Chapter 11: Reintroduced
"I want to meet my children."
Harry smiled at Draco and nodded slowly, "OK. I think they're asleep at the minute, it should be OK. Severus really isn't that bad with them, not now he knows what to do."
Draco chuckled and nodded, trying to imagine his Godfather with a baby, never mind two.
"He's one of the Godfathers you know," Harry told Draco. Draco stood up and offered Harry a hand. He took it and stood up.
"Who else?" Draco asked, "Black and Lupin?"
Harry shook his head, "No, I consider them more as parenty type people, so they're gonna be Grandpa Padfoot and Moony. Dean and Seamus, as well as Severus are Godfathers. I'm afraid they won't have enough female influences... but they'll have to make do with Seamus."
Harry and Draco set off for the house at a steady pace, Draco getting more and more nervous, the nearer they got. What if they didn't like him? Or if he dropped them? Or made them cry? Harry silently watched as range of emotions flooded Draco's delicate features. He sensed his... god what was he? Were they together again? Were they going to try to make it work between the two of them? Would Draco be staying with him now? He sensed Draco's anxiousness and brushed his hand against his. Draco looked up, his silver eyes clear and happy, despite his body having obviously felt the turmoil of the last seven or eight months. Harry moved his hand again and grasped Draco's hand firmly. He laced their fingers together and gave Draco a quick smile before he led them down another road. Draco was in heaven. He had never expected that they'd get back together. When Severus had found him and he'd regained consciousness he'd thought he'd never see Harry again, and had only accompanied Severus under his firm word that it was necessary. Now he was very glad he had listened to his Godfather. Even when he'd seen Harry again, he had just expected to explain why he'd left and then go. But Harry seemed to forgive him, and from their joined hands it appeared that he wanted them to be... them again.
In what seemed like only a minute, which was actually more like a quarter of an hour, they arrived back at the house. Harry opened the door and led Draco in.
"It's a nice house," Draco said objectively. There was a crying noise coming from the living room, which kept getting louder and even more high pitched.
Harry smiled at him and nodded, looking towards the door in concern, "I like it it's enough for... for us." 'Bugger, what am I supposed to say? Us three or four? Is he gonna live here with us? Where will he sleep? I don't know if I want him in my bed yet... I suppose he could have the couch...'
Draco nodded, wondering whether Harry meant us three or us four. He followed the dark haired man into the living room. Harry rushed off in front, almost snatching the baby off Severus and putting her over his shoulder where he patted her gently on the back. He turned around to face Draco, who looked very shell-shocked. He knew that seeing the babies was a lot different to just knowing about it. When Harry had found out the sexes, when they first kicked and when he'd seen them the first time all had made the reality so much more real.
Harry walked over to Draco and held the baby out to him, "This is Persephone Lily Potter." Harry gently laid the now calm baby into her fathers' arms. Draco held her awkwardly for a while, shifting her about, Harry looking at him it what Draco could only describe as pride. Draco felt his eyes begin to well up as he looked down at the little girl who was almost an image of himself, apart from her dark ebony hair and violently green eyes. He didn't notice Severus slip out the room, leaving the little family, or Harry pick up their son.
Harry led Draco over to sit on the couch, although he was sure that Draco didn't realise he was doing so. He comfortably arranged Draco's arms so he could accommodate the two babies in his arms.
"And this is Sebastian James Potter." Harry said and laid the golden haired boy into Draco's free arm.
The four of them just sat there in silence for what seemed like an age. Draco was still disbelieving, and was alternately staring at each child, as if trying to memorise their faces and imprint them in his mind in case they disappeared, or he did. Harry just watched them peacefully, watching Draco's face. The peaceful silence was broken when Sebastian began to cry. Draco immediately began to panic.
"What did I do?" he whispered fiercely to Harry who just raised an eyebrow.
"He's fine. Just wants a feed I should think. Back in a second," he said calmly and walked through to the kitchen, and picked up two bottles, knowing that soon his daughter would also awake and require a feed. He heated them up to the right temperature and took them through to Draco.
Harry almost laughed at the expression on his face. He looked positively terrified, "They won't bite," Harry laughed, "I promise. Don't be scared of him, he's just hungry."
"I'm not... scared of him... I just... don't know what to do." Draco admitted.
"Well, you're gonna have to learn aren't you?" Harry said as he sat down. Draco wondered whether this meant that he was going to be a constant presence in their lives. He placed the bottles on the coffee table and took Persephone off him. Draco gave him a wide eyed look and Harry explained, "OK, hold him like this... support his head... OK. Here, take the bottle off me. OK. Don't force it in his mouth. Just put it on his lips and let him take it."
Draco did as he was told – for once, and settled to watch his son feed. A minute later Persephone opened her mouth as well, but Harry simply put the other bottle to her lips and she began to feed as well.
"Harry..." Draco said nervously as he was settled properly, "How... did this happen. Men... they don't just get pregnant. I've never heard of this before..."
Harry laughed, "Nah, not an every day occurrence is it? This is the first case for 300 years or so. The couple has to be really magically powerful for there to be enough innate magic to cause the sperm to fuse together."
"Well... why were you the one who's pregnant then?" Draco asked curiously.
"'Cos. I have more innate magic than you do. It would always be me, just because I have more power." Harry explained.
"So I could never get pregnant?" Draco asked, not sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.
"Should think you could. Severus mentioned a potion that hadn't been used in decades that could make it happen. Noone uses it anymore or tries to, as it didn't work. The mechanics were there, it should work and everything, but the couples never had enough magic between them to fuel the reaction." Harry said.
Draco nodded and was silent for a minute, "So you didn't report that you were pregnant?"
Harry shook his head, "God no. I wanted as far away from magic as possible...when I cast it, it reminded me of killing Voldemort... and everything I had to feel to cast the curse. It still does. Only... five... six people know about them. People will find out eventually though, it'll be recorded in the book at Hogwarts." At Draco's enquiring look he explained, "There's a book, in Dumbledore's office I presume, that details every baby born that has enough magical potential to go to Hogwarts. It says the mother and father's names. I'll be under as the mother," he shuddered, "And you'll be the father. No one should look at it for a good ten years, but they'll all find out eventually."
Draco shook his head, "If you really wanted there'd be a way to shield the names of us." Harry didn't want to acknowledge him as the father?
"I'm not ashamed about it Draco," Harry said, eliminating Draco's fears, "It's just... you know. It's me. It's always me. If it happened to anyone else it would be front page news for a week and then over with, until the kid started Hogwarts or something. But it's me and you Drake," Draco's heart melted at the familiar endearment, "The Boy Who Lived... or what ever other pathetic name they have for me, and you, a spy for the light, a Death Eater. I can't handle that. If I could I would have stayed with Sirius and Remus the entire time."
Draco smiled widely, relieved beyond words and nodded, "It's OK Har, I get it."
"Good," Harry said and noticed that Sebastian had finished his bottle, "OK, Drake, take the bottle out," Draco did so and placed it on the coffee table," OK, pick him up and put him so he's slightly leaning over your shoulder. OK, lightly pat him on the pack until he burps."
Draco did so, and watched the baby in fascination, "This is just ... so... surreal." He admitted.
Harry chuckled, "I know. How do you think I reacted when I found out?"
Draco laughed, "I honestly don't know. I bet you fainted or something, you girl."
"Hey," Harry laughed, "I was really shocked!"
"You did faint?" Draco asked incredulously.
Harry nodded, "Yeah, I didn't know men could get pregnant did I? I was bloody shocked."
"How did you find out?" Draco asked, genuinely interested.
"Well we had these life classes in the last week of school, stuff for outside in the "real" world. In Potions we were making the Contraceptive Potion, and Severus mentioned men could get pregnant. I knew there and then that that was what was wrong. I found the Detection Spell and got Severus to cast in on me in detention that night. Then I collapsed. Not fainted." Harry told him.
Draco sniggered, "Collapsed? How did Black and Lupin take it?"
Harry snorted and put his daughter into the same position as his son, "Sirius thought that Severus was the father as was the one that broke the news to the two of them. He took me to his quarters after I collapsed. He firecalled them and they Floo-ed over. Remus was happy for me though... once he got over the shock. I stayed with them for a month or so after we left."
"You... you aren't expecting them are you?" Draco asked. He really wasn't up to seeing –and meeting the Azkaban escapee and werewolf for the first time today. They kept it secret in school and no one – apart from Finnigan and Thomas had known.
"Nah not today, but you never know. They all just pop in at any time. Oh... Seamus and Dean are coming for dinner now you mention it... oh shall I cook? Nah they can have Chinese..." Harry remembered.
"Maybe I should go..." Draco said awkwardly.
"No!" Harry exclaimed, "Stay. I... want you to stay." Only in the moment he said it did he realise it was true. He'd lost Draco once, and really wasn't in a hurry to do it again.
"Really?" Draco whispered.
"Yeah," Harry said sheepishly, "I lost you once Drake. I... don't want to do it again."
Draco smiled and looked at his son, "Me either Harry. I can't lose you again."
They looked at each other for the longest moment until the creaking of a front door was opened and then shut. Draco looked at Harry in alarm, who just shrugged.
"Hello?" Harry yelled.
"Hey Harry!" the voice yelled.
"Seamus," Harry informed Draco, who nodded and seemed to move a little bit closer to Harry.
"Why are you here so early?" Harry asked.
"Nice aren't you?" Draco asked smoothly.
"He's my best mate, we can insult each other as much as we feel like, it doesn't mean anything." Harry told Draco. He understood this perfectly well. It appeared Draco didn't.
"Of course Harry." He said patronisingly.
Harry rolled his eyes, and the living room door swung fully open, "Oh what the bloody hell happened to you?"
Seamus... well apart from the very confused expression on his face at seeing the twins' father, was wearing a very odd assortment of clothes. He wore a pair of black leather trousers with cut out panels, a bright lime green shirt that was only partially done up, and a large pair of dark sunglasses.
"Harry," he said slowly, "Tell me I'm hallucinating and that Draco fucking Malfoy is not sitting next to you. Tell me that that milk I drank this morning was three weeks old and not just one. Tell me I am not seeing this."
"No can do," Harry said cheerfully, and began to bounce Persephone on his knee. It struck Draco then that Harry may not just be slightly insane, but also suicidal.
Seamus spluttered, "Harry!"
"What?" Harry asked, acting as if he had no idea what Seamus was talking about.
"Malfoy, Harry! Do you remember what he did to you? He left you, you were pregnant! And he's just sitting by you, you sitting there without a sodding care in the world!" Seamus yelled.
"Look, Seamus, it was all a big misunderstanding." Harry said. He put his daughter in Draco's free arm and stood up.
"Has he put you under a spell or summat mate? Just fucking yesterday you were pissed at him, moaning at him leaving you and... he's just sitting there..." Seamus said trailing off to a whisper.
"I am not under a spell," Harry insisted, "Listen to me OK? He... his father took him from school. He was under the Imperious Curse when he broke up with me. The... then he was taken to his home and... Seamus, the Death Eaters are reforming. Lucius is leading them, they held him and tortured him. Then they finally decided to just let him die in peace, but he escaped and Apparated to Hogwarts and Severus found him."
"The Imperious?" Seamus asked dubiously, "Harry you aren't falling for this are you mate? That's the excuse all the bloody Death Eaters use when they give themselves up ent it? Tell me you don't honestly believe this bull shit."
"I do believe him yes. It all fits doesn't it? And Severus believes him. You know how bloody paranoid he is... he's not here is he?" Harry looked around the room and assumed that Severus had left the house when he'd left Draco and Harry to it, "Good... but I believe him, Seamus. He's... he's not here to upset me and disappear again. He's not here to get close to me and ... kill me. He's just here. He means no harm."
"How do you know?" Seamus shouted.
"I just do!" Harry bellowed, "I love him, I trust him. He's done absolutely nothing to warrant my distrust at all. Everything that made me hate him has been explained, he didn't do anything. Maybe I should apologise, I was the one who didn't look for him, I didn't believe that he wouldn't do that willingly. It was a matter of circumstance and bad fucking luck. It's Sods Law isn't it?"
"Harry," Draco said awkwardly from his seat, "This is in no way your fault OK?"
"But it's not yours either is it?" Harry insisted.
Draco couldn't say anything to this and he just diverted his attention to the babies in his arms. Harry whirled around to speak to Seamus again.
"OK." Seamus said, "Harry, I don't trust him. But... I will accept it OK? Bugger me you know Sirius will kill him?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah... well..." He didn't really have an answer for that.
"Exactly how are you gonna tell him?" Seamus persisted.
"Seamus," Harry moaned, "Why can't you just leave me in my little fantasy world for the tiniest bit longer hey? It's gonna be hard, I got that... but... we'll get through it."
"Fine... fine. I'll leave you be for a bit. Can I tell Dean?" Seamus asked.
"Yeah. And just why the bloody hell are you dressed like that?" Harry asked.
"Oh, it was a dare from Dean, don't you like it?" he asked innocently.
"You look... so... gay." Harry said despairingly, trying his very hardest not to laugh at his friend.
"Harry mate sorry to break it to ya I am gay. Very gay. I have a boyfriend, I live with him... hell I had sex on that couch. What do you expect?" Seamus said airily.
"Shit I was gonna burn this couch wasn't I?" Harry asked himself.
"I believe you mentioned it." Seamus waved it off, "Oh can I show Malfoy the pictures of you? You're so cute, bless you." He leant over and pinched Harry on the cheeks.
Harry scowled at him and batted his hands away, "You wanna see pictures?" He asked, not really wanting Draco to see him looking like a whale.
"Hell yeah," he said, "Like I said, I bet you were dead sexy when you were pregnant." He winked and grinned.
"Uh huh, yeah," Harry said sceptically, "I'll get them. Wait here, don't kill each other."
Seamus saluted Harry and nodded solemnly, while Draco just shot Seamus a funny look and then one at Harry saying plainly, 'And he's your best friend?' Seamus crawled across the couch and began cooing his Godchildren.
Harry decided they'd be fine and walked up the stairs to find the album Dean and Seamus had given him as a birth present. Well they'd called it a 'Now-it's-finally-fucking-over' present, and it was to remind him of the fantastic time he'd had when he was pregnant. Harry had promptly hit them round the back of the head and thanked them.
But before he found the blue album, he heard the front door shut, and a chill ran down his spine. He forgot all about the pictures, ran down the stairs as fast as he could, and was really quite horrified at what he saw.
Sirius and Remus had apparently dropped by for a 'surprise' visit. Each of them held a baby, and Draco was on the floor, holding his nose, Seamus attempting to help tend to his broken nose.
"What the fuck is going on?" Harry hissed and he pushed past Sirius and sat on the floor next to Draco.
"Your delightful Godfather decided to punch me," Draco said, dabbing his nose with the edge of his sleeve. Harry lightly brushed his fingers over the swelling and bleeding.
"HARRY!" Sirius yelled, "This... this is Malfoy! You know, the one who abandoned you! Ring any bells is your tiny mind?"
"Hey, leave me alone! And he hasn't done anything. He was kidnapped... that's why he wasn't here!"
"I could come up with a better sodding excuse than that Harry, that's absolute bollucks! Kidnapping? By who?" Sirius mocked.
"The Death Eaters, I told you he was a fucking spy, so believe me. They knew, his father found out that he was a traitor to the Dark sodding Lord. So he Polyjuiced him self and took him, after using the Imperious Curse on him to break up with me. He never wanted to OK? It wasn't his fault!" Harry shouted.
"How do you know all that's true Harry, it could all just be some cock and bull story he's made up to trick you!" Sirius yelled back.
"I was put under Veritaserum by my own Godfather, to make sure I was for real. He didn't want me hurting your Godson, or the children. If I was trying to hurt you, you'd know about by now." Draco snarled, and Harry recognised the boy he used to fight with years ago.
"Are you threatening me?" Sirius said in a low voice.
"No he's bloody not. He's not here to hurt me, or Sephy or Bast. He's just here, to... to try and make amends for lost time OK?" Harry insisted.
"But Harry... we can't ... I can't see you hurt again. What if he's not for real? What if it is all a lie?" Sirius said.
"Sirius I love him. I trust him, and it's not a lie. If it were I'd know. Please, if you can't trust him yet... will you trust me?" begged Harry.
Sirius was silent for a minute before he hesitantly nodded. Harry beamed, "Thank you Sirius. It means a lot to me." He turned to Remus who just gave him a weak smile.
"I hope I know what you're doing," he warned.
Harry nodded, "I do. I do."
"Then... it's OK with me." Remus told Harry.
"Thank you." Harry said softly. The five of them stood in an awkward silence before Seamus broke it in a way only he could, "Hey Harry can I have a beer?"
They broke into awkward laughter and Harry just said, "Since when did you ask?"
"Since I had someone new to impress. Honestly, I would have done more buttons up if I knew you had company!" He replied cheekily.
"No, you wouldn't." Sirius, Remus and Harry all said simultaneously. Suddenly Draco felt very out of place.
"Hey," Harry said suddenly, "You think that you three could... I dunno, take Sephy and Bast somewhere, shops or something, me and Draco... need to talk OK?"
Sirius nodded stiffly, "Sure. We'll go to the park or something."
"Can't," Seamus said, "Need to go and tell Dean so he doesn't do a Sirius on dear Malfoy here."
Draco just sneered at the Irish man. Seamus grinned back and said goodbye, and disappeared through the door. Remus and Sirius got the babies ready, while Harry and Draco just sat there. They disappeared out the front door quickly, leaving Draco and Harry to talk. And hell, did they have a lot to talk about? But just who was going to be the first to break the ice?
A/N - Thank you to my lovely reviewers, I very much appreciate all your input. I hope you like this chapter, and don't forget to review! I'll do a thank-you list next chapter!