MTLNOVEL Chapter 25: Chapter 10
With a few days to adjust to being around other people again, Harry found that
he somehow perceived the world in a different way. Of course that might have
something to do with the fact that Voldemort had died. The story out there was
something about him spontaneously self combusting due to heavy dabbling in
dark arts. Deep down, Harry felt there was a different reason than that. In
the end though, it didn't really matter as long as the bastard stayed dead
this time.
Thinking on the last few days also brought him to Draco's quicksilver
behaviour. It seemed that the blond was still coming to terms with Harry being
his mate. The fun was in the fact that every time he pushed Harry away or made
a thoughtless command, his mood flipped like a leaf in the wind. Having Draco
seeking to confirm their bond and relationship usually led to sexilicious
scenes Harry had never even dreamed of. Having every inch of his body kissed
was just one of the things Draco had done.
Smiling, Harry moved around in the room that was now their bedroom. A wide,
spacious ground level bedroom with its own garden. Draco had complained it had
been small at first, but with Snapes' help he had managed to adjust it to
his standards. Until Draco had finished all his business here, and Harry his,
they would stay here before going to the home Draco had built especially for
them.
This though, of course made him wonder what their home actually looked like.
Thus far the only hint Draco had dropped was that it was a castle. A search
through Hogwarts Library with Hermione had landed him with several books on
magical castles. During their time searching Hermione had asked him questions
which Harry had only answered sparingly. This had annoyed her to no end, but
Harry held firm to his new belief that she should not have to be privy to
everything concerning him. In fact, Hermione was not speaking to him at the
moment, being miffed about his treatment. He found he didn't care as much as
he would have in the past and merely spent his time talking with Ron.
Ron had brought him up to date on Hogwarts business, including Hermione's
time being sick. This had Harry worried for a moment but Ron convinced him it
had not been too bad in the end, and it had been all her own fault to begin
with. In the end Harry decided that he would send Hermione a belated gift but
would not yet approach her. This time she could come to him and apologize for
thinking she had a right to know everything about him, and if he was not
forthcoming with the information, accuse him of not being a good friend. That
last remark had been why he was stubbornly refusing to be the first to make
up.
Of course in the back of his mind was this nagging voice telling him he was
being unreasonable. He should just go to her and tell her he was sorry for
being rude. And though in the past he may have actually done this, something
much bigger was balking at the thought that he was actually thinking this and
that Hermione should sometimes also take the first step. After that, Harry
spend many a moment debating with himself over the subject but still he
persevered and did not make the first move. In fact he was a bit proud of
himself for not going running after his friends to apologize for actually not
wanting to share his entire life and mind with them.
Next to this there were many other things to keep his mind occupied. Draco was
of course the main dish of all those thoughts. On many levels he kept Harry
busy not in the least because of his bouts of possessiveness. At one point
Sirius had wanted to celebrate Voldemort's destruction and subsequent
capture of Pettigrew. Remus had been invited to come along just as Draco was,
though Sirius seemed to have had some trouble with that. The moment they were
to go off Sirius had grabbed Harry in a friendly overzealous way and suddenly
things had started happening.
Draco who apparently had already been harbouring feelings of jealousy towards
Sirius could not take this gesture of some degree of intimacy and had grabbed
Harry by the scruff of his neck and pulled him into their bedroom. Turning a
bit red Harry remembered that their lovemaking had been quite loud. The next
morning he had spent a very quiet breakfast with a slightly flushed looking
Sirius and a quietly amused Remus. Neither man had wanted to tell Harry what
had happened to cause such reactions from either. Harry secretly wondered if
he would ever find out. Something must have happened between them to cause
Sirius to have a reaction like that.
Shrugging himself mentally Harry pulled his thoughts back to the present and
decided a nice walk around the castle would do. For some reason he had been
suffering bouts of losing his concentration rather easily. It wasn't such a
big problem to him but people around him seemed to think it would be good for
Harry to not immediately return to class. As it turned out, Dumbledore himself
had insisted. And of course Draco had pointed out that they did no longer need
to finish school.
Apparently there were all kinds of rules considering Dragonseekers. Draco had
finally given him a book about it two days or so ago. Again with his
concentration problems Harry hadn't even finished the first chapter and now
the book had somehow found its way in Remus's hands and it didn't look
likely to be leaving those hands soon.
Still Harry would have liked to continue school for as long as they stayed
here. Now that option was less likely to come true Harry had assigned himself
schoolwork. It mainly consisted of going over his previous years, since
without actual teachers and such it was a bit dangerous to continue forward
alone. Especially with him being changed, his now changed magic was a bit
wobbly to handle and he made things explode on a regular basis with just first
year spells.
This was yet again something that preoccupied his thoughts, well, his and
pretty much anybody else living in Hogwarts. At the moment the press had not
yet found out about it. In fact the press had, after extensive articles about
He and Draco and Dragonseekers, turned its attention towards the breakdown of
Voldemort's emporium. All over the world sudden spells had abruptly
collapsed showing just how far and wide Voldemort's power had carried him.
These days daily prophet was publishing one article after another about lost
ancient buildings, libraries and even a whole island with an until that point
unknown wizarding culture.
So Harry's days were quite filled with himself and his worries over others.
It wasn't too strange then when he suddenly found himself facing Christmas.
Sirius had taken out a small wooden box and Remus eyes had started glinting.
The box held all things needed to transform their quarters to a true Christmas
paradise. When Snape had walked in shortly followed by Malfoy the reactions
had been too sweet. Snape had stepped into the room, at first he had not
noticed the new look until, all of a sudden he stopped and looked around. An
expression of horror flitted over his face and when they fell on Sirius
wearing a bright red and white santa costume, he bolted. On his way out he
sent Draco spinning. The younger male had shown the same look of horror but
ended up taking it better than Snape.
"You." He growled out at Sirius, a long finger pointed accusingly towards
the older man, "Have no fashion sense whatsoever." With that statement he
had grabbed Harry, removed the charmed wizard hat and dragged him into their
room. And while the hat was burned to cinders quite merrily in the hearth,
Draco had stripped their room and redecorated it. He had made Harry watch the
whole progress. It had been fun to watch Draco prance up and down the room
muttering about patterns and colour like some fancy pure-blooded married
witch. Of course he had not said anything about it out loud.
XxX
Harry woke up from a good nights sleep. He was warm and content and a pair of
arms was wrapped around him. The arms pressed his back flush against Draco
chest and groin. For a moment Harry did nothing but lie there enjoying the
intimate embrace. He was actually so content that he'd started falling back
asleep when a loud curse outside their chamber roused him again.
With a big sigh Harry decided against going back to sleep and wriggled his way
out from Draco's hold. His blond mate held him back for a bit more before
relenting and letting go. Harry smiled and stepped out of bed, a slight chill
made him rush towards the warm private bathroom. Their guardians had insisted
on it. And while he washed and dressed himself he wondered for moment what the
cats were up to. He hadn't seen them for some time now. Then again, Draco
had asked them to take care of their new home to be. The thought of moving to
the castle Draco had talked about both excited and frightened him. To start
anew was something he had secretly dreamed about. It also meant that he would
be leaving a lot behind and he wasn't sure he was ready for that just yet.
Finishing his wash Harry opened the large closet in the bathroom and pulled
from it a warm soft robe. These days it was all he wore, for some reason they
felt more natural and comfortable. That he was completely starkers underneath
it didn't even bother him. For a moment he wondered what Ron or Hermione
would say were they to be told. A big smile spread across his face at the
mental picture of their reactions. Not to mention the robes were styled to
suit his wings and the fabric was sturdy enough to withstand his claws and
horns.
He was brought out of his thoughts again by a barely muffled curse and this
time he recognized the voice. Sirius was apparently having a hard time.
Wondering what could be possibly be wrong this early in the morning Harry
slowly made his way into the living room. On the bed Draco was still deeply
asleep and Harry decided he would wait with unpacking his gifts until everyone
was up and about.
Once he reached the living room he stopped dead in his tracks. On the ground,
just next to the Christmas tree Sirius was struggling with the silver tinsel
that decorated the tree. The silver strands were wrapped all around him and
seemed to be doing their best to bind him. Another curse from Sirius woke
Harry from his trance.
"Sirius, what did you do?" he wondered as he walked towards the sitting
man, hands already outstretched to help his godfather. Sirius looked up with
guilty blue eyes and a 'Don't I look innocent' smile on his face.
"Why Harry, I didn't expect you up so early."
Harry wasn't deterred in the least. "I woke up and then a certain someone
kept me from going back to sleep." In the mean time he started to remove
some of the tinsel. "Now Sirius, what were you doing to have the tinsel try
and strangle you?" Harry's green eyes lit with laughter at the older mans
embarrassed face.
Just then blue eyes wandered to a present with a label that stated it was
meant for Snape. In an instant Harry understood. Sirius had tried to sabotage
Snape's gift. Probably place some prank charm on it. Harry sighed mentally
at Sirius childish actions.
"Oh Sirius you should know better by now, and on Christmas morning too."
Harry chastised him. Sirius seemed to shrink under his hands and when enough
tinsel was removed, he jumped up and made some weird jumps to get away from
Harry. He removed the last of the tinsel himself and threw it with disgust at
the tree.
"It was only a little fun." He growled out in defence. "Nothing bad or
malicious, just a bubble charm, you know for in his hair." By now Sirius was
eying the present with Snape's name again. "I'm sure he would have
appreciated it."
Harry just watched as his godfather looked happily at the present, probably
imagining Snape with a head surrounded with a thick layer of foamy bubbles.
The image surely was appealing but Harry was also sure Snape would not
appreciate it on many different levels. And the twinkle in his godfathers eyes
told him he was ready to try again.
"Let's not bother Snape."
Harry and Sirius spun around surprised. Remus was standing just to their right
and seemed to have rolled right out of bed and into the living room. Relieved
Harry left Sirius to Remus and went for the small kitchen they all shared. In
a make shift freezer he picked out one of the packages left behind by the
Ubasti. His breakfast of sorts. Leaving it out to warm up to room temperature,
he started breakfast for the rest of the occupants. A sickening hunger rose
from his belly and Harry decided to cut breakfast short this time. He didn't
like to wait too long and be more nauseous than hungry.
From the kitchen he heard Remus and Sirius argue for a short while until both
of them walked into the kitchen looking grumpy. Harry followed them from the
corner of his eye while finishing their breakfast. In the back he thought he
could hear Draco move around, it was time to finish up. With a final few
preparations he produced three plates with bacon, eggs and toast. It would
have to do, for he had better things to worry about.
Like how he really needed to eat right now.
XxX
Breakfast rolled by without too much trouble. Halfway through, a house elf
brought a basket with fresh baked croissants and tiny glass jars filled with
different kinds of jams. Draco had walked in shortly after that and helped
himself to the still warm croissants. Harry had looked at the croissant
longingly for some time before shovelling in the rest of his own breakfast:
toast with a thick white layer of the stuff the Ubasti had left behind. He had
no idea what it was but it didn't taste half bad and it did satisfy his
hunger. For some reason other foods didn't really fill him anymore.
Another few bites and he found himself pleasantly full. A quick trip saw him
come back with a bright yellow mug filled with steaming brown tea. While he
sipped away at it the rest finished off their own breakfasts. Then for some
time all was silent until they heard a door open. Snape had arrived. It was
time to gather around the tree and open presents.
The group piled out into the living room seeking places on the couch and in
Harry's case, on the rug near the tree. Seeing Snape sit with them was an
alien experience, because for some reason it felt very wrong. Shaking the
thought away Harry plucked the first present from under the tree and handed it
to Remus.
"Here you go, it's from me." Harry said. Remus accepted the package with
a soft smile on his face.
As the older man carefully pried the paper from his gift Harry was sorting out
the rest of the gifts. He had just finished with it when Remus cried out.
"Harry, you shouldn't have." His voice held an accusing note to it as he
eyed the small grey silk pouch. With care he opened it and from it rolled
three marbles. The marbles the size of ping pong balls were an even blue, but
within a rune glowed a soft pale yellow. Seconds ticked by as Remus kept
staring at the treasure displayed in his hand. The marbles, better known as
cornerstones, were rare and very costly. They were used to set a parameter to
guard a certain area and detain a werewolf inside it. The effect that enclosed
space had was said to be soothing and comforting for werewolves and the change
they had to go through. They were a rare and precious gift.
Whilst Remus mused over his gift, Snape eyeing the stones from safe distance
with keen interest in his eyes, Harry handed Sirius his present. A small blue
package with a piece of parchment tied to it saying it was from Harry also.
Eyes alight, Sirius ripped the paper off. In it was a long silver chained
necklace with a tiny motorbike dangling from it. Sirius eyes grew wide and
then he howled in joy.
"Harry my boy, I don't know how you got it but this surely puts most
Christmas present I had to shame." Sirius howled sending Remus scooting away
in a poor attempt to protect his hearing. In a rush of clothes and hair Sirius
hugged Harry to him and planted a kiss on his head. On the couch Draco flung
forward and headed straight for Sirius.
Harry managed to just push Sirius away and put himself in Draco's path to
stop him from killing his godfather. Luckily it worked and Draco stopped just
before running into Harry. While he was still pumped up Harry handed Draco his
present and guided the blond back to the couch. On his way there he handed
Snape his present from Draco.
Slowly the presents under the Christmas tree disappeared and at the end of it
Harry found himself with an 'Annoy your enemy' book, three different pair
of socks, a small snow globe with three very familiar animals in it, a tiny
portrait of his mother and a ring. The last one was from Draco and though it
was a bit too much, Harry knew he would wear it always. The text engraved in
the ring were the vows he and Draco had spoken. It was as close to a
declaration of love he would get from Draco some time to come.
Absentmindedly Harry noticed Sirius leave the rooms through the small garden
connected to the living room. Remus was following him reluctantly. Snape was
gliding to the opposite direction, his brand new centuries old potions book
firmly placed against his body with his right arm. Nothing else but that small
gesture told Harry he enjoyed the gift he had gotten from Draco. What kept him
occupied though, were his thoughts.
This time, he pondered about why he wanted a declaration from Draco. He
couldn't say he was in love with Draco. At least what he felt was not the
love that was depicted in all those stupid romance novels Ginny read and liked
to talk about. He didn't think Draco was perfect or the only one for him. In
fact Draco had so many flaws under that pristine look of his it should be
considered a crime. With a chuckle Harry left Draco on the couch and headed
towards the kitchen. He was hungry again even though not much time had passed
since breakfast.
In the kitchen he made some bagels for himself with the thick white paste and
wolfed them down in seconds. When he returned to Draco he was polishing of a
third bagel with the paste. His stomach settled down after that and Harry
watched as Draco carried his own Christmas loot to their bedroom.
XxX
Diner that night was a busy affair. It should have been a nice enjoyable time
but things had gone wrong soon after they had started eating. Sirius and Remus
had been joking together, it was a pleasant change and Harry thoroughly
enjoyed hearing the stories about his parents whilst they studied at Hogwarts.
Then out of the blue, pain washed over Harry and he dropped his food.
He was vaguely aware that the voices had grown silent around him but for one
calling his name again and again. He could not answer however as the pain
steadily grew and robbed him of feeling, then his other senses. The room grew
dark until even the last pinprick of light was swallowed. Before he was
completely gone he thought he heard his godfather scream and chairs falling.
Someone stopped his fall and he found himself sheltered in a warm embrace and
familiar scent.
When next he woke he found himself watching the white ceiling of what could
only be the hospital wing. For a moment he wondered why he would be there when
he remembered fainting. His heartbeat sped up as he panicked then it calmed
down again when he felt no trace of the pain that had inflicted him during
dinner.
Still concerned Harry worked himself into a sitting position and for the first
time since a long time he found his wings to be irritating and bothersome. He
had almost forgotten what a nuisance they could be. It had become second
nature to both Draco and him to walk around with wings. Just then one of the
wings flopped on his head and the claw fell on his face. Grumbling Harry
pushed it back and tried to move his wings into a more comfortable position.
The next thing to bother him were his horns and claws. Apparently fainting
made him clumsy he concluded.
Suddenly a pair of hands were there to help him and when he looked up it was
to find Draco looking at him from concerned grey silvery eyes. The blond was
paler than usual and fear lingered in those grey orbs as he gently helped
Harry sit up.
"We were so worried Harry, don't ever do this again."
Harry made a snorting sound at the tone but the meaning behind the words
warmed his heart some. His mate cared for him deeply even though he was being
a regular pain most of the time. Not to mention he still had his bouts of
pushing Harry away. Heaving a mental sigh Harry finally managed to get into a
comfortable sitting position. He waved Draco away and the place was
immediately filled by Madam Pomfrey.
"Well young man, you had all of us quite worried, but I guess for once I
can't really berate you about it this time, since it is something natural
for once. Of course no one expected it to happen so fast." Poppy sighed and
caressed Harry face gently. A snarl could be heard from just behind her and
she pulled her hand away.
"Well then, let me be the first to congratulate the both of you with your
child."
It was like a freezing spell had been cast. Everything around him became cold.
And though he could see Draco and Pomfrey talking he could not understand
them. All his thoughts and feeling were numbed to one concentration point. A
child, he was carrying a child. The thought alone made him feel all the
colder. Somewhere in the back of his mind he understood that this was shock.
Trying to get his mind around the fact that he was pregnant, Harry forced
himself to start functioning again. He did not want to faint again and he
certainly wouldn't throw a fit like some weak little girl. He managed to
regain some control to hear Draco ask about the pain he had felt. It was a
good question and Harry wanted to know too, if only to just take his mind away
from the bigger news.
"Ah yes the pain. It really was some phenomenon. From what I could deduct
the child was nothing but raw magic and DNA, if you will. It was not of flesh
so to speak. The pain Harry felt was the child taking to flesh. I think you
should also be able to get back on normal food groups now Harry. That paste
you have been eating is a very high magical substance, Professor Snape is
researching it now. He seems quite taken with it." Madam Pomfrey continued
on about her assumptions while Harry and Draco looked at each other. Then at
the same time they looked at Harry's stomach and the child that grew there.
"This is going to be weird." Harry finally spoke, interrupting Madam Pomfrey.
"I agree, but not to worry we will all help you." Poppy promised softly
then she took off, leaving Draco and Harry alone.
For the longest time nothing was said as they both tried to process what they
had just been told. Finally Harry just gave up and lifted his blanket. It was
a silent invitation, and he felt glad when Draco crawled in beside him without
saying anything. Snuggled together, they fell asleep.
XxX
(3 years)
Harry soared through he sky, his wings beating and causing a stir among the
few birds he passed by. Behind him Draco followed. Harry smirked as he sped
up, forcing his mate to do the same. Draco might carry more of the bulk, but
Harry was still more than his match when it came to speed and agility. With a
chuckle Harry sped up some more and between enjoying Draco's calls of curses
he searched the horizon until he saw the distinct dark form of their home.
The left wing on the second floor held lit windows and Harry wondered what his
mother in law was doing up and about. These days Narcissa kept early hours and
it was rare to find up in the late evening hours these days. Draco had once
told him his mother was not the social butterfly she pretended to be to please
his father. Harry had never asked more about it.
Shifting his attention, he saw one of the Ubasti prowling the roof, probably
to make sure the premises were secure. Sooner than expected he landed before
the large door that opened up to their home. A few minutes later Draco landed
also scowling he opened the door which was heavily guarded. As Harry passed he
dipped his head sideways and gave Draco a soft lick to tease him. The blond
grumbled and made a grab for him which Harry nimbly avoided with a few quick
steps.
Laughing, Harry disappeared down the hall to the room of their son to check up
on him. Even now he felt uncomfortable to stay away for long hours, but it was
just something he would need to learn. His son was turning into a real big boy
these days and Harry couldn't keep pretending he was a needing baby any
longer. Somewhere it hurt a bit hat thought that his and Draco's child would
grow up needing them less and less.
Now completely silent Harry approached his sons' room and carefully went
inside. In the far corner a small bed held his sleeping son. The small
Dragonseeker was sprawled about, his small wings laying either side of him.
Wild blond locks formed a halo around his head. For many minutes Harry watched
the chest of his son rise and fall in steady rhythm. All was well. With one
last glance Harry left the room to join Draco in their own private chamber.
Inside several torches were lit. Draco could be heard changing in the
bathroom. Feeling warm and comfortable Harry made his way to the bed and
discarded his outer robes. A house elf appeared to pick them up and ask if he
could help the master. Harry shook his head and settled down on the bed.
Today's trip had been great fun. Talking with Sirius and Remus, and playing
Quidditch with Ron. It was like celebrating someone's birthday. Ginny and
Hermione had been there too. Ginny, now a nurse in training, had been
enthusiastically telling about some new course she was taking. Hermione had
just managed to climb up to a more fanciful position in the ministry. Beside
that Hermione was still studying evening classes and gathering more and more
knowledge.
Harry and Ron spend some time together in the living room talking about the
changes. Apparently laws were being taken down and put up faster than ever.
Rules that had been keeping werewolves and vampires from having honest jobs
were destroyed and new laws saw to a fairer treatment of all. Though all of
this was still looked upon suspiciously, all was going good so far. Ron had
explained a bit more of it but Harry had soon changed the subject back to
their friends.
Another talk with Ginny and Hermione had Harry wondering if he should add some
more subjects to his own list. He had of course finished his schooling, but
with the long life ahead he had decided he might as well keep studying.
Hermione was of course delighted by this news. Things were good between them
again, though they would never be such close friends as before the incident.
Still they write each other weekly and Harry just stopped paying attention to
her lectures. Of course it helped that she tried not to boss them around any
longer, and tried to keep her lectures to a minimum.
At the end of the day Draco and Harry had said their goodbyes and promised to
pay another visit soon. On their way back Harry had wondered if with time they
would grow apart more and more. For time would have less meaning for Draco and
him than it would for Hermione and the others. He had pushed the thought away
though, since he knew deep down that in the end they would stop being the
closest of friends. And over many years all of them would be nothing but a
memory only kept alive in his mind and the offspring they produced.
It was a sad thought but one he would grow accustomed too. He had other things
to take up his world now. Letting himself fall back on the bed, Harry decided
that in another year or five he would want another child. Tork would be big
enough by then and he was sure by that time he could get Draco to agree. The
poor man was still shaken from Harry giving birth to Tork. A soft chuckle
escaped him just as Draco appeared from the bathroom.
"And what is so funny this time?" Draco asked climbing on the bed from the
other side.
Harry rolled over and propped himself on his elbows. "Just thinking back to
when Tork was born and how you fainted." Harry said coyly. Draco snorted and
made a mock grab. Harry pulled his head back a bit. "Well it was awfully
nice to hear about after I gave birth to our son. At least I wasn't the only
one suffering. Imagine that, fainting and that on top of the stairs. Tsk
tsk."
This time Draco launched and took Harry down with him both of them rolling of
the bed onto the ground. "Show some respect to your mate. I had just been
told by your mutt of a godfather you were dead. Sorry if I overreacted when
hearing something like that."
Harry stilled stopping his struggling. Draco soon followed and the both of
them lay there entangled. "Yeah I don't remember that part, but Madam
Pomfrey told me if it hadn't been for the Ubasti I would really have been a
goner. Me and Tork both."
They stayed silent for a few moments more than Harry pulled Draco's face
closer and kissed him. It was a slow kiss asking for entrance giving and Draco
complete control. The blond wasn't slow to pick the reins up either, Harry
noticed. It seemed tonight was going to be a fun night.
A few seconds later clothes were ripped apart and Harry felt Draco's mouth
move down his neck to his chest. Holding is breath Harry watched the blond
hair fall on his skin, and then Draco reached a nipple. Letting out a
whimpering sigh, Harry grabbed on to Draco's shoulders sinking his nails
through the expensive silk robe. Draco let out a grunt and bit softly down on
the nipple. An electric jolt of pleasure set Harry on fire.
Yes tonight was going to pleasurable.
END