Family Doesn't End With Blood

Chapter 2: New Beginning

Severus stood with the small sleeping boy in his arms as Charity opened up their front door to be greeted by their eager children. Both boys are a spitting imahe of their dad, though they did have some of their mother's features. Although everyone is thankful that the signature Snape nose skipped a generation.

"You're back!" shouted one of the raven haired boys, fourteen year old Oliver. "Mum said something about a matter being urgent. Is everything alright?" the other boy, fifteen year old Thomas (or Tom as his friends call him) spoke. "Shh, you have to be quiet. We have a new guest staying with us, and I'd rather him not wake up yet," Charity replied in a hushed voice to her two sons.

It took a moment for the information to sink into the two boys' hyperactive brains as they looked over to the young boy in their father's arms, who stirred before settling down to sleep again.

"He's so dirty!" Oliver exclaimed though it was more of an observation than a complaint.

"I know. Now keep your voices down," Severus hushes the boys again before making his way upstairs. "I'm going to put him in the spare room, and when I get back we're all going to have a chat," he told them before disappearing out of sight with the boy in tow.

"Right, you two, lets go make drinks and get some snacks. We have a serious matter on our hands so no funny business when your father comes back," Charity scolds, though she had a hint of humor in her voice. The two boys nodded and went to go help their mum with the drinks and snacks, something they tend to do for serious discussions like the one they were about to have.

~

Upstairs, Severus lays the child down in the big double bed, pulling the large, soft duvet over the small boy before standing back and admiring the young lad. "You're safe now, little one," Severus commented before kissing the boys forehead and walking out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack so he would be able to hear it when he woke up.

Heading back down to the front room, the raven haired man is then met with his family sat on the sofas with drinks and chocolates, patiently waiting for him. "How is he? Did he go down alright?" Charity worried. Severus rolled his eyes playfully as he sat down in his signature seat. "He went down perfectly well, Charity. Now let's get to the matter at hand before he wakes up," the man declared before taking a sip from his cup.

"So as you can probably already tell, we have a new guest with us," Charity began. "This young boy has been tied to a wall by a chain, and his relatives are at fault for it," tears began to form in the woman's eyes.

"Y-you mean he was treated like a d-dog?" Thomas spoke up with furrowed brows.

"Seems so. It also looks like he's only allowed dog food and water in a bowl. The boy hasn't even had a decent meal, not to mention the food he did get must've made him sick from time to time," Severus continued, both Thomas and Oliver taking on disbelieving looks.

"Your father and I have rescued him and we have decided to take him in as another Snape. Adoption papers will be coming around tomorrow with other information and we will be the boy's new legal guardians," Charity told the boys excitedly, and Oliver and Thomas shared an excited look themselves. "I know it's going to be a rough few weeks, but you need to be careful and patient with him. We don't know what has happened to him while living next door and anything could set him off," Charity became serious, and Severus agreed with everything she said. "We will mum. We'll be the best big brothers ever!" Oliver claimed, giving his mum a hug.

"Yeah, Mum. I'll watch out for him, and, and- I'll get to teach him some things! This is gonna be so awesome!" Thomas fist bumped the air and hugged his mum and dad. "How about we watch a film until the boy wakes up. It shouldn't be long now until he does as he's been asleep for a while now. This seems like the only sleep he's gotten in a while, though," Severus realizes, setting the TV up to watch a film. "Do you not know his name, Dad? You keep calling him 'the boy'?" Thomas asked curiously, sitting down next to his mum and getting comfy as Oliver sat on the other side of her.