Chapter 20. The Talk.

Harry walked the halls of the house feeling numb inside. Perhaps Moody was right. Maybe Malfoy hadn't wanted him to know. Who would want to have the person who forced them close by? Who would want to have that very person's child? He certainly had been trying to deny any responsibility for Ginny's baby. Why wouldn't Malfoy feel the same? But then, why the blond tolerated him? They had been sharing the same room. And Draco had always looked pretty relaxed around Harry. Except on those occasions that the Gryffindor asked if something was wrong. Well, now he knew what was the problem. But there had been nothing on the Slytherin's behaviour that indicated that he didn't want to be with Harry. Perhaps they had ordered the blond to put up with him for the sake of appearances? Harry doubted that Malfoy would agree to that.

He stood in front of the door to his and Draco's room and waited for Madam Pomfrey. He wasn't going to go around making crazy assumptions. This time he was going to get things clear. No more half-truths or misunderstandings.

He didn't wait long. The mediwitch was out in a few moments. She told Harry to let the other boy rest and then she went to the parlour to floo away, promising to return shortly.

Harry sighed and looked at the door resentfully. Why all the weird things always happened to him? Sometimes he wanted to scream for the world to just leave him be. Alas, there was no point in delaying this talk. He needed to know Draco's side of the story. He was not going to trust the adult's word anymore. He and Draco were the ones affected by this and they were the ones that needed to make agreements.

He had a fleeting moment of panic when he thought about what he would have done if Ginny had approached him with the same intentions he was now trying to speak to Draco. He pushed the thought out of his mind. The situation was different. He was not Ginny and he hadn't done what she did. He was immensely grateful that she was not having any child after all. He knew that even if he hadn't wanted to be with her, a child would be forever a bond between the two. Now he was truly over with her, and thankfully there was nothing she could hold over him. This was about he and Malfoy only. He took a deep breath and entered the room.

It was semi-dark inside. The curtains were pulled over the window and only a bedside lamp was on. Harry spotted Crookshanks curled on the divan and scowled at it. The cat had taken to be near Draco lately. On the last months he had even noticed Hedwing and Pig resting on their windowsill from time to time, even when they had their perch in a small owlery in the garden. It was odd. Harry decided to ignore the feline and closed the door, warding it to not be interrupted.

The blond boy was in his bed, lying on his left side and curled under the covers, facing the window. Harry walked towards him and sat at the end of the bed. He didn't dare to touch the boy or even look at him. Somehow he knew he was awake, but he didn't know what to say. How should he start?

Draco was concentrating on keeping his breath under control. In. Out. In. Out. He felt tired, scared and very alone at the moment. Madam Pomfrey had informed him of the little reunion the household had had, and had said that everyone now knew everything about his condition. Everything. Ha! She didn't know the beginning of it.

He wasn't expecting that Harry would want to talk to him, but he supposed it made sense. Surely the boy wanted some sort of explanation. Knowing Harry, he would not be satisfied with whatever the adults had told him. Draco was waiting for the Gryffindor to say something, perhaps some scatting words, but as the moments passed by with no indication of Potter doing anything but sit at the end of the bed, Draco started to get angry. Why couldn't the git simply get it over with? Draco was about to yell in frustration when finally the other boy spoke.

"Were you going to ever tell me?"

Draco was confused for a moment, but he quickly understood what he was been asked. He sighed and answered quietly.

"Why would you have wanted me to do so?"

"Why? Well, I certainly would want to know that I have a child!"

"Really? You didn't look so thrilled when Weasley..."

"Please don't mention her! I know how I reacted; I doubt anyone would have expected me to act all chummy and pleased with the news! But this is different!"

Draco closed his eyes. He was very tempted to ask why it was different, but he didn't dare. He didn't want to fight. He only wanted Harry to pass sentence on him and be done with it. He had always known that he would have to take care of his child alone anyway. He heard Harry sighing and felt him getting up the bed. He heard his steps going back and forth somewhere at his back. He was pacing.

"What I want to know is... if you wanted to tell me. I mean, Mrs. Weasley said that they told you not to, but, did you want me to know?"

Harry sounded almost desperate, and Draco didn't know what the boy was expecting. But he was so tired of this. So tired of always be lying, to be constantly worrying about what the others would say or do. He didn't have the will to do it anymore.

"I suppose. But, well how could I explain...? This isn't something that happens everyday. I mean, I'm a boy. I'm not supposed to get pregnant. I couldn't tell you and then have no explanation at all of how it happened. Then Weasley came and you were so upset and... I just was scared. I didn't want to upset you more."

Harry sighed in frustration. Why all everyone seemed to think about was to avoid upsetting him? Was he not trustworthy at all? He sat on the bed, next to Malfoy this time, and put his head on his hands. He thought about the other boy's words and everything that had happened, and how murderous he should have looked like when Ginny had announced to everyone her supposed pregnancy... Something was not clicking in place. Remus had say that Draco hadn't known until... Harry looked at the face, semi-covered by the blankets.

"How long have you known?"

Draco groaned painfully. Something in the stories was not consistent, right? It was bound to happen sooner or later. Fuck them all! Draco was fed up with going along with their half-truths. He was not going to play anymore! They could not kill him anyway; they still needed him. He refused to be tiptoeing around Harry, scared of what the boy should and shouldn't know! It was driving him nuts!

"I've always known. It was hard to miss really."

Harry frowned in confusion.

"But... Remus said they didn't tell you about your changes, and that you didn't remember what had happened with the Death Eaters."

Draco sighed. He put the covers aside and tried to sit up. Harry stood instantly and helped him. He also pulled open the curtains, allowing more light into the room. Draco nodded his gratitude and reclined a bit on the pillows. Harry couldn't help but to see downwards. The covers hid the bundle of the blonde's belly, and there was still the glamour, whatever changes the blond's body had suffered, they weren't noticeable. Draco's voice returned him to the present.

"Look Harry, whatever they told you... It's not exactly truth."

Harry was just starting to sit again at the bedside and he almost fell over. He looked with wide eyes at the blond, who bit his lip.

"But it's not their fault. They don't know what really happened."

"And you know." Said Harry, willing himself to stay calm and listen to all that Draco had to say before lashing out in anger. The blond nodded and averted his eyes.

"Well, it's my body... The thing is... I know what happened and why, but I can't explain it."

"But Moody said you were obliviated and that you didn't know what the Death Eaters did to you."

"Yeah, well, you see this... change... When you found me I was normal, the change was here... and it was before you drank the lust potion, so I was pretty aware of what could happen."

Harry frowned, trying to understand the sequence of events.

"You knew you could get pregnant? Draco why didn't you say anything?"

"I tried to! I tried to find a way to explain and I swear I was going to tell you! But I couldn't! I can't explain!"

"You mean you didn't find the words to talk with me?" Said Harry, feeling somewhat saddened, but Draco's answer surprised him.

"No, I mean it literally! I can't talk about it! I was told not to, but even before that, I couldn't speak of it! It's... weird. When I tried to tell you, I had a whole plan made, I had thought very carefully of what words I would use and even how I was going to handle you if you got mad at me, but the moment I started speaking all my words changed! It was as if I was thinking one thing, but my mouth decided to tell another. It was very frustrating!"

Draco had started to gesticulate with his hands in agitation. Harry panicked and moved closer to him, taking his hands and looking into watery gray eyes.

"Hey. It's ok Draco. I'm not mad at you, I promise." He put away a lock of Malfoy's hair and the blond sobbed.

"But you're going to be when you find out, I'm really sorry I can't tell you, you really should know about all this! I can't... mph!"

Harry put his hand on the blonde's mouth and looked directly into his eyes.

"Tell me, did you in any way provoked all this?"

Draco shook his head no. He had not provoked it; he just hadn't been given any choice in the matter.

"Then there is no reason I should be mad at you, you see?"

The Slytherin whimpered, not really convinced about that, but he was much calmer when Harry retired his hand. The Gryffindor hugged the still sobbing boy and even rocked him a bit. His mind was working furiously trying to remember some occasion where Malfoy had looked particularly troubled or anguished when speaking. It cost him some effort, but he finally remembered the day, some months ago, when he had discovered Draco in the garden with the... thing all around him. They had talked about it later. Or tried to. Then he remembered his most recent conversation with the twins. A suspicion formed in his mind.

"Draco, all of this perhaps has something to do with the dragons?"

The blond went very still in Harry's arms. He fearfully asked.

"What dragons?"

"You know, the ones I had been dreaming about. I told you about them once. They are multicoloured, almost eerie. You told me they were said to be ghosts."

Draco straightened and separated from the black haired boy a bit, in a way that they ended up sitting one in front of the other. He looked at Harry with horror on his face. The Gryffindor narrowed his eyes.

"You see these dragons too don't you? Somehow your situation has something to do with them. Isn't it?"

The blond paled dramatically. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it. He gulped and moved his jaw around a few times. He finally lowered his eyes and spoke in a low voice that was almost a hiss.

"Those dragons don't exist."

Harry took the blonde's chin and lifted his face. The boy was terrified. Harry was thinking hard about the situation.

"You're under some kind of curse, right? And it has to do with those creatures."

Draco bit his lips and whimpered, he couldn't move a muscle. Harry narrowed his eyes again.

"Voldemort did it? Was it in place when you were with the Death Eaters?"

Draco could breathe more freely now. He was able to answer those questions.

"Well, the Dark Lord was the cause of the curse. But it was in place years before I even attended Hogwarts. In a way all this situation is his fault."

Harry huffed and shook his head in an incredulous gesture.

"I don't know why I'm surprised. Every weird thing that happens in my life is somehow connected to that psycho. I'm going to really enjoy the day of his death. I'll even give a press conference just for the occasion, really."

Draco relaxed somewhat and he put his hands over his belly, dragging Harry's attention to it. The Gryffindor looked at it and reached out with his hand.

"May I?"

Draco pressed his lips together but nodded and let Harry touch his glamoured stomach. The magic tingled and he could feel that the baby was happy. It was a weird feeling to have, but he smiled anyway. Harry sighed and asked.

"Is there someway to break the curse? Maybe we can find something in the dark magic books."

"No. As far as I know there's no way to break it... But it has a condition, there's something that should happen and then I will be able to talk with you about it."

Harry looked at Malfoy's face again with questioning eyes.

"Which is?"

Draco sighed. He was really talking more than he should. He couldn't answer that question directly.

"Look, it's kind 'a complicated. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to talk about it when the baby's born."

Harry was pensive.

"And if you aren't?"

The blond chuckled sarcastically and shrugged.

"Then it won't really matter because I'll be dead." He really didn't think he could survive either loosing his child or another pregnancy, and anyway he wouldn't want to live knowing that magic had its days counted. Harry took him by the arms and glared at him, saying in a serious voice.

"Don't you ever say that. I'll never forgive you if you die on me Draco."

The blond was perplexed and could only nod. Harry pulled him in a strong embrace and then made him partially lay on the pillows again. He looked at his middle in wonder, imagining how it'd look without the glamour. He still couldn't believe that the adults had hidden this from him. Draco followed his line of vision and felt suddenly apprehensive.

"Harry? I know that this isn't an easy situation. It was never my intention to ask you for anything. I know you want a real family, a wife and kids, and... well, this is not what you had in mind. I'm not going to get into your life, I just... I..."

"What are you saying Draco?"

Harry took Draco's hands in his, and the boy gulped. He felt fearful and was not sure of what the Gryffindor wanted to do about his child, or what he may decide once he knew the entire story. No one had taken the time to make Harry aware of the fact that, by law, he had the right to decide the fate of any children he fathered. Obviously Mrs. Weasley hadn't wanted to put him into even more conflict, but surely someone would say something about it sooner or later. Draco just wanted one thing, and it will be all he'd ever ask of the other boy.

"I-I'm not what you want, I know it, and if you don't want to see me anymore when all of this is finished and you know the truth, I'll understand. You'll find someone you love to do your life, you have a right to it. Just, please, if I survive this let me keep my child, my baby is all I have now, I swear I'll never bother you with anything, please."

Harry stared at the blonde's tearful face for a moment, convincing himself that he had heard right. Then he took the other boy's head by the sides, a little more forcibly than he had intended. Draco winced and closed his eyes. Harry loosened his hold a little but didn't let go of it. He was unsure if he should feel horrified or angry, so he settled for being upset.

"Draco, look at me."

The blond opened his eyes fearfully, and started to babble an apology, but Harry didn't let him speak.

"Now listen to me Draco Malfoy. I know that you are pretty shaken by all this, but that's no excuse to...! Holly Hell! How can you think that I'll take your baby away from you? I thought you knew me better than that!"

Draco hugged himself, but didn't fight Harry. He sobbed and tried to put his thoughts into some semblance of coherency.

"I do know you. I know that you're a caring and noble person... And I also know that you don't take very well to people that lie to you... You specially dislike people controlling you... And I never was your favourite person, you used to despise me, and you had a life and projects before all of this happened..."

"Draco, calm down and breathe."

Harry's hearth ached. Draco was really scared. Whatever was the secret he was keeping, it was making a mess of the boy's mind, that much Harry could see. Draco started to cry in full now, and the Gryffindor couldn't help but take him into his arms and cuddle him. He talked softly into the blond hair.

"It's all right Draco. It doesn't matter what I thought about you in the school. I know you better now, and I really like you. I won't leave you Draco."

Draco sobbed and tried to control himself. Merlin, he hated to cry!

"B-but... you don't know the truth... I-I don't know what you're gonna think about me when you know... I-I'm so scared because I know you're not gonna like it and... and I did some things I didn't want to but... I needed to... I-I just..."

"Ssht. Calm down. You're rambling Draco. Is this truth really that bad?"

The blond took a deep breath and nodded.

"You're not gonna be happy."

Harry wanted to chuckle ruefully. It was almost a given in his life that every problem that could exist would be thrown his way.

"Well, I'm getting used to the fact that nice surprises just don't happen to me." He held Draco more tightly and moved them both into a more comfortable position, so he wouldn't be half out of the bed and Draco could cuddle into him all he wanted. "Please don't worry about it. Just have a little trust in me, ok? I promise that whatever happens, I'm not going to take your baby away from you. I'll be honoured if you let me raise our child along with you."

Draco held onto Harry tightly. If only he could be sure that the Gryffindor really meant what he was saying.

"Please, repeat me that when you know the entire tale. Please."

Harry sighed and kissed Draco's head.

"Ok. And I'm sure that I'll feel the same about you, you'll see."

Draco could only hope.

"Thanks."

Draco had the shock of his life when Moody took out the glamour and he could see his real reflection on the mirror. He was horrified. Merlin and all gods above! How could it be possible? He was so fat. Fat. Fat. Fat. Fat. It was no wonder that his feet and back ached all day! He was so big! No matter that Granger tried to convince him that it was normal, it was not normal! Not for him! How was he going to manage to return to his previous weight? Most of it should be fat, it had to! There was no way that the baby was so big at six months! It couldn't be!

He spent the day crying and internally cursing Voldemort, and his stupid aunt, and the dragons, and magic in general. Eventually, the teenagers managed to calm him down, though the only thing that actually relaxed him was to make him remember his mother and the perfect figure she had, even after having given birth to him. He still covered the mirror with a blanket and refused to look into one for the duration of the pregnancy.

The following days were a bit awkward in the house. Ginny had been returned to the Longbottoms' state and ordered to visit St. Mungos' hideout at least twice a week. Harry wasn't talking with the adults, and he had had a fight with Alastor, trying to keep the ex-auror from getting close to Draco. He was sure that the old wizard knew the real tale of what was happening with the blond and had something to do with it. He didn't know why, but the fact was that he was sure, and he was not letting Moody hurt Draco anymore. Draco was frustrated because he could not make Harry see that Moody meant no harm to him. The Gryffindor wouldn't be deterred in his propose to protect Draco, not even by the blond himself.

Malfoy for his part was surrounded by attention. Now he had to put up not only with Molly's mothering, but with Fleur's and Hermione's too. The twins were following him everywhere, trying to pock him at every chance. Harry managed to shoo them away from time to time, but there was nothing that could make him leave Draco in peace. After three days, the blond was ready to yell at all of them to leave him alone. He was asking himself why he had ever thought that Harry had a right to know about his pregnancy. He was going to go insane!

Finally Moody put his foot down and demanded that the teenagers continue with their training. After a mighty shouting match between Harry and Moody, in which Harry's magic made the walls of the entire house tremble, the pair eventually reached an agreement and settled their differences. They were not in friendly terms again, but at least they could work together and not kill each other.

So, a routine was set and Draco had a couple of hours to himself each day while the rest were training. The first day he was immensely grateful for the respite and started to really appreciate the care that Potter was showing. The Gryffindor even was sleeping in the same bed as Draco and hugged him tenderly all-night. The blond was trying to remind himself to not grow used to that, but the comfort and security he felt were so precious to dismiss. He let Harry cuddle with him and slowly their bond grew stronger.

Some days later, the blond looked at one of the many rooms in disbelief. Molly Weasley was mad. Plain and simple. And the twins were madder. Draco stood, looking in awe as the Weasley matron directed her sons to dismantle the room and gave instructions to the house-elves about how the walls and floor should be cleaned. The room had once been the nursery of the house, but had been transformed into some sort of storage room. Molly had put herself to the task of getting it liveable again and ready to provide an adequate space for Draco's baby.

The blond stared at the blurs of activity that were the Weasleys, unsure of what to think about it. He was aware of the fact that his child would be born in the middle of a war and that it was more than likely that they would be stuck in Grimmauld place for yet a long time. But he knew that he wouldn't be giving birth in the house, or anywhere close to any of the current inhabitants of it. And he didn't know what would happen after the birth. What if he wasn't allowed to return to it? What if he wasn't wanted there anymore?

He felt his throat constricting at the thought that his baby might never get to enjoy a nursery of any kind. Harry arrived at that moment and put an arm around his waist. The Gryffindor looked at the movement inside the room and sighed. He was still mad at the adults, but Molly was the only mother figure he had, and she had been going beside herself trying to make it up to him. The nursery was not a bad idea; after all, the baby would need a special place for itself. They could accommodate a basinet in his and Draco's room, but it was not the same. To prepare a room for the baby made it all the more real. Harry hugged Draco and kissed his temple.

"Too bad that we don't know the sex of the baby. It would make the decorating easier, I think."

Madam Pomfrey had been reluctant about using magic on Draco more than strictly necessary. She had only been doing the mandatory spells to know that the baby was in good health. Draco sighed. He actually knew what his baby was, Sally had told him as soon as she had been sure. But he didn't know if he should tell. There was already enough fuss as it was.

"I think..."

Harry turned to look at him.

"You have any preference?"

Draco shrugged.

"Not per se. But... a girl would be nice."

He blushed and Harry looked pensive for a moment. Then he smiled and put his hand over the blonde's belly.

"A girl then. We must make sure that the décor of the room will be appropriate."

Draco hid his face on Harry's neck and sighed. He couldn't help the feeling of safety that invaded him. He prayed that things continued to run easily.

Voldemort looked at the closed gates of Hogwarts in a raging fury. The castle would not open. Not for him or anyone else. He had tried every secret passage known by Pettigrew and a few others. He had even tried to use the vanishing cabinet that the young Malfoy had managed to repair with no luck. The cabinet just kept rejecting anyone that stepped into it. He had put Malfoy, Snape, Lestrange and Parkinson to find a way to break the wards surrounding the school. Only there were no wards. Whatever force kept people outside the school grounds had not been seen before. There was no way to know if the house-elves were still inside the structure. They won't answer to Snape's calls. The potions master believed this to be because there was no Headmaster, and therefore no one to whom the elves owed their loyalty.

The Dark Lord gritted his teeth and growled. The last of his horcruxes was inside the castle. Malfoy had confessed that he had given it to his son on his second year for him to hide it in the dungeons. It had been an ideal time to do it, since everyone had been occupied with the monster from the Chamber of Secrets. The boy had obeyed his father and the horcrux was now away from its owner's reach. Even when Riddle could manage to establish a fragile mental connection with it and know it was still untouched, he couldn't activate it. He wasn't able to take complete control of it.

Damn it all! There must be a way to get into the Castle! He wasn't going to leave the last of his horcruxes to chance! He turned around angrily and apparated to his manor, where Pettigrew was waiting, cowering on the floor, in the exact position he had left him two hours ago. Voldemort made a face of disgust at the pitiful man.

"Wormtail, is everything ready?"

"Y-yes my lord! Everything!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Move! Announce to our 'employees' that we are moving office to Hogsmeade!"

"Y-yes! Yes my lord! Immediately!"