A/N - This chapter is going to cover several months, up to shortly before the prologue takes place.
Thanks, as always to my reviewers.
Chapter 18 - As Time Goes By
January
******
Lucius had a very good idea what Voldemort wanted when he was called the same day that school resumed after the holidays. When he walked into the sitting room where the Dark Lord was, he dropped to his knees and bowed.
"You summoned me, my lord?" he asked.
"Lucius, my faithful servant," Voldemort said. "You seem to have gained a family member over the holidays."
"Yes, my lord," Lucius said.
"Please, Lucius, enlighten me."
"It was not something I planned, my lord, but purely happenstance," Lucius explained. "I received an owl from Draco telling me that he and another wizard had engaged in a night of drunken debauchery and that the other wizard had become pregnant. It wasn't until I arrived at the school that I found out who the other wizard was."
"Harry Potter," Voldemort mused.
"Yes, my lord," Lucius nodded. "Once I learned the identity of the other wizard and ascertained that he was indeed pregnant, I insisted on the bonding. I told Dumbledore that it was because I wanted the Malfoy heir to be legitimate. If it had been anyone but Potter a monetary payoff and a few select words would have been all that was necessary."
"To what end?"
"I realized that any child born to Potter would be very powerful," Lucius said, "no matter who the other father was. The fact Draco is the other father will just make the child that much more powerful. By insisting that they bond will give me access to both the father and the child, a child that can be trained from birth to serve you."
"And what of Potter?" Voldemort asked. "I doubt he would willingly give up his child to anyone, especially to you."
"Once the child is born, I intend to get custody," Lucius said. "I have certain... contacts in the ministry that will be more than happy to insure that happens. Once I have the child, it can be used to keep Potter in line. If he knows that his child would die if he opposes you, he will be very easy to control. Once you have defeated the light, this child will be totally under your control, living to serve only you."
"Very good," Voldemort smiled.
"Thank you, my lord," Lucius said, bowing again.
"And Lucius," Voldemort said. "Crucio." He held the death eater under the curse for less than a minute before releasing him. "Please remember to inform of such things. I do so hate finding these things out from the paper."
"Yes, my lord," Lucius said, quietly, trying to breathe through the pain. Voldemort waved his hand, dismissing him. Lucius bowed again then stood and left the room.
'It'll be a cold day in the ninth level of hell before you get your hands on my grandchild,' Lucius thought had he made his way out of the Riddle Manor. 'No, Tom Riddle, this child will be raised to do my bidding, not yours. He will serve me, not you.' He reached the apparation line and returned to his manor.
Harry sat up in bed, panting like he had run the length of the castle and his heart beating triple time. As he sat there waiting to calm down, Draco turned over and opened his eyes.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Not really," Harry said. He reached up and rubbed his scar.
"Have a nightmare about the dark lord?" Draco asked. Harry nodded.
"Do you think he knows?" Harry asked. "About the baby, I mean."
"I'm sure he does," Draco said. "If my father didn't tell him, spinning some tale to cover his own arse..."
"Of course."
"Then he found out when the paper announced it," Draco finished.
"That's not good," Harry said.
"Harry, you knew he'd find out," Draco said. "If it hadn't been now, then in a few weeks." He pulled Harry down and pulled him close. "I promise you. I will do whatever I have to to keep our child safe."
"I know you will," Harry said. He yawned then Draco gently kissed him.
"Go back to sleep."
'REPORTER MISSING - NO CLUES AS TO WHEREABOUTS'
February
******
"Harry, what's wrong?" Ron asked.
"It's February first," Harry moaned.
"So?"
"That gives me only fourteen days," Harry said. "Actually only thirteen days since I have to have it by the fourteenth."
"What are you going on about?" Ron asked.
"Valentine's Day," Harry said. His tone said 'Don't you know anything?'
"Oh," Ron said. "So are you and Malfoy planning anything?"
"His name is Draco and we haven't talked about it," Harry said. "I need to find his present."
"Well, don't you think you should before you start making big plans?" Ron suggested.
"But I want it to be a surprise," Harry said. His eyes went wide. "You could talk to him. Ask him, you know, subtly if he has anything planned."
"Me?" Ron asked. "You want me to talk to Ma... Draco about his plans for Valentine's Day."
"Please, Ron," Harry whined. "You could get Hermoine to help. It's really important." Harry switched on his seldom-used but very successful puppy dog eyes.
"All right, all right," Ron caved. "Turn off the eyes. I'll do it." He sighed. "But you owe me big for this."
"Tell me again why we're doing this?" Hermoine asked. She and Ron were walking down the corridor heading for the library.
"Because Harry wants to find out if his... husband has anything planned for Valentine's Day," Ron said.
"And you agreed to this?"
"He pulled out the eyes," Ron said.
"Oh, well, that explains everything," she said sarcastically as she rolled her own eyes.
They walked into the library. They spotted Draco sitting by himself at a table in the corner. Walking over to him, Ron sat next to him and Hermoine across from him. He didn't acknowledge them for a moment. Finally, he closed the book he was reading and looked up.
"Something I can help you with?" he asked.
"Your husband wants to know if you have something planned for Valentine's Day," Ron said. "If you don't, he wants to plan something."
"Oh, that's subtle," Hermoine muttered.
"Why didn't he ask me himself?" Draco asked.
"It's a surprise," Ron said.
"At least, it would have been," Hermoine said.
"Well, you can tell him that you subtly found out that I do have something planned for that day," Draco informed them. "I won't tell him about this conversation."
"Please don't," Ron said. "He's been rather... touchy lately."
"It's the hormones," Draco and Hermoine said at the same time.
March
******
Harry looked up as Moria sat down across from him and placed a stack of parchments in front of him. He gave her a puzzled look.
"What's all this?" he asked.
"Applications for nannies for one," Moria said. "There's a form in there for wizarding day school if you decide to go that way. Otherwise, you need to start taking applications for a private tutor."
"The ones for the nannies I can understand," Harry said, "sort of, but why do I need to apply for a day school or find a tutor now? The baby's not even born yet."
"Harry, the best schools are very hard to get into," Moria explained. "Even with you being who you are and Draco being a Malfoy, you still need to start early. Places in these schools are very sought after. As for the tutors and nannies, the best ones have their next job lined up before they ever finish their current one."
"I suppose I can't get out of this, can I?"
"I'll do the ones for the school and tutors but you and Draco will have to choose the nanny," She said. "And remember, any nanny will also have to be approved by the headmaster since she'll be living here during your last year."
"Well, whoever we chose will have to understand I don't intend to let her raise my... our child alone," he said.
"You can tell them that when you interview them," Moria said.
"Interview them?" Harry asked.
"Well, you can't hire anyone without talking to them first," Moria told him.
"Of course not," Harry said.
"Now have you and Draco thought about how you want to decorate the nursery?" she asked. Harry just dropped his head on the table.
April
++++
"Have you been following your diet?" Madame Pomfrey asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said. "I'd be following it even if I didn't want to. Draco enlisted the house elves in the cause. They make sure I have three meals and two snacks a day."
"Good for him," Pomfrey said. "Now if you would undress and lie down, we'll have a look at you."
Harry did as he was told, getting undressed and lying on the bed. He pulled the sheet up until it was just under the growing mound of his belly. The medi-witch cast several spells to check Harry's health and the health of the baby. When she finished with that, she put down her wand then began to gently poke and prod Harry's abdomen.
"Everything all right?" Draco asked.
"Everything is just fine," Pomfrey smiled. "The baby is growing exactly as it should. Your nutritional level is a little low so I'm going to put you on a supplement. I'll have Professor Snape make it for you. You'll need to take it every week."
"It's not life threatening, is it?" Harry asked.
"It can be if it's not taken care of," the witch said. "It usually causes the baby to be born either prematurely or underweight and leave you very malnourished. You see, and I know this sounds terrible, the baby is a leech. It will take the nutrition you put into your body first. If you don't take in enough for it, it starts taking it out of your body, not leaving anything for you. The supplement will make sure that doesn't happen."
"But other than that, he's fine, right?" Draco asked.
"Right," the medi-witch said. She smiled and picked up her wand. "I have a surprise for you today." Waving her wand over Harry's abdomen again, she chanted a spell. The area was soon filled with whooshing noises going very fast.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"That, my dears, is your baby's heartbeat," she told them, "and a very strong one, at that."
Both teens were wide-eyed with wonder. Slowly, smiled began to cross their faces. Draco leaned down and kissed Harry.
"That's our baby," Draco said, quietly. Their eyes filled with tears.
"Yes, it is," Harry said.
May
++++++
"How are you feeling?" Hermoine asked.
"Like a whale," Harry sighed. "Worse, I look like Dudley."
"No, you don't," Hermoine said.
"Yes, I do," Harry said. "I pulled out one of his old shirts yesterday and put it on. It fits now."
"Harry, you're not fat," she sighed. "You're pregnant. There is a difference." She looked at him. "Is something wrong, Harry?"
"Not really," he said.
"You're not regretting keeping the baby, are you?" she asked.
"NO!" he exclaimed, his hands flying to his belly. "I mean, I could never get rid of it, no matter how it happened."
"Then what is it?"
"It's Draco."
"He's not mistreating you, is he?" she asked.
"Just the opposite," he said. "He's being very nice. When this first happened, we agreed to be civil to each other, you know, try to be friends and all, maybe a little more than that if we wanted."
"Friends with benefits," she nodded.
"Exactly," he said. "But lately... lately, it's starting to feel like more than that. I like being with him. He's very funny when he wants to be and smart and very protective. He hexed Pansy because she wouldn't stop making remarks about me. He seems to know what I want or need before I do. He spent three days hunting a certain kind of chocolate just because I was having cravings." He lowered his head. "I like it when he kisses me. Sometimes, at night, we'll sit on the couch and he'll just hold me."
"Harry, are you falling in love with Draco?" she asked.
"I think so," he said. "I think he loves me, too."
"Well, good," the young witch said.
"You mean you're not mad?" he asked.
"Why would I be mad?" she asked. "Look, even Ron has said Draco's a lot nicer than he used to be. With Draco and the baby, you'll have the family you've always wanted. I'm glad you'll be happy and loved. Have you talked to him about it?"
"I was afraid he'd laugh at me," he admitted.
"You need to talk to him," she said, "and he won't laugh at you."
"But what if he doesn't feel the same way?" he asked.
"Then at least you'll know one way or the either and can stop worrying about it," she said. She took his hand. "Come on. It's time for your snack." They headed for the kitchen.
'BODY FOUND IN MUGGLE LONDON SUSPECTED TO BE MISSING REPORTER'
TBC...
Next chapter, the fun starts.
Thanks, as always to my reviewers.
Chapter 18 - As Time Goes By
January
******
Lucius had a very good idea what Voldemort wanted when he was called the same day that school resumed after the holidays. When he walked into the sitting room where the Dark Lord was, he dropped to his knees and bowed.
"You summoned me, my lord?" he asked.
"Lucius, my faithful servant," Voldemort said. "You seem to have gained a family member over the holidays."
"Yes, my lord," Lucius said.
"Please, Lucius, enlighten me."
"It was not something I planned, my lord, but purely happenstance," Lucius explained. "I received an owl from Draco telling me that he and another wizard had engaged in a night of drunken debauchery and that the other wizard had become pregnant. It wasn't until I arrived at the school that I found out who the other wizard was."
"Harry Potter," Voldemort mused.
"Yes, my lord," Lucius nodded. "Once I learned the identity of the other wizard and ascertained that he was indeed pregnant, I insisted on the bonding. I told Dumbledore that it was because I wanted the Malfoy heir to be legitimate. If it had been anyone but Potter a monetary payoff and a few select words would have been all that was necessary."
"To what end?"
"I realized that any child born to Potter would be very powerful," Lucius said, "no matter who the other father was. The fact Draco is the other father will just make the child that much more powerful. By insisting that they bond will give me access to both the father and the child, a child that can be trained from birth to serve you."
"And what of Potter?" Voldemort asked. "I doubt he would willingly give up his child to anyone, especially to you."
"Once the child is born, I intend to get custody," Lucius said. "I have certain... contacts in the ministry that will be more than happy to insure that happens. Once I have the child, it can be used to keep Potter in line. If he knows that his child would die if he opposes you, he will be very easy to control. Once you have defeated the light, this child will be totally under your control, living to serve only you."
"Very good," Voldemort smiled.
"Thank you, my lord," Lucius said, bowing again.
"And Lucius," Voldemort said. "Crucio." He held the death eater under the curse for less than a minute before releasing him. "Please remember to inform of such things. I do so hate finding these things out from the paper."
"Yes, my lord," Lucius said, quietly, trying to breathe through the pain. Voldemort waved his hand, dismissing him. Lucius bowed again then stood and left the room.
'It'll be a cold day in the ninth level of hell before you get your hands on my grandchild,' Lucius thought had he made his way out of the Riddle Manor. 'No, Tom Riddle, this child will be raised to do my bidding, not yours. He will serve me, not you.' He reached the apparation line and returned to his manor.
Harry sat up in bed, panting like he had run the length of the castle and his heart beating triple time. As he sat there waiting to calm down, Draco turned over and opened his eyes.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"Not really," Harry said. He reached up and rubbed his scar.
"Have a nightmare about the dark lord?" Draco asked. Harry nodded.
"Do you think he knows?" Harry asked. "About the baby, I mean."
"I'm sure he does," Draco said. "If my father didn't tell him, spinning some tale to cover his own arse..."
"Of course."
"Then he found out when the paper announced it," Draco finished.
"That's not good," Harry said.
"Harry, you knew he'd find out," Draco said. "If it hadn't been now, then in a few weeks." He pulled Harry down and pulled him close. "I promise you. I will do whatever I have to to keep our child safe."
"I know you will," Harry said. He yawned then Draco gently kissed him.
"Go back to sleep."
'REPORTER MISSING - NO CLUES AS TO WHEREABOUTS'
February
******
"Harry, what's wrong?" Ron asked.
"It's February first," Harry moaned.
"So?"
"That gives me only fourteen days," Harry said. "Actually only thirteen days since I have to have it by the fourteenth."
"What are you going on about?" Ron asked.
"Valentine's Day," Harry said. His tone said 'Don't you know anything?'
"Oh," Ron said. "So are you and Malfoy planning anything?"
"His name is Draco and we haven't talked about it," Harry said. "I need to find his present."
"Well, don't you think you should before you start making big plans?" Ron suggested.
"But I want it to be a surprise," Harry said. His eyes went wide. "You could talk to him. Ask him, you know, subtly if he has anything planned."
"Me?" Ron asked. "You want me to talk to Ma... Draco about his plans for Valentine's Day."
"Please, Ron," Harry whined. "You could get Hermoine to help. It's really important." Harry switched on his seldom-used but very successful puppy dog eyes.
"All right, all right," Ron caved. "Turn off the eyes. I'll do it." He sighed. "But you owe me big for this."
"Tell me again why we're doing this?" Hermoine asked. She and Ron were walking down the corridor heading for the library.
"Because Harry wants to find out if his... husband has anything planned for Valentine's Day," Ron said.
"And you agreed to this?"
"He pulled out the eyes," Ron said.
"Oh, well, that explains everything," she said sarcastically as she rolled her own eyes.
They walked into the library. They spotted Draco sitting by himself at a table in the corner. Walking over to him, Ron sat next to him and Hermoine across from him. He didn't acknowledge them for a moment. Finally, he closed the book he was reading and looked up.
"Something I can help you with?" he asked.
"Your husband wants to know if you have something planned for Valentine's Day," Ron said. "If you don't, he wants to plan something."
"Oh, that's subtle," Hermoine muttered.
"Why didn't he ask me himself?" Draco asked.
"It's a surprise," Ron said.
"At least, it would have been," Hermoine said.
"Well, you can tell him that you subtly found out that I do have something planned for that day," Draco informed them. "I won't tell him about this conversation."
"Please don't," Ron said. "He's been rather... touchy lately."
"It's the hormones," Draco and Hermoine said at the same time.
March
******
Harry looked up as Moria sat down across from him and placed a stack of parchments in front of him. He gave her a puzzled look.
"What's all this?" he asked.
"Applications for nannies for one," Moria said. "There's a form in there for wizarding day school if you decide to go that way. Otherwise, you need to start taking applications for a private tutor."
"The ones for the nannies I can understand," Harry said, "sort of, but why do I need to apply for a day school or find a tutor now? The baby's not even born yet."
"Harry, the best schools are very hard to get into," Moria explained. "Even with you being who you are and Draco being a Malfoy, you still need to start early. Places in these schools are very sought after. As for the tutors and nannies, the best ones have their next job lined up before they ever finish their current one."
"I suppose I can't get out of this, can I?"
"I'll do the ones for the school and tutors but you and Draco will have to choose the nanny," She said. "And remember, any nanny will also have to be approved by the headmaster since she'll be living here during your last year."
"Well, whoever we chose will have to understand I don't intend to let her raise my... our child alone," he said.
"You can tell them that when you interview them," Moria said.
"Interview them?" Harry asked.
"Well, you can't hire anyone without talking to them first," Moria told him.
"Of course not," Harry said.
"Now have you and Draco thought about how you want to decorate the nursery?" she asked. Harry just dropped his head on the table.
April
++++
"Have you been following your diet?" Madame Pomfrey asked.
"Yes, ma'am," Harry said. "I'd be following it even if I didn't want to. Draco enlisted the house elves in the cause. They make sure I have three meals and two snacks a day."
"Good for him," Pomfrey said. "Now if you would undress and lie down, we'll have a look at you."
Harry did as he was told, getting undressed and lying on the bed. He pulled the sheet up until it was just under the growing mound of his belly. The medi-witch cast several spells to check Harry's health and the health of the baby. When she finished with that, she put down her wand then began to gently poke and prod Harry's abdomen.
"Everything all right?" Draco asked.
"Everything is just fine," Pomfrey smiled. "The baby is growing exactly as it should. Your nutritional level is a little low so I'm going to put you on a supplement. I'll have Professor Snape make it for you. You'll need to take it every week."
"It's not life threatening, is it?" Harry asked.
"It can be if it's not taken care of," the witch said. "It usually causes the baby to be born either prematurely or underweight and leave you very malnourished. You see, and I know this sounds terrible, the baby is a leech. It will take the nutrition you put into your body first. If you don't take in enough for it, it starts taking it out of your body, not leaving anything for you. The supplement will make sure that doesn't happen."
"But other than that, he's fine, right?" Draco asked.
"Right," the medi-witch said. She smiled and picked up her wand. "I have a surprise for you today." Waving her wand over Harry's abdomen again, she chanted a spell. The area was soon filled with whooshing noises going very fast.
"What's that?" Harry asked.
"That, my dears, is your baby's heartbeat," she told them, "and a very strong one, at that."
Both teens were wide-eyed with wonder. Slowly, smiled began to cross their faces. Draco leaned down and kissed Harry.
"That's our baby," Draco said, quietly. Their eyes filled with tears.
"Yes, it is," Harry said.
May
++++++
"How are you feeling?" Hermoine asked.
"Like a whale," Harry sighed. "Worse, I look like Dudley."
"No, you don't," Hermoine said.
"Yes, I do," Harry said. "I pulled out one of his old shirts yesterday and put it on. It fits now."
"Harry, you're not fat," she sighed. "You're pregnant. There is a difference." She looked at him. "Is something wrong, Harry?"
"Not really," he said.
"You're not regretting keeping the baby, are you?" she asked.
"NO!" he exclaimed, his hands flying to his belly. "I mean, I could never get rid of it, no matter how it happened."
"Then what is it?"
"It's Draco."
"He's not mistreating you, is he?" she asked.
"Just the opposite," he said. "He's being very nice. When this first happened, we agreed to be civil to each other, you know, try to be friends and all, maybe a little more than that if we wanted."
"Friends with benefits," she nodded.
"Exactly," he said. "But lately... lately, it's starting to feel like more than that. I like being with him. He's very funny when he wants to be and smart and very protective. He hexed Pansy because she wouldn't stop making remarks about me. He seems to know what I want or need before I do. He spent three days hunting a certain kind of chocolate just because I was having cravings." He lowered his head. "I like it when he kisses me. Sometimes, at night, we'll sit on the couch and he'll just hold me."
"Harry, are you falling in love with Draco?" she asked.
"I think so," he said. "I think he loves me, too."
"Well, good," the young witch said.
"You mean you're not mad?" he asked.
"Why would I be mad?" she asked. "Look, even Ron has said Draco's a lot nicer than he used to be. With Draco and the baby, you'll have the family you've always wanted. I'm glad you'll be happy and loved. Have you talked to him about it?"
"I was afraid he'd laugh at me," he admitted.
"You need to talk to him," she said, "and he won't laugh at you."
"But what if he doesn't feel the same way?" he asked.
"Then at least you'll know one way or the either and can stop worrying about it," she said. She took his hand. "Come on. It's time for your snack." They headed for the kitchen.
'BODY FOUND IN MUGGLE LONDON SUSPECTED TO BE MISSING REPORTER'
TBC...
Next chapter, the fun starts.