Chapter 4: Wednesday 2nd June 2005
Chapter Text
Wednesday 2nd June 2005
It wasn't to be, though. The next three days were a nightmare of erumpent-sized proportions that made Harry ending his day at only midnight look like an indolent early finish.
Everything had begun to race downhill for the Auror partners at their nine o'clock meeting with Robards. The Welshman had spelled reports into Ron and his laps with barely concealed excitement. "Merlin's sodding beard!" he'd shouted noisily, despite the tiny meeting room, "we've only gone and done it, lads! Only got a bloody lead on a member of the Confrerie de la Magie Verte."
Ron and he had read the report in a matter of minutes. It had been written by John Alwyn-Jones, the DMLE's Resident Potioneer and it concerned some of the rarer ingredients that Harry and Ron had catalogued the Friday before.
One sentence jumped out to Harry and he underlined it in yellow ink, scraping his non-smudging quill over the parchment.
"The Venomous Tentacular leaves that Deputy Lead Aurors Potter and Weasley confiscated during the Friday raid," Harry read aloud to his partner, "were found to have been treated with a preservative potion solution often utilised by the Confrerie de la Magie Verte."
This was exciting news indeed. The DMLE had been searching for a way to infiltrate the closed and secretive ranks of this international criminal gang for over a year and this was the first time that they'd had even a sniff of success. This tiny clue had the potential to break the gang wide open.
Harry felt his heart sink into his boots and he resisted the urge to swear both loudly and repeatedly. There'd be no Isadora and no Draco until Ron and he had investigated every lead that they could tease out from the evidence. No telling Draco his new baby news either. Harry felt glum, knowing how busy the next few days would be. Still, this was what Harry had signed up for when he had accepted the Deputy Lead role and he knew that there wasn't a choice in the matter.
The next two days were an absolute blur. Harry and Ron skipped meals, conducted several different Azkaban interviews and deposited more statements into the DMLE Pensieve than they'd believed humanly possible. Harry didn't even attempt to go home to Grimmauld Place and the only time he dozed was several snatched seconds in the stationary storeroom.
The one time that Harry saw his daughter was through the effervescent green flames of the floo for a few minutes on Tuesday morning. Isadora waved with her tiny chubby fist and Harry felt an almost physical ache of loneliness.
Ron and he got their big break very late on Tuesday night. Their Azkaban resident, exhausted by the Auror team's perpetual visits, and their hard, unrelenting questions, slipped up during one of her interviews and admitted that she'd been recruited into the Confrerie de la Magie Verte whilst still a sixth form student at Beauxbatons.
This was extremely interesting information to the DMLE. They'd long suspected the Potions Professor at the French magical school was deeply involved in the intercontinental smuggling- his name had turned up over and over again in the case notes- but until that moment they'd never had any cause to raid his offices.
Working alongside their French counterparts, Harry and Ron swooped on the Professor's offices not long before dawn on the Wednesday morning. It was the very definition of a successful raid.
With a swift Expelliarmus Harry had the Professor's wand off him in a matter of moments and Ron magicked a pair of unbreakable handcuffs onto him before he had any chance to escape.
Diaries, manifests and letters tied the criminal to the Confrerie de la Magie Verte without the smallest shadow of a doubt. No hexes, curses or jinks were discharged during the course of the raid and Robards proclaimed himself extremely satisfied.
"Boffin like that won't enjoy a prison cell," Robards had boomed, clapping Harry on his back. "Seen it a thousand times before. He'll make a deal with the Wizengamot and turn snitch. That whole gang will fold faster than a drunkard playing sodding poker. Bet your ruddy broomstick on it! Get your arses back home, lads! Paperwork can wait but your bloody marriages won't."
Harry hadn't needed to be told twice. He'd sent a frantic Patronus to Draco before saying a swift goodbye to Ron and Apparating home.
It was only mid-morning when Harry arrived back at Grimmauld Place. His living room was silent and as Harry pulled off his coat and boots he took in a lungful of the sweet, hyacinth-scented air that was drifting in from an open window. He let it out contemplatively. This was what home smelt like and right then there wasn't anywhere else in the world where Harry would rather have been.
Harry switched on the kettle with an amused snort of laughter.
The absence of a delirious, overjoyed Howler during the last three days had led the Auror to conclude that Draco still hadn't figured out the reason for his aching lower back, his raw emotions and the fact that he'd suddenly turned into Sleeping Beauty.
Harry couldn't wait until his husband finally worked it out so he could shower him with a million kisses and tease him about his unSlytherinlike obliviousness.
Harry put his Auror kit away quietly, concluding quickly that Isadora must be napping. He could see her empty pram parked in the hallway and the wireless was silent too. Enchanting Music For Magic Babies, the radio show that Draco enjoyed sharing with Isa would usually be playing around this time of the day.
It didn't matter. Harry knew he'd have all afternoon to get reacquainted with his daughter. There wasn't any sign of Draco reading or gardening either, so Harry supposed his beloved had taken the opportunity to have a kip alongside their daughter.
Harry watched the boiling kettle for about three seconds before he switched it off, deciding that he couldn't wait even another moment before he saw Isadora. All he wanted was a peek. With a twist of his wand Harry wrapped himself up in a silencing spell before bounding up the stairs before opening her door just an inch.
Isa was sound asleep in her cot, the only sound in the room her tiny breaths and the nearly imperceivable hum of the guardian magic spells which protected her.
"Love you with all of my heart," Harry whispered. He longed to seize her in his arms but he resisted the temptation. Waking Isadora from her daytime nap invoked Draco's ire like nothing else. "Missed you so much the last few days," he whispered, blowing her a kiss.
Closing the door, Harry decided to skip his tea. He'd missed Draco too and the thought of seeing his husband was simply too enticing. He wouldn't wake him. That wouldn't be fair. He'd just slide into bed beside him…
"Merlin," Harry growled as he entered the bedroom. Draco wasn't asleep.
Instead, Draco was very much awake and was on their bed, waiting for him.
The wizard was posing on their bed cover, clothed in nothing but a pair of very lacy, very red knickers and one of Harry's formal shirts.
Draco looked absolutely fantastic, all long, lithe legs and dark, aroused eyes and Harry felt his body begin to respond to the sight, as inevitable as a charm. "You're a sight for sore eyes," Harry murmured, his voice a warm rumble as he stepped over the carpet towards the bed. "And you look fantastic. What's all this in aid of?"
Draco slipped off the bed and sashayed over to stand in front of Harry, his hips moving silkily and suggestively.
"Three days is much too long, Potter," Draco purred, brushing the daintiest, chastest of kisses onto Harry's lips, "and I've been waiting for you to come home to me, love." Draco rolled his hips, wantonly rubbing his tented red silk knickers against Harry's hips. "Can't stop thinking about you. My body is crying out for you."
Harry leant in and the two began kissing. Draco's lips opened for Harry and he began to explore his beloved's hot, wet mouth. His husband's tongue darted against his, coquettish and sexy and Harry felt his skin ripple into goosebumps at the contact.
This warm, fluid sensuality was so familiar too. Sex had always been an important way for the pair of them to express their devotion to each other, but their lovemaking had developed an extra frisson of excitement when Draco had been pregnant with Isadora. All that extra blood rushing around Draco's body and all those extra hormones had left Draco nearly insatiable. Harry had manfully risen to the challenge.
Harry had found the sight of Draco's changing body very attractive and felt a primal, raw thrill at the idea that it was his baby growing inside his belly. He slid his hands beneath the hem of the shirt and let them rest on the rounded curve of Draco's waist.
There was already a new softness there and Harry felt his cock swell in response to the feeling of his husband's skin under his fingers. Harry loved how brimful of life Draco's pregnant body was and how much he glowed, fertile and beautiful.
"Your body is exquisite," Harry whispered as he broke off their kiss. He slipped his hands out of the shirt and took half a step backwards. "And I want you so much."
Harry undid the buttons on Draco's shirt, tugged it off his shoulders and flung it into the floor. Draco looked magnificent. His small tummy sat on top of his knickers and the head of his prominent erection poked out of the top of the lacy material. "Mmmm," Harry said, his eyes raking over Draco's figure, his mouth dry with arousal. "Do you think that Isa will nap much longer?"
"Oh, I believe so," Draco replied, his voice smoky as Amortentia. His long, elegant fingers crept around from where they'd been resting on Harry's bottom and he stroked over the large bulge that was barely restrained by his woollen work trousers. "I put her down for her nap the moment I got your patronus, Harry… Circe, please can we fuck, lovely? I can't seem to think about anything else. I'm aching for you."
"Gods, yes," Harry said, his fingers suddenly clumsy as he tried to undo the fiddly buttons of his shirt. In his frustration he vanished it in a burst of wandless magic "Want you so much. It feels like ages. I'll make you feel brilliant, promise. Give you a lovely orgasm."
Draco was all business, unknotting the clasps on Harry's trousers and pushing them to the floor. It took mere moments before the two wizards were in the same state of undress and Harry gently crowded his husband back towards the bed, kissing and touching him as they moved.
Harry was about to throw Draco down on top of their quilt and ravish him senseless like he always did when, all of a sudden, he realised that simply wasn't an option. Male pregnancies were at their most vulnerable in these first short weeks and Harry wasn't about to take any risks with either his husband or his new baby. He broke off their kisses, pulling off his boxers and kicked them across the floor."Lay down, darling," Harry said, excusing himself. "I'll get you prepared."
"Mmm, you're not being the ruffian that I've come to expect," Draco murmured, laying back and posing with a lascivious smile on his face, "I've come to enjoy your unrefined lovemaking."
"Just admiring the view," Harry murmured, rummaging in the bedside cabinet for lube. His fingers closed around a condom but there wasn't much point any longer. He dropped it back into the drawer. "Just say the charm today," Harry said. "It's been so long, love. I want to feel you next to me when I come."
Draco didn't reply, though Harry noticed that his eyes widened slightly in surprise. The contraceptive charm wasn't anywhere near as reliable. "Fuck, but you're sexy," Draco murmured before he said the enchantment and Harry crawled onto the bed.
Harry hooked his thumbs into the silky material and hitched the knickers down over Draco's hips in a single fluid move.
"Gods. Have you any idea how bloody much I love you?" Harry muttered, feeling an intense throb of desire roll down his spine. Pregnancy had made his lover's hair glossy and his skin soft. Draco's nipples were pebbled, pert, and already visibly darker than they'd been just a few weeks before. Harry lay Draco gently down onto his back, wanting only to worship and pleasure. "You've never looked better darling. You must know that I'm besotted."
Harry kissed a line down Draco's chest, swirling his tongue around his lover's swollen nipple and over the thin scars that patterned his chest. Moving downwards Harry brushed his lips over Draco's navel and down to the small swell of his husband's bump.
"There's not a part of you that I don't adore," Harry said reverently. "These last three days… When I'm not with you and Isa I'm not whole. Feel like a part of my heart is missing."
He looked up at Draco. His husband's cheeks were flushed and he looked down at Harry affectionately. "Such beautiful words," Draco said, running his fingertips through Harry's messy hair. "We missed you too… Will you kiss me? I need to feel you close." His voice was open and vulnerable and full of love. "I've fantasied about this moment since you flooed away from me."
Harry did, laying beside Draco so as not to put any pressure on his beloved's tummy. His hand found Draco's cock and he rolled the foreskin over its head, revelling in the blatant heat and arousal of his husband's length. Just like he'd been with Isadora, Draco's first-trimester body was hypersensitive. Harry rolled his thumb delicately over the head, spreading slick precome all over his lover's shaft. Their lovemaking still felt as charged and as potent as their very first time.
Beside him his lover panted, already close getting to his orgasm. The pupils of Draco's eyes were blown large and Harry realised he needed to be prudent or their fun would be over before it had even begun. He let go of Draco's cock, shifting his hand over to clutch his lover's hip. There wasn't any need for them to hurry.
Draco wasn't keen on this turn of events though and he whimpered. "Harry, please… I need this. Need you," Draco hissed, the naked want raw in his voice. "Touch me. Stretch me open, darling. I'm not made of bloody glass."
"I'm going to," Harry muttered, "but we don't need to rush. I'm going to take such good care of you Draco. Going to make you feel good."
Harry spent the next few minutes kissing Draco and letting the other man catch his breath. Then Draco lay back and let his legs splay open, invitatory and so very sensual. Draco didn't need to use words to tell Harry that he was ready to be stretched open and welcoming by his husband's clever hands. Harry unscrewed the stiff lid off the lube and scooped out a dollop, spreading the wetness all around around Draco's entrance.
"So fucking beautiful," Harry whispered, pushed a finger into Draco's fervent heat. His beloved's arse was tight around his hand and Harry took the opportunity to gaze at his husband's tiny bump, already so warm and so present beneath his belly button.
Draco and he had always known their bodies had been built for each other's pleasure and pregnancy had only enhanced their intimacy.
Draco had wanted sex even more regularly, which was no meant feat but it'd been an all abiding pleasure for Harry to keep him satisfied. He'd had to find ever more creative ways to work around Draco's bump, especially when the blond wizard had reached the third trimester and his belly had been as round and as heavy as a cauldron.
He'd lain his husband down on his side, hitching a leg over his hips and they'd fucked like two spoons, tender and intimate…
"Thinking again, Potter?" Draco asked, his grey eyes flicking open. His brow furrowed. "Is there something wrong? Your hands… They've slowed down. If you're tired from work or-"
"No, I'm not," Harry interrupted, speeding up once more. "Swear to Merlin. Just smitten by the sight of you. Can you really blame me?"
Draco quirked a smile at Harry. "Maybe not," he agreed. "Can you add more fingers now, love? I really want to feel the stretch."
Harry nodded and he added a second and then a third finger, captivated by his husband's unconscious noises of enjoyment. Draco was stunning, and was putting on quite the show for Harry, palming his steadily leaking cock while sweat beaded at his brow, his pale skin blotchy with red patches where his pumping blood was close to the surface.
Harry gave Draco a moment to acclimatise, not wanting to hurt him. "You feel ready, sweetheart," Harry said, pulling out his fingers satisfied that Draco could accommodate him. He leant over and pressed a lustful, salacious kiss onto Draco's mouth."You ready to have sex?"
"More than," Draco whispered.
Draco slid into position between Harry's thighs, spreading his legs wide, open and gorgeous. Harry lined up his cock and slowly pushed home. Even now this was still the moment that Harry enjoyed the most. He was still overcome by the pure intimacy of being inside Draco. Needy low-pitched noises left Harry's throat at that first tight clench of Draco's body.
"I love you," Harry repeated, his hips nudging up against his beloved's arse cheeks as he bottomed out. "I love you. You're mine, Draco. I love you. Every part of you."
Harry didn't want their sex to be too rough. Often their lovemaking was unrestrained and wild but today Harry wanted to take his time. He rolled his hips slowly, making each of his thrusts deep, profound and careful. The effect felt slightly different to usual but Harry didn't mind. Each and every time was fantastic with Draco. Slow and passionate was just as amazing as hard and frantic.
Harry knew from the curl of his husband's lip that he was brushing Draco's prostate on each stroke. Draco's body felt brilliantly tight around his cock, all pliable perfection. Harry knew that he could easily come like this and he let himself get lost in the passion of the moment, stroking his hand over the hard muscles of Draco's thighs…
"Fuck me harder, Potter!" Draco muttered, interrupting his reverie."What's bloody wrong with you today? You're shagging me like I'm some precious fucking antique Harry!" His grey eyes flashed with annoyance and desperation. "Normally you'd be nailing me into the sodding mattress by now-"
Harry lost his rhythm at Draco's reaction so he pulled out to take a breather. He didn't just want to blurt out their big news but every part of Harry's psyche was telling him that he had to be cautious.
This wasn't just about Draco and himself any more; it was about their new baby and keeping them safe. Thing was, Harry knew that he should have told Draco about the baby before they'd slept together. Telling him now would seem like Harry been keeping deliberate secrets.
"You weren't enjoying yourself?" Harry asked.
"It's not that," Draco muttered, his fingers trailing through the dark hair that patterned Harry's chest. His cheeks had gone a little red and Harry though he looked a bit embarrassed. "It's just… Well, normally you can't resist me! I've been fantasising about your cock since the minute you left." Draco glared up defiantly at Harry from his position on their bed."And I keep getting half-hard just dreaming about you. I've had to wank off three times since Monday! I feel I've reverted back to a bloody teenager or-"
Harry gave Draco a long, reassuring kiss. Everything that his husband was describing was typical of the hormones flooding Draco's bloodstream and was all very familiar from his earlier pregnancy.
"That's all okay," Harry reassured, pulling Draco up to his feet. "Never be ashamed to ask for whatever you need. That's what I'm here for." He moved Draco's hand down onto his own very erect penis.
"See what you do to me? It's me that can't resist you… I'm sorry. It's your sore back? From Sunday? I know you've not been feeling a hundred percent and I didn't want to make you feel worse. You know how I worry."
Draco seemed to accept Harry's white lie. He gave Harry's length a delicious stroke, squeezing it in a tight grip just exactly how he knew Harry liked. "Shall we finish then?" Draco asked, giving Harry a libidinous wink. "Isa won't nap forever… As we were?"
Harry shook his head. He didn't want to end their lovemaking in their bed. He'd had a better idea.
"No. Come on, love," Harry said, taking Draco's hand off his member and knotting his fingers through his own. "I know what we'll both enjoy."
Harry stood and he led Draco by the hand to their en-suite. He switched on the shower and with a flick of his wand charmed it to the exact right temperature. An extension charm increased the dimensions of the cubicle to fit them both comfortably. "I'm going to finish you off in there," Harry answered. "I know how much you enjoy the heat of the water jetting over you."
Both Draco and he had loved shower sex when Draco was pregnant with Isa. The heated water running over his aching muscles had been a comfort and a balm to Draco while they'd petted and kissed, unable to get enough of each other's bodies.
Harry had really enjoyed the caregiving that his husband had craved, shampooing Draco's hair and gently washing Draco's swollen waist as their hard cocks had frotted and slid between the pair of them. The wizardsgot into the cubical and kissed for a moment under the streaming, heated water. Harry soaped up his hands and glided them over Draco's sides. His fingers skittered over his husband's tiny belly, but they didn't linger. The warm rivulets running speedily over their bodies was evoking their muscle memories, making both of them very aroused and very relaxed indeed.
"Mmm," Harry admired. "You look so splendid. Turn around for me, sweetheart. Let me get you into a good position"
Draco did, Harry's hand on his lover's hips. Draco always got quite dizzy when he was pregnant and Harry didn't want him to slip over the tiles.
The blond wizard braced himself against the marble wall and positioned his bottom so that Harry could enter him with ease. His husband didn't need any further preparation. Harry lined himself up and pushed up and into Draco's fluttering arsehole without a struggle. "That's right," Harry rambled, thrusting into his darling under the racing water. "I love you. Going to look after you. Going to make you feel so good."
"Godric yes! Fuck, but it's all brilliant," Draco moaned, rocking his hips back onto the source of his pleasure. "Love fucking you in the shower like this!"
Harry held onto Draco and kissed him wherever he could reach, licking water from his husband's neck and from the angular lines of his shoulders. They moved together, their bodies synchronised and for half a moment Harry almost forgot they were two separate people.
Draco gasped and whined, throwing his head back and keening noisily. There was so much trust in his actions and Harry felt his body shudder with both desire and pride. This sex was exactly what they both needed. It was deep and hard enough so that Draco could really feel it, but nowhere near frenzied enough that Harry had to worry about hurting their baby.
Pleasure rose in Harry as he fucked his sweetheart. He caressed Draco's cock in line with his thrusts, drawing out low moans with every tug.
"Look at you," Harry muttered into the shell of Draco's ear. "Taking every inch of my cock and loving every moment."
"Make me come," Draco wept. "Need it, Harry. Ah! Need it so badly-"
Harry gave into his lover's demands, kissing Draco briefly before he stroked him over the edge. Harry bit his lip hard, holding Draco's weight as his beloved orgasmed with Harry's murmured name on his lips. Ribbons of come painted the shower wall.
The whole world shrank to the pair of them as Harry's head swam and the blood pounded though his ears. Harry felt his balls draw up close to his body as he pulsed deep into Draco's arsehole, the fiery wetness spurting as he drowned beneath the waves after wave of pleasure.
"Sweet Circe and all the deities," Harry laughed as he pulled out his spent cock. He caught an exhausted Draco in his arms and kissed the top of his head. "I'm not wordy like you, love so I don't have any way to describe that except amazing. Wow. That was a morning shower I won't soon forget."
Draco was lax and lazy within the safety of his arms, entirely blissed out from his own climax. His eyes were shiny, and his skin was flushed, and Harry couldn't remember him ever looking more delectable.
"Thank you," Draco whispered in a broken voice, walking trembling fingers down the muscles of Harry's upper arm. "Merlin but I needed that so badly, love… Felt like I'd been dosed with a love potion or as if I'd had a dose of bloody sex pollen! I dreamt about you last night, Harry. Dreamt about you fucking me and then I couldn't get the images out of my head. Something's different about me lately, love. I just can't put my finger on what it is."
Harry could though, and he skirted his hand down, tracing a runnel of water as it chased its way over the softening curves of Draco's tummy.
Vivid, sensuous dreams had been a part of his husband's last pregnancy and Draco had taken to waking Harry, desperate for his touch at the oddest of hours.
"Well, you'd have known if you'd got a dodgy owl delivery," Harry replied evenly, pouring out a galleon-sized amount of lemon shampoo into his hand before massaging it into Draco's hair. "Letters to Auror's homes are automatically scanned for rogue hexes and potions."
Harry took the shower-head down and rinsed Draco off. "So you don't need to worry about hexes. You know it's nothing dicey. I love that you want me," Harry concluded. He stood still so Draco could rub de-knotting lotion into his own head. "I was put on the Earth to make you happy. Satisfying you means the world to me."
Draco scoffed at Harry's twee comment.
"Hardly. I can think of a few reasons, other than the gift of regular orgasms, why you were placed here on the Earth," Draco said, frowning at a particularly stubborn tangle on Harry's head and trying to unpick it with a finger. "Specifically your saving the world. Merlin. Have you spent the last two days rolling around in the mud? Your hair is a veritable mess of knots."
Harry would have replied but Isadora chose that moment to interrupt their shower. A noisy wail broke through their conversation. It was the sound of the monitoring spell working, warning them that Isa no longer wished to be away from her two daddies.
Their little girl was ready to play, and be busy for the rest of the day, and that was absolutely fine with Harry. He'd missed her immensely in the few days they had been apart. "I'll sort out Isa," Harry said, opening the door and stepping onto the bathmat. "And you can have a few more minutes to finish up, love. I'll go and get her sorted."
"Knew there was another reason why I kept you around," Draco smiled. "Best husband ever. Love you, Harry."
Harry spelled his hair and body dry and squinted into the mirror before Scourgifying his teeth. "Yeah," he replied. "The feeling's mutual. I happen to love you a little bit too."
Harry took a detour on his way to Isa's bedroom, pulling on his boxer shorts and Accio'ing his favourite Levi jeans from the clean washing pile. He stumbled into them as he walked across the hall, only hooking the last button up as he opened his daughter's door.
Isadora was smiling, springy and entirely refreshed from her nap. "Dadadaaaaa!" she shouted, trying to catch his rather bouncy hair.
"Ah ah," Harry admonished, giving her a big kiss and dexterously moving her down to his hips so that his head was out of reach. "You're just as obsessed with my hair as your other daddy is, Isa-baby. Well, I can assure you that it isn't any fun to have this Potter hair, my little love. I haven't been able to brush it since I was… Maybe six?"
Harry tickled her nose as he carried her over to his and Draco's bedroom. Draco had decided keep her changing unit in there because it provided the easiest access to their en-suite.
"Well done on looking after your daddy while I was busy catching baddies," Harry whispered into her ear and making her giggle. "He still hasn't worked out that he's got a new baby in his tummy. I don't think it'll be much longer though."
Harry noticed that his beloved had already chosen an outfit for Isadora to wear post-nap and he snapped open the poppers on her sleep-suit before replacing Isa's nappy, wrapping it in a bubble charm and expelling it to the bin. Then he rolled stripy green leggings onto her kicking legs and helped a jumper embroidered with a mushroom and toadstool pattern over her head to complete her look.
"Absolutely lovely," Harry complimented, brushing a curl behind her ear. "As pretty as any picture."
The two of them settled on the double bed to wait for Draco to join them. Harry cast an Aurorae spell on the ceiling and the two of them watched, fascinated as the coloured lights glided and danced over every surface.
"Daddy won't be long," Harry said as he Accio'ed a pair of purple socks and popped them over her toes. "Much better. We don't want your feet feeling the cold."
Draco joined Isa and Harry only a few minutes later, his blond hair still soft and dishevelled from the shower and the grey fluffy towel wrapped around his middle his only clothes. A few tiny droplets of water shone where his drying spell had missed them. Isa thought the sight of him was wonderful and she was keen to tell him so. "Dadadadaaa," burbled, waving her arms. "Dadadaaa!"
"My joli bebe. What a good little girl you are. Thank you for giving your daddy and me a few minutes to get reacquainted," Draco smiled, his eyes visibly brightening at the simple sight of his daughter. He crouched beside Isa and gave her a sweet little kiss. "Mmm. Thank you Potter. I feel more than brilliant now." Draco stood up and yawned softly, grey eyes following the Aurora Borealis undulate over the walls for a second before he spoke again. "And a surprise afternoon with my husband as well. I'm a lucky wizard."
Draco went over to his wardrobe and Harry watched him select a thin cotton shirt and a pair of grey trousers. He gave them both a sceptical look and held them up for Harry's approval.
"The azure blue?" Draco asked, looking over at Harry. "I'm never sure about this one. Do you think it strips my complexion?" Draco held it up to his front and turned around. "What had you planned for the rest of the day?" he asked, holding the clothes up before himself in the mirror. "Before I received your patronus I'd planned to take Isa here for a walk along Diagon Alley. I wanted to pick up a few bits of food and some other supplies that we need for my birthday party on Sunday." Draco shook his head and threw the shirt in Harry's direction. "You wear it," he muttered. "In fact, you can keep it. Would you like to come along with us? Or are you wanting to catch up on your sleep for a couple of hours?"
Harry pulled the shirt over his head and cast a wandless tailoring spell to give it a better fit over his far broader shoulders. The material was soft and gauzy beside his skin. Even if they were married for another hundred years Harry didn't ever think he'd ever get used to the luxurious clothes that Draco wore as a matter of course.
"Nah. The last thing I want is more time away from you both," Harry replied, picking up Isadora and placing her in the middle of the bed. He stood and set the safety charms on each of the sides so she couldn't wriggle off. before cleaning his glasses with the hem of the shirt. "And we'll get some lunch from the cafe," he said, stepping over to stand beside Draco in front of the mirror before cleaning his glasses with magic.
His husband had pulled on his trousers and was letting the waist settle into place while he buttoned up a more subtle slate-grey shirt. Harry took a moment to set his hair tidy with a charm and tucked in the hem of his shirt. Beside him Draco was pulling a very aggrieved expression. He'd pulled on a pair of boxer shorts which still fit well, but he was having a touch more trouble trying to force the button of his trousers together.
"I'm assuming this is your doing," Draco muttered, once again trying to get the two sides to meet. He turned to face Harry and sighed dramatically. His husband's little belly poked out between the two sides of material and Harry had to force down a daft urge to give it an affectionate pat. "I've asked you a dozen bloody times to stay away from the housekeeping charms." Draco groaned and tried to do up his trousers a final time but the button simply refused to do his bidding, "but no, you wade in, waving your wand like you're in the midst of a ruddy Auror raid! Remember what Flitwick used to say back at school? A heavy-handed touch is often too much!-"
Harry focussed rifling through his sock drawer. He knew that if he looked at Draco's face or worse at his tummy then he'd be sure to laugh. His beloved's face made it abundantly clear that he wouldn't appreciate either Harry's amusement or the news that not a single item in his wardrobe would be fit him after a few more weeks had passed by.
"So flick your wands lightly and your charms will be sprightly," Harry finished off, knotting his belt as he said the words. "And, whilst I admit that my charmwork can be a bit hit and miss on occasion, that's hardly my fault! You might recall that I had a fair few other things to think about at school! Besides, after I ruined Isa's Christening gown I swore to you that I'd not touch the washing spells again and I haven't. Swear to Merlin!" He gave Draco a cheeky smirk. "And, as you might recall, I haven't actually stepped through our floo in days-"
That answer didn't suit Draco one little bit. Harry watched the blond wizard shove his trousers down his legs and kick them off in a temper. He reached into the wardrobe and pulled out a navy pair that still fitted rather tightly around his husband's middle.
"Circe's bloody tits," Draco spat out, staring daggers at his reflection. "These ones are nearly as bloody bad! Ugh. I know I've eaten a fair few Honeydukes toffee and coconut cremes while Isa's been napping but I didn't think that I'd actually gotten fat."
Harry watched as Draco examined himself from every angle, his hands on his hips. He made a little tutting noise, not at all pleased with what his eyes were telling him.
"You're not fat," Harry disagreed, letting his hand drift around Draco's waist. "Not one bit, lovely. Your body has changed since having Isa but that's no bad thing." He let his hand drift down to cup Draco's bum. "Mm. I hope you can tell how much I fancy you."
Draco gave Harry a thin smile and the two of them listened to their daughter babble and laugh on the bed behind them. She couldn't crawl through the magicked barrier and was finding her game of rolling against it extremely entertaining.
"I suppose I do," Draco admitted sullenly. He looked over at Isadora and Harry saw the annoyance in his face start to soften. "I know you shouldn't say it about your own but she really is lovely, isn't she?"
"She really is," Harry readily agreed, wanting to tell Draco about the other lovely baby growing safely inside of him but knowing that now wasn't the time. All Harry could do now was ensure his hormonal, pregnant husband felt better about himself and that he enjoyed a stressless afternoon. "As are you! It doesn't matter about these trousers, sweetheart," Harry said, spelling them to fit Draco more comfortably. "Just fix them with magic or we can buy you some new ones later. Whichever you like! Life's much too short to dwell on these things."
Draco shook his head, wiping away a stray tear with the back of his hand.
These rapid mood swings and sudden rushes of emotion were so typical of pregnant Draco that Harry could hardly credit his husband hadn't cottoned on yet to the big changes happening in his body. This emotionality could hardly be easy for the blond wizard, not when his formative years had groomed him for a life of stiff Pureblood respectability.
Now Draco's emotions were fluctuating and powerful, spilling out of him at inopportune moments. "And now I'm weeping like a witch. Fat and crying. Gods but I'm a mess, Potter. Don't know how you put up with me."
Harry unhooked his hands from Draco's waist before moving his husband's fingers away from his face. He kissed the back of his husband's hand.
"You don't need any putting up with, Malfoy. You're still the same sexy wizard you always were." His finger grazed over Draco's wedding ring, the twin of the one he wore on his own finger. "The same man I married. Shall we get going though?" Harry asked, knotting his fingers through Draco's own. "I've already caught a Dark Wizard this morning as well as shagging you senseless. I think I deserve a coffee and a bacon sandwich."
~*~*~
It was much too difficult to floo over to Diagon so Harry and Draco made the decision to walk, Harry pushing Isadora across the pavement in her pushchair.
Luckily, their home wasn't very far from the Leaky Cauldron entrance to wizarding London and the early June weather was idyllic too. Draco had insisted that he coat Isadora and Harry in a thick layer of sunscreen potion before they left before proudly placing a floppy hat decorated with an embroidered snitch upon Isa's head.
Harry had never gotten over how popular their little family were with the local Muggles and several of them stopped to say their good afternoons as the three of them walked past. "Such a little princess," cooed Mrs. McGlinty from two doors down and Harry felt his chest puff out proudly.
Draco seemed pleased too, though he always feigned nonchalance about such comments. Harry negotiated a pothole and thought about the future. Draco would have to spend a few months 'studying plants abroad' like Harry had told their neighbours when his husband had been pregnant before.
In reality Draco had spent the last trimester of his pregnancy flooing to the Manor each day to be looked after by a phalanx of House Elves each day before flooing home to be looked after by Harry each evening. It had been an arrangement that had suited Draco perfectly.
As they walked along Harry filled Draco in with all the gossip from the morning raid.
"Robards believes that the Potions Professor will crack before much more time passes," Harry explained, swinging the wheels of the pushchair around as they reached the doorway of the Leaky Cauldron. "Give up the rest of his gang." Draco opened the door and held it open for him to push Isa though. "And I bloody well hope so. That Confrerie de la Magie Verte are a lousy bunch of criminals. Some of those smuggled ingredients Ron and I found weren't anywhere near the same strength as those available in the London Apothecaries. I'm only glad that none of them got into the hands of the public."
Draco nodded to the Barwizard as the three of them made their way to the back of the bar lounge.
"Sounds like the DMLE did well to get the case tied up as quickly as it did." Draco tapped the wall with his wand and opened the entrance to Magical London. "You should be proud of yourself, Potter," Draco said. "I certainly am. It was your careful cataloguing that broke the case." Draco rubbed the base of his back. "That reminds me, love. Can we go to the Apothecary next? Get a bottle of that Lavender muscle balm? These back twinges of mine aren't going anywhere fast."
Harry pushed Isadora carefully along the cobbles. As it was a Wednesday afternoon the normal throngs of busy wix were absent and Harry couldn't help but feel glad.
It wasn't that Harry didn't still love Diagon Alley. The enchantment of the place had never truly left him and as he watched Isa pointing at the owls and the baby crups in the Menagerie with her chubby fingers he could see that his baby was enjoying herself too.
What Harry loathed were the unconcealed stares of the other shoppers and the sycophantic attitude of some of the storekeepers. Today nobody was giving his family any kind of extra attention and that suited Harry perfectly.
"I have to admit that I was surprised about Granger," Draco said as the three of them entered the Apothecary. There were whole shelves there dedicated to babies. Harry spied the colic potion that they'd needed to buy bottle after bottles of when Isa was tiny.
The Apothecary was a cornucopia of baby products. There were charmed dummies that resisted being lost, as well as potions for stretch marks and for sore nipples too. It didn't feel like ten minutes since Draco and he had been in there, purchasing two of everything that the baby books had urged them to.
"I'd have bet my inheritance that Pans would have been the next to get pregnant," Draco continued, picking up a phial of the eucalyptus poultice that they used on Isa's chest whenever she was snuffly. "She's been hinting as much and I know that she's broody. Kept asking me whether we were thinking of having another baby soon on Sunday too. You know what Potter? She even said we were the best parents she knew!"
Harry wondered if this might be the moment that Draco told him that he was pregnant. "And what did you say?" Harry asked, fishing two galleons out of his wallet to pay for their purchases.
Draco looked at Harry like he'd grown a second head. "I told her that we hadn't discussed it! Isa's not even a year old yet, Potter. Mother always told me that you need to enjoy your child's babyhood before you rush into making number two."
Harry thought it was a little late for Narcissa's pearls of wisdom but he buttoned his lip and they continued on their way to the Chocolate Cauldron Cafe. Harry lifted Isa out of her pushchair and the Elf Waiter led them to a seat under the window, transfiguring one of the seats into a high-chair with a click of his long fingers.
Harry pulled out his husband's chair so he could sit down, perusing the menu idly. It was quite the pointless undertaking because every time they visited Harry always ordered exactly the same thing.
"Can we get a latte, a fizzy pumpkin juice and two bacon sandwiches please?" Harry asked the Elf Waiter who was still lingering a discreet distance away from their table. He took Isa's bottle and her puree out of his bag before breaking their stasis spell with his wand.
Harry fed Isa a spoonful before he spoke again.
"I love Cissa but I'm not sure I agree with her. When- well, if- we had another baby then we wouldn't stop appreciating every single one of Isa's milestones. Her first word… Her first steps." Harry wiped a spot of carrot from Isa's chin and she clapped loudly, overjoyed to have both her daddies beside her for once. "Love expands, doesn't it? When I was growing up-"
"Those repellent Muggles-" Draco muttered, a shiver of disgust washing over his features. Harry didn't doubt that he would have said more but their Elf Waiter arrived back beside their table just then, bearing their lunch on a levitating tray. "Thank you," Draco nodded to their server, pausing until he'd moved away.
"Repellent. That's the right word to use," Harry said, taking a sip of his latte. He hadn't realised just how famished that he'd been until his food had been placed in front of him. "What was truly repellent was what the Dursleys made me believe about myself… I suppose I thought that love was a limited resource… That it had to be parcelled out. Reserved and rationed, even. But that's rubbish, isn't it? I mean, I love both of you." Harry made a sweeping motion with his hand, taking in Draco and Isa both. "I love you with all of my heart and if- when- we're lucky enough to get pregnant again then I know I'll feel exactly the same. We're a good team, Malfoy. Pansy was right about that much! We are brilliant parents." Harry put down his latte and took hold of Draco's hand in his own. Now was the time, Harry decided. Time to seize the unicorn by the horns. Time to jump on his broomstick. "And judging by a couple of things I've noticed-"
"Oh Merlin!" Draco gasped, his hand flying from Harry's hand and straight up to cover his mouth.
Draco jumped to his feet and pushed back his chair with scraping noise. It was loud, very sudden and all the other customers in the cafe turned to stare at their family as Draco darted as fast as he could towards the loo.
The shock of the commotion made Isadora howl in anguish, fat tears rolling down her red cheeks. Harry lifted Isa out of her high-chair and comforted her with a gentle cuddle, all the time feeling like London's biggest prat. Bacon. How could he have been so bloody oblivious? The mere scent of the stuff had made Draco part with the contents of his tummy with Isadora and it seemed that was a pattern that was only set to continue.
"Oh my little love," Harry said, letting Isadora rest her head on the silky material of his shirt and rocking her gently. "Daddy Draco didn't mean to frighten you, sweetpea. Circe, but it's not easy to tell him about the new baby, is it? Something always seems to happen."
Harry called over to the Elf Waiter and asked him to hurriedly clean away the remains of their sandwiches. "There wasn't anything wrong with them at all. My husband's having a… Well, he's having touch of the Muggle 'flu," Harry assured the Elf as Draco rejoined them, his face still a little green around the gills.
The blond wizard slumped back into his chair and rubbed his belly in little circular motions. Harry thought he looked like the most stereotypical pregnant person that had ever lived and only wished that Draco could see himself like he did. "Come on love," Harry said kindly. "Let's get you some fresh air."
"Gods," Draco said as they hastily left the cafe. The next stop on their trip was Frobisher's Foodstuffs and Grocery to buy the remainder of Draco's list. Harry thought they'd make their way home after that and enjoy a quiet afternoon there. "I feel rotten, Harry. Why can't I shake this off?"
Harry didn't reply, not trusting himself to not just blurt out the truth. Before many minutes had passed the three of them had arrived at Frobisher's. Harry popped Isadora into a metal trolley, securing her to the seat with a sticking spell.
Their little girl was fascinated by the brightly coloured bottles and the glossy boxes that crowded and teetered over every surface. She stuck out her arms, burbling and babbling as she tried to make a grab for everything in her reach.
Draco said very little as they walked around, focussing instead on choosing their shopping. Harry didn't think his husband looked all that well. Draco kept yawning, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.
Harry paid for their shopping and set Isa back into her pushchair while Draco shrank their bags down with a Reducio. He popped them underneath his daughter and the three of them emerged back out into the afternoon sunlight.
They ambled home slowly, enjoying the unusual treat of a weekday afternoon spent in each other's company and the sight of the bustling window displays.
The newest Firebolt 3000 bobbed in the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies, sleek and dangerous and mannequins wearing Hogwarts uniforms stood in Twillfitt and Tattlings. Harry felt his heart twist awkwardly at the sight of the green and burgundy. Now that he was a dad himself, eleven seemed unbearably young to send a child away to live at school.
"I'm glad we're nowhere near that age," Draco said, seeming to read Harry's mind. "All I can remember from my first year at Hogwarts was an unendurable sense of loneliness. I was so anxious to make Father proud… We'll do better with Isa, won't we Harry? I never want her to feel like that."
"We already do better," Harry replied, looking over at Draco, over at the shirt that skirted ever so slightly over the small swell of his belly. He smiled kindly at his worn-out husband. "You have a nap when we get back. You look bushed. I'll look after our little pixie."
"If you're sure," Draco said, taking over the handles of the pushchair as they began walking again. "I haven't felt right since I smelt that damned bacon sandwich. It must have been off or something. Bloody Elves. If I didn't know better I'd think that the whole bunch of them were trying to do me in."
Harry nodded, leaning over to brush a kiss on Draco's cheek.
"Of course I'm sure. Whatever you need to do Draco. After all, you're doing the hard work. Carrying-" Harry stopped himself, suddenly aware of what his next works would have been. Luckily Draco was too focussed on the pavement before him to have noticed his little slip up. "Carrying our family and looking after us while I'm at work. I don't tell you often enough how much I appreciate it, love."
"I wouldn't have it any other way, though." Draco murmured, wheeling Isa around the pavement sign for Flourish and Botts. His grey eyes drifted over to Harry for a moment. "But being at home with Isa isn't a hardship. It's my privilege. I mean, I know I talk lots about going back to work- and one day, certainly, I will- but I enjoy my days. I enjoy making sure that Isadora feels really loved."
As they made their way through the Leaky Cauldron and left magical London Harry daydreamed about the day that had followed their wedding. Draco had shown him an ancient magical textbook that he'd pinched from the library at Malfoy Manor, its leather cover dust-covered and cracked with age.
"I can bear your children," Draco had said, his fingers sliding over the parchment text and a scratchy ink drawing of cycles of the Moon. "All Pureblood wizards can. If we have sex with our bonded partner on the night the Moon is fullest, then our magical signatures will merge. If we're really lucky then sometimes little bits break off and that grows into a womb capable of carrying a baby. I'd like to give you a family, Harry. You're the love of my life."
Harry had felt a visceral desire for that family that Draco had promised, a longing that hadn't ever left him. He'd known then that he, and Draco would be together until the day that one of them died.
The two wizards walked back through the streets of Muggle London in an easy, comfortable silence, both of them lost in their thoughts.
This was the life that Harry had always coveted and soon their happiness would increase even further.
Their new tiny baby was already growing, safe inside Draco's womb that their bond and their magic had created together and Harry didn't think that his life could get better than that.
~*~*~