Ron yawned as he entered the quidditch arena where he could see Ginny and her team in training. He carried her lunch in his hand and though he was annoyed he had to be up this early on his day off, he couldn't help but feel proud as he saw Ginny in uniform. His little sister, a professional quidditch player like she always wanted.
He thought of Harry for a moment, and remembered how angry he had been with the two of them when they first broke up. Ginny cried for a week after she threw that stupid "We're not pregnant" party. To say Ron was surprised Harry lashed out at her for it would be a lie. He remembered being so uncomfortable when he got there with Hermione, seeing Harry get congratulated and have to smile and nod stiffly through it all was painful, but Ginny was always by his side so when Ron asked if he wanted to leave, she cut in and told him to have fun.
Ron told his mother who was outraged, but before she could even tell Ginny off, Ginny came in tears, ran into her mother's arms and cried that it was over between her and Harry.
She got her scolding later, but ultimately her argument made sense, for her. She didn't want a child yet. She was a professional quidditch player. It was her dream. Their mother tried to talk sense into her but Ron ultimately agreed with Ginny.
Then he was angry at Harry, for not wanting to wait. If he loved her, he should be fine with waiting. But when he went to see him, Harry was very calm and decided, in a way Ron hadn't seen him in a while. That day was a revelation to Ron. He thought love would be enough. But Harry wanted a family, and he didn't want to wait ten, fifteen years, maybe forever, to be a father. And Ginny went about her non-pregnancy in a piss-poor way too. This, he let her know once her tears were out of the way.
As he made it to the pitch, Ginny saw him and came over as everyone went to their lunch breaks. "Oh, thanks bro." She said, taking the lunch their mother prepared. "Why did mum send you?" She asked.
"I can't come and visit my sister?" He asked and she looked at him unamused. "Ok, the owls were all out by the time mum saw you left your lunch." He said.
"That makes sense, thanks." She said going to sit and Ron joined her. "I heard you went to see Harry the other day."
Ron hummed, looking at the pitch, thinking about Malfoy and Harry living under the same roof. "Yeah, the house is looking much better, it looks much bigger and brighter, I thought I was in the wrong house when we arrived." He chuckled, watching her expressions. She ate the sandwich and had that wistful look in her eyes. "You miss him?"
She looked at him and sighed. "I... yes. Of course." She said, looking at her colleagues who were having lunch together. "You see Merriweather?" She asked. Ron looked at the player sitting nearby, recognizing all of Ginny's team-members.
"She was on maternity leave, wasn't she?" He asked, treading carefully, realizing the conversation was about to take a turn into walking-on-egg-shells territory.
"She came back six months ago. She plays better than ever and didn't even get replaced." Ginny said. "I was convinced I would lose everything if I had gotten pregnant."
"They couldn't have replaced you, it's not legal." Ron said, wondering where Ginny got this idea from. She huffed.
"In theory yes, but this kind of stuff happens all the time, doesn't it? You come back and they pretend to fire you for some other random reason. Let alone for such a physically demanding job." She grumbled. Ron stared at her for a long time.
"Are you thinking of getting back together with Harry?" He asked. "I can clearly see you still miss him."
Ginny smiled. "I think... I think I freaked out... and I didn't think about Harry's feelings. I miss him. He would bring me lunch every day, you know? Owl or no owl." She smiled and Ron smiled but it was forced.
Malfoy kept popping into his mind for some reason and he remembered the fire in Harry's eyes that the blonde would always trigger, whether it was due to rage back in the day or... whatever it was today. He couldn't imagine them being friends, but he didn't stay long enough to see them interact. He was sure if he did, he'd just see them start fighting like cats or something.
"I... I actually..." Ron looked back at her, the guilt in her eyes, the tears forming.
"Ginny?"
"Ron... I actually - I miss him so much. Harry was always so wonderful." She said, laughing softly, trying to stop herself from fully crying, which she succeeded after a few sniffles. "Do you think he'd meet with me? Christmas was so awkward, with us avoiding each other." She said, wiping the last of her tears away.
Ron thought about it, not really thinking he should get involved. "You'd have to ask him that Ginny." He said. "You hurt him a lot with that stupid party, and it's been almost a year."
Ginny nodded. "I know..." She continued to eat her meal in silence, and Ron patted her back, sighing for his sister.
oOoOoOo
Draco sat nervously as the medic smiled and sat down before him. "My apologies, I didn't get your name yesterday." He said and she nodded.
"Not at all. Iwas at fault for not introducing myself by name. You were understandably nervous and then received some upsetting news." She said and accepted the handshake. "My name is Helen Smith." Draco nodded and sighed looking at Potter who smiled at her and sat down beside Draco.
"Thank you, Ms. Smith... Draco and I discussed this after you left..." Potter said. Draco nodded for him to continue. "I accept to provide him with energy." He said.
"Very well, before you both go ahead with this, I brought the required paperwork for this situation." She said and took out some scrolls and each of them received one. "This consent form explains the risks involved, the responsibilities and the legal agreement that mister Potter will obtain parental rights upon the successful birth of the child." Draco saw Potter's fingers twitch at that last part, but his face remained calm and Draco thought that maybe he'd imagined it.
Draco glanced at his consent form which had all medical related information, the risks, nothing that outweighed the benefit of having his child survive.
Potter would be his child's father.
He took a deep breath. What was he doing? Was he really going to do this? Potter would be entangled forever with him. Draco told himself he would pay him back for all the favours he'd done already for him.
He waited, reading and re-reading the consent form again. He hated that his life was in someone else's hands once more. But... at least it was Potter's hands. He held his breath as Potter put the scroll on the coffee table and signed it with his quill. Draco noticed Potter's chicken-scratch signature had changed to a more refined cursive form. The black ink turned gold and Potter turned to him, handing him the quill.
Draco took the quill and placed the scroll on the coffee table. It kept trying to roll into closed position, and he was about to charm it into place when Potter reached down and held it openfor him. Draco's shaky hands steadied and with a deep breath he signed the contract.
The mediwitch smiled and took the scrolls, vanishing them. "Now let us begin." She said. "Please hold hands." She said and Draco stretched out his hand to him, which Potter took without hesitation. "Both hands please, facing each other." She said.
They both shifted, turning awkwardly to face each other on the couch and reached out to hold each other's hands.
"I will now do the binding." She said and Draco paused.
"Wait." He pulled his hands back and looked at the medic. "This is the marriage bond." He said alarmed.
"What?" Potter asked looking at the witch in shock.
"No, I swear, it starts similarly but like I said, the bond fades when the child is born and gives their first breath safely." She said smiling warmly. "It will bind your energies in a deeper way than marriage as mister Potter's energy will actively flow into your core every time you come into contact, or mister Potter gives you something to consume that he prepares, or serves you tea, even then."
She said reassuringly and Draco blinked, thinking about the other times Potter's food made him feel better, but it didn't last long. Maybe there was some truth to this. He looked at Potter who extended his hands to him once more.
"I'm ready if you are, Malfoy." He said and Draco clenched his jaw, still finding him annoying. He reached out and held his hands.
"I will start, you can't break off contact now. Once I start, the spell will start binding your energies. When I finish, I want you both to press each other's foreheads together." She said. Draco frowned, this was too similar to the marriage bond – but the end would have been a kiss without their magic getting bound.
"Fine." Draco sighed and held Potter's hands firmly.
She began the incantation, which indeed was different from the marriage bond. Draco began to feel warmth trickling up his fingers, hands, wrists, arms, and then spreading through his entire body. He had to close his eyes, feeling wrapped up in a warm blanket.
He barely heard her voice anymore as he closed his eyes.
oOoOoOo
Harry could feel his energy flowing into Draco, feeling a little colder, as if water from a cool spring was trickling from his chest, out to his arms and passing from his fingers into the blonde's skin. As Draco closed his eyes, Harry stared at the gentle expression in his face, as if he was completely relaxed, without a worry or care in the world. He smiled faintly knowing it was his energy that was making him feel better.
The mediwitch stopped the spell and the energy kept flowing. He glanced at her and she nodded. He leaned in, the top his forehead touching Draco's and now the warmth returned, washing down his body, like warm pressure that pushed outward and drowned the noises of the room, replaced by a fast, swishing beat that lingered. As the pressure faded so did the swishing sound and their hands parted gently, like magnets pushing each other away.
Harry blinked as he opened his eyes, and saw Draco do the same. Draco was looking at him in wonder and Harry felt his heart racing as they both turned to the mediwitch who smiled.
"You might have heard something beating a little fast as the bond settled, correct?" She asked and they both nodded. "That was the baby's heartbeat. It's a lovely side-effect, isn't it?" She smiled. Harry felt a knot in his throat that was hard to swallow, and his eyes filled up with tears of emotion.
oOoOoOo
Draco placed his hand down on his stomach, caressing the warm skin, still feeling the energy sustaining him, the weakness fading away. He turned to thank Potter when he saw him wiping the tears that escaped from his eyes. "Potter, are you crying?" He asked.
Potter scoffed wiping them away faster. "No." Draco felt himself smile and quickly supressed that by turning back to the mediwitch.
"It's normal for emotions to be up and down as the child develops." The mediwitch said and smiled motioning for Draco to give her his hands. She checked him all over once more, before smiling. "The bond is made. You're already looking much better mister Malfoy and the child's heart is beating stronger." She commented and Draco sighed, relieved that it was working.
"Thank you, Ms. Smith." Draco said.
"Now, you'll have to hold hands the same way and touch foreheads once a day for three days, then every week should suffice. You should both be able to feel it if you need more energy."
Draco nodded, standing to watch her leave.
"You are both very welcome. Now, I must go. I have other patients at the clinic to tend to. Make sure to eat well mister Malfoy, is your nausea settling yet?" She asked.
"Yes, I barely get sick now, luckily." He sighed.
"Lucky indeed." She smiled "Everything else should progress like a regular pregnancy. Wizarding pregnancy that is." Potter nodded and with a final goodbye the fireplace flashed to green.
The silence stretched and Draco sighed as he looked over to Potter. "You saved me again, Potter." He said, annoyed, but not really able to get angry about it.
Potter looked at him for a long time before shaking his head. "How are you feeling?"
Draco thought about it and nodded. "I'm better".
"You look better." He said and Draco glared at him.
"Thanks." He said and took a deep breath as the silence stretched, awkwardly as Draco thought of what to say to Potter, who would essentially become his child's father as the months, and the child, evolves.
"So... can I borrow that catalogue?" Potter asked and Draco blinked looking at the baby catalogue he'd browsed multiple times.
"Now that I have more energy, why don't we go to the actual shop? I haven't left the house in a while and frankly, the smell of fresh paint is starting to give me a headache." Draco countered and Potter looked excited.
"Cool, give me five minutes to get ready." Because Potter was never ready unless he had to go out. Draco on the other hand would always get ready for the day first thing in the morning, even if he wasn't planning to go anywhere.
"Sure." Draco said, leaning back to browse through the catalogue once more.
