The next morning Harkin woke up to find Draco curled around her, and she snuggled deeper into him trying to get deeper into his smell and warmth. Draco chuckled as he buried his face into the top of her head and inhaled her smell as well. They laid like that for a while until Draco cast a Tempus charm to see what time it was, and they panicked for it was almost 8 o'clock, and breakfast was mostly over, and they should be getting ready for classes. Draco and Harkin jumped out of the bed and quickly headed to the bathroom to wash up before pulling on their school uniforms to head to their first class of the day.
The next few months were long and tiring; between the morning sickness that didn't just last in the morning, which Harkin didn't understand why it was called morning sickness if it could last all day, and the new homework load, and planning the wedding, which Narcissa was mostly doing, and then there was the endless studying for their OWLs at the end of the year. Harkin was also worrying about the weight that she was gaining; she understood that because she was pregnant, she was going to gain weight, and because she was pregnant with twin, of the sort, she was going to gain weight faster, but she was concerned about others finding out before the wedding.
"Har, you look fine. Plus, I have a concealment charm hiding our children from anyone who doesn't know. Okay?" Draco stated.
"You did that?" Harkin questioned. "That is some powerful magic, Draco. You can't keep that up all day, every day?" Harkin commented.
"I can and I will, for you I will do anything. For our children, I will do anything I can. This is our family, Har, and I will protect it." Draco said as he placed his hand on her extended stomach and smiled down at her.
"Thank you, Dray, for reminding me. Family is sadly something that I don't know much about, and I forget how it works sometimes. I love you." She whispered.
"I love you, too." Draco said, and then he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "Easter break will be here in less than a month, and we will officially be one, officially be family." Draco finished after pulling away.
"And we won't have to worry about our children not inheriting anything from us because they were born out of wedlock." Harkin whispered.
"Not that I cared about that." Draco chuckled. "But it will be nice to not have the twins jealous of their younger siblings." Draco smiled as his hand rested on her belly rubbing circles with his thumb.
"How many are you planning on having me pop out, Draco?" Harkin asked.
"As many as you want." Draco stated. "Though we should head to class, we don't want to be late. Severus can only give us so many passes without becoming suspicious." Draco finished as he grabbed her hand and pulled her from their rooms. Harkin giggled as they hurried down the staircases to the dungeons, and they made it just in time, for Severus was just closing the door to the classroom as they came up.
"Glad you could show up. Hurry inside." He ordered, and the couple did as they were told and quickly sat down in their seats. The class went by without a hitch, they just made a simple potion that day, Invigoration Draught, and Draco did most of the work for both of them, but Severus never said anything because he knew that Harkin couldn't technically brew potions right now, but she had to take the class. Surprisingly, there weren't many people who really noticed that Draco was practically brewing Harkin's potion, most were just trying to make sure that they didn't mess up their own potions. Draco turned in two perfect potions 30 minutes before class ended, and Severus could see the strain in Draco's eyes. He was pushing himself, and Severus was going to find out why. "Mr. Malfoy, stay after class I would like to speak to you about your career appointment." Severus stated, and Draco gave him a curt nod before turning and walking away.
Severus watched the couple interact with each other for the remainder of class, and he could tell that both of them were pushing their limits, but they were rather good at hiding that they were pushing themselves to hard. Severus assumed that it had something to do with Harkin's baby bump that was nonexistent right now and during most of their time outside of the hospital wing and their private chambers.
Draco laughed at the small joke that Harkin had said, and they continued to work on the essay that Severus was going to assign them before they left class, but Draco was thinking about what Severus might want to talk to him about after class. He knew that it most definitely wasn't his career appointment because Severus and him talked about how that was going to be something that they were going to do after the twins were born with himself, McGonagall, Harkin and Draco, since their bond was something unique they thought that it be best to talk about it all at the same time.
Soon class ended though, and Draco would soon find out. Harkin packed up her bag and saw as Draco did not. "Dray, what's wrong?" she asked as everyone filed out of the room, but Draco just sat in his seat.
"I wished to speak to the both of you after class, Miss Potter." Severus stated and she turned her attention from Draco to the professor standing in front of their desk.
"What about, sir?" Harkin asked, and Severus pulled up another stool, and Harkin gave him a funny look.
"I am not talking to you as a professor right now. I am talking to you as a concerned godfather, Draco." Severus stated, and Harkin glanced from Severus back to Draco. She had noticed the strain in his eyes, but he keeps insisting that he is fine, and she can't force him to tell her things. "I know you are pushing yourself too far, Draco, and that most definitely isn't healthy. For you. For your soon to be wife. And definitely not for your children growing inside her. You are pushing yourself, and if you push yourself too far, both of you," Severus added as he glanced towards Harkin, "You can send Harkin into early labor, and with twins that most likely will happen early anyway, but you don't want to push that timeline too much for she will most likely lose the twins before they are actually could be born. Now I know you two don't really want to be parents at this age, but you decided to have these babies, and accidental forced abortion could possibly ruin both of you at an early age. You both are pushing yourselves to far, and I want to help in the small amounts that I can. Draco, though I understand why you are doing it, the concealment charm needs to drop; it is sucking all of your power to hold it, power that should be going to Harkin and the twins to stabilize them. She is strained because you are strained. Communication is the biggest thing when it comes to relationships. It can make or break a relationship. So, talk to each other. Make sure that you are talking, and everything is alright with both of you. If I have noticed I am sure some of your classmates have as well, they just don't want to say anything." Severus stated.
"Thank you, sir. I noticed that he seemed strained, but he kept insisting that he was fine, and I didn't want to push him." Harkin stated.
"You are welcome, Miss Potter. Draco keep what I told you in mind, if there is one thing I know about relationships, it is how to ruin them. Don't push her away, not with this bond between you." Severus stated.
"Thank you, Uncle Sev. Sometimes I think I just need a reminder that we feed off of each other's magic, I stabilize her, and she stabilizes me. I'm sorry, I thought I was doing the right thing." Draco stated the last part more towards Harkin than Severus.
"And you were, it was a noble thing to do to keep your predicament hidden from people who will make fun of you and draw their own conclusions, but sadly your magic is stabilizing hers, and she needs you at full power not half, especially with twins." Severus stated.
"Thank you, sir." Draco stated. "Can we head to lunch now, we kind of missed breakfast?"
"Of course, though you should stop doing that as well. Food is fuel, fuel makes your magic more stable." Severus stated.
"Yes, sir." Draco stated, and he picked up his bag and Harkin's as well, and the couple hurried out of the classroom. Draco kept the concealment charm up until they reached the Great Hall, and Harkin took his hand.
"Dray, it is for the better." She whispered to him.
"I know." Draco responded, and he took a deep breath, and as he released it the concealment charm dissipated. "Let's get this over with. Do you want to sit at the Gryffindor table or the Slytherin table?" Draco asked.
"Though I would love to sit at the Gryffindor table, I feel that the Slytherins protect their own more and don't judge as much. Plus, you're the Ice Prince, they worship you. The Gryffindors haven't been as excepting as I thought they would about this, and I don't want to deal with them right now." Harkin stated, and Draco nodded.
"Alright, Slytherin it is." Draco stated, and he pushed open the doors to the Great Hall with his arm wrapped tightly around Harkin's waist, and he guided her over to the Slytherin table. Harkin glanced at the Gryffindor table, and Hermione looked a little disappointed but then saw that the baby bump was in full view and nodded her approval. Harkin mouthed thank you to her best friend, and she turned back to the direction that they were heading so she didn't run into anything, not that Draco would let her, but he yells at her enough for not paying attention. The couple sat down between Pansy and Theo, and the four started talking, Theo next to Harkin and Pansy on the other side of Draco.
"So, you stopped with the concealment charm?" Theo asked.
"Yes, unfortunately, Professor Snape noticed the strain, and advised me to drop the charm for the sake of Harkin's and the twin's health." Draco explained.
"That's why he wanted to talk to you after class?" Pansy stated.
"Yeah, and he isn't wrong, I just didn't want to admit it to myself." Draco stated.
"Have you thought of names yet? I mean, when are you due anyway?" Pansy questioned, and Draco rolled his eyes.
"I'm not due until summertime, Pansy. They are technically due in September, that would be nine months, but given that they are twins, we are thinking probably June or July. At the latest August." Harkin stated. "And it is only the start of April, Pansy." Harkin chuckled, and Draco rolled his eyes again.
"Yes, she is only at the start of her second trimester, can you let her eat now, Pansy?" Draco stated, and this time it was Pansy that rolled her eyes. Draco loaded a plate full of food for her, and he placed the plate in front of her after.
"Can I touch your stomach?" Theo questioned shyly, and Harkin just stuffing some chicken in her mouth turned towards him and just nodded. Theo laughed a little, and then he reached over and placed a hand on her stomach. "It is amazing to think that there are two human beings growing inside of you." Theo stated, and then looked up at her meeting her eyes and whispering, "And that one of them is technically my younger sibling." Harkin could see the sadness in his eyes, and she smiled at him.
"None of this was your fault, Theo. I have forgiven you. You were a slave to your father's abuse, and I understand that more than anything. I see this as a good thing that came out of a bad experience." Harkin smiled at him, and he smiled back.
"I'm just upset that he is still out there as well. He was always good at hiding in plain sight, but I just wish that someone would just catch him already. Him being out there scares me, for both myself and you and the twins. I don't know what he might possibly do if he found out about them." Theo stated as his fingers rubbed circles on the small growing bump.
"Nothing is going to happen to me, or the twins. We are in one of the safest places in the wizarding world. Plus, I think your father would have to fight through some of the Slytherins to get to me, or even you, Theo." Harkin stated, and Theo smiled at her before giving her a hug.
"Thank you, Harkin. I always wanted siblings, and though you are technically the mother of my new sibling, I feel like you're a younger sister to me. Thank you for believing in me." Theo stated, and Harkin hugged him back.
"Of course, Theo. I am honored to be your little sister." Harkin stated and then pulled away to give Theo a kiss on the cheek. "I appreciate everything that you have done for me and Draco and especially the twins. You are going to be a fantastic uncle, Theo; I feel that would be easier on the twins to call you Uncle Theo if that is alright?" Harkin questioned, and Theo smiled with a slight chuckle.
"Of course, it'd be difficult to explain the situation to them, especially at a young age." Theo stated, and Draco leaned over to give his two cents.
"You aren't eating, love." Draco whispered into her ear, and she turned and glared at him.
"Well, you've had three plates, I'm sure you have eaten enough for the both of us." Harkin stated, and the entire Slytherin table that heard busted up laughing.
"I may have eaten enough for both of us, but you are feeding two more people, so eat." Draco retorted, and the table went dead silent. "What you will laugh at her jab but not mine?" Draco questioned the table.
"Draco, you just commented on your pregnant girlfriend's weight. I don't think so." Blaise stated from across from them.
"I did not. She isn't eating and taking care of our children. We both need to be at full power to help maintain each other. I had three plates when she has barely had half. I am looking out for her health, my health, and that of our children's." Draco argued.
"Still, weight is a tricky subject for women especially pregnant women, mate." Blaise stated.
"It's fine, Draco is right. I need to be at my full strength to help the twins, I should be eating more. Even if it doesn't help the weight gain problem. It needs to be done." Harkin stated, and then she started focusing on her food in front of her, Draco placed another plate in front of her and she gladly ate it, and then Draco nodded and picked up their bags before helping her up from her seat. "Thank you, Dray." She whispered, and Draco smiled before wrapping his arm around her waist. They walked out of the great hall and headed to the Transfigurations classroom. They sat down in the front of the classroom and waited for the rest of the class to show up. They talked amongst themselves until class started, and Hermione hurried into the room late, which was unlike her. Harkin gave her a questioning look, and it was returned with a we will talk after class look; Harkin nodded and then turned her attention back to Professor McGonagall. She paid attention and took decent notes; Draco had been helping her with her handwriting, so it didn't look like chicken scratch, which greatly appeased most of the professors, especially Professor Snape.
After class Harkin slowly put her things in her bag and waited for Hermione to approach them, and she did once the classroom was cleared out. Hermione hurried up to them, and she pulled Harkin from the room, with Draco trailing behind them. Hermione pulled Harkin into an abandoned classroom down the hall and waited for Draco to enter, before casting a locking and silencing spell. "What is going on? I can't tell if you are scared or excited." Harkin stated.
"Both. So, I have been talking to Fred and George more since the summer, and they have been snooping at Diagon Alley spaces for their new Joke Shop, using the money that you gave them from winning the Triwizard Tournament, and they heard that a new restaurant is going in a few stalls down from where they are looking to put their joke shop. So, Fred asked me to be his date, they want to be friendly neighbors." Hermione squeed, and Harkin smiled at her.
"That is amazing. You are going right. That would be an amazing opportunity for you, not to mention your relationship with Fred." Harkin stated, and Hermione gave her a questioning look. "Oh, come on, don't lie to me. You like him, and he likes you. Go for it, Mione, I think you would be perfect for each other. Honestly, much better than Ron, especially if he isn't going to get his head out of his arse. Fred would be good for you." Harkin encouraged, and Hermione smiled.
"Okay, I'll do it. I don't have anything to wear. Oh, Merlin. What am I going to do?" Hermione started freaking out.
"I will tell you what you are going to do. You are going to tell him you will go with him and leave the rest up to me. My mother is a genius when it comes to wardrobes, your bridesmaid fitting is next Saturday by the way." Draco stated, and Hermione gave him a look. "Mother knows about most things, but she can size up a woman with one glance, she just likes to make sure." Draco stated.
"Next Saturday?" Hermione questioned, and Draco nodded. "That's when the grand opening is." Hermione stated.
"Well, that makes it even better. Mother can do your fitting and then dress you up to the nines for the grand opening. It's at night, right?" Draco questioned.
"Yes, Fred said to meet him at the joke shop at 7 o'clock sharp." Hermione stated.
"Perfect. You owl Fred, and I will owl mother." Draco stated, and he turned towards Harkin, who was starting to look pale. "Love, are you feeling alright? You look a little pale." Draco observed, and she looked up to Draco.
"I'm fine, I think. Just got a little dizzy." Harkin whispered, and Hermione was about to say something, when Harkin collapsed, and Draco barely caught her.
"Harkin!" Draco yelled.
"Grab her, I've got your bags. Hurry to the Hospital Wing." Hermione ordered, and Draco did as he was told. He carried her to the Hospital Wing, and he laid her down on one of the beds, while Hermione ran to grab Madam Pomfrey.
"What happened to her?" she asked as she hurried to the bed and started casting diagnostic charms.
"I don't know we were fine, and then she got really pale before fainting." Draco explained.
"Oh, this can't be good. She is still rather early in her pregnancy. I will stabilize her, and then send for her regular healer. I sadly don't specialize in pregnancy, given I work at a school full of children." Madam Pomfrey stated, and she cast a few more spells before hurrying back to her office.
Draco cradled Harkin in his lap, and they waited for her healer to arrive, and soon Melody arrived followed by Madam Pomfrey. "Draco, what happened?" she questioned.
"I don't know. She was fine, and then she just fainted." Draco stated trying to hold himself together for Harkin's sake.
"I think it might be a strange magic influx. She wasn't feeling good this morning, and then she looked fine during lunch and transfigurations. But then I told her about my date, and she got really excited and then she fainted." Hermione stated.
"Interesting conclusion." Melody stated, and then she started casting some spells. "Well, you are half right. It is an influx of magic, but there is nothing natural about it. Someone intentionally did this to her, but the timeline is tricky with the potion that they used, so it is slightly impossible to tell when it was administered.
"Someone is still after us?" Draco questioned, slightly furious. "How? Everyone should be locked away by now."
"I think I might have heard about Thaddeus Nott escaping custody a few weeks ago, I thought yours mother would have told you, because your father escaped as well." Melody stated and Draco looked furious.
"They what? When and how did that happen? And why wouldn't mother tell me at least? I could have been more careful, more observant." Draco tried, but he seemed to break down.
"I think she hoped not to worry you, that Severus would be able to spot them, or that they would soon be caught." Melody explained.
"How would they even gotten in?" Draco whispered.
"House elves." Harkin whispered hoarsely, and Draco, Melody and Hermione all looked down at her.
"What do you mean, love?" Draco asked, and Harkin slowly turned towards Draco's voice.
"House elves. They have free rain over things. They can go through wards that wizards can't, they can smuggle things past wards that wizards can't. People don't pay attention to house elves because they aren't supposed to notice them. Plus, they follow orders, either because of threats or niceties that their masters treats them." Harkin explained.
"So, you think that a house elf poisoned you?" Melody asked, and Harkin nodded. "So, they gave a house elf the poison and told them to poison you. Merlin, they have gone too far. Something has to be done, but they can't find them." Melody stated. "But the good news is that the antidote is easy to brew. Madam Pomfrey, can you go and get Severus, please." Melody asked, and Madam Pomfrey nodded before hurrying to her office to floo Severus. A few minutes later, Severus walked out of Madam Pomfrey's office, and he walked over to Harkin.
"Mel, what is going on?" Severus asked as he looked from Draco to Harkin and then to Melody.
"Lucius and Thaddeus got to her. They brewed a potion that made her magic unstable, which is causing her to reject the babies. Can you make the antidote?" Melody questioned, and Severus looked between Melody and Harkin, he cast a few spells and then nodded. Severus then turned and billowed out of the hospital wing towards Madam Pomfrey's office, and Melody sighed as she sat down in the chair next to Harkin's bed. They waited for a few hours for Severus to return, Melody periodically checking Harkin's condition to make sure she wasn't going to lose the babies. Draco fell asleep an hour after Severus left, his magic doing its best to keep Harkin and the babies alive and stable, but it definitely drained him.