Chapter 6:

Secrets Revealed:

"Oh,shit!" Draco said angrily as he stared at the page before him and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I can't believe I didn't see this!"

"See what?" Blaise asked, craning his head so that he could see what Draco was looking at. Draco sighed and turned the book around before sliding it toward him.

"This!" Draco said, stabbing the page with his finger.

Blaise bent down over the book and read:

In the mid 1900s, the Ministry of Magic made bonding with someone against his or her will illegal. However, if an illegal bond was made, the bonding magic was only half as strong as in a legal one, giving the bonded some freedoms. As always with the bond however, two things remained unchanged.

First, and this applies to both legal and illegal bonds, if one party to the bond holds anger for the other, they can do nothing that would harm the other; the magic of the bond wouldn't allow it.

Secondly, if the bond was not mutual, and one member of the bond did not love the other, the bond would not change this, for magic holds no power over the heart.

"So, what are these freedoms it talks about?" Blaise asked. "Does that mean he can leave the Manor?"

"I don't know," Draco replied, walking over and looking out the window. "Even if it did, how could he have taken the ring off? There's something else going on here that we're not thinking of."

"Well," Blaise said thoughtfully. "It says that the bond won't change what the heart feels… it wouldn't have made him love you if he didn't already. Did he love someone else?"

"Yes," Draco answered venomously and scowled as he looked out the window.

"Who?" Blaise asked curiously.

"My fucking godfather, of course!" Draco seethed. "The bastard got him pregnant before he disappeared in our sixth year. Harry didn't even know that he could become pregnant! Then, he turned me away when I was the only one who stood by him. Even his so-called friends left him after they found out that Severus was Abbey's father. How pathetic is that?"

Harry shifted from Severus lap to lie on his stomach and planted gentle, but heated kisses over the man's chest, desire filling him once more. "Mmm," he murmured and exhaled a hot, steamy breath close to the man's skin. "Oh, Sev," he whispered. "You taste so good!"

Severus moaned as Harry kissed a blazing trail between his nipples and threaded his fingers through the young wizard's dark locks. He gasped when he felt Harry thrust his hips against him. "Harry," he muttered. "I thought we were going to the tavern. We shouldn't keep them waiting."

Harry groaned, but didn't stop his pleasuring of the man beneath him with his lips and tongue, nor with the thrusting of his hips. "Gods, Sev," he breathed between kisses. "Mmm, I can't get enough of you."

Severus moaned and arched his hips. "So it would seem," he murmured. "I take it that it's true, then."

"What?"

"What Ronald Weasley told the Prophet," Severus said softly, wrapping his arms around the young wizard, matching his thrusts. "That you'd lost the will to live after I left, until you found that you were pregnant."

"Yes," Harry murmured, his breath coming in heated gasps.

Severus moaned; his eyes drifting closed. "I told you, Harry," he whispered. "That I would give you a reason to live!"

"And you did," Harry whispered against the man's heated skin. "Gods, Sev," he murmured. "I want you. Take me, please!"

Severus held him close and rolled them over so that Harry lay on his back once more. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" Harry cried, wrapping his legs around the man's waist and thrust his hips once more. He saw Severus nod, and moaned when he felt the man slowly breach him once again.

"Merlin, Harry," Severus groaned. "You feel so good."

"Gods Sev, so do you," Harry whimpered, arching his hips as the man began his slow, deep, fluid thrusts.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked, gazing down at the young wizard to see tears rolling down his cheeks. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No," Harry replied breathlessly. "You're not hurting me."

"Then why are you crying, Harry?" Severus asked in concern.

Harry smiled, and wrapping his arms around Severus' neck, drew the man down to him, kissing him passionately. "Merlin," Harry said breathlessly when they parted for air a few moments later. "I missed you so much, Sev! You feel so good!"

"Mmm," Severus murmured between kisses along Harry's neck. "I've missed you, too, but that doesn't explain your tears."

"Sev," Harry gasped; Severus' kisses sending chills down his spine and making his toes curl. Harry felt as though his blood was on fire, and Severus was the catalyst. "I… I want-"

"Yes," Severus murmured; his thrusts still slow and fluid while he placed tender kisses over the younger man's skin. He could feel the heat rising from Harry's body, and heard his breath quicken. "What do you want?"

"I… I want..." gasped Harry; arching up to meet the man above him. "Oh, Gods! Sev!" He panted. He was close; he could tell he wouldn't last much longer. "I – I want to have another baby!" Harry cried out, arching up into the man and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, feeling him slip deeper within him.

Severus paused in shock, pulling back slowly to gaze into Harry's eyes. "You - you want another baby?" he asked, dumbfounded. Harry nodded and Severus swallowed dryly. "I – I thought you didn't want another child."

Harry shook his head, his breath coming in shallow gasps through parted lips. "I said I didn't want another one with Draco. Sev," Harry panted. "I want another child – please. I – I want to have another baby… I want us to have another baby."

Severus swallowed hard. "Y-you want t-to have my baby?"

Harry nodded with a smile. "Yes, Sev. How many times do I have to tell you? I only want to be with you, and I want as many children as you'll give me," he murmured, starting to thrust against the man above him once more. "Please, Sev… give me another baby."

Severus' heart lurched painfully in his chest and he exhaled a shaky breath as he wrapped his arms around the young man beneath him, drawing him close so that they were cheek-to-cheek. "Oh, Merlin! I wish I could, Harry… but – I can't. I'm sorry." Severus lowered his gaze, tears coming to his eyes at the thought that he was unable to give Harry what he wanted.

Harry wrapped his arms around Severus, clinging to him tightly. "I – I know," Harry whispered, his heart breaking and his tears flowing freely, already knowing the reason that the man couldn't grant his desire. "But please," he whispered. "Don't stop."

Severus nodded, holding fast to the dark-haired young man and renewed his thrusts as Harry lowered his hips, relaxing his body, relishing the pleasure he received from the only man he'd ever loved. "All right, Harry," murmured Severus softly in his ear. "I won't, but please, don't cry… We're together now; nothing can separate us. I won't allow it, Harry, do you hear me? I won't, I promise!"

Harry moaned softly and arched his back as Severus held him. The tempo of the man's thrusts increasing as he spoke, each one bringing him more pleasure and fulfilment than the one before. It wasn't long before both were crying out their completion once again.

"Well, Fred," Mrs. Weasley said through the Floo connection to the twins' store, Weasley Wizard Wheezes. "We've notified the Ministry, and the Prophet came out to do an article. Now all we can do is wait and see if he shows up. I think you'd better close early today, and bring Abbey back to the Burrow."

"All right, Mum," answered Fred. "We're going to stop by the ice cream parlour on the way; we told Abbey we'd get her an ice cream before we leave. We'll be back in about an hour."

"Oh," Mrs. Weasley said. "All right, Fred. Just make sure you're home soon. If Harry's really okay, he'll probably have seen theProphet." Mrs. Weasley wrung her hand on her apron. "I just hope he is."

"Okay, Mum, we'll hurry."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, and with a pop, closed the Floo connection, sighing heavily. "It'll be all right, Molly," Hermione said gently, putting her arms around the woman and taking her into a comforting hug.

"Yeah, Mum," agreed Ron, sitting at the kitchen table. "Harry's fine, probably just hiding out under his cloak somewhere. I know we've had reason to worry about him in the past, with You-Know-Who after him, but Harry defeated him… Not one of his followers even comesclose to having his amount of power. Hermione's right, everything will be fine."

"I hope you're right," Molly murmured and allowed Hermione to lead her to the table to sit down and pour her a cup of tea.

"You're kidding, right?" Blaise asked, trying not to laugh. "The Golden Boy's in love with the Great Bat? Oh!" Blaise cried; laughing so hard, he was almost in tears. "That's just too funny!"

Draco turned to scowl at him. "Unfortunately, I'm not. I just don't understand it! What could have gone wrong? I knew that performing an illegal bonding would weaken it, but it should still have bound him to me no matter."

"Do you know where he is, Dray?" Blaise asked; looking up from the book that he'd been looking over.

Draco shook his head.

"No," he said angrily. "The only tracer I had on him was the ring itself." Suddenly, he gasped in surprise. "Of course! Damnit! Why didn't I think of it before?"

"Think of what?" Blaise asked in bewilderment.

"Abbey's bracelet! I gave it to her on her birthday. I put a tracer on it in case she ever got lost. You know, as a precaution in case some wise-ass tried to kidnap her for ransom… She is Harry's daughter after all." With that, he ran off to activate the tracking device on the bracelet… one that he'd had put on it in Muggle London so that it functioned no matter how many spells someone might use in an attempt to conceal the location.

"Harry," Severus said softly after a few minutes. He had shifted position and lay on his back, leaning against the headboard with Harry curled against him, his head on his chest.

"Mmm," Harry murmured.

"We can rest for a while, but then we really should go. We shouldn't leave them wondering about your safety for too long. Beside, I'm really looking forward to meeting Abbey."

"Abbey?" Harry asked sleepily.

"Yes," Severus answered softly. "That's what I said. It would be nice to meet our daughter." Harry was quiet for a moment, his breathing soft and rhythmic. Severus actually thought the young man had dozed off again until he sat up, his eyes wide. "Harry!" Severus asked in alarm. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Harry turned to him and beamed, kissing him quickly as he threw his arms around him. "Sev, you brilliant man, nothing's wrong! Everything's fine, don't you see? It's Abbey!"

Severus looked at him in confusion. Had the man just lost his marbles? He had sat up so suddenly, a look of distress on his face, yet he claimed nothing was wrong.

The wheels in Harry's head had started turning when Severus had called their daughter by name, or at least the name Harry had given him. He was so used to calling her Abbey, that he'd forgotten that was merely a name he had called her to hide her real name from Draco, and when he'd heard Severus speaking of her, it was as though a light bulb had clicked on over his head. He remembered something that he'd read about wizards and pregnancy when he'd found out that he was going to have a baby, and had read everything he could on the subject.

"If you had a way to get your magic back, would you?"

"Harry," Severus said nervously. "What are you getting at?"

"Sev, don't you see?" Harry asked. "Abbey's the key." He sighed when Severus looked at him in confusion. "When I found out that I was pregnant, I had no idea how to handle it… When my friends found out about it, Hermione hounded me until I told them that you were the baby's father, they were upset. I – I guess I should be thanking Draco for one thing, he was there for me so I didn't have to go through it alone."

"Alone?" Severus asked; his voice dangerously low.

Harry nodded.

"I told you my friends were upset," Harry replied.

Severus looked away. He was angry with them for abandoning Harry in his time of need, but he understood their anger. He'd never been what you would call kind to them. He'd had a cover to maintain after all.

Harry noticed the man's countenance and reached out, caressing his face. Severus looked up and Harry smiled at him. "It's all right, Sev," he murmured. "They've accepted it, and they accept you."

Severus was quiet a moment then reached up, and pulled him into a hungry kiss. "Harry, you could have anyone you want... Why me?" Severus asked quietly when they broke for air.

Harry smiled as he gazed into the man's obsidian eyes, the man seemingly at a loss as he sat cradling his face in his hands. "Because you saw me as nothing more or less than the person I am. While everyone else was hung up on The-Boy-Who-Lived, you saw Harry." He paused and swallowed hard. "Even when you hated me, you still saw me for who I was."

"I never hated you," Severus said gently.

"Y-you didn't?" Harry asked in disbelief.

Severus exhaled heavily and shook his head.

"No, Harry," he said softly. "I didn't. Everything I told you is true; I was angry with your father because after he saved my life in school, he died before I could repay him. I was also angry with myself for causing his death. I believed that he was in on the 'prank' Black pulled on me, saying that they wanted to be my friend, and leading me to that secret passage - the one leading to The Shrieking Shack... the one that nearly killed me. I never took the time to stop and consider that your father wasn't in on it too, and merely saw where Black was leading me - that he did in fact intend to prevent any harm from befalling me. I had no idea Voldemort would murder him and your mother. I also wasn't on good terms with Black and Lupin, through no fault of Lupin's, he couldn't help what he was – is. It was no ploy that I was angry when you saw my memories in the Pensieve, but not for the reason you think. I was angry because that was a side of your father and Black that I never wished you to see."

He paused, running his fingers through his hair.

"Harry, you must understand something. I couldn't appear to like you when you hadn't been in Slytherin. Voldemort knew of everything that went on in the school, some things even Dumbledore was unaware of, but I won't go into that, it's not important now. As you know, however, he had spies among the staff… your first year as well as your fourth prove that. He also had spies among the students; they reported to their parents, who then went to Voldemort. I know a lot of the time it appeared that I was working against Dumbledore; it had to. However, I never hated you. In fact, nothing was further from the truth… I – I loved you, even then," he whispered.

Silent tears rolled down the young man's cheeks. "Oh, Sev!" Harry cried and buried himself in the man's chest as he wept. "I – I loved you, too!"

Severus wrapped his arms around the young man, holding him protectively, just allowing the young man to cry his relief. "Harry," he said softly after a few minutes. "What was this about Abbey that you were talking about?"

"Um… Oh," Harry answered, raising his head. "Well, firstly, you should know Abbey's not her real name."

"Not her real name?" Severus inquired and Harry shook his head.

"Abbey was what I called her, but only the Ministry knows what her real name is. I – I didn't want to upset Draco with a reminder of you. He really grew to despise you over the years," Harry admitted.

This really didn't surprise him, especially if Draco had planned to keep Harry for himself, and using him for his own gain like it seemed.

"So, what is her name?" Severus asked, combing his fingers through Harry's hair.

Harry blushed.

"W-well, h-her name is Harriett Severina Potter," he answered.

"Y-you named her after me?" Severus asked in awe.

Harry nodded.

"Well, both of us," he clarified. "But, yes."

"So, where did Abbey come from?" Severus asked.

"Well, I looked it up and found that an abbey was a religious place; a place of peace and love, safety and unity. It was these qualities that I felt when we were together before you disappeared," Harry trailed off quietly, and then lowered his gaze, murmuring, "All the things I had never had before..." Looking up, he continued, "I – I know you had to go… at least I do now," Harry said sulkily. "But, it made me feel so bad; I felt so used. I wasn't certain if you really cared about me, or if it was just a way to get me to fight Voldemort. There wasn't even a note."

"I am sorry, Harry," murmured Severus as he pulled him close. He sighed and kissed his hair, holding his head gently against his chest. "Honestly, Harry, I wanted to leave one for you, but Dumbledore wouldn't have it. He knew I'd been with you and he wanted you to concentrate on the battle. I – I think he sent me on that mission more to keep you from being distracted than it was to find out what Voldemort was planning. After all, he already knew that Draco was up to something and believed that he was under the Imperius Curse. What did he need me for?"

"You'rekidding me!" Harry exclaimed angrily, raising his head and glaring at the man. "He –he used us! Up until the very last?"

"It would appear so," Severus said plainly. Harry growled. "Hey," Severus said, drawing him close once more. "There's nothing we can do now, he's gone." Severus kissed him gently and rubbed his back, calming him. When he pulled away, he asked, "So, tell me. What's this about Abbey – I mean, Harriett?"

Harry smiled.

"Well, I'm sure you can probably guess that I was floored when Madame Pomfrey told me that I was going to be a father when I went to her after being sick for two weeks. Growing up with Muggles, I didn't know that I could even get pregnant," he said.

"Yes, male pregnancies are only possible in the Wizarding world. It has to do with magic and desire, but the magic and desire have to be mutual. A pregnancy isn't possible if both parties aren't magical," Severus confirmed.

Harry nodded.

"After Madame Pomfrey told me the news, I poured over every book I could find on the subject. That's when I learned Harriett's magical make up is simply mine and yours combined. If Harriett donated some of her blood and they used mine as a filter…"

"Then, it's possible to rebuild my magical system," Severus murmured.

"Yes," Harry confirmed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Sev," he said uneasily. "I know that I told you I would love you even if you were a Muggle, and I meant it; but, you grew up here in the Wizarding world, surrounded by magic and learning to use it. It wasn't a stranger to you as it was to me. I can't imagine what it would be like to go from having magical abilities, knowing what you can do and not fearing it, to being forced to live without it."

He paused a moment, exhaling softly before continuing. "It must have been hard on you to lose your magical abilities when they were so much a part of you. If it had happened to me, it wouldn't have mattered all that much, I knew nothing about the Wizarding world until I was eleven and first came to Hogwarts."

Severus was so stunned that it took him a moment to respond and when he did, he could tell by the young man's expression that it wasn't what he'd been expecting.

"Wouldn't have mattered?" Severus asked dumbfounded. "Harry, if you'd lost your magic, the Wizarding world would have been on its knees. Voldemort would have won!"

"Severus!" Harry exclaimed in exasperation. "That's not what I meant and you know it!"

He sighed heavily and shook his head, running his fingers through his hair as he wracked his brain for a way to make Severus understand.

"Don't you see? Harriett is the key to rebuilding your system; you wouldn't be a Squib any more. What I meant was that you've been surrounded by magic your whole life, its part of who you are! As for me, since my relatives raised me in the Muggle world, they treated me like a freak; I despised it before I came to Hogwarts, not knowing what it was I was doing. It wasn't a part of me as it was to you. I would have given anything to be 'normal'. Now, answer the question! Would you do it?"

Severus was thunderstruck. He had often dreamed there was a way he could regain his magical abilities, but now that it was before him, he was uncertain. "I – I don't know Harry," he answered after a moment of silence.