Embracing the Real Us

Author Note: Thanks and big hugs to all who keep reviewing!!! Sadly guys, this will be the last new chapter for a bit, school is back in session and this one part of the story is proving highly difficult to write, but it sucks because it's crucial to the plot, so, I will try to get it up as fast as possible!!!!!

DAMN SCHOOL!!!!!!!! IT'S TAKING UP ALL MY WRITING TIME!!!!! CURSE YOU HIGHER EDUCATION!!!!!!!

Oh Yes, ALIX!!!! You are my new favorite person, you can all give Alix thanks to telling me, finally, how to fix the formatting!!!!!
If I had a cookie, it would be yours.

Much Love!

~M


Disclaimer: See Chapter 1!

Damnit Draco!

As the sun peeked over the horizon, three days later, a pair of emerald eyes snapped open in fear. Feeling arms around him he panicked until he breathed in the familiar scent of his lover. A sigh of relief escaped him and he turned his head and saw the silver blonde head resting on his chest. He reached his free arm up and stroked that hair lightly, taking comfort in the familiarity of it. Moments later the blonde stirred and then tilted his head up, the expression on his face going from serenity to shock to happiness at seeing his beloved Harry awake.

“Good morning sunshine.” Harry joked. The blonde teared slightly.

“Don’t you ever do that to me again Harry James Potter; I thought you were going to leave me.”

“No love, we aren’t leaving you.” Harry whispered. Draco arched an eyebrow.

“We?” Harry nodded.

“The baby and I. We’re going to have a baby Draco.” He said quietly, not knowing what the blonde’s reaction would be. Draco sat next to Harry gaping at him. Pomfrey entered five minutes later.

“You’re up, good. What have you done to him?” She smiled.

“He knows.” Harry muttered. Madam Pomfrey looked Harry over and then exited chuckling at Draco’s unchanged expression. When she returned a time later with Harry and Draco’s breakfast, she became annoyed.

“I think I’m going to let you leave this morning and he will just have to sit there.” She suggested. Harry made to get up.

“I like that idea.” He said and let Pomfrey look him over once more before leading him out the door. Harry made his way quietly to the Great Hall where he assumed everyone else was for breakfast; he peeked inside and saw his fathers and godfathers up at the head table. He really didn’t want to draw any attention to himself, but when none of his attempts to get any of the four men’s attention failed, he walked inside. Hermione and Layla immediately jumped up from the table and rushed over to him.

“You’re awake!” Hermione cried throwing herself on him.

“It’s about damn time!” Layla laughed at her girlfriend. “And pray tell, where have you left my cousin?”

“Does she know?” Harry asked Hermione who nodded in answer. “I told him, and if I’m not mistaken, he’s still sitting on the bed where I left him.”

“Are you serious?” Hermione asked open mouthed.

“Sounds like Draco alright.” Layla smirked. “Just give him some time, when it finally settles what you just said, be prepared for him to smother you.” Harry laughed. “I kid you not my friend. Just you wait until he gets in here.”

“I think you’re just lucky that tomorrow we all head off for Christmas.” Hermione said. “He goes home with Layla and you don’t have to deal with him until January.”

“Do you really think he’s going to let me off that easily?” Harry asked her. Hermione thought about it and then shook her head before laughing.

“Sorry doll. I guess you’re right. I hope it doesn’t take him too long, we have Potions today.”

“Harry!” His dad called as he neared the three teens. Harry turned and met him in a fierce hug. Severus followed and forgot about his image and wrapped his arms around his son.

“Where on earth is Draco? He claimed he would never let you out of his sight again.” His dad joked. Harry looked at Severus and smirked slightly.

“Well, I think he’s attempting to wrap his head around the situation, when he finally does understand what I’ve told him, he’s not goi-“

“POTTER!” Came a voice screaming in the hall, followed by footsteps swiftly making their way towards the Great Hall. Harry’s smile faltered when he heard the anger in the voice and moved to hide behind Severus.

“I don’t think he likes the idea father.” He whispered sadly. James looked at his son hiding and laughed until he saw the look on Harry’s face, a look of worry and disappointment.

“POTTER WHERE IN THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?” Now, the whole school had been gossiping since September that Harry and Draco were a couple, but now that Draco was screaming like that the students thought that things had gone back to the way they were before. The Gryffindors were snickering about Harry hiding behind their Potions professor and James sent them glares to shut it. Draco then burst into the Great Hall eyes searching for his boyfriend. He saw his cousin and Hermione standing with James and Severus and knew Harry had to be near so he stalked over to the four of them, the anger pouring off him in waves.

“Where is he?” He growled.

“Draco!” Layla yelled. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Where is he?” He growled again blatantly refusing to acknowledge her questions. Rather than come out from hiding, Harry slunk down to his hands and knees behind Severus and crawled around the group and headed out of the Great Hall. James saw him out of the corner of his eye and fought the urge to look directly at him.

“What seems to be the problem Draco?” James asked, furious with his son’s boyfriend.

“Yes Draco, do tell.” Severus asked, realizing his son had left his hiding place. Harry stood by the doors for a moment as tears began to fall from his eyes and he walked out the door. Draco felt a wave of sadness hit him and he turned but didn’t see anyone there, so he thought of how to answer the question before him.

“I just want to see Harry.” He finally said, as calmly as he could muster.

“Well, we’re not going to tell you where he is until you tell us why in the bloody hell are you so angry?” Severus snapped.

“He left me there. He left me there to worry about him and panic when he wasn’t sitting next to me anymore. I told him not to do it again and what does he do, he leaves me there.” Draco started ranting. Severus held his hand up to stop him.

“Draco, do even remember what it was that you did for Harry to leave you there?” James asked.

“I told him never to leave me.” The blonde answered, he clearly didn’t quite remember what Harry had said.

“Draco, try and remember what HARRY said to YOU.” Hermione snapped at him.

“You know cousin, you can be a real idiot sometimes.” Layla said before she and Hermione ran off to find Harry. They found him in the Potions classroom sitting in his seat, crying.

“Harry?” His best friend started as she neared.

“Do I even want to know?” Harry choked.

“He’s forgotten that you told him about the baby, he’s furious that you up and left him sitting their while he was in shock.” She whispered, teasing him slightly as she sat next to him and wrapped her arms around him.

“Are you kidding me?” Harry cried. “Telling him once was bad enough, now I have to do it again!” Moments later the rest of the class began filing in, when Draco saw him he rushed over only to be given Harry’s back.

“Harry!” Draco cried. Severus blew into the room then and Draco was forced to take his seat with Layla.

“Layla, what in the bloody hell is going on?” Draco whispered.

“MISTER MALFOY!” Severus bellowed. “If you would kindly pay attention, I do not wish to take points away from my own house.” All of Slytherin gaped at him. Layla wrote a note to the blonde carefully.

“Try to remember what Harry said before he left.” He muttered under his breath. He honestly couldn’t think of it. He thought of what he had said and then if Harry had an-. Draco’s breath caught in his throat, he began choking trying to breathe. A second later he had caught his breath.

“HOLY SHIT!” He cried out, and then promptly fainted. Severus smirked while Harry couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“I think he remembers.” Harry laughed. Severus snaked over to the fallen blonde and stood over him.

“Enervate.” He muttered and Draco was up on his feet staring at Harry.

“Do you remember now?” Draco nodded. “Do you think you can handle it, yes or no? That’s all I want to hear from you Draco.” Harry stated, attempting to hide his nervousness, but failing miserably.

Draco looked at Harry, then looked at Severus, looked at Harry again, before bolting from the room. He needed time to think about it.

“Right then. Professor, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go.” Harry said the last bit with a slight tremble in his voice.

“Everyone, read over the potion assignment on the board and then I want twelve inches of parchment on it for next class, I don’t care what you write, just tell me about the bloody thing.” Severus stood and went to his desk.

“Dumbass.” Layla muttered. “I have half a mind to kick your ass Draco Corbett Malfoy.” She said before storming out of the room.

“You know Draco, as much as I like you, sometimes I remember just how much of a Malfoy you really are.” Hermione growled before she too walked out of the classroom in search of Harry. Severus put Blaise in charge of the class and stalked out in search of Draco.
“Come over here Draco.” He called. Draco made his way to stand before the Potion’s professor. “Draco, I don’t care about whatever reasons are going through your head that are making you think far too much about this. I want you to think about this; Harry, quite literally, has the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is my son, but we all have to accept that there is a good chance that he will not live to see this baby grow up. He needs you to support him; he needs you to help him, to make him feel as though if he does die then you and the baby will be okay. He needs YOU.” Draco’s head dropped in shame.

“I know all that sir. But you have to understand that I love Harry more than anything, and to be quite honest, I would rather I get to keep him than lose him and have a baby.” Draco whispered.

“As would I Draco. But you two have been given a gift, and I suggest you go and apologize to Harry, we don’t know how long we get with our loved ones, so no moments should be wasted.” Severus said and disregarded Draco’s presence entirely. The moment the door closed, Severus dropped his head into his hands and cried.

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“Hermione! Layla!” Draco called, catching up with the two girls. They turned and scowled at him.

“Oh I see you can talk.” Layla stared at him hard.

“Where is Harry?”

“Why should we tell you?” Hermione asked. When she saw the shame and desperation in his face she softened. “Do me a favor. Before you go and talk to him, imagine how you would feel in his position, and think of what Harry would do for you.” Draco thought for a moment before turning and running down the hallway.

“You think that did it?” Layla asked.

“Yes I do.” Hermione replied staring after the blonde. “Now, to plan that baby shower.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco burst into the classroom startling its occupants. James, Remus, and Harry turned when he came in and stared as Draco, panting walked right up to Harry. Harry crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow at Draco. Then, Draco shocked him by dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist pressing his head against his stomach.

“Do me a favor, kid, tell your daddy that I’m just a stupid git and I’m sorry.” Draco said casually. “And you can tell him that I’ll do whatever it takes to get him to forgive me. Tell him that I love him and that I will always love him and I’m going to be the best father I can.”

James and Remus smiled down on Draco. They both fought the urge to laugh and then cry as Draco was making quite a spectacle of himself.

“Draco?” Draco looked up at his boyfriend. Harry had tears in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry Harry. It was so stupid of me, I didn’t think of you, I just thought of how hard this was going to be for me an-“

“Shut up and stop making a fool of yourself.” Harry laughed and pulled Draco to his feet. “We can do this right?”

“Are you kidding me? This kid is going to be spoiled rotten.” Draco grinned and kissed Harry.