Lessons in Etiquette and Love

Chapter 7

If Hadrian suspected that the students enjoyed pampering him with little things like his favourite treats at tea time then he definitely knew that they were doing it now. Hannah, the student specializing in sweets, had a particular knack for making up new things: such as the mini treacle tarts that Hadrian decided were his absolute favourite. And Greg, the devil, managed to worm it out of Severus that his favourite tea just happened to be made from dried rose petals, orange rinds and black tea leaves. Somehow he had even gotten the recipe and now that's all they served him.

Until he started throwing up at just the thought of it. Then Greg worked tirelessly to find a suitable replacement tea, something he was constantly trying to improve until Hadrian had fallen in love with chocolate mint leaves, green tea leaves, dried strawberry and half a clove for the entire pot. Severus couldn't wrap his mind around it, and Tom was at just as large of a loss, but Hadrian loved it and so they endured the odd concoction for him.

When Hadrian had entered what they suspected was the fourth month, he received a missive from his mother asking if her and his father could come visit for a few days. Hadrian sent a message back telling her to ensure they were packed for at least two weeks, the two of them would enjoy the longer stay.

Tom and Hadrian were in the drawing room, Hadrian painting rolling hills of lavender and Tom reading a book when Hadrian's mother was announced. Hadrian had barely thanked Jack before Lily practically bowled him over in her haste to hug her son. She had barely hugged him before her eyes widened. She looked down and back up so quickly, he wasn't even sure it had happened.

"Hadrian, you didn't tell me you were expecting! How dare you! Your own mother, ripped of who knows how many months of doting and shopping fun for the babe! Oh, I feel faint with the sheer sin of it all! Oh husband, I fear I shall go blind with the heartbreak!" She no-so-subtly checked behind her before hastening to the side of the couch and put her hand to her forehead and flopped into the cushions.

Hadrian and his father, who had walked in just in time to see her dramatic outburst, were snickering and very poorly attempting to not laugh at her display. Tom wasn't sure what to make of the scene unfolding in front of him, but didn't seem terribly concerned.

"Mother, relax. We were advised to wait for a few months before telling you, just in case anything should happen. We were planning on inviting you over soon, in any case. The plan was to break the news then, but then you asked to come visit before I could send the invitation."

Lily cracked an eye open from under her arm and glared at him before sitting upright and launching into a lively talk about the nursery.

With her help, the two had planned out the entire nursery and had Severus take down a list of things to purchase the next time he went to town for supplies. Hadrian told him to take Jack and a few other valet-to-bes with him so they could learn firsthand how to properly barter with shopkeepers and what would be expected of them when going to town in general.

Hadrian's parents promised to come back in three month's time and would be staying until a few days after Hadrian had given birth to help the two adjust to a newborn in the house. They gladly agreed and even had a guest suite redecorated to suit their tastes better.

Genevieve was born only a short week after Lily and Jameson had arrived again. She was perfectly healthy, albeit a bit underweight, and loved looking at everything she could possibly look at. It felt like only a few days had passed when she started smiling and giggling at them and an even shorter amount of time before she was tottering her way from one end of Tom's study to the other.

She loved to learn, that was obvious. As soon as she started forming sentences it was 'why this' and 'what's that' every time she opened her mouth. The two answered every single question with age-appropriate answers (obviously the 'where do babies come from?' question would have to be edited down until she was older).