The Right Choice

The weeks passed uneventfully for Harry and Draco as they waited. The child would not be detectable until it had reached it's second month and it would be too dangerous to take a second dose until they knew if the first had been successful. Draco spent as much time he could in the suite with Harry and slowly but surely their relationship began to improve. Harry's trust was returning with everyday as they moved into a boring routine of domesticity. If Harry hadn't been confined, in those brief moment when they could forget the dark cloud that loomed over then, they could almost be said to be happy. Draco ventured into the rest of the castle at least once a day, trying to remain unnoticed by the population. There were things a foot, things he did not want to scare Harry with. He hadn't seen his father since before the ceremony and although this was no great loss to him there were many notable Death Eaters who had also vanished, which was worrying. It was mostly people from the old crowd, the ones who had been with him for years, the one who tended to be a tempering influence on The Dark Lord, who spoke a little more reason. The only reason Lucius could be counted among them was that his desire for power far outweighed his lust for destruction, after all who wanted to rule over a decimated world? There was also his and Harry's own future to consider. He still had no clue what The Dark Lord's plan were for them after the child had been born. He knew that as long as they kept to the plan he couldn't touch them but he could still make their lives difficult. Unfortunately the castle occupants seemed to have forgotten Harry and himself as soon as he had retreated to their rooms, either that or everyone had been instructed to not discuss their disappearance with anyone, so he could find out no details on what was planned for their future.

~**~

He raised his top as his robe fell to each side of him. The mediwizard waved his wand above his stomach, muttering his spell which would detect the small life growing inside him. The mediwizard was a rather dour man of around sixty was looked very nervous when he had first entered the room, following a very pleased looking Voldemort. He was now concentrating very hard on his spell but no doubt as soon as it was over he would go back to looking a combination of morose and scared shitless. Harry's emotions were once again so mixed up he couldn't tell what he was feeling one moment to the next. He knew he shouldn't but he could help but feel a small amount of happiness when he thought about the small life that could be growing inside him. That small glimmer was replaced alternately with either intestine rage or blinding hatred, each emotion spurring on the other. He watched Voldemort loom over him and could almost see him rubbing his hands together with glee, like some 1920's movie villain. He could see The Dark Lord was starting to get impatient with the doctor's slow progress but they had all heard him proclaim that he had never dealt with a pregnancy in a man before and the hormonal shifts would be different. Draco stood by his side, holding his hand loosely as he also began to get anxious about the lack on announcement. Suddenly the mediwizard stopped moving.

"Ah ha!" he proclaimed and then made another shift with his wand, more assertive this time. A small cloud appeared around Harry's abdomen which slowly morphed into a flat oval, reflecting a light red surrounding.

"What is this?!" Voldemort asked, crossing his arms in front of him like a petulant child.

"He is pregnant, My Lord, a girl and if you would wait one moment…" he moved his wand again at the projection. It moved around slightly before zooming inwards, focusing on one small dot. The dot became larger until you could make out a vaguely oval shape. Harry gasped as it slowly focused on a small foetus with a large bulbous head, short stubby arms and legs and a small black dot for an eye. "there she is." Harry felt Draco squeeze gently on his hand but he couldn't look away from the image in front of him. It felt like the first time he had felt his wand in his hand, the first time magic had stirred inside him at the Dursely's, is mesmerised him, a tiny life growing inside him. Suddenly a hand flew in front of his vision, slicing through the mirage, breaking it in two, leaving it to dissolve into the air. Harry felt the wetness on his face from tears he hadn't even knew he was crying, a cry was strangled in his throat as he reached out to the fading image. Voldemort gave one of his evil chuckles as he bought his hand back down to his side.

"Excellent, Master Pritchard. You will attend to Harry during his pregnancy. I want regular check ups and reports regarding his Heath and the child. He is your responsibility, Pritchard, and I should think you can make a educated guess what would happen is something should go wrong?" Master Pritchard held his hand together in front of him and nodded several times. "Good, good, I am glad that we all understand. And now…" he turned to leave but Draco interrupted.

"You have your proof now give me what I want." Voldemort didn't turn back around but instead threw his head back and let out a roar of laughter.

"Ahh high romance strikes again. Very well, I shall get you your piece of paper to sign." Draco let go of Harry's hand and moved around the bed towards the retreating Voldemort.

"I thought we were going to have a ceremony?"

"So eager to perform in front of the masses? Scared of being forgotten perhaps? No I think it would be better if I didn't indulge yo too much. It might make you spoilt!" Voldemort laughed again and exited the room, Master Pritchard following closely behind him. Harry pulled down his t-shirt and buttoned up his robes.

"What piece of paper?" he asked, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. Draco turned around and joined Harry on the bed. He reached over for his hand and clasped them together.

"It is our marriage certificate. I guess I wanted you and me to have a wedding day. I mean, I know it wasn't going to be perfect but it would be something. I guess I wanted too much." Harry smiled slightly and tied to be upbeat.

"It's fine, Draco. I mean, what is a wedding if not a piece of paper? We know how we feel about each other and that is what matters. It would have been nice to have vows and rings and stuff but all I need is you," Draco smiled back and gave Harry a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Well if it is vows you want!" Draco pulled Harry of the bed and arranged them so they were face each other. He took up Harry hand again and held it out in front of them. "I Draco, I vow to love you, Harry, everyday until the day I die. I vow to be with you forever, no matter what, and I vow that nothing can tear us apart." Harry's eyes started welling up with tears again. "Well, don't I get some to?" Draco said, the humour evident in his tone.

"Oh, Draco. I love you to and I will everyday. We'll get through this together and …" Harry began to choke up "and…" Draco pulled up his chin and silenced him with a deep kiss. The kiss became more passionate as Harry's robe was once again unbuttoned.

~**~

Harry sat in his favourite chair, rubbing his big belly. It had been six months since they had married and his due date was edging ever closer. He was starting to go a bit stir crazy being in the same room for seven months, and his changing hormones and moods didn't help matters. Draco would go out quite often, in to the castle, to 'investigate' disappearances. That was why Draco said he was going out but Harry knew the truth. He was disgusted with his body and couldn't put up with his moods. If Harry were being perfectly honest he would run a mile if he saw the beached whale he was coming at him. Harry let out a quick chuckle at his own strange thoughts. He knew he shouldn't doubt Draco, he had married him, did his best to put up with him, had given up a lot so they could be together, but there had been something different about him over the past few months. He had become distant, avoiding questions, sometimes he would even try and avoid looking at Harry. There was something going on and there was nothing he could do about it. He had asked Draco about it so many times he had gone hoarse and it was not like he could threaten to leave. Just then the baby gave him a big kick in the ribs. Harry's arms instinctively curl over his ribs and he gave a small laugh as she kicked him again.

"Slow down, baby girl!" she didn't listen to him and just continued to kick him. He staggered out of his chair and tried to walked around a bit hoping to calm her down. He was still walking around, patting his stomach carefully whispering calming words to his boisterous child, when Draco arrived back to their rooms. Harry looked up at him, a large smile drawn out on his face. "She's being really active this afternoon! If she wasn't a little witch I would say she was trying to play football with my ribs! Maybe she wants he be a beater!" Draco looked at him and shook his head, taking of his outer cloak and hanging it up. "You know, we should really give her a name. I can't keep calling her baby girl?" Draco ducked his head down to his chest and put his fingers on the bridge of his nose.

"Harry, we can't give her a name. She is not our baby." Draco voice remained neutral, trying to remain calm. Harry hung his head for a moment.

"Yes, well, what would we call her, you know, if we could keep her?" Harry gave Draco another smile, smaller this time. Draco turned around quickly.

"No, Harry, we can't do this. She is not our baby and she won't ever be. You need to stop doing this!" Draco voice became more unstable towards the end of his speech, unable to keep himself calm. Harry's eyes began to well up and he turned away.

"I know that but I can't… Why do you have to be so cruel?" Draco strode towards him and turned his face so that their eyes met, leaving his hand caressing Harry's cheek.

"I am not being cruel, Harry, but when the time comes you have to give up this baby and you have to walk away. She will never know you. As horrible as that is, it is the truth and there is nothing we can do about it." Harry ripped his face away and ran towards the bathroom, slamming the door and locking it. Draco removed his robe, sat down on a chair and picked up a book, sipping the cup of tea that had appeared and waited. He knew that when Harry came out the argument would be repeated again and there was nothing he could say or do to change that.