Title: The Potter-boy Problem
Author: Roslyn Drycof
Chapter: Four---Can't Handle This
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Voldemort has a new plan to get rid of the "Potter-boy Problem". A reluctant Draco Malfoy is ordered to carry it out, but things don't go as planned. He isn't as obedient as the Dark Lord would like and loses control at a crucial time. Whoops! HD, mpreg
Warning: Themes of slash, swearing, mpreg, and angst
Pairing: HPDM (also: RWHG, GWNL and others)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.
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"Harry, what's wrong with you?" Hermione asked her best friend, a concerned glint in her eyes.
He was sitting on the seat across from her and Ron and was completely ignoring them. Something was troubling him, and he obviously didn't want them to know. And that normally would have been fine, except he was shutting them out as if they were mere acquaintances. Not his best friends.
"Blimy mate, don't worry us like this!" Ron added. His freckled face was frowning and he looked just as worried as Hermione felt.
The savior of the wizarding world turned to face his friends, a mask thoroughly hiding his thoughts. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? Could it be too much to think that maybe I'm tired?"
It was a plausible explanation, if not for the fact that he was blatantly hiding something. He never wore a mask around them, never had. Well, except for when Sirius died, but who wouldn't want to hide their pain at having their loved godfather die?
The raven-haired teen knew he was hurting his friends with his wretched behavior, but he couldn't tell them. Thoughts of Malfoy still plagued him, and his growing abdomen wasn't exactly something to be relaxed about. If he didn't know better, he'd think he was pregnant. But that was impossible. Guys couldn't get pregnant. They didn't have the right parts.
So what was happening to him? It was frightening, whatever was doing weird things to him. He hoped Dumbledore would be able to explain everything and stop it. He just wanted to go back to normal, to have everything be normal. Too bad he couldn't get ahold of a Time Turner and go back in time. But unfortunately he couldn't, and it probably wouldn't work anyway. How could he go back three months in time? It was too much time. Too dangerous.
His friends luckily left him alone the rest of the train ride, but he knew he wouldn't be able to evade their curiosity for too long. Hermione was just too clever, and Ron was a dear friend who didn't deserve to be shut in the dark for long. Even though he was a bit thick-headed, the youngest Weasley male had a habit of stumbling onto things quite often.
The Welcoming Feast was a hard affair for Harry, having to hide behind a mask of "everything's fine". Most people believed it, which was quite a relief for the emerald-eyed boy. He also managed to keep his gaze from straying to Malfoy until halfway through the meal.
While he was busy tuning out his housemates' chatter, he chanced to glance across the room to see Malfoy staring off into space. The blond looked different than usual. His face was paler than usual and had a pinched look about it. And there was a look in his eyes that spoke volumes of inner suffering. Downright weird for the Prince of Slytherin.
Suddenly, Malfoy looked up and caught Harry staring. His usual icy mask slid into place and the silver-eyed teen raised a slender eyebrow. Harry felt himself flush, memories of that day assaulting him. He scowled back at the Slytherin, anger rising at his reaction.
"I noticed that Malfoy didn't bother us on the train," Hermione offhandedly said, catching the direction of Harry's glare.
Ron gulped down a swallow of cider and muttered, "And a good thing, too. Don't need the stupid ferret ruining everything."
Strangely, Harry felt a new spurt of anger rush through him. . .this time in defense of Malfoy. Oh dear Merlin, what was happening to him?! He could not have just wanted to yell at Ron for insulting Malfoy.
Before his thoughts could betray him, an oily voice spoke up, "Potter, follow me. The Headmaster wishes to see you."
The Gryffindor stood up and did as the Potions professor asked, feeling relief that his concerns would soon be answered. Strangely, though, they stopped by the Slytherin table. Snape lifted a hand to motion for Draco Malfoy to follow him as well. Odd, Harry thought. What did Malfoy have to do with this?
They walked the long trek to the Headmaster's office in silence. Harry and Draco were both lost in their private thoughts, and nearly didn't realize they were at the statue situated at the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Stop dawdling. Putting it off won't do anything to help," Professor Snape snapped.
Tense, each for his own reasons, the two boys obeyed the professor and walked up the spiraling steps. Dumbledore was seated at his desk, a most serious look on his wizened face.
"Please have a seat," the Headmaster beckoned.
Strangely, he didn't ask if they wanted a lemon drop. Harry began to realize that this must be a very serious matter if Dumbledore didn't offer candy. Worried, he sat down and waited for the Headmaster to begin speaking.
"I know you have been wondering what is going on, Harry," Professor Dumbledore started, looking straight at the raven-haired teen.
Harry nodded in reply. "I have. But what does this have to do with Professor Snape and Malfoy?"
"All in good time, all in good time. But first I would like to ask you something. You've noticed that Death Eater activity has been quite lessened lately, correct? Why do you think this is?"
The teenager thought for a moment and answered, "He is planning something."
Dumbledore sighed and told him, "The plan has already gone into action."
"What?!" he burst out, jumping out of his seat in surprise.
"I am also sorry to say that you are the target of this latest plan. Draco and Severus were recruited to carry out the first part, which they did."
The elderly wizard stopped for a moment, gauging Harry's reaction. It was almost instantaneous. The boy leapt towards Draco and had to be physically restrained by Professor Snape. This didn't help the boy's anger because he then turned on Severus.
"Under my orders, they did this." Dumbledore's voice was loud as he stated this, immediately freezing Harry.
The teenager turned to stare at his mentor in shock. "What?"
"Both Severus and Draco came to me with news of the plan. To save their lives and to stall Death Eater activity for a while, I had to make a decision. It was a hard one, but it was the only way."
"To save that ferret's life, you let Voldemort get me?!" Harry shouted, his eyes blazing furiously.
Draco suddenly muttered, "It's not like you're going to die or anything, geez."
The angry boy turned to glared at his rival. "And I suppose Voldemort just planned on giving me a present, right?"
"Well, yes."
"You liar!" he leapt at the blond-haired boy, being restrained by Snape yet again.
This time, Snape intervened more than physically and commanded, "You will not hurt him, Potter."
"And why not? It's not going to kill him."
"But it could kill your child." Those soft-spoken words penetrated through Harry's haze of rage and he stumbled to his seat in shock. "My child?"
Draco had a hand pressed against his abdomen and a vulnerable look on his face. The suffering in his eyes caused Harry to look away and swallow harshly. What kind of plan was this that Voldemort got the son of one his followers pregnant with Harry's kid? It made no sense.
"Yes Harry, it makes no sense. But having the son of one of his followers impregnate you. That was his plan. He planned to kill you after the birth and steal the child."
What?! "And it backfired. Malfoy's pregnant, not me."
A sad look came into Dumbledore's eyes and Harry felt his breathing freeze. No. . .it couldn't-
"You both are."
Harry felt his world crashing down around his ears and closed his eyes tightly. This could not be happening. No way was this happening. It had to be some crazy joke. He wasn't pregnant. He wasn't!
"I don't believe you!" he yelled, jumping up again and knocking his chair over.
Panic swamped him and he slowly back away, shaking his head in disbelief. He would have back out of Dumbledore's office if only Malfoy hadn't stood up and opened his mouth. "How can you refute the evidence right in front of your eyes? It's all there!"
"I can't believe you. I can't!"
"Then you're more of a fool than I thought. I thought the Golden Boy would know the truth when it hit him in the face, but I guess I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things," Malfoy said, faintly whispering the last sentence. An odd look was on his face just then, a look full of broken dreams and shattered hopes. And in that instant, Harry knew he wasn't lying. It was true. Everything was.
"I-I can't handle this right now," he choked out, his throat burning.
Unseeing of where he was going, he ran out of Dumbledore's office and stumbled through the hallways until he found himself in an empty, dimly-lit corridor no one ever used. His brain was frozen with shock, denial having withered away quickly enough. He felt like he couldn't breathe. This was all too much. Too much!
Blindly, he clutched at the stone wall. His knees were shaking and he couldn't seem to keep his balance. He felt like he was breaking apart at the seams.
"I hope you have enough sense not to tell anyone, Potter," a drawling voice interrupted his misery.
Anger found a welcome place in that empty hole where Harry's heart used to be. "I'm not an idiot, Malfoy."
A sad look entered the Slytherin's silver eyes. "I didn't say you were. But I do know you're scared and confused."
"What do you know of how I'm feeling? Are you some sort of mind reader?!" Harry shouted, his fear breaking free in a familiar way. With anger.
The blond took a step towards him and looked past his rival, a shadowed look in his eyes. "No, but I felt the exact same way when I was ordered to do this. I went to Dumbledore hoping he'd stop this insane plan, but instead he allowed it. Indeed, he ordered me to do it. Someone I knew to be good forcing me to do something so horrible I cringed inside at the very thought of it? I felt betrayed."
These words hit a chord deep inside of the raven-haired Gryffindor and he slumped against the wall. "I would've thought you'd relish hurting me."
"Not like this. Not like this!" Malfoy cried out, pain and anger warring in his voice.
Harry could only stare at his nemesis. The pain he heard in Malfoy's voice, it was clearer than a sunny spring day. For so long, he'd thought the other boy was just like his father. Just another Death Eater. But this contradicted everything he'd believed. Everything.
The other teen breathed harshly for a few moments before saying, "I'd been brought up to hate you, indeed I loved hating you. You hurt me so many times, what could I do but hate you? But when I was told to get you pregnant, I felt only horror. I found myself watching you and realized my hate for you was hollow. How could I hate someone who was put through so much without any hope of relief? How could I when you're the one keeping the Dark Lord from destroying everything? It was impossible."
Harry listened to his enemy and realized that there could be no room for hatred in their relationship any longer. Inside, he knew Malfoy had gone through a lot of suffering over the years just as he had. They had too much in common to keep hating each other. To keep hurting each other.
He also realized that Malfoy must've gone through hell knowing what he'd had to do. Really, it must have filled him with a lot of guilt. To be forced to get someone pregnant? Harry now knew that the potion at the end of last school year had been no coincidence. And by drinking it, Malfoy had been just as much the victim as him. Anger at Dumbledore ate at his insides, even though he knew the old man had been left no other choice. It still hurt, though.
"I will kill him. Next time I see that ugly snake, I will kill him," he vowed, a steely edge to his usually mellow voice.
Draco stared at the look on Potter's face and knew he'd do it. The crazy Gryffindor would kill the Dark Lord the next time they met. This should've made him happy, but it didn't. He also knew that Potter wouldn't come out of it the same. He could very well be killed himself. . .or worse. Yes, there were a lot of things much worse than death. Much worse.
The anger slowly bled from the raven-haired teen's features and he looked weary. A resolve that resonated in his bones kept his countenance harsher than it had been before, but he looked calmer now. Almost normal, in fact.
"Malfoy, what do you say we make an alliance? Here, right now," he said, turning to look into his rival's silver eyes.
It didn't take long for the Slytherin to make a decision. "If you mean it, then my answer if yes."
A familiar gleam lit Harry's emerald eyes. "Would I trick you?"
"Hell, yeah." Draco replied, grinning.
"That's in the past now. I want to make a truce with you. We'll work together to keep this plan a secret and to find a way to finally get rid of ole' Tom."
"Tom?" Draco raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Laughter twinkled in Harry's eyes as he told the blond, "Didn't you know Voldemort is actually a half-blood by the name of Tom Riddle?"
"No! Oh my gosh, this is unbelievable! My father's following one of the very things he despises the most?" Draco couldn't hold in his laughter. It was too hilarious not to. Lord Voldemort, who wanted to rid the world of muggles, was a half-blood? Rich, this was too rich!
"So, what do you say?" Harry asked a few minutes later, after their shared laughter died away.
"Sure. Though I don't know how we're going to keep this a secret for long. You do know we're going to get as big a whales, don't you?" Disgust was plain in Malfoy's voice.
"Not that big, but yeah, I know. We'll find a way. And hey, you're a Slytherin. You've got to put all that cunning to some good use once in a while." This was said with a smirk entirely un-Gryffindor-like.
"Are you sure you weren't sorted into the wrong House? It's eerie how Slytherin you act sometimes."
Harry shoved his hands deep into his pockets, looking away from his former rival. "I, well. . .er. . .that is. . ."
"Yeah? You're saying?"
"I was almost sorted into Slytherin, but I'd heard such bad stuff about it that I told the hat "anything but Slytherin"."
Draco stared at the other boy in disbelief. "Only you could influence something like that. Only you, Potter."
"Harry, what are you doing talking to that git?" a familiar voice suddenly yelled out, surprise making it harsher than usual.
Crap. Harry turned to see his two best friends coming down the hall. Ron's face was redder than usual and anger, directed towards Malfoy, filled his eyes. Hermione looked puzzled and not just a little bit suspicious.
"Uh. . ."
Malfoy leaned towards him and whispered, "Speechless again? Definitely a Gryffindor trait."
"Shut up," he muttered, flushing.
"What did you say to him, you snot-nosed ferret? Did you threaten him?" Ron burst out, stopping in front of his best friend and his companion.
The Slytherin rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. "Always jumping to conclusions. I can see I'll never be accepted around here."
This brought a smile to Harry's lips and he relaxed. So what if his friends would be suspicious about his newfound friendship with Malfoy. It was his business, and Malfoy was too amusing to give up.
"Malfoy, stuff it," he told the blond, lightly smacking him in the shoulder.
Draco knew Potter didn't mean it when he saw the grin on his face. He pretended to pout and whimpered, "You don't like me anymore?"
Ron and Hermione stared at this scene in astonishment. Were Harry and Malfoy actually teasing each other? They quickly looked around and noted that no, the world wasn't coming to an end. So then, what in the blazes was going on?
"Uh, mate? Don't you remember this is Malfoy? You know, all-around git who's bothered you for over six years?" the freckled Weasley said to his friend.
Harry explained to his friends, "Malfoy and I made a truce."
"And what prompted this, may I ask?" Hermione asked, suspicion lacing her words.
The two former-rivals looked at each other and mentally came up with a blank. They couldn't say that it was because they were carrying each other's kid, now could they? What could they use as an excuse?
"Dumbledore told us to," they said in unison and then broke out in laughter. Funny that they'd thought of the same idea at the same time.
"Uh huh, and you do everything Dumbledore tells you to?" the girl asked, pointedly looking at each boy in turn. Everyone knew both Harry and Malfoy never listened to what they were told.
Well. . .she got them there. Still, it was a good excuse. "Well, yeah."
Ron snorted in derision almost instantly. "I'll believe that when Malfoy turns traitor on You-Know-Who and gives away Death Eater secrets to Dumbledore."
Aha! Weasley shouldn't have said that. Draco smirked at the redhead and said, "I did. That's why Snape took me and Potter to Dumbledore's office."
"Damn," Ron muttered under his breath, knowing the ferret had him there. But something still didn't ring true about all this. Malfoy and Harry were keeping something secret. And why would Harry share a secret with Malfoy? Seriously, it was Malfoy.
"Guys, just believe me for once. Malfoy is telling the truth. He betrayed Voldemort and now we're friends. Okay?"
There was a desperate note in Harry's voice and his friends knew they had to let this one go. It wasn't their business. Well, until Malfoy hurt Harry that is. They could wait, couldn't they?
"Fine. But if Malfoy puts one toe out of line, he's going to get it," Ron vowed, glaring meaningfully at the silver-eyed Slytherin before grabbing Hermione's hand and dragging her off. She didn't exactly like being dragged off, but oh well. Her boyfriend was a big thick-headed and uncivilized at times, but that was part of the reason she loved him.
Alone again, Harry looked at Malfoy and saw the almost-vulnerable look on the blond's features. "What is it?"
"I hope the weasel forgets that little promise. I can't say I might not accidentally do something he doesn't like. And. . .what if. . ." A pale hand pressed against his stomach and he bit his lip.
Damn. Harry'd forgotten about that for a minute. And he knew how much Ron despised Malfoy. A single punch could do a lot of damage in Malfoy's condition. Wait a minute. . .delicate condition. You couldn't play Quidditch while pregnant! It was too dangerous.
"Oh shit! No more Quidditch."
Both boys stared at each other in horror. No more Quidditch? It was the end of the world!
"No way. I can't give it up!" Harry moaned, banging his head against the wall.
A hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. An angry Malfoy hissed, "Do you want to hurt yourself? You can't risk anything hurting the baby."
"It still doesn't even seem real," the emerald-eyed teen protested, nervous at the other boy's quick change in mood.
Harry was suddenly frozen in surprise as Malfoy pushed aside his robe and ripped open his shirt. "Hey!"
"Look at your stomach and tell me you don't see how real it is."
He looked down and swallowed harshly. The small rounded-ness was impossible not to see in a place where he used to have a washboard flat abdomen. A trembling hand reached out and gently touched the area.
Draco's voice was softer as he said to his former nemesis. "I know it's hard to believe. I had the whole summer to get used to it and I still haven't completely. You just learned an hour ago. But it is real and you have to face it."
The black-haired teen sighed and dropped his hand. He looked up to see Malfoy staring at him, an instense look in his grey eyes. Flushing, Harry rebuttoned his shirt and closed his robe. Images of their end of the year encounter flashed through his mind and he backed away from the other boy.
"I-I gotta go," he mumbled before turning around and running down the hall. Away from the boy he was starting to feel a most disturbing attraction to.
Draco clenched his fists in anger at his lack of self-control and slowly began walking the distance to his room. Seeing Potter's bared torso had brought back images of that day and he'd reacted purely on instinct. At least Potter isn't completely unresponsive to the memory of it. . .but damn, I've got to get ahold of myself. This attraction for him is going to get in the way of everything!
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Chapter Four finally up! What an interesting scene here. Alas, no slash as of yet, but we're getting there. I hope I made Harry's reactions believable enough. It was a bit hard to write that part, but I think I did okay. I actually think I'm writing longer chapters now. Well, now I've finished the chapters I had an outline for and now I'm clueless as to what's exactly going to happen next. Don't worry, I have a whole plotline. . .but I don't know what to write next. Drat.
Anyway, I'll have Chapter 5 up soon due to everyone who thinks I'm crazy for holding the next couple chapters back even though I've written them. Anyone ever hear of that thing called suspense? Pacing? grin I also wanted to say thank you to the people who've been my faithful reviewers. Thanks!
Much love, Roslyn Drycof. . .
Author: Roslyn Drycof
Chapter: Four---Can't Handle This
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Voldemort has a new plan to get rid of the "Potter-boy Problem". A reluctant Draco Malfoy is ordered to carry it out, but things don't go as planned. He isn't as obedient as the Dark Lord would like and loses control at a crucial time. Whoops! HD, mpreg
Warning: Themes of slash, swearing, mpreg, and angst
Pairing: HPDM (also: RWHG, GWNL and others)
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter in any way, shape, or form.
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"Harry, what's wrong with you?" Hermione asked her best friend, a concerned glint in her eyes.
He was sitting on the seat across from her and Ron and was completely ignoring them. Something was troubling him, and he obviously didn't want them to know. And that normally would have been fine, except he was shutting them out as if they were mere acquaintances. Not his best friends.
"Blimy mate, don't worry us like this!" Ron added. His freckled face was frowning and he looked just as worried as Hermione felt.
The savior of the wizarding world turned to face his friends, a mask thoroughly hiding his thoughts. "I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? Could it be too much to think that maybe I'm tired?"
It was a plausible explanation, if not for the fact that he was blatantly hiding something. He never wore a mask around them, never had. Well, except for when Sirius died, but who wouldn't want to hide their pain at having their loved godfather die?
The raven-haired teen knew he was hurting his friends with his wretched behavior, but he couldn't tell them. Thoughts of Malfoy still plagued him, and his growing abdomen wasn't exactly something to be relaxed about. If he didn't know better, he'd think he was pregnant. But that was impossible. Guys couldn't get pregnant. They didn't have the right parts.
So what was happening to him? It was frightening, whatever was doing weird things to him. He hoped Dumbledore would be able to explain everything and stop it. He just wanted to go back to normal, to have everything be normal. Too bad he couldn't get ahold of a Time Turner and go back in time. But unfortunately he couldn't, and it probably wouldn't work anyway. How could he go back three months in time? It was too much time. Too dangerous.
His friends luckily left him alone the rest of the train ride, but he knew he wouldn't be able to evade their curiosity for too long. Hermione was just too clever, and Ron was a dear friend who didn't deserve to be shut in the dark for long. Even though he was a bit thick-headed, the youngest Weasley male had a habit of stumbling onto things quite often.
The Welcoming Feast was a hard affair for Harry, having to hide behind a mask of "everything's fine". Most people believed it, which was quite a relief for the emerald-eyed boy. He also managed to keep his gaze from straying to Malfoy until halfway through the meal.
While he was busy tuning out his housemates' chatter, he chanced to glance across the room to see Malfoy staring off into space. The blond looked different than usual. His face was paler than usual and had a pinched look about it. And there was a look in his eyes that spoke volumes of inner suffering. Downright weird for the Prince of Slytherin.
Suddenly, Malfoy looked up and caught Harry staring. His usual icy mask slid into place and the silver-eyed teen raised a slender eyebrow. Harry felt himself flush, memories of that day assaulting him. He scowled back at the Slytherin, anger rising at his reaction.
"I noticed that Malfoy didn't bother us on the train," Hermione offhandedly said, catching the direction of Harry's glare.
Ron gulped down a swallow of cider and muttered, "And a good thing, too. Don't need the stupid ferret ruining everything."
Strangely, Harry felt a new spurt of anger rush through him. . .this time in defense of Malfoy. Oh dear Merlin, what was happening to him?! He could not have just wanted to yell at Ron for insulting Malfoy.
Before his thoughts could betray him, an oily voice spoke up, "Potter, follow me. The Headmaster wishes to see you."
The Gryffindor stood up and did as the Potions professor asked, feeling relief that his concerns would soon be answered. Strangely, though, they stopped by the Slytherin table. Snape lifted a hand to motion for Draco Malfoy to follow him as well. Odd, Harry thought. What did Malfoy have to do with this?
They walked the long trek to the Headmaster's office in silence. Harry and Draco were both lost in their private thoughts, and nearly didn't realize they were at the statue situated at the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Stop dawdling. Putting it off won't do anything to help," Professor Snape snapped.
Tense, each for his own reasons, the two boys obeyed the professor and walked up the spiraling steps. Dumbledore was seated at his desk, a most serious look on his wizened face.
"Please have a seat," the Headmaster beckoned.
Strangely, he didn't ask if they wanted a lemon drop. Harry began to realize that this must be a very serious matter if Dumbledore didn't offer candy. Worried, he sat down and waited for the Headmaster to begin speaking.
"I know you have been wondering what is going on, Harry," Professor Dumbledore started, looking straight at the raven-haired teen.
Harry nodded in reply. "I have. But what does this have to do with Professor Snape and Malfoy?"
"All in good time, all in good time. But first I would like to ask you something. You've noticed that Death Eater activity has been quite lessened lately, correct? Why do you think this is?"
The teenager thought for a moment and answered, "He is planning something."
Dumbledore sighed and told him, "The plan has already gone into action."
"What?!" he burst out, jumping out of his seat in surprise.
"I am also sorry to say that you are the target of this latest plan. Draco and Severus were recruited to carry out the first part, which they did."
The elderly wizard stopped for a moment, gauging Harry's reaction. It was almost instantaneous. The boy leapt towards Draco and had to be physically restrained by Professor Snape. This didn't help the boy's anger because he then turned on Severus.
"Under my orders, they did this." Dumbledore's voice was loud as he stated this, immediately freezing Harry.
The teenager turned to stare at his mentor in shock. "What?"
"Both Severus and Draco came to me with news of the plan. To save their lives and to stall Death Eater activity for a while, I had to make a decision. It was a hard one, but it was the only way."
"To save that ferret's life, you let Voldemort get me?!" Harry shouted, his eyes blazing furiously.
Draco suddenly muttered, "It's not like you're going to die or anything, geez."
The angry boy turned to glared at his rival. "And I suppose Voldemort just planned on giving me a present, right?"
"Well, yes."
"You liar!" he leapt at the blond-haired boy, being restrained by Snape yet again.
This time, Snape intervened more than physically and commanded, "You will not hurt him, Potter."
"And why not? It's not going to kill him."
"But it could kill your child." Those soft-spoken words penetrated through Harry's haze of rage and he stumbled to his seat in shock. "My child?"
Draco had a hand pressed against his abdomen and a vulnerable look on his face. The suffering in his eyes caused Harry to look away and swallow harshly. What kind of plan was this that Voldemort got the son of one his followers pregnant with Harry's kid? It made no sense.
"Yes Harry, it makes no sense. But having the son of one of his followers impregnate you. That was his plan. He planned to kill you after the birth and steal the child."
What?! "And it backfired. Malfoy's pregnant, not me."
A sad look came into Dumbledore's eyes and Harry felt his breathing freeze. No. . .it couldn't-
"You both are."
Harry felt his world crashing down around his ears and closed his eyes tightly. This could not be happening. No way was this happening. It had to be some crazy joke. He wasn't pregnant. He wasn't!
"I don't believe you!" he yelled, jumping up again and knocking his chair over.
Panic swamped him and he slowly back away, shaking his head in disbelief. He would have back out of Dumbledore's office if only Malfoy hadn't stood up and opened his mouth. "How can you refute the evidence right in front of your eyes? It's all there!"
"I can't believe you. I can't!"
"Then you're more of a fool than I thought. I thought the Golden Boy would know the truth when it hit him in the face, but I guess I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things," Malfoy said, faintly whispering the last sentence. An odd look was on his face just then, a look full of broken dreams and shattered hopes. And in that instant, Harry knew he wasn't lying. It was true. Everything was.
"I-I can't handle this right now," he choked out, his throat burning.
Unseeing of where he was going, he ran out of Dumbledore's office and stumbled through the hallways until he found himself in an empty, dimly-lit corridor no one ever used. His brain was frozen with shock, denial having withered away quickly enough. He felt like he couldn't breathe. This was all too much. Too much!
Blindly, he clutched at the stone wall. His knees were shaking and he couldn't seem to keep his balance. He felt like he was breaking apart at the seams.
"I hope you have enough sense not to tell anyone, Potter," a drawling voice interrupted his misery.
Anger found a welcome place in that empty hole where Harry's heart used to be. "I'm not an idiot, Malfoy."
A sad look entered the Slytherin's silver eyes. "I didn't say you were. But I do know you're scared and confused."
"What do you know of how I'm feeling? Are you some sort of mind reader?!" Harry shouted, his fear breaking free in a familiar way. With anger.
The blond took a step towards him and looked past his rival, a shadowed look in his eyes. "No, but I felt the exact same way when I was ordered to do this. I went to Dumbledore hoping he'd stop this insane plan, but instead he allowed it. Indeed, he ordered me to do it. Someone I knew to be good forcing me to do something so horrible I cringed inside at the very thought of it? I felt betrayed."
These words hit a chord deep inside of the raven-haired Gryffindor and he slumped against the wall. "I would've thought you'd relish hurting me."
"Not like this. Not like this!" Malfoy cried out, pain and anger warring in his voice.
Harry could only stare at his nemesis. The pain he heard in Malfoy's voice, it was clearer than a sunny spring day. For so long, he'd thought the other boy was just like his father. Just another Death Eater. But this contradicted everything he'd believed. Everything.
The other teen breathed harshly for a few moments before saying, "I'd been brought up to hate you, indeed I loved hating you. You hurt me so many times, what could I do but hate you? But when I was told to get you pregnant, I felt only horror. I found myself watching you and realized my hate for you was hollow. How could I hate someone who was put through so much without any hope of relief? How could I when you're the one keeping the Dark Lord from destroying everything? It was impossible."
Harry listened to his enemy and realized that there could be no room for hatred in their relationship any longer. Inside, he knew Malfoy had gone through a lot of suffering over the years just as he had. They had too much in common to keep hating each other. To keep hurting each other.
He also realized that Malfoy must've gone through hell knowing what he'd had to do. Really, it must have filled him with a lot of guilt. To be forced to get someone pregnant? Harry now knew that the potion at the end of last school year had been no coincidence. And by drinking it, Malfoy had been just as much the victim as him. Anger at Dumbledore ate at his insides, even though he knew the old man had been left no other choice. It still hurt, though.
"I will kill him. Next time I see that ugly snake, I will kill him," he vowed, a steely edge to his usually mellow voice.
Draco stared at the look on Potter's face and knew he'd do it. The crazy Gryffindor would kill the Dark Lord the next time they met. This should've made him happy, but it didn't. He also knew that Potter wouldn't come out of it the same. He could very well be killed himself. . .or worse. Yes, there were a lot of things much worse than death. Much worse.
The anger slowly bled from the raven-haired teen's features and he looked weary. A resolve that resonated in his bones kept his countenance harsher than it had been before, but he looked calmer now. Almost normal, in fact.
"Malfoy, what do you say we make an alliance? Here, right now," he said, turning to look into his rival's silver eyes.
It didn't take long for the Slytherin to make a decision. "If you mean it, then my answer if yes."
A familiar gleam lit Harry's emerald eyes. "Would I trick you?"
"Hell, yeah." Draco replied, grinning.
"That's in the past now. I want to make a truce with you. We'll work together to keep this plan a secret and to find a way to finally get rid of ole' Tom."
"Tom?" Draco raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
Laughter twinkled in Harry's eyes as he told the blond, "Didn't you know Voldemort is actually a half-blood by the name of Tom Riddle?"
"No! Oh my gosh, this is unbelievable! My father's following one of the very things he despises the most?" Draco couldn't hold in his laughter. It was too hilarious not to. Lord Voldemort, who wanted to rid the world of muggles, was a half-blood? Rich, this was too rich!
"So, what do you say?" Harry asked a few minutes later, after their shared laughter died away.
"Sure. Though I don't know how we're going to keep this a secret for long. You do know we're going to get as big a whales, don't you?" Disgust was plain in Malfoy's voice.
"Not that big, but yeah, I know. We'll find a way. And hey, you're a Slytherin. You've got to put all that cunning to some good use once in a while." This was said with a smirk entirely un-Gryffindor-like.
"Are you sure you weren't sorted into the wrong House? It's eerie how Slytherin you act sometimes."
Harry shoved his hands deep into his pockets, looking away from his former rival. "I, well. . .er. . .that is. . ."
"Yeah? You're saying?"
"I was almost sorted into Slytherin, but I'd heard such bad stuff about it that I told the hat "anything but Slytherin"."
Draco stared at the other boy in disbelief. "Only you could influence something like that. Only you, Potter."
"Harry, what are you doing talking to that git?" a familiar voice suddenly yelled out, surprise making it harsher than usual.
Crap. Harry turned to see his two best friends coming down the hall. Ron's face was redder than usual and anger, directed towards Malfoy, filled his eyes. Hermione looked puzzled and not just a little bit suspicious.
"Uh. . ."
Malfoy leaned towards him and whispered, "Speechless again? Definitely a Gryffindor trait."
"Shut up," he muttered, flushing.
"What did you say to him, you snot-nosed ferret? Did you threaten him?" Ron burst out, stopping in front of his best friend and his companion.
The Slytherin rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. "Always jumping to conclusions. I can see I'll never be accepted around here."
This brought a smile to Harry's lips and he relaxed. So what if his friends would be suspicious about his newfound friendship with Malfoy. It was his business, and Malfoy was too amusing to give up.
"Malfoy, stuff it," he told the blond, lightly smacking him in the shoulder.
Draco knew Potter didn't mean it when he saw the grin on his face. He pretended to pout and whimpered, "You don't like me anymore?"
Ron and Hermione stared at this scene in astonishment. Were Harry and Malfoy actually teasing each other? They quickly looked around and noted that no, the world wasn't coming to an end. So then, what in the blazes was going on?
"Uh, mate? Don't you remember this is Malfoy? You know, all-around git who's bothered you for over six years?" the freckled Weasley said to his friend.
Harry explained to his friends, "Malfoy and I made a truce."
"And what prompted this, may I ask?" Hermione asked, suspicion lacing her words.
The two former-rivals looked at each other and mentally came up with a blank. They couldn't say that it was because they were carrying each other's kid, now could they? What could they use as an excuse?
"Dumbledore told us to," they said in unison and then broke out in laughter. Funny that they'd thought of the same idea at the same time.
"Uh huh, and you do everything Dumbledore tells you to?" the girl asked, pointedly looking at each boy in turn. Everyone knew both Harry and Malfoy never listened to what they were told.
Well. . .she got them there. Still, it was a good excuse. "Well, yeah."
Ron snorted in derision almost instantly. "I'll believe that when Malfoy turns traitor on You-Know-Who and gives away Death Eater secrets to Dumbledore."
Aha! Weasley shouldn't have said that. Draco smirked at the redhead and said, "I did. That's why Snape took me and Potter to Dumbledore's office."
"Damn," Ron muttered under his breath, knowing the ferret had him there. But something still didn't ring true about all this. Malfoy and Harry were keeping something secret. And why would Harry share a secret with Malfoy? Seriously, it was Malfoy.
"Guys, just believe me for once. Malfoy is telling the truth. He betrayed Voldemort and now we're friends. Okay?"
There was a desperate note in Harry's voice and his friends knew they had to let this one go. It wasn't their business. Well, until Malfoy hurt Harry that is. They could wait, couldn't they?
"Fine. But if Malfoy puts one toe out of line, he's going to get it," Ron vowed, glaring meaningfully at the silver-eyed Slytherin before grabbing Hermione's hand and dragging her off. She didn't exactly like being dragged off, but oh well. Her boyfriend was a big thick-headed and uncivilized at times, but that was part of the reason she loved him.
Alone again, Harry looked at Malfoy and saw the almost-vulnerable look on the blond's features. "What is it?"
"I hope the weasel forgets that little promise. I can't say I might not accidentally do something he doesn't like. And. . .what if. . ." A pale hand pressed against his stomach and he bit his lip.
Damn. Harry'd forgotten about that for a minute. And he knew how much Ron despised Malfoy. A single punch could do a lot of damage in Malfoy's condition. Wait a minute. . .delicate condition. You couldn't play Quidditch while pregnant! It was too dangerous.
"Oh shit! No more Quidditch."
Both boys stared at each other in horror. No more Quidditch? It was the end of the world!
"No way. I can't give it up!" Harry moaned, banging his head against the wall.
A hand grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. An angry Malfoy hissed, "Do you want to hurt yourself? You can't risk anything hurting the baby."
"It still doesn't even seem real," the emerald-eyed teen protested, nervous at the other boy's quick change in mood.
Harry was suddenly frozen in surprise as Malfoy pushed aside his robe and ripped open his shirt. "Hey!"
"Look at your stomach and tell me you don't see how real it is."
He looked down and swallowed harshly. The small rounded-ness was impossible not to see in a place where he used to have a washboard flat abdomen. A trembling hand reached out and gently touched the area.
Draco's voice was softer as he said to his former nemesis. "I know it's hard to believe. I had the whole summer to get used to it and I still haven't completely. You just learned an hour ago. But it is real and you have to face it."
The black-haired teen sighed and dropped his hand. He looked up to see Malfoy staring at him, an instense look in his grey eyes. Flushing, Harry rebuttoned his shirt and closed his robe. Images of their end of the year encounter flashed through his mind and he backed away from the other boy.
"I-I gotta go," he mumbled before turning around and running down the hall. Away from the boy he was starting to feel a most disturbing attraction to.
Draco clenched his fists in anger at his lack of self-control and slowly began walking the distance to his room. Seeing Potter's bared torso had brought back images of that day and he'd reacted purely on instinct. At least Potter isn't completely unresponsive to the memory of it. . .but damn, I've got to get ahold of myself. This attraction for him is going to get in the way of everything!
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Chapter Four finally up! What an interesting scene here. Alas, no slash as of yet, but we're getting there. I hope I made Harry's reactions believable enough. It was a bit hard to write that part, but I think I did okay. I actually think I'm writing longer chapters now. Well, now I've finished the chapters I had an outline for and now I'm clueless as to what's exactly going to happen next. Don't worry, I have a whole plotline. . .but I don't know what to write next. Drat.
Anyway, I'll have Chapter 5 up soon due to everyone who thinks I'm crazy for holding the next couple chapters back even though I've written them. Anyone ever hear of that thing called suspense? Pacing? grin I also wanted to say thank you to the people who've been my faithful reviewers. Thanks!
Much love, Roslyn Drycof. . .