InsaneJournal

Unexpected - Chapter 28: Protective
Title: Unexpected
Authors: slashpervert and aveeno_baby.

Betas: brknhalo241, asm614, Mini Mouse, and Indie.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: ADULT!
Genre: Fluff, Smut, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Harry/Draco
Length: 94,000 words (40 Chapters)
Warnings (Mark to Read): Language, Explicit, M/M Sex, Masturbation, Oral, Rimming, Anal, Mpreg, and mental health issues such as anxiety attacks. (Characters in this fiction are over 18.)

Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have lived together for four years in their country house surrounded by a magical menagerie of unwanted animals Harry rescues. Yet, Harry wants more. He dreams of a family that includes children.

Notes: Post-war, AU after HBP, not DH compliant. Sequel to Undesirable, though can be read separately. Whereas, Undesirable was very dark, this one is very fluffy with some angst. Thanks to corvusdea for help with Latin for spells. Icon adapted by slashpervert from Passion by dirty_darella.
Disclaimer: This is a non-commercial work of fan fiction intended for adult audiences only. No copyright infringement intended. (Full Disclaimer!)

Chapter Number/Total: 28/40
Chapter Title: Protective
Words: 2205 Words



It became so difficult for Harry to walk that Draco had to use a Lightening Charm to carry him to the barn to see Lily. He resorted to setting up a small bed in the barn so that his lover could lay down in there while he spent time with the horse. Draco helped Harry to the barn each afternoon after lunch, sitting with him while Lily watched over them, bending her head to let Harry pet her. Draco was worried. It seemed to him that Harry was growing paler and slept more and more as the days slipped by. Sometimes he would drift off in the middle of talking.

Draco was watching him nod off again when Severus came running into the barn cursing. Despite having a dog and a Krup, it was the Jarvey who warned them when someone came through the Floo. Draco got to his feet, pulling his wand and stepping into the yard. He made his way into the house and found Remus Lupin standing in their kitchen.

The older man scowled at him "What are you doing here?" he snapped.

Draco had lowered his wand but frowned in confusion. "I live here," he answered neutrally.

"Where's Harry? Did he leave you when he found out what you've done?" Remus demanded.

Ah, Draco thought. "He's fine and still here," he answered.

"I'd have kicked your arse," Remus snarled. "How dare you do this to him?"

"If you would calm down, I think Harry can explain the misunderstanding," Draco insisted, trying to remain calm himself in spite of the angry werewolf in his kitchen.

"Where is he?" Remus growled in a low voice.

Draco took a deep breath and sighed. "I will take you to him, but I don't want you to upset him. He still has anxiety attacks when people frighten him."

"How would I frighten him?" Remus demanded. "Has he seen the papers?"

Draco winced at the reference. All of the wizarding press had picked up the story and blown it up even more. "The articles were wrong," he said. Draco didn't know if Remus would believe him. "The person they thought was my mistress was actually Harry with a charm to disguise who he was."

"Why would Harry disguise himself as a pregnant woman?" Remus scoffed.

Draco sighed again. "I suppose the only way to explain this is to show you. I just need to you to swear to keep calm."

Remus looked sceptical but nodded. "Take me to Harry."

Draco put his wand away, turned around and walked out the back door again. "This way," he said.

***

"Draco?" Harry called out from the barn, frowning and trying to get up. He had been feeling really tired recently, so much to the point where he felt physically weak. But he had startled awake when the Jarvey had come running in and Draco had left. He didn’t know where Draco was, but was hoping he would be bringing him some food when he returned. “Where’d he go?” he asked the horse who only whickered in response.

Draco walked fast enough to get there before the other wizard. "Harry," he said when he came into the barn. "Remus is here."

"Remus?" Harry asked, perking up a little. But then he realised that ... he hadn't seen him in a long while. He glanced down at his stomach.

Draco nodded, shrugging and moving to sit on the stool beside Harry's cot. Remus came through the door then and froze, eyes wide. "Harry?"

"Hi, Remus," Harry said with a small smile, not even trying to get up, because he knew he couldn't.

"What's happened? Are you sick?" Remus asked, coming up to stand beside Harry's little bed and giving Lily an odd look as well.

"Not exactly," Harry said, trying to figure out how to explain this. He shifted on the bed so that there was a little space for Remus. "Sit if you want to."

Draco watched with interest, figuring Harry would have to be the one to explain this.

Remus conjured a chair and pulled it up beside Harry. "But ..." he trailed off, gesturing in a move that seem to encompass Harry lying in a bed in a barn and his large belly.

"Yeah, well, Remus, I ... I'm pregnant," Harry told him, deciding to just get it out. "I know it may be hard to believe, but ... well, look." He ran a hand down his stomach and then reached for Remus' hand and laid it on top of his stomach.

Remus froze, hand on Harry's belly, and practically jumped when he felt the movement against his palm. "Merlin," he gasped.

Draco grinned, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, I know," Harry said, smiling widely. "Her name's Athena."

"Athena," Remus repeated, his voice a whisper. "How?"

Harry looked up at the horse, laughing softly. "It's a long story," he said and then reached out to try and pull Remus into a hug. "I missed you."

Remus leant over and Draco could see tears in the man's eyes. "Oh, your parents would be so proud,” Remus gasped.

"Yeah," Harry said, hugging Remus and then sitting back. "So what brings you here today?"

Remus flushed and Draco snorted. "I suspect it was to avenge your betrayal," the blond added and Remus' embarrassment confirmed it.

"What? Oh, you must've seen the paper," Harry said, blushing slightly. "That was me. Not a mistress. We were buying things for the baby's room. You should see it before you leave."

Remus looked up at Draco, still looking uncomfortable. "I ... I shouldn't have believed the paper," the older man admitted.

Draco nodded and shrugged at the same time. His reputation still made it easier for people to believe bad things of him quicker than others.

"So why are you on a bed in the barn?" Remus asked Harry.

"That's a part of the long story," Harry said, glancing up at Lily. "Lily isn't a regular horse ... she's special. She’s how I got pregnant."

Remus looked up in surprise at the horse. "A horse made you pregnant?"

Draco could help but laugh at the words that sounded like what he had asked too.

"She made it possible for me to become pregnant. She grants wishes for babies," Harry explained, blushing harder. "This child is a product of Draco and I ... that's for sure."

"Luna claims Lily is a Fertility Mare," Draco added. "I know it sounds like one of her delusions, but Harry is pregnant."

"I am," Harry said, rubbing at his stomach as he took a deep breath, settling back on the bed again.

"Let's move you inside, and you can show Remus the nursery," Draco suggested.

Harry slowly led the way up to the room next to their own, smiling back at Remus as he pushed open the door. The room was basically all finished, and Harry loved every single bit of it, spending time each day in the nursery for a little quiet time between himself and Athena.

Remus' eyes lit up and he smiled. Harry realised he hadn't really seen Remus smile in years. Certainly, not after Tonks' murder. He was looking around the bright green room that was decorated with pictures of animals like some kind of pastel jungle. A lion peeked out from tall grass, a monkey swung from a painted tree, and a zebra pranced. Magical moving pictures of dozens of animals greeted them. A mobile of tiny animals hung over the crib, little feet moving in the air.

Harry waddled over to the crib and leant over the best he could to pull out the soft pink blanket that he was planning on wrapping around Athena the day she was born. He rubbed it against his cheek as he moved to sit down, reaching for Remus' help. "Now you'll have to come over a lot more often. Especially after she's born."

Draco hung back by the door, soft smile on his face as he watched Remus help Harry to sit in the rocking chair. He could see that Remus' eyes were watering. Even as he smiled, he was struggling to hold back tears. "I ... I would like that," Remus said, throat thick with feeling.

"And I would love it," Harry said with a smile, rubbing his hand down over his stomach when Athena started to kick. "Do you want to feel her?"

Remus wiped his eyes. "Yeah, I would." He knelt beside the chair and pressed his hand to Harry's belly. "I used to feel you move like this, when you were in Lily," he whispered.

Harry smiled, his face softening even further at the mention of his mother. "Did I kick a lot?"

Remus nodded, chuckling as Athena gave a strong kick at that moment. "Lily said you practically never stopped and James said you would fly before you could walk. Your mum would sit in a rocking chair like this one and talk to you before you were even here yet."

Harry's smile became a little pained. "I wish I could remember more," he whispered."I just wonder sometimes what they would think about who I am now. I know ... I know I'm probably not the person they imagined I would be."

"They would be proud of you," Remus assured him. "Lily, especially, would have been happy that you found someone to love who loves you so much." Remus looked over at Draco then, clearly sorry he had misjudged him. "When you were barely minutes old, Lily smiled at you and said that she only wanted you to be happy. Draco makes you happier than I've ever seen you."

"I thought I would never find someone of my own after ..." Harry didn't have to explain what he was talking about. He looked at Remus with eyes that clearly illustrated his puzzled amazement that he could finally find love and be happy.

"We should have taken better care of you," Remus said, guilt clear on his face. "I not only let you down but James and Sirius too. And Lily. They trusted that you would be taken care of."

"No, don't start blaming yourself or anyone else," Harry said, resting his hand on top of Remus'. "Be glad that I'm okay now. I'm more than okay. And Draco takes good care of me."

Draco understood Remus' feeling. Honestly, he had wondered why the Order hadn't protected Harry better, how they could have let him be captured by Voldemort, let alone why they hadn't managed to get him out for an entire year or get him better help after. Yet, Draco also knew better than anyone the horror and the power of Voldemort and his followers. "Harry is right and you are right. They, both his parents, my mother and ... everyone else we lost," he thought of Tonks, "would want us to be happy now."

Remus looked up, meeting Draco's eyes. They looked at each other for a moment and then the older man nodded. He smiled, looking around the room again. The painted monkey on the wall waved at him. "You were a climber," he said to Harry. "So much so your mum called you her little monkey."

Harry blushed. "It sounds like I was a lot of work," he laughed, looking up at Draco. "I wonder if Athena will be that active .... girls are supposed to be calmer, right?"

"Hermione would probably have something to say about that," Draco teased. "I think any child of yours is going to be handful."

Remus laughed, nodding. "And Lily wasn't exactly a pushover herself. If this baby is anything like our Lily then you can expect more than a handful."

"Handful or not, I can't wait to see her," Harry said, smiling in between the both of them as he caressed his stomach.

Remus helped Harry to his feet and Harry reached for Draco, taking his hands and smiling up at him. Then Harry laughed, declaring, “I’m hungry.”

Draco laughed. "Of course, you are."

****

Remus stayed for lunch, watching in amusement as Harry ate as ravenously as Ron usually did. Afterward, they walked with him to the hearth in the front room. Harry didn't want Remus to go, but he knew the man had to. "You can stay here whenever you want," he told him. "And you should definitely visit more often."

Remus hugged Harry again, a bit awkwardly with the belly between them. "I am truly happy for you, Harry," he said. "And I will try to visit more. This probably wouldn't have been as much of a shock if I had kept in touch with you."

"Yeah," Harry said, nodding a few times. He squeezed the man's hand and then stepped back into Draco's arms, leaning against him. "Well, I'll see you soon then."

Remus looked at Draco again. "I know you will take good care of him. You always do. I won’t forget this time. Just keep me informed?"

"Sure," Draco agreed, hugging Harry. They watched as Remus threw the powder in the fire and returned to Hogwarts.

"That was wonderful," Harry said once Remus was gone. "Didn't know how much I missed him."

"He really cares about you," Draco confirmed. "I like that about him."

"Me too," Harry agreed, turning around in Draco's arms. "Now I need a nap, I think."

"Let me tuck you in," Draco assured him. He actually had come to enjoy the afternoon naps where they snuggled up together.

"Okay," Harry murmured, smiling sleepily.

Draco carried him up the stairs and then helped undress his lover, settling Harry into the bed before stripping to join him.

Harry snuggled closer to Draco, his head resting on the man's chest. "Talk to you in a bit," he whispered, closing his eyes.

Both cats joined them in the bed, Puck beside Harry and Oberon at the foot of the bed. The sunlight was warm and Draco let himself just relax into the beauty of the comfortable quiet, watching his lover sleep and eventually drifting off as well.

[Yes, she'll be here soon...]

Chapter 29

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