Lionsnake Manor

Lionsnake Manor

*

Changed Plans

*

"This does bring a problem, though," said Lucius then as they finally trusted Severus to be calm enough for them to continue the conversation. "As we now know that Remus is indeed pregnant, we also know that he's unable to father a child for the time being. And as I'm the most probable father, this ruins our carefully laid plans."

"The most natural option would probably be to simply replace you with Draco in our Harry-blond couple," Sirius said. "However, I do recall that Harry wanted to carry a child, and I just can't imagine Draco topping him."

"True enough," Severus snorted, seemingly quickly gaining back his usual attitude. "However," he then continued seriously, "the statistics are that one out of four male pregnancies results with an early miscarriage. Or, rather, it is not even a miscarriage at all, as the pregnancy doesn't even start properly. So, my suggestion is that we still have three more pregnancies attempted, and statistically, we should end up having three kids." He did not mention the obvious fact that the child Remus was carrying would most probably die soon after it'd been born, if it didn't die to some complication during the pregnancy. They all knew that, though.

"And how would you create three couples from five men, exactly?" asked Draco, raising an eyebrow accompanied by a very Slytherin-y smirk.

"Easy," said Severus calmly. "At first I impregnant Sirius and Harry impregnants you, and then Lucius impregnants Harry."

"Why'd you come to that?" asked Harry, frowning slightly. "In case it's you and Sirius who are that statistical miss, all three kids will have a former Malfoy for a father!"

"And in case that happens, two of them will have a former Potter for a father," mentioned Severus levelly. "I'm not only counting in those statistics, Harry m'dear. We might just as well end up with having four children on the way. However, male pregnancies are much more risky. I know that this sounds rude, but Remus, you, and Draco are much more probable to have a miscarriage than Sirius, who's in a better physical shape and more capable of controlling himself, as ridiculous as it sounds when it's Sirius we're speaking about. Therefore I can almost guarantee that we will not have too many little Malfoys running around." And Lucius's child with Remus will most probably die anyway, the unspoken words echoed in their ears.

This silenced them, although everybody had to nod in agreement. Noticing that Severus's natural tendency to ignore -- or, rather, not notice -- other people's feelings had just shaken Remus pretty badly, Sirius decided to try to lighten the mood. "Now there's a true Slytherin speaking," he said, nodding towards Severus. "You just heard that he almost guarantees that he himself will get a child. If we ever get more kids, Severus will get Harry!"

"Merlin forbid that," mumbled Harry. "Both my mother and his grandmother had red hair, remember? We might get a child with red hair and black eyes! Can you imagine that?"

At this, they all had to laugh, or at least chuckle. However, Remus still didn't seem happy. Not by any means.

*

"Remus?" asked a quiet voice from the direction of the door. The werewolf turned around at the sound of his name. Seeing Lucius standing there, a concerned expression marking the blond's face, he sighed deep.

"Lucius," he said quietly. "I -- I am scared, love. Scared for our child -- scared of losing it."

"So am I, Remus," sighed the Slytherin, crossing the room to close his lycanthropic husband into a warm embrace. "So am I. But believe me, we will find a way to save it. I promise."

"Don't make promises you know very well you can't keep," said Remus bitterly. "There's no antidote in existence that could protect an infant from the Dark Plague -- assuming that it might live even long enough to be born, of course."

"Just five years ago, there was no antidote in existence that could have protected an adult from it," reminded Lucius. "And then Severus created one -- something nobody thought to be even possible. He has done wonders before, love, you know that. Just as well you know that he's going to do his best this time, too."

"I know that," admitted Remus. "And I know that when Severus does his best in anything concerning potions, it is the best anybody could do. But I am a naturally worried character; I can't help but worry. Especially when I have good reasons for that," he added, sounding almost bitter.

"Calm down, love," the blond said, tightening his embrace a bit. "It's not your fault. It's nobody's fault, really. Not yours, not Severus's, no, not even mine. None of us could have known, and none of us could have prevented it, no matter what Severus says. And we will keep the child alive."

"But if that doesn't manage," the werewolf said quietly, "if that antidote doesn't manage to keep our baby safe... then how will we keep Severus from blaming himself? Or doing something worse, even?"

To that, Lucius had no answer. Therefore, he just raised one of his hands to pet gently Remus's hair, his other arm holding the lithe brunet tightly against his chest.

*

"How are you, Sirius?" asked Remus concernedly, petting his elder Gryffindor husband's long, black hair. "You look like you were in pain."

"Well, I am," the Animagus said, flashing him a weary smile. "My stomach is still aching." At this, he shot a dirty look at Severus. "I hate you," he muttered lowly.

"No, you don't," the Slytherin said mildly, not even raising his eyes from the book he was studying. "You're only saying that to make me feel better."

"Oh ha ha," Sirius muttered. "Maybe I should have considered Mundungus's proposal a while longer. At least he has a sense of humour."

"Don't you even dream about that," Remus said quite calmly, swatting Sirius halfheartedly. "If I may remind, you have been with me ever since we were sixteen, other than during that unfortunate time you were otherwise occupied."

"Do you mean the twelve years I spent in jail?" asked Sirius harshly. Then he chuckled tiredly. "Lucius is the luckiest bastard," he muttered. "He has put two of us into this state, and doesn't get anything bad back at himself!"

"I agree," whimpered Draco from another couch nearby. Like Sirius, he was curled up in one corner of the couch, arms wrapped around his stomach. Remus felt genuine compassion for them, knowing exactly what they were just going through.

Of course, the fact that they were developing a womb was not yet a proof that they were indeed pregnant. It was just their body's reaction to the potion combined with the intercourse they'd just had with each of theirs chosen mate. If they weren't pregnant even with the Fertility Potions Severus had fed to them along with the male pregnancy ones, the extra bits in their bodies would just be reabsorbed.

"You know," Remus said thoughtfully, "I have a feeling that no matter how many of us are pregnant, we'll better than well get back to those who got us to this situation." At his comment, Sirius and Draco both smirked. It couldn't be said that Severus shuddered, he never did, but there was something very similar to a tremor going through his body.

*

"Severus, are you sure we should be doing this?" asked Lucius cautiously, glancing at their four sleeping husbands on the bed. "And why don't you just use the spell?"

The other Slytherin shot him a sharp glare. "Yes, I am indeed entirely sure," he replied. "I want to know exactly how much trouble we're in for. And you know very well that I detest any wand magic."

"That's only because you're horrible at it," the blond replied, rolling his eyes. "Very well, do whatever you want. But on your head be it if you wake any of them."

Severus smirked and nodded. Then he silently drew the covers from Harry, Draco, and Sirius, and raised a tiny potions phial, dropping a drop of the potion on each of theirs stomach. After a few seconds, a soft purplish glow enveloped all three men.

"Shit," cursed Severus. "Shit, indeed."

"For once, my dearest Severus," Lucius muttered, "I definitely agree." He had a reason to, after all.

The two were now burdened with four pregnant men.

***