Chapter Text
Severus stretched and rubbed his eyes. There was something in his mouth. It felt like the nipple of a bottle, but when he reached to touch it, there was nothing there. He felt around on his face to find what it might be. Over his mouth, his fingers met a hard plastic. Taking the object out, he opened his eyes. It was a pacifier, baby blue in color, the perfect size for him.
Slipping it back in, he took a gander around. Severus was in a cage. White bars surrounded him from all sides. Grabbing one, he shakily pulled himself into a sitting position, wincing in discomfort as pressure was put on his soggy diaper. Observing the rest of him tangled up in a soft blue blanket also brought the realization that he was in a crib, not a cage.
Severus pondered whether to try and get out or not. He still couldn’t stand with his injuries from the car crash, he knew that from trying it out. He would just have to sit here until somebody got him. The little’s attention turned back to the room, where blue and white seemed to be a common theme.
Halfway up the walls was a light shade of blue, the other half was a soft cream color. Sitting on the oak floor was a fuzzy white rug, with a blue toy chest placed on top of it. Along the wall was a white changing table and matching wardrobe. In the corner sat a lone rocking chair, a small bookshelf accompanied it. Finally, he looked up to see a mobile with blue and white stars hanging down from above his head.
Footsteps in the hallway forced Severus’ attention to the door. It slowly creaked open, reveling Potter’s face. When he realized the little was awake, he stopped attempting to be quiet.
“Good afternoon, sleepy head,” he said as he made his way over to the crib. Reaching in, he pulled Severus out and sat him on his hip.
“I’m glad you like it,” he gestured to the boy’s mouth. Severus blushed, only now realizing that he had been sucking on the pacifier. The blush reddened even more when Potter prodded his nappy. He was then carried out of the room and across the hall.
They stepped into a bathroom and Potter sat Severus down on the counter. He then moved over to the tub and turned on the water. Severus’ heart was racing, was Potter going to give him a bath? The caregiver came back over to the vanity and started unzipping the sleeper, which soon landed in a laundry basket across the room. Next, the bandages were unwrapped and, accompanied by the wet diaper, vanished at the tip of Potter’s wand.
Severus was picked up again, this time he was placed in the warm water. The tall man began scrubbing his torso. Severus could tell he was trying to be gentle, that didn’t stop his eyes from watering though. When the cloth touched his navel, he lost it. Tears streamed down his face as wailing emerged from his mouth. Something was pressed against his lips, he parted them, sucking on the pacifier to try and calm down.
After everything else was thoroughly clean, the pacifier was removed again so Potter could reach his face. He then dipped a cup into the water, and tilted Severus’s head back to pour it over his black locks. His hair having been cut in the hospital, was now significantly shorter than it had ever been. At least his bangs had been trimmed though.
When the bath was over, Severus was carried back into the nursery and laid down on the table. Potter took the warm towel and gently dried every inch of his skin. The little’s legs were then lifted up and a nappy was placed under his buttocks. Another coating of powder and cream and he was wrapped in a fresh diaper. Whatever the doctor had given Potter was applied to his injuries and covered in bandages. He was then picked up and held tightly against the caregiver’s chest. His hair was smoothed beneath Potter’s fingers, and a feeling of content washed over him.