It was night before Christmas and Riddle Manor was full of cheer. It was decorated and mistletoe hung everywhere. In the middle of the Great Hall was a huge Christmas Tree with presents underneath. Some people were chatting and sipping some spiced eggnog, while others were trying to steal kisses. Cissa and Amanda were in the kitchen ordering the house-elves to perfect for the big Christmas banquet. Bella was playing with kids and Severus and Remus were keeping a close eye on The Twins and The Brothers. They have caught them at several pranks so far. Cedric and Collin were cuddling on a loveseat and Neville and Luna were trying to get others to dance. Draco and Blaise had finally told the truth. Unfortunately Pansy was quite shocked that the truth was they loved each other and loved her. With all the cheer and love in the atmosphere you would expect the most loving couple to be there right? Well you're wrong. Rasmus was in their chambers at Potter Manor having a mini melt-down and Harry was late from his meeting this morning. He should have been home two hours ago.

Wondering how we reached this point? We'll go back a few days than.

It was two days after they had found out that Filch and Mrs. Norris, who were actually John and Kitty, well Katherine called Kitty, who were human mate and cat demon. They came to the school in disguise in the 1930's when they felt a demon mate attending. They pin-pointed it to Rasmus, and they often tried to leave the library open and unguarded hoping that he would research and research demons. While he did research it wasn't what they were hoping for. Instead of abandoning the school now that the mate passed through the hallways, they stayed hoping that the demon would show. Plus it helped that they were having fun terrorizing the children. When Lily Potter came to the school, Filch and Mrs. Norris kept an eye on her. They could tell that there was demon in her but she wouldn't be one. They also had their hands full of one James Potter and his crew, they had nicked name The Demons. When Lily and James graduated, they stayed knowing that the offspring of Lily and James would produce a powerful demon. When little Harry James Potter showed up they were surprised, even James wasn't that small, but they saw the demon inside him. They saw his leadership skills, they saw compassion, and they saw someone who would do great things. But they had to keep a closer eye on him then his parents. As they saw him become the man he is, they couldn't be happier and gladly offered their service and their allegiance to him.

Harry was slightly overwhelmed said they should stay and keep terrorizing the kids, and plus it was always fun trying to figure out if Filch was shagging Mrs. Norris. John just smiled and Kitty blushed. They also told him about the other demons out there and how to contact them if he wanted to. Kitty advised that he should here soon and lay down some rules. She also advised to tread carefully with them since they are demons. Harry had agreed and asked John if he could have some of the things Filch had confiscated from him. John approved and the two set off to go retrieve the items leaving watchful shadows guarding Rasmus and Kitty.

"You know what I meant about condition right?" Kitty asked.

"Meaning I'm pregnant," Rasmus answered.

"Correct, you need to go see a healer, one that you trust."

"Why?"

"Harry is a powerful shadow demon and you are a power wizard, your child will be another demon."

"How can you tell? How come Harry hasn't figured it out?"

"Well one I'm a cat demon, two I'm a female, three Harry and you have been busy. When was the last time you made love, not wild sex?"

From the way Rasmus blushed Kitty could tell it's been awhile.

"No worries, but go see a healer. The guys are coming back," Kitty said when her ears twitched, "Remember you can always talk to me."

The two turned to look at Harry and John who seemed to be laughing and Harry was waving his hands in wild fashion.

"It was during that night that you chased on to the third floor and we ran into Fluffy. Fluffy my ass!" They heard Harry say and John replied, "Yeah Kitty didn't like fluffy either but that blasted basilisk still has my hatred for hurting Kitty your second year."

"Oh dear, it's the good old boys, soon they'll be wanting fire-whisking and reliving the good ol'days," Kitty stage whisper to Rasmus.

"Oi! Harry's school days were by far the best!" John said as if offended.

"Of course they were! I'm Harry James Potter Black Lupin Snape!" Harry stated.

Rasmus rolled his eyes and Kitty sighed.

So two days after that Harry had contacted all of the demon in Britain and surrounding areas and calling for a meeting. Another day of planning on what he was going to be saying and addressing the other demons.

During that planning day Rasmus went to his own healer, Healer Vincent. That was an interesting conversation as well.

"You want me to see if you're pregnant?" Healer Vincent asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Rasmus snapped getting impatient. They have gone over this same question several times.

"Ok, ok. No need to get snappy with me."

Rasmus just glared. He may be calmer with Harry as his mate but he was still a dark lord.

"Alright my lord, if you'll lay down?"

When Rasmus laid down, Healer Vincent started the spells checking everything, twice over.

"Well."

"Yes?"

"You are definitely…" Here the Healer gave a long pause. Rasmus held his breath. "Lacking Vitamin C."

Rasmus stared at him. The stare was unnerving and Healer Vincent continue and said, "And pregnant."

Rasmus's eye twitched.

"Four weeks along"

Rasmus's eye twitched again.

"You really are. So does that mean you are the bottom?"

Rasmus's eye twitched again and Healer Vincent yelp and twitched and cried out when a short mild crucio was fired at him.

"I am still your Lord, a dark one at that. Just because I'm pregnant does not mean that I'm a hufflepuff now."

"Of course my Lord, my apologies." Healer Vincent replied bowing low.

"Now, what do I need to know?"

"Well, you'll need to eat twice as much-"

"Twice as much? The baby isn't that big!"

"Correct but you'll be expanding more energy getting ready for the baby and your magic will be in constant use supporting you and the baby, so twice as much and rest."

Groaning Rasmus rubbed his temples, he snorted thinking at least he will be a teacher now instead of going on raids. Oh Salazar! Harry is going to be more protective.

"You'll also need to take some potion. I'll give you the list so you can have Severus make the potions."

How was he going to tell Harry he was pregnant? Groaning Rasmus laid back onto the bed and closed his eyes.

"My brother was pregnant, so I know first hand experience on these types of things.

"Shut up" Rasmus ground out. Opening his eyes, Rasmus got off the bed and went to go pace in their study.

Another day passes full of pacing on both their parts. Harry was amused and took to pacing with his mate. While neither talked about what was on their mind, they knew that when the time was right they would tell each other. Harry the night before finally told his darkness what was on his mind. They were relaxing on the couch in their study watching the fire.

"Tomorrow morning I'm meeting the other demons," Harry started out.

"Yes, I remember." Rasmus replied leaning in closer to Harry.

"Some of the demons are far older and more experienced than me."

"But none are more powerful, nor do they have your temper," Rasmus said, thinking of the way Harry killed Ron and Dumbledore.

"But there are more."

"Take Amanda with you and Kitty."

"No, I won't risk there lives."

"So you'll risk yours?" Rasmus asked angry.

"I've got some incredible skill at surviving plus there's no way I'm leaving you my sexy darkness," Harry ended with a whisper in Rasmus's ear. Licking and nipping at the lobe.

"You better," Rasmus growled, turning his head to capture Harry lips. That night they have rough and wild sex, their emotions got the better of them. When the morning light broke through, they made love with gentle caresses, slow thrusts and sweet kisses. Throughout the gentle session, Harry kept feeling something off, but put it out of his mind thinking it was his own worry. When they climax, Rasmus was sleepy and Harry quickly cleaned him and gave him a soft kiss before heading to get ready for his meeting. Wearing his black Lord robes and black dragon hide boots, Harry kissed his love goodbye and headed to his meeting.

When Rasmus woke up for a second time, he was alone in their bed. Getting out of their bed, he winced. Maybe last night they were to enthusiastic. Heading to their bathroom, Rasmus ran a bath, and soaked, relishing the heat working its way into his bones and muscles. Laying his head against the padded rim, Rasmus wondered out loud, how he was going to tell Harry he was a father. Could they even be good parents? Their experiences have definitely shaped who they are today but can they be the parents they always wanted?

All through-out the morning Rasmus pondered on these thoughts. Several times memories popped up when he wondered if they could punish their child with firmness but cruelly. While their enemies paid with their lives, the ones they consider family they punished with gentleness. Thinking of when the Twins and the Brothers destroy the lab or even when the students they taught, they still punished with care. By the time lunch had rolled around, Rasmus was starving calling Tilly he order soup and sandwiches.

Around one Rasmus started to worry less about being a good parent and more on why Harry wasn't home yet.

When two hit, Rasmus paced the study, he was making the elves worry.

Three rolled around and still no sign of Harry, Rasmus floo called Severus to see if Harry had stopped by. When he heard that he hadn't, Rasmus took to pacing and gnawing his lip.

Four strolled by and Rasmus tried to contact Harry through their link. Several times.

When the clock struck five, Rasmus was up and getting ready to floo Riddle Manor for help when Harry staggered out of the shadows, with two other men helping him. Dropping the powder, Rasmus rushed forward and glared at the men. When Harry met his eyes, Rasmus sighed. His shadow was home, but that didn't explain why he was bleeding all over the floor nor why his Lord robes were missing and all he had on was his pants and boots.

Rasmus didn't know whether to yell at him for getting injured, for being late, or for scaring him. He opened his mouth and closed it several times.

Harry chuckled and let go of the demons at his side and took the one step forward that separating them. Harry brought one hand forward cupping Rasmus's cheek and the other he wrapped around Rasmus's waist. When their lips were just barely touching, Harry whispered, "I told you I would always come back to you."

"Back to us," Rasmus corrected. There was no better way to tell him, Rasmus thought. After all of the worrying and pacing. Rasmus needed to out there.

"Us?" Harry had pulled back a few with a question in eyes.

"Me and our little one." Ramus told him with shiny eyes.

"Little one?" Harry parroted back still with confusion in his eyes.

"Yes, you had both of us scared and worried." Rasmus replied with some chastising tone.

"You're pregnant?" Harry asked with eyes wide.

"Yes, my shadow." Rasmus answered softly looking into Harry's eyes waiting or something other than confusion and shock.

Getting a hard possessive kiss was not only of the reactions he had anticipated, but one he enjoyed.

When Harry pulled back his eyes were alight with happiness and his body sang with excitement.

"We are going to have our own little terror?"

"Yes, we are."

The eyes that sparkled with happiness turned to worry and Harry despite his injuries picked up Rasmus and started to carry him to the couch. Sitting down with Rasmus in his lap, he started a questioning Rasmus so fast that Rasmus had to kiss him to shut him up.

"Calm down love, no the sex didn't hurt the baby, yes I'm fine, yes that's why I have been eating more," Rasmus answered with an eyeroll.

"How about you tell me who those men are and why you were bleeding when you first came," After Rasmus had said the last part he remembered Harry was still bleeding.

"Harry James! Why haven't you been healed?" Rasmus yelled at him, but Harry was euphoric now that he knew he hadn't hurt his child or his mate.

"He wouldn't let anyone heal him except for his mate," one of the demons answered.

"Stupid stubborn Gryffindor," Rasmus grumbled, "When he left this house, he was in good health, why is he bloody?" He growled at the demons as he started to heal his idiot mate.

"Some of the younger demons took an immediate disliking to him and they did not understand the meaning of a shadow demon, since we have been without one for so long."

"And Harry being Harry lost his temper?"

"Yes, but only when the younger ones challenged him."

"Did he kill them or let them live? Who am I kidding, he let them live but taught them a painful lesson right?"

"Correct."

"You do know that I am still here," Harry said with annoyance when Rasmus finally finished healing him.

"Yes we know, but you were in Lala Land," Rasmus huffed with annoyance.

"Don't be mad my love, I still came home in pretty much one piece," Harry said pulling his mate back onto his lap.

"If that is all my lord?" one of the demon asked.

"Yeah, I'll check back in with you guys in a couple of weeks," Harry said dismissing them. The two of disappeared in swirling of ice and Rasmus and Harry were alone.

"We are really having a child my love?" Harry asked quietly holding his precious mate close.

"Yes, remember when Kitty mentioned my condition?" Rasmus questioned.

"Wow, how did she know and I didn't?" Harry replied nuzzling Rasmus's neck.

"She basically said because she was a cat woman she could tell, and that since we have been busy that you wouldn't have noticed till things would have settled down," Rasmus explained skipping the sex part.

Harry frowned against Rasmus's neck, that morning he had felt something was off. Now he knew what it was. Shaking his head, Harry promised himself that he wouldn't get so busy, as to miss something like this again.

"I love you," Harry whispered into Rasmus's hair while a gentle kissed was placed there.

"I love you too. Merry Christmas Harry," Rasmus whisper snuggling closer into the heat that his mate's body provided.

"Merry Christmas."

AN – And so ends the Dark Lord's Protector. I left it open for a sequel that may or may not happen. I think I'll do more one shots of their life together. Hopefully it wasn't a disappointing end. I know some wanted to see how the school is changed but I figured this would a good stopping point.

Thank you to all of you who have stayed with me throughout this story.

Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers! Spiced Eggnog is on the house: Yomi-Hime, namikaze natsumi-hime, SinuousFun-Keeper of Innocence, XxMixedXxLoverXx, spreadyourwingsandflyaway, rosharon14, Silverinumiko, Lady Aqualyne, Mrs Watson-Holmes, DTDY, katelijah, comics lover, Fantasyfreak101, DoctorMarthaJones, Frostfire613, Aisling-Siobhan, WyrdSmith, Who Said Im Human, leobutler, RogueNya, AngelWithNoWings1996, furrylittleprob, coolvampgirl, and Submissive Kitty