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
- 28
- 29
- 30
Author's note: Look at that, I actually managed to finish a chapter on time O_O And it's quite long as well ...
Announcement: For the ones interested in reading Remus' pov after what he went through in Dumbledore's house, you can read that in a separate oneshot called Old Wounds. It was posted last week :)
Thanks to the following reviewer: staar
Warnings: angst; drama; small bit of fluff; change in povs
I hope you'll like this chapter!

Chapter 29: Noxious Nightmares
17th of March
Two days.
Two days had passed without so much as a twitch from his fingers, let alone him waking up.
Teeth grinding against each other, Draco leaned forwards to put his ear against the rounded bulge: clearly visible now, even through the blankets, thanks to the removal of the belt. At first he didn't hear anything and he held his breath, his hand clammy around the cool one in his grip.
Eyes slid close in relief when the faint rush of fluid moving sounded through the layer of skin and thin blanket; a ripple went through his stomach and he felt a soft push giving against his cheek.
That was the things that got him through the day: the calm breathing of his lover and the faint movements of their child. Those were all he had to clamp on to for now.
Lupin hadn't wanted to tell him the whole truth. After examining Harry, he had reassured Draco that the dark haired wizard would be fine after he rested. Garin's venom had been successful in calming down Harry's erratic magic and it was working on re-establishing the link between Harry's magic and their son's.
While Draco had remained seated next to Harry, keeping their hands intertwined so that his magic had it easier to mingle with Harry's, Lupin had left the room after admonishing him to rest and eat. He must have thought Draco was too lost in his worry for his lover – and that wasn't far from the truth actually – because he had a hushed conversation with Black and Draco's mother, who had refused to leave until she was certain Harry would be fine.
"And? How is Harry?" Mother asked concerned after Lupin had left the room.
Draco stared listlessly at his lover, whose face was so pale as a white sheet. For some reason the bed seemed to swallow his body, making him appear much thinner and smaller than he really was. The belt hiding the pregnancy had been removed, allowing the blond to see the rounded belly clearly.
Draco gripped Harry's hand tighter, hoping that his magic would be able to aid him into calming down, while he rubbed furiously at his eyes, feeling the sting of tears pressing against the back of his eyes.
He could hear Lupin sigh in exhaustion.
"It was a close call," he murmured.
Their voices were hushed, the door only slightly ajar, but Draco focused part of his attention on the conversation. Lupin hadn't told him it had been a close call. He had said everything would be fine. Had he been lying?
His other hand tightened into a fist on his knee.
"What do you mean?" Black asked apprehensively.
"Garin's venom is working, but from what I have discovered, if he had injected the venom even five seconds later, Harry would have lost the baby," Lupin responded grimly and there was the sound of someone gasping and the muted sound of something hitting the wall.
"Was it that bad?" Mother asked aghast.
"His body had started the process of triggering the contractions; only Garin's interference kept him from going into labour."
"But if he had gone into labour then …"
"Then he nor the baby would have survived, as he didn't have the potions to help him," Lupin finished Black's sentence uneasily. "Harry was lucky to have Garin with him; if he hadn't been there …" he trailed off, but the message was clear.
Draco swallowed what seemed like a leaden ball down his throat and he stared blankly at Harry, whose eyebrows were furrowed even in his sleep. He knew it had been a close call from what Black had told him, but to hear that he could have lost them both …
"Does Draco know this?" Mother inquired softly.
Lupin sighed heavily and someone was pacing up and down. "No, I told him the most important part and that is that Harry and the baby will be fine as soon as they have rested. I didn't want to worry him more than he already was."
Draco managed to conceal the harsh snort that wanted to escape him; this was about his lover and his child and Lupin thought he had no right to know the complete truth? Any other moment and he would have stormed out of the room to raise some hell, but now he was too exhausted and too spent to even move a single muscle.
As long as Harry and their son would be okay, he didn't care how much Lupin had embellished the truth. At this point only Harry and their baby mattered to him.
"Let's go; I'll examine Severus as well," Lupin announced tiredly.
Soft footsteps approaching the door alerted the blond to his mother's presence.
He barely deigned her with a glance when she stuck her head around the door. Her blue eyes regarded Harry with sorrow before she shook her head and looked at her son.
"Make certain to rest as well, darling," she spoke; a strand of her hair dangling next to her cheek. Her face was drawn, tight and she looked older than she was. "It won't do for you to collapse as well."
"Will do," he muttered almost inaudibly, just wishing for her to leave now. He appreciated her concern and her worry, but at this moment he really couldn't give a shit about anything else besides his lover and their son.
Mother seemed to understand that, as she nodded once before closing the door behind her, leaving him alone with an unconscious Harry.
He had barely slept during the past two days and only ate when Mara threatened to put him to sleep with her own magic. It was Tuesday evening now and he had remained cooped up in Harry's bedroom, refusing to attend classes.
Daphne had popped by – after some help from Severus – and had delivered him his homework and had talked about the current gossip in an attempt to distract him. Thankfully she seemed to understand that he was not in the mood to listen to her gossip for a long time and had left after an hour.
His head felt heavy due to exhaustion, but he couldn't fall asleep. At most he managed to nap a bit, before he startled awake again when the fear that something would go wrong with Harry spiked up again. Lupin had visited him early this morning to do a check-up on Harry and had reassured him that Harry's magic was stabilized now.
Now all they could do was wait for Harry to wake up.
"Don't you think it's time for you to wake up?" Draco murmured and lifted his head to look at Harry through half lidded eyes. "It's been two days. I'm not even mad anymore that you went with us. Just please wake up already."
It seemed to become the story of his life when it came to Harry: he never listened, no matter what he said.
"Master is doing fine. He is just resting," Ruby spoke soothingly and padded over to stand next to the bed, placing his massive head on the mattress.
Garin was curled around one of the bed posts, acting like some odd ornament, while Mara was sleeping in front of the fireplace. Harry's cat, Sapphire, had found a spot next to Harry's head and was purring faintly, her ears twitching in her sleep.
"That may be, but I want him to wake up," Draco retorted curtly and rubbed a hand over his face.
"Why don't you get some sleep?" Ruby suggested, one of his ears twitching. "You look ready to collapse."
"Can't. What if Harry …"
"He'll be asleep for at least two more hours," the lion cut him off sharply and this time he was subjected to a fierce glare. "Go to sleep. Fainting from exhaustion won't help either one of you." He huffed, the fire of his mane flaring up a bit. "We will keep an eye on him."
Draco wanted to protest, but his eyes were slipping close and it took him considerably longer to keep them open. With great reluctance, he stood up, letting his hand release Harry's and stumbled his way across the room, so that he could crawl into the bed from the other side.
Sapphire grumbled, but scooted to the side, allowing the blond to place his head on the pillow.
With a weary sigh, he sunk down in the bed and turned around so that he was facing Harry. His hand roamed across the bed and tightened around the hand they found. As soon as the familiar warmth was back in his hand, he let his eyes fall close and succumbed to the exhaustion.

"Now I understand it," Hufflepuff murmured and nodded thoughtfully.
Severus looked up from the old potions book he was examining; the three other Founders had filled her in on what had happened to them and what they were planning to do now. It was slightly unnerving to have all four Founders resting in his quarters; he didn't think he would ever get used to hearing the gruff voice of Gryffindor in the mornings when Severus woke up early – it turned out that Gryffindor wasn't a morning person and did not appreciate being woken up before eight o'clock – or witnessing the heated banter between him and Slytherin whenever Severus returned to his rooms after his last class was finished.
They wouldn't remain in his quarters forever, though. As soon as Dumbledore was dealt with, he would bring them back to the room they were original placed in. He was becoming fed up with his privacy being disturbed.
"So you are planning to perform the Elementari Ritual?" Hufflepuff asked curiously, patting her skirt to remove the non-existing dust.
"Yes, that seems to be the best solution to make certain that his magic is sealed away completely," Ravenclaw responded and closed the heavy tome she had on her lap.
"It is also the most difficult and energy draining one," Hufflepuff pointed out mildly.
"It is not like they have much choice," Gryffindor retorted gruffly. He was examining a sword that was placed on the table next to him – where he had gotten the sword was a complete mystery.
"How is the young man doing?" Hufflepuff directed this question to him. "The one who was unconscious."
"He hasn't woken up yet, but he should make a complete recovery," Severus murmured idly, finishing the paragraph he was reading.
He hadn't seen his godson since they returned on Sunday and promised himself he would drag the boy out of Potter's quarters if he didn't show up tomorrow. There was no need for Draco to stay cooped up while waiting for Potter to wake up.
"Will he and the blond boy not be the focal point of the ritual?" Hufflepuff furrowed her eyebrows and uncertainty was laced through her voice.
Severus abruptly closed the book and favoured the three other Founders with a sharp glare. "You did not mention before that Potter and Draco would be in the centre of the ritual," he said coldly.
Slytherin smiled affably. "I know it is not ideal, especially considering Harry's state, but it is not possible otherwise. They are the masters of the Elemental Creatures and therefore they have the most power to work with. Not only that, but Harry is also the rightful owner of the Invisibility Cloak; as a Deathly Hallow it will be quite unpredictable, so trying to have someone else control the power would be dooming the whole plan from the start," he explained mildly.
"You are practically throwing them for the lions," Severus spoke bitterly.
Gryffindor snorted. "It is not as if they will be alone during the implementation of the ritual. We will be there in spirit and you and the others will be there to lend your support. We told you from the very beginning that the ritual wouldn't be completely safe to perform." He gave him a meaningful look, disregarding the sword next to him for now.
Severus gritted his teeth, but relented. He knew when he was fighting a losing battle. "How soon can the ritual be performed?"
"As soon as either the Resurrection Stone turns up or the old coot," Gryffindor replied calmly. "It is preferable to have all three Deathly Hallows in our possession, but we can make do with the two we have currently if we need to."
"I just have to look up a couple of more details and then we will be ready to explain the ritual to you and the others," Ravenclaw took over and offered him a reassuring smile. "You might also want to inform the others about the role of the Deathly Hallows."
Severus didn't reply, but threw a dark look in the direction of where he had hidden the Elder Wand.
He couldn't wait for all this to be over.

The sun fought its way through the heavy clouds, casting thin sun rays on the grass and the trees, making the water drops on the grass shine like small diamonds.
He was walking through the Forbidden Forest, making certain to keep on the path. It was still rather chilly, but the temperature was bearable with his heavy cloak. One hand was rubbing slowly over his stomach in which his son was tumbling around, causing a smile to spread out on his face.
"How much farther?" he called out to the blond wizard in front of him, who had woken him up this morning to announce his idea of taking him somewhere into the Forbidden Forest. It seemed like a weird place to bring him, but he wasn't overly concerned. Rowen was with them, flying low over their heads; occasionally stopping to pick at some berries he found.
Draco turned around, a brilliant smile illuminating his face, causing his breath to catch. It had been a long time since he had last seen that brilliance shining through Draco's face.
"Not much longer," his lover assured him. "It's just a bit further."
He nodded and stepped over a snapped off branch; listening to the furious squabble of two birds high up in a tree. He wondered whether they were getting close to the unicorn territory; he hadn't seen one since his first year – and that hadn't been a pleasant memory at all – and he wanted to know how they looked like during the day.
Draco slowed down to a stop and grinned excitedly; he stared back with a bemused smile.
"Close your eyes."
"Why?"
Grey eyes glittered mischievously. "It's a surprise."
He raised one eyebrow, but decided to humour his lover and obediently closed his eyes. He heard Draco's footsteps approaching him and a hand taking his own, so that he could be guided.
Thanks to the detailed instruction of the blond wizard, he managed to not trip or stumble at all during the entire time his eyes were closed – though it was an unnerving experience to be able to hear and smell everything, but not see anything. Eventually Draco instructed him to wait and he heard him walking a bit further.
"All right, you can open your eyes now," Draco called out.
Harry was met with the familiar sight of the ceiling in his bedroom when his eyes opened. He blinked bemused; he was laying in his bed apparently. He could feel a sheet covering him to right underneath his collarbone and when he shifted slightly, he deduced that he had to be wearing his pyjamas as the cloth felt soft against his skin.
So he wasn't outside then; his eyes trailed over his desk – cluttered with parchment, ink and quills – over Garin who was curled around the bed post, regarding him solemnly and towards Ruby who lifted his head as soon as he noticed that Harry was awake.
"You have been asleep for two days," Ruby informed him, picking up on the unspoken question.
Two days? What on earth had happened to … His breath hitched when the last remnants of the dream left him and he recalled what had transpired last Sunday.
He paid no heed to the body next to him and sat up, his hands immediately seeking out his stomach, which wasn't the illusion of a flat stomach, but his actual belly. When he crossed his legs, he could practically cradle his rounded belly and so he did that, all the while trying to pick up the thin thread of magic he had been aware of for some time already; he would already be happy to feel a faint nudge at this point.
His breath left him in a relieved 'whoosh' when he not only was able to connect with the thin thread of his son's magic, but he also felt what seemed to be a foot pressing against his thumb.
"The hatchling is fine. No need to worry about it," Garin hissed and raised his head, uncurling himself, so that he could slither on the bed.
"I thought I would lose him," Harry replied back in Parseltongue and blinked rapidly, swallowing down the lump in his throat.
Garin looked at him solemnly. "It was close," the snake admitted. "But he survived."
"Harry."
The soft voice of Draco made him twitch and it was with great reluctance that he turned his head to look at him.
"How are you feeling?" the blond asked softly, while he sat up and leant against the headboard. One side of his hair was sticking up a bit and he absentmindedly carded his fingers through it in a vague attempt to flatten it.
"A bit tired," Harry replied slowly; one hand still resting on top of his belly, he traced meaningless patterns in the blanket with the other one. "How are you?"
"Peachy. Except for the fact that my boyfriend and my son nearly died." Instead of it being said coldly, it came out sounding exhausted.
Despite the lack of coldness or even anger in Draco's voice, Harry still winced and he looked away, not able to bear Draco's heavy glance any longer. "I'm sorry," he whispered; his hand clenched around the blanket, crumpling it together.
Draco sighed and from his peripheral vision, Harry saw him stretch his legs underneath the blanket. "I feel like I should be furious at you, but to be honest, at this point I just don't care about it anymore. I'm already glad that you didn't die," he replied quietly. "That doesn't mean however that you can continue pulling stunts like that. You're lucky we managed to get the last Founder here, because if we still had one Founder to go, I would have prevented you from joining us – even if that meant I had to use a Sleeping charm on you."
"I'm really sorry. I didn't think it would be that dangerous," Harry said, feeling guilty for the stress he had put his boyfriend and family through. He didn't even want to imagine how anxious Sirius must have been and he bit on his lip.
"Yes, well." Draco paused and Harry nearly jumped up when he felt a finger caressing his cheek. "It's over now and I don't want to think about it ever again."
Harry turned his head around and studied Draco, who gazed back calmly. Exhaustion was plainly written on his face, but deep inside his eyes, the dark haired wizard noticing the faint stirring of anger and he resisted the urge to cringe. He knew he fully deserved the anger Draco was feeling and no amount of apologizing would make up for the complete stupidity that his decision to join them had been. It was a miracle and more than just luck now that he was still alive and hadn't lost their baby.
"You need to eat," Ruby broke through the odd tension hanging in the room and it dissipated as snow in the sun.
"The both of you need to eat," the lion corrected himself and after throwing them an imploring look, he turned around and slipped out of the room where Harry picked up the sounds of plates being placed on a table. Who had called a house elf for them?
Harry risked a glance at the blond wizard next to him, who looked contemplatively at Harry's stomach.
"Draco?" he whispered and let his hand drop from his stomach. The atmosphere in the room – while not charged with tension any longer – was heavy with something else and he couldn't figure out what it was.
Draco shook his head sluggishly, as if he was waking up from a deep slumber and offered him a faint smile. "Nothing," he murmured and bent forwards, catching Harry in a surprise kiss. Their lips parted before Harry could lean into it.
His lover closed his eyes and touched their foreheads together, releasing a heavy sigh. "Don't ever do something like that again," he said quietly. Despite the soft tone, he couldn't have sounded more solemn if he tried and a faint trace of anger was audible in the tremor of his voice.
He wished he could promise him that; he really did. But they both knew that making a promise like that would only end up in disappointment as long as Dumbledore was out there. That didn't mean Harry wouldn't try his hardest to remain safe, though.
"I'll try," he replied; his voice barely audible.
A sardonic smile was his answer. "I suppose that's the best I can get for now," Draco murmured and opened his eyes again. "Let's go; you need to eat." He turned around to step out of bed.
Before Harry realised what he was doing, his hand shot out and gripped Draco's shirt tightly, holding him back.
"Harry?" Draco looked at him bemused; a hand came around to pull Harry's hand away, but he only tightened his grip.
The dark haired wizard opened his mouth – and then realised he had no idea what he wanted to say, how he wanted to explain his action and closed his mouth with an audible 'snap'. Confusion and apprehension whirled around in him and his stare was fixed on his hand gripping the white shirt. If he let go now, would they go back to that brief period in their relationship when it had seemed likely they would break up? Draco hadn't attacked him now, though, so it wasn't the same. Not at all. He hadn't even yelled at him or had grown furious.
And yet Harry was utterly terrified of letting go of him, as if releasing his shirt meant that that awful distance would start growing between them again. As if letting go of him now meant a permanent goodbye. He couldn't go through that again. Not now, not ever.
"Hey, we're okay," Draco murmured and instead of removing Harry's hand, he simply turned around so that he was facing Harry and the latter was awkwardly hugging him with one arm. A soft kiss was pressed on his lips and a thumb caressed his cheekbone. "We're okay, I promise."
The tension slowly bled out of his shoulders and he smiled weakly; feeling the bundle of apprehensive fear disappearing.
They were okay. That was all that mattered right now.

21st of March
"Just a bit closer, Harry and then you're there!" Laughter ran through his voice and Harry huffed.
"It would help if you would let me see something," he complained and took a hesitating step forwards. "I'm going to kick your arse if I fall!"
"You know I would never allow you to fall," the blond gently chided him and the warmth in his voice made Harry's cheeks warm. "Besides you're in your own quarters! Don't you know the layout by now?"
"Oh fuck off," Harry said good-naturedly and stretched out his arm, hoping to at least feel something. "Can't I take the blindfold off?"
"And ruin all my fun? How mean." Some clothes rustled. "But all right, here."
The blindfold finally fell off and he opened his eyes …
To suddenly come face to face with a row of old books. He reared back and stumbled backwards, catching himself against a familiar table.
"Harry?"
He whipped his head around and faced Hermione, who looked at him with worried eyes and a frown marring her forehead. She stuck a curl behind her ear and tightened the grip she had on a heavy tome.
"Are you okay?" she asked uncertainly and took a hesitant step forwards, obviously not knowing whether her presence was appreciated.
Harry blinked and rubbed a hand over his forehead, dazedly staring at the floor. "Eh, yeah, yeah, I'm okay."
"Are you really sure? You don't look so well," she retorted carefully, biting her lip.
No, he wasn't sure. He didn't know what the bloody hell was going on here. He had been taking a nap in his quarters – how on earth had he ended up here in the library? Thank Merlin he hadn't taken off the magical belt before he went to sleep, because otherwise his secret would be out for the whole school to see.
But how the fuck had he ended up here?
"Do you want me to bring you to the nurse or get Malfoy or so?" Hermione asked apprehensively.
He shook his head hastily, giving her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "No, no need. Don't bother; I'm just going back."
"Weren't you looking up a book?" she asked baffled.
"Yes, but I didn't manage to find it," he lied, rubbing the back of his neck. Only then did he realise neither one of his pets was with him. He grew restless immediately; it wasn't like them to let him go off on his own at all. Fuck, had something happened to them?
"Maybe I can help you look for it?" Hermione suggested with an expectant look, placing her book on the table.
His smile grew slightly warmer, though most of his mind was preoccupied with trying to figure out where Ruby and Garin were. "Thanks, but it's not urgent. Good luck with studying, 'Mione."
She looked ready to protest, but at the mention of the old nickname, she became clearly flustered and she fumbled a weak, "All right, Harry." before she picked up her book again and walked further down the shelves.
Harry didn't pay attention to a familiar blonde haired girl approaching Hermione with a mysterious smile on her face, when he rushed out of the library as quick as he could without risking the ire of the librarian.
He had barely left the library when Garin came slithering towards him with Ruby immediately following behind him.
"Where were you two?" Harry asked lowly, patting his pockets. The familiar wood of his wand made him relax slightly.
"That is something we better ask of you," Ruby retorted and he sounded mystified. "We left for a bit while you were taking a nap and when we came back you were gone."
Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "So I was taking a nap," he muttered, allowing Garin to wound himself around his waist. At least he hadn't imagined that.
That didn't make him feel better, though.
"Why were you in the library?" Garin asked curiously.
Nervously twisting the ring around his right middle finger – which was hidden from the sight of curious eyes by a charm – he shook his head and walked down the hallway, intent on returning to his quarters. Ruby let out an odd huff, but followed next to him, forgoing his invisibility.
"I don't know," Harry replied slowly and ceased fiddling with the ring. "One moment I'm laying down in bed and the next I'm standing in front of a bookcase."
"Sleepwalking?" Ruby inquired; his feet soundless over the tiles and carpets they walked over. "Do you have a history of doing that?"
"I don't know," Harry answered lowly, ignoring the apprehensive look of a student they passed by. "I've been told I can get restless in my sleep, but I don't know if I have sleepwalked before. If I have, I apparently always returned to my bed before I woke up."
Sleepwalking made the most sense – but only as an explanation as to why he had suddenly woken up somewhere else. It didn't make him feel better overall.
Had he done this before? If not: why had he started now?
He was probably worrying about nothing, he reassured himself and stepped through the opening the dragon revealed. A lot of bad things had happened lately, but that didn't mean he had to become paranoid and think everything was out to harm him whenever something slightly unusual happened.
He nodded determined to himself and smiled faintly when he felt a nudge near the top of his stomach. The baby seemed to agree with him.

23rd of March
"Don't forget to finish your assignment! The deadline is this Friday and I am not giving any of you an extension," Sirius warned the class after Transfigurations was finished for that day.
Some of the students groaned in disappointment and the older man grinned. "Hey, it's a holiday for me as well, guys, and I'm not going to spend my entire time correcting your papers."
Some still grumbled, but there was no real heat behind it. They did know that Sirius was not joking around, though. In spite of his laidback nature, he was quite stern when it came to assignments and no one was allowed to be late with it, unless they had a valid excuse.
Harry and Draco were, as always, the last ones to leave the classroom. Harry had received a furtive look of Hermione and they had nodded at each other in greeting before she had to hurry off to one of her other lessons.
Luckily for Harry, this was his last class of the day and he couldn't be more grateful for that fact. He was tired and wanted nothing more than to take a nap, but at the same time he didn't dare to do that. Yesterday, when he had taken another nap in the afternoon – he would be concerned about his desire to nap more if he hadn't read in Narcissa's book that it was normal for pregnant men in order to keep their energy level balanced – he had woken up only to find himself at the entrance to the dungeons with Garin finding him a minute later.
That same night he had woken up after a couple of hours of sleep and found himself in the middle of his quarters. When Ruby had asked him sleepily why he had woken up, he had played it off as needing to go to the bathroom in order not to alarm him, but he was quickly becoming worried.
Was it just a coincidence that he had started sleepwalking? He hadn't been hit by a curse or any potion lately, so it couldn't be that.
Pressing his lips tightly together, he finished gathered his supplies and stuffing them in his bag and straightened his back.
"You okay?" Draco asked softly, holding out his hand for Harry to grab it.
He offered him a weak smile. "Yeah, just a bit tired."
At least that wasn't a lie.
Draco nodded and they started walking to the door. "Mother said you would be getting more tired," he murmured. "You can take a nap now if you want. I'll wake you up for dinner."
"Yeah, maybe I will," Harry muttered and frowned. Would he start sleepwalking again? If he did, at least Draco would be there to stop him, he supposed.
"Harry?" Sirius called out when they were almost at the door.
He turned around; giving his godfather a questioning look. "Yeah?"
With a flick of his wand, Sirius closed the door and an Anti-Eavesdropping charm was quickly applied to it.
"Do you have everything prepared for your exams next week?" he asked, raising an eyebrow while he gathered his own stuff together.
Harry grimaced. "Yeah, I've been studying for them every moment I could. They start on Monday, right?"
"Yes," Sirius confirmed, stuffing his book carelessly in his bag. Remus would probably scold him for his mistreatment of his books. "You're starting out with Transfigurations I believe."
"That's going to be fun," Harry muttered dryly. Despite the fact that next week the Easter holidays would start, he wouldn't be able to really enjoy the time off until the last week, as all his exams had been put in the first week. Waiting until the end of the year to do the exams would have been too dangerous with his magic going haywire – not that it was any better now – so McGonagall had arranged for him to take his exams in the first week of the holidays. Studying for important exams and feeling tired due to carrying a baby were not a good combination. It actually surprised him that he hadn't fallen asleep during classes yet.
"Hey! No complaining about my teaching style," Sirius reprimanded him with a grin. He sobered up quickly. "Are you feeling all right, though? Moondagger told me you seemed out of it during his class this morning."
Draco's hand tightened around his own and he sighed. "I'm just a bit tired." He shrugged, hoping that Sirius wouldn't continue badgering him about it.
"Hm; well, make sure to rest well then," Sirius advised him and after that he was allowed to leave.
"How is the studying going?" Draco asked curiously when they made their way down to the dungeons. Mara was following closely behind, growling occasionally at students who came too close to them for her liking.
"Eugh, I'm getting tired of it to be honest," Harry groaned, scowling at the floor. He raked a hand through his hair harshly. "I just want to get them over and done with."
His lover chuckled amused. "Well, in two weeks you will be done with them. At least you're prepared, right?"
"Yeah, I suppose," he muttered, adjusting his shoulder bag.
As soon as the portrait closed behind them, Draco reached out and took Harry's bag from him, dropping it on the floor. Another tug and some fumbling later and Harry's silver green tie was removed as well.
"What are you doing exactly?" Harry asked bemused, but allowed the blond to remove the magical belt. Without the illusion, it was obvious how rounded his stomach had become and his sweater was stretched around it. It wasn't too tight yet, but he probably would have to start wearing a larger one soon.
"Making it more comfortable for you to take a nap," Draco stated frankly and stepped around Ruby so that he could gently guide Harry to his bedroom.
"I could have done all that on my own, you know," Harry pointed out mildly, but was a bit too amused by Draco's fussing to really be irritated by it.
Draco shrugged and smiled faintly. "I know, but I wanted to do it." He gestured towards the bed after he had pulled back the blankets. "Come on, in you go now."
Harry rolled his eyes and snorted, but complied after kicking off his shoes. "You staying with me?" he asked, sighing in contentment when his head was cushioned by the soft pillow.
A nap sounded good now; maybe later on he could convince Draco to massage his back. The back pain wasn't that severe, but it was quite annoying.
Just as annoying as his sudden tendency to sleepwalk, but he wouldn't think about that now. Just like he wouldn't think about the odd atmosphere that clung to his dreams and unsettled him whenever he woke up.
The mattress dipped down when Draco joined him; their legs pressed together, sharing their body warmth. "Of course. I'll wake you up on time, okay?"
"Okay," Harry sighed and let his eyes slip close, lulled to sleep by the gentle scratching of a quill against parchment and Draco's calm breathing.

The next couple of days, Harry was relieved to notice that he didn't sleepwalk anymore – at the very least when he woke up now, it was in his own bed and his pets didn't mention any sleepwalking either. The strange atmosphere clinging to his dreams had disappeared as well, which had as effect that he woke up well rested each morning.
It was probably the stress about the exams and Dumbledore in general that had caused him to sleepwalk, he reassured himself. Nothing too strange about it; just his own quirky way of dealing with it. He was glad that he was done doing that though, because it was unsettling to wake up in a completely different place each time.
There would be no classes on Friday afternoon, as the students would return home then for the holidays. Sirius and Remus would go to the small house where they had spent Christmas in his sixth year, while he and Draco would stay in Draco's – well, their manor, as Harry had agreed to living together, for the entire holidays in order for the wards to adjust themselves to their presence. They would receive visits from their family, but for the most part he and Draco would be alone and that caused butterflies to race in his stomach.
One could argue that he shouldn't be so nervous about the prospect of living together with his lover as Draco had stayed many nights in his quarters at school. Somehow, though, sharing a bed at school was completely different from sharing a bed in their own manor. They would be living together soon; raising their baby in their own manor and it made him jittery with excitement and nerves at the same time.
There was still the threat of Dumbledore looming over them both, but he didn't want to spend every second of his life looking backwards, constantly fearing he would be attacked. Just for a while he wanted to feel normal, wanted to know how it felt like to share a house with his lover for the first time, making it into their own.
That wasn't too much to ask for, right?

On Thursday evening, the couple found themselves cuddling in Harry's bed. They had just finished dinner – which had been quite peaceful considering most of the students had ignored them – and Draco had helped him with packing, so that they could leave tomorrow without having to rush to gather their stuff.
"I can't wait until we're at the manor," Draco sighed from between Harry's spread legs. He was sitting on his knees, his fingers trailing up and down over Harry's bare stomach. The minute they were alone in Harry's quarters – well, aside from their pets of course, who had wisely decided to sleep in the other room now – Draco had tugged at the magical belt, requesting Harry to take it off.
"Me neither," Harry murmured; his half lidded eyes taking in the sight of slender fingers caressing his stomach. Their son was slowly tumbling around, giving soft nudges and kicks; making his presence known. "Any particular reason why you want me to take the belt off so soon in the evening?" he asked lightly. It wasn't that he minded it; before he went to sleep, he always took off the belt, but it was easier to keep it on until he really went to sleep. There were times when Blaise wanted him to visit the common room and that was why he kept the belt on until he was certain he wouldn't be disturbed.
Ever since they returned from the graveyard, Draco had been very peculiar about the belt, wanting it off as soon as they were alone.
"I just like seeing you like this; without the illusion. Makes it all more real, you know?" Draco replied; he awkwardly scratched his cheek, which was covered by a red flush. He looked a bit embarrassed.
"You need to see my belly to make you realise you got me knocked up?" Harry asked teasingly, shifting a bit so that he was sitting more comfortably.
"You make me sound like some kind of pervert," the blond complained and huffed. His eyes shot down and he let out a surprised sound. "Oh fuck; was that a foot?"
"Quite the kicker, huh?" Harry retorted dryly and hissed softly when another swift kick was delivered to his side. "He knows we're talking about him."
"You might want to soften your kicks or there will be a limit placed on your birthday presents," Draco informed their unborn baby; rubbing soothingly over the spot where he had kicked.
Another harsh kick – this time it seemed a fist pressing against his skin – was his reply.
"Yeah, he doesn't quite like that," Harry snorted. "He probably has that greediness from your side of the family."
"Malfoys are not greedy," Draco sniffed and scowled at him. "We just appreciate the finer things in life."
"Sure, sure; believe what you want," Harry chuckled. He winced when another kick was delivered to his kidneys. "Fuck! That one hurt!"
"Maybe I should try another tactic," Draco mused and bent his head until his lips touched the top of Harry's belly. "If you calm down, there will be extra presents for you. How does that sound?"
For a few minutes nothing happened, until Harry could feel a soft nudge. He stared incredulously at his stomach. "I can't believe that actually worked," he said surprised and gently poked his belly. A hand pressed back.
Draco grinned triumphantly. "Good baby!" he cooed and kissed his stomach.
"You're going to spoil our son," Harry sighed exasperatedly, but shook his head fondly.
"Aw, don't worry. I'll make sure to spoil you as well," Draco murmured and leaned forwards to press their lips together, softly rubbing them together.
"Yeah?" Harry hummed, leaning into the kiss; sliding a hand through fine, blond hair. "I'm holding you on to that."
Before their kiss had any chance of becoming heated, Draco pulled back with a disappointed sigh.
Harry saw him looking at the clock and guessed with slight disappointment tainting his voice, "You need to go?"
"Yeah," Draco grimaced, but his hand was still caressing Harry's stomach. He was clearly reluctant to go. "I promised Blaise I would spend the night at the dorms. Some Slytherins are starting to ask questions again."
"Go on then, before he starts whining that you're late," Harry chuckled and pushed down his sweater, covering his stomach.
"I'd rather stay with you," Draco whispered, pressing a kiss in Harry's neck; making the latter shiver in response.
"I know. I want that as well, but just think of this: after tonight we'll be spending two whole weeks together on our own. In our own house," Harry murmured, smiling suggestively. "We can do whatever we want then."
Grey eyes shone with ravenous heat, which made Harry's throat dry up with anticipation. It had been a long time since they last had some real time together. And soon they would have two whole weeks to enjoy themselves …
"I'm looking forward to that," Draco murmured throatily and after another soft kiss, he got up from the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Harry nodded with a small smile and heard Draco stumbling around, gathering his shoes, his wand and his bag, before the portrait opened and shut again; silence falling down in the quarters like a blanket.
With a sigh, Harry doused the candles and snuggled deeper into the blankets, crossing his arms behind his head. He only had one more morning to go before he would leave this castle for two weeks. He was looking forward to spending time with Draco without having to deal with homework and classes in general.
Sapphire joined him in bed, cuddling close to his side and he fell asleep with the sound of her soft purring.

"Did you really have to wake me up this early?" Harry groused and rubbed his tired eyes. It was barely six thirty and he was already up thanks to his lover waking him up at five a.m. Sure, he had gone to bed early last night thanks to the fact that Draco had to stay the night in the Slytherin dormitory, but that didn't mean he was wide awake – or even decently rested. For fuck's sake, he had hoped to sleep until seven at least. They still had a couple of classes before they had to leave to catch the train and he wasn't looking forward to paying attention in his sleep deprived state.
If he wasn't so tired, he would hex Draco for daring to wake him up so early.
Draco chuckled lowly; his hand squeezing softly in Harry's. "Yes, there is something I want to show you and it's only possible now."
"What could you possibly want to show me at this damn hour?" Harry asked irritated when they rounded another corner. They were currently going through the fourth floor, passing various portraits who were sleeping soundly – the lucky bastards - and there was no sign that Draco would stop here.
"It's something Blaise told me about yesterday," Draco muttered distractedly and they went up to the next floor.
"So I need to hex Blaise as well?" Harry said darkly, hiding a yawn behind his hand.
"I could bite him for you," Ruby offered, sounding uncharacteristically tired. He had offered to join them, while the other pets remained in Harry's quarters.
Harry seriously contemplated the offer for a couple of minutes, until he realised he would most likely get into trouble with a professor – either Snape or McGonagall – and that just wasn't worth it. He sighed disappointedly. "No, you don't have to."
"Don't sound so put out," Draco admonished him gently, but he was stifling a grin.
"Did you take a Pepper up potion or so?" Harry narrowed his eyes when they entered the sixth floor. "There is no way you can be this happy on this hour."
The blond shrugged casually. "I just can't wait to show you what Blaise told me about," he said gleefully and pulled Harry behind yet another corner.
"This better be damn good," Harry muttered and fell silent, allowing his lover to guide him through the castle. It was a miracle that they hadn't stumbled upon a ghost so far. He knew they didn't have to fear coming across a professor on patrol – the patrol ending at five in the morning, so there would be no professors catching them out of their beds.
"It will be," Draco promised him and they were silent until they arrived at the staircase that would lead them to the Astronomy tower.
"The Astronomy tower?" Harry asked baffled. "What are we doing here?"
"Be patient, will you?" Draco laughed and pulled him along. "Just a bit longer and I'll show you."
Harry grumbled for a few seconds, but acquiescent quickly and followed the blond wizard; unwillingly, anticipation was building up in him and he wondered what on earth the Astronomy tower could have that would make Draco take him there at this hour. He hadn't noticed anything particularly interesting about the place since he had first entered it after all.
"All right, now what?" Harry asked impatiently when the door swung open, revealing the room where they spent their nights studying the stars.
Ruby padded past them and started sniffing at the telescopes set up throughout the entire room.
"Come on," Draco smiled mysteriously and brought him close to one of the large windows. He brought Harry in front of it and stepped behind him, arms winding themselves around his waist. "Look up. Can you see that constellation there at your right? It means …"

With a low rumble, Ruby shook his head dazed and forced himself to wake up. His head felt heavy as if something was pressing down on it and trying to convince him to go back to sleep. He was more stubborn than that, though, and he succeeded in shaking off the lethargy that wanted to snare him.
The snake slithered into their master's bedroom (as it had been his turn to do the usual check-up around the quarters for any suspicious activity) and suddenly halted. "What is going on here?" he spoke agitatedly.
"What are you …" Ruby stiffened when he took notice of the empty bed. "Where is he?" he growled; his eyes flashing up in ire.
"You did not notice our Master disappearing?" the snake asked incredulously and his eyes flashed up in anger.
"Obviously not!" the lion snarled and sniffed at the blankets. A faint warmth lingered around them, signalling that their master hadn't left the bed for that long. "I do not know how it happened, but I apparently have fallen asleep. Did you encounter him?"
"No, I did not." Garin glided towards him, climbing on top of him; his cold scales clashing with Ruby's warm skin. "We need to find him and soon."
In an unspoken agreement, they both focused on the bond linking them to their master. They had many powers and locating their master was but one of them. It took Ruby a bit longer to locate their master as he was still busy blaming himself for falling asleep – how that had happened was a complete mystery to him as he took guarding their master very seriously – but once he received the location in the form of a mental picture of the scenery, he stiffened and heard the snake hissing furiously above him.
Their master was standing in what was called the Astronomy tower: standing on the edge of the windowsill on his bare feet, his rounded stomach displayed to the early morning with his eyes closed; his hair gently swaying in the breeze.
On the verge of falling down; a fall that would surely kill him.
Both the lion and the snake saw through their link how their master lifted his foot, swaying back and forth on the windowsill.
Without wasting another second, Ruby tore out of the room, his feet pounding harshly against the floor on his way out of the dungeons, while the snake rushed deeper into the dungeons, intent on locating their master's mate and sending the snow leopard after him.
No matter how fast he ran, no matter how much Hogwarts helped him by guiding him through the shortest passages and adjusting the floors so that he would be able to run across them without slipping, he was too late.
Because right when he was running up the stairs to the Astronomy tower, growls and snarls escaping his mouth, panic coursing through his body, the link showed him how their master took a step forwards …
And fell out of the tower.
This time Ruby was too late to save him.

AN2: ... Yep, I really ended it like that. *nods* Cliffhangers, you've got to love them, right? *coughs* So, your thoughts about it? Please leave them behind in a review :)
We're close to the ending, guys. Only a couple of more chapters and then this story is finished. I hope you stick with me to the end of this!
See you all in the next chapter!
Cuddles
Melissa
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Survival of the fittest