Written for a myriad of challenges: 14) Write an AU fic.

This Bit of Innocence

by Catty-the-spy

Part I

"I now pronounce you human and Drygun. You may kiss."

Harry of the Potter clan kissed Prince Severus.

The crowd cheered.

The young prince sighed internally. Though it was nice to have his father proud of him, he did not want to be married. It was bad enough he was a prince, but to be a prince and a husband…now even more would be expected of him. He would have to have sex, get pregnant, lay an egg…and worst of all, he would have to pretend to be in love.

Severus had fancied himself to be a romantic. Till the age of fifteen he'd believed in true love, that babies were produced by a magic kiss that sparked a tiny seed that landed in a mommy's tummy, that grew into an egg. This belief was squelched when he witnessed his mother's rape, and when he saw the egg it produced.

All his belief in romance was squashed the little egg that was laid a year later.

He had always thought that crushing an egg was the cruelest of sins, and had been beyond horrified when he saw his father stomp on what might have been his future brother or sister.

Of course, no one knew what he'd witnessed and no one would have believed him anyway. His father was a tyrant, and to speak of anything even semi demeaning to his character was rewarded with death.

That day he'd promised himself that he would do whatever he could to prevent a crushing of another egg. That was how he'd gained such a large court: collecting unwanted eggs and hatching them. They new he wasn't their mother, but they loved him all the same, and he them, and so he kept that romantic part of him alive. Still now, he had an egg hidden in his robes, small and undersized like a number of the ones he received. He was always happy to find a healthy, full-sized egg, because that meant its birth was un-forced.

Harry led him towards their carriage. Inside it his court was waiting, Dyrguns of all ages it seemed, waiting for his return. He kissed each head as he saw it and settled beside his new spouse, immediately swamped by children.

"Pwince Us, you been away fwom us too long!"

He smiled. "I know, and I'm sorry."

"Pwince Us, a lady left an egg for you."

"Give it here."

The egg was medium sized. He tucked it beside the other in his robes, wishing he had room in the carriage to place them both in his stomach pouch.

Harry stared out the window, not paying him any attention.

Severus sighed and smiled at one of the onlookers waving outside the window.

"Prince Severus, Prince Severus! Wait please!"

Severus called for the carriage to stop, and Harry finally looked at him.

"We will be late."

Severus raised an eyebrow at him. "Would you rather a child die so we might make it to our mountain on time?"

He didn't get a reply, nor did he expect one. He turned to a young drygun woman, holding a bundle close to her heart.

"My prince, I had hoped t'would not come to this, but my husband is dead and my father cries for my child gone. I knew you would care for it so I tried to catch you before the wedding or the carriage left, but I was pushed aside. Please, my baby. I love it but to keep it would be condemning it to death."

She handed him the egg and all the blankets wrapped around it. Severus was saddened by the thought of how this must hurt her, for it seemed she loved her child very much.

"My prince, if you would give this to the child when it hatches? Please, so it may remember me, and know that I loved it too much to keep it with me?"

Severus took the stone, a rather expensive looking firegem filled with what must be a bit of her.

"I will do as you asked. Go in peace, woman."

She smiled and bowed, crying thanks as she fled.

He let the carriage go forth once more and Harry turned again to look at him.

"Why did you take the gem? Are you going to wear it?"

Severus scowled. "Of course not. When the egg hatches, the necklace will go to the child. I keep my promises, thank you very much."

"And you ask for no payment?"

"Why should I? A child's life is precious to me, and most people cannot afford to pay me."

Harry looked dubious but turned back to the window.

Severus settled the new egg in his robes and longed for room to open his pouch.

Drygun pouches could hold innumerable amounts of eggs, even though they usually only laid one at a time. It was a feature Severus often took advantage of, and it's only drawback was the need for room, space for the pouch to be opened.

The carriage went over a bump and his little court was thrown back. After making sure they were all okay, he used the opportunity to dig under his clothes and hook the skin of his belly button (there was a reason most dryguns had innies (sunken navels instead of the ones that stuck out)). Harry watched in hidden fascination as Severus pulled the skin forward, showing the large pouch hidden there. The hole grew in size enough where one could easily see in it. There was skin, with fur the same color surrounding and nearly steaming. Dryguns do, after all, have incredibly high body temperatures. Satisfied that his pouch was opened wide enough, Severus placed the three eggs one by one into his pouch, glad the largest of the three had so many blankets wrapped around it; cushioning was often needed to keep the eggs from chaffing. Once the eggs were comfortable he pushed the skin back in place, knowing that it would settle into shape on its own, and comfortably patted the small bulge housing the eggs produced.

Harry stared at him, awe and extremely faint disgust hiding in his eyes. "What was that?"

"My pouch."

"Pouch?"

"Yes. Nearly every drygun has one. They're really quite useful."

"What are they for?"

"Holding eggs. You don't expect someone to spend three months doing nothing but laying on a nest all the time."

Harry paled and turned back to the window. Severus shrugged and started to play a game with his young court.

Severus lay in bed with Harry, trying to sleep. They hadn't had sex yet. Harry seemed uninterested in him altogether. Severus didn't know whether to be grateful or offended.

He patted his stomach where the three eggs rested.

He wondered whether his children would hatch from eggs. He had never known anyone mated to a human before. Did they even consider themselves mated?

He suppressed a groan and curled on his side, seeing if he could sense any of the babies with his mind. He felt a faint brush of…something, but it was gone quickly and he could not find it again.

Oh well, he thought, there was always tomorrow.

Harry sighed at Severus.

"I'm sorry, Severus. I tried to hold off as long as possible, but my father is demanding that I have an heir and…I'm so sorry. I had hoped to save this bit of innocence for you."

He touched his husband's cheek as he said it, and Severus could literally feel the regret pouring from the man.

"I-it's okay. Besides…this means I'll be getting an egg of my own." He brightened a little, despite his fear. "It'll probably only be one egg at a time, but that's okay. I like eggs, and I've always wanted one of my own. Imagine, waiting nine months until I see our egg, and who knows how long till it hatches. But I can't wait!"

He smiled softly fantasizing about having a child of his own, until reality intruded to burst his bubble.

Lily of House Potter entered. "Have you told him?"

Severus' happy fantasies vanished as if they'd never been.

Harry regarded his mother with cold eyes. "I have."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "So short with me today? Don't tell me this creature is getting to you?"

Harry stiffened and turned away from his mother. "Good day. I'm sure you have something pressing to do."

Severus frowned a little, but didn't ask.

The door to the rooms of his court burst open.

"Pwince Us, it hatch! It hatch Pwince Us!"

Severus stood up, rushing to pick up the small box he'd made and running into the room, Harry close behind to see which egg had hatched this time (though he didn't show it), and Lily following to satisfy her curiosity, prepared to be disgusted even more than she already was.

Severus cared for none of this, rushing to settle in front of the miniature nest where most of his court had gathered.

It truly was hatching. It was the large egg he'd gotten on his wedding day, whose mother had been loathe to give it up. He opened the small treasure box he'd brought and watched eagerly for the tip of the child's Tooth to break through.

After five agonizing minutes it did, sending a piece of shell flying as it did so. Eventually, the child had a big enough hole to stick its head through and shoved forward, breaking even more of the shell as it did so. The child gasped, sneezed, and began to wail at the unpleasantness of the situation. As its head was now stuck, Severus gently broke away enough of the shell that he could lift the child out, who he now noticed was a boy. Recognizing Severus through body temperature and voice, the child ceased to cry, settling for distressed whimpers.

Severus decided to take advantage of the fact that Dryguns generally had teats in their pouch as well as on their chests, and settled the child there to keep him comfortable and warm. Satisfied that the child was settled, he placed the remains of the egg in the treasure box and turned to Harry, who he knew was there.

"What should I name him?"

Harry peeked into the pouch to study the child and frowned. "Hmm…how about…oh how do you pronounce it…Eesawn?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "You mean Eassan?"

"Yes that's the one! It means 'loved' doesn't it?"

Severus nodded, grinning and immensely happy. "It's perfect Harry! I could never have thought of i-ouch!"

Severus yelped at the harsh tug on his pouch by a cold and unfamiliar hand.

Lily grimaced at both the pouch and the baby inside. "Disgusting."

Harry moved her hand while Severus stared at her, shocked. "What do you-?"

"Don't worry Severus. Why don't you introduce your court to Eassan?"

Severus gave him a suspicious look but did as Harry suggested.

Harry pulled his mother from the room, slamming up a privacy ward after he'd closed the door. "What is with you and insulting my husband!"

Lily raised a painstakingly arched eyebrow. "Husband? Is that what you're calling it?"

Harry barely restrained himself from slapping her. "I made a vow before the gods and before the people who loved him. Unless you want us all to be cursed, or to have this place destroyed by his people, I suggest you lay off him."

"Surely you are not implying that those…things could possibly defeat us. They use ancient obsolete magic! Not even proper magic but Magick!"

"The stuff practiced by Merlin, one of the greatest of gods! Mother, like it or not I am married to him and I demand that he be treated with respect!"

She was angry at him, he could tell. He could also care less.

He may not love Severus, but he didn't doubt he would in time. Severus was so open, so terribly innocent, and Harry wanted so badly to keep it that way, to prevent Severus from experiencing the things that had turned him against the world and at one point nearly against the gods.

Lily rose to her full height, an inch or so beneath him, and spat in his face. The spittle sizzled and evaporated from his skin, his anger turning him into the human manifestation of flame.

"Get. Out."

Lily, coward that she was, fled from his presence.

"…will be enough. I don't believe she is sterile. In the wrong hands this information might cause a scandal, but it's alright. Only us here will know."

Severus frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about the girl carrying the child of course! Weren't you listening, foolish creature?"

"You're saying I'm not…I can't…"

The old hag laughed. "You didn't honestly think you were carrying the child did you!"

Severus fled, tears falling from his eyes. He could feel his wings sprouting, starting to rip through his clothes but he didn't care if all the fine garments were going to be ruined.

He ran straight into Harry and found that once he'd been stopped he could go no further.

His husband held him up, worried. "What's wrong Severus? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?"

The guards that had been assigned to watch after the young drygun panted into view.

"Sorry sir. We don't know what happened. We were standing at our posts while he talked to the healer and suddenly he went tearing from the room. Healer Bornas was laughing and we didn't know what else to do."

Harry nodded sharply at Auror Kingsly Shacklebolt.

Severus had started wailing even harder at the mention of the old healer.

Harry sank to the floor and cuddled him close. "Hush now, and tell me what wrong."

"I'm barren! S-she said I was barren!"

He frowned. "Keep going."

"S-she was talking about how thin I was, and she said something about me being too s-scrawny or something like that and t-then she s-started talking about t-this g-g-girl carrying my baby and" Severus was really a sodden puddle of misery now, and the sky started to darken outside. "when I as-asked her what she meant she s- she s-s-s-said 'You didn't honestly think you were carrying the child did you?'!"

Rain sudden flooded from the sky, and many a courtier could be seen cursing and running for the shelter of the castle.

Harry rocked his husband close. "Shush now, dear. Bornas is an old rat who doesn't know a thing about dryguns. I'll send for a healer from your people, and let them prove that old crone wrong. It's alright now don't cry."

Severus hiccupped, and it seemed the storm did to.

Harry frowned. "Love, when powerful or young dryguns get really really upset, can they affect the weather?"

Severus sniffed and took a few watery breaths. "S-sometimes."

His lip began to tremble and soon he was bawling again. "B-but Harry, what if I really am! W-what if I really can't bear children! What if I can't grow or lay an egg!"

Harry shushed him and wiped his face with his handkerchief. "We'll only worry about it if it's really true. Calm down now, Severus. I'd hate to see your rain ruin anymore beautiful gowns."

Severus turned to see what Harry was talking about. "D-did I do that?"

"Yes you did. Very impressive. It must be the Magick in your blood."

Severus shrugged and watched as the rain cleared up as soon as he had stopped sniffing.

He yawned then. "I'm tired."

"I see that. Go ahead and sleep. Nothing will hurt you."

"What did you say to him!"

The hag looked taken aback. "What, to that half-human? I simply suggested young Hermione Granger for a surrogate. You know, to prevent a scandal? Honestly, boy, you know as well as I do that men can't get pregnant, by any means. I simply do not know what the creature left in such a fit about. I'm starting to question his mental stability you know-"

"Silence."

The words were nearly hissed, and she shuddered, remembering the boy's ability to speak to serpents.

"Male humans, hag. Male humans cannot get pregnant. Male centaurs can, and male dragons, and male griffins, and male dryguns. How dare you distress my husband over something you know nothing about! How dare you insult your superior! How dare you insult me! I should have you killed, but shipping you to the mines under Azkaban will be more than satisfactory."

The woman paled.

"Sir no, please! I apologize. I shall take it back! I shall reassure him, tell him it was a misunderstanding-!"

Harry snapped his fingers twice and soldiers trooped in, hearing his call because of their magically altered hearing.

"Arrest this woman. She has insulted and caused undue distress to my spouse, and she has greatly insulted me. She is to be shipped to the Azkaban Mines immediately to serve out her days."

The soldiers bowed to him and as one seized, silenced, and bound the woman. Harry looked her in the eye. "I have shown you mercy that you do not deserve. Remember that."

She was taken away, never to be seen again.

Severus showed Harry a small translucent object. "His Tooth has come off. I wanted to show you before I put it in the box."

Harry smiled and nodded, watching fondly as Severus gently and lovingly packed the object away, absently patting the wriggling lump on his figure that was the child.

Harry looked at the calendar and barely kept himself from swearing, knowing that little ears were probably close by and that Severus had heard precious few swear words in his life- something Harry wanted to last as long as possible.

"Severus, in about a week or so a friend of mine will be stopping by. He's pretty tall and a redhead. Got lots of freckles…. his name is Ronald, though nearly everybody calls him Ron, and he's from House Weasley."

Severus looked at him, thoughtful. "Is he nice?"

"I guess so. A little hot tempered for sure, but his hearts in the right place."

Severus nodded. Harry could see the slightly wistful look that crossed his face.

"Do you have many friends?"

Severus shrugged. "Lots, but only one real one." A fond smile crept onto his face. "His name is Lucius, and his father was close friends with my mother. We've known each other forever. He's six years older than me, but we have the same hatching-day, and he was there when I was laid. We're really close. He got married to a young woman named Narcissa, and they have a son named Draco. He doesn't love Narcissa, and only married her because his mother threatened to disown him if he didn't. He adores Draco though, and made me his godfather. Lucius once told me that if Narcissa disappeared in the wars he wouldn't be at all upset. Since the battle's still raging, there's always a chance of success."

Harry chuckled along with Severus. "Would you like them to come? Lucius and Draco I mean."

Severus gasped in shock. "Really?"

Harry nodded.

Severus squealed and ran to hug him, almost squishing Eassan in the process.

Harry chuckled at the baby's none to gentle kick, which he could feel though the thick skin of Severus' pouch and both their robes.

"We'll go meet them at the border then, leave most all of your court behind. Only the ones too little to be without you for long will come."

Severus nodded excitedly. "Oh this is so wonderful! Thank you Harry! Thank you so much!"

And in his excitement, Severus kissed Harry's cheek.

Severus frowned as he lay in bed. He felt something brush across his mind. This time he was ready and clung to it.

Hunger was the first thing he was struck by, then satisfaction as a nipple was found. As Severus felt Eassan snuggling into the side of the pouch, he felt comfort and love as warmth and safety radiated from the enclosure, and the knowledge that where he was, nothing could go wrong. Small frail wings that hadn't yet retracted spread themselves reflexively and Severus gasped as he realized what he was feeling.

This was Eassan, this was a mental connection to the child!

Severus sat in awe of the feelings the tiny body shared with him.

Happiness as a hand stroked him through the walls of the enclosure, almost the egg but much better.

Contentment. Ama…. Sleep.

Severus wiped away tears.

Harry frowned tiredly up at him. "Waz wrong?"

"Ama…he called me Ama."

Ama…in place of mother. A word young drygun children often used for stepmothers.

Ama…of all the children in his court, this one chose to call him Ama…

His life felt complete.

"Get some rest Severus."

"Good night."

Ama…

'Love you baby, my little boy.'

A/N: What do you think? I have up to part four fully written. Tell me if you think I should continue, or if I have any mistakes.

Flames will be used to heat my bathwater.