The Most Difficult Of All Our Tasks

-- Thank you to those lovely people who responded to my not very subtle requests for reviews. A nice long chapter follows. SP



Chapter the tenth – When a Child is Born



“Let me call him!” Jack shouted for what felt like the thousandth time as Harry yelled in pain, his skin tearing apart.



“NO!” Harry shouted back, for what felt like the thousand and oneth time.



“You’re having his SON!” Jack cried.



“OWWWW! If I see OW! CRAP! him, I’ll just FUCK! WANKER! THAT HURTS! want to SHIT! SOD! kill him! BASTARD!” Harry hollered as blood flowed from his stomach, his body preparing to split and allow his son into the world.



“Harry!” Jack was nearly sobbing, “PLEASE let me tell him!”



“NOOOOOOOO! BUGGER! FUCK! OW! OW! OW!”



***



Lucius Malfoy entered Harry’s hospital room, looking elegant and so clean that Harry felt grimy and disgusting.



Yeah, but he didn’t just give birth. Harry reassured himself.



“Harry,” the blond bent and kissed the other passionately, “congratulations on the birth of your son.” He looked at the sleeping child. “Any ideas about a name yet?”



“Yeah,” Harry said, “I already know what he’s called. Look on his wristband.”



Lucius did so, suppressing a sneer. “Really? Interesting. And have you heard from the other father?”



A frown showed on Harry’s face. “No, and I don’t want to. Anyway, he doesn’t know about us.”



Lucius opened the copy of the Daily Prophet he’d been carrying and passed it to Harry. “I’m afraid he does know,” Malfoy said, pointing to the announcement:



‘Births: A son to Henry James Greene, bartender at ‘The Frog’s Legs’ and his first partner SS.’



“Bitch!” Harry snarled viciously, flinging the paper across the room and glowering at it. “Jack did this, didn’t she?” he asked, furious at her.



“I do believe that the lady who refers to herself as Jack did indeed pay for this announcement. We can only be grateful that she used your alias, not your real name.”



“I’m too tired for this shit,” Harry said sagging back onto his pillows. “I just want to go home with my son.” He looked at Lucius, “When can I go home?”



Malfoy smiled calculatingly. “Whenever you wish. No one would dare stop you if you were accompanied by me.”



Feeling trapped, Harry nodded. He didn’t want his child to be brought up a Malfoy, but he needed the other’s protection. And the sex was fantastic, although it worried Harry that he always felt slightly hollow afterwards.



***



“Delivery. Seventy potion vials for Henry James Greene. Sent by Doctor Fetch. Sign here.” The bored looking delivery man held out a piece of parchment. Puzzled Harry signed.



Why would I need to still take the potion? I’m not pregnant anymore.



***



Harry had been staying at Malfoy Manor for two months when he received an unwelcome visitor.



“Harry,” Lucius called, “someone to see you.”



Curious, the boy picked up his son, “Come on kiddo,” he muttered and wandered down the hallway to the morning room, where he had heard Lucius’ voice come from.



He stared at the tall figure with lank black hair and pale complexion and felt sick. “Get out,” he spat. “We don’t want you, we don’t need you.”



“Shall I leave you two to get reacquainted?” Lucius interjected smoothly before gliding away and shutting the doors.



Harry stared at Snape. The other looked dreadful, his face had sunken in, and his clothes looked far too big for his frame.



“Harry,” the older man began.



“Mr Greene,” Harry snarled, “you have no right to use my first name.”



Snape inclined his head once, looking sad. “Very well, Mr Greene, I wanted to apologise for, well, for everything I said following our, erm,…” He trailed off, feeling concerned by Harry’s continued silence and the raised eyebrows he was now seeing.



“Are you waiting for me to help you out? To jump in and fill in the blanks? It’s not going to happen. You want to apologise, fine, then do so, don’t expect me to tell you what it is you’re meant to apologise for.”



The teacher looked surprised. “You’ve changed,” he remarked.



“Well, getting screwed then getting thrown out of bed, THEN finding out you’re pregnant tends to change you a little.” Harry retorted, rocking his son who was beginning to fret because of the tense atmosphere.



“Our fighting isn’t good for him,” Snape observed.



“Oh?” Harry queried, eyes locked on the other, “then leave.”



“Very well.” Severus moved slowly towards the door. Before he reached it he turned and asked quietly, “I realise I have no right to ask this, but could I hold him? Just once?”



Harry’s heart tore at the other’s tone. Despite everything he still wanted the man who had so cruelly hurt him.



Silently, he walked over and allowed Snape to cradle their son. Tears filled the black eyes as he looked down at the tiny bundle.



“I don’t even know his name,” Snape commented, sounding choked.



Harry seemed surprised by this. “Didn’t Jack tell you when she asked you to visit?”



Severus frowned. “Jack? I thought Lucius was your partner,” he sneered the last word.



“Jack’s a girl,” Harry responded. “You haven’t met her?”



“No.”



“She didn’t make you come and see us?”



“No.”



“Then why are you here?” Harry ground out, taking his son back. “You managed to avoid me for the nine months I was carrying him, and he’s been in the world for two months and only NOW do you come and see me.”



Snape was saddened at losing his son, but hid it behind his usual stoic mask. “My actions that night and that morning are not things I am particularly proud of. I am pleased that I have a son, however, but I didn’t want to disturb you in the early days of your new role. I expect it’s been quite difficult for you.”



Harry stared. Wanting to HURT Snape for all the things he had said and done to Harry the other answered, “Yes, it has been quite difficult, but Lucius has been great with midnight feeds and changing nappies and buying equipment and everything else you should have been doing.”



“Would you have allowed me to help had I crawled back on my hands and knees across broken glass?” Snape asked sardonically.



“No.”



“Then that’s why I didn’t. I see that whatever you might have thought you felt for me was indeed just a fantasy, so I will impinge upon your time no longer. Let me just say, Harry, sorry, Mr Greene, as someone who knows evil and who knows how to hurt others, do not trust Lucius Malfoy. You are here only because it suits his purposes.”



“I know,” Harry said impatiently, “he wants to raise Mycroft as a Malfoy. I’m not thrilled about the idea but at the moment I just need someone to help me cope.”



“Mycroft?” Snape asked, puzzled.



“Mycroft Severus Potter,” Harry said, not meeting the other’s eyes.



“Mycroft.” Snape mulled the name over.



“Tell me you hate it, everyone else does.” Harry sounded defiant.



Sounding surprised with himself, Snape replied, “No, I like it. Do you call him Croft for short?”



“Yes.” Harry was shocked. Snape seemed to genuinely like the name he’d chosen all those months ago.



Severus moved towards Harry and his son and bent down and kissed the boy softly. “Croft, I’m glad you’re in the world.” His eyes met Harry’s and they held for a long, long moment. Snape lowered his mouth towards the smaller man. Harry tilted his head back eagerly.



“So sorry to intrude,” Lucius called as he strode through the doors, looking not in the least bit sorry, “but I believe Mycroft is due for his nap.”



Harry glanced at the clock. Lucius was a little early but Mycroft did look tired.



“I should go,” Snape said. “Lucius seems to have everything under control.”



Harry nodded at Severus and left the room with his son.



Lucius closed the doors before turning to his old school friend. “Severus, my dear friend, I did so want to thank you for popping the boy’s cherry, and for popping his dream bubbles too. It has been all too easy for me to swoop in and pick up the pieces. I will enjoy raising my children properly, even the little bastard upstairs.”



“Mycroft? What do you want with him?”



Lucius ignored the other and strolled calmly about the room. “I really don’t see that you have the right to ask anything of me. You sowed the seed that ripened the boy’s belly, and now I shall reap the rewards.” He opened the door. “Good day.”



--Oh Poor Sev! And poor Harry!

-- I've made a cake, whoever knows where the name "Mycroft" comes from, gets a piece.

--And I won't beg, but please let me know what you think! Does the story work for you? Are the characters behaving right? Are you wondering why H is behaving the way he is? Everything will make sense. I hope. SP