Chapter Three

Pregnancy Symptoms

May 7th 2000

Six weeks had gone passed since Harry's discovery, six weeks since they'd once again begun trying for a baby. During that week he'd sent more prayers and wishes than he had in his entire life, hoping he wouldn't have to resort to any type of IVF treatments. As the sixth week arrived Harry was due to shadow Poppy at Hogwarts as part of his training, as the morning of May 7th arrived Harry was woken from his sleep by his stomach churning, sitting up slowly he regretted it instantly. The churning in his stomach began to rise as he rushed into the en-suite bathroom reaching the porcelain god just as he lost the battle with the nausea vomiting spectacularly.. After three more bouts of vomiting he heard Ginny padding through the bedroom before her hand rested on his back.

Leaning into Ginny's chest he took small deep breaths he focused on his body making sure to check for any other signs of pregnancy, realising his nipples were sensitive as much darker than they had been. Could his wishes have come true this quickly? He'd hoped that he wouldn't have to have assistance in falling pregnant but he'd never expected to fall pregnant not only naturally but by the short period of time it happened their first time trying. Looking up his green eyes met the brown pools of his wife's smiling brightly.

"I think I'm pregnant." Harry said quietly.

"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked trying not to get her hopes up.

"My nipples are sensitive to the touch and darker, tired and I feel sick." Harry admitted.

"Given everything you've told me I think it's safe to say your pregnant, the nausea is the beginning of morning sickness. Should I do the pregnancy test spell to make sure?"

Harry nodded unable to speak for fear of throwing up again, he watched Ginny disappear from the bathroom, returning a few minutes later weigh her wand in hand. Pulling himself into s standing position he breathed through his nose as Ginny cast the spell to detect pregnancy at his abdomen, through his research over the last few months he remembered if it was positive then a white beam would come from within him. His eyes widened as the glow turned into a bright white beam showing a positive result; his heart beat faster as Ginny cancelled the spell bringing him into her arms, she always knew when he simply needed to be held.

All too soon the moment was broken as his stomach rolled again, moving quickly he leaned over the porcelain god losing the battle with his stomach once more. Before he could move again he felt a glass being pushed into his hand, looking at the liquid he sighed in relief as he saw ginger tea. Sipping the liquid slowly he felt the queasiness became less overwhelming. Once the glass was empty he found he was able to move without the urge to throw up again. Moving to the sink he brushed his teeth thoroughly as Ginny flushed the chain. Suddenly he was thankful today would be a light day, after shadowing Madam Pomfrey for a few hours he needed to complete the essays he'd been putting off, so a trip to the library was in order, though maybe they should tell the family about the baby first.

"Gin when do we tell everyoneYou know your mum will figure it out straight away and Remus will smell the change in me." Harry asked.

"Tonight we go to The Burrow, you can't put off your studies any longer, inform Poppy as she'll need to know and can help you deliver. That is unless you'd prefer Severus to deliver our baby."

"I like the idea of Severus delivering the baby. Sounds like a plan hopefully I'll be able to eat because right now the though makes me feel sick. Floo travel is not going to be fun."

"Maybe it would be better for you to tell Poppy before you go that way she can be waiting with a basin at the other end." Ginny suggested.

"Hopefully I can put off the shadowing her part of my work until after the morning sickness has passed."

"Harry you haven't been back to Hogwarts since the battle. I know it's hard for you to go there but you can't avoid it forever. Especially when our children go there. I could go with you if it would make it better for you."

"I'd like that." Harry said softly moving back into the bedroom to get ready for the day.

Hogwarts

Ten minutes later Harry found himself once again tumbling through the floo network with Ginny behind him, the nauseated feeling in his stomach intensified by the recent bouts of morning sickness, not for the first time he was relieved when the Headmistress's office came into view stepping from the fireplace (for the first time) without stumbling. Rubbing his stomach he sighed as the reprieve from the queasiness ended. Noticing the empty portrait above the desk he wondered just how the former headmaster had managed to fool everyone almost four years ago when he fell from the Astronomy Tower. His thoughts were broken by Ginny stepping out of the fireplace a few seconds later, taking hold of the hand that wasn't currently trying to calm his nauseated stomach.

Though they'd flooded into the Headmistress's office over the Hospital Wing, Harry was relieved their former Head Of House wasn't in her office, however he was sure it wouldn't be long before Minerva sought them out. Giving up on calming his queasy belly Harry began to make his way down the spiral staircase with Ginny by his side taking the Marauder short cuts to the fourth floor where the Hospital Wing was situated. It was clear that class was in session as the corridors were quiet. By the time they reached the Hospital Wing, Harry was feeling sick not certain how the medi witch would react. His thoughts broken by said medi witch.

"Harry it's good to see you, I must say I was surprised by your floo call. But I must say congratulations." Poppy said cheerfully.

"Thank you Poppy, I hope this doesn't affect my training?"

"No it shouldn't affect your training, though as your due date approaches I'll come to you instead of you coming here. Now Severus did tell me there was something else you wanted to discuss with me before we started work. Ginny would you like to help for the day?"

"I would love to thank you Poppy." Ginny said softly.

"For the last two years I've been getting stomach cramps and feeling sick, I just thought that it was something to do with readjusting to normality and eating a decent amount of food again after the Horcrux Hunt. However when Severus did medical diagnostic, he found I was born intersex, our esteemed old goat of s former headmaster who isn't dead by the way, decided to use a potion on me to stunt the development. Luckily after Hogwarts my body has purged the potion from my system. i fell pregnant naturally." Harry admitted quietly.

"I knew there was something different about you, I tried to tell Albus but the old fool wouldn't hear anything of it. I'm afraid to say he modified my memory to forget otherwise I'd have done something to reverse it. Everything is working I assume?"

"Well I'm pregnant so I'd assume so. When we made love I absorbed both into me and it's about six weeks now, this morning I woke up feeling sick. Still do but I'm not going to use it as an excuse to slack off."

"I appreciate your work ethic Harry but if you start to feel too nauseous we can continue a different day."

"Thank you Poppy, I think it's the first time I've seen it so quiet." Harry chuckled.

"Yes well not everyone at Hogwarts is as accident prone as you were Harry." Poppy teased.

Harry couldn't help but frown at that statement even if Poppy had been teasing, as he looked around the Hospital Wing so many memories flashed before his eyes and not all of them happy ones. Sighing slightly he followed Ginny into the back room to put on the uniform provided before making his way back into the main wing, the reason he'd wanted to become a Healer was to help people, after all if it wasn't just him who won the war. He may have been the one to kill Voldemort but the war wouldn't have gone their way without the Order and Dumbledore's Army. Pulling himself away from the bad thoughts he spent the rest of the day doing what he loved best, being able to aide those in need. Even if it wasn't as an Auror.

As afternoon arrived and Ginny had gone home to prepare dinner for everyone so they could tell the family their news, the nausea Harry had been experiencing off and on throughout the day began to get increasingly worse especially when Minerva appeared in the Hospital Wing, a house elf by her side carrying a tray of food. However the moment the food was placed in front of him his stomach once again rebelled as he rushed into the nearest bathroom (which thankfully happened to be in the hospital wing) rushing into the stall and kneeling in front of the toilet just as hey vomited into the bowl. Resting his hand on his churning stomach he rubbed it slightly trying to get it to calm down without success. Occupied by the rolling in his belly harry didn't here the stall door open slightly until his former Head Of House began to talk.

"Now if you were a student I'd be asking if you'd eaten something strange. However given my vast knowledge of teenage pregnancy throughout the years I know the signs very well. Molly told me about Ginny's miscarriage and your attempt to get pregnant. I'm assuming by the morning sickness you were successful?" Minerva asked.

"We were though it wasn't through a potion, it's a long story but Dumbledore hid part of me for nineteen years. Until six weeks ago I didn't realise that I was intersex, when I went to Severus for an examination he found out. Ginny and I began trying for a baby naturally and it happened." Harry said quietly.

"I knew Albus was obsessed with destroying Voldemort, he wouldn't listen to reason when we argued that you were still a child. But I didn't think he'd stoop this low. You have my full support Harry."

"Thank you. I think it's fair to wRn you he isn't dead. Severus informed me that he will make sure he doesn't get away from his crimes." Harry said as he stood up taking small deep breaths.

"Go home Harry you can study under Poppy when the nausea subsides." Minerva suggested just as Poppy appeared in the doorway.

"I agree with Minerva Harry. You need to look after yourself now, floo travel is bad at the best of times even without morning sickness added to it."

"I'd appreciate that thank you. We are telling the family and Ginny may have to change what she is planning for dinner. I'll make up the grades with essays until I can stomach the floo network." Harry promised.

Preparing To Tell The Family

With a quick nod of approval from the Headmistress and Poppy Pomfrey, Harry pulled himself together, flushing the chain and rinsing his mouth out before heading back into the hospital wing. Slipping the apron from his body he grabbed a pinch of floo powder from its holder tossing it into the orange flames stating Potter Manor as his destination, reluctantly stepping into the now green flames preparing himself to rush to the bathroom the second he stepped out of the fireplace. Just as he'd suspected the queasiness he'd already been experiencing once again increased as he began to slow down, for the first time in his life exiting the floo network without falling over, though the queasiness reached a new high he found he didn't feel the need to throw up quite yet.

From his position in the living room he could hear Ginny in the kitchen, humming along to a Weird Sisters song on the wizarding wireless. Taking a deep breath he prepared himself for the worst, he knew he needed to eat in order for their son or daughter to get strong but the thought alone made him pale further. Approaching the kitchen he watched his wife move around the kitchen with ease, something he was certain she wouldn't want to do after so many years being taught to cook by Molly.

"What's for dinner, love?" Harry asked softly.

"Harry what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you to be home so early. What happened?"

"Minerva brought lunch for Poppy and it's safe to say I can now no longer eat Tuna." Harry said softly rubbing his sickly stomach.

"Good to know, what about pasta?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure." Harry said quietly moving to the pan in front of his wife cautiously sniffing. Sighing in relief as his stomach didn't rebel.

"It doesn't make me queasy and with hoe sick I feel right now I'd know right?"

"You really need to eat something Harry." Ginny said softly.

"Maybe something light. I read saltines help with nausea."

"I thought you'd say that." Ginny teased passing the saltines and ginger tea to her husband,

Harry took the saltines and ginger tea from Ginny sipping it slowly, the queasiness fading into the background ever so slightly. No matter what happened in the future he knew as long as he had Ginny by his side he could get through anything. Even nine months of pregnancy. Though he was still nervous about telling the family about his pregnancy in fear that something bad would happen, the bigger part of him couldn't wait to tell them. After all a new arrival was definitely something to celebrate.

He was finally getting the family he'd always dreamed about. He only wished his parents could be here to see it for themselves.