A Godfather's Love (aka The Other Side of the Coin)

9 - Mutual Pregnancies

As it would turn out, the young pair would find out about their mutual pregnancies shortly before their wedding--because in reality, Harry and Sirius ended up making love a total of four times before the wedding, which despite their attempts at contraception, virtually guaranteed a pregnancy. Fortunately, this particular night was also the night that engendered a child for the young couple in question ... so what would basically happen was that they would experience pregnancy together. Even at that, they had just gotten in by the skin of their teeth, as it were.

If they had waited even one more day, because of the extra organs and the hormones engendered by same, it would have been impossible for Harry to have impregnated Ginny, although they could still make love if they chose to do so. It wouldn't be the first time that two young people would share a pregnancy, but usually the two young people were of the opposite sex and married (or even engaged) to each other. In this case, one was having an affaire de coeur with someone, and that someone was of his own sex. But there was a first time for everything, and Ginny wasn't about to deny her beloved anything that made him happy, whatever that happened to be. Not as long as he gave her equal time.

Of course, for several weeks, both would attribute their queasy stomachs and such to nervousness over their upcoming nuptials. It wouldn't be until they started showing other telltale symptoms of pregnancy that both would find it necessary to cast Pregnancy Detection Spells on one another. Fortunately, neither would show for months to come, so they would be able to conceal them, at least for a time, with luck until after the wedding had taken place. For the most part, however, they were too preoccupied with wedding preparations to notice their queasy stomachs, at least most of the time. Of course, they considered the possibility that they could be pregnant, but they didn't let themselves dwell on it for long. However, queasy stomachs were one thing, out-and-out morning sickness was another ... and Ginny started showing it first.

Even the thought of food nauseated her, but she knew she had to eat as much as possible; fortunately, Molly's Anti-Nausea Potion helped enough on that score so she could. Even at that, the older woman suggested that Ginny check herself for possible pregnancy. However, Ginny did not do so until she had walked in on Harry one day and he had begun showing signs of morning sickness, which he had been unable to help noting didn't always occur in the morning.

"Are you not feeling good, luv?" she asked when she joined him in their bedroom, sitting next to him and stroking his forehead, which felt abnormally warm. Her mother had said that one of the symptoms of pregnancy was elevated body temperature, but it still seemed strange to associate that with Harry--especially in the same context as herself.

"I feel bloody rotten," he groaned as he lay on the bed, his face almost as pale as the pillow beneath his head.

She kissed his forehead gently and crooned, "I'll get you something to ease your nausea." She went in the bathroom and poured a glass of Anti-Nausea Potion, then took it out to him. He was reluctant to take it, but finally did, sipping carefully until it was all gone. It took a few minutes to take effect, then he was finally able to sit up. "Better now?"

"Considerably, although I still feel bloated," he confessed. "My trousers have never felt tight before, but they do now."

"You must be retaining fluid," she remarked. "You know what I'm beginning to think?"

"What?" he asked, even though he suspected that he knew what she was going to say. This was all he needed if what he suspected was true. Certainly Sirius would be happy, but how would he himself ever get used to the idea? Of course, since Gin was also having the same symptoms, maybe they could share the experience together. It wasn't every day that a young couple of the opposite sex would share this particular type of experience, but there was a first time for everything. He had just had no idea it would come so bloody soon, that's all.

"I think we're both pregnant."

"I was afraid you'd say that," he returned morosely. "Do you think we'll get through our wedding all right? You know it's in just two more weeks. Not to mention our wedding night."

"It's possible, as long as our morning sickness doesn't get any worse and we keep taking the Anti-Nausea Potion," she said, trying to soothe him. "The one good thing about it is that neither of us will show for months to come. We'll just have to make sure our clothes aren't too tight, that's all."

"I can just imagine how everyone's going to react once they find out," Harry remarked. "Well, I suppose there's one good thing about all this. I actually managed to get you pregnant first."

"Looks that way," she opined hopefully. "But to be sure, we'd have to do that Pregnancy Detection Spell." She grabbed her wand and did it to first herself, then Harry--and their reactions were virtually identical, with the skin colour turning blue for about five minutes and then returning to normal.

"Well, if I'm reading the signs right, we are both definitely pregnant," she told him. "All the same, I think we'd better have Mum confirm it."

Harry definitely wasn't looking forward to that, but he knew it was the most logical thing to do under the circumstances.

"When did you want to do it?"

"I think Mum's busy right now, but I'll talk with her in about an hour or so and see if she can't come up and do it--then swear her to secrecy until we figure a way to tell everyone else. Did you want to stay in here and take it easy for a while or what?"

"Probably the best thing to do ... as long as you come back."

"Oh, I'll definitely come back, luv. Did you want me to stay with you after she checks us over?"

Harry didn't answer, but the look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. She gave him a soft kiss on the forehead and departed even as he lay back on the bed, removing his glasses and closing his eyes after setting the glasses on the bedside table and covering his eyes with one arm to block out the light.

* * * * *

The next thing Harry knew, he felt a soft shaking and was kind of surprised, since he hadn't been sure he was capable of falling asleep for long at this point--but he obviously was. He woke up to a blurry image of Ginny and Molly beside him, groping for his glasses and feeling one of them gently push them into his hand so he could put them back on.

"I hear neither of you are feeling well," Molly remarked sympathetically once Harry was fully awake and sitting up with each of them on one side of him.

"I felt totally rotten about an hour ago, but Gin gave me something that made me feel better."

Molly wasn't sanguine regarding homosexual relationships, although there was no doubt that Sirius and Harry loved each other, so it wasn't her place to say anything. As long as Harry treated Ginny as she deserved, she could live with his other ... relationship. But this was the first time she would ever experience such a thing as male pregnancy. But she was here merely to double-check Ginny's findings, so she'd better get to it. She checked Ginny first, then Harry, and the results were the same as Ginny's.

"It's positive. Both of you are pregnant," she returned softly. "When do you intend to tell the others?"

"As soon as we can figure a way to do so," Harry told her. "In the meantime, keep this on the Q.T., okay?"

"Of course, dear." Molly made herself give him a reassuring smile after patting him on the cheek. "Would you like anything to eat?"

"Maybe a bit of soup and some dry toast. My stomach's still feeling queasy."

"May I assume that goes for both of you?"

Both young people nodded, and Molly left to get their food.

Once they were alone again, the young couple went into each other's arms and just held each other; Harry gently stroked Ginny's hair as she held him equally gently. "Merlin knows that this is the last thing I'd ever expected to have happen to me, but what matters is that we'll be going through it together."

"I love you," she crooned.

"And I love you, Gin." He lifted her face and they kissed briefly but sweetly. "Thank you for being so patient and understanding about Sirius and me."

"Thank you for continuing to love me despite your ... other relationship."

A loud "ahem" brought them back to reality; they found Molly standing before them, levitating a tray with the promised food sitting on it. She murmured a spell and the carrying tray Transfigured into two trays, each with a serving of food and drink on it.

Molly left to let the pair eat in peace. To their surprise and pleasure, they were both able to eat and keep the food down long enough to do them some good. Once they finished, Ginny took the remnants back downstairs. Upon her return, the pair lay back down on the bed and fell asleep, still fully clothed, in each other's arms, too tired to Summon a blanket, although upon awakening a few hours later, found that one had been placed over them and their shoes removed. They must have really been out of it to not even have felt it being done, but what mattered was that they had people who cared for them. Even at that, they simply lay together and cuddled, luxuriating in the warmth of both the blanket and their love for each other.

About an hour after they had awakened, there was a soft knock on the door. "Harry? Gin?" Sirius's voice. Harry still didn't feel quite ready to confess his pregnancy just yet, but he didn't see that he would have much of a choice, especially if Sirius came out point-blank and asked.

"In here," Harry called back.

Sirius slipped in quietly, heading for Harry's side of the bed, and they scooted over to make room for him. "Molly tells me you're not feeling well."

"We didn't, but we're feeling better now. We took some healing potion and had something to eat," came Harry's reply.

"Do you think you might be pregnant?" Sirius returned carefully, holding Harry's nearest hand and intricately entwining their fingers.

"It's possible," Harry reluctantly acknowledged.

"I wasn't expecting it to happen this soon, you know," the older man remarked apologetically.

"I know. I'm not blaming you, Padfoot, so don't blame yourself. I also suggest you keep it to yourself, at least for the time being--until after the wedding."

"No problem," Sirius assured him, a part of him aching that he couldn't hold and kiss the one he loved, but what mattered was that Harry was at least allowing him to hold his hand, which was more than he had expected upon the boy's learning of his unexpected pregnancy. Maybe the usual methods didn't apply to wizards in their situation, which meant that they would have to find a method or two that did, even if they had to improvise.

"How do you feel, Gin?" Sirius directed at Ginny, glad for her sake that Harry had been able to impregnate her before the hormones generated by the creation of the extra organs had negated his ability to do so.

"About the same as Harry. I think if we eat carefully, take the necessary potion as needed, and just generally look out for each other's health, we should be fine." She wasn't fond of Sirius openly holding Harry's hand in front of her but couldn't bring herself to object, if only for Harry's sake. Besides, it was easier for her to endure than if he had tried to kiss him or something.

Just then, another knock came on the door and Hermione's voice called to them. "Come on in, 'Mione," Ginny called; Hermione entered, followed by Ron. He clutched her hand tightly in order to be able to endure seeing his friend and Ginny under a blanket together, even if they were fully clothed. He wasn't all that comfortable seeing Sirius hold Harry's hand either, but that at least was easier to live with.

"I understand you lot aren't feeling too well," Hermione remarked, sitting on Ginny's side of the bed and Ron sat next to her. "Have you taken the healing potion?"

"Oh yes, definitely, and we had something to eat, so we should be fine, at least for now," Ginny assured her friend and her brother.

"Mum said that she thinks you lot may be pregnant," Ron made himself say.

"Yes. She confirmed it," Ginny returned quietly.

"Well, I suppose what matters is that you're getting married soon."

"Do let us know if either of you need anything," Hermione gently admonished, fishing for her friend's free hand and squeezing it. "We want to do everything we can for you."

"Thanks, 'Mione," Harry returned softly, clutching Ginny's one hand under the covers and Sirius's with the other. "We'll keep it in mind."

"When did you want to have fittings done for your dress, Gin?" Hermione asked, again squeezing her friend's hand.

"Probably in a day or two. Depends on how I feel," Ginny replied, returning the squeeze. "Get back to me then; I should be able to say one way or the other at that point."

"Will do." Hermione smiled, darting a look in Ron's direction and noting his increasing discomfort, so she made her farewells as quickly as possible. "We'd better go now. See you then. Take care."

"What she said," Ron echoed as the two moved toward the door and disappeared through it.

"I'd better go, too," Sirius reluctantly sighed, squeezing Harry's hand, then standing up. "If you need anything, mate, be sure to let me know."

Harry smiled and nodded, then Sirius disappeared through the door. Fortunately by this time Harry had strength enough to point a nonverbal, wandless Locking Charm in the direction of the door, sighing deeply, somewhat exasperated.

"I'm definitely beginning to think you can be killed with kindness."

"They mean well, luv," Ginny reminded him.

"I know, but that doesn't make mollycoddling any easier to endure."

"How would you even know what mollycoddling is?" she teased. The look he gave her effectively negated her next remark. "Sorry. Of course you'd know; you've been around Mum long enough."

"How about we get some more sleep?" Harry suggested, then reached up to stroke her cheek, a telltale fire in his green eyes. "After a little fun and games, that is. Are you game?"

"You know it, luv." She stroked the back of his neck even as their lips met and he turned her beneath him, both of them up again in every way ... and not just for a little while, either. It lasted long enough, in fact, for Ginny to forget literally everything but Harry's touch, his nearness, the feel of him kissing her, loving her, and finally possessing her--if only for the immediate future--but what mattered was that he could make her forget. The only person who could ever make her do so, now or ever.