Love is Love

~*~Harry~*~


//The cry of a baby woke me up. I didn’t know where it was coming from but I did know I had to find it. This baby was lost and hurting, crying for its mother…crying for me.

“It’s okay. I’m coming.”

Pushing myself up off of the bed and made my way out of the room. The hallway I entered was long and dark. Occasionally a window would let in the light of the setting sun, casting an eerie red-orange glow. Another wail echoed down the hall, drawing me to it.

I don’t know how long I walked but it seemed like I never got anywhere. Sure I passed windows and the hallways changed, but it seemed like I was still in the same place I had started, like I was going in circles.

The wails got louder, I must be getting close. I kept walking listening to the snuffles and mewls of the baby. As I approached what looked to finally be the end of the hall I saw a door.

The room I entered was small. No windows and no furniture save for the small cradle in the corner. I approached the cradle and peeked inside. A tiny fist and a red scrunched up face greeted me.

“Its okay little one, I’m here now.”

I scooped the baby up into my arms and cuddled it close to my chest. But just as it was about to lay its head down on my shoulder its eyes opened. Deep hazel eyes stared at me before it opened its mouth.

“Why didn’t you save me, mummy?”

“What?” I was confused

“You don’t love me mummy, you didn’t save me”

Hazel started to turn red.

“Why did you let him have me?”

“I'm sorry! I…”

“I hate you, mother!”

The childish voice deepened to a low growl and the child snarled at me before melting into a cloud of black smoke and faded away.//

“Harry!!”

James’ voice startled me awake. Gasping and shaking I looked at him.

“James…” I was still a little hazy and it took me a few minuets to remember what was going on.

“You were having a nightmare. You said something about being sorry. Harry, you were really scaring me.”

“I’m okay. It was only a dream. It was only a...”

It all came back in a rush. The baby, what happened to the baby? My eyes flew open.

“JAMES! The baby! Some thing happened to the baby!”

“What? Does it hurt? Where?!”

“In my dream, I dreamed about our baby and it said something to me.” I started to cry “it accused me of not protecting it! And and and that I didn’t l-love it!” throwing myself at James I cried on his shoulder.

“Harry, love, it was only a dream. Look.” He took my hand and placed it on my belly “Here is our baby. She’s okay, see?” he rubbed our hands in a soothing circle. “She’s safe, love, she's safe.”

He placed a soft lingering kiss on my lips.

“James, it said I didn’t love it.” a tear ran down my cheek “do you think it was a look at the future?”

“No love, it wasn’t. Because no mater what, we will always love her…always”

~*~James~*~

Harry nodded his head and rested it against my shoulder.

“Yeah, always.” Was his sleepy mumbled reply

“Go to sleep love, you need your rest.” I kissed his forehead and sifted so I was laying back against the pillows. He hummed a reply and snuggled into my chest.

“Love you.”

I love you too, baby.” I ran a hand trough his hair before bringing it down to his stomach. “Both of you.”

The next morning was bright and cheerful, nothing like the gloomy sad atmosphere of last night.

Harry was sprawled out on his side of the bed and most of mine. His growing 5 month pregnant belly stuck up in the air, rising and falling with his breathing. And occasional ripple would indicate that our child was awake…or perhaps just shifting in sleep. I smiled, today was the official day that we found out if we were going to have a boy or a girl. The endless arguing would stop and we could finally settle on a name. Yes, today was going to be a good day.

I sighed a deep happy sigh as I made my way to the bathroom, leaving Harry to take over the rest of the bed in his awkward teenage sleep. My mind starts to wander.

‘Harry’s birthday was in a few weeks’ I think to myself ‘…I have no idea what to get him…this year is different than last year. Last year I got him a gift a father would give his son, but this year I am able to give him something from a lover.’ I scratch the back of my head ‘Maybe I should and Remus about this. He would know just what to get. Not that I haven’t bought these kinds of presents before…I just haven’t done it for a seventeen year old boy.’

Turning on the shower and waiting for it to get to the temperature I like, I peeked back in on Harry; just to be sure he was still comfortable and asleep. He was so I turned back to the task at hand. The mirrors had fogged up and steam was poring from the shower stall, just the way I liked it. Stepping into the hot spray, I let my mind wander again as the rhythmic stream pounded and massaged my shoulders and back.

‘Seventeen, Harry was going to be seventeen. I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday, and now he is going to have a baby in a few short months…my baby. My baby is having…my baby. Damn if that didn’t sound wrong, I don’t know what would.’ I methodically bump my head against the shower wall, ‘what a fucked up world I live in. but I wouldn’t trade it for the world’

“No I wouldn’t” I say out loud.

“Wouldn’t what?”

Harry's voice makes me jump, slipping slightly on the tiles before catching myself awkwardly on the metal railing on the wall, legs spread in an uncomfortable manner. I would have definitely done the splits if I hadn’t caught myself, not something I want to think about.

“Ahm…I was just…thinking out loud.”

I pulled myself up right and smiled at him. He really was beautiful, what with his round belly sticking out above his teddy pajama bottoms and a sleepy expression, it was almost too cute to bear.

“Talking to yourself is a sign of insanity. Maybe I should put your name up on my ‘insane peoples list’, right under Dumbledore.”

“Shut up and get in here before you get cold.”

“James, love, it’s the middle of summer” his tone was the kind you used to explain something to a child, slow and soft.

“I know, I just don’t want you to get sick. Just because it is summer doesn't mean you won’t get sick. Now c’mon and get in.”

He grinned and shed his pajama bottoms before practically leaping into my arms and cuddling against my chest. My arms automatically wrapped around him holding him close. Resting his head on my chest, his arms sandwiched between us and my cheek resting on the top of his head, we stood in peaceful morning silence.

“James?” his tone was hesitant

“Hm?”

“Do you really think everything will be okay? Nothing is going to happen in the future?”

I held my breath for a minute before slowly letting it out and slipping a finger under his chin, forcing him to look straight into my eyes.

“Nothing is going to happen to our baby. I won’t let it.”

~*~Harry~*~

The firm look in his Hazel eyes made me at ease. James would protect our baby. He would keep it safe.

“Now,” his firm voice brought me out of my thoughts “today is supposed to be a happy day. We are finally going to find out that our little girl is a girl! So be happy” he gently tapped my chin and grinned down at me, his blue eyes shining with mischief.

“What are you talking about? It’s a boy for sure. But in all honesty, I don’t care what it is, so long as it’s healthy.”

James smiled down at me again, “yeah, me too.”

We stood in silence once more, just basking in our lover’s light and paternal warmth.

“Okay, we better get out before Poppy gets here, don’t want to get caught in the shower.”

He stepped out first and toweled off while I did a quick wash over, before turning to me with a big fluffy towel with a warming charm placed on it. Grinning I stepped out and into the worm embrace, letting him rub me dry, placing a loving kiss on the tip of my nose before scooping me up and carrying me into the bedroom, giggling all the way.

After flirting, a brief romp on the bed and finally dressing, we were ready to start the day.

A hearty English breakfast of toast, egg, sausage and bacon, mine being drown to death in Jalapeno Tabasco sauce and raspberry jam, set us up for the day.

We were sitting on the sofa arguing over whether or not we should get a pet just before the baby was born, when Poppy came tumbling out of the floo.

Dusting herself off and straightening her hat she smiled kindly at me.

“I see your new house is treating you well. I'm glad that you didn’t have to move far.”

“Yes, it is a nice house. The space is just what we will need, and it is a bonus not having to live like a muggle. I don’t think I could have done it. It is much easier to have tutors come here and teach me than to go in disguise to those muggle schools. I tried it for a while, but teen pregnancy is not exactly accepted in the society.”

The pang I felt in my chest must have showed on my face because Poppy looked sympathetic and James wrapped an arm around me, giving me a gentile squeeze and placing a kiss on the top of my head.

“The other students were…well. Let’s just say that Harry was not accepted at all in the schools he went to.”

I nodded my head and tried in vain not to remember what had happened in the past.
Flashback“James, do I really have to do this? I feel really foolish in there clothes.” I plucked at the light pastel sea green blouse I was wearing and smoothed out the knee length brown cotton skirt.

“You look beautiful Harry. And you will be fine. The Principal of the school was really nice when we met with him, remember? He will be there to help you if you need it.” James gave me a hug and a brief kiss “do your best and I will be back at the end of the day, okay?”

I nodded and took one more hug and kiss from him. “I love you.”

“Love you too, baby. Now off you go.”

He gently nudged me toward the school doors where the surrounding students were flocking to.

“Hey, was that your brother?”

I looked at the girl next to me before glancing back towards where James had stood only seconds before.

“Um…no, he’s my boyfriend.” I shyly answered.

She eyed me up and down briefly stopping on my stomach before sneering up at me. She must have been at least seventeen and was much taller than me.

“He’s pretty hot. No wonder you couldn’t keep your legs closed, you whore. I think he might just dump you soon.” She turned to one of the other girls behind her “Then I might take him for my own.”

Laughing, the group of girls pushed past Harry, causing him to lose balance and stumble on the steps, almost falling.
End flashbackI sighed, things when down hill from there. The girl, whose name I learned was Angela, tried everyday to get to James and claim him for her own. She spread nasty rumors around the school about me and chased away the few people who wanted to be my friends.

After a few months I couldn’t take it any more. The stress of school was putting strain on my body and affecting my pregnancy. I would have miscarried if I had stayed there. It was only the firm objections of myself and Poppy that convinced Dumbledore to let me stay in the house and be tutored by the Hogwarts professors or their off hours.

“Yes I remember some of the examination results during that time.” Poppy’s voice held a hard cool tone of anger “muggle children can be down right rude.”

“Not only muggles, Poppy. I remember being a cretin in my school days.” James said “I feel really bad for a lot of the things I did back then. I wonder if Snape would have been a better person if not for some of the things I did.” He sounded thoughtfully wistful.

“Yes, he might have been.” Poppy sounded wistful too. I was beginning to wonder what I was missing.

“Anyway! Today is not about Severus. Weren’t we supposed to find out the sex of your little angel today?”

I nodded eagerly, I could hardly wait!

“Right then I think we can stay down here. James, off the sofa so Harry can lie down. Remember to take off your shirt, Harry, the less in the way the better the reading.”

Stripping off my shirt and lowering my trousers enough to show a bit of pubic hair I lay across the sofa, one of my arms curled under my head and the other hand searching for James’.

Poppy waved her wand over my body.

“I'm going to start now.”

TBC!!!!!!

I know I know!!! It took me forever to update this! in my defense my computer is broken and i am posting this using my parents computer. and...i have had a very busy past few weeks with college and work and my parents being in town! So i am sorry for the long wait. it took me long enough!!