Chapter 4: Outed

Disclaimer: Once upon a time, there was a Queen. Her name was J.K.R. Queen J. decided to have children to brighten her existence, and the rest of the world along with her. Two of those children were named Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, and they loved one another very much. But Queen J. cruelly kept them apart. This is an attempt on my part to set things right, and give them the Happily Ever After they so richly deserve.

Harry dragged his feet as Hermione marched him to the Hospital Wing. He scowled as she lectured him.

"Hermione, will you be quiet?" He shot her a venomous glare. "If you can't keep quiet, then so help me I will shut you out completely until after this baby is born!"

Hermione stopped, gaping at him. Ron looked almost as shocked as she did.

"Harry!" Hermione looked ready to cry, and Harry's heart twisted with guilt. But he kept it from his face, needing her to know how upset he was with her if he wanted to keep her from making the same mistake again.

"Hermione, you know that I want to keep this a secret. As my friend, you agreed to respect that. So why, exactly, are you talking about it out in the corridor where anyone could hear you?"

"Oh," Hermione said in a small voice. "I'm sorry, Harry. I thought I was being quiet."

Harry sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. "I know you did, Hermione; but just because you're being quiet doesn't mean that no one will overhear something. Just because they won't hear everything doesn't mean that they might not hear too much."

Hermione nodded, looking remorseful. "Alright. I'll do better in the future; I promise."

Harry smiled at her. "Thanks, 'Mione. I'm sorry for threatening you, but I didn't know how else to get you to take this seriously. I know that you wouldn't do it on purpose, though. You and Ron are the best friends I could ask for. I'm so lucky to have you guys, and I don't know how I'd be able to do this without your support." He tried to project his gratitude in his voice, since he couldn't hug her.

"It's what we're here for, mate," said Ron, gruffly. He flushed.

Hermione's hands fluttered as she rocked on her toes, trying to restrain herself from hugging him. "Of course we're here for you, Harry! And we'll be there for your baby, too, after he or she gets here!"

"Hermione!" Harry gave her an exasperated look, and she clapped her hands over her mouth.

"Sorry!" She looked contrite, and as Harry peered around he felt relieved to notice that the hall looked empty.

"Hermione, if you can't keep this a secret, I'll ask Madam Pomfrey to Obliviate you!" He rolled his eyes so that she wouldn't think he was serious. "Come on; let's go before you spill something when there's someone around to overhear."

Hermione sighed. "I'll try to hold my tongue unless I'm in your dorm or the Hospital Wing, then."

Harry nodded. "Please do."

Madam Pomfrey cast another diagnostic spell and frowned. "I was afraid of this," she murmured. A stab of fear shot through Harry's heart.

"What is it?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "Male pregnancies are so rare that there isn't a lot of information on them. Not many wizards have the level of power required to carry a pregnancy, and even fewer of those are gay – just like gay wizards make up a minority of the general population. Because of that, it's been almost three hundred years since the last recorded male pregnancy."

Harry gaped at her. He'd known it was rare, just not how rare. He cleared his throat. "So, what were you afraid of?"

Madam Pomfrey sighed. "Mr. Potter, from what I understand, male pregnancies sometimes require the support of both parents to avoid miscarriage. Because the pregnancy is supported entirely through magical, rather than natural means, it requires a great deal of magic to sustain the pregnancy. Sometimes more magic then one parent possesses." She grimaced. "If you can't find the other father and convince him to help, you might lose the baby."

Harry paled. "Oh." He stared at the floor, trying to figure out a way to tell Draco. His head spun and he couldn't seem to think straight. He didn't know how to deal with this kind of complication.

"Oh, Harry…" Hermione touched his arm, before pulling back quickly at his hiss of discomfort.

Ron cleared his throat. "That's rough, mate."

"What would he have to do?" Harry asked quietly.

"You'd have to have frequent physical contact. Not sex," she added hastily, looking at their faces. "I mean; that's an option, but it can be as simple as touches on the arm, or the hand. The baby is trying to draw on an extra reservoir of magic to sustain itself, but the only compatible magic is yours and the other father's. That's why everyone else's touch is painful; your baby is attempting to draw on their magic and rejecting it. It won't drain your magic, or the other father's magic to support the pregnancy; not any more than performing a series of spells would. It'll simply tire you both out a little bit sooner."

Harry nodded, relieved. "How much physical contact? How often?"

Madam Pomfrey frowned. "I can't be sure. I think about five minutes of contact, fifteen times a day should be enough. The longer you maintain contact, the fewer times you'll need it, but I think that would be sufficient. If you needed more, I can let you know. And of course, skin-to-skin contact works best, though you should be fine with touching his arm over his sleeve."

"So I don't have to tell him, as long as we have enough physical contact, right?"

Madam Pomfrey blinked. Harry didn't look behind him, where his friends were standing, but he was fairly certain that Ron and Hermione looked as incredulous as she did.

"You would be able to arrange that?" asked Madam Pomfrey. She looked so uncertain.

"Didn't you say the baby's other father wanted nothing to do with you, Harry?" Hermione sounded reproachful.

"Well, things have changed," Harry replied. "Not enough for me to be able to feel comfortable telling him about the baby; though maybe that'll change eventually, I don't know. But enough that I should be able to get enough contact without having to tell him."

"May I ask who it is, Mr. Potter?"

Harry stiffened. "I'd rather not say."

"Since he's a student here, I'll have access to his medical records. I want to check if there are any issues that might affect the pregnancy listed in his file," she explained. "I'd need his permission before I could discuss anything with you, but if I found something that needed to be addressed I would let you know so that you could tell him and get his permission."

Harry felt trapped, but he understood that she had a reason for asking. He sagged where he sat.

"Harry," came Hermione's voice, soft from behind him. "We won't judge you. No matter who it is."

"Yeah, mate," added Ron. "I won't even kill the wanker, since we need him around for the baby."

"Even if it's a Slytherin, Ron?" Harry asked quietly.

There was a pregnant pause, where Ron shifted uncomfortably before Hermione elbowed him. "Even if it's a Slytherin," he agreed uneasily.

"Please don't yell," Harry said. "I can't really handle that right now. I know that it was incredibly stupid to sleep with him. I can't even explain why I did it. I just." Harry swallowed. "I need my best mate to try not to overreact, if I'm going come clean. If you don't think you can do that, please leave while I talk to Madam Pomfrey." He turned and looked Ron in the eye.

Ron smiled weakly. "I'll try," he promised.

Harry drew in a fortifying breath, and turned back to Madam Pomfrey. "It's Draco Malfoy, ma'am."

The silence that followed was deafening. Madam Pomfrey stared at him blankly, as if waiting for the punchline to the joke.

Behind him, Hermione and Ron made no sound, and Harry was afraid to turn around.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione's arms were around him, then, squeezing him tight. The sensations caused by her touch were unpleasant, but he gritted his teeth and twisted around, hugging her back. It was worth the unpleasantness just to know that she didn't judge him.

Ron was just staring blankly, and Harry regarded him with no small amount of fear. The redhead shook himself, and grimaced at Harry. "The ferret, mate? Really?" It came out in a pained sort of whine.

Harry tried to laugh, but the sound got stuck in his throat. "I'm sorry, Ron-"

"You've got really bad taste in men, you know that, right?" Ron gave him a half-hearted grin, and Harry laughed in relief.

"Yeah, I know." His smile faltered. "Believe me, I know."

"What happened, Harry?" Hermione still hadn't released him, and he squirmed in her grasp, trying to ease the feeling of wrongness that overwhelmed him from her touch.

He shrugged. "It's a long story. We were both stupid; though him more than me."

Ron snorted. "Big surprise there."

Harry crossed his arms protectively over his chest. "We were going to try dating, but we had a misunderstanding, and I really hurt him without realising it. So he's spent the last few weeks lashing out at me, instead of talking to me like a normal person." He rolled his eyes.

"He finally told Parkinson what happened, and apparently she smacked him in the head and told him he was being an idiot. She said that he'd better go apologise to me and mean it; and that if I didn't want to forgive him it was all his fault." He grinned. "I never thought I'd actually like Pansy Parkinson!"

Ron burst out laughing and Hermione fought a smile. "He said that?"

Harry chuckled. "Not in so many words; but that was the impression I got. And from the way he groveled, I'm pretty sure that someone hammered it into his head that he'd been both a monumental arse, and monumentally stupid."

"He groveled?"Hermione's eyes were wide.

Harry nodded, grinning. "Yeah, he did, actually."

"Wow." Ron looked grudgingly impressed. "Never would have thought the ferret had it in him."

Harry felt warmth spread in his chest as he thought about it. "Yeah. He asked me if we could be friends. He said he understands that it's asking too much for me to trust him enough to try dating right now, but he wants us to try being friends and go from there."

"I'm glad, Harry," said Hermione softly.

"As am I, Mr. Potter," said Madam Pomfrey, a trifle dryly. "Although I doubt you meant to give me quite that much information."

Harry blushed.

"I must say, though; considering all the damage you and Mr. Malfoy have done to one another over the years, I think if I hadn't heard all that I would be even more concerned than I already am. That's not to say that I'm not still concerned," she said, glaring. "And I understand why you feel you need to wait before telling him, but I'm glad to hear that the two of you are capable of calling a truce."

She paused, then grimaced. "Apparently you're capable of calling a truce long enough to conceive a child, so I suppose I shouldn't really be surprised," she added.

Harry flushed even darker, and his friends snickered. He glared over his shoulder at them in mock anger. Hermione gave him one last squeeze before releasing him. He couldn't hold back the sigh of relief, and she winced.

"I'm sorry, Harry; I forgot!"

"It's alright, 'Mione. I was just so happy you weren't angry with me that it was worth it."

She smiled at him, and Ron went to clap him on the back, only to pull back his hand at the last minute, looking unsure.

Harry grinned. "Mate, I don't mind if you touch me, as long as you don't do it too often. I'll tell you if it bothers me."

"If you have no other concerns, Mr. Potter, you're free to go. Though I want to see you in a week to make sure that you're getting sufficient magic from Mr. Malfoy. You should notice an increased tolerance to being touched by other people as the baby begins to absorb more magic from both of you."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey." Harry gave her a grateful smile, and was mildly surprised to get a small smile in return.

"The only other thing you'll need to know is that there are certain potions you'll need to avoid making during your pregnancy; I'll provide you with a list, and sign anything you need me to so Professor Slughorn agrees to let you concentrate on the theoretical portion of those lessons only. There are also certain spells that will be too taxing for you later in your pregnancy, so you should avoid those as well."

Harry nodded. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

"Yes, well, you can show me how much you appreciate it by not ending up in here unless it's for your prenatal appointments. Go on, now. Get out of here!" She shooed them, and Harry rose to leave, his friends going with him.

Draco sat at the breakfast table, chatting with Pansy and keeping an eye on the Gryffindor table for a head of messy black hair. He finally spotted it, as Harry and his sidekicks arrived, chatting in low voices. They sat with several other Gryffindors.

Draco noticed that while Weasley and Granger were flanking him, they left a small distance between them. He frowned. Something wasn't quite right with the Golden Trio, as both of Harry's best friends were avoiding touching him. He'd have to dig and find out what was wrong.

Harry looked up, and met Draco's eyes. Draco smiled at him, and Harry gave Draco a small smile back; complete with a blush. Draco tried to stifle his feeling of elation.

The post arrived then, and Draco opened his letter from his mother. As he read about how her reconciliation with his Aunt Andromeda was going, he heard shocked gasps and murmurs running through the Hall.

He looked up, wondering what was going on. Students were pouring over copies of the Prophet, gaping and blatantly staring at Harry. He frowned, wondering what was going on. He'd stopped his subscription to the Prophet when he'd tired of all the horrible things they kept saying about him, despite Harry's grudging testimony on his behalf.

Beside him, Pansy gasped, putting one hand over her mouth. Her eyes flitted to him, then back to the paper.

"What is it?" Draco had a bad feeling.

Pansy handed him the paper wordlessly.

HARRY POTTER: BOY-WHO-LIVED A TEENAGE FATHER?

Just How Busy Has Our Hero Been Since Defeating You-Know-Who?

By Rita Skeeter

I know we'd all like to believe our heros are above reproach, but sadly, they're as human as the rest of us. Never has that been more true than in the case of Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

Harry has demonstrated repeatedly over the years that he's a very troubled boy. His newest escapade, however, has resulted in permanent consequences. A reliable source (who wishes to remain anonymous) has informed the Prophet that the Savior of the wizarding world is going to be a father, despite not having finished school yet.

Our anonymous source said; "I was walking down the hall when I saw Harry and his best friends talking. Hermione Granger (who briefly dated our hero during the Triwizard Tournament) said, 'Of course we're here for you, Harry! And we'll be there for your baby, too, after he or she gets here!' Then Harry tried to shush her. He was obviously trying to keep it quiet."

Another student (who also claimed to have witnessed the encounter) stated, "I was completely shocked! Harry seems like such a great guy, yet he's trying to hush up a pregnancy and won't even acknowledge the girl publicly!"

While his paramour is rumored to be Miss Ginerva Weasley, we are as yet unable to confirm or deny this claim. Only time will tell the identity of the mysterious girl to capture our Savior's heart!

Since Rita Skeeter was the author of the piece, Draco held hope that it was all a lie; he couldn't believe it of Harry. But when he looked up to see Harry's reaction, he saw that Harry's face had gone white as a sheet, and he jumped up and ran from the Hall.

Draco felt like he was going to be sick.

He was barely conscious of getting up and running himself. He chased after Harry, calling him.

"Potter! Potter, wait! Harry!"

Harry paused at that, just long enough for Draco to catch up to him, and he caught Harry's arm before Harry could escape.

"Is it true? Harry, please. Tell me! The article… is it true what they said? You're going to be a dad?"

He waited for Harry to tell him it was a lie, desperate to hear that no one but him had ever touched Harry. Harry closed his eyes and turned away, refusing to look at Draco.

"It's true," he said quietly. "I'm having a baby."

Draco reached out with the hand that wasn't clutching Harry's arm to lean on the stone wall as his world tilted on its axis. Without realising it, his breathing grew quick and shallow.

"Who's the mother?" he asked softly, staring into Harry's eyes. Green, green eyes, so dim and pained right now. It hurt to meet Harry's gaze, but he couldn't look away.

Harry swallowed. "I'm not ready to tell you yet," he whispered. "I think I will be, eventually; but not yet. I don't know if I trust you enough yet."

That hurt. Draco spoke again, his voice hoarse. "Are you still together?"

Harry looked away. "No."

Draco nodded dumbly. "Do you want to be?"

Harry was silent for a moment. "It's complicated," he said at last. "But… I think so."

Draco closed his eyes against the wave of pain that threatened to overwhelm him. He wanted to scream.

"Are you still going to be my friend? Or are you going to go back on your word and start being an arse again, now that you know?"

Draco forced himself to open his eyes again and meet Harry's intent gaze. "Just because it hurts doesn't mean that I'll abandon you. I promised, and I care about you too much to break that promise."

Harry's eyes softened. "Thank you. That… means more than you know."

Draco tried to force himself to smile. "Congratulations, I guess."

Harry smiled back; though his smile was a lot more genuine, his eyes warm. "Thanks."

"You alright?"

Pansy touched Draco's arm, but he just buried his face deeper into his pillow.

"Draco, please talk to me."

He turned his head to the side. His eyes were red from the effort of not crying. He looked and felt exhausted, and classes had only just started.

"I'm skipping class today, Pans," he said. "I need some time."

Pans nodded. "I'm skipping with you. You shouldn't be alone."

Draco gave her a tired smile. "You're the best, Pans; you know that?"

She smirked. "Of course I am." Her face softened. "What happened, Draco? You ran out after Potter, and promptly hid yourself away in here afterwards."

"It's true, Pans." He bit his lip. "He told me that he's having a baby. He's not with the baby's mother, but he said he thinks he'd like to be." Draco closed his eyes.

"He asked me if I was going to refuse to be his friend again over this, and I said no. I promised him I wouldn't. But it's so hard, Pans." His breath hitched. "Even if he doesn't get end up dating that girl, he's still going to be tied to her for the rest of his life. And that hurts."

Draco turned his face back into his pillow. "What hurts the most though is that he wants to date her. He's having a baby with her and he wants to date her. Next to that I feel so… inconsequential to him."

Pansy started petting his hair. "Draco, you knew that there was a chance that he would never give you another chance, anyway."

"Knowing there was a chance of that and hearing it practically confirmed are two different things. And considering that he's in love with someone else – someone who's having his baby – I'd say it's pretty well confirmed."

"Yes, but… did he say anything about loving her? For all you know, he's only thinking about dating her because of the baby, since he's a noble Gryffindor and all that."

Draco considered this for a moment. As he replayed the conversation in his head, he noticed how careful several of Harry's statements had been. Some of them he had no idea why, others seemed to support Pansy's theory.

A small smile curved his lips. Harry had seemed very anxious to keep Draco's friendship. Perhaps… perhaps Pansy was right.

He allowed himself to be comforted by this thought, and by his best friend petting his hair and murmuring praises to him.

Harry curled up under his covers with the bed hangings drawn and warded. He wasn't really interested in talking to his friends at the moment. Hermione hadn't meant to spill his secret, but she had been careless and because of her the whole school knew he was having a baby. They didn't know who with or that he was the one carrying the baby, but it would be a lot harder to hide now that their scrutiny would be on him.

Not that he wasn't under scrutiny before, but now everyone would be looking for clues about the mystery identity of the baby's mother. Harry felt sorry for every girl he would interact with in the future.

He let out a sigh.

Then there was Draco.

Harry had mixed feelings about that.

On the one hand, it would be a good test to see if Draco would really stay his friend even after thinking that he had no chance at a romantic relationship in the future.

On the other, he had seen the pain on Draco's face when Harry told him he was having a baby, and even more when he learned that Harry was considering dating the other parent of his baby. Harry felt like coming clean and telling Draco everything, if only to keep the pain away.

Harry rolled over and laid on his back. He placed one hand over his abdomen in an unconscious gesture of protection, even though the baby was still too small to give him a bump. He quirked a half-smile, realising that Draco had unknowingly given him enough physical contact to last the entire day.

He sighed, grateful that he wouldn't have to worry about initiating more physical contact today. It was just one less thing to stress him out.

He didn't know what to do. Originally, his plan had been to get through the pregnancy without anyone finding out, and keep Draco from ever knowing the truth.

Then things had changed between him and Draco, and he'd been forced to alter his plans. Forced to consider the possibility of telling Draco eventually. That had only been heightened by need to maintain regular physical contact with him throughout the pregnancy.

He'd been determined to hide the pregnancy from the world at large, though. It wasn't until Hermione's over-enthusiasm in the corridors had resulted in the fact that he was due to become a father being splashed across the front page of the largest newspaper in the wizarding world that he'd had to consider telling everyone.

How would Draco react, if Harry told him the truth?

How would the wizarding world react, if he told them the truth?

How long could he – and should he – hide his pregnancy?

Harry groaned and threw his arm over his eyes, trying to think.

If he tried to keep it a secret until the end, he would undoubtedly be found out, sooner or later. So the only questions were when to come clean, and how.

Even if his glamours were perfect, what about morning sickness? What about the potions he would be unable to make because of the pregnancy? What about the spells he would be unable to perform?

There were teachers he would have to talk to, about things he would have to avoid for the sake of the baby.

It was just a matter of time before the truth came out.

He wished there was a way to fix things. Unfortunately, things weren't that simple.

He sighed. He would worry about the rest of it tomorrow. Tomorrow, when he could ask his friends' opinions and make some decisions. He drew the covers up over himself, burrowing into the blankets and allowing his thoughts to drift as he slowly fell asleep.