A/N: I own nothing but the plot. Story is Mpreg but not slash. Contains spoilers for GoF and is AU from the end of GoF on. And on we go :D
Harry couldn't believe how well things had gone with his relatives. Needless to say, uncle Vernon was not happy about having Dobby in his house. However he was unwilling to risk Professor Dumbledore's ire again, so he conceded. As long as Dobby stayed out of site that is. Aunt Petunia nearly fainted at her first site of the little creature. Dobby had taken to hiding behind Harry's legs at his introduction, but when the headmaster stated that Dobby was there to help protect Harry, the little elf stood as tall as he could and moved to Harry's side. They had all agreed that Wednesdays would be the best day for Madame Pomfrey to conduct her visits, as Aunt Petunia didn't have any social groups on that day. They didn't want her popping in during a garden club meeting or anything. Professor Dumbledore had stayed until Harry was settled in his room and then had bid him farewell, promising to contact Harry after speaking to the baby's grandparents.
Harry was watching Dobby happily bounce around on his new elf size bed that was set in the corner of the room when he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"It's open." He said. The door swung open and Dudley stood there leaning against the frame. He looked in surprise at the elf jumping on the little bed and then back at Harry. Harry just shrugged and smiled. "He's never had his own bed before." Dudley gave the strange elf one last look and turned back to Harry.
"Mum says dinner is almost ready." He heaved himself away from the frame and thudded his way back down the steps. Harry walked over to Dobby's bed, where the elf was now busy smoothing out the mussed blankets.
"Dobby, it's time to eat." He knelt down next to the happy elf. "Just so you know, I doubt Uncle Vernon will allow you to eat at the table." Dobby gave him a surprised look.
"House elves don't eat with people, Harry Potter, sir. We eats in the kitchen." He shook his head. "Harry Potter is a great wizard indeed to want to share a table with an elf, sir." Harry just chuckled and stood up.
"Come on, let's go get some dinner." Dobby took Harry's hand and they headed down the steps. When they reached the kitchen Aunt Petunia gave a shriek that was muffled only slightly by the dish towel she had been wiping her hands on. Uncle Vernon turned to see what the commotion was about.
"What is that creature doing down here!" He demanded. "I told you to keep it out of site!" Harry turned to address at his uncle.
"His name is Dobby uncle Vernon." He said defiantly. "And we came down to get some dinner. Dobby needs to eat too you know." Vernon glared at the pair. "Don't worry though; he doesn't expect to be sitting at the table." Uncle Vernon just grunted and headed for his seat. Harry went to the cupboard and pulled down a small plate for Dobby. He put a helping of the meat, vegetables, and pasta that Aunt Petunia was serving on the plate, grabbed a fork from the drawer and handed them to Dobby. He turned back to the cupboard for a small glass and filled it with lemonade from the pitcher on the counter. "Here you are Dobby. You can go back up to our room if you'd like." He gave it to Dobby, who smiled and thanked him and then went over to seat himself on the bottom step of the staircase. He was supposed to keep an eye on Harry Potter and he meant to do so. Harry smiled at the elf, sitting on the step, kicking his feet and humming to himself as he began to eat.
Dinner progressed uneventfully after that. After wards Harry helped to clear the table. He was gathering the glasses when he heard his aunt gasp. He turned to see Dobby standing in front of her.
"Dobby can do that, Miss." He said in his squeaky voice. Aunt Petunia glanced fearfully over at Harry. He chuckled at her.
"He's not going to hurt you Aunt Petunia. He just wants to help. Dobby is a House Elf. He's meant to be doing the house work." Harry glanced down at Dobby. "It's probably strange for him to watch people doing the work while he sits idly by." Aunt Petunia seemed to relax, slightly. She looked back at Dobby.
"It won't break anything, will it?" She asked. Harry sighed.
"No, Aunt Petunia, HE is very good at his job." Aunt Petunia gave a curt nod, took off her apron and left the kitchen. Dobby grinned from ear to ear and with a snap of his fingers the sink started to fill and dishes started floating toward the sudsy water. The door to the kitchen swung open and Dudley walked in only to run right back out, yelping, when a plate went floating past his head. Harry outright laughed. More than he had in awhile. When he got control of himself, he told Dobby he was heading up to get ready for bed. Dobby nodded and went back to his cleaning. As Harry settled into his bed that night, his stomach full and listening to Dobby's slight snores across from him, he thought that perhaps this summer would be okay.
The next couple of days seemed to fall into a sort of pattern. Harry would wake nauseous, spend his day being mostly bored and doing his summer homework. Aunt Petunia had given dish duty over to Dobby completely. Harry knew it wouldn't be long before Dobby started picking up other chores as well. His first home visit by Madame Pomfrey had gone well. Harry had gained a kilo or two despite the awful morning sickness, and Madame Pomfrey said that the baby was doing well.
His second week home seemed to be going much the same as the first. Harry was bored. He had already finished all of his summer work and had written to Ron and Hermione, letting them know that things were going well and that Harry would hopefully be coming to the Burrow at some point. Now he had nothing else to fill the time with. He looked out the window of his bedroom and saw his aunt weeding her garden. He pulled on his trainers and went out in the yard.
"Aunt Petunia? Can I help?" He asked. His aunt straightened up and turned to look at him, wiping the sweat off of her brow.
"You're not to be doing gardening work and such, remember?" She said with just a trace of sarcasm as she bent back down to her work. Harry heaved a sigh.
"I know I'm not, but I'm so bored." Harry complained. "I'll just help for a little while. I'll take it easy and I'll stop if I start to get tired. I'm sure Madame Pomfrey didn't mean I couldn't do ANY work. She just wants me to take it easy." Petunia puffed a strand of hair from her face.
"Fine, you can work on the squash patch, over there." She said, pointing with her garden shears. "My garden club is coming tomorrow, so I really could use the help." Harry never thought he'd see the day that he would be happy to be weeding the garden. About an hour or so later Harry was starting to feel some strain in his back from bending over to pick the weeds out of the bristly pumpkin vines. He sat up straight and stretched his back. He looked at his aunt and saw her still hard at work on her flower beds. Feeling thirsty, Harry stood and headed for the house. He poured two glasses of lemonade and went back out to offer one to his aunt.
"Aunt Petunia...Are you thirsty? I brought you a glass of lemonade." She squinted up at Harry with surprise. Then looked at the glass in his hand.
"Thank you." She said hesitantly, taking one of the glasses from him. She sat back and surveyed her work. She took a sip of her lemonade and glanced at her watch giving a little groan. "Oh Lord." She said. "Vernon's going to be home soon and I still haven't started dinner." She looked back at her garden. "I'm never going to get this all finished for tomorrow."
"Dobby can make dinner if you want. I still feel fine, so I can help out here for a while yet. Just tell Dobby what you want and he'll have it ready in no time." His aunt looked skeptical. "Really. He's a very good cook. Most house elves are." Harry insisted. Petunia looked at her garden and sighed.
"Alright. We'll give it a try. But if Vernon doesn't like his cooking I'm blaming it on you." Harry would have laughed had he not known she was serious. He rolled his eyes and followed his aunt back to the house. When they got into the kitchen Harry called for Dobby. A few seconds later they could hear him scrambling down the steps.
"Dobby, would you be willing to make dinner for Aunt Petunia tonight? She's still got a lot of gardening work to do and could use the help." Harry asked the elf once he had skidded to a stop in front of them. Dobby's face split into a wide grin.
"Dobby would be happy to make dinner for Harry Potter's family. You tell Dobby what you want and it will be ready in one hour." He said, holding up a knobby finger. Harry headed back out to the garden leaving his aunt to give Dobby the dinner menu. Harry knew Dobby had to be bored. He was sure the elf was used to doing much more work at the school. He sat down at a new place in the garden and went back to the mindless task of pulling out the weeds.
Forty-five minutes later Aunt Petunia got up and went to check on Dobby's progress. Harry decided that he'd had enough of gardening for the day and followed her in to wash up for dinner. When he walked through the door he nearly collided with his aunt who was just standing there and staring. Dobby had a feast set out on the table, and it smelled wonderful. There was a lovely roast of beef with creamy gravy, a bowl mounded with mashed potatoes, a large bowl of salad, steaming rolls with butter.
"Oh my." Was all aunt Petunia managed to say. Harry heard a car pull up in the drive. Uncle Vernon was home. She jolted into motion. "I'm a mess." Harry heard her mutter as she all but ran up the steps. As Harry was passing the table he noticed a glass pitcher of an orange tinted juice. He quickly went over to smell it. Pumpkin Juice.
"Dobby!" He called. Dobby came scrambling into the kitchen.
"Yes?" He queried. Harry took the pitcher form the table and gave it to the elf.
"Dinner looks wonderful Dobby, but I don't think my family will like pumpkin juice. Can you change this to ice water really quick?" Dobby nodded and snapped his fingers. The juice was instantly replaced with water and crystal clear ice cubes. "Thank you." Harry said as he placed the pitcher back on the table. He then continued on to wash up in the laundry room.
Dinner was a great success, although Uncle Vernon couldn't figure out why his wife got a little miffed when he said that it was the best roast she had ever made. Harry had snorted into his water glass when Uncle Vernon said it. Dobby just sat on his step, kicking his feet and humming as always.
As Harry was getting ready for bed that night he noticed that he was going to have to go to the next notch on his belt, although the pants themselves, having been Dudley's, would probably fit for many months to come. Harry undid the belt and rubbed at the red dent it left in his skin. As he rubbed his waist he noticed that his lower abdomen seemed a little harder than the rest of his stomach. He kicked off his trousers and walked over to the mirror mounted on the back of his door. He lowered his boxers so they rested on his hips and pulled up his over sized shirt. He didn't look any different. He turned sideways and looked at his profile. He thought, maybe, he looked a little thicker around the middle, but nothing really noticeable. When he sucked in his stomach however, he could see it. A slight, gentle curve that refused to be sucked in with the rest. He ran his hand lightly over it and smiled slightly.
"Hi baby." He said quietly. He sighed and blinked some wetness from his eyes. Faced with visible proof of the baby a lot of his uncertainties came flooding back. He tried to push them away as Dobby entered the room and automatically went about picking up Harry's discarded clothing. After putting the clothing away Dobby went to his little bed, sat down, and just seemed to pass out, falling sprawled on the mattress. Harry chuckled as he wiped the rest of the wetness from his eyes. Their first night of sharing a room Harry had been very worried when Dobby fell asleep in this manner. But when it happened every night there after he decided it must be normal, and now found it funny to witness. He crawled into his own bed, turned off the light and snuggled in, unconsciously resting a hand on his belly.
He was dreaming. A bloodied Cho and vacant eyed Cedric were watching as he tried to protect a small bundle from the Death eaters that surrounded him, he woke with a jolt and a gasp when Voldemort entered the circle. He threw back his covers and ran for the bathroom as he felt the previous night's dinner trying to flush back up his throat. After loosing what was left in his stomach, he still felt really nauseous, which was unusual. Normally it went away for the most part after he got sick, but not this time. He rose shakily to his feet and leaned against the sink. Turning on the water he splashed some over his face and rinsed out his mouth. His stomach was still rolling slightly but he thought he was safe to leave the bathroom. He went back to his room and got dressed and went down to see if his aunt had any crackers in the cupboards.
When Harry entered the kitchen he was surprised to see Aunt Petunia already up. The kitchen smelled of baking cookies, which did little to help his stomach. He swallowed hard.
"Aunt Petunia?" She turned and looked at him, her eye brows rising at the pale face he presented. "Do you have any crackers? My stomach is really upset this morning." Her face seemed to soften slightly as she nodded.
"They're over in the pantry." She said as she turned and grabbed the tea kettle off of the stove. Harry found the box of crackers and returned to see his aunt rummaging through her tea cabinet. She found the box she was looking for and set it on the counter next to the teacup already sitting there. Harry sat at the table and pulled a cracker out of the box. He nibbled at a corner of the cracker and felt the burning in his throat increase. He let out a shaky breath and rested his head on top of his folded arms on the table. The cracker trick wasn't working this time. He tried another little bite only to drop the cracker onto the table and rush for the bathroom beside the kitchen, his hand clamped over his mouth. He wished Ron was there to put a cool cloth on his neck and to rub his back. He wished Hermione was there. He was sure she probably knew ever remedy there was for morning sickness by now.
When he was able to rise to his feet again, he took a wash cloth from the rack and wet it. He held the cool cloth to his red face and sighed. It felt wonderful. He could here the tea kettle start to whistle in the kitchen and decided to give the crackers another try. He sat back in his seat at the table and warily picked up another thin wafer. He was surprised when Aunt Petunia set a cup of tea down beside his pack of crackers. He looked up at her.
"It's Ginger tea." She said. "It should help your stomach to settle. It was the only thing that worked for me when I was carrying Dudley." Harry picked up the cup and sniffed the tea. It's smelled good. Just slightly spicy. He looked back up at his aunt.
"Thank you." She gave him a single nod of acknowledgment and went back to her cookies. Harry was a little baffled. That was the first time he could remember his aunt doing anything for him out of nothing more than kindness.
Madame Pomfrey came for her next visit the day after Aunt Petunia's garden party accompanied by Professor Dumbledore. Aunt Petunia told them that Harry had just recently woke up and that he was still in the bathroom. Without another word she left them standing in the entryway and disappeared into the kitchen. Poppy looked at the headmaster, rolled her eyes, and went in to seat herself in the living room. The whistle of a tea kettle was heard just before Harry made an appearance in the living room doorway. He was pale and his eyes were rimmed in red. Madame Pomfrey was a little worried.
"Goodness Harry! Are you alright?" She asked as she got to her feet and hurried over to him. Harry walked away from her and plopped himself down in a chair before replying.
"Yeah, I'm okay. The morning sickness has just been pretty bad the last couple of days. I've been having nightmares, and it seems to be worse when I wake up that way." Madame Pomfrey nodded as she knelt beside his chair and rested a hand on his forehead.
"Yes, I image the anxiety could make it worse. Is it bad enough for you to want to try an anti-nausea potion?" She had moved from feeling his forehead to holding his wrist to check his pulse. "I'd prefer not use them if possible, but you need to be able to keep food down as well." Harry thought about it for a second.
"Why would you prefer not to use them?" He asked just as his aunt came into the room. She was carrying a tea cup, which she proceeded to set down on the table next to Harry. He looked at it, a little surprised that she had made it for him again. "Ginger?" He questioned. She nodded and turned to leave the room. "Thank you." Harry said. She stopped at the door way.
"Your welcome." She said with out turning around and continued on into the kitchen. Poppy and the Professor both looked very surprised. Harry chuckled.
"It surprised me too when she made it for me yesterday. It's ginger tea. She said it was the only thing that helped her when she was carrying Dudley. It does seem to help. At least it did yesterday." Madame Pomfrey took the cup from him and sniffed the tea. She nodded, seeming to be satisfied with the contents and gave it back to him. He gratefully started sipping it. "Now, why are you reluctant to use anti-nausea potions?"
"Well" Poppy said. "Those potions can cause a small decrease in the hormones that your body releases to sustain the pregnancy. In a woman that wouldn't really be too much of a problem, but given the nature of this pregnancy, your hormone levels are already on the low side. If they get to low, then the chances of a miscarriage are pretty high." She saw Harry start to shake his head.
"No potions then. I'll just deal with it and live on ginger tea." Madame Pomfrey smiled at him.
"Very well, then. Shall we go upstairs for the rest of your exam?" Harry nodded and stood, clutching his cup of tea. He led the way to his room and held the door for Madame Pomfrey and Professor Dumbledore to enter. Madame Pomfrey conjured a screen for privacy around Harry's bed and Professor Dumbledore transfigured one of Dudley's broken toys into a chair worthy of relaxing in. Before he disappeared behind the screen Harry saw the Headmaster lean back in his arm chair and close his eyes for a rest. He smiled as he sat on his bed and faced Madame Pomfrey.
"So, Harry, are you having any problems aside from the nausea?" She asked him as she gestured for him to lie down. "Any swelling, bleeding or cramping?" Harry shook his head.
"No. Other than the morning sickness the only thing bothering me is that I'm extremely bored. I actually voluntarily helped Aunt Petunia in her garden the other day." He saw her getting ready to scold him and quickly headed her off. "I only did a little bit of weeding. No digging or anything like that. And I stopped when I started getting tired. Don't worry; I'm not going to over do it." She pressed her lips together to keep in her worried comments and nodded her head.
"Alright. I'll trust your judgment on it Harry. Anything else to tell me?" Harry smiled and nodded his head while he unfastened his belt and pushed his pants to his hips.
"I think I'm beginning to show a bit." He said as he pulled up his shirt. Madame Pomfrey laid a hand on his belly and smiled back at him. She palpitated the area for a bit getting a feel of how much the uterus was expanding. "I believe we'll be able to start keeping measurements on your next visit." She said.
"Measurements?" Harry queried. "What's that for?" She finished making notes in the chart that she had started for him before answering.
"We measure the fundus height of the uterus to help track the baby's growth. The 'fundus height' is the medical term for how far the uterus has risen above the pubic bone." She patted his belly. "This isn't quite enough to measure yet. Usually around sixteen weeks is when you can start keeping track." Harry looked down at his stomach.
"What should the measurements be?" He asked as he pulled his shirt back down. Madame Pomfrey pulled a cloth tape measure from her bag and showed it to him.
"We measure with that. You place the end on the pubic bone and stretch it up over the belly to where you can feel the very top of the uterus. It should measure in centimeters the same as the pregnancy does in weeks." Harry gave her a confused look so she clarified it for him. "If the pregnancy is twenty weeks along, then I should get a measurement of right around twenty centimeters. It varies of course. Not every one is going to measure exactly as they should, but it should be in the general area." He handed the tape measure back to her. She packed it away and pulled out her wand.
"Well, everything looks good, so far. We'll just have a listen to the heartbeat yet and get your weight and then we'll be finished. She held her wand above him and spoke the 'audire' spell. Harry again reveled in the strong steady beat of the baby's heart, thankful that it sounded normal. Madame Pomfrey ended the spell and went right into her next one; One to transfigure another toy into an accurate scale. She had Harry step onto it and the dial spun around to land on forty-eight kilograms. Madame Pomfrey nodded in approval. "Well done Harry. That's a gain of four kilos since you left school."
"I don't know how I'm gaining weight with this stupid morning sickness." Harry complained as he rubbed his slightly queasy stomach. Madame Pomfrey handed his tea back to him and conjured a plate of toast.
"Here. Try to eat something. An empty stomach will make the nausea worse." Harry grimaced and picked up a slice of toast. Despite the faces he made, the combination of tea and toast did manage to get rid of the rest of the nausea. Madame Pomfrey jotted down the rest of her notes, banished the privacy screen, and returned the scale to its original state. Professor Dumbledore was sitting waiting in his chair, eyes twinkling as usual. Madame Pomfrey finished packing up her bag. "Well Harry, this has been a good check up. Keep doing what you're doing, but remember, no exerting yourself." Harry nodded in response.
"I won't forget. Thanks for coming Madame Pomfrey." Harry sat back on his bed as Poppy headed for the door.
"Well, Albus, I'm off. I'll see you back at the school." Professor Dumbledore nodded and rose to open the door for her. Once she was gone he walked over and sat next to Harry. Harry picked nervously at his blanket and looked at the headmaster.
"You talked to her grandparent's?" He asked, even though he already knew the answer. Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Yes Harry, I did. I talked to both Cho and Cedric's parents. Harry..." He waited for Harry to look at him. "Neither of them wishes to take the baby." Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. He couldn't believe that they didn't want her.
"What?" He said. "How can they not want her? She's their grand-daughter." He rose to his feet and started to pace, a hand coming up to rest on his abdomen. Professor Dumbledore nodded his head.
"They know that Harry. They never approved of the relationship that their children were in. Neither of them is willing to take responsibility for what they deem their children's 'mistakes'." Harry sat back down, tears starting to build in his eyes.
"So I have to?" He asked as he looked at the professor. Professor Dumbledore laid a hand on Harry's shoulder. Harry looked away and swiped angrily at his eyes. "I didn't ask for this. It's not fair." He said in a soft voice.
"Harry, you still have options open. It's not too late for Madame Pomfrey to terminate if you wish." Professor Dumbledore said. Harry jumped up and started pacing again, shaking his head.
"I can't do that. I just can't. She didn't ask for this anymore than I did." He took a deep breath and wiped his face. "I guess that leaves me with keeping her myself or finding some one else to take her." He said in a quiet voice, thinking about both options. Professor Dumbledore rose and pulled Harry into a hug. A rare thing for the Professor to do. Harry relaxed into it. The headmaster looked down at the boy who had been through so much, and been forced to grow up much to fast. He tightened his arms.
"Whatever you decide, Harry, know that you're not alone in this." He said. He felt the boy return the hug and nod silently. Harry pulled away after a few moments and wiped at his damp cheeks. "There's still plenty of time for you to decide what you want to do Harry. You don't need to make a decision right now." The boy heaved a sigh and nodded his head again. The headmaster motioned to his bed. "Why don't you rest Harry? I can see myself out." He headed for the door as Harry lay down on the bed. He turned back to Harry before leaving the room. "And I mean rest. Not lying there and fretting your self into another upset stomach." Harry smiled at him.
"Yes sir. Just rest, no thinking." Dumbledore smiled back and closed the door, vanishing from sight.
Harry didn't know how long he had slept for when he woke to the sound of someone knocking on his door. The door was thrown open and Dudley stepped in to the room just as Harry was sitting up.
"Dinner's ready." He grumbled before proceeding down the stairs. Harry untangled himself from his blanket and rose slowly to his feet, hoping to avoid the sick feeling that came with standing up too fast. He was surprised that he had actually been able to fall asleep, but glad. He felt much better.
After dinner Harry went out to sit in the gazebo his aunt had in the garden. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the thought that the baby's grandparents didn't want her. He was sitting on a bench leaning against the railing, his hand absent mindedly rubbing over the little bump in his belly, when he heard grass crunching behind him. He turned to see Dudley standing behind him and sighed in annoyance.
"What?" He said as he turned back to the sunset he'd been watching. He heard Dudley come up and lean on the rail from the outside.
"Mum said your teacher was here today." Harry nodded. "She said he told her that nobody wants that baby." Harry tensed, his hand stopping its motion on his belly. Dudley continued when he didn't get a response form Harry. "Are you keeping it?" He asked. Harry turned to glare his cousin.
"She is wanted." He said defiantly. "Her parent's loved her and wanted her. I'd love to keep her. I just don't know how I could." He said; his voice going from harsh to soft as he realized the truth of his words. He did want her. He loved her already and he didn't know if he would be able to give her up. But at the same time, she would never be safe with him. Even now she was only as safe as he was. One lucky shot by Voldemort and they'd both be dead. "Just leave me alone Dudley." He said as he stood up and headed for the house. He was too tired to think anymore. He just wanted to go to bed.
Harry spent the next couple of weeks sequestered in the relative safety of the Dursley house as July rolled into August. After the revelation he'd had while talking to Dudley, he was afraid to leave the house. Any other summer he'd have been wandering the streets of Surrey to ease his boredom. Now, he just wanted to make sure that the baby was safe. He wrote to Ron and Hermione on occasion and had received his normal birthday treats from them. He had enjoyed the sweets from Mrs. Weasley a little more than he should have. His stomach told him that the following morning. He helped his aunt with some of the easier house hold chores and avoided his uncle and Dudley as much as possible. As the weeks went by and Harry's little bump became more noticeable, he'd catch Dudley staring at his belly when ever they were in the same room. It unnerved him. His uncle just curled up his lip in what Harry assumed was disgust whenever they saw each other, so he did his best to steer clear of them both.
Aunt Petunia on the other hand was like a whole different person. It had all started with the Ginger Tea. Harry was surprised by that in it's self, but as they worked together in her flowerbeds or folded laundry, she started striking up conversations with him. It seemed that magic was no longer a taboo subject for her and she questioned Harry openly about what his school was like and what kind of things he was learning. There had even been an occasion or two where laughter had been shared. Harry was surprised but pleased with the change. He had the opportunity to ask her about it one dreary day as they sat folding laundry in front of the telly. Dudley was out with his usual dunder headed crew and uncle Vernon was at work.
"Aunt Petunia, can I ask you a question." Harry said as he placed a folded shirt in the basket. She looked at him.
"I suppose." She said as she pulled another pair of huge pants from the pile to be folded. Harry pulled out another shirt and laid it across his lap, smoothing out some of the wrinkles. He looked at his aunt hesitantly.
"What made you change your mind about me this summer?" He asked. She looked up at him and then back down at the pants she was folding.
"Truthfully?' She said to Harry. He nodded. "I guess I just realized that I had judged you unfairly." She said with a small smile of apology. "I let your uncle dictate how you should be treated instead of getting involved my self. I never really got the chance to know you." She paused as she placed the folded pants into the basket. "Seems I'm getting the chance this year. That baby helped. It opened my eyes to the kind of person you really are." She looked at Harry. "You're a very brave young man Harry. I don't think I know of any boy your age that would have done what you are. They would have all jumped at the first possible chance to get rid of that baby, your cousin included." She paused as she went back to folding her laundry. "I lost a baby once, before we had Dudley. I was in my fourth month. I can understand a little how that girl felt when she thought her baby would die. You let her go in peace, knowing her baby was going to be okay." Harry looked at his aunt and blinked his stinging watery eyes.
"I'm sorry." He said. "About the other baby, I mean. I'm sorry you lost it. It would have been nice to have another cousin." Aunt Petunia smiled and sighed.
"It was a long time ago Harry. I still think about her every once in a while, but it's just wistful thinking." She folded the last shirt and left to put the folded articles away. Harry sat back on the sofa and looked down at his bump. He smoothed his hands over the small curve and smiled.
"You stay right where you are." He said to the baby inside. "I don't think I could bear to lose you now."
Harry received another letter from Ron a few days later. He was finally going to the Burrow. He was beginning to think they had forgotten about him coming. Thankfully, Professor Dumbledore must have remembered Harry's last incident with a portkey, because the letter said that Mr. Weasley would be there with the car to pick Harry up on the morning of the 8th. He announced the arrangements to his relatives that night at dinner.
"I got a letter from my friend, Ron." He said as they started to serve themselves the ham dinner that Dobby had created. Aunt Petunia looked up in interest but his uncle and Dudley just kept dishing up their food. His uncle had apparently heard him though.
"What of it?" He said, in growled voice. Harry placed some potatoes on his plate before he replied.
"I'll be leaving on Sunday. Mr. Weasley will be here in the morning to take me to their house." Dudley blanched white at the name, and Uncle Vernon looked up to glare at Harry. "Don't worry," Harry said. "He'll be alone and he's coming by car. I can't use the fireplace right now, and portkeys set off my nausea." Uncle Vernon just grunted.
"Why can't you use the fireplace?" Dudley asked. Harry turned to look at him, surprised at the question. Uncle Vernon turned the glare usually reserved for Harry on to his son. How dare he show an interest. Dudley just shrugged. "I just wanna know." He said. Harry swallowed the food he had in his mouth.
"I've only used the Floo network a couple of times and I always seem to fall out of it at the other end. If I had a bad landing now, it could hurt the baby." Dudley's eyes traveled down to Harry's belly.
"Oh." Was all he said. Harry blushed slightly at the scrutiny and went back to his dinner.
The morning of the eighth dawned sticky and hot. Harry was glad that he wasn't at the end of the pregnancy in this heat. It was bad enough at four months. It actually made him feel light headed at times.
He had packed his trunk the night before and there for was in no hurry to get out of bed. He sighed. His morning sickness had been a little better lately, but he knew he'd have to eat and have his tea soon or he'd be spending half the morning in the bathroom worshipping the porcelain god. He threw back his blanket and slowly sat up before pushing himself to his feet and scuffing his way out to the bathroom. He'd been noticing that he needed to use the bathroom more often lately. His aunt had laughed when he mentioned it. She said it was because the baby was starting to crowd his bladder and that it was only going to get worse.
Aunt Petunia was at the table having a scone and some tea when Harry pushed his way through the kitchen door.
"There's still hot water in the kettle. I made fresh scones this morning as well. They're in the tin." Harry yawned and nodded as he made his way over to the cupboard to get his Ginger tea. As his tea steeped he lightly buttered one of the fresh scones and took a seat next to his aunt. "When is Mr. Weasley coming for you?" She asked. Harry swallowed his bite of scone.
"Ron's letter said to expect him between nine and ten o'clock. I'm already packed. I just need to throw my pajamas in the trunk once I get dressed." Aunt Petunia nodded as she glanced at Dobby who had just entered the kitchen.
"What about him?" She asked as the little elf set about washing up the breakfast and baking dishes. "I can't imagine that they would chance taking him in the car. What if you're stopped by the police for some reason?" Harry stirred a little sugar into his tea as he answered her.
"Dobby will apparate to the Burrow when I'm ready to leave. I should be safe enough in the car with Mr. Weasley." Harry looked down at his tea as he fiddled with his cup. "I think this will be the first time that I'm a little sad to be leaving here." He said. His aunt looked at him and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "I can't say I'll miss Uncle Vernon and Dudley, but, I will miss you." Harry looked up at her and was surprised to see that her eyes were getting misty. "I'm really glad we got to know each other this year Aunt Petunia." She blinked back her tears and nodded. Harry got up and gave his empty cup to Dobby to wash. "I have to go get ready. Mr. Weasley will be here soon." She stood as Harry walked past her seat and he felt a tentative hand on his shoulder. He turned back to her and found himself being pulled into a hug.
"I'll miss you too Harry." Harry felt his own eyes start to sting as he returned her hug. He gave her one last squeeze then all but ran up the stairs to his room.
He was making one last check of his room to make sure that nothing was forgotten when he heard the doorbell ring; and ring; and ring. He chuckled as he heard his aunt holler that she was coming and to be patient. He hurried down the steps just as she was opening the door. She stood with one hand on the door knob and the other on her hip as she scolded Mr. Weasley for his abuse of the bell.
"One ring will do quite nicely you know. People will think you're impatient and rude otherwise." Mr. Weasley blushed almost as red as his hair at the scolding as he quickly snatched the hat off of his head and stammered an apology. Aunt Petunia nodded in reply and stepped aside to allow him in. Mr. Weasley brightened up a bit when he spotted Harry on the stairs.
"Good morning Harry." He said with a big smile. "All ready to go?" Harry smiled in return and nodded.
"We just need to get my trunk. It's in my room." Mr. Weasley followed him up the stairs to his room and shrunk his school trunk for the trip. "I'll just let Hedwig meet us there. Then we can shrink her cage down too." Harry said as he took the owl out of her cage and smoothed his hand over her head. "Go to the Burrow girl." He told her. "I'll see you there." She hooted softly and took off out the window. Mr. Weasley quickly spelled her cage clean, and then shrunk it down as well. Dobby was waiting for them when they got back downstairs to the entry way.
"We're just about ready to go Dobby. You can head to the Burrow awhile if you wish." Harry told the elf. Dobby nodded and disappeared with a snap of his fingers. "Aunt Petunia, we're ready to leave." He called out. She came in from the kitchen carrying a thermos and a bag of scones which she handed to Harry.
"The thermos has some fresh ginger tea in it, just in case the car ride doesn't agree with you." Harry handed the items to Mr. Weasley and turned to embrace his aunt. "You take care of yourself." She said as she hugged him back. "I expect to get pictures of that baby when she comes." She admonished. Harry chuckled.
"I promise I'll send pictures Aunt Petunia. I'll miss you." He pulled away and gave her a quick smile. "Bye." He said and turned to hurry out to the old Ford in the driveway. Mr. Weasley dismissed himself with a nod to Petunia and followed the boy out.
"Alright there Harry?" He asked the boy as he started the car. Harry nodded and rested his head against the window.
"Yeah, I'm alright." He said with a sigh. "It's just that…Aunt Petunia and I finally got to know one another this summer and I really AM going to miss her." About twenty minutes into their trip Harry was very grateful for the tea she had sent. Mr. Weasley had turned onto the bumpy back roads of the countryside and the motion wasn't settling to well with Harry's touchy stomach. The tea helped as long as he was able to sip it, but he soon ran out. When they finally made it to the Burrow about half an hour later Harry was looking quite green and shaking from the effort to control his stomach. The car had barely rolled to a stop before Harry had the door open and was hurrying toward the house. He didn't make it. He dropped to his knees just short of the porch and was sick on the ground. He heard Mr. Weasley holler for his wife.
"Molly! Get out here!" He yelled as he knelt down beside Harry. Mrs. Weasley came out the door scolding him.
"There's no need to shout Arthur, really. What's….Oh my!" She hurried over to her husband and took his place next to Harry. "What happened?" She asked as she began to rub circles over his back.
"The ride over was too bouncy." Her husband replied. "He's been fightin' it for the last half hour or so." Molly shook her head and glanced back down at him, just as Ron came running out of the house. "Ron, you get back inside now, Harry doesn't need an audience." Ron ignored his father and handed his mother a wet cloth.
"Here Mum." He said. "Harry was sick at school too. A wet rag on the back of his neck seems to help." He shot his father an annoyed look as he went back inside. Mrs. Weasley laid the rag on his neck and pulled out her wand to banish the mess he had made so far. Harry had started to sob in between retches and it wasn't helping matters. Mrs. Weasley shushed him as she continued to rub his back.
"It's alright Harry. Just try to calm down a bit. Hush now. It's alright." She kept up her soothing monologue until his shaking began to subside and he was able to relax against her side. She took the cloth off of his neck and handed it to him as she smoothed the hair back off of his sweaty forehead. He covered his face with the cloth and let out a shaky sigh. Mrs. Weasley heard the door open and looked up to see Ron coming down the steps again; this time with a glass of water. She took the glass and handed it to Harry so he could rinse out his mouth. "Ron, could you go make sure Harry's bed is cleared off. I think he'll need to rest a bit before lunch." Ron nodded and ran to do as she asked. "Do you think you can get up now Harry?" Harry nodded.
"As long as we go slowly." He said. "Very slowly." Mrs. Weasley chuckled as she helped him to his feet. "I'm sorry." He said as they made their way up the steps. Mrs. Weasley just gave him an affectionate squeeze.
"Don't be sorry dear." She said to him. "I've been in that position a time or two my self you know. I do have seven children." Harry chuckled. His stomach was starting to feel better but he was exhausted, despite having just gotten out of bed a few hours ago.
Harry grinned sheepishly at the Weasley clan when he entered the kitchen. The three eldest Weasley children were missing but the rest were all there as was Hermione.
"Alright Harry?" She asked as she gave him a hug. Harry groaned.
"Fine, as long as you don't squeeze me." He said as he rubbed at his stomach. She gasped and released him apologizing profusely. "Don't worry about it." He started heading for the steps. "I think I'm gonna go lay down for awhile. I'll see you all at lunch." A chorus of 'see you later' and 'sleep well' followed him up the stairs.
Harry awoke to the sound of a soft voice calling his name and a gentle hand smoothing the hair back from his face. He opened his eyes with a groan to see Ginny Weasley sitting on the edge of his bed with a tea cup in her hand. She smiled when she saw his eyes blink open.
"Hello there Sleepy head." She said as she smoothed his hair back one last time. "Lunch is ready. Mum says you need to eat since you didn't manage to keep your breakfast." She raised the hand with the cup. "She sent this up for you." She scooted back slightly as Harry slowly sat up. He gestured to the cup.
"If that's ginger tea, you're an angel." She laughed as she handed it to him.
"It is. Dad said you were drinking it most of the way here and only got really sick after you ran out of it. So, Mum thought you might like to have some when you woke up." Harry nodded as he sipped at the spicy concoction.
"It's the only thing that helps." He handed the cup back to her as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes and sighed before pushing up to his feet. He was straightening and smoothing his disheveled clothes when he noticed Ginny smiling at him again. "What?" He asked in a wary tone. She gestured toward his stomach.
"You can see your belly when you do that." Harry looked down and blushed. He hastily began fluffing out his shirt which had been smoothed to the slight curve of his abdomen. Ginny chuckled at him.
"Don't be embarrassed." She chided him. "I think it's sweet." She stood and placed a hand on his arm. "I think you're doing a wonderful thing Harry." Then she gave a mischievous little smile. "Wear that belly with pride." She told him giggling. He smiled back at her and swatted her arm for teasing him. "Come on." She said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the stairs, still giggling. "We better get down there before Ron and the twins eat everything." Harry followed, smiling, and shook his head.
"Girls." He muttered.