Harry didn't know how it happened. One minute he was sitting in the Great Hall eating the welcome back feast while making friendly conversations with his fellow Gryffindors. The next he was walking miserably down the dungeon corridors, Malfoy stiff and silent walking two feet ahead of him, and a blonde headed toddler resting peacefully within his arms. He blamed Headmistress McGonagall and the rest of the Hogwarts staff.

---

The seventh year students were to remain behind as the rest of the children were shuffled out of the Great Hall and to their respected rooms. Harry seat between his best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley both in a heated debate over what 'special project' the teachers were going to have them commet to. Hermione believed it was something to do with house unites, Ron belived it was some sport or game that the houses were going to go up against each other to see which house was the best. Harry was silently on Hermiones side, this was going to be about bringing the students closer together no matter their house.

Three months ago the war ended badly, many lives were lost, and even though Harry defeated Voldemort the slim line that was between Muggleborns and Purebloods before was spread several miles apart and now no one seems to have trust anymore. Hopefully whatever the teachers have planed doesn't backfire and make things worse.

Headmistress McGonagall stood at her podium before her seventh years hands clasp and sitting on top the podium.

She cleared her throat, "The teachers and myself have been discussing these last two weeks before you were to arrive on how we were to bring about house unites."

Ron beside him groaned but continued listening.

"I am sad to say that the out come of our decision was to the best of our abilities and if it doesn't work then I'm sorry to say there is no hope for any of you. Now I know the war was harsh and we lost more then we really gained, but the war is over and we need to bring ourselves back from those few dreaded years and recover.

Now, we are going to pair each student off with another from a different house. Each a boy and a girl, although we do have four extra boys who will be paired together. Now will start with the Gryffindor girls."

Just then Mr. Filch pushed a cart before McGonagall's podium and removed a silver sheet that was covering a small ancient almost rundown chest. The Headmistress waved her hand for the three girls to gather around the box. "Now I want each of you to reach in and take the slip of paper that comes to you. One at a time..."

Hermione was first looking a little uneasy. Harry had a thought that maybe she already knew what was going on. His heart did a nauseous flip in to his stomach. Next was Parvati shoving her hand in as if it didn't matter. Then Lavender doing the same swift movement as her friend. The girls stood holding there slips of paper stared at McGonagall.

"Read the name of your partner out loud and then go take a seat beside him."

Lavender and Parvati hesitated unsure on what or who was to come, making small prayer on not getting their most hated male classmate. Hermione hesitated as well, but was quick to hide her fault and read her sheet out loud, "Nott, Theodore."

Someone hissed out a swear as Hermione moved cautiously towards the Slytherin table where every eye there were glaring death at the girl. Harry and Ron looked on with pity and listened as the two remaining girls called out their own partners names. Lavender looked pleased releasing a sigh of relief, while Parvati looked disappointed but unafraid. Both moved to sit by the two Hufflepuff boys Ernie Macmillan and Zacharias Smith.

Next were Huffelpuff girls and then the Ravenclaws. Seamus Finnigan lucked out by getting partnered with Susan Bones, a very sweet and pretty Huffelpuff. The other Gryffindor boys remained in there seats nervous. All knowing they were either going to be placed with a Slytherin girl or one of their male classmates.

Ron and Pansy both swore loudly arguing with Professor McGonagall that neither wanted to partner with the other, but both were put down with the removing of a large amount of house points Poor Neville looked ready to cry or faint when he was settled with Millicent Bullstrode. Harry didn't begrudge him that. Each girl finished and were seated beside their partner. It was in till then that Harry remembered he was one of the remaining boys and he couldn't help but pale at who was along side him when McGonagall called them forward.

Draco Malfoy with his large companion Goyle stood sneering crudely at the Headmistress. Harry was at least thankful that Terry Boot was there as well, even though he hardly knew the boy he was a sure lot better then either Slytherin. McGonagall made a wave of her hand as if to say hurry up and reach in to the chest. Draco went first reaching in so fast he almost knocked the box over. Harry followed suit but was much more gentler with the chest then Malfoy. It was very strange when he let his hand slide in. The inside felt empty, but his hand never touched the bottom it was as if his hand seat in midair. A few times a soft warm breeze like a gentle blow of breath hit his hand. He pulled out as soon as he felt paper in his grasp.

Finally all four boys had their sheet of paper each not even daring to look at it. Terry stood beside him shuffling his feet as he stared disbelieving at the floor. He finally looked up eyes on McGonagall, but not seeing her..."Goyle, Gregory."

Harry's heart nearly plunged in to his stomach as his eyes moved in pure shock towards Malfoy. Who's face was stiff and unmoving, yet was now a sickly pale.

"Go sit down." McGonagall said as if speaking to her twelve year old students.

She cleared her throat once again, almost as if this whole thing were causing her to come down with something. "Now that you have your partners I will explain to you this project. But first you must know that this project, if you fail, will hold you back from graduating."

Everyone went in to a frenzy after that, even Hermione who knew she'd take this project to heart, but her partner may not. "I know this is big for you, but it's the only way we could be sure you'd take this seriously."

Mr. Filch came out once again and picked up the chest and moved towards one of the pairs, who happened to be Vincent Crabbe and Mandy Brocklehurst.

"Once Again I want you to reach in to the box, but together with your chosen partner."

Both Mandy and Crabbe settled there hands inside the chest and with a soft yellow glow pulled them out once again, Mandy's face a bright red and Crabbe fidgeting in his chair. On their wrist were noticeable chain like braclets with crystals imbedded within the silver. They were very lovely, but McGonagall remained silent as she watched the next couple Terry Boot and Goyle reach inside together. It continued like that with ever pair. No one ever getting the same set of bracelets. Some were gold, some silver, there were ones with jewels, and other were very plain.

After several minutes it, once again, came down to Malfoy and himself as the last couple. Both boys slipped their hands inside trying very hard not to touch, yet it didn't matter. As soon as their hands were completely inside a tight sucking of wind pulled their hands together in an intimate hold. Now Harry understood why some of the others blushed. The grasp of their hands was almost personal. Finally with a soft glow their hands were released and both with out hesitation removed there hands from the cursed box.

Harry took notice of the silver ring around his wrist. It was plain and not really unique. It was a simple silver band, but engraved in one spot with little white diamonds were a D and an H; and if that weren't embarrassing enough right in the middle of the two was a tiny diamond heart. Harry controlled the color from rising in his cheeks. Beside him he could here Malfoy growling under his breath.

"If you haven't figured what this means students, I want you to take a good look at your partner because now they are your life partner in Hogwarts."

Silenced rained amongst them all, everyone to shocked to voice their anger.

McGonagall took her chance to continue, "Now that that's over, Professor bring them in."

Severus Snape along with Mr. Filch began pushing in another much longer cart in to the room. What seat on the cart had everyone even more speechless. There were fourteen plastic toddler shaped baby dolls. Each with no face, bald and whiter then paper plastic skin. In front of each doll seat a vile with a silver gray liquid. It wasn't to hard to figure out what was coming next. Harry felt like throwing up.

"I'll call out each pair at a time and you'll come up here and Professor Snape will show you what to do...Mr. Finnigan, Ms. Bones." The two walked nervously towards Snape who looked his usual angry self. He grabbed a hand each of his students and pricked there ring fingers with a needle. Letting a drop each fall in to the potion it quickly turned a dark maroon. Snape grabbed the vile and poured it none to gentle down the opened mouth of the doll.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut as the bright glow from the doll nearly blinded them all. Finally after getting the tears from his eyes Harry was able to see a near faint Seamus and a smiling Susan Bones, who was holding a naked brown haired toddler in her arms.

---

"This is it." Malfoys said, kicking Harry back to the present.

Before the two was a painting of a beautiful red headed woman in a white floral gown sitting unmoving on top an unmade bed. For a minute Harry thought she was a muggle painting, that is in till her honey like eyes fell on to the two boys. "Password." she asked with her melody like voice.

"Lover's nest," the blonde haired boy gritted out. Harry flinched as well, but entered behind the boy.

The room was small almost like a hotel bedroom with a king sized bed with creamy white comforter. Both sets of eyes glared at the bed as if it were an insult to them. Above the bed were two candle lamps with a soft blue cover, they lit the room comfortably with enough light to see, but not so much that it would blind you. A little ways away from the bed and against the wall set a small table with chair and another blue candle lamp on top it. There was a small window near the bed with slides closed to keep the moonlight out.

"Where do I put the baby?" Harry asked.

Draco walked towards a door that was on the wall across from the foot of the bed, but moved away from it and then opened the sliding doors that Harry assumed was the closet and he was right. Both boys clothes were hung and other necessities placed on to the shelves. Harry was starting to worry about where the baby would sleep, that is in till Malfoy dragged out a white crib and maneuvered it against the wall beside the bed.

Harry sighed in relief and settled the baby inside the crib covering him with the red blanket that he was given as soon as the baby was placed in to his arms. The baby didn't make a peep all night. As soon as he was cradled in Harry's arms he went right to sleep. Harry had to admit even though the little toddler had Malfoy's blonde hair and facial features he was remarkably beautiful for a baby. His eyes, Harry brisked proudly, were his own shade of bright emerald green. Yes, this baby was a beauty to behold.

"I'll be taking a shower. Don't disturb me."

Harry sighed in annoyance as the bathroom door was quietly spell locked by the blonde. He stretched his arms above his head and decided he was to tired to shower tonight. He stepped in to the closet for once getting a good look at the depth of it. It was a walk-in closet and was wide enough to hold both boys trunks and their other things. There was also a shelf that held a few baby items, in till tomorrow when both boys were able to go in to Hogsmead and buy other things for their baby.

He quickly removed his clothes and got in to a his x-large blue pajama shirt, not caring to wear the bottoms. His boxers were good enough for that. Before he left the closet his eyes landed on some books that laid on the babies shelf. One particular catching his eyes, 'Your Toddler's Development' by Kacey Grates. He looked at it for several moments debating in his head if he wanted to read it or not. He looked towards the crib beside the bed and decide it would be a good idea to do so.

Grabbing the book off the shelf he finally crawled in to bed and sunk as soon as he landed. The bed was like a giant pillow, it was incredibly soft. He curled up under the covers a joyful sigh falling from his lips. This is what head image sleeping on a cloud would feel like. To bad he had to share it with Malfoy.

Propping up his pillows, he finally seat back preparing to read a little of the book. Surprisingly enough the book started out as a quiz, 'What Do You Know About Child Development?'. Sighing he put the book down, no longer in the mood to read or in the now case take a test. He decided to finally go to sleep and curled himself in to the sheets and comforter.

---

Draco Malfoy had been in a foul mood since the 'project' was given, but the anger was finally residing as soon as he got his shower. Now feeling clean he was willing to go against anything. He glanced in to the mirror and cast a drying spell in to his hair, his teeth were already clean and his breath a fresh mint smell. Wrapping the towel around his waist he walked in to the bedroom and his eyes cast towards the bed where a head of black hair could be seen poking out of the covers. He rolled his eyes in disgust, "The pathetic Gryffindor could at least of taken a bath before getting his filthy self in to bed."

He growled, once again, before heading in to the closet and frowned when he saw the pile of clothes lieing in the middle of the floor. Picking them up while grounding his teeth together he through them in to the hamper in the corner of the closet. Finally he got dressed in to his sateen cream colored pajamas and climbed in to bed keeping as far away from Potter as he was able to with out falling out of bed.

As soon as he was comfortable his hand landed on top something hard. Pulling the object out from under the covers he noticed it for what it was a book. 'Your Toddler's Development', he read off the cover. His eyes turned towards the crib wear a baby slept calmly on its stomach, head turned to his right with thumb in mouth. He smirked at the blonde head of hair, at least proud that his so called 'son' was an exact replica of himself. He could live with the green eyes, they were his favorite color any ways. He'll just ignore the fact that they were the same eyes as his rival and now 'partner'.

He removed himself from the bed to place the book on top the table and finally crawled back under the covers. Before his eyes closed a pair of vibrant green eyes looked in to his own gray. Neither boy said a word, but both uncomfortable at the closeness of the other. They finally feel asleep with the dread of waking up to face each other in the morning.