Chapter Three: Small Victories
Ron held his tiny daughter in his arms as he waited anxiously for her other father and his best mate, Harry to return from his trial at the Ministry of Magic, a trial that would determain whether or not his best friend and their daughter would be returning to with him this coming year. The red haired teen was pacing slightly as he waited, growing impatient for the up coming news that could drastically change so many things.
"Ron, would you stop pacing, you're going to upset Suzette" Hermione scolded, although she too could barely contain her own nerves.
The teen looked down at his daughter and noticed that she was getting a bit fussy, clearly picking up on her father's anxiety.
"Sorry Suzi, is Dadda upsetting you?" he cooed at the baby, rearranging her in his arms so that she was reasting comfortably next to his heart. Although he had only been a father since May he had fallen well into his roll and had started to find caring for his children was coming to him naturally.
Hermione smiled as she watched Ron being so gentle with his daughter, he was turning out to be a wonderful father. He had been given more than most of the students to deal with, he had triplets of his own and then he had a daughter he shared with Harry. Four babies at once would be hard for anyone, let alone a fifteen year old boy. Hermione herself was finding it quite an adjustment as she got use to caring for her two young daughters. She had never thought of herself as likely to become a teenage mother and although it hadn't been a choice she still had to live with the stigma in the Muggle world.
"What if they expel him Mione?"Ron asked, coming to sit down on his bed, laying his daughter on her stomach, safely in the center of the bed.
"Don't think like that Ron!" Hermione scolded, she too knew that with the dim view the Ministry currently seemed to hold of Harry, that they might try to bend the laws to suit there agenda.
"Dumbledore would never let that happen" she assured the red haired teen.
"And he didn't" Harry spoke from the bedroom door, having returned from his tiring hearing, confused by his Headmaster's strange and distant behaviour.
"Oh Harry, I knew they wouldn't expel you" the bushy haired brunet said as she jumped up and pulled the other teen into a tight hug.
"Thanks Mione" he said gratefully, a weight had been lifted off of his chest that day and he was glad for it.
"I'm glad for you mate" Ron said, smiling at his best friend.
"You hear that Suzi, you and Daddy are coming back to school with me" Ron cooed at his daughter, scooping back into his arms and offering her back to Harry.
He took her happily, held her in front of his face and kissed her on the nose.
"I missed you my baby" he told her, this morning had been the longest he had been away from his daughter since the final task last year.
Suzette gurgeled in reply and stuck her tiny fist into her mouth and began to suckle on it, a clear sign that she was tired. Harry had been learning a lot of her little tells over the past weeks. Placing her on his shoulder he rocked from side to side a bit and patted her gently on the bottom in a soothing manor. It took only moments for the baby girl to go right off to sleep now that her Daddy was home and the anxious vibes had cooled off in the room. Harry sat him self down on his bed, leaning against the pillows in a half lying, half sitting position with the baby sleeping peacefully on his chest.
…...
Molly had put on a true celebratory dinner in honour of Harry's victory. The table was covered with dishes of steaming food, pans held a freshly made lasagne, there was also a variety of salads, homemade garlic bread, fine meade and wonderful butterbeer. Everyone was gathered around the table enjoying the wonderful food and equally as wonderful company. Sirius had Suzette held securely in his arms, remenising of the times he had held Harry as a baby. He spoke of how much Lily and James would love the baby girl. The other five babies were not wanting for a set of arms to hold and cuddle them either, it was not common at all for them to not be being held except for when they were sleeping and half the time not even then.
The dinner party had disperesed, the teenagers and babies had been sent upstairs to allow the Order to conduct their meeting. Severus Snape had arrived after they had eaten, with important information to share. The younger crowed made their way up to the Drawing Room. They had lain out a soft, padded blanket on the floor and place the babies on it for some 'Tummy Time'. As they watched the babies carefully, the teens speculated on what their potions Professor's newest bit of information might ben.
"Maybe it's something about that weapon Sirius mentioned?" Ron suggested to the others, who nodded their agreement.
"I wonder what the weapon could be?" Harry questioned, what could possibly be a weapon against Lord Voldemort, a weapon he clearly wanted to turn against them.
"Don't know mate, but whatever it is must be pretty powerful" Fred said, adding his two knuts to the conversation.
Quinn had begin to fuss from his spot on the blanket, whimpering but not yet admitting his earsplitting wail. Ron groand and was about to pick up his son when George waved him off.
"I've go him little brother" the twin said, scooping up his little nephew.
Patting the baby on the back George asked him "What's all this huh?" only to have his question answered when his nephew let out a loud burp, followed by a stream of sour smelling white spit up, right over the seventeen year old wizard's back.
"Ew, thanks a lot Quinn" George muttered, handing the baby back to his father.
"No matter George, I'll fix you right up" Fred said, whipping out his wand, saying a quick spell and putting his twin brother back in order.
"Thanks Fred" George said to his twin, a smile of gratitude on his face.
"Sorry" Ron mumbled to his older brother, barely getting the word out as he tried to contain his laughter.
"Forget it little brother, my nephew is cute enough to get away with it" he assured his brother, pulling a face at his wee nephew.
Ginny come back to the room, having popped out to use the lavitory "sounds like the meeting's wrapping up" she informed the rest of them.
Hermione had been trying to gather her courage to do something all summer now. Every time Professor Snape came to Head Quarters the young witch had wanted to talk to the man, to tell him about his daughter.
"Ginny, will you watch Iona for me a moment?" she asked her younger friend.
"Of course, I'll take her back to our room" Ginny agreed, picking up Hermione's brunet daughter.
"Thanks, I'll feed her when I come up stairs" she said " but could you change her nappy and dress her in her pyjammas?"
"Yes, sure" the teen said as they both left the room.
Hermione came down the stairs, Elani tucked safely in her arms, She allowed her motherly instincts to fill her every fiber. She wanted so very much to advocated for her daughter right now. Iona had already been abandond by her father and Hermione would be damned if she would let the same thing happen to her black haired daughter without a fight. But the father of her daughter was not a follow student, but instead he was her teacher and not one who was fond of her.
"Professor, may I speak with you?" the teen asked, although she was nervous she kept it from her voice.
"What is it Granger?" the man said, not quite keeping the impatience out of his voice.
"You have a daughter sir" she spoke aloud.
"Yes Miss Granger, I was informed" he acknowleged.
"I know that Professor, but what I meant is" Hermione started "this is your daughter sir, her name is Elani Jane and she deserves to have a father".
Severus looked at her with a raised eyebrow but didn't comment so Hermione went on.
"Iona has already been abandond by her father and I don't want the same for her sister" she said with a finality.
The dark haired potions master considered the teen severly for a moment before nodding "what do you propose then Granger?" he asked.
"Perhaps you could spend some time with her each week once we return to school?" she suggested.
"That would be acceptable" he agreed.
"Would, would you like to hold her now sir?"she asked, looking at him questionally.
The sallow faced man nodded, he didn't speak as he accepted the baby girl into his arms. He was now rather use to holding an infant, since the birth of his son. He looked down into the dark eyes of the baby girl, she had the same onyx colour as his own, they were his mother's eyes. She had his mother's black curls too, her lips were puckered slightly and she breathed in and out. She hadn't complained or even made a sound as she had been placed into the unfamilar arms of her father. They stood there for five minutes, not speaking to one another as Severus held his daughter for the first time.
"I'll take my leave now" he said, speaking finally as he gently placed his daughter into her mother's arms.
"I'll contact you when term begins" was his final words of parting.
Hemione watched him go, still a bit shocked at how well the conversation had gone.
…...
Severus Snape had returned to his home in Spinner's End not long after holding his daughter. He sat himself down in his small sitting room of the small Muggle house he had inherited from his parents. His mother had passed away when he was a young man,just a year after he had lost his childhood best friend. As far as he knew his dead beat father was still alive, Tobias Snape had not seen his son since his late wife's funeral.
A loud popping sound echoed around the room and a high pitched voice spoke "Sir, Winky had brought Master Aurelius for you" the house elf spoke, the month old boy in her tiny arms.
"Thank you Winky, you may go" he said as he took his son from the elf and held him against his chest.
"Winky made the little Master's bottle" the elf said and handed the slightly warm bottle to the tired father and left with another pop.
He moved his son into a better position to take the bottle and allowed the baby to start to suckle away at the teet. Letting out snuffling sounds as he greedily fed from the glass bottle of formula that the father had made himself the day before.
"I met your sister today" he spoke to the baby. He was still trying to process the conversation that he had had with his student earlier. Of course the baby had not made any sign that he had a clue what his father was saying. He didn't expect it of the baby at all. Aurelius just continued to drink down the formula.
A/N: Well I tried to make it interesting, hope you all enjoy and please review as they feed my muse. Next chapter is the last one of the summer, back to school for their first year as teen parents. There is a surprise ahead for Severus, can anyone guess? (no telling you two who know) the story is moving away from following just Harry but hope you still like it.