"Ron . . .I'm worried." Harry said as he and Ron ate dinner.
"About what?" Ron asked.

"Well . . .the Hamleters have been looking at me strangely. I . . .I don't think they like me anymore." Harry replied.
"Why would you think that, honey? Honestly, how could anyone dislike someone as pretty and sweet as you?" Ron questioned.

"I . . . I don't know but . . .they don't. I think it's the baby, Ron." Harry answered.
Ron looked at him strangely, "The baby?"
"I think they're upset that . . .well that it's actually Draco's." Harry said, staring down at the table sadly. "I'm scared, Ron. Scared that they may try to hurt the baby."

Ron got up and wrapped his arms around Harry, Rubbing his ever-expanding belly "Don't worry. No one will dare to try and harm our baby. I won't let them."

"B-but what about when he's growing up? W-what if they treat him badly? Or if they shun him? All because he'll be half-Valkier."
"Don't worry. It won't be like that. Our child will have a good life."

Harry smiled softly and nodded against him, "You're right. Everything will be fine. I . . .I guess I'm just paranoid."

Ron kissed the top of his head, "Don't worry. Why don't you go and get some sleep? I'll take care of the dishes."

Harry nodded again, "Alright."
Harry went into their bedroom and laid himself down on his back. He rubbed his rotund stomach gently, unable to shake off the feeling that the Hamlet would not accept his child.

"Master, are you sure you don't want us to take someone from the Hamlet?" Hermione asked.

"I'm certain. I will not take anyone from the Hamlet." Draco said, holding a squirming boar. "I won't drink the blood of any human except my Harry."

"But the mistress is down in the Hamlet!" Hermione reminded him.

"I know that. I'll go back when the baby is born . . .I'll only take his blood again when he's recovered from giving birth. Until then, boars' blood will do." Draco stated, biting into the boar's neck.

Hermione watched him drink its blood and sighed. The blood of boars was enough to sustain Draco, but only a human's blood could properly nourish him. Yet Draco insisted that he would only drink boars' blood; that it was a betrayal to drink from any human other than Harry. Draco finished draining the boar's blood, and set the now dead animal's body down on the kitchen counter to be cooked.

"Harry! I need to speak with you!" Blaize called as he saw Harry outside his cottage, tying Maia to her post when he had finished riding her.

Harry turned to him and smiled, "Sure, come inside."

"Thank-you." Blaize replied, following Harry into the cottage.

"So what did you need to speak with me about?" Harry asked, entering the kitchen.
"It . . .well, it's about the child you carry." Blaize began.
"What about my baby?"

"Well . . .is it true? That the child's father is not Ron?" Blaize asked.

"Ron will be my child's father." Harry stated.

"But was it . . .was it Ron who sired the child?"

Harry narrowed his eyes, "That's really none of your concern, Blaize. But if you must know, it was Draco who planted the seed for this child, not Ron"

"Does the Valkier know?"

"I didn't tell him . . .I was going to, but he had me leave before I could. I'm sure one of his servants has told him by now, though." Harry answered.

Blaize swallowed nervously, "And what if he comes to claim his child?"

"I won't deny him his own child. But I know he would never try to steal our baby from me. We will simply have to work out a way to raise the child together between here and the fortress." Harry explained.
"Harry. . .there is something important that I . . .that the entire Hamlet needs to ask of you." Blaize said placing his hands over Harry's pregnant stomach.

"I'm listening . . ."

"When the child is born . . .we . . .we would like you to kill it."

"Excuse me?" Harry cried knocking Blaize's hands away

"I know it sounds cruel, but it will save our Hamlet! We can end that monster's bloodline by killing its only offspring! Don't you understand? It's for the good of the Hamlet!" Blaize exclaimed.

Harry glared at him, "How dare you? Kill my own child? I would never! I don't care if Draco is a Valkier, I love him, and I love our baby!"

"What about Ron?" Blaize questioned.

"I love Ron and he loves me too. He has already accepted the fact that the baby is not his. It doesn't matter to him that our child will be half-Valkier, so why should it matter to you? Is this not the Hamlet of acceptance?" Harry snapped.

Suddenly Blaize reached out and grabbed Harry by the wrist, twisting it around and refusing to let him go. "That 'child' will damn us all! It will claim a sacrifice each month and force us to continue living in fear! But kill it now and we can save ourselves! You would see that, were you not the devil's whore!"

Harry pulled against Blaize's grip, slapping him hard with his free hand and finally managing to pull himself free. He stumbled backwards, his back hitting the counter. Blaize stepped toward him, and he grabbed a knife from off the counter.

"Stay back." Harry said firmly, holding the knife up.

Blaize smirked and stepped closer anyway, "You wouldn't actually use that. I know you too well, Harry. You're just a worthless, helpless little whore, ready to open your legs for any monsters that happen to come along. You don't have it in you to kill anything . . .you can't even hurt me!"
As Blaize moved to grab him again, Harry swung his knife forward, cutting into Blaize's arm just enough to make him gasp in pain and pull away. "Maybe I don't have it in me to kill anything. And maybe I am helpless. But to protect my child, I will kill a thousand men and die a thousand deaths."

"If you don't kill that demon inside you, you'll damn us all!" Blaize cried.

Harry glared at him with utter hatred and tightened his grip on his knife, "If you ever dare to threaten or insult my child again, I will go up to the fortress and bring my husband down here. And then you will know what damnation truly is!"

Blaize glared at him, cradling his now bleeding arm. "You will pay dearly, whore. That child will devour you and you will find no salvation in the next life. There is no forgiveness for such a terrible sin."

"It is a sin to love my child?" Harry asked almost mockingly.
"To love the child of a demon is to love the devil." Blaize replied.
"Get out of my home." Harry ordered.

Blaize started to walk out, then suddenly turned and grabbed Harry, taking him by surprise and pinning him against the wall. "A whore is a whore no matter what. You will be chained to the devil's bed and punished for all time, and there will be no comfort for you."

"L-let go!" Harry cried, trying to squirm out of his grasp.

Blaize ignored him and continued, "Your body will be filled with the seed of evil, and you will bear demonic children who, in time, will also use you for their own pleasure, you will bear your own demonic grandchildren and the cycle will repeat. Your fate is set, whore, and as long as your protect this demon nesting in your womb, it cannot be changed."

"It's too wonderful to be evil." Harry whispered. "My child is good, I'm sure of it. I have no doubt in my heart."
"It is corrupting your heart. It will rape you forever."

"You know nothing." Harry continued to struggle against Blaize, and finally stabbed him in the shoulder. "Get. Out." He panted once Blaize released him.
"If you do not kill that demon you will suffer."

"Get out!" Harry cried.

Blaize walked to the door and paused, "Change your fate now, or be tormented as the whore you are for eternity."

Harry remained silent until he left, then fell to his knees and cried. He rubbed his stomach lovingly. He knew that his child would never hurt him. He knew what Blaize said would never come true. After all, how could love be evil? How could what his heart told him, without any doubt, be wrong? Still he was afraid. What if Blaize came back with some of the others? He knew he could not defend himself against them all.

"Ron . . .please come home. Draco . . .please . . .help me."
Harry hugged himself tightly and cried.

The second Ron stepped into his home, Harry threw himself into his arms. He stumbled back slightly as he caught his lover, wondering what was wrong. He regained his balance and held Harry tightly as he realized he was sobbing hysterically.

"Harry? What is it? What's wrong?" He asked, his voice filled with worry.

"Oh Ron . . .it's true . . .I . . .I was r-right!" Harry sobbed.
"Right about what?" Ron asked.
"Th-the Hamleters . . .they . . .they're angry. They hate the baby!" Harry cried.
"Harry. . .what in the world are you talking about?" Ron questioned.

"B-Blaize came here today . . .h-he said he needed to t-talk. He a-asked me to kill the baby! When I t-told him no, and asked him to l-leave he . . .he attacked me! He kept yelling that killing the baby w-would save us, that our child will be a demon. And . . .and when I r-refused, he grabbed me and kept calling me 'the devil's whore'. He s-said that the baby is going to devour my soul and that I'm going to Hell. I was so scared, Ron! I thought he was going to kill me!"

Ron tightened his grip on his lover, "Harry. . .I'm so sorry. I should have been here to protect you." Harry didn't reply, so Ron gently pulled him into their bedroom. "It's going to be alright, Harry. Don't worry, it's going to be alright." He whispered soothingly.

"How? The whole Hamlet wants our baby to die, and he hasn't even been born yet. There's no telling what they'll do when she's growing up." Harry whimpered.
"I won't let anyone hurt you or our child ever again." Ron said honestly. "If anyone ever tries it, I'll make sure they pay dearly."

Harry sniffed, "You promise?"

"I promise." Ron replied, wiping the tears off of Harry's face.

Harry looked up into Ron's eyes and smiled softly, then leaned up and kissed him. Ron kissed back, gently rolling his tongue over Harry's bottom lip. Harry opened his mouth and moaned softly as their tongues danced. He wrapped his arms around Ron's neck, trying to pull him closer. In turn, Ron tightened his grip around Harry's waist.

"I love you." They both whispered as they pulled apart.

Ron gasped as he felt Harry rock his hips against his, "Harry what're you d-doing?"
"Just relax." Harry replied, kissing Ron 's neck softly. "Let me show you just how much I love you."

Ron only moaned as Harry pushed him down on the bed and opened his shirt. Harry kissed along Ron's collarbone, running his fingers smoothly over the exposed skin on his chest. Harry moved his lips to Ron's neck as he kissed every inch of skin he could. He slid his hands down; pulling Ron's pants open and grasping his growing erection. Gasping, Ron reached up and undid Harry's shirt, trying to tug it all the way off.

"Just relax." Harry whispered, slipping out of his shirt and trousers

Ron stared up at Harry, kneeling before him in all his naked pregnant glory. "You're so beautiful."

Harry smiled and blushed faintly, "What do you want, Ron? Do you want to be inside of me?"
Ron yanked the remainder of his clothes off and held his arms out, "Come here."
Harry crawled over to Ron and settled in his lap. "Is this what you want?" He asked as they sat back to chest.

"I don't know . . .is this what you want?" Ron asked.

Harry rubbed himself against his lover, "Absolutely."

Ron smiled and kissed the back of Harry's neck. He slipped two fingers into his mouth long enough to wet them, then reached down and carefully slid one into Harry, he was shocked at the already slimy wet entrance. He waited a moment, then pushed the second finger in, searching around until he found the right spot. Harry moaned loudly, thrusting himself down onto Ron's fingers. Ron wrapped his free arm around Harry's waist, holding him still as he stretch him. He pulled his fingers out, but suddenly paused.
"Harry . . .this won't hurt the baby, will it?" He asked nervously.

"Not at all." Harry replied, leaning back against him.
As if to prove his words, he pressed down hard on Ron's erection, completely burying it within him. Ron let out a gasp that quickly turned into a moan as he felt the tight heat around him. He held onto Harry's waist as he pulled back, then pushed himself forward into him. Harry moaned in pleasure, his head dropping to rest against Ron's shoulder as he began to set a steady pace.

"Ron. . .I . . .I n-need you. Please . . .h-harder . . .faster . . .please!" He cried, trying to push himself down on Ron 's cock.

Ron eagerly complied, speeding up his thrusts and slamming harder into Harry's spot. He reached around and grabbed Harry's hard cock, pumping it along with his thrusts. Just moments later Harry came into Ron's hand, moaning loudly. Ron moaned also as he felt Harry's muscles tighten around him, releasing inside of him seconds after.
The two lovers lay there, panting, covered in sweat, and wrapped up in each other's arms. Ron grinned as he reached down and rubbed Harry's stomach.

"I really hope the baby didn't feel that." He said.
Harry giggled, "The baby didn't feel a thing. Trust me, dear."
Ron kissed his forehead, "That's a good thing. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, not at all." Harry replied, snuggling closer to his lover. "That was perfect."

Ron pulled Harry even closer against his chest, "Just like you."

"Just like us." Harry corrected.

Ron rubbed Harry's stomach again, "Just like our baby."

Harry smiled, "I love you."
"I love you too." Ron replied.
They kissed.
"You won't be gone too long, right?" Harry asked as Ron got ready to leave.
"Of course not." Ron answered. "I'll be back as soon as I possibly can, don't worry."

"I love you, Ron." Harry said.
"I love you too, Harry." Ron replied, kissing him softly. He crouched down on his knees so that he was level with Harry's now very well grown stomach. "And I love you too." He said, kissing Harry's stomach.
Harry laughed, waving as he watched Ron leave. When Ron was out of sight, he closed the door and went back into the kitchen to wash their breakfast dishes. He smiled and rubbed his stomach proudly. He had just entered his Eighth month of pregnancy; there was only one month until the baby would be ready. Both he and Ron had grown extremely excited, tossing around name ideas and other such things.

Despite their happy attitude, they couldn't ignore the cold treatment Harry was suddenly receiving from the other Hamleters. They ignored him for the most part; never calling him by name or treating him like a real person. The children would throw clumps of dirt at him; their parents didn't join, but at the same time they never told them to stop. Though no one had actually threatened Harry again it didn't take long for Ron to decide that it was too dangerous for Harry to leave the cottage without him. Harry stayed inside while Ron went out to hunt, both always paranoid when they were apart.
Harry sighed, wishing that Ron would hurry and get home soon, even though had only left a few minutes before. There was a knock at the door and he set the dishes down to go and answer it. He smiled politely as he opened the door to find Dolores on the other side.

"Hi, Dolores. What brings you here?" He asked.
"Oh, well I just came to check up on you. I know you only have a month to go, and I . . .I wanted to make sure that everything's OK with the baby." Dolores replied. "This isn't a bad time, is it?"

"No, not at all. Come in and sit down, I just need to finish washing the dishes." Harry said, stepping aside to let Dolores in.

Once Harry has finished with the dishes, he and Dolores sat down in the bedroom.
"Has there been any serious pain?" Dolores asked. Harry shook his head.

"Hmm you look a heck of a lot bigger than you should be, Does anything feel . . .wrong? Like there's something that shouldn't be there?" Again Harry shook his head.

"When's the last time you felt the baby kicking?"
"Just a little while ago, when I woke up." Harry answered, rubbing his stomach lightly through his stretched shirt.

"Good, that's very good. Now, I just need you to relax for a moment. I'll be right back." Dolores said, getting up.

"Oh . . .alright." Harry replied, slightly confused.

He watched as Dolores walked out of the room. He waited for a few minutes until he heard footsteps walking towards him. Harry looked up and was instantly panic-stricken.

"W-what's this about?" He questioned nervously. There was no reply. He was filled with dread as he began to grasp what was happening.

There was no one around to answer his screams.