Harry Potter and the Womb of Requirement NOW CODED

35

The boys had a great deal of assistance from Molly Weasley over the next few days. Draco’s body ached and his emotions were all over the place, so the help was much appreciated. He went into a depressed patch, not helped by something he’d heard on the radio, a hurricane across the Atlantic, that had veered, destroying a Maternity hospital killing dozens, including several newborns.

Molly assured Harry that this was quite normal, when the depths of Draco’s despondency was starting to get to him a bit, {He’ll pull out of it, Harry, I had this after each of mine, it doesn’t usually last long. He’s bone tired, in a way men never really experience, and his body is readjusting again. Just think, when it’s your turn, he’ll know all about this}, she ruffled his hair and smiled. Harry felt a bit ashamed at his impatience, he took a deep breath resolving to be more tolerant.

Draco had learned from Molly how to express milk, so Harry could give the night feed. Draco then had his first night’s uninterrupted sleep for a week, waking to an empty bed with sleep-crusted eyes after twelve hours straight. He bleared around the room. No Harry. No Cariad. He climbed out of bed and gently stretched, then giggled as he realised he could see his feet again. He shrugged on his gown going into the lounge. Harry and his daughter were curled up together fast asleep on the sofa, the empty feed bottle on the floor.

He looked at his Bond-mate and their child and swallowed a lump in his throat. Happy tears, not sad. He leaned down and gently removed Harry’s glasses, then ran a hand through Harry’s hair and kissed his forehead, {Hey, sleepyhead. Come back to bed}, no response except a gentle snore as Harry stretched out, automatically feeling for Cariad on his chest, looping his arm around her, his other hand on her back. Father and child slept on.

Draco indulged himself in a nice deep bath, wincing a little as he eased himself in, then had a good long soak, lying back, thinking. He came out of his reveries, washed his hair and himself, then positively leapt out of the bath, feeling really refreshed.

His old jeans were still a bit tight around the waist, but he could get back in them. He went back into the lounge, hearing Harry talking softly to the baby, who had woken up and was making little mewling sounds.

He leaned down and scooped her up. Harry sat up rubbing his eyes, {You seem more cheerful this morning, love}. Draco plumped down on the sofa beside Harry, Cariad in his arms, he leaned back and settled her to him to feed. He ran a slow hand up Harry’s back. {I’ve just had a lovely bath. Why don’t you have one whilst I feed her, she should be asleep again soon. Then I get you all to myself for awhile}. His send oozed sexiness and Harry turned, {Are you sure, I mean....}. Draco bit his lower lip the way that made Harry’s breath catch, {Harry, I may not be able to do everything yet, but we can improvise in the meantime}. Harry rose, looking down at the man he loved, sighed through a smile and headed for the bathroom, {And no playing with yourself in the bath, Harry mine, save it all for me}.

At lunchtime, they came out of their eyrie and rejoined the world. Cariad tied around Draco in her sling. He had one hand cradling her head although the taut cloth did a fine job, his other in Harry’s. They entered the Hall to hushed but happy greetings from all sides. One by one she was introduced to everybody. Various cooings and ah-ings. Molly bustled up, all smiles and practicality, {Let me take her, Draco, while you eat}. Harry helped him untie the sash and he handed her over. Then set about his lunch with fervour.

Those of the Order and the Ten that were there outlined what had been going on, watches, patrols, cautious owls sent to known allies, but no sign of Voldemort. He seemed to have gone to ground for now. His usual haunts were now useless to him and the old Riddle house lay abandoned. There was a Manor House that was a known locale but that too was derelict and empty, no trace of any Magic, good or bad. Secretly the Order were a bit concerned. It wasn’t like Him not to show himself once in a while, but without his trusty Death-Eaters...... The guard had automatically been stepped up at Azkaban, but rumours were rife that he could still spring them from jail. There was a tremor of tension threading around the table.

Ron and Blaise stood. {We’re relieving the girls, we’ll see you later}, they left. A few minutes later, Hermione and Ginny entered, slumping down and inhaling lunch. Sitting back satisfied, they noticed Harry and Draco at the end of the table, sending, ‘Hi’s’. {You look loads better Draco, only, erm, the sooner we do your Mage Bond, the happier folk will be. Unbonded, you’re still wide open to attack and a liability to each other, also, I can’t complete the Warrior Potion without the essences, and I can’t collect them until you’ve bonded}, she rolled her eyes and ground to a halt.

The boys regarded each other, {Well, my Mage, are you ready for this?}. Draco grinned, {Nope. But know this, Harry, I want this with all that is in me. I want you, forever}. They switched channels and brought their Elemental and her bond-mate in, {When’s the most suitable time, ‘Mione?}. Harry. {Well, according to my calculations}, she paused, bringing out a much-folded piece of parchment covered in tiny formulae, laying it flat on the table, {Tomorrow night is about ideal. There’s no moon. The process is pleasant, but a bit energy-sapping. Are you sure your system is up to it Draco?. The next good night is in two weeks time at the full moon, but I’d rather do the Ritual that night, as we’ll soon be into September, school is back and the nights are a bit cool for sky-clad workings out of doors}.

Draco dipped his head, his face hidden by the long fringe of blond hair hanging down, thinking hard. He braced his shoulders, looking up, {We’ll do it. Tomorrow night it is, then}. Hermione stood and yawned, {Excellent. We’re off for a nap now, ‘cos we’ve been on patrol since six this morning and we’re shattered. See you later}.

Molly sent, {She’s awake. What beautiful eyes she has}. Harry scooted round the table and collected Cariad, sitting back down beside his lover, and getting a bit lost in her emerald eyes, stroking her face, utterly besotted. He allowed himself to tune out for awhile. Draco beside him carrying on a spirited discussion of tactics, As time slowed for Harry, various folk came and went, he was oblivious to the room around him.

A tentative send brought him back, {She has your Mother’s eyes, Harry}. He looked up to see Severus seated beside him, {Oh, hi, sir, sorry I was miles away}. Snape grinned, a thing people were getting used to by now, {Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt or anything}. Harry smiled and turned his attention back to his daughter, {You know, sir, everyone always said I had Mum’s eyes, but mine are darker, that much I do remember...}.

Harry chewed his lip thoughtfully, {Sir, You can tell me to get lost if you like, but I really want to apologise for my Dad being such a prat to you in School. I dunno, maybe it’s something about being a dad myself now, but I know he was a bastard to you, and I just wanted to kind of make some amends if possible, I mean....}, his send trailed off.

Snape was silent for a long moment, his head bowed. When he sent, it came over a bit raspy, {I thank you for that, Harry. But you are not your Father. In my own foolishness, I believed you were a copy of him. But to my knowledge you have never deliberately set out to hurt anyone, and if inadvertently you did, you have always made your apologies like a man. No, Harry, it is I who should be apologising, not you}.

Harry realised with a pang that the reason Snape’s send sounded like it did was because the man was fighting with tears. Cradling Cariad in one arm, he placed a cautious hand on Snape’s sleeve, sent a little Magic through the touch, squeezed gently and withdrew. Eventually, Snape looked up, dark chocolate met malachite. They both smiled, even as Snape blinked rapidly. Harry gazed a long moment into Snape’s eyes, {Look after Hermione next year, sir, we won’t be here, and she may get lonely}. Snape allowed himself a chuckle, {She’s going to be perfectly all right, Harry. She’s made several friends amongst the staff, myself included, I might add, and I’m sure she’ll get on well with Ginny’s friends. Ginny, no insult intended, is clearly the smartest of the Weasley clan, and has several of the brighter girls as friends, she’ll be fine, Harry, truly she will}. Harry nodded and grinned, {Thank you, sir}. Severus started on his meal, {Harry?}, {Yes, sir}, {It’s Severus, please}.

Harry turned slightly away, flushing a deep pink, {Thanks, si-Severus. I hope we can be all right now?}, his send held a query. Snape patted his arm, {Harry, we’ve been all right since I saw the smile you put on Draco Malfoy’s face. I know about his twin sister, and the fact your daughter is named for her, but somehow it all turned out for the best. His Mage powers will be realised. Although it was doubtful at first he would even come to Hogwarts}. Harry realised Snape was in a ruminative mood as his sends faded a little, but he started at this last.

{Not come to Hogwarts. I don’t understand. Why ever not?}. Snape snapped back to attention, {Oh no, oh no, I’ve said too much}, he rubbed his face with his hands. Harry’s attention was totally focussed on Snape, {Tell me, Severus, please. What did you mean by that?}. Snape started at the commanding tone in Harry’s send. {Harry, please, perhaps this is not my place to say....}. {C’mon, Severus. You know something that perhaps neither of us does. We need all the help we can get here}. Snape felt helpless before this onslaught of power. He took a deep breath, {Who can hear this send?}. Harry’s eyes widened, {Both of us, but Draco’s attention is elsewhere}.

{Harry, find a channel that only you and I share}. Harry nodded solemnly and sought up and down, locking down somewhere almost in the sub-sonic range, then opened it up. They both smiled as they connected. {I don’t know how much of this Draco knows about. It would seem he knew nothing of his status, until you two, erm, found out about it mutually. Lucius enquired before he started here at Hogwarts, but there was nothing in the records that suggested a Higher-born, so Draco was deemed safe. This was after he’d started to have his mad ideas on race and the purity of bloodlines, he didn’t want Draco to be realised unless he could be bonded with someone from a pure bloodline untainted by Muggle blood. He was more interested in bloodlines than his son’s possible potential. Then I realised why}.

Snape sunk his head in his hands, taking several deep breaths. Harry was agog, hardly daring to breathe, {Why?, Severus, why?}. {When the twins were born, you couldn’t slide a blade between them, from birth to death, they were as one. They looked totally different. Draco’s fairness contrasted with her darkness. Draco had brains, but she was smart, in much the same way as Hermione is. Brains with native cunning and intelligence. She led her brother everywhere, mainly into trouble, then Draco would somehow fib or tell stories to extricate them from the mess, but you could never part them}.

Harry grinned, {Draco’s mother said something similar. I never even knew of his sister’s existence until then}. Snape nodded then continued. {It devastated the family when she died, not least her brother. Draco’s heart was broken. No child of not yet five years old should ever look like he did. Shattered, destroyed. But, the strange thing is, after she died, Draco could go on and be the Magical person he is, and through knowing and loving you, attain his true birthright}. Harry’s brow creased, {I don’t understand. There’s a bit missing. If Cariad had lived, she would have stopped Draco....ohmygod}, he clapped a hand over his mouth, the truth dawning in his eyes.

{They were so inseparable that they would have just been home-tutored or sent to a normal school, wouldn’t they?. Cariad Malfoy was a squib, wasn’t she?}. Snape nodded ruefully, {Not an ounce of Magic in her anywhere, though the brains in that child. Lucius started his researches into wizarding pureblood families after that, to find a match for his, now, only child. He was and is obsessed. If he hadn’t loathed them so much with his snobbish pride, he was even going to approach the Weasleys}.

Harry was truly shocked, then. {Why?}, he thought a moment, then got it, {Oh, gods, Ginny!}. As the absurdity of it all sank in, he started to laugh, {Whoops, we buggered that one up then, didn’t we?}, and Snape joined in. Harry subsided, wiping at his eyes, {The thing is, the two families will be joined, but in ways ol’ Lucius Malfoy never imagined}. That started them both off again.

They came to, to find all eyes upon them, including Cariad’s. She was starting her little mouth gestures and whimpers. Harry’s attention was immediately diverted to fishing the bottle out of his bag, warming it slightly under his t-shirt, then nuzzling the teat into his daughter’s waiting mouth. He was glad to have something to do while he digested Snape’s news. He kicked off his trainers, crossing his legs under him, resting the baby, rocking his body back and forth gently as she suckled, his eyes locked on his daughter’s.

Draco turned from his conversation, winding an arm around Harry’s shoulders feeling his beloved’s confusion, though he was trying hard to mute it and not spread his tension to his baby as she fed. His body was relaxed while his mind was in turmoil. Draco laid his head on Harry’s shoulder, {What is it, love?}. Harry felt Snape in the back of his mind, {I know you Gryffindors cannot lie, so if you must, tell him, although I feel this should come from one of his parents}. Snape shut his connection.

Harry sent, {Dunno if I should tell you this, but Snape’s just been telling me stuff, and I’m a bit confused. You know him, I never could understand him when he gets all metaphorical. I think him and Hermione should be just great next year}. Harry felt a bit shallow for prevaricating in this way to the love of his life, but, secretly, he agreed with Snape, some things only a parent should tell a child, and he locked the information away in a secure part of his mind and let it gather dust.

Draco had a vague feeling that Harry wasn’t telling him everything, but let it lie for now. He had a sneaking feeling that he didn’t want to know whatever it was just yet, without being able to say why.

Without realising it, the boys had sat in the Hall for hours. Cariad was asleep again, and Draco felt his eyelids start to droop. He leaned against Harry who nudged him, {Come on, sleepy, tie her around me and we’ll head back for a while}. Draco duly did so, then the boys excused themselves and left.

Once home, Draco laid Cariad in her cradle then claimed his Harry every which way he could, before they sank into a delicious mid-afternoon slumber wrapped around each other, a slight smile on each face.