Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Expecting the Unexpected	By : Phoenixstrike Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Draco Views: 21919 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its indicia are © JK Rowling, Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros. I own none of the copyright, and this fanfiction makes no money.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Chapter four: Potions Problems and Big Reveals

Harry's new-found philosophical optimism lasted until lunchtime the following day, when he could be found hurling up his lunch into the rose bushes in the Hogwarts grounds, after he mistakenly thought some fresh air might ward off the imminent sickness he felt after tucking into a large slice of treacle tart. The revelation that he would no longer be able to eat his favourite dessert for the rest of the pregnancy was the last straw as far as he was concerned, and he spent the rest of the day in bed in a cross between sulking and feeling sorry for himself.

The second unpleasant piece of news of the weekend came the following morning when Professor McGonagall informed him that it was no longer safe for him to play Quidditch, and he would have to surrender his captaincy and resign from the Gryffindor team. At that he simply gritted his teeth and walked away from her, his hands balled into fists.

This pattern of anger, upset and self-moping continued for the next two weeks. Harry alternated between snapping at Ron, Hermione and Ginny over very minor things (with Hermione rushing around reassuring Ron and Ginny that, "Harry doesn't mean it; it's the pregnancy hormones," which just made him snap at them more), and apologising tearfully to them. He even found himself apologising to Malfoy, who was on the receiving end of Harry's particularly venomous tongue frequently. It was testament of their truce (and no doubt the fact that Harry was carrying Draco's baby), that Draco took everything Harry flung at him and never raised his voice (or his wand) in retaliation. And in Harry's calmer moments, the two of them were managing to get along with each other fairly well. Malfoy had even taken over brewing Harry's pregnancy-approved potion to calm his sickness, not that Harry thought it helped much.

Harry's roommates couldn't fail but to notice that Harry was out of sorts. So he took the decision to tell them what was going on, about a week after he had told Ginny by the lake. Although he refused to reveal who the other father was, he made it clear it was a Polyjuice incident cock-up and, for once, he actually wasn't involved. They were obviously shocked, but once the initial surprise had worn off they were very supportive. Neville especially (whom Harry privately thought probably felt guilty about Ginny, even though he had no reason to) became particularly protective of Harry, which Harry appreciated.

In between the hormonal rages and bouts of sickness, Harry did find himself beginning to feel excited about becoming a dad. Hermione would sometimes catch him sitting in his favourite tatty armchair by the fire in the common room long after the other Gryffindors had gone to bed, textbook in his lap which he was paying no attention to whatsoever, hand subconsciously placed on his abdomen, and with a contented small smile playing at the corners of his mouth whilst his eyes had the faraway expression of one experiencing a particularly wonderful daydream. She never told him she'd seen him, but the sight warmed her heart. Despite the circumstances of the baby's conception, and the fact Harry was only eighteen, it was obvious he was going to be a natural father.

Hermione did, however, suggest to Harry that he kept a journal, writing to the baby in which he could express his private thoughts. Harry scoffed at this, calling Hermione 'ridiculous', yet that night, after a Halloween Feast he just wasn't in the mood at all for, he slipped a sheet of parchment out of his schoolbag, Transfigured it into a diary, and began to write.

31st October 1998. I am ten weeks and three days pregnant.

Dear Baby,

Should I even call you 'Baby'? Do you look like a baby yet? Should I call you 'Blob' perhaps? Or, 'That Lump That Has Me Throwing Up Every Day'?

I've known about you for exactly a fortnight now. And the shock has worn off, even if the nausea hasn't. I wonder if I made my mum this sick when she was expecting me? I wish she was around for me to ask. I've been thinking about my mum and dad a lot since I found out I was going to be a parent myself. I wonder what they'd have thought of their son being pregnant! And at eighteen, to boot. Not to mention me making them grandparents before they reached their forties. Wherever they are now, I hope they're looking forward to meeting you, like I am.

Oh, whilst we're on the subject of your granny and grandad, today is Halloween. It's seventeen years today since Voldemort killed them. They died to save me, you know. And although you make me throw up, and I can't play Quidditch any more, or eat treacle tart, I would do anything to keep you safe, too, little one. Don't tell Ron I said that. He'd call me a sentimental sap, probably.

I had a check-up yesterday. Madam Pomfrey has called in a Healer from St Mungo's to take over my care. She's dealt with a few teenage pregnancies in her time here as matron (it's inevitable it'll happen occasionally in a boarding school), but never in a male, so she wanted someone whose speciality is in magical pregnancy. The Healer is really nice, and she's taken an Unbreakable Vow to not reveal anything about me or my pregnancy to anyone. Anyway, she checked me over and said there's no natural way for you to come out, which I'm quite glad about really. I didn't want to grow girl bits in addition to carrying you! Ron joked about you coming out of my, well I won't pollute your innocent ears with what he said, but let's just say I'm ecstatic that won't happen. But it does mean I've got to go into hospital for you to be born as they're going to have to perform a caesarean. But hey, what's another scar, huh? At least this one will be for a brilliant reason!

Your dad- your other dad, I should say- is being quite nice to me. That makes me nervous. Draco Malfoy isn't nice to anyone. Maybe he really has changed. Or maybe he does feel genuinely guilty. Or grateful I saved him, or whatever. Either way he's being surprisingly supportive. I think he's secretly excited about meeting you too, but he'd rather die than admit that.

I'll write to you again soon,

Love from Daddy (Wow - that's the first time I've written that and it feels very, very odd).

"Today, class, we're going to be brewing the Draught of Peace," Slughorn informed them all as he strode, belly-first, into the Potions classroom. Harry let out a sigh and slid lower in his seat. "However, in order for it to reach N.E.W.T level Potions requirements, we will be substituting the powdered porcupine quills for dragon scales. Can anyone explain to me what effect this would cause in the drinker?"

To no one's surprise, Hermione's hand flew into the air.

"In some drinkers," she began, in that voice that always sounded like she was quoting from a textbook, "the porcupine quills have the tendency to send them into a slumber rather than simply calm them, as they can have a narcotic effect when it's consumed. It's more common in those who are very old or young, or who are pregnant-" Harry deliberately didn't meet her eye- "who naturally require more sleep anyway. The effect can be countered by adding dragon scales which still allow the Draught to induce peace in the drinker, but without sending them to sleep as they're more volatile than porcupine quills, so it is ideal when a person needs to be calm but remain alert."

"Perfect, Miss Granger! Ten points to Gryffindor," Slughorn said, and Hermione beamed. "Now, what are the potential problems with using dragon scales in this potion?"

"They're highly temperamental," Malfoy said gently, without any arrogance. Harry looked at his housemates- no one was sitting with him- even Blaise, with whom Draco was still on speaking terms as he was neutral in the war. They were all glaring at him. "Even the smallest miscalculation in the amount can result in an unstable potion, which runs the risk of releasing noxious gas, or, in extreme cases, explosion."

Marvellous, Harry thought to himself. A potentially lethal potion. Just what I need to be brewing today.

"Exactly right, Mister Malfoy, take ten points for Slytherin, too," Slughorn gushed. Draco shrugged his shoulders, not looking at all bothered about his house-points win. "For this reason the Draught must be brewed in pairs, and you both must check and double-check you have the quantities correct. Please find yourself a partner and turn to page forty-three in your textbooks. Begin." Ron automatically shifted closer next to Harry, but Harry shook his head.

"You go and work with Hermione," he said. "I'm gonna work with Malfoy." Ron's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "C'mon, Ron, no one else will work with him!"

"Yeah, and we all know why, don't we?" Ron said, but it wasn't without heat; instead he gathered up his stuff and went to join his girlfriend at her workstation. Harry stood and made his way towards Draco. The blond looked up in mild surprise when he saw Harry approaching.

"Ron wants to work with Hermione," Harry lied, with faked nonchalance. "And everyone else has partnered up. So I guess you're stuck with me." He knew Draco wasn't fooled for a second, but he also knew there was no way he'd turn Harry away. And indeed, there was the hint of a smile on Draco's face as he shifted along to make room for him.

Harry lit the fire under their cauldron whilst Draco went to the supply cupboard to gather the ingredients. They began to make the Draught, and after several steps Harry was pleased to note it was the exact shade of turquoise it should be by the time the the syrup of hellebore was added. Working was Malfoy wasn't so bad, Harry mused. At least he knew what he was doing. Harry remembered the last time he'd tried to brew this (with porcupine quills) and had received a zero for his efforts from Snape. He checked the instructions in his copy of Advanced Potion Making (Not the Prince's version, Harry thought sadly) and double-checked the amount of dragon scales required. He measured out exactly three quarters of an ounce, which Malfoy confirmed as accurate.

Whoosh. Harry felt a cold breeze wash over him, and turned around quickly, but nothing was amiss. Nott and Bulstrode were busy with their Draught behind them, and everyone else was deeply engrossed in their task.

"Did you feel that?" he asked Draco. Draco nodded, but, like Harry, clearly didn't know where it had come from. Harry decided to ignore it and returned to the Draught. He checked the quantity of dragon scales again.

"It's not right," Harry said to Draco. "We're an eighth of an ounce short."

"You're right, well spotted, Potter," Draco replied, and added another small amount to the scales. "There. Perfect."

Harry picked up the small dish containing the scales and tipped them into their potion, leant over the cauldron and stirred the mixture vigorously.

The effect was instantaneous. A thick, black smoke rose violently from the cauldron, blasting Harry in the face causing both him and Draco to throw their arms in front of their mouths and noses and splutter. It was a hot smoke, like inhaling ash, and left Harry with a bitter taste in his mouth and struggling for breath. He was desperate to get away, but found he couldn't move.

He could hear laughter from behind him, and heard Malfoy yelling something to Nott and Bulstrode. He thought he heard the words 'Confundus Charm'. Harry was beginning to see red spots in front of his eyes as he felt strong hands- Ron's, no doubt- pulling him away from the wreck of their Draught.

"Potter! Harry!" The voice was Draco's and it sounded terrified. "Can you hear me?"

Harry could make out the commotion and panic in the classroom, could hear Hermione and Slughorn Vanishing the smoke, but there was no doubts he'd inhaled far too much; it had been him that was leaning over the cauldron when the smoke first appeared and he'd taken the brunt of it. Ron and Draco were both desperately calling his name, begging him to answer. But why? Harry thought. So much easier to just lie here and sleep.

"You fucking bastards!" he heard Draco yell at Nott and Bulstrode. "Don't worry, Harry, we'll get Pomfrey to check you and the baby over. If anything has happened to them, I will kill you, Nott!"

Harry's last thought before he finally passed into unconsciousness was that Malfoy had just revealed far more than he'd intended to, to their entire Potions class.

Harry awoke in the Hospital Wing and found Ron, Hermione and Draco huddled around his bed. He had a pounding headache, his throat felt dry and parched, and he wanted to fall back against the pillows and go back to sleep. However he groaned and sat up. His glasses were placed in his hands by Hermione, and he popped them onto his face. Draco handed him a Pain Relieving Potion. Harry drank it gratefully, and felt a huge rush of relief as it instantly removed the pounding pain from inside his skull.

"Thanks," he said groggily. As soon as he was more lucid, the morning's events rushed back to him. Potions. Dragon scales. Nott and Bulstrode and what seemed to be a Confundus Charm apiece causing him and Draco to inadvertently sabotage their own Draught. The blast of smoke, choking and spluttering him, then Draco revealing all to a class of N.E.W.T students…

"Damn you, Malfoy!" Harry yelled, but that was as far as he got before Madam Pomfrey hurried towards him, wand in hand, ushering Harry's friends away from his bed and beginning to perform a number of spells.

"Headmistress McGonagall has contacted your Healer, Harry," she said, once she'd concluded her spell-casting, "and she will be arriving by Floo shortly to give the baby a thorough check-up. Although I can say now from my preliminary spell-casting I'm confident you're both fine." Harry released a breath he wasn't aware he was holding at this. Madam Pomfrey turned her attention to Ron and Hermione. "Now, she'll want only the parents here, so I'm going to have to ask you two to return to your lesson." Hermione looked ready to argue, but Harry met her eyes and shook his head. She closed her mouth again. They both said their goodbyes to Harry, along with promises to return as soon as double Potions was over. Ron took her by the hand and they walked reluctantly out of the Hospital Wing, Ron's whispered concerns about leaving Harry alone with 'the Ferret' carrying easily in the large stone room.

"Potter," Draco began, "thank Merlin you're both OK. I was really worried." He moved his hand from the side of the bed and went to put it on Harry's shoulders. "If Nott and Millicent hurt you or the baby, I'd-"

"Don't," Harry snarled, and jerked his shoulder out of the way of Draco's hand. "Malfoy, perhaps it's best if we say nothing to each other until they've checked me and the baby over, OK?"

Draco looked shocked, confused and rather pale, even for him, he thought, but Harry was spared his reply by the arrival of the Healer, who said a quick hello to them both and set to work.

"Is this about what I said? Back in the Potions classroom?" Draco said quietly. Harry suddenly felt his temper escalate to full-blown fury. Ignoring the Healer, who was insisting he calmed down, he whipped his head round to Draco.

"Yes it's fucking well about that!" Harry yelled. "Malfoy, you just revealed to the entire class that I'm pregnant! And by your reaction it won't take a genius to work out who the other father is! It'll be round the entire school by dinner time, and how long after that until the Prophet gets wind of it?" Draco made to put his hand on Harry's shoulder again, and once more, Harry flinched from the touch. "Don't even think about touching me! Do you realise what you've done?"

"I'm sorry! But it wasn't just you who was hit with a Confundus Charm, you know. I was-"

"Save you apologies, Malfoy! I don't want to hear them!" Harry continued. "Thanks to you, I'm yet again the school freak! So take your 'I'm sorry' and shove it up your arse!"

The Healer had stopped what she was doing, clearly waiting for Harry and Draco to stop their fight. She was giving both of them a most disapproving look, which neither of them noticed in the slightest.

"I was Confunded, plus I'd inhaled a load of that smoke too, you know," Draco said, and this time his voice was raised too. "I wasn't thinking properly. You know I'd never tell everyone like that on purpose to hurt you! Believe it or not, I was actually worried about you."

"Fuck you," Harry replied, clearly out of reasonable argument. Draco sighed deeply, his lips thin, and he stood up.

"All I've done is apologise to you for things the last two weeks- things that were not even my fault," he said, and he suddenly sounded exhausted. "I've crept on eggshells around you in case I upset you in one of your bitchy hormonal moments. And you've been a complete shit to me. That spell today affected us both. I was confused and didn't fully know what I was saying, and you have no idea how much I wish I could take it back. If you can't accept that, and accept my apology, then we have nothing else to say to one another."

"I don't need you, Malfoy. I can do this alone," Harry replied nastily, as the Healer, clearly fed up with waiting for them to stop rowing, applied some cold jelly-like substance to his abdomen, and switched on a hand-held device that made a cackling sound like a radio being tuned in.

"Fine. Then you're on your own," Draco replied sadly. He began walking to the door. "Do this all by yourself, Potter. I quit."

He'd just reached the hospital door when he heard a regular beat like a tattoo, the thumping noise echoing off the walls. He turned and looked at Harry, who was staring, wide-eyed with a look of pure astonishment on his face, which was alive with excitement. The Healer had the weird crackling plastic wand thing pressed against Harry's stomach.

"A hundred and sixty beats a minute, strong, healthy and regular," she said.

"That's… is that the baby's heartbeat?" Draco replied, and Harry noticed his voice was full of the emotion he was currently feeling himself. The Healer just smiled and nodded, and Harry beamed at Draco; a true, open and completely delighted expression.

"That's our baby," he said softly to Draco, and Draco beamed back, walking as quickly as he could whilst still looking somewhat dignified back towards Harry. As soon as he reached Harry he perched on the bed and grabbed Harry's hand in his own.

"Yeah," he said, slightly dazed, as Harry squeezed his hand tightly in response. "That's our baby."

"Did you just see him?"

"Do you think it's really true?"

"Malfoy himself said it was."

"Explains why Ron Weasley has taken over the Gryffindor team captaincy."

"Do you think Malfoy's the other dad?"

"Ew! Do you reckon Potter bent over for him?"

"Does that mean Potter's queer?"

"The Saviour and the Death Eater? It's kind of romantic, like Romeo and Juliet."

Harry gritted his teeth and snarled, causing several of the gossipers to jump and pull back in fright.

"Ignore them, mate," Ron said, grabbing Harry by the arm and steering him in the opposite direction. "Let's just go to the Great Hall. Come on, I'm starving."

It had been four days since the Potions Incident, as Harry was calling it, and as he had predicted, it appeared the whole school knew, or at least were speculating, about the pregnancy. Harry didn't blame Draco anymore, not after he'd calmed down (hearing the heartbeat, the most wonderful sound he'd ever heard in his life, had helped majorly with that) he had apologised and accepted that it hadn't been Draco's fault, not really. This whole situation kept being Malfoy's-Fault-Except-It-Isn't-Really.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny had appointed themselves Harry's unofficial bodyguards. Ginny had sent her infamous Bat-Bogey Hex at more than a few gossipers, abruptly ending their whispered chatter, and for once, Harry was grateful not to have to do it alone.

Theo Nott and Millicent Bulstrode had both been given detention every evening until the Christmas holidays and banned from Hogsmeade for the entire school year for their nasty trick on Harry and Draco. However it didn't seem to stop them from sneaking up to Draco and whispering in his ear, Harry noticed. And whatever they were saying caused Draco to look a little bit ill afterwards. But Draco would never tell him what was said.

There had, thankfully, been nothing in the Prophet yet. However it would only be a matter of time. Because of this, Harry had owled Mrs Weasley a letter telling her what had happened and received a wonderful, supportive reply plus an offer of parenting lessons, which Harry appreciated greatly. Even the news that Draco Malfoy- the boy responsible for the near-deaths of two of her children- was the other father hadn't fazed her. The line, 'A new baby, a new life, to end a year of great sadness and loss is what our family needs, Harry. What a wonderful gift. Thank you,' had actually made him cry. He blamed it on hormones.

On the plus side, Harry noticed his nausea beginning to ease slightly, now he was over eleven weeks pregnant, and thanks to Mrs Weasley's tip to nibble on raw ginger root when he felt unwell. Whilst he still couldn't stand the smell of certain foods- eggs, curry and fish mainly- he was managing to keep down pretty much everything he ate now, although there were still periods when he felt atrocious. But this breakfast time wasn't one of those mornings; even the gossiping students who were blatantly whispering about him and openly pointing as he made his way to the Hall couldn't dampen his appetite. He slid in to a vacant seat between Hermione and Ginny, and began to load his plate with bacon, sausage and toast, whilst his friends made sure all traces of eggs and kippers were kept well away from him.

"It's lovely to see you have your appetite back, Harry," Hermione said as she added raisins to her bowl of porridge. Harry smiled at her and turned his head to the Slytherin table, as he did every morning. Draco was, as usual, sat alone, meticulously spreading butter on a slice of toast, before picking it and and taking an unenthusiastic bite. The talking and whispering Harry was receiving was nothing compared to what Draco was going through, with over half the school convinced he'd either Imperiused Harry or used some other illegal Dark magic in order to get Harry to sleep with him, despite Harry's angry declarations to the contrary. Draco looked up at that moment and caught Harry's eye; he offered Harry a small smile, which Harry returned, before returning to his breakfast.

Just then the owls arrived with the post. Harry received an obscene amount of post since the end of the War, and never bothered to open it at the table. With a lazy flick of his wand, the post stacked itself into a neat pile, a Transfigured ribbon tied itself around the bundle, and it slipped tidily into Harry's bag, where he would sort through it later back in the Gryffindor common room.

He looked up just in time to see a large back eagle owl deliver a scarlet envelope to Draco, before the bird nipped his finger and took off back out of the window. Harry saw Draco's eyes widen in shock as he realised that the bird- no doubt the Malfoy family bird, Harry thought, given its regal stature, had just delivered him a Howler. Harry caught Draco's eyes and in that moment realised he was exactly right. He felt cold dread run through him.

Obviously resigned to his fate, Draco opened the envelope and suddenly the magically-enhanced voice of Draco's father filled the Great Hall. He didn't yell, or scream; in fact the voice was very calm. Icily so, Harry thought. But it was obvious the man was livid.

Draco, the voice said, disturbing news has reached me. Be prepared to explain yourself. I will be in The Hog's Head at eight sharp on Sunday night. Do not disobey me. Then the letter burst into flame.

Draco had gone deathly white, and seemed rooted to the spot. Harry's earlier appetite had all but diminished. Because it was obvious from the Howler what the man was referring to. Lucius Malfoy knew about the pregnancy.
- 3
- 4
- 5
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Expecting the Unexpected