Hogwarts Day Care

As morning dawned the next day it was met with a room of tired fathers, Neville was already awake and feeding baby Frankie when Harry rolled over to check on Suzette at ten to six that morning.

"Been up long?" he asked, pulling himself into a sitting position in his four poster bed, rubbing his tired eyes and putting his glasses on so he could see clearly.

"Frankie wakes up between five thirty and six every morning, she woke up about five minutes ago" Neville informed his friend.

Harry now able to see scanned the dorm. Straight across from him were Seamus and Dean's beds, between them were two wooden cribs, side by side where Declan and Sionn were still sleeping peacefully, as were their young fathers. On Harry's right was Ron's bed, at the end of it was a big wooden crib that was dived across into three spaces for each of the Weasley triplets. Suzette's cot was on the left of Harry's bed, next to it was Frankie's and on the other side of that Was Neville's bed. Not much had changed around the dorm, save for the added cribs, a changing station and an area to make bottles.

Deciding that it would be worth while to get Suzi's bottle made before she woke, Harry reluctantly pulled himself out of bed and over the the bench to make his daughter's morning bottle. The teen picked up a class bottle from the rack and took a lid and teet from the basket. He picked up a vial of the baby formula and carefully messured out one hundred and twenty millilitres, Suzette's usual morning feed. He placed it on the heating pad for the required ten seconds before taking it off and checking the liquid on the inside of his own wrist to make sure it wouldn't burn his child. Satisfied that it was ready Harry went over and and scooped up his daughter who had started to stir. He had left the bottle on the bench as he needed to change his daughter's wet morning nappy before he fed her, because who wanted to have breakfast in soiled pants?

"Morning Suzi-Girl" Harry cooed as his picked his daughter up, the baby gurgled back in response.

"Let's get you out of this wet mess" he said, placing the baby girl down on the change table and made quick work of getting her out of of her dirty nappy and into a fresh one. He placed the dirty cloth nappy into the hamper where it would clean itself and re-appear neatly folded in the basket of clean nappies.

Once all the Gryffindor parents and their babies were dressed and ready for the day they made their way down to breakfast together. Harry was carrying his daughter and one of Ron's triplets, as it was rather difficult for the teen to carry all tree babies at once, especially as they were now three months old and getting bigger. Hermione already had two babies of her own which left Harry to carry a baby for his best mate, not that he minded of course. The triplets were like nephews to him and they were his daughter's older brothers after all. Today Harry was holding Callum in his left arm, Suzette was on his right, both were tucked safely in the double sling.

…...

Breakfast had finished, all of the Gryffindor fifth years students and the Slytherins too, minus Theodore Nott who had given up his child at birth, not bothering to meet his daughter nor to find out who the other parent of his child was. They had been asked to meet the school's mediwitch Madame Poppy Pomfrey to meet them in the Hospital Wing that morning. She would check on the health of each of the infants before the young parents would be told the plan for the care of their children during the day while they were in classes.

"Welcome back everyone" Poppy said in greeting as the young parents gathered around her.

They all mumbled their own greeting in reply. The Matron called them up to her one by one, having the parents lay each of their children in front of her. She waved her wand a few times as she checked over each of the babies. Asking some questions of the parents about how the babies had been over the summer. All the babies were pronounced as healthy, although Venedict Crabbe had a small rash due to sensitive skin and Frankie had a small case of reflux that Poppy said that the baby would likely grow out of it as she got older.

"Now that that's all done" the witch started " I am sure you're all curious about the plan for your children's care during classes" she said.

They all murmerd in agreement. Pomfrey beckond them to follow her into a room off of the Hospital Wing. The room was large and colourful with soft pale yellow on the ground. Baskets of toys lined the walls on shelves. There was an area for changing the babies, another area was set up as a small kitchen to make bottles and later as the babies got older, baby food. There was a smaller room just off to one side with several cribs inside, a soft sounding music played relaxingly through the sleep room. There was a sitting area with sofas and arm chairs where the parents could sit and relax with their children between classes.

"I would like you all to meet Achelle Figg" Madame Pomfrey said, introducing a short and thin woman. She had waist length strawberry blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes that lit up with her welcoming smile.

"Hello everyone" the young witch greeted, she couldn't be older then her mid thirties. She had a welcoming face and a friendly sounding voice. She was dressed in a pale blue robe with little white clouds over it.

A thought resounded in Harry's head, the young woman shared a common surename with his own childhood babysitter, whom the teen had learnt that summer was in fact a Squib, could this new witch be a reletive? He was still lost in this thought when the young witch came over and and smiled down at the baby girl in his arms.

"Aw she's just as cute as my Aunt Arabella said" she cooed about the baby, confirming Harry's thought.

"Thanks" Harry said politely.

…...

Severus Snape sat on a comfortable arm chair in his quarters, his infant son Aurelius was snuggled against his chest as he sipped at his warm cup of tea and read his book. Although hadn't ever thought he would be a father but he found himself enjoying the quite moments with his son like these ones. The black haired boy with dark blue eyes was a sweet and adorable little boy, he was quite and calm for the most part, only getting upset when his needs were not met as quickly as he'd like.

His reading was interupted by the arrival of a letter, it appeared in his small living area with a popping sound. Sighing at the interuption, Severus put down his tea , put a book mark in his spot and placed in on the coffee table. The Professor went over to the little stand where his mail had arrived, his son still in his arms. He picked up the folded piece of parchment with his name scrawled across the front of it in unfamiliar writing. Unfolding the parchment Severus read the words upon the page.

Professor Snape,

Although you might not remember me, I was one of your students in the early eighties. I was in Ravenclaw though and not one of your Slytherins. I am not writing to you as a former student but as the brother of Irene Ashdown, whom I am sure you remember.

Irene, my older sister and told me of you relationship.I am sorry to inform you that Irene is no longer amoungst the living. She passed away last winter due a house fire. Before she passed away my sister asked me to pass something on to you. When your relationship ended you left my sister with a parting gift, in the form of a daughter.

You might have noticed the name Ashdown during this years sorting. My neice Salome informed me last night that she is a new member of Gryffindor House. Salome Elieen Ashdown is infact your daughter. Irene was a proud woman as you no doubt remember and was determaind to raise her daughter herself. I did try to convince her that she ought to tell you about your child, but my sister was awfully stubborn.

Irene told Salome about you, although she never spoke you name to the child. But since her death I have been caring for my neice, I am not in the best position to raise a child, although I love her of course. She asked me if I knew who her father is. I figured I should tell you about her and ask you before I passed on the information to Salome. Please inform me if this acceptable to you.

Sincerly Norman Ashdown.

The man blinked rappidly for a moment, reading the words on the page over and over again. He did indeed remember Irene Ashdown, he had many fond memories of the months they had spent together all those years ago. She had been a wonderful and stubborn woman, caring and sweet and very smart. She had been a Muggle woman with a younger, Muggleborn brother whom Severus was teaching. Now he was being told they had a daughter together, a child he had known nothing about for the past eleven years. A child who was now his student, whom he would be teaching this coming Monday.

The professor went and place his son into his crib, he then went over to his desk, pulled out a quill and a piece of parchment. Quickly scrawling a reply to Norman Ashdown.

Mr. Ashdown,

Thank you form informing me of the situtation, I would find it agreeable for you to inform Miss Ashdown of my status as her father. Please ask her to visit with me once she is made aware.

Sincerly S. Snape

Satisfied with his reply, he folded over the parchment, addressed it on the outside and placed the letter into his mail tray, it would be sent magically up to the Owlery and posted by one of the house elfs sometime during the night. Soon his eldest child would be informed about their shared genetics and he would be trying to form a relationship with yet another daughter during this year. All the while he would be teaching, working as a spy and caring for his infant son as a single father, this would undoubtedly be one interesting year.

A/N: Well there you have it, Sev has an older daughter. For those who are interested I'm thinking of writing a short fic about Sev and Irene's relationship as a companion piece to this fic. Next chapter classed start for the year. Those who are interested, Salome is pronounced "Sell Oh May" and Achelle is proncounced as " Uh Kelly". Hope you all enjoyed and please, please review.