Chapter Text
The nursery car park curved in a neat loop around the front of the building, making drop-offs easy for parents in a hurry. Staff, however, were largely left to fend for themselves.
Most mornings involved circling nearby streets in the hope of finding a space before the school-run traffic swallowed everything.
Sirius had solved the problem years ago when he realised his motorbike fitted perfectly behind the recycling bins. He wasn’t technically meant to park there. McGonagall occasionally gave him a look. But three years later, the bike was still there, tucked neatly against the fence beside the bins. Sirius considered that a win.
He cut the engine and pulled off his helmet. Before he had even reached the front door, he spotted three small faces pressed against the preschool window.
Fred.
George.
Harry.
The twins had their hands stretched out in front of them, making loud, dramatic revving noises. Harry was attempting to copy them with considerably less success.
“Vroooooom!”
“VROOOOOOOM!”
George threw his head back as though performing a particularly dangerous stunt.
Fred leaned sideways, nearly falling off the windowsill.
Sirius couldn’t help grinning.
The twins immediately grinned back and increased the volume.
“VROOOOOOOOOOM!”
Hannah appeared behind them and gently redirected all three children away from the window before they could climb anything else.
The foyer was already busy with early arrivals. A few preschoolers screamed his name, and Lavender wrapped herself around his leg as he attempted to sign in.
“Good morning to you too, Ms Brown.” The toddler giggled and ran to join her friends.
Sirius nodded at Tonks, who was mopping the floors, as he headed upstairs to the staff room, which was more like an attic space management had deemed fit to cram them all into. He shoved his helmet onto the top shelf, dumped his bag inside, checked the growing pile of letters in his pigeonhole, and immediately decided none of them looked urgent enough to ruin his day.
On his way back down, he glanced through the toddler rooms.
Someone, most likely James, had sent up a mini volcano experiment that Remus would probably spend the rest of the day clearing up while James played in the dressing-up area with the kids. Sirius loved his best friend, but he was also very glad he didn’t work in the same room as him.
When he arrived in his own room, he was suddenly overwhelmed with noise, which was an achievement given there were only five children there. Of course, when four of them were Weasleys, you might as well have had thirty.
James was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, seemingly being used as a human colouring book as the children decorated his arms with felt tips.
Ginny was in the book corner with Peter, who was attempting, with little success, to fit pieces into a puzzle. The youngest Weasley had decided they worked better in her mouth.
Fred and George spotted Sirius and immediately began the chant James had taught them.
“Late. Late. Late. There he is. Late, late, late.”
James grinned as Sirius threw a soft toy at him. “I hate you for teaching them that.” Sirius looked at his watch. “And I actually have two minutes before I start.” He walked over to the lunch area and sat down.
James raised an eyebrow as he leaned over Ron and removed a small ball that the toddler clearly intended to ram up his nostril. “We don’t put things in our orifices.”
He then turned his attention back to Sirius, who was making no attempt to do anything.
“What are you doing?”
Sirius looked at his nails.
“I’m waiting.”
“For what?”
Sirius tapped his watch.
“For my two minutes.”
The twins, sensing drama, began to crowd him.
“So, you’re just going to sit and do nothing?” James asked.
Sirius grinned. “Yup.”
Fred tugged his arm. “I need a wee.”
James stood up and walked towards the door. “I suppose I’m doing the toilet run then, as you enjoy your two minutes.”
By 9am, all the staff had arrived for the day, and the preschool was suddenly very full. In one corner, Lily was trying to collect all the babies’ belongings as Pomona sang them some songs. Teddy was sitting on her lap and clapping along. Millicent was being removed from the book tower by Peter, while Susan looked like she was questioning her parents’ choice in placing her here.
Sirius noticed Colin still had his hat on.
“Yes. It is one of Colin’s ‘I shall wear my hat all day’ days,” Lily told him, already sounding tired.
Sirius didn’t envy her. While the baby room was lovely when they were all asleep, having six of them awake was, from his limited experience, a different matter entirely.
“Right, get your things and line up,” James told his toddlers.
Lavender was the first to line up, well, if holding hands with Seamus and Dennis counted as lining up. Fred and George immediately took this to mean collect items from this room you wish to smuggle out. As Remus counted them and began to lead them out of the room, James searched the boys.
“Nope.”
He pulled a paintbrush out of Fred’s pocket.
“Definitely not.”
Sirius raised an eyebrow as James held Hannah’s car keys in his hand.
George grinned mischievously.
“I keep safe Hannah.”
Hannah leaned down. “How kind of you, George.”
James pushed the twins out of the room. “Do not encourage them. Last week, they stole—or ‘kept safe’—Kingsley’s car keys and refused to tell anyone where they were until almost 7pm!”
Preschool Two were the last to leave.
Chloe moved slowly, one hand resting unconsciously on her growing bump as she checked names off with practised calm. She only had a few weeks left before maternity leave now.
It had been Chloe who had shown him the ropes when he first joined. She was always the person to go to, the one who made things feel right even when they didn’t. Sirius knew he was going to miss her.
“Right,” Luna said brightly, clapping her hands once. “Shoes on, everyone. Remember to tiptoe in case there are any sleeping mice.”
The children did not tiptoe, and Sirius felt mildly sorry for any baby mice that might be using the preschool floorboards as a home.
Harry stood near the door, looking heartbroken as he watched Draco adjust his coat.
“Bye, Raco,” he said, like it was a lifelong separation rather than a room change.
Draco sighed in the way only Draco could manage at preschool age. “I told you, my name is Draco.”
Harry nodded solemnly. “Sorry, Raco.”
Across the room, Neville had attached himself to Luna’s leg with quiet determination.
Luna gently patted his head. “We shall survive the great and terrifying journey of the corridor.”
Neville tightened his grip slightly, clearly not willing to risk it alone.
Near the carpet area, Hermione was already taking charge as she always did, regardless of whether it was her room or not.
“No, we line up properly,” she said firmly, guiding a small group into something resembling a line. “We go sensibly. Inside voices. No pushing.”
She paused, then added, “We are not a herd of elephants.”
Vincent and Gregory looked rather bemused by this comment as they lined up behind Pansy.
Luna beamed at her. “That is very helpful, Hermione.”
Hermione looked pleased with herself, like this was exactly the sort of responsibility she had been waiting for.
Chloe smiled as she watched them, one hand resting again on her bump.
From the doorway, Sirius leaned in just long enough to catch her eye.
“You’re still leaving us then?” he asked.
Chloe gave him a look that was half fond, half exhausted. “Unless you plan to deliver this little one?”
She patted her stomach.
Sirius grinned. “I’m sure Hermione could.”
They both chuckled, glancing over at Hermione as she led the group out of the room.
“Of that,” Chloe said, “I have no doubt.”
On the circle time rug, the group gathered, looking at Hannah expectantly. In her lap she held the circle time board with the days of the week.
“Right,” she said gently. “Can anyone tell me what day of the week it is?”
Dudley’s hand shot up. “Saturday.”
Hannah smiled. “Almost. Shall we do it together?”
The group nodded and began to count through the days from Saturday to the current day, Wednesday.
“So, if it was Tuesday yesterday, what day is it today?”
“Wednesday,” Hermione announced proudly.
Hannah smiled. “That is right, Hermione.” She clapped her hands. “Good job, everyone.” She then went through the date and month, before Harry helpfully told everyone the weather was “rubbish.”
Sirius chuckled as he sorted the activities out. He had clearly learnt that word from James.
Hannah began reading The Very Clever Monkey as Sirius pulled the letter sheets out of a plastic wallet and placed them on the handwriting table with some pencils. He checked the planning board and set up the sand tray with combs and brushes for mark making. After placing some blocks on the carpet and some loose materials on the art table, the room was ready.
The children flocked to their areas after Hannah named them. They were always encouraged to spend a few moments in their chosen area before moving on.
Sirius sat at the writing table. Harry joined him. He watched as the little boy picked the letter D to trace. The whole nursery knew about his crush on Draco. Sirius couldn’t blame him; he himself always went for the slightly out-of-reach man.
Harry traced the shape first with his finger. “D,” he said.
“That’s right, Harry.”
“D for Draco.”
Before Sirius could respond, Dudley interjected, “And D for Dudley.”
Sirius smiled and made a note in the book. Dudley and Harry were two of his key children. He spent another five minutes with both boys, testing what other letters they knew before Dudley declared he needed snack.
“Right, well I guess I had better get to that,” he joked to Hannah, who was sitting in the home area cradling a baby. “I can see you have your hands full.”
“One piece,” Hermione instructed the small group around the snack table as Sirius cut an orange. “You must finish that first,” she told Dudley, who tried to take another piece before finishing the one in his mouth.
Sirius smiled to himself. Really, Hermione should have been in the older preschool. She was far too advanced for this room, but her parents had insisted she move up with her friends, and Sirius was secretly thankful for her help at times.
When all the children finished snack, he and Hannah did the toilet run and then wrestled the reluctant children into coats. It was early May, so he knew most coats would end up scattered around the garden, but rules were rules.
As soon as he stepped into the garden, he noticed the twins climbing. That wasn’t a big deal; the children were encouraged, when an adult was present, to climb the trees. Clearly, the most troublesome Weasleys had decided trees were below them and were instead scaling the wooden playhouse. Sirius had to choke back a laugh as Remus tried to coax Fred down and slipped backwards into a pile of leaves.
Fred instantly jumped down, and Sirius watched as Lily tried to help Remus up while Fred immediately threw more leaves over him.
“Fredrick Weasley. You will leave your poor teacher alone.”
Fred froze at the sound of his mother’s voice from the kitchen window and fled.
Sirius couldn’t really blame him. He loved Molly and her cooking, but she did slightly terrify him at times.
“Right,” Sirius tried to give his group the usual behave in the garden speech, only to find the only child still standing there was Hermione.
“I told them to wait,” the little girl told him with a stubborn look.
Sirius took her hand and walked down the steps, letting go as she spotted her friends and ran off. He noticed a group of children near the little river area and went to supervise. Draco was dropping pebbles into the water; he instantly froze when he saw Sirius.
Picking up a big pebble, Sirius dropped it into the water, causing a large splash. Draco looked stunned, then smiled brightly and copied him. Soon, Sirius had a fan club and a group of rather wet children.
“I see you are having fun, Mr Black, but perhaps aprons would be appropriate?”
He turned to see the nursery manager, Minerva, standing outside the trees with a clipboard.
The kids legged it. Little traitors.
By the time lunchtime arrived, Sirius had built six sandcastles, taken part in a skipping challenge, chased a group of children around the garden, and filled in two accident forms.
He was knackered.
Hannah took the children to the toilet and to wash their hands while Sirius set up the beds for sleep and got everything ready for the tables. The staff encouraged children to get their own cups and plates, which they did when they returned.
The smell of shepherd’s pie filled the room as Molly pushed a trolley with food and vegetables into the room. The children instantly sat up straighter so they could be served first.
Sirius was halfway through his own plate when Kingsley arrived to cover his break. Sirius took another spoonful of food.
“You can’t have seconds until you finish your first,” Hermione told him as he attempted to sneak out of the room.
In the staff room, Chloe was stretched across one sofa, leaving one other sofa that Remus, Lily, and Peter were crammed onto. Sirius decided the floor was the safest option.
“So, any news on who is covering you when you’re on leave?” he asked.
Chloe sighed, not even opening her eyes. “You ask me this every day.”
Sirius grinned. “That’s because every day I want to know.”
Remus rolled his eyes. “All you want to know is if they’re hot and single.”
“You wound me,” Sirius said, placing a hand on his chest. “It isn’t my fault half the nursery is already married off to each other. You stole Tonks from me, so I deserve someone.”
Remus threw a cushion at him. “You went on one date with my wife and she ran for the hills.”
Lily snorted a laugh as Peter became very interested in his own food.
“It was the best date she ever had,” Sirius insisted.
Remus looked at him. “You took her to an adult soft play.”
Sirius grinned as he finished his food and lay back on his elbows. “Yup. And she loved it.”
“So much she ran into my arms and immediately married me so she would never have to suffer it again,” Remus said, eyes closed, clearly trying to nap.
Sirius tickled him behind the knee, knowing exactly where he was sensitive.
“Do you think you two could stop acting like toddlers and let me sleep?” Chloe scolded from the sofa.
“At least you get to escape this for nine months soon,” Lily complained, not looking up from her phone. “I am going to be stuck with them forever.”
The afternoon was spent largely with Sirius attempting to do the activity he had suggested at planning—toilet roll space rockets—with little success.
“You don’t do it like that,” Hermione informed him, taking his hands and positioning them properly. A toilet roll sat between them as she began wrapping it in sticky-backed tape. “Like this.”
Sirius held the now half-decent rocket up in quiet amazement.
“Fly, fly it!” Fred screamed in his ear as he ran across the room.
Sirius leaned back slightly, his trousers already covered in glue and glitter.
“Calm down, Fred.”
“Me George,” the toddler grinned.
Nope. He had definitely brought Fred in for a settling-in session. He was not playing this game.
Hermione placed her hands on her hips and wagged a finger in Fred’s face. Sirius gently moved it aside before she could escalate further.
“You are Frederick.”
The twin—whoever he currently was—just laughed. “George. George.”
Five minutes later, and after a quick call to Remus, it was confirmed the twin was indeed Fred.
Deciding to play the child at his own game, Sirius gathered up the rockets.
“It’s a shame Fred isn’t here to help us,” he said, not looking directly at him.
Hannah caught on immediately. “Oh, I know he would have loved to come into the garden and fly these. It’s a shame we’ve got George instead.”
Sirius hid a smile as Fred looked increasingly confused.
“Me Fred,” he said, tugging on Hannah’s sleeve.
“Oh, would you look at that, Sirius,” Hannah said brightly. “Fred is here after all.”
After an afternoon of trying to get toilet roll rockets out of trees and fishing half of them out of the river, Sirius was more than ready for home time. Early shifts were the only mercy in a job like this—finishing at 4:20 instead of half six felt almost luxurious.
Twenty minutes to go. In any normal job, that meant the end was already decided. In childcare, it meant absolutely nothing.
He was sitting on the story rug with Ron, Ginny, and Lavender, midway through a book about a unicorn that was clearly being read far too calmly for how his day was going, when the scream cut through the room.
Everything stopped.
Pomona burst in from the garden, Seamus balanced on her hip and grinning like he had just had the best idea of his life. The lump on his forehead suggested otherwise.
“Fred,” Pomona said, as if that explained everything.
Which, in fairness, it did.
Luna was already moving, grabbing an accident form and an ice pack without needing further instruction.
“Me. Fred. Jump,” Seamus announced proudly, kicking his legs slightly as if demonstrating the physics.
Pomona adjusted him. “He decided Fred would catch him from the climbing frame. And to be fair—he did.”
“Bang!” Seamus added, delighted with himself.
A few staff let out the kind of laugh that came from relief more than amusement. Sirius didn’t join in straight away.
“Oh no,” he said flatly. “Someone’s got to call his mum.”
He was already mentally walking out of the building. He wasn’t even scheduled for—
“I’d brace yourself,” Chloe said from the sofa corner. “She’s going to lose her mind.”
Sirius slowly turned his head. “Why do I feel like that was unnecessary information?”
Hannah appeared beside him with the accident form held out like a weapon.
“No,” he said immediately. “I am done. I am leaving. I am not—”
He checked the clock.
4:25.
Hannah didn’t move. “It really won’t take long.”
It took forty-five minutes to convince Mrs Finnigan that Seamus was alive, unbroken, and not in need of emergency services, and that yes—she could collect him at normal time.
Which, when he checked his watch, was in ten minutes.
He did what he should have done forty-five minutes ago: grabbed his bag and escaped while he still could.