I don't own Harry Potter.

Trade Mistakes: Chapter 15

Harry whimpered as he slowly paced back and forth at the foot of the bed. Ron sat perched on said bed, his eyes following his best friend's every move. The Boy-Who-Lived kept one hand pressed to the small of his back, the other cradling his swollen stomach. His contractions weren't coming any faster and he was pretty sure that the potion that Poppy had given him was wearing off.

"How you feeling, Mate?" Ron asked quietly, shifting on the bed so he was leaning on his elbows.

"Piss off," Harry mumbled back, pausing his steps as another contractions took hold of him. He held his breath, his face screwed up in pain as it felt like a strong hand was ripping him apart from the inside out. Ron watched as the quill that was following Harry's every move began scribbling faster on its parchment as the teens heart rate raised. Ron began to stand up from the bed, moving to grab Harry's elbow but the pregnant teen pushed him off. The pain disappeared as fast as it began, leaving Harry panting.

"Ugh this is ridiculous!" The teen spat, glaring at his best friend who laughed awkwardly at his discomfort. "How is there no way to speed this up? I just want her out of me. I'm tired of looking like a whale and having to pee all the time. And my skins covered in stretch marks and my back and my feet kill. And my bits are gone and my boyfriends in the hospital and he's not here. And I still have to defeat Voldemort. I'm only 17, for Merlin's sake!"

Ron sighed and slowly climbed to his feet. This time he got a hold of Harry's arm and steered him to sit back down on the bed. The taller teen pooled up a chair and sat in front of his best friend, his hands lying flat on his knees.

"It's a little late to be worrying about your body now, mate. She'll be here soon; by the end of the day if you're lucky. And about Draco not being here; well you know if he could, he would be here. I mean he has gone through hell the past six months. And as for V-v-voldemort…Well don't worry about that right now. Just worry about Cressa and getting hour out safely."

Harry buried his head in his hand, not being able to stop the tears that filled his eyes. He was so ready to stop being an emotional basket case.

"I'm not ready for this…" Harry hic-upped and Ron sighed as the quill began speeding across the page again.

"Yeah, well I doubt anyone would be at 17."

Draco swallowed thickly as Healer Jones checked on his knee. She cleaned the wound and Draco whimpered in pain. She clucked her tongue as she carefully wrapped his knee back up. She handed him a bottle of pain relieving potion.

"It makes me sleepy," Draco whispered, sitting the bottle down without drinking it.

"It's a different potion, Draco," Healer Jones said, grinning at him slightly. She stepped away as Tonks' entered the room with a floating wheelchair. "You've been approved to go to Hogwart's to be with Harry for a few days. But you must either stay in the chair or be in bed. Do you understand, Draco? Absolutely no moving that leg or trying to stand on it." Draco gulped but nodded his head.

Healer Jones pulled out her wand and put Draco's lower body in a body bind. She then carefully levitated him into the chair. Draco whimpered again and took the bottle she offered him again. "If the pain gets too much to handle, you are to come back here, Draco. I have passed some notes along to Madame Pomfrey to have her check her over your incision and what not. Congratulations and good luck, Draco."

The healer excused herself, leaving Draco alone with his cousin. Tonks grinned as she went about preparing the portkey.

"Well, Harry's about five centimeters dilated. He just has five more to go! His contractions are still about 12 minutes apart, which apparently is kind far, still. But Poppy's been monitoring him and trying to keep comfortable. He's been asking about you." She explained, pulling out her wand and tapping it twice to activate the key.

"Are we going straight there?" Draco asked as she turned his hospital gown into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.

"Yes, cousin. This portkey will take us straight to the hospital wing." Draco smiled slight as she offered him a comb. "Make sure you keep a hand on the chair so that it gets transported with you, Draco."

Draco placed a finger on the comb and tightened his grip on the chair with the other. He felt the hook behind his navel and whimpered as the chair left the ground. He felt nauseous as the chair left the ground and spun through the air violently. Surprising, the chair landed softly outside of Poppy's office, leaving the blonde teen panting. Tonks, thinking faster than Draco would ever think possible, thrust a trash can under his mouth right before he threw up. She rubbed his back gently as he threw up the little food he had gotten down and the pain potion. As the dizziness wore off, Draco lent his head back and breathed through his nose.

"You okay?" Ron asked from the door to a room Draco had never noticed before. Draco coughed and groaned slightly before nodding his head.

"Yeah, just a bit dizzy. Portkey really isn't fun when you can't stand." Ron hummed his agreement before crossing the room. "How's he doing?"

"Well I'm pretty sure we've been through all the emotions at least once. He's hit anger and sad a lot, lately. Cressa really doesn't seem to want to come out. So Poppy's drugged him up a bit more and he's sort of sleeping."

"Can…can I go in?" Draco asked, trying to get more comfortable in the chair. Ron nodded, taking over controlling the chair from Tonks. He carefully pushed the door open and levitated the chair close the Harry's bed. The young brunette was pale and his brow was covered in sweat. He kept moving his head back and forth as he silently talked in his sleep. As with when he was awake, every twelve minutes he would whimper and the quill would move fast across the parchment.

"He looks so beautiful," Draco whispered, reaching out and taking Harry's hand.

"Is it because he's glowing? I've hear a lot of people say that about pregnant people." Draco snorted but nodded, biting his lip. "How…how have you been, Draco? I'm sorry I haven't been to see you but I they had to pull all kinds of strings to even let Harry in, let alone the rest of us."

"It's okay," Draco said quietly, dropping his gaze.

"You look good," Ron said, shifting on his feet. "I mean, considering what happened and everything, you look really good."

"Stop talking, Ron," Harry mumbled slightly, carefully sitting up. Draco grinned squeezing Harry's hand as he moved the chair closer to the bed.

"Hey beautiful," the blonde whispered, kissing Harry's knuckles. Harry blushed, looking down. He squeezed Draco's hand tighter as another contraction hit him, this time only coming 9 minutes apart.

"Well that's quicker," Ron mumbled, turning on his feet to go get Poppy.

"How did your surgery go?" Harry whispered when the pain stopped, his hair wet and sticking to his forehead.

"As well as can be expected. I'll still have a limp; I'll probably always have a limp. But they saved my leg."

"That's wonderful," Harry whispered, smiling tiredly at Draco.

"How have you been feeling?" Draco asked, running a calloused thumb over Harry's knuckles.

"I'm ready for this to be over. It's been hours, Drake. I just want her to be here." Draco smiled softly. "Not that I'm ready to push her out of that really small hole, mind you. But I want to hold her in my arms."

"Well let's see how much longer, Mr. Potter," Poppy said, interrupting the boy's conversation. Harry slowly moved so he was that the edge of the bed and let Poppy put his feet back in the stirrups. Draco smirked at the bashful look Harry wore and squeezed his hand again as Poppy put a sheet over Harry's knees and put on a pair of gloves. She poked around, causing Harry to gasp and clucked her tongue. "You're a lot closer, dear. About eight centimeters."

"Only two more to-!" Harry exclaimed happily as another contraction hit him, causing him to cut off his statement.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, only two more centimeters to go. And you're contractions are getting closer together, so I don't expect it to be much longer before you can start to push." She waived her wand at his stomach, showing the image of Cressida. "She's starting to sit a little lower in your womb, which is good. Once you're contractions get to about 3 or 4 minutes apart, let me know and I'll check again." She patted his knee and walked out.

Draco grinned as Harry carefully pulled his legs out of the stirrups and sat up with a blush on his face. "Merlin I can't wait to go home and be with you and Cressida," Harry whispered, looking tiredly at Draco.

"Me, too," Draco whispered back.

"Have they said when you can go home, yet?"

"Well considering I just got out of surgery about 12 hours ago, no. But I mean, I don't know what else they could do for me. I mean I know I'll have to do therapy once knee heals up a bit more but hopefully I can come home before that." Harry smiled as he burrowed back down in his pillow.

As Poppy said, it didn't take much longer before Harry's contractions because two minutes apart. Once again the old nurse helped him into stirrups and checked him.

"Ten centimeters!" She declared with a grin. Harry let out a sigh, letting his head fall back. "I'm going to go and get you the potion to help with the pain. I'm also going to grab Remus and Ron, since Draco can't get out of his chair. If I were you, I wouldn't bother to get out of the stirrups. I'll be right back." Harry nodded, licking his lips.

"You ready for this?" Draco asked, squeezing Harry's hand tightly.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Harry drunk the potion down in one big gulp, trying to ignore the taste. The potion took effect quickly and numbed Harry enough. Remus moved behind him and helped him sit up.

"Use me as leverage to push, Pup. It should help." Harry nodded as Madame Pomfrey finished getting her tools together. Finally she pulled on her gloves and sat at the foot of the bed. Harry gasped as another contraction hit him; they were coming about thirty seconds apart.

"Okay, Potter. On the next contraction push; once the contraction stops, you can stop." Harry took a deep breath. The next contraction came rolling in and he held his breath as he pushed as hard as he could.

"Ahhhhh!" He screamed, squeezing Ron and Remus's hands as hard as he could. He had dropped Draco's hand out of fear of hurting his already injured boyfriends hand.

"Good, Potter," Poppy said as Harry panted heavily.

"You're doing beautifully, Harry," Draco whispered, his pale, thin hand on Harry's swollen stomach.

Four hours later and Harry was practically begging for death. He had thought waiting to be ten centimeters dilated was hell, but this was so much worse. He could feel his daughter moving further down inside of him, but she wasn't moving fast at all. Every minute or so Harry was pushing with everything he had left. His hair was soaked and he couldn't stop the sobs that shook his body.

"I can almost see her head, Harry," Poppy said gently, dropping her stern expression. "Just a few more big pushes.

"Ahhhhh!" Harry screamed again, Ron groaning as his hand cracked under Harry's strength. "Please!"

"She's crowning, Harry. Just take a few deep breathes. That's it."

"Why did you do this me?" Harry whimpered, not looking at Draco. The blonde bit his lip and lowered his eyes as Remus repeatedly told Harry he was going to be okay.

"Okay, Harry. Take a deep breath. Good. Breathe in deep and push." Harry listened, a whimper escaping him as he pushed with all his might. A small pop sounded as Cressida's head finally cleared the small opening. "There's her head, Harry, you just need to clear her shoulders and then I won't need your help. Big breath and one last small push."

Harry whimpered as the small baby was finally pulled from his body, her cry ringing load throughout the air. Harry let out a sob as the nurse quickly tied off the cord and brought Draco closer. "Here, Draco. You can cut the cord."

Draco licked his lips as he followed Poppy's directions to cut the cord. The crying baby was passed off to Severus who had entered the room sometime within the past four hours. The potions master took the small child to and started to clean her off.

"I want to hold her," Harry whimpered, his green eyes wide.

"Not yet, Harry," Poppy said as she sat back down. We have to get the placenta out." She pressed gently on his stomach, helping move the goo down. "Just a couple of small pushes, okay?" Harry moaned as he passed the placenta much faster than actually delivering Cressida. He lay panting, squeezing Draco's hand as Snape approached the bed, a bundle in pink in his arms.

"Cressa," Harry said with a small grin as the crying baby was placed in his shaky arms. Remus helped Harry sit up again, placing a pillow under the boy's arms. "She's so beautiful."

"Just like you," Draco whispered, looking on at his two loves with tears in his eyes. "My perfect little family."

"I love you," Harry whispered at Draco. "I love both of you."

AN: Hope you liked it. Sorry for the long wait! Classes and exams always getting in the way!