“So who is this mysterious child that Harry’s suddenly taking care of, hmm?” Tonks smirked, readjusting the baby sling as Teddy shifted within. “And why isn’t Remus allowed to see him yet?”

“How do you know Remus isn’t allowed to see him?” Ginny asked, scrutinizing a stuffed lion for any choking hazards.

“Well…because you fire-called me last night while Remus and Teddy were both falling asleep together, so I wasn’t able to tell Remus that I was going out shopping with you until this morning. And when he heard that, he jumped at the chance to hang out with Harry and fire-called him at breakfast to ask him if he could come over for the day. You know—girls’ day out, guys’ day in, that sort of thing.” She and Ginny exchanged a look and laughed.

Ginny threw the lion into the basket she was carrying, “That happens every time we get together, did you notice? Even when we go out together, you and I always end up talking, while Remus and Harry chat and tag along behind us.”

“It’s great.” Tonks nodded. “So anyway…Remus got put out, though, when Harry told him he was taking care of a baby now and that today wasn’t a good time for just hanging out. And then Remus asked him why he couldn’t just come over and help him take care of the baby, and Harry kind of avoided answering the question. So, yeah…” She began feeding Teddy a bottle, “Remus was kind of sad when I left.”

“Aw! I’m sorry.” Ginny frowned. “Was he really put out?”

“No, no, nothing that dramatic.” Tonks giggled. “It’s just that with a newborn and everything, it’s rare to get time alone, you know? And when I told Remus that I was taking Teddy with me today, he was looking forward to having some fun today.” She shrugged. “And Harry kind of…shot him down.”

“So where’s Remus now?” Ginny asked, scrutinizing some bath toys this time.

“He’s at home—well, at my mom’s place, at least—sleeping…reading, maybe.”

“Why didn’t he just go and visit Sirius?” Ginny threw the bath toys in the basket and walked on.

“Sirius is at the Ministry today, taking care of technicalities and everything. He’s trying to get his Auror’s license back and is arguing back and forth with Kingsley about whether or not he needs to brush up on his training.”

“Oh, I’m betting he’s enjoying that conversation.” Ginny smirked, picking up a baby raven and badger and examining them for choking hazards.

“You know our Sirius.” Tonks laughed.

“So why don’t you invite him to come shopping with us?” Ginny threw the badger into the basket.

“I don’t know.” Tonks shrugged. “Think he’ll mind?”

“I think if I were Remus, I’d rather go out shopping with my wife and her best friend than sit around in my mother-in-law’s, bored all day, because my two best friends are busy.” Ginny threw the raven in the basket and moved to the checkout line.

Tonks laughed. “No, Ginny, I was talking about Harry. Oh! Aren’t you going to get a snake, too?”

“No, Sev already has a baby snake.” Ginny answered distractedly, digging into her pocket. She looked up at Tonks’ gasp. “What?”

“Baby’s name is Sev.” Tonks narrowed her eyes at Ginny and smirked.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, Dora—”

“And he has a stuffed snake!”

“Tonks—”

“Let’s see what else I can find out about baby.” Tonks stroked her chin playfully and laughed at Ginny, who rolled her eyes.

“To answer your question, why in Merlin’s name would Harry mind if Remus came with us?” Ginny replied. “By the way, you do know you can get stuff, too, right? Harry told me he would gladly pay for anything you wanted to buy for Teddy. After all, Teddy is his godson.”

“I have the feeling that even if Teddy wasn’t his godson, Harry would still be the same way.” Tonks smirked.

“You’re probably right.” Ginny nodded.

“Teddy has a lot of toys at home right now, anyway.”

“Are you sure about that?” Ginny raised an eyebrow at her.

“Trust me, Gin, you have no idea.” Tonks smirked. “And besides, he’s only two months old! All he does all day is eat, sleep, and poop. He’s living the good life, I tell ya.” She and Ginny shared a look and burst into a fit of laughter.

“Ah, to be two months old again.” Ginny greeted the shopkeeper as the old woman tallied her purchases.

“Anyway, I was thinking Harry would mind if Remus came with us because…well, he wouldn’t let Remus come over today to see the baby…and we’re going baby shopping…so I kind of figured…” She shrugged.

Ginny took the bag of toys from the shopkeeper and bid her a good day. “Well…” Ginny contemplated how to go about doing this. She knew Sev wouldn’t appreciate Remus being apprised of his situation before he was ready. On the other hand, though, she didn’t want Remus and Tonks to feel left out. “Let’s put it this way—the situation is more complicated than you can imagine. I mean…if Sev was just a regular baby, Harry wouldn’t mind Remus coming over today and everything. But the thing is…Sev isn’t a regular baby.”

Tonks furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean? How old is he, anyway?”

“Sev’s five months old.” Ginny began navigating them towards the Leaky Cauldron.

“And how is he not a regular baby?” Tonks paused for a second. “Wait a minute…does this have something to do with how he came to be in Harry’s care? Because, I mean, Harry’s virtually been confined to the grounds of Hogwarts for the past month on the count of the press. And the only people there this summer are the Professors because they’re rebuilding. I mean, where’s Harry going to suddenly find a—” Tonks stopped abruptly and let out a loud gasp.

“What?!” Ginny questioned, alarmed.

“Oh my god!” She turned to the younger girl and grasped her by the shoulders. “Ginny! He isn’t a regular baby?! Which means he’s smarter or knows more than a regular baby? And his name is Sev? And he has a stuffed snake?”

“SHHH!” Ginny hissed, her eyes darting around at the surrounding people. “For Merlin’s sake, Dora, not out here and not out loud!” She steered the metamorphamagus into The Leaky Cauldron and found a booth somewhere in the back. Ginny took out her wand, “Muffliato...Now we can talk about it.”

“Severus Snape!” Tonks’ eyes widened and Teddy began crying within his sling. Tonks immediately began rocking him. “The baby is Severus Snape. The baby Harry Potter is taking care of—the baby Harry is spending his money on—is Severus Snape?!”

“Look…” Ginny shrunk the bothersome toy bag and stuck it in her pocket, “…you know how Severus was bitten by the snake, right?” Tonks nodded. “Well…Harry was able to get to him on time and Madame Pomfrey was able to save his life. He was stuck in a coma for a bit, and when he woke up a few days ago, he became rather irritated at the fact that he hadn’t died.” Tonks looked surprised, Ginny raised her hand, “Long story. Don’t ask. Anyway…long story short, he tried to kill himself with a painless but lethal poison, only to find out—the hard way—that the poison had been replaced by a harmless potion that permanently de-ages people. The two looked exactly the same on the outside, you see. So instead of shortening his stay, he lengthened it. Now…he’s five months old. And in Harry’s care. So there.” Ginny shrugged.

“Oh my…stars!” Tonks looked astounded.

“Yes. So now that you know both sides, maybe you can help me with the dilemma.”

“Okay. What’s the dilemma?” Tonks replied excitedly, still continuing to rock her son back and forth.

“I feel bad that Remus is stuck at home and bored because Harry and Sev are still adjusting to their situation. I want to invite him to come shopping with us. You fire-call him. But here’s the dilemma—”

“Okay. The dilemma.” Tonks was now listening to her anxiously.

“Severus and Remus have a history together. Frankly, they hate each other. Well…Remus doesn’t quite hate Severus, but Severus isn’t too fond of Remus either. This goes back well into their school days.”

“Is this the whole Whomping Willow incident?”

“Yeah.” Ginny nodded. “And as you know, Severus is the type to hold a grudge.” Tonks nodded in agreement. “Although…now that he’s five months old, I don’t think that’s going to be the case for much longer.” 

“Does he have all his memories?”

“Yeah. Which brings me to dilemma—Severus trusts me—somewhat—and I don’t want to betray his trust. He…I think he thinks being five months old is going to be seen as a weakness…and the last people he wants to know about his weaknesses are…”

“His enemies.” Tonks nodded in understanding.

“But the thing is Remus and Sirius aren’t his enemies anymore. Not really.” Ginny threw in. “I think he knows that and understands that. I think he realizes the reality of the situation—the fact that Harry’s caring for him now means he’s going to need to interact with them sooner or later.”

“You just want him to get used to the situation first.” Tonks nodded in understanding. “That’s why Harry didn’t want Remus to come over just yet. He wants Snape to become more comfortable with his…condition before he tackles things that are slightly less comfortable. Okay. I get it.”

“So you can definitely invite Remus to come shopping with us, but you’re going to have to dance around the questions I’m pretty sure he’s going to ask.” Ginny said.

“Or how about this—we tell him, but we swear him to secrecy—meaning no telling Sirius—and we can only come over when Harry gives us the go-ahead.”

Ginny looked torn. “I don’t know…”

“Okay. We don’t tell him, then. That’s fine.” Tonks shrugged and smirked at the younger girl. “It was worth a try.”

“How about this—I’ll see what Harry says later. Maybe by the time we’re finished shopping, Sev will be in a…kiddie mood…and the prospect of the three of you coming over for dinner might not be so unwelcome.”

“Kiddie mood?” Tonks raised an amused eyebrow.

“Harry theorized that Severus’ memories are conflicting with his infantile brain.” Ginny explained, “And, actually, I quite agree. There are times when Sev acts like an adult stuck in a child’s body, and there are times he acts like a normal five-month-old child. It all depends on his excitement level. You can never speak to him in baby speak. You always have to talk to him as if he was an intelligent adult…or at least an intelligent five-year-old…but how he reacts to you depends on his mood. It’s actually quite interesting if you’re into the mind and stuff like that.” 

“Honey, that sounds like a normal baby to me.” Tonks smirked. “All babies are intelligent, Gin, and they all react differently depending on their mood. That’s how their minds work. Heck, that’s how adults’ minds work as well.”

“Yes, well…it’s really a delicate situation.” Ginny shrugged.

“Okay.” Tonks readjusted Teddy, who finally decided to stop fussing and was trying to go to sleep. “So do you want me to call Remus now? I think what you said a while ago is best—we don’t tell him now, but if Snape is ready for a visit tonight, we’ll tell him then and come over. It all depends on Harry and Snape.”

Ginny grinned at her. “Absolutely. Thanks, Tonks.”

“You got it!” Tonks nodded. “Would you mind holding Teddy for me please, Gin, he doesn’t do well with floos.”

After about five minutes of Ginny making funny faces at the newborn, Tonks came back with a quiet Remus in tow.

“Thanks, Ginny.” Tonks said, putting Teddy back in the baby sling she wore.

“My pleasure. Hey, Moony!” She reached up to give Remus a hug.

“Hey, Ginny.” He smiled.

“Come on. Cheer up, eh! Harry told me if there’s anything you see here that you want for yourselves or Teddy, just tell me and I’ll get it for you guys, okay? Don’t be ashamed at all. You’re family!”

“I already told her we have everything we need.” Tonks stage-whispered to Remus playfully.

“Yeah, Gin, we really don’t need anything right now. But thanks to you and Harry for offering anyway.” Remus smirked.

“Well then at least let me buy the both of you lunch in gratitude for keeping me company and giving me advice.” With that, she shooed them into their booth and signaled a waiter.

“So, Ginny,” Remus started, casually folding his hands across the table, “How did Harry come to care for a baby and why can’t I come over to see it yet?”

At that, Tonks started laughing hysterically and Ginny soon joined her. Remus just watched them both, bemused. “It’s just that…I asked that very same question not half an hour ago, love.” Tonks answered.

“And the reply…?” Remus signaled for them to continue.

Ginny and Tonks exchanged a look. “Look…Moony, it’s really complicated. Okay? And…and it’s not that easy to explain. But I’ll promise you this—if, by tonight, I call Harry and he feels the baby is ready for visitors…then I promise to explain the situation to you and to invite the three of you over for dinner. Alright? However, if Harry feels the baby is not ready for visitors yet…then perhaps we could all have dinner together later in the week…just not now.”

Remus’ shoulders visibly sagged. “Alright. But I’ll hold you to that promise.” Ginny nodded and gave him a sympathetic smile.

Soon their orders arrived and Tonks steered the conversation away from Harry to try to lift Remus’ spirits a bit. “So…what were we able to accomplish and what’s next on the list?”

Ginny took a bite of her lunch. “Well…we got the bath toys and stuffed toys and letter puzzles. He’s going to love those. We are in desperate need of nappies and wipes and such. He definitely needs clothes—lots of them, in different colors.”

“Remember—” Remus and Tonks started to say together, but Remus waved for his wife to continue.

“Remember that the baby’s going to grow rather quickly, so you shouldn’t buy so many clothes that are a particular size. Now Sev’s five months old, right?” Ginny nodded, “Well then buy some clothes that would fit six months to a year. But remember—those are only going to go for six months, so you don’t want to buy too much, okay?”

“Right.” Ginny nodded.

“Sev.” Remus muttered. Both girls turned to him. “The baby’s name is Sev?”

“Oh my god!” Tonks gasped, “Sorry, Ginny!”

Ginny just shook her head and waved it off with a sigh. “It’s okay. I mean it was bound to slip at some point.” She fed herself another bite. “Anyway, in addition to that, I need to buy teething supplies because his teeth are coming in, a walker so he’ll be able to get around Harry’s quarters. He’s desperate to walk. I also need baby slings.”

“Remus, do we have teething supplies?” Tonks broke in, turning to her husband.  

Remus thought for a second. “Um…I don’t know. I don’t think so.” He shook his head, “Teddy’s just two months old, Dora, teething doesn’t come for at least another two months.”

“Oh.” Teddy started fussing again so Tonks decided to take advantage of the sling and breastfeed him while they ate lunch.

“Where’d you buy that baby sling, Dora?” Ginny asked. “It’s really useful!”

“I know, isn’t it?!” Tonks’ eyes shone. “I fell in love with it when I saw it. Remus and I bought it at Alkyds and Moore down that way, by Gringotts. It’s a great place! They have everything, Ginny. It’s like a…what do the muggles call it? A one-stop shop?”

“It really is great.” Remus agreed, “You should check it out. And it’s a large store as well.”

“Yeah. That sounds good.” Ginny checked her list, “Oh…and he needs a few baby books as well—”

“I hope you didn’t forget to add baby shampoo and soap to that list.” A stranger commented as he passed their table.

“Oh!” Ginny gasped and reached for a quill, “Yeah, that’s right! Baby soap and—” She paused abruptly and swiveled in her seat.

The stranger calmly looked back at her from his seat in the booth behind them. His hair and facial structure looked completely unfamiliar to Ginny. Yet she could recognize those shining green eyes from anywhere, that endearing smirk on his face didn’t belong to just anyone, and, last but not least, the familiar black-haired infant clinging to the front of his robes didn’t allow just anyone to hold him. “Harry!” She hissed.

“Good afternoon, love.” Harry smirked, rising from his seat and bending down to give her a kiss.

“What are you doing here?” Ginny instinctively began checking for paparazzi.

“Don’t worry! They’re all camped at the gates outside of Hogwarts. No one knows I’m here.” Harry whispered back. He turned to the other occupants of the table, “Remus.”

“Harry!” The werewolf greeted, his spirits suddenly lifted tenfold. They two men shook hands good-naturedly. “How are you doing, my friend?”

Harry grinned. “I’m doing great, Remus. Absolutely great! Wotcher, Tonks!”

“Wotcher, Harry!” The metamorphamagus replied with a smile.

“I’d greet you properly, but I see you’re busy, and I’ve got my hands full.” The two of them chuckled at each other.

“Harry, sit down, for Merlin’s sake!” Ginny waved him over, making room for him next to her. “What are you doing here?”

“We have no more nappies, Gin, none!” Harry murmured, “Sev’s on his last one right now. We’ve been doing a run-around of the castle all morning. The other professors are busy with repairs, Madame Pomfrey is out of the castle, Dumbledore’s off Merlin-knows-where, and I can’t leave the Entrance Hall without getting my picture snapped by the circus outside the gates. So I can’t go to Hogsmeade, no one has the time to run an errand for me, and Sev needs nappies. Only option—don a disguise and come here to buy some.”

Ginny rubbed Sev’s back. He was gripping Harry’s robes with a vengeance and had his face buried in their folds. “Sev, are you alright?” She whispered. The baby shook his head. “What’s wrong?”

“We flooed here.” Harry answered, wrapping his arms tighter around the infant, “The floo no longer agrees with him.”

“Didn’t I tell you that was the case with Teddy, too?” Tonks smirked. “Try rubbing his back and just give him some time. His stomach should feel easier soon.” Both Harry and Ginny nodded.

Remus was staring at the child in Harry’s arms curiously.

Harry looked down and studied Sev’s head. “Would you like me to introduce you to them?” He whispered in the infant’s ear.

Sev whimpered sadly and just shook his head. Harry felt sorry for him. Sev didn’t want to come here to start with, and it took quite a bit of convincing to get him to agree. It took an entire hour and a half, a time out, and three runs around the school to convince Severus that although neither of them wanted to show their faces in public, they were in desperate need of nappies—especially considering Sev woke up with diarrhea—and the only way they were going to get nappies in time would be if they went out and got it themselves. So, Sev had donned his last nappy, and Harry had donned a glamour, and together they reluctantly flooed to Diagon Alley.

So now Sev had diarrhea, was nauseous from the floo, felt utterly humiliated at the fact that Remus and Tonks were here, and was running on his last nappy.

“He’s having a horrible day.” Harry told them, rubbing Sev’s back soothingly. “How about I just tell them your name. No harm done, right?” The baby merely shrugged and nodded, his face never leaving the folds of Harry’s robes.

“Remus, Dora, this is Sev.” Harry introduced him with a gentle smile. “I’m sorry. He’s really shy. And…he’s not feeling so well.”

Remus waved it off with a smile. “No harm done. Sev…” he addressed the baby, “…it’s a pleasure meeting you! Dora and I would like to get to know you better.”

At that, Sev grabbed onto the other bottom half of Harry’s robes and tried to wrap them around himself, attempting to disappear within their folds. “Whoa! Whoa! Sev—”

“Ahhhhhhhhh!” And the little potions master began to have a crying fit.

Harry sighed, “Sev…” But it did no good, Sev just continued to cry harder and louder.

Remus looked bewildered. “Was it something I said?” He asked his wife.

“What’s wrong?” Harry whispered in the baby’s ear, trying to ignore the ringing going on in his own ear from Sev’s wailing. “Sev, please, come on. Everyone’s staring at you!” He knew the infant’s ultimate weakness, if ever there was one, was embarrassment. If the situation had to do with humiliation or avoiding it, Sev suddenly became an avid listener.

That did the trick. Severus stopped crying and instead resorted to whimpering and wrapping Harry’s robe further around himself. “Now you don’t have a dirty nappy, you don’t seem nauseous…what’s wrong?”

“Harry, are you…” Remus paused, giving the teen a curious look, “Are you having a conversation with a five-month-old?”

Harry sighed and grimaced, “I’m sorry, Remus. It’s a really long story.” He turned back to the infant. “Sev, I want you to tell me what’s bothering you.” He ordered sternly, knowing Severus was most likely to listen when he used that tone of voice. “Now.”

Baby Snape sighed. Tugging at Harry’s robes, he pulled himself into a sitting position and pushed back from the teen slightly. Harry supported his back and leaned forward so he would be able to understand the child correctly. Ever so slowly, Severus made two signs—the first for ‘scared’ and the second for ‘drink’. Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance. “Well…let’s deal with the second one first, alright? How does your stomach feel?” Sev shrugged and signed a ‘yes’. “Are you sure?” Another ‘yes’. Ginny dug into Harry’s diaper bag and pulled out a bottle of milk. “Now let’s deal with the first one before I give this to you.” He lifted Severus up and transferred him to Ginny. “I’m going to need you to stay with Ginny for a bit.”

“MO!!!” Sev immediately pushed against Ginny’s hold and reached for Harry.

“I’m only going to make a few adjustments to my robe, alright? So you’ll be able to hide in it better. Is that okay?” Harry asked. Severus whined. “I’ll be here the entire time.” He pointed to the area next to the booth. “Right here. The entire time. You can watch me.” He got up and Severus whined again, but made no move of protest.

As Harry went about fixing his robes into a makeshift baby sling, Harry eyed Tonks’ enviously. “Dora, I would love one of those things right about now.”

Tonks laughed. “Well, Harry, we’re almost finished up here. We’ll take you and Ginny to the store that sells them right after. I promise.”

Harry nodded and glanced at Remus. The werewolf was staring at the infant on Ginny’s lap, completely bewildered. “Hey Sev, take a look at Remus. He’s got a funny look on his face.” Lupin froze and Sev’s head shot around to meet his gaze.

Remus blinked.

Sev blinked.

There’s something familiar about that baby. Remus realized.

Sev turned to Harry and grinned, signaling a ‘yes’ with his right hand. Beneath him, Ginny laughed, and Severus smiled down at her as well.

“Alright…Hop in, little big man.” Harry said, sitting back down. Severus immediately dove back towards him. “Hey! Hey! Hey! Slow down…” Ginny helped Harry position the baby and lay him inside the makeshift sling. “There. How am I doing with the first one?” Severus nodded. Ginny gave him the bottle of milk, which he immediately began drinking. “And the second?” Another nod. “Okay. So we’ll have no more issues at the moment, right?” A shake of the head now. “Good.”

As Sev drank his bottle and Harry rubbed his back, Remus met the teenager’s eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Later.” Harry mouthed, looking down to check if Severus was watching. The infant had his eyes closed and looked to preparing to go to sleep. “When he’s asleep.”

Remus nodded immediately, and then switched the topic. “So how’s the remodeling going? And the rebuilding?”

“Harry, are you hungry?”

“No, no thank you. We just ate.” Harry shook his head. “The remodeling is going rather well. I just finished with the kitchen and after I finish both porches, I’ll be done with the first floor of the house. And as for the rebuilding…it’s going a lot faster than everyone expected. We should be done with the entire castle by mid-July.”

Thus their conversations revolved around the mundane rather than the unusual until the three diners finished their meals and Ginny took care of the bill. By the time they returned to walking the streets, both infants were asleep. Tonks and Ginny took the lead, of course, chatting up a storm, while Remus and Harry trailed behind them.

“So how about now, Harry?” Remus murmured, pleading with his eyes.

Harry chuckled and waved his hand, muttering, “Muffliato,” under his breath. “Now is a…okay time.” He shrugged.

“So…?” Remus pushed, his curiosity peaked.

Harry smirked, “Remus…doesn’t this child seem familiar to you somehow?” He whispered, willing Sev not to wake up.

“Familiar how?”

“Come on, Moony.” Harry elbowed him playfully, “This is one mystery that’s not that difficult to solve.” He gestured towards the infant. “Take a good sniff. His scent should be…somewhat familiar.” Harry was sure Severus reeked of potions ingredients before his de-aging, but he wasn’t sure that was the case now. However, the teenager was aware Sev’s base scent should not have changed during his transition from man to boy.

The werewolf leaned over and took a few good sniffs, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Harry watched his reactions, amused. “His name is…Sev?”

“Which is short for…?” A grin blossomed on Harry’s face as comprehension dawned on Remus’. It was quickly followed disbelief.

“Severus?!” He hissed, astounded. “Severus…the—the one we know about?”

Harry chuckled at his reaction. “The one and only, Moony.”

“But…but how?”

Harry sighed. Here goes nothing. And as the ladies led the way to the baby store, the gentlemen conversed about the baby. By the time Harry finished telling the tale, Remus’ mouth practically hung open from astonishment. “Remember, Moony, this is really sensitive information, alright? If word of this got out, Sev would be in danger. Anyone could vie for custody of him. Anyone, Moony.”

“Death Eaters.” Remus picked up the underlying tones immediately.

“Everyone knows of his betrayal now. They’ll want their revenge.” Harry nodded. “I’m worried that if word of this got out, it’d be Malfoy who’d try to gain custody.”

“What’s he got against you?”

“Plenty.”

“But I thought you were the one keeping him and his family out of Azkaban?”

“I am!” Harry hissed. He still had mixed feelings about that decision. “But I swear to you, Moony—if they try to take Sev away from me—”

“You’ll have them in Azkaban—” Remus smirked.

“Faster than a Firebolt, Remus! Faster than a Firebolt.” His arms tightened instinctively around the child under his robe.

Remus chuckled at Harry’s behavior. “And how long have you been taking care of this child, Harry?”

“It’s the principle of the thing, Remus!” Harry retorted defensively.

After a moment of silence, Remus began laughing at him. Harry looked at him, offended for a moment, before giving in and chuckling along with his best friends.

“I’ve got your back, Harry, you know that right? And now I’ve got his back, too.” Remus said, clasping Harry’s shoulder supportively and gesturing towards Sev. Harry merely nodded. “Whatever happens.”

“I’m going to need you to keep quiet about this, Moony, at least for now.” Harry pleaded. “Sev’s still adjusting to his situation. If we didn’t actually need to come here, we wouldn’t have. I mean…it took an entire hour and a half to convince both him and myself that we had to come today.”

Remus nodded, “That’s why you didn’t want me to come over today.”

“I hope that didn’t offend you or—”

“No, no, don’t worry.” Remus waved a dismissing hand, “I guess I was being a bit childish this morning. I mean, now that I know the situation, I would’ve done the same thing if I was in your shoes.” He smirked, “I swear it must be the lack of sleep.”

Harry laughed. “Newborn!”

“Hey! Did he wake up last night?” Remus retorted, gesturing towards the infant. Harry merely turned away and made a face. Remus snickered at him unrepentantly. “Exactly! How many times? Once? Twice? Thrice?”

Harry shrugged, “Thrice.” He muttered.

Remus nodded and smirked. “So no telling Sirius, I gather.”

“Definitely no telling Sirius.” Harry shook his head vehemently. “He was embarrassed enough when he heard that you were here, Moony. You saw how he reacted.”

“So it was something I said.”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Harry adjusted his robes so Sev wasn’t leaning down so low.

Remus helped support the baby while Harry made adjustments, “I’ll try to be less assertive then. Leave that up to him.”

“Yeah, that’s all. Let him grow comfortable with you first. If he’s in a better mood by the end of the day, he may be open to you more and you’ll get to know the Severus whose company is actually rather enjoyable.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” Remus replied, genuinely interested. They followed the girls into a rather large store with a wooden sign hanging on the front that said Alkyds and Moore: Al Your Kyds Need and Moore!

Ginny and Tonks immediately began perusing the shelves, grabbing items and examining them excitedly. “Ginny, I’m going to go ahead and buy some nappies and a baby sling and a carrier.” He said.

Ginny glanced back at him and nodded. “You want some of your—”

But Harry merely shook his head. “No, no, I have some with me. Remus, do you know where they are?”

Remus gave him an amused look, “Do I look like I know where they are?” The two men laughed at each other.

The nappies were easy enough to find. The slings and carriers, on the other hand, were an entirely different story. It turns out they didn’t need to look all that hard, though, for the women had already found them for them. Ginny spent ten minutes trying to decide which carrier and which sling she wanted to get. Harry rolled his eyes. “You know if it’d been up to me, I’d have grabbed the first one I saw and been done with it.” He murmured to the werewolf, who snorted. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Ginny picked one blue sling and one beige carrier and handed them to Harry. “Thank you.” He smiled indulgingly at her. Behind him, Remus snickered quietly.  

After Harry bought the items, he transferred a half-awake Severus into the carrier with Ginny’s help, and then told the girls that he and Remus were going to leave them to their shopping. Harry loaded the diaper bag with nappies and wipes, then shrunk everything else and pocketed his purchases. He and Remus had decided to make a day of it sitting outside Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour, eating the biggest sundaes on the menu. Before they left the baby store, though, Harry gave in to his paranoia and made sure to cast as many protective wards around his young charge as possible. The whole process took about ten minutes. Remus waited patiently, and when he was through, he complimented Harry on his absolute mastery of Defense.

“It’s all thanks to you, Moony.” Harry replied, scooping some ice cream into his mouth and basking in the afternoon sun. “Without you, mate, I never would’ve realized my strength in Defense.”

“Well, you’re very welcome, then.” Remus smiled. As the day wore on, the two friends talked about a multitude of subjects, including Quidditch and who had the chance of making it to the Quidditch World Cup, how Dumbledore offered Harry the position of Defense professor and how the teenager was willing to accept it if Remus came aboard to teach during the two days a week he had to be gone.

“You’re the best Defense professor I ever had, Remus. Heck, the best one the school’s ever had, mate.”

“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, Harry.” Remus blushed.

“That’s your opinion, mate.” Harry pointed the spoon at him playfully, “Consider this—three years from now, when I graduate from Auror training, and begin working with the department full-time, I’m not going to be able to be the Defense Professor anymore. The job would go to you—full-time.”

“I don’t know, Harry, people are going to protest—”

“They’re going to protest a war hero?! Remus, I highly doubt that. They couldn’t protest you becoming a professor any more than they can protest me.”

“I beg to differ about that.”

“Remus, please.” Harry practically begged, “I wouldn’t have gotten to my level of proficiency in Defense if it wasn’t for you. You deserve this position a lot more than I do. Please.” He turned on his best puppy-dog eyes look. “Just think about it, please? Dumbledore could quell any of the parents who have any complaints. Please.”

Remus sighed. He took one look at Harry’s pathetic little face and rolled his eyes. “That’s a low blow, Harry.” He smirked.

“But, hey, it works like magic, doesn’t it?” Harry laughed.

“Fine. I’ll talk to Dora about it.” The werewolf agreed.

“Thank you.” He glanced in the other direction, “Ah, and here come our lovely ladies now.”

Turns out the lovely ladies only came to drop off their purchases before heading to a baby clothing store across the street from the ice cream parlor. Both men rolled their eyes. “Ice cream refill?” Remus asked. Harry nodded and the werewolf picked up his dish, “My treat.”

They were halfway through a conversation about the differences in the shopping habits of men and women when Severus finally decided to rejoin the waking world.

“Good afternoon, sir.” Harry greeted with a gentle smile. Severus looked up and blinked sluggishly at him. The infant must’ve recognized there was something different about his sleeping position for he then proceeded to examine the contraption in which he now sat. “Ah, yes. While you were asleep, we went into Alkyds and Moore and bought a thousand-pack of nappies, as well as a sling and a carrier for you to ride in.” Sev blinked slowly, his eyes only halfway open. He nodded listlessly, yawned, and went back to leaning against Harry’s chest, eyes closed. With his right hand, though, he held up the very familiar sign for ‘potty’. “Ah! Right! Remus, if you’ll excuse us for a minute, please?”

The werewolf smiled and nodded. When he saw Harry pick up the diaper bag, a sympathetic knowing look crossed his face. He was a bit intrigued by the little hand signals that baby Sev was using to communicate with Harry and Ginny. It was the third time today he saw the child use them, and he’d actually come across such a display before, while Dora was still pregnant with Teddy. He didn’t have the time or the courage to go up to the strange mother back then to inquire about them, but now he had all the time in the world, and he had no problem asking Harry anything.

When Harry returned, Sev was much more awake this time and sat facing outward in his carrier. Harry slid another sundae over to Remus, laid one down for himself, and put a smaller cup full of chocolate ice cream next to his. “Mr. Fortescue has a spell that allows his ice cream to be digestible by babies four months and older.” He said as he sat down, “I think it’s brilliant! It also prevents any teeth-rotting, on the count of babies have sensitive teeth.” Sev stared at the cup of ice cream adoringly, waiting for Harry to feed it to him. “Here we go.” Harry scooped up a small portion for Sev, but didn’t bring it up yet. “Are you absolutely sure your stomach is fine now?” He asked the infant.

“UH-HUH!” Sev whined, eyeing the ice cream greedily. He added the ‘yes’ hand sign for good measure.

“Alright.” Harry sighed and brought the ice cream to his mouth. The baby devoured it quickly and opened up for the next bite. “Ginny’s going to kill me for giving you this.” He muttered under his breath, feeding Sev another spoonful.

Remus smiled at the adorable sight, but wisely didn’t comment. “Harry, I have a question.” He said after a while. At that, Sev slowed his eating and eyed the werewolf warily.

Harry replied distractedly as he wiped the little boy’s mouth, “And that question would be…?”

“Those hand signs that…that you’re using…Se--Severus,” he proceeded cautiously, wanting to include the baby in the conversation as well, knowing that would help him feel more normal, “Those hand signals?” Both Harry and Sev nodded. “What…are they?”

Harry and Sev exchanged a glance. “It’s called Baby Sign Language.” Harry answered, feeding Sev another spoonful of ice cream. “It was Ginny’s idea. Said she got it from a friend of hers at the dorms who was teaching it to her baby brother. She asked Sev last night if he wanted to learn a few signs that she knew so as to help him communicate better with the two of us. He agreed, and we learned the signs together.” He fed the baby another spoonful of ice cream.

“Ah!” Sev cried once he swallowed.

“What?”

“Behby…” The infant clapped his hands, and then pointed to a palm.

“Oh, right!” Harry nodded, “Baby Sign Language is designed to be easier than regular sign language because baby’s hands aren’t as nimble as an adult’s.”

“AH!”

“What?” Sev simply pointed to the ice cream, mouth open wide. Harry sighed and fed it to him. Halfway through the cup and the conversation about Baby Sign Language, Sev signed for a drink. “Milk or water. No juice, because I think that’s what caused this morning’s episode to begin with.”

“Wawa.” And Harry gave him a bottle full of water, which the baby drank greedily.

“Harry James Potter!” A voice shrieked and Harry froze. “Are you feeding him ice cream?!”

Sev dropped his bottle and started laughing at Harry. “Haweh! Ha, ha, ha! Ah-cweem! Immy, Haweh ba ah-cweem!”

“Why are you feeding Severus ice cream?!” Ginny cried.

“You knew this was going to get me in trouble, you little brat!” Harry hissed in Severus’ ear and the baby laughed all the harder. “He wanted ice cream!” He replied, defending himself to his girlfriend.

“Oh, and I suppose if he wants steak you’re going to buy it for him? You’re spoiling him, Harry.” Ginny retorted, examining Sev’s almost-empty chocolate bowl with a frown. “He’s five months old, for Merlin’s sake, he can’t digest ice cream!”

“Not true! Mr. Fortescue has a spell that allows his ice cream to be digested by babies four months and older. He put it on this one when I bought it.”

“Uh-huh, and I assume the upset stomach he had this morning means nothing to you.”

“He said he’s fine!” Harry retorted, “Sev, tell her you’re fine.”

“Immy, Ah-cweem!”

Ginny rolled her eyes and rubbed her forehead with a sigh. “No more for you, Sev. You can’t eat more than this until you’re older.” She shot Harry a death glare and went to return the cup to Mr. Fortescue.

“AH! AH! IMIF FEH! IMIF FEH, IMMY!”

Ginny sighed, scraped the sides of the cup, and fed him the last spoonful of ice cream. “There. Happy?” Severus graced her with a chocolate-covered smile and Ginny’s heart melted. “Oh, Merlin…” She sighed, and then went inside to return the cup.

By the time she got back, Tonks was stuffing a bunch of shrunken bags in Remus’ pocket and transferring Teddy’s baby sling over to him. “There. You can watch your son for a minute while Ginny and I look for prams and walkers.”

“Did you get the baby shampoo and soap?”

“Yes, Harry, I got the baby shampoo and soap.” Ginny sighed. She bent down to dig in one of her bags and came back up with a smile. “Okay. Sev, take a look at what I found for you.”

“And she says I spoil him.” Harry muttered at Remus.

“It’s not as comprehensive as I was expecting. I know there’s a bit more signs than this. However, considering this is a magical book, I expect it to be a lot more helpful than a muggle one, on the count of the fact that the pictures move.” She laid a Baby Sign Language book down on the table and Sev’s eyes widened. He immediately got excited.

“Opem! Opem!” Sev shrieked.

“Oh! Look here, Sev, see?” She pointed to a moving picture in corner of the front cover. “That’s the sign for ‘open’.”

Sev imitated it immediately. “Opem! Opem!”

Ginny was about to oblige him, when Harry gently but firmly held the cover down. “Was that a request or an order, Sev?” He whispered in the child’s ear, his voice stern. 

“Opem, pea.” Severus asked more politely, signing both ‘open’ and ‘please’.

“That’s better.” Harry replied, lifting his hand from the book and allowing the child to take in all the pictures.

“I bought a copy of that, too, Remus.” Tonks said, as they all studied the book. “Did Harry tell you about them?”

“Yes, we were just discussing it right now.” The werewolf nodded. “It’s actually quite fascinating. I’d like to teach it to Teddy when he’s old enough. Harry, may I?”

Harry smirked, “You’re going to have to scoot over here, Remus. I’m afraid someone’s not going to want to let this go for a while.”

Once Remus settled next to Harry, though, Sev’s reaction was immediate. He whined and writhed, bouncing in his carrier and kicking with all his might, “HAWEH! HAWEH! HAWEH!” He shrieked.

Harry stood up so quickly his chair tipped and fell behind him. “What?! What?!” He looked around for any sign of danger, alarm, concern, and a surge of protectiveness shooting through his veins.

“Sev, what’s wrong?!” Ginny broke in, lifting the thrashing baby from his carrier.

“AWEH! AWEH! AWEH!”

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance. “Away? Away from what, sweetheart?”

“HAWEH! MOB AWEH!!!” Severus screeched before finally breaking down into tears. “Ahhhhhhhhh!”

Harry was at a loss on what to do. Severus was having a crying fit, Ginny was doing all she should could to hold him despite his squirming, Tonks and Remus were staring in confusion, the passersby were looking at him with a mixture of disgust and sympathy, and his two-month-old godson was eyeing the display with an air of curiosity. Move away. Move away from what? With a bewildered shrug, Harry followed his instincts and moved about ten feet away from the table. Severus’ crying immediately subsided into whimpers and he reached for Harry once again.

“Maybe you should use the sling now, rather than the carrier.” Ginny suggested as she approached Harry. Her boyfriend nodded and retrieved the baby sling from his pocket. He enlarged it and quickly switched it with the carrier. When the sling was prepped, Ginny gently laid Severus inside. The baby instantly latched onto his robes with one hand and began sucking the thumb of his other hand.

“Severus,” Ginny started, looking down at the baby within, “Can you tell me what that was all about, love? What happened?” Sev whimpered and held up the ‘scared’ sign after a moment of contemplation. “Scared? Scared of what, sweetheart?”

Then it occurred to Harry—Severus’ violent reaction started the moment Remus took a seat next to him—within his, and therefore Severus’, personal space. “Or whom?”

Sev whined, sticking his thumb back in his mouth and burrowing deeper into the folds of the sling. “Moomy.” He murmured around his thumb.

Harry and Ginny gazed at each other in concern. “Moony.” Harry turned his attention to Severus, rubbing his back soothingly and wrapping his other arm around the sling for good measure, while Ginny glanced at Tonks and Remus with concern. Harry accioed his chair from the table and sat down where he stood. “I’ll talk to him, Gin. Would you mind talking to them?” He gestured towards the table.

“No, sure. I’ll just…go.” Ginny rubbed the back of Sev’s head through the sling once more before going off to reassure the other couple that he was fine.

Harry got as comfortable as he could in his chair before turning to the infant in his arms. He ran his fingers through the child’s soft baby hair until those apprehensive dark orbs were directed towards him. He gave Sev a gently smile meant to ease his nerves. “Alright, cub…let’s talk, shall we?”