A/N: Important and Please Read: I am MUCH happier with the length of this chapter than I was with the last chapter. Please note that in previous chapters I have stated that the DNA of Harry's twins were rewritten when he was turned by his mates. What this means is that the twins are now Harry's with his mates due to vampire magic. I am mentioning this again because of a review I received that would condemn an innocent child to not be born just because of how that child was created when it is not the child's fault for how it came to be. I do not agree with that, but respect that everyone has an opinion. Remember, I myself have been raped and feel very strongly about the topic and that is a big part of why I refuse to every abandon this story. Because of this review I have restated in the content below who is NOW the parents of Harry's twins. Quick question about that, do you guys want the sex of the babies within the next couple of chapter or surprise you guys? Oh yeah, and chapters 1-9 have been replaced in case no one noticed it.
Also, please remember that I now have a facebook fan page under the same name as my penname. Please come and 'Like' the page so that you can be more up to date with my progress on any of my fics you might be following, including this one. I have provided a link for this page as my homepage link and as a link near the bottom of my bio page. Thanks ever so much for your time and attention. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and please leave me a review.
Chapter 25
Severus, Isis, and Remus stared at Poppy in a stunned silence. Isis's eyes were nearly bugging out of her head as she stared at Poppy before looking at Harry and giving a quick glace at Severus to see that he was just as stunned as she was. Isis was having a hard time processing the results from Poppy's tests. Severus and Remus were looking at Poppy as they both tried to process what the medi-witch had just said; they weren't having any better luck than Isis at processing the results at the moment because they were so shocked. Minutes went by without anyone saying anything.
"I'm sorry, Poppy," Remus stated softly, "but could you please repeat that? I'm not sure if we heard you correctly."
"Yes," Severus growled. "Please repeat that once more so we can all be sure we heard you right." He was trying very hard to not react in any way just yet, but his mind began to race at the information that Poppy had just given them.
"I know that this is very shocking." Poppy stated gently. "Which is the only reason that I will repeat myself when I don't like to do so very often." She paused to take a breath. "Harry is roughly four and a half months into his pregnancy. He is also having twins, which his magic has been protecting and keeping healthly since the beginning of the holidays. His magic didn't lash out at his uncle and cousin because of this."
"I was afraid that was what you said." Remus grumbled to himself as he ran one of his hands over his face. He looked over at his former rival and stated, "You, of course, realize the implications of Harry being four and a half months along?"
"Of course I do, you dolt." Severus snapped. "It means that Harry got pregnant here in the school before he went to Private Drive and those animals who are supposed to be his family got their hands on him. Someone here at the school was the father of my mate's babies before we turned him and their DNA was rewritten so that his children are now the children of Isis, Harry, and myself instead of Harry and whoever the original father was. Magic works in strange ways sometimes." Severus frowned as his mind raced in many directions at once.
"Twins." Isis breathed. "And you say you magic protected them and kept them healthly?"
"Yes," Poppy said. "It's simply amazing what Harry's magic has done so far with this pregnancy, I do have some theories as to why Harry's magic has been acting this way."
"Theories?" Severus asked with narrowed eyes. "What kind of theories?" He was able to push his anger to the side for now that someone at Hogwarts was responsible for Harry being pregnant. Right now he was more worried than angry. He knew there was going to be a lot of work for the whole staff when the next school term started in September.
Poppy looked a bit uncomfortable when asked what her theories might be. "Well, I see no harm in telling you since Harry has already told you that he has had many miscarriages over the years. In all likelihood, the chances are very good that thi could very well be the last pregnancy Harry will have. There was some damage done to Harry's body with each miscarriage he had, partly because of how young he was during some of the earlier ones and because of the stress of each miscarriage. This is likely why Harry's magic has been so focused on this specific pregnancy. I'm not even sure if he'll be able to become pregnant again after this pregnancy."
"Is Harry going to be alright?" Isis demended. "Is his body going to be able to handle this pregnancy and carry the twins to term? Or are we going to have to think ahead and try to find someone to transfer the twins to for the rest of the pregnancy?"
"I'm not completely sure right now." Poppy answered honestly. "I'll be able to tell for sure closer to Harry's birthday. Until then, it's going to be very important that he rest as much as possible so that I can get as accurate a reading as possible. There is a chance, though, that we may have to magically transfer one or both twins to a surraget mother so they can devolop more naturally and be carried to term."
"Merlin." Severus said gruffly. "So much to do and prepare for and to an extent, only a certain amount of time to sort everything out." He paused and shook his head. "Twins." He muttered in bemusement.
"Might I make a suggestion, Severus?" Remus asked. When all he got was a grunt from the potions master, he continued, "Why don't you and Isis focus on Harry and the two s for the rest of the summer and I'll help Albus and Minerva with putting together plans for screening the other students for any type of abuse similar to what Harry has been through?"
"It might be good idea to at least consider, Sev." Isis stated softly as she glanced at her husband. "A lot is changing on us quickly, we are going to need time to adjust and so is Harry."
Severus sighed. "I will think about it, that is all can say right now."
"That's all I'm asking, Severus." Remus replied.
TN
Kasha was having a relatively peaceful day. She was roaming freeing throughout the castle that was Hogwarts. She was enjoying exploring the castle more thoroughly without having to worry about being seen by anyone. She did know parts of the castle very well, but those parts were only the ones that her master had shown her that would be safe to hide from the others inhabiting the school. Since this was summer, though, she could roam as much as she wanted before returning to her master's side.
Her master, that was what was most present in Kasha's mind right now. At the end of the term, Kasha had agreed stay here on the school's grounds instead of following Harry to the Dursley house because Harry had been worried that Vernon or Dudley would try to do something to her and Harry didn't want to risk his newest familiar. When she had felt Harry's life so close to slipping away, Kasha had taken to the sky immediately to try to get to him and do whatever she could to try to save him. By the time she had pinned down his location, he had been at Snape Manor and she had to fight her way through the extensive wards. Once she did that, she snuck into the manor and raced to her master's side, relied that his life was no longer in danger. But that wasn't enough for her.
Her master may have been saved, but Kasha needed more than that. She had watched as Severus and Isis had left her sleeping master to his rest and a plan formed in her head. She had realized that they had been the ones to save her master, but she had needed to know that these new savoirs would continue to protect her precious master is she couldn't for any reason. She was also smart enough to realize that the two vampires that had just left her master's side were his mates and because of that she would have to test them to see if they would protect her master from a precieved threat.
So, with that in mind, Kahsa backtracked to the point of where she had snuck in and let herself be seen by what appeared to be a pair of twin female vampires. The pair paled at the sight of her as she stalked by them toward the room where she knew her master to be. By the time she entered her master's room she knew the two vampires had rushed to where ever the two who had saved her dear master had gone to. She knew she wouldn't have much time before the man and female who had left this room would return and confront her. She took a moment to study Harry and gently nuzzled his cheek to reassure herself that he really was still alive. She gave a silent sigh of relief when Harry has briefly leaned his cheek against her touch before he settled back into his sleep.
Kasha waited as patiently as she could for her master's savoirs to come rushing into the room. When she finally heard their rapid approach, she got herself into a position to look threatening and as if she were going the throat of her Harry. That was how the two vampires had found her when they rushed into the room. She then demanded her answers from them and even got to briefly greet her sleepy master. She had been overall pleased with Severus and Isis since she questioned them and they were acting the way proper mates for her master should behave.
Kasha had a very close bond with her master Harry; a bond that was strong enough that it let her know things about her master that took others longer to realize or figure out. She knew before Severus and Isis discovered that her master was with child. She had known it that last day of the term when he had refused to let her go with him to his relatives' house. She also knew that there was another mate for her master out there waiting on him and the older two to find them and bring the last of their mated group together. She hoped that they would find their last mate soon, she had a feeling that her master was going to need all three of his mates in the very near future.
Exploring the castle with hardly anyone around was fun, but Kasha was growing tired of it. She had been wandering about for hours now and was thinking of returning to the infirmary to see how Harry was doing. She may be a kitten still, but she knew it was her life's mission to guide and protect her master. It was a duty she was going to take seriously, even if Harry wanted her to enjoy her 'kittenhood' before taking on he role as his guide and protector. She often wondered who had gifted her to Harry so that she might find a way to thank the person for her having such a good master. Harry needed her in many ways that neither master or familiar understood yet, but she would try her best to guide and protect her charge and his new family and mates.
Kasha thought all about that while she slowly made her way back to her master's side. It was like she was being compelled to go check on Harry and she missed being near him anyway. Minutes later she arrived at her destination and snunk in unnoticed by the adults in the room and listened in as Poppy gave the results of her most recent scans. Kasha shook her head; these beings were just so silly sometimes with how the reacted to new information. It was time for her to let her unconscious charge know she had returned to his side.
TN
The four adults in the hospital wing startled when they finally noticed that Kasha was in the room with them. They hadn't even known that she was in the room with how quiet she was as she walked. Severus tried not to glare at the feline as she jumped up on the bed with his young mate. He did notice that the others rolled their eyes as the Angel Tiger crawled on her belly up to near Harry's head before she curled up and gently nuzzled his right cheek.
Severus, Isis, Remus, and Poppy sat in silence as they watched Kasha nuzzle her master's cheek and begin to purr softly. They watched in awe as Harry seemed to slowly drain of the tension that had been plaguing the teen since before his fainting spell. A soft sigh escaped from Harry as he leaned into his familiar's gentle touch. Moments after that there was a groan from the teen as his eye lashes began to flutter a little bit. The adults waited with baited breath to see if Harry really would wake up.
"It's time for master to wake up." Kasha murmured softly in Harry's ear. "You have four very anxious adults waiting for you to wake up."
Harry rolled over onto his side and buried his face in the soft furr of his familiar and groaned again as he slowly began to regain consciousness.
"Harry dear," Poppy began in a soft tone as the teen's eyes opened for a few seconds before screwing then shut again just as quickly, "how do you feel?" She gave the other three a look that clearly said to not speak just yet. She was in healer mode and didn't want them to interfere just yet.
"My head bloody hurts." Harry grumbled. "Feels kind of like a hippogriff might have been dancing around in my head."
"Likely a stess induced headache." Poppy stated.
"Yeah, no kidding." Harry growled as he finally raised his head to look at the others in the room. He met Poppy's eyes as he continued, "Stress is a bloody understatement."
Poppy raised an eye brow at the teen and raised the calming draught into the air for him to see. "Care for a calming draught, dear, it'll help with the headache."
Harry glared at Poppy then snatched the small bottle out of her hand. "I don't particularly care to take it, but if it gets rid of the pounding in my head I'll do it." He grumbled to himself before downing the potion in one gulp. A short time later he sat up cautiously as he felt his emotions calming down and the headache slowly melted away. "Thanks," He sighed in relief. "That feels much better. How long was I out for?" He asked as he reached out to scratch behind one of Kasha's ears.
"Roughly forty-five minutes or so." Poppy answered after a brief look at her watch. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Yeah." Harry responded quietly. "I wanted time to myself while Severus and Isis talked to Remus about everything that has been going on. I started thinking about how far along I likely am with the pregnancy and realized I must have been pregnant before I went to Private Drive for the holidays. I... I think that it might be time to tell you guys about my nightmare from last night." It was only because of the calming draught that he had taken that prevented him from getting upset again, but he did pale and moved a little closer to Kasha.
Severus and Isis shared a look that was both confused and concerned. What could Harry's nightmare have to do with what was going on right now and the pregnancy? Their eyes widened in realization that the nightmare was more than just a dream.
"Harry, are you saying that the nightmare that you had last night is more than just a bad dream?" Isis asked softly with a look of pure concern on her face.
"I... I think so." Harry replied as he looked down into his lap to avoid having to look at the others in the room. Kasha leaned into him and nudged his side in a show of silent support. "I also think it might actually be a memory, and if it is then that really worries me."
"Can you tell us about the nightmare, Harry?" Severus hated himself for having to ask Harry that when the dream obviously bothered the teen in more ways than one.
Harry sighed, "I don't see any other way around it. I thought about this quite a bit before I passed out and my mind kept processing it while I was unconscious. The more I think about it, the more the dream feels like it really happened at some point." Harry paused in order to get his thoughts in order since they were so scattered right now.
"Take your time, cub." Remus stated calmly. "There's no hurry."
"Before we get into that," Harry started in a soft tone. "I need to know how far along I am with this pregnancy." he looked directly at Poppy. " I need to know if someone had managed to counter the preventive charms or if my magic somehow over powered them because this pregnancy shouldn't have been possible."
Poppy's eyes widened. "I had forgotten that we had did that at the beginning of the past school year. Your body needed time to recover and here we are with you being pregnant again." She looked to the others to explain. "After the last miscarriage Harry and I applied some charms on his body to try and prevent another pregnancy from happening while he tried to finish the last years he has at school. His body needed the time to recover. I told you all earlier that this could very well be his last pregnancy; it's because of this fact that we applied the charms. You bring up a good point, Harry. I think that your magic had help from someone else to break those charms since it took both of us to put them in place to begin with." She shook her head and muttered under her breath, "I can't believe that I forgot about those charms."
"I forgot about them myself until just now, to be honest." Harry stated with a shrug. "How far along am I? I need to know, please."
"Roughly four and a half months." Poppy replied. "There's more, Harry."
"There's more?" Harry repeated in confusion. "What do you me there's more?"
"You're having twins." Poppy stated in a whisper; she wasn't sure how Harry was going to react to the news, even though he had a calming draught in his system.
First added: 3-15-12