Chapter seven

Cassy leads the group to the great hall.

"There's a passage here?" Harry asks in disbelief.

"I'm surprised you haven't found it yet," Cassy shoots back.

"I already found four," Harry defensively says. "That seemed like enough."

"There are 28 passages to the kitchen alone," Cassy informs him. "And there might be more but that's all Lily and I found."

"The Marauders helped," Remus comments.

"You found four. Probably the same four Harry knows about," Cassy says to Remus then turns to Harry. "You did use the map the find them, right?"

"Yeah," Harry says. "You know about the map?"

"Yeas," Cassy says then reluctantly adds, "One of the better ideas of the Marauders."

"Thank you," Remus says.

Cassy walks over to the fireplace and presses a series of bricks in the back opening the passage way Diagon Alley like.

"How many do you know, Sev?"

"None of you business, Cas,"

"Oh come on," Cassy whines with a pout. "Tell me."

"32,"

"Well you've been here a while. You should know more than me," Cassy slightly pauses then continues. "Well at least more passages."

"Funny, Cas. Funny," Severus says back.

They follow the stairs down to the kitchen.

A house elf pops in.

"Mr. Potter, what can Dobby do for you sir?"

"Could you please get us some lunch?"

"Of course, Mr. Potter, sir," he says and as he disappear food appear on the table.

"Dig in," Harry says.

"Don't mind if I do?" Ron says sitting down.

The others follow his lead.

Gryffindor on one side and Slytherin on the other.

Everyone but Draco starts to eat.

He takes a piece of toast and nibbles on it.

"Are you feeling alright, Draco?" His mother asks. "You're not eating a lot."

"I'm not hungry," He answers.

Cassy places a hand on his forehead.

"You feel a little warm," She says. "Does he feel warm to you, Sev?"

Severus' hand replaces Cassy's.

"Yes," He responds. "Maybe you should go to the hospital wing."

"No!" Draco says pulling away from the adults.

"You don't have much of a choice here, Draco," Lupin says.

"Couldn't he just go to one of your chambers and bring Pomfrey to him?"

"She might be busy,"

"It will only take a few minutes,"

"I'll go see if Pomfrey's available,"

"Hey!" Draco exclaims jumping up from his seat. "Doesn't anyone care what I think about this?"

He places his hands on the table.

"I don't want to go to the hospital wing," He says looking between the adults. "And I don't want Pomfrey to come to me."

"I just want to be left alone,"

"Ok, Draco," Cassy says.

"Good," Draco says removing his hands from the table.

Suddenly the blonde becomes dizzy.

"What…" is all he gets out before his eyes roll into the back of his head and starts to fall to the ground.

Before he hits the floor, Severus catches him.

"Hospital wing it is," the potion master says as he puts his godson on a magical gurney.

"He'll be mad at you for this," Harry says.

"Like he is at you,"

"I can handle it," Harry says looking Severus in the eyes. "Can you?"

Without giving him an answer, Severus turns his back to Harry and guides Draco to the hospital wing.

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Harry watches as Cassy and Severus take Draco out of the kitchen.

"Starving yourself won't help him heal," Lupin

"I should have gone with them," Harry says then frowns. "But I know he wouldn't want to see me there."

"Don't be so sure about that," Blaise comments.

"Yeah," Pansy says. "You never know."

"What are you two talking about?" Harry asks.

"Ask Draco," The two Slytherins say together.

"Thanks,"

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Pomfrey looks up from her desk as the door opens.

She watches as Severus and Cassy walk in with an unconscious Draco floating behind them.

"What happened?" She asks going to Draco's side as Severus puts him on a bed.

"He has a fever and fainted," Cassy informs her.

Pomfrey pulls out her wand and waves it over Draco.

"His temperature is high," Pomfrey says putting her wand away.

"Is that why he fainted?" Cassy asks.

"He's exhausted from not slowing down," the nurse says. "Bed rest for a few days is all he needs."

"Easier said than done," Severus says.

"I'm sure if you two work together, you'll manage," "I believe it's best to take him back to one of your rooms before he wakes up."

"Right," Severus says picking Draco up.

"If this keeps happening, it could hurt the baby," Pomfrey warns them.

"We'll have a talk with him," Cassy assures her.

Then they leave.

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"How will we tell our parents?"

"The professors have already owled all of the parents," Lupin explains. "They should be here on the train by tomorrow morning if not earlier."

"Wow,"

"That early?"

"Is that bad?" Lupin

"Just earlier than we expected," Hermione

"We have to get our story straight and fast," Seamus says.

"Story?"

"Well you don't expect us to tell them the truth?" Ginny asks.

"No?"

"No!" Seamus and Ginny say together.

"The truth is better than a lie,"

"But a lie doesn't get us killed," Seamus says.

"Better to be a dead honest person than a living lie,"

"I'll stick to the truth, thanks." Ginny says.

"Don't say I didn't warn you,"

"I won't," Ginny says.

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An hour later in Severus' chambers, Draco wakes up on the couch.

"What happened?" He asks as he slowly sits up. "Last time I checked I was in the kitchen. How did I get here?"

"You fainted," Severus says handing his godson a glass of water.

Taking a sip, Draco looks from his godfather to his mom and back.

"Why?"

"Maybe your fever had something to do with it," Severus angrily says.

"You'll be a great dad," Draco says with a smile. "You already have the disappointed anger down pact."

"Don't be smart with me,"

"You don't want me to be smart,"

"He means don't be a smartass, sweetie," Cassy explains.

"So why didn't he just say that?"

"Because he was being stupidly subtle about it,"

"Cassandra!"

"You were," Cassy says and sits next to her son. "Now Draco…"

"I know I need to slow down,"

"Then why haven't you?" Cassy inquires. "You walk around like nothing is the matter."

Draco opens his mouth to speak but Severus beats him to it, "And yell at anyone who tries to help you."

"I was angry," Draco says. "You all were talking about me like I wasn't even there."

"You have a fever," Cassy says. "We were worried."

"I'm tired of people deciding things for me,"

"I know Lucius did that to you and I'm sorry," Cassy says "I still want to take of you."

"Mum, I almost 18," Draco explains. "I think I can take care of my self."

"But you have to let people take care of you and know that they're doing it because they care about you."

"Even Harry?"

"Especially Harry," Cassy assures. "I can see that he cares for you a lot."

"Then why did he hurt me?"

"I don't know, baby," Cassy confesses. "You have to ask him that."

"I did," Draco reviles to them. "He said he was scared that this might not work out."

"Does he have a reason to be scared?"

"I want to say no,"

"But…"

"But I have my doubts,"

"Those being?"

"What if this doesn't work out? The worst case scenario is that we hate each other and don't speak to each other again. Our friends will have to choose between us which will make them fight and possible break up," Draco lets out in one breath. "Not to mention what it will do to…"

He stops and looks down at his stomach where his hand is resting.

"Well this…" Cassy starts placing her hand over Draco's. "Changes everything."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Draco admits. "That it's all about the baby and not about us and how we feel about each other. Then one day it will all blow up in our faces."

"So talk before the baby comes." Cassy says. "Go out on dates. Start building a relationship."

"And if we can't?"

"Then try being friends," Cassy says. "For the baby's sake and your own."

"I'll try,"

"Good enough," Cassy says. "Now are you up for eating something?"

"Sure," "But can we not go back to the kitchen?"

"What ever you want, baby,"

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After lunch, the gang heads for the library at Hermione's request.

"Couldn't this wait, 'Mione?" Ron asks.

"Better to know what is to come so we know how to deal with them,"

"Whatever you say, 'Mione," Ron says. "Whatever you say."

They enter the library and stop.

It was pack with students.

"Guess everyone had the same idea you did, Hermione," Dean says.

"Ok," Miss Pince, the librarian says raising her voice to a non normal level for her. "That's it."

Everyone in the room looks at her.

"All who have the books they want, leave," She commands and the crowd disperses to just them and a few others.

"Miss Granger, I was wondering when you would show up here," the librarian says. "I have books for you all."

Motioning to the books on her desk, she continues, "Take what you need."

They look over the book titles,

'So you got your boyfriend pregnant'

'So you got your girlfriend pregnant'

'So you are pregnant, now what? For men/women'

'What to expect when you are expecting. For men/women'

'Being a surrogate mother'

'Being a surrogate father'

"Well that should cover almost everyone," Hermione says taking the so you are pregnant book.

"And here, Remus," the librarian says handing a book to Lupin.

"'Werewolf pregnancy'" Miss Pince says reading the title over Lupin's shoulder.

"Thank you, Irma," Remus says placing the book in his pocket then picking up a book for Severus.

Hermione picks up a copy of, 'So you got your boyfriend pregnant' and hands it to Harry.

"This might help,"

"Not exactly the truth,"

"Not yet,"

"Hopefully thinking leads to broken hearts,"

"Depressed much?"

"I'd better take one for Draco," Pansy says. "Why don't we go outside by the lake to read them?"

They start to move out.

Before leaving, Harry grabs the book from Hermione's hand.

"Don't start,"

Hermione laughs as she follows her friends outside.

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The three Slytherins finish lunch and start talking again.

"Pomfrey insist that you stay in bed for a few days,"

"Really?"

"Yes,"

"How many days is that? One, two?"

"At least three,"

"Fuck,"

"If you just…"

"Slow down. I know." "I should have told someone when I found out about the fever."

"And when was this?" "Yesterday?"

"The day before," "The day before."

"You've had a fever for four days,"

"I thought I could get rid of it myself,"

"You thought wrong," "Now you are going to bed and staying there."

"But…"

"No buts," "You're going."

"Can't I stay here?"

"Why?"

"Because I don't think I can stand up without being dizzy," "Even sitting up like this…"

"Just go to sleep, baby" Cassy says as she helps Draco lay down. "You'll feel better in the morning."

Draco nods and does just that.

"Don't worry, Cas," Severus says. "He'll be alright."

"I hope so,"

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The sun is setting in the west before the gang heads inside.

"When I find out who added that potion to the punch, they will pay," Pansy

"So who was it, Remus?"

"What makes you think I know?"

"McGonagall said 'someone who will remain nameless', so that means you know,"

"There's a reason for not announcing it in the Great Hall,"

"Revenge plots like Pansy is planning,"

"Exactly,"

"Couldn't you just give us a hint?"

"One hint is all you people need,"

"If you don't tell us, we'll just get it from someone else,"

"I'm not saying a thing," Remus says, "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to find Severus."

The former students head for the Great Hall for dinner.

"Those books told me nothing I didn't already know," Hermione says sitting down at the Gryffindor's table.

"They told me a lot," Seamus says. "Like how males are only pregnant for six to seven months."

"Why is that anyway?"

"I don't know," Hermione confesses. "No book touched on that."

"So no one knows?"

"Apparently not,"

"Great," Seamus

His boyfriends comfort him.

"Twins usually are born on or near the same day," Hermione informs them. "So the father will be pregnant as long as the mother."

"Great for me," Ron

"What about me?" Luna asks.

"You probably give birth the same day as Ginny,"

"Oh,"

"So who's hungry?"

Before anyone could reply, Dumbledore speaks,

/Attention students and staff. /

All eyes go to the Headmaster who's standing in front of the teacher's table.

/Your parents will be arriving by train in 20 minutes. /

"Well that ruined my appetite," Ron says.

"Want to go wait for our parents?"

"Sure,"

They go out to the train platform and wait.

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Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come on in,"

Remus walks inside.

"Shouldn't you be at dinner?"

"I was going to ask you that," the werewolf responded then looks over at Draco sleeping. "How is he?"

"More sick than he lead on,"

"Will he be alright?"

"Now he will,"

/Attention students and staff/

Dumbledore's voice enters the room.

/Your parents will be arriving by train in 20 minutes. /

"Already?" Cassy asks.

"Apparently," Remus answers.

"What was that?" Draco groggily asks.

"Nothing, dear," Cassy says. "Just go back to sleep."

"Ok," her son says and is out like a light.

Cassy places a hand on her son's forehead.

"His fever has gone down," she says. "He should be better by morning."

"Good," Severus says. "Now go get some dinner."

"But…"

"We'll watch him," Remus assures her. "Go eat something."

"If you're sure,"

"Yes," the teachers say together.

"Ok then," Cassy says and leaves the room.

"Will we be that way?"

"No," "We'll be worse."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Severus says and places a blanket on his sleeping godson. "Let's go to bed."

"Ok,"

End of chapter seven.

So almost a year later I finally update.

Where have I been?

Not updating apparently.

Hopefully you won't have to wait another year for the next chapter.

Well bye.