Again, thanks to all with the wonderful reviews, I truly appreciate it!
Next chapter will see Narcissa visitng, so any suggestions are welcome!
This chaper is for Jen, who asked for, and got, the return of Dobby....
Chapter VII. Romanian Holiday
//18th January 9:42 p.m.
I have decided the baby is going to be one of the world's finest quidditch players when he or she grows up, probably a beater, since it seems to be practicing on my ribs. But I'm not complaining. I have a feeling I will miss having the baby so close to me after the birth. I wonder what it will look like? Harry and I have been trying out different names, but nothing seems right just yet.
Harry and I are leaving tomorrow to go back to Hogwarts for a week, checking on a teaching position. If all goes well, we will probably be moving back to England next school year. It was good to get away for awhile, Harry and I both needed the time together for us, but I want our child to grow up close to their Grandmother, as well as all our friends. I guess I should get in the bed early tonight. Long day ahead...//
19th January 8:08 a.m.
"What do you mean I'm not going with you?"
Harry shut his trunk and turned around to face a very agitated blonde.
"Draco, honey, I told you. I checked with Molly, and she said it's not really safe for you to travel right now. You can't floo, it would be dangerous to apparate, and there is no way you are getting on a broom."
"But I was going to use a portkey! That should be ok." Draco pleaded. "I have hardly left the house this last month. Please Harry, I want to see everyone too."
Harry pulled his cloak over his shoulders. "A portkey is the worst way you could travel. Don't you remember, it pulls you from the stomach."
Draco could see he wasn't going to win this one, and deep down, he knew Harry was right. He didn't want to do anything to hurt the baby, even if he was staying behind.
Harry closed the gap between them. "I know, I wish you could go too. But I bought you lots of ice cream, all your favorites, and just think, you can have the house all to yourself for a week."
"Well," Draco smiled."That is true. O.k."
Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, kissing him deeply. When they parted, Harry leaned down to the blonde's stomach, planting small kisses. "I love you," Harry whispered. "Take care of your Mum for me."
"Be careful, Harry," Draco said softly." Tell everyone I said 'Hi'."
"I will" Harry smiled. He gave Draco another passionate kiss before turning to leave.
"I love you" Harry yelled as he picked up the ceramic frog from the garden that served as a portkey this morning.
"I love you too," Draco smiled."See you in a week."
Five seconds later, Draco was the only one standing on the walkway. "Maybe Harry is right," Draco thought. "I can have the house to myself, wear whatever I want, eat ice cream whenever I want, yeah, for a week, it will be ok. I still wish I could have gone, and I'm going to miss Harry, but this might be alright."
Oh, if he had only known.
Harry arrived at the front gates of Hogwarts, clutching his trunk and frog. This was as close as he could get by portkey, since the spells protecting the school made it impossible to apparate or portkey inside the walls. A levitating charm had lightened the trunk, but it was still quite a walk to the main doors. "I didn't think I was getting that old," he panted. "I'll stop by the kitchens and get something to drink before my meeting."
Harry found the painting with the fruit, tickling the pineapple so the entry to the kitchen would appear. No sooner had he walked in before he was greeted by scores of house-elves.
"May we get you anything, sir?"
"I wanted to see if you had any butterbeer. I .."
"HARRY POTTER!"
Harry turned instantly to face the house-elf he knew so well, the one who nearly killed him to keep him safe.
"Dobby! How are you?"
"Dobby is doing well, Harry Potter. Dobby is going on holiday today."
Harry couldn't help but grin as he looked over the "traveling outfit" Dobby had selected. A blue checked tea cozy for a hat, quite possibly the world's ugliest orange raincoat, and several pairs of mismatched socks. Harry could only imagine what was in the small trunk beside the elf.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"Dobby does not know, sir. Dobby has never been on holiday before." Dobby looked behind Harry. "Where is Draco Malfoy, sir? Dobby has heard he lives with Harry Potter now and is waiting child. Dobby is most happy for you, Harry Potter!"
Harry took a long drink from the butterbeer brought to him by one of the other house-elves.
"He's at the cottage in Romania," Harry explained. "He can't travel right now because of the baby. He was upset he didn't get to come with me, though. I hope he will be ok for the week."
Suddenly Harry had an idea, one that, in hindsight, was akin to poking a hippogriff in the eye, but at the time seemed like a good idea.
"Say, Dobby, do you mind, if you are going by Romania, to check on Draco and stay with him...."
"Oh, yes, Harry Potter! Dobby will be glad to! Don't you worry, Dobby will take care of Draco Malfoy!" In a moment's breath, Dobby vanished into wispy smoke.
"....for a few hours." Harry finished, far too late for Dobby to hear.
Draco had just sat down on the couch in the living room, several quidditch magazines strewn about, with a half-quart of Dragon Delight Choco-Peanut Caramel Deluxe ice cream in hand. His morning outfit consisted of a huge bright blue bathrobe, and the fuzzy bunny slippers Harry had bought him after his feet started swelling. They weren't very manly, but then again, he smiled, neither was being pregnant. He had just started to take a bite of "breakfast" when he caught something out of the corner of his eye...
"Hello." Dobby smiled.
"ARGHH!." Draco screamed. "What....who....what...Dobby?! What are you doing here? And what are you wearing?"
"Dobby is on holiday, Draco Malfoy!" Dobby explained. "Harry Potter asked me to stay with you while he is away at Hogwarts. He is most worried about you, sir. He knows Dobby will take care of Draco Malfoy."
Dobby picked up his tiny trunk. "Where should Dobby put this, sir?"
Draco resisted the urge to state the obvious. Besides, if Harry had sent him, he didn't want to seem ungrateful. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...
"There's a guest bedroom at the top of the stairs on the right. You can put your things in there, " he suggested.
"Thank you, sir," Dobby replied with a small bow. "Oh, we are going to have so much fun!"
Five days later, "fun" was the last word anyone would use to describe the goings-on at 1759 Talon Road. The more Dobby tried to "care for" Draco, the worse it became.
This morning had been the limit.
To begin with, it had been nice having Dobby wait on him, bringing him anything he wanted, but, as was often the case with Dobby, it quickly got out of hand. He wouldn't let Draco come down the steps by himself (he had to hold his hand until they were at the bottom), he couldn't go outside without Dobby's frequent shouts of warning that some hideous creature might be lurking in the bushes. (So far the squirrels had been the most vicious creature Draco had seen, but that didn't seem to matter) And then yesterday, oh, yesterday, Dobby had found "the book".
Harry had bought a pregnancy book a month or so ago in the village for Draco to read. He kept meaning to, but somehow never got around to it. And now he knew why.
"Sir," Dobby said softly. "Draco Malfoy must get up now sir, it is time for breakfast."
"Whaa...." Draco groaned. The sun was just barely coming up. "What time is it?"
"Almost six o'clock, sir. You are going to be off schedule if you do not get up now."
"Off what?" Draco mumbled.
"Off schedule, sir. Your book says it is important to keep a daily routine."
Draco swung his feet out of bed, but before he could reach the floor Dobby stopped him.
"Oh, no, Draco Malfoy! The floor is much too cold for you to put your bare feet on. It says right here on page 118 that you must make sure you don't catch a cold or flu while you are expecting." Dobby rummaged around in the dresser drawer until he found one bright yellow and one green and black striped sock.
"Dobby will put these on for you, Draco Malfoy. You must not bend over too much."
Draco was still too sleepy to resist, so he wound up wearing the mismatched foot covers into the bathroom. He had just finished putting the toothpaste on the brush when Dobby appeared on the side of the sink and wrestled the brush from his grasp.
"Dobby will brush your teeth sir! Page 296 in your book says you should avoid repetitive motions with your arms for long periods of time..."
"Dobby, I think I can brush my own teeth." He was trying to be patient. After all, Harry was due back today. If he could only make it a few more hours.
"No, no, Draco Malfoy! Dobby promised Harry Potter he would take care of you."
"But I ..mmlph." Draco had opened his mouth to protest, just as Dobby started scrubbing.
Things were no better downstairs. Draco sat down to breakfast, expecting to find the usual bacon, eggs, toast and jam he had been having every day.
"Dobby?" Draco asked.
"Yes, Draco Malfoy?"
"What," he asked as he pointed at a glob on his plate, "is this?"
Dobby smiled broadly. "That is the recommended breakfast on page 167 of your book, sir. Oatmeal with protein powder, pureed with two bananas and an orange."
Draco stared at the previously unidentified mess.
"There is no way I am eating this."
"But sir," Dobby pleaded. "You must do what is best for the baby. How will you have the strength to do your exercises after breakfast?"
"What exercises?" Draco snapped.
"Right here, on page 365, see? Draco Malfoy must strenghen his pelvic muscles...."
Draco got up and walked slowly over to the freezer. He had had just about enough of all this.
"Look, Dobby, I know you mean well, but I just want to sit down and have a bowl of ...."
Several seconds of tense silence followed as Draco rummaged though the freezer. Dobby was trying very hard to back slowly from the kitchen.
"Dobby?" Draco said quietly.
"Yes, Draco Malfoy, sir?"
"Where is my ice cream?"
"Ice cream, sir? What ice cream?" Dobby was trying to sound as innocent as possible, but it was not working.
"My four quarts of Dragon Delight Choco-Peanut Caramel Deluxe! You know perfectly well what I am talking about! They were here yesterday!"
Dobby begin backing up a little faster now. "Well, you see, sir, the book said it wasn't good for you to have so many sweets, and you had been eating a lot of sweets, so Dobby...well...."
"Well?!" Draco yelled.
"Dobby threw the ice cream away sir, for Draco Malfoy's own good.."
"Dobby?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I'm going to give you a fifteen second head start, and I hope that book has a great chapter on first-aid."
Harry apparated close to the front door of the small cottage. He was tired, and so glad to be home. He hoped Draco hadn't been too bored while he was gone. As he turned the key in the lock, he heard something smash, followed by a high-pitched squeal and several expletives from a certain blond.
Throwing open the door, he was greeted with the sight of his very pregnant boyfriend in a ratty blue robe with mismatched socks, chasing an obviously terrified house-elf around the living room.
"What is going on here?" Harry cried.
Dobby ran over to Harry, grasping his hand to pat it over and over.
"Dobby is so sorry, Harry Potter. Dobby did not know. Dobby must be getting back to Hogwarts now, Harry Potter." He looked back over his shoulder. "Dobby is SO sorry, Harry Potter," he whispered. And with that, he was gone.
//24th January, 9:18 p.m.
(Excerpt only from Draco's Diary....)
Tossed the damn book out the window. Vicious squirrels tore it apart. Very glad Harry is home, I missed him so much. And from the tone in his voice just now, I would say he missed me too....
End of Chapter V.II.
Next chapter will see Narcissa visitng, so any suggestions are welcome!
This chaper is for Jen, who asked for, and got, the return of Dobby....
Chapter VII. Romanian Holiday
//18th January 9:42 p.m.
I have decided the baby is going to be one of the world's finest quidditch players when he or she grows up, probably a beater, since it seems to be practicing on my ribs. But I'm not complaining. I have a feeling I will miss having the baby so close to me after the birth. I wonder what it will look like? Harry and I have been trying out different names, but nothing seems right just yet.
Harry and I are leaving tomorrow to go back to Hogwarts for a week, checking on a teaching position. If all goes well, we will probably be moving back to England next school year. It was good to get away for awhile, Harry and I both needed the time together for us, but I want our child to grow up close to their Grandmother, as well as all our friends. I guess I should get in the bed early tonight. Long day ahead...//
19th January 8:08 a.m.
"What do you mean I'm not going with you?"
Harry shut his trunk and turned around to face a very agitated blonde.
"Draco, honey, I told you. I checked with Molly, and she said it's not really safe for you to travel right now. You can't floo, it would be dangerous to apparate, and there is no way you are getting on a broom."
"But I was going to use a portkey! That should be ok." Draco pleaded. "I have hardly left the house this last month. Please Harry, I want to see everyone too."
Harry pulled his cloak over his shoulders. "A portkey is the worst way you could travel. Don't you remember, it pulls you from the stomach."
Draco could see he wasn't going to win this one, and deep down, he knew Harry was right. He didn't want to do anything to hurt the baby, even if he was staying behind.
Harry closed the gap between them. "I know, I wish you could go too. But I bought you lots of ice cream, all your favorites, and just think, you can have the house all to yourself for a week."
"Well," Draco smiled."That is true. O.k."
Harry wrapped his arms around Draco, kissing him deeply. When they parted, Harry leaned down to the blonde's stomach, planting small kisses. "I love you," Harry whispered. "Take care of your Mum for me."
"Be careful, Harry," Draco said softly." Tell everyone I said 'Hi'."
"I will" Harry smiled. He gave Draco another passionate kiss before turning to leave.
"I love you" Harry yelled as he picked up the ceramic frog from the garden that served as a portkey this morning.
"I love you too," Draco smiled."See you in a week."
Five seconds later, Draco was the only one standing on the walkway. "Maybe Harry is right," Draco thought. "I can have the house to myself, wear whatever I want, eat ice cream whenever I want, yeah, for a week, it will be ok. I still wish I could have gone, and I'm going to miss Harry, but this might be alright."
Oh, if he had only known.
Harry arrived at the front gates of Hogwarts, clutching his trunk and frog. This was as close as he could get by portkey, since the spells protecting the school made it impossible to apparate or portkey inside the walls. A levitating charm had lightened the trunk, but it was still quite a walk to the main doors. "I didn't think I was getting that old," he panted. "I'll stop by the kitchens and get something to drink before my meeting."
Harry found the painting with the fruit, tickling the pineapple so the entry to the kitchen would appear. No sooner had he walked in before he was greeted by scores of house-elves.
"May we get you anything, sir?"
"I wanted to see if you had any butterbeer. I .."
"HARRY POTTER!"
Harry turned instantly to face the house-elf he knew so well, the one who nearly killed him to keep him safe.
"Dobby! How are you?"
"Dobby is doing well, Harry Potter. Dobby is going on holiday today."
Harry couldn't help but grin as he looked over the "traveling outfit" Dobby had selected. A blue checked tea cozy for a hat, quite possibly the world's ugliest orange raincoat, and several pairs of mismatched socks. Harry could only imagine what was in the small trunk beside the elf.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"Dobby does not know, sir. Dobby has never been on holiday before." Dobby looked behind Harry. "Where is Draco Malfoy, sir? Dobby has heard he lives with Harry Potter now and is waiting child. Dobby is most happy for you, Harry Potter!"
Harry took a long drink from the butterbeer brought to him by one of the other house-elves.
"He's at the cottage in Romania," Harry explained. "He can't travel right now because of the baby. He was upset he didn't get to come with me, though. I hope he will be ok for the week."
Suddenly Harry had an idea, one that, in hindsight, was akin to poking a hippogriff in the eye, but at the time seemed like a good idea.
"Say, Dobby, do you mind, if you are going by Romania, to check on Draco and stay with him...."
"Oh, yes, Harry Potter! Dobby will be glad to! Don't you worry, Dobby will take care of Draco Malfoy!" In a moment's breath, Dobby vanished into wispy smoke.
"....for a few hours." Harry finished, far too late for Dobby to hear.
Draco had just sat down on the couch in the living room, several quidditch magazines strewn about, with a half-quart of Dragon Delight Choco-Peanut Caramel Deluxe ice cream in hand. His morning outfit consisted of a huge bright blue bathrobe, and the fuzzy bunny slippers Harry had bought him after his feet started swelling. They weren't very manly, but then again, he smiled, neither was being pregnant. He had just started to take a bite of "breakfast" when he caught something out of the corner of his eye...
"Hello." Dobby smiled.
"ARGHH!." Draco screamed. "What....who....what...Dobby?! What are you doing here? And what are you wearing?"
"Dobby is on holiday, Draco Malfoy!" Dobby explained. "Harry Potter asked me to stay with you while he is away at Hogwarts. He is most worried about you, sir. He knows Dobby will take care of Draco Malfoy."
Dobby picked up his tiny trunk. "Where should Dobby put this, sir?"
Draco resisted the urge to state the obvious. Besides, if Harry had sent him, he didn't want to seem ungrateful. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...
"There's a guest bedroom at the top of the stairs on the right. You can put your things in there, " he suggested.
"Thank you, sir," Dobby replied with a small bow. "Oh, we are going to have so much fun!"
Five days later, "fun" was the last word anyone would use to describe the goings-on at 1759 Talon Road. The more Dobby tried to "care for" Draco, the worse it became.
This morning had been the limit.
To begin with, it had been nice having Dobby wait on him, bringing him anything he wanted, but, as was often the case with Dobby, it quickly got out of hand. He wouldn't let Draco come down the steps by himself (he had to hold his hand until they were at the bottom), he couldn't go outside without Dobby's frequent shouts of warning that some hideous creature might be lurking in the bushes. (So far the squirrels had been the most vicious creature Draco had seen, but that didn't seem to matter) And then yesterday, oh, yesterday, Dobby had found "the book".
Harry had bought a pregnancy book a month or so ago in the village for Draco to read. He kept meaning to, but somehow never got around to it. And now he knew why.
"Sir," Dobby said softly. "Draco Malfoy must get up now sir, it is time for breakfast."
"Whaa...." Draco groaned. The sun was just barely coming up. "What time is it?"
"Almost six o'clock, sir. You are going to be off schedule if you do not get up now."
"Off what?" Draco mumbled.
"Off schedule, sir. Your book says it is important to keep a daily routine."
Draco swung his feet out of bed, but before he could reach the floor Dobby stopped him.
"Oh, no, Draco Malfoy! The floor is much too cold for you to put your bare feet on. It says right here on page 118 that you must make sure you don't catch a cold or flu while you are expecting." Dobby rummaged around in the dresser drawer until he found one bright yellow and one green and black striped sock.
"Dobby will put these on for you, Draco Malfoy. You must not bend over too much."
Draco was still too sleepy to resist, so he wound up wearing the mismatched foot covers into the bathroom. He had just finished putting the toothpaste on the brush when Dobby appeared on the side of the sink and wrestled the brush from his grasp.
"Dobby will brush your teeth sir! Page 296 in your book says you should avoid repetitive motions with your arms for long periods of time..."
"Dobby, I think I can brush my own teeth." He was trying to be patient. After all, Harry was due back today. If he could only make it a few more hours.
"No, no, Draco Malfoy! Dobby promised Harry Potter he would take care of you."
"But I ..mmlph." Draco had opened his mouth to protest, just as Dobby started scrubbing.
Things were no better downstairs. Draco sat down to breakfast, expecting to find the usual bacon, eggs, toast and jam he had been having every day.
"Dobby?" Draco asked.
"Yes, Draco Malfoy?"
"What," he asked as he pointed at a glob on his plate, "is this?"
Dobby smiled broadly. "That is the recommended breakfast on page 167 of your book, sir. Oatmeal with protein powder, pureed with two bananas and an orange."
Draco stared at the previously unidentified mess.
"There is no way I am eating this."
"But sir," Dobby pleaded. "You must do what is best for the baby. How will you have the strength to do your exercises after breakfast?"
"What exercises?" Draco snapped.
"Right here, on page 365, see? Draco Malfoy must strenghen his pelvic muscles...."
Draco got up and walked slowly over to the freezer. He had had just about enough of all this.
"Look, Dobby, I know you mean well, but I just want to sit down and have a bowl of ...."
Several seconds of tense silence followed as Draco rummaged though the freezer. Dobby was trying very hard to back slowly from the kitchen.
"Dobby?" Draco said quietly.
"Yes, Draco Malfoy, sir?"
"Where is my ice cream?"
"Ice cream, sir? What ice cream?" Dobby was trying to sound as innocent as possible, but it was not working.
"My four quarts of Dragon Delight Choco-Peanut Caramel Deluxe! You know perfectly well what I am talking about! They were here yesterday!"
Dobby begin backing up a little faster now. "Well, you see, sir, the book said it wasn't good for you to have so many sweets, and you had been eating a lot of sweets, so Dobby...well...."
"Well?!" Draco yelled.
"Dobby threw the ice cream away sir, for Draco Malfoy's own good.."
"Dobby?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I'm going to give you a fifteen second head start, and I hope that book has a great chapter on first-aid."
Harry apparated close to the front door of the small cottage. He was tired, and so glad to be home. He hoped Draco hadn't been too bored while he was gone. As he turned the key in the lock, he heard something smash, followed by a high-pitched squeal and several expletives from a certain blond.
Throwing open the door, he was greeted with the sight of his very pregnant boyfriend in a ratty blue robe with mismatched socks, chasing an obviously terrified house-elf around the living room.
"What is going on here?" Harry cried.
Dobby ran over to Harry, grasping his hand to pat it over and over.
"Dobby is so sorry, Harry Potter. Dobby did not know. Dobby must be getting back to Hogwarts now, Harry Potter." He looked back over his shoulder. "Dobby is SO sorry, Harry Potter," he whispered. And with that, he was gone.
//24th January, 9:18 p.m.
(Excerpt only from Draco's Diary....)
Tossed the damn book out the window. Vicious squirrels tore it apart. Very glad Harry is home, I missed him so much. And from the tone in his voice just now, I would say he missed me too....
End of Chapter V.II.