Phoebe James was the best mother in the world. Best co-mother, that is. She had Finneas tucked under her arm while she read her History of Magic text, occasionally reading out the goriest bits to him. He needed to know what the world was like. It was important that he not grow up thinking that things were safe.

"And then everyone died, probably. Don't kill people, Finneas. Jail is terrible. I should know, because I almost went to prison back in France. Don't go to France, Finneas. It's also terrible." She stroked the top of his little fuzzy head. "We need snacks. Do you want snacks? WHO HAS SNACKS?"

Bernie burst into the dorm with an armload of food and snacks, mostly for her and Phoebe, but one bottle, full of whatever this doll-child took, was also balanced in the crook of her arm. "I HAVE SNACKS!" she announced in reply to her co-parent, dropping them all on Phoebe's bed with a big HUZZAH!

Except the bottle, of course. She didn't just DUMP THAT OUT because, like, she knew how to parent and stuff.

"It's Finneas' food time!" Bernie held the baby-feed up to the light like it was something to be admired. "The house elves made it for me. Think it's right?"

"Momma Bernie has snacks!" Phoebe dropped her book and scooped up Finneas. "Hi, Momma Bernie. I'm sure if the elves made it, that it's perfect." She offered the baby over to her co-parent. Since Bernie had the bottle, Bernie was going to do the feeding, right?

Phoebe plopped back down next to the snacks and wriggled into her pajamas. "Being a mum is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I mean, I guess it's fun." It was not fun. The baby was always there.

Perfect as the bottle may be, Bernie had a feeling it was going to make the baby wet its nappy. But if she fed it, she could probably make Phoebe do the dirty business of changing him. So she picked up her son and tried to balance him in her arm whilst also supporting his head and holding the bottle at just the right angle. Naturally, Finneas started making whining, crying noises as though she wasn't feeding him fast enough.

"Ugh, this is tricky," Bernie complained, setting herself down on the floor at the foot of Phoebe's bed. She would be able to balance the baby better this way. "I knowwwww," she agreed with her co-parent as she plugged Finneas' mouth with the bottle. "Isn't raising a baby the same for Muggles OR wizards???" They both needed bottles and nappies and pacifiers and prams, right? So why was this a Muggle Studies project? Ughhhhh.

Was it the same? Phoebe tried to remember the people in her life who had a baby, and how it had gone, but Kizzy was just a few years younger and all her cousins were well out of nappies now. Maybe Julian, but Aunt Alice wouldn't let Phoebe close to him while he was tiny.

"I think that babies are hard no matter what magic is available." Phoebe rolled down the bed and peered at Finneas. "I could use a charm to hold up the bottle. Did Pro-Schmoe specifically say NO magic?"

Well, this was true. "They do like to wake us up at night," Bernie agreed. She'd successfully gotten the bottle to go into Finneas' mouth so now he was, at least, a little bit quieter. She looked up at her friend with a shruggle.

"Dunno...." ehehehehe. She didn't need the charm now, but maybe later they should try it. "Should we try levitating Finneas for fun? What do wizard babies play with?" Phoebe should know this. She'd been a wizard baby once. "It's kind of weird parenting a doll-baby...." And carrying him everywhere, to every class, and all that... it was exhausting.

What did Wizarding babies play with? They played with... toys. what did Muggle babies play with? Phoebe cocked her head at Bernie and wondered if maybe Muggle babies were supposed to be given spoons and salt shakers to play with. Muggles were weird.

"Let's levitate him after we burp him. I don't want him throwing up on me again. It's so gross." She stuck the end of a licorice wand into her mouth.

Ooh. "Yes, let's," Bernie beamed, as Finneas noisy finished sucking down that bottle. "Do real babies eat this fast, or is Finneas just a growing boy?" she wondered, rather amazed at how hangry this dollbaby had been. She picked him up as he let out a content sigh and started bouncing him on her knee. "Oops, I need a bib or towel thingy." What was it called again?

"A burp cloth?" Bernie's eyes went wide as Finneas' face seemed to look a bit queasy. "Quick, Mama James!" Their kid was about to B L O W!!!

"On it!" Phoebe threw herself down the bed, rolling off the end and coming to land at Bernie's feet with a burping cloth raised in the air. "We are SO good at this. Even though babies are just impossible and awful and loud and messy. Except you, Finneas, you are perfection itself."

She didn't want to negatively impact his self esteem or whatever. "I don't really know any real babies. I have to believe he's pretty close to real."

OMG was Finneas listening to and recording everything they were saying?!!? AHHHHHHHHHHHH that was R I G H T?! Oh noes. Shooooooooot. What stupid things had she said already?! She'd forgotten that!

"UH, RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT," Bernie replied L O U D L Y, nodding and making EYES at Phoebe over Finneas' head. "OUR baby is PERFECT. He is a G I F T from the professor. He is the BEST. Such a sweet babe. An angel. Truly. Just like his namesake. Honestly, could there BE a better baby? NO WAY. NO HOW."

She nodded and bobbed the baby against the cloth, which she'd tossed over her shoulder. "Seh cute. A great bby. SHhhhhHHHhhh shhhh shhhhhhhhhh, son." Uh huh. Anyway. They needed a new topic to talk about?

"At what age did you get your first broom?" she queried her friend. This was a good topic for childrearing.

"At what age did I first ride on a broom? Or when did they give me my own broom?" Phoebe tipped over to see if Finneas had done his burping yet. Why was Bernie looking at her like that? Making those weird faces with her eyes and her... what? WHAT, BERNIE?

"You know my dad was a professional Quidditch player? And my grandma was a coach? I had one of those baby levitating brooms. I had a broom car seat!"

Having never really ridden on a broom herself, Bernie did not know the answer to that question, or how the two were different??? She also did not know those things about Phoebe's family, because she wasn't into quidditch and didn't follow it like, at all???? Had Phoebe told her this before?????

"Uhhhh," the second year stalled, patting Finneas on the back just a few more times to really be sure he was done burping. "So what you're saying is, we should totally get Finneas a baby broom. Maybe a baby broom swing thingy, that babies like to rock in??" A glider, was it?

She tugged the baby off her shoulder and held him out, smiling at him. "Okay. Your turn!"

"My turn!" Phoebe accepted Finneas and gave him a gentle toss in the air. Just a foot or so, and he was caught easily enough. What a good baby he was. "Finny Finny Finneas. How about a nap?"

Babies liked sleep, right? "We should make him something like what you're talking about. Maybe borrow a school broom for it? I can't afford one of those fancy broom gliders. Bet their really nice, though."

"A broom glider!!!" So they WERE real! Bernie liked the sound of that. "Yes, of course. Our son is going to be a professor...er, professional quidditch player, if he wants to be, so he can have sweet dreams of waffles and stitches, bludgeons and hoops and things." All that Quidditch stuff, yes yes.

She busied herself with making a little nest/nap area for Finneas, on Phoebe's bed of course, and then settled in to watch the two of them. D'aww. Would she mind terribly if Bernie made the baby float? She just couldn't resist this moment.... quietly, the second year cast a gentle wingardium leviosa at Finneas the babe.

"Maybe a professor AND a Quidditch player, like my daddy," Phoebe curled up next to the nest on her bed and tucked Finneas into it, pulling the blanket up over him until he was totally hidden.

Why was he floating away?

"Um, Bernie? Our baby is... he IS MAGICAL! He did the thing!" Could fake babies do the thing? The magic thing? Was that even possible?

"Yes, of course!" Bernie had SO MANY QUESTIONS for Phoebe's dad, or about her dad, like who did he play for???? And what did he teach???? And had he ever taught at Hogwarts before????????????? ANd could she MEET HIM??!?????????

So many questions.

Like how was Finneas floating right now? The baby doll didn't seem bothered by it, at least, as he almost appeared to be smiling and gurgling! "He's a real boy!" she cheered, subtly twitching her wand under the blankets so that Finneas did a slow little spin in the air.

To say Naya was exhausted was an understatement. Baby Sierra was a good baby in general, but baby sleep patterns usually did not coincide with parent sleep patterns. Sierra, it seemed, liked to sleep during the day. Unfortunately, that meant that she was wide awake at night.

Naya had finally gotten Sierra to sleep, but now she was crying........a lot. The fifth year/mommy got up and went over to her baby. She picked her up and held her close. ”What’s the matter Sisi? Are you hungry or wet?” Knowing the drill by now, Naya laid the baby down and checked her diaper. Wet. Well at least that was better than the alternative. She retrieved a fresh diaper and proceed to change Sierra. After disposing of the diaper, she picked her baby up and rocked her. “Does that feel better?” It had to feel better. Being wet and soggy could not feel good.

Sierra was quiet for a minute, but then started to cry again. Naya rocked her gently, hoping that they wouldn’t wake the entire dorm. Rocking did not seem to be working, so she fetched a bottle and sat down on her bed. “Hungry baby? Mama’s got something good for you.”Once she gave Sierra the bottle, the baby quieted and seemed content. Naya got as comfortable as she could while she continued to feed Sierra. She definitely had new respect for her mother, for all mothers really. Motherhood was no easy task. That was for sure.

Finally, Sierra finished her bottle and seemed satisfied. Naya grabbed a burp cloth and placed it on her shoulder. Then she placed the baby on her shoulder and began to burp her. After what seemed like an eternity, the little one let out an adult sized burp. Naya continued to hold her against her chest and began to sing very, very slowly and softly. ”You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” Before she knew it, Sierra was asleep again. Naya put her to bed and then climbed into bed herself. Hopefully she could get a few hours sleep before class.