Chapter 31

-0-

-0-

-0-

Narcissa returned to dinner, explaining that Harry was lying down and encouraged everyone to finish eating, while they awaited Healer Longbottom's arrival. There were still Monitoring Charms over Harry's rooms so she would know immediately if there was any reason for concern. She kept the conversation light and away from Harry's 'condition'. But despite all of that, there was a collective sigh of relief when Neville finally arrived.

"So sorry to keep you waiting. But I don't think Mr. Hinkle would have appreciated my sudden departure in the middle of his procedure." Neville grinned warmly as he stepped from the Floo, brushing a few flecks of soot from his robes. "So Harry's a bit under the weather, then?"

Everyone nodded. Sebastian piped up, his eyes wide. "Papa says he sicked up! Like I did when I ate too many Choc'late Frogs... but he didn' have any Choc'late Frogs."

Neville's eyes widened a bit, as he gave serious attention to the little boy would come to love his school friend. "Well, let's have a look then and see what can be done to get him feeling chipper again."

"Tea and coffee have already been sent to the library, Lucius. We will be back as soon as Neville has conducted his examination." Narcissa took Neville's arm and led him to the stairs, speaking quietly to him as they walked.

"Lucius laid his napkin on the table and rose. "Come along everyone. There's no point in arguing with her. We all know she will have her way and we will find out about Harry when she comes down to tell us. He is in good hands after all."

~*~*~*~

Neville reached for the door handle first, opening the door for Narcissa, standing aside so she could enter Harry's rooms first. The lights were dimmed and drapes drawn over the windows, not a sound in the room, as they entered. Closing the door behind them, they turned to see Harry curled on his side in the center of the large bed, his arms wrapped around his middle and his brow lightly creased in his sleep. He uttered a tiny whimper of pain as they approached.

Neville scanned him with his eyes then looked to Narcissa. "I'm glad you called me. It is obvious he hasn't been feeling well. Though I'm a bit surprised you didn't call me sooner."

"I would have, had I known."

"No worries. I'm sure you would have, but, I've long experience with Harry Potter's abilities to hide things. He doesn't like to create a fuss. Just believes he should suffer alone. I'd hoped he'd overcome that by now."

"Evidently not." She sighed, brushing a few loose strands of dark hair out of Harry's face. "Harry, dear. Wake up. Neville is here to see you."

"Hmmm? Wha--?" Green eyes opened slowly and blinked at them. "Oh. Hi, Neville."

"Hiya, Harry." Neville pulled his wand and motioned for Harry to turn onto his back and lie still. "I hear you've been feeling a bit under the weather. Wanna tell me about it while I run some scans?"

Narcissa summoned a chair and sat by the bed, while Harry stretched out as he had so many times before for medical scans. "It's nothing really. I hope you weren't with a more important patient when they called you."

Neville raised his wand and incanted the first spell, not taking his eyes away from the displays. "Just tell me Harry. You are just as important to me as all my other patients. And, you are my friend."

Harry sighed, his gaze flicking briefly to his adopted mother. "Alright... Just an upset stomach, that comes and goes. Queasy sometimes. Usually in the morning. Things smell different and sometimes the smells make me sick up." His cheeks flamed. "Tonight, it was Remus eating Haggis..."

Neville snickered a bit. "That would make me sick up without having a funny stomach first!"

Harry giggled a bit. "Yeah, but it doesn't usually bother me--Remus having Haggis. Don't understand it this time."

"Well, lie still and let me finish these scans and we'll soon know what's going on so we can get you set to rights."

Harry lay there quietly, watching Neville as he worked the spells just as smoothly as Poppy always had. While Hermione tended to have the older Medi-witch's blustery no-nonsense attitude, Neville was more laid back, but just as thorough. He became very focused as he ran each scan, studying all the displays appearing over Harry's body very carefully before dismissing them to run the next one.

Neville finally finished all his scans almost a half hour later. Harry wasn't sure, but he could swear Neville'd run a couple of them twice, and another a third time. He noticed the Healer and his adopted mother exchange a glance, before Neville turned to him, crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a serious look.

"Well, Harry, I'm afraid there's nothing to be done to cure this, but I can give you some gentle potions to alleviate the symptoms. It will have to run it's course and the symptoms will eventually work themselves out."

Harry slid quickly up to a seated position, a worried look on his face. "Wha--what is it, Neville? How long? Is it contagious? Am I gonna die?"

"Oh no, Harry. You won't die and it's not contagious. But you may feel under the weather for a while yet, and you will have to rest more and no more wild adventures, like Severus has been taking you on."

Harry's eyes widened and he looked back and forth between his Healer and Cissa. They were so calm! "H-How long?"

"Well, as near as the scans can detect, I'd say just a little less than seven months, give or take a few days." Neville dug in his pocket and summoned a quill. "Now, here is a list of potions Severus can brew for you. He will already be familiar with the ingredients needed. Oh! And don't be surprised if you begin having odd cravings. Just be sure to tell Severus, and he will adjust your potions accordingly. Probably would be a good idea for him to brew himself some Calming Draught as well, since your plans will have to be adjusted if you agree to bond with him--which, I know you well enough to know you will."

"I do suspect that Sirius will be a bit put out though." Narcissa interjected thoughtfully. "Lucius and I will handle him."

"Best have Severus brew him some Extra-Strength Calming Draught then."

Neville tore off a portion of the parchment and handed it to Narcissa. She smiled and pocketed it. Harry was beginning to get irritated.

"Will you just tell me what illness or disease I've come down with! I refuse to be a burden to anyone again!"

Narcissa moved to sit on the bed next to him, putting her arms around him and hugging him. "Oh my sweet boy, you will never be a burden to us! As a matter of fact, I know Lucius will be absolutely ecstatic when he here's the news."

"What?!" Harry exclaimed as he pulled away just enough to look up at her, as his stomach rolled. "Errgh! Have you two gone barmy?!"

"I never said you were ill, Harry." Neville rocked on his heels a bit and glanced at Narcissa as his serious expression became an amused one. "What you are experiencing is perfectly normal for a wizard with your physical make-up... you're expecting."

"WHAT?! I'M WHAT?!" Harry demanded, positive he'd heard Neville wrong.

"Pregnant, darling. You're going to have a baby. I'm going to be a Gran'mere. Isn't it wonderful?" Narcissa was beaming.

Harry looked back and forth between him, his mouth working, making him look like a landed fish, as he tried to absorb what he'd just been told. Then his eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted, caught in Narcissa's arms so he wouldn't hit his head on the headboard.

"Just as I thought. I'm glad you decided to sit with him, or I would have suggested it."

"Agreed. Though who's going to hold Severus and Sirius when they pass out?"

Neville snickered. "That's when Cushioning Charms come in handy!"

She stroked her son's hair. "How soon will you be able to determine whether it's a boy or a girl?"

He thought for a moment. "Another fortnight or so."

"Splendid!"

There was a suddenly thunder of feet coming down the hall. A firm knocking interrupted them.

"Narcissa? Is everything alright? We heard Harry yell." Lucius' voice could be heard through the door, the anxious murmurs of Severus, Sirius, Remus, and little Sebastian, in the background.

She flicked her wand at the door, opening it, and admitting four very concerned men and one worried little boy. Sebastian ran to the side of the bed, and after a nod from Narcissa, climbed up into the bed and snuggled up to Harry.

"Why's he sweepin', Auntie Cissa?"

"Just a second, Sebastian and I will wake him." Neville said, as he cast a gently Ennervate on his unconscious friend and patient.

"Wha--hey! Oh! Hello, Sebastian."

"Hi, Hawwry. Awre you sick? When you gonna get bettewr?"

Harry sat for a minute, as everyone watched, a smile spreading slowly over his face, one of his hands sliding down to rest on his still-flat abdomen. "Oh yes, Sebastian I'm going to get better... " He looked up at Severus, and grinned madly, "...much better."

Lucius pulled his wife up to move and sit beside her on the chair, now magically expanded into a love seat. Remus and Sirius stood next to it, Remus' hand on Sirius' shoulder, and Severus remained at the foot of the bed, near Neville, and looking quite concerned. Sirius looked near to jump out of his skin with agitation.

"Harry?" Severus asked.

Putting an arm around Sebastian, Harry pulled him close. "Severus, do you still intend to ask me, formally, to bond with you?"

"Of course! I love you--no matter what!" He gave each of the other adults in the room stern looks.

"Then you won't mind if we move up the time of the bonding, or that I will be bringing another person to our bonding and into our family."

"N-No...Harry... What--"

"I finally got my wish, Severus... it finally happened--" Harry's voice hitched, as his eyes filled with happy tears. "W-We did it..."

"Harry..."

"I'm not sick, Severus. I'm pregnant! We're having a baby!"

Lucius clapped his hands and grinned like the Gran'pere he would be, as his wife smiled at him. Sebastian squealed and hugged Harry, kissing him all over his face, then leaning down to kiss his belly and say hi to his future sibling.

Sirius' eyes bugged and his jaw dropped, his face going from white, slowly to red. Just as he was going to lunge at Severus, Remus grabbed the collar of his robes and held him firmly in place. He got about as far as a dog at the end of it's lead. Narcissa cast a Silencing Spell over him to stop the obscenities she knew would be spilling from his lips.

In the mean time, Severus stared at Harry, stunned, as realization hit. Then he remembered all the potentially dangerous things he'd allowed Harry to do over that last two months. Neville barely had time to cast a Cushioning Charm, before Severus' face went white, declared, "Oh Sweet Merlin!", and crumpled to the floor in a dead faint.

"Well, it seems my work here is done. Narcissa, you will see that Severus gets that list of potions? Oh, and I will be back in two weeks for your next exam, and to tell you the gender of that little one. Take care Harry. Congratulations!"

With an amused grin, Healer Neville Longbottom excused himself and left.

"He's been spending time with the twins lately hasn't he?" Lucius asked.

"Oh, of course. They need time away while Hermione's hormones adjust." Remus answered with a grin. "A positive improvement for young Neville if you ask me."

"True." Narcissa added. "Shall we awaken Severus?"

"I think it'd be advisable if I take Siri home first, don't you think, Cissa?" Remus gave Sirius' collar a shake to try to calm him.

"Hmm, yes. He is a bit excitable right now."

Harry laughed, muffling it with his hand over his mouth. Sebastian giggled from beside him. Sirius looked totally miffed as Remus led/dragged him out of the room.

"C-Can you wake Papa up now, Auntie Cissa, Pwease?'

Tbc...