AN: Sorry for the delays… I do have a job that pays money (and requires a shit ton of international travel) and a husband that requires I pay some attention to him. I do try to get these out as fast as I can (fully acknowledging that I have multiple stories and my attention span never seems to stay on one story for very long).

JK owns EVERYTHING!

Harry blinked his tired eyes open. Slowly, the blurry world came into focus – and the events of the previous day came rushing back to him.

He jerked his body upwards, gasping for air as he sat upright. For the briefest of moments his eyes supplied convincing evidence that he was back in Gryffindor Tower, and for the rest of his brain to believe that the past several months – especially the part involving carrying the Dark Lord's baby – was all a terrifying nightmare.

"It wasn't a dream, Harry," a soft voice whispered from the left as if reading his mind.

With his racing heart beginning to calm Harry turned to look at his oldest friend.

Hermione had her back up against the headboard and she had drawn her knees close to her chest with her arms circled around her legs; she looked just as tired as he felt.

Suddenly, the truth of her words hit Harry: he really was pregnant with Voldemort's heir. He was also the man's prisoner in a home that looked and felt exactly like Hogwarts.

Harry shook his head.

"How did you sleep?"

Hermione's soft, brown eyes held Harry's gaze as she responded.

"Not bad, all things considered…" She managed to give a small but convincing smile.

"I'm glad we decided to stay in the same room, though. I don't think I would have managed being alone – even if it would have been right next door."

Harry nodded.

"It's a lot to wrap your head around that's for sure."

Harry then mimicked Hermione's position in the lone double bed, moving to sit next to her so closely that their shoulders were touching. The closeness of her body offered him comfort.

"I can hardly believe any of what happened in the past twenty-four or how ever many hours since discovering I was…" Harry paused and looked down at the small hallow between his stomach and this thighs.

"…Pregnant."

"I don't think that has quite settled into my head either," Hermione agreed, tipping her head to rest on Harry's shoulder.

"How do you think it happened, Hermione? I mean, how could he be the father?"

Hermione encircled her arms around Harry's left arm, continuing to rest her head against his shoulder.

"To be honest I have no idea. I don't think he knows either."

They sat in silence for a minute before Hermione lifted her head and turned to look at Harry, her chin now using Harry's shoulder for both support and the continued comfort that the closeness provided.

"You were brilliant yesterday, Harry. I'll admit I had no idea how we were going to get out of that. I thought for sure that we would be tortured and then killed."

Harry could hear the lasting fear of that situation in her voice as she continued speaking.

"But you saved us, played it brilliantly, in fact. At the time I was shocked to hear you speaking to her and to him like that, but from what I know about him I don't think you could have said anything better."

A small shiver went through her and she moved her head to rest against the velvet covering the headboard.

"Thank you, Harry."

Harry sighed and tilted his head forward, so that his chin was resting on the tip of his left knee.

"I just can't bear to think of any harm coming to the baby, Hermione. I would have said anything, I think, to try and save it."

Harry then twisted his neck slightly, so that he could see part of Hermione's face.

"Though, if anything, I should be the one both thanking and apologizing to you. I don't think I would have realized I was pregnant until much later… when it was obvious... when… "

Harry quickly moved past any thoughts about what the end stages of a male pregnancy entailed; he would worry about that later.

Hermione had the same idea, apparently, as she interrupted whatever he had been about to follow with.

"What do you have to apologize for?"

She sat upright and moved just far enough away so that they could fully see each other's faces.

"You wouldn't be trapped here – in Voldemort's home – if it wasn't for me."

Harry's voice was low and soft.

"Your life has always been in danger because of me."

"True," she agreed promptly and without blinking.

"But you keep forgetting that my life would be in danger with or," she emphasized with a pointed look, "without you. You you seem quite unable to grasp that fact. It's not like I would be able to wander around with zero chance of harm had I not come along with you."

But Hermione wasn't finished yet and Harry suddenly noticed that familiar expression in her eyes that tended to indicate he was about to get lectured.

"If you want to get technical then I would not even be here if it wasn't for you. I seem to recall that I would have probably been killed by a troll in first year had you and …," she couldn't bring herself to say his name, "not come along. So, for me, every little bit of life that I got to experience since then has been because of you. And I'm thankful for that, Harry. Truly."

Her forceful stare brooked no room for disagreement so in the end all Harry could do was nod and look away.

They sat in silence for a few more moments before Harry's stomach interrupted them.

The simple meal the elf had brought the night before after the Dark Lord had showed them to their rooms, which both of them had finished and then promptly passed out, had been over twelve hours ago.

Needless to say, they were both hungry and the elf did not disappoint when she brought them a very large breakfast after Harry had summoned her.

They moved to a small table on the other side of the room, each reaching for the delicious-looking pastries, jams, and fruit that they had gone without while living in the tent. The hot tea completed their meal and for the first time in a long while Harry put away enough calories for both him and the growing baby.

In fact, even though he was quite full at the end of the meal, he pocketed two extra scones to snack on.

It was a welcome change to the preceding weeks in which eating – and the surprisingly arduous task of keeping the food down – had become a chore.

So much so that he hadn't noticed the careful examination of Hermione's gaze as it passed from the elf to him to other areas around the room.

However, a full and content stomach couldn't forestall his mind from eventually wandering to other things as well.

"Do you think we are meant to stay in here or can we explore the rest of Voldemort's version of the castle?"

There was both wonder and sadness in his voice; for no matter how amazing this place was it was still the Dark Lord's home.

"Hmmm," Hermione thought for a moment.

"These bands are meant to keep us inside the wards of the property and he didn't mention anything about us having to remain in here exclusively. I think it would be appropriate for us to explore the more common areas of this miniature version of Hogwarts; though, I have no desire of getting close to wherever he sleeps – do you think that would be near where the Slytherin Common Room is?"

"I think that would be a fair guess," Harry nodded.

"Either that or the Headmaster's office. I wonder if the rest of this place is a copy of Hogwarts… however, I can't imagine it being different considering that so far he's just about nailed Gryffindor Tower. How do you suppose he knew what it looked like?"

Hermione simply shrugged.

"Tizzy!" Hermione then called in a change of pace.

The obedient elf appeared before Hermione had even finished her name.

"Yes, miss. What may Tizzy be doing for yous?"

Harry eyes darted between his friend and Voldemort's servant with a small bit of amusement. Hermione clearly wanted to know something that she hoped the elf would provide but at the same time he knew that she loathed the thought of a sentient creature being bound to follow orders.

"Tizzy, I was wondering if we would be able to walk outside our rooms in other parts of the castle and grounds… or if he has ordered us to stay here?"

"Lord Voldemort has not restricted yous to this room. As Tizzy be understanding things yous are bound to the property through Master's magic and may not leave." The elf pointed to the obsidian bracelet that sat on each of their wrists.

"Yous is should being able go where yous please – or else Master would have said something."

"Thank you, Tizzy." Hermione nodded at the elf.

"That'll be all."

The elf then popped away and Harry looked to Hermione with a playful smirk on his face.

"Well, what do you say? Care to take a stroll around Voldemort's house."

It felt just as weird to say it as it sounded in Hermione's ear.

Hermione sighed as she wondered how her life had gotten so confusing in such a short amount of time.

"Lead on!" She said in resignation, unable to stop the few, not-quite-hysterical giggles from following.

They helped to relieve some of the tension, at any rate.

Soon, Harry and Hermione had left their shared room and ventured into what was supposed to be styled after the Gryffindor Common Room.

They approached the door that left to the rest of the castle with slow and cautious steps. Ever the Gryffindor, Harry wasted little time in pushing the painting outwards, and when no Dark Lord or magical barrier preventing them from leaving appeared he walked out into the familiar hallway.

Hermione followed him out and the painting had just closed shut when a distinct hiss was heard.

"Nagini has been waiting for you," the large serpent said from a dark corner.

At once both Harry and Hermione grabbed a hold of each other and watched a long, dark shape uncurl itself from the corner and slither before them.

"What do you want?" Harry hissed back when his blood pressure returned to normal.

"Nagini has been instructed to show you to the library. Nagini is surprised that you worked up the courage to leave your rooms so quickly. She had half expected to be lying in wait for a week."

Harry could have sworn there was a hint of amusement in her voice, and it relaxed him. Hermione, on the other hand, couldn't say the same on account of not understanding a word that was being said. She remembered how powerless she had felt in the great serpent's coils and knew how easily the snake could kill her and she hadn't even begun to consider her menacing fangs.

"Well, there was no point in just staying there seeing as how we can't leave the property." Harry held up his wrist, the black bracelet catching the flickering flames of the torches providing light.

"Agreed." She hissed her pleasure with the boy's reasoning.

"Now then," she lifted her head to match Harry's height – something that did not help Hermione in the least.

"Master has provided books on providing for younglings in the womb in the library. Nagini will show you."

Then the great beast lowered her snout to Harry's stomach and flicked out her tongue against his shirt. Harry shivered and his hands reacted, placing themselves between his baby and the snake.

"Other speaker does not have to worry about Nagini." Harry could have sworn the snake was laughing at his actions.

"Other speaker carries Master's heir," her tongue flicked against his hands this time. "Nagini will do everything in her power to protect Master's youngling."

The snake then swerved around and began to undulate her large body from side to side to propel her forward.

Harry turned to Hermione and took her hand upon seeing some color begin to return to her cheeks.

"Nagini is leading us to the library, Hermione. Voldemort has left some books for us on on pregnancy. I would think that for the immediate future that is a very good thing."

More color returned to her face and she nodded, following Harry when his hand tugged her forward as they followed the snake.

Not that they really needed Nagini to guide them since the library, and the path there, was exactly the same as they were used to.

When they arrived at their destination Harry chanced a glance at his friend, which then necessitated him bringing up his free hand to cover his mouth.

For Hermione's eyes had almost comically enlarged and was looking around Voldemort's personal library like that Disney Princess had from one of Dudley's videos that Harry had watched while the rest of his family were away.

And just like Belle, Harry could see that Hermione suddenly didn't find her current predicament as bad as it had been moments before.

"The books for other speaker and the youngling he carries are over here," Nagini guided them to a table that looked just like the one Hermione liked to frequent when studying.

"Thanksss," Harry said for the both of them as Hermione quickly looked through the many titles that the Dark Lord had provided for the care of Harry's baby.

Nagini just nodded and slipped away, going back to doing whatever large and deadly snakes like her preferred to be doing when they weren't carrying out orders from their evil masters.

"This is unbelievable," Hermione breathed.

She had quickly fingered through the first several pages of a tome devoted exclusively to the care of pregnant males and their infants.

When some of the shock and giddiness wore off she stopped skimming to lift her eyes to Harry.

"This is all so weird," she finally said.

"First, his home looking like it does and now this. I can't believe that you and I are in his house and reading books that he has personally provided for us."

For a minute it looked like her mind was threatening to buckle underneath the thoughts she was having.

"Books that I'm supposed to read to take care of you and the baby. Your baby. His baby!"

Harry nodded along, knowing exactly where she was coming from. "Yep, and if that's what we have to do to stay alive, so that the baby stays alive, then so be it."

Harry clearly was not allowing himself to dwell on the hilarities of fate that had made this all possible. Not outwardly, at any rate.

He was too busy feeling thankful to be alive and for once not feeling nauseated at the thought of or experience of eating. His life had always been atypical and full of unusual circumstances. To him, this was no different from his experience with a Basilisk or going back in time to fight off a hundred Dementors or living under constant threat of Voldemort trying to murder him.

In fact, the current situation was practically pedestrian by his standards since said Dark Lord was now providing a safe environment for Harry and his unborn child.

"Besides, Hermione," he said the next bit aloud – more for her benefit than anything.

"The baby has six more months until it gets here. That means we have six more months before the status quo chances. I'm sure we will be able to think of something before then."

Hermione took a deep breath and centered herself.

"Only you, Harry." She muttered half teasingly and half deadly serious.

"Only you."

The next week passed in a similar and easy manner. Each morning Harry and Hermione would wake in their shared bed to a delightful meal that Tizzy brought. Hermione would eye Harry closely to make sure he was eating everything that he was supposed to – and was very happy to see that his previous bouts of Morning Sickness had not made a return.

After breakfast the pair would take turns in the bathroom before dressing in clothes that Tizzy provided before heading down to the library to read through another book on pregnancy and all of the pitfalls that they needed to watch out for. To her surprise, Harry seemed just as interested in the material as she was for once.

Though, even she was aware that while her desire to learn everything there was to know was out of a very real fear to make sure that nothing bad happened to the baby – or herself seeing as how the Dark Lord had charged her with keeping his heir healthy. Harry's rapid intake of the material was likely because he wanted to understand everything he could out of a desire to appropriately provide for the growing wizard or witch inside of him.

In fact, it was all Hermione could do not to comment on the way Harry would look at his stomach when he thought no one was looking. The tender look in his eyes as he softly ran his hands over his stomach nearly caused her heart to explode. In her mind Harry was going to be a great parent, and she really hoped that they would survive this so that he could be one.

They typically lingered in the library through lunch, snacking on sandwiches and the like as Hermione and Harry absorbed everything that had anything to do with what the future would hold.

Of course, sometimes Harry's attention would stray from the more medically-inclined texts to the ones that focused solely on the magic involved in male pregnancies; however, he had yet to find anything that satisfactorily explained the now noticeable – though still quite small – bump.

One thing that both Harry and Hermione were appreciative of as the days passed by was that they had not seen the Dark Lord again. Neither one were willing to say it out-loud in case that jinxed anything but without seeing Voldemort they could thoroughly pretend that they were back at Hogwarts.

Because that was far simpler and easier than spending too much time thinking about how they were in fact prisoners in the home of the greatest dark wizard that had ever lived.

On this particular day, Harry decided that mid afternoon was the perfect time for another stroll outside. He had always enjoyed his walks around the lake at Hogwarts and he was pleasantly surprised to have found a similarly shaped one, albeit many times smaller, within the wards that they couldn't leave.

Complete with exotic squid and all.

The fresh and chilly air felt good against Harry's face, and he relished the warmth that wrapping his heavy cloak around him provided. His fingers were clasped tightly in the front, holding the cloak close to him while the late sun was blazing downwards.

Hermione chose that moment to look at her friend and the light of the sun caused the transfigured ring on Harry's hand to sparkle and catch her eye.

"Oh Harry," she breathed and walked to his side at once.

"With everything else going on I completely forgot about…," and then her mouth shut and she looked around nervously.

Harry turned to look at her.

"What, Hermione; what is it?"

"The ring, Harry," she whispered and placed her hand over his.

"You've been carrying it around for over a week; it should be my turn to wear it."

Harry then looked down and withdrew his hand from Hermione's embrace.

"I'd completely forgotten about it," he said as if he were surprised.

"At any rate, I really think it's my turn to have it."

She extended her hand and held out her palm.

In a slow and more deliberate effort than what was required, Harry fingered the ring and slid it off his finger. He felt its absence immediately; he had gotten so used to it on his finger in the past week that he had forgotten about it completely.

In fact, he now felt the wrongness of it not being on his finger so strongly that his hand froze in place on its way to give the ring to Hermione.

But Hermione hadn't noticed any of his internal deliberations or his external hesitancies. Her hand reached for the ring and plucked it out of his grasp.

She had just eased it over the distal and medial interphalangeal digital creases on her index finger when she heard a most unwelcome sound.

Her neck snapped towards the eerie sound and a gasped sound of terror left her lips as she watched Harry fall to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.

"Harry!" She screamed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She cried, kneeling down to be by his side.

Her hands shot outwards in an attempt to both provide comfort and to understand what the problem was.

"Arghhhh," Harry mumbled though gritted teeth.

"It… hurts…" he whispered.

Hermione was at a loss for how to proceed; without her wand she felt helpless.

Tears began to brim as he saw how much pain Harry was in.

Her hands were frantically trying to inspect Harry's stomach and sides, and, again, it was the angle of the sunlight reflecting off the ring that gave her pause once more.

She couldn't help the shocked realization that left her lips.

"Of course!" She breathed as she hurriedly ripped the ring off her index finger and jammed it onto one of Harry's curled fingers.

She was relieved to see his body stilling, the only sound filling her ears were his attempts at steadying his breathing and the rustle of the wind pushing the leaves through the air.

"It's the ring, Harry," she said without her usual awareness of both the topic and where she was.

"You have to keep it on you… the Horcrux!"

Her eyes then widened in shock when she realized what she had said and her eyes darted around, terrified that she had given that information away so freely.

But the area was deserted and so she returned her attention to Harry.

Their eyes met and an unspoken understanding passed between them.

Somehow, someway, the baby needed to be in contact with the Horcrux hidden inside the transfigured ring.

Or else Harry would suffer the withdrawal.

The realization was like ice had been poured in their veins.

Their life had just become that much more difficult, and each silently said a prayer to whatever god that would listen to keep that information from the Dark Lord.

But, like as it often was in Harry's life, fate had other plans.

Because crimson eyes had been watching from the the Dark Lord's study, eyes that were now extremely interested in the significance of the ring that the Boy Who Lived could not seemingly be without.

I debated on where to end it but that seemed like a good place to me! Next chapter will have much more interaction between Voldie and Harry. Again, sorry for the delay!