FIC: Raining Cats and Dogs [Snape/Harry]
Title: Raining Cats and Dogs
Author/Artist: goddess47
Prompt: #123 by leontinabowie
Pairing(s): Harry/Severus
Word Count: 3000
Rating: PG
Warning(s): (highlight for spoilers) *MPreg*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: It isn't quite the prompt, but did get the “fluff” part!
Summary: "Not be needing a pet," Sullie shook his head. He pointed at Harry, "You won't be able to take care of it."
Raining Cats and Dogs
Even if it was pouring rain -- and a cold, nasty rain at that -- Harry took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air.
Close beside him, Severus held an oversized umbrella over their heads. It let them walk in the local neighborhood and not get noticed by any of the Muggles that lived there. Severus had put a warming spell in Harry's cloak, and an Impervius spell directly on Harry. The umbrella also let them walk closely together.
Harry figured he should be grateful that Severus didn't put him in a glass cage.
"Thank you," Harry said. "I just needed to get out of the house."
The house was actually a four bedroom townhouse outside the center of London. Neither had wanted to go back to their old houses and, since they were starting fresh, they had agreed to look for someplace totally different. It was actually Augusta Longbottom who had helped them find the home. It was is a mixed neighborhood with both magical and Muggle residents, and the previous owners had been looking to retire to the south of France.
Because of who they were -- Harry and Severus had essentially withdrawn from the magical world at the moment -- they had put the house under a Fidelius, with Neville as their Secret Keeper.
~*~
"Harry, mate, I don't know," Neville had stuttered.
"I can't ask Ron or Hermione, they'd be too obvious," Harry argued. "And, well, you did brilliantly that year in Hogwarts. And you're doing good things with your magical plant business. I trust you."
"Are you sure?" Neville had given a sideways glance at Severus at this point.
"Since it doesn't involve a potion, Mr. Longbottom, it it well within your capabilities," Severus had said gravely. "Harry trusts you, therefore, I will trust you with this."
Neville's eyes got big at that. He swallowed. "I'd be honored."
The charm had gone off without any problems, to Neville's obvious relief, and Harry and Severus moved into their new home.
~*~
As they walked in the rain, Harry thought about their first year together. They had both decided to not go back to Hogwarts -- in any capacity -- and Kingsley Shacklebolt, as the newest Minister for Magic, took shameless advantage of their free time. They attended meetings, were paraded out for various Ministry functions, and generally put on display for the entire Wizarding world.
It took almost a year for Severus finally called a halt to it all.
~*~
"Potter."
Harry looked up, startled. "Professor."
Severus sighed and dropped next to Harry on the couch. He lay his head back and closed his eyes. Harry realized Severus looked tired,
"I quit."
"Severus! What happened?" What did I do? Harry was worried. And maybe a little bit scared.
"At one time, I honestly thought an Order of Merlin, First Class would bring me the recognition I thought I was entitled to," Severus admitted softly. "While I'm more than glad to see Voldemort gone, I'd rather go back to serving him than go to one more bloody Ministry function."
Harry bit back a grin. "Okay."
Severus sat up, and turned to face him. "Okay?"
Harry shrugged. "Okay." He made sure to say it firmly. "We've done our bit, we've started a lot of good things and, you're right, we're entitled to quit."
"Kingsley..." Severus started.
"Will figure it out," Harry promised. "He's more than capable."
"He is," Severus agreed. He smiled, the smile Harry knew was just for him. Harry leaned in for a warm kiss.
Of course, it hadn't been quite that simple, but Kingsley let them work themselves out of meetings and committees, while extracting a promise they would attend the Annual Ministry Ball.
~*~
It had taken some time for them to find their way after that. Neither Harry nor Severus were used to having nothing to do. Being able to choose was faintly scary.
Severus had fallen back on his potions. One does not become a Potions Master, after all, on a whim. A certain level of passion was needed to reach that level of skill. Being able to brew for his own interests, for the first time ever, opened many new paths.
Harry had been glad to help Severus build his lab, and had learned a lot more about potions in selecting equipment and purchasing ingredients. But, when it was complete, Harry again had nothing to do. He was well aware of his own limitations as a brewer, and working in Severus' lab was not something he would be doing regularly.
Harry's years with the Dursleys' had given him experience in gardening, and some of the memories he had -- even of long, hot days, working alone -- were not all bad. Based on that, he decided he'd start up a potions garden for Severus. It was practical, as well as something he knew he could comfortably do that would keep him busy. He also was smart enough to ask Neville for help in getting started.
Neville had suggested a small green house, so Harry could grow some plants all year 'round. That had generated a flurry of work, with the members of the construction crew having to be approved through Gringotts, in order to maintain the Fidelius.
~*~
Harry heard a small whine. Maybe not that small, since Harry heard it over the noise of the rain pelting on the umbrella.
"Severus, wait," Harry stopped and listened. "Over here."
"Harry..." Severus cautioned but followed Harry to the hedgerow.
"Something's there," Harry insisted. "And it's hurt."
Severus held Harry back. "And it might be dangerous."
Harry leaned over -- well, as much as he could -- to look under the branches and pointed. "It looks like a dog, and it's caught in the hedge."
Severus held on to Harry. "Is it in immediate danger?"
Harry looked at the trapped animal. "I don't see any blood," he reported. "I think it's just caught. And wet, and probably cold."
"You have the self-preservation instincts of a gnat," Severus sighed. He handed Harry the handle of the umbrella. "Stay here."
Harry took the umbrella and Severus cast a spell on himself, to stay dry. He cautiously approached the animal, and softly cast charms on it. It just sat there, shivering and whining.
"It seems to truly be an animal," Severus reported from his crouch. "I cannot find any spells, or anything that would indicate it was placed here."
Harry huffed. "I didn't know I'd be here, even an hour ago," he said. Although he had whined for most of the morning before Severus would agree to their walk. "And you picked the direction."
Severus considered. "One thing at a time," he said. He brought out his wand and cast a light Stunning spell at the animal. He carefully reached into the hedge and eased the animal out.
When Harry held his arms out to take it from him, Severus said firmly, "Not yet." When Harry stopped, Severus called, "Sullie!"
Their House Elf popped into view. He took one look at the animal in Severus' arms and took a step back.
"Not be needing a pet," Sullie shook his head. He pointed at Harry, "You won't be able to take care of it."
"Please, it's hurt," Harry pleaded.
"And I've stunned it," Severus assured the Elf. "It should stay asleep for a while. Put it in the mud room, that should be suitable."
Sullie gingerly took the bundle that looked much larger in the Elf's arms than it had in Severus', glared once at Harry, and popped away.
"Home, before it wakes," Severus declared.
Harry wasn't up to keeping up with Severus' usual long strides, so Severus moderated his pace to Harry's.
"Sorry," Harry murmured. "There's just no moving fast in me."
"It'll be fine," Severus assured him patiently. "Take your time."
It took them less than fifteen minutes to get home, the house appearing to them as they crossed the border of the Fidelus. Harry still was amused by how the neighboring houses would budge apart to make room for their home.
Severus took their cloaks and hung them in the wardrobe near the door.
Harry gratefully toed off his trainers, pushing them under the bench in the hall so they wouldn't be in the way.
Harry led the way to the kitchen, and to the the mud room off the back. Harry frequently worked on his plants there and had tracked in enough mud over time that the name had stuck.
For all his purported unhappiness at the prospect of a dog in the house, Sullie had already found a basket and had the dog wrapped in a towel. The dog didn't seem to be shivering any longer, but was still unconscious.
Harry went to reach for the animal when Severus put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Severus!" Harry whined.
"First of all, it is filthy," Severus enumerated. "It needs a bath. Additionally, I would like to perform one more set of tests to ensure it is not dangerous."
"Can I at least stay?" Harry asked.
Severus conjured a chair. "You may sit and watch." He pointed at the chair. "From over there."
Harry pouted for a moment, then dropped gratefully into the seat. "Oh, god, I forgot how much energy walking around like that takes."
"You are the one who wanted to take a walk," Severus said mildly. He picked the unconscious animal up and took it over to the sink. He started the water flowing, tested the temperature, then unwound the towel.
Severus set the towel in the bottom of the sink, to allow for a small cushion, then set the dog down, out of the immediate spray of water. He reached for his wand, and with a set of movements, cast several more spells on the animal.
Harry couldn't see much from his seated position, but had to hope that no obvious reaction was a good thing. He watched as Severus paused, taking what Harry privately thought of as his 'pondering' pose. There was another swish of the wand and a muttered "Exposi manifesti."
Severus stepped back slightly.
"What is it?" Harry asked, concerned.
"Only you, Harry," Severus replied.
"What!"
"I would like to consult with... Professor Grubbly-Plank, I think," Severus said slowly.
"Severus!"
Severus turned to face Harry with a slightly amazed look. "I think it's a Blithee."
Harry frowned. "A what?"
"A Blithee is essentially the opposite of a Grimm," Severus replied. "Whereas a Grimm is often a portent of death or doom, the Blithee brings health and good luck to those under its protection."
"Can I see?" Harry demanded.
"Let me see if Wilhelmina is available to confirm that for us first," Severus temporized. "If she's not available right away, we can call Hagrid. But I suspect this is outside his expertise."
"All right, all right," Harry gave in. "Make your call."
"You'll stay there?" Severus asked.
"Come here, and give me a kiss first," Harry smiled.
"Brat," Severus said fondly. He leaned in and gave Harry a soft, warm kiss.
Harry had to draw on his admittedly limited store of patience to stay in the chair. He wanted to see the dog -- was a Blithee really a dog? -- they had found. He hoped Severus wouldn't send it away.
Severus returned shortly. "She'll be here in a few minutes but suggested that a warm bath would be beneficial to the animal, no matter what it is."
"Can I help?" Harry asked.
"What part of staying seated did you not hear the first time?" Severus replied.
"Severus!" Harry protested. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid."
"And your due date is in less than a week," Severus said. "Indulge me."
"All right," Harry gave in, settling back in the chair.
Professor Grubbly-Plank -- even more than five years after Harry had attended Hogwarts, Harry had a hard time referring to Professors by their first names -- followed Sullie into the room.
"Thank you, Sullie," she said. "Harry! I didn't know you were..." She stopped to look at him.
Harry rubbed his protruding stomach, and smiled. "We're keeping it private," he said. Then frowned. "It's something else that makes me special and, well, I'm tired of all that."
"Male pregnancy is very rare. Understand perfectly my boy," she agreed cheerfully. "And that may explain your visitor."
"Oh?" Harry asked.
Severus cleared his throat behind her.
"Congratulations, you're both very lucky," she said warmly, turning to Severus.
"Thank you," Severus said. "We have been."
"Let's see what you have here," she said, moving toward the sink.
She coo'd at the dog -- that's what Harry was calling it, until he knew more -- and talked gently to it.
"Look at you! You are a little one! But look at those feet! You're going to be beautiful, aren't you? Hang on, sweetie, just a little bit more, so you're pretty and clean for everyone." Harry could see her working in the sink as she talked. "And, sorry, need a quick peek. Good girl!"
She turned to Severus, "Do you have another.." She took the towel he held out to her. "I could use a drying spell, but I'd rather not."
She lifted up the now-awake animal, swathed in the towel and turned to Harry and Severus.
"Good work, Severus," she beamed. "This is a Blithee, and, if I'm not mistaken, she's here for your baby."
At Severus and Harry's alarmed looks, she frowned. "No, wait, that came out wrong, sorry." She looked at Harry. "Your baby is a girl, isn't it?"
Harry put a hand on his stomach. "How did you know that?"
"Our little friend here is also female," she replied. "They match up gender wise to their... companion, I guess is a good term. Blithees look and act like a familiar to anyone outside the immediate family, but the bond is much more than that. A Blithee this young is here to bond with your baby. And your little girl will have a lifelong companion who will be her confidante, ally and guardian, all at the same time."
"That's amazing!" Harry breathed. "Now can I pet it?"
"Sure!" Wilhelmina offered the bundle to Harry.
"You are pretty!" Harry said to the animal that looked up at him with bright blue eyes. "And I'll bet you're all fluffy and cute once you've completely dried out."
"Blithees are really easy to take care of," Wilhelmina said. "They'll eat anything humans will eat, and are easily trained to eliminate wherever you want them to. While the coat will look fluffy, they don't shed and are actually pretty fussy when it comes to keeping clean. This one probably couldn't get to you because of the Fidelius you have on the house, and then got caught in the rain when you went out."
Harry scratched the animal behind her ears, and she gave a small sigh of appreciation, further melting into Harry's arms.
"Will someone be missing her?" Severus asked with a frown. "Blithee's are rare enough that a pup like this would be valuable to its owner."
"Maybe, maybe not," Wilhelmina replied. "The 'good' news is that a Blithee has enough of its own magic that it cannot be forced to stay somewhere it does not want to be. There are ways to imprison a Blithee, but those are pretty Dark and an animal would rarely attach itself to anyone with those sorts of intentions."
"So we do not need to worry about someone looking for this one?" Severus followed up.
"It's very unlikely," Wilhelmina reassured them. "She's old enough to be away from her mother and the fact that she came with you with no resistance is evidence that she's doing that of her own free will."
"You need a name," Harry said softly. He snickered as he heard Severus give a gusty sigh.
"What name have you picked out for your daughter?" Wilhelmina asked.
"It took us months to come up with something we could agree on," Harry admitted with an embarrassed grin.
"We settled on Gwyneth," Severus replied.
"Gwyneth Eileen Lily," Harry added.
"Strong name," Wilhelmina agreed.
Severus cleared his throat. "If it is not too... treacly, I would like to suggest Cara." He nodded at the animal that had settled into Harry's arms.
Harry looked down at the Blithee, who looked back at him. "Cara?" he tried.
A small woof of agreement came.
"I guess that's settled," Wilhelmina laughed.
Sullie popped into the room and handed Harry a small brush. "I not be brushing pet."
"Sullie?" Wilhelmina stopped the Elf from leaving. "Small portions of bland food to start. Mostly whatever you're making for Severus and Harry. If she's hungry, she'll let you know."
"Same food make less work," Sullie agreed with a nod. "Stay for dinner. They need lots of help."
Harry laughed as he heard Severus muffle a snort.
~*~
"It's okay," Harry patted the bed next to him. "Come on."
Cara leaped up lightly, padding toward Harry from the end of the bed.
"Hello," Harry held their child in his arms. "This is Gwyneth. But I suspect we'll be calling her Gwen before long."
Cara leaned in carefully and sniffed at the baby.
"Woof?"
"Yes, she's little, isn't she?" Harry replied. "But she'll get bigger, and I suspect you'll get bigger, too, and the two of you can take care of each other."
A wriggle of happiness.
Severus reached in and took a wide-eyed Gwyneth from Harry.
"Come, Cara," he said. "Harry's going to get some sleep now. You and I can watch Gwyneth for a bit before she falls asleep."
Cara darted in to give Harry a quick lick on his cheek, then dropped off the bed to follow Severus.
"Severus, where's my kiss?" Harry pouted sleepily.
"Brat," Severus said fondly, leaning in for his own kiss. "You did well today."
"We did well, didn't we?" Harry smiled, as his eyes closed.
Severus looked down at his daughter in his arms, his husband sleeping in his bed.
"Yes, we did do well," he agreed softly. "We did."
Author/Artist: goddess47
Prompt: #123 by leontinabowie
Pairing(s): Harry/Severus
Word Count: 3000
Rating: PG
Warning(s): (highlight for spoilers) *MPreg*
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: It isn't quite the prompt, but did get the “fluff” part!
Summary: "Not be needing a pet," Sullie shook his head. He pointed at Harry, "You won't be able to take care of it."
Raining Cats and Dogs
Even if it was pouring rain -- and a cold, nasty rain at that -- Harry took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air.
Close beside him, Severus held an oversized umbrella over their heads. It let them walk in the local neighborhood and not get noticed by any of the Muggles that lived there. Severus had put a warming spell in Harry's cloak, and an Impervius spell directly on Harry. The umbrella also let them walk closely together.
Harry figured he should be grateful that Severus didn't put him in a glass cage.
"Thank you," Harry said. "I just needed to get out of the house."
The house was actually a four bedroom townhouse outside the center of London. Neither had wanted to go back to their old houses and, since they were starting fresh, they had agreed to look for someplace totally different. It was actually Augusta Longbottom who had helped them find the home. It was is a mixed neighborhood with both magical and Muggle residents, and the previous owners had been looking to retire to the south of France.
Because of who they were -- Harry and Severus had essentially withdrawn from the magical world at the moment -- they had put the house under a Fidelius, with Neville as their Secret Keeper.
~*~
"Harry, mate, I don't know," Neville had stuttered.
"I can't ask Ron or Hermione, they'd be too obvious," Harry argued. "And, well, you did brilliantly that year in Hogwarts. And you're doing good things with your magical plant business. I trust you."
"Are you sure?" Neville had given a sideways glance at Severus at this point.
"Since it doesn't involve a potion, Mr. Longbottom, it it well within your capabilities," Severus had said gravely. "Harry trusts you, therefore, I will trust you with this."
Neville's eyes got big at that. He swallowed. "I'd be honored."
The charm had gone off without any problems, to Neville's obvious relief, and Harry and Severus moved into their new home.
~*~
As they walked in the rain, Harry thought about their first year together. They had both decided to not go back to Hogwarts -- in any capacity -- and Kingsley Shacklebolt, as the newest Minister for Magic, took shameless advantage of their free time. They attended meetings, were paraded out for various Ministry functions, and generally put on display for the entire Wizarding world.
It took almost a year for Severus finally called a halt to it all.
~*~
"Potter."
Harry looked up, startled. "Professor."
Severus sighed and dropped next to Harry on the couch. He lay his head back and closed his eyes. Harry realized Severus looked tired,
"I quit."
"Severus! What happened?" What did I do? Harry was worried. And maybe a little bit scared.
"At one time, I honestly thought an Order of Merlin, First Class would bring me the recognition I thought I was entitled to," Severus admitted softly. "While I'm more than glad to see Voldemort gone, I'd rather go back to serving him than go to one more bloody Ministry function."
Harry bit back a grin. "Okay."
Severus sat up, and turned to face him. "Okay?"
Harry shrugged. "Okay." He made sure to say it firmly. "We've done our bit, we've started a lot of good things and, you're right, we're entitled to quit."
"Kingsley..." Severus started.
"Will figure it out," Harry promised. "He's more than capable."
"He is," Severus agreed. He smiled, the smile Harry knew was just for him. Harry leaned in for a warm kiss.
Of course, it hadn't been quite that simple, but Kingsley let them work themselves out of meetings and committees, while extracting a promise they would attend the Annual Ministry Ball.
~*~
It had taken some time for them to find their way after that. Neither Harry nor Severus were used to having nothing to do. Being able to choose was faintly scary.
Severus had fallen back on his potions. One does not become a Potions Master, after all, on a whim. A certain level of passion was needed to reach that level of skill. Being able to brew for his own interests, for the first time ever, opened many new paths.
Harry had been glad to help Severus build his lab, and had learned a lot more about potions in selecting equipment and purchasing ingredients. But, when it was complete, Harry again had nothing to do. He was well aware of his own limitations as a brewer, and working in Severus' lab was not something he would be doing regularly.
Harry's years with the Dursleys' had given him experience in gardening, and some of the memories he had -- even of long, hot days, working alone -- were not all bad. Based on that, he decided he'd start up a potions garden for Severus. It was practical, as well as something he knew he could comfortably do that would keep him busy. He also was smart enough to ask Neville for help in getting started.
Neville had suggested a small green house, so Harry could grow some plants all year 'round. That had generated a flurry of work, with the members of the construction crew having to be approved through Gringotts, in order to maintain the Fidelius.
~*~
Harry heard a small whine. Maybe not that small, since Harry heard it over the noise of the rain pelting on the umbrella.
"Severus, wait," Harry stopped and listened. "Over here."
"Harry..." Severus cautioned but followed Harry to the hedgerow.
"Something's there," Harry insisted. "And it's hurt."
Severus held Harry back. "And it might be dangerous."
Harry leaned over -- well, as much as he could -- to look under the branches and pointed. "It looks like a dog, and it's caught in the hedge."
Severus held on to Harry. "Is it in immediate danger?"
Harry looked at the trapped animal. "I don't see any blood," he reported. "I think it's just caught. And wet, and probably cold."
"You have the self-preservation instincts of a gnat," Severus sighed. He handed Harry the handle of the umbrella. "Stay here."
Harry took the umbrella and Severus cast a spell on himself, to stay dry. He cautiously approached the animal, and softly cast charms on it. It just sat there, shivering and whining.
"It seems to truly be an animal," Severus reported from his crouch. "I cannot find any spells, or anything that would indicate it was placed here."
Harry huffed. "I didn't know I'd be here, even an hour ago," he said. Although he had whined for most of the morning before Severus would agree to their walk. "And you picked the direction."
Severus considered. "One thing at a time," he said. He brought out his wand and cast a light Stunning spell at the animal. He carefully reached into the hedge and eased the animal out.
When Harry held his arms out to take it from him, Severus said firmly, "Not yet." When Harry stopped, Severus called, "Sullie!"
Their House Elf popped into view. He took one look at the animal in Severus' arms and took a step back.
"Not be needing a pet," Sullie shook his head. He pointed at Harry, "You won't be able to take care of it."
"Please, it's hurt," Harry pleaded.
"And I've stunned it," Severus assured the Elf. "It should stay asleep for a while. Put it in the mud room, that should be suitable."
Sullie gingerly took the bundle that looked much larger in the Elf's arms than it had in Severus', glared once at Harry, and popped away.
"Home, before it wakes," Severus declared.
Harry wasn't up to keeping up with Severus' usual long strides, so Severus moderated his pace to Harry's.
"Sorry," Harry murmured. "There's just no moving fast in me."
"It'll be fine," Severus assured him patiently. "Take your time."
It took them less than fifteen minutes to get home, the house appearing to them as they crossed the border of the Fidelus. Harry still was amused by how the neighboring houses would budge apart to make room for their home.
Severus took their cloaks and hung them in the wardrobe near the door.
Harry gratefully toed off his trainers, pushing them under the bench in the hall so they wouldn't be in the way.
Harry led the way to the kitchen, and to the the mud room off the back. Harry frequently worked on his plants there and had tracked in enough mud over time that the name had stuck.
For all his purported unhappiness at the prospect of a dog in the house, Sullie had already found a basket and had the dog wrapped in a towel. The dog didn't seem to be shivering any longer, but was still unconscious.
Harry went to reach for the animal when Severus put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Severus!" Harry whined.
"First of all, it is filthy," Severus enumerated. "It needs a bath. Additionally, I would like to perform one more set of tests to ensure it is not dangerous."
"Can I at least stay?" Harry asked.
Severus conjured a chair. "You may sit and watch." He pointed at the chair. "From over there."
Harry pouted for a moment, then dropped gratefully into the seat. "Oh, god, I forgot how much energy walking around like that takes."
"You are the one who wanted to take a walk," Severus said mildly. He picked the unconscious animal up and took it over to the sink. He started the water flowing, tested the temperature, then unwound the towel.
Severus set the towel in the bottom of the sink, to allow for a small cushion, then set the dog down, out of the immediate spray of water. He reached for his wand, and with a set of movements, cast several more spells on the animal.
Harry couldn't see much from his seated position, but had to hope that no obvious reaction was a good thing. He watched as Severus paused, taking what Harry privately thought of as his 'pondering' pose. There was another swish of the wand and a muttered "Exposi manifesti."
Severus stepped back slightly.
"What is it?" Harry asked, concerned.
"Only you, Harry," Severus replied.
"What!"
"I would like to consult with... Professor Grubbly-Plank, I think," Severus said slowly.
"Severus!"
Severus turned to face Harry with a slightly amazed look. "I think it's a Blithee."
Harry frowned. "A what?"
"A Blithee is essentially the opposite of a Grimm," Severus replied. "Whereas a Grimm is often a portent of death or doom, the Blithee brings health and good luck to those under its protection."
"Can I see?" Harry demanded.
"Let me see if Wilhelmina is available to confirm that for us first," Severus temporized. "If she's not available right away, we can call Hagrid. But I suspect this is outside his expertise."
"All right, all right," Harry gave in. "Make your call."
"You'll stay there?" Severus asked.
"Come here, and give me a kiss first," Harry smiled.
"Brat," Severus said fondly. He leaned in and gave Harry a soft, warm kiss.
Harry had to draw on his admittedly limited store of patience to stay in the chair. He wanted to see the dog -- was a Blithee really a dog? -- they had found. He hoped Severus wouldn't send it away.
Severus returned shortly. "She'll be here in a few minutes but suggested that a warm bath would be beneficial to the animal, no matter what it is."
"Can I help?" Harry asked.
"What part of staying seated did you not hear the first time?" Severus replied.
"Severus!" Harry protested. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid."
"And your due date is in less than a week," Severus said. "Indulge me."
"All right," Harry gave in, settling back in the chair.
Professor Grubbly-Plank -- even more than five years after Harry had attended Hogwarts, Harry had a hard time referring to Professors by their first names -- followed Sullie into the room.
"Thank you, Sullie," she said. "Harry! I didn't know you were..." She stopped to look at him.
Harry rubbed his protruding stomach, and smiled. "We're keeping it private," he said. Then frowned. "It's something else that makes me special and, well, I'm tired of all that."
"Male pregnancy is very rare. Understand perfectly my boy," she agreed cheerfully. "And that may explain your visitor."
"Oh?" Harry asked.
Severus cleared his throat behind her.
"Congratulations, you're both very lucky," she said warmly, turning to Severus.
"Thank you," Severus said. "We have been."
"Let's see what you have here," she said, moving toward the sink.
She coo'd at the dog -- that's what Harry was calling it, until he knew more -- and talked gently to it.
"Look at you! You are a little one! But look at those feet! You're going to be beautiful, aren't you? Hang on, sweetie, just a little bit more, so you're pretty and clean for everyone." Harry could see her working in the sink as she talked. "And, sorry, need a quick peek. Good girl!"
She turned to Severus, "Do you have another.." She took the towel he held out to her. "I could use a drying spell, but I'd rather not."
She lifted up the now-awake animal, swathed in the towel and turned to Harry and Severus.
"Good work, Severus," she beamed. "This is a Blithee, and, if I'm not mistaken, she's here for your baby."
At Severus and Harry's alarmed looks, she frowned. "No, wait, that came out wrong, sorry." She looked at Harry. "Your baby is a girl, isn't it?"
Harry put a hand on his stomach. "How did you know that?"
"Our little friend here is also female," she replied. "They match up gender wise to their... companion, I guess is a good term. Blithees look and act like a familiar to anyone outside the immediate family, but the bond is much more than that. A Blithee this young is here to bond with your baby. And your little girl will have a lifelong companion who will be her confidante, ally and guardian, all at the same time."
"That's amazing!" Harry breathed. "Now can I pet it?"
"Sure!" Wilhelmina offered the bundle to Harry.
"You are pretty!" Harry said to the animal that looked up at him with bright blue eyes. "And I'll bet you're all fluffy and cute once you've completely dried out."
"Blithees are really easy to take care of," Wilhelmina said. "They'll eat anything humans will eat, and are easily trained to eliminate wherever you want them to. While the coat will look fluffy, they don't shed and are actually pretty fussy when it comes to keeping clean. This one probably couldn't get to you because of the Fidelius you have on the house, and then got caught in the rain when you went out."
Harry scratched the animal behind her ears, and she gave a small sigh of appreciation, further melting into Harry's arms.
"Will someone be missing her?" Severus asked with a frown. "Blithee's are rare enough that a pup like this would be valuable to its owner."
"Maybe, maybe not," Wilhelmina replied. "The 'good' news is that a Blithee has enough of its own magic that it cannot be forced to stay somewhere it does not want to be. There are ways to imprison a Blithee, but those are pretty Dark and an animal would rarely attach itself to anyone with those sorts of intentions."
"So we do not need to worry about someone looking for this one?" Severus followed up.
"It's very unlikely," Wilhelmina reassured them. "She's old enough to be away from her mother and the fact that she came with you with no resistance is evidence that she's doing that of her own free will."
"You need a name," Harry said softly. He snickered as he heard Severus give a gusty sigh.
"What name have you picked out for your daughter?" Wilhelmina asked.
"It took us months to come up with something we could agree on," Harry admitted with an embarrassed grin.
"We settled on Gwyneth," Severus replied.
"Gwyneth Eileen Lily," Harry added.
"Strong name," Wilhelmina agreed.
Severus cleared his throat. "If it is not too... treacly, I would like to suggest Cara." He nodded at the animal that had settled into Harry's arms.
Harry looked down at the Blithee, who looked back at him. "Cara?" he tried.
A small woof of agreement came.
"I guess that's settled," Wilhelmina laughed.
Sullie popped into the room and handed Harry a small brush. "I not be brushing pet."
"Sullie?" Wilhelmina stopped the Elf from leaving. "Small portions of bland food to start. Mostly whatever you're making for Severus and Harry. If she's hungry, she'll let you know."
"Same food make less work," Sullie agreed with a nod. "Stay for dinner. They need lots of help."
Harry laughed as he heard Severus muffle a snort.
~*~
"It's okay," Harry patted the bed next to him. "Come on."
Cara leaped up lightly, padding toward Harry from the end of the bed.
"Hello," Harry held their child in his arms. "This is Gwyneth. But I suspect we'll be calling her Gwen before long."
Cara leaned in carefully and sniffed at the baby.
"Woof?"
"Yes, she's little, isn't she?" Harry replied. "But she'll get bigger, and I suspect you'll get bigger, too, and the two of you can take care of each other."
A wriggle of happiness.
Severus reached in and took a wide-eyed Gwyneth from Harry.
"Come, Cara," he said. "Harry's going to get some sleep now. You and I can watch Gwyneth for a bit before she falls asleep."
Cara darted in to give Harry a quick lick on his cheek, then dropped off the bed to follow Severus.
"Severus, where's my kiss?" Harry pouted sleepily.
"Brat," Severus said fondly, leaning in for his own kiss. "You did well today."
"We did well, didn't we?" Harry smiled, as his eyes closed.
Severus looked down at his daughter in his arms, his husband sleeping in his bed.
"Yes, we did do well," he agreed softly. "We did."