The Right Choice

Harry moved gingerly through the room, his hands supporting the small of his back. He was now eight months along and it was easy to see that his body was not designed to carry a baby. To go along with the constant aches and pains associated with a normal pregnancy, the swollen feet, itchiness etc, he also had problems with his shifting organs. Magic made it easier, making sure that nothing tore or was deprived of oxygen or something, but it didn't stop the constant pain from his intestines, stomach and lungs as they shifted around, trying to make room from the baby who seemed to be growing daily. The mediwizard was in to see him daily, checking on the progress of his charge. Harry loved his appointments, as Master Pritchard was always give him a good view of the baby whilst he was checking her over, whereas Draco would always make sure that he was absent. She was looking like a proper baby now, all fingers and toes present and correct, a little nose with a small turn up and a very large head. Occasionally she would be sucking her thumb or shifting slightly as she was being examined and it was almost like he could reach out and touch her, hold her in his arms. She had now turned completely and was in the birth position and Master Pritchard had said there was every likelihood that she would be born early.

His relationship with Draco was not as healthy and could be described as frosty at best, they would both try to speak but invariably it would end in an argument about the baby. Draco wanted to pretend she wasn't there, trying to ignore the swollen belly he was sporting, or if he did acknowledge her he would call her an 'it' or analyse her like a science project. Suddenly Harry's abdomen was hit with a shooting pain, causing his knees to give out. He held on to a nearby chair whilst he waited for the pain to finish. They had been happening on and off for around an hour. He knew what they meant, they meant the baby was going to come into the world soon. He knew he should call someone, he had a little button spell for just such an occasion, but he didn't want to, he didn't want this to be over. His baby was going to have to leave him. Another contraction hit him but this time the pain was different, even from the contractions he had had earlier, he went over to the bed to call for help and then lay down and waited, this was real, the baby was coming.

Draco was in the gardens when he felt the bracelet on his wrist vibrate. He lifted his wrist and watched it move against his skin for a few moment. This was it, the baby was coming. He almost started to hyperventilate as he contemplated what this meant. The baby was coming, this nightmare was going to be over, everything would be good again! He screamed at his own thoughts, his baby was going to be taken away and raised by an evil megalomaniac and he was happy! He tried to calm himself down as he tried not to think about it, tried not to think about his child being taken away. He walked steadily towards the back door of the manner, leading to the kitchens, fighting the urge to run. He took every shortcut he knew in order to get back to their rooms as quickly as possible and before long he was standing outside the door. He straightened up his robes and pushed the door.

When he entered the room Harry was lying to the bed, Master Pritchard examining his stomach in minute detail. It was just the three of them at the moment but he knew that couldn't last, the monitor spell had three targets when it went off. Suddenly Harry reached forward, clutched at his stomach and made a hissing noise. Master Pritchard stepped backwards and looked annoyed at being disturbed and Draco took it as his cue to move forwards.

"Harry." He took up Harry's hand and clasped it. "How is it?" all he received was a rather violent squeeze to his hand as Harry worked his way through the pain. Master Pritchard decided to fill Draco in, in his usual monotone way.

"His body is changing, the brith canal is forming and expanding to accommodate the child. I estimate the canal will be fully formed and dilated in a few minutes." Harry had lain back down on the bed, his hair was sweaty and he seemed to be having a little trouble catching his breath. Draco leant down and kissed his forehead, clasping his close to his chest.

"You hear that, baby? It'll all be over soon. All you have to do is push and then it will all be over." Draco's voice was calming but he was balking at his own words, trying to hold down the vomit that threatened to force it's way out of his throat. After months of conniving himself not to think about it, it was finally crashing into him at speed. The baby was going to be born.

"No." Harry's voice was calm behind his laboured breathing.

"What do you mean?"

"No, I won't push, she is staying with me!" The pain started again, Harry gritted his teeth and slammed his head backwards, riding the pain through to it's end.

"Baby, you have to push, the baby has to come out." Draco's voice was calmer than he was, he had to keep calm for Harry.

"What do you care?! You don't want this baby anyway! Just let me keep her…" The pain hit again, it was coming faster and stronger as his body reached readiness. The door behind Draco opened a crack. He didn't need to look around as there was only one person who could be standing there, Voldemort. The mediwizard cast a monitoring spell over his belly. He leant forward, close to Draco's ear.

"The baby is in distress, and so is he." Draco looked up at the mediwizard, his face was as calm as his voice. "He has to start pushing now are we will loose both of them." He gave a serendipitous look over his shoulder and Draco followed his gaze, The Dark Lord was smiling in his twisted insane way. Draco closed his eyes for a moment and turned back to Harry.

"Baby, you have to push, ok? If you don't both you and the baby are going to die. She's hurting Harry, she needs to come out." Harry looked over to the door and watched the tall man standing there for a few moments.

"No, Draco, please. Don't make me do this, please." Harry's voice was getting weaker as his strength ebed away slowly.

"You have to, my love. The baby has to come out." Just then another wave hit him and instinct took over. He grabbed down on Draco's hand, squeezing it for all he was worth as he bared down on the pain, clinching his jaw, pushing downwards throughout the long contraction.

"That's it, Harry!" Draco almost began laughing with joy as Harry finally began pushing. The mediwizard moved down the bed to make sure everything was ok at the business end.

"It's coming quickly. It won't be much longer." Draco stroked his husband's head.

"You hear that, not much longer and it will all be over. Come in baby you can do it!" Harry head left the bed as he pushed himself up on his elbows, baring down through another painful contraction. Draco's hand felt like it was breaking as Harry squeezed the knuckles together. Voldemort came forward and stood at the mediwizard's shoulder.

"You are almost there, one more push and the head should be clear." Harry gave a cry as he heard and looked towards the dark figure staring directly into his eyes.

"No, please…" Harry's pleas were cut short as his body was racked once again. He had no choice but to push, his body taking over.

"The head is out. Wait for the next one and then she will come free." Harry looked completely broken as he rested his body down for a moment. Tears were slipping from his eyes and his head was facing away from Draco. The last contraction hit quickly and Harry pushed down dutifully. Sudden a cry came from between his legs. Draco kept his eyes on Harry, resisting the urge to look down at the red screaming form, which was being cleaned.

"It's all over now, Harry, I am so proud of you!" he leant down and kissed Harry's forehead. Draco could feel small tear falling slowly down his cheeks but he wiped them away quickly. The mediwizard had finished cleaning the child and was bring it back over to the bed. He looked around quickly, not sure who he should give the child to, before headed towards The Dark Lord.

"Oh no, Master Pritchard. I do believe the proud Mama should be the first to hold her." the mediwizard turned and moved back towards the head of the bed. Harry tried to sit up, letting go of Draco's hand and pushing his way up, and smiled.

"No Harry!" Draco shouted "Don't take her. She's not yours. Please remember that." Draco was desperate, he knew what would happen. Harry was having enough problems accepting this as it was, but to hold her in his arms , he would never be able to let go.

"Come here, Draco." The voice was cam and in his head, like a Imperious spell had been cast over him. He couldn't struggle against the impulsion to leave as he felt his body move backwards to the side of The Dark Lord. The spell did not affect his speech so he tried in vein to stop his husband's heartbreak from worsening.

"Please, Harry, this is going to destroy you." by the time he had got the words out the baby had already passed hands. "You are so cruel." He mumbled as a bony hand came to rest on his shoulder, accompanied by a low chuckle.


Harry looked lovingly into the eyes of his beautiful daughter. She had his dark hair and a small wrinkled face, she looked throughly unhappy with the state of things and was currently using her lungs to make everyone aware.

"Shh Shh, little one. It's all over now. Just you and mummy now." The little girl quietened down as Harry stroked her cheek and cooed at her. He couldn't keep his eyes off her, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Time for me to take my daughter, I think." The Dark Lard let go of Draco's shoulder and walked forwards.

"No!" Harry shouted and tried the shield the child away. Draco could do nothing but stand and cry silently, still not having control over is body.

"Now, now, Harry, remember our agreement. I wouldn't want to hurt you for not for filling your side now would I?"

"Please, let him have a moment, let him say…" Draco choked on the words "let him say goodbye."

"Very well, say your tearful goodbyes." Voldemort waved his hand nonchalantly and Draco was released from the spell. He moved quickly over to Harry, who was still cradling the child close to him. He moved closer, feeling awkward and out of place, not feeling like he was part of the family in front of him. He felt his heat break slowly as he gazed on his daughter's face for the first time. He could no longer divorce himself from this, from the amazing creature that Harry was rocking slowly, murmuring quietly to her. Draco knelt down, unnoticed by Harry, and listened to his husband parting words to his daughter.

"Your my little Lizzy, always remember that. No matter what he says you are loved and no matter what I will find a way back to you. You are going to bring him down, Lizzy, and then we will be together again…"

"Times up, give me the child." Voldemort walked forwards again. Draco tried to get in the way, he could never be part of that scene on the bed but he would be damned if he didn't do everything he could to keep them together. He was flung aside easily and crumpled up into a heap on the floor. Voldemort leant down and pulled apart the vice like grip Harry had on his daughter, before pulling her free. The baby began to wail loudly, protesting her harsh treatment.

"No! Please no! Give her back to me!" Harry was screaming, reaching out to with the last of his energy. Tears ran freely from his eyes as his body finally gave out and he collapsed on the bed. "No, please, you have to give her back to me. Lizzy!" Harry's voice became little more than a whisper.

Voldemort smiled snidely. "She will do very nicely." He turned his back on Harry and looked down at Draco on the floor. "you will receive you instructions tomorrow. I expect you out of the castle buy the end of the week." He looked down at the child before disappearing out of the room leaving the crying boy on the bed, whispering to bring his baby back.

A/N Some of the ideas for the problems with male pregnancy have come from Shenlong's stories Chimera and the sequel Family Ties. If you like Gundam Wing read these two fics they are brilliant! I also must confess to have never been through child birth myself and so have no idea how much of the above is based on various episodes of ER and how much is reality. It is almost certainly far slower and far more messy in real life but if anyone asked I shall reply as the great bard Matt Groening once wrote 'a wizard did it.'