Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything related.

"Harry…Harry, wake up. You're safe now."

That voice. It sounded familiar. It sounded like the mouse. The mouse! Harry's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright, pausing to get his bearings.

He opened his mouth, only to find he still could not talk. He was disoriented, confused, and terrified. Bright light shone out of a clean window, he hurt considerably less, and he was wrapped in something soft and warm. He looked down at the black robe that was covering his body.

Had Master changed his mind and dressed Harry? But then he looked up and shrank back. People were around him. It took him a moment to recognize them.

Sirius, Remus, Luna, Pomfrey, and Severus were gathered loosely around him. Harry looked past them and recognized the hospital wing. Why was he here? Where was Master?

"Harry, it's okay. You're safe." Luna said, telling Harry that the mouse was Luna.

He moved his mouth, desperate to talk, but knowing he couldn't. Only true love can break the spell. And who would love him now? Who could love him, after all he's been through.

"Harry, slow down. I can read lips, but you're moving them way too fast." Luna reached out, but pulled her hand back when Harry shrank away from her.

He looked at her, shifting through his jumbled mind to remember how to form words.

Where is Master? He mouthed, looking around, expecting Master to suddenly jump out and beat him for laying around.

Luna's forehead wrinkled. "Master? Oh, Harry, you can't be talking about Malfoy…" Sirius grimaced and Remus frowned. "He wants to know where 'Master' is." She air-quoted the word.

"In the Headmistress' office, awaiting his fate." Sirius said, his face darkening with anger.

Fate?

"He is destined to receive the Dementor's Kiss right away, they were waiting for you to wake up." Severus spoke in clipped tones, unable to soften his tone as he was too angry at Malfoy Sr. Harry looked at him and quickly turned away, as if afraid to meet his eyes.

I'm safe? he asked Luna, who nodded. His eyes teared up and he ducked his head down so no one could see the tears that started to fall.

"I'm sorry, but I need to talk with Harry alone." Pomfrey said. Everyone quickly nodded and moved towards the door, making Harry wonder what was going on. Severus seemed to hesitate, but then followed everyone else from the room.

"Harry, I can't read lips as good as Luna, so can you write what you want to say down?" Madam Pomfrey asked. Harry nodded, so she handed him a piece of parchment and a quill. "Ok, I need to talk about some of the things that happened, Harry." Her voice was gentle.

"What did he do to you?" She asked first. Harry flinched, but started writing. His handwriting was jumbled and hard to read, but Pomfrey managed to decipher it. She was sickened by what had happened to Harry.

"I gave you potions to help with the malnutrition and dehydration, cleaned the dirt up, and made sure you had rest. But there is something I have to discus with you."

Harry wrote What? on the parchment. Pomfrey took a breath, as though readying herself for something.

"Harry, there's no easy way to say this. You're pregnant."

*Meanwhile*

Severus paced in the hallway, while everyone else watched him.

"He's frightened. He did not even let Luna touch him." Remus said, trying to ease the other man's guilt.

"He should of never been frightened in the first place! I should of protected him." Severus snapped. He did not mean to shout at the man, but his own feelings were swirling around his head. "He turned his head, as if he was disgusted by me."

Sirius was getting tired of this. He swung out into Severus' path, stopping him. "Listen!" Sirius shouted, determined to make Severus understand. "Imagine what he's going through! He's spent a month, a whole month, under the care of someone like Lucius. Imagine what happened to him. Of course, he looked away. Can you not think of the reason why? Maybe he is afraid of all men now! Of all people! If he did not let Luna, a young girl, touch him, what makes you think he'd be more accepting of a grown man? He's suffering, and all we can really do is be there for him, let him know that all men are not like that. Let him know we will not hurt him."

Severus stood still, a bit shocked. He had not thought that perhaps Sirius was feeling the same guilt as he was. He hung his head, not looking anyone in the eye.

Remus spoke in a softer voice. "We all feel guilt about what had happened, all wish we could of stopped it. But it happened, so now we have to deal with the fallout. I understand how hard this is, but just take it slow, earn his trust. Eventually, he will heal enough to let us in to help with the rest."

"Of course. I lost my head for a moment." Severus whispered. Luna stepped forward and laid a hand on his arm, causing him to look at her.

"We all make mistakes. Don't let them shape who you are. Learn from them, but do not live from them." She smiled.

Severus tried to smile back, but at that moment Ron, Hermione, and Draco appeared.

"Did you find him? Is he okay?" Hermione asked, tears in her eyes.

"We have found him, but he isn't okay." Luna said. "He's suffered a lot."

"What will happen with Lucius?" Draco couldn't help but ask.

"Your father-" Remus was cut off.

"That man is no longer my father." Draco spat. "He may be connected by blood, but he isn't my father."

Remus nodded and continued. "Lucius is destined for the Dementor's Kiss. He can't go back to Azkaban, as he escaped before. Death is too merciful, so this is the last option."

"I want to be there." Draco said, holding his head high. "Mother and I want to be there when it happens."

"Very well. Right now he is in McGonagall's office, surrounded by Aurors, the Minister, and McGonagall herself."

Draco nodded. "I will send a letter home now, asking Mother to come here." He left then, walking with his shoulder's slumped, as if he could feel Harry's pain.

"How bad is it?" Ron asked, slightly cringing.

"Bad. His spirit is broken basically." Remus said, shortening it.

Ron and Hermione winced. Harry had been through so much, his whole life. His parents were killed when he was only one, he spent years being bullied by his closest family, he faced and defeated Voldemort many times, and he lost so many friends. It was enough to break anyone, but they knew Harry was strong. He would get past this.

The door opened, and Pomfrey stuck her head out. "Granger, Weasley, Harry wants to see you." She said, spying them.

Severus watched the two brace themselves, then walk into the room.

*Meanwhile*

Ron and Hermione walked in and hurried over to Harry, who seemed almost frozen.

"He's just received some shocking news. I think he wants to talk with you before he makes a hard decision." Pomfrey explained, before going into her office to let them talk.

Hermione looked at Harry, who was sitting in bed, holding a piece of parchment rather tightly.

"Harry?" She whispered. Harry jerked, then looked at her.

He wrote something on the parchment, then thrust it at her. She took it and she and Ron read the hurriedly written message.

Pomfrey says I'm pregnant. She said male wizards can get pregnant if they are powerful enough. Now I'm faced with a choice.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other in shock. Male wizards could get pregnant? They looked at Harry.

"What choice?" Ron asked. They handed the parchment back to Harry, who wrote something. He held it up.

I can either keep it, or get rid of it. I don't know what to do.

Hermione sucked in a sharp breath. She thought it over. "Do they know whose it is?" Harry shook his head. "So, it could very well be Severus' child." Harry's eyes widened, as if he had not thought of that. "How long before they know?"

The baby has to be four months before they can use a spell to find out who the other parent is. But Pomfrey said by that time, it will be too late to get rid of it.

"Harry, think about it. There is a good chance that Severus is the other parent. I think you should keep it. Even if it is…his child, you know Severus will still help you."

Harry slowly nodded. He wrote something down. But I'm afraid to be touched. What if Severus doesn't love me anymore? I'm broken, unclean. Severus deserves something better.

"Mate, I may not have approved of this, but I've had awhile to think about this. As long as you're happy, so am I. Snape loves you. I've seen this as we looked for you. He doesn't care about who had you. You think you're broken, but he wants to help heal you." Ron said. He had felt the most guilty, having shouted at Harry before he disappeared. He promised himself that if his best friend returned safely, he would accept Snape and never shout at Harry again.

Harry's eyes teared up. But what is it's Master's? Severus will not want to raise someone else's child.

"Have you asked him?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head. "So how do you know?"

Hermione, I can't even let Luna touch me without flinching! Severus doesn't want me!

"Listen to me, Harry!" Hermione raised her voice, ignoring Ron's hand on her arm to get her to calm down. "You've been through hell, past hell and back. But, you've got a wonderful man who loves you. He can help you get past the nightmares, the thoughts, everything. Give him a chance, please. He wants to help, but he can't if all you're going to do is push him away. You know he won't hurt you. Not like Master did. Severus loves you. Don't push him away."

Harry looked down into his lap.

Can you please get him?

Hermione nodded, grabbed Ron's hand, and walked out of the room.

"He wants you now." She told Severus.

"Is everything okay? We heard raised voices." Remus said.

"Yeah, was just Hermione getting through to Harry." Ron snickered.

Severus swallowed thickly, then walked into the room.

*Meanwhile*

Harry wiped his eyes before Severus came in. He was thinking about what Hermione had said. It would be hard, painful, but he would get past this. After all, he was the Wizarding World's savior.

He looked up when Severus walked in, not realizing how much he had missed him until he saw him come closer. Harry's heart swelled involuntary.

"Miss Granger said you wanted to see me?" Severus asked in a soft voice. Harry nodded and motioned to the seat next to the bed.

"Why are you not talking?" Severus asked. Pomfrey had mentioned something before, but he had not been listening.

Harry held up the parchment after he wrote something down.

Master put a curse on me. Can't talk. Only true love can break the spell.

Severus noticed, but didn't mention, that Harry was still calling Lucius Master. It would probably be a long time before he stopped that.

"Why did you want to see me?" Severus asked, sitting down in the chair. Harry looked better, there was a tiny bit more color in his cheeks.

Hermione and Ron said something. They believe you can help me. That you love me, and will never hurt me. But what if the baby I'm carrying is Master's? I don't want you hurt by raising a child that isn't yours. I can either get rid of it now, or wait until I know who the father is. But if I wait, it will be too late to know whose it is.

"Harry, listen to me. I will never hurt you. I don't give a damn whose child it is, I will help raise it as if it were my own. I want to help heal you, I want to help you get past this. But only if you let me." Severus said, meaning every word.

Harry looked away before writing something else down.

But I'm broken. I'm dirty. I can't even speak up for myself. There was a twist in Harry's face, as if he was disgusted. Severus unthinkingly reached out, only to pull back when Harry flinched away.

"Harry, you are only broken because that man broke you. You are not dirty, you are the purest man I know." Severus said. "Look at me." He waited until those dull green eyes looked into his. "You are strong enough to break the curse. Say my name."

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth. Nothing came out.

"Fight past it, Harry." Severus urged.

Harry tried harder, but only a small puff of air came out. Harry sank back onto the bed, disappointed.

"We'll keep trying. Together." Severus promised. Harry's eyes filled with tears again, and his hand slowly reached out and touched Severus'. But then he pulled his hand back and cowered into his sheets.

Severus' heart broke for this young man. Imagine being so broken, you couldn't stand to touch anyone. How lonely it would be.

"We'll get past this, Harry." Severus whispered, knowing the younger man could hear him under the sheets. "One day you will say my name as you rush into my arms. You can fight this. I promise you that."

Severus stayed by his side, even after Harry drifted into an uneasy sleep.