Chapter 25
When I was leaving the hospital wing, I found Draco waiting for me in the hallway. "What's wrong?" he asked. I immediately smiled at him.
"Oh, I just had a bad headache this morning. Madam Pomfrey fixed me right up, though." I marched past him, feigning energy. "Alright, I have Care of Magical Creatures next."
"See you soon." He didn't seem entirely convinced, but he dropped the subject. I ventured to the edge of the woods, where some Aethonan were stamping by the edge of the forest, their chestnut coats shining in the springtime sun. I sat down and concentrated on drawing a diagram of its wing structure, lightly scratching my quill along the parchment. It hadn't really hit me yet. I was pregnant. There was a tiny witch or wizard growing inside of my uterus. I would be a mother.
I decided not to tell anyone, not even Draco. Not until I was further along, at least. I continued my diagram, labeling every joint, every feature. Professor Grubbly-Plank nodded at it over my shoulder. "Good work, Harcourt."
"Thank you, Professor." I didn't bother correcting her.
I carried out the rest of my day as normally as possible. I ate with my friends at lunch and dinner, then after that, walked along the lakeshore by myself. The water would still be freezing this time of year, and so I kept my shoes and socks on, pacing back and forth. To my surprise, names kept popping into my head. I tried to banish them, but they persisted. Little names for little witches and wizards. I shook my head. Loneliness wasn't helping. I decided to go back to the castle, completing my homework in the library. I slowly trod back up the stairs to bed. Draco was already there, in the little sitting room, brushing the bottom of his chin with a quill. "Do you understand the Transfiguration homework?"
"What? Uh, yeah, let me see." I leaned over his shoulder, pointing out corrections and explaining the theory. He nodded, making corrections and occasionally questioning me. When he finished, we went to bed. I didn't take the potion this time. What was the worst that could happen? I get even more pregnant?
The next month passed quickly. By the first day of May, I was already anxious about my N.E.W.T.S. With two months to study, I was already getting some work done in the library. Draco teased me about it, but I wanted to do well. A queen who failed all her N.E.W.T.S. would be a poor queen indeed.
It was the night of May 1st, when my second cycle would be missed. Draco hadn't seemed to notice- his mind was on other things. However, I was sure that he would notice by this cycle. I fidgeted in the sitting room while I waited for him to get back from the Slytherin common room, where he was hanging out with his friends. He came through the door soon enough, still laughing at some unheard joke. "Hello, love," he said, stooping down and kissing me on the forehead.
"Draco…" I looked up at him, my voice catching. His face became immediately concerned.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
I looked at my hands clasped in my lap. It would do no good to be indirect. "I… I'm pregnant."
Draco was silent for a moment. He lightly touched my chin, drawing it up to make me look at him. "You're…"
"Yes."
"You're pregnant."
"Yes."
He sat down heavily, clapping his hand to his forehead. "You're… I'm… going to be a father." He looked at me, awe spreading on his face. "You're going to be a mother." He reached across and clasped my hands in his. "We… we're going to have a baby."
"That is usually what a pregnancy results in, yes," I said. Not even a serious situation like this could tame my snark. I leaned forward. "Now, listen, Draco. You must not. Tell. Anyone."
He looked confused. "Why?"
"Because I want to wait until my second trimester. Until I'm done with school. Just… until everything's solidified and certain, you know?"
He nodded slowly, then pulled me into his lap, burying his head into the crook of my neck. "I love you, Jack," he murmured, placing a hand over my stomach. He looked up immediately. "Are we going to find out the gender?"
"Absolutely not!" I laughed, kissing the top of his head.
"Why?"
"Because I want to have that 'It's a boy!' or 'It's a girl!' moment."
"What about names?"
"Draco, I don't plan that far ahead!" I chuckled. "Why, do you want a little Prince Draco?" He shook his head, a small smiled on his lips, and pulled me tighter. I snuggled into him. He was happy about the baby. That was surprising. Draco wasn't the most nurturing of people, but he wasn't upset. Maybe there was some part of him made for rearing children after all. Or maybe he was just glad that his father's plan was falling into place.
It would be impossible to escape my marriage now.