The Serpent and the Lioness

Chapter 72

oO February 2007 Oo

"You've gotten so tall." Hermione pulled the giggling boy up from his crib with a small grunt, "And heavy. Is Daddy feeding you behind my back hm?"

Toris giggled and immediately clung on to her neck, swinging his legs. He always woke happily, whether it was 4 am or 8 am. Thankfully for Hermione, he had chosen the latter and she was already up and dressed ready for the day.

"You want a bath before we get you dressed? Or do you want to come wake Daddy with me?"

Toris happily jumped on her hip and signed for his father. He made a small noise in the back of his throat akin to a babble but didn't actually form anything comprehensible. Hermione wasn't worried, and always encouraged whatever sound he would make no matter how small.

"Daddy it is." A small chuckle of her own turned her on her heel and back towards their bedroom. Severus had gone to bed late, staying up to finish a batch of lotion for her skin. He had been working on trying to make the scars fade even more than they already had but they were still rather deep. The mark on her arm, however, was making rather impressive progress.

Keeping her steps light, Hermione crept over to the bed carefully setting the boy down in her place. Toris crawled his way to his feet before taking a rather impressive leap right over the top of Severus' chest. Hermione winced but laughed at the same time.

Severus was less than amused, letting a curse slip through his lips before lifting his heavy head. He blinked his son into focus dragging his arms down from over his head over to capture the squirming body.

"Devilish Mother you have." He settled the boy the correct way letting him sit on his ribs, the scars over his stomach were still sensitive to extreme pressures but otherwise didn't bother him.

"Learned it from you." Hermione grinned and settled down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes when he ran his hand up through her hair.

Toris grabbed his nose, taking hold of his own possibly for comparison. His dark brown hair was starting to curl out rather badly at the ends. Severus had trimmed it the best he could but it was just growing more out of control.

"He needs a proper haircut." He turned his nose out of the boys hold.

"I like it long." Hermione reached up, tucking a lock behind the boy's ear, "Reminds me of his father."

"My hair has never been that curly." Severus let out a deep yawn brushing his own hair from his face.

Toris looked at the both of them with his bright knowing eyes. He ran his hands up through his hair, pulling lightly at the strands, making it worse of a mess than it already was. It wasn't as spiraled as Hermione's but it did have a rather nice wave and a whole lot of body. The color was growing darker with each passing day; leaving only small highlights of ash brown in its otherwise deep chocolate locks. Presently it was starting to curl along his shoulders making his hair chewing obsession a rather easy thing to accomplish.

"He's going to make a bezoar in his stomach if he keeps chewing on it." Severus pulled the hair from the boy's mouth before picking him up under the arms holding him high over his head. The boy squealed and flailed his arms and legs happily.

"Fair enough," Hermione chuckled and reached up tickling his stomach making him laugh even louder. "We can take him to a barber. What do you think bubby? You want to have your hair cut today?" Hermione reached up grabbing his hand while Severus turned him back and forth keeping him well over his head.