The true Heir of Salazar Slytherin - Book 1

Chapter 10: A Bomb About to Go Off

The following day Hadrian woke up very early, sometime around half past six. With the Dursley's, Petunia would have woken him by now. He wasn't there anymore, but it seemed that he wouldn't get rid of the old habit any time soon. So he stood up and took a long bath before peeping into Salazar's bedroom only to find him sleeping.

He sighed. He couldn't expect his new father to be up this early. Father...that sounded so good to him. Now he had a family that cared for him, and yesterday they had such a lovely time in Diagon Alley. To him, it all was a miracle he had stopped hoping for a long time ago, but it seemed fate or luck decided to give him something back for all the crap he had been put through.

Silently closing the door of Salazar's bedroom, he thought he could read some, so he went back into his own room. Hedwig looked up sleepily, hooting questioningly. It seemed that she wasn't fond of waking early either.

"You can go back to sleep. I just looked for father," he told her while stroking her.

She hooted softly before going back to sleep again.

Hadrian went to the shelf where his father had put the books and took the one about herbs and fungi out. Then, with the book, paper and a pen, he made himself comfortable on the windowsill, a pillow in his back. Sitting there, Hadrian started to read. He decided to start with the book of the plants because those were the ingredients used for the potions. Therefore, it would be better to know their properties first before learning how to use them.

While reading, he completely lost track of time. It was well after nine o'clock when someone knocked on his door.

"Yes?" he called out while marking the page he was at and putting the book down.

It was Salazar who entered the room. When he saw Hadrian sitting on the sill reading, he walked up to him.

"Good morning. I see you have been awake for quite a while. How is the book? Is it interesting?" he greeted him.

"Yes, I woke up at half-past six...I always had to get up then, and yes, the book is interesting. So many plants one can use, and everyone is different," he explained excitedly.

"It's nice to see that you enjoy it. What do you think, want some breakfast?"

Hadrian nodded, and Salazar turned around when Hadrian spoke up again.

"Dad...thank you."

Salazar stopped amid his next step and turned around in surprise. Upon realising what he had just said, Hadrian got a bright red face. He looked down to hide his rising panic, fearing how Salazar would react coursing through him. It had come to him so naturally, and it was like it was meant to be that way that he hadn't thought about it any further before he spoke it out loud. Salazar, who saw the shame in his son's face, walked up to him and pulled him into a firm hug.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of or to fear. I was just surprised that you called me dad that early. I hadn't expected it yet."

"So you are not mad at me?" Hadrian asked cautiously.

Salazar laughed while he hunkered down in front of Hadrian to be at eye level with him.

"Why should I be mad at you? For you rightfully calling me dad? I'm your father after all now, so you can call me dad whenever you want," he explained with a smile. "I would never be mad with you no matter what, and I definitely never ever will beat you. Only idiots beat children. That doesn't mean I won't punish you some other way should you ever decide to go against one of my orders, understood?" he said with half a stern look and half a smile on his face.