Chapter One; A Big Brother

Harry was a very excited five year old boy. For his grandma and grandpa Evans had been staying with him for the weekend while his mother and newly adoptive father were at the hospital. His mother had just given birth to another beautiful baby boy, and Harry (who was extremely) bright for his age knew that meant he had a new baby brother. Harry had always wanted to be a big brother ever since he could talk, and he couldn't wait to meet him.

His parents would be bringing him home from the hospital tomorrow, and Harry could finally find out what his name was and what he looked like since his parents wanted to surprise him. That night after his grandmother read him a story, tucked him in, and kissed him goodnight. Harry could hardly sleep because he was so anxious to meet his brother. Eventually he did manage to close his eyes and drift off to sleep, but he woke up extremely early and darted into the guest room jumped up on the bed and demanded that his grandparents wake up so that he could have breakfast and see the new baby.

"Go back to sleep Harry, it's six-thirty in the morning." His grandmother responded with a groan and a roll of her eyes before she rolled back over onto her side. She had had red hair like his mother but blue eyes instead of green. Before he knew it she was sound asleep again and snoring heavily. So after he failed to convince his grandfather to get up out of bed, Harry breathed a heavy sigh and climbed off the bed forced to go back into his own bedroom.

"I love being a kid but it sure is tough sometimes." He began to himself. "Nobody ever takes you seriously when you're five years old." He finished before climbing back into his own bed and eventually falling back asleep. A few hours later his bedroom door slowly cracked open and he could hear the soothing sound of his mother's voice.

"Harry, it's time to wake up sweetheart." She began. "I have somebody out here who wants to meet his big brother." She explained before she walked over to his bed and gently shook him awake.

"Good morning Mummy," he began groggily with a sleepy yawn barely having the strength to keep his eyes open. "what time is it?" he asked her.

"Nine-thirty, your father and I just got home about half an hour ago. I would say that you sure slept in for somebody who was up at the crack of dawn trying to wake up Grandma and Grandpa." She told him with a loving smile as she sat down at the side of his bed. "What do you say? Do you want to get up and meet Tobey?" she asked him.

"Who's Tobey?" he asked her as he rubbed his eyes and finally managed to open them as she stifled a laugh.

"He's your new brother. We decided to name him Tobias Elliot Snape after your other grandfather." She explained. "But we're calling him Tobey for short since that is quite a mouthful." She told him and then suddenly picked him up and hoisted him inside her arms before carrying him out into the living room where his father was already waiting for him.

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering when you would get up." He told him with a grin as Harry smiled back at him.

"Good morning Daddy, where's Tobey?" Harry wondered.

"I guess that means that your mother has already told you his name then." Snape began. "He's still in his cradle, he just woke up from his first morning nap and I figured that would be a great time to introduce you boys to each other." He finished before Lily handed Harry over to him and he carried him down the hallway. Harry heard the sound of his little brother's quiet cries as they neared closer to the nursery.

That's when all of a sudden his father flipped on the light and held him up to look inside the tiny blue cradle with a bright big blue bow on the front of it. Sure enough there was a tiny infant inside of it. He short black hair like Harry had and bright green eyes. "He looks just like me." Harry realized as Tobey finally stopped crying and blinked his eyes innocently up at him.

Snape smiled warmly at them before placing a small kiss on the top of Harry's head. "I know he does." He told him. "I can't believe how tiny he is though." He added before Tobey closed his tiny little eyes and started to cry again.

"Why is he crying?" Harry asked.

"He's hungry. Your mother's heating up some milk for him because she figured that you would want to hold him and feed him." His father explained.

"You mean I could?" Harry questioned his father with as he looked up at him with uncertainty and disbelief.

"Yes, you can. You just have to remember to be really careful with him since babies are very delicate." He told him.

"What does that mean?" Harry wondered.

"It means that it's really easy for them to get hurt and we don't want that to happen to Tobey." His father explained.

"No of course not, I don't want anything to happen to him." Harry replied quickly shaking his head. "I promise I'll be careful with him." He assured him.

"I know you well." Snape told him before setting him back down on the ground and sliding his hands under the baby and scooped him up inside his arms. He softly hushed him trying to soothe his crying before kissing his forehead and carrying him out into the living room in which Harry instinctively followed him. "Sit down on the couch Harry and hold out your arms, and make sure to support his head." He explained before he laid Tobey inside his arms. The baby instantly stopped crying and looked up at him.

Snape had guessed that was because he had already sensed Harry was his big brother. Harry smiled down at him as he blinked back up at him and grabbed ahold of one of his fingers before starting to pull it towards his mouth.

"Boy, he sure is strong." Harry began as Lily smiled as she walked into the living room with Tobey's bottle while he continued to suck on one of Harry's fingers.

"Here, give this to Tobey." She told him as she handed him the bottle and Harry took it with his other free hand.

"Here you go Tobey." Harry told him as he placed the nipple to his lips. Tobey finally let go of Harry's finger and started to drink his milk. "He's so cute, I can't believe that I'm actually holding my baby brother." Harry said with a grin and a breath of astonishment while his parents exchanged smiles and then smiled down at the two boys as they watched them from afar.

"Harry and Tobey are going to be the best of friends. I just know it." Lily said as Harry smiled down at the baby and bent down to kiss the top of his head. He already loved him at once, and he silently swore to himself that he would always be there to protect him.