It's My Life
It was surreal. Most everyone close to Harry was sobbing at the loss. The boy was gone, he'd given his life for them to have peace. While they held one another for comfort, trying to figure out how they'd even begin to heal from this, none realized that Harry's spirit was right there watching over them, standing beside Death.
"You did a noble thing, Harry." Death told the teenager.
"There was no other way," Harry replied. "Where to now, old friend?"
"You think I'm here to take you?" Death asked, then laughed. "No, my friend. It's not your time." Death shoved him down and back into his body.
Harry opened his eyes to look around, feeling a hand holding his as he turned his head to see Draco sobbing against Narcissa, Lucius trying to console them both. His mother was in both of his father's arms, crying her heart out. Harry tightened his hand over Draco's, causing the boy to instantly look over.
"Harry?!" Draco asked quickly. "Oh, my god! Oh god! Harry?
"Hi…" Harry managed a smile.
"You're alive!" Draco instantly turned to throw his arms around Harry and ended up slamming him back down, earning a groan from the green-eyed teenager.
"Ow!" Harry yelped. "Sweet Merlin, Dray…Kill me again why don't you. I don't think I'll get another chance." He mumbled, but held the teenager lovingly.
"No, you most certainly will not." Came Death's voice. "This is officially your last life, Harry. Make it last, please? I don't want to see you again until you're old."
Draco pulled off Harry and sat on his knees as Severus and James helped Harry sit upright, then to his feet as Draco got up slowly and latched to his lover protectively as if he'd lose him again.
"B-But…I was supposed to die with Voldemort. Neither can live while the other survives…" Harry told him. "Not that I'm not grateful, but why?"
"Were either of you really living your lives when he was bent on power and you had a target on your back?" Death inquired. "Yes, it was your love, Harry Potter, that ended the dark lord. You did have to die, but you were supposed to let him kill you to get rid of that last soul piece. You were supposed to be the last one and then you'd go back." The figure stated. "You've still got a life to live, Harry. I will not take you yet. I only appeared to send you home."
"I don't understand. I was already given a second chance…" Harry revealed.
"Your sacrifice, Harry, was meant to happen during the fight. Letting Voldemort kill you to destroy his own soul piece inside you and then you'd rise again to kill him for good. You did this last year, let him kill you to destroy the piece. But the others had not been yet destroyed. You were sent back then to finish the mission. But had you stuck to the plan of being the last to be destroyed, you'd have returned anyway to destroy the dark lord and use that second chance to live the life you were robbed of." Death explained.
"What you did here tonight, Harry…That was a self-sacrifice to ensure there were no mistakes. You gave your life for love, and never expected to return. It was a noble reason, but I've decided I'm not ready for you yet, so I'm sending you back."
"But…Life pays for life. If you return me, another will die for the balance." Harry argued.
"Don't you remember what I said, Harry? When I brought back the others? Their lives were paid for with the soul pieces of Voldemort. Lily, James, Peter, Pandora, Sirius, Fabian, Gideon, Alice and Frank. I counted Fabian and Gideon as one return for one soul piece. Same with Frank and Alice." Death informed.
"Then all seven souls were paid for with the return of a loved one. You cannot return me without exchange of other life." Harry stated.
"But I already have that life claimed, Harry." Death said as Harry looked at him. "Voldemort himself counted as a life. He was made mortal with the pieces of his split soul you destroyed. Those were the seven pieces he split, but then there was the rest of his soul that did not split and resided in his own body."
"When you killed Voldemort, it counted as another piece. The rest, I should say. I have Voldemort's life in full, therefore…You killing him and giving me the rest is the exchange I'm granting to return you. It's not your time yet, my friend. You look like you have a wonderful rest of your life ahead of you." Death informed.
"Thank you." Harry bowed his head to the cloaked figure as Death himself bowed back before fading into nothing.
"You son of a bitch! God dammit, Harry!" Draco scolded his boyfriend. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"
Harry pulled Draco in for a hug, then pulled back slightly to kiss his lover deeply. Draco relaxed and held onto Harry tightly. "Ssh, relax now. I'm here, babe…I'm home."
Draco sniffled, refusing to let go of his boyfriend. "You have no idea how much it hurt…How scared I was to raise this baby alone."
"Speaking of not ever doing things again, why the hell would you take part in a battle while you're pregnant!?" Harry asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I think that's a conversation best saved for inside, and privately…" Severus suggested.
"Oh, you're not getting off that easy, Dad…" Severus tensed at the tone of his adopted son. "You knew. You knew he was pregnant and you let him come out here for a fight!" Harry stated. "Let's get inside. I'm in need of a pain potion…" Harry grumbled.
"Are you mad at me?" Draco asked softly.
"That you took such a foolish risk while pregnant. Yes, I'm furious. Mad that you didn't tell me all this time? Not as much as I feel I should be. I told you earlier we'd talk, so we're going to do that before anything else…" Harry stated. "And we'll do it at home." He added.
"You've done more than enough, Harry," Minerva said. "Summer started this morning, everyone is going home. We'll repair the damage to the castle before term begins in September."
"We'll take the death eaters in." Kingsley remarked as he stood with Alastor and Tonks.
"I think it's time we all went home." Lily said gently as she hugged Harry. "I'm beyond grateful that you're alright, my son."
"Me too, Mum," Harry replied as he hugged her back, trying not to wince at how sore his body felt.
"It's safe for us to all return to our homes. I'm sure Harry would like his house back," Molly chuckled.
"But we'll get together soon." Hermione hoped. "I want to hear all about this niece or nephew I'm getting!"
"Of course, my beloved sister. I'd never deny you such knowledge." Harry promised. Hermione beamed at the mention of being called Harry's sister. "Let's go home." Harry said to the others.
Harry knew that everyone who had been living there would need to get their things and move out. It would be a trying afternoon, and he didn't know what the Malfoy parents had planned. Assumingly returning to Malfoy Manor, but maybe after it had been cleaned up and repaired, wards reset too.
Harry didn't mind them staying with him, of course. All he wanted to do right now was get some relief for the pain, a shower, and sleep. Harry got help getting inside the castle and back to his office, he and Draco were first through the fireplace to return to Potter Manor.
Harry was sure the others would catch up, and just as he'd wanted, Draco got him upstairs to his room and located a pain potion with Dobby's help. Harry went off to shower as Draco was downstairs greeting the others and informing them of what Harry was doing.
By the time Draco returned upstairs, Harry was crashed on his bed and the blonde only covered him up and kissed his cheek before slipping into the bed with him. Harry obviously needed the sleep and Draco; he was basically almost four months pregnant, the baby was his reason to sleep easy. Tomorrow they would talk and then hopefully, it would be a bright future for them and everyone else now that the dark lord was gone for good.
. . .
Harry and Draco both slept in together the next day, today, which was June 22nd. Draco was two weeks shy of four months pregnant and Harry used a lot of magic in the final battle. They had both needed to rest, but now they were waking up and both did their normal morning things by using the loo and showering, then dressing comfortably for the day. Draco came out of the bathroom, ready, as Harry was opening the doors to his sitting room and setting up breakfast on some tables.
"We're not joining the others for breakfast?" Draco asked softly.
"I thought we could use a meal to ourselves to talk before we venture down and you inevitably end up hounded for answers about the baby you're carrying by some miracle." Harry stated as he motioned towards the room and Draco came over to join him in sitting down. "I don't know why I didn't notice before, you've got the belly."
"You were upset with me for avoiding you. Your focus wasn't on my body changing, just that things were changing with us." Draco said, not able to meet his eyes.
Harry stared at him a little bit, then took a breath to calm down. Harry didn't want to fight with him, just understand. "Let's eat first, then we'll talk. I've already sent Dobby down to let everyone still here know that we're not joining for the meal and we'll see them later."
"Okay." Draco agreed.
The two began eating their breakfast in silence, but chatted a bit eventually. When they were done, Dobby came to get the dishes and Draco asked the elf kindly if he would inform Severus to tell his and Harry's parents about the baby. Draco did say this included Sirius, Remus, and Peter, knowing that they were special to Harry.
But then Harry jumped in and told Dobby to have it include anyone who was still residing in the house. Severus understood everything that Draco had been told, so Draco hoped the man wouldn't mind explaining it to the others, so he wouldn't have to do it twice. Harry and Draco now, were seated together in the sitting room on the couch.
"So you really are pregnant?" Harry inquired to start off.
"I am." Draco nodded.
"How far along…?" Harry asked next.
"Um…I think when I saw Madam Pomfrey last, I was twelve weeks. It's been two since then, so…Fourteen?" Draco guessed.
"So you're about two weeks shy of being four months…" Harry stated. "Don't ask how I know how the weeks thing works. I used to do whatever to stay out of my aunt and uncle's house during the summers before your parents rescued me. I'd go to the library and read."
"I never got a sex talk until you and I were dating, but going through puberty was confusing, and I relied on books for answers." He took a breath. "But that leads me to my next question…Everything I've ever known or read says that males can't get pregnant, so…How did this happen? How is it even possible?"
"It's…Still surreal to me that it happened, Harry. It's part of why I didn't tell you right away. I just…Couldn't believe it despite having the evidence right in front of me." Draco admitted.
"What evidence?" Harry questioned lightly. "Take me through this journey you had to find out, please?"
Draco took a breath, begging his nausea not to act up during this. "It…First started that night you walked me back to the dorm and I told you I wasn't feeling well."
"That was the 10th of April…" Harry stated.
Draco nodded. "The nausea spilled over into the next morning. I woke up about 5:30 am and rushed to the restroom to throw up. The nauseous feeling wouldn't subside, so I ended up staying in there for about twenty minutes until Theo came to check on me. I told him I was okay, and he went back to bed. I tried to move again, threw up twice, and then I guess I felt better enough to move back to bed." Draco took a few breaths to settle the nausea he felt now, and Harry summoned him a glass of water from the bathroom. "Thank you." He took a few sips.
"Nausea still getting to you?" Harry wondered.
"Oh, it's awful, Harry…All the time, but so random…" Draco sighed.
Harry pulled a stomach soother from the bathroom cabinet wordlessly. "Can you take these?" He asked.
"Yes, please. Twice a day, I've been getting them from Uncle Sev ever since I found out." Draco accepted the potion from him, drinking it down with gratefulness that his boyfriend kept some around because Draco had been about to ask if he could get Severus to bring him one. "Okay…I think I'm alright, for now. If it's not the nausea, it's the tiredness or using the bathroom frequently that gets to me. Thank you."
"You're welcome." Harry nodded.
"So…The nausea thing continued to be random until about the 16th of April. I gave in and went to see Severus. Thought I was just getting sick or already in it. He gave me a stomach soother, told me to see him if it got worse. It was so random that I didn't think it was anything major until a month later. But the nausea, the food cravings, but also aversions, using the bathroom all the time." Draco mentioned.
"Then my chest was sore, notably around the nipples themselves. I knew something wasn't right, or rather, wrong with me…So I went to see Uncle Sev in his office. I told him what was going on and apparently, the first thing he thought of it being was pregnancy, but told himself that as a joke." Draco paused. "He had me lay down and cast the diagnostic spell on me, and learned that his hunch wasn't wrong."
"So you said a month later, this means you still learned in May?" Harry questioned.
"The 8th," Draco nodded. "I still have the paper from the diagnostic…" He summoned it to himself, knowing it was safe to use magic as a student within Harry's walls and gave it to his boyfriend lightly.
Harry looked over the small sheet. "You were eight weeks along for this…Two months."
"I didn't believe it. I must have thrown myself into a panic attack of not understanding how it was even possible. Being pregnant, that it happened between two males. Uncle Sev got me to calm down, promised we'd get answers…So that was the day he took me to the infirmary…" Draco said softly.
This was the day they saw Harry in the hallway and Draco started to get more distant than before. "Madam Pomfrey took us into some hidden room in the hospital wing, said it was for private treatments and saw that paper. She ran the scan herself and got the same result. I only asked her how."
"Go on…" Harry invited.
"Madam Pomfrey said that while it was extremely rare, they were possible. She defined it as being a rare thing that same-sex couples can in fact get pregnant." Draco started.
"How, though?" Harry pushed.
"She said it took three things to happen…" Draco paused. "Love between the two, desire for it to happen, and magical compatibility must match."
"Okay, I get the love part, but the rest?" Harry wondered.
"Desire for it to happen is the fact that the time that got me pregnant, which for us, was March 28th, before we went home for Easter holiday…We both wanted it. A family. We'd been talking about it before making love. That if we stayed together after the war ended, we could get married…Have kids. I know our context was adopting, or maybe a surrogate so it could be a blood child that we claim as our heirs." Draco said.
"You have Black, Potter, and Prince to fill, but I've only got Malfoy. Not that it matters. But desire is the fact that night we agreed on what we wanted. A family together. So magic played its part to grant that desire. And this is how Poppy explained it, so I'm sorry if it sounds weird." He added.
"It…Makes sense. But where does magical compatibility come into play?" Harry asked.
"It was originally believed that this could only happen with strong partners. Between us, that is definitely you. But the compatibility is that my magic is strong enough to balance yours out. Like…How whenever you get raging mad or upset, I've been able to calm you. It just…Our magic is compatible. I really don't know how to explain it. Poppy did it in a way I understood, but I can't find the words she used."
"Would…You let me into your mind, so I can see it?" Harry asked. Draco nodded as he looked directly in Harry's eyes and felt the push of someone entering his mind. After a few moments, Harry pulled back gently. "Alright, I guess that's a fair reason why compatibility is important." Harry said. "But…Draco, I don't understand why you didn't tell me? Did you think I'd be upset or something?"
"I don't know, Harry…Merlin, I just don't know why. Severus told me you'd figure it out, that I should tell you right away. I said I needed time to sit with it because it…Wasn't just the fact I was pregnant I had to work out. It's everything. I said right off that my parents were gonna kill me, but they haven't yet…"
"They wouldn't either. Do you really think I'd allow that?" Harry stared.
"No…But remember how traditional my family is, Harry. I'm sure they don't care that I'm having a baby, but it will urk them that I'm not married." Draco sighed.
"I think we abandoned tradition a long time ago when we started dating, Dray. And I think your parents know that." Harry informed. "I mean, come on…They betrayed the dark lord, allowed you to be gay, date a man…Surely they had to know that after a while with me, we were serious and that if we stayed together…They weren't gonna see you married to a pure-blood witch and having a child that way."
"I know…But figure that our pure-blood traditions raised me, Harry. It's all I knew until the night they saved you." Draco reminded.
"DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY! You get your behind down here right now, young man! I don't care if you're seventeen or not! You are still my son." Draco gulped at the sound of his mother's voice calling him.
"I told you they'd be upset with me…" Draco mumbled.
"I'm sure it's not about the baby because it means you're still providing an heir. It's probably more of the fact how long you've known you're pregnant and took part in that battle…" Harry informed. "Come on. I'll be right here with you." Harry stood up, offering his hand to his boyfriend.
Draco took his lover's hand and they exited the bedroom to get downstairs and end up in the main room, where just about everyone who had been living there was still there. "Okay, we're down here, but Mrs. Malfoy…I'll ask to please remember this is my house, and at the moment, your son and I are trying to have a conversation…So if you could hold your scolding until we're done, I'd appreciate it." Harry asked nicely.
"Oh, I'm not going to scold him…I just wanted to make sure he was alright and see my grandchild." Narcissa giggled as she hugged Draco and put her hands on his belly.
"Mother!" Draco blushed.
"Hush! It's a miracle this happened…Let me enjoy it!" Narcissa remarked as Draco rolled his eyes.
"Severus has just told us," Lucius mentioned. "And we're quite happy for you both, but I'll scold you for taking part in the battle, though. That was foolish, son." He added.
"I know…" Draco looked down.
"Sorry we interrupted you," Severus stated.
"We're just about through with it. Draco was just about to tell me why he waited so long to tell me…" Harry said lightly as he brought Draco to the couch and sat beside him. "Why didn't you tell me, babe?" Harry pushed gently.
"I'm supposed to have another year of school left and Madam Pomfrey already told me that I wouldn't be able to use a lot of magic, or brew after six months. That would have been right during the start of the school year…She suggested that I either take the year off, have the baby, and come back to finish. Or…" Draco took a breath.
"Take your NEWTs early?" Harry supplied as Draco nodded. "Dray…What's the problem in that? I took mine at sixteen after only studying for a couple weeks. Look how that paid off, I was granted adult status a year early, and became a teacher with two masteries."
"Harry, it wasn't that simple. I know I could take my NEWTs early, I sort of already started studying like crazy, which is a lot of why I never saw you…But, I was also scared. Not that you'd be angry, but how would we make it work? I graduate early, I have the baby…But then you're working as a teacher and gone for nine months of the year except holidays. I don't know, I just…I panicked and I didn't know how to tell you. And I knew I was hurting you by not saying anything. I just…I didn't…I'm sorry." Draco lowered his head and started crying.
"Ssh now," Harry scooted closer to wrap his arms around his lover and pressed a kiss to the man's temple. "Don't get worked up. I'm not happy that you kept it from me, and I'm furious you took part in that fight…But I'm not mad or upset about the situation. There was no need to panic, love. I'm sure we can work something out with Minerva so that I'm home more. She'll understand." Harry stated. "Listen to me," He pulled back and raised his boyfriend's face up so their eyes would meet. "Draco, I'm thrilled about this. Us. We made a baby out of love and desire. And our magic granted us something that others only dream about."
"I've always wanted a family, a big one. I told you that. You should never have been afraid to come to me. I get going to Severus; you didn't know what was wrong…But after you learned, babe…I had the right to know." Harry informed as Draco nodded, knowing that. "We wouldn't have had that fight if you told me straight away. You knew on May 8th, you kept it from me an entire month and then learned during the battle?"
"Do you know how scared I was? As soon as it was known, Voldemort turned his followers on you alone. You never should have been in that battle and if I'd known, you would not have been. I would have sent you down into the chamber of secrets with the other students not fighting." Harry remarked.
"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry, Harry…" Draco cried lightly.
Harry wiped the man's tears and gave him a small kiss on the lips. "I know. You were scared, you had a lot to think about…But babe, if you'd told me…We could have figured it out together and you wouldn't have been so stressed. If you're planning to take your NEWTs early, I can help you. I'm sure it won't be the same questions or process, but I can help you study. And I can talk to Minerva about the living situation. Maybe you can stay with us at the school, or I can just ensure I get to come home every night, even the weekends. It can be worked out, love…There was no need for you to try and take this on yourself." Harry told him.
"Look at me," Draco did so. "We're in this together now. For the rest of our lives, we'll be in each other's lives with this child. And probably, maybe, more down the line. Draco, I promise you that I'm not going anywhere. What do I have to do to prove that to you? You want an unbreakable vow? I'll do it right now. You wanna stay living here with me? Done. You wanna get married? I'll call everyone over right now and marry you in the backyard…"
"You'd do that for me?" Draco sniffled.
"Of course I would. I'd ask you properly, of course…And I planned to when the year ended, but you know Voldemort just had to take the spotlight," Harry paused as he summoned something from upstairs and it landed in his hand, not that anyone saw because Harry didn't use the summoning spell, more like it just appeared to him. "But we had that fight on your birthday…So I backed off to give you your time to figure out what we were. I never meant to doubt you, love, but you gave me the vibe that you didn't want this anymore."
"Yeah, that was my own stupidity. Stupid fear…" Draco mumbled.
"It doesn't change how I feel. Any of the things I offered just now. I'll give you an unbreakable vow in marriage so you know that I'm serious. I'd do anything for you and this baby. I'd do anything for the people I love. You saw that…I gave my life for love, just to ensure you'd all be safe and sound." Harry reminded.
"Yeah, well…If you could never give your life up to a dark lord again…That might give me some peace of mind." Draco smiled a bit.
"Hopefully I'm not in any more prophecies that require such," Harry countered. "Regardless…I'm with you. Okay? I love you, Draco. Something like this won't scare me off. The dark lord, death himself did not scare me. I certainly won't be afraid of a life…A future with you and our family. Hang on, let me do this right." Harry shifted off the couch to be down on one knee before his boyfriend as Draco's eyes widened some, cheeks burning as he understood. Everyone else seemed to step away to watch, but it was more than clear what Harry was about to do.
"I felt it from the first time we kissed, there was something about you I wouldn't be able to let go. You literally…Crashed into my heart," Harry smiled and Draco laughed a little, understanding the reference that they hit the floor together. "You showed me where I belong, right by your side. There's too many things about you that I love and I'm gonna need a lifetime of you being the first thing I see when I wake up to the last thing I see when I close my eyes for bed in order to make sure you know every day how much I love you, and all the things I love about you."
Draco blushed. "So why don't we make this, us, for the rest of our lives? You are the love of my life, and I'd dare say you are my soulmate…" Harry paused as he opened the box, revealing a gorgeous gold ring with two snakes sitting in the infinity symbol, then two green gems on either side of the snakes, who were met in the middle kissing. "Would you, Draco Lucius Malfoy, grant me the highest honor of being your husband? Will you marry me?"
Draco let his newly tears that formed fall and nodded. "Yes…" Draco replied. Harry smiled as he took the ring from the box and slid it onto his now betrothed's finger before standing up leaning over to give the man a passionate kiss while everyone around them cheered and burst into applause.
"I love you so much," Harry whispered.
"I love you too." Draco replied.
The two kissed again and then finally separated, but stayed holding hands. Yeah, around everyone was the better way to go and Harry was glad he did it now. So many new things were about to take place; Harry and Draco couldn't wait to start the next chapter in their lives.