Harry looked around the room with disinterested eyes and idly opened the trunk, which held all his belongings in the world. It was the third day of the summer holidays after Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and he had only spent one full day at the Dursley’s.

He had been hoping beyond hope that he wouldn’t have to spend the summer in the Dursley’s company – especially after the events at the end of his last school year – but he had not had staying with Professor Snape in his mind. More like a happy summer at the Burrow with Ron and his family. However, on the orders of Professor Dumbledore, he was staying at Snape’s house for the rest of the summer – he wouldn’t even be allowed to go to the Burrow for the last week of the holidays, like he usually did and in his opinion, it just wasn’t fair!

He had however been secretly impressed when Snape had picked him up from the Dursley’s – in muggle clothes no less! – driving a muggle car – a very nice muggle car in fact – but the drive to Snape’s house in Oxford had been particularly tense and was conducted in silence. Once they had arrived at the house – well, it was more of a mansion really, and extremely nice, Harry would admit – he had been delivered to his room with orders to unpack. That was after the whole “You will not tell anyone, not even Professor Dumbledore, what goes on in this house, Mr Potter, do I make myself perfectly clear!” from Snape and he’d looked so menacing that Harry had simply squeaked “yes, Sir,” and had been extremely glad to escape to what was now his room.

The room was large in size and was painted in shades of brown and cream. There was a single bed situated in one corner, which had a dark blue bedspread on it. The floor was simple oak floorboards, with a few blue rugs of different shades scattered around here and there. There was a desk facing the wall opposite the window – conveniently placed so that he couldn’t daydream and stare out the window when he was doing his summer homework – which was also made out of oak, as was the wardrobe, the chest of drawers, the bookshelf, the nightstand next to his bed and the ottoman that was placed at the end of his bed. There was a hamper next to the wardrobe – presumably for dirty clothes – and a washbasin in one corner.

Harry sat on the floor next to his trunk and idly started to take everything out of it – something which he hadn’t done since he’d packed it to go to Hogwarts for his first year. Out came all of the textbooks from all his years at Hogwarts – including all of the Lockhart books – which he arranged by year and subject on the bookshelf. Then he looked at the pile of clothes, which was on his bed, and he set about folding up his Weasley jumpers and placing them in the chest of drawers and hanging up his school uniform in the wardrobe, where his Invisibility Cloak and Quidditch kit were also hung up. His shoes went on the shoe rack in the bottom of the wardrobe and that just left Dudley’s hand-me-downs, all of which were several sizes too big for Harry. The massive jeans went into the chest of drawers, as did the t-shirts. At the moment he was wearing the only pair of jeans he owned which just about fit – a pair of hand-me-downs from Ron, so they were extremely worn, and one of his short-sleeved white school shirts, which Snape had told him to button up properly the moment they were alone in the car. He then hung up what few jackets he had. His cauldron, scales, telescope and his Firebolt went into the ottoman and his potions ingredients went onto the bottom shelf of the bookcase. The flute Hagrid had given him for Christmas in his first year went on the shelf above his desk and the photo album that Hagrid had given him at the end of his first year went onto the top shelf of the bookcase, as did the Marauder’s Map.

Looking at the jumble of mess still in his trunk Harry put the Flying with the Cannons book that Ron had gotten him for Christmas during second year on the shelf below his school books on the bookshelf and the luxury eagle feather quill that Hermione had gotten him that same Christmas went on the desk with his other quills and inkpots.

Harry was interrupted in his unpacking – he still wasn’t sure why he was emptying all of his trunk, since he just lived out of it when staying at the Dursley’s, it was probably because of the look on Snape’s face when he told him to unpack, the look which demanded complete obedience – by noise coming from downstairs. Snape was in the entranceway, with a woman and nine kids – Harry counted them to make sure – some a lot older than him, some a lot younger. Snape now had hold of the youngest child – a girl – and all the others seemed to be talking at once as they sorted out trunks, several of which had Beauxbatons stamps on, like his own had the Hogwarts one on. They were all talking to Snape, seeming really pleased to see him and Snape was actually smiling! – which was strange enough in itself – and they were calling him… Papa!

Harry quickly retreated back to his room. He must have misheard – Snape could not be the father of the nine children in the entranceway, it was just too weird, and yet it was perfectly normal. Why couldn’t Snape have a family? Just because Harry couldn’t imagine Snape with a wife and children, didn’t mean he couldn’t have them. But Snape had used to be a Deatheater, and the oldest child looked a good few years older than Harry, so he had to have been a Deatheater at the same time? Harry simply didn’t know enough about Snape’s history to piece the story together, but from the sound of it, Snape’s family had just arrived home and Harry was going to be spending the summer with them. No wonder Snape wasn’t thrilled about having Harry stay with him in the summer, he probably had little time with his family as it was.

Making sure that the door was firmly shut – Harry could hear feet starting up the stairs – he returned to his unpacking. The Broomstick Servicing Kit that Hermione had gotten him for his thirteenth birthday was placed on the bookshelf, as was his Chocolate Frog card collection and his Pocket Sneakoscope was placed on the shelf above his desk, next to his flute. The newspaper clipping of the Weasley family in Egypt, which he had framed, was propped up on his desk and the frame with a picture of his parents in was put on his nightstand. The clipping, which he had framed, of the four Triwizard champions – which was still a painful reminder of Cedric – went on the top shelf of his bookcase and a framed picture of him, Ron and Hermione was placed on the nightstand next to the one of his parents. His Omnioculars from the Quidditch World Cup went on to the shelf above his desk and Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland,his Christmas present from Hermione in his 4th year, went onto the bookshelf next to Flying with the Cannons. He also placed the copy of Hogwarts: A History that Hermione had convinced him to buy on that shelf, as well as his copy of Quidditch Through The Ages. The penknife that Sirius had given him for Christmas went onto the shelf above his desk, his chess set and his programme from the Quidditch World Cup onto the bookshelf and all that Harry was left with in his trunk was a few posters and banners. Removing them from his trunk, Harry then shut the lid and pushed the trunk under the window, where it made a bench and fitted in nicely with the rest of the room.

He picked up the Gryffindor flag – the one Lee Jordan had draped around him when he had returned to the Common Room after being made a champion in the Triwizard Tournament – and he idly tacked it up on one of the walls. He had a poster of the Irish team from the Quidditch World Cup, which he tacked up above his desk (below the shelf), his poster of the Chudley Cannons went up and the final banner was the one which read ‘Potter for President’, and had a Gryffindor Lion on it, which his year mates had made before his first Quidditch match and he tacked that up as well.

Finished, he glanced around the room, which really did feel like his now. He hadn’t known that he owned so much stuff and he suddenly felt extremely grateful for what he did have. He walked over to where he had pushed his trunk below the window and sat down on it, resting his chin on the windowsill and staring out at the grounds. They were in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but green fields, trees and a stream surrounding them and Harry had to admit that he liked it. Who knew that Snape lived such a life of luxury away from Hogwarts? What on earth was he doing teaching for a living? And why did everything seem so muggle?

Presently there was a knock at the door and Harry stood up as it opened and the woman who had been downstairs – Snape’s wife? – entered the room. She wasn’t particularly tall, but was thin and had light brown hair, which was tied back into a long plait which was then twisted into a knot on the back of her head, and had sparkly light green eyes. She was quite pretty looking and had a friendly, warm feeling about her. She smiled warmly at him. “All unpacked?” she asked, glancing around the room and smiling more broadly at the ‘Potter for President’ banner. Harry just nodded helplessly.

“Mama!” came a voice and the woman turned and looked at the door expectantly.

A head poked around the doorway, it was a girl, Harry couldn’t even begin to guess the age, although she was younger than him, who had smiling brown eyes and dark brown hair, which was pulled back into two plaits. “You can’t be unpacked already Carlotta,” the woman said. The girl – Carlotta – nodded. “Properly?” the woman asked. Carlotta nodded again. “Very well, I’ll come and check your room, once I’ve finished checking Harry’s.”

Check his room? Harry hadn’t a clue what was going on and he simply stood near the window as the woman checked his wardrobe, drawers and ottoman. She turned and smiled at him. “Almost done, I see,” she said. Almost done? What was she talking about? He was done! “Just unpack your rucksack and then you’ll be finished,” she said, pointing to where his rucksack lay, where he had dumped it on the floor when Snape had showed him to his room. He managed a weak smile at the woman and nodded. “Okay then, I’ll be back in ten minutes once I’ve checked Carlotta’s room.”

She left and Harry picked up his rucksack in a daze. What had just happened? He emptied the rucksack onto his bed – there wasn’t much in it – and glanced out of the window again. He folded the tracksuit bottoms and t-shirt he wore for bed and placed them on his pillow and picked up what looked to be an ordinary muggle notebook, which was completely empty. He placed it in the drawer in his nightstand – that was his journal. He then took his pencil case, he had a few muggle pens, coloured pencils and rulers and such and placed it on his desk. Finally he put his rucksack on a shelf in his wardrobe. He had a feeling that the room would be required to be kept this tidy.

The door opened again, and this time it was Carlotta who entered. “Hi,” she said, bounding forward.

“Hello,” Harry responded, a good deal quieter and more hesitant. He hadn’t a clue what he had landed himself in for this summer.

“You probably heard, but I’m Carlotta,” she introduced herself. “Carlotta Snape.”

So they were Snape’s children! “I’m Harry,” he told her, “but you probably already know that.”

“Yep,” she responded cheerfully, sitting on his bed. “How old are you again?”

Harry grinned. “I’m fourteen.”

“Okay then. I’ve just turned eleven, so I’ll be starting school in September,” she told him.

“Are you looking forward to it?” Harry asked her, simply for something to say.

“In a way,” she said and then saw his politely confused look. “I’m not sure which school I’m going to, Mama and Papa are talking about transferring us to Hogwarts.”

“Hogwarts is brilliant!” he told her with a smile as he took a seat next to her on the bed.

“Really?”

“Yep,” he told her. “It’s great.”

“I don’t know much about it. Papa doesn’t talk much about work,” Carlotta told him. When she said Papa, Harry figured she was referring to Snape. “But he did say something about Houses?”

“Yeah – students are sorted into one of four houses and they are your family for your time at Hogwarts. Each house is named after one of the four founders of Hogwarts – Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin,” Harry explained.

“Which house are you in?” Carlotta asked eagerly.

“Gryffindor,” Harry told her with a smile and motioned to the Gryffindor banner that he had pinned up on his wall, the gold and red colours were still bright, with the lion standing out in the middle.

“Cool,” was Carlotta’s opinion and Harry chuckled. “What?” she asked him.

“Not everyone would think so,” he replied neutrally, hoping she wouldn’t catch onto the fact that he had her Father in mind.

The door opening again cut off Carlotta’s question of asking what he meant. This time it was a boy who entered. “Hey Robin,” Carlotta greeted him.

“Hey Carlotta, should of known I’d find you in here,” Robin teased. “Hey, Harry, pleased to meet you, I’m Robin Snape,” he said, holding out a hand for Harry to shake, which he did.

“I take it you know who I am,” Harry said, as he left loose of Robin’s hand.

“Of course,” Robin answered, as he placed down a pile of clothes that he was carrying on Harry’s bed. “Mama sent me through with this lot,” he said, gesturing to the pile. “she said you don’t have many clothes and these are things that I’ve grown out of.”

“Oh, right,” Harry said, feeling his cheeks start to go red. To make sure that Carlotta and Robin couldn’t see his face, he turned slightly and looked through the pile of clothes. Standing up he walked across to the chest of drawers and opened the draw where he’d put Dudley’s hand-me-down t-shirts and pulled a few out.

“Those need to be burned!” Carlotta spoke up behind him. “Why do you wear them, they’re massive!”

“I don’t get a choice in what I wear Carlotta, all I get are my cousins old clothes and he’s a lot bigger than I am,” Harry explained quietly.

Carlotta joined him near the drawers and finished pulling the t-shirts out. “Burn,” she said, throwing one over her shoulder. “Burn, burn, definitely burn!” Then they moved on to the jeans. “These have to be too big for you, and they look ancient! They can be burned as well! Robin, let’s look at those clothes you brought!”

“Carlotta! What are you doing! You’re making a mess in Harry’s room,” the woman was back and Carlotta stood up and turned around guiltily.

“I know Mama, but…” Carlotta started.

“No buts Carlotta,” she was told and Harry was about to interrupt when a look from Robin told him that that would not be a good idea. “Since you’ve finished your unpacking Carlotta, you can go and help Alexander finish his.”

“Yes Mama,” Carlotta said and left the room with a final small smile for Harry.

The woman bent down and picked up Dudley’s hand-me-downs and Harry and Robin didn’t move. “Well, these can be thrown straight out,” the woman said in a no-nonsense sort of voice. “They’ll never fit anybody in this house. Robin dear, help Harry put those clothes away and then you can go downstairs and find your father.”

“Yes Mama,” Robin said and with that the woman left the room – taking Dudley’s old clothes with her and Harry knew that he wouldn’t be seeing them again. Silently, he and Robin folded t-shirts and jeans and placed them in Harry’s chest of draws. Then they hung up the shirts and the jackets and Harry done a quick glance around the room to check that everything was in its place.

“All ready, Harry?” Robin asked as he headed towards the door.

“Yeah,” Harry answered as he followed behind and the two left the room and went down the stairs. Robin led Harry through to a small room, just to the right of the stairs where there were two leather couches and a cream rag rug in front of a large fireplace. Snape was sat on one of the couches and two other boys sat on the other. Robin entered the room and sat cross-legged on the rug, and with his eyes he instructed for Harry to do the same.

There was silence for a few minutes, before Snape broke the silence. “Robin.”

“Yes, Papa?” Robin answered. Snape simply gestured him to the seat next to him on the couch and Robin moved to sit there. Harry stayed where he was, on the floor in front of the fire. It seemed strange to Harry that Robin, who appeared to be older than him, still called Snape Papa, it seemed, well, childish.

The silence stretched on, until Snape spoke again. “Harry.”

Harry looked up, shocked. Snape had never called him anything but ‘Potter’ before! “Yes, Sir?” he answered.

“I see you have met my son, Robin,” Snape said. “And these are my oldest two sons, Jason and Simeon,” Snape said, pointing out each one in turn and he got two ‘Hi, Harry’s’.

Harry attempted a weak smile and answered “Hello,” shyly. He wasn’t sure how he was going to keep names straight.

“Have you met anyone else yet, Harry?” Snape then asked.

“Only Carlotta, Sir,” Harry answered, eliciting grins from Jason, Simeon and Robin.

“And my wife, Juliana, of course,” Snape added.

“Yes Sir.”

“Very well,” Snape said and silence descended again. What was going on? Why the silence? Harry wasn’t about to break it though, he was a guest in his Professor’s house and he knew he’d have to do as he was told. Especially considering the fact that Snape hated him. The door opening broke the silence. “Harry, this is my daughter, Laura. Laura, this is Harry.”

“Hello,” Harry said quietly and received a quiet ‘hi’ in return. Laura joined him on the rug in front of the fire. Like Carlotta, Laura’s long hair was pulled back into two plaits that fell down her back and were tied with blue ribbons whereas Carlotta had pink ribbons and whereas Carlotta’s hair was dark brown, Laura’s was lighter and more of a chestnut colour, with a reddish hint to it.

Two more boys entered with Carlotta, who Snape introduced as Dominic and Alexander and the three joined Harry and Laura on the floor. Harry stared determinedly at the rug – the silence was starting to make him extremely uncomfortable and he felt really out of place. If he weren’t there, would they all be talking? Would Snape be more open with his children?

Finally, after what seemed like an age to Harry the door opened once more and Snape’s wife – was it Juliana? – entered, with the youngest girl and another boy. The boy joined Harry, Laura, Carlotta, Dominic and Alexander on the floor, while Juliana sat next to Snape and the youngest girl was on Snape’s lap, something that seemed just too weird to Harry.

Snape and Juliana were talking quietly together, but the children stayed quiet. Harry attempted to put them in age order. Jason, Simeon and Robin were obviously older than him and Jason and Simeon were older than Robin – Snape had said so – but he didn’t know who was the oldest. Laura appeared to be close in age to him, and Carlotta, Dominic and Alexander were obviously younger than them, although Carlotta and Dominic appeared to be very close in age. Harry glanced at Snape again – who suddenly looked very different from the Potions teacher he knew from Hogwarts – and contemplated the situation he found himself in. From the looks of things, Snape was strict with his children – extremely strict – why else would they be sat in silence, not fidgeting, not complaining, whilst their parents talked? But really, Harry shouldn’t of expected anything else, given the way Snape taught whilst they were at school, but surely, wasn’t this going too far?

Soon enough though, Snape dismissed – it was only appropriate word Harry could find – them all and Harry was even more confused. Jason, Simeon, Robin, Laura, Carlotta, Dominic and Alexander left, disappearing into the house quickly, leaving Harry alone in the room with Snape and his wife and the youngest two children. The girl slid down off Snape’s lap and walked over to Harry, sitting down close to him on the rug. “I’m Hazel,” she told him in a voice which indicated that she was still learning to speak. Hazel’s short hair was also pulled back into two small plaits, like her older sisters, but her hair was a lot fairer than either of her sisters, it could possibly be even classed as blonde and her plaits were tied with pale yellow ribbons.

“I’m Harry,” he told her quietly – he really didn’t have a clue of how to act with young children!

“Why are you here?” Hazel wanted to know.

Somebody get him out of this! “I have to spend the summer here.” Harry told her.

“Why?” Hazel questioned.

“Because I’ve been told I have to,” Harry said.

“But why?” Hazel wanted to know.

Harry glanced helplessly towards the couch and was surprised to see Snape smiling down at him. “Because Harry has nowhere else to stay, Hazel,” Snape said. “So he’ll be staying with us.”

“Yes, Papa,” Hazel said and Harry had the feeling that she knew by now not to question Snape but Harry couldn’t see how she knew this, because surely they didn’t spend much time with each other – Snape spent the better part of the year living at Hogwarts and he was always about during the Christmas and Easter holidays.

Snape surprised Harry by speaking again. “Why so quiet, Oliver?” he asked and Harry figured that Oliver had to be the name of the youngest boy. Oliver just shrugged, still not saying anything. Snape gestured him to his side and Oliver went reluctantly, dragging his feet slightly. Snape however simply hugged the boy to his side with one arm and with his other hand tilted Oliver’s chin up so that he could look him in the eyes. Oliver then said something so quietly that Harry couldn’t hear it, but Snape registered the words with a look of surprise and then he swept Oliver up into a tight hug, stroking the back of his sons hair. “Oh, Ol,” Snape murmured. “Of course this isn’t going to change anything!”

Oliver pulled back a bit. “Promise?” Oliver had inherited his Father’s black hair, the fringe of which now fell into his eyes and Snape brushed fondly aside.

“I promise,” Snape told him. “Why would having Harry here change anything?”

Juliana just laughed. “As much as you wont admit it Severus, your children know you well,” she told him. “They know that you like to keep your private life private and don’t show feelings around others.”

Harry had to grin at that, Snape certainly didn’t seem to show feelings around others, but in the short time that he had been in Snape’s house, he had discovered that Snape had a wife and children – nine(!) children none the less – and had seen him carry the youngest and hug the youngest two and when they’d arrived home he’d seemed really friendly with all of them. Hazel stood up again and went to join her brother and father and Harry suddenly felt really awkward and really out of place, as if he were witnessing something he was never meant to witness – Snape’s private life, away from Hogwarts.

Harry stared determinedly at the fireplace, trying to ignore both the happy family scene going on on the couch behind him and the pang of jealousy that was rising up deep inside of his chest. He couldn’t believe that Snape – his greasy, snarky, sarcastic, mean, horrible, the list of adjectives just went on, none of them good – Potions teacher had nine children and a wife! He wished he were confident enough to go and find his room again and hide away writing in his journal. Where was that Gryffindor courage when he needed it? He wasn't even brave enough to walk out of a room because Snape hadn’t said he could.

Presently enough however, Snape addressed him again. “Harry.”

Harry forced himself to look at his most hated Professor. “Yes Sir?”

Snape offered him a small smile – he’d been looking a lot younger at his home than he had at school anyway and the smile took even more years off – and Harry wasn’t sure whether he preferred Snape smiling at him or sneering at him. At least when he was sneering, Harry knew where he had him, knew what to expect. “May I call you Harry? It seems very formal to go around calling you Mr Potter all summer, we are not at Hogwarts at the moment.”

“Yes Sir,” Harry stuttered out. This day was just getting weirder and weirder. Any moment now he was going to wake up, surely.

“Does that mean that Harry should call you Papa as well?” Hazel questioned and Harry’s mind reeled at the mere suggestion. Call Snape - of all people, Snape (!) – Papa? He didn’t think he could survive the summer if he had to!

“Considering the fact that I am Harry’s teacher, I hardly think that would be appropriate, Hazel,” Snape answered calmly and it was all Harry could do not to breath an audible sigh of relief.

“But…” Hazel started to say.

“You don’t question me, Hazel,” Snape said sternly, sounding a lot more like the Professor Harry knew from Hogwarts, but also seeming a lot more kinder than that Professor.

“Yes Papa,” Hazel said.

“Harry,” Snape started again. “As you have more than likely figured out, there is more to my private life than what everyone simply assumes.”

Snape stopped and looked directly into Harry’s eyes and he seemed to want some kind of response. “Yes Sir,” Harry said quietly, a bit unnerved by the intense look Snape was giving him.

“And I like to keep my private life just that, private. So you are not to go telling all your friends about my life away from Hogwarts, do I make myself perfectly clear, young man?” Snape asked, the stern tone that demanded complete obedience was back.

“Yes Sir,” Harry managed to answer. It wasn’t like any of his friends would believe him if he told them anyway. Harry could still barely believe it himself.

It was Hazel who broke what could have become an uncomfortable silence. “Papa?” she asked.

“Yes Hazel?” Snape responded.

“Are you going to read to us again every night like you did last summer?” Hazel asked.

“You can remember that?” Snape asked, sounding very surprised.

“No Papa, but Carlotta, Dominic, Alexander and Oliver told me about it,” Hazel informed him solemnly and Snape smiled down at his youngest daughter.

“If you want me to read to you after supper, then I shall read to you after supper,” he told her kindly, hugging both Oliver and Hazel to him tighter.

“And Harry can listen to?” Hazel asked.

“If Harry so wishes to then of course he can,” Snape reassured his daughter, who had seemed to of taken a liking to Harry.

Hazel nodded sleepily and lay her head down on her father’s shoulder and let her eyes close. “It looks like someone needs a nap,” Juliana commented, checking the clock and seeing that it was two o’clock in the afternoon. “And I’m guessing that you haven’t fed yourself and Harry, either, Severus.”

“You know me too well,” Snape said and placed a kiss on Juliana’s cheek, something that Harry couldn’t believe he was seeing. But since Juliana had mentioned food, Harry realised that he was hungry, very hungry as he hadn’t even been given breakfast at the Dursley’s that morning.

“You go and put Hazel down for her nap then and I’ll go and make us a late lunch and we’ll just have dinner later than usual tonight,” Juliana said and Snape left the room to carry Hazel upstairs.

“Oliver, honey,” Juliana said as she left the room. “Go and tell everyone else that lunch will be ready in half an hour please.”

“Yes Mama,” Oliver said, as he was left alone in the room with Harry. Harry attempted a weak smile at the boy – he seemed very young – and Oliver managed a small smile back.

“Would you like me to come with you?” Harry asked, only because he needed something to do, he did not want to be left alone in the room, especially in case Snape came back!

Oliver nodded and took Harry by the hand and led him out of the room in silence. Harry didn’t have a clue how to behave around children, especially not children who held his hand and he too remained silent as the walked up the stairs together, Harry going more slowly than he usually would have because of Oliver, who didn’t walk very fast.

Oliver opened the door to the first room on the landing and Harry looked in to see Dominic and Alexander sat on one of the rugs on the floor. The room was decorated in shades of dark green and cream, with the bed in the same place as Harry’s with a cream bedspread and the furniture and floorboards were made out of the same oak as in Harry’s room.

“Mama said to tell you that lunch will be ready in half an hour,” Oliver told his brothers, who both nodded.