Rewritten History

Chapter 17

Severus was starving when they got to the manor. He had only eaten a few sweets since breakfast and desperately wanting something in his stomach.

"Go and wash up," Abraxas said. "Then come to the dining hall, dinner's ready."

"I'm not dirty," Severus said.

"Your hands probably are. Wash them."

"But—"

"No buts," Astus said. "It'll only take you a minute. The food is not going to run out of the door."

The boy was convinced and ran off to the nearest bathroom. Lucius reluctantly followed. He also wanted to say he wasn't dirty but one look from his father and he caved in. The two men looked at each other.

"Shouldn't you provide with good example and do it as well?" Astus asked.

"How about you?" Abraxas threw back. Both had their arms crossed.

"You are the one who started it."

"You butted in!"

"Only because it was Severus who said 'but'! Provide with good example!"

"You provide it!"

"No, you!"

"You!"

By the time the two boys got back the two men were glaring at each other.

"Are we interrupting?" Lucius asked.

"Not at all," Abraxas said.

"Go ahead and sit down by the table," Astus continued with. "We'll be there in a minute."

And a minute later they came, if a bit scorched and ruffled, Abraxas nursing a black eye and Astus had a split lip. Lucius sighed.

"Since when did you two resort to fighting like children?" he asked.

"It's good exercise," Astus replied. "But I wouldn't advice you two starting to do it recklessly with people you barely know."

"Like I'd ever resort to a fist-fight," Lucius said.

"Just look at your father; he started it."

Lucius turned to look at Abraxas. The man shrugged and said:

"I wanted to try it once."

"Now we've done it. Can we please not do it again?"

"You just said it was good exercise."

"There are other ways," Astus said and promptly began to eat.

Abraxas glowered darkly at him. "Lazy ass," he muttered and began to eat as well. Lucius rolled his eyes at Severus who snickered behind his hand.

-o-

That night Severus snuck into his father's room and saw the man half-lying, a book propped up so he could comfortably read it without straining his neck. He spotted the child.