Pet

~*~*~*
TEN
~*~*~*
Dobbins was closing the doors to the stables for the night when he glanced over at the forest’s edge and saw a large shadow of a winged creature. Being a Squib with no magic to protect him, he grabbed his fully loaded shotgun from a rack by the door and carried a large lantern in the other.

It was not uncommon for injured creatures to seek his help; he couldn’t smell blood so hopefully no carnivores would appear. In the light of the lantern, Dobbins saw the shadowy outline of a thestral and a small human on the ground. Blix raised her head and took on a defensive stance. She relaxed when she recognized the old man. With a final head butt to Harry’s shoulder, she stepped away and drifted back into the trees. Her friend was safe now.

“Harry-boy…what are you doing out here?”

Harry looked up, the harsh lantern light illuminating the tear streaks and bruises on his face. Dobbins set his lantern on the ground and pulled the slight wizard to his feet, a comforting arm around his shoulder.

“It’s time to come inside.” When Harry did not speak, the old Squib steered him toward his small cottage beside the stables. “Got a nice cock-a-leekie bubbling on the burner…it’ll warm you right up.”

Dobbins didn’t ask any questions; he just bundled Harry up in warm blankets and tucked him beside the fire in his sitting room. Returning to his kitchen, he floo spoke to a Malfoy house elf, informing her that he had Harry. He began to thickly slice warm bread to go with the meal.

*~*~*~*
Severus wiped the tears from Harry’s face as he gathered him into his arms. Dobbins left behind a fresh pot of tea and disappeared into his bedroom. He was grateful that the house elves had brought the disgraced Potion Master instead of Lord Malfoy. The old man shook his head; with a twist of fate, two powerful wizards had become mere playthings. Times like these he was glad he was a Squib; of no worth to either side, he could remain unnoticed and untouched.

Severus rocked Harry like a small child. It was ironic; all the years Albus Dumbledore had tried unsuccessfully to get the pair of them to stop fighting and Lord Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy had accomplished it in weeks.

“Talk to me, Love. You can’t keep it inside.”

“How…how can he call me a whore, Severus?”

“Hush, just words spoken in anger…’

“I’ve never been with another…only him…how does that make me a whore?”

“It doesn’t, Harry. Luce is an idiot.” Severus stroked his back. Lucius might be his oldest friend, but sometimes he hated the man. Harry would stoically take a beating, but words damaged him. The older wizard decided it was one more thing to hold against Vernon Dursley.

“Sev…will he let me keep the baby?”

“I don’t know. Male pregnancies are dangerous. You might not even carry it to term.”

“You know Master better than anyone…”

“Harry, I don’t know what he’s going to do. Narcissa’s actions took us off guard. I don’t think he really understood how much she wanted another child.”

“Did Master punish Lady Malfoy?”

“I know he hexed her and locked her into her rooms. I imagine the St. Mungo’s psychiatric mediwizards will be checking her over for signs of insanity…but personally, I don’t think she’s crazy. She knew exactly what she was doing.”

“Master won’t accept my baby as a Malfoy, will he? It’s all pure blood bloodlines to him…he’ll never accept his half-blood whore’s bastard child as his own.”

Severus kissed the top of his head. “Nine months is a lifetime, Love. Wizards have leant their names to bastard children before…don’t try to second-guess Lucius. You’ll guess wrong every time.”

*~*~*~*
Harry awoke the next morning alone in his own bed. He had fallen asleep in Dobbin’s cottage, safe in Severus’ protective arms.

A floral scent tickled his nose. Harry opened his eyes to see a large bouquet of spring flowers and a box of expensive Wizard chocolate. There was a small card attached to the box; there was no signature on the card, but Harry recognized the precise script.

“Do not leave your rooms under any circumstances. We will talk later.”

Flowers and chocolate? Did Lucius think treating him like a lovesick Muggle woman would make him feel better? At least they weren’t roses; that would have been a complete mockery. The rich smell of the chocolate made his nauseous stomach lurch. He hurried into the bathroom and vomited in the toilet.

“Morning sickness,” he thought. “ How absolutely fucking fantastic.”

Harry rinsed his mouth out in the sink.

“Accio toothbrush,” he commanded and was shocked when the toothbrush flew into his hand

*~*~*~
Harry carefully reshelved another volume in the Malfoy family library. In the months that followed, he was reading almost constantly, researching male pregnancy, recovered magic, costal villages in Great Britain, vacationing in Europe, and childcare. Although he could still only occasionally perform a simple summoning charm, he felt the hollowness of his shattered magic diminish. He wondered if the fetus was somehow regenerating his magic or the child itself was generating the magic he felt. He told no one about his magic, uncertain of the reaction the revelation might cause; a knocked up Squib whore was a threat to no one.

He smiled as his hand rested on the gentle swell of his abdomen. He was happy; after being alone his entire life, he would finally have someone to love. A daughter, Dr. Eeylops told him during his last examination, a daughter born early in the New Year.

Harry climbed higher up the library ladder. He needed to find some more books to take back to his room while the Malfoy’s ate dinner. Draco was home for the summer and Lucius had temporarily released Narcissa from the rooms he had locked her in. Harry wanted to remain out of sight; he did not want any confrontations.

He caught the flash of the floo and cursed under his breath. Standing quietly, perhaps he could escape detection. Running late for dinner, maybe Lucius would just hurry through the library and not notice him.

“Pet, what are you doing on that ladder?” the white blond wizard barked. Levitating the books from Harry’s hands, he watched him carefully descending the ladder. Lucius steadied the ladder as he approached the parquet floor. The older man glanced at the book titles before placing them on a table. One book was on male pregnancy; the second was on magical energy. He smiled sadly; he knew Harry missed his magic and he couldn’t imagine what his own life would be like without it.

“You are late, Master. They have already gone down for dinner.”

Lucius’ hand briefly rested on Harry’s abdomen. His pet would need new robes soon to accommodate his expanding girth. He cupped the slender face in his hands and leaned in for a kiss. Harry glowed in his early pregnancy. The dark wizard deepened his kisses. Needing oxygen, Harry pulled away.

“Master, you are missing your dinner.”

“Draw a bath, Pet. I’m only hungry for desert.”

*~*~*~*
Severus watched Harry pet Blix near the stables, his stomach out of proportion to his slight frame. Harry was so happy; he was dreaming about his future with his unborn daughter. As much as he hated to do it, Severus knew he had to tell Harry what he had overheard.

Harry smiled and made his way toward his tall companion. He paused, resting his hands on the side of his pregnant belly. He looked delighted.

“She’s kicking me, Sev!” Harry rested the Potion Master’s palm on his stomach and guided it to a spot she was most active. “I can’t tell if it’s her feet or her elbows. What do you think?”

“Harry,” the dark man’s voice was serious. Harry looked up. “Don’t get too attached.”

Harry’s smile faded. “What do you mean? She’s mine.”

“Narcissa has laid claim to her.”

“But she can’t. The baby is mine, not hers.”

“She can and she will. Wizarding law is on her side.”

“But she’s mine. How can Lady Malfoy steal her from me?”

“You are the bound concubine to a powerful dark wizard. As such, you have no rights at all. Wizarding law states that in the event of an infertile wife, the issuance of a legally bound concubine will be the property of the wife if she so desires.”

“But…Master.”

“Lucius won’t care. He wants his wife to be happy and a child will make her happy. The baby is his either way.”

Harry tried to work his mind around the reality Severus had shown him. “But the baby won’t be a pureblood…she will be a taint on the Malfoy name…a bastard child.”

“Harry,” Severus held the younger wizard’s hands securely in his own. “The baby is a girl and she is not the heir. Draco is. She will marry and take another’s name. That she has a Muggleborn grandmother…no consequence.”

Harry felt his daughter kick again, but this time it brought tears to his eyes. He lashed out. “Why did you tell me this now?”

“Harry, she’ll be born in less than three months. You need to protect yourself. There is no way to win against Narcissa. You need to distance yourself from the child.”

“Distance myself?” Harry nearly screamed. “She’s a part of me. How do I distance myself from myself?”

‘Harry?”

“Please leave me alone.”

The Potion Master watched Harry drift back toward the manor, still oddly graceful. Severus hated himself for being honest with Harry, but it would have been far crueler to let them take the infant from him at birth with no previous warning. Lucius and Voldemort discussed Narcissa’s claim for motherhood that morning and Lucius had voiced no objections to her plans.

Severus knew Harry was clever, but was Harry clever enough to win the fight for his child?

*~*~*~*