Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Survival of the fittest	By : Sasunarufan13 Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 18502 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 9
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor profit from it. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Author's note: So I have several things to announce. One, this chapter is more than 11 000 words long or 21 pages in Word. I had thought about cutting this chapter in two once again, but then I figured that you readers have waited long enough for Sirius' reaction. If I had cut it in half, then you would have to wait another additional two weeks, before you would find out, and well, I thought that was a bit too long, considering you're already waiting for so long. So yeah, prepare for a very long chapter - the longest until now.
Second, in two weeks, school starts again for me, which means that I'll have less time to write. I'm going to try and keep my regular schedule (I'm almost done with chapter 12), but if I don't update like usual, you'll know why that is. I'll keep you all informed on my profile if that's the case
Third, this chapter was one of the most difficult ones I had to write (I don't know which one was more difficult: the discovery and decision about the baby or this one). I've tried to keep everyone in character, even Sirius, but I apologize if Sirius' reaction was too OOC. A friend of mine assured me that his reaction was believable, giving his overprotective nature when it comes to Harry, but yeah. I apologize in advance if his reaction seems too OOC *winces*
Thanks to the following reviewer: Eros (the purpose of the pets will get more clear near the ending, because they'll play a role in defeating Dumbledore)
Warnings: Long chapter; MPreg; angst; drama; overreacting Sirius; sort of bonding moment between Snape and Harry; eh I think that's it. Oh and don't worry, the issues between Sirius and Harry will be resolved by the end of the chapter
I hope you'll like this chapter!

Chapter 11: Informing the family Part 3
6th of November
Two days after their confession to Draco's parents and Snape, Harry received the list with charms he could use to protect his baby against the potion fumes and the dangerous spells during Curses and Defence against the Dark Arts from Snape, who delivered it to him during the afternoon. The man spent a while explaining the way the spells worked and showed him how to move his wand during the incantations. Before the older man left, he also handed over the first batch of potions that Harry would need to take every two days to ensure that there would be no problems during his pregnancy.
Expecting it to taste foul, like all the other potions he had had to consume in the last six years, he was therefore surprised when the two potions tasted slightly sweet with a hint of peaches.
Narcissa had already sent him three books that would explain male pregnancy in more details and what experiences he could expect during the upcoming eight months. The letter she had included assured him she was tracking down a belt for him and that she was comparing various belts to make sure he got the best.
After reading some bits and pieces of one of the books, he realized that the nausea he had been experiencing the past couple of weeks was called morning sickness and that it was a normal part of the pregnancy. The book estimated that morning sickness would last until the third month at most, though there had been cases of men who experienced morning sickness during their whole pregnancy.
Harry fervently wished he wouldn't be one of the unlucky ones and that the nausea would stop when he reached his third month. He didn't particularly fancy seeing his dinner back after he woke up.
"I see my mum has started her shopping spree," Draco said casually when he entered the living room after dinner.
Harry snorted and looked up. He was lying propped up against two pillows on the couch, his legs stretched out with Sapphire on his lap and Ruby lying next to him on the floor. Garin was gone, hunting for some rats. Mara pushed her head softly against Ruby's head and the latter growled sleepily before making some space on the large carpet, so that Mara could lie down as well.
"In retrospect us worrying about your mother's reaction seems silly," he replied dryly and lifted his legs up so that Draco could sit down on the couch.
Sapphire meowed a sleepy complaint and fussed a bit before she found a comfortable spot again on Harry's stomach.
"I suppose she's excited about her first grandchild," Draco said absentmindedly and reached for the second book that was balancing on the arm of the couch.
"Where did you go after dinner?"
"I went to check up on Rowen, see if he needed something," the blond replied and browsed through the book quickly before placing it down again. "He seemed to have found a comfortable spot in the Owelry, near Hedwig."
"Good for him," Harry chuckled and closed his book.
"Did you finish your homework?"
"Yeah, though I had to use four different books just to complete that essay for Snape," Harry grimaced. It hadn't been fun to search for the appropriate books and then look through them to find something suitable for his essay.
"Severus will be pleased with your dedication," Draco chuckled and the other boy rolled his eyes.
Draco placed his hands on Harry's legs and looked at him contemplatively, his mood suddenly turning solemn.
"What?" Harry frowned and he slowly caressed Sapphire's back, making the now adult cat purr appreciatively.
"When are we going to tell Lupin and Black about the baby?" he asked softly.
Harry bit his lip and his hand stilled on Sapphire's back. "I don't know, but I guess we need to tell them soon. I reckon it's best to start with Remus like your mother told us," he replied; not looking forward to that talk. "She promised us she would be there when we tell Sirius, so I think we better not wait too long with that conversation either."
"Well, we can't visit Lupin in his quarters, because Black will mostly likely be present then," Draco mused and stared thoughtfully at the flames in the fireplace. "Our best bet is to catch him when he has a break. But we have to have some free time as well."
Harry called forth his schedule in his mind and went over the hours mentally. They had two free hours after Defence against the Dark Arts on Wednesday and he thought he had seen Remus correcting assignments afterwards, which could indicate that he didn't have a class to teach then.
"What about Wednesday?" he said out loud and elaborated when Draco stared at him blankly. "We have a free period after Defence and I think Remus is free then as well. We could talk to him next Wednesday."
Slowly the blond nodded. "Yeah, that's probably the best moment," he muttered. His hand reached out and grabbed Harry's only free hand. "Then there is the matter of check-ups."
"Check-ups?" Harry repeated puzzled. What kind of check-ups was Draco talking about?
"Yes, for the baby." Grey eyes shifted towards his stomach before they looked at him again and he muttered a soft 'oh' in understanding.
"You're going to need a check-up soon, but who are we going to ask for that?"
"Can – can you do the check-ups?" Harry asked and he flushed underneath Draco's astonished look. "I mean, you're studying Healing and you knew which potions to brew and which spell to use to check how far along I am," he muttered uncomfortably.
To be honest, he'd rather have Draco do the check-ups than the new nurse. He didn't want to think ill of the woman, but in the situation he was in now, he couldn't afford accidental leaks. And he had to admit that he was still feeling a bit rattled from his latest experience in the Infirmary. He knew that it hadn't been really Pomfrey who had cast the curse, but he still couldn't completely shake off the feeling of terror he had experienced during that moment he had been suffering. To allow a woman he didn't know at all to cast spells on him, especially in the state he was in now … No, he didn't feel comfortable at all with that.
"I don't have a problem with that, except that I don't want to risk hurting you," Draco replied, his eyes troubled.
"Hurting me?" Harry looked at him astonished. "How on earth would you hurt me?"
"For one, the book we use doesn't say much about pregnancy, let alone spells used for the check-ups," Draco answered patiently. "And two, I'd have to search those spells in the library and frankly I don't trust myself to be able to perform the spells right if I had to study them on my own." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I'm not going to risk hurting you or our baby, because I botched up a spell."
The firm, closed look on Draco's face told Harry that this was one particular subject he wouldn't be swayed on and he sighed, feeling a bit disappointed.
"I still don't want to go to the nurse for this," he muttered and ranked a hand through his hair.
"We could ask my mum whether she knows someone we can trust and who wouldn't mind coming to Hogwarts regularly," Draco suggested after a moment of silence.
"I guess that's our only option," Harry heaved a sigh and Sapphire huffed, apparently having enough of the distraction around her, because she jumped off his stomach and stalked out of the room, presumably going to his bedroom. He shook his head amused; at times his cat had a real prissy attitude.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed shocked when an arm slid around his back and pulled him up; another hand guiding him until he was seated on Draco's lap, chest to chest. He raised an eyebrow. "Is there any reason for this?"
The blond quirked a smile. "I just missed this," he mumbled and a hand guided his head down until his lips pressed against Draco's.
Both weren't particularly in the mood to do something more than kissing and so minutes passed in silence; their mouths connected to each other, their tongues seeking each other out.
"I love you," Harry whispered once they broke apart with a soft gasp.
Grey eyes glittered. "I love you too."
Harry's stomach muscles tensed a bit when a cool hand slipped underneath his sweater and laid flat on his stomach.
"And I love our baby as well."
Harry smiled and still with the hand securely against his stomach, he caught Draco's mouth again in another breath taking kiss; deciding in the back of his mind that tender moments like these were still too far apart and he wouldn't mind experiencing them more.

"Read the next chapter by Friday and we'll discuss it then," Remus smiled and then dismissed the class.
Instantly the scraping of chairs being hastily pushed backwards and the loud chatter of the students filled the classroom; books were closed with a heavy 'thud' and quickly shoved inside their bags. The students left the classroom in a steady stream; most eager to return to their dormitories where they could either relax or start their homework already and others hurrying off towards their next class.
Only two students stayed behind and stayed seated until everyone else had disappeared.
Remus – who had sat down behind his desk, ready to start correcting the assignments – looked up in surprise when his sharp hearing still picked up two heartbeats in his classroom and he blinked when he saw Harry and Draco still seated in the last row (their places since a few weeks when it became clear that some students found it more interesting to practice their spells and curses on both boys instead of their real test subject).
"Harry, Draco, what are you doing here?" he asked curiously.
"Ready?" Draco murmured in Harry's ear and the younger boy nodded, feeling his heart starting to beat quicker in anticipation of the upcoming conversation.
They placed their bags on a desk in the front row and came to stand in front of Remus' desk. Harry hid his shaking hands behind his back when he saw Remus' nose twitch and the man frowned, as if he was smelling something he didn't recognize.
Oh god, what if his smell is as good as Ruby's and Garin's and he can smell the baby?, Harry thought and his breath hitched when the first small tendrils of panic started to wrap around his mind.
Since they had been told of his inheritance, he hadn't been in close contact with the older man like he was now and unlike last time, there were no scents of tea and sugar masking the air between them.
Even with them wanting to tell the news now, Harry didn't feel comfortable with the knowledge that Remus might be able to smell the baby. Surely the sense of a werewolf wasn't that strong?
"I – we need to tell you something," Harry began and swallowed, willing himself to ignore the ball of nerves that seemed to be growing bigger with each second that passed.
"That sounds serious," Remus muttered and glanced at Draco.
"It is," Draco replied; his hand – hidden from Remus' sight – reached out and grabbed one of Harry's sweaty hands, wordlessly showing his support.
Remus made a sound as if he clucked his tongue and muttered a spell to lock the door and raised a strong privacy shield.
"I didn't think you'd want to risk the chance of getting heard by someone else," he explained when he saw Harry's baffled look.
"True," Draco murmured.
"So, what do you need to tell me?"
"It's – it's about my inheritance," Harry began and hesitated for a few seconds, before continuing, "More specifically about the part that says I can get pregnant now."
He could practically feel Remus tensing in response and winced slightly.
"Oh? What about it?" Remus sounded calm, but Harry saw him sniff the air again delicately and his shoulders hunched a bit. Well, chances were big that Remus already suspected what they wanted to say.
"It's … I am …" He couldn't go further. His throat seemed to clamp up and he clenched his free hand to hide the trembling. Not daring to look in amber coloured eyes, he glanced down at the floor, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.
Come on, he silently urged himself on. If you can tell Snape you're pregnant, you can tell Remus as well.
Looking up again he opened his mouth, but at being confronted with Remus' worried face, the words in his throat shrivelled up and disappeared, leaving him there standing like a fool with his mouth half open before he closed it again. He could feel his cheeks flushing and he shut his eyes tightly.
How was it fucking possible that he could go up against the most dangerous Dark Lord the world had seen in centuries, but he didn't have the guts to inform his honorary godfather that he was expecting a child? What the hell was wrong with him?
As he had done during the talk with Snape, Draco came to his rescue again.
"We wanted to tell you that we discovered a few weeks ago that Harry is pregnant," Draco said clearly and he freed his hand, only to snake his arm around Harry's waist and pull him closer to his side until Harry could lean his head against Draco's shoulder if he so wished to do. "And that we have thought about it and we have decided to keep the baby."
Outwardly the blond boy showed nothing but a calm face with steadfast eyes, but Harry could hear – and Remus probably as well – how his heart was thundering and his breathing seemed to have picked up its pace a bit.
All the air seemed to leave Remus' body and he slumped back in his chair, a hand coming up to rank through his hair warily.
"Oh cub," he sighed and Harry thought he could detect a hint of disappointment in his tired voice. He flinched and told himself he wouldn't cry. It was bad enough he had been blubbering like a child when he and Narcissa had been left alone and he wouldn't do that again. He would be stronger now; crying wouldn't help his cause at all. It would be useless to spend his energy in crying.
He had made his decision and he knew he needed to accept the consequences – even if that meant that Remus would be disappointed in him.
But was it so stupid to have hoped for a positive reaction? Even if they were still only seventeen and with Dumbledore being a threat?
He bowed his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to deal with seeing Remus' disappointment. "I'm sorry," he whispered and his hands started to fiddle with the edge of his shirt. "If we had known about the charm, we would have used protection, but it was too late by then. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to get pregnant now!" he pleaded, hoping that the older man would believe him.
"I know you didn't mean to, Harry," Remus replied quietly and that did nothing to improve Harry's mood. "I just wished …" he shook his head and glanced at them sharply. "I hope you realize that having a baby with Dumbledore on the loose is not a good idea?"
"We know, but I don't want to get rid of our baby," Harry muttered and looked outside the window. "It's not like we decided this on a whim," he continued and felt how Draco pulled him tighter against his side. "I'm sorry, but even though the baby isn't planned, I don't want to give it up."
"And we hope that you'll accept that," Draco took over and then added almost casually, "But even if you don't, we are still keeping this baby. So you better get used to the thought of becoming a great uncle over eight months."
Harry let out a strangled sound that could have been a choked laugh or a muffled sob. He couldn't believe that Draco had said that!
"Well, I never thought I would hear this so early in my life," Remus finally said after a moment – too long in Harry's opinion – had passed in tense silence.
"We never thought we would be parents so early in our lives either," Draco responded dryly. "Life works in mysterious ways I suppose," he shrugged and Harry couldn't decide whether his calm demeanour was an act or whether he really didn't care that Remus could get angry about this.
"That's one way of looking at it," Remus snorted and then almost lazily pointed his wand at Draco, making Harry gasp in shock and Draco keeping him grounded where he stood when he made a move to stand in front of him.
"Draco, what …"
"I trust you will take good care of my cub and the baby?" Remus asked and his eyes flashed almost feral, making Harry understand for the first time since meeting Remus why people would be afraid of a werewolf in his human form. Remus looked ready to jump over the desk and rip Draco apart if he so much as dared to utter a wrong word.
"Of course – I love Harry and I love our baby already; I'd do everything for them," Draco answered and looked Remus straight in his eyes. This time Harry was almost completely certain his calm act was real. Which didn't make sense at all.
How could he be calm when a wand was pointed at his face and with the other man practically threatening him?
"Good," Remus managed to make that one word sound like a growl. "If I ever hear or see you mistreating them, I'll make sure you'll regret it."
"I understand."
What on earth was happening now?
Harry shifted his foot a bit and furrowed his eyebrows. "Remus?" he asked uncertainly. "Does this mean that you, well …" he stopped talking, not certain how to pose his question.
"I accept your decision to keep the child, yes," Remus replied calmly and after throwing the blond one last warning scowl, he tucked his wand back in his pocket and the dangerous, feral eyes changed back to concerned, warm ones. "While I am worried about how this will affect the whole situation with Dumbledore, I'm not going to force you to remove the baby. I reckon we'll have to be more careful from now on and make sure that no news about your pregnancy is leaked to either the student body or to people outside Hogwarts."
"Narcissa is going to provide me with a belt to hide the pregnancy," Harry muttered, feeling confused about the sudden turn of events. He had thought Remus would get angry at them for not using protection or for their decision to keep it. The man most likely knew that they had already taken the last step in their relationship, but that didn't necessarily mean that he would accept the news of the pregnancy as well. And considering how protective the man could get at times ...
Remus nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I'd reckon a belt would be the easiest and best solution," he mused.
"Are – aren't you angry?" Harry stammered in a small voice.
"Why would I be angry?" Remus sounded sincerely confused and that didn't help clear up Harry's confusion.
"Because I'm pregnant now, even though you warned us about the charm."
"Harry, unlike Sirius I realize that you're adults now, capable of making your own decisions. I know that you didn't plan this pregnancy and it isn't your fault we discovered the existence of the charm so late," Remus replied, shaking his head. "I believe that you would have used protection if you knew about your inheritance on time."
"Of course we would have," Draco muttered.
"And I trust you have talked about this and didn't decide this on a whim."
Mutely Harry shook his head.
"Then I see no reason why I would be angry with you," Remus concluded and looked at him calmly. "Yes, it probably would have been better if you had waited with having children until you were older, but it's useless to think about what ifs. We'll just have to be very careful now and make sure you're always protected. Besides," his lips twitched as if he wanted to smile, "wolves are pack animals and I'm pretty certain the wolf in me would give me a very hard time if I became angry at you for keeping the baby. As far as the wolf is concerned your baby is already part of the pack."
"You can smell the baby?" Draco asked surprised; apparently he hadn't noticed Remus' earlier sniffing or he hadn't paid much attention to it.
"Yes. Not very well, because the scent is very faint, but I picked it up once you came to stand here," Remus responded amused.
Harry expelled the breath he had unconsciously hold in; relief shooting through his body. He hadn't realized just how afraid he had been of Remus' reaction until it was finally over. Narcissa had assured him Remus wouldn't get angry, but he hadn't been able to completely place faith in her reassurance.
"Harry, did you really think I would be angry?" Remus asked softly and leant forwards, leaning on some papers with his elbows.
Harry shrugged and could almost feel his cheeks redden in embarrassment. "A bit, yeah, because I know it's dangerous to have a baby now while Dumbledore is still out there," he muttered, ignoring for now the soft squeeze Draco gave his side. "And I know it's kind of stupid to keep the baby now, but I can't give it up." His voice wavered at the end and he blinked rapidly.
"Oh cub," Remus sighed and Harry started when the older man suddenly stood in front of him.
The arm around his waist and Draco's presence next to him disappeared and were replaced by two warm arms that pulled him into a tight embrace, filling his nose with the scent of lavender and old books. "I'm not mad at you at all. A bit shocked that you're pregnant already, but not mad. I'll be there to help you with the baby and whatever else you need. It's going to be alright."
Harry could do nothing else but nod and he embraced the older man back tightly.

Hours later, they were lying underneath the sheets in Harry's bed. Dinner had passed rather peacefully, with only a few students muttering about Harry turning dark or Draco manipulating him. Thanks to the anti-nausea Snape had supplied him with, Harry barely felt any discomfort anymore, except for the mornings when he still had to expel his dinner of the night before.
They had done their homework in the library, joined by Blaise, Daphne, Millicent, Dean and Neville (which at first had made the atmosphere rather awkward, until everyone had relaxed and had focused on their work). Afterwards Draco had followed Harry to his quarters, though not before he had dropped his books in the dormitory.
After having discovered the benefit of a private shower big enough to host both of them, they had changed into their pyjamas and had slid between the sheets. Garin had curled himself around one of the bedposts; Sapphire had kneaded a spot for herself between their legs at the end of the bed and Mara and Ruby lay on each side of the bed, the flames on their tails the only light in the otherwise dark room.
"See, I was right: we had nothing to worry about Lupin," Draco muttered and Harry shifted closer to his side with a huff.
"Shut up; it could have happened that he reacted badly," Harry replied petulantly.
The blond chuckled in the dark, half dry hair. "It could have, yeah, but it didn't."
"I still don't understand how you could stand there so calmly while he had his wand pointed at you," Harry frowned and threw one leg over Draco's thighs.
He could feel the blond shrug. "I do admit that at first I thought he would hex me," he admitted rather sheepishly. "But he's more sensible than that – besides, I know he's protective of you; if he hadn't warned me, I would honestly have been shocked."
"More like threaten," Harry murmured darkly. His head was lying on Draco's shoulder and he felt an arm being draped over his stomach. He sighed and bit his lip. "Now we only need to tell Sirius."
"Yeah," Draco answered apprehensively. "When do you want to go talk to him?"
"Well, Remus told us to get it over soon, so maybe this weekend?" Harry tilted his head so that he could look at Draco's face. Draco probably felt his stare, because he looked down a bit; giving Harry the chance to look in his eyes instead of at his cheek and mouth. "Do you think your mother will be available then?"
"Considering this is about the baby? Yeah, she'll be available then," Draco snorted softly. "I'll send her a letter tomorrow. Is Saturday okay with you?"
Harry rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, fine with me," he muttered and then yawned, hiding it on time behind his hand.
"Guess it's time to go to sleep," Draco murmured amused and after sharing a soft kiss, they closed their eyes; Harry falling asleep easier than the days before.

After asking Sirius whether it was okay with him if they visited him and Remus on Saturday, Harry discovered once again that when you weren't looking forward to something, that particular thing seemed to arrive much quicker than you wanted. Thursday and Friday seemed to fly by and thanks to Snape's list of spells, his stomach was constantly protected during the Defence against the Dark Arts lessons. The potions were doing their work as well and his nausea was reduced to only being momentarily nauseous during the morning, right after waking up.
Then, sooner than he'd wanted, Saturday arrived and with that the moment when they would inform Sirius about the baby.
The first thought he had upon waking up was that he wasn't ready to get out of bed. Not even the faint nauseous feeling could get him out of his comfortable sheets and he was perfectly content to just stay in bed and not do anything else for the whole day.
Alas, he hadn't counted in Draco and Narcissa, who arrived shortly after he had managed to doze off again.
"Harry, wake up."
A hand was softly shaking his shoulder and he moaned disgruntledly.
"What?" he muttered irritated, cracking open one eye to see Draco sitting next to him on the bed.
"You need to get up," the blond informed him. "You still need to eat breakfast and take a shower before we go to your godfather."
"Can't I just stay here?" Harry closed his eye again and burrowed deeper into the soft, fluffy pillow. "I don't want to get up."
"Harry James Potter, you will get out of bed immediately or you'll find an eager bucket ready to dump ice cold water on you," Narcissa entered the bedroom and tapped her wand against her leg. "And don't think I wouldn't do that," she threatened when Harry shot her a calculating look.
Not fancying meeting an ice cold bath, Harry was forced to give in and he disappeared in the bathroom, muttering darkly underneath his breath.
When he entered his small living room, the table was loaded with plates covered with toast, scrambled eggs, boiled tomatoes, some sausages and a can filled with orange juice.
"I won't be able to eat all that!" he protested, but let himself be pulled down on the couch by Draco.
"Just try to eat as much as you can," Draco replied and gave him a quick kiss on his temple. "Ready for today?"
"No," Harry answered in a deadpan manner and he filled his plate and started to eat slowly.
Narcissa took a sip of her steaming cup of tea. "It'll be alright, Harry. Sirius may be rash at times and often acts before he thinks, but he has his heart in the right place," she said calmly.
Harry snorted. "Yeah, but it's the acting before thinking that worries me."
"Remus and I will be there to give you support – even my cousin isn't foolish enough to attack either one of you with us nearby."
Harry wasn't certain whether that was supposed to assure him or not.

Half an hour later, the trio was standing in front of the portrait guarding the entrance to Sirius' and Remus' room. Mara, Ruby and Garin hadn't accompanied them; they had told their masters that they would be safe enough for now, but it had been clear to both boys that the animals had seemed rather occupied. With what, they didn't know. Harry could only hope it wouldn't end in a bad way for him or anyone of his family.
"Please enter," the man in the portrait smiled and it swung open.
They stepped through and were greeted with the smell of coffee lingering through the whole quarters.
"Ah, you're here already." Remus came into view with a smile. "Good morning, boys, Narcissa."
"'Morning," Harry muttered, coming to an abrupt halt near the couch.
"Good morning," Draco replied, managing to give the older man a small smile.
"Good morning, Remus," Narcissa greeted him.
"Good morning!" came the cheerful voice of Sirius and he showed up behind Remus, his face gaining a surprised look when he saw his cousin standing in the middle of the room. "Narcissa, what are you doing here?"
She nodded towards the boys. "I'm here on their behalf."
"On their behalf?" Sirius repeated baffled and threw Harry a confused look.
Harry took a deep breath and jerked his head towards the couch. "Draco and I need to talk to you about something – I think it's better if we sit down."
Sirius narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but he slowly sat down, absently placing a hand on Remus' thigh when the man came to sit next to him.
With a flick of her wand, Narcissa enlarged one of the chairs so that Draco and Harry could sit together while she occupied the other one.
"So what do you need to talk about?" Sirius asked with a frown marring his forehead.
"It's …" Harry shared a look with Draco before he continued, "It's not something we planned on; it – it just happened."
"What are you talking about?" his godfather asked, sounding fairly baffled.
"You remember our talk about my inheritance?" Harry started to feel ill and wondered absently whether it was his morning sickness popping up again, despite having thrown up already or whether it was just feeling generally sick because of the upcoming confession.
"Of course I remember – it's not something that I can forget easily," Sirius answered and glanced at Remus. "Moony, do you know what this is about?"
Remus nodded slowly. "Yes; they already told me about it."
"Why the hell did you know about this – whatever this is – first?" Sirius scowled and pursed his lips, looking remarkably well like McGonagall when she was in a furious mood.
"Does it really matter?" Remus sighed and shook his head. "Just shut up and listen, Padfoot."
Sirius huffed and crossed his arms. "Fine, go on."
"Well … after that talk, Draco and I needed to perform a test," Harry went on, his voice wavering slightly at the end.
Draco took his hand and discreetly squeezed in it, ignoring Sirius' raised eyebrow at the gesture.
"A test," Sirius repeated slowly. "What kind of test?"
"It's … please don't get mad, alright?" Harry pleaded, not quite daring to look Sirius in his eyes.
"Harry, what kind of test?" Sirius asked neutrally, but with a hard tone and the atmosphere seemed to charge itself with tension.
Harry took a deep breath and looked down at his lap, whispering, "A – a pregnancy test."
"A pregnancy test," Sirius replied flatly and Harry could see Remus tensing in response to Sirius' tone of voice.
This conversation was not going well. He knew that; Draco knew that, hell, everybody in this room knew that.
Draco's grip on his hand tightened to the point where it was almost painful and Harry shot him a glance; grey eyes were staring directly at Sirius, his face not giving away anything he was thinking of.
"Because we didn't know about the charm, we didn't use any protection, so the test turned out positive. I'm almost two months pregnant," Harry rushed through the last sentence, his heartbeat loud in his ears, almost drowning out the sound of his blood rushing through his body and his sped up breathing.
There; it was out. He had finally told the last person that really mattered to him about the baby. There was no going back now.
An eerie silence fell over the room and eventually Harry gathered enough of his courage to raise his head and look up – straight into furious, blue-grey eyes. He flinched in spite of having prepared himself for this possible reaction and felt his heart thudding louder; his face growing uncomfortably warm.
The flinch seemed to trigger Sirius' verbal reaction at last.
"How could you be so stupid?!" Sirius snapped furiously, startling the other occupants in the room. Remus tried to calm him down by placing a hand on his arm, but the Animagus impatiently flung his arm away. "Even without the charm, why the hell didn't you use any protection? I thought you knew about the risks of unsafe sex?"
"It isn't like Draco has diseases," Harry protested. "He would have told me before we started to have sex."
"Oh yes, because you obviously can trust a Slytherin to always speak the truth," Sirius replied sarcastically and continued, before either one of them could interrupt him, "Aside from that, why on earth didn't you use a morning after potion?"
"I was already almost a month pregnant by the time we performed the test," Harry bit out, his anger finally rising to the surface. He really didn't like what Sirius seemed to implicate and wondered why he was reacting so angrily, while he normally was the most laid back one of them all. "A morning after potion wouldn't have worked."
"There are other potions that could have solved this!" Sirius retorted harshly, his eyes flashing dangerously.
"I'm not going to kill my baby!" Harry snapped and glared to hide the hurt that had blossomed up with Sirius talking about those potions. "We've decided to keep it. And our baby is not a problem that needs to be solved!"
"So you think it's a smart idea to be pregnant with Dumbledore out there?" Sirius wildly gestured towards the window. "You're already a bloody target as it is, without adding a baby to it. You really want to make it fucking easy for Dumbledore to kill you? And let's not mention your age!"
"Do you really think we haven't thought about Dumbledore before we decided what to do with the baby?" Harry hissed, ripping his hand free from Draco and balling it into a fist. "We know what we're doing and …"
"Obviously you don't, because otherwise you would have done the smart thing instead of this!"
"Sirius, I think it's time for you to calm down," Narcissa spoke in a low, but warning voice and she had risen up from his seat, looking at him coolly.
"Come on, Sirius, go to the bedroom so that you can cool off for a bit and then we'll talk further," Remus murmured, but his voice warned the other man not to test him.
Mostly that tone of voice worked, but now however he seemed immune against it.
"Are you calling me stupid?"
"Harry, calm down; getting worked up is not good," Draco spoke softly in his ear, having risen up when Harry did.
"If you weren't, you would have known that keeping this child is the most stupid thing you can do now!" Sirius shouted and in that moment he resembled the crazed man that had just broken out of prison. "Honestly, I had expected you to be smarter than this!"
It hurt.
It hurt a lot that Sirius didn't accept the baby like the others had done. The man he had thought would always support him and be there for him seemed now intent on breaking him down so that he would get rid of his child.
His whole body started to tremble and he felt tears burning his eyes, willing to go outside. How had he ever thought there was a slight chance that Sirius would act reasonable? How could he have been so mistaken?
"You know what?" Harry breathed harshly and threw the man who called himself his godfather a poisonous glare. "Fuck you! I'm done listening to you!"
Before tears could fall down, Harry stormed out of the room, ignoring Remus' shout and Narcissa's plead to wait in the hallway.
The last thing he heard before the portrait fell shut behind him was Draco, whose fury after seeing his lover hurt was now unleashed on a shocked Sirius.
"HOW COULD YOU TREAT HIM LIKE THAT, YOU BASTARD?"
Harry didn't stay to hear the rest of the shouting match and instead hurried down the hallway, wanting nothing more than to disappear right now, forget that the whole past hour had ever happened. Maybe this was all just an awful nightmare and he would wake up soon in his bed.
His vision blurred and the few students he passed on his way pointed at him and started whispering to each other. Someone tried to stop him by shouting a taunt, but he ignored that person and tried to keep himself together until he was in his room.
He left the bright lights of the entrance hall and exchanged them for the soft, dimmed lightening of the dungeons. Just a bit further and he could disappear for a few hours. Nobody would be able to bother him there.
Harry had almost reached the portrait guarding his room, keeping his eyes on the stone tiles the whole time, when he suddenly bumped against something soft, yet unyielding and he stumbled backwards. A hand shot out and grabbed him tightly around his upper arm, pulling him back from his fall.
"Potter, do take notice of your surroundings," Snape bit out irritated and released his arm.
"I'm sorry, sir," he muttered and blinked, hoping the tears wouldn't fall down now. He already felt bad and hurt enough – he couldn't deal with the added humiliation of Snape seeing him crying.
"What happened?" Snape asked suspiciously. "And do look me in the eyes when you answer; it's common courtesy."
He took a deep breath and looked up, staring at a point near Snape's face. "Nothing happened," he answered flatly, hiding his trembling hands by stuffing them in his pockets. "I just didn't notice you were standing here, sir, sorry."
"Potter."
That particular infliction in Snape's voice let him know that the man wasn't planning on letting him go without pushing further. Damn it, why on earth couldn't Snape go back to silently loathing him? At least that would have made it easy to pass by him.
"Nothing happened. Excuse me, I need to finish my Transfiguration assignment," he mumbled and hastily walked past Snape, dancing right on time out of the man's reach when he wanted to grab his shoulder.
"Dragon scale," he murmured and the dragon in the portrait huffed, smoke circling out of his nostrils, before the portrait swung open and Harry slipped inside.
His trembling legs collapsed underneath him when he reached the couch and he sunk down on it, pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes. A shuddering breath rankled through his body and he bit his lower lip hard. A faint taste of copper alerted him to the fact that he had bitten too hard.
"Master, what happened?" Ruby's concerned voice rumbled through his head and he looked up through a veil of tears, seeing the large lion standing right in front of him.
Sapphire slunk from underneath the table and jumped on the couch, butting her head against his leg; offering her silent support.
"Did you talk to your family?" Garin hissed and slithered up Harry's legs, travelling across the couch, before draping his head on Harry's shoulder while the rest of his body was resting on the back of the couch.
"Yes," Harry answered, petting Sapphire slowly with one hand. "It didn't go over well."
That had to be the understatement of the year. He still couldn't comprehend how angry Sirius had been. Sure, he hadn't expected him to be happy about it initially, but the way he reacted …
Before either of his pets could reply, the portrait swung open and revealed an annoyed looking Snape.
"What are you doing here?" Harry sat up straight, feeling Garin slither closer to his shoulder as to not fall between him and the couch. "And how did you get in?"
"There is a defence mechanism built in the portraits, called a password," Snape replied sarcastically and Harry flushed, feeling a spike of embarrassment. The man came closer and his dark eyes swept around the room. "How odd. For someone claiming to have a need to finish an assignment, your surroundings are surprisingly bare," he mocked. "Even if you had managed to memorize the entire book, I'd assume you still need parchment and ink to write your assignment. Or do you and the mutt have some kind of mental bond that allows you to transfer your homework that way?"
Harry clenched his teeth and forced himself to stay calm. "I was just planning to start, sir," he answered flatly. "I'm still allowed to pay attention to my pets, right?"
"Potter, do not waste my time," Snape suddenly spoke softly, but his eyes gazed at him coolly. "You are not a child anymore, so cease this childish sulking and tell me what happened that made you distraught."
"I'm not sulking," Harry snapped and glared at his professor. "And what do you care about how I feel?"
"I am the Head of your house and as such have an obligation that requires me to pay attention to any problems my students experience," Snape said and sat down on one of the single armchairs, fixing Harry with a hard gaze. "Aside from that, you're carrying a child and your emotions can affect it. I won't have Narcissa complaining to me if something were to happen to you or her grandchild."
"It doesn't really matter," Harry muttered and looked away. "It was just a stupid argument, alright?"
"An argument? With whom did you …" Realization flashed across Snape's face and Harry swallowed. "You talked to the mutt about the baby, am I correct?"
Harry nodded and the hand on Sapphire's back stilled while his other one clenched into the fabric of his pants. Garin and Ruby were looking between the two men, content for now to let the older man – who smelled like herbs – take charge and take care of their master.
"What did he say?"
Harry shook his head, feeling something blocking his throat. He didn't want to repeat the things Sirius said; didn't even want to think about them anymore. If he didn't think about them, he could try to pretend that the whole exchange had never happened.
"Potter, do not test my patience. What did Black say to you?" Snape asked and he sounded like he was gritting his teeth.
"None of your business," Harry muttered and felt his eyes burning again. Shit, he couldn't start crying now. "I didn't ask for you to come here, so you can leave if you want."
"I'd thought you would have realized by now that keeping things to yourself isn't a smart thing to do," Snape remarked and Harry stiffened. "Then again, I suppose you don't learn from your mistakes."
That made Harry snap.

Severus could see the exact moment that Potter gave up on his flimsy attempt of nonchalance. His eyes shone with repressed tears and his breathing became laboured, making the older man wonder if it had been better to bring a Calming Draught with him.
"We told Sirius about the baby and he didn't take it well," Potter murmured, rubbing a hand fiercely over his eyes.
"How did he react?"
Of course the stupid mutt had to be an idiot and react badly. He wondered how that idiot had managed to live for so long with his temper and idiocy.
"Badly," Potter replied with a bitter laugh. "He said I was stupid for keeping the baby, saying I was too young and that it was unsafe with Dumbledore still around – as if we don't know that!" He lowered his hand and stared at Severus with eyes that shone full of hurt, making the Potions Master feel uncomfortable. He really didn't deal well with raw emotions. "He said it would have been better if – if I had aborted the baby." Potter brought his arm protectively around his stomach. "I don't understand why he got so mad. I know he didn't want Draco and I to have sex, but it's not our fault that we didn't know about the charm until recently."
Potter's voice was small, disturbingly childlike and to Severus' horror, tears started dripping down Potter's cheeks, the boy not able anymore to hold them back. A hand came up to cover his mouth, but Severus could still hear the muffled sob and he threw his eyes up, wondering what on earth he had done to deserve being stuck with a crying Potter again.
"Potter," he started slowly. "You know the mutt can be a real idiot at times. He has a short temper, and he was wrong to take it out on you, but he'll come around."
He really detested comforting somebody, because he wasn't good at it, but currently he was the only one around who had a chance of calming Potter down. Absentmindedly he wondered where his godson was, but focused his attention back on the conversation when Potter spoke.
Potter shook his head. "You didn't see his face," he replied miserably. "He really was furious – I have never seen him that mad before. I know we're young, but is it that bad that we want to keep the baby?"
It had been a while, but Severus could feel the urge to hex the mutt sneaking up again. He knew how vulnerable pregnant people were – especially pregnant men – and he still had opened his big mouth. What on earth had made him decide that blowing up on Potter had been a marvellous idea? For that matter, why had he reacted that badly? Severus could understand the man not reacting well, because of Dumbledore and his threat, but from what Potter had told him, the main problem was the baby itself and Potter's age.
Did the man really think Potter and Draco would have kept their hands to themselves? Severus' lip curled up slightly. He would be the first to state that carrying a baby while having a powerful wizard after you wasn't a smart idea, but even he knew Potter and Draco had not gone over the decision lightly. They weren't idiots. They both knew well what exactly was at stake here.
Instead of driving Potter away, Black should have done the smart thing and showed his support. Wasn't that what Gryffindors did?
Severus snorted silently. Apparently not. And it seemed that this particular ex-Gryffindor was quite a hypocrite as well.
Movement from his peripheral view made him turn his head slightly and he saw that Potter had pulled up his legs on the couch with his arms wrapped around them and his face hidden behind them. His shoulders shook with silent sobs and the Potions Master hesitated. He knew something that would hopefully show Potter that Black was likely to change his mind about the baby, but he wasn't certain whether he was ready to give that piece of knowledge away.
It was part of his memories of Lily and the thought of giving one of them away – even when it was to her son – made him almost balk in protest. His memories of her had been carefully guarded behind a thick Occlumency shield for years and he had never spoken of them to anyone else.
Those memories were his and he wouldn't allow the ignorant responses of other people to taint them.
But maybe giving up one memory wouldn't be that horrible. And it wouldn't be to a random person, but to somebody who would most likely treasure it, because it was about Lily.
After one last moment of hesitation, Severus stood up and sat down stiffly on the couch.
Potter stiffened and raised his head, staring at him with red, puffy eyes.
"Potter, I am certain Black will change his mind about the baby," he spoke softly.
Potter opened his mouth, presumably to protest once again, but Severus cut him off before he could even start talking.
"Because if he doesn't, he would be a hypocrite. And if there is one thing that most Gryffindors are not, it's a hypocrite."
"What are you talking about, sir?" Potter asked with a frown on his face and wiped away the few tears escaping down his cheeks.
Severus sighed and looked down at his clasped hands. "You know your mother and I were friends?" he started, hiding the bitter tone in his voice.
Potter nodded slowly, regarding him warily.
"Like friends do, she often told me what was on her mind, even when she had started dating your father," Severus continued and he could feel the boy shifting; his attention piqued at the mention of his parents. "Mostly it was about nonsensical things, like a fight she had had with another girl or an argument with your father. In our seventh year however she confided into me something that had deeply troubled her, but at the same time had made her happy."
"What had happened?" Potter asked softly, sounding like he was holding his breath.
Severus looked up and gazed calmly at him. Those big, deep green eyes – the mirror image of hers – were staring at him in rapt attention, the crying having stopped for the moment. "She had a pregnancy scare."
"What?" Potter sounded surprised.
"In the middle of seventh year, on a January evening, she told me that she and your father thought she was pregnant," Severus answered, his voice flat; his eyes shifting towards the fireplace. He could picture the scene clearly, despite it being a long time ago. The couch overflowing with pillows on which they were seated; their mugs filled with hot chocolate milk, prepared by the house elves; the fire dancing upon her red hair; her green eyes staring at him in worry, fear, yet tinged with excitement as well … "She was three weeks late and they had ordered a pregnancy test, which she would be taking four days after our conversation. Lupin, Black and Pettigrew had been informed about the possibility and from what Lily told me, they were all willing to help and support her, in case she was pregnant."
"But she wasn't."
"No. She confided into me a week later that while she had been worried about having a baby at her age and was relieved that she wasn't pregnant, she was sad as well that the test had turned out negative," Severus replied and looked at Potter again. "Even Black had been disappointed that the test was negative. It seemed that he had been looking forward to being the godfather of it."
Potter opened his mouth and seemed conflicted. "But," he murmured bewildered. "they were just seventeen back then. I'm the same age and he told me that I'm too young."
Severus inclined his head. "I assume he thinks you're too young – despite what had happened during our seventh year – because you are his godson and he worries about you. No parent likes to realize that their children are growing up, Potter, and that includes godfathers."
Potter fidgeted, looking down at his lap, before peering up at Severus with troubled eyes. "Do you think … do you think mum and dad would have reacted well if they heard I'm expecting a baby at seventeen?"
Severus stilled and then answered calmly, "While they probably would have scolded you, they would have shown their full support. I'm completely certain of that. Just like I'm certain that the idiotic mutt will realize the error of his ways and will change his mind about the baby."
Potter smiled weakly. "Thank you, sir."
Severus snorted and stood up. "I'll be taking my leave now then. Unlike some, I still have work to do."
He walked towards the door and before he opened it, he turned around. "Potter."
Potter looked at him expectantly. "Yes, sir?"
"Remember that even without the mutt's support, you still have others supporting you," he murmured. "The mutt may have to be wary of foreign liquids finding their way in his goblet, though," he smirked and then left the room, ignoring the shocked gasp behind him.
This had better be the last time he needed to comfort Potter.

"If you ever make Harry upset again, I'm going to make certain you'll live to regret it!" Draco finished his rant, breathing heavily. "Don't even think of coming near Harry if you're not going to apologize for being a bastard!" he snapped and stormed out of the room, leaving a heavy silence behind.
The portrait closed with an audible 'click' and he took a deep breath. He couldn't believe he had said all that. The moment Harry had left the room, he had exploded and had chewed out Black, not leaving him any room to talk.
Clenching his fists, he leant against the wall, a bit further ahead, waiting for his mother to emerge. He wanted nothing more than to find Harry and comfort him, but he had to say goodbye to his mother first. She hadn't stopped him during his whole rant, but that didn't mean she would appreciate him not saying goodbye to her.
"Shit," he muttered and closed his eyes, his heart finally starting to slow down its erratic beating.
He still didn't understand what had made Black react so badly towards the mention of their baby. Sure, he hadn't expected him to be happy about it – especially not after the way he had looked at Draco a while ago – but to get so pissed off? He hadn't foreseen that. Neither of them had; even Lupin had looked shocked and there was not much that could rattle that man.
Was it the fact that they were only seventeen? That Dumbledore posed a dangerous threat? Or, Draco swallowed, was it because it was his baby that Harry was expecting?
Black had never reacted badly towards him, but he hadn't exactly shown his approval either. What if Black did have something against him? What if he wouldn't have been that furious if Harry had expected someone else's baby? Was it just because it was his baby that Black had gotten angry?
"Draco."
Treading lightly over the carpet and with her gown rustling over the floor, his mother made his way to him.
"Mother," he murmured and looked at her. He grimaced. "How badly did I fu- mess up?"
She looked calmly back. "You gave my cousin a lot to think about," she answered and smiled faintly. "While you probably could have brought it over in a better way, I think this was the best way to shake him awake."
"Do you think he'll accept the baby?"
She beckoned him to follow. "He will. While he acted outrageously just now, he still loves Harry and he'll come to accept the fact that he's pregnant. I assume he needs time to adjust," she murmured.
Slowly they made their way to the dungeons – ignoring the whispering that rose up around them – and Draco frowned. "Time to adjust? Adjust to what?"
"To the fact that his godson is growing up and is no longer a little boy he can protect against the world," Mother replied amused.
"But Harry wasn't a little boy anymore when Black found him again," Draco said bewildered.
"No, but in his mind, Harry would stay the innocent boy, who needed protection against everything bad and evil." She came to a halt and studied him, before placing a soft kiss on his forehead, making him blink in response. "No parent wants to see their child grow up, even though we all know that that day will arrive. Sirius should have handled it better and should not have let his emotions get the better of him, but in the end he reacted like every other parent, who finally realizes that their child is growing up and there is nothing they can do about it. Give him some time, Draco. He'll come around, you'll see."
"And what if he doesn't?" Draco asked warily.
"Then you and Harry will still have the rest of us," Mother answered determinedly. "But don't worry, son. Everything will be all right."
"I hope so," he muttered darkly, not certain how Harry would react if his godfather never wanted to speak with him again.
"I can see myself out through Severus' Floo. Go to Harry, Draco," she murmured. "He needs you now."
"Thank you, mother," he smiled gratefully and after kissing her cheek, he turned around and briskly made his way to Harry's quarters, where he hopefully was. Harry needed him now.

Harry felt better after his talk with Snape and with Draco near him, but he couldn't help but feel hurt when the weekend passed by without Sirius showing up. He had hoped that his godfather would have wanted to talk after he had had the time to think everything through.
He didn't know what he would do if it turned out that Sirius didn't want to see him anymore and because that thought was terrifying, he preferred to ignore it.
Draco had been a comforting presence throughout the weekend. He hadn't said much about what had happened after Harry had left the room; only that he had told Sirius what exactly he thought about his reaction. Harry felt there had been more to that particular talk, but Draco wasn't forthcoming with new information and so he had given up on pestering him about it.

Transfigurations that Monday after the disastrous weekend had a very awkward start. Harry had waited until a group was about to enter the classroom and had mingled between them, Draco following him after a shake of his head.
They had chosen places in the back of the classroom and for the entire two hours Harry kept his head down, not wanting to draw any attention towards him.
Sirius had greeted them all jovially as usual, but Harry had seen the slight bags underneath his eyes and he couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the weekend had gone by for the older man. Knowing Remus, the man probably hadn't made it an easy time for the Animagus and Harry felt guilty for causing a disagreement between the couple. It was bad enough he and Sirius had had a fight; he didn't want to be the cause of a fight between Sirius and Remus.
"Harry, class is over," Draco murmured in his ear and he looked up startled.
Indeed; the rest of the students had started talking animatedly whilst packing their bags.
"Oh," he muttered and blinked, shoving his own books in his bag.
"Common room, your room or the library?" Draco asked while they made their way to the doorway. They had a few hours free before dinner started.
"Maybe the …"
"Harry, can I talk to you?"
Harry froze, his fingers tightening around the strap of his bag. Draco tensed next to him and he could feel the curious stares of some students who passed by them.
"Now?" he asked flatly, turning around slowly.
Sirius looked at him with unreadable eyes. "Yes; you don't have class now, right?"
Harry shook his head mutely.
"Then we have time to talk," Sirius stated and nodded towards Draco. "Can you leave us alone for a moment?"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Draco replied with a frown and Harry saw from the corner of his eye how the blond gripped his wand tightly.
"I'm not going to do anything to Harry. I just want to talk," Sirius said patiently, though his eyes flicked warily towards Draco's wand. "I recall you said I was allowed to do that."
Draco breathed out slowly. "Fine. But I'm going to wait outside," he warned Sirius and the other man nodded.
"Fair enough."
"Give a shout if you need me," Draco breathed in Harry's ear and pressed a quick kiss on his mouth.
Harry nodded and watched how Draco left the room, closing the door behind him, after throwing a concerned look at him.
"So what do you want to talk about?" Harry asked warily and he shifted a bit, making the bag slide until it was slightly in front of his stomach.
"I want to talk about the baby," Sirius replied and took a deep breath. "Why don't you sit down?"
Harry opened his mouth to refuse, but Sirius' pleading look made him change his mind and he took a seat at the first desk, placed in the middle row.
"What about it?"
"Before I say anything else, I want to apologize," Sirius muttered and sat down at the edge of his desk. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry and most importantly, I shouldn't have said those things to you."
"Did Remus tell you to do this?" Harry asked sharply. Sirius' apology wouldn't mean anything if the man only offered it, because Remus had forced him to do that.
"No, he didn't," his godfather replied and he faintly smiled. "Although he did tell me quite clearly what he thought of my behaviour. I'm sorry I reacted like that; I went too far."
"Yes, you did," Harry murmured and ignored Sirius' small flinch. He wasn't trying to be deliberately mean, but Sirius had went too far with his reaction and he didn't see the need to act as if that hadn't been hurtful. "Why did you react like that?"
Sirius heaved a sigh and grimaced. "It's …" he paused and after a moment of hesitation, continued softly, "I thought that everything would be over once Voldemort was gone. With that bastard gone, I thought you would be able to finally live the life you deserved. But instead of that, Dumbledore stepped in to take Voldemort's place and even though I hate that backstabbing son of a bitch, I have to admit that he is one of the strongest wizards that the Wizarding world has known. And that scares me, Harry. I don't want to lose you to that man; all because he deems you too dangerous to stay alive." He looked at him with a pained look in his eyes. "I do think, though, that you have a decent chance against him. That's what kept me optimistic. Until Remus and I read about the charm. A baby takes a lot of your energy away; not only physical, but also magical. Even more so in a male pregnancy."
"I know that; Draco and I read the book as well," Harry said and shifted on the chair. He had never heard Sirius speaking so solemnly and it honestly worried him.
"If you know how much of your energy will eventually be taken away by the baby, can you blame me for getting worried? You were already at risk before, but this baby makes you twice as vulnerable and I don't want to think about what will happen if Dumbledore decides to attack you now," Sirius replied and a hint of frustration shone through his voice. "I know that you and Draco didn't plan this baby, but I am worried about you, Harry. I finally have my family back; I can't stand the thought of losing you or Remus. I already lost part of my family when your parents were killed. Their deaths nearly killed me – I don't think I would be able to go on if I lost you or Remus."
"Sirius," Harry murmured and stood up, crossing the small distance between them to hug the older man. "You're not going to lose me, I promise."
Sirius chuckled weakly and Harry felt his arms tightening around his body. "You can't promise something like that, pup. Not with Dumbledore as your enemy."
He sounded so miserable that Harry pulled back a little and stared him right in his eyes. "Sirius, listen to me. I'm not planning on leaving you or anyone else of my family. I was able to handle Voldemort – I can handle Dumbledore as well. Besides, I have you, Remus, Lucius, Narcissa, my pets, even Snape to help me," he said firmly. "And Draco will do anything to protect me and the baby."
"I know," Sirius smiled weakly. "That was clear this weekend."
"I know that I'm taking a huge risk by keeping this baby," Harry continued, hands clenching down on Sirius' arms. "And I thought I would be able to remove it."
He felt Sirius jerk in surprise.
"But I couldn't. I can't kill my baby and you don't have the right to ask that of me. I want this baby, despite the risks and I want you to be a part of the baby's life. You said you finally had your family back – well, I finally have a family after all these years. I don't want to lose you, but I don't want to choose between you or my baby. And it's not fair of you to ask that of me," Harry said, taking a deep breath once he was finished talking.
"I know; I never should have implied that you were better off with removing it," Sirius muttered. "I'm not going to make you choose between the baby or me, Harry."
"So do you accept the baby?" Harry asked and resisted the urge to squirm. Sirius' answer would decide whether he would still have the man in his life or not.
Sirius nodded. "Yes, I accept it."
"Thank you," Harry whispered and hugged him again, burying his face in Sirius' shoulder.
"Do you accept my apology?"
Harry nodded and he heard Sirius sighing in relief.
"I don't like fighting with you," he muttered.
"I don't like it either," Harry replied, his voice slightly muffled through the fabric.
"Merlin, I can't believe I'm going to be a granduncle before I'm forty years old," Sirius mumbled bewildered and Harry laughed.
"Harry?" Draco's voice called out muffled from behind the door and Harry shook his head, pulling back.
"I need to start on my homework," he sighed.
"Go on," Sirius chuckled and released him. "Just make sure to rest on time. If you're like Lily during her pregnancy, you're going to need the rest."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Don't worry. Draco will make sure I don't overwork myself. I don't want to imagine how bad he'll get in a few months," he muttered darkly.
Sirius cocked his head slightly to the left and said gruffly, "You know, if I have to be honest; at first I wasn't certain whether I liked the thought of you and Blondie being together."
Harry stared at him surprised. "Oh?"
"Yeah, thought he might take advantage of you," Sirius went on and his fingers patted the wand lying on the desk. "I already had several curses in mind in case he ended up hurting you."
"Eh, those curses won't be necessary," Harry replied uneasily. Draco's fear of being cursed by Sirius hadn't been that farfetched after all apparently.
"I know they won't. He's good for you; I can see that," Sirius said and looked away, as if he was ashamed for admitting that little fact.
Harry smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sirius."
He received a nod in response and he put his hand on the door knob to open it, but halted. "What made you decide that Draco is good for me?" he asked after a moment of wavering about the question.
When he turned his head, Sirius looked at him intently. "The way he defended you last weekend. And the way he looks at you when he thinks nobody sees him. It's the look James often gave Lily. You look at him like that as well. That's how I know he's good for you," he answered softly.
Harry didn't know what to say to that and with flushed cheeks he left the classroom.
Draco immediately took him into his arms. "How did it go?" he asked worriedly.
"Like you said; everything turned out all right," Harry answered smiling.

AN2: So ... What do you think of Sirius' reaction? I hope it wasn't too OOC *winces* Also, I don't think Lily was still talking with Snape after she got together with James in the actual serie, but consider this particular scene a slight adjustment.
Next chapter will be called 'Quidditch' and well, the match won't end like everyone expected. Plus Salazar decides it's time to prove that even as a portrait, he hasn't lost all his knowledge. What this all means, you'll discover in the next chapter.
I hope you liked it and please leave a review behind with your thoughts!
Cuddles
Melissa
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Survival of the fittest