Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I do own Sean and Paddy. Snape may come across a bit OOC but that's only because he's being nice. SLASH!

Family

Chapter Eight,

"Ssh we don't want to wake them," Seamus said quietly to his friends as they decorated the Irish boys living room with balloons, birthday banners and a big pile of brightly wrapped presents. "He didn't get a birthday party last year and I want this one to be extra special for him, that means a complete surprise."

"We're just lucky it's a Saturday," Harry said, his face red from blowing up balloons.

"I'd have skipped classes if it hadn't been, I can't not be there when Sean turns 6," Seamus pushed the pin into the wall as hard as he could to hold up the 'Happy 6th Birthday' sign he'd bought in Hogsmeade. "Does that look straight to you?"

"Yeah, come help me arrange these presents would you?" Hermione practically whined, finding her seemingly simple task very difficult. Seamus laughed and went to help his frizzy haired friend when Paddy started crying.

"Sorry Hermione, duty calls," he muttered as he walked to his room, "What's wrong Paddy? You hungry? Need a change?" he sniffed the boy gingerly as he picked his brother up. "That's the one isn't it. Well let's get you out of this smelly nappy shall we?" He carried him over to the baby changing table and lay the wailing boy down. "Hold on Paddy, there's a good boy, this'll only take a minute…"

Severus waited outside the room quietly, holding a present lightly in his hands. He was waiting for the occupants of the room to finish singing 'Happy Birthday' to little Sean. When finally they had he knocked with his foot and waited for the door to be opened, silently thanking Merlin that it was Seamus who answered.

"Hello Professor, come to join the party?" he asked happily.

"I just came to drop of my present for Sean," Severus awkwardly held out the parcel, feeling very uncomfortable. Seamus should not look that good to him a middle aged man, his teacher but he did, dressed in faded blue jeans and a tight black top.

"Oh, do you want to come in and give it to him yourself?" Seamus asked, smiling.

"Um, no, I-" he would not show his emotions to Potter and his friends. "I must be going, I am expected elsewhere. Tell Sean I say Happy Birthday and that I hope he likes the present. Well farewell." He pushed the present into the boys hands, his cheeks flaming as their hands brushed each others and then he fled down the corridor.

"Weird…hey Sean here's another present for you to open," Seamus said with a shrug as he shut the door. The present was heavy and he wondered what on earth it could be, "It's from Professor Snape but he couldn't stop, important teacher business."

"Oh…can I open it?" Sean asked, looking at first disappointed and then hopeful.

"Go ahead," Seamus gave it to the boy who eagerly ripped off the paper and pulled the lid off the box, giving a loud gasp as he pulled out a child sized Gryffindor uniform. "Whoa…"

"He got it for me!" Sean squealed excitedly.

"What do you mean?" Seamus asked.

"I saw it in the window as we went to the broomstick place, well there was a childs uniform but it was a proper team or something and I said I wished I could have a Gryffindor one…can I put it on?" Sean asked happily. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dean and Neville blinked in shock, they couldn't believe that Professor Snape had been so kind and thoughtful.

"Once you've opened the rest of your presents yes you can," Seamus said, taking the uniform and hanging it over the back of the nearest chair. Sean laughed happily, sat down with a thud and began to rapidly open his presents. He received many different things ranging from books to more clothes. But it was obvious his favourite was the uniform.

"Can I put it on now and then can we got outside and play?" Sean asked bouncing up and down in front of Seamus as he held Paddy easily in his arms even though the baby was fussing a lot today.

"Alright, Harry can you hold Paddy while I help Sean with his new clothes?" Seamus asked. Harry nodded and awkwardly took the baby who stared up at him. Seamus took Sean into the boys bedroom and quickly changed him into the robes, smiling at how cute his brother looked.

"Can I have a go on your broom?" Sean asked as he looked at himself in the mirror.

"I don't know…we'll see. Maybe I can take you up with me some time," Seamus said, gently resting his hand on Sean's head. "Let's go and show everyone how you look."

"Yeah!"

Dumbledore chuckled softly as he saw the birthday boy on the Quidditch pitch in his little costume. Seamus was behind the pushchair, talking to Paddy as he sorted out the babies blanket. Ron and Hermione were stood to one side holding hands, Dean was sketching, Neville looking nervous as the now 6 year old boy ran around Harry who was trying half heartedly to catch him.

"He looks so sweet dressed like that," he commented to Minerva and Severus who stood next to him, looking out of the window.

"Yes he does," the Head of Gryffindor agreed. Severus didn't say anything; not wanting to give away that it had been his present that they were talking about but he agreed, Sean did look incredibly cute and very sweet. Harry had caught him and was spinning him around in the air, by the look on Sean's face he was having the time of his life. "Mr Finnigan is doing a good job raising those boys. And he's managed to hand in his assignments to me at least on time now that we look after the boys on Fridays."

"He has? What about with you Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"All bar one which he handed in what he had managed with an explanation, Paddy had been ill, so I didn't mind so much as I would have," Severus said, remembering that sad look on Seamus's face as he explained to the Potion's master about what had happened two years before.

"Ah, well that is understandable then."

The group watched as Seamus picked up his baby brother and balanced him easily as he talked to Harry and Sean, probably something about being careful. Severus couldn't remember being that happy and carefree when he was their age, he couldn't ever remember being that happy.

"Did you get him a present Albus?" Minerva asked.

"Yes, some chocolate and some sweets. You Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, stroking his beard happily. Severus didn't move away from the window when they did, he just stayed watching Seamus.

"I got him a book on magic, a child's one of course," Minerva answered, "What about you Severus? Did you get him a present?" That snapped him out of his Seamus gazing daze and he turned round, his face blank.

"I must be going."

"See you at dinner Severus," Dumbledore said as the other man left. Minerva looked suitably confused by his sudden departure and how he didn't answer her question. "You know Severus doesn't like to show his emotions, including the fact that he cares for the boys."

"So he did get him something?" Minerva asked.

"I think he got him the uniform."

"Severus? You really think Severus would get him something like that?"

"Yes Minerva, I do think so."

A/N Emotions are wakening…but still I don' know how to make the make the first move! AH! MY MIND IS TOO FULL OF GODSPELL!(school play which is performing next week bites nails) Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.