Author's note: This is a oneshot dedicated to Cazzylove, because it's her birthday today! Happy birthday, sweetie!

Also, like the previous two birthday fics, this one will have two parts, because it's becoming quite long *coughs* I really should learn how to keep to a limit ...

Anyway, here is part 1 and part 2 will most likely appear next Saturday :)

Warnings: slash; angst; some drama; MPreg (plus the birth happens here, though the actual birth giving part isn't explicit); a bit AU; disapproving Narcissa and Lucius. I think that's it for this chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling owns it

I hope you'll like it!

Beloved misfit Part 1

"I need to talk to Jacques Lière about his potion's supplies," twenty-four year old Draco Malfoy murmured in the ear of his spouse of two years. "Are you going to be fine on your own for a while?" His fingers briefly skidded over the other one's hand.

His husband, Harry Potter, threw him a tight smile; his deep green eyes glancing around the ballroom in apprehension. "Yeah, sure, no problem," Harry mumbled with a shrug.

Cool lips brushed over his cheek. "After this, we'll return to Grimmauld Place." Having said that, the blond haired potions distributor strode over to a man standing a couple of feet away and who was clad in maroon coloured robes.

Dispassionately Harry saw how Draco caught the man's attention immediately after joining the small group and the two men started talking animatedly; laughter reaching Harry after someone replied to whatever Draco had said.

Fingers tightening around the glass with ice cold mountain water, Harry tore his eyes away from the scene and tried to make himself inconspicuously by sitting down on the broad windowsill in one of the many small niches.

Return to Grimmauld Place. Not home; Grimmauld Place. It would never be home for Draco, even with them being married now.

Feeling the familiar bitterness rearing its ugly head, Harry took a large sip; hoping the cold water would soothe the tight ball of resentment.

Why was he even here? He could have stayed home; maybe visit Hermione, but instead had let Draco convince him to attend a party where he knew no one and of which the main conversation topics revolved around potions or the latest rumours about the Ministry or a Pureblood event. Neither one was something that interested him. And despite the fact that he was now one of the strongest wizards alive (due to him killing Voldemort and Dumbledore being dead), nobody at these gatherings was willing to engage him in a conversation, simply because of his blood status.

Even though he realized their prissy attitude shouldn't bother him, he hated feeling like a pariah in these events.

Glancing around, he caught the ice blue eyes of a dark blond witch who he assumed was from the Greengrass family. Her eyes trailed over his hunched form – briefly pausing at his mid-section – and her lips pulled up in a mocking smile; the look in her eyes clearly conveying her disdain for him. He barely hid the wince that run through his body and he casted his eyes downwards and mentally urged Draco to get to the bloody point, so they could leave. He loathed the way Purebloods kept skirting around the issue, instead of getting to the bloody point immediately.

"Mister Potter."

Hearing the greeting being issued in a familiar soft spoken voice made him freeze momentarily and he counted to ten underneath his breath, before he looked up and turned his head, seeing – as expected – a light blonde woman with light blue eyes gazing at him. Narcissa Malfoy.

"Good evening, Mrs Malfoy," he replied in what he hoped was a neutral voice.

Her long gown – which was a very pale green – rustled softly when she stepped closer.

"We didn't expect you to attend tonight," she said, glancing at his stomach where his robe could no longer hide his growing bulge. "My son told us about your … fainting spell," she continued delicately, though her eyes were cool instead of worried.

Harry felt his cheeks heat up in shame. Yesterday he had been so focused on one of his new cases that he had neglected to eat for almost the entire day. His body had protested and when he had been changing his robes for more comfortable clothing, he had felt light in his head. The next moment he had found himself lying crumpled on the carpeted floor of the bedroom. Kreacher had popped in and with one snap of his crooked fingers, Harry had been levitated on the bed. While Harry had cast a diagnostic charm to make sure the fall hadn't been harmful, Kreacher had alerted Draco. The following hour had been composed of Draco fussing about him and scolding him.

Being subjected to Narcissa's cold gaze made him wish Draco had kept silent about the whole ordeal. As if she – or Lucius – needed more reasons to disapprove of him.

He cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I'm feeling better now. Draco asked me to accompany him tonight, so I did."

"One does wonder why my son wanted you here, when I don't recall you ever expressing an interest in either potions or gossip," she smiled blandly. "Then again, I suppose it is in your best interest to go along with his whims. Men like Draco can be difficult when it comes to keeping their attention."

Like every other time, Harry didn't have a clue as to what to respond to Narcissa's poisonous barbs.

"I, I need to go to the restroom; excuse me," he muttered, rising up and placing the glass on the windowsill.

"Of course." She inclined her head. "Be careful; experiencing a fainting spell here could end in disaster."

Not even bothering to glance at her, he quickly walked past her and – ignoring the eyes that seemed to burn in the back of his head – left the ballroom, taking a deep breath once the doors fell shut behind him, cutting off the chatter and leaving him in silence.

Every time. Every time she spoke to him, she had to insult him. What would it take for her and her husband to finally accept him as their son-in-law? If anyone was allowed to have a grudge, it was Draco because of their animosity during their school years. And yet the blond had forgiven him and had accepted Harry's hand in friendship when he had offered it.

It wasn't even that he had coerced or forced Draco to have a relationship with him. It had been Draco who had initiated the first kiss; it had been Draco who had asked him out on their first date and it had been Draco who had asked him to marry him.

Harry had even gone out of his way to make sure the Malfoys didn't receive any punishment for their supposed actions during the war. Narcissa and Draco had never actively participated in the war and Lucius had held himself neutral (why he had done that was something Harry still hadn't figured out). But because of Lucius' former involvement with Voldemort during the first war, the Ministry had decided the whole family was guilty of conspiring against the Wizarding world, aiding Voldemort and murdering Muggles. It was only thanks to Harry testifying on their behalf that the Ministry had reluctantly given up on persecuting the Malfoys.

One would think that that little fact at least ought to have placed Harry in their good graces.

But no; whatever Harry did, nothing was good enough. All he got for his efforts were subtle insults and sneers. Of course they were smart enough not to act like that in the vicinity of their son. And that's why Harry had kept quiet about the way the couple treated him: there was no way he could prove that they were less than nice to him. He had known from the moment he had become friends with Draco that the blond held his family in high esteem and he didn't tolerate any bad talk about them.

Harry sighed and leant against the wall. From his spot he had a great view of the large garden and he stared at the flowers bathing in the light of the full moon while his thoughts went back to the first insult issued by Narcissa and Lucius four years ago when Draco had introduced him officially as his boyfriend.

"Mother, Father, I have something to tell you."

From his spot behind the half closed door, twenty year old Harry Potter fidgeted nervously, awaiting his cue. His boyfriend of nearly a year, Draco Malfoy, had decided to inform his parents about their relationship. While Harry was ecstatic about it, because it showed that Draco was serious about them, he was also very nervous. He didn't have a clue as to what Purebloods thought about homosexuality and only having met Narcissa and Lucius in the Ministry during their trial, he didn't know whether they would accept the fact that their son was gay or not.

He hoped to Merlin that they would accept the situation, because he didn't want to leave Draco. In the eleven months he was together with the blond, he had developed feelings that went beyond a simple attraction; something he didn't think he would ever experience after the disastrous break-up with Ginny.

"What do you need to tell us, son?" Lucius asked and if Harry wasn't mistaken the older man sounded apprehensively.

"I have fallen in love with someone."

It was silent for a moment.

"Oh?" Narcissa sounded curious. "That's good to hear, Draco. Who is the lucky lady?"

"Man."

"Excuse me?"

"It's a man I've fallen in love with."

"You've fallen in love with a man?" Lucius repeated and his voice had cooled a bit, making Harry wince.

"Yes. I realize this isn't exactly the life you have envisioned for me, but I'm happy with him, Father. He is intelligent, witty, handsome, quite powerful … He's a far better match than any woman you would present to me," Draco stated confidently.

It was silent again, but this time Harry had a feeling that an unspoken conversation was going on and he tugged at his jacket again. Was this a good or a bad sign?

"Well, we've always said that we want you to be happy, son," Narcissa spoke up slowly. "And if you're certain that this man can make you happy, then I suppose we can't object to that, right, darling?"

"Are you still courting the man?"

"No, we're together for almost a year now."

"Almost a year?" Narcissa sounded shocked. "Darling, why didn't you inform us about this sooner?"

"We were still getting used to our relationship. It hasn't been an easy eleven months, because we didn't want the public to know about it, before we're ready to tell them." Harry was already quite familiar with Draco's gestures and manner of speech and so he could easily envision that that reply went together with a casual shrug.

"The public. Draco, son, who is this man that has snared your attention?" Lucius asked suspiciously.

"Harry Potter."

"I beg your pardon; Harry Potter? You've been seeing Harry Potter for the past eleven months?" Narcissa exclaimed shocked and Harry winced. The way she uttered his name didn't sound exactly favourably.

"Yes; we became friends shortly after the war ended and over the course of three years our feelings developed until I asked him out and he agreed," Draco replied casually.

"I see," Lucius murmured. "Will we meet him … officially soon?"

"Yes; as a matter of fact, you can meet him now, as he is standing in the hallway waiting for permission to enter," Draco answered rather smugly.

Heavy silence reigned for a couple of seconds, before Narcissa broke it. "Well then, I suppose it is time that we meet officially."

Footsteps neared the door and Harry hastily straightened his back, trying one last time to flatten his hair, which proved to be futile. Brushing off imaginary lint of his jacket, he looked up when the door opened wider and Draco appeared before him with a smile gracing his lips.

"Ready?" the blond asked and brushed his hand against Harry's wrist.

The younger man swallowed and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I guess."

"You'll do fine; just be yourself," Draco whispered and then intertwined their fingers and pulled him forwards.

He could barely keep himself from stumbling when he entered the room and his heart started to beat quicker. A quick look around him made him assume that they were in some sort of private library. A couple of bookcases, filled to the brim with thick, old tomes, were placed on either side of the room, with a third wall containing a large fireplace, completely built out of marble. One window between two bookcases let the sun cast its rays in the room.

Narcissa and Lucius were seated on two separate armchairs while a tray with two wine glasses floated between them. Right across of them, a small couch was placed with two lacy pillows on each side.

They rose from their seats when Draco brought Harry in front of the couch.

"Mister Potter, it is nice to finally meet you officially," Narcissa smiled coolly and Lucius offered a single nod.

Harry couldn't help but notice that they both didn't offer their hand to shake. He gave the couple a small smile, determined to leave a good impression despite their history. "Good afternoon, Mister and Mrs Malfoy."

Narcissa and Lucius sat down and Draco tugged softly at this hand, urging him to take a seat as well. They sunk down on the couch and even though the couch was very comfortable, Harry couldn't relax; he hoped he didn't look as tense as he felt.

They passed the time with some small talk and questions like where they had met again and who pursued who until Draco was called away by a house elf to deal with a pesky owl that didn't want to let go of a letter.

The second their son stepped out of the room and closed the door, the temperature in the room seemed to drop and Harry resisted the urge to fidget.

"I have to admit, Mister Potter, that I'm surprised," Narcissa spoke up with a thin smile and slightly narrowed eyes. "Out of all his options, Draco chose you – remarkable, isn't it?"

Lucius smiled coldly. "My son always had peculiar interests," he murmured lightly.

Harry's eyes widened and he felt out of place. What could he say in response? What he had been worried about, turned out to be true: the Malfoys weren't happy with the choice their son made. Was it because of their history? Had he screwed up somehow during the small talk?

Harry was saved from further awkward silence when Draco entered the room again with a letter loosely held in his hand.

The conversation was picked up again and slowly shifted to Draco's studies with an occasional question aimed at Harry, who felt more out of place than before.

This wouldn't be the last time that the Malfoys let their disdain of Harry known to him.

Throughout four years of having Lucius and Narcissa as his parents-in-law, he had never heard one good comment aimed at him out of their mouths. Oh, they were full of praise of his job as a Curse breaker with Draco in earshot, but as soon as he found himself alone with them, they didn't waste a chance to tell him through cold smiles, even colder eyes and snide remarks just how much of a bad choice they thought he was. When Draco had asked him to marry him on his birthday – which had been held in the Malfoy garden – Harry had almost expected the couple to dissuade Draco from asking him.

But of course, public appearances had to be kept and it wouldn't look good if they rejected having Harry as their official son-in-law, now would it?

He snorted in dismay and shook his head. It was only because he loved Draco so much – more than he thought he was capable of – that he hadn't said something about their behaviour. To whom would he complain? To them directly? All it would do, was give them pleasure in knowing they were making him miserable. Tell Draco? The man adored his parents and he probably wouldn't want to hear that they were capable of acting nasty.

He could vent to his friends, but all that would do was bring more tension between them and the Malfoy family.

No, he was on his own for this. But maybe, maybe they would ease up on their snide remarks in four months.

His hand dipped down to caress his stomach. He pressed two fingers down and was rewarded by a slight kick, causing a smile to bloom on his face.

"Maybe you'll be able to soften up your grandparents, hm?" he whispered and patted his stomach.

"Ah, here you are." Draco looked at him curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to go to the bathroom," Harry lied and pushed himself off the wall.

"You look tired," Draco murmured and reached out with his hand to caress Harry's cheek. "I think it's time we return to Grimmauld Place."

"Sounds good," Harry smiled wanly and one snap of Draco's fingers brought a house elf to them, holding their cloaks in his wrinkly hands.

"Thank you," Harry muttered and let Draco help him put his cloak on; he would have liked to do it on his own, but Draco had been rather fussy since he had fainted.

They said their goodbyes to Draco's parents – Harry steadfastly ignoring their heavy eyes – and used the disk that would transport them to the entrance hall of Grimmauld Place, as Flooing or Apparating was out of the question for Harry now.

Grimmauld Place had undergone a true transformation during the time Harry had started living there. Gone were the dust, the Doxies, cobwebs, cursed objects and even the painting of Sirius' mother; the walls had been repainted in lighter colours, the lights had been repaired, and rooms had been reorganized. No longer was there a heavy, dreary, dark atmosphere clouding the house; instead it had turned into a rather comfortable, inviting home.

After a long period of hesitation, Harry had eventually decided to make Sirius' room his bedroom; that way he still had the feeling that he was close to his godfather and when he had started dating Draco, the blond man hadn't made a fuss about it. After two years of dating, he even had his own laboratory in the attic.

"You want to take a bath?" Draco raised an eyebrow and he placed the Travel Disk on a small shelf.

Harry shook his head. "Nah, I'm taking a shower tomorrow morning," he replied and shrugged off the cloak.

"Suit yourself." Draco shrugged. "I'm going to take a quick shower and then I'll join you in bed."

Harry nodded and made his way to their bedroom, while Draco disappeared into a room at the end of the hallway.

With a weary sigh, Harry started to undress himself, letting his clothes pool on the ground while he slid into a worn out shirt and some sweatpants. He padded in the bathroom and steam was clouding up the mirror coming from Draco's shower. He quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face and then went back to slip into the bed. He laid down on his back and stared at the ceiling.

According to the Malfoy tradition, when the heir married, he and his spouse were expected to live in Malfoy Manor together with the parents of the heir. The new couple would have a wing for themselves, so they would not have to interact with the parents if they didn't feel like it. Draco had always been fond of following the traditions, but this was one tradition Harry had refused to participate in. It wasn't Gryffindor like, but he wanted to avoid confrontation with Lucius and Narcissa as much as possible. If he lived in the manor, who knew how much snide remarks he would have to endure then? He dreaded every meeting he had with them – living with them in one manor would just give them more fuel.

Draco hadn't liked it that he had put his foot down on that tradition. It had been one of their few big fights, leading to an icy silence for a week before the blond caved and said he wouldn't mind to continue living in Grimmauld Place. In exchange for that concession, Harry had had to agree to wear the thin bracelet with the Malfoy crest branded upon it.

Wearing a thin bracelet was a small sacrifice for not living together with his parents-in-law and Harry had eagerly agreed to that deal.

But of course even with this deal, Draco would never consider Grimmauld Place as his real home …

The door opened with a soft creaking sound and Harry turned his head sideways to look at his husband, who was still only wearing a towel around his hips.

Draco bent down and riffled through the top drawer; he shook out a pair of grey sweatpants and after hanging out the towel to dry on a chair, he pulled on the sweatpants and stepped in the bed. Immediately he turned around and pulled Harry in his arms, so that his head came to rest on a pale shoulder. The scent of honey soap entered Harry's nose and he slid an arm around Draco's naked waist.

"I'm sorry for taking so long with Lière," Draco murmured and absentmindedly started to stroke Harry's stomach. "The man had a whole spiel about his business going, before I managed to interrupt him."

Harry shrugged with one shoulder. "Doesn't really matter," he muttered against pale skin.

He could feel grey eyes looking at him. "I know you weren't particularly interested in this party."

"I don't really mind," Harry sighed, wishing Draco would drop the conversation. "And I survived it, no?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Draco, I'm fine. How many times do I have to tell you that?" Harry answered irritated. "I just forgot to eat lunch, that's all. I'll be more careful from now on."

"Be sure you are, because otherwise I or someone else will check up on you during the day," Draco warned him.

"I don't need a baby-sitter," Harry huffed and looked up to scowl.

"Harry, I'm just worried about you. I don't want anything to happen to you two," Draco answered solemnly and dropped a kiss on Harry's forehead.

"You think I want something bad to happen? I just got caught up in a case; I'll make sure to set an alarm now in case I get another difficult one," Harry said, in the hope that that would placate his lover.

"About that – don't you think it's time you put a stop to your work? Curse breaking isn't exactly a safe job," Draco added and momentarily tightened his grip.

His fingers twitched and he sighed. "I'll lower my work amount, but I can only stop completely once I find someone to take over for a while."

"Maybe you can ask mother for help. I'm sure she'll be happy to ask around for you," Draco suggested.

Harry had to remind himself that yelling out a loud 'NO WAY IN HELL' would not go over well and would open up a can of worms he'd rather keep closed. Instead he replied flatly, "No, thank you. I already have some people in mind; I just need to contact them and ask."

"Well, just make sure you don't wait too long with that," Draco muttered and sounded slightly disapproving. "When is your next check-up?"

Harry drew his arm back and laid it right above his swelling stomach. "Snape said he had a free afternoon next week," he replied and yawned.

"Let me know when so that I can go with you."

Harry nodded and after kissing each other good night, they fell asleep.

"You're certain he knows how late he was supposed to be here?" Snape inquired and raised an eyebrow.

Harry was seated on the couch in the living room while Snape had taken to sit on the only armchair available in the room.

"Yes, I reminded him about it this morning," Harry replied with a sigh and rubbed his neck. "He's probably running a bit late."

Snape was the one who had create the male fertility potion for Harry to use. After examining Harry, he had refused at first. The damage done to his body during the war and his job as Curse Breaker had made it rather difficult for his body to handle a pregnancy. It wasn't too dangerous, but there were still risks that had to be taken into account, such as making sure his magic wasn't too out of control. His magic was needed to sustain the pregnancy, so if it went out of balance, it was disastrous for the baby and it could even start to attack him. That was why regular check-ups were needed; in his case, he needed a check-up every two weeks to make sure he was progressing normally.

Because his magic and the damage to his body proved a risk, Snape hadn't wanted to help him at first. It was only after weeks of Harry pestering him through multiple owls and Floo calls that the man had caved.

In return for receiving the potion, Harry had to promise he would subject himself to biweekly check-ups without any complaint. And because Snape didn't trust any Saint Mungos Healer to do a thorough job, he had begrudgingly offered to perform all the check-ups.

Draco had been ecstatic the moment Harry had told him that Snape was willing to brew the potion and despite Snape's demands, he had never told his husband just how dangerous the pregnancy could be. If Draco knew the risks, there was a big chance he would have forbidden Harry to take the potion and that was something Harry had wanted to avoid. Draco had let him know in the beginning of their friendship that he wished to be a father one day and because Harry himself had a children wish, he wanted to give Draco this chance.

Draco didn't know that Harry was examined biweekly; he was led to believe that there was only one check-up every month and Harry wanted to keep it that way. There was no need to worry Draco needlessly.

Snape, however, had a completely different opinion about it.

"Have you told him?" Snape asked in a neutral voice.

Harry scowled. "No, of course not."

"Don't you think he deserves to know how dangerous this can be?"

"Can be," Harry pointed out sweetly. "It doesn't mean it will be. And so far nothing bad has happened. There is no need to make him worry about something that probably won't happen."

"He's your husband and the father of your child," Snape remarked and his dark eyes glittered. "If anyone deserves to know the complete truth, it's him."

"It would be stupid to make him worried about nothing," Harry repeated stubbornly and crossed his arms. "I'll be fine and this baby will be fine."

"Let's hope you're right about that," Snape murmured and their conversation died out once they heard footsteps nearing them.

"Sorry I'm late!" Draco sounded frazzled and he dumped his cloak on the table. "There was a mishap with a potion and I barely stopped it from blowing up the cauldron."

Snape snorted. "Just sit down, so that I can start."

While Draco looked almost in awe at the screen displaying their baby moving, Harry ignored Snape's meaningful glance and merely enjoyed the sight of seeing his baby healthy.

Four months later, it became clear once again just how much Narcissa disliked her son-in-law.

It was a cold afternoon in late January. Draco had left that morning for a meeting with his father's associates. He had been reluctant to go, because Harry was nearing his due date – only five days left – and it was only after Harry had urged him to go, reassuring him he would be fine on his own for a day, that the blond had left with a promise to come back as soon as possible.

After handing over his cases to Dean and Charlie three months ago, he had been occupying himself by ordering furniture for the nursery and today he was planning on looking through catalogues to figure out what kind of design he wanted on the walls. It was the only thing left to do to finish up the nursery and Draco had given him free reign about it.

Throughout the entire morning he had suffered through cramps, but he didn't think much of it. He had been feeling those cramps before and it turned out to be false alarm every time.

However, right after he had placed the catalogues on the kitchen table, a sharp pain – as if a knife was slashing through his stomach – made him double up with a low groan, his fingers clenched tightly on the edge of the table.

"Shit," he cursed when he felt something wet dripping down his legs.

Of course the baby had decided to come out today.

"You just couldn't wait a few more days, huh?" he mumbled and slowly straightened out. So the cramps hadn't been as innocent as he thought they were. He sighed and placed a hand on his stomach, which felt hard to the touch.

Grimacing, he tried to remember where the business meeting was taking place. He needed to contact Draco immediately. The father had to be there during the labour to share his magic; otherwise it could go very wrong. It had something to do with the fact that the womb was practically feeding on his magic and to a lesser part that of Draco's as well. While Harry's magic would work on getting the baby safely out of his body, Draco's magic would keep him stabilized.

He also needed to ingest a potion, but for that he would need to contact Snape. The man would also help him deliver the baby and he could already imagine how awkward that would be. But he had known about that fact when he had been given the male fertility potion, so he had no right to complain about that now.

"All right, first I need to contact Draco," he muttered and turned around. He had to lean against the doorpost for a minute when a new contraction hit him.

As soon as he had caught his breath, he made his way to the fireplace, of which the only use was making Floo calls. Once he had a pinch of Floo powder between his fingers – ready to throw it in the fire – he suddenly realised that he didn't know where Draco was. He couldn't recall whether his husband had told him the exact location and he cursed. How the hell was he supposed to contact him without knowing his whereabouts?

He remembered that Lucius had accompanied Draco to the meeting and he bit his lip. Narcissa would probably know where her husband had gone to, but he didn't want to ask her help. He could already imagine her sneering about the fact that he didn't even know where his own husband was and he could do without her poisonous jabs.

He felt his baby moving faintly and knew he had no other choice. He would have to contact Narcissa and ask her where Draco was. He wasn't about to risk his baby, just because he didn't want to deal with his mother-in-law.

He dragged the only chair in the small room to the front of the fireplace and sat down on it. Taking a deep breath, he threw the powder in the fire after hesitating for a few more seconds and waited until the fire turned from a bright red yellow to a deep grass green.

"Malfoy Manor," he said clearly and leant forwards a little. His hands clenched around his knees and he gritted his teeth when he was assaulted by another contraction.

"Is there a reason why you are calling this late?" Narcissa regarded him with cold eyes, raising an eyebrow when she saw how hunched Harry was sitting.

"Do you know where Draco is? More specifically where the meeting takes place? I need to call him," Harry said and tried to keep his breathing even.

"I know where he is, yes, but I doubt your Floo would be able to make contact with that building. It isn't known by many people, you know," she smiled coolly, seeming to imply that he would never be able to contact the building because he wasn't part of that world.

Snapping at her wouldn't help his case, so he gritted his teeth instead and said, "Can you please contact him and tell him the baby is coming?"

She gave him a condescending smile. "Will do."

Before Harry could say anything else, she closed off the Floo and he sunk back into the chair. He could only hope that her dislike for him wouldn't stretch out to being harmful for his baby.

Slowly he stood up and walked out of the room, only to enter a different room further down the hallway. The room was the closest to the centre of the house and that made it the ideal place to give birth. The centre of the house contained the most magic and that would help during the birthing process. Earlier in his pregnancy, Draco had ordered a bed for the room and a screen separated the room, creating a space for a small bathroom where the baby could be cleaned. A pile of towels on a small round table was waiting to be used.

Slowly pacing back and forth – Hermione had ensured him it would make the birthing process easier – he kept track of the time between each contraction. So far there was an half hour between each one and as long as that time didn't grow shorter before Draco arrived, there was no need to worry.

Two hours later, there was still no trace of Draco. Not even a Floo call or a Patronus to let him know he would be later. The time between the contractions had shortened to twenty minutes apart and he was currently sitting down on the bed before he became too dizzy from the pacing back and forth.

Where was Draco?

He took a shuddering breath and tried to relax. He needed to call Snape; the potion had to be taken in when his contractions were around fifteen minutes apart in order for it to completely work.

Rubbing a hand over his stomach, he stood up again and walked over to a small shelf next to the bed. A small, white button with a dark spot in the middle had been spelled to act as some sort of alarm. As soon as Harry would touch it and say the password, the button would start to glow and a button on Snape's robe would start to produce thrilling sounds, letting the man know he was needed to help with the baby. Harry was only allowed to use the button if he was certain he was in labour, because Snape would immediately appear with the right potion.

He took it and murmured, "Phoenix."

A soft white glow emitted from the button and he threw it back on the shelf. Not even a minute later, he heard the Floo in the other room activating and familiar footsteps making their way to the room where he was.

Snape appeared in the doorway and studied him. "How much time between each one?"

"Almost fifteen minutes now," Harry replied and forced himself to keep breathing through the next contraction.

The Potions Master nodded and handed Harry the vial, who drank it with a grimace. He would never understand why all potions had to taste nasty.

Dark eyes roomed across the room. "Where's Draco?"

Harry gave him the vial and sighed. "I don't know. He had to attend a meeting today with his father, but I don't know where exactly." He stood up and started walking back and forth again. "I Floo called his mother and she said she would contact them."

"When did you call her?"

"Almost three hours ago," he muttered.

"And calling him takes that long?" Snape remarked sceptically.

Harry didn't answer; he had no desire to tell the older man how the relationship between him and Narcissa was.

"You know he needs to be here soon; you're already pushing it by being alone at this stage," Snape admonished him and busied himself with placing some towels strategically on the bed.

"Don't you think I know that?" Harry couldn't help but snap. He was in pain; he was starting to feel sore; sweat was coating his neck in a light sheen and he wanted to have this baby out of him now.

He sought support by the wall when another contraction hit him; this one felt even worse than the former one. His magic was humming around him and he groaned when he felt the potion starting to work; his fingers clenched against the wall at the same time the muscles in his stomach contracted.

"Sit down," Snape ordered, ignoring Harry's earlier snappy remark. He guided the heavy breathing man to the bed.

As soon as Harry sank down on the bed, he pressed both hands on his stomach, rubbing it firmly, trying to ignore how tense the muscles in his back became.

"I'm surprised Draco left you on your own today," Snape commented casually and leant against the wall, his wand gripped loosely between his fingers.

"I told him I would be fine. I didn't think the baby would arrive today," Harry answered petulantly.

"Due days are only an estimation. You shouldn't have convinced him to attend that meeting," Snape said sharply and glared.

Harry glared back. "It's not my fault that the baby decided to – AH!" He was cut off abruptly by a searing pain in his lower stomach. One of his hands shot out and clenched into the bed sheet, trying to ground himself through the burning pain.

When he opened his eyes again, Snape was standing right in front of him with a hand pressing against his stomach.

"Ten minutes apart," Snape announced and stepped back.

"He'll be here on time," Harry muttered weakly and tried to regulate his breathing.

Snape snorted softly. "I hope for your sake you're right."

The contractions seemed to last longer and even though the time didn't shorten, it felt like he didn't get enough time to take a deep breath. He was rocking back and forth now, trying to relieve the pain through that. He would have asked for something against the pain, but Snape had warned him earlier on that no Pain Relief potion would work.

"Breathe slower, Potter. Hyperventilating won't help you," Snape barked and he forced himself to listen to the older man, tried to keep his breathing regular.

Another contraction slammed in him like a wave and he couldn't keep a groan contained. This was starting to feel like pure hell and he wished it would just stop.

Through the burning pain, he felt two cool hands helping him lay down on the bed and his trousers dissolved around him, leaving his lower half bare.

A sharp intake made him open his eyes reluctantly after the last twinge of pain disappeared, leaving his body trembling in its after wake.

"We can no longer wait for Draco," Snape spoke grimly.

"What, why?" Harry asked, feeling slightly dazed.

Snape just shook his head. "Don't move. I'm going to send a Patronus to Draco." With hasty steps, he left the room and started to murmur something in the hallway.

Harry was confused. He knew they couldn't wait for Draco, as it was getting too close, but Snape had acted as if something had gone wrong. With some difficulty, he raised his upper body and looked down.

Only to see the white bed sheet speckled with red drops.

Blankly he stared at the red spots that seemed to mock him and his heart was hammering against his chest.

"Am I bleeding?" His voice didn't seem able to go louder than a whisper and his hands clenched around a fistful of bed sheets. "Why am I bleeding?"

He was fairly certain bleeding wasn't normal.

Snape made his way to the bed in just two large strides, pushing him down almost harshly. "Didn't I say not to move?"

"Why am I bleeding? Is something wrong with the baby?" Harry asked and felt panic rising, threatening to tighten its grip around his heart.

After all those months of being careful, would he now lose his baby after all?

"Panicking won't help you at all," Snape snapped. "Now calm down, before I force a Calming Draught down your throat."

"Why the fuck am I bleeding? Is the baby going to …"

"Harry?"

They both turned their heads sharply to the door when a third voice sounded. Draco was standing in the doorway, his hair mussed, his robes wrinkled and his eyes wide.

Without any preamble, Draco threw his bag and robes hastily on the floor and marched over to the bed, sinking down on the matrass next to his harshly breathing lover.

"What took you so long?" Snape glared. "Potter's contractions are only five minutes apart. Didn't I tell you your presence was required as soon as the contractions were fifteen minutes apart? Where were you that it took your mother so long to contact you?"

Draco furrowed his eyebrows and let Harry squeeze his hand tightly when the next contraction hit him. "I didn't know Harry had gone into labour! I was just notified by your Patronus. I was still in the meeting and I never got a message that mother contacted me."

She didn't even contact him, Harry realised with a shock. She knew the father had to be there during the delivery, she knew the danger the absence could cause and yet, she had never contacted Draco.

Was her dislike for him so big that she wouldn't mind hurting her own grandchild?

What happened next was a giant blur for Harry. He could feel Draco's magic reaching out to his, offering support where he needed it. Draco was sitting behind him, letting him lean against him and murmuring soothing words in his ear throughout the entire time Harry was pushing to get the baby out of his body; letting him know how proud he was of Harry for enduring so much and how it wouldn't be long before they could hold their baby in their arms.

Harry lost track of time; all he knew was that he had to keep pushing if he wanted his baby to be born without suffering consequences.

Finally, right when Harry was seriously starting to think he wouldn't be able to continue, the sharp cry of a new born baby tore through the room and he sagged back against Draco's chest, closing his eyes.

He was tired and sore and he just wanted to go to sleep now.

A small, warm weight being placed on his chest made him open his eyes again. Their son was wrapped in a light blue blanket, only his little fists and head peeking out of the bundle. A tuft of messy, light blond hair shone weakly in the light and light green blue eyes stared at him curiously, while a rose bud like mouth made a smacking sound.

"Hey, there, sweetie," Harry whispered with a faint smile.

"He's healthy; you were lucky," Snape said gruffly.

"Thank you for helping, Severus," Draco smiled and his eyes shone proudly when they regarded the small baby.

"Don't mention it," Snape muttered with a sigh.

Draco placed a tender kiss on Harry's cheek. "I'm going to Floo call my parents to tell them their grandson has arrived," he announced with a wide grin and hastily left the room.

"This was a close call, Potter," Snape muttered darkly and helped him sit up straight.

Harry winced a bit when he felt his body protest. "As if I don't know that," he retorted, too tired to be annoyed.

"Listen, Potter, your magic was helped by Draco's on time, but I'm not certain whether your body will be able to handle a second pregnancy," Snape stated bluntly and studied him with unreadable eyes.

Harry groaned. "Do you really think I'm thinking about a second child now? Merlin, I just finished giving birth; give me a break."

He was happy to have his son finally in his arms, after nine months of carrying him, but he was also relieved that it was finally over.

Snape clucked his tongue. "Just warning you in case you do want a second child."

Harry was quiet until Snape was about to leave the room.

"Is something wrong with my magic?" he asked softly, fearing the answer. He had heard about men who had lost almost all their magic after giving birth to their child. Was this what Snape had been hinting at when he said his body probably couldn't handle a second pregnancy?

Snape rested a hand against the doorpost. "It's somewhat unstable, but that was to be expected after the whole ordeal," he murmured. "If you don't overwork yourself, it should stabilize soon."

With that, he left.

"I finished Floo calling my parents," Draco smiled and closed the door behind him. "They are happy and will be visiting soon to meet our son."

"Did you contact Hermione?" Harry asked, finally looking up. Their son had fallen asleep, but Harry didn't want to relinquish his hold on him yet. He was still marvelling silently that this beautiful boy – a perfect mixture of his parents – had come from his body.

"Yeah, I did." Draco nodded. "She said she would be visiting tomorrow and that I had to make sure you rested well."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't think I'll be up for a Quidditch match soon," he quipped. "Did you tell your parents what his name is?"

"Yes," Draco snorted. "They weren't really thrilled about his second name, but I told them we made this compromise and we wouldn't go back on it."

Harry smiled faintly and carefully placed a kiss on his baby's forehead. "Welcome to the family, Scorpius James."

AN2: One day I will succeed in writing a non angsty birthday fic, but that day is not today. So yes, more angst and drama to come in the next chapter, but I promise a happy ending :D

I hope you liked the first part!

Cuddles

Melissa