Title: The Perfect Wife
Author: slytherin-nette
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters you recognize from the HP books in this story. All I own is the plot. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling. She rocks.
Pairings: DM/femHP, RW/LrM, BZ/HG, SB/RV, BM/??, AM/?? and many others.
Warnings: This is a Post-Hogwarts story so it will be slightly more mature than TPG but equally insane. Wahaha. Also, this story contains PREGNANCY, RATED scenes and SLASH relationships.
A/N: To the unsigned reviewer who KEEPS complaining about the pregnancy: I'm getting irritated. I will NOT write pregnancy as REALISTICALLY as you want me to because I DON'T WANT TO. This is a HUMOR FIC so I really AM going to use pregnancy stereotypes instead. Besides, the pregnancy is not the focus of the plot. Okay? PLEASE don't list down any more graphic pregnancy symptoms for me. To everyone else, I hope you enjoy the relatively fluffier D/H - ness of this chapter!
Chapter 5 – It Takes Two
"YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING BASTARD! I HATE YOU! YOU'RE NEVER LAYING A FINGER ON ME AGAIN, MALFOY! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I DON'T EVER WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU AGAIN! NEVER!"
Draco was still seeing stars as he pressed the pack of ice closer against his bruised, aching eye a couple of hours later. He was currently listening to Harry's high-pitched screaming and angry cursing from the other side of the double doors of their master bedroom in Malfoy Manor.
It was much later that night and by now, all of the guests of the party left – leaving only the rest of the Malfoy family who had all retired and scurried away from the scene of Harry practically screaming her lungs out at her cringing husband during the long walk to their bedroom.
As the current Head and Mistress of the Malfoy family, they had an entire wing of the manor to themselves and fortunately, that allowed the couple privacy as Harry continued to scream the most interesting combinations of profanity that Draco had ever heard before in his life. Leaning backwards against the locked doors of their bedroom again, he paused and spoke up in a meek voice.
"Are you done shouting…? Will you please unlock the doors and let me in now, love?"
Draco cringed and hastily stepped back from the door when he heard what sounded like a large glass object crash noisily against the other side. This was followed by Harry screeching noisily again, her voice echoing so loudly along the corridors that when the passing house-elves heard it, they gave a horrified squeak and scampered off towards their private quarters.
"LET YOU IN?! YOU THINK I'M EVER GOING TO 'LET YOU IN' AGAIN AFTER THIS, MALFOY?! YOU TOSSER! FROM NOW ON, MY LEGS STAY CLOSED! FOREVER!"
Again, Draco cringed and held the ice pack closer to his eye as he dared to answer her with a cajoling tone. "Aw come on, Harry…You don't mean that. We've been talking about having children for months now." He sighed and pressed his ears closer against the door, listening to her heavy, hysterical breathing from the inside of their bedroom.
"Come on, Harry…I know you're scared in there. I'm scared too…I realize that wasn't the best setting for you to find out. Just let me in and I'll help you calm down. Please?" He asked gently, making sure to keep his voice soft and pleading lest he incite her legendary anger again.
He was answered by a long, uncertain pause after that and he waited patiently, setting the ice pack down from his aching eye and handing it to a passing house-elf. He sighed in relief when the large, double doors finally creaked open and allowed him a brief glimpse of his wife's frail form from where she was sitting on the edge of their large four poster bed.
Peering slowly into the room, he noted that her face was pale and her entire form was shaking in agitation. She was biting her lip and rocking back and forth while hugging herself in self-comfort. When she looked up and saw him enter the room, the panic on her face darkened into anger again.
"This is all YOUR fault, Draco!" She grabbed the nearest object beside her – a vase of flowers right on their bedside table – and hurled it violently at his approaching form. Draco let out a panicked yelp and ducked, flinching when he heard the vase shatter into tiny, sharp pieces on the part of the door directly behind his head.
"C—calm down! I—"
Harry growled and hurled another object toward him again – this time her heeled left shoe – and managed to hit her panicking husband right on his shoulder.
"OW! Bloody hell! WAIT! Just calm down for a second here and listen to me—"
"ALL YOUR BLEEDING FAULT, MALFOY!" She looked completely enraged as she stood up, walked over to the small cabinet at the end of the room and began hurling as many objects as she possibly could at Draco with impressive force.
"H—HARRY! WAIT—"
"IF YOU HADN'T TURNED ME INTO A WOMAN IN THE FIRST PLACE AND GIVEN ME A BLOODY UTERUS, I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS GODFORSAKEN SITUATION! I HATE YOU, MALFOY! I REALLY DO!"
Draco ducked and dodged repeatedly as about a dozen different objects – from candles, to books, to alarm clocks and even several pairs of his boxers – came flying at his face. Harry's eyes looked completely maniacal. She seemed to have exhausted one drawer and moved on to another one – hurling more objects at his battered form.
Ducking as a whole horde of his books came flying across his head, Draco held up his hands in surrender and let out a desperate exclamation. "Harry, PLEASE be reasonable here! We both wanted this! You LOVE children and you said yourself that you wanted to have kids! I don't understand why you're so angry!" He complained as Harry's other shoe now went flying at his face.
She growled and grabbed a picture frame from the dresser. "OH YEAH?! THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY, MALFOY! YOU'RE NOT THE ONE WHO HAS TO WORRY ABOUT POPPING OUT A KID FROM BETWEEN YOUR LEGS! YOU STILL HAVE YOUR BLOODY CROTCH, DON'T YOU?!" She hurled the picture frame at him, sneering as he yelped in fear again and barely managed to dodge it by a couple of inches.
The picture frame shattered noisily against the bedroom entrance doors again, causing a poor, unsuspecting house-elf who had entered to clean the mess to squeak loudly and run back out the bedroom in utter fear and horror. Draco watched this for a minute before he turned back and gave his seething wife an uncertain smile.
"Now let's not bring my crotch into the fight, Harry…That's not the big issue here…"
Harry snorted loudly at this and grabbed another picture frame off the dresser. "THAT'S true…Since when has your crotch EVER been a BIG issue, Malfoy?" She taunted loudly and this time, her words brought an angry, humiliated flush onto Draco's cheeks.
He gaped at her in outrage, his silver eyes flashing furiously in affronted anger. "YOU LYING BITCH! NEED I REMIND YOU THAT I HAD YOU SCREAMING FOR IT JUST HOURS AGO?!" He shouted back, his eyes narrowed into tiny slits as he met her mocking sneer from several feet away.
Instead of answering him, she hurled the picture frame at him again and Draco easily sidestepped it this time. He finally managed to walk up to her until their faces were practically inches away and he could feel the anger emanating from her trembling body.
"Screw you, Malfoy."
Draco sneered at her particular choice of words and gave her a smug look. "Tsktsk…And you blame ME for you being pregnant…Have you no self-control, Potter?"
Harry's eyes widened dangerously upon hearing his words and Draco could have sworn that if looks could possibly kill, he would definitely have dropped dead right then and there. Still, that didn't stop him from taunting his former archrival further with another arrogant smirk.
"Now how does this fit into your whole new 'legs staying closed' policy? Because I have got to tell you, Potter… That feat is going to be tricky even for a sex god like me." His voice was tinged with a light hint of teasing humor – as was their usual tactic to break each other out of anger.
Unfortunately, it seemed that little strategy wouldn't be able to work this time.
"GRRRAAAAAAAAGH!"
Draco eyes widened for a split second right before he found himself knocked back down on his back onto the floor of their bedroom, wincing in pain as his hysterical wife straddled him between her legs and wrapped her hands very tightly around his neck. Slightly winded from the maneuver, he looked up at her angry snarl with a sheepish smile, his back and head aching in throbbing pain.
She looked down at him with wide, angry eyes – her teeth bared in frustration and her shoulders heaving up and down in exhaustion. Her legs straddled his midriff tightly and she kept her hands on his throat, holding him down onto the floor as she fought to keep a modicum of her control.
Sighing heavily and finally accepting her agitation, Draco met her panicked expression carefully and slowly raised up his hands– directing her gaze to them as a gesture of surrender. She paused and blinked at this in confusion, trailing her eyes back down to look at his face.
"Look…I won't say anything else tonight, Harry. Have at it…Punch me…Beat me up…Kick me as many times as you want until you're satisfied and until you calm down. I know you're completely freaked out right now…" He spoke gently, reaching a hand up and cupping her soft cheek.
Harry's angry glare flickered slightly and Draco was finally able to see the fear in those beautiful green orbs. She growled again and raised her fist higher – pointing it directly above his face. Seeing this, Draco clenched his eyes shut and stiffened – anticipating the pain that was sure to follow.
To his surprise…It never came.
Forcing himself to open his eyes, Draco blinked up cautiously and found himself looking up into his wife's beautiful – and terrified – green eyes. Her skin looked pale and clammy and the expression on her face was one of fear and uncertainty as she looked down at him, biting her lip and trembling so violently that Draco feared one touch from him would break her.
Oh Merlin…She's scared to death… He thought achingly to himself as he wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her against him in a tight embrace. Harry's defenses seemed to collapse entirely at this and she fell down against him in weak defeat, hiding her face against his chest.
The fist she had raised fell back down limply and she wrapped both her trembling arms tightly – almost desperately – around his neck, pulling herself closer against his body until they could feel each other's heartbeats and Draco could sense the rapid beating of her heart against his chest.
Wrapping his arms tighter around her slender frame, he stroked her hair gently and leaned down to plant a sweet, lingering kiss onto the top of her head. The moment he had done this, Harry's muscles seemed to have relaxed a bit and she finally looked back up to meet his face, allowing him to see her pale face and wide, uncertain eyes.
"I'm…I'm just…scared."
Draco answered her by reaching up and brushing a lock of hair out of her face, tucking the long strands behind her ears. She bit her lip and spoke again, her eyes dropping down to the buttons of his shirt so that she could avoid his intense, silent gaze.
"I…I don't know anything about this! I don't know anything about being p—pregnant! Or h—having a baby! Or even being a MOTHER, Oh Merlin—" Her frantic voice broke out into a rant at this point and she buried her face into her hands, muffling her voice.
"—I m—mean…What if I screw this up?! I used to be a man and now I'm pregnant and i—it's all happening so fast and I—I'm going to be a mother?! Wh—what if I can't do this, Draco? What if wh—what the baby n—needs is a real mother and I c—can't be one because I don't have any maternal instincts a—and—"
"Shhh…" Draco silenced the rest of her panicked rambling by raising a single finger and pressing it gently to her lips, looking up and answering her by giving her a small, reassuring smile. When she blinked and looked as though she wanted to say something again, he beat her to it by leaning upwards to reward her with a sweet kiss on the lips.
As she was caught up in the sweet taste of his lips on hers, Draco took that opportunity to pick them both up off the floor, sweep her form up gently into his arms and carry her carefully towards their bed. Once he had laid out her trembling form comfortably on the soft mattress, he broke their kiss and lay down beside her, leaning over her to stroke her cheek.
His other hand automatically trailed down to rest protectively over her stomach and Harry visibly stiffened at this, her eyes flicking back up to meet his in question. Draco didn't say anything as he reached down and very gently began to remove her sandals from her feet, sitting up and placing the shoes back down on the floor by the edge of the bed.
Once he had done this, he stood up and walked over to the large shared closet they had at the end of the bedroom – reemerging from it about three minutes later with a pair of her favorite silk green pajamas. Harry watched this all with confused, tired eyes as he sat back down beside her and slowly began to remove her gown – his hands so achingly gentle that his touch almost tickled against her soft, smooth skin had she not been so tense.
As soon as he had helped her slip into her pajamas, he pulled the silk white sheets over her blissfully comfortable form and tucked her into the blankets, leaning down and giving her a loving kiss on the top of her forehead. She realized he was still dressed in his tuxedo as he did all this but Draco simply lay down beside her again – outside the blankets – and pulled her against him so that her cheek was pressing gently against his shoulder.
They remained silent for a very long time – Harry staring off thoughtfully into space while Draco continued to stroke her long hair in an offer of silent comfort, his other hand gently rubbing small circles along the skin of her stomach. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, Harry spoke up again – her voice coming out in a soft, calm whisper.
"I'm sorry…"
Looking at her, Draco raised an eyebrow in query and watched as Harry flushed and struggled for the right words to say. "I freaked out…I'm sorry. I just…" She took a deep breath before she continued to speak. "This just seems like the most unnatural thing in the world to me right now…Getting pregnant I mean." She clarified, failing to see the amused smile on her husband's face.
"I'm scared, Draco. I used to be a man and now I'm pregnant! It's almost funny if you think about it. Don't get me wrong, I want children, I really do. It's just that…" Her voice trailed off in uncertainty that Draco had to prompt her before she said anything else.
"It's just that…?"
She bit her lip and tilted her head up against his shoulder to look at him, blushing slightly when she met his eyes. "A child needs both a father and a mother, Draco…And I'm scared because...I might deprive my child of that." At Draco's confused look, she had to force herself to explain.
"I might deprive my child of a real mother because I don't know how to be one! I know nothing about being a mother! A—and I keep thinking about the future and when they grow up…I want them to grow up with a mother they can respect and look up to." By now, her voice was growing more and more agitated that Draco had to squeeze her hand to calm her down.
"H—how can I be a good mother when I don't even know everything about being a woman?! I want to be a good mother but I don't know how! Mothers are supposed to be supportive and gentle and loving and sensitive – I'm a guy! I'm reckless, I'm impulsive, I'm careless, I'm insensitive—"
Her voice cracked again and she looked just about on the verge of another mental breakdown when Draco finally chose that moment to speak up in a soft, barely audible whisper.
"If it helps…I'm scared too."
Blinking in surprise, Harry turned wide eyes to her husband's calm features and watched as Draco simply met her gaze with a weak, helpless smirk. He sighed heavily before lifting her hand towards his lips, giving the shaking limbs a brief kiss before he continued.
"I've been a man all my life and I don't know anything about being a father…I'm bloody terrified." He told her and he followed this up with another wry comment. "Remember, I'm a Slytherin too so I'm probably thrice as terrified as you'll ever be, Potter…" He quipped lightly, successfully eliciting a weak laugh from Harry when she heard his words.
"That's true…You were terrified of a Hippogriff."
"Shut up, scar-head."
They both chuckled at this little exchange before Draco soon sobered again and tightened his fingers around hers. He looked down at her so that he was staring directly into her eyes. "Harry…I don't think anyone knows how to be a 'good mother' or 'good father'. I'm just as scared and nervous about this entire thing as you are…" He tucked another strand of her long hair behind her ear again, feeling a wonderful ache of tenderness in his chest as he stared into her beautiful face.
"But everything is going to be okay… You know why…? Because I'm going to be right here with you through all this…And we're going to go through this together. The two of us. I promise…" Draco's voice had grown so gentle and reassuring as he said this that Harry felt something inside her melt at his words.
Without meaning to, a genuine smile crept its way onto her face and she reached up to cup his cheek, her eyes slightly glassy with unspoken emotion. "You know you can be so uncharacteristically sappy sometimes. I need to ask again...Are you sure you're not the girl in this relationship?" She teased gently, managing a weak laugh when Draco's face darkened into a scowl and he glared indignantly at her.
Then, with a mischievous smirk, he answered her question by moving his hand up under her pajama top and daringly grabbing and squeezing her left breast. "I'm pretty sure I don't have one of these, Potter…Does that answer your question?" He mocked pointedly, causing his wife to growl and slap his hand away in annoyance.
"Pervert."
"Git."
"Arse."
"Bitch."
"…Sappy…melodramatic…Hufflepuff."
"……………Oh you are ASKING for it, Potter!"
Jaimee ended up laughing as Draco pounced on her and began tickling her sides and playfully nuzzling her neck. He grinned to himself when he heard her laughter and the way the sweet sound seemed to fill the silence of their large bedroom and echoed along the cold, luxurious hallways.
As soon as they had both exhausted themselves in their hilarity, Draco gave her one last nuzzle before he got up and walked back over to their closet to change into his own pajamas. When he got back, the sight that greeted him was one that brought a tender smile to his face.
Jaimee was standing in front of the full-length mirror by the closet, one of her hands lifting up her pajama top and the other one caressing her flat stomach with a mixture of awe, amazement and wonder written all over her face. When she saw him looking at her, she blushed right away but offered him a sheepish smile and beckoned him over to her.
He stood directly in front of her when she grabbed his hand again and placed it on her bare stomach, looking up with bright eyes to give him a wide elated smile.
"I'm…really pregnant…" Harry looked as though she had just realized this fully for the first time that it brought a laugh to Draco's lips when he saw the childish excitement on her face. She guided his hand in caressing her stomach gently and spoke up in another reverent whisper.
"We're…going to have a baby…" Her eyes widened slightly at this – as though the news both shocked and scared her. She looked so at odds with herself at that one moment that Draco would have said something had she not finally burst out in a loud exclamation.
"WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BABY!"
Once again, Draco found himself painfully winded as Jaimee launched herself at him and threw her arms around his neck, causing the both of them to keel backwards in a clumsy, laughing heap of entangled limbs onto the floor.
"Knock, knock."
A haggard-looking Harry looked up from the horrendously piled stacks of reports on her desk and found herself looking up at Vincent Ashford's handsome, smirking face as he entered her office in the Unspeakable department the next morning. The Head Unspeakable was carrying several more thick stacks of papers and folders in his hand and was giving her a curious look.
"You think you can handle a bit more, Potter…?" He asked lightly as he walked over to her desk and placed the stacks he held on top of the ones already in front of her. The former Gryffindor grunted loudly in growing exhaustion and frustration.
"Ashford, I'm already STACKED up to my bloody neck here! Can't you give those reports to someone else? I might not be able to do my field assignment later if you keep this up!" Harry complained loudly as Ashford made to walk back out of the room. At her words, he paused and turned around briefly to level her with a slightly wary, uncertain smile.
"…Field assignment? What are you talking about, Harry…?" He smirked and leaned against the door frame of her office, crossing his arms over his chest. Harry looked at him as though he was crazy, raising both her eyebrows in annoyance.
"My field assignment? You know…the one you assigned to me last week? I'm supposed to head out to China today for another search and rescue operation…Don't you remember?" She asked him pointedly, leafing through the mess of papers on her desk in growing agitation.
"Ugh! I don't know how I'm going to finish all these reports by today, I'm swamped—"
Ashford whistled and shook his head at her, flicking his wrist lazily to check the time. "Oh you won't be going on any more field missions any time soon, Potter…" He answered her easily, smirking wider when Harry froze and blinked up at him with a gaping jaw.
"Excuse me?"
He pretended not to notice the biting anger in her voice and casually brushed several black bangs out of his eyes. He gave her a lazy grin. "I'm afraid I can't let you out on assignments in your current condition as of the moment…Ministry policy." He told her nonchalantly, shrugging when Harry shot out of her seat and practically loomed over him in rage.
"WHAT?! But that's discrimination! You can't just stick me to the sidelines because I'm…I'm…"
"Pregnant?" Ashford supplied bluntly, looking completely disinterested as he raised an eyebrow at her seething face. Before she could manage to say anything else, he smirked and pulled a piece of sealed up parchment from his robes and placed it down onto her table.
"Your husband made particularly sure of it, actually. He wrote to me this morning – a legal decree signed by about a dozen Wizarding lawyers just to make sure I'm aware of your condition and that—" Ashford paused in the middle of his drawl and waited until Harry began reading the letter before he continued any further.
"—well by his words at least, 'I keep his wife or his child out of any harm's way or he'll have the entire Wizengamot on my arse and send me rotting away in Azkaban'. Such a likable man, Draco Malfoy…" Ashford commented sarcastically as a red-faced Harry slammed the parchment back down onto her table in outrage and let out a stream of interesting curse words.
"That BASTARD! I'm going to march over there and kick his Slytherin arse—" Harry was cut off when Ashford raised a single hand and gestured sharply for her to remain in her seat. One look at the irritated expression on her boss' face was all it took for her to sit back down in a huff.
"As riveting as I find the idea of you 'kicking Malfoy's arse', Potter…I need you here to finish those reports. I'll be handing over your pending missions and assignments to Byron and Spencer for the remainder of your pregnancy." Harry opened her mouth to protest again but Ashford continued before she could manage to say anything.
"As for your maternity leave, you are entitled to twelve weeks off work after the last month of your pregnancy so use the time wisely. Other than that, I expect you here and on time as usual. No exceptions." He finished his explanation by meeting Harry's glare with a calm smile.
As he turned to leave, he paused just as he reached the doorway to her office and turned around to give her one last, sardonic grin. "Oh…And convey my congratulations to your husband. Congratulations too for…getting yourself knocked up." The last few words of his sentence came out in such an awkward, slightly sarcastic tone of voice that Harry rolled her eyes as she watched him leave.
"Pompous arse…" She muttered under her breath as she sighed and began rifling through the parchments on her desk again. After about a full hour of this, she let out an exasperated sigh of frustration and let her head fall back down onto her desk with a loud 'thunk' followed by her repeatedly pounding her fist on the table.
Argh! I can't believe I'm going to go through NINE MONTHS of this boring clerical rubbish! Argh! I officially hate being pregnant more than I hate being the boy-who-lived! She thought darkly to herself as she banged her head on the table a couple more times in her hopeless misery.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't notice the chuckling figure who was now standing at the door to her office and was giving her a sympathetic grin.
"…Tough, huh? I hear you'll be stuck in the office from now on…"
Looking up at the sound of Byron's voice, Harry managed a weak smile as he entered the room and plopped himself down on the seat opposite her desk. He offered her the apple he held in his hand but when she shook her head, he shrugged and chomped down hard on its side.
"It's rubbish, actually… You know I don't actually feel any different at all for somebody who's carrying another person inside her uterus. Is that strange…?" She asked curiously but Byron looked a little awkward as he swallowed his bite of apple and answered her with as a sheepish shrug.
"I wouldn't really know, Harry. But for the record, as soon as I'm pregnant, I'll tell you my answer." He kidded lightly, eliciting a laugh from Harry as she rolled her eyes at his antics. "Speaking of which, Auntie Narcissa wanted me to tell you that she's scheduled you for an appointment with the family Healer this afternoon for a check-up on your condition. I think they want you to confirm the sex of the baby." He explained carefully, causing all the blood to drain out of Harry's cheeks.
"Wh—what? They can do that? So soon in the pregnancy? I'm like what…Barely two months pregnant?" Her voice cracked several times as she asked this but Byron laughed and patted her reassuringly on her shoulder. "Of course they can, Harry…That's the beauty of magic." He cast a quick look at her pale face and offered a consoling grin.
"You'd best get a bit more used to all the attention from the family at this point…They're all excited about the idea of a Potter-Malfoy offspring. I reckon they're going to get a tad crazier by the end of your pregnancy." He admitted, causing another groan to escape her lips.
"And so I've heard…"
Byron looked slightly confused at her response but she followed this up by pulling a rumpled copy of The Daily Prophet from under her desk. She gave him a pointed look and handed it to him, watching with a helpless sigh as his eyes widened at the front page's heading.
Potter-Malfoy Child: The Next Wizarding Prodigy?
by Romilda Vane
As confirmed by many of our reporters who had the privilege of attending the exclusive celebration held by the Malfoy family last night, Mistress Jillian Aimee Malfoy – formerly known as Harry James Potter, the legendary defeater of You-Know-Who – is finally with child.
Of course, the entire Wizarding World knows the dramatic sequence of events that have led to this historical incident. Just three years ago, we witnessed the developments of her momentous and somewhat hilarious courtship. The results of which ended in one of the most beautiful weddings Wizarding Britain has ever seen.
It seems we all just may have a little bit more to look forward to from Master and Mistress Malfoy. Historians certify to the fact that not only is Mistress Malfoy the heir of Godric Gryffindor himself but she also remains, to this day, the only living descendent of the Peverell family. Rumors have also claimed that Miss Jaimee is also related to Salazar Slytherin and is one of the only three remaining parselmouths in the entire magical world.
Now married to Draco Lucius Malfoy – the Head of one of the most pureblooded and powerful families in Europe – both magically and politically – Jaimee now carries the child that could very well be the next powerful name in Wizarding history after herself, You-Know-Who and Albus Dumbledore. The Malfoy family is not only bred with each generation's strongest, smartest and most talented purebloods but is also the only family who remains of direct sanguine descent from the royal family of Merlin himself.
It certainly goes without saying that we can all expect wondrous accomplishments from the next generation of Malfoys soon. In the meantime, let's all keep our eyes and ears open! Cheers!
"I knew it. That Romilda Vane girl still hates me! I think it's because I never got to drink the love potion she sent me back in sixth year. I never was good with girls…Figures fate would deal me in by turning me into one." Harry grumbled loudly to herself as Byron set the newspaper back down and gave her a wide, thoughtful grin.
"How wicked would it be if your child turned out to be the next Dark Lord or Dark Mistress?" He cackled out loud to himself at the idea, earning himself a very poisonous glare from Harry. She narrowed her eyes at him, waiting until he stopped laughing long enough to notice the way her eyes looked as though she intended to strangle him within the next five seconds.
Byron managed a week, sheepish grin and shrugged, ducking his head nervously behind his hand. "O—or not…You know…We wouldn't want that! I mean…That wouldn't be right at all and imagine the chaos it would cause." He laughed uncertainly and hastily changed the subject.
"So…Salazar Slytherin huh? How goes that?" He asked nonchalantly and at his question, Harry slapped a hand against her forehead and gave him an incredulous glare. "FOR THE RECORD, I am not related in ANY way to Salazar Slytherin by blood! I only 'inherited' his magic and my parseltongue ability as an ACCIDENT from Voldemort the night he gave me this scar! It's all just a stroke of my utterly HORRIBLE luck!" She grumbled loudly, causing Byron to quirk an amused grin at her when he heard her next words.
"Of course that SAME LUCK turned me into a bloody WOMAN, got me married to my worst enemy and LUCKY ME! Three years later, I get KNOCKED UP and I'm carrying his kid!" She snapped sarcastically, snatching the newspaper from Byron's outstretched hands and causing the metamorphagus to wince at the furious ire he heard in her voice.
"U—uhm…At least you're a pretty woman…?" He offered meekly but he flinched again when all Harry did to answer him was to level him with another very horrifying glare. "Yeah, how LUCKY am I that I get to be PRETTY and have a truckload of stupid men staring at my arse every time I walk into a room?" She mocked loudly, causing Byron to break out into a cold sweat and stand up from his seat.
"I'd better get back to work, Harry…I'll see you later. Tell the Healer later to do something about your hormones, alright?" He gave her an innocent smile when she looked confused but before she could say anything else, he was already scampering out of her room and heading for his office.
Ugh…Stupid male. Bastards don't know how lucky they are that they still have a crotch. She thought darkly to herself as she snatched her quill and began working on her reports again. After another long hour, she was finally exhausted and she set her quill back down onto the table. She stood up and walked over to stand beside her window just behind her desk.
She stood there staring silently down at the muggle streets of London for a good couple of minutes before her cellphone blared to life and she flinched in irritation. Growling, she flicked it open jerkily and held it up against her left ear.
"…WHAT?!"
The person on the other line paused for several seconds before she heard what sounded like Draco's uncertain, somewhat wary voice. "Uhm…Hi love…Are you busy with anything right now…?" He sounded a little nervous as he spoke that it brought a smirk to her lips.
"Well…Let's see… A certain someone made sure that my boss gives me nothing but clerical work these next few months so…Yes, I think so. Why, Draco?" She answered sarcastically but she soon regretted her crankiness about a second later when she heard Draco sighing on the other end.
"Did you read the newspaper this morning?"
She rolled her eyes and sat back down behind her seat. "You mean the one about me being pregnant with the 'next Wizarding prodigy'? Unfortunately, yes…" She waited for him to respond with a similar angry remark but she was surprised when all Draco did was chuckle in amusement.
"I'm so sorry you had to see all that. Look, I didn't even call about that….I just wanted to warn you that my mother is picking you up from work at lunch time today to take you to St. Mungo's. I wasn't sure if Byron already told you." He paused after this and waited until Harry sighed and answered him in a reluctant tone of voice.
"Yes, he did… Although isn't it a bit early for a pregnancy check-up?" She asked pointedly but at this, Draco laughed and answered her in a teasing voice.
"There's nothing to be scared of, Harry. It's just a check-up…They just want make sure your condition is okay and that the baby is growing well. I think mother also wants to know how far long you'll be so we can make all the necessary arrangements." He explained but his words caused Harry's eyes to widen in disbelief.
"Arrangements…? Arrangements for what?! I'm having a baby, not a bloody royal!"
Harry sensed so perfectly that Draco was smirking on the other line that she would have given anything in that moment to punch the lights right out of him again.
"No…You're having a Malfoy. And we have to take all the necessary safety measures and precautions to make sure the pregnancy goes well and that my child is perfect—"
"Draco, WHAT did I say about your bloody perfectionist issues—"
"Alright, alright! Not perfect but still healthy!" Draco hastily corrected himself in an annoyed grumble. Before Harry could admonish him further, he spoke up again.
"Anyway…Mother and Father also want to know the sex of the baby too so the Healer should be able to tell you later. Tell me right away, alright? I'm sorry I won't be there with you later but I have a board meeting this afternoon and unfortunately, I can't skip it." He sounded genuinely disappointed when he said this that Harry couldn't help smiling to herself.
"That's alright…As long as your mother doesn't drag me around London to shop for baby clothes, baby burpers and stick-on diapers, then I'll be fine." She kidded but she heard the smirk in Draco's voice again as he spoke up in reference to her comment.
"……..You do know that there are no such things as stick-on diapers and baby burpers, right?"
"……………"
Harry's left eye twitched and her fingers tightened dangerously around her cellphone.
"…Seriously, Draco…NO maternal instincts here, rub it in why don't you?!"
"Hahaha…That was classic! I—I'm sorry! I'm shutting up, I swear!"
"Oh you find that amusing? I'll show you amusing, MALFOY!"
Harry let out an exasperated growl of frustration and flicked her phone right off, cutting off her laughing husband's half-hearted apologies and slamming the device onto her table. It rang for several more minutes after that but she glared at it, sneered and stuffed it angrily right into the corner of her bottom desk drawer.
"Well what do you expect me to do, Vincent?!"
"I don't know! At least tell me if I'm just another one of your screw-buddies or if this thing is actually headed somewhere!"
"Ugh, Merlin's beard…You sound like a woman. I never thought men would get the same reaction about a purely sexual relationship. Much less YOU."
"That is different, Severus! Contrary to what people believe, I don't like playing around! I want a serious relationship and it doesn't look as though you're going to give me that."
"My…Perceptive are we?"
"You good-for-nothing bastard!"
Byron bit his lip uncertainly as he paused just in front of the entrance to Head Unspeakable's private office, his eyes riveting on the scene of Ashford locked in sounded like a very serious discussion with Snape from the fireplace. Failing to notice him there, the two men continued to converse angrily with each other in hissed voices.
"—Oh is THAT why you've been seeing that blonde skanky woman behind my back?! Don't think I don't know your exploits, Severus."
"I was never under the impression that you and I were actually a formal couple in the first place. Besides, don't act as though you don't have your own affairs every now and then."
"That is completely beside the point! I have never flaunted my affairs in view of the public eye like you do. Besides, I—"
"Sir…?"
Ashford froze right in the middle of his sentence and whirled around in shock, blinking rapidly in several times as he fought to compose himself. The fireplace behind his desk fizzled for several seconds before it finally died out and the sneering face of Severus Snape disappeared altogether from the office, leaving Byron staring awkwardly at his speechless boss.
Coughing to clear his throat, Byron stepped up to the front of Ashford's desk and carefully handed over the folders he held his hand. "Sir…Here are those reports you wanted this morning." He watched as Ashford finally seemed to snap out of his trance and nodded wordlessly, taking the folders from his hand and setting it down onto the desk.
"Th—thank you, Malfoy…If you don't have any other pending documents to submit, you may go on ahead and begin your field assignment as soon as you're ready." He told him quietly with a nod, sighing and turning away from the other man so he could pinch the bridge of his nose in exhaustion.
Byron nodded at this but didn't leave right away, watching as Ashford took a long sip from the mug of coffee on his desk. After several seconds of this, the Head Unspeakable finally noticed he was staring and calmly raised an irritated eyebrow at him.
"…Yes? Something on your mind, Malfoy?" He drawled pointedly, blinking lazily as Byron's cheeks flushed lightly in embarrassment. Instead of answering him directly, the metamorphagus forced out a sheepish laugh and ducked his head behind his hand.
"Do you…like coffee, sir?"
The smirk on Ashford's face dissolved and in its place was a confused, stunned grimace.
"Excuse me…?"
Byron gave him a roguishly handsome, impish grin and shrugged, shoving his hands into his robe pockets. "I was just thinking about going down to that new coffee shop they opened in Diagon Alley at lunch time. I hear the reviews about it are pretty good." He commented lightly, noting the surprised amazement on Ashford's face.
"…Is that so…?"
At the slightly curious tone of the older man's voice, Byron allowed himself to continue. "I hear their coffee is exquisitely brewed…If you're one to appreciate it, I mean. What kind of coffee do you like, sir?" He asked nonchalantly, finally earning a reluctant grin from Ashford as he answered.
"The usual…Just sugar and milk. I'm not really familiar with all the different flavors of coffee these days." He answered easily, leaning back against his chair and watching Byron's antics with a decidedly amused smirk on his handsome face.
Nodding in response, Byron responded with another easy grin. "Really…? I'm into a little S and M with coffee myself—" The minute the words had left his lips and he caught sight of the way Ashford's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his scalp in shock, Byron realized his mistake and hastily corrected himself with a nervous, choked-up laugh.
"—I mean NOT into S and M meaning sadomasochism but S and M meaning Sugar and Milk! Of course not to imply that I actually am into any weird, kinky sexual stuff or anything but—"
Again, Ashford blinked rapidly for several times in shock at his words and Byron had to bite his tongue in a desperate act to cut off the rest of his sentence. Inwardly wishing that the floor would just swallow him up whole, he forced out another high-pitched strangled laugh and turned to walk away.
"A—anyway I—I'll go now, Sir…I'm sorry for wasting your time."
He had clenched his eyes shut in utter embarrassment and was just about ready to bolt from the office altogether when he heard what sounded suspiciously like a laugh from behind him. Biting his lip in anticipation, he turned around slowly and stared in shock at the sight of the Head Unspeakable laughing out loud – probably the first time Byron had ever seen him laughing since they had met.
It was definitely a welcome change; however, as Byron openly admired the way Ashford seemed to look even more stunningly handsome when he was actually smiling instead of his usual angry glares or smirks. It took him several minutes to compose himself but as soon as he did, he looked up and gave Byron's awkward figure an easy grin and nod.
"You seem to know a lot about coffee, Malfoy…I'll tell you what. Why don't you tell me more about your weird preferences and introduce me to some new flavors during lunch in that new coffee shop you're so keen about?" He asked easily, following his question up with a handsome, lazy grin that brought a genuine smile to Byron's own lips.
"Is that allowed…sir…?"
Ashford shook his head firmly at this and leveled him with a pointed smirk, raising a single finger up to his lips in a gesture of silence. Byron caught on to his meaning immediately and chuckled, nodding in understanding just as he turned to walk out of the office.
"Really, Cissa! I hardly think Harry needs all these medicinal potions and rubbish! She's only TWO MONTHS pregnant!"
"Oh really?! I suppose YOU know so much more about pregnancy than I do, SIRIUS?!"
"All I know that you're being completely RIDICULOUS!"
Harry sighed loudly to herself and massaged her aching temples as she tried to drown out Sirius and Narcissa's longstanding argument ever since they had both picked her up from her office that afternoon. The two cousins had been at each other's throats the entire walk from the Ministry of Magic, through Diagon Alley, all the way to the Head Healer's office in St. Mungo's that Harry was just about ready to cut off her ears in her growing annoyance.
She leaned back down against the backrest of the chair in the office and covered her face with her hands, promptly ignoring the way Sirius and Narcissa stood just by the entrance and were debating on who would be allowed to stay with her during her check-up.
"She's MY goddaughter; I'M supposed to be the one in here with her!"
"Well she's MY daughter-in-law and that is MY grandchild she is carrying so I have a right to be here! Besides, I'm a WOMAN, Sirius! I know so much more about this than YOU do!"
"Oh you think I don't?! My wife just gave birth about a year ago!"
"Guys!" Harry protested weakly as she finally looked up and gave both arguing aristocrats a pleading look. Sirius and Narcissa both seemed to have only realized her presence and blinked at her, their faces locked in a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"Look…I really appreciate you both wanting to stay with me through all this. But PLEASE stop arguing. It's embarrassing and it's giving me a bit of a nasty headache." She mumbled as she sat up again and gave another deep, heavy sigh.
Sirius sobered at once while Narcissa instantly panicked and hurried over to her, placing her soft palm on the younger woman's forehead. "Of course, dear…Excuse me. SOME PEOPLE just don't understand the pressures a pregnant woman has to go through." She drawled irritably, casting a glare at her cousin who simply rolled his eyes at her and sat back down on the chair beside Harry's.
At the nervousness he saw on his goddaughter's pale features, Sirius offered her a consoling grin and squeezed her hand. "Are you alright, Prongslet? You ready to get into this? I hear pregnancy can be pretty nasty…" He kidded but he immediately winced when Harry leveled him with a sarcastic smile.
"Thanks, Paddy."
Narcissa sat down on the chair on Harry's other side and was about to comment on this when the entrance to the office finally opened. A distinguished looking wizard – about in his late thirties or early forties – entered the room and walked over to them with an easy smile on his kind features. Adjusting his glasses carefully, he walked over to Narcissa and returned her smile with a brief hug.
"Cissa…It's so good to see you again. You're looking as lovely as ever." He greeted gallantly as he bent down and placed a cordial kiss onto the back of her hand. Narcissa simply nodded graciously at this while Sirius rolled his eyes and cleared his throat to direct the Healer's attention to him.
At this, the Head Healer blinked in surprise before giving Sirius a sardonic grin. "Well, well…Sirius Black? I haven't seen you since they brought you in here on account of insanity before you were sent to Azkaban. I hope you're not here for the same reason." He commented lightly, causing Sirius to return his grin with one of his own.
"I probably still am, you know."
The Head Healer laughed easily and nodded, shaking Sirius' hand briefly before finally turning and giving a nervous Harry a curious smile. When Harry hesitated, Narcissa spoke up for her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Richard, this is my daughter-in-law, Jaimee…I'm sure you know her already. Jaimee, I'd like you to meet Richard Wickham. He's the Head here in St. Mungo's and also happens to be the family's personal Healer. He'll be handling your pregnancy from here on out." She explained carefully, watching as Harry bit her lip and nodded uncertainly in acknowledgment.
"A pleasure to meet you, sir…" She responded awkwardly, looking slightly embarrassed when Wickham simply smiled and rewarded her with a kiss on the back of her palm as well. "Ah…The legendary Harry Potter. I have a couple of your old Hogwartian batchmates working here in St. Mungo's. They tell all sorts of wonderful, heroic stories about you during the war." He told her warmly, causing her to flush even darker at his words.
"I assure you sir… Those stories are told with far more exaggerations than what actually happened." She answered easily, causing all three older adults to chuckle to themselves at her words.
"That may be true." Wickham agreed with a smile as he finally sat down beside his desk and peered at the folders he held in his hand. "Well….Let's see then… Jaimee Potter Malfoy…20 years of age…Very healthy stats from what I see here." He murmured out loud as Sirius and Narcissa both took their respective seats on opposite sides of Harry.
Harry bit her lip and fidgeted impatiently in her seat.
"No allergies…No serious illnesses…Have you had any serious physical injuries in the past?" Wickham looked up briefly at her, waiting as Harry fused her eyebrows together in thought for several moments. "Uhm…Well…I did have to regrow all the bones in my arm back in second year. Does that count?" She asked awkwardly and at this, Wickham and Sirius both chuckled while Narcissa frowned in disapproval.
"I don't think that will be a problem, Jaimee. Now…Before we confirm the sex of the baby you're carrying, I'd like to go over with you a bit about the experience you're about to go through. This is your…first pregnancy…Am I correct?" He asked slowly, waiting until Harry nodded in affirmation.
"Right…I suppose the first thing you should know is that a magical pregnancy is very similar and also very different from a normal muggle pregnancy." Harry's eyebrows rose up in surprise at this but Wickham continued before she could ask any questions.
"As in the normal muggle pregnancy, you will be experiencing many physical discomforts. Have you been feeling fatigued or have you fainted these last couple of days?" Again, Harry nodded and Narcissa squeezed her hand gently in a gesture of reassurance. "That's to be expected. I'll be explaining more of those symptoms as we go along." Wickham paused for a brief moment and folded his hands on his desk as he chose his next words carefully.
"More importantly, you will be experiencing not only hormone imbalance but your magic levels will also grow out of control from time to time. That is the most serious difference in a magical pregnancy." Sirius patted Harry lightly on the shoulder when her eyes widened even more in shock.
Wickham saw her reaction and gave her a comforting smile. "This is perfectly normal, of course. Your magic and your baby's growing magic will tend to conflict with each other, you see…So you may also have difficulty controlling yours or casting the simplest spells every now and then. It's important you are prepared for that." He flicked her folder open again and browsed through her medical records in silent thought.
"I think on average, magic levels of pregnant women tend to start going haywire sometime around the sixth or seventh month of their pregnancy. This is the period the baby's magic tries to settle itself so you may find it causes a lot of strange symptoms within you…" Wickham trailed off at this and would have stopped had Harry not spoken up in a cracking tone of voice.
"Wh—what kind of symptoms?"
Narcissa chuckled to herself while Sirius hid a smile behind his hand. Wickham smiled uncertainly and continued. "That depends on the magical potency of the baby's blood. Your hair may start turning different colors…May lengthen or shorten sporadically. Your skin may change colors too, on some occasions. Random objects may start floating around you…Who knows? It's perfectly normal to be honest." He stopped at this when Harry began to breathe more heavily in growing nervousness.
The Head Healer waited until Sirius had gotten up and gotten his hyperventilating daughter a glass of water before daring to continue any further. "Anyway, the important thing you have to remember is that magical imbalance is not something you should worry about. Most of the women I've helped through their pregnancy actually had more complaints about the hormonal imbalance and physical pains rather than the magical symptoms." He told her, causing her to relax slightly.
"So are you saying I should avoid using magic sometime near the end of my pregnancy, sir?" Harry asked in mild concern and at her question, Wickham nodded firmly and gave her a stern look.
"I strongly advise you do. Also, it's imperative that you don't take in any unapproved or un-prescribed potions. Do not undergo any magical transformations – animagus transformations included – or any form of physically altering means whatsoever. No apparition either. It could be dangerous for the child. Portkeys and Floo are fine." He added, pausing again to write down several comments onto her medical profile.
Harry looked severely disappointed at this but nodded and sighed, looking up and giving Sirius a weak smile. Just as she thought the explanations were over, Wickham spoke up again and this time his voice took on a slightly more wary tone.
"I should warn you, Harry…Pureblood pregnancies tend to be slightly more difficult to manage than most if only for the reason that the baby has concentrated magical blood and will most likely cause more magical imbalance in their mothers than most. I remember Cissa here had a pretty difficult time when she was pregnant." He commented lightly, earning a laugh from the blonde woman.
At this, Harry instantly spoke up and shook her head hastily. "Oh no. I'm actually a half-blood, Sir. So I don't think it'll be that difficult to—" Wickham cut off her response by raising an eyebrow and pulling a copy of The Daily Prophet from under his desk, holding it out to her with a knowing smile.
Harry saw this and groaned loudly, covering her face with her hands as Wickham spoke. "As it seems, Mistress Malfoy…Half-blood or not, your blood carries very strong magical potency. That combined with your husband's will cause very unpredictable fluctuations of magic during your pregnancy indeed. I still say it's best to be cautious." He told her pointedly, chuckling again when all Harry could do was nod miserably in reluctant agreement.
"Brilliant…"
Sirius was trying hard to fight a snigger as he reached over and squeezed Harry's other hand. "I remember the time when Lily was pregnant with you. Prongs would practically tear his hair out because she kept floating up to the ceiling in her sleep and he would have to bring her down the next morning." He kidded, finally eliciting a reluctant laugh from his goddaughter.
Wickham smiled at their little exchange but finally closed the folder on his desk and stood back up from his seat with a nod. "Well then, I suppose that's enough introductory remarks for now. I'll discuss the rest of the normal symptoms with you after your physical check-up and after you confirm the sex of the baby. If you'll all just follow me—"
He was about to walk around his desk toward them when Sirius bolted up before him and suddenly gave him a very dangerous glare.
"Wait a minute! You – a MAN – is going to examine my goddaughter?! That doesn't sound right!" He snapped in belated realization, causing Narcissa to roll her eyes at him. Hearing this, Harry also looked slightly uncomfortable but Wickham shook his head firmly and laughed at her reaction.
"All regular physical examinations will be done by my female assistant in the next room. I was simply going to escort you three there. My job now will be to guide Mistress Malfoy through her pregnancy." He paused as they all stood up and gave Harry an uncertain gaze.
"I will be the one delivering the baby though. I do hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable?" He asked kindly, waiting until she flushed but nodded awkwardly in response.
"Don't worry, I promise to make this as easy as I can for you. I understand that having a male background of seventeen years may not make this experience comfortable." He assured her, earning a genuine, although reluctant, smile from Harry.
"I appreciate that, sir."
Narcissa patted Harry's shoulder as she guided her to the office entrance. "Mr. Wickham is the top Healer in Europe, Jaimee. He knows exactly what he's doing. Now come on, let's get you over to the examination room." She ushered excitedly but when Sirius made to follow them, she whirled around and gave him a poisonous glare.
"And just where do you think you're going?!"
"I'm going in there to make sure they treat my goddaughter well!"
"I'M the only one allowed in there with my daughter-in-law!"
"Cissa, quit being such an annoying bit—"
"Now, you two…" Wickham cut off their impending argument when he saw Harry's pained, wincing expression right between them. He chuckled and indicated for them to leave the room as he flicked his wand to turn out the lights. "You're both welcome to be present with Jaimee during the inspection. My assistant will determine the condition and sex of the baby. Afterwards, I'll talk more about pregnancy with Harry in my office again." He led them over to the room beside his office doors.
Just as Harry was reaching for the door handle, an angry, shouting voice caught her attention from behind. She whirled around and watched as a haggard, middle-aged wizard dressed in elegant robes of blue stormed through the busy hallway of St. Mungo's toward them. The man was breathing very shallowly and looked as though he was having difficulty walking as he approached.
"WICKHAM! I need to talk to you RIGHT NOW! What's happening to me?! What the bloody hell is happening to me?!" The man was screaming in panic as he rushed over to them, shoved the other three aside and grabbed at the Head Healer's robes.
One look at the man's obviously maniacal expression was all it took for Sirius to push both Narcissa and Harry back protectively behind him, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he watched the robed wizard jostle Wickham by the front of his robes in sheer hysteria.
Wickham was barely able to give them all an apologetic glance before the man in front of him was screaming again. "I asked what's happening to me?! You've got to help me! I don't know what's wrong! I'm bloody terrified!" The man cried out with wide eyes, looking imploringly into Wickham's slightly nervous features.
"Mr. Kennicot, please control yourself—"
Harry, Sirius and Narcissa backed away several steps and watched in uncertainty as a horde of mediwizards and healers came rushing through the corridor to whisk the hysterical wizard away from Wickham, the lot of which had to restrain him as he struggled desperately against their holds.
"No! No, let me go! All of you! You've got to help me! I'm losing it! I don't want to be a squib, I won't! Please! You've got to help me! Nobody knows what's wrong with me!"
Wickham's face was pale as he watched his staff drag the hysterical wizard away from them – the man's screams and pleas echoing through the confused and eerie silence of the other watching people along the corridors. Adjusting his collar slightly so he could breathe easier, he turned and gave Harry, Sirius and Narcissa a weak, apologetic inclination of his head.
"I apologize for that. That man is one of my patients…He currently has a strange condition we have yet to understand and lately, it's been scaring him out of his wits." He admitted with a heavy sigh, silently leading them over to the adjacent room next to his large office.
"What's wrong with him?"
The Head Healer looked surprised at Harry's question and waited calmly until all other personnel along the corridor had set back to their previous activities before he answered her. "Magic is all over the place. Growing weaker each day at alarming levels. I've never seen a case like it before." He paused and led them into the small, examination office.
Harry nodded wordlessly in understanding and cast one last look at the direction of the corridor the man had been dragged off. Then, shaking the thought away, she sighed and finally stepped into the examination office.
Harry found Draco immersed in a large book inside his personal office when she finally arrived home via floo from work that night. Peeking slowly through the slightly ajar crack of his office doors, she bit her lip and watched as the former Slytherin adjusted his thin-wired, silver reading frames before he turned a single page of the book he was reading.
Just tell him. I have to tell him. There's no getting around to it…He's been asking about the baby all day. I just need to go over there and tell him. She repeatedly chanted to herself in her head before she stepped back again and paced the length of the corridor just outside his office.
Ugh! I can't believe we chose tonight of all nights to sleep in Godric's Hollow! If we were at the manor, I could have asked Narcissa to tell him earlier and saved myself the trouble. She complained half-heartedly to herself as she took another deep, shaky breath and steeled her nerves.
Okay…You can do this, Harry. Just go in there and tell him. She nodded and was finally about to step into his office when she heard Draco's chuckling voice calling out to her from the inside.
"Harry. Get in here."
Still biting her lip, Harry sighed and settled a nonchalant look on her face as she peered back through his open office doors and gave him a curious look. Draco had looked up from the book he was reading and was watching her with a reluctant expression of amusement on his face.
She flashed him an innocent smile. "What's up, 'Co?"
He raised an eyebrow at her tone of voice and answered her by beckoning her further into the spacious room. "Haven't I told you countless times not to cut up my name like that?" He set his book back down onto his table and returned her answering smile with a light smirk.
"What were you doing pacing like a hen outside my office just moments ago? You know I sensed you the minute you got home." He remarked knowingly, causing Harry to flush in slight embarrassment but otherwise shrug and offer him a crooked grin.
"Nothing, I just wanted to see…If…Well…If you wanted anything. You seemed pretty serious with that boring book." She indicated to the philosophy book in front of him and the expression of disgust on her face earned her a laugh from her highly amused husband.
He pretended to mull things over for a minute or two before he chuckled and responded in a teasing voice. "Well…I could use a massage, love…How about it?" He grinned as Harry let out a fond laugh and pretended to roll her eyes as she walked over to stand behind his seated form.
"You're such a spoiled brat, Malfoy…" She mused as she placed her hands gently on his firm shoulders and began to massage and loosen the tension in his muscles. She chuckled when Draco seemed to lean back against her touch and let out an appreciative murmur.
"You love me anyway, Potter…Mmm…That feels good…"
Harry smiled to herself but didn't deny his words, watching thoughtfully as Draco picked his book back up and began to read silently from it again. As she continued to massage his shoulders, they both fell into a comfortable silence – broken only a couple of moments later when Harry finally sighed. She leaned down, hugged him from behind and rested her chin gently on his left shoulder.
"…'Co?"
"Harry, stop calling me that."
Again, Draco rolled his eyes but the teasing affection in his response gave him away. He responded distractedly to her ministrations by turning his head slightly so that he nuzzled her cheek with his own though his eyes remained focused on the pages of his book.
"….Can I ask you something…?"
Draco raised a hand and turned to the next page before he answered. "If this is about me apologizing to Weasley again, Harry…My answer is still no. He was the one who taught his daughter to despise me. That whole 'ferret' incident in fourth year was not funny."
Harry couldn't help laughing softly at his blunt response but shook her head. Biting her lip again, she wrapped her arms tighter around him and spoke up once more in a softer voice.
"It's not that. It's about the appointment I had this afternoon." Draco paused in the middle of turning another page at this and finally set his book back down onto the table. He disentangled himself carefully from her arms and swiveled his chair around so that he could look directly at her face.
"Yes, I know…I meant to ask. You've been avoiding answering my owls. My mother tells me you have news for me, she looked really excited too. Is everything okay? How's the baby's condition? Do I have a son or a daughter?" He asked, pulling her down to sit on him so that her legs draped over his lap and her arms wrapped around his shoulders.
She smiled weakly at this and swallowed the forming lump in her throat as she tried to think of the next words she could possibly say. "Well…I need to ask you first. You were an only child, right? Did you parents mention anything about how difficult it was to raise one son?" She asked, her voice breaking out into a nervous laugh around the end of her sentence.
Draco looked confused at her question. Blinking several times, he slowly took his reading glasses off and slipped them back into his robe pockets.
"I don't understand. What do you mean, Harry? I was a horrible baby back then. I screamed, jumped, cried, broke things, screamed some more, threw tantrums and practically ran all over the place. My mother tells me I was an absolute menace. Is that why you're so nervous? Because we have a son and you're afraid raising a son is more difficult than a daughter?" He was barely able to restrain the happiness from his voice when he asked this.
Again, Harry laughed nervously and loosened the seemingly stifling collar of the Unspeakable robes she was still wearing. Flicking her eyes down to avoid Draco's intense mercury orbs, she played absentmindedly with the buttons on his shirt.
"Not exactly…"
Draco's eyebrows fused together and he watched as his wife took another deep intake of breath and forced herself to look up. "So…We have a girl then?" He asked but Harry shook her head again and gave him an uncertain, sheepish cringe.
"Well, what then?! Tell me!"
She cracked a helpless smirk of defeat and finally met his eyes. "Well…You remember how last night, we were talking about how the TWO of us will be together on this whole thing? You said that, remember?" She waited patiently as Draco nodded in growing impatience.
"…And?!"
Harry gave him a wan smile and placed a hand over her stomach. "Well…Apparently, the battle won't be a two-on-one anymore, Draco. It's going to be a one-on-one even for the two of us." She told him grimly, watching carefully as Draco blinked once and looked at her in blank shock.
"….What?"
She laughed at the high-pitched tone of his voice and gave him a beautiful, although slightly nervous, smile. "I'm carrying boys, Draco…plural. Identical twins. Barely 2 months now. They're both in excellent health and are due by the end of October." Pausing shortly so her stunned husband could take this all in, Harry looked up and watched the emotions running across Draco's face.
"T—TWO sons?!"
The former Slytherin looked extremely pale as he raised a hand and used a single, shaky finger to loosen his collar. He looked as though he was having so much difficulty breathing that Harry blinked and gave him a look of concern.
"You shouldn't be surprised. You know you have a history of twins in your family. Your mother told me this afternoon after the examination." She stopped and watched as Draco nodded meekly – only half-listening – and continued to blink rapidly to try and process her words.
"I—I do…I—I mean…My family d—does…B—but, TWINS?! B—both boys? W—w—wow…Ahaha…Uhm… Th—that's something, alright. Hmm…."
Harry had never heard her sophisticated, eloquent husband sound so clumsily inarticulate before that she couldn't help allowing a small smile onto her face.
"Draco, don't freak out. I need you. Otherwise, I'm going to freak out again too—"
"Wh—wh—wha—hey! I'm not freaked out! Ahahaha…. I—I'm fine! D—do I look like the kind of p—person to freak out?! I'm fine!" Draco rushed out in a shaky, laughing voice – his tone growing a pitch higher as he swiveled his chair around again and pointedly picked up his book.
"I—I'm fine! T—twins are…Tss! S—sure we can handle twins! I—I'm thrilled—"
"….'Co?"
Harry was obviously hiding a smirk as she watched her husband struggling to continue reading his book despite the shocking news of her announcement. Draco blinked and looked up at her with an overly exaggerated smile that seemed almost plastered on his face.
"…y—yes, Harry?"
"Your reading glasses?"
"R—right! Hahaha….I knew that!" He pretended to roll his eyes as he reached for his silver frames again and shoved them right back onto his face. After another couple of minutes of him staring at the exact same, indecipherable sentence, Harry spoke up softly again.
"……'Co?"
Draco blinked and looked up at her amused smirk again, his eyes squinting and his cheeks flushed heavily in growing anxiety.
"…Wh—what is it, Harry…?"
"You're reading the book upside down, love."
The former Head Boy froze in shock before he masked it by forcing a loud laugh, taking his glasses off and slamming the book shut. "O—of course, I was! Th—that's actually how I sh—sharpen my wits, P—Potter! I'll bet you can't do that!" He reasoned lamely as he set the book down and ran a shaky hand through his hair, unknowingly mussing up the immaculate blonde strands.
Harry bit her lip and leveled him with a wary expression. "Are you sure you're alright with this, Draco? Look, I realize twins weren't what you expected but if it helps, your parents and grandparents were thrilled. They wanted me to tell you personally as a surprise." She paused and hopped off his lap, helping the sputtering former Slytherin up to his feet.
Draco supported himself up by keeping a firm grip on his table and answered her with a forced smile. "I'm fine, Harry. Twins are….Twice everything! Twice the sleepless nights…Twice the mayhem…Twice the screaming….Twice the crying…but I'm fine!" He looked just about ready to collapse as he made his way over to the entrance of his office.
"Draco—"
He turned around sharply and gave her a shaky, reassuring nod. "I just…I just need to get some air for a while. I'll be in the bedroom balcony if you need me." He told her, ignoring the worried look on her face as he turned back around and walked out of the office in silence.
Harry watched him go with a soft sigh, listening to his footsteps as he disappeared down the hallway. She walked back over to his vacated seat behind his desk and sank down in an exhausted huff, reaching over and absentmindedly taking the picture frame that sat at the corner of his table.
It was the framed, photograph of the picture they had taken together back in Hogsmeade during their seventh year and the sight of it brought a reminiscent smile to her face. After a couple of minutes of watching their moving figures in the picture, Harry smiled mischievously to herself in thought and set it back down onto the table.
Draco was leaning against the balcony railing and taking a few casual sips from the glass of vodka he held in his hand when she found him a couple of minutes later – the expression on his serious, handsome face one of deep thought as he stared up at the dark night sky.
She had only been about a few more steps from him when Draco sighed again and placed his glass back onto the balcony with a soft 'clinking' sound. "Harry, do you mind? I kind of need some time to think to myself." He drawled, trying his best to keep the irritation from his voice.
Harry ignored him and walked right up to him from behind, grinning mischievously as she wrapped her slender arms affectionately around his waist and pressed herself against his back. Draco stiffened and was just about to disentangle her arms around him when something green and white distracted him out of the corner of his eye.
Fusing his eyebrows together, he turned his head slightly to the side – his eyes immediately widening in incredulity when he was met with the face of a very poorly made green-and-white sock puppet with black markings for eyes and a mouth. It took him about five more seconds to realize that the sock puppet was attached to Harry's left hand and that she was using it to move the puppet's mouth.
"Hello, Father! I'm your firstborn son! I reckon you'll be proud of me! I want to be in Slytherin when I grow up and I want to be exactly like you!" Harry had spoken up in a ridiculously high-pitched, falsetto voice as she moved the puppet's mouth that Draco couldn't prevent a surprised laugh.
"Potter, what the bloody hell—"
"I'm going to be Head Boy and Quidditch Captain and I'm going to be a POMPOUS ARSE. Just like YOU, Father! You're going to be so proud of me!" She continued, holding back a laugh when Draco's eyes twitched at the words 'pompous arse'.
"Excuse me—"
Harry cut him off by holding up another sock puppet with her other hand along the right side of Draco's head – this time the sock was red and gold – and distracted him by making it speak up again in another falsetto voice.
"I want to be in Gryffindor, Father! I'm going to be exactly like my mother – she was so much better than you at everything! I'm going to be good in Quidditch; I'm going to be an incredible duelist! I'm going to beat my twin brother every single time like Mother beat you!"
Draco was trying – and failing – to glare at her in the middle of all his mirthful laughing.
"Potter, you git. DON'T push it—"
Harry grinned at this and finally set both sock puppets back down, wrapping her hands back affectionately against his waist and resting her cheek against his shoulder. Once their chuckles had died down, Draco relented and placed his hands over the ones she had wrapped around his waist.
After a long moment of silence, Harry spoke up first and placed a kiss onto his cheek. "You know a lot of times; you forget to laugh, Draco. You always take things way too seriously. It isn't good for you, you know." Draco took in her words and let out a heavy, irritated sigh.
He turned in her arms and adjusted their position so that he back was leaning against the balcony railing and she was snuggled into his chest instead. "Look, Harry…I'll be honest with you. I'm not good with children…Okay? The idea of one didn't seem as threatening as two at the same time and quite frankly, now I'M freaking out. I was never good with children no matter how I hard I tried."
Harry rolled her eyes and looked back up to give him an amused smirk. "I figured, Malfoy. But you seem to be forgetting one important thing in all this." She told him, waiting until Draco gave her a confused look before she continued.
"These aren't just children, Draco. They're ours. MINEand YOURS – something that I never thought would ever be possible but here they are." She gave him a pointed look when she saw a hint of amusement light up his eyes. "They're half-me…but more importantly, they're half-YOU. It shouldn't be so hard to deal with yourself, right?" She kidded, looking up and meeting his gaze.
"……….Well, I suppose when you put it that way—"
Harry suddenly shook her head and gave him an impish grin as she shrugged herself out of his arms. "Nope, you're right. I forgot…This is you, we're talking about. It's always hard for someone like you to deal with yourself—"
Her sentence ended up in a surprised laugh when Draco growled and yanked her back against him, trapping her easily against his chest once more. His shoulders shook with hilarity but he gave her an admonishing glare.
"Bitch."
"Bastard."
She noted that Draco seemed to have visibly relaxed at her words and just as she closed her eyes and finally leaned back against him in exhausted relief, she heard his drawling, arrogant voice speaking up again to break the comfortable silence.
"You do know that BOTH my utterly handsome, intelligent and powerful twin sons will end up in SLYTHERIN, right?"
A/N: I did my own personal additions to the whole magical pregnancy bit. I figured it'll make things more interesting. :wink: Also, take note: I will breeze through the pregnancy (perhaps 3-4 chapters of it) since that isn't actually the main plot of the story. The plot will focus more on parenthood. :) And YES, twins are going to cause MORE magical fluctuations during the pregnancy. :dun-dun-dun:
Next Chapter: First trimester troubles begin….:evil cackle:
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