Vi carefully pulled away from Hadrian. She could tell he truly trusted her.

“Come on, let’s wake Drach and go see your father,” she murmured. “Then we’ll deal with my family and, if necessary, Dumbledore.”

Hadrian gave her a gentle smile and it was that smile that melted some of the ice around her heart.

Draco woke to someone banging on the door. He opened his eyes blearily. When he saw that Hadrian and Vi weren’t in bed he groaned but got up and answered the door. He was met with a discheveled Professor Snape.

“What can I do for you Professor?” He yawned.

“Where is he?” Snape demanded.

“You’re going to have to be more specific, I just woke up,” Draco sighed.

“None of your cheek, Malfoy,” Snape snapped.

Draco took a step back stunned. Snape had never snapped at him before.

“Professor Snape to what do we owe the pleasure?” Vi’s voice came from the the direction of the bathroom. Moments later, both she and Hadrian stepped out.

Professor Snape made a strangled sound in the back of his throat that had Draco confused.

“It’s true,” he whispered further confusing Draco. “I have a son.”

His words were so quiet that Draco almost didn’t catch them. But he did and despite his sleep addled brain, he was able to understand the implications of his professor’s statement.

“Professor, did Lily tell you she was pregnant?” Vi asked.

Snape shook his head, “not until after he was born.”

“Then why didn’t you come claim me? Why didn’t you save me?”

Hadrian’s voice was quieter than Draco had ever heard it.

“The letter, do you still have it?” Vi demanded.

Snape nodded and produced a piece of parchment from somewhere within the folds of his robes. Vi read it quickly before passing it back to Professor Snape.

“She put a memory charm on it,” Vi told him glancing at Hadrian before continuing. “He couldn’t have known that you were in need of him.”

Draco watched helplessly as Hadrian broke. He knew how terrible his life had been prior to their mating. James, though unaware of Hadrian’s true parentage, refused to interact with him in any way other than to berate and demean him. Lily could hardly look at him without sadness lurking in her eyes. His younger brother, Aeron, was downright despicable to him being hailed as the boy who lived and all. His three younger siblings, Theoran, and the twins, Syaoran and Kaida, while not outwardly hostile to him; they weren’t exactly nice to him either. He watched Hadrian lean into Vi’s side.

“Tell me something, Professor Snape,” she said pulling Hadrian closer into her side. “Where did Hadrian’s syren side come from? Also, how did you not come across Hadrian and his family prior to him coming here?”

“Syrens are creatures that are created, not born,” Snape replied. “As to the other question, Ms. Oda, Hadrian was never among his family any time I ran into them.”

“He defeated Voldemort and that’s how he became a syren,” Vi whispered.

She kissed Hadrian’s temple and peeled away from him to pace. Hadrian moved to his side, his eyes not leaving Vi. No one spoke. The only sounds were Vi’s footsteps and her muttering in Japanese. This went on until Vi suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Her head snapped to the door where Snape stood but she was staring at something behind him.

“Iv,” she breathed before hastily making her way out of the room.

Snape looked at Draco and Hadrian in confusion. Draco shrugged in response before following her out of the room.