Chapter Four; Snape's Lullaby

I simply love this next chapter. I got the idea from Joseph's lullaby that I really, really love listening to during the CHRIST mas season. (at least I believe it should be emphasized that way) Anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

All of a sudden Tobey started to cry. Snape realized she was torn whether or not she should get up and take care of the baby when it involved leaving Harry. "You take care of the baby." Snape told her as if he could read her mind. "I'll take care of Harry." He said as Lily got up and thanked him before she fled the room. Snape climbed into Harry's bed and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

"Shh,.." he whispered soothingly while resting his own head up against his as Harry sniffed. Then he pressed his lips against his son's temple and kissed it. "It's time to go back to sleep now." He told him.

"I don't know if I can." He said in a muffled sob. "One of those bad men might come back to hurt me." He told him while burying his face inside his chest and sniffed again.

"I'm not going to let anybody hurt you I promise. Now just go to sleep." His father instructed.

"Alright, but do you promise to stay here with me until I do?" Harry asked him as another tear rolled down his cheek.

"Yes." His father assured him.

"Alright, then I will. Goodnight Daddy." He said before he closed his eyes tightly.

"Goodnight." Snape began before planting a soft kiss on the top of his head. "I love you." He told him softly before kissing him again as he cuddled further inside his arms. Snape rested his chin on the top of Harry's head before the two of them ended up drifting off to sleep together.

…

Harry awoke the next morning still snuggly inside his father's arms and smelled the scent of his mother cooking flapjacks inside the kitchen. Unfortunately when the two of them got up and walked out of their bedroom they also smelled another smell, and quite a rather unpleasant one at that. Harry sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose waving his hand out in front of him.

"Ugh, it smells like something died in here." He said.

"I know what that smell is. Let me guess," Snape began. "Tobey left me a morning surprise."

"Yep, and it's inside his nappy." Lily said as she smiled up at him.

"Where is he?" Snape asked her reluctantly with a groan and a roll of his eyes.

"He's in his playpen, he just woke up and he's already been fed. And since I've already done all that, now you get to change him." Lily told him.

"How marvelous." Snape remarked sarcastically before he turned over to his other young son and grinned. "Do you want to give me a hand Harry?" he asked him.

"Sure, I'd love to." Harry answered with a wide grin before he followed his father out into the living room. Snape slid his hands under the baby and scooped him up inside his arms. "Come on you little poopy monster." He said teasingly before he carried him into the nursery.

"Hurry up Harry, Cowboy still needs his breakfast and then he needs to go outside!" Lily called as Harry started following them back into the bedroom.

"Yes Mummy!" Harry called back over his shoulder. Snape laid the tiny infant down on top of the changing table and then started unbuttoning him and taking apart his diaper.

"Can you hand me a diaper Harry?" Snape questioned as he slid the old stinky one off the baby's bottom and Harry went to go get a fresh one for him since it was in a place that he could reach it. "Don't even think about it." Snape told his other son who looked back up at him turning his head from side to side while blinking his bright green eyes and sticking his tongue out of his mouth.

"Think about what?" Harry wondered as he handed his father the diaper.

"Turning me into a squirting target." Snape responded as Harry lowered his head and stifled a laugh. "Ha, ha, very funny." Snape said sarcastically before he grabbed a baby wipe and started wiping Tobey's bottom with it. "As long as you're just standing around there why don't you make yourself useful and get me the baby powder." He told him as Harry made his way towards the shelf when all of a sudden he felt a sharp pain inside his forehead and let out a large shriek before collapsing onto his knees.

"Harry!" Snape cried as he quickly dropped everything and rushed over to his son's aid.

"Harry!" Lily yelled as she raced back toward the room with Cowboy running behind her.

"Harry, son, are you alright?" Snape asked him anxiously.

"I dunno. All of a sudden my scar started hurting." He told him with another loud shriek as he rubbed his forehead and gritted his teeth.

"Is anything else wrong?" Snape asked him.

"I feel really sick to my stomach too." Harry told him as Snape placed a hand to his forehead.

"You're as white as a ghost and as hot as a dragon's egg. That's it, you're going back to bed and I'm going to take your temperature." He told him.

"But what about Tobey and Cowboy?" Harry wondered turning to look back at him.

"Your mother will take care of your brother and I'll take care of the dog." He assured him before he hoisted him up inside his arms and carried him back to his bedroom. "Right now you need your rest." He told him as Lily finished diapering Tobey for Snape while he took care of Harry.

…..

Snape removed the thermometer out of Harry's mouth and held it under the lamp. "It says a hundred and two. I guess that means that you'll be out of kindergarten tomorrow and probably for the rest of the week." He said when all of a sudden Harry groaned loudly and clutching his stomach vomited all over his bed before bursting into tears.

"Shh,.. it's alright. I'm not mad at you. It was just an accident." Snape reassured him. "I'll clean it up, but crying only makes it worse. Trust me." He told him when all of a sudden Cowboy trotted into the room wagging his tail and started licking Harry's face while starting to whine. "There now, you see that? Cowboy loves you too and he doesn't want you to be upset either." He told him while he started cleaning up the mess.

After he had finished he gave Harry some raspberry fizwiggle (which made him giggle when he belched big bubbles) to help soothe his throat. "Alright, you've had some pop to help ease your throat, and you've went to the bathroom, so now I think it's for the best if you took a nap even though you're too old to take them regularly anymore." He explained as he sat down on the foot of his bed and Cowboy leapt up and laid down curling up beside him.

Snape grinned before he started stroking his fur. "You'll even have Cowboy to keep you company." He told him as the puppy started wagging his tail and rolled over onto his back cuing him to rub his belly. He chuckled while placing his arm around him and starting to scratch it. Harry giggled as his father grinned at him.

"I'm not tired though." Harry told him with a shake of his head.

"I know but you'll feel much better though." Snape began. "Would it help if I sung you a lullaby?" he wondered as Harry nodded and rubbed his eye. That's when Snape softly started to sing to him.

Go to sleep my son,

Go and rest your head.

Your pillow is so soft and deep so go to sleep instead.

He sung as Harry softly closed his eyes.

You have been my blessing from Heaven.

You understood me when nobody else did.

I thought it was impossible, I thought all hope was lost,

But then you became my friend.

Go to sleep my son,

Go and chase your dreams.

The wizarding world can wait for just one more moment,

Go and sleep in peace.

I believe a little miracle from Heaven,

Is in my life alright.

He came from somewhere unexpected,

He gave me love, he gave me life.

Go and sleep my child,

Baby close your eyes.

Soon enough you'll save the day and make the prophecy come true,

But for now dear child of mine,

Oh my Harry, sleep tight.

He sang as Harry gave a sleepy little yawn before rolling over onto his side and drifting off to sleep. Snape smiled lovingly down at him before bending over and planting a kiss on top of his forehead and then he got up, turned off the light, and left the room quietly shutting the door behind him.