Chapter 4

~four months later in the month of January~

Snape woke up sleepily to the sound of crying. When he heard the bawls, he jumped out of his bed and hurried over to the room linked to his. Dumbledore helped him earlier in the year so that there was enough room for both Snape and Harry to live in the castle with plenty of room.

Harry's room contained a crib with walls painted magically so when it was daytime, pictures of magical creatures hiding in the painted trees and on the grassy plain would come out to play while the sun shone over them. Throughout the day the sun would move and sink down below the horizon. Like the moving pictures, the centuars, unicorns and griffins would make way for the night creatures. Wolves and cats and some magical creatures would appear as the painted moon would rise in the sky, also showing the stars so clearly they seemed almost real. Toys scattered the soft floor and the crib sat against one corner of the room. Snape hurried to the crib and looked in worriedly. Harry cried sadly, his wails loud and desperate.

Snape reached in. "Oh, shh, shh, shh. Hey, hey there." He wrapped his arms around Harry and lifted him up to hold him, cradling his head and rocking him gently to and fro. Snape walked to the rocking chair as he sat in it, easing back and forth, cooing softly to the baby.

Some parents if awoken in the middle of the night would hurry to their children in irritation and would want to go back to sleep, but not Snape. If Harry so much as burped wrong, Snape found himself worried sick. It was his utmost pleasure and desire to make sure Harry would always be happy and content.

"What's wrong Harry?" Snape murmured gently. "Did you have a bad dream?"

Harry's screams and cries began to ease and he looked up at Snape with weary eyes. Snape hummed a low song and watched with a smile on his lips as Harry began to close his eyes in sleep.

With a sigh of relief, Snape stood up and carefully put Harry back in his crib. The child didn't awaken, and Snape walked back to his bed, falling on it gratefully to know Harry was all right, and instantly drifted back to sleep.

The next morning as Snape made his way out of his room carrying Harry, he walked in to the Great Hall where several students had already started to gather despite it being so early in the morning. Lots of Slytherin girls hurried up to Professor Snape when he took his spot at the teacher's table, pleading if they could take Harry over to feed him. This was a common thing to Snape by now. They always wanted to look after Harry. No matter what House a girl was in, their fondness for little Harry would probably never cease.

"Be careful," Snape warned. The other teachers eyed him darkly as they usually did. Professor Sprout had been pretty friendly to Snape when he joined the ranks of the teachers. As a Hufflepuff she was an excellent judge of character. She had been able to see that Snape had changed his ways, and she of the teachers trusted him as fully as Dumbledore himself did.

"We will," the students chirped as they lifted up Harry and bustled him to the table for his own food. When they sat down with him a bowl of food appeared on the table just for Harry. Snape watched them for another moment as the girls fussed over him, all wanting to feed him.

Snape gave a little smile. Just another boring day.

*two months later, March*

Snape was teaching his seventh year Potions class, explaining the affects of Amortentia, the strongest and most precise love potion in the world, when a second year hopped in to the dungeon.

"Professor Snape!" he gasped.

"Yes what is it?" Snape growled as he glared up from his lesson, slightly annoyed.

"Professor McGonnagal needs your help!" the boy yelped, caught in the dark stare the professor gave off.

Snape cleared his throat in disbelief, "I believe Professor McGonnagal doesn't need my help with her class. I'm not exactly the best at Transfigura-"

"It's not her class!" the second year shook his head back and forth quickly. "It's Harry!" Snape froze. "He's crying and he won't stop! Professor McGonnagal's tried everything, but he won't stop!"

Snape looked over at the second year and pointed to his top student. "Laring! Take over for me. I know you'll do fine. I'll return shortly."

Snape hurried after the student and followed him to the classroom, where Harry's cries became more audible.

Snape entered the room in a flash and hurried over to McGonnagal, who was holding the squalling baby and trying to sooth him. When she looked at him, a flash of relief showed in her eyes. "Oh! Severus, thank goodness! I've tried everything but I can't get him to quiet down!"

The teacher, still frozen in the doorway, began to take a hurried step forward when Harry opened his mouth and screamed out, "DAD-DY!"

Snape's heart convulsed as he ran to Harry, taking him from McGonnagal and cradling him in his arms. Harry continued screaming; Snape rocked him back and forth, cooing to him softly and trying to calm him. As quiet as he could, Snape opened his mouth and whispered melodically to the child:

Star shine

Star light

You are my

little star

Shine for me

with your beautiful

light

Star shine

Star light

You are my

little star.

Snape's voice fell away in silence and his singing ceased. Harry looked up at him with wide green eyes, and finally smiled, letting out a high giggle. He reached up a small hand and touched Snape's face and began wriggling, wanting to get down. Snape knelt down and obliged. Harry's small feet touched the ground and the boy walked back to where his toys sat in the corner of the room.

McGonnagal let out a sigh of relief (along with the rest of the classroom). "Thank you Severus. I thought he would scream his head off before you got here."

Snape barely managed a smirk before he nodded. "It's no trouble at all, Professor."

She smiled at him in a trusting way. "Thank you anyway."