breakfast, darling,” Severus kisses his forehead and cuddles him close.
Feeling his little angel breathe against his chest while knowing his family is close and safe in their Family house, are the happiest, safest, most serene moments in his life. He considers himself the luckiest man in the world that he can have moments like this many times a day.
“Can we build a snowman?”
“We certainly can. The question you are perhaps wanting to ask is, may we build a snowman?”
Harry is too small to understand friendly mocking or teasing, but he is smart enough to know that Severus is not saying no. “And a snow house?”
“Can you ask nicely, Harry?” Severus prompts his godson gently.
“Ca- uh, may we build a snow house, after breakfast, please, Uncle Sevie?”
Severus fondly chuckles, takes Harry into his arms, lies on his back, and snuggles Harry onto his chest. “Good boy, thank you. After breakfast, we may go outside and build anything you want. Avec quoi veux-tu tes gaufres, chérie?”
“Au sirop.”
“Avec du sirop, s'il vous plaît,” Severus corrects him gently.
“Oui.”
“Voulez-vous du sirop de fraise?”
“Caramel,” Harry says immediately, pauses, and then adds: “S'il vous plait.”
“My good boy, so polite, thank you, Harry. Qu'aimeriez-vous boire avec vos gaufres?"
“Té, per favore.”
Severus leans his head back and laughs out loud, a sound he doesn't make often. “Mio, stiamo facendo un pasticcio terribile con il tuo vocabolario, temo. Vuoi latte e zucchero con il tuo tè?”
“Juste du sucre,” Harry reacts absently, playing with the hem of his sleeve. “...s'il vous plait.”
Severus kisses his smiling face and stands up with the child in his arms, going down to the kitchen. “You are a true European baby, you know that, right?”
“Oui,” Harry nods.
“Avons-nous une carotte pour le nez du bonhomme de neige?”
“Je ne sais pas. Chiedi a papà?”
Severus laughs again as he enters the dining room, where Sirius is setting the table. “Does Italian and French sound so similar to you, my Harry?”
“Isn't his dad teaching him Greek enough?” Sirius rounds the table to hug his two boys, kissing each on their cheek, smiling at them.
“He’s four, Siri, I’m not about to teach him charms or potions,” Severus rolls his eyes, gently bumping the green-eyed darling on his hip.
As Severus sets Harry down on the chair, the child only turns around to witness the husbands exchange a few sweet, slow kisses. Harry is watching them, quietly waiting to be paid attention to again, but before that can happen, he hears another pair of adults enter the dining room.
“Ah, I thought I smell burning waffles,” Lily laughs as she makes a beeline for her only child. “Hello, Harry. How are you, my little one?”
“...Sto bene,” Harry shrugs, watching his uncles softly kiss.
Lily smiles fondly at her son, taking him into her arms to kiss his face, then pecking the husbands, before she gives Harry over to his father and then runs to the kitchen to save the waffles.
“Good morning, my darling,” James embraces his baby. “Why are you speaking Italian now?”
“Uncle Sev,” Harry mumbles into his hands, smuggling them around his face adorably.
“Ah, ah, little Judas, I was speaking French to you, wasn't I? Italian was entirely your input.”
Harry giggles and hides his face in his father’s neck, while James chuckles. “Morning, Sev.”
Sirius watches as James connects his lips with Severus’, giving him a half-hug with one arm, holding his son in the other, putting his soft dominance into the kiss, but no tongue.
“Morning, Siri,” James releases Severus only to slowly, lovingly kiss Sirius on his lips as well, giving the same half-hug, squeezing his hips when he releases him.
Harry’s beautiful green eyes are full of love and wonder, when he watches the three men exchange soft kisses and gentle embraces, and Severus, noticing the baby’s tentative observing, wonders what kind of man Harry will become, growing up in such an unprecedented but loving environment.
James and Sirius were always too close to begin with, and when Severus joined them, their relationship became even closer.
Of course Euphemia and Monty didn't allow Severus to leave the Pottery after a week before his 6th year, and gave him a loving, beautiful home. He was welcomed in like a long-lost son. It was a terrible shock at first - receiving delicious food just for him every day without anyone ruining it, poisoning it, putting disgusting, dangerous stuff into it. He got a room right across Siri’s, spacious, with a bed, a desk, comfortable armchair and enough room for all his books. Euphemia adored Sev’s love for charms, potions, but also defence and Dark Arts in theory, and she completely indulged him, buying him books, journals. She adored his genius and supported him, indulged him in everything. They also played chess, Go and other strategic games to train Severus’ critical and strategical thinking. With Monty, they bonded over the need for silence and peace. They could sit by the Lake at the east of the Pottery premise, read, or fish, or quietly talk for hours. Sometimes, they lied down in the grass, watching clouds and talked about anything and everything. It took Severus years before he realized it was actually a therapy.
During the sixth year, Severus, James and Sirius were inseparable. They remained Marauders, in a sense, especially after they found out Pettigrew was meeting with the Slytherin Deatheaters, essentially betraying their trust. Lily and Severus reconnected when she realized he was a hero, a gentle soul, and that he wasn't in fact a Deatheater, but instead befriended the two Gryffindors. At the end of their sixth year, Lily was a permanent element of their new but extremely strong friendship. The summer between their seventh year, Orion Black had died, which meant Sirius didn't have to get married or have children so young to claim his Wizengamot seat, but that only pushed things further - especially between Sirius and Sev. Remus was always a friend, but never more than that - Lily, James, Sirius, and Severus on the other hand became… more.
You’d say they started off as two couples that somehow blended in. No, that wasn't the case. They started as a four way thing and remained exactly that, but eventually split off to two couples to get married (for Wizengamot purposes and claiming their respective seats). James was in love with Lily since first year, yes, but he loved Siri too much to give him up. And Severus just meant so much to him, he loved the physical part of their relationship as well, not only the emotional one. Just like Sirius, who fell in love with Severus during the first summer spend together, could never give up James. And Lily? Fuck, who wouldn't love Lily?! Severus was just so, so happy to be there, in the middle of the four way. He was certain he was gay, of course, but this was so much more than his sexuality, or rather, preference.
He fell in love with James and Sirius way before they became friends. But he and Lily connected differently, during their sixth year. It was just… it just felt good. Emotionally, definitely, yes. But their relationship was physical as well. They were never intimate alone, only ever with at least one of the boys preset, but Severus, who tended to take the submissive part with Sirius and James, loved to take the lead with Lily, and she was happy to give him exactly that, while she tended to be more dominant with Sirius, and sometimes even with James.
The summer at the Pottery after their sixth year was full of tentative smiles, hidden touches, stolen kisses and comfortable cuddles. When, one morning, Monty entered Severus’ bedroom and found not only his three boys in one bed, snuggling together, but also Lily Evans hugging Sirius, all of them happily sleeping, he wasn't even that surprised. It was awkward for a while at the Pottery, as not even Euphemia, who was first to support Severus’ homosexuality openly, and was pretty fine with their neighbours who lived in a triad (one halfblood witch in her 40s, a wizard in his 60s, and a young muggleborn boy who is barely 30), didn't know how to react. She asked Severus of course, because he was the one who was the most mature and intelligent, and got an evasive, awkward answer that things are very tender now, and it’s too soon, but it leads to a relationship with all four of them involved. Together. Not two couples.
Monty was surprisingly timidly supportive. He liked Lily, she could cook, she was smart, she knew how to handle the boys, and most importantly, she wanted children. So when they decided to have a double wedding with Siri marrying Severus, and James marrying Lily, he was so happy he cried, for all of them. Euphemia was slightly concerned about the future child, but Sirius argued pretty logically: how could a child being raised in a loving family with four happy parents ever turn out bad?
Luckily, Euphemia and Monty were not people who ever cared about what the neighbours might think. Every worry Euphemia might have had disappeared not even three months into the marriage, when Lily announced she’s pregnant. They’ve never seen James’ mother cry before, and she was since then genuinely happy for all four of them.
James, in the meantime, notices Harry’s curious look, and gives him a smile and a kiss on his cheek.
“You think he realizes that having four parents who kiss is not usual?” Sirius smirks at James.
James shrugs. “Hard to say. What do you think, Harry. Is it curious, that I kiss uncle Sev and Uncle Siri as well as mum?”
Harry stares at him, his green eyes wide and beautiful. Then in all seriousness, he nods.
“He’s four, Jamie,” Sev rolls his eyes. “Harry? Darling?”
It takes a second for Harry to look at his uncle. He’s pretty overwhelmed, as his three favourite people in the world seem serious and asking him questions.
“Is it curious, that all three of us have black hair?” Severus asks him.
Harry, still wide-eyed and serious, nods vehemently.
Both James and Sirius laugh out loud.
“What’s so funny?” Lily asks, bringing the first waffles to the dining table.
“Jamie found out him and his son finally reached the same mental age,” Severus Black rolls his eyes.
For some reason, everyone laughs, and Harry the loudest. That only makes Severus laugh, too. He takes Harry into his arms and kisses his hair, squeezing him to his own chest lovingly. “Such a happy baby.”
As the family sits down to have breakfast, Lily casually says: “Ah, before I forget, we have to stop by the Pottery today.”
“Alright,” James agrees easily.
Euphemia and Monty throw a fit when they don't see their children and a grandchild at least once a week, so it’s not anything out of the ordinary, but Severus’ senses sharpen. It’s his birthday tomorrow, is there a connection, or is it a coincidence? He looks at his lovely Lily with the piercing look she always says makes her spill all her secrets. (Not that she really has any.) She notices and blushes, and then puts way too much blueberry ( blueberry, she hates blueberry! ) topping on her waffle, but no whipped cream.
Fuck. Oh my, dear Merlin, he should have guessed that, when she wasn't drinking at the New Year's Party! His cutlery falls down on the plate with loud noise, his heart hammering. Fuck, dear Merlin !
Her face splits into a shit-eating grin when she recognizes from Severus’ face he knows .
“No, wait, something is happening,” James notices first.
Sirius looks up from his godson’s waffles he’s cutting into small pieces, and looks between Lily, James, and Severus. Then between Lily and Severus. Then he straightens up. “I hate it when they do this. They are having entire secret conversations without talking! What is it! What? Tell us!”
Lily starts giggling, while Severus puts a hand in front of his hanging mouth. In disbelief, he whispers a soft, “No.”
She starts nodding, still giggling like crazy, and Severus stands up on his unsteady legs, rounds the table and pushes Lily up in his arms, holding her for dear life, his face split up in two with the giant, radiant smile. There are tears in his eyes of pure happiness, but it’s apparent he’s still in shock.
“What is - hey, what’s going on?!”
Lily is still giggling, but she’s got tears running down her face, too. Bloody hormones, she curses internally, and hugs Severus closer.
“Tell - hey, what’s… what’s happening?” James is beaming at them. He doesn't understand, but he guesses something good must have happened, because the last time they saw Severus cry of happiness while holding Lily like that, she was…
James and Sirius figure it out at the same time. With the biggest smiles and moist eyes they join their lovers in their tight hug, which confuses little Harry. He sees his four favourite people laugh and hug, but they are also crying, so Harry starts crying too. Severus is the first one to react to his darling’s cry, untangling himself from the adults and rushing to pick Harry up and bounce him on his hip, cooing and assuring him that nothing is wrong, everything is actually perfect and beautiful.
Lily watches Severus interacting with her son with a soft, loving smile on her face. It’s been two years since they found out Severus can't bear children, and although he hides it well, Lily knows it's eating at him inside. She’s made the decision long before she found out she’s pregnant with this one. “What do you say, Severus?” she asks him, her beautiful features full of love. “Good enough birthday present?”
Severus only brings Harry to her, kissing his head, hugging her once more, genuinely happy, nodding, agreeing. “I can't wait to have another godchild.”
She laughs in his neck. “A child, Severus. Your child.”
There’s a stunned silence, and then Sirius is really crying, not believing his luck. “Are you -”
Severus’ face crumbles down again, crying as well. “Do you-”
“Yes, yes,” she smiles at them both, reaching for Siri’s and Sev’s hands putting them on her lower stomach. “Here. Say hi to your son, the First Born Heir of Black.”
James takes Harry in his arms to give the three a moment. He kisses Harry, who is confused and crying too because his mum is smiling and crying at the same time, and Severus is sobbing now, falling to his knees in front of Lily, gently touching her stomach. Sirius is right there, kneeling beside his husband, kissing his face, hugging him, and rubbing Lilly’s flat stomach, and he’s crying and laughing, and it really is a mess.
James, who is grinning and wiping off the happy tears off his face, slightly bounces his four-year-old. The truth is, they don't know who the father really is. Neither Harry’s, and neither the second child.
Harry’s bright, cunning, intelligent just like Severus. He’s bold, and demanding just Sirius. And he’s confident, acting first before thinking, a leader in any group of friends just like James. He has got high cheekbones and black hair just like all the men, he’s just as stubborn, and he’s got deep charisma. Also, just like all three men, he’s magically strong and indulgent. He started doing accidental magic when he wasn't even one-year-old. He’s got Lily’s eyes and her soft features, and also her small frame. Only time will tell, when Harry is older and his features more prominent, which one of the possible fathers he took after the most.
With their second son, it’s much the same - not even Lily knows which one of them is the biological father.
Well, it’s not like it matters.
Kissing the black hair that resemble Siri’s the most, James coos at his son, bouncing him while gently patting his back. “Shh, my angel, no reason to cry. We are just very, very happy.”
“Ha-happy, Daddy?” Harry asks, still confused, but trusting his Daddy.
“Yes, baby. Very, very much,” James smiles and wipes his tears.