Well everyone, this is a very poignant chapter! James and I decided to take a subject that very few (if ANY) fanfic authors have the gall to touch. For one reason, it's not a very pleasant topic, for another, there aren't many who know as much medicine as I do! Twelve years of school certainly paid off!
Please read and review! We want to know what you think!
Marina & James
Harry awoke the next morning earlier than usual. He was used to being up at the crack of dawn to make Vernon's breakfast, even after being away from the Dursleys for close to ten years. Old habits really did die hard. But this habit wasn't the cause of Harry's early rising on this foggy English morning. He had an appointment with Hermione and Poppy to get the baby checked out and even though they weren't scheduled to be there until late morning, Harry couldn't help but wake up and be anxious to leave.
He quietly disentangled himself from Hermione's embrace, deciding to finally get those financial reports done while he had a free moment. They took him a good hour to completely, but he felt good that he'd finally gotten caught up. Rome had been a huge setback for him, especially since there were three months he couldn't remember. But it didn't matter now. He left the study and slipped down to the kitchen to grab some breakfast from Winky. Maybe surprising Hermione with breakfast in bed would ease her mind a bit. He slipped back upstairs with a tray full of traditional English breakfast items; English muffins, bangers and hash, pumpkin juice, bacon strips, and a few pancakes with various toppings. Thank Merlin for magic or he'd have never made it up the stairs with the tray. "Hermione," He whispered as he reentered the room. "Love, I brought breakfast."
It had been a dreadful night...Hermione awoke no less than two dozen times from terrifying nightmares. In some of the nightmares the baby was dead at birth, a hollow, blackened corpse of a baby. In others the child was born horribly deformed, unable to even eat because of his monstrous appearance. Worse still, she had one dream where the baby was born seemingly normal but a few years into his life, died suddenly. Each dream left her heartbroken, more fearful...
She heard Harry get up around five in the morning, her body still lying prone, unmoving. But he deserved some time to himself, time to think...maybe he could better grasp his feelings if he had some time to think about them. And so, Hermione stared at the ceiling, praying to any deity that would listen to protect her child. It wasn't long before Harry came in carrying a tray of food and moved beside her. "I'm not sleeping," She answered softly, her voice raw from crying. "And I'm not hungry either..."
Harry set the tray down on the night table and sat beside his wife, one hand gently rubbing up and down her arm. A pregnant woman who didn't want to eat? That wasn't a good sign. "Honey, I know you're upset...but you have to eat. The baby needs the nutrients. What do you think Poppy will say when I bring you in to the appointment and you haven't eaten? She'll yell at you for it...and then she'll hex my bits into last week. I'll have to get a Time Turner to retrieve them." He gave a soft chuckle in the hopes that he was somehow magically lightening the mood.
Hermione was not amused. She folded her arms, "Do not play that angle with me; I am scared out of my mind for this baby. Excuse me for not being ravenous for once. I will eat after we find out if the baby is okay. For now, if I put anything into my stomach it's going to end up all over your robes." Turning away from him, she shook her head. How could he possibly think that she'd be in the mood to joke right now? "But go ahead and enjoy your own breakfast...I'm not going to stop you."
Harry went from sitting to lying down beside her. She was really upset, far more than he thought she was. "I'm sorry for joking. I was just trying to lighten the mood." He gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her body back against his own. "I won't make you eat right now if you don't want to...but I'm holding you to that promise. As soon as we get word on the baby, you're eating." He hated seeing her like this. It nearly drove Harry crazy that he couldn't make it all better by himself. He leaned over to place a soft kiss on her cheek and smiled a little. "Did you manage to sleep alright?" He had always been a light sleeper, side effect of have a deranged maniac and his lackeys trying to hunt you down most of your life, and he knew that she hadn't slept well at all.
Turning to look at him, the dark circles under her eyes gave more away than she wanted. "Listen, Harry, you're a wonderful man for caring about me and I love you...but right now, it's not about me. Our son is all that matters." She almost added 'at least to me', but decided against it. She didn't want to fight with him; she just wanted to find out about the baby. "I will eat when I am hungry, okay? Pregnancy isn't about stuffing your face all the time..." She looked down, "Besides, if there's something seriously wrong with our son, it might be better to end the pregnancy." She didn't want that…and she never, ever thought she'd hear herself say it. A small sob choked her, "I just can't bear the thought of our child suffering, only to die before birth or very young."
Harry wanted to respond to what she was saying. He could practically hear the accusation in her voice about him not caring. But all rational arguments left his mind when she mentioned ending the pregnancy. The blood drained from Harry's face and he could only stare at her in shock of what she was thinking. It took him several moments to realize he'd even stopped breathing. As soon as Harry had a moment to compose himself he spoke, "Umm…okay. First of all, this is about the baby, Hermione. Not eating will only hurt him. It needs nutrients and vitamins, and only you can give those to him. If you don't eat...it might make the situation worse. And secondly..." He trailed off, having trouble bringing himself to even mention the possibility of terminating the pregnancy. "You're thinking worst case, love. We both need to stay positive. Poppy said stressing yourself out was a bad thing for the baby. You need to stay positive."
"How can I not stress out, Harry?" Hermione pulled away from him and moved completely off the bed to stare at herself in the mirror. Both hands rested on her protruding abdomen and she closed her eyes at the image. "I love this child so much...and we already know something is wrong. No, Dargon's isn't serious, but it can cause a whole bunch of serious complications for me and especially the baby." Pacing just tired her out and so she stood like a statue, her body tensed. "I want to go now. I don't want to wait until ten; I want to find out right now. And if that means sitting in the medical wing for three hours then so be it!" Stalking to the closet she threw on the first set of robes she saw, not even realizing that they were her pre-pregnancy robes. "Come on, don't dawdle!" She needed to know now.
Harry sighed and stood to follow her. He waved his hand over his bathrobe, transfiguring it into a simple black set of robes. He grabbed his wand off the night table on his side of the room and followed Hermione down to the Floo. "Alright, we'll go now. Just calm down. If we show up in an emotional rush Poppy will think that something else happened." He grabbed some Floo powder and tossed it into the fire. Thankfully Poppy had told them that Albus was going to connect the Hospital Wing Floo to their house so that they could see Poppy in the event of an emergency. Well a rampaging pregnant wife counted on Harry's bill, "Hogwarts." He stepped into the green flames and tumbled out into the hospital wing. He managed to grab a bed to keep himself from his usual face to floor technique and turned to make sure Hermione came through ok.
It wasn't long before Hermione realized that the robes she was wearing were NOT the right ones. She rushed to put on another pair and hurried to the floo after Harry. She didn't even look at him as they made their way down the hall to the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey was cleaning down the beds when she looked up to see Hermione and Harry. Immediately she put her arms around Hermione, "Don't worry, love, it'll be fine. Come and lay down on this one here. I'll be right back."
Harry watched as Poppy scurried off to get whatever she needed for this. He noticed what bed she sat Hermione in and had to fight the urge to laugh. He couldn't help but comment on it. "I guess this makes the bed the official Potter family bed, now." He smiled at the memories, some good but most bad, of him waking up in this bed in the Hospital Wing; the times he'd recklessly thrown himself into danger because it would save a life or was the right thing to do. And now it was Hermione putting herself on the line for their baby. It was only fitting that she got to be in the bed.
Hefting herself onto the soft bed, Hermione lay back. She watched as Madame Pomfrey bustled around the medical wing with her wand in hand, getting scores of parchment forms and her book of detection charms. "Alright Hermione, this won't hurt a bit. So try not to worry." She looked over at Harry and gave him a sad look, "I'm going to do every detection charm that we know of. We'll make sure your baby is healthy. I promise."
Harry nodded to what Poppy was saying. It was reassuring to know that his wife and his baby were in the very capable hands of Poppy Pomfrey. Harry knew that there were probably more qualified healers who specialized in pregnancy and babies at St. Mungo's. But truth be told, Harry didn't trust anyone other than Poppy. That was the result of seven years of being under her watchful eye as he took himself to the edge of his limits, only to be brought back by her every time. "I know you will, Poppy. Honestly, you're the only healer I'd trust to care for my wife and son." He gave her a small smile as he reached over to grab Hermione's hand and give it a small squeeze.
Blushing, Poppy nodded, "Thank you, Harry." She could feel Hermione's nervousness though. And she decided not to waste any more time with the charms. For what felt like hours, Poppy performed detection charms. With reassuring words and gestures, she patted Hermione's hand. After a long time, the parchment she had brought over was completely full. "It'll just be a few minutes now, I need to read these results."
Grasping Harry's hand, she looked over at him as Poppy stood up and walked away. "I'm so scared," She whispered. "Please, please...I can't take it." Tears leaked from the sides of her eyes. "Make it go away."
Harry sat down beside her on 'his' bed. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her over a bit into his side. "I know you're scared. I am too. No matter what those results are..." He motioned in the direction that Poppy had walked off in, "We'll get through this. Together." He leaned in to give her a brief kiss. When he broke apart, Harry cast his eyes up at the ceiling. He'd never been a religious person. Years of being forced to live with a physically and verbally abusive family had made him question what sort of god(s) would allow one of their children to go through all that. But right now Harry was praying to whoever would listen, to make sure their baby alright. He even promised to go to Muggle church if the baby was going to be fine.
Sniffling, Hermione watched as Madame Pomfrey's face went from serene to frowning. Again the tears began to fall down her cheeks, "What? What is it?" Hermione cried out. Immediately, Poppy was by her side, "Oh Hermione, it'll be alright. Dargon's Dypsia itself is curable, it's a common wizarding birth defect caused by the use of potions during the delicate early weeks of conception but if untreated, it could lead to Merlin's Syndrome, a disorder in which a witch or wizard's powers are volatile, their magical core damaged. Emotional changes cause powerful surges of magic which can destroy things...one in a hundred thousand magical babies were born with it." She looked down sadly at the two of them, "House elves can't tell the distinction between Dargon's and Merlin's...it's such a minute difference." She sighed, "I have some literature I'll give you two, I'm sure you'll want to read it. But fear not, many, many magical babies are born with this and they lead full, healthy lives. Merlin himself had this disorder, that's why they named it after him." She rubbed Hermione's shoulder gently, "Try not to worry."
Harry didn't like the way she was phrasing this. And Hermione crying was only adding to his agitation. She was saying it, without saying it. "So...our son will be born with Merlin's Syndrome?" Well there went those prayers, right out the window. He knew all about Merlin's Syndrome. All Unspeakables took time in the research department to try and create cures and new spells. Harry himself had been tasked at one point last year to try and find a cure for the affliction. "You...you still need to cure the Dargon's though...right? So it won't progress to worse problems?" Hermione wasn't likely to be happy about any of this, in fact he gave her about half a minute before she lost it completely.
"Harry," Poppy said softly, "I'm sorry, but Dargon's Dypsia is a direct cause of Merlin's. Once it reaches this stage, there's nothing we can do." Hermione was already crying and the mediwitch felt terrible. Transfiguring some old newspapers into tissues, she handed them to the young mother. "It'll be fine dear, I promise."
Harry nodded slowly and wrapped his arms around Hermione. At least it wasn't entirely bad. So their son would have trouble controlling his magic. Harry had suffered much the same problem. His accidental magic had even let a giant Brazilian Boa Constrictor loose on his cousin. At least it wasn't something worse. At least their baby would be healthy beyond Merlin's Syndrome. "Thank you, Poppy." Harry leaned his head against Hermione's and whispered to her, "It will be okay, love. It's not so bad. He's healthy. He'll have trouble controlling his magic, but he's fine."
Madame Pomfrey instinctively knew that the two new parents needed some time alone. Hermione was shaking, trying not to convulse with her sobs as she looked over toward Harry, her eyes watering again. Wrapping her arms around him, she let her tears pour out of her, "Thank Merlin! He's going to be fine..." She gripped Harry as tightly as her belly would allow. "We'll just magic-proof all the valuables, make sure he has extra special training. He can overcome this..."
Harry nodded as he held Hermione. "Of course he can. I mean, look at me. I had volatile magical accidents when I was younger. Sure it wasn't as bad as Merlin's Syndrome, but I overcame it. He may never have full mastery over his magic...but he'll still be able to lead a full and healthy life. We'll just need to take extra care that he's happy so he won't lash out in anger." Harry gave Hermione a soft kiss on the lips while one hand dropped to rub over her belly. "I told you it wouldn't be as bad as you worked yourself into thinking."
Laughing bitterly, she shook her head. "I'm still afraid, Harry. There are a lot of accidents that can occur when a child has Merlin's. We'll have to keep a special eye on him always to make sure he doesn't hurt himself or someone else." She took a heavy breath and looked down at her belly, where his hand rubbed gently. "What do you say we head over to the Three Broomsticks for breakfast and read over some of these pamphlets? Baby is hungry..."
Harry chuckled loudly at Hermione's last observation. "Of course he's hungry. Daddy tried to feed him earlier, but mommy wasn't feeling well." Harry stood up and helped Hermione to her feet. "Breakfast sounds good." Now he had to pretend to not know more than she did about this birth defect. His boss would kill him if he revealed his status as an Unspeakable, even if it was only to Hermione. Harry led her out of the Wing, thanking Poppy profusely, and started the long trek to Hogsmeade for some much needed rest and relaxation with his wife.
Hermione laughed as they stepped out onto the ground. It was a beautiful June morning, not too hot yet, a little foggy and grey but the sun shone through every once in a while. Harry's arm was slung around her waist, keeping careful tabs on her and the baby as they went over the rocky terrain toward the Three Broomsticks. What had once been an easy walk, now felt as if she were running a marathon. "Bugger, I am really out of shape," She breathed heavily and then leaned over to give Harry a kiss before teasing him, "I have you to blame for this."
Harry gave a feigned shock, "Such language. I'll not have you corrupting the ears of my unborn son, missy." He tickled her sides a little as a way of getting her back for her harsh language. "Besides, I'll have you know that it takes two to tango. I may have been a direct factor in you ending up in your present 'out of shape' condition...but you seemed more than eager to let me get you that way." He leaned in close to ear to whisper in a husky voice, "And I loved every minute of it. In fact...you just wait until we get back home." His hand dropped briefly to give her bum a soft squeeze to let her know what he was thinking about.
Giggling, she folded her arms, "Our son is going to have Ron as an uncle. Believe me, there is no word I could use that'll corrupt our baby more than he will." She loved Ron but he was clueless at times. Although, since he married Luna, Hermione had heard that he had gotten better. She gave him a sly wink, "Oh, you better make it really spectacular when we get home." She patted her belly and then chuckled again, "You have a lot of atoning to do, sir!"
Harry chuckled at Hermione's logic. Of course Ron would be the worst one to leave alone with their son. His first words would likely be "Bloody Hell" or some other coarse word. Well, Harry supposed Ron would be a better alternative than leaving their son alone with the Twins. He'd never learn to speak and would find ways to use his accidental magic to turn a profit in pranks. No, the three youngest Weasley males would not do for solitary babysitters. Thankfully they had Luna, Ginny, and Molly to turn to for that. Mrs. Weasley would likely jump at the chance to care for another baby. "Oh, I will make it worth your while. If I have my way, you'll be forgetful of your own name until half an hour after I'm done with you."
"I look forward to it," She purred and smiled as they finally reached the door to the Three Broomsticks. "I love you," She whispered and smiled at him. "Now let's feed this little boy before he starts acting up." She laughed again and kissed his cheek. "And believe me, he wants to eat."
Harry sat down opposite Hermione at a window side table. When Madame Rosmerta came over for their drink orders Harry asked for pumpkin juice for both Hermione and himself. He watched as the woman walked of to get their drinks and turned back to Hermione. "When we get home we'll let Dobby and Winky know about the baby. They can start work on putting protective shields around our things so that it'll all be done by the time the little guy makes his first appearance." He gave her a soft smile and reached across the small table for her hand. "I love you."
Madame Rosmerta came over and gushed over them for a few minutes while Harry and Hermione looked over the menus. Honestly, Hermione had never been here for breakfast...she'd had many a butterbeer and a couple of random lunches and dinners, but never breakfast. The restaurant was quiet early in the morning, not many ventured out this early for a good meal (especially not at nine in the morning on a lazy Sunday morning in June). "I'll have the pancake supreme breakfast with a side of bangers...and if you have any vinegar, I'd like that too." She blushed and looked down again. She couldn't help but rub her belly...she was in love with Harry and her child, and she was so immensely glad that her child would not be unable to function. Madame Pomfrey had run every test in the book; they all came up clean except for Merlin's. It was a big relief.
Harry chuckled as Hermione ordered her food. When it was his turn he only; asked for some bangers and a couple of English muffins. He'd nibbled a bit on the tray of food at home and wasn't really all that hungry any more. When Rosmerta walked away Harry turned to Hermione. "You know, I'll bet that when he's born he won't even like vinegar. You're going to burn him out on that stuff." Truthfully Harry wouldn't mind that...he himself didn't like vinegar, even on fish and chips.
"I don't know what it is!" Hermione said with a laugh. "I don't even like vinegar...or at least, I never have before. And now it feels like if I don't eat it, I'll be depriving myself. I think I'd cry if you tried to take it away from me." She shook her head, "Strange. Although, there are worse things I could crave. Like blood lollipops..." Her voice trailed off, "Actually, now that you mention it..." She dissolved into laughter at the look on Harry's face, "I'm just kidding."
Harry had only ever seen one non-Vampire eat a blood pop and like it. But the vices of Albus Dumbledore were not his concern as long as the old man wasn't trying to use Harry for his own ends again. "Disgusting...you just remember, you can have anything to eat you want. But if you do try a blood pop then you're not likely to be kissing me anytime soon." He made a face like he'd tasted something very nasty and was trying to get it out of his mouth. In truth, Harry didn't like seeing blood. All the blood he'd seen during the war had had a bad effect on him. Now at the sight of blood, he got queasy and had flashbacks of the last battle. He was just glad that none of the others had followed him away from the main battle that night to confront Voldemort and his inner circle. It was bad enough Harry had been forced to do things in that fight that he would rather have never thought of doing. He wouldn't be able to live if Hermione knew what he'd done then and it changed her view of him.
One thing about wizarding service was that it was fast. Hermione had her syrup and vinegar sopped pancakes in less than twenty minutes. She took one bite and let out a soft sigh of delight, "Delicious!" She laughed when he talked about not kissing her again, "Oh, I think you'd still kiss me. You'd just make that adorable little disgusted face...I hope our son gets that one. It makes me want to snog you senseless."
Harry chuckled at her thoughts on the face he made. "Well, then I'll have to teach it to him in the hopes that he'll one day be able to woo a woman by making disgusted faces at her." He shook his head as he cut open his English muffin and spread some butter over it. After adding his bangers to the muffin and making an impromptu sandwich, Harry took a bite. "Now that is delicious!"
Hermione chuckled, "Sorry love, your son and I both agree that pancakes and vinegar is better...and besides, I think I'm the only woman on the planet that loves your disgusted face." She took his hand gently across the table and smiled. "But our boy will find a wonderful woman. But not today, not for a long while yet. At least now I know he'll have a future."
Harry adopted a thoughtful look when she suggested that only she liked his disgusted face. "Maybe I should write to Witch Weekly. Send them some pictures of me making different face. It can be a poll, 'Which Harry Potter face is the best?' Then we'll see exactly how many people like the disgusted face." He laughed at the absurdity of his own idea. "Of course he'll have a future. He's a Potter, and his mother is the smartest witch of our age. It'll take a lot more than some trivial birth defect to keep our boy down. I just feel sorry for any aspiring Dark Lords that might think it wise to attack our son. They get him angry, and they may wish they'd taken a job as a florist instead of as a Dark Lord."
Snorting, she gave him a bright smile; one of the only real smiles she'd given him in a few days. "We can call Rita to do the interview. It'll be perfect." She teased and finished off the rest of her pumpkin juice only to find that it was refilled immediately. "Well one thing is for sure, Merlin's only affects strong magical children...he will have very strong magic."
Harry gave Hermione a deadpan look. "Of course he'll be strong. Look at his parents. You and I are arguably the most powerful Witch and Wizard of our age in England, and I'd even venture so far as to suggest all of Europe at the least. Of course he's going to be strong magically. It wouldn't surprise me if he rivaled Dumbledore in terms of power one day." But all that power only went so far if you couldn't control it. However, it was only an obstacle. He was sure they'd find a way to make their son have the easiest life possible. It would just take time and dedication.
"Magically, he has great genetics." Hermione smirked, "But the poor kid is destined to have really unmanageable hair. And I truly hope he gets your green eyes." She knew her son would be handsome, just like his father. And she couldn't wait to see what he would look like. They fell into a comfortable silence, Hermione finishing up her bangers, swirling them in the vinegar and syrup mixture. "While we're here, can we stop at Honeydukes? We're out of chocolate frogs and I feel like eating some licorice whips."
Harry chuckled. "I hope he does have unmanageable hair. I think it adds character. Makes us look more wild and untamed; it gives us a certain...mystique. Not to mention I constantly look like I'm fresh from a Quidditch match!" He chuckled as he finished up his sandwich. "Honeydukes it is. I could go for some taffy wands and sugar quills, myself." Honeydukes was definitely a shop that he wished had a Diagon Alley branch. He loved the products there. Maybe he could have a talk with the owner, Ambrosius Flume, about opening a shop there.
Now that he mentioned it, sugar quills did sound good. Maybe she'd just get a couple of everything (even blood pops, just to tease him). "Your hair is adorable," She reached over and brushed her fingers over a dark strand that was sticking straight up. It felt soft and wonderful under her fingers. "Come on, let's hurry up and pay...I want to get to Honeydukes and then get you home. My body is craving you as an afternoon snack."
Harry quickly paid the bill and left Madame Rosmerta a hefty tip. He led Hermione down the road toward Honeydukes. He held the door open for her and handed her a basket. "Get whatever you want. I'm going to have a chat with Mr. Flume real quick. I've an idea running around my head that I need to tell him about. It could be mutually beneficial." He gave her a quick kiss and walked over to the aging man who ran the wonderful little candy store. Thankfully those baskets, which were most often used by younger kids, were charmed to be feather light. Harry wouldn't need to worry about her carrying too much weight. Besides, the shop wasn't huge; he was only a step away if she needed help.
Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She went about putting everything that sounded remotely appealing into the basket. She made sure to get extra chocolate frogs, since she had been craving them lately. She also got nearly a pound of the treacle fudge that was new to the shop. By the time she made her way up to the front she had nearly fifty galleons worth of sweets. She smiled at Harry as she placed her galleons on the counter and smiled at the young cashier. "Thank you," She said softly.
Harry smiled at Hermione and motioned for her to take her Galleons back. "Our money is no longer good here." He let her sweat for a moment on the idea that she might not get her sweets after all. "Business partners don't have to pay. Mr. and Mrs. Flume will be coming by my office at the Hogsmeade Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to go over a contract purchase of their store name and site. They will still run it, but we're going to expand and open a shop in Diagon Alley." He turned back to Mr. Flume and shook the man's hand. "Welcome, tentatively, to the Potter family. Don't worry; you two will not regret this." As Harry led Hermione out of the store he explained briefly. "I'm doing for them what I did for Fred and George. I'm essentially buying a chunk of the company so that I can make it bigger and better. And since it's my own money doing this, and not Weasley money, they won't have to worry about answering to Fred and George. Combined with what we own in the Weasley's shops and the other companies I've built to support that franchise...this makes us the first true Wizarding Conglomerate."
Hermione bit her lip, "No, let them take the money...I don't want to eat ALL their profit." She laughed and pushed the money back into the young girl's hands. "Besides, my husband's work is important to me. And my pregnant, bloated arse can support you in this way, just as you've been supporting me all along." She smiled and took his hand, handing him the enormous amount of candy she'd bought to shrink and put in his pocket. "You're wonderful; I think it's so great that you're helping out the Flumes. Not to mention this is an excellent business venture!"
Harry chuckled, "Exactly. Can you imagine the business it will generate in London? There hasn't been a sweet shop there for almost three hundred years. And the Weasley's is the closest thing…but then if you have a craving for skiving snack boxes, you must be barmy." He chuckled and shrunk her purchases. "The kids in London will be overjoyed that they can get the same quality sweets during the summer as they can during Hogsmeade weekends. If anything, both shops will generate more business for each other as kids won't have to worry about going for periods of time without sweets in the summer and the younger ones will be overjoyed to get the same sweets in during school when they finally reach third year. Maybe we could even sponsor the Snack Cart on the Hogwarts Express..." Harry trailed off as he mulled the idea over in his head.
"My husband, businessman extraordinaire," Hermione put her arms around him and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "So now that my sweet tooth is all taken care off..." She let her voice trail off as she looked at him. There was no question as to what she wanted (there was also no question as to WHEN she wanted it). "Take me home, Harry..." She whispered to him.
Harry knew that apparition was bad for a pregnant witch. Though their body wasn't actually being squeezed through a small space, the fact that they felt like they were, was enough to trick their mind into thinking they were, and that could cause distress for the baby. The way she said to take her home and the look she gave him made Harry almost try it anyway. Instead he grabbed her hand and led her toward the Three Broomsticks to use their Floo. It was quite possibly the quickest anyone had ever made the walk, not quite a run because then Hermione would be exhausted, but quick enough that he didn't feel like he was wasting valuable time. He grabbed a handful of floo powder and tossed it in the fireplace, "Potter Manor!" Stepping through he barely had time to register that he didn't even stumble coming out of the other side.
Hermione was out of breath by the time she stepped into the bedroom...but this time, it had nothing to do with being out of shape. She just wanted him so badly that she panted with her need. Dropping robes onto the floor, she immediately wrapped her arms around him as tight as she could. As she kissed his face and neck, she let out soft moans, "I want you so much. You are the most wonderful husband and father that ever lived." She closed her eyes as she continued to kiss him, "I don't deserve you."
Harry kissed her back just as fervently as she kissing him. His hands came to rest on her now naked hips. In a flash Harry let the magic go on his robes, allowing them to transfigure back into a bathrobe. As soon as the change was complete he tossed the bathrobe to the side and grinned at her. "I wouldn't say that just yet. We haven't had the baby yet so you don't know how I'll be around him. Remember, a lot of how most parents are is determined by their own experiences being raised as a child...and we both know I didn't exactly the best example of quality parenting and care." He shook the bad thoughts from his mind and sealed his lips to hers. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."
Pulling back for a moment, Hermione looked deep into Harry's eyes. "I don't believe that...you've been so wonderful so far. You love this little boy, I can feel it." She chuckled, "You might not always show it in the way that I want, but I know you care. You wouldn't have stuck by us if you didn't." Hermione still had a nagging little voice in the back of her head that told her Harry was only staying with her for their son's sake. But he was slowly beginning to change her mind. Nibbling gently at the bottom of his lip, she smiled, "Well if you don't deserve me, then who does? You're the best wizard on the face of the earth." She rubbed her body against him gently, "And I love you."
Harry smiled and teased her tongue with his own. "No one deserves you. You're too good, and until I had my way with you...whenever that first time was, you were too pure." His hands slowly moved down from her hips to gently squeeze her bum. He pulled her hips closer to his so that she would be able to feel, without a doubt, just how much he wanted her. "I'm just damned lucky I have you. For once fate decided to smile on me instead of treating me like a kid with a magnifying glass and I was the ant."
Hissing with pleasure as he rubbed his firm erection up against the most sensitive part of her, she pressed her nails into his back. "Oh, I like that you've tainted me," She whispered, "In fact, if you don't do it again soon, I might hex you. And that wouldn't be good for the baby." She would've laughed but she felt that even the tiniest breath would cause her to explode against his sexual onslaught. "Please, Harry, I can't take it anymore." She groaned, pushing him firmly back against the bed. "It's also your fault that my hormones are batty...especially my sex drive!"
Harry started to laugh as she got annoyed with his teasing. When she pushed him back, Harry tripped and landed on his back on the bed. She was being very forward today, he liked it. "Well, you know it takes two to tango. The way you told me that you wanted me to take you home...the way you looked at me in Hogsmeade when you said it. You're damned lucky I didn't rip those robes off you in the middle of the street and have at you right there in the middle of the roadway." The look in his eyes said that he damn well would have done it if the nearest public access Floo had been any farther away than it had been. "So, you got me on the bed, woman...what do you plan to do with me now?"
"That wouldn't have been so bad," She whispered breathlessly as she kissed down his chest and the back up to his mouth. "In our case, it takes three to tango." She chuckled and threw her leg over him. She was dripping wet, burning for him...only for him. "Now we dance," She whispered, "You and all your tango metaphors. This is one dance I know you're going to enjoy." Many nights of sex with her on top had gotten her used to this; she easily sheathed herself over him and slowly began to rock. But today she didn't keep steady pace; she teased him, easing up on top of him and then slowly pulling away so he slid out of her. Not only was it highly erotic to her, she could already see the pleasure on Harry's face.
Harry let out a hiss of pleasure at the feeling of her engulfing him. His eyes closed when she began to rock back and forth, but she had a surprise for him. Since they had woken up in Rome sex had been a mostly straight forward event, with only a few deviations from the routine every now and then. He wasn't complaining about those times by any means of the word, but this was different. The way she teased, bringing him close to the edge and then letting come back down only to bring him to the edge again, without ever letting him go over it...it was almost criminal. She must have been studying a book because he had no idea where she learned to do this to him.
It felt...wonderful. Hermione was no longer a virgin (in more ways than one) and she didn't want Harry to think that sex was some sort of mundane act that she only performed for her own pleasure. And so she did what she had always done...she read a book. In this particular book, it detailed sexual positions specifically for pregnant women, and techniques to try and work into her regular routine. It seemed that Hermione's scholarly nature was working to both of their benefits. But her need was great and time was running out...her body was already on the brink of a powerful orgasm that not even the most skilled lover could prolong. But she wanted to wait for him...today, Harry would be the first to lose control. Even if it killed her.
Harry's hands rested gently on her thighs as she worked him. He sat up slightly, taking her right breast in his mouth and gently working his tongue over the nipple. He knew that her breasts were still a bit sore from growing bigger for the pregnancy, but he hoped he was gentle enough. He could feel the edge fast approaching yet again, but this time he wasn't slowing down despite what she did to his body. He'd held back long enough and this time he barreled over the edge and into oblivion. His fingers tightened slightly on her thighs as he spilled himself inside of her. He could, however, tell that she wasn't done yet. For once he'd been the first to orgasm, and it was a good thing she was on top or he'd never have had the energy to finish her off.
The tightening grew to emergency status as he suckled her breasts, tenderly laving his tongue over the tender buds. Since she had gotten pregnant, her breasts had been so sore...now they were just highly sensitive. She felt herself hurtling over the edge when he burst inside her, the warmth of his seed pulsing through her. Letting out a cry half of triumph, half of extreme pleasure, she tightened around him. It took a while and in those moments she felt nothing but his breathing and hers, and the tiny heartbeat of the child within her. After several seconds she collapsed on top of him, holding him in her arms. "I love you," she whispered breathily.
Harry laid back on the bed, holding his wife in his arms as she collapsed on him. He would normally love to be in this position with her, but the baby was between them and that might not be a good thing. Harry gently lifted his hips, moaning a bit at the fact that he was still inside her and overly sensitized by their latest activity. He pushed her onto her side beside him, and slowly pulled out of her. He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck, dropping soft kisses to her tender skin. "I love you, too. Merlin, woman...the things you do to me. It's almost criminal." He smiled at her and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.
Hermione knew that lying on her belly wasn't a good idea. She almost got up to move when Harry's arms came up to help her off him, tenderly as if she were a babe. She hissed at the feeling of him being slowly slid out of her. She nearly came again right there...but as his arms came around her, holding her, she relaxed and laid her head against his chest. "Then send me to Azkaban...I'd willingly serve time if it meant being able to do this to you." She kissed his cheek lovingly, "And is it just me or do we seem to get better every time?"
Harry chucked and shook his head. "No thanks. I'd rather keep you here all to myself. If I sent you to Azkaban I'd only get to have my way with you during conjugal visits...if they even have those there." He doubted they did. Wizards, after all, rarely did things in ways similar to how Muggles did them. Besides, the prison housed some of the worst criminals ever, like the Lestranges. He couldn't imagine the guards taking enough pity on Bellatrix to let her have some fun with someone; it'd be too easy for them to slip her something she could use to stage a break out. "Yeah, I think we are getting better. Maybe we did stuff like this when we were 'asleep' so to speak, and we only had to let our bodies remember how it's done." Muscle memory was a beautiful, wonderful thing.
Hermione thought about it, "No, I don't think it was like this when we were in that state. I mean, we'd be a lot clumsier than this and chances are that, as a virgin, I was this limber or wanton." She chuckled and then smiled. "You know what I'm thinking?" She gave him a sly smile, "I'm thinking that after all this work we've done we need some sugar to help us get back to ourselves." She giggled again, "That and your son is craving licorice whips."
Harry chuckled and got out of bed. He barely remembered to put his bathrobe back on before apparating down to the kitchen to get the candies that one of the elves had apparently taken in the midst of Harry and Hermione's love making. He never understood how Dobby and Winky knew that they had something to clean up when they weren't even in the room...but they did. Must have been part of Dobby's new abilities as a bonded elf. He returned moments later with one thing each of all the candies Hermione had picked up at Honeydukes. "Just in case you decide that your son is craving something else as well." Harry set it all down on the bed beside Hermione and then climbed back in with her. Harry watched as Hermione tore into the licorice whips and wands like a starved lion on a wounded gazelle. He knew in that moment that everything would be alright for them and the baby. All they had to do was find out who had screwed with their lives, and then they could have a happily ever after. One that Harry felt they both deserved, and was long overdue.
