Beautiful Dreamer

One-Shot (related to The Star Child Universe)

Lullabies never worked the way they used to. Harry knew from experience. As he put the one-year-old to sleep in his crib, he felt the weight of sleepiness in his eyes. The toe-headed boy slept peacefully. Harry smiled as he shuffled to bed. As he walked in his room, he saw Draco already sleeping. His husband had been up since the crack of dawn tending to the baby boy and has been taking extra babysitting duties for Teddy since Andromeda wasn't feeling well. Teddy was somewhat passed around, but he was more then welcomed to stay with them. He was just visiting other family members and still attending tutoring lessons.

Harry sat on his side of the bed, shifting his body to a more comfortable laying position. Sleeping before was never easy, sleeping while pregnant was a challenge. Sleeping while pregnant while in the midst of summer was even worse.

In truth though, Harry was excited for this baby. He always wanted a family, and while he never imagined he would be pregnant, Harry was glad he was putting the effort in. Though in moments like this, he wished he could just give birth and be done with pregnancy. However, she still needed some time to cook. Harry knew he was having a girl. He could feel it. This pregnancy just felt different than the one he had with James. Something just felt more connected. He couldn't explain it. He loved James dearly, after all, he was his son, but this baby just felt closer to him somehow.

Though at the moment that closeness was keeping him awake as the baby was moving around heavily inside. He placed a hand on his swollen abdomen. "Shh little one, it's okay," Harry tried to soothe.

Draco opened his eyes a bit, hearing Harry talking to the baby. "Is he keeping you up?"

"She, and sorta. She's just really active right now," Harry admitted.

"When you keep calling him a girl then yeah, I'll be kicking you too," Draco jokes lightly. Harry glared. Draco had it in his head that he and Harry would be destined to have only sons. Harry knew this baby would be a girl. He could just picture her in his head. Beautiful green eyes And wispy black hair as soft as feathers. If James resembled Draco, why shouldn't his daughter resemble Harry?

Draco shifted in the king size mattress, facing Harry's back. He reached out and touched his back softly, and began to brush his fingers along his backside. It wasn't a massage, Harry hated massages, but the sensation of Draco's fingers running along his back slowly just felt amazing to Harry.

The raven-haired boy reached over and removed his glasses, and turned off the light that was on the nightstand. "That feels amazing," Harry said as he felt his eyes go heavy once more. He blinked a few times and started to feel his body relax. Draco always seemed to know how to make him sleep.

But the sleep never lasted long.

When Draco stopped, and Harry woke up an hour later, seemingly for no reason, he looked around his room. His bedroom was dark and blurry without his glasses. He hated wearing them but contacts were not comfortable at all. Still he was used to the blurriness of the world. He shifted to his back and lifted his knees up, just staring at the ceiling. Sometimes, he would still think he would be under the stairs in that cupboard at the Dursley's. Everything always often felt like a dream. Even now, his life seemed perfect. Even the painful moments felt as though someone tried to wake him for his dream but failed to do so.

The thing that brought him to reality was Draco. He wasn't perfect, and for that reason Harry was grateful. He kept him grounded and assured him that this was his life and it was nearly complete now. Harry shifted to his right side and lovingly glazed at his Husband. Light blonde hair and a receding hairline that he hides "so well" and with beautiful rare grey eyes. Even his pointy nose was cute.

"Are you still awake?" Draco asked in a soft voice, his eyes reminding closed. Harry sighed audibly. "Sorry. I don't mean to keep waking you," Harry said and in a big heave, sat up. "I'll go walk around or something. I need to exhaust myself before sleep sticks," he said as he got up. Just as Harry was leaving the room, Draco got out of bed and wrapped his arms around his partner. "Harry, do you need your sleeping droughts?" Draco asked. Harry nodded once. "I know I can't have it while pregnant, but I haven't slept well for weeks."

Draco stood upright, and Harry turned, leaning down his head on Draco's chest. "I'm so tired that sleep feels impossible." The blonde rubbed Harry's back a bit. They've tried everything they could think of that wouldn't harm the baby. Warm milk, music boxes, warm baths, but it seemed only medicine and potions could make Harry sleep. As an Auror and even when he was a Hogwarts student, Harry had difficulty sleeping. Now he had no excuse. He needed sleep.

Laying down and closing his eyes wasn't enough.

Maybe he was dreaming? Or in a coma? That would explain his sleeplessness.

Draco had enough and walked Harry back to bed, "I wish I can carry this baby for you so you could get some rest," Draco and helped Harry sat down on the bed.

"It's not her fault I can't sleep. It seems like she's sleeping now," Harry laughed a bit. Draco sat down next to his husband and said, "I'll go get you a sleeping-draught vial. A small dose so it doesn't hurt the baby," Draco said. Harry felt a sudden rise in panic as he reached out for Draco's arm. "Don't," He said. "No potions. Nothing to harm our baby. Just...I'll lay down again. I'll try it. I'll even lay still so I won't wake you, or I'll go in another room."

Draco was surprised by that reaction, but then he understood. "You need sleep, Harry. It's not a punishment to want to rest."

Harry nodded. He knew that. Though it always felt as though he needed to keep his guard up. Maybe that was why? He was scared to sleep? Draco sat down and hugged Harry close to his chest, and began rocking a bit and humming to himself. It was one of the lullabies that they would play for James to help him sleep and Draco just seemed to remember that particular melody at the moment. As he hummed the lyrics, Harry started to relax a bit more, and his eyes didn't want to stay open much longer. The low baritone cadence of Draco's humming seemed to lull Harry to sleep. Harry began to see images of what he imagined their daughter would look like. Her smile, her laugh, and he would see Draco and James, and all four of them were together, happy.

Harry did always have the most beautiful dreams.