Chapter Text
Severus Snape had, years before the war, thought about starting a family. Those thoughts had usually involved a certain red-haired woman, a baby with pretty green eyes and the hope for a future in which things were okay. It had been a nice fantasy, but it was exactly just that: a fantasy.
Lily married James Potter, had her green-eyed baby, then got killed by Voldemort. The only way in which Severus was involved in that was by being partially culpable for that last part.
In the present days, starting a family, having children, all that jazz, barely passed through Severus’ mind. He had other things to do than to dream of futures he couldn’t have. However, when Dumbledore, that bloody old man, told him about the Death Eater’s children situation, he saw himself unable to say no. And yes, maybe six children was a bit of a stretch from his original idea, but if he was going to accept one, he was going to accept them all.
So yeah, that’s how Severus Snape ended up the step father of six one-year-old children at twenty-one. He probably should have thought that through.
“You are a very good man for doing this, Severus” Dumbledore told him as they both transfigured and changed the house to accommodate its new residents. “Lily would be proud”
Severus just hummed in response to that. He imagined saying no, she fucking wouldn’t was not the best way to speak to a person like Dumbledore, so he kept quiet. It was something he had become good at, keeping quiet. Lying to the Dark Lord’s face made that to a person.
“I’ll be giving you a monthly payment” Dumbledore continued “To help with the expenses.”
“I’ll be immensely grateful, Professor”
It was Dumbledore’s turn to hum. The old man shook his wand abruptly and the walls became a very light shade of green. Severus would find the wordless magic impressive if he hadn’t witnessed much more from Dumbledore. They kept working in silence for a few moments.
“I want you to keep studying potions, Severus” Dumbledore stated.
Snape frowned, his brief lack of concentration almost making the chair into half of a crib.
“May I ask why, Professor?” He asked.
“I want you to teach it at Hogwarts, once the kids grow older. I think you’ll benefit from it.”
“That’s…quite the offer, I must say”
“You’ll do well”
Severus just let himself agree to it. Dumbledore was not one to discuss with.
They finished the preparations around five and Severus went to prepare them both some tea while Dumbledore finished up the paperwork for the official adoption.
“Will you want them to have your surname, Severus?” Dumbledore asked from where he sat on the coffee table.
“I’ll leave it for them to choose.” Snape answered, quickly muttered a leviosa to pour the boiling water into the awaiting cups and opened his cabinets to look for the tea bags “Just let it go blank”
“As you wish”
Years before, Severus had fantasized many things, many futures, many places where his future self could be. None of those ideas ended up with him and Dumbledore drinking tea while they waited for his six children to arrive.
“Nervous?” Dumbledore asked.
Snape stopped for a second, thought about everything he did before that exact moment. He brought his teacup to his lips, sipping a bit of the hot liquid.
“Not at all” He answered.
+++
After only two months of living with six children around the house, Severus became e master in levitating spells. He was already able do to them wordlessly, his next step being doing them without his wand. Ambitious, he would say, but he had plenty of chances to practice.
“No-, Draco, let go of the vial, it’ll explode if you keep shaking it like- Theo, no!”
In hindsight, bringing children to his study had been a recipe for disaster from the start. So much for wanting them to start early. Nevermind that Draco and Theodore were the most behaved out of the six children, leave it up to them to let curiosity win and almost swallow potions strong enough to make them sleep for days.
Not that it would be such a bad thing…
“You guys are making me think like a criminal” Snape scolded the two children “I hope you are both ashamed”
“Gween!” Draco shouted back, unfazed, holding up the vial with the very explosive liquid.
“Explosive!” Snape told the small kid, moving the wand so the vial floated to the highest shelf he had.
Draco pouted at him. Snape couldn’t really pay It much mind as he was currently trying to save Theo from falling inside a cauldron.
“You are both banned” He told the children when he got them both on his arms and closed the study for the day.
Draco just pouted again. Theodore didn’t seem to care that much.
“Let’s find your brothers and your sister, shall we?” Snape proposed “They are probably playing with Dobby”
“Dowby!” Theo said excitedly.
“Yeah, Theo. I’m sure he’ll be happy to play with you.”
“Play!” Draco shouted too.
“That’s the plan”
Dobby and the others were at the living room, all of them drawing in a big malformed circle.
“Master Snape!” Dobby addressed him politely before turning to the two children he was carrying. “Hello!”
“Dowby!” Theo answered animatedly.
Dobby smiled and them as Snape let them both down, booping Draco’s nose to make him laugh.
“Let’s draw!” The elf said, quickly summoning more drawing material to the two new members of the not-quite-a-circle.
Snape used the moment to walk around for a bit and see what the other children were drawing. (A bunch of colored scribbles, that’s what they were drawing). Greg’s vaguely resembled an apple.
“What’s that, Greg?” Severus asked the child.
“Dog” Greg explained.
Maybe an apple dog. Children surely were creative.
“The dinner will be ready soon, Master Snape” Dobby told him “Tiky is almost done, she tell me!”
“Thank you, Dobby” Severus got up “I’ll be in my study”
As if he sensed it, Draco’s head shot up.
“Gween!” He screamed, motioning to be picked up by Severus.
“You were banned, Draco” Snape told him, actually putting effort into not falling for those cute chubby arms and puppy eyes. “ No more potions lab for you”
“Gweeeeeen” Draco complained again and well, Severus was weak.
He sighed, rolled his eyes once and promptly picked Draco up.
“Please call us when the dinner is ready, Dobby” He told the elf as he walked away
“Dobby will do sir!”
Back to his study, Snape was quick to prepare a non-explosive green liquid to make Draco happy and out of danger. The blond child opened the biggest of smiles upon seeing the vial, reaching out to take it and almost falling out of the table in the process.
“I hope you keep on enjoying potions this much” Snape told the baby who completely ignored him.
Severus just smiled and went back to work.