The family returned from their holiday to a surprise, Harry's crocodile had been fixed and the quarters had been completely finished and even redecorated. They were stunning and Harry was glad to be back in his own cot again.
It was September when Harry discovered what it would have been like to be an only child, Harry had been woken early on a September morning and dressed in his summer wardrobe of shorts, a t-shirt and sandals, it was still warm enough to be dressed in his summer stuff and Harry would miss this wardrobe when it went cold and he would be bundled up in a coat and scarf again. Harry was strapped into his buggy and handed a toasted waffle as Mummy rushed around the house and kitchen.
"Charlie, Lily, are you both ready, you don't want to be late on your first day of school." Cassie shouted up the stairs
"Coming" shouted Charlie as he flew down the stairs in his school uniform with a massive smile on his face launching himself into his mother's arms. Mummy looked like she was going to cry before making him stand by the front door and taking pictures of him. Lily calmly descended the stairs, grabbed her lunch from the kitchen and put her raincoat in her bag and was ready to go.
As Charlie got his lunch and put his new shoes on Harry was handed another toasted waffle and his morning bottle of milk was wedged under into his pushchair where he could reach it. They were off, Mummy seemed to be on a mission and they arrived at the school early, Mummy and Harry had never dropped Lily off at school before but it all looked very exciting, there were lots of nervous looking parents today some of them with very nervous children. Harry however was giggling away as Lily and Charlie were in front of him making him laugh, he loved his big brother and sister, they always knew how to make him laugh, when an older child came over to say hello though Harry hid behind rocky who he had taken to taking everywhere with him just in case someone tried to hurt him again.
Harry, his pushchair and rocky were suddenly left as onlookers though when a whistle was blown and Lily gave her mother a hug before running off to joining her line and Mummy went with Charlie to his teacher. The parents were mostly crying and when all of the children were led into the school many of them were crying too. Mummy gave Charlie a kiss and a hug before waving him off at the door and returning to Harry who was watching wide eyed from his pushchair keeping rocky close and drinking his bottle slowly.
"Let's go home, shall we Harry?" Cassie asked and Harry nodded allowing himself to be pushed home.
Mummy tried to have fun with him and he loved it but he could tell that she was preoccupied, Harry was had practised his talking with Mummy and was currently having a morning snack when Mummy started talking to him.
"I wonder if Charlie is ok" she started "I do worry when they all go off to school, Daddy worries about them too you know. I don't know why I'm telling you this Harry but I know that it is going to be a lonely few weeks. Daddy will be having new Slytherin students in his house soon, Charlie is starting school and we are being left here all day. I reckon we should go and try to make some new friends. Daddy will be very busy the next month or so little man, new Slytherin first years take up a lot of his time, more time than they use to. Daddy blames himself for not paying enough attention to some of his past students; he missed things, important things about where they came from. He will be bad tempered too, it's this time of year he blames himself for not picking up on Harry Potter's home life and for being so cruel to him in school. He promised himself that he wouldn't do that to any student ever again but he still has to discipline them. Daddy still has to keep them in check though and parents don't always do that nowadays, that's what led to the revenge on him last term, if only they knew how he hated having to discipline his students, it means that he has to spend evenings in school when he would rather be here, reading you stories, tucking you in, playing games with you. Daddy will always love you though, he was going to give up working full time and teach part time but he will never truly be happy doing that because he still carries so much guilt. Daddy still keeps a photo album of Harry and Lily Potter in his cupboard, he thinks I don't know, but every so often, usually at this time of year I catch him looking at it. Whatever happens though young man, Daddy will always love us." Cassie smiled sadly "He will just never love us as much as Harry and Lily Potter but you will learn to accept that the same as everyone else in this family." Cassie noticed his look "OK, you have finished, let us go to the park."
Harry was being pushed on the swings; Cassie had unloaded a lot of on him today, he couldn't quite get it off of his mind and Cassie must have noted because at some point she picked him up, gave him a cuddle and just sat with him on the bench, rocking him. "Are you missing Charlie too?" Cassie asked. Harry nodded, Mummy seemed happier when Charlie was at home with them. Harry was soon being pushed back home for his lunch and nap.
Harry was ecstatic to be picking Charlie up from school, he had lots of fun with Mummy this afternoon, they had painted, made a den in the living room, decorated cakes and painted eggs but it just wasn't the same without Charlie there. Harry was let out of his pushchair to wander the playground with some of the other younger children when Harry heard Charlie's voice "Mummy, Mummy" he shouted running into his mother's arms and immediately telling his mother of his day at one hundred miles an hour. Harry felt a little sad; obviously Charlie hadn't missed Harry as much as Harry had missed Charlie. "Where's Harry?" Charlie asked looking around "I really missed him today" Charlie told his Mummy. "I think Harry missed his big brother too" Mummy was telling Charlie while Harry started running to hug his big brother around the waist.
That evening Daddy didn't come home and no dinner was cooked, Toby had spent the day moving his stuff back into his dorms and now Mummy was making sure Lily, Harry and Charlie were all dressed in smart robes to go to the great hall. Tonight was the night of the sorting's and Lily and Charlie were very excited having experienced it before. Harry was a little more sceptical but if it meant that he got to see his Daddy he would happily go to the feast.
Seated at the head table Harry watched from his Mummy's lap which he was sharing with Lily, Charlie was currently occupying Minerva's lap and Daddy was yet to emerge with the first years. When he did emerge it was just to the doorway and Harry was disappointed that he wouldn't be getting a hug, he started pouting at his Daddy and received a smile and a wave before his father turned back to his first years probably explaining what would be happening. Minerva stood up and sat Charlie down on her chair before clapping her hands and announcing the sorting would begin immediately. Severus emerged and stood at the doorway so both the first years and the rest of the hall could see him and the sorting started with Severus calling name and the hat calling the houses.
Once the first years were all sorted Severus took Charlie off Minerva and sat down beside his family. Minerva was smiling as she addressed the school
"A quick speech and I will let you get on with the welcoming feast. First of all I would like to say welcome to all of our first years and welcome back to the rest of our students. The forbidden forest is forbidden for students as is the third floor and any of the professors quarters unless you have explicit permission from the professors themselves. Now some introductions the Head of Gryffindor and teacher of Herbology is professor Longbottom, Head of Ravenclaw and teacher of astronomy is Professor Kyle , Head of Hufflepuff and teacher of muggle studies is Professor Fitzpatrick. Finally let me introduce Head of Slytherin, teacher of defence against the dark arts and father of four, Professor Snape. I ask that you treat all of the professors and their families with respect, you will meet them all in good time and you will treat them as you treat everyone in this school as though they are a member of your family. Now flibble, tweet, sherbert lemons, let the feast begin!"
As the food appeared the Snape family dug in happily with Severus being bombarded with a million stories of what had happened since that very morning. Harry was giggling as Snape tickled and kissed him obviously enjoying being able to show off his family, until the dinner was over and Severus gave them all a kiss telling them "goodnight, sleep well." Maybe he wouldn't be coming home tonight Harry thought as he watched his father lead the Slytherins out of the hall as the prefects from all the other houses took their students. Maybe Severus really was very serious about his duties as head of house.
That evening after Harry had been put to bed he thought about what he had learned today. So Severus had always felt guilty for being mean to him and not noticing what were obvious signs of abuse from his care at the Dursleys. Severus was unable to live a normal family life because of him. Harry thought about Dumbledore,and thought about what hey was doing to his family, he had a loving wife, good friends and two lovely children but he insisted on drowning his sorrows in alcohol, he was probably a good Dad for some of the time but the rest he put his work and his drinking first. What was more important for him though was it for him to go home and fix his life with Ginny and make a better life for him and his children or was it to leave that life behind and grow up again with a fresh start in this world and try to make everyone's lives happier here. With this dilemma in his head Harry fell into a restless sleep.
Author Note- Ok so I have three more chapters and then we are going to start skipping time a bit more and picking the pace up, I just love writing baby Harry though. Hope you guys are all still enjoying! The next few chapters will be pretty angsty so this is a pre warning x