The Purple Blankets: A Snarry Tale

Chapter 11 - Kisses and Surprises

The Snapes' first summer with baby Lily faded away too quickly.

Albus celebrated his sixth birthday and Severus and Harriet held a small party for him with the Malfoys and several others in attendance.

Autumn soon arrived, and on one chilly Tuesday, Harriet thoughtfully rose before dawn to begin brewing her husband's morning tea.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed the bed was empty beside her.

Not again.

In a huff, Harriet grabbed her shawl that was lying on the back of a nearby chair and headed to the kitchen. She sniffed as she started to boil the water. Severus preferred it black with no cream or sugar, Harriet knew that well.

The redheaded omega wrapped her shawl around her and shivered in the early morning chill as she yawned.

A quiet little whimper gently called out and broke the silence.

Harriet blinked and stepped out of the kitchen and walked towards the nursery.

The omega peeked in the door of Lily's nursery and when she did, she crossed her arms with a heavy sigh.

Just as she had suspected.

No matter how badly Harriet wanted to smile at the sight, she couldn't.

This was really becoming a problem.

"Severus." Harriet firmly called out.

From his seat in the rocking chair, Severus was startled awake. He blinked as he glanced around blearily. His body was stiff and sore from being held in place through the night from the spell he cast to keep Lily safely cuddled against him.

Severus saw that Harriet was standing in the nursery doorway and little Lily was lying in his arms, gazing up at him while she put a chubby fist to her tiny mouth.

"Severus! I can't believe you did it again!" Harriet cried to her mate.

"She needed me, my love. I couldn't leave her all alone." Severus replied as he stood languidly and walked over to hand the baby to Harriet.

"You're going to have to let her fight through it eventually!" Harriet laughed as she took her daughter, "She's just going to have to cry it out, Sev. You can't hold her while she sleeps for the rest of her life."

Severus narrowed his eyes at Harriet.

Did his wife think that he didn't know that?

What was the harm in him comforting Lily?

His daughter slept better when she was held.

Lily was only a baby. The fact that Severus came to her aid obediently at her first cry and held her through the night, nearly every night, since the day she had been born couldn't be a bad thing, could it?

No, of course not.

"I don't tell you how to mother our children." Severus countered in his smooth, low voice.

"That's because I do such a brilliant job." Harriet retorted arrogantly while she laid Lily against her breast and let her daughter take her breakfast.

Severus looked at Harriet and chuckled at the cheek she gave him. He felt his irritation fade and his heart soften as he watched his omega and their baby.

With a gentle purr, Severus leaned down and kissed Harriet's lips gently as he whispered, "Do you honestly believe you exceed so well at mothering my pups that you need no further instruction on the matter?"