A/N: I'm tired of typing the disclaimer. See one of the first 5 chapters for it. :D
Harry had been at the Burrow for three days when Madame Pomfrey came for his nineteen week checkup. All eyes turned to the fireplace at the whooshing sound that preceded the medi-witch's entrance.
"Hi Madame Pomfrey." Harry said with a smile after she had stepped gracefully from the hearth. Harry was so glad to see her. Ever since he had arrived at the Weasley residence they had all been treating him like he was made of extremely fragile glass. He wasn't allowed to go up and down the stairs by himself because he might 'fall', he wasn't allowed outside by himself, they wouldn't even let him carry his own dishes to the sink because he wasn't supposed to carry anything or exert himself. Quite frankly, he'd had enough. He was more bored now than he had been with the Dursleys. At least Aunt Petunia had let him help with things. He was hoping Madame Pomfrey could get them to back off a little.
"Hello Harry. How are you today?" She asked as she went to the stove to help herself to some tea.
"I'm fine. There is something I need to talk to you about though." He said as he hastily finished his last few spoonfuls of soup. He sighed in annoyance when his dishes were snatched off of the table before he could even think of moving them himself. "I'll wait for you upstairs." He said as he pushed back from the table. Hermione, who was seated next to him, immediately tried to take his arm to help him stand. "Let go!" He snapped as he shook off her hand. Her mouth dropped open in shock at his outburst as silence fell over the room. Harry looked at them all and sighed before heading to the staircase. He could feel them all watching him as he made his way up the stairs, for once, by himself.
He had only been in the room for a few minutes when Madame Pomfrey came bustling in. She looked at Harry and smiled.
"Have the mood swings started or am I missing something?" Harry snorted slightly at her question. He sat down on his bed and began picking at the covers.
"I don't think its mood swings." He said as he looked up at her. She was surprised to see that he was on the verge of tears. "You have to talk to them Madame Pomfrey. They're driving me crazy! They won't let me do anything….I can't help with any of the chores; I can't take a walk by myself; they won't let me on the stairs by myself; I can't even get up from the bloody table with out someone trying to 'help'." He paused and drew a shaky breath before continuing. "I'm just getting so frustrated and they won't listen to me when I tell them I can do these things myself. It's only been three days and I'm already sick of being treated like an invalid. If they don't back off I'm gonna be a nutter by the time school starts." During the course of his tirade, Harry had gotten to his feet and started pacing the room. Madame Pomfrey stood and took him by the shoulders to stop his pacing. He heaved a sigh and swiped at the tears of frustration that had snuck up on him. Madame Pomfrey dug in her apron pocket and pulled out a hankie.
"I'll talk to them." She said as she handed it to him. "I'm sure they don't realize how over bearing they're being." Harry wiped his eyes and blew his nose.
"Thanks." He said, relieved. Madame Pomfrey led him back to his bed and motioned for him to have a seat.
"I assume that was what you wanted to talk to me about?" Harry nodded as he sat down. "Alright. Well, aside from that, how are you doing?" She asked as she went through the normal routine of checking his vital signs.
"I'm doing alright. The morning sickness seems to be slowly getting better. As long as I have my tea as soon as I get up, and I don't let my stomach go completely empty, I feel fine most of the day." Madame Pomfrey nodded and motioned for him to lie down. "Certain motions and smells still set it off though. Even if I was still allowed on a broom I don't think my stomach would be able to handle it." Madame Pomfrey chuckled at his comment as she gently palpitated his abdomen.
"She's certainly growing, isn't she?" She mused. Harry ran his hand down his belly and smiled as he nodded.
"Yeah, she is. I'll really be showing by the time school starts. It's a good thing our robes are big and loose." Madame Pomfrey raised her wand and cast the audire spell for the baby's heart beat. It sounded just as strong as always and she nodded in satisfaction. Harry watched as she rummaged through her bag and withdrew her tape measure. She placed the end of the tape on his pubic bone and stretched it up over his belly. She nodded again as she marked down the measurement. "How's she doing?" He asked her. They had started keeping the measurements a few weeks earlier.
"Right on track for her. Twenty centimeters. Your actually measuring a little bigger than you should be, but that's most likely because you are a boy. You don't have quite as much pelvic space as a girl would, so she's peeking out there a little quicker." She put the tape measure back in her bag as Harry straightened out his clothes. "Once your back to school we'll be able to get a good look at her with the Ultrasound. Have you felt any movement yet?" Harry shook his head.
"Not yet. Should I be?" He asked; a hint of worry in his voice. Madame Pomfrey shrugged her shoulders.
"Not really. Every pregnancy is different but most mothers usually start to feel movement right around this time. You may have already felt it and not even realized it." She snapped her bag shut and turned back to Harry. "Now, why don't you go wash up that blotchy face of yours and I'll go down and have a chat with the Weasley clan." Harry smiled at her.
"Thanks Madame Pomfrey." They left the room and Harry headed for the bathroom as she headed down stairs. By the time Harry finished up and made his way back down to the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley and Madame Pomfrey were enjoying a cup of tea and chatting with one another. Mrs. Weasley told him that the rest of the kids were out on the porch husking corn for dinner. He stepped out onto the porch and watched for a few seconds before Ginny spotted him. She smiled at him.
"Hi Harry. Do you want to help? " Harry nodded and sat next her as he reached for an ear of corn. He peeled off the husk and looked at Hermione as he picked at the fine silk stuck between the kernels.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier Hermione." Hermione shook her head and her eyes got glassy as she reached for another ear of corn.
"You don't have to be sorry Harry. We're sorry. We didn't realize…I guess it's bad enough having one person being overprotective, much less an entire house full of people. We'll try to back off. Forgive us if it still happens once in a while though? It's just because we care about you." Harry nodded as he reached out to give her hug.
"I guess I can deal with it once in a while. And if I snap at you on occasion, just remember that I'm hormonal." Hermione grinned at him and swatted him on the leg as she sat back down to finish her pile of corn. The rest of the week saw things returning pretty much to normal. Even thought he still caught people keeping an eye on him, they mostly kept their comments to themselves.
The following week saw the country enveloped in a heat wave. Harry tossed and turned on his bed but the sheets just seemed to stick to him and he felt like he was trapped in an oven despite the cooling charms placed on his bed. He sighed in frustration before throwing back the light sheet that covered him and tiptoeing out of the room. He made his way to the kitchen and got a large glass of cold water. He knew his bladder would protest later, but he was parched. After gulping down some of the water, he walked over to a window in hopes of catching a breeze. As he stood there with his eyes closed, he felt it. His eyes popped open and he looked down at his belly placing a tentative hand lightly on the curve. He smiled as he felt it again. It was just a little flutter, but he felt it. He closed his eyes again and placed both hands on his belly, waiting for her to move again.
"Harry?" He jumped slightly and looked over to see a sleep tousled Ginny standing by the sink, a glass of water in her own hand. He had been so intent on the baby that he hadn't even heard her come down. "Are you okay?" She asked as she walked toward him. Harry nodded.
"She moved." He said as he looked back down at his belly. He heard a little squeal from Ginny and smiled as he looked back at her.
"Really!" She asked, her excitement apparent in her voice. "Can I feel?" Harry chuckled.
"It's not that strong yet. It's just like a little flutter on the inside. It'll be a little while before you'll be able to feel it." She looked crestfallen. "I promise though, as soon as it gets strong enough to feel on the outside, you'll be the first one to know." She smiled at him. Harry smiled back and then yawned widely. Her grin widened.
"Well, we should probably both get back to bed. Mom will wake up if we're down here much longer. She always seems to be able to sense when one of her kids is out of bed." Harry nodded and they headed back up the stairs. "Goodnight Harry." Ginny said when they reached her door. She gave him a silly grin then leaned down. "Goodnight baby." She said to his belly. Harry chuckled at her as she ducked into her room, giggling quietly.
Harry delighted in feeling the soft fluttery movements of the baby inside of him. A smile came to his face every time he felt it. But, at the same time, it made his situation all that much harder. There was no way he could deny the love that he now felt for her. She was his baby in every way that truly mattered, but in his mind the only way to keep her safe was to give her away after her birth. Just the thought of it made his heart ache.
It was a hot night again the following week that found Harry back downstairs, unable to sleep. He was sitting in a rocker by the open window, trying not to think about his situation when Dobby found him. The elf had fetched him a glass of water before Harry shooed him away.
Ginny was also finding it hard to sleep and had been lying awake for awhile when she heard someone pass by her door and down the steps. She waited for a while and when they didn't return, decided to investigate. She eased her door open and crept down the steps only to find Dobby perched on a step half way down. The elf looked at Ginny with his big watery eyes and shook his head with a sigh.
"Harry Potter is sad, he is." He said before returning his attention to the kitchen. Ginny continued down the steps, her brow furrowed with concern. She could see him from the landing. He would rock the chair once in a while as his hands continually smoothed over his belly. The moonlight coming in the window played over his tense expression.
"Harry?" She walked over to where he sat. He looked up at her and the sadness she could see in his face surprised her. "What's wrong?" She pulled an ottoman up next to his chair and sat so that she was facing him. He shrugged his shoulders and looked down at his hands, resting on his belly.
"Nothing. I'm fine." She could hear a slight tremble in his voice when he spoke. She laid a hand on his arm.
"You can't fool me that easy Harry. I only need to look at your face to know that something's got you upset." She brought her other hand up to clasp his. "You can tell me." She said as she tried to get him to meet her gaze. He took a shaky breath and a tear escaped down his cheek as he looked at her.
"I'm scared Ginny." He admitted with a half sob. She reached up to brush the tears from his cheek.
"Of what Harry? Having the baby?" She smiled gently. "It won't be so bad. Madame Pomfrey will be there. And you can talk to mom. She can tell you what to expect." Harry shook his head.
"That's not it." He said as he laid his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. Ginny was confused.
"Then what Harry? What are you afraid of?" He looked back at her and she saw his chin tremble as his eyes filled.
"I'm scared that something is going to happen to her. I don't know of a way to keep her safe other than giving her away when she comes." His tears flowed unchecked now. "If Voldemort doesn't kill us both before she's even born, then she'll always be a target afterwards. At least as long as she's with me." He swiped at his tears. "How do I keep her safe from that?" Ginny leaned over to snatch a tissue from the box on a nearby table and sighed as she handed it to him.
"Well, Harry, I don't think he's gonna be able to get to you before she's born. Your pretty well protected right now and we're really the only people who know about the baby, at least until school starts." Ginny took his hand again. "And as for after she's born? Well, we'll just have to try and make sure that somebody gets a chance to kill the bastard, now won't we?" Harry gave a surprised albeit watery chuckle at her choice of words.
"Yeah, I guess we will." He said as he heaved a shaky sigh and tried to smile. "Thanks Ginny." She smiled at him and gave his hand a squeeze.
"You know, all you can do is take things as they come Harry. It's not good for you to keep that stuff bottled up like that." She said as she stood. He nodded. "Any time you need to talk to somebody Harry, just ask. I may not be able to help the situation much, but at least you'll air the worry." He was surprised when she leaned down and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Don't stay up to much longer. You need your sleep." She said as she stepped back. He smiled up at her and gave her a mock salute.
"Yes Mam. G'night Ginny." After she had disappeared up to her room, he reached up and touched his forehead where she had kissed him. He gave a cockeyed, half smile and shook his head before pulling himself to his feet and heading up to his own bed.
Harry slowly drifted to consciousness the next morning. He could tell that someone was sitting on the edge of his bed and he could smell the familiar scent of ginger tea. He cracked his eyes open to see Molly Weasley sitting beside him, just barely illuminated by the faint light coming through his window.
"Harry?" Harry groaned and tried to borrow into his pillow. "Harry, it's time to get up." He looked sleepily up at her and she smiled. "I know it's a little early dear, but, Poppy and the Headmaster are here to see you." Harry yawned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Mrs. Weasley handed him the mug of tea.
"Is every thing alright?" He asked after taking a sip. "My appointment with Poppy isn't until tomorrow." She tried to smile as she patted his leg but he could see she was worried.
"The Headmaster will explain it to you, dear. We'll wait for you in the kitchen." As she left the room Harry took a few more sips of his tea as he tried to get his bearings. It was too early. He got up and dressed and finally made it down to the kitchen after a brief detour to the bathroom. Madame Pomfrey looked agitated as she fiddled with the cup in front of her, but the Headmaster gave nothing away. The same smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes as always. A saucer of toast and a bowl of porridge were put in front of him as soon as he sat down at the table. He looked at the adults sitting around him and pushed the food away his appetite gone, replaced by nausea as his nervousness increased.
"Alright, what's going on?" He demanded. The Headmaster was the only one who would meet his gaze. "Voldemort knows that I'm here, doesn't he?" The silence was the only answer he needed. He closed his eyes against the sudden sting in them, his hands smoothing over his belly rhythmically. The motion brought comfort for some reason. He opened his eyes and looked at the group of adults sitting across from him. "What do we do now? What's the next step?" He asked. He'd do whatever he had to, if it meant the baby was safe. Professor Dumbledore spoke up.
"We have a safe house that we'll be moving you and the Weasley family to until the school term starts." Harry nodded.
"What about the Burrow?" He asked with a glance to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Will they still destroy it if we're not here?" He didn't want them to lose their house because of him. Mrs. Weasley shook her head.
"Don't you worry about the house dear. It's just a house. It's the people in it that matter most. The house can be rebuilt if need be." Harry nodded and sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.
"When do we leave?" He asked. Molly stood up beside him.
"I'll go wake the other children now. With any luck, we'll be ready to go by noon." Professor Dumbledore nodded his assent. Harry pushed back from the table and stood with the intent to follow her upstairs when he was stopped by a sudden sharp pain in his side. He hissed a breath in through his teeth and bent over slightly. One hand had gone to the table to support him self while the other immediately went to the source of the pain. Madame Pomfrey jumped to her feet and was by his side within seconds.
"Harry? Tell me what's wrong." Harry drew in a slow breath and let it out just as slowly, wincing slightly as he rubbed at his abdomen.
"I got a sharp pain. Right here." He said as he pressed his fingers lightly to the curve. The pain was down low on the left side of his abdomen. It had been sharp and a slight ache remained but it was fading. Madame Pomfrey had him sit back down as she gently felt around his abdomen.
"Has this happened before?" She asked. Harry shook his head. "It doesn't seem to be a contraction. Your abdomen would be hard and tense if it was. Does it still hurt?" He shook his head again.
"It's faded. It was tender for a few moments, but it seems okay now." He ran his hand lightly back down the curve. "Is she okay?" He asked anxiously. Madame Pomfrey nodded.
"There is a ligament in the abdomen that supports the uterus; it's called the round ligament. Sometimes it will cause a sharp pain if to much stress is put on it. Stand slowly from now on. So that it doesn't pull to much." Harry nodded. "I want you to take it easy this morning. Call Dobby. He and Ron can help you pack your things." She helped him get to his feet slowly, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he remained pain free.
"Thanks." Harry said as he started slowly up the stairs. That pain had scared him. His hands shook slightly as he opened the door to the room he shared with Ron. Ron was still sitting in his bed, blinking and rubbing his eyes when Harry came in and sat gingerly on the edge of his own bed.
"You alright mate?" Ron asked. "You look kinda pale." Harry nodded his head.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Had a bit of scare down stairs but it's alright." Ron looked worried as he climbed from his own bed and sat beside Harry.
"What happened?" He asked. Harry shrugged as he got back to his feet and walked to the door.
"I had a pain in my belly when I got up from the table. Madame Pomfrey said its fine. Sounds like it's a normal kind of pregnancy pain. Still scared me though." He stuck his head out the door just as Mrs. Weasley was passing form waking the girls. "Have you seen Dobby?" He asked her. "I'm supposed to get him to help with my packing." Mrs. Weasley thought for a second.
"I believe he's in the kitchen packing some things in there. I can send him up if you like." She looked rushed and winded and Harry knew she probably needed Dobby's help much more than he did. He could get Ron to help him. He shook his head.
"That's alright. I can manage." Mrs. Weasley frowned at him and stuck her head around the door frame to look for her son.
"Ron!" Harry snorted in laughter as he heard Ron's head connect with the underside of his bed. He had been reaching for his socks that had some how found their way under it. He came out rubbing his head.
"Bloody hell." He groused. He froze when he heard Harry's amused and somewhat shocked gasp and turned to see his mother standing in the doorway. Before he could even react she had reached out a hand and smacked him up side the head. "Ouch!" he glared at his mother.
"Watch your language." She said in warning tone. Ron rubbed at his head and shot a dirty look at Harry, who was trying his hardest to wipe the amused grin off of his face.
"Sorry mum. You scared me and made me hit my head." Mrs. Weasley rolled her eyes at him.
"Yes, well, I'm sure you'll live. Make sure you help Harry with his packing." She turned to point a warning finger at Harry. "No lifting this morning. Madame Pomfrey's orders." She turned and left the room while hollering at the twins to get a move on. Ron sat down to pull on his troublesome socks as Harry started pulling clothes from his dresser and piling them on the bed. He walked to the closet and started tugging on his and Ron's stacked school trunks. Ron saw him and hollered.
"Oi! You want me getting my ears boxed! Cause that's what'll happen if mum sees you dragging them things around!" He walked over and shooed Harry away from the trunks. He heaved Harry's off of the top and set it beside his bed before dragging his own over to his side of the room. "Did they tell you where we're going to be staying?" Ron asked after a few minutes of quiet packing. Harry shook his head and sat on his bed as he folded a pair of pants.
"No. Dumbledore just said a 'safe house'. They probably want to be careful about saying the actual location." He sighed and pulled some fuzz off of his Weasley sweater. "I just pray that nothing happens to your house after we go." He looked around the room and met Ron's gaze.
"Even if it does, it's not your fault Harry." Harry nodded and looked back down at his sweater. He chuckled and Ron looked at him with an eyebrow raised in question. Harry stood and held the brown and green sweater up against him self. It was obvious that the sweater wouldn't cover the belly much longer. Ron smirked. "Don't think your going to get much use out of that one this year." Harry shook his head in agreement.
"She's gonna need a lot of wool for this years sweater." Harry said with a barely repressed chuckle. Ron laughed and continued his packing. Harry smoothed his hand over the sweater once more before folding it and packing it in the trunk.
Shortly after noon saw most of the Weasley household packed and ready to go, anxiously waiting for the Headmaster to put in his appearance. Harry was curious about how they were going to get to their safe house. So far neither portkeys nor automobile seemed to agree with his stomach. He knew flying was a big no-no right now and he was afraid to try the floo system. What if he fell? He worried his bottom lip as they all sat waiting. Ron and Hermione were sitting together on the sofa, chatting quietly while the twins sat going through a box of supplies for their inventions. Mr. Weasley had left for the ministry right after Professor Dumbledore had left, apologizing to his wife and saying that he had to keep up normal appearances. Mrs. Weasley was still packing up a few last minute things from her kitchen. Harry couldn't help but think that where ever they were going, she seemed to know exactly what to pack and what could be left behind. He looked up as Ginny made her way over to where he sat. She smiled at him and he gave her a half hearted one in return. She sat on the arm of his chair and rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Worried?" She asked. Harry nodded his head. Worried was an understatement. His stomach was reacting a bit to his emotional upset. Although not full out nausea, it was protesting enough to make him uncomfortable.
"Do you know how we're getting to this place?" He asked. Ginny shook her head and Harry sighed.
"I would think we'll use the floo network. With all the luggage and stuff that needs to go with us. Unless they shrink it all down. Then we can use a portkey or else apparate." She looked down at Harry as he groaned at the options. "What's wrong?" She asked. Harry just shook his head.
"I hate portkeys." He grumbled. They all looked up as Mrs. Weasley entered the room with one last crate of kitchen supplies. She gave a satisfied look to the pile of crates and trunks and proceeded to start shrinking it all down.
"Every one come grab your trunk and an extra crate or two." She ordered. "We'll be going by floo and we want the connection open for the shortest time possible." Harry walked to the pile of miniaturized items and stuck his trunk and two other crates in his pocket before turning to the older woman.
"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry said. She was in the process of scolding Fred for not taking his fair share of the load. Harry tried again as Fred stomped to the pile and snatched up the last two items. "Mrs. Weasley?" She turned to Harry with a smile. He looked apprehensively at the large fireplace in the family room. "Is it possible for two people to go through the network together?" Molly furrowed her brow as she thought about it.
"Yes, it's possible. Why do you ask Dear?" She questioned as she laid a hand on his arm. She could tell he was worried about something.
"It's just…every time I've used the floo network I've always had a bad landing on the other side. It didn't really matter before. I'd just pick myself up and go on my way. But, now…" He let the statement trail off as he smoothed a hand down the curve of his belly. "I'm afraid the baby will get hurt if I fall." Molly nodded her head.
"I understand Harry. Professor Dumbledore and Poppy will be here soon. We'll talk it over before we go." Just as she finished that statement two loud cracks were heard from the kitchen. "Speak of the Devil." She said with a smile.
It was decided that Harry would travel through the network with Madame Pomfrey. She was the only one of the group who had traveled double before aside from Molly and the Headmaster himself, and he was apparating out once they had all gone through. They were all lined up before the fireplace waiting to find out where they were going. Professor Dumbledore pulled a slip of parchment out of one of his many pockets and held it up in front of him.
"On this parchment is the location of the safe house you will be staying in. Do not read it out loud. Memorize what it says and hand it to the person next to you." He handed the parchment to Ron who was first in line. Harry watched as every one read the note before handing the slip on. When it reached Harry he dutifully committed the words to his memory.
The headquarters of the Order Of the Phoenix
Are located at number 12
Grimmauld Place
He handed the slip on to Ginny. She handed the paper back to the headmaster who set it aflame with the tip of his wand. Once it had burned out completely he turned back to the crew assembled in front of him.
"When you step into the fire you need only say 'Headquarters' That will get you where we all need to be." He rubbed his hands together as his eyes started twinkling madly. "Very well then! Who's first?"
Ron went first, followed by Hermione then the rest of the Weasley children. Once Ginny had disappeared through the flames, Madame Pomfrey stepped up and took a handful of floo powder. Harry stood beside her in the fireplace. She wrapped her arm securely around his shoulders before tossing the powder down and shouting 'Headquarters'. Harry closed his eyes as they started spinning through the network. He felt the medi-witch's grip tighten around his shoulders and opened his eyes just as they were spit from the fireplace. He stumbled slightly but Madame Pomfrey managed to keep him on his feet. He smiled his thanks as they stepped apart to make room for Mrs. Weasley to come through. She stepped out with a minimum of fuss and began collecting crates and trunks from the children. Harry heard a door creak open as he stood waiting for his trunk to be enlarged and turned to the sound. His mouth dropped open in shocked surprise.
"Sirius!" His Godfather stood before him, looking better than the last time Harry had seen him and grinning widely. Harry quickly crossed the distance between them and threw his arms around the man, who returned the hug just as heartily. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked as Sirius drew back to get a good look at the boy. Sirius smirked at him.
"I live here." He opened his arms in a welcoming fashion. "Welcome to the ancient and noble house of Black." They all chuckled. The house was anything but noble. It was in desperate need of a cleaning and gave off a rather depressing air. Sirius looked at Harry again. "Well, at least it looks like those muggles fed you this summer. You're finally putting on a little weight." He looked up curiously as all of the Weasley children snickered at his comment. Harry blushed and realized that no one had told his God-father about the baby yet. That should be an interesting conversation. Before Harry could respond he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see the Headmaster behind him.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Harry, but, could I see you in the kitchen for a moment." Harry nodded and threw a smile to his God-father. He started to worry a bit when he noticed that Sirius's smile had vanished. He fell in step behind Professor Dumbledore, feeling uneasy.
"Have I done something wrong, Professor?" Harry questioned. The headmaster stopped just outside of the swinging door that led to the kitchen. He smiled at the boy, but Harry could see that the usual twinkle wasn't there. The older man shook his head.
"No, Harry, you haven't done anything wrong." He paused. "Your Aunt and cousin are here Harry." Harry's mouth dropped open in shock. "The reason Voldemort knew you were at the Burrow is because your Uncle told him." Harry closed his mouth and tried to swallow, his throat suddenly very dry.
"Is he dead?" He asked in a near whisper. The headmaster nodded. Harry was confused. "How are Aunt Petunia and Dudley still alive?" He could feel a lump forming in his throat. The headmaster rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Apparently your aunt and uncle had an argument and she had left to spend the evening at a friend's house. Dudley had already done the same. When the attack came, your uncle was the only one home. From what I'm told, he did not hesitate to disclose your location. That's why we had to act so quickly." Harry nodded. "Your aunt is in the kitchen. She asked to see you." Harry swallowed again, suddenly afraid to face his Aunt. What if she blamed him for Vernon's death? The Professor gave his shoulder one last squeeze and walked back to the rest of the group.
Harry drew a shaky breath before pushing the door open and entering the kitchen. His aunt sat at the table, staring straight ahead, her eyes rimmed in red. Harry nearly turned and ran from the room. He forced himself to keep walking toward her. She seemed to be unaware of his presence until he actually reached her side and lightly touched her shoulder.
"Aunt Petunia?" She jumped slightly before turning to look at Harry. She looked up at him from her seat. Harry's eyes began to sting, and he found he couldn't fight the tears that came to them. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Petunia's face crumpled as she began to cry. She reached out and pulled Harry to her, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding him tightly. Harry let himself cry, as he put a hand on her shoulder and smoothed her hair with the other. He may have hated his uncle, but he never would have wished this pain on his Aunt.
Harry wasn't sure how long they stayed that way before the baby decided to make her presence known. His Aunt was still pressed against his torso when the baby gave its first real kick. Harry gasped slightly and Petunia pulled back and looked at his belly in surprise. She chuckled slightly as she wiped the tears from her face.
"How long has she been doing that?" She questioned. Harry smiled as he placed a hand to the curve to see if she would do it again.
"That was the first time." He said with a wry grin. "She's been fluttering around in there for awhile now, but that was the first real kick." He rubbed the spot she had kicked and smiled at his aunt. "You're the first one to feel her move." Petunia gave a watery smile back and laid her hand on his belly.
"I'm honored." She sat back in her chair with a sigh and wiped the remaining tears from her face. She looked back up at her nephew who was still standing by her side. "I don't blame you for this Harry. You have nothing to be sorry for." She reached up and took his hand, giving it a squeeze and he nodded as he sniffed and wiped his eyes.
"How's Dudley doing?" He asked. Aunt Petunia shrugged and looked up at the ceiling, Harry assumed in the direction of Dudley's room. "He won't talk about it. I don't think he's quite dealt with it yet." She gave Harry an apologetic look. "You might want to avoid him for awhile. I'm afraid his father had quite an influence on him when it comes to dealing with you." Harry nodded. The kitchen door swung open and Ginny peered around the edge.
"Can I come in?" Harry nodded. She came in to stand by his side. Her brow furrowed when she saw that they had both obviously been crying. She rested a hand on Harry's back. "Is everything alright?" She asked with concern.
"Ginny, this is my Aunt Petunia. Aunt Petunia, Ginny." He said by way of an introduction. "She's Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's youngest" Ginny held out her hand. Petunia looked at it for a second before taking it in her own.
"I'm pleased to meet you." Ginny said. "Harry's been talking our ears off about how he enjoyed being able to spend time with you this summer." Aunt Petunia smiled and blushed a bit.
"Harry's an exceptional young man. I just didn't get the chance to realize it before this summer." She replied. Harry had the good grace to blush himself before resting his hand on his aunt's shoulder. He looked back at Ginny.
"Uncle Vernon was killed by Deatheaters. That's why we had to come here. Aunt Petunia and Dudley are staying here too apparently. Are you going to be here for awhile?" Harry asked her. His aunt nodded.
"They destroyed the house. We've no where else to go." Sirius came into the room just as she made this statement.
"I've already told you Mrs. Dursley, you and your son are welcome to stay here as long as you need to." Petunia nodded and gave him a slightly nervous smile. Sirius turned to Harry. "Poppy's waiting to take you up to your room. She says she might as well do your check up while she's here? Is there something I'm not being told Harry?" Harry nodded.
"Yeah, I'll tell you later. Can you tell Madame Pomfrey that I'll be right there?" He turned to his aunt as Sirius and Ginny left the room. "Let me know if you need anything. Dobby's here too, so that'll be another familiar face for you." Aunt Petunia chuckled.
"He'll certainly be an improvement over that retched thing I've seen moping around here. Muttering about muggles and mud-bloods. I had half a notion to ring its neck for the nasty look it gave me and Dudley when we arrived." Harry smiled and gave her hand a squeeze before heading back out the door.
Madame Pomfrey led him into the entrance foyer and started up the stairs. Harry stopped, staring in disgust and the macabre scene before him. The walls of the foyer were decorated with plaques, each one bearing what appeared to be the severed head of a house elf. Harry hoped they would be taken down. He didn't want to have to pass by them every time he needed to use the stairs. When they reached the first landing on the stairs, Madame Pomfrey turned to Harry, pointed to a set of ratty curtains on the wall and put her finger to her lips motioning for him to be quiet. He nodded, looked at the curtains and moved to the far side of the landing before continuing up the stairs.
Once they reached the second floor, she led him down the hall and into the third room on the right. They entered the room and Harry saw his and Ron's trunks sitting at the end of two beds that sagged horribly and were surrounded by moth eaten curtains.
"Geez, this place really needs some work." He said as he walked to the bed with his trunk at the end. He swatted the mattress and watched as dust motes swirled around in the hazy light coming from the grimy window. He turned to Madame Pomfrey. "Aren't there any house elves here?" The Medi-witch gave a snort of disdain.
"There's one." She said. "And a more useless thing you never did meet. He was completely loyal to Sirius' mother and seems to have cracked a bit since she passed. His name is Kreacher, and I'm sure he and Dobby will get along just splendidly." She said with a sarcastic tone. Harry grinned at her as she raised her wand and cast a cleaning spell on his bed. She motioned for him to sit down and proceeded to check his vital signs, as she always did. Once she marked them on his chart she told him lie down and pulled up his shirt. She smiled at the belly which was becoming quite pronounced. She began to palpitate his abdomen to check the baby's size and position. "Have the baby's movements gotten any stronger?" She asked. Just then the baby, apparently tired of being pushed around, gave a little kick. She looked up at Harry in surprise. He grinned at her and rested a hand over the spot the baby had kicked.
"Does that answer your question?" He said with a chuckle. Madame Pomfrey just shook her head and started rummaging in her bag.
"When did she start kicking like that?" She asked as she pulled the tape measure from her bag, and pushed the waistband of Harry's pants down just enough to be able to position the end of the strip on his pubic bone.
"She just started this afternoon." Harry replied. He snickered a little. "She kicked Aunt Petunia right in the head. Startled her enough to make her stop crying at least." Madame Pomfrey smiled as she stretched the tape measure up over the increasing mound of his belly. As she marked his measurements down and made notes on the baby's activity, she told Harry about a few quick decisions that had been made while he'd been in with his aunt.
"Your school letters came today. Molly and the other children will be going to Diagon alley tomorrow, but the Headmaster wants you to stay here. He doesn't feel it's safe for you to be out and about right now and I have to agree." Harry nodded grudgingly as he straightened his clothes and sat back up.
"I'm sure Mrs. Weasley can pick out all of my stuff. I still have enough money in my trunk from last year to pay for new things." He sighed as he smoothed his hands over his stomach. "These pants aren't going to fit for much longer. I'm sure she'll know what I'll need better than I would anyway." As he stood from the bed the door to the room opened to admit Dobby. He seemed to be in some sort of a snit, mumbling about filthy layabouts having no pride in a clean house. He didn't see that there was anyone in the room due to the fact that he had fresh bedding in his arms stacked clear to his eyebrows. A mop, bucket, broom and various rags floated through the air behind him. As they watched he precariously balanced the stack of bedding in one arm while he reached out with the other to snatch one of the floating rags out of the air and wipe off the seat of the chair that was next to the door. Apparently satisfied that it was clean enough, he set down his bundle of bedding, and squealed in shock when he caught site of Harry and Poppy.
"Oh! Dobby is so sorry, he is! Dobby didn't know anyone was here. Dobby is so bad! Walking in with out knocking!" Harry knew where this tirade was going. He hurried to the elf's side just as Dobby turned to the wall. Harry placed his hand between the wall and Dobby's head just in time to keep the elf from smacking the two together. He stooped down and took hold of Dobby's shoulders. The little elf raised his arms to protect himself from the blow he thought was coming.
"Dobby!" Harry said as he tightened his grip slightly. The elf looked up at Harry with watery eyes. "It's alright. We're done in here. Believe me; I would be grateful if this room got a good cleaning." Dobby looked at Harry in disbelief.
"Dobby isn't going to be punished?" He asked in a timid voice. Harry gave the elf a stern look.
"Dobby, you have been taking care of me and anyone I consider family for months now. We are not the Malfoys. You won't be hurt by anyone here. You should know that by now." Dobby nodded his head.
"Yes, Dobby knows. Dobby was with the Malfoys for so long, he forgets sometimes. Dobby is safe with Harry Potter. Dobby won't forget again." He gave Harry a watery smile which the boy returned.
"That's better then." He said as he stood up. "Now, do you think you can do something about the condition of that mattress? If I have to spend even one night on that thing, I'll be aching for days." Dobby nodded vigorously and as Harry and Poppy left, set about making his favorite wizard's bedroom livable.