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Resistance	By : danniperson Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 44506 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 7
Disclaimer: I did not create the Harry Potter stories or universe and I do not make any money from this

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CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Severus glowered at the fireplace as Dumbledore's face disappeared. Just wonderful. He only had an hour to himself before his presence was required in the headmaster's office. Dumbledore had already scheduled a meeting with the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, assuring Severus that he was cutting the meeting short so that they might talk. It didn't take a genius, or Legilmens, to know what Dumbledore was on about. Obviously, he had been informed of Potter's pregnancy then made the correct assumption in who the father was. He wasn't even sure he had it in him to lie. There was no point to it, was there? What would Dumbledore do? Fire him? Somehow, Severus doubted it. Or, maybe, he just didn't care. He was too tired to feel much of anything tonight.

During this hour, he would drink. Slumping deeper into the cushions of his favorite chair, he summoned his favorite bottle of Superior Red that Lucius had supplied him with a few Christmases ago. Unfortunately, he couldn't have enough to get drunk. He muttered bitterly under his breath, wanting nothing more than to send a note to the headmaster telling him to bugger off before getting sloshed. There was nothing he wanted less than to discuss Potter, the bond, pregnancy, or anything of that nature. Didn't he have enough to deal with in life? Hadn't he suffered enough without having this drop into his lap? He wasn't prone to pity parties but there was nothing he craved more than to wallow in his own misery right now. Hadn't he sacrificed enough? Hadn't he done enough to pay for his sins? Wasn't he still paying? Why was the price so high? Severus would be the first to admit the wrongs he had done, just how awful they had been, and had even accepted many things as fitting punishment for it all. But this? This was too much.

He wasn't ready to be a father. He never would be. Tobias Snape hadn't exactly been the greatest example of fatherhood. Even his mother left him with little knowledge of what being a parent should be like. Eileen had been pathetic, neglectful where Tobias had been angry, useless, and abusive. Severus didn't even like children. Then the mother of his child…or father…whatever Potter was, was a child himself! The entire situation was ridiculous.

Perhaps it was a joke. Severus liked to think it was. Men couldn't get pregnant. It didn't make sense. Maybe Potter wasn't really a man after all. He couldn't help but snort in amusement at that thought. Severus sighed heavily then took a long gulp of his wine. Poppy seemed convinced in a way that made Severus doubt it was a prank. The woman couldn't lie to save her life. He rubbed his hand over his face, trying to imagine what could have happened to cause this. With the potions in Potter's system, Severus thought it was obvious that they had somehow caused this. While he had identified all of the potions that had been in his system, though, he hadn't fully discovered how they had caused Potter to become pregnant. That was something he could focus on when the thought of being a parent didn't make him want to destroy his office instead of work in it.

Shoving it all to the back of his mind, Severus leaned his head back against the chair, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath before swallowing more of his wine.

When Harry decided it was time to tell his friends about his pregnancy, he knew it would be difficult. Even he was having a hard time fully accepting the truth of it. He was a bloke, after all. Trying to imagine that there was a baby inside of him, picturing himself with a rounded stomach, even imagining giving birth was all very hard and just plain awkward. Just because he enjoyed bottoming during sex didn't make him a woman! Even being pregnant didn't make him a woman, though it would make more sense. None of this was exactly normal, even by wizarding standards.

The group had been meeting in the Room of Requirement every couple of days for the past week and a half. It was every student at the school who knew their soul mate. Cedric was with them, as he had moved into the castle today to start his training with Madam Pomfrey tomorrow. Luna Lovegood and Morag MacDougal had joined them at their last meeting when Grace told Morag all about soul mates and helped sneak into Snape's office to help her figure out that hers was Luna. It was a good place to discuss soul mates, bonds, and all of the drama that was going on. Despite the fact that many members of the group hadn't liked each other before, there at least existed some civility. The animosity was at an all time low because it was hard to really hate someone when they understood what you were dealing with better than most of your friends.

It took an hour for Harry to gather the courage to call attention to himself so he could broach the subject. Cedric stood with him carrying various objects that would act as proof of Harry's pregnancy. The announcement was met with blank looks, eye rolls, laughs, and basic disbelief. No one looked very surprised at all, mainly because no one bought it for one second. But Cedric performed the same spell Madam Pomfrey had, showed them various parchments with scan results, and the phial of potion that acted as a pregnancy test. The looks became confused as Cedric explained it all, then confessed that no one really knew for certain what had caused Harry to become pregnant.

"Are…Are you a girl, Harry?" Hannah whispered, eyes wide.

"Hannah!" exclaimed Ron, face turning even redder than Harry's was. While Harry was embarrassed, Ron looked furious that his wife would have the gall to ask such a thing. He opened his mouth to say no before Ron blew up but someone else beat him to interrupting.

"Of course not, Hannah," Morag said patiently. "He must be a hermaphrodite."

Harry's face burned hotter. "Err…No. Not really."

"Definitely not!" Ron said firmly.

Luna smiled. "How do you know that, Ron?"

Harry wasn't sure she meant it in any dirty way but Draco and Blaise started sniggering. "Yeah, Weasley," Blaise chuckled. "How do you know?"

"Oi! Shut it! We're on the Quidditch team together…Showers and stuff…You notice things sometimes! Without meaning to. I'm not gay, sheesh!" Ron exclaimed, face looking as though it might burn straight into purple.

"Oh, I bet," Draco snorted.

"It's not possible, though," Ginny interrupted, eying the results Cedric had pinned to the wall. "Men can't get pregnant."

Hermione didn't look all too surprised by the idea, nor did she seem opposed to it. "Actually, I don't see why not," she said clearly. Everyone turned to gape at her. "I mean, really! We live in a world of magic. Even wizards must have thought certain things were impossible until they actually happened."

"But if it could happen, we would have known by now," argued Morag, scrunching her eyebrows together as she tried to see whatever it was Hermione was seeing.

"Not necessarily. Homosexuality was always a very big prejudice in the Wizarding world. Never as big as blood purity in that way but big, nonetheless. Only nowadays is it becoming more…acceptable. If it had happened before, I doubt, in the past, anyone would have come forward about it. Besides…No one really thought soul mates or Soul Bonds were real until we came up with this. Personally, I think it might have something to do with the bond."

"Homo…But…Oh Merlin! Harry! You're gay?" Ron exclaimed.

"Err…Well…I dunno, really…" Harry said uncomfortably, clearing his throat.

"Well you've obviously had someone's knob up your arse. And you don't know if you're gay," Blaise chuckled.

"Shut up, Blaise!" Ginny hissed.

"The bond?" Cedric said. "I never really thought of that. It could be a possibility. There's so much we don't know about the bond already. It would make sense that a result could be something we had never seen before."

"But he's a…he's a bloke!" Grace chimed in. "He's not really made for this, is he? And, Merlin, where's it going to come out?"

Almost everyone in the room cringed sympathetically. Harry paled at the thought. "I don't really want to think about that right now," he said weakly.

"There's no use thinking about it because it can't happen!" Hannah said. "There might be something very wrong with him."

"We've always known that," Draco muttered.

"He could be dying!" Hannah hissed.

"Erm…I'm not," Harry said.

"Hannah's right! Not that you're dying! But it could be like…like…a tumor or something," Ron said. "Or maybe spending so much time with Snape is giving you stomach problems. Just looking at him makes me queasy."

Draco shot Ron a glare.

"Speaking of Snape," Blaise chuckled. "He's not the father, is he?"

"Ew! Don't even go there, Zabini!" Ron snapped.

Harry turned redder. Only Hermione, Neville, and Cedric seemed to notice. Luna was speaking calmly to an anxious Grace while Morag and Ginny shared a heated whispered discussion. Ron was muttering angrily to a frightened Hannah while Draco continued to glower at them. Daphne and Astoria were glancing at the others, sharing their own quiet conversation that involved a lot of pointing, hand gestures, and shaking heads. Harry was starting to wonder if he should have bothered saying anything at all.

"We did consider other alternatives," Cedric confessed loudly, hoping to get everyone to hear him over their own talking. "But, according to Madam Pomfrey, there is a heartbeat."

"But that doesn't mean it's human!" Ron exclaimed. "Snape could have infected him with something!"

"I'm sure Snape did, but that doesn't mean it's not a baby," Blaise laughed. He was dealing with the news more calmly than everyone else but Harry had a feeling he still didn't fully believe it. The only people who didn't look very bothered by the news at all were Draco, Neville, and Hermione. Even Cedric looked a bit unsure of the whole thing. Harry wasn't sure why Hermione seemed fine with it but he wasn't about to question it just yet.

"So is it definitely human?" Luna asked with a dreamy smile.

"Yes, it is," Cedric said.

"And you don't know what caused it?" Morag asked.

"Not really, no," Cedric said. "Madam Pomfrey believes that the potions found in Harry's system might have something to do with it, so she has Professor Snape studying them to determine if any of the combination of potions could possibly lead to this. Hermione did mention the bond, which could also be a factor. We've also considered spells backfiring."

"Well," Morag said, straightening her rectangular glasses. "Did anyone ever consider the Ad Muta Corpora?"

"Come in, Severus. Have a seat."

The twinkle in those blue eyes seemed absent tonight. While Severus was always somewhat pleased whenever it disappeared, it never did bode well. The potions master frowned deeply as he sat before the desk. "I assume this is about Potter?"

"Do give me a chance to speak, Severus. Indulge an old man," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "I had a very well thought out speech planned."

"I'm sure," Severus drawled. "But if you don't mind, I have a migraine and would rather be done with this meeting as quickly as possible considering who I am speaking with."

"Then I suppose, just this once, I'll cut to the chase," Dumbledore said, folding his hands over the desk. "Are you the father of Harry Potter's child?"

"If it is a child," Severus said. "Then I do believe the boy thinks so."

"Even though, according to Poppy, he is only three weeks pregnant?"

Severus sighed heavily. "Yes."

"Ah. So you have engaged in sexual intercourse with Mr. Potter after confessing to me of your indiscretions after your bonding?"

"That would be a wise assumption, headmaster."

"When I suggested you and Mr. Potter get to know one another, Severus, I did not mean in a sexual manner," Dumbledore said gravely. "There are rules pertaining to teacher-student relations, which you well know."

"I do. But I also know that there are exceptions to every rule," Severus explained impatiently. "Mr. Potter and I share a bond, a very powerful one, at that…"

"And special accommodations are always arranged in matters that such relationships are allowed," Dumbledore interrupted.

"And I would highly encourage it," Severus said dryly. "As Mr. Potter is entirely useless in my classroom, he would not be a great loss, I assure you."

"You and Harry never did care for one another, Severus. What has changed?" Dumbledore asked.

"Nothing has," Severus replied. "I despise the brat. But the bond requires our copulation to remain strong. We have attempted to get along…" You lie, Severus, you lie. "…to no avail. Maintaining a healthy, continuous sexual relationship is the only factor that preserves the stability of our bond. We are at war and cannot afford to be at our worst."

"And, even knowing this, you cannot possibly find any common ground? No reason to at least treat one another respectfully?" Dumbledore questioned. By the look in his eyes, Severus could tell the old man already knew all of the answers. He knew of Severus's lies. It was as though he had seen it all. Even being the Occlumens that he was, Severus wasn't sure he could keep someone like Dumbledore out of his mind. Yet he hadn't even felt that prodding. There was a moment of panic in which Severus questioned whether his Occlumency skills were at risk due to his weak bond with Potter, but pushed it aside as silliness. From the disappointed tone of the headmaster, Severus was left feeling some bouts of guilt that were easily pushed aside in favor of his irritation and eagerness to return to his rooms and his Superior Red.

"Even then," Severus replied with a nod.

"I cannot condone such a relationship between a professor and a student. Especially considering your history as well as the fact that neither of you shares any genuine caring for one another," Dumbledore said.

"But you'll do nothing," Severus said. It wasn't a question. He already knew. There was no gratefulness. Somehow, he understood that this wasn't for his own good, and he very well felt as though he didn't deserve something of this nature. During his time with Potter, he never truly focused on the wrongness of it. Never had he once considered that it was against school policy. He knew enough to know they could not be caught. He knew enough to know it needed to remain a secret. But, for once, he had not quite thought the whole thing through. Not once since their relationship began did he think about the consequences should something like this happen. It made him ashamed. Perhaps more for his lack of judgment as well as being caught and a little less for the stress and disappointment in his mentor, though he had the nagging feeling that those were factors, as well.

"No. I will not," Dumbledore sighed. "You're correct. We're at war and there are more important matters to focus on. Let me warn you, Severus…Should you be found out by anyone else, there will be little I can do about it."

Severus nodded.

"Now," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat. "We do need to discuss Mr. Potter's pregnancy. I will ask for his permission before informing the rest of the staff, though there will come a time when they must all be aware of the situation."

"Of course," Severus said. They wouldn't know all of it, though. Dumbledore wasn't going to go around admitting that one of his professors was shagging their golden boy. He had to fight back a smirk at the thought of their faces, not only those of his colleagues, but of the world, if they knew their savior was tied up in such an illicit affair.

"I have spoken with Poppy about this and was curious as to what your thoughts on the matter were," Dumbledore said.

"I think he should get rid of it," Severus snapped.

Dumbledore held up his hands and shot him a warning look. "There is no need for that. I was only asking. I do hope you are not pressuring Mr. Potter into making such an important decision."

"No more than his idiot friends with their romantic, fantastical philosophies on life are influencing him," Severus replied sharply.

The headmaster glared. "Do not try me, Severus. What I mean is what you feel about what caused this. The situation is very unusual."

"I've gone over this with Poppy and am certain she gave you the list of suspects," Severus replied. "The most obvious culprit would be some combination of the potions in his system which I'll be looking into this week."

"Yes, she mentioned that, though she isn't as convinced of that as you are," Dumbledore said. "Continue."

"When his magic was unstable many spells he cast backfired. We considered that one of these occasions caused something that would allow him to become pregnant," Severus replied.

"An unlikely scenario," Dumbledore frowned.

"I concur."

"Any other theories, Severus? It seems so much like you to have a million and one different ideas," Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"I did consider earlier this evening…The theory is a bit unorthodox, would require a great deal of circumstances to have been in place but if Potter had any blackouts at all, and with the Sexum Mutationem Potion, Phase 1, in his system, it is possible that someone performed a Transfer."

The idea was wild, very ludicrous, but so was the idea that a male could become pregnant. Severus frowned, glaring as he saw the return of that sparkle in Dumbledore's bright blue eyes. While the absence of that light was never a good sign, neither was its return.

"Yes. I believe Poppy mentioned that as well…"

"The what?" Ron asked.

Harry groaned as he recognized the familiar name of the magical procedure Morag mentioned. Only Cedric, Hermione, and Luna seemed to understand what it meant. Hermione muttered under her breath, lurched across the room to grab her bag then began digging around for a parchment, quill, and inkpot to jot down a few notes while sitting cross-legged on the floor, forgetting about the chair she had been occupying entirely. Luna only offered Morag an adoring smile that made the older witch sit up proudly.

Cedric's brows furrowed in confusion. "You mean a Transfer?" Cedric asked.

Understanding dawned on more faces upon hearing the common term for the Ad Muta Corpora procedure.

"But that doesn't make sense either," Ron said confusedly.

"Not entirely," Morag argued.

"But this isn't an organ, this is a baby," Hannah said.

"Technically, he did inherit the organs, as well. He does need the proper workings inside to house the baby, you know," Morag said. "It's very strange but it makes more sense than a male becoming pregnant."

"What is a Transfer?" Grace asked.

"Ad Muta Corpora," Hermione began to speak as Morag opened her mouth, earning her a glare from the Ravenclaw, "translates from Latin into to change the body. The probably should have been more specific as it has more to do with physical changes inside of a person rather than aesthetics. They probably should have called it to move from one body to another, as that's what it does. They probably didn't like the name as much, though," she sighed.

"Umm…What?" Grace asked, blinking.

Hermione set down her quill with an impatient huff. "What a Transfer is would be…like a transplant. It involves moving organs from one body to another through the use of a magical procedure. Actually, it's more like a trade, more often than not, though I suppose it doesn't strictly have to be. But, for people with incurable diseases in a particular area or unfixable damage to organs, can have them replaced by healthy organs from someone else."

"But what does that have to do with Harry?" Grace asked.

"You see, what could have happened was a very long procedure of readying his body and then placing the necessary 'equipment' for pregnancy into him. In all reality, that could very well work if you set it up correctly. What is more likely is that someone moved all of those organs, as well as the baby, into Harry's body. You see, there have been a few instances in history where people have performed Transfers involving live fetuses. Only in extreme cases, such as the mother's body being unable to carry a child to term or even the mother being in danger, thus putting the child at risk. There have been about twenty three cases of this taking place, the most famous being when Rowena Ravenclaw asked her cousin to carry her daughter, Helena, after suffering seven miscarriages."

"So, someone put a baby in my brother?"

"It's a possibility," Hermione admitted, shrugging her shoulders. "It's very dangerous, though. They only suggest using it if it's very necessary, mainly if the life of the mother or the child are already in danger. A Transfer like this endangers the life of all of the participants; the child, the mother, and the surrogate. It isn't always fatal, but it has been known to kill before. There are also instances of issues arising in the pregnancy of the surrogate, the child being born with defects, and the mother suffering long term health issues."

"How many died?" Harry asked curiously.

"Due to the Transfer, a lot, actually, but mainly due to the long-term side effects. Directly from the Transfer, as in during the procedure or right after, about seven, I think. There was one case where the mother, child, and surrogate all died. The baby and surrogate during the Transfer and the mother shortly after she woke up"

Harry cringed. "Wow."

"Why aren't you more worried, Harry? You could have died!" Grace shrieked.

"Is that what happened, Harry?" Hannah asked in concern.

"Wouldn't we have known if something that big was going on? If he was attacked like that we would have heard about it," Blaise said.

"Not necessarily. He could have been abducted one night, been performed upon, Oblivated, and returned to bed before anyone knew any different," Morag said.

"You have a very active mind, Morag," Luna said airily. "The bermenung serangga must like you a lot."

Morag only raised an eyebrow, calmly replying, "They must be."

"I…er…wasn't abducted," Harry said.

"To your knowledge," Morag said.

"Right," Harry said. "Well, no one did any kind of Transfer on me."

"Are you sure?" Draco snorted.

"You should get that checked out," Morag warned.

"Don't worry, Madam Pomfrey already considered it," Harry said with a frown. "She still doesn't really think I'm pregnant so she keeps trying to think of other explanations. She came up with the Transfer earlier this afternoon. She ran a few tests. I'm not completely sure what they were but she said that they claim the baby is mine. Not sure she believes it much, though. So are the…whatever that stuff is."

"What stuff?" Hannah asked.

"The…girl stuff I have in me," Harry muttered, eyes flickering all over the room and refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Harry," Hermione said, sharply glaring at the amused Draco and Blaise, as well as the skeptical Grace, Astoria, and Daphne. "Your body is the way it needs to be to take care of your baby. That's the most important thing."

"Right," Harry said, not feeling as firm about this as her. Sadly, he wasn't even sure if he would keep the baby. It wasn't something he liked thinking about. The whole concept of abortion bothered him a lot. But so did the idea of being pregnant. It wasn't natural. Just thinking about the fact that he had woman parts in him, as well as a baby, was mildly disturbing at best while, at its worst, made him squeamish and barely human. This had to be some odd lifelike dream because this couldn't actually be happening, could it? It didn't feel real. Not at all. He was starting to doubt it ever would.

"But it's not normal!" Ron protested.

"No, it's not," Hermione growled. "But don't you dare make things any harder on Harry than they already are!"

"I'm not doing anything! Only…Wow," Ron said, slumping in his chair. Hannah rubbed his leg soothingly. "Pregnant?"

"If it is real, this is very intriguing," Morag muttered. "This could mean a lot to the homosexual community! To the world, really. Once we find out what caused it, it could really do a lot of good in the world. This opens us up to a world of possibilities. If men can get pregnant then…then…well, just about anything is possible, isn't it?"

"There are a lot of things in this world that are possible, only most human minds are too closed off to really see it," Luna explained. "But don't worry. Father says it's normal and we shouldn't think any differently of people like this. I think it's wonderful, Harry. Congratulations."

Congratulations didn't really seem like a good word but Harry smiled in her direction and nodded. Luna was a very good friend, someone he knew he could count on. He only wished her opinion would be something valued among the others rather than have Blaise snort something about Loony Lovegood. "Umm…Thanks."

"I think there's something going on here," Ron said, eying Harry uncertainly.

"Ronald," Hermione sighed impatiently.

"I agree with Ron," Hannah said. "Maybe you should go to St. Mungo's. They can probably figure it out there."

"I don't need to go to St. Mungo's," Harry snapped.

"It wouldn't hurt, really," Morag said with a frown. "Just to be sure."

"Oh would you all stop it?" Hermione snapped. "He's pregnant! You're going to have to learn to accept it. Even if it is 'weird', we have the proof! There isn't anything else it can be!"

"But what if there is?" Grace asked. "What if it's…What if Voldemort did something?"

There were many shocked exclamations at the sound of the name causing Harry, Hermione, and Grace to roll their eyes. "You're not having You Know Who's baby, are you?" Luna asked.

"Of course not!" Harry snapped.

"That could be it!" Morag said. "Maybe You Know Who cast a curse on Harry to make his body act as though it was pregnant. There are really complicated curses out there. Couldn't there be one to fool all of these tests to make him think that?"

"Why would he want to prank Harry like that?" Hermione demanded sharply.

"Or maybe he put a curse on him to make him pregnant," Astoria suggested.

"If he can get Harry pregnant…" Ron said, paling. The redhead stuttered then swallowed hard. "What about the rest of us blokes?"

"Are you all really falling for this?" Blaise snorted.

"Don't even joke about that, Weasley," Draco muttered.

The rest of the room began to grow even louder, everyone discussing, or arguing, about the whole situation. Harry glared at them irritably. It wasn't good news per se. He hadn't been expecting celebrations. But he was having a hard enough time trying to deal with the situation without everyone else going crazy because of it. Besides, maybe they were right and that was not something he wanted to think about. Being sick or cursed made more sense than actually carrying a baby. He frowned as he glanced to the papers and books Cedric had spread out over a small desk to find that the other wizard was reading through the material intently.

"What do you think?" Harry muttered.

Cedric glanced up tiredly then scratched the back of his head. "Honestly? I don't know, Harry."

"Did she?" Severus drawled when Dumbledore finished explaining Poppy's theories and tests. A Transfer was a long shot but it had given some small bout of hope. But Poppy had tested both Potter and the fetus. Of course, if someone wanted to work very hard they could have performed numerous curses that would make identifying much about the fetus impossible, instead setting off various tricks to fool anyone testing. The only downside was that this required a lot of energy as well as time and most of the curses were very illegal. Tampering with the truth that much could be too powerful, too useful to criminals, and detrimental in some areas. The famous case of 1898 when Tabitha Bogetti fooled her husband Joffrey into thinking their son, Taggart, was biologically his. Tabitha had been so determined to keep her secret she went to great lengths to prove to Joffrey that Taggart was his. It was only when the son was thirty three and became incredibly ill did the truth come out. Taggart Bogetti died and, shortly thereafter, Joffrey insisted that his wife be arrested, or at least punished in some way, for tricking him all of those years.

Like the Transfer, it was a long shot. It was even more unusual and unlikely than the Transfer itself. Severus sighed heavily then went back to considering his options. "And we are positive it was not a Transfer?"

Dumbledore leaned back in his seat. "Poppy has mentioned performing the test again when Mr. Potter is further along in the pregnancy. It is still very difficult to see much this early in the pregnancy. But that is the general consensus."

"If we're not sure then why are you so confident that it isn't?" Severus demanded irritably.

The headmaster smiled with some amusement. "I expected more from you, Severus. You know very well how unlikely it is. No one within this school, aside from Poppy herself, has the ability as well as the means to perform a Transfer. There are not many people outside of mediwizardry who can. There is no way that Mr. Potter could have been removed from the school grounds since the term began. There is no way anyone else could have gained entry. It is extremely unlikely that a Transfer is the case."

"But not impossible," Severus reminded him.

The old man chuckled. "Of course not."

It was clear that Dumbledore found him amusing. Severus scowled, reclining back in his seat. "There are means of fooling tests, headmaster."

"This is true," Dumbledore agreed with a nod.

"There could be any number of means, magically or naturally, that Potter's body is reacting the way it is. Even magical scans could be fooled by particular issues. He might not be pregnant at all."

"It is a possibility, though not very probable," Dumbledore explained.

"Rare, certainly. But not impossible," Severus agreed. "It's early yet in the 'pregnancy.' It might not be a fetus at all."

"Poppy was certain she heard a heartbeat from it," Dumbledore reminded him.

"She could be wrong," Severus said certainly, feeling more and more relieved the more he thought about it. It had to be the case.

"What precisely could explain what Poppy heard then, Severus," Dumbledore asked kindly.

Severus glowered at him. "Any number of things. Particularly if it was someone's goal to have us believe that this is the case."

"But why would they want to, I wonder?" Dumbledore questioned.

"To frighten him, I'm certain," Severus drawled. "To weaken him. If he was under the impression he was carrying a child, he's certainly too much of a Gryffindor to be at all concerned for his own health or safety."

"Wouldn't he be more concerned for his own health and safety as it would directly influence the well being of his child?" Dumbledore interrupted.

"Of course," Severus growled, irritated that the man was questioning him in such a manner. He felt like a child and Dumbledore was the grandfather trying to patiently, and kindly, prove a point. He was not dense, regardless of his earlier feelings of shame as well as panic over his own lack of judgment and consideration. "What I mean to say is that he would be so much more focused on his child than himself. His attention would be directed more towards his spawn than anything else. While he would think to protect his offspring, it would mess with his mind all the more. He would be bound to mess up somewhere along the line. He is too young to be a father…too male to be carrying a child. The surprise alone would catch him off guard long enough for someone to achieve something. Once that wears, he will be in a state of a fierce mother bear-like protection. His heart would be in the right place but his manner of going about shielding his child could be the doom of him. It is in his nature."

"Does it not concern you that someone would have to be aware of Mr. Potter's sexual activities to know there was any possibility he might believe a pregnancy?" Dumbledore asked.

"No one aside from yourself, Albus, knows," Severus assured him. "It might be clear to some of Potter's inclinations, making it easy to create assumptions particularly those brats you call students roaming the halls. If any of them are spreading the word to the Dark Lord, or participating themselves, it would be unproblematic for the simple-minded fools to imagine such things. Potter might also be partaking in other clandestine trysts aside from his activities in my bed. There are any number of explanations but, I assure you, I'm not one to let something so important slip through my fingers."

"As brilliant as you are, Severus, you must remember that you are not without your flaws," Dumbledore chided.

"I do not need reminding," he hissed. "I know of my issues, headmaster. But I take my role here very seriously and would allow nothing to jeopardize it."

"Nothing, you say?" Dumbledore repeated quietly.

"Maybe Harry's coming into his creature inheritance," Luna said in her wind-chime voice. Despite the usual quietness of her tone and the loudness of the room, everyone seemed to hear her.

"His what?" Grace asked.

"Oh goodness," Morag said under her breath.

"Excuse me?" Daphne said. "Creature inheritance?"

"Of course," Luna said. "You know, when you have an ancestor who was a magical being when you reach the age of maturity you receive a magical inheritance. It's very rare. Take veela, for example. Fleur Weasley is part Veela. Several generations down the line you won't be able to tell they have the blood anymore but one generation it will hit and they will be a full veela."

"That doesn't actually happen," Daphne said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, veela genes are strong. It would be a long time before the obvious signs and powers faded away."

"True. But Veela aren't the only ones," Luna said. "There are the fae…"

"Supposed offspring of humans and fairies, a separate branch in their own right, with different magical abilities," Morag explained to those who looked confused.

"I believe fae men could bear children," Luna said. "Most fae were gay…"

"Is that why some people call homos fairies?" Hannah whispered to Ron who could only shrug in confusion.

"…so they had the ability to reproduce with one another," Luna said.

"Wait. Fairies and humans can have sex? How? They're so tiny!" Grace squealed.

"Need we explain how centaurs, half giants, merpeople, and other species came into existence?" Hermione asked wearily.

"I don't think I want to know," Grace cringed.

"So Harry's part fae?" Hannah asked in awe.

"He could be," Luna said with a smile. "But there are plenty of possibilities."

"Male seahorses carry their young. Maybe Harry's part seahorse," Blaise snickered.

"He could be," Luna beamed. "That's a very clever theory, Blaise."

Blaise could only blink at her for several moments before turning to Draco and Ginny. "Is she serious?" he hissed.

"I think so," Ginny grinned.

"Err…Why wouldn't she be?" Draco asked, glancing to Ginny who was shaking her head and smiling at Luna.

"Suck up," Blaise muttered.

Everyone was staring at Harry who could only gape at Luna. Cedric glanced between the two incredulously, seeming to struggle to turn his attention back to his books. Morag seemed a bit embarrassed by her soul mate's ideas. All night she seemed very patient, although a bit patronizing, every time Luna went to talk. No one could blame her; they all knew Luna was a bit much and getting used to her would take more time on Morag's part.

"That's…That's not real, is it?" Harry sputtered.

"Of course not," Hermione said.

"Oh, you wouldn't think so, would you?" Luna said. "Daddy says not many people believe in it. But it's real. Just think…you could be part draconatus."

"Dragon born? Really?" Morag muttered.

"Oh yes. They were also known for males being able to bear children, as most of the draconatus were male themselves. Females were very rare among them, you know," Luna said. "I'm not sure why."

"What else?" Grace asked.

"Well, I think male sirens could become pregnant but they were so rare it's hard to know for sure," Luna said thoughtfully. "Incubi can too."

"So, Luna, are you and Morag going to bond?" Harry asked loudly, wanting nothing more than to change the subject. His mind was spinning with all of the ideas everyone had, all of the comments he had heard previously to Luna's ideas spreading around the room. It was tempting to merely shove this whole pregnancy to the back of his head until he could no longer ignore it. He knew he needed to figure out what he was going to do. It was especially hard to forget when Madam Pomfrey was so intent upon figuring out what was wrong with him. But thinking about it was hard. Some part of his mind still wasn't fully accepting of the whole thing, making discussing it very surreal and it was hard for Harry to know how to react to it all.

"Oh, yes," Luna said happily. "Once the jaudaizplus go back into hibernation."

"The what?" Astoria asked.

"They're power draining insects," Luna said wisely. "And they hibernate twice a year. They're awake in the late winter and early spring then late summer and early fall. They can interfere with rituals, bonds, or anything that requires a great deal of magical energy. I wouldn't want to need help from the doveik." She then began giggling madly at some joke that only she seemed to understand.

"Personally, I believe the bond might have something to do with your pregnancy, Harry," Hermione said.

"Precisely," Severus said coldly, somewhat offended by the insinuation that there was anything he would do to destroy his role. Despite earlier questioning of how much more suffering he had to be put through before his sins were forgiven, he well knew he was still making up for a lot. Ever since turning his back on the Death Eaters originally, he had done everything possible to fight for this side of things. The 'Light' side, as people so idealistically referred to it, the ever clichéd term for whatever army was opposing the 'Dark'. Ever since learning of the Dark Lord's focus on Lily Potter, Severus had turned away, dedicating himself to spying on the Death Eaters and doing whatever possible to spare her life. Then, when the Potters, Longbottoms, Prewetts, and other very powerful Wizarding families were captured by a small group of Death Eaters evading Azkaban, Severus had taken it upon himself to learn as much as possible then to offer as much aid as he could in their escape. Now, in recent years, he had returned to the fold, committing himself to physical, and psychological tortures, taking on more stress than he felt he could ever handle and putting so much of himself into his work as a spy. He would risk nothing. How much of a waste would all of these years have been if he so easily threw away his teaching career as well as his role as a spy? Nothing was worth that.

"Nothing," Dumbledore said again. "So if I told you that keeping your bond with Mr. Potter strong was the key to survival, you would naturally put your all into it."

"Of course," Severus snapped. "What do you think I have been doing? Pardon the reference, headmaster, but I would rather have nothing to do with the brat than to even bed him."

"That was not what I meant," Dumbledore explained. "The sex has nothing to do with it, Severus. You claim to have sought means of civility with Mr. Potter but I don't believe for one moment that you found no common ground to share. You are both very stubborn men, Severus…"

"Men? I would hardly refer to Potter as a man, Albus," Severus muttered.

"Your years of antagonizing one another have done neither of you much good," Dumbledore went on. "Did you give up when you saw it would require more effort than you were willing to give? Or did you not even make the attempt?"

There was no use in lying to the headmaster, it seemed. No point in denying anything when it was clear that Dumbledore hadn't bought any of it. Severus stared at his mentor for a long moment then glanced away. The pair sat in silence for a long time with Dumbledore watching his potions master while the troubled younger wizard lost himself in his thoughts. He could already tell that the older man was going to try to force him to be nice to the brat. His pride was unwilling to budge. Though something deeper in him knew that if he absolutely had no other option, he would do as was required by his employer.

"Our bond is fine. I do not see the use in…"

"The bond is somewhat stable, yes," Dumbledore interrupted. It was not very often that the headmaster wouldn't even let him finish speaking but he was on a roll with it tonight. "But the bond could be stronger. Have neither of you noticed how much weaker you are?"

Severus's eyebrows furrowed together. "I'm not weak."

"Yes, you are," Dumbledore argued. "Your mental shields are not as firm as they normally are. Have you not noticed how less effective your spellcasting is? You are both powerful wizards, Severus, but lately neither of you has shown that remarkable ability I know you both are capable of. Either you are both purposefully letting things slide for some reason unbeknownst to me. Or you have yet to realize just how frail this bond truly is?"

There was no immediate answer. Severus stared blankly at Dumbledore, struggling to recall any event in the past few days that could be evaluated. He could not recall any sort of subpar performance on his end. Potter was just as abysmal in Potions as always. Then he scowled at Dumbledore upon finding no answer, convinced that the man was trying to manipulate him into playing nice. "What precisely do you mean, headmaster?"

"The biggest concern I have seen involves the attack on Mr. Potter the night he found out he was with child," Dumbledore said.

"Attack?" questioned Severus.

"Yes. Have you not heard?" Dumbledore asked.

"Obviously I have not," Severus snapped. The thought of Potter being attacked without his knowledge sent a flurry of panic through him. Perhaps Severus hated the brat but it was his duty in life to make sure he remained safe. For Lily. "What attack?"

"I really should have arranged a staff meeting to be held for the subject," Dumbledore sighed. "But, alas, I am a very busy man. This war is no easy task to maintain…"

"What attack?" Severus repeated irritably.

"There was a group in the castle disguised in makeshift Death Eater costumes," Dumbledore replied. "They…"

Dumbledore went on to explain but Severus had already heard the story. It circulated among the staff and older students. There was little doubt that the group was from Severus's own House. He was keeping a closer eye on his Slytherins, particularly those whose parents were Death Eaters. He had even gone so far as to have their belongings scanned by Mimsy while they were in classes. As of yet, there was no proof, though no one was giving up. The issue was that the name of the victim had been unknown. There had been their suspicions, Longbottom and Draco among them. Never had the name of Harry Potter been suggested, at least where Severus had been in hearing range.

"Potter?" he said. "That was Potter?"

Being outnumbered as he was, no one could really blame Potter for not being able to completely defend himself. The headmaster had explained that Longbottom and Draco had both informed him of disturbing observations of the boy's magic, though Severus thought it was hardly fair. He wasn't one prone to defending Potter but this was a bit ridiculous. And who on earth was it that attacked the brat? Whoever it was, Severus was determined to find and punish them. The sudden powerful wave of anger and protectiveness was surprising but he associated it with the understanding that he needed Potter well and alive for this bond to be at its best as well as needing Potter to be rid of the Dark Lord. The fact that something very bad could have happened to Potter that night was slightly disconcerting. Within this very castle, the place that was supposed to be the safest on earth.

"Yes, it was," Dumbledore said gravely. "Are we no closer to discovering who they are?"

"I assure you, headmaster, it is one of my top priorities," Severus vowed. "Though I hardly see how an attack on the boy is evidence of failing magical abilities."

"I already explained to you the conversations I had with Misters Malfoy and Longbottom," Dumbledore explained. "But I feel it will take something more to convince you. Perhaps you would allow me to perform my own little test? Shall we see how well your mental shields are indeed holding up, Severus?"

The potions master glared deeply. "Very well."

"The Soul Bond?" Morag asked. "That doesn't make any sense."

The Ravenclaw and the famously brilliant Gryffindor glared at one another. "It makes perfect sense," Hermione replied stiffly. She shuffled her stack of parchment then stood to walk over to the desk Cedric was occupying. With a look shared between the two, Cedric began stacking his own books and notes to one corner of the desk then smiled, waving Hermione to go on. She began flipping through her notes, scanning through the words as she spoke. "The Wizarding world has a long history of promoting homophobia but about half of the known cases of soul mates involved same sex couples. About half of them raised children. Together."

"Is that saying much?" Morag interrupted. "There aren't many known cases of soul mates, are there? And we're talking about the bond itself, not soul mates that haven't bonded."

"I know that," Hermione said snippily. "As I was saying, two of said couples were bonded. One was a lesbian couple, Agatha and Ruth. It was mentioned in Ruth's diaries that she wished she was carrying Agatha's child…"

"Wished being the operative word. Isn't that right?" Morag pointed out. "That would imply that she was carrying someone else's child."

"Her husband's. Or so she believed," Hermione said irritably. All in all, to Harry, Morag's points had more logic to them than his friends, which was strange. He was used to Hermione being able to outsmart anyone, pull more facts and data out of her head than anyone else. Morag MacDougal was starting to give her a run for her money. "There were several mentions in her diaries of how she felt like the child was Agatha's more than it was Emory's. Her husband."

"Wishful thinking," Morag said.

"Eventually, Ruth fled with her children to live her life with Agatha. Shortly after she found out she was pregnant again. Now you could always believe as Ruth did that she must have become pregnant by Emory before she left, but looking at the birth date of the baby boy, it's very unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. You can always believe what science has always said or you can trust in a mother's instinct that this child had to be Agatha's. Ruth, herself, knew it was a wild idea but, deep in her heart, she felt that her youngest children belonged to her lover. Unfortunately, they only lived about a year and a half in peace before they were found by their respective husbands then sentenced to death. So anything new we could have learned if they had lived longer is sadly nonexistent."

"But there is also the case of Eddard Moore and Brychan Plath," Hermione continued. "There isn't much known about them. There is no real record of the births of their children or any sort of adoption. They lived together under the pretense of brothers raising their children together. They would flee a village anytime someone began to suspect they were lovers. But, for several months at a time, no one would really see them. Eddard would go out into the towns for things when necessary but no one caught one glimpse of Brychan until he was ready and they almost always had a new child by then. Considering the time frame of this, we could say that Brychan would go into 'hiding' whenever he began showing then reappeared when his body had healed and was relatively normal after giving birth."

"Or he could have been incredibly ill and the fact that they had a new child each time was coincidental. Eddard could have believed a new child would help cheer up Brychan. Or, maybe, Brychan was away attempting to adopt or even kidnap the new addition," Morag suggested.

"Possible. But not likely," Hermione said stiffly.

"And Brychan being pregnant is more likely?" Morag asked in disbelief.

"Harry's pregnant!" Hermione defended, heat rising to her face.

"He might be," Morag corrected.

Hermione looked furious so Cedric stepped forward to put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you give us the rest of your theory, Hermione? Is there more?"

"Of course there is!" Hermione snapped, sounding offended.

"So how, exactly, does the bond work in making someone pregnant?" Morag asked skeptically. "I can understand maybe a potion or spell being the cause. The magic in potions and spells each have a specific purpose. Even if the potion or spell in question wasn't meant to cause pregnancy, if either was tampered with or done incorrectly, the intent of the potion or spell could have changed to create pregnancy. But the intent of the bond is to join someone by their magic, souls, and every connection between two people. Even being connected, physically, how and why would it change Harry's body to allow conception?"

"That's just the thing," Hermione said. "We've learned a lot about the Soul Bond so far. When Harry bonded with Professor Snape, the…"

"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed in a panic, seeing where the conversation was going and not liking it one bit.

"What?" Hermione asked confused.

"You know what!"

"I think he's worried about you revealing that he and Professor Snape have shagged," Draco said. Harry's face turned bright red as he glowered at Draco. Hermione glared as well. She was aware that Draco knew but no one else needed to know nor did Harry need to know that Draco knew! Seeming to realize this, Draco quickly backtracked. "Well, it's obvious. If you think the bond had something to do with it, then it's obvious that Severus is the father. Isn't it?"

"That's disgusting," Ron said weakly, looking as though he was going to be sick.

"You didn't really sleep with Professor Snape, did you, Harry?" Hannah asked.

"Is he any good?" Grace asked.

"Oh Merlin," Astoria said faintly, growing pale.

"So much for your crush, eh, Story?" Blaise teased. "Potter takes it up the arse. Too bad for you."

"Shut up, Blaise!" Daphne snapped.

"Bugger off, Zabini," Harry snapped. Not as many people looked surprised as, maybe, they should have. Hermione, Grace, Ginny, Draco, and Neville already seemed to know, though most of them Harry didn't see how they knew. Blaise and Daphne only seemed mildly surprised, as though they hadn't fully known, but had at least suspected it. Luna only seemed somewhat affected by it, as though it was some sort of pleasant surprise. Astoria, Morag, Ron, Hannah, and Cedric all seemed truly bothered by it.

"Isn't that against school rules?" Cedric asked carefully, as though trying not to upset anyone.

"Technically, it could be allowed, considering they do share the Soul Bond and Harry is of age. But they would have to be involved in special circumstances and adhere to the rules involving teacher-student relationships, such as Harry being removed from Professor Snape's classes, only meeting in private on allotted days or by moving in together. Professor Snape would no longer be able to give or take points or give punishments to Harry. Hmm…I forget what else but it's all very complicated, which is why it's so rare and the Ministry highly discourages teachers and students from getting into any situation to where it would be allowed," Morag explained.

"Then why don't they get rid of the rule?" Blaise demanded. "Because this is kind of creepy."

"You're telling me," Ron sputtered. "Harry, you didn't really shag that git, did you?"

"That's so gross," Hannah said.

"R…Really?" Astoria asked.

His situation with Snape was one of the last things he wanted to think about, let alone talk about. It was hard not to feel defensive by the looks of disgust on his peers' faces. They were doing it for the good of the bond. And, really, Snape wasn't so awful at sex. He doubted the latter would have reassured any of them. Angrily, he clenched his fists, jaw tightening and relaxing as he counted in his head, willing himself to calm down. They were all whispering again. Obviously, Snape had Harry under the Imperius Curse or was raping him. It really was a shock to them that Harry was not only a faggot but a slut at that. They wondered how big Snape's prick was. How big Harry's was. Who topped and who bottomed. Snape was the dominant partner, obviously, because he was older and taller. Snape was a child molesting freak while Harry was a closeted pervert with strange kinks. Harry should be expelled, Snape should be fired, and they should both be sentenced to the Kiss for their abnormality.

"Just tell them," Harry spat to Hermione, broodingly grabbing the nearest empty chair and dragging it away from the group to sit on the opposite side of the room behind where Hermione and Cedric were standing.

"What? Oh, right. Where was I?" Hermione muttered. "Be quiet, all of you! None of you knows what's been happening with Harry and Snape, so shut it! Blaise, friend or not, I will curse off your bollocks if I hear you say anything like that about Harry ever again! Do you understand me? Do not give me that look, Astoria!"

"Yes, Mum," Astoria muttered.

"Let's see," Hermione said. "Oh yes. Well. When Harry and Snape bonded they were…Oh, I won't just…Never mind. When Harry bonded with Snape and when I bonded with Draco, our relationships with one another were bad. We hated our soul mates, could not understand how we could be 'destined' for them, and so on. Admittedly, Draco and I were in slightly better condition than Harry and Snape because I was at least trying to. But that's not the point. The point is that our bad relationships with one another triggered something in the bond. It demanded satisfaction and it was not satisfied by our snipping at one another. The bond…Well, it forced us to have sex."

"The bond forced you…" Morag began to say, looking almost offended by the very idea of it. As though that sort of magic had a mind of its own!

"Yes, it did," Hermione interrupted. "I wasn't sure what to think when Harry described it to me, but…just being near each other, we had to…just had to have each other. It was this…powerful driving force. Lust, desperation, passion…It all sounds very romantic, I suppose, but it's not. It was dirty, painful, and I was ashamed of myself after it all. It was my first time having sex. I hadn't even slept with Ron and we had dated for two years! Sex was sort of a big deal to me. But, to the bond, it didn't matter. The bond cannot force thoughts into our head or emotions into our hearts, but it could enforce this sort of physical contact. This magnetism, if you will. While it has failed to make Harry or Snape budge, the bond does require them to…have sex. It needs them to be close in some manner, even if it is only by physical means, to remain stabilized. Every time they begin to fight the bond turns that anger into hunger and they shag like rabbits."

"Hermione," Harry sighed.

The witch cleared her throat then continued. "The point is that the bond wants them to get along. Just having sex isn't enough for it. The bond isn't fully stable because their relationship isn't completely stable. Only the fact that Draco and I have maintained a friendship has spared us but even we haven't reached our full potential because what we have now isn't enough. We aren't close enough yet. Harry and Snape, after this long, still haven't even come close to the stage Draco and I have reached."

"And?" Morag said.

"And so I believe that, perhaps, the bond was able to work its own magic. By creating a child, a piece of both Harry and Snape, maybe the bond hopes that it will bring them closer," Hermione rationalized.

"But that doesn't make sense!" Morag exclaimed. "Bonds are a very powerful form of magic but they don't have minds of their own. They sure as hell don't go around performing unknown magic to make the unthinkable happen! The very idea is ludicrous!"

"I think it makes perfect sense," Luna said, her expressive eyes landing on Harry. "He isn't happy."

"Of course I'm not happy," Harry grouched.

"No. But none of you is at peace. Your magic or your aura…it's quite disturbing, really," Luna said with a frown. "Every piece of you is at conflict with itself."

"Sure feels like it," Harry agreed nervously, though he wasn't sure if he fully understood what she was saying.

Hermione looked torn between being grateful to have someone agree or feeling a bit lost that it was Luna Lovegood doing so. "The Unbreakable Vow will kill you if you defy it. The Curse of Gilhati will punish you for good deeds. Why can't a magical bond have the sort of power necessary to impregnate someone?"

"It doesn't make any sense! The Unbreakable Vow and the Curse of Gilhati work by magical triggers. Specific actions will trigger a reaction. Going against the Vow would be something very specific, therefore making it very easy to take the life of the person breaking the promise. The Curse of Gilhati…It's a complicated curse for a reason! Any good deed done will trigger the punishments given. The nicer you are, the worst your punishment sort of thing. The ultimate good would result in your death! And it's only ever been performed once! That's because, in order to create such a lasting and complex curse, it would require a lot of time, effort, and magic in order to be sure it would work a specific way! What you are suggesting is that this bond has a mind of its own…"

"Wouldn't their fighting be the trigger necessary to make them want to have sex?" Hermione argued.

"You could argue that if you weren't also suggesting that this bond is apparently aware that the sex is no longer working and had to make a baby to fix things! The sex was never the argument, the pregnancy was!" Morag snapped.

"As stated, a magical bond is more powerful than the stupid Vow or the Curse! It is one of the most powerful bonds in existence! Even if you can't excuse that, maybe they were fighting more…maybe the fighting was worse…and that could have been a trigger."

"But why is it triggering for pregnancy? It would require a great deal to change his body to accommodate a fetus. And at what point does the fighting become 'too much' and require that next step in the process? I'm sorry but the only thing that makes sense is that someone did something to create the intention to have Harry become pregnant or messed up something that changed the intention of whatever spell or potion was being used. One thing with the specific purpose of changing his body and allowing for child-bearing is the only thing that makes sense. Quite frankly, the idea that the bond is going out of its way to force these two people to be nice through such extremes is a bit fantastical."

Hermione was fuming. It wasn't often that someone questioned her intelligence to such a degree or that so many people seemed to agree with the idea. Despite skepticism, they at least looked a bit concerned by the pure rage in her dark brown eyes and the flush of her cheeks. Her mouth was open to let a spew of insults and arguments fly out, but Cedric quickly stepped in.

"Well, they're all just theories, aren't they?" he said.

"Right," Morag said, mollified.

"Of course," Hermione muttered stiffly.

"Madam Pomfrey and I will be working very hard to figure out what happened," Cedric assured them. "You don't have to worry about it."

"I can't believe you shagged Snape, mate," Ron muttered.

"Shut it, Ron," Harry snapped.

"What's going on now? I feel lost," Hannah whispered.

"Big surprise," Blaise muttered sarcastically.

"We don't even know if he is pregnant," Ginny said to Morag.

"Oh, I think he definitely is," Luna disagreed.

"I didn't even know he was gay," Astoria was whining to her sister.

"That's because it's none of your business, Astoria," Daphne sighed.

The group resumed their various arguments about the topic at hand with the exception of Cedric, Hermione, Neville, and Harry. The three all gathered around Harry, Hermione easily sliding into his lap, earning them glowers from Ron and Draco. Neville and Cedric pulled up their own chairs to Harry's left, seeming more intent on sitting beside each other than surrounding Harry entirely. The two shared a look, a shy smile, and a few whispered words before focusing on their troubled friends.

Her argument with Morag had left Hermione feeling exhausted. Crawling into Harry's lap seemed the most natural thing to do, finding comfort in his arms and the urge to just fall asleep as she rested her head on his shoulder. Harry immediately wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. Everyone had their own issues, and considering Harry hadn't even felt confident enough to talk to his friends about what was troubling him, he felt as though he hadn't really been around them in forever. It wasn't until being with Hermione like this that he realized just how lonely life had really been lately. The person he had seen the most was Snape, who treated him more like dirt on his otherwise pristine floors rather than a human being. It was hard to say he was very happy he had finally confessed the truth, as he was now more confused than ever with a migraine to boot. But there was some small sense of relief that Hermione knew.

"Sometimes I still can't believe I'm pregnant," Hermione muttered. "I can't imagine what you're going through."

"I might not be pregnant," Harry said. All of the points saying it was possible for him not to be pregnant were exciting but, at the end of it all, Harry didn't think there was much hope.

"I think you are," Hermione whispered. "I know that's not what you want to hear, but…I have this feeling about it. What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think," Harry sighed.

Dumbledore was a very fair, kind wizard. He was not one to abuse his power, especially knowing what doing so in this situation would do. The headmaster had seen more than he cared to while glancing through Severus's mind. It had less to do with the content both had seen than the fact that anything had happened at all that disturbed Severus. The dour potions master found all of his agitation fading away as he slumped back in his seat. He had managed to guard part of his mind though not all of it. His mental shields worked but not to their usual standard of near perfection. His pulse began to race fearfully. How many in this castle knew Legilimency? Not many. When was the last time he had been called to the Dark Lord's side? Only days ago. Had his shields been in such a state then? He was lucky the Dark Lord hadn't called him forth to give him any sort of test. But what would happen if he did anytime soon? The Dark Lord was the best Legilmens who was currently living and would likely go down as one of the best in history. The only rival he currently had in this skill was Dumbledore. And if Severus couldn't hide anything from Dumbledore…

"This doesn't make sense," Severus muttered, struggling to keep his panic hidden.

"Physical relations to your mate are not enough, Severus," Dumbledore explained quietly. "The Soul Bond does not affect the physical state of the mates to the same extreme it does the others. Therefore, 'healing' by physical contact will not do the good that other things will. The bond requires an emotional and mental connection. I'm not asking you to befriend the boy but at least try to know him, Severus. I am certain that even you can maintain some form of civility between you."

He felt as though he could say a great deal to that. He could rant and rave about how much of a stubborn brat Potter was, how much like his father, how ignorant, self-centered, young, foolish. But it wasn't enough. Anything he said would fall on deaf ears. Dumbledore was determined to see them suffer. To have his way. Part of Severus felt as though this was some punishment though he knew, in all reality, it made sense. He didn't want to see the truth but it was begging to be acknowledged. If his shields were down then, obliviously, their magic hadn't recovered as fully as they had assumed. How had neither noticed until now? Frowning deeply, Severus lost himself in thought, mulling over this new information and what he would have to do about it. Loathe as he was to play nice with Potter, as much as it would kill his pride to make any sort of attempt, he knew he had to. Potter's role as the hero as well as Severus's as the spy were too important to this war. They were doing more damage than either cared to by continuing on in this manner. While Severus was not very sure what to do to mend things, he did know that he would have to try, and very soon.

"I'll discuss this with Mr. Potter before his first class tomorrow morning," Dumbledore said. "I'm certain you will both feel better with the excuse that I am making you play nice."

"Hardly," Severus said dryly. "I'll do what I must but I assure you that no amount of getting to know the brat will make my feelings for him any different."

"Except for maybe worse?" Dumbledore guessed knowingly. "You are a very strong, brave man, Severus, and I respect you greatly. But when it comes to your feud with James Potter, Sirius Black, and anyone related you all become so childish. I can hardly believe you are all the same people. It's as though you never left your schoolboy days."

"I do not need your lecturing, headmaster," Severus said irritably.

"I think you do, my boy," Dumbledore said sadly. "All I ask is that you give Harry a chance. If you can stomach bedding the boy, I'm certain you can handle a mature conversation. I want you both to try your very best."

"As if there is any other choice. We cannot afford to go on this way," Severus replied, wishing there was a quicker fix than having to baby Potter to fixing his mental shields.

"No, you cannot. Think of it this way, my boy. He is just as much Lily's son as he is James's," Dumbledore said, for what must have been the hundredth time in the past few years. "I believe it would please Lily a great deal to see her best friend getting along with her son. Treating him well."

"I do not see why you must bring her into the conversation every time," Severus said darkly.

"My apologies," Dumbledore said. "Now, I must warn you that should Mr. Potter carry on with his pregnancy, your secret will be out. Everything could come out into the open when people find out."

"I will make sure that does not happen, headmaster," Severus promised. Perhaps he could use these talks to persuade Potter into having the abortion. It would serve them all so much better in the long run.

"Do not pressure him, Severus," Dumbledore warned. "I also feel as though I should say that I do not approve of your activities with Mr. Potter. I would ask you, Severus, to please put an end to this."

Put an end to it? The one good thing he was getting out of this whole mess. Did it matter if getting along would 'cure' their issues? Playing nice with Potter would require a lot more patience and energy than he cared to use. Though the boy was admittedly annoying, inexperienced, and too young, he was mildly attractive along with being one of the most entertaining bed partners Severus had ever enjoyed. It wasn't as though he had a frequent lover, only Lucius when he had nowhere else to go, and Lucius seemed to favor Black's bed these days. Severus had finally found something the boy was good for, and he was unwilling to give it up just yet.

"Will that be all, headmaster?" Severus asked.

Dumbledore frowned, just watching him for a long time before finally nodding. "Goodnight, Severus."

The meeting eventually wound down so Hermione had everyone sign a sheet of parchment before they left. It was very similar to what she had used in the D.A. their fifth year. Due to the reaction of almost everyone, they felt it was safest to ensure that no one went running to the Daily Prophet with the latest scandal in the life of Harry Potter, or anyone else for that matter. Most of these people were their friends, most they trusted, but with this, they could never be too sure. Hermione didn't like the look of that Morag girl, anyway. It was nearing curfew the time the group parted into several smaller groups. Hannah had to pull her stunned husband along, staring at Harry the whole time as though expecting him to sprout new body parts. She almost ran them into the wall until Cedric spoke up to tell them to watch out. Daphne and Astoria left together after unsuccessfully trying to convince Draco and Blaise to come with them. The Slytherin boys stood hopefully near Ginny, shooting glares to one another when they realized the game the other was playing. Oblivious to them, Ginny was in a deep conversation with Grace only to be steered away by Neville, who seemed to think it was in her best interest to get her away from them. Cedric, hoping to have a few words with Neville before bed, followed. Luna and Morag weren't far behind them, the auburn haired Ravenclaw heatedly arguing with her calm and patient soul mate over various theories. Harry, Hermione, Blaise, and Draco were the last to remain in the room.

"Would you just leave her alone? She's not interested in you," Draco hissed.

Hermione sighed as she slid out of Harry's lap. "Feeling any better, Harry?"

"Not much. I'm very tired," Harry replied.

"She's obviously not as interested in you as you thought," Blaise snapped back. "She barely even looked at you."

"She has a lot on her mind right now," Draco defended.

"Make excuses to yourself all you want. Hermione gave the okay and Ginny still isn't on your arm or in your bed," Blaise said. "And she never will be."

"And you think she'll ever be with you?" scoffed Draco.

"I, for one, feel queasy," Hermione sighed. "Madam Pomfrey gave me this pregnancy-safe nausea control potion. It will keep me from throwing up but I constantly feel as though I have to. I'm starting to think I'd prefer running to the loo every few minutes."

"That's disgusting," Harry said, wrinkling his nose.

"Just you wait and see," Hermione warned.

"It could just be the potions that were making me sick," Harry said unconvincingly.

"She could be," Blaise muttered, walking towards the door. "Once she realizes I actually care about her."

Gray eyes flashed angrily. "Don't you dare…"

"Draco," Hermione's voice interrupted. The Slytherins turned as the Gryffindors approached. "I have a checkup with Madam Pomfrey tomorrow."

"Oh…umm…okay," Draco said, looking as nervous as he always did whenever the pregnancy was mentioned.

"Just in case your child actually starts to matter more than some girl," Hermione said coolly.

Blaise snickered while Draco just gaped at her. "I…I just…Uh…I…"

He could barely say anything as Hermione grabbed Harry's hand, stalking off with her head held high. Blaise could only smirk in amusement, clapping his hand on his friend's back. "Nice going, Malfoy."

Albus Dumbledore had only been alone in his office a few minutes before the chatter started up. The portraits of past headmasters came alive, whispering loudly to one another on the subjects that had been the object of all conversation these past few days. Harry Potter, Severus Snape, soul mates, the Soul Bond, the mysterious attacks on Hermione Granger and Harry Potter, pregnancy, war, Horcruxes, and many others. It was hard to keep track of what was being discussed at any time. Albus sighed heavily, rubbing a weak hand over his tired face.

"I'm telling you, Albus. You should tell the boy soon," Phineas Nigellus piped up.

"We've been over this," Albus sighed. "I cannot tell Harry anything about the cups. He would attempt to go after them."

"As well he should! You're the one who wanted him involved in this," Phineas reminded him.

"That was before he became pregnant," Albus said.

Phineas scoffed. "Will this pregnancy change the fact that he has a destiny to fulfill? What happens when the Dark Lord decides to end this war before the spawn is born?"

"We will figure that out when it comes to us," Albus said. "But I don't see Tom deciding to end this war any time soon."

"The fate of the world is more important than the life of one child," Phineas muttered.

Albus frowned deeply, studying the various shiny objects on his desk. He moved a few aside, pulling up the parchment with a copy of Poppy's latest scan over Harry Potter. He trailed one finger around the blobs that could very well be the miracle child, the son or daughter of Harry and Severus. "That decision would be up to Harry."

"He should at least know all of the facts before he makes said decision," Phineas argued.

"Keeping things from him has never benefitted him before," Armando Dippet said wisely.

And Albus could say nothing, only placing the picture back under his knick-knacks and performing his nightly ritual of potions. Perhaps he did owe it to Harry to be truthful with him about everything. He had trusted Harry enough to confide in him of the Horcruxes last year. This bond, as well as the new child, made everything so much trickier. Despite the warnings of his portrait friends, Albus wasn't sure he could tell Harry anything that could possibly convince him to go through with an abortion. Maybe it didn't make sense, but the idea of the child being killed bothered him. There was some feeling deep in his gut that this pregnancy, or whatever it was, mattered in some way that none of them yet understood. He just wished he could know more of it. That would make the decision of his so much easier to carry out.
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Resistance