Blake was exhausted!!! He hadn't slept all night, their 'baby' was up crying half the time and when it wasn't crying it wanted to be held anyway. How did real grown ups do this. Were real babies this bad??? They couldn't be ... this was just a trick to make students not want to have babies to young ... obviously real babies slept sometimes right ... they had to... otherwise why would adults keep having them????? Lost in his train of thought... Blake heard Ellie yelling out again..

"WWWWWWWAAAAAAA" his tiny creature began. Blake sighing and without even realizing what he was doing picked the baby up and began to rock it ... but it just wouldn't stop crying..

"WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAa" Blake starting to look around for rescue.

What in the NAME OF MERLIN was that awful sound ringing throughout the common room?! An annoyed-looking Isla Bellchant left the calmness and peacefulness of her dorm room and headed toward the sound. If the sound was what she thought it was, and she very afraid it was, then it was partly her job to take care of the sound.

"Tell me that's not Ellie," she mumbled, as she approached Blake. She knew it was, though. What elsecould it be? She sighed and sat down beside them. "What's wrong with her? What have you tried?" she asked. She cringed a little when their baby let out another wail. "Want me to give it a try?" She honestly just wanted to run far away, but she didn't want to leave Blake all alone with Ellie.

Hopefully this wasn't a dirty diaper...

Blake was incredibly grateful to see Isla, whew, okay good, now he had help! "She's been dong this all night." He added. Blake handed Ellie off to Isla and began searching the diaper bag for the bottle and a new diaper. "Well I just fed her not that long ago, but who knows babies are a mystery." He was beginning to think that he never wanted to kids. Professor Schmoe had done his job in that department ... Blake had no intentions of ever having a real baby now!

"Here, want to try and feed her again?" Blake added offering the bottle up to Isla, at least they were working together on this. Some of the students had decided to parent alone.... Blake didn't think that he could do that ... at least he would get some sleep tonight .. it was Isla's turn to take the baby right?

Isla cringed as the baby...her baby...released another wail. If Ellie didn't stop, every Slytherin within a half-mile vicinity would start hexing all three of them. She accepted the baby, and dug into the diaper bag for a burp cloth. "Maybe she just needs to be burped," she said. Had Blake known to do that? The only reason Isla knew to do it was because she had two younger siblings. She draped the cloth over her shoulder and gently laid Ellie down on her shoulder, as well.

*tap, tap, tap, tap, tap*

Isla patted Ellie's back the same way she'd seen her mom do for Ava and Oliver. As she did this, she rocked back and forth ever so slightly.

*BURRRRRPPPPPP*

Isla paused, completely wide-eyed, and made a look of disgust. "Eww," she mumbled. Their baby had just burped like a cow. Ellie was still crying, although not as much. Isla fumbled through the diaper bag a second time until she pulled out a tiny mat. She spread it out across the couch then laid Ellie down on it. She sighed, gave Blake a look, then said, "Can you pass me the wipes and a fresh diaper?"

Blake's mouth nearly dropped to the floor. "Did that sound just come out of her?" He added, that was probably the loudest belch he had ever heard and to come out of a baby ... an not even a real baby at that. Jeepers.

But then even the massive burp didn't seem to help her, she was still fussy. And then, Isla seemed to have figured it out and Blake sighed with relief, he had changed one of those diapers in the the middle of the night and it sucked, so he was glad to see Isla willing to do it today.

Digging in their bag that seemed to go with them every where now, he pulled up the required items. "Thanks for doing this." He added sitting down next to his 'family.' He'd be there to help if needed, but was super glad this one was on Isla. "Want to take her for a walk around the lake later?" That seemed like a family thing to do right?? Was the required? Family time? Or just making sure the 'baby' stayed alive?

Isla made a face and nodded. "It did. You'd think we had just fed her a steak and baked potatoes or something," she said. She took the items from Blake and set to work changing the diaper. "Blake?" she asked, and suddenly her voice was softer and weaker. She looked down at Ellie and sighed. The doll wasn't programmed to hear and understand, was it?

"I...I'm hating this assignment," she finally said. She hesitated as she finished wiping up their baby and secured the diaper on. She only knew how to do that part so well, since she was an older sister and had been a mom to many baby dolls in her younger years. "I mean, I guess I don't hate it. That's a really strong word. I'm just ready to turn her in and be done with it."

She gave him an apologetic look. "It's not you. Trust me. Working with somebody has made this much better. I think it's just that I'm a kid myself, and all I want to do is have fun and sleep in. Those sorts of things," she explained. "If this assignment was designed to make us want to wait a super long time to have our own kids, then it worked on me." She didn't want to have kids until she was in her late twenties or early thirties anyway.

She smiled at Blake. "A trip to the lake would be nice. Maybe getting out and about with her will help," she said.

Blake smiled at Isla and their 'baby'. He could see the appeal of having a family such as this. It made him happy to be working with Isla ...but ... then he listened to her about the assignment .... "I feel the same way Isla" there ... at least they could both admit it together. "I will be completely ready when it's over that's for sure." There ... whew ... at least they were once again on the same page. But none the less... the assignment wasn't over and they still had to take care of their 'baby'. "I'll grab the diaper bag if you want to carry her out." He added with a smile and re packing everything in the bag getting ready for their outing.

Isla perked up, and a smiled widened across her face. "Really?" she asked. "Whew! I was afraid you would be disappointed in me or something!" And the best news was that since Ellie wasn't really, her baby had no idea she'd said anything negative at all. At twelve years old, she would just be happy when she could turn Ellie back in to the professor. She'd kin d of miss her, buts he definitely wouldn't miss the diaper changes and sleep schedule mishaps!

When Blake mentioned the diaper bag, Isla's thoughts turned back to the assignment. Blake was right, even though he hadn't exactly said anything at all about the assignment. He caused her turn her focus back to where it should be, though. She stood up and cradled Ellie close to her. "Yup, let's go," she said. One more family outing before the assignment was over for good!