You Know You Are Loved When A Gryffindor Loves You

12

What was normally the boring bit between Christmas and the New Year passed in a haze for Harry and Severus, in consummating their love over and over, completing, sating each other. They rose when they felt like it, retired ditto, went shopping, went swimming when the local leisure centre was open. Harry was quite a good swimmer, but he was left eating Severus’ bubbles as the man powered up and down the pool, easily achieving a mile before shaking out that mane and heading for the showers, deliberately keeping their backs to each other for propriety’s sake. Harry knew now how his beloved stayed so fit, running his hands over that toned chest, the six-pack even though slightly swollen from the recent exercise, he loved this man’s body and showed it back at the house, no, back home.

Then New Year’s Eve was upon them.

Harry woke with a smile to feel the bed shaking gently. In an instant he was as hard as iron. He was just going to casually turn and ask of his lover if there was anything he could do to assist, when the soft sniffle made his eyes flick open and he turned and sat up. Severus was sitting on the side of the bed, his feet on the floor, his head was bowed forwards in his hands and he was crying quietly.

Harry wrapped his arms around his lover and gently laid his head on the man’s back, “What is it, Severus? Tell me what’s upset you”. Severus started slightly at the touch, “Morning, love”, he sniffed and moved a hand from his face to cover Harry’s laying folded around his belly, “As a matter of fact, I’ve just been horribly sick”. Harry leapt off the bed, “Then I’ll just get some anti-nausea Potion, I know where you.....”, but Severus held up a hand to silence him, then looked up into Harry’s anxious face, “I don’t think I should, not for this, this definitely isn’t food poisoning, only bile came up”, his own face was as white as a sheet and his eyes radiated fear.

Harry sat beside him and took him into his arms, “So what do you think this is, Severus?”, he lifted Severus’ chin with a finger but his lover couldn’t quite look him in the eye, “Harry, I think we need to read that e-mail that Hermione sent, don’t you”. Harry stood again, “I’ll go and boot the machine. Is there anything you’d like? A drink or something?”. Severus smiled weakly, “Yes please. I keep some concentrated liquid ginger in the fridge in the lab, two rounded teaspoonfuls into the small black teapot with a single spoon of honey in, then the boiling water, thanks”, he squeezed Harry’s hand, Harry leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss into his lover’s hair and was gone.

Severus was now back in bed propped against the headboard sipping his tea slowly when Harry wandered into the bedroom frowning over the sheaf of paper in his hand, the other making his hair stand on end, “Severus, why is it that a nearly eighteen year old doesn’t know this stuff?”, his voice was shaking and his eyes were locked on his lover’s as he made his way to his side of the bed and slumped down. Severus reached out cautiously to rub Harry’s back, “I’m so sorry, love. I should have realised, at least taken some kind of precautions until we found out more. Are you angry with me?”.

Harry huffed out a breath through a half-smile then turned and scrambled into his lover’s arms, “I’m still in shock, love, but I don’t think I’m angry, not with you at any rate”, he looked up into red-rimmed onyx eyes, “Though, if I think hard enough, I’m bloody furious with Dumbledore. I know we were short with him, but he treated us like two naughty first-years instead of bonded mature wizards. I didn’t even know that blokes could get, well, you know, with each other”.

Severus sighed and pulled Harry closer, “To my shame, neither did I, although I’d heard mention of bondings leading to this, but you know me, no time for hearsay and supposition. Oh, god, Harry, I feel like I’ve let you down so badly. I’m supposed to protect you, not make us more vulnerable”. Harry held him and hushed him and they pored through the printout together. Harry murmured, “Oh fuck, those ‘tummy bugs’ we had? That was our bodies changing, ‘....and conception can take place from the moment of the onset of the pains if countermeasures are not used....’”. They stared at each other for a long moment then Harry whispered, “Is there any way I could be tested?”

They carried on through the sheaf of notes, “An Auror or someone with the Sight or a Medi-witch or wizard can ascertain pregnancy with a simple dowse. The Medic would use his/her wand and a Seer can readily See the change in the colour of the aura”, Severus read out, then clapped a hand to his forehead, “Of course; Steve. You never lose the Sight even if you haven’t used it for a while. I’ll ring him in a bit, it’ll be too early yet. Oh, hell, Harry, what if both of us...?”, then he caught the glint in Harry’s eyes, “Come on, what mischief is forming in that brain of yours?”. Harry grinned evilly, “It would serve the old bugger right if we are both pregnant. He still has to protect us and his weapons are out of action, though we have to pray to any passing deity that mouldy Voldy doesn’t get wise. Oh, shit, your ‘meetings’. Oh damn”.

Severus sighed, “We’re in a right old mess, aren’t we? And it’s no laughing matter, Mr Potter”, at his lover who was chuckling, “Give over, Severus, you’re expectin’ my baby, for Pete’s sake. Didn’t I tell you I dreamed of a wife and a brood of kids? Okay, my ‘wife’ is a gorgeously handsome guy who just so happens to be the love of my life, but hey, I never thought this could happen in a month of Sundays. This is all my Christmases come at once”. The man looked down into that sweet upturned face, “Really?”. Harry nodded, “And guess what? I really hope I’m pregnant too. Not just to get old Grumbledrawers, but for us. I want your baby, love”, and before Severus could react or reply, Harry kissed him, then tightened his arms around the man and intensified the kiss until both moaned. Harry pulled away slightly, “How do you feel, love?”, he gently stroked his lover’s belly a look of awe on his face. Severus shook his head, “The only coherent thought is for food, the rest is just a mess”.

“Well, food I can do something about. What do you fancy?”. Severus thought a moment, “Nothing fried and definitely not eggs or anything too rich. Oh bugger, I’m going to get food faddy. Fuck, how am I supposed to glower and flap at my students only to be seized with a violent fit of hormones and burst into tears?”. Harry sighed, “If I am, then quidditch is out of the question, not to mention this is my NEWTs year, I’ll have porridge for brains”. Severus grinned, “Actually, a bowl of porridge sounds great with a dessert-spoon of honey in it”.

They went into the kitchen and Severus was seated at the table while Harry cooked porridge. As he dished up, he had to put the pan down and catch the edge of the counter. Severus was beside him in an instant, “Whoa, Harry”. Harry shook himself, “No, I’m fine now, just a moment’s lightheadedness”. His lover held him from behind, “Any other strange symptoms, Harry?”, he purred in a low voice. Harry nodded, “Yes. My nipples are really sensitive, to the point of pain sometimes”. Severus chuckled into his hair, “Oops. I had those a few weeks ago, about ten days after the pains eased, I think, so you have the joys of morning sickness in about six weeks from now. That puts you a maximum ten days gone and me anywhere between eight and ten weeks, no wonder my trousers don’t fit any more”.

They ate with relish. Severus had a moment with his hand over his belly, his face screwed up then breathed out slowly, “I think it’s going to stay there”. Harry spoke directly to Severus’ stomach, “Come on you, you’ve got to let your mam eat, he needs food to grow you, little one”, and Severus felt the tears gather in his eyes, he tried to blink them back but they fell anyway onto the back of Harry’s hand as it stroked him. Harry looked up, “Someone needs a cuddle”. He patted the bench and Severus straddled it, then Harry did the same, scooting forwards until their bodies touched and his legs were crossed behind Severus’ back.

They hugged and kissed and held each other, “This is so scary, Harry. I’d long ago given up any ideas of being a parent, having a real family, all of that, but now.... I’m terrified. I’ve no idea how to be a father, much less a maternal influence. I don’t know what we’ll do for money. If Dumbledore will turf us out on our behinds. If you’ll still fancy me when I’m huge. Oh, shit”, he dissolved on Harry’s shoulder.

Harry smiled as he stroked Severus’ back. “Well, love, I didn’t plan on being a parent quite this young, and I’ve no idea how to go about it either. We’re not ladies, but there will be at least three females who will be about to help out on the girlie stuff if one of ours is a girl, being Hermione, Ginny and Molly, you know Molly has always had a bit of a soft spot for you. As for money, don’t worry, I have plenty. As for practical help, I pay a House-elf at school. Dobby, he used to belong to the Malfoys but I sort of got him freed in the second year. He lives at Hogwarts but I pay his wages, he would work for me wherever I asked. Dumbledore chucking us out?. I doubt it. He owes us. Big time. And as for fancying you when you’re huge, remember this cuts both ways. By the time you’re huge, I will be nearly as big, then once you’ve given birth, I will be the huge one fending off your amorous advances while you’ve recovered and are you’re usual delectable self once more and I am the size of a house. We can get all cranky and hormonal together, indulge our favourite food fads and be Hogwarts resident divas”.

At this, Severus laughed aloud and held his lover tight, “Oh, my sweet Harry, I love you so much. We can make this work, can’t we?” Harry nodded, lights dancing in his eyes, “We can and we will, my wonderful Severus, but...”, he hesitated and Severus lifted Harry’s face with one hand, their gazes locked, he raised an inky brow. Harry grinned, “I want us to be legal”. He giggled, “I know we can both be bastards at times, but I don’t want to raise any. Marry me, Severus. Please?” Severus gasped, “You want us to wed?”. Harry shook his head, “Idiot. We’re bonded, we’re expecting each other’s child. You have to ask?”. Severus could feel the tears again, “Sorry, Harry, today’s been a bit....powerful, strange, wonderful. Forgive me. The answer is a most emphatic yes. I will wed you tomorrow if you wish it”, and then both laughed aloud and clutched each other closer.

The kisses exchanged turned hot and they went back to bed and had a loving gentle session that made both black out and come round crying and laughing in each other’s arms. They slept the afternoon away in their bubble, safe for now.

Severus phoned Steve after they’d eaten, “Sorry, Steve, we won’t be coming to your ‘do’ tonight, but can you help us with something? You have the Sight, do you not?” Steve answered in the affirmative, “Then come for lunch on the second of January. Please, Ste, we need your help”. “What’s up? You need my skills? They are as rusty as fuck, Severus. I haven’t used them in years”. Severus grinned, “This is standard aura reading. It’s like riding a bike, the body remembers”. The line was quiet for a moment, “The second it is then, Severus. I look forward to it. Sorry you’re not coming tonight. See you the day after tomorrow”, and he rang off.

He glanced over at Harry to see him with his earpiece in, his old phone in one hand, dialling out on his new machine, grinning as the connection was made, “Hi, ‘Mione, how’s it going?”, he listened intently for a moment, “Yeah, this is my new number. Severus bought me a BlackBerry for Chrimbo. Cool or what. Erm, Hermione, about that e-mail you sent”. Severus couldn’t hear the response, but he heard Harry say, “Well, erm, Ooops”, he switched the speaker on and Severus heard the squeaked, “What do you mean, Harry, ‘Ooops’?”. Harry replied, “The information was well useful, but let’s just say it’s a case of ‘locked stable door, bolted horse’. There was silence at the other end. “’Mione, you still there?”. A breathy , “Yes”. Then, “Harry, are you trying to tell me....?”. Harry took a deep breath, “Er, yes. I think so, but I’m being Seen the day after tomorrow to make sure”. He was cut off by the shriek, “Merlin, Harry, I hope he’s looking after you, or I’ll have his bollocks on a plate”. Severus laughed, “Actually, Miss Granger, he’s looking after me, since I am the one suffering with morning sickness, though I thank you for your touching concern”.

There was a long silence, “Harry, am I on speaker?”. Harry laughed, “Yes, and I’m not turning it off”. Another silence, “Then, I am to presume that both of you, erm, are in the family way?”. She heard the sounds of two laughs, a light tenor and a deep baritone, “Yup, ‘Mione. That’s right. Actually Severus’s a bit more along than I am, about six-seven weeks more”, the line went silent again, “Thank fuck I’m sat down otherwise I’d fall down. Harry take this thing off speaker, I need to talk to just you, sorry Professor, God, that sounds weird, you’re carrying his child, no disrespect meant”. “None taken, Miss Granger, and a Happy New Year to you”. “Erm, you too, sir, and I’ll see you back at school”.

Harry grinned at his lover and turned the speaker function off, “Harry, are you out of your tiny minds?”. Harry mouthed to his beloved, ‘Here comes the bollocking’. “Harry, BOTH of you pregnant? Whoa, that was fast”. Harry smiled broadly, “Yes, you could say that. Severus got his gut pain way back in November and I got mine just after we got here. ‘Mione don’t think badly of us, please. I asked him to wed and he’s accepted me”.

There was another shriek down the line, then, “What are your plans for tonight?. We can’t drink and neither of us feels like going out”, he listened to her breathless reply, “Susie knows this great club, oh god, it’s great to be back with her, I’ve missed her so much. I’m, erm, really fond of her, oh shit, scratch that, I think I love her, but I haven’t told her yet”. Harry laughed, “Be sure to tell her. Everyone needs love in their life, in fact I think it was you who told me that, so heed your own words for once instead of expecting me and Ron to ‘do as I say not as I do’, and you just ignore your own wisdom. Go for it girl, carpe diem and all that”, he paused a moment, “You sound really happy, ‘Mione”. Another pause, “So do you, Harry and so does Snape. I don’t think I ever heard him laugh before. Have a great New Year, the pair of you and I’ll see you both in five days time”. They said their goodbyes and hung up.