Originally written in 2014 for harrydracompreg fest on livejournal.

Ron looks up at the sound of slamming doors. With two little kids, doors are often slammed but this sounds different and he's immediately on edge. Wand at the ready, he glanced around the corner, frowning at what he sees. "Harry? What's going on? Why is-" he stops, freezes when Malfoy turns and he gets a good look at a very large belly. "Whoa."

"Yes," Harry snaps, his own wand out although his is pointing at Malfoy. Ron is 99% sure that Malfoy didn't have that stomach when Ron left him at work. Of course, he could be wrong. "Whoa is right. This man- this... Person claims to be Draco."

"Because I am Draco, idiot. Merlin, obviously you need me or else you're completely lost, aren't you?" Draco snarks, crossing his arms over his chest, one hand immediately sliding down to rest against his stomach. It's something protective, something that Ron saw when Hermione was pregnant and he's intrigued by it.

Ron can only stare at the two of them as Draco's words catch up to him, sure that he must be imagining thing. Perhaps he fell asleep after a long day at work. Did Draco just say what he thought he had? Judging by the look on Harry's face he did.

"We're not together," Harry hisses, his wand not shaking and Ron can't help but chuckle a bit at the very thought. He quickly puts his hands up in surrender when Harry turns to give him a glare.

"Well obviously here we're not," Draco responds, sounding bored of the entire thing. Ron half imagines that he'll pull out his wand to start fixing his nails or something. "Look, I don't want to be here. I was perfectly fine. However, I'm not safe right now in my dimension because there's a prophecy about our kid. So, I need to be somewhere safe."

"Does the prophecy exist here?" Ron asks, curious now about this. He's not sure that he believes Draco but he at least wants to know. And he decides to disregard his personal feelings (did Draco just say 'our' baby about Harry and Draco?) and approach this as he would any other case he'd been on.

Barely sparing Ron a glance, Draco sighs. "Would I be here if it did? This is one of the only realities that I'm safe in. I enjoy my home. My home has scrains."

"What are scrains?" Ron and Harry ask together.

Draco shakes his head, rubbing his temples as if he has a headache and they both recognize the action from when Draco has too many cases and not enough time. "Good to know you're just as similar here. Scrains are just a type of food. It doesn't matter. I don't know how to make them but I'm really craving one or eight now."

"So, what about the Draco in our land right now?"

Draco shrugs. "Well, he's probably at home. Completely unaware of what's going on. And that's the way that things have to stay, understand? It'll most likely throw realities out of check if he knows what's happening."

Harry looks like he's going to be sick. "Don't worry. I don't think that I even know what's happening right now. I couldn't begin to explain it to somebody else."

Draco has a look on his face as if he's used to that and he pats Harry's cheek with a small smirk.

"It alright, honey. That's how you always are. Like I said, hopeless without me," he says in a condescending voice.

Harry stares at him a long moment before shaking his head and turning to his best friend. "I really need some alcohol," he mutters. Ron thinks that he could use some himself and, after getting Draco a glass of water, he pours himself and Harry some firewhiskey.

They wait until Hermione comes home, taking one look at Draco before taking the kids to the Burrow for the night and returning, before they let Draco completely explain. He gets through the retelling quickly and it seems that only Hermione really catches the details, asking question after question. It doesn't help that Harry and Ron are pleasantly on their way to being completely drunk.

"Alright, Hermione. Let's hear it from your lips so we can actually understand it," Harry says, his words just barely slurred.

Hermione looks at him judgementally but he's used to that from her. "Draco just told the entire story. If you two weren't idiots then you'd understand it," she says, having to get that out before she sighs. "In another… well, life? Reality? I'm not going to give you more details but it is possible," Hermione says, referring to her job in the Department of Mysteries. Harry smirks at how Hermione looks absolutely fascinated by all of this and he knows that she'll probably be immediately telling her coworkers. "In that reality, Draco is married to Harry and he's pregnant. There's a prophecy concerning their unborn child and so he's in this dimension to protect himself and the baby. If the spell works then he'll be returning to his own time right as the baby is born."

"How much longer then?" Ron asks, his eyes on Draco's stomach, tilting his head to the side as if he's trying to determine how far along that he is. Harry thinks that he's probably in a better position to figure it out than Harry himself is. Harry was around when Hermione was pregnant but definitely not as involved as Ron.

"I'm about a month away from giving birth, thank you. I'd appreciate it if you could stop ogling me," Draco responds with a frown, pulling his shirt a bit further down, making sure that his stomach is completely covered.

"Huh. And so, Harry really is the father? That's so weird. You two hate each other," Ron responds, his words a bit more slurred than Harry's are.

Although Harry isn't sure what he expects, it's not the utter amusement that's evident in Draco's eyes, a small smile curving on his lips. "Yeah, we hated each other at first too. I mean, how could I not hate Saint Potter?" Draco asks as the smile turns into more of a smirk. Harry thinks that the nickname sounds affectionate, though, much more affectionate than it had when Draco had said it to him in this world. "But eventually Harry's head deflated and I realized that he had a nice cock and-"

There's two yells, both distinctly male and Hermione just rests her head in her hands.

"Alright, it's time for you two to go home now. Goodnight," Ron says firmly, his eyes wide and he actually looks a bit nauseous.

Hermione opens her mouth to argue but Draco yawns, stands up and stretches. "Sounds good. Come on, hubby," Draco says and Harry is fairly certain that Draco is only saying that to get under his skin. At least, he really hopes because the day that he allows anybody to call him 'hubby' in any reality is the day that he quits his job and goes to live with Muggles.

Although Harry is awkward, Draco isn't. He takes the guest room as soon as he's there and Harry goes to bed soon after, knowing that he shouldn't have drank so much on a night that he had to work the next day. True to his thoughts, he has a hangover the next morning and can barely pull himself out of bed. He peeks into the guest room, finding Draco still there, still pregnant and thankfully still asleep. He leaves a note telling Draco to make himself at home, how to contact him and Apparates to work.

Draco, the Draco from this reality, is in his office when he gets there and Harry has a strong urge to rub his own temples. "Why did Granger tell me a ridiculous story about a Draco from another dimension that's currently staying with you and is pregnant and apparently imarried/i to you?"

Harry stares, wide-eyed because that was supposed to be a secret. He glances up when Hermione breezes in. "I heard that you were here so I decided to come before you curse my name for telling him. He deserves to know, Harry. The Department agrees that you're going to have to take a Leave of Absence so that you can protect Other Draco. It's very important that he survives to give birth and then go back to his own time."

"And why is that my problem?" Harry asks, ignoring the offended look that Draco gives him and the unamused look from Hermione.

"Possibly because it's your child. Now, go home. Draco's taking over your casework. Draco, I told you that if you'd like to meet yourself, you can do so later. Now, Harry's files are over here," Hermione says, shooing Harry aside as she goes towards the case that he keeps his files in.

Harry doesn't know what to do for a moment but if the Department of Mysteries demanded something then he knows that he can't argue. "But, Hermione-"

"Nope. Goodbye, Harry. We'll stop by after work. Go make sure that Other Draco is safe."

Just as he'd suspected, Harry has no choice. He grabs his things, glares at Ron for the fact that he chose to marry her and he's angry, and goes to Apparate home. When he gets home, he sees that Draco is still asleep, just as he'd left him and Harry takes a moment to look at him.

Now that he's alone, now that he has a moment to himself, a sober moment. Now that he realizes how real that this is, Harry can't help but feel some panic rising inside of him. This man in front of him is pregnant, apparently married to him. Yes, it's in another dimension but it's the age that they are. In another dimension, Harry is apparently happily married, is expecting a child.

"You stare at me while I sleep in my dimension too, you know," Draco says sleepily from the bed, rolling over to face Harry.

Harry wouldn't be caught dead with the kind of bedhead that Draco has and then he realizes that Draco's probably seen him like that a hundred times. More since Draco had told them that they'd been married a few years at this point. It's weird to think about. And the biggest part is that in another world, he's seen Draco with the kind of bedhead that he has plenty of times before.

"Oh, get over yourself," Draco mutters, as if he knows what Harry is thinking and he must have some idea because he grabs his wand, points it at himself and straightens his appearance. "Now, what are you doing home? Don't you work?"

Shaking himself, Harry nods, the annoyance over being forced away from work to take care of Draco back in full force. "Indeed. But apparently, the Department of Mysteries has decided that it's best if I take care of you instead."

Draco shrugs, sitting up, the covers falling down to reveal his chest, his bulging stomach and Harry stares. "I'm not going to complain. The baby is important to me." Draco stretches and yawns, his back arching and Harry can hear the way that it cracks from all the way in the doorway and he winces. When Draco looks at Harry and sees the way that he's staring, he quarks an eyebrow. "Do you want to feel?"

Immediately, Harry shakes his head, turning around. "No. Do you want me to make you some breakfast?"

"That would be great. See? You are good for something as a husband."

Harry chooses to ignore that remark, going to see what he has in the kitchen.

It's a week before Draco and Hermione actually manage to make it over to Harry's house. Before the first evening is over, Harry is visited by the damn Minister of Magic himself, nodding along to all of the demands. They're given protection and an order to stay inside and Harry can't help but chuckle when Draco says that this isn't exactly the subtle way that he wanted to give birth. And that presents another problem. Male pregnancy hasn't been reported in hundreds of years in this dimension.

When Hermione gives the passcode that the Minister gave them, Harry opens the door and steps aside so that Draco and Hermione can come in. Other Draco immediately gasps, shooting straight up, one hand on the side of his belly and the other pointing angrily at Hermione. "How could you bring him here? I told you that I couldn't meet him!"

"Don't worry, don't worry. I promise that nothing will happen," Hermione says soothingly, obviously not making Draco feel any better. In the days that Draco has been staying with him, Harry's nearly just stopped talking. He's always worried about setting a very pregnant, very hormonal and very stressed Draco off. "Look, Draco, calm down. I've met a different version of myself and I'm fine and here aren't I?"

That surprises them all although Harry is thankful to see that it's calmed Draco down. He glances over, seeing that Draco is, well, staring at himself and he thinks that that must be odd. It was odd enough seeing two Draco's. Harry can't imagine there being another one of himself. Hermione quickly ushers them all into the living room to sit down, looking like a teacher instead of an Unspeakable.

"So, I'm really married to Potter in your dimension?"

That isn't what Harry expected and he chokes on the water that he'd just taken a drink of.

"You really haven't admitted your attraction to Potter in your dimension?"

Harry chokes again and he can hear Draco do the same thing from the other side of the couch. He wants to look at Draco, to see if it's true but he's too embarrassed to do that.

The other Draco shrugs when Draco doesn't bother to respond, rubbing his stomach in the way that Harry has come to know it as the baby kicking. He's almost ashamed to have realized that but Draco is more than happy to share progress with the pregnancy. Harry thinks that Draco misses his husband and so Harry doesn't try to stop it although he's embarrassed to respond to some of the news about the baby.

"Well it's no surprise. We were idiots in my dimension too for a while. I mean, Lily thought that we'd-" the other Draco stops, looks between the two and purses his lips.

Harry's head jerks in the pregnant man's direction, his eyes wide. "Lily… as in my mother?"

Clearing his throat, the other Draco takes a moment to take a sip of his water before finally responding. There's a certain amount of sympathy in Draco's voice that makes Harry feel sick. "When I heard about your parents dying in this dimension, I wasn't going to bring it up. But yes, your mother is alive in my dimension. On that Halloween night, Lily pretended to take a bargain from Voldemort. It left enough time for Sirius to come in. Voldemort didn't realize that Sirius was there and Sirius had a wand on him. Your mother raised you."

Harry stares, realizing abruptly that tears are in his eyes and he reaches up, hastily wiping them away. They're all staring at him as he stands on legs that are shaking. He doesn't know why he didn't think of something like this but suddenly it makes so much sense. Something has to be different in the other dimension. Hermione had tried to explain that.

"I'm going to get some more water," he mutters, grabbing his still full cup and heading towards the kitchen, trying not to break down completely.

Harry's only in the kitchen for a moment before he hears footsteps and, expecting Hermione, he doesn't say anything.

"I had a feeling where I'd be coming. One of the only dimensions where there's not a prophecy about our baby. I thought that I'd be coming to the life where both of your parents died. And so did your mother," Draco says quietly. Harry doesn't turn to look at him, simply grips the counter and stares at the sink. He can't help the tears that slide down his cheek and he doesn't bother trying to hide them.

Draco comes up next to him, resting a hand on his back and it feels almost nice. It's comforting. It's the touch of somebody who loves him. Harry lets out a shaky breath. "I never knew her," Harry says because honestly, he has nothing else to say.

Fortunately, Draco doesn't say anything about the obvious sentence. "I know. She wants you to know that she's proud of you, though. That she loves you. That both she and your father loved you more than you can ever imagine. My mum loves me. I know that. But your mum looks at you… like you're her entire world. And you are. Your mother's a good woman."

"Does she approve of you?"

Draco lets out a surprised laugh at the question, nodding and he doesn't move his hand from Harry's back. "It took her a while. It took Sirius and Remus longer. I was that Slytherin boy with a father in Azkaban. But… they could see how much I love you, how much you love me. And, in Seventh Year, they were happy when we… got together. I have stories. Of you and your mother. Of stories that your mom's told me of her and your father. If you want to hear them."

Harry isn't sure if he wants to. It seems like the kind of thing that would sting more than it would help. "I'll think about it."

"Okay." Draco nods, his hand finally falling from Harry's back and he turns to leave the kitchen. Harry can hear him stop a few steps away and turn back to him. "I know that you don't understand this but I love you. And it kills me to see you cry."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispers, reaching up to wipe his tears.

"No, it's okay. Don't apologize. I just… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry with that. I wasn't going to tell you so that you wouldn't. But, Harry, you should also know that you have somebody who loves you here too. Because even if… I, I guess, haven't admitted it yet, I do love you. I've never loved anybody more and I have faith that in every lifetime we live, we'll end up together."

Harry swallows, listening to Draco walk away really this time. By the time that Harry's calmed down enough to leave the kitchen, he sees that Hermione and Draco have left and the other Draco has gone to his room, the door closed. Harry looks down, smiling slightly and he thinks it is nice to have somebody who loves him.

Although he knows that Draco went into his own room so that Harry can have his privacy, he knocks on the guest bedroom door before stepping inside when told he can enter.

Draco smiles at him, as if he knows what Harry is going to say and Harry thinks that he might. "I'd like to hear about my parents," Harry says quietly.

Draco nods. "Of course," he murmurs and he pats the bed next to him.

It's surprisingly easy to live with Draco, Harry finds. As if they're meant to live together. Harry is certain that Draco is making much of an effort to not frustrate Harry. Of course, he just can't help it when he wakes Harry up at three in the morning trying to make waffles and whining about the baby craving them. Draco is different than the Draco he knows. He's softer around the edges and Harry wonders if that's because he was raised with only a mother or because he's let his walls down around Harry.

The days come closer to Draco's due date and Hermione comes more often. She promises that they're working on a way for Draco to give birth and she tells Draco that they're going to do something called a caesarean section. As soon as Draco hears he's going to be cut open, he sends Hermione away and locks himself in his room for the night. It's the first night without Draco telling Harry about his parents and Harry finds himself missing the story. Or perhaps missing the warmth of Draco next to him. He's not sure.

Draco tells Harry stories often, little bits that Lily or Remus or Sirius has shared with him or that were shared with Harry and Harry shared with Draco. It hurts just as much as Harry thought that it would but it also feels kind of incredible. Draco avoids telling stories of after James' death, telling Harry all about his parents and what kind of people that they were. Harry wishes so badly that he could've known them. Or even just one of them.

Since Harry's stuck at home, he only sees a few friends. Draco doesn't to come visit again but whether that's because he doesn't want to, because he's embarrassed by what the other Draco said or because it was recommended for safety purposes, Harry isn't sure. And he isn't in any mood to ask.

It's a Sunday when Harry wakes up to Draco screaming and he rushes to the guest bedroom, barely managing to get his glasses on and his wand in his hand.

Draco's writhing on the sheets when he gets there, yelling in pain and he grabs Harry's wrist as soon as Harry's in the room. "It's- oh, Merlin, it's time."

"I'll be right back," Harry promises, going to Floo Hermione. He can barely get words out before he's back in the guest bedroom, grasping Draco's hand and wincing at how hard the grip is. Although he's been trying not to think about it, about the fact that this is his baby, that Draco is his husband, at least in another life, now he thinks about it. Draco is alone and Harry doesn't like the thought. Harry wants to be next to him when Draco gives birth to their baby.

Within minutes, his house is teeming with Healers and Unspeakables and Hermione forces him out into the hallway, ignoring his protests. "I'll hold his hand, Harry, I promise," she says before slamming the door in his face.

Ron arrives a few moments later, sitting with Harry in the living room. Harry doesn't bother getting dressed, just sits and listens to the yells and the cries. It seems to go on for hours and after a while Harry pours a drink, not caring about the fact that it's early in the morning.

Abruptly, hours after it had started, the screams stop and before Ron can grab him, Harry's running up the stairs. "Draco!" he calls out, concerned, scared. What if something had happened?

Hermione meets him in the hallway, a grim look on her face and Harry feels his heart drop. He's not in love with the man. No, but he does feel a strong sense of friendship with him. He knows now why himself in another dimension is in love with Draco, even if he couldn't understand at first. What is Harry going to do in the other dimension alone if something happened to Draco?

"Harry, he's gone," Hermione says quietly. There must be a look of horror on Harry's face because Hermione realizes what she said, stepping forward, both of her hands resting on Harry's shoulders. "No, no, Harry. He delivered the baby. And he went back to his own time. To his husband. He's safe. They're all safe."

While Harry is relieved that nothing is wrong with Draco, he can't help but frown. He didn't even get a chance to say goodbye. He didn't get to see the baby.

"He wasn't your husband, Harry." Harry knows that. He never thought of Draco as his husband. He still can't think about being married to Draco. "And you could never have gone with him. No matter how much you miss your mother."

Harry looks at Hermione, pursing his lips before he nods sharply and goes to his bedroom.

It's Wednesday before Harry gets back to work. It's not that he's still that upset because he's not. He understands. And he's glad that Draco is back with his husband. But he does feel like he needs to get his bearings back after so many days out of work. Draco seems to have taken care of his cases just fine although it's obvious that he's grateful to give them back. Although the two normally share some words when they pass, fake politeness since they work together, Draco just drops the folders on Harry's desk, tells him some pertinent information and then leaves.

Harry stares at the folder without opening it. He's hated Draco since the first time that he met him and it's only heightened since they graduated. Draco had everything that Harry could've ever hoped to have, a family who loved him, and he'd made the wrong choices.

Now, though, he wonders about the way that he feels. He remembers the other Draco telling him how much that he loves Harry. Harry misses Draco, oddly enough. He misses having somebody. He misses Draco's snark, the way that he'd stare at Harry, the way that he was funny and smart and they'd talk for hours about the stories in the Daily Prophet.

It was only a few days, really, and it felt like a lifetime since they were together so often. Harry hopes that he's alright. And then, he thinks about the fact that he misses him. Perhaps the Draco here is different. Perhaps he has every right to despise him.

Harry pushes the folder on his desk aside and stands up, going towards Draco's office. He doesn't bother knocking, simply steps inside. "So, you're attracted to me, are you?"

"Don't get a big head, Potter," Draco responds, a familiar smirk on his lips as he looks at Harry. There's a light flush on his cheeks, though.

"Go out with me."

Draco's eyes widen, papers hitting the desk that Draco had been holding and Harry takes a steadying breath. "Excuse me?"

"You were married to me in that life. We were happy. So, let's try. Obviously, you must have some redeeming qualities."

For a long, terrifying moment, Harry thinks that Draco is going to say no. And then he's going to be mortified and probably never return to work again. But Draco nods. "I suppose you must have your own redeeming qualities. But… I'm not willing to get cut open just so we can have a baby."

Harry laughs, nodding his head and he can't help but like how Draco laughs. "Deal."

While he can't be sure just yet, Harry thinks that the other Draco might be on to something. Perhaps they will always end up together. But he thinks that he'll just keep that little piece of information from Draco. After all, he can't come on too strong before they've even had their first date.