Chapter Nine
Rita Skeeter's Plan
The next day, Hedwig came in with the newest edition of the Daily Prophet. Harry, Hermione and Draco were sitting in the living room when she came flying over to Harry.
"Hey there, girl," Harry greeted to the snowy Owl. She hooted in reply and he took the Daily Prophet and scanned over it. His eyes instantly widened and put his mask went back on.
"What is it, Harry?" Draco asked. Harry shook his head wildly. Draco sighed and snatched the paper from Harry's grasp. His eyes widened and let Hermione read it as while.
HARRY POTTER BOY-WHO-LIVED or BOY-WHO'S-GONE-DARK?
It seems as though Harry James Potter, the only known person who survived The Dark Lord's Killing Curse, and is now nicknamed 'The Chosen One', joined the Dark Lord's ranks. Even though that You-Know-Who is destroyed, the death eaters have yet to stop their killings of innocents. But our once Savior of the Light has betrayed us all. Everyone wants to send him to Azkaban for the most horrible crimes he has committed. If anyone wants him to go to the wizard prison then they can inform Minister Cornelius Fudge, or myself, and I will inform him as soon as possible. Thank you for letting me take the time to tell you what a devious demon Harry James Potter truly is. He is not our savior. He is not the Chosen One. He is far from it. In fact, I would have to say he is worse than the Dark Lord and Death Eaters put together. Rita Skeeter Harry bolted from the room. Hermione was growling. "That…bitch." Draco's eyes widened. "Herm, I have never heard you of all people curse before." "I HATE Skeeter, Dray, she ALWAYS made up stories about Harry and I being together – and she made everyone believe he was twelve when he was in the Tri-Wizard tournament. Now she has the gull to do this – I can't believe she AND the – well, it's not that hard to believe – want to put him in Azkaban! He's done nobody harm, she's just making the stories up! Ugh! I can't STAND her!" Draco nodded silently. "I know…I'm gonna go see how Harry is doing. After learning this, not well I presume." Hermione nodded and watch Draco leave the room. She sighed and hid the paper as Sirius and Lily came in. Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Did I see Harry run out? What happened?" She played with her hands, trying to make them believe she had not heard Sirius at all. Lily raised an eyebrow. "Come, Mione dear, I know you're hiding something. Let me see." Hermione, with closed eyes, handed her the paper and instantly began sobbing. Sirius sat on the left hand side of the couch she was on and placed a hand on her shoulder, just as Lily shrieked. "THEY CAN'T DO THAT!" she yelled. She passed the paper to Sirius, whose eyes scanned over it. He paled drastically. "No…" he was about to get up to go and see Harry, but Hermione stopped him."Draco's with Harry, and I think that's what's best for him at the moment," Hermione stated. Sirius sighed in defeat and sat back down on the couch as Remus cam in and saw the trio on the couch gazing sadly at the ceiling. Hermione had tears in her eyes and Sirius wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.
"What did I miss?"
"A lot, my love, a lot."
Harry cried into his pillow. He didn't want to go to Azkaban prison. No. He couldn't. He didn't set up those attacks – Skeeter made the whole bloody thing up!
Crying loudly, he didn't hear Draco entering the room. The blond looked at him sadly before walking over quietly and picking him up and resting him in his lap. He let Harry cry on his shoulder.
"Harry…shush," Harry continued to sob. "I don't wanna go to Azkaban, Draco- I don't…I can't…I don't think I could … survive."
"Harry, you will NOT go to Azkaban!" Draco exclaimed. "I won't let them take you away. And you know what? Neither will your mother, Sirius, Remus, Uncle Sev, Hermione, I'm not sure about Krum, but –"
Harry chuckled and relaxed in Draco's arms. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"You always seem to cheer me up…oh…oh…"
"What is it?"
In seconds, Harry bolted for the bathroom. Draco ran quickly after him and found his lover on the floor. He was throwing up.
"Harry!" he cried and ran over. He lifted his hair so he wouldn't get any on it and rubbed his back gently.
"Damn morning sickness," Harry coughed. Draco took a piece of toilet paper and wiped his mouth gently. Then he used his wand so that Harry would have better breath. Harry lay his head against Draco's shoulder and sighed.
"Are you all right?" Draco asked worriedly.
"There are only three miracles this year," Harry stated causing Draco to raise an eyebrow. "You and me, my mother, and our baby," he said, rubbing his stomach.
Draco wrapped his arms around Harry and held on tightly. "Mm…I'm glad we got together too, Harry. If we hadn't, then we wouldn't have our precious child growing inside you."
He smiled and kissed Draco before walking out of the bathroom and back to his bedroom, with the blond following closely behind. A wave of dizziness hit him, but Draco caught him before he fell to the ground and risk hurting the baby at such an early stage.
"Oh gods, are you all right?" Draco asked, his heart beating so loud he thought that China could hear it. "You scared me half to death."
Harry chuckled weakly. "I'm fine, Dray, no need to worry – it's just something that comes along with pregnancy. That's all."
The blond nodded, sighing. "Well, I hope it doesn't scare me like that again."
"You might get a lot of shocks during the next nine months," Harry said, smirking at Draco's wide eyes.
After a while, it was all silence. When Draco looked at Harry again, he was asleep. He sighed and kissed him on the forehead before walking out of the room.
Remus' eyes widened. "No, they can't do this."
Sirius sighed. "I'm afraid they can, Moony. But we're trying hard. Snape went to Dumbledore to get things hopefully straightened out with both Skeeter and Fudge – though I don't know how much good it'll do. They both hate Harry with a passion – I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't throw him to Azkaban right on the spot. He doesn't deserve to go there, Moony. I don't want him to suffer through what I did…"
Remus wrapped his arms around Sirius and hugged him tightly. "We'll all make sure he won't – what with him being pregnant, we'll never let them take him."
A few minutes later, Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic came over. Dumbledore came right after, with a sad look on his face. Sirius held his breath, and Remus held his hand tightly, slightly nervous himself.
"Where is the boy, Albus?" Fudge growled. "I will not waste my time here when I can put that boy in Azkaban where he belongs!"
Sirius growled, causing the Minister to jump out of his skin. "Black, you have complaints, I'm assuming?"
"Damn right I do, Minister," Sirius growled. "You know yourself that Harry doesn't even belong in Azkaban - you're just buying into Rita Skeeter's lies!"
Fudge smirked. "You know for a fact you're lying, Black. Now, where is the boy?"
Draco came down into the kitchen to get some water for himself and Harry, and he stopped dead when he heard the Minister's voice. "Where is that boy, Black? You know I can't wait all day. I'd like to put that boy in prison, where he belongs!"
Draco dashed upstairs into the Harry's room and locked the door. Harry sat upright in bed, startled. "Dray, what's – "
"Fudge is here," Draco stated upon greeting. "He's here to…to take you… oh, Harry!" he instantly ran over and hugged the crying boy who was pregnant with his child. He would never let the Minister take his baby and his lover to Azkaban – they would never survive.
"POTTER! I know you're in there! Get out here!" the Minister barked. It seemed he was now right outside the room. Harry held his breath and hugged Draco tighter than ever before. He couldn't – he wouldn't let Harry go to Azkaban.
"I'm dreadfully sorry, Minister, but I believe you have the wrong person," Draco drawled as he draped the Invisibility Cloak hurriedly around Harry.
"Who are you? Give me Potter!" Fudge declared.
"Oh, Cornelius? I don't know what the hell you're doing but I will not let my son go to Azkaban!" a woman's stern voice declared at the Minister, who turned around and saw Lily Potter glaring at him hatefully. "You know my son would never hurt a fly – so be gone!"
"Well, well, if it isn't Lily Evans Potter," Fudge sneered. "Come to see your son and say bye-bye?" he asked.
Lily glared at the Minister just as Severus walked into the room. "Well, Minister, I highly think that your services are no longer required."
"What are you talking about, Serverus?" Fudge sneered. "I'm here for Potter."
Just then, gusts of wind surrounded the Minister and caused him to fly out the nearest window and lie on the tree.
"What the hell just happened?" Sirius asked no one in particular.
"What is it?" Draco asked from inside the room.
"The Minister was blown out of the house!" Sirius exclaimed.
"It's believed that when the dead become mad at someone who hurts their loved ones, or try to, bad things can happen to that person," Remus explained.
Lily looked at him oddly. "What are you saying, Moony?"
"I believe that Prongs was here to rescue Harry," Remus said simply. "It would explain why a gust of wind would be so powerful as to lift that man even the tiniest bit into the air."
Sirius laughed. "Good ol' Prongs. Boys, I think it's safe to come out now."
The door opened slowly and it appeared that only Draco came out. "Where's Harry?" Sirius asked in confusion.
Lily shrieked and laughed. "Harry, don't do that!"
Harry smirked and came from under the Cloak. Sirius grinned. "There you are."
He nodded and turned to look out the window. "What do we do if he comes back?" he asked, clearly not having heard the conversation about James.
"I think dear Prongs will take care of him from now on," Sirius said and Harry looked at him as if to say 'you're crazy'. Remus chuckled. "It's true, Harry. You see, when one of the dead loved ones are hurt, they take extreme actions against the person who tries or hurts them."
"So…the wind was…Dad?" Harry asked.
"I believe it was," Remus replied. "Come now, let's all go into the kitchen."
A few hours later, it was time for Harry and Draco to go out to dinner. He had all ready had the meeting with Krum.
Draco was anxiously awaiting Harry. Lily laughed at the expression on his face. "Don't worry, Draco dear, you look fine."
Footsteps were heard seconds later, and Draco held his breath. Harry came down dressed in dark, black leather pants and a white shirt, which was slightly covered by a black vest. His hair was still the same, though brushed back a little. If Draco didn't know any better, he'd also guess that Harry was wearing black eye shadow. In his opinion, Harry was absolutely stunning. When Harry came down, Draco took his hand and led him out of Grimmauld Place. "You look absolutely stunning, m' dear."
Harry blushed. "Thanks."
"Oh, come now, Har, there's no need to be so embarrassed, you're with me," Draco purred.
Harry blushed and took Draco's hand as they apparated.
If anyone could see James Potter now, his ghostly figure would be staring in shock at both boys, but … proud just the same.
And, if anyone dared hurt his son or wife again (watch out Snivellus) – they'd be dead right next to him, and in a world of hurt.
A/N:
Chapter nine finished! I love this chapter… it has some hilarity. Not much, though. I do hope next chapter will be even better. I'm going to skip a few months of Harry's pregnancy right after next chapter is finished. But thanks! REVIEW PLEASE!
