You Know You Are Loved When A Gryffindor Loves You

14

The inevitable had arrived and found them both climbing back into freshly cleaned school robes. Harry cried a little, “This is too bloody weird, Severus. I don’t feel like a kid anymore”. Severus held him, “You are not a child anymore, Harry, you carry mine and I am so proud, of both of us. I love you and we will sort everything out”. Harry grinned, “You sound like a Gryffindor, Severus. Fuck, it’s going to be so hard calling you ‘sir’ all the time. You’re my Severus. You’re carrying my child godamnit and I love you beyond reason”. The strong arms held him tighter and they both mourned the loss of the freedom that they had had. Harry murmured, “This really has been the best Christmas ever, Severus. Thanks”.

Then they both clutched the beer can that Severus had made into a portkey and away they went, trunks shrunk once more and landed with a loud ‘oof’ just outside the Hogwarts grounds. They knew they were the first two back. The Hogwarts Express wasn’t bringing the majority until tomorrow night, so they sauntered back across the grounds, then kissed solemnly under the quiet Whomping Willow and, hand in hand, entered Hogwarts again.

The first person they saw was Minerva McGonagall waiting for them at the top of the steps as they entered. She was grinning broadly, her hands on her hips. They entered hands held but pulled away as they saw her. She shook her head and made a gesture with her own hands and Harry grabbed his lover’s hand again to a quizzical look from him. “I know”, she smiled down at them both. “I watched you both leave. Have you both had a good Christmas? And before either of you say anything, I’ve had a good rant at Albus and I am on your side”. As they levelled with her at the top of the steps, Severus took her in his arms and kissed her on both cheeks, “Yes, Minerva, the best Christmas ever. I thank you”. She glanced between the two of them, “You both certainly look well from the break, you glow, both of you”. Severus shot Harry a shall-I-tell-her-or-you look and Harry shook his head. “Professor, there’s something you need to know”, he announced. The woman flicked her eyes between them both, “You have my discretion and my word of honour that this will go no further”, her eyes widening. Harry giggled, “Severus and I are both pregnant”. Minerva had total overload to her brain and promptly passed out with a faint, “What?”, as she keeled over.

They both caught her before she could hurt herself and lowered her gently to the ground kissing as they did so over her prone form, just as her eyes flickered open again. She caught the kiss and murmured, “Is this true?” Her colleague smiled, a rare sight around school, “Yes, Minerva. Somewhere along the way, we did the Bond of Begetting and it worked for both of us. Your brightest student worked it out and we read it a little too late. By then, we had both caught”. They both waited for an infinitesimal moment, then Minerva laughed, a full bodied and throaty laugh and hugged both of them, “This will really piss Albus off. I want to be there when you tell him”. They helped her to her feet and she dusted herself off. Severus murmured, “The pleasure will be ours”. Minerva turned to Harry, “I would like a quiet word with you, Mr Potter, alone, preferably before you go and see the Headmaster”. Harry glanced at his lover, “No time like the present Harry, love, I’ll see you at dinner in an hour”, he planted a kiss on Harry’s forehead and they parted ways.

Instead of heading for his own tower, Minerva detoured them to her private quarters and ushered him into a comfortable living room inviting him to take a seat before producing tea for them both from a tiny kitchenette beyond. “Well, Harry”, she poured for them both, “I’m sorry you didn’t feel able to come to me with this and I would quite like to know why?”, her tone held none of the stern undertones that he was used to hearing. He hung his head a moment in silence. She reached out and patted his arm, “I’m not chastising you, Harry. What is, is. I’m just curious”. Harry looked up, his lips thinning, “Professor Dumbledore made us feel dirty. He told us off in no uncertain terms, Professor, and I admit, I flew off the handle a bit. He threatened to sack Severus, but I said I would leave too. Damn him, he just uses us as he sees fit without a ruddy thought for the rest of our lives. Erm, sorry, Professor, I didn’t mean to swear”.

She leaned back in her chair and smiled at him, “I quite understand your ire even while I appreciate Albus’ position and the professional distance that teachers have to maintain from students for reasons that I’m sure I don’t need to outline to you”. Harry nodded, “I know Professor, and I am aware of the difficult position this puts Severus in, but this was different, like something was literally trying to burst out of me. It would wake me up at night and I’d go and walk it off around the castle. It was giving me nightmares, I didn’t understand it at all. Poor Severus, he usually found me weeping and wailing all over the place and would escort me back to Gryffindor tower. Professor, he was the soul of restraint and propriety, I promise. It was me who, erm, made the first move, I swear on my parents’ graves”.

She smiled at his earnestness, “I believe you, Harry, you would never swear such if you didn’t feel it to be true. Although you have to realise that if a bond was calling you together, then Severus would be feeling the pull too. Tell me, did any other teachers find you out after the retiring bell?”. Harry shook his head, “No, just Severus. I usually was out around dawn or early morning and he always found me somewhere”. “There you are, then. Even us old codgers of teachers need our beauty sleep, Harry, and unless there’s a need to post a constant guard, we are mainly in our own quarters by midnight. So, you both felt the pull and you were the one to....advance....the situation?”

Harry went bright red but held her gaze, “Yes, Professor”, he whispered. “Harry, in here it’s Minerva, please. This is a bit more than just being your teacher, Harry. I’m speaking to you as a friend, although I wish you had come to me earlier. There are...things... you can do to prevent pregnancy. I know, unofficially of course, that most of the girls know how to brew contraceptive Potions by fourth year and you or Severus could have done this. How long after you began seeing each other were you made aware of your situation as bondees?”

“It was in Potions half way through last term. Ron and I were collecting ingredients from the cupboard, Pansy too, and they both saw it, then Severus came in and Ron Saw Severus’s bond-light as well. Severus obliviated Pansy but I’d already told Ron that Severus and I were together. Dumbledore’s seen the bond-light too. It wasn’t more than a few weeks after, erm, our relationship had, er, changed”.

Minerva was thoughtful, “If you don’t mind telling me, how far along are you both?” Harry giggled, “Well Severus’s about nine or ten weeks, he’s got morning sickness which is pretty gruesome. I’m not looking forward to it, but I’m only about two to three weeks yet, Severus has a friend in Manchester, a Hufflepuff called Steve who was in the year ahead of him at school. He Saw the changes in both our auras so I’m definitely up the duff”, his smile widened.

“You seem happy with the situation, Harry”, was her simple comment and Harry beamed, “Well, I would have liked to know more, but Hermione sent me an e-mail over the holidays that laid out the basics but by then we had both caught. To be honest, as the bond hasn’t seemed to affect our Magic levels and we seem to be neither Empath or Telepath, we, erm, didn’t try too hard to find out the theoretical side, so to speak”. Minerva looked into the magenta face of her pupil and laughed, “Far too busy with the practical, eh?” Harry sank his head in his hands, still grinning, he nodded once.

She leaned towards him and patted his knee, “We will work everything out. We will need to meet with Albus who, I assure you, is most contrite after the ear-chewing I gave him at the start of the holidays. Does anyone apart from myself and the two of you know of your condition?” Harry nodded, “Hermione. I told her at New Year, and I’d like Ron to know too”.

“Well, then, we have many things to discuss. Shall we meet with the Headmaster after dinner tonight?” Harry replied, “No, can we leave it until tomorrow night, please?, as I’d like Ron and Hermione and Madam Pomfrey there too and none of them are back before tomorrow night. We have had an idea as to how to protect Severus from having to go to Voldemort’s meetings too and we need Hermione’s input. I came back early because I wanted to see you first and, er, get settled back in”. Minerva grinned, “You have my permission to be out of your dormitory tonight, but not to wander the halls. We may have to make some sort of arrangement for you, such things have been done before. Now I suggest you go and make yourself ready for dinner which will be in about half an hour. Robes are not required tonight as we are still officially on holiday”. Harry leapt up enthusiastically and on a whim leaned down and kissed her cheek, “Thanks, Prof, er, Minerva. See you at dinner”, and was gone.

In a scant few minutes he was back in his lover’s arms, a few more and he was draped over the arm of the sofa being vigorously buggered by the love of his life. They cleaned up and kissed and went down to dinner discussing Harry’s meeting with his Head of House, “She’s being so cool about it all, Severus. She’s even given me permission to be out of the dorm tonight and I quote, ‘but not to wander the halls’”, Harry giggled. Severus checked the corridor then pulled Harry to him for a kiss, “Minerva McGonagall is a remarkable woman and may be a mine of information on pregnancy too. I will enjoy talking to her on the topic. What?”, at the startled expression on Harry’s face. “Oh, I see, another ‘bat’s hanging from the ceiling’ thing, only in her case it’s probably, ‘sad old spinster lady who wouldn’t know love from a hole in the ground’, am I right?”

Harry nodded. “You kids, you make up all sorts of horror stories for us teachers. I won’t reveal much just to say that she was married, is now a widow, has two non-Magical children and a host of grandkids that she dotes on and spends far too much money on at Christmas. That’s as much as I will reveal. The only one of us truly wedded to this place is Albus. You can’t count Binns because he’s a ghost, but all the rest of us have lives, Harry, full and active lives outside here. You have seen a little of mine”. They drew apart and continued on their way, Severus in full robes, Harry in jeans and sweatshirt.

By the time they reached the Hall, Harry had outlined the plan for the meeting for the following night. Severus frowned as Harry mentioned Ron and Hermione but ceded when he told him the reasons for their presence, the addition of Madam Pomfrey was a practical move and Severus approved, “Yes, I suppose she’ll have to know although I’m not sure of her methods sometimes”. Harry grinned, “I owe my life to that woman. I’ve been in that blasted hospital wing more times than I care to count and I bet she’s a very good midwife when the time comes. I’d rather have her at the birth than be in St. Mungo’s, here we can keep it all out of the damned Press”.

Severus glanced at the boy at his side, another example of the mutual misunderstanding between them that Harry had cleared up in no time in their gloomy walks through the school in the dead of night and the amount of pain that the whole boy-who-lived thing had forced upon his young shoulders. The students weren’t the only ones capable of inventing horror stories.

There were very few who had stayed at Hogwarts over the holidays and Harry looked glumly at the half dozen or so students, not one was older than third year. Severus invited him to sit at the Staff table that was just the two and Minerva. “No Albus?”, Severus coolly enquired. “No, he will take his meal in his rooms tonight. I have apprised him of tomorrow’s meeting and of the attendees, though I think he would like a word with the two of you first before we start. I have said nothing of your condition although he did enquire after your health. I merely said that you both looked well and that you had spent a pleasant Christmas together. Now, boys, you need to eat”. They spent the rest of the meal discussing the lighter aspects of the holidays.

After dinner, Harry and Severus wandered back to Severus’ rooms. Before they entered, Severus asked for Harry’s wand and added Harry to the wards around his quarters. “Now you just tap the door and you can come down here even if I’m not here. No-one gets in here without my permission, even Albus”. When they were inside, Harry thanked him properly and they spent a sweet sinful night together, taking a bath and making love well into the night, glad once again for silencing charms.