Chapter 3
*I apologize for the long wait, exams are nearing and it seems all the teachers give assignments at the same time. Also, I've been enjoying reading other's stories. Of course, I'm reading everyone's H/D mpreg stories and a few others. J*
His godfather's lover gave him one more quick squeeze before backing away, the long fingers still wrapped around his upper arms in an excited manner, a grin flashing heartily on the werewolf's face.
"You're pregnant, Harry," he exclaimed again, squeezing Harry's arms, "withchild, a bun-in-the-oven,"
"That's enough, Remus," Snape sternly ordered, his dark eyes flashing towards the target of his gruff statement. He stepped towards the petrified boy and rather roughly shoved Lupin out of the way. Reaching a cold hand out, he felt Harry's face and forehead. "How are you feeling, boy?"
Harry simply swallowed hard with a lump building in his throat. He began to nod his head vertically but suddenly it changed to a horizontal manner and his emeralds grew wide.
Draco quickly rushed to embrace his lover, one hand lightly fisting Harry's hair at the back of his head, the other resting over the stomach which was creating their child. "I love you, Harry," he whispered. "That's all you need to know right now." He pressed his trembling lips to Harry's neck. "Don't be scared, baby. Please, oh please, don't be scared and do something stupid."
"Draco, I," Harry began, but his stomach tensed and a queasy feeling washed over him. He slipped his eyes closed and raised his arms to wrap around Draco's neck. "I can't fathom this right now." Silently, tears slipped from his eyes and he made no movement to wipe them away.
"Just be happy, Harry. You have our child growing inside you." Draco rotated his hand over Harry's stomach repeatedly for emphasis. "Remember how exciting it was when you found out that I was."
Harry snorted against Draco's neck and chuckled. "I destroyed the common room."
Draco returned the chuckle. "After that. Remember Christmas." Slowly, he backed from Harry's tight embrace and looked his perplexed lover in the eye. "Remember feeling my stomach and the happiness that we had created something special."
A solitary tear now trickled from Harry's left eye and he nodded affirming Draco's memory. "Yea, I remember."
The former Slytherin grinned brightly. "Now, we can start celebrating the pregnancy earlier and I can be with you every step of the way." His eyes searched Harry's frantically for a sign of consent and he found it.
Harry choked back the sob that was daring to escape and his famous goofy grin made an appearance. "We're going to be fathers, again!"
Draco bit his lip as tears began falling down his porcelain cheeks and he wrapped his arms around his husband once more. "Yes, we are, Harry. We sure as Merlin are."
Sirius reached for his lover's hand and gripped it tightly. "Time for us to leave, love."
"I guess you're right," Remus responded, "but if only I could hug him again."
"I know." Sirius began to walk away from the embracing couple, dragging his boyfriend behind him. "But, he has someone else to hug for a while." As they neared the door, he turned once more to see them kissing as if tomorrow didn't exist.
Snape headed towards the front door as well and snuck up behind his wife to wrap an arm around her waist. "I am afraid you can't hug them today," he spoke to her teasingly.
"It's alright, darling." Narcissa smiled and gathered her purse from the nearby table. She proceeded to leave the mansion with her husband to her side and other guests on her tail.
"I am so happy for them." Hermione sighed happily as Ron pulled her along through the crowd.
"Me, too, Mione," Ron assured. "Wait a minute? Where's Rose?" His brown eyes widened as he ran back into the house with his wife behind him, searching for a sign of Weasley hair. As they came to the dining room, they paused and sighed with relief as they spotted their daughter sitting with Evan, their little hands entwined together.
"Rose, thank goodness." Hermione walked in briskly, her hands on her hips. "Young lady, we didn't know where you were."
The small red-haired girl stood from her seat with Evan, pulling their hands apart, and bowed her head. "I'm sorry."
"Well, let's go, then." Ron lifted his daughter and held her tightly in his arms.
"Bye, Rose!" Evan called, jumping from his chair.
"Bye, Evan!" Rose responded.
The night fell beautifully, the sky appearing a dark blue illuminated with moonlight and speckled with stars. Draco sat stiffly at his office desk, just two rooms down from the master bedroom. His left hand flowed smoothly over the parchment as he completed the form and scribbled his signature when necessary. A light tap at the door caused him to jump, adding a smear to the last thing he wrote. "Damn," he cursed.
"Sorry," Harry muttered as he stepped into the Slytherin-like decorated room, clad in his favorite green flannel shirt and sweatpants with snitches on them. He scratched his tousled head and collapsed upon the black leather loveseat adjacent Draco's desk. "Evan's asleep."
Draco smiled warmly as he added the last signature and pushed his chair away from the desk, stood, and proceeded to sit beside his husband. Lovingly, he attempted to flatten his lover's hair and simply looked over Harry's slightly worried facial features. "What's wrong, love?"
"It's just," Harry began quickly, paused, and sighed. His lips drooped into a frown. "I can't play Quidditch now. What are we going to do?" He felt Draco's fingers ghost over his cheek and he leaned into the touch.
"I've already taken care of that."
"You have?" Harry's eyes widened behind his glasses and he turned towards Draco. "How? You haven't worked at all, not one bit. You're a stay-at-home father."
"Not anymore." Draco grabbed Harry's hands and clasped them firmly. "I talked with Severus today and Headmaster McGonagall."
"Hogwarts?" Harry's jaw dropped.
"They need a temporary Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. And I just completed the application. I am certain they will choose me over the local drunk at The Leaky Cauldron who has had some run-ins with a Banshee or two." He squeezed Harry's hands tighter. "I've got the job." His silver eyes pleaded to Harry.
Harry closed his mouth and nodded his head. "Then, that leaves me at home with Evan," he added before snuggling close to the warmth beside him.
Draco placed a quick kiss on top of Harry's head and nuzzled the vanilla-scented raven hair. "It's time for you and your son to bond. I think he's beginning to get sick of me."
Playfully, Harry slapped his husband's thigh and chuckled. "He adores you."
"And he loves you, Harry." Draco ran his left hand through the tousled hair tickling his chin. "He's a Malfoy at heart which makes him naturally attracted to Potters."
Harry simply smiled and attempted to snuggle closer to Draco, to listen to the rhythmic beating of his lover's heart and the steady intake and exhale of air of his lover's lungs. Unfortunately, the moment was lost as the phone on Draco's desk began to ring insistently.
"Hello?" Draco spoke and soon, the moment was definitely lost as he slammed the receiver down and buried his face in his hands.
Harry sat still and patiently waited for Draco to speak and when he was gifted with the message from the telephone, he felt as if their world had cracked. Lucius Malfoy had escaped Azkaban prison.