Discovering Love and Lost Memories

Draco had waited until Tonks came back for him, and was now sitting atop the exam table wearing nothing but a papery blue gown. He hated it. Not only was the “gown” not up to a Malfoy’s standards, it showed his ass to any Ministry worker who happened to be behind him at the time. And nobody but Harry should be looking at his ass.



He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting as Tonks glared at him and then practically flung herself out of the room just as the doctor slid in past her. She may be Draco’s family by way of blood, but she did not want to see what he had under that flimsy gown.



Draco glared at the doctor too, though the man in the long white coat seemed not to mind. He had seen his share of unhappy patients, and he knew just how to handle them.



“So, Mr. Malfoy…”



“It’s Draco.” The blond growled at him.



“Very well, Draco. I suppose you know what you are here for?”



“Yes. I know.” Draco sighed and lowered his arms from his chest. “Can we just get this over with?”



“Very well, Mr…” The young Malfoy shot him a look of hate. “Draco. Please lie back on the table and try to relax. Oh, and lift up the gown to above your stomach. You may place this over your lower half.” The doctor handed him a blue paper like cloth and turned away to leave the room.



Draco knew he had to comply, but he was decidedly uncomfortable with the whole situation. He spread the cloth over his lap and pulled up the paper gown he wore, revealing the small bump of his stomach. Then he lay back on the table and waited for the doctor to come back into the room. He self consciously gripped the edge of the paper down to his side while his other hand stroked his slight bulge.



A knock sounded on the other side of the door, and then it swung inward, allowing the doctor in again. He spotted Draco on the exam table, apparently having followed his directions, and raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had expected more of a fight from the young Malfoy, since his father was notorious for being hard to deal with. But he would take what cooperation he could get from his current patient.



“Ok. Now Draco, we are going to start off with a spell to make sure your children are developing properly. I understand you didn’t get the best of care while you were with your father, so we will be trying to boost the chances of your children coming out healthy. I will be telling you what I am doing at each step to help you feel more comfortable. Alright?”



Draco released his breath in a noise that was part sigh and partly a small release of stress. “Alright.”



The doctor nodded and turned to the counter where he picked up a potion that was deep blue in color. “Please drink this, Draco.”



Draco took it and drank it without further thought. He handed the empty container back to the man in the white coat, and took several deep breaths to calm himself. He could feel his magic parting at his womb, allowing a clear path to the babies. It felt uncomfortable; his magic felt torn and displaced. He felt like he couldn’t protect his babies properly like this. It scared him, and took all his will to keep from getting defensive when the doctor reached out and placed a hand on Draco’s belly unexpectedly.



Inside, Draco’s inner consciousness screamed with fear. If Harry had been nearby, he was sure their link would have brought the brunette father-to-be crashing through the door, wand in hand, to protect his mate and children.



His thoughts made it all the more terrifying when the door slammed loudly against the wall, and a figure stood alone in the doorway, wand in outstretched hand, body tense and ready to fight.



Draco’s inner Veela screamed in fear, causing Draco to scream also. He jumped further onto the table and pulled himself inward, intent on protecting his babies from the threat no matter what. His thoughts flashed immediately to the idea that it was his father, coming in to steal him back and kill the bastard children of the Boy-Who-Lived. Who else could it be, but his father?



Draco knew his inner Veela was still screaming, but at least he had stopped the sound from issuing from his own, physical mouth. His hands clutched at his stomach, forgetting that he was naked from the waist down, and also unmindful that the cloth that had been over his lap now resided on the floor.



His mind barely recognized the words the figure clothed in a black Wizarding robe spoke, and he saw without seeing, as the man stepped into the room, his wand still pointed outward. The man’s eyes flicked over to Draco, hunched on the table, his blue medical gown pulled up to reveal part of his slightly bulging stomach, and embarrassingly enough, his manhood.



He flinched as the sound of terrified Veela hit him in his mind, though he tried to block it out in order to keep his wand trained on the man in the white jacket. “What have you done to him?!”



The doctor stood aghast. He shook his head haltingly. “N-nothing Mr. Potter! I swear it!”



“I heard him cry out in fear through the link! What did you do to him!?”



“I only touched him for a second! I can only think that he wasn’t prepared…I’m sorry!” The doctor was shaking with fear as two incredibly green eyes glared at him, and the wand stayed focused on him.



“Back away from my mate.” Harry said, his voice radiating complete command. The doctor did as he was told.



The holder of the wand edged closer to the terrified man on the table, sending calming words through the link, though the Veela continued to scream in fear. His hand reached out, and stroked the blonds’ arm gently.



Draco could feel himself calming. Suddenly he was aware that he was calling to his mate loudly through the link. He silenced his inner screaming, looked up into green, caring eyes, and stared at the man he hadn’t expected to see there.



In Harry’s mind, the silence seemed to ring, now that Draco’s screaming had gone silent. In its place, he felt need for protection and safety flowing from his mate. He eased forward slowly, intent on keeping the blond man calm, and pulled Draco towards himself.



Draco allowed himself to be pulled. For the moment, all he knew was that his mate was here, wanting to hold him, wanting to protect him and their children. His inner Veela wouldn’t pass up a chance to feel the safety of its mates’ arms again, though the human side of Draco may have wanted nothing more then to punch the Boy-Who-Lived for treating him so badly.



Harry hadn’t been sure of what he was doing when he stood outside the doors of the exam room, waiting and wondering when would be the correct time to make his entrance. But the second he had heard Draco’s call to him, begging his mate for protection and safety, Harry had pushed aside his doubts and fears, and had acted on instinct. He had to get into that room, proper entrance or no. He had to protect his mate, whether he was confused about the situation or not. And so he had.



Now, standing here in the exam room, Draco in his arms, his wand still pointed menacingly at the doctor, Harry felt confused and ashamed. True, it did feel good to hold Draco in his arms again. It was nothing like when he had held Ginny. Her body’s warmth was just that – warmth. But with Draco, his body’s heat seemed to fill Harry’s soul, clearing away former doubts and untruths.



His shame was not in that he was holding another man – his old enemy, a death eater. His shame was in that he had not thought to pursue the fleeting thoughts and feelings he had had all those months that something was not right within him. He should have seen a doctor about it. He should have questioned his friends harder. He should have…should have done something other then passively live and let people control and manipulate his life.



He bent his head to look at Draco’s face which was burrowed into his chest. His hand moved caressingly over the blonds’ cheek, feeling tears and the softness of the skin as he tilted his mate’s head up. “Draco…are you alright?”



Draco’s eyes met his, cool silver gazing into emerald green. “Yes…and no.” He whispered in reply. Harry’s eyes showed confusion, and Draco answered to it. He pushed Harry away slightly, pulling his paper like gown down to cover himself again, and regained control of his emotions and inner self. Then he clamped down on the emotions and need swirling in his eyes, and looked back to his mate.



“I am fine, Potter.” He answered, his eyes cold gray again. “No thanks to you.” He watched as Harry glanced over to the doctor again, warily, and then lowered his wand.



“I came to…”



“To make sure my babies have nothing of you in them? Well you’ll be disappointed Potter, my babies are definitely yours.”



Harry had the decency to look ashamed. “Nothing like that, Draco. I came to make sure you were ok, and to collect you from the Ministry. I’m taking you home with me.”



“Have you thought that maybe I don’t want to go home with you? Maybe I prefer being here to spending time with the man who abandoned me and my children.”



Harry’s eyes flashed with a spark of anger, before he pushed it down and away. Draco was surprised. The Potter he had met back in the safe room of Malfoy Manor would not have stopped his anger as this one did. This Potter looked almost like his Harry.



“We need to talk Draco, privately. But right now, this test needs to be done so that I can take you away from here with me. Please trust me; I’m not going to abandon you again.”



Draco bit his bottom lip and chewed on it while watching the brunette man carefully. His mother had said Harry would be back for him, though he never thought it would be so soon. Perhaps Harry had a good reason for being gone so long. Perhaps he should give his mate another chance. Besides, it would be stupid to push away the man who would be needed for Draco to survive the birth of his children. It was a random thought, pushed in by his inner Veela, but it was nonetheless true.



Draco nodded. “Fine.”



Harry let out a breath that he had been holding and smiled at Draco hopefully. Then he looked up and nodded to the doctor, who was still flat against the wall, trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. The doctor removed himself from the wall, and brushed his hands against his white coat, probably to remove the sweat that had soaked his hands.



He checked Draco to make sure the potion was still functioning, and then pulled his wand out of his pocket to cast the spell. After a few moments, a ball of glowing light seemed to raise itself out of Draco’s belly, hovering several inches above from his body. It took a moment, but images began to solidify in the ball of light. Two tiny forms faded in and out, as if the spell was having trouble focusing on the image.



The doctor frowned, and then looked over at Harry, who was still holding his wand in one hand, with the other rested on the edge of the examination table. He cleared his throat and then spoke.



“Mr. Potter. Would you mind placing your hand on Draco’s stomach? It seems that the spell is not focusing correctly, and your boost of magic should help it along, especially if you are the father as Mr. Malf…er, Draco claims.” He corrected the blond man’s title quickly when a glare was sent his way.



Harry looked over at Draco for permission. His mate stared up at him, his eyes unreadable. After several tense moments, Draco sighed and grabbed Harry’s hand to press against his stomach.



Instantly the image of twins cleared in the bubble of light, but Harry didn’t need the floating bubble to see his babies. In his mind he could see them, including their swirls of magic. They were perfectly tiny. The only thing that surprised him was the intensity at which his magic was leaving his body to join with Draco’s magic surrounding the children.



At that moment, Harry realized that his children had gone months without his magic, and because of that, they had probably been taking double the magic from Draco. It was no wonder Harry had felt weariness in Draco when he had first touched him. If it was possible, he felt more ashamed then before.



Draco glanced between Harry and the doctor, and smiled slightly as he realized that Harry’s eyes were closed, and he was viewing his own children without the help of the magical glowing bubble. Though he wanted to hate Harry, he couldn’t. Harry did love him, and it was evident by the way he acted. The way he had burst into the room, fearing Draco was hurt. The feelings of love he had felt when Harry’s magic connected to his. The look on Harry’s face as he met his growing babies for the first time.



The doctor smiled at Draco and ended the spell, noticing Harry had yet to end his connection to the blond man’s stomach. He gave the blonds’ mate a moment, and then spoke quietly. “Mr. Potter, I need to do the next part of the exam now.”



Harry opened his eyes, blinked, and nodded, though he made no move to remove his hand from the small bulge. He watched the doctor as he pulled out two small glass containers filled halfway with clear liquid that bubbled slightly from a small hole in the wall, and set it on the counter.



“This is the base potion for this test. I had the lab prepare two in advance for this exam, one for each twin, but since they are identical twins, we need only use one. I had thought we would have to use some of your stored blood, Mr. Potter, but since you are here, would you mind providing the two drops of blood necessary?”



Harry agreed with a shake of his head and tucked his wand into his pocket, unwilling to remove his hand from Draco’s stomach. He could still feel his magic being drained from him, but he didn’t mind in the slightest. It was worth it to feel the life he and Draco had started, and to know that the babies needed him.



Draco could feel Harry’s magic flowing into him, and was relieved to feel that his magic was starting to rebuild itself, even in this short space of time. With two babies feeding off his magic supply, and no mate to share the burden with, he had gone months with having enough magic to do much else.



The doctor moved forward and kept the glass container levitated under Harry’s hand as he poked the finger of the Boy-Who-Lived with a small knife. Then he watched carefully as two drops of blood splashed into the clear bubbling liquid, and turned it slightly pink where it had mixed in.



Then he floated the container back to sit on the counter and turned to Draco. “Draco, I need to collect some blood from one of your twins. Since you are a Veela, I will need you to lower your internal magic shielding your womb, or I won’t be able to get through to collect the blood. I promise this spell is entirely safe, and only two drops of blood will be taken from the child. Do I have your permission?”



Draco looked nervous as his eyes met the doctor’s eyes. He looked up at Harry, his eyes cool silver again, pleading with his mate for protection and in a way, asking him what he should do. Harry’s warm green eyes promised protection, and encouraged the blond Veela man to go through with the testing. Draco nodded his agreement.



The doctor quickly cast a spell that produced a tiny amount of red liquid in the air, and directed it to

the container which Harry’s blood had gone into previously.



“If the liquid turns green, the children are Mr. Potter’s. If it turns red, they are not. We should know any minute now…” He sent a small jolt of magic into the potion and watched as it bubbled up even more, mixing itself. Moments later, the color was obvious.



Green.



Harry genuinely smiled, though he knew he was the father of Draco’s twins whether the test told him so or not. He looked down at Draco, who was staring at Harry and chewing on his lower lip again.



Draco was wondering what Harry would do when he got the results. It was now obvious to him that this Harry wasn’t the same as the one he had met in the Manor. This Harry knew about the babies, and seemed to want not only them, but Draco as well. Did he really want to take Draco home with him?



“I’ll just deliver these results to the proper Ministry officials so that they may sign the paperwork, and you may both be off.” The doctor said, sliding the potion results back through the slot to the laboratory and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.



Harry and Draco stared at each other, wondering who should speak first. Draco had a lot to tell Harry about how he had escaped and how he had survived with the babies while in the dungeons of Voldemort’s stronghold, but surely Harry had a lot to explain too.



Neither knew how to start, and so they stayed silent, the only communication between them being through their eyes.