Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING COMMING FROM HARRY POTTER I JUST LIKE TO PLAY!
Harry moved to answer the phone with a heavy heart. He knew who was on the other end of the line; it had been over a week since he had gone through the testing that the Healers had demanded. Now he just wanted to know the results of the testing and to know why he was not feeling well, listening to the kids laughing in the study he looked over to Draco as he reached for the phone. "Potter-Malfoy residence." He answered softly. "This is Harry, hello Healer Toddy." Feeling Draco's hands on his shoulders he listened to the healer as the tears began to fall. "Are you certain?" he asked his voice cracking with the weight of what he was being told.
Draco knew at that moment it was not the news that they had all been praying for. How could this be? How could it be his Harry? They had six kids that needed him, he needed him. It wasn't fair he was only thirty-eight years old. Watching as the phone fell from his husbands hands he wrapped his arms around him. "I know that you're afraid and I am, too, but you'll never be alone, I promise you" he promised as Harry broke down into heart wrenching sobs. Rubbing his back Draco held him as he fought to keep from breaking down himself, he had to be strong.
"What do we tell the kids?" Harry asked after a moment realizing that they had to tell them something. "Will they understand?"
Draco brushed back the hair on his forehead and sighed. "I think so; we will tell them when you are ready to."
"Toddy wants me in tomorrow for testing, they are talking surgery." Harry whispered as Lily entered the room looking frightened.
"Daddy? Are you ok?" she asked not used to seeing her Dad and Father in tears. Looking back as her brothers joined her they waited hoping for an answer.
Draco looked at Harry and getting a small nod they lead the kids to the sitting room. "You know that Daddy hasn't been feeling well?" he asked knowing that they were worried and only wanted answers that they didn't truly have.
"Yes, Dad went to Healer Toddy." James answered looking frightened.
"Yes, it turns out Dad has a sickness called cancer." Draco explained softly as they explained, as best they could, about the illness and that Harry would need their help because the course of treatment was hard.
Lily began to cry softly looking more frightened than reassured. "Are you going to die Dad?" she asked not wanting to lose her Dad.
The boys suddenly looked very frightened and Severus and Jamie voiced their fear as Harry took them into his arms.
"I will do everything I can to stay right here with you." he promised softly as he held his children close.
Later that night Harry slowly crawled into bed, telling the children had been so hard but then telling the Weasley's and then Draco's family had proven to be almost harder. Molly was devastated that her adopted son was ill and Narcissa was not much better. Cuddling against Draco he took his mate's hand. "I don't know if I am strong enough for this." He confessed as he turned to face him.
Draco held him close hoping to offer comfort. "I want to tell you something that my Father told my mother when she had been ill. She didn't have this, I forgot what she had but he made a promise to her that I will make to you now and it goes like this." Taking a deep breath he softly sang. "When you're weak, I'll be strong, when you let go, I'll hold on, when you need to cry, I swear that I'll be there to dry your eyes, when you feel lost and scared to death, like you can't take one more step, just take my hand, together we can do this, I'm gonna love you through it." He finished holding his mate close. "I will always love you." he whispered softly.
Harry stepped into Saint Mungos with his head held high with his family and kids beside him. Today they were going to remove the cancer the muggle way as Toddy called it. They said that it was the best way and that if they just left it there it would kill him. Registering with the nurse he moved to get dressed. Sitting on the bed he smiled at his kids trying to be as brave as he could. "James? Help you father today with Lily and Jamie. Severus? Make sure that you help too, all of you help with the chores. Adam can you and Braden be good and help too?" he asked knowing that by giving the kids something to do they would do better.
"Yes, Daddy." They answered as Toddy entered the room.
Toddy smiled at the family. "Today we will go in and cut out the cancer…" he began to explain that the surgery could leave him disfigured.
"I understand." Harry nodded knowing that his left breast area would never be the same again. "Pray for the best." He whispered as Draco kissed him before they took him off.
"Disfigured?" Lucius asked looking worried as Molly took the older children out to keep them busy.
"It's a possibility." Draco nodded as he rocked Lily and Jamie hoping to keep them calm as they waited. Taking a breath he looked at the clock. "What is taking so long." He whispered after three hours of waiting.
"He'll be out soon." Narcissa took her son's hand hoping that everything was alright. Looking up as Toddy entered she looked relived until she saw his eyes. "How is our Harry?"
"He pulled through like a champ, but I am afraid that we had to take more than we had hoped." He explained softly as he told them the outcome of the surgery.
"How long will he be in these potions?" Severus asked placing a hand on Draco's shoulder to help calm him.
"As long as it takes to make sure that it is gone. I will not lie this is not going to be easy on him or anyone." He explained about the potions and the testing that they would want to do as Harry was brought back into the room still groggy and half asleep.
"I will brew these potions and make certain that he takes them when he needs too." Severus nodded he had moved into the house a few days ago to be certain that he was on hand to help Draco and Harry.
Draco took Harry's hand as he began to stir. "Hey baby." He smiled as Harry opened pain filled eyes.
"How bad?" he asked wincing in pain as he moved. When no one answered he took a deep breath. "Is it that bad?"
"They had to take more than planned, but we will get through this." Draco promised as the family gently touched him to let him know that they were there for him.
"We'll take the kids home, get them fed and taken care of." Lucius nodded to Harry. "Rest son." He smiled at him earning a surprised look from Draco. Oh how things had changed over the years. Taking the kids into his arms they filed out to let Harry get the rest that they knew he needed.
Harry pulled back the covers and gently touched the bandaged area wondering just how disfigured he was going to be.
"It will not and does not matter." Draco whispered as he took his hand and sang the promise that he had made to him just a week ago. "When you're weak, I'll be strong, when you let go, I'll hold on, when you need to cry, I swear that I'll be there to dry your eyes, when you feel lost and scared to death, like you can't take one more step
Just take my hand, together we can do this, I'm gonna love you through it." He whispered as Harry fell back to sleep.
Draco sighed as Jamie took Lily's teddy away from her, again. "Jamie! Give your sister back her teddy!" he scolded as he set the lunch on the tray. "Please be good, Daddy is trying to rest." He watched as Jamie suddenly became still.
"Sorry Father." He whispered handing the teddy back as Draco moved to get Harry his lunch. Moving into the Master bedroom he noticed that Severus sat on the edge of the bed watching Harry, who was up, shirt off staring at the mirror. Setting the tray down he caught Severus' eye knowing that his mate was having a hard time adjusting to what the Healer had to do.
"It's been three months and I still just can't believe it." Harry whispered as he turned to Draco with sad, hurt eyes.
"It's just part of you now love, and as long as I have you, it doesn't matter." Draco reassured as he helped Harry to sit by the fire. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he began to brush his long black hair. Realizing that Harry was losing his hair he sighed setting the brush down.
"It's normal." Severus reassured as he sat by Harry.
"Will my hair grow back?" Harry asked knowing that he was losing more and more hair each day.
"It will take a while, but yes." Severus smiled as Harry started in on his soup. He was pleased that they were sticking together through this hard time and he knew that they were going to make it. Listening to the kids yell he grinned. "Let me go see what in the world they are fighting over now." He stood knowing Draco needed a break.
When Severus left Harry turned to his mate, "We are still going to church tonight, right"? he asked feeling that he needed to be there. It gave him so much hope.
"Yes." Draco promised as Harry slowly finished his meal. Pulling him close he closed his eyes to rest before they got ready for church.
Harry curled into his mates chest and sighed feeling so tiered "I don't think I can do this anymore." He confessed. He hated to pain of the potions, he hated that he no longer looked like himself. He just wanted to fell normal again.
"That's what my love is for and that's why I am here." Draco knew that he was struggling and that the potions were hard on him. They just had to take it day by day. "when the road gets too long, I'll be the rock, you lean on, just take my hand, together we can do it, I'm gonna love you through it." He promised knowing that they were in for a long hard road.
Harry looked up as Toddy entered the room, it had been one long year since his battle had started and now here he was hoping for good news. "How does it look?"
Toddy smiled at Harry hoping to reassure him. "It looks really good, it's gone." He sat next to Harry as Draco hugged Harry tightly.
"It's gone! What about this." Harry rubbed his left side where he was left disfigured by the surgery.
"There are potions you can take but let's wait until the others are out of your system first. I will see you in six months for a reevaluation." Toddy did a quick check up before letting them leave. It was uplifting to know that one more had won.
Finished
NOTE. Inspired by Martina McBride's 'I'm Gonning to Love You Through It' Written for my Aunt Janie who we lost to Cancer six years ago. God bless everyone who has, is or has lost a loved one to this monster.