Silent, but still there

My new brother and protector

Hadrian was scared. He was in a strange place with strangers. Even though they made him feel safe, he didn't know them.

Right now he was standing in the living room, hiding behind the man known as Remus, or Moony if he preferred. He was the first he had interacted with that was nice to him. He even gave him a hug, something he only read about in stories.

They were waiting here for the man named Severus, he was apparently bringing his son over. One who was the same age as him, just a little older. Hadrian didn't know much about him, and he was a bit scared.

All his life he had been isolated, only surrounded by his four walls, and occasionally got to see the rest of the house. He didn't know any people his own age. He did know about his sister and her friends, but they were mean to him when he was downstairs at the same time as them.

Hadrian was brought out of his thoughts when the fireplace roared. It startled him so much that he shrieked a bit and hid his face into Remus' back clutching at his sweater.

Remus chuckled a bit, turned around, and hugged Hadrian. "It's ok Hadrian." Remus rubbed up and down Hadrian's back, calming him.

Slowly, Hadrian let go and took a step back, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

Severus cleared his throat, signalling that they were there.

Beside him, there was a little boy who looked the same age as Hadrian, only a little taller. He had fair blonde hair, which he had gelled back, grey almost silver eyes and pale fair skin. He was the definition of aristocratic according to Hadrian. In his eyes the boy looked like every royal he had read about in his books.

"This," Severus gestured to the boy, "is my son Draco." Draco waved and smiled shyly at all the strangers. "I was hoping that he and Hadrian could get to know each other before they begin at Hogwarts."

Draco smiled at Hadrian, trying coax him out from behind his new parents. He had heard from his father how he had been treated at his old home. So, he had made it his mission to befriend and protect Hadrian from all that he could.

Slowly, Draco went up to Hadrian, as if not to scare him. Hadrian looked up at Draco, he was a bit taller than him, and shyly smiled. Draco smiled, took his hand, then began leading him to another room.

When they stopped, they were in the library. Draco sat on a loveseat and gestured for Hadrian to sit beside him.

"Hadrian?" When Hadrian tilted his head, Draco continued, "do you want to play 20 questions?"

*

This, Hadrian could get used to. He and Draco had been talking and asking each other questions back and forth for two hours. Hadrian never knew how people could just sit and talk for hours, but now he did.

Hadrian learned that Draco was a bit older than him, that he liked the colour green, disliked the cold, had a sweet tooth for chocolate and had one best friend, Blaise Zabini.

Draco on the other hand learned that Hadrian just turned eleven, so he was younger than him, loved to read and draw, didn't have any friends and didn't know that much about affection at all.

So, Draco saw it fit to teach Hadrian about affection. Draco knew that Hadrian had knowledge about the theory behind, but didn't have experience.

The first thing Draco did was wrap Hadrian in a hug. At first, he was stiff, not used to the sensation. Draco started to draw circles on his back in hopes of relaxing him. It worked, slowly.

Hadrian started to put his weight on Draco and hid his face in his neck. Draco smiled. He loved the feeling of being trusted by the practically touch starved boy.