Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!

—

Draco and Harriet shared a leisurely breakfast together before they dressed for the day.

As Draco's thin, elegant fingers fastened the buttons of his shirt, Harriet tried not to notice the way his eyes were fixated on her while she wriggled into one of her few dresses that still fit.

"Why don't you just wear your robes?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes as he watched his omega struggle.

"What baby stores are in the wizarding world?" Harriet asked with a huff.

"You mean…...you want us to go to muggle shops?" Draco blinked.

"Well, I'm not certain what you intend to find for a baby in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade." Harriet shrugged, "I didn't know any of the merchants there sold nappies."

Draco frowned as he thought.

In the wizarding world, preparing for a new baby was somewhat more basic than it was in the muggle world. For children from magical families, most cradles were either heirlooms or designed by a hired woodcarver and most infant clothing was ordered from a tailor or handmade.

Draco had thought that he and Harriet would interview those such artisans together and ask for samples of their work, but clearly, Harriet had a different idea in mind.

Although Draco was certain the craftsmanship would be better in the wizarding world, he was content to humor Harriet's wishes.

If his mate wanted to go into the dreaded muggle world and purchase some of their goods, then….fine. Draco comforted himself with the fact that he could always order some nicer things for his son or daughter later.

He found himself temporarily distracted when his grey eyes roamed over Harriet's appealing curves while she battled to stretch the tight fabric of her dress over her body.

"We can buy you some new clothes, too." Draco offered.

"Oh, that's alright." Harriet huffed, "I won't be this size forever."

"No." Draco agreed. The purr in his voice was unmistakable as he added, "You'll be even bigger~."

Harriet glanced up at him angrily with the front buttons on her dress open, revealing an obscene amount of cleavage as she met his gaze.

At first Harriet thought that Draco had been mocking her, but when she saw the way he stood leering at her hungrily, she realized the true sentiment behind his comment.

The smouldering look that Draco gave Harriet made the pregnant Gryffindor blush.

Draco….:Draco liked her like that?

"Most men think pregnant women are fat and ugly." Harriet sniffed.

"I'm your alpha, Harriet." Draco reminded her.

Harriet pretended not to hear him as she attempted to finally finish making herself decent enough for an outing.

As he watched, Draco's manhood twitched almost painfully in his trousers when Harriet's cleavage bounced tantalizingly as she pulled the fabric of her dress so she could fasten her buttons.

"I just want whatever's breast…..er, best…..for you and the baby." Draco said quickly, clearing his throat.

Harriet couldn't help it.

She looked over at Draco and grinned.

It was his turn to blush then.

As irritating as it was to Harriet to be gawked at while she was trying to get ready for the day, a part of her was proud that she held Draco's attention so satisfyingly well.

—

A few minutes later, Draco used a charm to disguise their faces and together, the couple apparated to a distant town outside of London.

They entered the street from a non-conspicuous alley and side by side, they walked down the street, masquerading as an ordinary muggle couple.

Draco was a little overdressed in his dark suit, but Harriet looked perfectly normal.

Harriet knew that the Malfoy heir would have no interest in mass-produced, cheap, plastic goods, no matter how practical those things were for a baby. She had been careful to choose an area with shops of which Draco may reluctantly approve. Everything in the boutiques carried a heavy price tag and everything was of the utmost quality.

Instead of carrying their purchases around with them, Draco arranged to have their newly bought wares delivered to an address that several prominent wizarding families used for such purposes, with the intent of sparing their homes from discovery.

It was a bit awkward between the mother and father-to-be at first, but after breezing through several shops, they were pleasantly surprised.

Draco and Harriet were having a good time together.

Draco was pleased to discover that his omega actually had decent taste. He agreed with most of the decorations and the linens that Harriet chose, his only stipulation was that he preferred shades of green, white, and black.

"The baby isn't a Slytherin." Harriet laughed at Draco as they playfully squabbled over the color of the upteenth baby blanket they were purchasing, which was made out of the finest, softest fleece on the market.

"The baby isn't a Gryffindor, either." Draco sniffed, standing by his rejection of Harriet's suggestion that the blanket should be red and gold.

"I suppose we'll find out in a little more than eleven years." Harriet countered.

Draco smirked.

We'll.

If Harriet was going to be there when their child went to school, did that mean that she-

"Would you two like to add any initials? Monogramming is an option." A friendly clerk asked as he brushed by the pair.

Harriet's face fell as her happiness faded and the reality of her situation pressed painfully upon her.

Draco tried not to frown.

"Perhaps later?" Draco murmured.

"Perhaps later." Harriet nodded.

Together, he and Harriet moved on to look at something else.

Secretly, Draco wanted to smack the thoughtless clerk.

He and Harriet had been having such a lovely moment….

Why did that oaf have to ruin it?!

—-

After hours of traipsing through the streets, in and out of shops, Draco and Harriet had succeeded in gathering nearly everything that any baby could possibly need.

Draco was attempting to hasten their last transaction as they stood at the register. Ever the attentive alpha, although Harriet didn't complain, Draco could see in her green eyes that she was tiring.

The cashier rang up the couples' selection of baby clothes, a few maternity dresses and bras that Harriet had discreetly asked to purchase, and several plush toys that the pair had chosen as well. As the store attendant worked, Draco stood behind Harriet and slipped an arm around her waist to splay his hand protectively over her rounded belly.

The cashier couldn't help but notice the soft look in Draco's disguised eyes as he placed a gentle kiss on top of Harriet's head, nor could the woman ignore the way Harriet sighed and instinctively leaned back against Draco.

Once the order was totaled and the payment was processed, the cashier smiled at the couple as she remarked, "Congratulations! You both seem so in love, I'm sure you'll give your little one a wonderful home!"

Draco and Harriet both froze.

"Thanks." Draco mumbled numbly.

Harriet stood and looked at the cashier as if the woman had assaulted her.

When Draco noticed Harriet's eyes welling with tears, he grabbed her hand and led her quickly out of the shop.

Draco himself was battling the urge to weep bitterly as he sat his omega down on a bench outside and let them both collect themselves for a moment.

Draco wanted Harriet to be with him forever and Harriet didn't want to leave, he knew it.

But how was he going to get her to say that?

It wasn't enough that Draco had already penetrated her body and her heart. He knew that if he was going to be hers, truly hers, then that meant he had to smash through the brick wall she insisted on placing between them.

As they sat on the bench next to each other, Draco looked over at Harriet with a frown as she wiped the tears away from her eyes, staring straight ahead.

"It's alright." Draco said quietly.

"I'm fine….I'm tired, that's all. It doesn't take much now." Harriet replied.

Draco nodded. As they sat together, he didn't mention anything else about the clerk or Harriet's tears, in an effort to protect his mate's pride.

However, Draco did notice what exactly Harriet had her vision focused on.

Across the street on another bench, there was a young mother cradling a very new, very pink baby.

Draco's eyes silently darted back and forth between the mother, her child, and Harriet.

He saw the awe and fascination in Harriet's face as she stared at the little baby across the street.

He noticed the way her hand gently rubbed her belly while she gazed at the other woman's newborn.

"You know, Potter," Draco huffed, looking at Harriet directly, "You'll be weak after the birth. You don't have to run as soon as the child's out."

"I don't want to impose any longer than I must." Harriet responded quietly.

"You'd hardly be imposing." Draco mused quietly.

Harriet looked over at Draco with a pout.

"Mother's milk is the healthiest for infants. I've read that over and over again. You could stay a little while…..to recover of course, but to feed the baby too." Draco slyly suggested.

"I'll be fine." Harriet said coldly.

Draco wanted to break down when she met him with more resistance but his heart lightened as she spoke again to add, "But…...I suppose I could stay awhile….. to feed the baby, like you suggested."

Draco's wide smile was only hampered by the exhausted sigh that fell from Harriet's lips. Gently, he helped her to her feet and guided her back to the alley so they could apparate.

"Come on, then." Draco said, walking with one hand on Harriet's lower back for support, "We've had a busy morning. I think you two could use a nap."

—

Draco was right.

He took Harriet back to the manor, undressed them both, and minutes after they lay down in her nest, she was asleep.

Draco was surprised when he quickly followed his love into unconsciousness, cradling her on his shoulder while they both dozed in the warm light of the afternoon.

Malfoy manor was so massive that neither Draco

nor Harriet heard Lucius and Narcissa apparate into the estate's parlor.

Neither Harriet nor Draco heard the couple allow the reporters from the Daily Prophet to enter the house and set up all of their cameras and media equipment in the Malfoy dining room.

Narcissa directed where the flowers should be placed while Lucius ordered the house elves to serve the food and set the table.

Everything had to be picture perfect. The photos that would be captured in a short while were going to be printed alongside the article that would launch the Malfoy family name back into good standing.

One of the reporters accidentally showed Draco and Harriet a small mercy. The man was clumsy enough to drop his camera. He shouted in horror as it crashed to the floor and the glass lense shattered on the cold stone.

Harriet was in a deep sleep, but Draco's grey eyes popped wide open at the echoing commotion.

For a moment, Draco thought he imagined the noise. However, as he closed his eyes to rest some more and enjoy the feeling of Harriet's soft, plump curves against him, he couldn't deafen his ears to the chatter and shuffling that he heard faintly from a distant part of the house.

Draco felt his heart clench as he grew suspicious.

He assumed that his parents must have arrived home, but why were they so noisy?

…...And why were there so many voices?

With a scowl marring his handsome face, Draco deftly slipped out from under Harriet and pulled on his green velvet sleeping robe.

Padding silently down the hall and across the house, Draco waved his wand and closed his eyes to peer around the corners using magic.

Opening his eyes once his analysis was complete, his breath hitched in his chest at what he had seen.

There, meters away in the dining room, sat his pompous parents in their finest clothes. The table was prepared for a grand feast. All around the room, journalists stood scribbling on their parchments, with their cameras lined up like prying knights, ready to hack through all of the progress Draco had made at winning Harriet's love.

It was a well set trap, Draco had to admit that. Whether his mother and father had laid it on purpose or they had simply misunderstood his current stance with his lover, he didn't know.

He didn't care.

Draco was as furious as he was frightened and without a word, he silently crept back down the hall. As he entered his bedroom, his pulse quickened when he found Harriet sitting up in bed and blinking at him.

"Where did you run off to?" Harriet asked with a yawn.

"Oh….I needed to fetch something from the parlor." Draco fibbed.

"Sleep well?" Harriet replied.

"Quite." Draco nodded, "What about you?"

"Very well." Harriet smiled, "I feel much better now."

"Good." Draco nodded.

Draco barely heard their exchange as his mind raced rapidly.

Draco was no fool.

If Harriet saw what awaited them in the dining room, if their story was smeared all over the front page of the Prophet, it would be over between them.

Forever.

She would never believe Draco's innocence in the situation, nor would she ever trust him again.

Somehow, he had to stop Harriet and those reporters from seeing each other.

He had to corral his parents and get them to understand some basic principles about his situation, regardless of what they wanted it to be.

A plan, a plan…...

Draco silently decided that the first and easiest step would be to get Harriet safely out of the press's way.

"I actually had a good time, shopping with you in the muggle world today." Draco smirked.

He tried to emulate his godfather and maintain a calm face, even though he wanted to scream in terror.

"Oh, really?" Harriet asked incredulously.

Draco shrugged, "Was I not allowed to?"

"No, I wasn't suggesting that." Harriet replied with a shrug.

"Are you hungry?" Draco asked.

Food.

Food would be a good excuse to leave the house.

Muggle food that the Malfoy house elves couldn't prepare.

Why wouldn't Harriet be hungry?

Pregnant omegas were always hungry.

"I could eat." Harriet replied, "But I'm not starving, don't worry about it."

"I'm hungry too. Let's continue our day, shall we? Perhaps you could show me something muggles like to eat." Draco suggested, "Is there anything that you'd prefer right now?"

Harriet seemed a bit surprised but a small grin lit up her face.

She was very pleased with how suddenly accepting Draco seemed of the muggle world. The pregnancy hormones flooding her veins were suppressing any suspicion she may otherwise have held about his eagerness.

"Well….have you ever had gelato?" Harriet asked.

"What's gelato?" Draco frowned.

"Get dressed." Harriet commanded.

—

Being extremely careful not to make any noise while he put his clothes on and they apparated away from the manor, Draco breathed a sigh of relief when he and Harriet successfully escaped to an obscure muggle town that his omega apparently knew somewhat well.

"I hope it's still here, anyway." She mused as she led Draco by the hand down to the end of the street.

Draco didn't care that the gelato shop was small, run by a muggle family, or too chilly for his liking.

Draco was too busy floating on a cloud of triumph that he had managed to evade his parents for the moment. Allowing Harriet to take the lead, Draco let her order two chocolate gelatos for them and the couple sat down at a small table by the window with their frozen treats.

As they began to eat, Draco's face twisted into a pained scowl.

"What's the matter?" Harriet asked as she watched him in concern.

"Nothing." Draco said quickly as he stood up from his chair, "I'll be back, give me a moment." Harriet turned and watched Draco charge into the restroom, scowling after him.

She hoped that he wasn't ill.

There was nothing wrong with Draco, but faking a sour stomach was the best excuse he could come up with to go and deal with the chaos his parents had caused.

Once the bathroom door was locked, Draco quickly apparated back to Malfoy manor, intent on handling Narcissa and Lucius….and quickly.

It was unfortunate, but in his rush, Draco had gotten sloppy.

So far away from any population of the wizarding world, Harriet hadn't given it a second thought.

The charm Draco had cast earlier had long worn off. His and Harriet's faces were no longer disguised.

While Harriet sat, nibbling on her gelato, a man and woman happened to pass by the windows of that small shop.

The woman paused to peer through the textured glass…...

Harriet wasn't the only witch who had been raised in a muggle family.

Harriet wasn't the only witch who was comfortably familiar with the muggle world and its various gelato shops.

"What's the matter?" Ron Weasley asked as Hermione Granger stared through the window.

The brown-haired Gryfinndor squeezed her lover's hand as she declared without a doubt, "Ron, look! That's Harriet in there!"

"That's not her, Hermione. She's on holiday, remember? I'm sure she owled you about it too." Ron said, dismissing his lover's claim.

"That's her!" Hermione insisted, "Come on, Ron!"

Before Ron could protest, Hermione dragged him up the steps to the shop and barged through the door.

As Harriet sat at the table, waiting for Draco to come out of the bathroom, she was unmistakable to her friends.

Not realizing that Ron and Hermione were staring at her, Harriet rose from her seat to reach over and grab a napkin.

The shock from her changed figure caused Hermione to cry out, "HARRIET!"

Harriet's blood ran cold.

Slowly, she turned her head and dismay gripped her as she saw Ron and Hermione gaping at her with wide eyes.

From Harriet's obviously pregnant belly to the two gelatos on the table, not one, Ron and Hermione didn't know where to look or what to think.

And Harriet didn't know how to explain…..