Chapter 4: Discovering the Truth

Weeks passed and Harry stubbornly refused to return home. Draco had sent numerous owls begging him to come back but Harry sent them back unopened and without as much as a reply. Hurt by the thought of Draco having something to do with his predicament, Harry wanted the sneaky blonde to suffer. He spent the time eating, moping, and playing wizard chess with Ron. He also griped a lot about how unfair his life was becoming. Ron, ever the good friend, of course helped feed Harry's personal pity party. Hermione however, thought he and Draco should at least sit down and talk. Harry however ignored or steadfastly refused her advice.

More weeks passed and soon Harry was beginning to show just a bit. This of course only fueled his anger toward Draco. He used a disillusionment charm to hide his slightly growing waistline in the hopes this "problem" would just go away, it wasn't something he wanted to deal with just yet. Hermione began immediately hounding him to make an appointment with a medi wizard and finally Harry reluctantly agreed. He figured it was the only way to get her off his back about the whole Draco situation as well. Little did he know that his best friend had an agenda of her own.

That was how Harry finally found himself in a waiting room at St Mungo's, preparing to go in and see about this unexpected pregnancy. He grimaced uncomfortably in the small metal chair, afraid someone would see through the charms he'd placed upon his growing stomach. He didn't want anyone to know about this pregnancy until he knew exactly what he was doing with his future… well their futures actually. It wasn't something Harry particularly liked thinking about, the fact that his future was now so well wrapped up within this other life. It was a bit scary since he was on his own here.

He looked over at Hermione who also seemed nervous as they sat, she'd insisted on coming with him to lend as she put it "moral support". Now, instead of being encouraging, she seemed more agitated than he did and constantly kept doing tempus spells to check and recheck the time. She was Mumbling under her breath as well…

"You didn't have to come with me Mione. I would've been fine on my own."

"I know, but I'm your friend, it's the least I could do for you," she blurted out, with a weird emphasis on the word friend.

"Okay, fine," Harry replied.

He was just about to go ask a nurse how much longer they'd be when who should walk in but Draco himself.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Harry demanded to know.

Draco just scowled at him before pulling him into a tight embrace. Harry tried pulling away but secretly, a part of him reveled in the man's touch. Draco seemed slightly distraught as he ended the hug. Draco's hair, usually so well kempt, seemed bedraggled and his face appeared gaunt even by Malfoy standards, it worried Harry just a bit. Harry wondered absently if the man had been eating properly but then shook himself from that revelry. He was supposed to be angry with the man not concerned for his damn health.

"I came to be here with you. I don't want you going through this alone, even if you are angry with me. I love you Harry and this baby means everything to me. Please, let me help."

The blonde's words were of a pleading nature and finally Harry relented. Pulling himself from the man's grip, he went to sit beside Hermione. Turning to his traitorous friend, he agreed to allow Draco to stay.

"I have a feeling this is your doing anyways," he said pointedly at Hermione.

"It is… because I feel you're being stubborn about this. You two need to talk this out, if not for your own sakes then at least for the baby's, he or she is going to need you both. Look, I'll see you at home Harry. Don't kill one another okay?" she said with a wan sort of smile.

Harry gave her a slight returning smile as he watched her apparate away. Just as he was about to address his former lover, a healer in training came out to escort them into an examining room.

The young wizard who brought them into the room handed Harry a thin sheet of cloth that would barely cover his growing body and informed them a healer would be in soon. Harry sat there holding the sheet, waiting for Draco to turn around. Finally realizing the blonde wasn't getting the hint, he addressed him in an exasperated tone.

"A little privacy here would be nice!"

Draco gave him a surprised look, before turning his back.

"It's not like I haven't seen you naked Potter. For crying out loud, that's my baby growing inside you!"

"Don't remind me," Harry grumbled as he hopped onto the examination table, trying hard to hide his bits from Draco's greedy stare.

The two sat in silence for several long minutes before the healer entered the room. A sorry sight greeted her; Harry lying half-naked with his head turned away from Draco and the other man looking grumpily away as well.

"Why the sullen faces?" the pretty redheaded healer asked them. "Isn't this supposed to be a happy occasion? After all, it's not everyday a baby comes into the world by such magical means."

Harry looked over at Draco and the anger was all too apparent within his emerald eyes. Draco seemed stricken by the implication within them. Harry turned to the healer and gave a contemptuous explanation.

"Yes, well this pregnancy was a bit of a surprise. It seems I was duped into taking a potion without my consent."

"Look Potter, I told you I had nothing to do with slipping you a potion and Snape swears it wasn't him either!" Draco spoke up, his rage barely contained as he defended himself.

"Okay…" said the healer as she pulled up a seat beside Harry.

"I'm Healer Dandlee but you can both call me Missy. Why don't we just forget about the specifics of conception for a moment and check to see how this baby's growing."

Her smile was warm but the look in her eyes told them both that she wasn't going to put up with their bickering. Harry laid back and Missy pulled the sheet down his body until his stomach was exposed. She whispered a spell, which removed the disillusionment charm Harry had placed on himself. Harry looked away as Draco came closer, it was the first time he'd seen Harry's distended belly and he seemed to be in awe of it.

Healer Dandlee took her wand out and made a series of complex movements upon Harry's stomach. With the wand movements, she whispered an incantation and with her final words, a bubble appeared above Harry's belly. Within that bubble was their baby, the spell having the same effect as a muggle ultrasound. Draco let out a gasp at the sight of his child growing within Harry's abdomen.

"Oh Harry love… you have to see this," Draco said in a soft whisper as he took a hold of Harry's hand.

Harry turned his head and saw the wonder of what they'd created together and immediately all was forgiven. Sure, Draco had been underhanded in getting what he wanted but Harry couldn't deny the tug this baby suddenly had upon his heart. The healer continued making motions with her wand and making notes on a nearby parchment.

"Is it okay?" Harry inquired curiously.

"She seems to be doing just fine," Missy informed them with a smile.

"A little girl…" Draco whispered his voice filled with unshed tears of joy.

Missy looked at the two men, both completely mesmerized by the miracle of their child.

"One last look men," she said as she put away her quill and began the incantation to stop the charm.

As the baby bubble disappeared, both men seemed disappointed but still content.

"Well Mr. Potter, everything seems to be in order. We'll begin scheduling regular prenatal visits for you and I'll order you some vitamin potions, to be delivered by owl later today. Also as a side note, a potion didn't conceive this baby. In fact, she carries a very forceful aura of magic around her. That's something that could only result from a very powerful incantation being whispered during conception, if you get my meaning."

With those final words, she said her goodbyes and left them alone to ponder their situation. Harry looked at Draco with a guilt-ridden face.

"I owe you an apology." Harry whispered his voice full of regret.

Draco sat next to Harry upon the bed and wrapped him within his arms. Harry kept whispering how sorry he was but Draco just put a finger to his lips before kissing them ever so gently.

"Hush Harry, You can't help how insufferably stubborn you are. Besides, I can see how I might've looked guilty to you. I still wonder at how this miracle came about."

He placed a hand upon Harry's growing belly and leaned down to kiss the baby that lay within, whispering soft words of love as he did so. Harry pulled away after a few quietly tender moments and began dressing.

"I think I know how… I think it was unintentionally my fault," he said without looking at Draco.

The blonde inquired as to how and Harry was quick to answer.

"I think it was the Parseltongue, remember how we both felt that bit of magic in the air the first night I came home from training, well… I think that was it."

Draco pulled him back into his embrace and grinned broadly. His hand again reached out lovingly to fondle his lover's tiny bump of a stomach.

"Looks like we're having ourselves a little snake baby, which means she's bound to be a Slytherin…"