A Priceless Gift

Lani

Story Summary:
Hermione offers Harry and Draco the ultimate gift. What happens when the tables are turned and Draco gets more than he bargained for?

Chapter 12 - Chapter 11

Posted:
01/30/2006
Hits:
2,023
Author's Note:
Many thanks to my Beta, Malikamoonbeam!


Chapter 11

Harry arrived home and made his way through their house. The place was silent which indicated that Draco was probably resting. Harry couldn't even hear the television. He placed his keys on the kitchen table and pulled the ice cream from the paper bag as well as grabbing a spoon from the top drawer. He tiptoed slowly into the living room and found Draco curled up on his side on the couch fast asleep with Harry's shabby old red bathrobe on.

Harry stood in the doorway and watched Draco for a few minutes with an affectionate smile on his face. He went over and sat down next to Draco, feathering his fingers through the soft blond hair. Draco mumbled something unintelligible and nuzzled into Harry's hand.

Draco opened his eyes slowly and looked up and smiled lazily at Harry, then stretched and yawned. Harry pulled the lid off the ice cream and spooned up a small amount and held it to Draco's lips. Draco took the mouthful and a smile of bliss spread over his face.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmm... oh wow, that's heaven," Draco moaned. He licked his lips and then opened his mouth for the next mouthful, more than happy for Harry to feed him.

"I need to talk to you about something, baby. But first, tell me how you're feeling." Harry spooned another portion of ice cream into Draco's mouth. Draco savoured the mouthful and nodded reluctantly.

"I feel great. Well, my back's a bit sore, but I probably just slept funny. That ice cream is fabulous, I've been dying for it all afternoon," Draco said and moved over on the couch so Harry could lie down next to him. "What are we talking about? Oh wait, I have to pee again. I must've drunk too much tea at lunch; I've been peeing all afternoon!"

Draco got up and padded to the toilet and Harry gazed after him and laughed softly to himself. Draco couldn't sound more 'pregnant' if he tried.

Draco came back a few minutes later and plopped down in Harry's lap. "You look hot in those jeans, baby..." Draco purred and started sucking on Harry's neck. Harry nearly melted into Draco's embrace but stopped himself.

"Wait, wait! Draco we need to talk," Harry insisted. "It's about you being sick." Draco stopped his attack on Harry's throat and pulled back.

"What about it?"

"Hermione thinks she might have figured out why you're sick. She thinks it might be something called Couvade Syndrome," Harry repeated Hermione's suspicions to his boyfriend.

"Oh god, I don't have to have needles, do I? Please tell me I don't! Don't let them stick anything into me, Harry! I'll do anything else, just no needles!" Draco's voice was rising and he broke out into a light sheen of sweat.

"No, no needles, I promise," Harry reassured Draco. "But the symptoms you have might not be so pleasant."

"Spit it out, Harry. Tell me what this thing is you are talking about," Draco demanded.

"The informal name for Couvade Syndrome is sympathetic pregnancy. It's something that happens occasionally to men who are going to be fathers. Basically it means that the father-to-be gets similar symptoms to the pregnant mother for the duration of the pregnancy," Harry explained and Draco listened intently.

When Harry stopped talking, Draco looked at him blankly for a few moments and then burst out laughing. "Ha! Good one, Harry! Men having pregnancy symptoms?" Draco laughed loudly and tears sprung in his eyes. "Ahhhh, that was good. Very funny; I almost believed you. How long did it take you two to come up with that one? Now, tell me what this syndrome really is. Will the puking stop? People at work are getting suspicious."

Harry bit his lip and gave Draco a sidelong glance but didn't say anything. Draco's laughing gradually eased off when he saw that Harry wasn't laughing with him. "You aren't joking," Draco stated in disbelief.

"Nope, sweetie, I'm not. And plus, Hermione says she thinks it's more common in wizards than Muggles because it comes about from the father being able to sense the magical signature of the unborn baby," Harry said and knew Draco wouldn't take long to realise what that meant.

"You mean, you think I'm our baby's biological father?" Draco questioned slowly. "You think I'm suffering a sympathetic pregnancy because I'm the biological father to our baby that Hermione is carrying?" Harry shrugged noncommittally; he didn't want Draco to think he was upset to discover he wasn't the biological father. "Um, is there a test or something to prove this syndrome thingy?"

"I honestly don't know. Hermione is going to research it a bit and she says I should take you to a Healer and they should be able to say one way or another," Harry explained and smiled at Draco. "Think you can handle suffering through a 'pregnancy'?"

"Do you think you can handle me suffering through a 'pregnancy'?" Draco tossed back and Harry smiled. He reached up and stroked Draco's hair.

"I hope our baby has your beautiful hair," Harry whispered before pulling Draco close and bringing their lips together in a heated kiss.

Soon, clothes were strewn everywhere and Harry and Draco were down to just boxers, which were about to join their clothes on the floor by the couch when their fireplace roared to life and Hermione stepped out.

"Oh shit! Sorry guys!" Hermione cried and covered her eyes.

"No, we're sorry, Hermione, we forgot to close down the Floo before we, er, got carried away," Draco mumbled as he snatched the closest shirt (Harry's) and slipped it on and left it unbuttoned.

"Carried away? Draco this is your home. Don't apologise for getting carried away!" Hermione giggled. "I just dropped by to, well, um Harry have you spoken to Draco about...?" Draco had picked up the half-melted carton of ice cream and was eagerly spooning large portions into his mouth in a very un-Draco-like manner. Hermione watched him and blinked in surprise.

"Cravings," Hermione said simply to Harry, who stifled a laugh behind his hand.

"Huh?" Draco mumbled around a mouthful of ice cream. A look of realisation dawned on his face and he swallowed and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, shaking his head vehemently. "Oh no, no way! This is so not a craving; I just had a taste for it, that's all." He punctuated his declaration with another spoonful of ice cream. Harry gave Hermione a pointed look. "Hey, babe do we have any strawberry topping? I've got the taste for that too."

"On choc mint ice cream?" Harry asked and screwed his nose up in disgust. Draco nodded. "I think you should take it easy on the ice cream. I have a feeling it won't taste so good on the way back up."

"Oh, ew." Draco stuck his tongue out and tossed the spoon in the container and placed it on the coffee table.

"Anyway, to answer your question, Hermione, yes I have spoken to Draco about the Couvade Syndrome. I don't think I've convinced him." Harry shrugged helplessly.

"You convinced me, I just don't think I have it," Draco said flippantly.

"Nevertheless, I just spoke to Jenny. I have a check up appointment with her in an hour and she said she is more than happy to see you, Draco, if you want to come along. I thought about it once you left, Harry, and I figured you may as well crash my appointment to get this sorted one way or another," Hermione offered.

"I think you should, Draco. Even if we are wrong, I'd like to find out what is the matter with you." Harry caressed Draco's cheek.

"Ok, but let me pee and change first." Draco jumped up and went upstairs to their bedroom.

o o o o o

They all once again sat in the Healer's office in front of the desk. "Good afternoon everyone! Well, Draco, you certainly look much better today than last time we met. But Hermione tells me you still aren't one hundred percent."

Harry smiled to himself at Jenny's pointed directing of the conversation straight to Draco. She obviously felt sorting out his health issues needed addressing before Hermione's check up.

"Ah, yeah..." Draco said hesitantly. "Look, I know you all think I have this 'coo syndrome' thingy but I really feel like you're on the wrong track. But I would like to know if something else is wrong with me because I have a very important trial coming up and I'm starting to get sympathetic looks from my colleagues and that just won't do."

"Ok, well, how about we start with you telling me your symptoms. Harry can tell me anything you forget." Jenny smiled and poised her pen to her notepad.

"I just feel sick in the mornings," Draco insisted but relented when Jenny raised her eyebrows at him. "Ok, ok, so I throw up a bit too."

"A bit? I don't think spewing for half an hour solid for five mornings straight is 'a bit', baby," Harry corrected and Draco stuck his tongue out at him.

"I'm usually better by ten or so," Draco argued. "I really think its just stress."

"You've never been ill from stress before," Harry replied.

"What else?" Jenny prompted before an argument broke out between the couple.

"I guess I've been kind of tired lately too. But I honestly think this is all from everything that has been going on with the baby and stuff!" Draco cried.

"Harry?" Jenny asked.

Harry took a breath. "Nausea and vomiting in the mornings, made worse by strong smells; tiredness; not much appetite at times; cravings at others; sore nipples; increased need to pee; trapped wind and flatulence; bloated stomach; increased sexual appetite; and slight emotional outbursts," Harry stopped and snapped his mouth shut and avoided Draco's glare.

"Is that everything, Draco?" Jenny asked.

"Oh yes, I think my boyfriend has explained in minute detail every aspect of my bodily functions. Ha! To think, I could've stayed at home WITH MY ICE CREAM!" Draco finished with a shout. Harry glanced up at Jenny as if to say 'See? Emotional outbursts.'

"Well," Jenny started with a smile and ignored Draco's irritation, "Couvade Syndrome is actually a lot more common in wizards than it is in Muggles and on top of that, it's more common in Pure-blooded wizards that it is in Half-bloods or Muggleborns. In fact, in the Muggle world it's not widely known and some don't even believe in it. However, in the wizarding world it's very much a common and well-known condition for the exact reason Hermione said. The father's magical signature connects with the baby's magical signature and causes the father to experience a sort of phantom pregnancy. Needless to say, not all fathers-to-be experience it and in those who do, generally its subjective as to its degree of severity. There's no treatment and like in an actual pregnancy, you can only use remedies to ease the symptoms. It may last for a few weeks or it may last for the duration of the pregnancy. One major difference between the Muggle form of the syndrome and the wizard form is that in the wizard form, the expectant father can experience any or all of the possible pregnancy symptoms. In the Muggle form, it's generally just morning sickness and a few other mild symptoms the father experiences. Also, we are fortunate in the wizarding world to have a diagnostic spell for it," Jenny finished and pulled out her wand.

Harry took Draco's hand and turned to look into his grey eyes. "Do you want her to do the spell, love?" Draco sighed and nodded.

"How does the spell work, Jenny?" Hermione asked.

"It's simple really. When a wizard experiences Couvade Syndrome, his body actually believes the baby's magical signature to be incubated within his own body. In other words, it's the father's magical signature that believes its body to be pregnant and hence causes the symptoms. This spell works much like a standard initial pregnancy spell. If Draco has Couvade Syndrome, the light will shine green; if not, it will stay white." Hermione nodded and looked impressed.

"Ready Draco?" Jenny asked gently.

"Go ahead." Draco waved his hands dismissively. Jenny flicked her wand at Draco and said an incantation. Draco held Harry's hand in a death grip and he was really the only one surprised when the light from the wand turned bright green and intense. "Well, fuck me."

"Don't be too concerned Draco; it's a positive thing. Well, of course, the next eight months might be pretty harsh on you," Jenny reasoned and Draco glared at her. "But, Couvade Syndrome is actually proof that your magical bond with your child is very strong. There is evidence to show that in pregnancies where men suffer Couvade Syndrome the baby often possess the same magical strengths as the father when they start to exhibit their magic."

Harry giggled nervously at this. "Looks like we're going to have a Slytherin child." He licked his lips and started breathing deeply.

"Magical strengths, Harry, not personality traits. It simply means that the baby may be strong in potions, like Draco, or charms," Hermione explained.

"Ohh," Harry said shakily. "Well, um, at least Snape will like him or her."

"So, it looks like you have a 'pregnant' boyfriend to take care of for the next eight months, Harry!" Jenny said cheerfully. Harry gulped and stood up shakily and started pacing.

"Yeah, that sounds amazing. I'm sure we'll have a fantastic time," Harry squeaked and avoided looking at Draco.

"Are you ok, honey? You've gone all white," Draco said in concern and stood up to help Harry.

"I don't feel so go-" Harry started but cut himself off by falling to the floor in a dead faint.

"Fuck! What happened?" Draco cried. He had tried to catch Harry, but didn't reach him in time. Draco knelt down next to his unconscious boyfriend and started fanning his face with his hand.

"A simple panic attack, I think," Jenny said with amusement.

"Panic attack? What could he be panicking about?" Draco asked urgently. "You weren't talking in some secret Healer-Doctor code that made him understand something I didn't, did you?"

Hermione snorted. "I think he's just overwhelmed, Draco," she said reasonably.

"At the prospect of taking care of me for eight months?" Draco said with a slight tone of anger creeping into his voice.

"We're talking about Harry here. He's just sat in the bathroom with you for five days straight and held your hair back while you vomited yourself silly. Do you honestly believe he has a problem with taking care of you?" Hermione scolded.

Harry groaned and he opened his eyes slowly. "What happened?" he asked weakly as he tried to pull himself into a sitting position.

"Just stay lying down for a minute, Harry. You passed out," Jenny said. Harry blinked a few times to clear his fuzzy head. He looked up at Draco's worried face.

"Oh, did I?" Harry asked stupidly. Jenny handed him a drink of water, which he sipped gratefully.

"How do you feel now?" Draco asked softly but Harry could see something was bothering his boyfriend by the frown etched into Draco's forehead.

"Just a little bit woozy, but I'll be alright. What's wrong?" Harry sat up and Draco helped him stand and sit back in the chair in front of Jenny's desk.

"Nothing." Draco looked away. "Are we done here?"

"I just need to have my check up, but you guys go and head home. I'll Floo home," Hermione said.

"Are you sure? We'll wait and give you a lift," Draco insisted.

"No, no, it's fine. I'm going to Mum and Dad's for dinner anyway." Hermione waved them off. "I'll speak to you later this evening and tell you if there are any changes, which I doubt." The boys nodded, said their goodbyes, and left.