Chapter Fifty-Six
Draco began to speak. "You really had me worried, Harry."
"I know," Harry looked down at his hands.
"Harry, you know how you felt when you found my dagger? Imagine if had if it had been me, with the dagger next to me in a puddle of blood," Draco stepped closer, hesitantly. Harry shuddered.
"I know how bad that must have felt, Draco. I really do, but you just don't think about things like that. I knew it was stupid, but I grew up without a family and I always wanted children. When I fell in love with Severus, I thought that I'd never have kids of my own. Do you know what it feels like to lose a child you never thought you could have?"
"I can't begin to imagine, Harry, but you're supposed to let me help and share the pain, because I don't want to experience the part that comes with losing a brother and best friend. I'm not as strong as you, Harry. Fred, George, and I...we still haven't...I wouldn't get over it if you died."
"I'm not strong; I'm just used to everything in the world hurting."
"But it won't hurt anymore. Now that Voldemort and all of the Death Eaters are gone, you can really heal," the blonde told his brother.
"Draco, when my broom flew into the Whomping Willow in third year, I had to throw it away. You can't fix something that broken." Harry told him.
"You're not a stupid broom, Harry. Your body's not broken; your soul is wounded. You can fix the spells on a broom to make it fly again. And Professor Snape is the spell castor. That soul link just didn't keep you to the mortal coil, it glued you to it; your soul as well. And that glue will help Professor Snape, and the rest of us, to mend your soul."
"Draco..."
"Harry, I know you'll never be the same, but you will always be this way if you give up now," Draco told him.
"Dra..."
"Harry, if you give up now, it'll be just like you had died," Draco pleaded with him.
"I'll try Draco, but that's all I can promise." Harry acquiesced. "That's all I now I can do by myself."
"But you won't be alone," Draco reached over and offered his hand to Harry. Surprising the blonde, Harry pulled him into a hug.
***
"What did you need me for, Poppy?" Severus asked the mediwitch.
"Harry can leave the Hospital Wing; he's physically healed," The matron told him. She then began to look hesitant. "When I removed the baby...it had already died, and I got it out with one goal; to save Harry. The magic around the foetus would have killed him, so I took it out. I don't have the skills or equipment to scan him to see if he can carry again. Should the two of you wish to have another child, you will have to go to Saint Mungo's."
Severus swallowed. "Thank you Poppy. I appreciate it; I really do."
"Of course, Severus," Poppy laid a hand on his shoulder before returning to her office.
***
Severus sighed and leaned up against the wall. Once Poppy had finished talking, he began to return to the room. He'd heard the two boys talking to each other.
"Do you know what it feels like to lose a child you never thought you could have?" Harry had asked his brother. From where he stood, Severus could feel the sadness radiating off the Boy-Who-Lived. The despair seeped into Severus and almost brought him to tears. He straightened himself up and walked into the room as if he hadn't heard any of the conversation.
"Harry, Poppy says you can leave the Hospital Wing whenever you want," Severus told his lover.
"Can we leave when they get back with breakfast?"
"I think Dad and Father will be longer than they said. It's near the full moon," Draco grinned, pushing all bad feelings away for the moment.
"Dad and Father?"
"They are our parents now," Draco shrugged.
"Yeah, I guess they are," Harry gave a small smile.
Severus took Harry's hand and squeezed it. The skin-to-skin contact intensified the sorrow, and Severus' heart clenched with the waves of sadness.
'Let Harry be okay,' He thought.
***
Draco had been right; Sirius and Remus did take longer. According to Sirius, Remus had attacked him while he was trying to dress.
"Could have lived without knowing that," Harry glared slightly.
"Not as bad as when they went at it when we were visiting them," Draco shrugged.
"You're right," Harry nodded.
"We walked in on James and lily once. We were baby-sitting Harry, and they were going out for the first time since Lily started showing. We went back to Godric's Hollow because he couldn't," Sirius began.
"Wouldn't," corrected Remus.
"Right, wouldn't go to sleep without his little stuffed stag, and we walked in on them," Sirius finished.
Harry shook his head in embarrassment.
"Quit teasing Harry," Draco told their parents.
"That's not teasing. Teasing would be calling him a Slytherin lover," Sirius replied. Everyone glared at him. "What?"
'You're mean, Siri," Harry glared. At Sirius's utterly confused look, Remus, Draco, and Harry laughed.
"That was teasing," Draco told him.
"No, that was mean," Sirius pouted.
"We could do this all day, but I told Harry that I...we would take him your of the hospital wing," Severus said to the three Gryffindors and fellow Slytherin.
"Damn! Breakfast!" Remus slapped Sirius's forehead as one would their own.
"We can have a house elf bring it," Draco said as his black haired father rubbed his forehead.
"Breakfast is just starting in the Great Hall, but..." Sirius trailed off, looking at Harry.
Harry closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them and smiled.
"I'm going to need some clothes," he said, and everyone smiled. Even Severus turned up his lips, in the presence of others no less.
"Gryffindor," Severus placed a light kiss on said teen's head.
***
The sun hit the faces of a Slytherin and Gryffindor lying together in the Head Boy's bed, causing Blaise to groan as the light hit his eyes. The black haired boy turned over and buried his neck in Neville's shoulder.
"Breakfast," Neville moaned and pushed Blaise off him. His boyfriend gave a high-pitched whine and rolled so his face was buried in a pillow. "Blai, get up."
"Don' wanna..." Blaise snored loudly.
"Get up, Blai-blai," Neville slid out of bed and put his slippers on.
"I don't want to."
"Fine, I'm going to take a shower then," the Gryffindor said off handily. He went into the private bathroom and left the door open.
Blaise groaned and slid out of bed. He walked into the bathroom and the door shut with a click.
***
Harry nervously picked at an invisible piece of lint on his shoulder. He and Draco stood in front of the Great Hall doors. All the students were already in the hall, eating their breakfast.
"You're sure?" his brother asked.
"Positive," Harry nodded. Their fathers and Severus were already in the Great Hall as, well. "Let's go."
Draco and Harry walked into the Great Hall together. The doors slammed shut behind them, and everyone looked up. Within seconds, the entire Hogwarts population was dead silent.
End Chapter Fifty-Six
The next chapter is the last. No exceptions, no epilouge. Although, I may write one-shot sequels with each couple.....maybe.....
Something that has confused people: Harry's scar disappeared, along with Sev's Dark Mark because they bonded, not because Voldemort's dead.
To Saavik13, my 1500th reviewer!
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