AN: It took longer than expected to get this chapter out. Primarily because I had to rewrite it. So without further ado (don't you just love that phrase?) I give you my responses to reviews, and chapter nine.
Alyce: *huggles* No, I don't think you'll be too disappointed. Ooo, run0ins with Snape and Harry... *plots*
Headncloud: Why thank you.
Corgi1: *L* Thank you. I hope this chapter lives up to your standards.
Pixyfairy120: I've been updating as soon as I finish the chapters...
Kana-chan: *G* Thanks for the great review. But I won't confirm or deny your suspicions just yet. ;)
Wintermoon2: *L* You just asked a lot of question I can't answer without giving away the story...
Gryphnwng: Heh, I don't mind if you haven't reviewed before. What matters is that you're reviewing now!
Maximum Poofy-Pissed Off Queen: Names? ... I already have the baby's name, but I have yet to think of some others... ;)
Manda Lee04: *L* It's fun choosing names, ain't it?
Luceid: Heh. I just had to put that part in. I thought it was amusing too.
Lillie chan: Thanks. I needed to hear that. ;)
Layce74: *grins* thank you
Ashes7: Thank you. I do try to keep my stories original.
Crissy: Crazy is a good word for them.
Kitt: Yeah, I did find that Blaise could mean 'stammerer', but it also means 'priest' in Gaelic.
Venus4280: Wow. You really put a lot of thought into that, didn't you? Thank you. Well, I will say that I don't think you will be disappointed with my story... And, will *no one* vote for a boy? ;)
ShadowQuirk: Uhuh! I'm not going to answer that question. ;) But thank you for calling my story unique.
Iniysa: Thank you, and more is here.
Furies: Hmm, didn't think said young man with Snape would get so much attention... *G*
Andromeda's kitty: Luckily for you, you actually find out the gender in this chapter. *G*
Anita: o.O Wonderful, wonderful reviews from you. Thank you so much for all your praise. And did I mention that I love Escapology? Anyway, shall email you...
Anime_fan: Thanks for that site address. I'll probably use it too.
Sapphic Priestess: Heh. You'll just have to wait and see...
Leeanna-Marie-Malfoy: Funny? Really? Thank you.
Saavik13: Why wouldn't Harry name his baby? And no, you can't vote on the sex, but I don't think you'll be disappointed. Thank you for reviewing.
Chapter Nine:
Three days later, Harry was running late for Potions class, but he couldn't bring himself to be worried. He was too distracted by the news Madam Pomfery had given him when he'd gone for his fortnightly check-up that lunch hour. She had brought out the infant-scope again and ran it slowly over his distended belly, pointing out the different areas on the display and explaining what they meant. She had directed his avid gaze to a small box in the upper corner, and when Harry read what it said there, Harry had burst into tears, smiling all the while. He knew what gender his baby was.
The medi-witch had smiled fondly at Harry and packed away her equipment, giving Harry the time and privacy he needed to get a hold on his wayward hormones. Once he was more composed, Madam Pomfery had handed him a handkerchief to wipe his eyes, and then had surprised him by gathering him in a brief hug, congratulating him. As Harry stood to leave, readjusting his robes, Madam Pomfery reminded him of the date of his next check-up, and, almost as though it was an afterthought, she suggested the names of several books on the meanings of names and origins of the Naming Ceremony.
Now Harry was hurrying – hurrying, not running, because the girls would lambaste him if they found out he had run – down the corridors to the dungeon classroom. But not even the prospect of Snape's wrath could dim his euphoria. Harry paused outside the door to regain his composure and catch his breath. Knowing it was futile to try to wipe the grin off his face, he didn't even try. Instead, he hung his head in an attempt to hide his expression. He nudged the door open and shuffled in, hoping to avoid notice. Which, of course, was in vain.
"Potter," Snape purred, "How kind of you to grace us with your presence."
Not game to raise his head and let Snape see the expression on his face, Harry nodded mutely.
"Mr. Potter," Snape snapped, "When I address you, you will do me the courtesy of looking at me. Surely not even you could that much of fascination in your shoes?"
Harry sighed in defeat and bit the inside of his cheeks in a vain attempt to curb his smile as he slowly looked up. In the corner of his eye, Harry caught the sight of his friends relaxing as they realized he wasn't upset, but he didn't dare look at them. Instead, he met his professor's eye.
"Sorry sir," Harry murmured.
Snape sneered, "Do you find something amusing, Potter?"
Harry shook his head, "No sir."
"Then why," Snape growled, "the idiotic grin?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably, "I'm happy, sir."
Somebody snickered and Snape glowered, "Happy? To be in my class?"
Harry hastily opened his mouth to deny it, but saw the folly in saying that. His mouth snapped shut again. Snape's glare ratcheted up a notch, and Harry ventured a different answer.
"Sorry sir," Harry let his hand flutter to his abdomen in a subtle sign he was sure Snape would understand. He just hoped the man would respect his privacy, "I'm just happy."
Snape's eyes flickered briefly as he caught Harry's gesture and he coldly regarded the boy for a long moment. Harry shifted uncomfortably and Snape nodded decisively as though he had seen what he had been looking for. Turning on his heel, he stalked to his podium, "Detention with me, Friday night Potter. Eight o'clock. Do not be late."
Harry nodded and his grin finally broke lose. Snape looked up to find him still standing in the middle of the aisle.
"Well? Don't just stand there looking gormless! Get to your seat!"
Harry tamed his smile and turned to take a seat. Suspiciously, the only empty one was between Blaise and Hermione. Harry glanced askance at them. Usually, the two girls sat next to their boyfriends in Potions. The again, it was hardly surprising that the pair should chose to change their sitting arrangement for this lesson; the others had all known that Harry had planned on finding out the gender of his baby today.
Harry settled himself between the girls, but before either of them could ask anything, Snape resumed the lecture Harry's entrance had interrupted. But neither Blaise, nor even Hermione were paying attention to the professor; they both kept on sneaking glance in Harry's direction. At the bench in front of them, Ron, Dean and Draco kept shifting about impatiently.
Eventually, Snape dismissed the class to collect their ingredients, and underneath the cover of the general hubbub, Blaise hissed, "So?"
Harry just shook his head and indicated he talk once they were ready to start the potion. Hermione immediately jumped up and hurried over to the ingredients cupboard to gather what was required. By the time she was back, Blaise had set out all their equipment, and they – Draco, Dean and Ron included – all turned to Harry expectantly.
The devil on Harry's shoulder made him ignore them all as he opened his text and started to prepare the ground bicorn horn. Shortly, Blaise got tired of waiting again.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Harry asked innocently.
"Harry!" Hermione huffed and lowered her voice to a whisper, "What gender is your baby?"
Harry's smile stretched across his face as he set down his mortar and pestle. He grinned slyly at Hermione and poked her gently in the stomach. She looked at him in confusion for a moment then she squealed happily, and clapped her hands.
"A girl?" she shrieked under her breath, "You're having a girl?"
Before Harry could respond, Snape swept down on them, "Mr. Potter. You seem to have a singular talent for disrupting my class," he snarled, ignoring the fact that it had been Hermione who had squealed. "What is it this time?"
"Nothing sir," Harry muttered, and focused on julienning his horned slugs.
"It was my fault sir," Hermione interrupted, "Harry just told me why he was so happy."
"Indeed," said Snape coldly, "And would you care to share the news with the rest of the class?"
Hermione's mouth snapped shut and she flushed guiltily, "No sir. It's private."
"I see," Snape stared down his nose at Harry and Hermione, "Then I suggest you discuss it privately and not in my classroom. Ten points from Gryffindor." He turned on his heel and swept back up the aisle.
Next to him, Blaise whispered sotto voce, "So it's girl, Harry?" and Harry was quickly distracted as Ron, Dean and Draco edged backwards to hear his answer. Hermione was the only one that noticed Snape's stride falter briefly at Blaise's question, before he strode on. Hermione dismissed it as her imagination as she was drawn into her friends' conversation.
"Yes," Harry murmured, "I'm going to have a daughter."
His friends could hear how ecstatic Harry was at the prospect and they smiled.
"So you wanted a girl?" Ron whispered out to corner of his mouth.
Harry shook his head, but not in denial, "I didn't really care. I would have loved to have son just as much. But now I know she's a girl…" he grinned again.
"You were gone an awfully long time," Hermione hazarded, "There's not anything wrong is there?"
"No!" Harry hastily denied, "No, it was just stupid hormones."
The other boys snorted with laughter, unfortunately attracting Snape's attention.
"That's it!" he snapped," Potter! Front desk, immediately! You now have detention next Friday as well. The rest of you, five points off each."
He folded his arms and glared at the sextet as Harry meekly gathered his things and moved them to the front desk. His friends cast he sympathetic glances, while around them, the rest of the class worked studiously.
Had it been any other day, Harry would have scowled sullenly at being moved, but as it was he was just too happy today to let Snape's unfairness get to him. Instead, he calmly set out his ingredients and equipment, and went back to preparing the syllabus potion. As he cut, sliced, mashed, mixed and stirred according to the instructions, Harry let his mind wander to his baby daughter. Now that he knew she was girl, he could begin to fill in the details in his imagined life with her. He found himself decorating her bedroom and planning her first birthday. He had something more concrete to imagine now; himself and his baby daughter. Who, as yet, had no name. Harry began to run through all the girls' names he knew as he picked up the vial of Runespoor venom.
His hand was slammed back down on the desk. Angry hands clawed the small vial from his own.
"Potter," an irate voice hissed in his ear, "Did you not hear a word I said?"
Harry jumped, "Sorry sir?"
"I said, you dim-witted, foolhardy idiot, that the fumes from the Runespoor venom are harmful to smaller creatures, such as human infants, including those still in the womb. If you wish to kill your child, then that's fine by me, but you will not do it on my watch."
The blood drained dramatically from Harry's face and his hands took on a violent tremor. He hadn't been listening to Snape's lecture. He'd been relying on Hermione to know what to do, and it could have cost him his daughter. He stepped hastily away from the bench and ran into Snape's chest. Snape stiffened, but at first he didn't move and Harry was tempted to rest his weight on him. Then Snape moved away and raised his voice, speaking with no inflection at all.
"You're a foolish boy, Potter. Get out of my classroom."
Harry hurriedly gathered up his books and left the classroom on shaky legs.
Blaise was the first to find him, two hours later, in the library where he'd holed up. She sat down beside, moving a pile of books so she could see his face. Still somewhat pale-faced, Harry blinked at her then went back to staring blankly at the same page as he had for the last half hour. Blaise sat quietly by him for almost five minutes before she became impatient.
"Harry?" she said hesitantly, "Are you okay?"
Harry looked at her again. He sighed and pushed his book away, "Yeah, I'm okay, Blaise."
The Slytherin girl glanced around cautiously, "What happened in Potions today? One moment you were making your potion, the next Snape was kicking you out of the classroom."
Harry looked down at the table, picking intently at the graffiti there, "I was an idiot."
Blaise snorted, "You're always an idiot," she said with no malice, "What happened?"
Harry rubbed his thumb over a scratch in the table's surface and turned his head away from Blaise, "I didn't listen when Snape said the fumes of Runespoor venom were harmful to babies."
"Oh, Harry," Blaise sounded unusually sympathetic. She covered Harry's nervously picking hand with her own, "It was a mistake. Anybody could have made it. And Snape stopped you, right?"
Harry nodded, and Blaise awkwardly patted his hand, "See? So it's alright."
Harry wrenched his hand back, "No it's not alright, Blaise!" Blaise jerked back in surprise. Harry rarely raised his voice. "I could have killed her! She doesn't even have a name yet, and because I'm a self-centered git who never listens I could have killed her! My own baby!"
There came a soft gasp behind them and a startled "Harry?"
Harry and Blaise spun around and came face to face with a shocked looking Neville and Ginny.
"Oh shit," Blaise whispered, and Harry whole-heartedly agreed.
Ginny had one hand over her mouth, and her brown eyes were wide above it. "You have a baby?" she squeaked into her palm.
Blaise stood up, "Look Weasley, I've told you before to keep your little nose out of our business. That includes not eavesdropping on our conversations."
Ginny's eyes lit up with anger and her hand dropped to her hip, "I wasn't speaking to you. I was talking to Harry, and last time I checked, you weren't in control of his life too." Ginny and Blaise did not get along, and Ron was the ground they fought over. Ginny thought Blaise tried to control his life, and Blaise believed Ginny was jealous that a Slytherin could be such close friends with her brother and his best friends. Which probably wasn't far from the mark. "Besides, it's not like we meant to overhear. Harry was practically shouting."
Blaise folded her arms and sneered, "The fact the remains, Blue, you were eavesdropping, and –"
Harry stopped her with a hand on her arm, "Blaise, it doesn't matter." As much as he didn't like to admit it, it was his fault his two housemates had overheard. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted them to know just yet, but, while he knew Neville would respect his privacy, he wasn't sure he could say the same for Ginny if he didn't tell her now. "I have to tell everyone sooner or later. I might as well start here."
Harry ignored Blaise's aborted sound of protest and gestured for Neville and Ginny to sit with them, "I don't have a baby yet."
"Yet?" Ginny pounced on the word, "So you're going to have a baby?"
Harry couldn't help smiling, "Yeah. My little girl will be here around Easter."
"So that's why Mum said we should stay here for Easter!" Ginny exclaimed in realization. Then her face darkened, "She's known all along, hasn't she? And you didn't tell me."
"Harry doesn't have to tell you anything, Blue," Blaise snapped, but Harry shushed her. Through all this, Neville sat quietly, watching Harry.
"I didn't want many people to know, Ginny. I told Blaise and Ron and the others because they're my best friends. I told Dumbledore because, well, I had to, didn't I? He made me tell Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur, and the House Heads. And – besides Sirius – that's everyone that knows."
Ginny still looked mutinous, but she nodded. Then her face crumpled in a frown, " But I thought you were gay."
Harry blinked in confusion, "I am."
"But then, how'd you get a girl pregnant?"
Next to him, Blaise laughed. Harry elbowed her in the side and turned to Ginny.
"Ginny, I didn't get a girl pregnant…"
Ginny said, quite eloquently, "Huh?" and Blaise laughed again. Harry sighed.
"It's you," Neville said quietly, "isn't it? You're pregnant."
Ginny's head snapped around so quickly Harry was sure she'd get whiplash. Her expression was gobsmacked. The idea had obviously not occurred to her. Harry ignored her expression, though beside him Blaise snickered again.
"Yeah," he said to Neville, a wry grin on his face, "I'm pregnant. But I don't want everybody to know just yet, so please don't say anything?"
Neville just stared at him for a moment, before a small smile flitted across and he nodded, "Okay Harry. On one condition."
Harry frowned, "What?"
Neville smiled broadly, "I want to be there when you tell the rest of the school."
Harry and Blaise laughed.
AN: Not sure what I've done to Ginny. And where that feud thing between her and Blaise came form, I don't know. I hope it didn't make you all hate Blaise, because I quite like her. And before any of you ask, no, Neville doesn't know anything. I just happen to like Neville, so I made him more observant and self-possessed.
I originally had more of this chapter. I had Harry telling Hagrid and then the rest of the school, but the chapter just wasn't working. I've already re-written what there is of this chapter. And I think I'm going to rearrange the time-line a little too. Annnyway, hope you liked the chapter. I don't. Except for the Runespoor part. *grins*