Thanks so much to TycheSong, beta extraordinaire! She catches all the commas, POV's, and other places I had a senior moment. She is the best!

Keep in mind as you read my story, that although I am posting this in current time (day by day until 2-2-13), the events in the story will not necessarily be in chronological order. Sometimes Severus and Hermione will have one child, sometimes three. It all depended on the muse and the vow I chose to address for the day.

Thank you for the wonderful reviews. I am always humbled when I see my in box brimming with them! Thank you, thank you.

JKR owns the Harry Potter universe, I do not. Rats.

January 10, 2013: In Sickness

The wail of their eight-month-old son reverberated through their bedroom, waking the couple up much earlier than they wanted.

"Hermione?" Severus asked sleepily. "Hermione?" Severus rolled over to wake his wife. As she was still breastfeeding Steven, she would normally be up first. However, when he nudged her, she felt hot. Severus sat up and felt her forehead. Hermione would definitely not be getting up this morning. He shook her again. "Hermione, love? Do you feel all right?"

Hermione moaned, and Severus could feel her shaking with cold. "Oh, Seberus, I don' feel well at all. Is that Steben?" She made an attempt to get up.

"No, love, I'll get him. Do we have some breast milk in the refrigerator?"

"Yes," Hermione coughed huskily, "but don' use what I bumped last dight; it's in the green boddle. If I have something contagious, I don' want Steben to get it. We habe some formula in the cupboard."

Severus got out of bed and turned to apply a warming charm and tuck Hermione in more cosily. "I'll get you a Pepper-up."

"No, I don' want anyding. Go take care of the baby."

"All right." Severus pressed a kiss to her forehead and conjured a box of facial tissue for her.

Steven was sitting up in his crib, crying, when Severus entered his room. The boy, so much like his father, lifted his arms up in a plaintive 'pick me up' attitude.

Severus crooned to his son as he picked him up and wiped the tears and snot from his face. "Don't worry, Da's here." He lay the whimpering baby down on the changing table and made quick work of Steven's nappy. He fixed his sleeper back into place and picked him up again, cuddling him to his chest. "Mum's not well this morning, so I'll be getting breakfast. Hope you don't mind."

Steven wiggled and giggled a little and then reached up to grab his Da's nose. Severus, normally the most reserved of men, fell to pieces when holding his son. He made 'num numing' noises at the arm that was holding his nose. The baby giggled even louder.

Severus went into the kitchen and quickly fixed some formula, warming it up to temperature. He sat on the sofa, settled Steven into the crook of his arm and popped the bottle into the boy's mouth. Although Steven was old enough to eat a little pabulum, Severus and Hermione had learned that unless they took the edge of the growing boy's appetite, he would eat voraciously and then vomit it up. After a few ounces of milk, Severus stood, placing the boy on his shoulder, patting his back as he made his way to the kitchen.

Steven burped quite loudly and laughed. Severus checked to make sure there were no surprises on his shoulder and then placed the baby in his highchair. The boy babbled and spit while Severus fixed his cereal. Just as he approached the table with the bowl of cereal, he was startled to see the boy look directly at him and say, for the very first time ever, "Da-Da."

A smile broke out on Severus' face as he watched Steven just looking at him with a big spit bubble around his mouth, his chubby little arms flailing about with delight. "Da-da-da-da-da!"

The baby continued to babble and squeal as Severus settled down beside him with the cereal to feed him. Steven was very excited, and made it difficult for his father to feed him.

By cajoling and distraction, Severus managed to get most of the cereal into, rather than onto, his son. Lifting him from his highchair, the pair went into the living room and sat down. Severus popped the bottle into Steven's mouth and Steven clasped his hands around it.

As they watched each other, Steven pulled the bottle out of his mouth and reached one hand up towards Severus' nose. "Da," he said.