Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of his friends. Though I wish I did.
A/N: Thank you, Thank you for all of your amazing reviews. Keep up the great feedback and I will keep the chapters rolling out. Enjoy.
Chapter Two: The Hogwarts Express
Harry was startled out of his thoughts when Michael started whimpering. Opening his eyes slowly he saw that the baby was starting to wake. Harry knew that it was about time for him to eat his lunch so he carefully started searching the navy diaper bag beside him for the bottle. When his hand hit the hard plastic he sighed with relief. With a muttered breath he activated the warming charm that he had placed on it when he had left the apartment earlier that morning. He softly brushed the bottle's nipple against the baby's lips and watched as the little boy sucked it into his mouth aggressively. Harry smiled at the sight of his son drinking the milk so greedily and he was thankful that the little boy had such a healthy appetite.
Letting his head hit the back of the seat Harry let his eyes drift shut as Michael sleepily ate his lunch. His thoughts were drawn back to everything that he had been worrying about last night. Harry had stayed up most of the night watching Michael sleep in the crib that had been set up beside his own bed. He had been worrying about what his friends would think and how they would treat him and Michael. He just hoped that they would be understanding and not condescending and judgmental. He really needed as many of his friends support as he could get if he was going to get through this year with his mind intact. And then there was the whole thing about the Press getting a hold of the story. He knew that once again as soon as the media caught whiff of this his life would be plastered all over every newspaper and magazine in the Wizarding world. Harry wondered exactly how outlandish things would get before he had to do another personal interview to clear everything up. Then again he could always just sick Tonks and Remus on all of the reporters.
The two of them had shown exactly how short tempered they were about negative things being said about Harry or the baby. Harry had teasingly started calling them Auntie Tonks and Grandpa Remus and then names had stuck. Remus had told Harry that he would love to be able to step in and be a Grandfather to Michael just as he had been more than happy to step in and fill the role as a some what parent for Harry. Of course now Harry had to laugh, at only three months Michael had already managed to have Remus and Tonks wrapped around his little finger. But Harry hadn't wanted anything to get out into the Media until he and Michael were safely behind the walls of Hogwarts. The only thing in the world that he had wanted was to keep Autumn safe and he had made sure that no one knew of their relationship. But just as it had happened time and time again he hadn't been able to protect the ones he loved and Autumn and her parents had been killed leaving him with a precious little boy that would never get to know his mother or grandparents.
There was an investigation still going on back in London by the Police. It had been going on for the last three months with no new leads, no suspects and no motive. It was frustrating to know that they had been deliberately targeted and not know anything more than that. Harry was just thankful that Remus and Tonks had been keeping an eye on the baby when Autumn had left with her parents to run to the store. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened to him if Michael had been killed in the accident as well. Professor Dumbledore had assigned two of the Order members to the case in order to find out if Voldemort had anything to do with the accident. The Headmaster had told Harry not to tell anyone else how it was that Autumn and her parents were killed. That information was just going to be available to a select few.
Feeling the bottle fall out of Michael's mouth Harry glanced down and seen that the bottle was empty and the baby was asleep once again. Harry knew that he had to burp him or he would have a very unhappy baby on his hands later. He had found that out the hard way one night. He had forgotten to burp Michael after he had finished his bottle and Harry hadn't wanted to wake him up, so he just laid him down in his crib. Needless to say he had been awakened to a very gassy little boy later that night and he had not gotten a wink of sleep because he had been walking the floors comforting Michael all night. He reached back in the diaper bag and pulled out a small blanket. Harry laid it on his shoulder and gently moved the little boy onto it.
A couple minutes later Michael had let out two healthy burps and Harry started rubbing his back in small circles soothing him back to sleep. It didn't take long as Harry watched the little boys eyes fall shut with his eyelashes lying darkly against his pale cheeks. Harry tiredly let his own eyes fall shut. It was a few minutes later that Harry heard the compartment door open. He opened his eyes slowly and when he saw who it was he let them fall back shut. Hoping that the questions would be held off for just a little while.
--- Several minutes before---
Draco Malfoy walked nervously past the next compartment door glancing in hoping that Pansy would be there, but she wasn't. He was starting to get nervous, if she wasn't on the train... he didn't even want to think of what that meant. Pansy like him had decided not to take the Dark Mark. Only Draco had been able to take the option of staying at Hogwarts during the summer. Pansy had to return home because of her little sister. Pansy had been the only mother figure that her four-year-old sister had ever had and she couldn't abandon her so Pansy had no choice but to return home for the holidays. Before she had left on the train she had told Draco that she loved him and that she would see him September first on the train.
But she wasn't on the train and the knowledge of what the Dark Lord did to women who betrayed or denied him scared the life out of him. He and Pansy had been together since their Yule Ball fourth year and he loved her more than life itself. Draco honestly didn't know what he would do if something happened to her.
Draco continued walking down the corridor and stopped as he reached the second to last compartment. When he opened the door his heart fell.
"What's wrong Draco?" Blaise Zabini asked his best friend and fellow Slytherin. He could plainly see the worry in the pale gray eyes and he knew that it was something serious for the simple fact that if he could read any emotion in Draco's eyes it was something serious.
Draco glanced at Blaise and then back down the corridor he had just came from. "Have you seen Pansy?" he asked hoping against all hopes that the other Slytherin had seen her.
Blaise frowned worriedly, "No, I haven't." he said and then he could tell from Draco's facial expression what he was thinking. "That doesn't automatically mean the worst though. You never know she may have just missed the train." Blaise knew that when a Slytherin student didn't return to Hogwarts one of two things may have happened.
The first being that the student had taken the Dark Mark and the parents had transferred them to Durmstrang as had happened to Crabbe and Goyle; Draco had been extremely upset when he two best friends had been transferred. He had known that neither of them had wanted to take the mark but they had chosen that over death. The second being that they had refused the mark and had been either killed for being a traitor to the cause or were given to the Dark Lord or another Deatheater for their own personal pleasure and entertainment. The latter having happened to Daphne Greengrass last summer. The last thing that Blaise had heard about her was that she had tried to kill herself and he hoped that she had succeeded saving herself from the life of humiliation and servitude to the Dark Lord.
"Pansy's a strong girl, she'll be alright you'll see." Blaise said wishing wholeheartedly that he could believe his own words.
Draco nodded miserably, "I hope you're right, I haven't checked the last compartment yet." He said and then continued as he remembered the second person that he had been looking for. "Have you seen Potter?"
Blaise shook his head, "Nope, and I haven't seen his two sidekicks either."
Draco grimaced, "Oh I've seen those two alright. More than I have ever want to see mind you. Seeing Granger and Weasel with their tongues down each others throats was something that if I ever have to see again will be far too soon." He shuddered remembering the scene that he had accidentally walked in on.
Blaise chuckled. "Why are you of all people looking for Potter?" he asked his voice serious once again.
Draco glanced down the hall and back toward Blaise making sure that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. "Dumbledore asked me to help him to the castle and then after the feast I have to show him to his new rooms which are beside mine in Severus's quarters." He said quietly thinking back to when he and Harry had stopped fighting and had begun talking to each other. It had been Harry urging him to talk to the Headmaster or Severus about him not taking the Dark Mark. At the end of last term he had went to Severus and they had went to talk to Dumbledore. It had been then that they decided to let Draco stay at Hogwarts over the summer than risk going home and being killed for not taking the mark. He owed Harry a life debt because if he would have gone home he would have surely been killed.
Blaise furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Why would Potter need help getting to the castle? And why do you have to help him, what about Granger and Weasley." He asked wondering what was going on with Boy Wonder.
Draco frowned. "I don't think that their friendship is going to be on the best of terms after the feast by the little hints that Dumbledore and Severus have been dropping at me all summer. The professor's obviously know something about Potter that we don't and what ever it is they seem to think that it is going to change the way that people think of him." He said still frowning.
"You don't think it has to do with what happened at the leaving feast last term do you?" Blaise asked now that he was curious at what was going on with Potter.
Draco shook his head, "I don't know Blaise, I really don't know." He paused and sighed, "But what ever it is we are going to find out about it soon." Draco said quietly. Several minutes later Draco said his goodbyes and then turned and walked toward the last compartment nervously. He hoped that Pansy would be there, but he knew deep in his heart that she wouldn't.
Sliding the compartment door open slowly Draco was stunned at the sight that greeted him.
Harry Potter was sprawled over the seat, his eyes closed and his arms wrapped protectively around a tiny baby that was fast asleep curled up on his chest.
Now he understood why Dumbledore has said that he would need help getting to the Great Hall. Draco watched as Harry slowly opened his eyes and lock with his, and then tiredly Harry's eyes closed once again.
Draco sat down still shocked at seeing Harry with a baby. He hadn't even known that he had been seeing anyone. Draco sat in silence not wanting to disturb Harry or the baby. He wondered where the baby's mother was, how had it come to Harry bringing the baby to school, but Draco had a feeling that it all tied in with what had happened last term. He had wanted to wake Harry up and demand the answers to his questions but he kept his mouth shut and waited for Harry to wake up.
It wasn't too much later that the little baby on Harry's chest started whimpering and Harry's bloodshot eyes snapped open. Draco watched quietly as Harry started shuffling through a bag beside him, searching for something. He watched as Harry frowned and dug his hand deeper into the bag for whatever item he was searching for that seemed to be eluding him.
Harry looked up suddenly at Draco, "Would you hold him while I try and find his blasted pacifier?"
Draco looked at Harry horrified at the thought of holding such a small baby, but Harry just chuckled at his expression.
"You're not going to break him, its really not that hard." Harry said as he walked toward Draco holding the now awake little boy. "Just hold out you arms, I'll lay him on your chest like he was on mine. That's his favorite position."
Draco sucked in a deep breath and held out his arms for the little baby. Harry laid the little boy on Draco's chest and then moved his arms around so that one hand was resting on the baby's back and the other was under his diapered bottom. Draco glanced down in to the baby's face and was taken aback by the bright emerald green eyes looking right back at him. Eyes just like Harry's. He glanced up when he heard Harry muttering furiously under him breath. Draco watched as Harry started pulling item after item out of the navy bag that he had been looking through earlier.
"Finally," he said as he pulled something out of the bag, "thought I was going to have to kill Tonks and Remus for forgetting to put his pacifier back in the diaper bag this morning." He then handed the strange object to Draco and laughed at the confused expression that marred the Slytherin's face.
"And what am I supposed to do with this... thing?" Draco asked perplexed by the item in his hand.
Harry smiled, "Put the rubber end in his mouth, he knows what to do next." He said and then he sat back and watched as Draco attempted to give the pacifier to Michael. After a few tries Michael opened his mouth and began sucking on the pacifier. It wasn't too much longer after that the little boy's eyes began to drift shut once again.
Draco watched in amazement as the little boy fell asleep in his arms. "What's his name?" he asked softly, he didn't want to wake the sleeping baby up.
Harry started putting the baby's things back in the diaper bag and set it back on the floor. He stretched out on the seat and put his hands behind his head. "His name is Michael James Potter and he is three months old today." Harry said quietly enjoying his break as Draco held his little boy. "You know I am surprised that was your first question about him. I figured it would have been something along the lines of 'Is he yours' or 'who'd you knock up', you know those types of questions."
Draco just shrugged, "Obviously he is yours, I can't see you tarnishing you Golden Boy image for someone else's child and I think it is kind of rude to ask 'who did you get knocked up' because its not any of my business. If you wanted to tell me you would."
Harry smiled at Draco's reasoning and wished that everyone would be as compliant to his wishes of privacy, but he knew that would never happen. "I just know that those will be the two dominate questions spilling out of Ron and Hermione's mouths when they see me with him." He said gesturing to the still sleeping Michael who was blissfully unaware of the troubling thoughts that were racing through is daddy's mind.
Draco gaped in sudden realization at what exactly Harry had just said. "They don't know!" he couldn't believe that Harry hadn't told his two supposed best friends that he had a son.
Harry shrugged and smiled grimly, "They were pissed off at me last term for not telling them who it was that I had been writing to all year, they haven't written to me all summer to find out how I was doing or even to find out what had happened at the leaving feast. And on top of that they haven't tried to find me on the train so how could I tell them." He replied bitterly. "I know exactly how they are going to react so I am basically saving myself and Michael from it for as long as I possibly can." Harry said tiredly as he ran his hand through his hair absentmindedly. "Ron will find this as some new reason to make my fame even greater and will be jealous at all the attention that I will be getting. Hermione will be spouting off self-righteously that I ruined my life having a child as such a young age and I will never get to do the things that I wanted to do now that I have a baby. Then they both will be pissed that I never wrote to tell them about Michael or Autumn."
Draco nodded his head understandingly. "They haven't found you on the train yet because they are too busy sucking each others faces, which will probably be their excuses for not writing to you this summer."
Harry just shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Figures, oh well. I have more important things to worry about."
Draco wanted to ask who Autumn was but he didn't want it to be a sore subject with Harry. "Is Autumn Michael's mother?" he asked finally.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose at Draco's question. Dumbledore had told him not to tell anyone how Autumn and her parents were killed. That was going to be something that only a few select people would know about in order to catch whoever it was had tampered with the car. Harry decided that Draco ought to know in case he heard anything in the Slytherin ring. He took a deep breath and then sat up in the seat. He hurriedly cast a silencing charm around the compartment.
"Autumn was my girlfriend. I met her last summer and we had been dating all last year. She never told me that she was pregnant because she didn't want me to be in any more danger than I already was, and I never told anyone about her because I didn't want to put her and her parents in danger." He took a deep breath and continued. "Autumn had Michael on the first of June, she was planning on telling me about him when I came home for summer break. We had talked about getting married when I came home. I loved her more than life." He paused and steeled himself for the onslaught of memories that were threatening to break through. "The day of the leaving feast when Remus had run in and took me out in the hall he told me there had been a car accident and Autumn and her parents had been killed. It wasn't until I got home that I found out about Michael. He's all that I got left of her." Harry smiled at the precious little boy still on Draco's chest.
"It wasn't until later in the summer that I had been told that the car that they had been driving had been tampered with. The accident was deliberate. The brake lines had been cut and the fuel lines had been punctured. Autumn had gone with her parents to the store to get a couple of things for the baby; thankfully they had left Michael with Remus and Tonks. It happened when they were on their way home. They had tried to stop at a busy intersection when the brakes went out. A truck that was carrying gasoline sideswiped them. There was a huge explosion, they never had a chance." Harry closed his eyes feeling the tears starting to seep out. He wiped them away hastily. "No one except Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, Snape, and now you know that she died in a car accident. So if you hear anyone saying anything about it make sure you go to Dumbledore or Snape."
Draco nodded somberly, "I will, don't worry. I am sorry for your loss. I don't know what I will do if something happened to Pansy. She isn't on the train, I just hope that she makes it to Hogwarts."
Harry looked at Draco and could see the worry etched into his face. " Draco, Pansy's too damn stubborn to let anything happen to her. She'll probably be at Hogwarts waiting on you." He said hoping that he was right.
Draco cleared his throat trying to suppress the emotions that were threatening to spill over. "Have you been told where your new rooms are?" he asked remembering one of the reasons that he had sought Harry out in the first place.
Harry shook his head and smiled trying to get out of the dismal mood that he was in. "No, but I suppose that you were sent to tell me huh."
Draco laughed lightly, "You know that old man all to well Harry." He smiled and then continued, "your rooms are beside mine in Severus's quarters. The thought that you would be safer and would feel better being secluded from the rest of the student body, after all what student in their right mind would want to go through Severus to try and get to you. I know that I sure wouldn't and he's my godfather." Amazingly it had been Severus suggesting to Dumbledore that Harry would be better off in the Dungeons than anywhere else in the castle. Dumbledore had agreed wholeheartedly.
Harry had figured that he would be moved to the dungeons but he had no problems with it. He would rather be somewhere cut off from the main traffic of the students so that they didn't disturb him or Michael. He just didn't know if he could deal with so many people right now, he was still trying to cope with Autumn's death. Once the news hit the wizarding world he wouldn't get a moment by himself. Harry knew that most people were going to pity him and he hated pity, it wasn't pity that he needed, he needed understanding and compassion. Harry knew that he would get very little understanding and compassion from the majority of his friends. Just thinking of Ron and Hermione hurt, he knew that they would never be close friends again. He had grown up with out them.
Harry was just about to stand up and take Michael off of Draco when the compartment door slid open with a bang and Ron and Hermione walked in.
They walked in not even noticing the frozen Harry standing behind them as they started in on Draco.
Draco glanced at Harry and he knew in the pit of his stomach that it was going to get really ugly really fast. He watched as Weasley's eyes filled with contempt and hatred.
"Oh this is just rich, Draco Malfoy with a baby. Who'd you knock up? Bet she dumped the kid and ran as soon as she realized that the father was you!" Ron laughed not realizing the precarious position that he had just put himself in.
Hermione chuckled behind her hand neither still had noticed Harry standing behind them. "She was probably some cheap whore after the Malfoy name but when she realized what a prick you were she left you with the brat, oh how the mighty have fallen." She said smugly an ugly sneer changing her pretty face drastically.
Draco had not said a word as he glanced over at the now furious Harry. He could practically see the anger rolling off him in palpable waves.
Harry was beyond furious at his supposed two best friends as he stepped out of the shadows making himself visible to them. Once he knew that he had their attention he began speaking to them in a low cold and emotionless voice.
"That 'whore' was my girlfriend and that 'brat' is my son and so help me god if I ever hear any of the things you just said again I will not be held responsible for my actions. Now I suggest that you both get out of my site before I do something I will regret." Harry snarled at the two horrified Gryffindors.
"Harry I ..." Hermione began but Harry cut her off.
"Get out of here, and don't try to talk to me. If I want to talk to you I will find you. Now leave!" he said coldly and then slammed the door once they had fled the compartment.
Wordlessly Draco handed Michael back to Harry and watched as he sat down on the seat and buried his face in the little boy's blue and green snitch covered sleeper. He could see the tears tracking down Harry's face but he didn't say a word. Draco couldn't believe how callous those two had been. He knew that what Granger and Weasley had said had hurt Harry more than they would ever know. They probably wouldn't even understand why he had been so upset after all they hadn't said it to him they had said it to Draco Malfoy. But Harry had seen how they really felt toward the issue at hand, and Draco knew that Harry was dead right about what their reactions would be once the reality of the situation hit the two of them. He just hoped that there was a professor around when they began voicing their opinions or Harry would probably end up in Azkaban for killing them unintentionally.
The rest of the train ride was met with silence. Neither said a word as they pulled up to Hogsmeade station and Draco picked up the two bags that were setting on the floor. He followed Harry wordlessly out of the compartment and into the hall ready to help Harry face the crowd that was bound to form around him and the baby.
A/N: Thank you, Thank you for all of your amazing reviews. Keep up the great feedback and I will keep the chapters rolling out. Enjoy.
Chapter Two: The Hogwarts Express
Harry was startled out of his thoughts when Michael started whimpering. Opening his eyes slowly he saw that the baby was starting to wake. Harry knew that it was about time for him to eat his lunch so he carefully started searching the navy diaper bag beside him for the bottle. When his hand hit the hard plastic he sighed with relief. With a muttered breath he activated the warming charm that he had placed on it when he had left the apartment earlier that morning. He softly brushed the bottle's nipple against the baby's lips and watched as the little boy sucked it into his mouth aggressively. Harry smiled at the sight of his son drinking the milk so greedily and he was thankful that the little boy had such a healthy appetite.
Letting his head hit the back of the seat Harry let his eyes drift shut as Michael sleepily ate his lunch. His thoughts were drawn back to everything that he had been worrying about last night. Harry had stayed up most of the night watching Michael sleep in the crib that had been set up beside his own bed. He had been worrying about what his friends would think and how they would treat him and Michael. He just hoped that they would be understanding and not condescending and judgmental. He really needed as many of his friends support as he could get if he was going to get through this year with his mind intact. And then there was the whole thing about the Press getting a hold of the story. He knew that once again as soon as the media caught whiff of this his life would be plastered all over every newspaper and magazine in the Wizarding world. Harry wondered exactly how outlandish things would get before he had to do another personal interview to clear everything up. Then again he could always just sick Tonks and Remus on all of the reporters.
The two of them had shown exactly how short tempered they were about negative things being said about Harry or the baby. Harry had teasingly started calling them Auntie Tonks and Grandpa Remus and then names had stuck. Remus had told Harry that he would love to be able to step in and be a Grandfather to Michael just as he had been more than happy to step in and fill the role as a some what parent for Harry. Of course now Harry had to laugh, at only three months Michael had already managed to have Remus and Tonks wrapped around his little finger. But Harry hadn't wanted anything to get out into the Media until he and Michael were safely behind the walls of Hogwarts. The only thing in the world that he had wanted was to keep Autumn safe and he had made sure that no one knew of their relationship. But just as it had happened time and time again he hadn't been able to protect the ones he loved and Autumn and her parents had been killed leaving him with a precious little boy that would never get to know his mother or grandparents.
There was an investigation still going on back in London by the Police. It had been going on for the last three months with no new leads, no suspects and no motive. It was frustrating to know that they had been deliberately targeted and not know anything more than that. Harry was just thankful that Remus and Tonks had been keeping an eye on the baby when Autumn had left with her parents to run to the store. He didn't even want to think about what would have happened to him if Michael had been killed in the accident as well. Professor Dumbledore had assigned two of the Order members to the case in order to find out if Voldemort had anything to do with the accident. The Headmaster had told Harry not to tell anyone else how it was that Autumn and her parents were killed. That information was just going to be available to a select few.
Feeling the bottle fall out of Michael's mouth Harry glanced down and seen that the bottle was empty and the baby was asleep once again. Harry knew that he had to burp him or he would have a very unhappy baby on his hands later. He had found that out the hard way one night. He had forgotten to burp Michael after he had finished his bottle and Harry hadn't wanted to wake him up, so he just laid him down in his crib. Needless to say he had been awakened to a very gassy little boy later that night and he had not gotten a wink of sleep because he had been walking the floors comforting Michael all night. He reached back in the diaper bag and pulled out a small blanket. Harry laid it on his shoulder and gently moved the little boy onto it.
A couple minutes later Michael had let out two healthy burps and Harry started rubbing his back in small circles soothing him back to sleep. It didn't take long as Harry watched the little boys eyes fall shut with his eyelashes lying darkly against his pale cheeks. Harry tiredly let his own eyes fall shut. It was a few minutes later that Harry heard the compartment door open. He opened his eyes slowly and when he saw who it was he let them fall back shut. Hoping that the questions would be held off for just a little while.
--- Several minutes before---
Draco Malfoy walked nervously past the next compartment door glancing in hoping that Pansy would be there, but she wasn't. He was starting to get nervous, if she wasn't on the train... he didn't even want to think of what that meant. Pansy like him had decided not to take the Dark Mark. Only Draco had been able to take the option of staying at Hogwarts during the summer. Pansy had to return home because of her little sister. Pansy had been the only mother figure that her four-year-old sister had ever had and she couldn't abandon her so Pansy had no choice but to return home for the holidays. Before she had left on the train she had told Draco that she loved him and that she would see him September first on the train.
But she wasn't on the train and the knowledge of what the Dark Lord did to women who betrayed or denied him scared the life out of him. He and Pansy had been together since their Yule Ball fourth year and he loved her more than life itself. Draco honestly didn't know what he would do if something happened to her.
Draco continued walking down the corridor and stopped as he reached the second to last compartment. When he opened the door his heart fell.
"What's wrong Draco?" Blaise Zabini asked his best friend and fellow Slytherin. He could plainly see the worry in the pale gray eyes and he knew that it was something serious for the simple fact that if he could read any emotion in Draco's eyes it was something serious.
Draco glanced at Blaise and then back down the corridor he had just came from. "Have you seen Pansy?" he asked hoping against all hopes that the other Slytherin had seen her.
Blaise frowned worriedly, "No, I haven't." he said and then he could tell from Draco's facial expression what he was thinking. "That doesn't automatically mean the worst though. You never know she may have just missed the train." Blaise knew that when a Slytherin student didn't return to Hogwarts one of two things may have happened.
The first being that the student had taken the Dark Mark and the parents had transferred them to Durmstrang as had happened to Crabbe and Goyle; Draco had been extremely upset when he two best friends had been transferred. He had known that neither of them had wanted to take the mark but they had chosen that over death. The second being that they had refused the mark and had been either killed for being a traitor to the cause or were given to the Dark Lord or another Deatheater for their own personal pleasure and entertainment. The latter having happened to Daphne Greengrass last summer. The last thing that Blaise had heard about her was that she had tried to kill herself and he hoped that she had succeeded saving herself from the life of humiliation and servitude to the Dark Lord.
"Pansy's a strong girl, she'll be alright you'll see." Blaise said wishing wholeheartedly that he could believe his own words.
Draco nodded miserably, "I hope you're right, I haven't checked the last compartment yet." He said and then continued as he remembered the second person that he had been looking for. "Have you seen Potter?"
Blaise shook his head, "Nope, and I haven't seen his two sidekicks either."
Draco grimaced, "Oh I've seen those two alright. More than I have ever want to see mind you. Seeing Granger and Weasel with their tongues down each others throats was something that if I ever have to see again will be far too soon." He shuddered remembering the scene that he had accidentally walked in on.
Blaise chuckled. "Why are you of all people looking for Potter?" he asked his voice serious once again.
Draco glanced down the hall and back toward Blaise making sure that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. "Dumbledore asked me to help him to the castle and then after the feast I have to show him to his new rooms which are beside mine in Severus's quarters." He said quietly thinking back to when he and Harry had stopped fighting and had begun talking to each other. It had been Harry urging him to talk to the Headmaster or Severus about him not taking the Dark Mark. At the end of last term he had went to Severus and they had went to talk to Dumbledore. It had been then that they decided to let Draco stay at Hogwarts over the summer than risk going home and being killed for not taking the mark. He owed Harry a life debt because if he would have gone home he would have surely been killed.
Blaise furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Why would Potter need help getting to the castle? And why do you have to help him, what about Granger and Weasley." He asked wondering what was going on with Boy Wonder.
Draco frowned. "I don't think that their friendship is going to be on the best of terms after the feast by the little hints that Dumbledore and Severus have been dropping at me all summer. The professor's obviously know something about Potter that we don't and what ever it is they seem to think that it is going to change the way that people think of him." He said still frowning.
"You don't think it has to do with what happened at the leaving feast last term do you?" Blaise asked now that he was curious at what was going on with Potter.
Draco shook his head, "I don't know Blaise, I really don't know." He paused and sighed, "But what ever it is we are going to find out about it soon." Draco said quietly. Several minutes later Draco said his goodbyes and then turned and walked toward the last compartment nervously. He hoped that Pansy would be there, but he knew deep in his heart that she wouldn't.
Sliding the compartment door open slowly Draco was stunned at the sight that greeted him.
Harry Potter was sprawled over the seat, his eyes closed and his arms wrapped protectively around a tiny baby that was fast asleep curled up on his chest.
Now he understood why Dumbledore has said that he would need help getting to the Great Hall. Draco watched as Harry slowly opened his eyes and lock with his, and then tiredly Harry's eyes closed once again.
Draco sat down still shocked at seeing Harry with a baby. He hadn't even known that he had been seeing anyone. Draco sat in silence not wanting to disturb Harry or the baby. He wondered where the baby's mother was, how had it come to Harry bringing the baby to school, but Draco had a feeling that it all tied in with what had happened last term. He had wanted to wake Harry up and demand the answers to his questions but he kept his mouth shut and waited for Harry to wake up.
It wasn't too much later that the little baby on Harry's chest started whimpering and Harry's bloodshot eyes snapped open. Draco watched quietly as Harry started shuffling through a bag beside him, searching for something. He watched as Harry frowned and dug his hand deeper into the bag for whatever item he was searching for that seemed to be eluding him.
Harry looked up suddenly at Draco, "Would you hold him while I try and find his blasted pacifier?"
Draco looked at Harry horrified at the thought of holding such a small baby, but Harry just chuckled at his expression.
"You're not going to break him, its really not that hard." Harry said as he walked toward Draco holding the now awake little boy. "Just hold out you arms, I'll lay him on your chest like he was on mine. That's his favorite position."
Draco sucked in a deep breath and held out his arms for the little baby. Harry laid the little boy on Draco's chest and then moved his arms around so that one hand was resting on the baby's back and the other was under his diapered bottom. Draco glanced down in to the baby's face and was taken aback by the bright emerald green eyes looking right back at him. Eyes just like Harry's. He glanced up when he heard Harry muttering furiously under him breath. Draco watched as Harry started pulling item after item out of the navy bag that he had been looking through earlier.
"Finally," he said as he pulled something out of the bag, "thought I was going to have to kill Tonks and Remus for forgetting to put his pacifier back in the diaper bag this morning." He then handed the strange object to Draco and laughed at the confused expression that marred the Slytherin's face.
"And what am I supposed to do with this... thing?" Draco asked perplexed by the item in his hand.
Harry smiled, "Put the rubber end in his mouth, he knows what to do next." He said and then he sat back and watched as Draco attempted to give the pacifier to Michael. After a few tries Michael opened his mouth and began sucking on the pacifier. It wasn't too much longer after that the little boy's eyes began to drift shut once again.
Draco watched in amazement as the little boy fell asleep in his arms. "What's his name?" he asked softly, he didn't want to wake the sleeping baby up.
Harry started putting the baby's things back in the diaper bag and set it back on the floor. He stretched out on the seat and put his hands behind his head. "His name is Michael James Potter and he is three months old today." Harry said quietly enjoying his break as Draco held his little boy. "You know I am surprised that was your first question about him. I figured it would have been something along the lines of 'Is he yours' or 'who'd you knock up', you know those types of questions."
Draco just shrugged, "Obviously he is yours, I can't see you tarnishing you Golden Boy image for someone else's child and I think it is kind of rude to ask 'who did you get knocked up' because its not any of my business. If you wanted to tell me you would."
Harry smiled at Draco's reasoning and wished that everyone would be as compliant to his wishes of privacy, but he knew that would never happen. "I just know that those will be the two dominate questions spilling out of Ron and Hermione's mouths when they see me with him." He said gesturing to the still sleeping Michael who was blissfully unaware of the troubling thoughts that were racing through is daddy's mind.
Draco gaped in sudden realization at what exactly Harry had just said. "They don't know!" he couldn't believe that Harry hadn't told his two supposed best friends that he had a son.
Harry shrugged and smiled grimly, "They were pissed off at me last term for not telling them who it was that I had been writing to all year, they haven't written to me all summer to find out how I was doing or even to find out what had happened at the leaving feast. And on top of that they haven't tried to find me on the train so how could I tell them." He replied bitterly. "I know exactly how they are going to react so I am basically saving myself and Michael from it for as long as I possibly can." Harry said tiredly as he ran his hand through his hair absentmindedly. "Ron will find this as some new reason to make my fame even greater and will be jealous at all the attention that I will be getting. Hermione will be spouting off self-righteously that I ruined my life having a child as such a young age and I will never get to do the things that I wanted to do now that I have a baby. Then they both will be pissed that I never wrote to tell them about Michael or Autumn."
Draco nodded his head understandingly. "They haven't found you on the train yet because they are too busy sucking each others faces, which will probably be their excuses for not writing to you this summer."
Harry just shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "Figures, oh well. I have more important things to worry about."
Draco wanted to ask who Autumn was but he didn't want it to be a sore subject with Harry. "Is Autumn Michael's mother?" he asked finally.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose at Draco's question. Dumbledore had told him not to tell anyone how Autumn and her parents were killed. That was going to be something that only a few select people would know about in order to catch whoever it was had tampered with the car. Harry decided that Draco ought to know in case he heard anything in the Slytherin ring. He took a deep breath and then sat up in the seat. He hurriedly cast a silencing charm around the compartment.
"Autumn was my girlfriend. I met her last summer and we had been dating all last year. She never told me that she was pregnant because she didn't want me to be in any more danger than I already was, and I never told anyone about her because I didn't want to put her and her parents in danger." He took a deep breath and continued. "Autumn had Michael on the first of June, she was planning on telling me about him when I came home for summer break. We had talked about getting married when I came home. I loved her more than life." He paused and steeled himself for the onslaught of memories that were threatening to break through. "The day of the leaving feast when Remus had run in and took me out in the hall he told me there had been a car accident and Autumn and her parents had been killed. It wasn't until I got home that I found out about Michael. He's all that I got left of her." Harry smiled at the precious little boy still on Draco's chest.
"It wasn't until later in the summer that I had been told that the car that they had been driving had been tampered with. The accident was deliberate. The brake lines had been cut and the fuel lines had been punctured. Autumn had gone with her parents to the store to get a couple of things for the baby; thankfully they had left Michael with Remus and Tonks. It happened when they were on their way home. They had tried to stop at a busy intersection when the brakes went out. A truck that was carrying gasoline sideswiped them. There was a huge explosion, they never had a chance." Harry closed his eyes feeling the tears starting to seep out. He wiped them away hastily. "No one except Dumbledore, Remus, Tonks, Snape, and now you know that she died in a car accident. So if you hear anyone saying anything about it make sure you go to Dumbledore or Snape."
Draco nodded somberly, "I will, don't worry. I am sorry for your loss. I don't know what I will do if something happened to Pansy. She isn't on the train, I just hope that she makes it to Hogwarts."
Harry looked at Draco and could see the worry etched into his face. " Draco, Pansy's too damn stubborn to let anything happen to her. She'll probably be at Hogwarts waiting on you." He said hoping that he was right.
Draco cleared his throat trying to suppress the emotions that were threatening to spill over. "Have you been told where your new rooms are?" he asked remembering one of the reasons that he had sought Harry out in the first place.
Harry shook his head and smiled trying to get out of the dismal mood that he was in. "No, but I suppose that you were sent to tell me huh."
Draco laughed lightly, "You know that old man all to well Harry." He smiled and then continued, "your rooms are beside mine in Severus's quarters. The thought that you would be safer and would feel better being secluded from the rest of the student body, after all what student in their right mind would want to go through Severus to try and get to you. I know that I sure wouldn't and he's my godfather." Amazingly it had been Severus suggesting to Dumbledore that Harry would be better off in the Dungeons than anywhere else in the castle. Dumbledore had agreed wholeheartedly.
Harry had figured that he would be moved to the dungeons but he had no problems with it. He would rather be somewhere cut off from the main traffic of the students so that they didn't disturb him or Michael. He just didn't know if he could deal with so many people right now, he was still trying to cope with Autumn's death. Once the news hit the wizarding world he wouldn't get a moment by himself. Harry knew that most people were going to pity him and he hated pity, it wasn't pity that he needed, he needed understanding and compassion. Harry knew that he would get very little understanding and compassion from the majority of his friends. Just thinking of Ron and Hermione hurt, he knew that they would never be close friends again. He had grown up with out them.
Harry was just about to stand up and take Michael off of Draco when the compartment door slid open with a bang and Ron and Hermione walked in.
They walked in not even noticing the frozen Harry standing behind them as they started in on Draco.
Draco glanced at Harry and he knew in the pit of his stomach that it was going to get really ugly really fast. He watched as Weasley's eyes filled with contempt and hatred.
"Oh this is just rich, Draco Malfoy with a baby. Who'd you knock up? Bet she dumped the kid and ran as soon as she realized that the father was you!" Ron laughed not realizing the precarious position that he had just put himself in.
Hermione chuckled behind her hand neither still had noticed Harry standing behind them. "She was probably some cheap whore after the Malfoy name but when she realized what a prick you were she left you with the brat, oh how the mighty have fallen." She said smugly an ugly sneer changing her pretty face drastically.
Draco had not said a word as he glanced over at the now furious Harry. He could practically see the anger rolling off him in palpable waves.
Harry was beyond furious at his supposed two best friends as he stepped out of the shadows making himself visible to them. Once he knew that he had their attention he began speaking to them in a low cold and emotionless voice.
"That 'whore' was my girlfriend and that 'brat' is my son and so help me god if I ever hear any of the things you just said again I will not be held responsible for my actions. Now I suggest that you both get out of my site before I do something I will regret." Harry snarled at the two horrified Gryffindors.
"Harry I ..." Hermione began but Harry cut her off.
"Get out of here, and don't try to talk to me. If I want to talk to you I will find you. Now leave!" he said coldly and then slammed the door once they had fled the compartment.
Wordlessly Draco handed Michael back to Harry and watched as he sat down on the seat and buried his face in the little boy's blue and green snitch covered sleeper. He could see the tears tracking down Harry's face but he didn't say a word. Draco couldn't believe how callous those two had been. He knew that what Granger and Weasley had said had hurt Harry more than they would ever know. They probably wouldn't even understand why he had been so upset after all they hadn't said it to him they had said it to Draco Malfoy. But Harry had seen how they really felt toward the issue at hand, and Draco knew that Harry was dead right about what their reactions would be once the reality of the situation hit the two of them. He just hoped that there was a professor around when they began voicing their opinions or Harry would probably end up in Azkaban for killing them unintentionally.
The rest of the train ride was met with silence. Neither said a word as they pulled up to Hogsmeade station and Draco picked up the two bags that were setting on the floor. He followed Harry wordlessly out of the compartment and into the hall ready to help Harry face the crowd that was bound to form around him and the baby.