Severus Snape had just settled down to grade some fifth year essays in his office. It was around three o'clock in the afternoon and his classes were done for the week. All he had to do was show up for dinner and spend the rest of the weekend with his wife and children in their quarters. That was until his majestic black raven flew into his office and landed on his shoulder.
"Aries, what are you doing down here? I though you were in the owl wing resting." Severus said out loud to his bird. Aries merely cawed at him and dropped a letter into his owner's lap.
Severus opened it and sighed It was going to be a long night in the Snape house.
Darling, I'm sorry to say this but you're going to have to put the kids to bed by yourself tonight. I was forced to give two of your students (bloody Slytherins) and two of my students (Bloody Gryfindors) detention tonight. I would have Filtch baby-sit the dunder heads but he already has four students to watch. I'll see you at dinner love, sorry about this MyoneOnce he was finished reading the letter he set it aside and went back to writing nastier remarks on his students' papers. He needed to finish these before dinner now that he had to watch his seven-year-old son and three-year-old daughter for the rest of the night.
Two hours later he was done and it was nearly time for dinner. It was his turn to pick up the kids and bring them upstairs. It was usually easiest for him to retrieve them since their quarters, while much larger now then when he was single, are still just off his classroom in the dungeon. Once he had collected two they stalked up to the Great Hall. They were meet with the faces of most of the students and Professors. Everyone was used to the sight of their nasty potions professor carrying a smiling three-year-old and holding the hand of a scowling boy. The three were quite a sight to behold, really.
When they reached the head table Aiden Artimus Snape stalked over to his mother and fell effortlessly into his seat. He was very much a carbon copy of his father, right down to the "loving" personality. Severus loved it, a mini bat of the dungeons, someone to share his love for potions with. Melinda Marie Snape on the other hand was just like her mother right down her stubborn disregard for rules. She immediately tried to get down from her father's arms and run to her poppy Albus.
Severus let her go but warned Albus about feeding her too many sweets before she ate a proper meal. Then he slipped into the seat next to his wife.
"Hey Sev, How was your day?" asked Hermione
"Alright, I suppose. No blown up caldrons so I guess you can call it a good day."
"Severus my boy I hear you have the children to yourself tonight. Would you like some help from their dear old poppy?" asked a Twinkle eyed Dumbledore.
" The last time we let you baby sit Aiden had a cavity and Melinda had a belly ache for the rest of the week, Albus."
"Just trying to be helpful," the old man twinkled.
""Severus will you be okay by yourself tonight?" asked his wife.
"I've had them alone before love. I'm not incompetent."
"I know but I just wanted to make sure."
The rest of dinner passed with mindless chatter and the sound of silverware hitting stone dishes. Most of the female professors gooed and gahed over Melinda's newest fashion statement, and their male counter parts found other ways to entertain themselves. When every one was finished Hermione kissed her two kids goodnight and hugged her husband before gliding out of the room and presumably up to her Transfiguration classroom. Severus picked up his sticky daughter and marched his son out of the hall and back to their rooms.
It was still early, too early to give Melinda a bath and put her to bed, even though it would probably take him twice as long since she only likes her mother to do those things. It was also too early to send his son to bed, but too late to teach him any new potion theory. The boy was a whiz with a caldron, and would probably one day rival his father. So basically that left Severus with no ideas of how to fill almost an hour and a half before bath time.
"Umm…Aiden what do you want to do tonight?" asked Severus.
"Can we play a board game?"
"Okay but it has to be one that Melinda will play too. You know full well if we don't keep her occupied she'll turn our hair purple or something."
"Essh I know, well then it's the witches version of pretty pretty princess then I guess dad."
"Unfortunately, go get the game from her room. I'll go umm try to make her not as sticky."
"Good luck."
Severus just chuckled before intercepting his little girl and carring her into the bathroom. He cleaned up her hands and face quickly with a soapy wash cloth. She fought him of course like most children do, but in the end he got her clean and only wore a little bit of the water. Before taking her into her big brother's room to play the game Severus shed off his outer robes leaving himself in just his untucked black dress shirt lose at the collar and black dress pants.
"Alright Melinda we are going to play one maybe two games of pretty pretty princess with your brother and then it's bath time. Okay?"
"Sure daddy" she giggled with a smile.
Oh I am so in over my head, well maybe pretty pretty princess won't be so bad…oh who am I kidding. (Severus' thoughts)
An hour later Severus found himself wearing several pieces of fake jewelry, while his son donned a pink tiara and his daughter wore a shiny silver crown. The object of the game was to teach little girls how to control their magic by magically moving around the board and as they got older they would be able to transform the jewelry into other pieces. So far Melinda had been doing well with the game and had nearly unlocked all the secrets to it much to the horror of her brother and father. Since of course they were her models.
Damnit I'm wearing jewelry. I'm too old for this I swear. Ah the thing one does for their children, at least Myone isn't around to take any photos…
"Ahem, alright you two start cleaning up. It's nearly bath time and you're mother will have my head if I don't get you to bed on time."
"But daddy just a few more games? Ppleaawse."
"No Melinda, clean up."
"NO daddy I dun wanna."
"Melinda Marie Snape get you little butt in gear and help Aiden clean up. NOW!"
A second later the little girl was helping her brother clean up while Severus went to drawn their bath. Thankfully the two were still little enough to put in the same bath on nights like this, even though Aiden hated it. He just put up with it for his father's sake, since he knew that Severus would afterwards let him read until he fell asleep. Something his mother never would, even though she used to do the same thing.
"Aiden, bring Melinda into the bathroom with you. Okay Son?"
"Sure dad we will be in, in a minute."
Well so far this hasn't been so horrible, but then it isn't…
Severus never got to finish his thoughts because his two kids came running into the bathroom. Aiden did not say a word he just stripped out of his clothes and stepped into the bubble-ridden tub. Melinda, however, decided it would be fun to jump in with all her clothes still on. She didn't get very far though because her father scooped her up and started to undress her before she got any crazy ideas. Except this made her angry and she fought back with him and nearly threw a full-blown tempter tantrum over it.
Eventually though he got her into the tub and started to scrub her down. Aiden never needed help until it was time to wash his long black hair so Severus let him bath on his own. However Melinda need more help then she really should because she played more then washed. In the end though Severus made sure they were both scrubbed to a nice pinky clean and he made sure to wash and detangle their silky black locks. Some how they had both inherited his raven black straight hair.
Aiden when he was down took off to his room to slip into his jammies and curl up with a book. Melinda on the other hand decided that running around the study naked would be a great way to end the night and slipped out of her father's arms.
Merlin what is she up to now.
"Melinda, get down now!"
"Daddy! NO!"
"Melinda in three seconds you'll be spending all day tomorrow in your room alone."
"Daddy!" the girl pouted but reluctantly came down from the bookshelf she was seated on.
Severus picked her up and took her into her room. It was his old study that Myone had him turn into a nursery first for Aiden and then for Melinda. Soon she would be moving out of here though, and into her big girl room near Aiden's, which was up a set of stairs off the study. The nursery need to be repainted and decorate for the new baby coming five months from now, but for now it housed Linda's toy, clothes and games.
"Linda which jammies do you want to wear to bed tonight?" asked Severus already knowing the answer.
"Care bear ones!"
"I thought so, well here they are let's get them on."
He dressed her into her favorite two piece long sleeved and pants pjs. They were from a muggle children's TV show that Linda was obsessed with and Severus never understood. When she was dressed Severus made down her bed and tried to her into it.
She was tired he could tell but she still fought to stay awake and refused to get into bed. "No daddy, uppy." She raised her arms and Severus had no choice but to pick her up. Even though she loved to spend time with her mother little Linda was daddy's little girl at heart and she never failed to melt his heart. Severus could not say no to the two women in his life and so far neither one had led him wrong.
"Well little on shall we dance or rock tonight?"
"Rock pleawse" she said before burring her face into her daddy's shoulder getting herself lost in his long black hair.
"Alright princess" Severus chuckled and settled himself into the rocker his wife had used to nurse the children when they were small.
Sigh I love times like this when she isn't fighting back and is just slipping off to sleep…thought Severus.
Melinda moved around a bit to get comfortable in her father's arms and then slowly nodded off into her dreamland while he father sung a simple lullaby. He had a wonderful voice yet he rarely sang for anyone. It was truly a miracle that his daughter and wife even knew about it.
He sang until she was sound a sleep and then he continued to sit in the rocker. He just rocked her back and forth listening to the sounds of her soft snores. He rarely put her to bed since she much preferred falling asleep in her mommy's bed with her mommy's o he cherished nights like this. When everything was quite and all was right in his world. No more dark lord lurking around the corner ready to take over the world. No spy duties, just his family and his teaching job.
Hermione came into their quarters about an hour later. She was tired but wanted to make sure he children were asleep. First she went upstairs to see after her son, knowing that he had probably fallen asleep while reading. She was right too the lights were still all on but her boy was fast asleep. She removed the book from his limp hands and marked his place before setting it aside and turning out the lights. She sighed knowing he little boy was growing up on her and then she softly shut his door and walked down stairs.
In her daughters room she could faintly hear her husband singing an Old Irish lullaby. She smiled and stopped to listen. He had turned out to be such a loving husband and a wonderful father that she often wondered whatever happened to the bat of the dungeons she married. When he finished she entered the room and was mesmerized by the site of her husband and daughter rocking back and forth.
"Is she asleep?" whispered Hermione.
Severus only nodded and beckoned her over. Hermione picked up the small sleeping child and laid her in her bed tucking her in tight. Severus walked over to her and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist resting his long fingers on her slightly swollen belly.
She leaned back onto him and he buried his face in her hair. It smelled of strawberries and cream, his favorite.
"Come on baby let's go to bed," he whispered into ear. She only nodded and let him led her out of the room. That night they curled up in each other's arms and fell a sleep with smirks on their faces. Each one grateful for how fate had been with them every night since the day they met and fell in love.
Fini
a.n. this was merely a one shot idea that popped into my head. I don't post much any more so I don't have a beta, forgive me. If I get enough review I may try to re-edit or write it. Leave love if you want No flames though. I do not own Severus Snape or Hermione Granger. I do own Melinda or more specifically her ego since it's my four year old self personality.
