Secrets to Keep 18
Title: Secrets to Keep 18
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Draco/Harry, Ginny, twins
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Flangst
Word count: 1025
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Nineteenth installment of an arc that began with Pixie Pox.
Summary: Draco has some explaining to do.
Harry hoisted Patrick over one shoulder and began patting the baby's back. Across from him, Ginny was giving the same treatment to Nicholas. The two of them shared a smile. Harry's good humor evaporated when Patrick spit up all over the cloth Harry had fortuitously draped over his shoulder before lifting the baby.
"I'm glad that happened to you and not to me," giggled Ginny.
Harry scowled at her before bringing Patrick to his lap, soiled cloth and all. The scent of sour milk wafted to his nose, and Harry's stomach lurched. Faced with the knowledge he was about to be sick, Harry quickly set Patrick in the layette and rushed for the bathroom.
When Harry returned, Ginny frowned at him in concern. "What's wrong, Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Gin. I didn't feel well earlier this morning, and just now the smell of sour milk was too much for me."
Ginny snorted. "It sounds like morning sickness, if you ask me."
Harry laughed at her joke and then abruptly stopped. He paused to think about some things, including subtle signs that he hadn't experienced in years. Harry's jaw tightened, and he snarled, "I'll kill him."
~*~
Harry tripped out of the Floo, caught himself, and realized he was alone in the Manor's family room. "Draco Malfoy!" he roared.
Draco came rushing into the room, took one look at Harry's furious expression, and said, "Let's take this discussion upstairs." Without waiting for an answer, he turned and left the room.
Harry caught up to his lover on the staircase, and the two of them ascended in silence. Draco reached the master bedroom first, opened the door, and gestured for Harry to precede him. Harry strode inside and wheeled to face Draco. "How could you?" he spat.
Draco sighed and leaned back against the closed door. "Tell me what has upset you," he said, although he had a pretty good idea.
"As if you don't know!" cried Harry. "I'm pregnant!"
Draco's pulse fluttered with excitement. "Are you certain?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral.
"I...well, no," stammered Harry, deflating somewhat. He squared his shoulders again and stared Draco in the eye. "I have all the symptoms, however."
"Would it be so terrible?" Draco asked quietly. "Don't you want another baby to love?"
Harry's heart softened at the stricken, yet hopeful, look on his lover's face. "That's not the point," he said in a gruff voice. "We never discussed having another child, and for you to take matters into your own hands was deplorable."
Draco's shoulders sagged. "You're right," he admitted, "and I have no excuse for my behavior." He raised his head to look at Harry, and his chin jutted in determination. "I would apologize, but I'm not sorry."
"Why didn't you just talk to me?!" Harry demanded. "Ask me first, suggest it, bring up the subject?! Why just go ahead and knock me up the duff without any warning?!"
"When was I going to talk to you?!" Draco fired back, pushing off the door and stalking into the center of the room. "You've been spending all of your free time with the twins, and I barely see you any more! Carina misses her father, and I miss my lover!"
They stood glaring at one another for a long moment before Harry made a pained sound in his throat and closed the distance between them. They wrapped their arms around one another at the same time and leaned together while their tempers cooled.
"I'm sorry," muttered Harry. "I know I've been spending a lot of time with Ginny and the twins, but they're so tiny and precious, and I love them so much."
"I know you do, Harry," Draco whispered. "I don't begrudge them your love and devotion, but you mustn't forget you have other children who require your love and devotion, as well."
"And you, too?"
Draco nodded. "I do, too." He took a step back, but kept his arms clasped loosely around Harry's waist. "I thought...I thought if you had another baby to focus on, one that was yours and mine, you'd spend more time with me. It was selfish of me, I admit."
Harry swallowed heavily. "I've been selfish, too. Part of me realized I was spending too much time with Ginny and the babies. Merlin knows, she told me often enough to bugger off and not to neglect you. I guess I just didn't want to miss anything with Nicholas and Patrick."
Harry's head lowered, and he pushed out of Draco's embrace to pace to the other side of the large room. "I can't have another baby," he mumbled. "I'm too old!"
"Don't you want another one?" Draco asked, trying to ignore the tiny frisson of alarm that prickled up his spine.
"No! Yes...I don't know!" cried Harry, staring out the window distractedly.
Draco approached and squeezed his lover's shoulder. "We could have another daughter, Harry," he murmured. "Then we'd have three of each. Wouldn't that be fantastic?"
Harry leaned back, accepting Draco's comfort. "It would be more fantastic if you were the pregnant one."
"It was your turn."
"My turn?!" squawked Harry, turning to glare at Draco once more.
"I had Carina," Draco shrugged.
"And Scorpius," said Harry, "while I carried James, Al and Lily. I daresay it was your turn!"
"Your pregnancies were easier than mine."
"Years ago!" shrilled Harry. "Lily is eleven! She'll be going to Hogwarts in a few weeks!"
"We should keep having brilliant babies and sending them to Hogwarts," Draco said, eyes twinkling.
"Ugh," Harry grimaced, even as he was drawn into his lover's arms once more and relaxed against Draco's solid frame. "I hate you."
"You don't hate me," Draco disagreed. "You're very put out with me, and justifiably so, but you don't hate me."
"No, I don't hate you," sighed Harry, burrowing closer.
"I love you," whispered Draco, pressing a kiss to Harry's temple.
"I love you, too," mumbled Harry, adding, "Just as I already love this baby."
~tbc~
Secrets to Keep 19
Author: enchanted_jae
Characters: Draco/Harry, Ginny, twins
Rating: PG13
Warning(s): Flangst
Word count: 1025
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of JK Rowling, et al. This was written for fun, not for profit.
Author's note: Nineteenth installment of an arc that began with Pixie Pox.
Summary: Draco has some explaining to do.
Harry hoisted Patrick over one shoulder and began patting the baby's back. Across from him, Ginny was giving the same treatment to Nicholas. The two of them shared a smile. Harry's good humor evaporated when Patrick spit up all over the cloth Harry had fortuitously draped over his shoulder before lifting the baby.
"I'm glad that happened to you and not to me," giggled Ginny.
Harry scowled at her before bringing Patrick to his lap, soiled cloth and all. The scent of sour milk wafted to his nose, and Harry's stomach lurched. Faced with the knowledge he was about to be sick, Harry quickly set Patrick in the layette and rushed for the bathroom.
When Harry returned, Ginny frowned at him in concern. "What's wrong, Harry?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't know, Gin. I didn't feel well earlier this morning, and just now the smell of sour milk was too much for me."
Ginny snorted. "It sounds like morning sickness, if you ask me."
Harry laughed at her joke and then abruptly stopped. He paused to think about some things, including subtle signs that he hadn't experienced in years. Harry's jaw tightened, and he snarled, "I'll kill him."
~*~
Harry tripped out of the Floo, caught himself, and realized he was alone in the Manor's family room. "Draco Malfoy!" he roared.
Draco came rushing into the room, took one look at Harry's furious expression, and said, "Let's take this discussion upstairs." Without waiting for an answer, he turned and left the room.
Harry caught up to his lover on the staircase, and the two of them ascended in silence. Draco reached the master bedroom first, opened the door, and gestured for Harry to precede him. Harry strode inside and wheeled to face Draco. "How could you?" he spat.
Draco sighed and leaned back against the closed door. "Tell me what has upset you," he said, although he had a pretty good idea.
"As if you don't know!" cried Harry. "I'm pregnant!"
Draco's pulse fluttered with excitement. "Are you certain?" he asked, keeping his tone neutral.
"I...well, no," stammered Harry, deflating somewhat. He squared his shoulders again and stared Draco in the eye. "I have all the symptoms, however."
"Would it be so terrible?" Draco asked quietly. "Don't you want another baby to love?"
Harry's heart softened at the stricken, yet hopeful, look on his lover's face. "That's not the point," he said in a gruff voice. "We never discussed having another child, and for you to take matters into your own hands was deplorable."
Draco's shoulders sagged. "You're right," he admitted, "and I have no excuse for my behavior." He raised his head to look at Harry, and his chin jutted in determination. "I would apologize, but I'm not sorry."
"Why didn't you just talk to me?!" Harry demanded. "Ask me first, suggest it, bring up the subject?! Why just go ahead and knock me up the duff without any warning?!"
"When was I going to talk to you?!" Draco fired back, pushing off the door and stalking into the center of the room. "You've been spending all of your free time with the twins, and I barely see you any more! Carina misses her father, and I miss my lover!"
They stood glaring at one another for a long moment before Harry made a pained sound in his throat and closed the distance between them. They wrapped their arms around one another at the same time and leaned together while their tempers cooled.
"I'm sorry," muttered Harry. "I know I've been spending a lot of time with Ginny and the twins, but they're so tiny and precious, and I love them so much."
"I know you do, Harry," Draco whispered. "I don't begrudge them your love and devotion, but you mustn't forget you have other children who require your love and devotion, as well."
"And you, too?"
Draco nodded. "I do, too." He took a step back, but kept his arms clasped loosely around Harry's waist. "I thought...I thought if you had another baby to focus on, one that was yours and mine, you'd spend more time with me. It was selfish of me, I admit."
Harry swallowed heavily. "I've been selfish, too. Part of me realized I was spending too much time with Ginny and the babies. Merlin knows, she told me often enough to bugger off and not to neglect you. I guess I just didn't want to miss anything with Nicholas and Patrick."
Harry's head lowered, and he pushed out of Draco's embrace to pace to the other side of the large room. "I can't have another baby," he mumbled. "I'm too old!"
"Don't you want another one?" Draco asked, trying to ignore the tiny frisson of alarm that prickled up his spine.
"No! Yes...I don't know!" cried Harry, staring out the window distractedly.
Draco approached and squeezed his lover's shoulder. "We could have another daughter, Harry," he murmured. "Then we'd have three of each. Wouldn't that be fantastic?"
Harry leaned back, accepting Draco's comfort. "It would be more fantastic if you were the pregnant one."
"It was your turn."
"My turn?!" squawked Harry, turning to glare at Draco once more.
"I had Carina," Draco shrugged.
"And Scorpius," said Harry, "while I carried James, Al and Lily. I daresay it was your turn!"
"Your pregnancies were easier than mine."
"Years ago!" shrilled Harry. "Lily is eleven! She'll be going to Hogwarts in a few weeks!"
"We should keep having brilliant babies and sending them to Hogwarts," Draco said, eyes twinkling.
"Ugh," Harry grimaced, even as he was drawn into his lover's arms once more and relaxed against Draco's solid frame. "I hate you."
"You don't hate me," Draco disagreed. "You're very put out with me, and justifiably so, but you don't hate me."
"No, I don't hate you," sighed Harry, burrowing closer.
"I love you," whispered Draco, pressing a kiss to Harry's temple.
"I love you, too," mumbled Harry, adding, "Just as I already love this baby."
~tbc~
Secrets to Keep 19