A/N: I still don't own Harry Potter or any related characters. Stella Lyra is my own creation.

Severus woke to the sound of a baby screaming. He shook the remnants of the dream he'd been having and rose from the bed. Hermione was still asleep. He smiled at her. The crying didn't cease now that he was awake.

For a moment, he was confused. He didn't have any children. There was no reason for a baby to be crying in his home. His eyes scanned the room, falling on the drawer Hermione had transfigured the night before. Stella Lyra.

"You weren't just a dream then," he muttered, crossing the room and sweeping the screaming infant into his arms. "Now, why are you crying and waking me this early?" he asked. The child didn't answer, but continued to wail.

He tried to remember what one would normally do with a screaming baby, other than hand the child back to their parents. His eyes landed on the stack of nappies.

"Honestly, I should wake Hermione. Make her change you, she's the one so dead set on keeping you, Miss Stella."

The baby looked up at him, her blue eyes wide. Severus pretended he didn't notice. Instead, he changed her nappy quickly, scorgifying the dirty one before adding to the laundry pile.

"You're probably hungry too, aren't you?" he asked. Stella Lyra let out a cry causing Hermione to finally stir.

"Morning" she yawned, looking over at her husband and the baby. She smiled.

"That's cute, you two are bonding."

Severus stalked over to the bed and handed Stella to Hermione.

"If you call changing a moist nappy bonding," he started.

"I would," she said, rocking Stella. "I'm guessing she wants breakfast?"

"That would be the logical assumption. Then we can take her to the ministry and sort this whole mess out once and for all."

"Or we could just sign the papers, become her parents, send them by owl, and have a nice family breakfast?" Hermione suggested, giving Severus a smile. He shook his head watching her get up and walk towards the kitchen to get breakfast for Stella.

"We discussed this last night."

"So? Didn't mean you haven't changed your mind."

"I have not," he stated, pretending he didn't see Stella looking at him.

"Fine, we can go the ministry after breakfast. There is no way I'm dealing with that brand of madness on an empty stomach, or without coffee," Hermione stated. Severus followed her to the kitchen.

She was still carrying Stella, while making breakfast, and making a bottle for the child.

"Would you like me to hold her? Free up one of your arms?" he asked, after a moment. Hermione turned and wordlessly handed him the child.

He took her, looked down into her big blue eyes.

"She's not so bad when she's not screaming," he commented. Stella reached up and grabbed a strand of his hair. Hermione laughed, shaking her head. As she turned her back to them, she couldn't help but smile. They would be going to the ministry after breakfast, but she highly doubted Severus would be doing anything more than turning in the signed paperwork making them officially Stella Lyra's new parents.