Chapter 17: Welcome Ebony!
It hurt. It really hurt bad. It felt like someone was gripping his insides and was trying to tear him apart. It did not stop, it did not get better, in fact, it even got worse. Harry didn't know how long he was in pain now, but it seemed like eternity.
"I am going to have a look at you again my dear," Poppy announced and Harry suppressed a groan. He did not like Poppy touching him there poking around in his too female body, making him ache even more.
Though, when she finally took away her fingers this time, she smiled at him brightly. "Very good, Harry. You are completely dilated now and you can begin to push with the next contraction. It shouldn't take too long now until your little girl is born," she announced.
"Did you hear that, Harry? It's almost over now," Severus soothed, brushing some sweaty strands of hair from Harry's forehead before placing a cool cloth to his heated skin. Severus had been with him for the entire labor time, holding his hand, rubbing his aching back and trying everything to lessen the pain.
"Yes, I heard her, Severus and I also heard that she said I had to push," his voice grew louder as the pain increased, "Damn, how am I supposed to push when I hardly can stand the pain as it is?" he cursed. Harry wished it would just be over. He wanted to be done with it, he had had enough pain for today.
Then, the next contraction hit him and Poppy advised him, "Harry, put your chin on your chest and push downward." She turned to look at Severus and placing the Potion Masters 's hand just above Harry's neck said "Severus, you can support his head."
Taking a deep breath, Harry did as he had been told. He cried out when the pain increased tenfold, ripping a burning trail through his abdomen. "I can't!" he sobbed, tears running down his cheeks. "It hurts too much. I just can't! Please don't make me. Her head will never fit through my pelvis, I am just not made for this!"
"I know it hurts, Harry and I am sorry, but the spell I used on you to heal your injuries this morning has not completely worn off yet. I can't use a pain-reducing spell on you right now," Poppy apologized, patting his hand slightly in an attempt to comfort him. "I promise, as soon as the other spell wears off, I will take away most of the pain. You have done so well during the last eight hours and you are progressing quickly. Just a little bit longer, dear," she tried to encourage him.
Harry froze. Had she just said eight hours? He looked at Severus who did not seem to be even the slightest bit surprised. "Eight hours?" Harry finally asked, throwing both of them terrified glances. "You mean this usually takes even longer than the eight fucking hours I am suffering already?" he yelled.
Poppy only smiled at him patiently, replying, "Yes, Harry, up to ten hours is perfectly within the time-frame for someone giving birth for the first time – I believe for muggles it even takes longer to give birth."
"That's not helping, you know?" Harry hissed. "Because I am pretty sure most of the witches and wizards who are in labor for ten hours do get pain-medication of sorts. I sure as hell know muggles do."
Sighing slightly, Poppy said, "I know that, Harry and I would do something against the pain, but as I told you before it will have to wait until the spell I used this morning wears off and you concussion is gone completely. I am sorry, Harry, but there is nothing I can do now. I had no way of knowing you would go into labor or else I would have used a less complicated spell, one that might be compatible with the spell used for numbing your spinal nerves."
Turning away from her, Harry begged, "Severus, say something, do something, please!" Severus really had been awfully silent for the last few minutes. "Don't you have a potion I could take? Really, I can't do this. I… I've changed my mind…" he stuttered. "I don't want to be pregnant any more, I want it to stop hurting. Please!"
Severus sighed. He hated to see Harry in pain, but he knew the risks of mixing up spells that could react badly together. There was nothing he could do for Harry, because every potion he could give Harry would risk Ebony's health. So, gripping Harry's hand tightly and leaning over to kiss the crown of his head, Severus softly said, "Harry, I know you are hurting and I know you want it to stop, but I have to agree with Poppy. It's too dangerous to treat you before the other spell is completely gone, and all of the pain potions I have will endanger Ebony."
He winced inwardly when he saw the look of betrayal that entered Harry's eyes, but then vanished again as quickly as it had appeared. It looked like the boy did not believe him. "If you say, so Severus." Harry finally murmured, then gasping in pain when the next contraction gripped him.
"Take a deep breath, Harry, put your chin to your chest and push." Poppy instructed once again and Harry could have strangled her. It's easy to give orders when you are not the one in pain he thought angrily.
When the pain subsided, Severus once again wiped Harry's forehead with a soft cool cloth before kissing the hand he was holding in his own. "I am so proud of you, Harry," Severus whispered. "You are doing such a good job delivering our daughter. I am sure it won't be too long now until Poppy can do something about the pain." He said, looking at his watch.
"I do hope you are right." Harry said, sinking back into the pillows and taking a deep breath to steel himself for yet another wave of pain.
ooOoo
"Do come in!" Albus Dumbledore called out tiredly. This day was getting worse and worse. First his discussion with Severus, then an equally bad one with Minerva, who was just short of hexing him for his stupidity, and now he would have to tell Ron and Hermione what had happened. He didn't look forward to this talk, either.
The young couple had taken a seat in front of his desk, and were looking at him expectantly. For once, he didn't offer tea or lemon drops to them, he just sat there, gathering his thoughts. He really had messed it up this time.
Finally, when the silence became uncomfortable, Albus spoke. "I know you are curious as to why I have asked you to come," he began.
The two of them nodded.
Rubbing his temple, Albus took a deep breath and said without further ado, "Harry and Severus found out about our role in the Daily Prophet incident."
Ron didn't look too worried, but Hermione gasped and paled noticeably.
"Further, I have to tell you, that Harry was very upset and tried to leave the castle in the middle of the night, which lead to an unfortunate accident. To be specific – he fell off the moving stairs," Albus stated, twinkle absent from his eyes and his voice grave.
This time, Ron paled too. Both of them were up out of their seats in an instant, simultaneously trying to talk to Albus, asking him if Harry was ok.
Gesturing for them to sit down again, the Headmaster once again spoke. "Severus found Harry and brought him to Madame Pomfrey in time. No permanent damage was done, but I believe the trauma sent him into labor. He is about to give birth, I believe. Wait…" he stopped Ron and Hermione who had risen from their seats once again, ready to turn around and head to the infirmary.
"I am afraid you can't go to him now. None of us can, in fact, Harry does not wish to see any of us and it seems like Poppy and Severus are determined to make sure Harry gets what he wants," Albus explained, watching the reaction of the two wizards in front of him.
Ron looked dumbfounded while Hermione's eyes filled with tears. "I don't understand…" Ron stammered. "I thought he wanted to be with Professor Snape, he said so himself. Now he has him, is even married to him, but instead of being grateful he hates us for it? I don't get it … I just don't get it. I thought he was happy being married…"
Wiping her eyes, Hermione looked at her boyfriend like he had lost his mind. "Ron, don't you get it? Harry is far from being happy in this marriage. Both of them are, in fact, unhappy. You know he has been depressed and it was getting worse day by day!" she snapped, torn between anger and shame for what they had done to their best friend.
Looking confused and a bit angry as well, Ron replied, "But Poppy told us it was a pregnancy thing. Mood swings happen all the time with pregnant people."
"Seriously, Ron…" Hermione was about to tell him that this was not some simple pregnancy induced mood swing, but Albus cut her off by stepping between the two of them.
"Ron, Hermione, please!" he said in a defeated voice, holding up his hands. He sounded tired and old. "I think we all know very well, that the marriage between those two did not turn out like we hoped it would. What we need to do now is think of something to set things straight again."
Still confused as well as angry about the fact that the other seemed to have known something he obviously had missed, Ron snapped, "You are the Headmaster of this school, I am sure you can go to the infirmary if you want to. I don't think there are wards that could keep you out, are there?"
Sighing inwardly about that statement, Albus turned to face Ron and answered calmly, "No, Ron, indeed, there are no wards that could keep me out. My common sense, however, does. One would think it would not be wise to storm in there, disrespect Harry's wishes again, anger his already furious husband even more and just demand he lets us stay. That would be a bit rash, don't you agree? No, we will have to let things cool down a bit. For one, I don't want an angry Potions Master, a livid medi-witch, and certainly no powerful savior of the wizarding world after me, Headmaster or not. Secondly, as bad as it sounds, we must come to terms with the fact that we might lose him as it is. Harry does not take betrayal lightly, as you know," he sighed, looking at Ron and Hermione expectantly.
There was silence for a while, before Hermione asked, "So what do you suggest?"
ooOoo
Fortunately for Harry, Severus had been right – it had not taken much longer until Poppy was able to cast that pain reducing spell. Now, about an hour and a half later, Harry finally felt his daughter slip free from his body. He sobbed, overwhelmed by the feeling of pure joy rushing through him.
"She is perfect!" Severus whispered a moment later, taking the angrily crying child from the medi-witch's arms. He held his daughter down for Harry to see, opening the pink blanket she was wrapped in a bit to show Harry her little feet and hands.
Harry reached out for Ebony and cradled her to his chest, trying to calm her down. "Shush, don't cry love. Daddy's got you." he whispered to her and it seemed to work. Ebony stopped her crying and looked up to her two fathers, frowning a bit when Harry shifted her.
"You were right, you know," Harry said, looking up at Severus. "About her appearance, at least," Harry elaborated, but Severus didn't seem to know what he was talking about. He looked at Harry questioningly.
"Don't you remember what you said about a daughter of mine? After training when we were talking about family. I told you I'd liked to have a daughter first if I could choose. And you said, I quote, A daughter? You? And I would have to teach her sooner or later. Merlin, I can imagine her. Ebony hair, emerald eyes, skin like expensive china and your talent for getting in trouble. What are you going to call her? Snow-white?
I didn't call her snow-white and I don't know about her talent for getting in trouble yet, but look at her, Severus. She is just like you described her."
Surprised Severus did just that - look. Harry was right, she was all that. Her eyes were as startling green as her fathers, her skin, though still a bit too pink form birth, would be a creamy white color and the patch of silky hair was as black as night. It was even darker than Harry's unruly locks.
As he watched, Ebony's eyelids began to flutter shut, her tiny pink mouth opening in a huge yawn. She looked quite adorable. Severus felt overwhelmed by love for her, his eyes filling with tears. "She is so beautiful, Harry!" he whispered, his throat tight with emotion.
"Yes, she is." Harry agreed. "And she is ours – yours and mine. Our perfect daughter." At this moment Harry was at peace – if only for a little while.
ooOoo
It was quite some time later, Ebony and Harry were having a nap after this eventful day, when Poppy came over to Severus. He was sitting in a chair by Harry's bed, watching them sleep, when the medi-witch touched his shoulder and gestured for him to follow her.
When they were in her office, she turned to look at Severus. "You should tell him!" was all she said and Severus looked at her surprised.
"Tell him what, Poppy?" the Potions Master asked, though he knew perfectly well what she was talking about.
Sighing, she elaborated. "You should tell him that you love him. He needs to hear it, you know?"
"Did he say that?" Severus asked, suddenly feeling cold. Had Harry talked to her about this topic? Had he told her what he was not able to tell him, Severus?"
"He didn't need to, it is quite obvious." Poppy replied, rolling her eyes and leaving him alone with his thoughts.
Severus stood there, in the middle of Poppy's office, dumbfounded. He wondered if she might be right. Why not try it? What did he have to lose now, anyway? It couldn't get any worse, could it?
TBC
A/N: Thank you for all the great reviews. I appreciate it. No, this is obviously not the end...LOL. I am still working on this fic, but RL is being a bitch and I am pretty busy right now. BUT I have good news: Chap 18 is already half way done, so chances are good you won't have to wait for it two months once again grin Please let me know what you think of the chap? Liked it? Hated it? Suggestions? Thanks!