Wizards, Elves, Mates-Oh My! - Chapter Six
When Harry woke he noticed his body was no longer in pain, it was simply numb. Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't stand pain and the pain he had would just kill him if it had continued.
The door opened to allow a stream of light into the room. When the door closed, Harry panicked briefly before he whispered Lumos. The result was a blinding flash of light as three wands lit, plus the light fixtures in the room. Harry yelped as the light burned the back of his eyeballs. He quickly pulled the blanket up over his head to block it out.
"Nox. It's safe to come out now Harry, the lights are off. Well, dimmed."
"George?" Harry croaked, his voice rough from sleep and tissue damage.
"Yup and I have food along with this other creature. I think his name is Gred, but I'm not really sure." Harry smiled weakly. The twins sat down on the bed. George placed a tray filled with food on Harry's legs.
"You think I can eat all this?"
"No, you eat the soft stuff, we eat the hard stuff." George winked. Fred just laughed but Harry blushed before smacking George on the shoulder.
"Alright, we'll be good but you need to eat-you've been out cold for two days." Fred gave Harry a stern look, just as George lifted a spoon of porridge to Harry's mouth. Harry glared at George, turning his head away – he was not a baby, he could feed himself. Sadly he was met by another spoon, this one held by Fred.
"I'm not hung-"
George shoved his spoon into Harry's mouth silencing any protests Harry may have had.
"You just think you're not hungry."
Harry jumped, choking on his porridge at the new voice.
"What are you doing here Snape?" Harry croaked after he got air back in his lungs (thanks to the twins smacking him on the back).
"Making sure you can sit up in the mornings," Snape drawled, slowly walking to stand behind George. Harry just blinked up at him, Seve-Snape wasn't wearing his robes. Instead he was wearing a short sleeve shirt and plain black pants. When Harry saw the marking around Snape's bicep, a blush spread over Harry's cheeks and he quickly looked away.
"Just eat your food. George, Fred come with me," Snape commanded before walking out.
"But-"
"Harry-"
"Now," Snape snapped. Fred and George both heaved a sigh. George pushed off the bed, placing a soft kiss on Harry's forehead, and put the spoon on the tray before taking a few steps away from the bed. He waited for Fred to repeat the process. When the twins were again standing together they both walked out.
Harry slowly ate the bowl of porridge that was in front of him. When he had finished that, he moved on to the yogurt. Just as he finished the last spoonful the door swung open.
"Wow your fat." It slipped out of Harry's mouth before he could stop it. He kinda felt bad about it but like they say; the truth hurts. Well, when you're as skinny as Draco even a little bump looked huge.
"And you're a skeleton. What's your point?" Draco growled. Harry couldn't stop staring-Draco's stomach was bulging out in front of him, his shirt was stretched tight over the bump in a very familiar way. It was obviously a shirt that he wore before he got the bump. The weird thing was Draco looked happy, rubbing his hands over the bulge.
"When did you get so fat?"
Draco growled smacking Harry on the shoulder lightly. "I'm not fat, but it happened a month ago, well it started to show a month ago." Draco smiled warmly, almost hugging his stomach.
"If you don't consider yourself fat, then what do you consider fat?"
"Not fat, pregnant, and if I had to guess it won't be long 'til you're also pregnant." Draco's smile was arrogant but for some reason Harry found it almost cute. Harry started to smile before what Draco said sunk in. Harry's jaw slackened, falling open. His eyes widened until they filled the lenses of his glasses.
"But your…I'm…we…guys… no pregnancies, not possible," Harry gasped.
"You are very articulate." Draco smirked. "Harry, we're wizards, magic makes almost anything possible, meaning male pregnancies are possible. And if you need proof I'm a prime example." Draco sat on the edge of Harry's bed as he spoke, smiling down at his tummy as if it held the best secret in the world. Then again, a child is perhaps the most precious thing in the world. As Draco sat, Harry inched to the other side of the bed, hoping to escape from the crazy person on the opposite side.
"Harry, it's normal in the wizarding world- but I guess you're not a wizard, are you?" Draco tried to explain. It only served to rile Harry up more.
Harry felt like his stomach was trying to crawl into itself (Much the same feeling as when you go on a roller coaster)
"What do you mean I'm not a wizard? Of course I am," Harry protested.
"Maybe half… what's your mother's side?" Draco asked, looking genuinely curious.
"I'm not telling you! Why are you here anyway? Get out!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Draco looked as if he was going to cry.
"Draco-" Harry tried to say but he was lost for words.
"Draco, you are not supposed to be in here." Both boys looked over to the door to see Lucius standing just inside the door. The lights were low enough that the boys hadn't noticed the door open but they showed enough for everyone inside the room to see everyone else.
"Harry, how are you feeling today? Draco let's go."
"Fine- wait! Draco, you said I wasn't a wizard, so what am I?"
Lucius turned to Draco, one elegant blond eyebrow raised. "You were not supposed to tell him till his birthday Draco. Just because you're pregnant does not mean you can break rules, punishment can and will still be given." Draco just looked guilty, his head hung and blond hair covered his eyes.
"Just tell me!" Harry snapped. He was sick of being in the dark (figuratively).
"Harry. You will know soon, your birthday is tonight and everything will become clear then. For now please stay calm, we will be here but you must be calm when it happens- after we will explain," Lucius explained calmly. He didn't try to touch Harry as much as he wanted to hug the boy (stupid mate instincts). He didn't want to scare him anymore then he knew he was.
"If you wish, we can send Fred and George to you."
"Actually they are umm…busy right now." Draco perked up, smiling slightly as a light blush brushed over his nose. Harry blinked- confused for a moment before he turned red, the heat spreading to the very tips of his ears, which were starting to point. Draco laughed at Harry but Lucius ended his laughter with a quick swat to Draco's butt.
"Leave Harry alone. Harry eat more, relax and if you feel something is wrong, call." Lucius intertwined his fingers with Draco's before turning and heading for the door.
"Eat Harry, you'll feel better," was his final comment before he dragged Draco from the room.
Harry slowly ate the rest of the soft food on the tray. It took Harry almost an hour to finish the food and when he finished he cast a tempus. It was 11:32 at night, meaning Harry was going to change, if he was to believe Draco and Lucius, in half an hour. Harry was enough of a freak, he didn't want to become even more of a physical outcast.
Harry didn't know how long he stayed under the blanket, but he was hoping the heat he was feeling was from his stay under the blanket and not from his body changing. His chest was the hottest part of him, and the heat was spreading slowly through his body.
The heat eventually forced Harry out from under the blanket, sweat dripping off his chin. Harry was close to panting. 'Why am I so hot?' Harry thought, forcing the blanket off his legs. Harry could feel the air, biting cold, caress his legs. He wanted to leave the blankets but at the same time he really didn't want to. The cold air was like birds pecking and clawing at his legs, torso and arms. Harry wasn't sure what made him do it, but he called for what he knew were his mates.
"Severus, L-Lucius, Fred, George Dracooo-" The heat intensified as Harry said his mates' names, until he could only moan. It felt like his whole body was melting only to be forced back together by invisible hands.
"We're here, Harry. Just breathe, the heat will pass." Harry couldn't tell who was talking but he really wanted to slap them. How does one breathe when air refuses to enter one's lungs? That's when the pain struck.
Harry clawed at his hips, trying with all his might to tear the bind that was squeezing there, burning his hips away. Two sets of hands clamped around his own hands, holding them pressed into the mattress.
"Hurts," Harry gasped out. He had felt pain over and over again in his life, from his uncle's beatings to Voldemort's cruciatus, but the pain filling his body now was by far the worst.
"I know baby, now you need to breathe. Deep breaths. The pain will fade."
"Luc, he's burning up!"
"That's Draco and I's fault, it will pass."
Harry really hoped so, but he wondered why it was Draco's and Lucius' fault for him feeling so hot? Was the burning their fault too? Harry couldn't worry about it now. So he focused solely on his breathing. Finally, when it became a steady rhythm, the heat left, but the pain remained. Harry only had a few moments before his body was filled with a bone-cracking cold. Harry tried to breathe normally but the cold was all consuming. It felt as if he was going to break; shatter from the cold filling his body. The only thing Harry could do was release another scream.
"Would you stop that! You're scaring the baby!"
Harry almost wanted to laugh but didn't-'maybe I'm just hallucinating from the pain and temperature changes,' Harry thought.
"Maybe you should leave, Draco," Lucius whispered.
"I'm not leaving-he's the last and I want to watch," Draco protested quickly. He had already watched as his father's band-which looked more like a vine than Snape's broken glass-changed from black to swirling silver and golds. Now Severus' band was slowly starting to turn dark forest greens with a deep ocean blue swirling within it, but as it did Harry shivered and screamed. Draco almost felt sorry for the boy, except he had gone through the same thing and to make it worse he was now pregnant and every scream Harry let out caused the baby to jump which made Draco feel quite nauseous- -so he couldn't really feel bad for Harry.
"Draco-" Severus growled lightly, while forcing Harry's arm back down (the boy was rather strong for being so thin).
"I'm fine, I want to be here!" Severus and Lucius shared a look before giving in.
"Fine but if you start feeling off-" Lucius started.
"I'll leave and take one of the twins with me!" Draco promised, hoping the extra protection would please his dominant mate.
"Hey, we're busy here!" Fred protested. The twins both had to grab Harry's legs as he started to panic at the pain and had kicked out.
"Yeah but…is he supposed to be getting thinner?" Draco questioned, causing all his mates to turn back to Harry. Sure enough, Harry was becoming thinner. His waist started to pull in, his arms and hands becoming leaner and longer as did Harry's legs. But before anyone could say anything, Harry's muscles grew replacing what little fat Harry had just lost. At the same time, Harry grew longer-or rather, taller. Harry's ears even became slightly longer, giving way to a graceful point.
Harry felt it all, and his back arched in pain. As he screamed, his throat gave way so Harry could only open his mouth in a silent scream. When the pain finally gave way, Harry could only lie panting. His hips started to ache again which Harry could only whimper at. He didn't have the strength to even move anymore.
This time it was the twins whose bands changed. The twins both had bands that crossed their chest like a sash, which stopped just under their pecks and wrapped over their right shoulder. Their sash looked to be ribbon that was merrily dancing over them. It was this cheerful band that now changed to bright purple and reds.
Harry's eyes, that had been wide and unseeing this whole time, finally closed as Harry became more exhausted. His limbs became pain-filled jello while his head throbbed from the constant temperature changes.
"One more Harry-you're almost done," Draco whispered. Harry shuddered at the feel of air passing over his new oversensitive ear.
"Draco, you're next, George just finished his colouring," Fred warned. Severus instantly grabbed Draco and forced him to sit on the bed next to Harry (in case he got surprised and fell).
"What the-" Both Draco and Harry gasped. Harry was once again engulfed by the brain-melting heat, while Draco was merely surprised at the pin prickling he felt along his own band.
Harry whimpered. He couldn't take the heat again. The cold had been horrible but this heat after it left him feeling brittle. He was glad all the hands had released him, he was afraid their grip would shatter his bones.
Draco on the other hand, had pulled up his shirt to watch as his band (two feather like designs resting on each hip connected by a single solid string) changed from the soft grey colour it was to light baby blue hues that danced with the white that glittered on his skin. Just as the band finished its colouring he felt a stab of pain wrap around his stomach (where his band lay), squeeze and then release.
"Ow." Draco yelped as the pain slowly lessened. "Stupid Potter, you would make it hurt."
"It's hardly the boy's fault. Don't be dramatic Draco," Lucius scolded lightly.
"Oh sure he's allowed to scream, but I'm not allowed to say ow?" Draco grumbled.
"It was merely a pinch!" Fred laughed.
"Yeah and you screamed like a little girl when you turned of age," George reminded him.
"Well excuse me but I'm used to heat! Severus was freezing!" Draco protested.
"And Harry had to go through it all. Now let's go Draco, you need to take your potions, eat and have one of us transfer magic. We should also leave Harry to rest. We'll move him in the morning," Severus drawled, easily picking Draco up. Fred and George got up to follow.
"Severus," Lucius called. Severus turned. A quick look passed between the two and Severus nodded, herding everyone else from the room. Once everyone was gone, Lucius sat down beside Harry and slowly pet Harry's sweat-drenched hair back from his eyes.
"Welcome to our mating, little one," Lucius whispered, but Harry never knew-he was out cold.