Harry knew he couldn't keep Draco's pregnancy from the papers forever, but he never thought that it would be Ginny who would blab. But Ginny it was, because the Prophet ran an article with Ginny's interview two Sundays after Ron and Hermione left for Australia. That prompted Harry to take another trip over to the Burrow, but this time he left Draco behind. He wanted an explanation from Ginny, but what he got was a fight. It was a loud angry fight that was broken up by Arthur and Molly. Molly had then dragged Ginny inside by the ear to talk, while Arthur had taken Harry to the shed.

Arthur pulled out a muggle cd player and began to fiddle with it while he listened to Harry's explanation of what happened. Then there had been a long rambling lecture filled with strange metaphors about the doxies and the hippogriffs, but in the end the message was something about letting failed relationships go before you claw each other's eyes out. Harry was still livid in regards to Ginny and the Prophet article, but somehow his anger seemed childish and immature in front of a cool, calm, and collected Mr. Weasley. He ended up apologizing to Arthur and asking Arthur to give his regards to Molly, because he didn't think he could handle seeing Ginny again at the moment without exploding at her.

Harry returned to Grimmauld Place in a worse mood than he'd been when he left and Ron and Hermione weren't even on this side of the globe to talk to. Harry was sure that Draco would have something to say when he returned, but Draco didn't say anything. Draco was busy reading a pureblood pregnancy and parenting book in the drawing room and didn't pay Harry's foul mood any notice at all, which made Harry even madder. He wanted to rage and take this out on someone, anyone, but instead he stalked off to his room and flopped down on his bed, burying his face in his pillow.

Harry was still bristling with anger later that night when he and Draco were eating the usual elf-cooked dinner.

"Pass the salt?" Draco asked.

"Get it yourself," Harry replied.

"Alright," Draco said and got up to retrieve the salt from right next to Harry's hand. "What's your problem Harry?"

"My problem is that my girlfriend dumped me and told the papers that I've been buggering you, that's my problem!" Harry lashed out.

"I'm not exactly happy with that article either, but you don't see me taking it out on you."

"And what do you have to complain about? I thought you said you wanted the public to find out about this, because it'd help you get off."

"I didn't exactly want to be seen as a slutty home wrecker." Draco put his fork down, clearly upset.

Ginny's interview hadn't painted a pleasant picture of Draco and Draco did come across as a total slag in the article.

"Come off it. You said yourself that you wanted people to think we're together. You got what you wanted. How else did you think it'd turn out?"

"Not like this," Draco said getting up from the table, before going upstairs to his room.

Harry looked at Draco's unfinished dinner on the table. Part of him felt bad for taking his frustrations out on Draco, especially because they had been getting on lately. They had agreed to try to be friends, for the sake of the baby, and Draco had been putting forth the effort. But Harry wasn't thinking about his resolve to be civil with Draco at the moment; mostly Harry felt better for getting some of his anger off of his chest.

Draco would probably sulk in his room for a while and be fine, so Harry turned back to his own dinner.

Later, when Harry went upstairs to get ready for bed, he passed by Draco's closed door and heard crying. It wasn't loud, but there was a distinct snuffling sound. Harry sighed and decided that he probably ought to apologize to Draco, so he opened the door and found Draco crying on the bed, with his knees up to his chest and tears streaked down his face. Draco was showing a distinct baby bump these days, but it was still small enough for him to curl up on himself.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take my frustrations out on you. I know you didn't ask to be pregnant," Harry fibbed. He had meant to take his frustrations out on Draco; he just hadn't counted on Draco reacting this way. He probably should have seen this coming, but he hadn't been thinking and had assumed that Draco would respond the way he always had at school: by pulling out his wand and hexing Harry. Harry would've been much happier with Draco hexing him. In fact, he was really starting to hate seeing Draco cry, especially when it was his fault; he was going to have to try harder to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Draco nodded, but didn't say anything and kept on crying.

"You know the article really didn't come off that bad. It made me sound like a double timing bastard; you're just my innocent victim." Harry had been a bit surprised by that aspect of the article, because apparently Ginny blamed Harry completely and hardly aimed any of her viciousness at Draco, besides the bit where she called him a slag.

"Everyone's going to think I'm a slag."

"It's not that big of a deal."
"It is."

"Why? It's no worse than being a Death Eater."

"So I'm the Death Eater slag? That's supposed to make me feel better?"

"No…Look, why don't you explain to me why you're so upset. What's so bad about people thinking you're a slag?"

"I'm a virgin."

"Wh-what?"

"A virgin Harry. I've never had sex. It seemed unfair before that I was pregnant and now everyone thinks I just threw myself at you. They probably think I've slept with half of the school."

"Blimey." Harry hadn't considered the possibility that Draco was a virgin. Sure he knew that Voldemort hadn't bothered raping Draco to conceive this baby, but Harry had assumed that Draco and Parkinson had gotten busy plenty of times. "So you and Parkinson, er?"

"Pansy's a witch, Harry. She doesn't even have the right bits to interest me."

Draco had mentioned being gay before, but Harry hadn't really paid much attention to this news before now.

"Pansy and I are just friends," Draco clarified.

"Right. Well I'm sure you'll find some pureblood bloke to marry and settle down with," Harry finally said.

"No one's going to want me after I have your baby."

"What do you want me to say?"

"That you'll tell the papers I'm not a slag."
"I'm not going to tell the papers anything. It's bad enough Ginny talked to them. I think they know quite enough of my personal life already, don't you?"

Draco nodded and since Draco wasn't crying anymore, Harry decided to go back to his room to get ready for bed, which he did.

That night Harry was woken up by Draco coming into his room, probably after having another nightmare. Harry hadn't heard the screams, because he had been too deep in sleep.

Draco looked rather pathetic as he went over to sit in the corner of Harry's room.

"Malfoy?" Harry asked, blinking open his eyes.

"Draco," Malfoy replied. "It's bad enough that I've never slept with the father of my child; we can at least be on a first name basis."

"Fine, Draco, did you have another dream?" Harry hadn't meant to call Draco by his last name again; it had just slipped in his sleepy state.

"Yeah."

Harry could see the sweat gleam on Draco's skin in the dim moonlight. Harry knew he should ask and then lead Draco back to Draco's bed, but he was too tired and groggy. Instead he pulled back his covers and motioned Draco over. Draco crawled into bed with him and Draco rested his head on Harry's chest. It was weird, but Harry was too tired to care. Instead Harry closed his eyes and drifted back off to sleep.

Harry probably shouldn't have invited Draco into his bed, because after that Draco began climbing into Harry's bed at night on his own accord. Somehow having Draco in bed with him made him sleep better, so Harry didn't say anything. He was too busy waking up feeling strangely refreshed and ready to start another day of work to care that he had spent the night in the same bed as Draco.


Author's Note: So, what do you think?

Harry's birthday is coming up and that will provide the perfect excuse to get Harry and Draco out of the house and see what the wizarding world thinks about the Prophet article.

Please Review!