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 17 - Chapter 16

Posted:
02/06/2006
Hits:
1,630
Author's Note:
Many thanks to my Beta, Malikamoonbeam!


Chapter 16

"I HATE EVERYTHING!" Draco's voice shouted from upstairs. "AND EVERYONE! HARRY, I WANT MY MOBILE BACK! I HAVE TO CALL WORK!"

Harry groaned and rubbed his temples. Draco had only been resting in bed for a day and a half and he was already in a foul mood. "Bloody hell," Harry muttered to himself as he stirred the soup he was making for lunch. "He's not getting that fucking phone. His boss actually demanded that I stop him from ringing the office while he was off sick!"

"You could always drug him," Ron suggested. He had come over to visit Harry on his lunch break when Harry had pleaded with him through the Floo to come and distract him from Draco for a little while. "Slip him a double dose of sleeping draught in his lemonade. He'll be out for hours"

"He won't eat or drink anything I offer him. He's just been a right shit today," Harry grumbled. "I can't believe I actually took three days off university to get bitched at twenty-four-seven."

"Did you tell him that?"

"Yes, but it just made him sulk even more. I offered to stay and watch television in bed with him, but he told me to fuck off. Hence the reason I'm down here making soup which he probably won't eat." Harry took a spoon from the drawer and tasted the hot soup before adding some more salt.

"Is he at least taking those nutrient potions the Healer prescribed?" Ron asked as he drained the last of his cup of coffee.

Harry nodded. "But only because I told him I wouldn't have sex with him for a month if he didn't." Harry smirked. "Cruel, I know, but I had no choice. It's the only thing I can bribe him with because he's so bloody horny all the time."

"How the hell can you handle those moods?" Ron asked incredulously.

"With very much well practiced self-control," Harry laughed. "Honestly though, he's not that bad all the time. He just has his moments. I can understand how he's feeling; he must be as bored as shit." A soft ringing came from upstairs.

"You actually gave him a bell?" Ron shook his head. "Are you a sucker for punishment?"

"He's not allowed out of bed, Ron. I need to know when he needs something without having him screaming bloody murder at me," Harry explained.

"Why doesn't he just summon what he needs?"

"I took his wand off him," Harry explained with a shrug. "He put a silencing charm on the room when he made another call to his work so I wouldn't know. He left me no choice. The bell was a last resort when he complained I hated him and he had no way of telling me he needed something when I was downstairs; hence the bell."

"He'll only want his mobile. Why waste a trip up the stairs?" Ron reasoned.

"Because it will be so much worse when I go up next time," Harry explained.

"Why don't you just give him a blow job or something? That'll shut him up."

"Been there, done that, got the t-shirt," Harry sniped as he spooned some soup into a bowl.

"When?" Ron asked in awe.

"About an hour ago was the last time," Harry snorted. "I was in his good books for those ten minutes."

"I thought the Healer said -"

"We all know what she said but telling Draco Malfoy to abstain from sex is like telling the Pope not to practice religion - it's just not going to happen," Harry said. "You want some soup?"

"Nah, it looks too healthy for me, mate," Ron declined as he screwed up his nose. "I don't do carrots."

"Hermione would like you to have some," Harry commented cheekily and earned an expected blush from Ron. "What is going on with you two, anyway?" Ron cleared his throat.

"We're seeing each other," Ron explained. "On a trial basis."

"Why now? Why the change of heart? Has it got anything to do with the pregnancy?" Harry asked warily.

"In a way," Ron replied. "But I'm not coming in to try and convince Hermione to keep the baby and bring it up with me or anything. I know that's what you must be thinking, Harry."

"Sort of," Harry mumbled.

"I wouldn't do that to you, mate," Ron insisted and Harry smiled gratefully at him. "I don't even think of it as Hermione's baby. It's not even crossed my mind as such. You and Draco are going to be parents, not Hermione and I. That's a loooooong way down the track for us if this works out..." Ron stopped and sighed slightly.

"What?"

"She wants me to clean up my act," Ron explained. "That was the condition upon which she agreed to date me. I'm not really sure how to go about changing my life, or even where to start."

Harry exhaled as he thought. "Obviously the drinking and partying has to stop," Harry pointed out and Ron nodded with a feeble smile. "Do you want to change your life like she asked?"

"Yes... I suppose..." Ron said uncertainly. "I don't know!"

Harry scratched his head. "That's not such a healthy start to things," he said dryly. "What don't you know?"

"If I want to be tied down so young?" Ron supplied more in question than statement.

"You're the same age as me and I'm two steps away from getting married plus I have a baby on the way. Do you think I'm too young for all that?" Harry queried, playing Devil's Advocate.

"No way!" Ron said vehemently. "You and Draco are made for this sort of thing, but I don't know if I am."

"How do you feel about Hermione?"

Ron sighed. "I love her. I always have." Harry nodded in understanding.

"You don't see yourself and her some day in the same position as Draco and I are?" Harry asked.

Ron closed his eyes briefly. "Yeah, I do," he admitted. "And that's what scares the shit out of me."

"You know, it's not so bad spending the rest of your life with one person," Harry said wistfully. "Especially knowing that person will always be there when you wake up, ready with a hug when you are down, a smile that makes your heart leap up into your throat, dinner ready when you just don't feel like cooking, thinking they look like a million dollars in their most worn pyjamas and sleep-ruffled hair, someone to laugh at you when you cry during a soppy movie, someone who knows when you're not feeling well and need a hot water bottle, someone to share an ice cream with..." Harry blinked and turned to see that Ron was staring intently at him.

"I want all that, Harry," Ron murmured.

"More than your wild parties, free-flowing booze and sex on-tap?" Harry questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course!" Ron said a little irritably. "I'm just scared to change, Harry!"

"If it's what you really want, it won't take any effort," Harry said wisely. "But change for yourself, because you want to, not for Hermione because it will never work that way. You'll just end up resenting her and she deserves better than that."

o o o o o

"Draco?" Harry called as he entered their bedroom with Draco's lunch only to find the bed empty. He placed the tray down on the floor and went over to the bathroom. The door was open so he went in.

Draco was sitting on the closed toilet lid with his legs crossed reading a book. Harry blinked in surprise. "What are you doing?" Draco looked up.

"Reading," Draco stated as though Harry had asked the world's most ridiculous question.

"Why are you out of bed?" Harry accused.

"Jenny said I was allowed out of bed to use the toilet, which is what I am doing," Draco intoned and went back to his book.

"One generally uses the toilet with the lid up," Harry laughed. "And I seriously doubt this is what she meant when she said that."

"I needed a change of scenery," Draco said and shrugged.

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable, and warmer for that matter, reading in bed?" Harry asked as he leant against the door jam and crossed his arms.

"Highly probable," Draco agreed. "But I'm sick to fucking death of being in bed."

"How are you feeling?"

"NORMAL!" Draco snapped. "I should be at work. This is completely wasting my time. I have so much paperwork to get through." Harry narrowed his eyes at the statement. He strode over to Draco and snapped up Draco's 'book', which turned out to actually be case notes inside a novel cover.

"DRACO!" Harry shouted and Draco sighed in annoyance at being caught. "What part of bed rest don't you understand?!"

"The part where I have to stay in bed and rest when there is nothing wrong with me!" Draco hissed back.

Harry sighed and shook his head. "Fine, whatever," he said and threw up his hands in defeat. "Do whatever you want. Don't help yourself and keeping losing weight. I don't have the energy to keep arguing with you. You lunch is next to the bed if you want it." Harry spun around and stalked back down the stairs.

o o o o o

Draco found Harry in their study furiously scribbling notes for a university assignment. His tongue was stuck out of the corner of his mouth in concentration and he had his head resting on his hand.

"You should be in bed," Harry stated without missing a beat in his writing.

Draco padded over and hitched his hip up on the side of the desk. "I know," he replied softly. "I wanted to make sure you weren't mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," Harry told him without looking up. He turned the page in his textbook.

"You sound it," Draco mumbled and picked some lint off his pyjamas pants. Harry sighed and put his pen down so he could look up at Draco.

"I'm not mad, I'm just a little peeved at your attitude to this whole thing," Harry said. "You are going to be a father, Draco, but you won't even look after yourself." Draco winced at these words and frowned a little.

"You think I'm immature?" Draco asked with a hint of accusation in his voice.

"No, but I do think you're being irresponsible." Harry shrugged. "Maybe a little unreasonable as well. It's not like she asked you to stay in bed for a month; four days is nothing if it means you will feel a bit better."

"I hate being useless," Draco finally said after a few moments of silence.

"I hardly call resting in bed to prevent a serious illness 'useless'," Harry scoffed. "'Smart' is what I would call it."

"I hate when you're angry at me," Draco sighed.

"The feeling is mutual, believe me," Harry murmured. "But I don't seem to be able to say the right thing to you lately. You're pissed off at me more often than not and I can't remember the last time you came to me just for a hug."

"You're right," Draco admitted guiltily. "I've been an arse."

"No, you've been a pain in the arse," Harry retorted and earned a small smile from Draco.

Draco moved off the desk and gave Harry a tight hug from behind. "Will you come and watch television in bed with me?" he asked.

"No sex," Harry replied.

"At all?" Draco squeaked, horrified.

"Not for the rest of the afternoon, at least," Harry said and he felt Draco sigh heavily behind him.

"Will you make me a lettuce and raspberry jam sandwich?" Draco requested and Harry gagged at the thought.

"That's just gross, baby." Harry shuddered. "They're getting worse. The little bananas and peanut butter were iffy enough, but everything since has been disgusting! How can you genuinely ingest that rot?"

"I don't know," Draco laughed. "I just feel like it. It actually tastes really nice."

"Yeah, sure it does," Harry scoffed and screwed his nose up. "You're an enigma to me. You throw up at the slightest whiff of coffee, but you gorge yourself on jelly and tomato sauce or something similar?" Harry shook his head.

"Coffee has a strong smell," Draco defended himself. "I doubt I'll ever want to drink it again."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Harry laughed. "You wouldn't be able to get out the front door let alone make it to work without your coffee most days."

"I make it to work fine now!"

"You don't start until ten each day!" Harry replied with a smirk.

"That's irrelevant," Draco said with a sniff. "That soup was really nice, by the way."

"Oh, you actually ate it, did you? Was it a different story when I wasn't there to argue with or, say, throw the spoon at?" Harry teased.

"I thought if I didn't eat in bed, you might let me come down stairs," Draco admitted sheepishly.

"You have too much faith in me," Harry said with a smirk. He closed his books and stood up. "I'm not watching anything mushy on television, by the way."

o o o o o

Harry gaped at his blond boyfriend in disbelief. Draco was propped up in bed with his lettuce and raspberry jam sandwich in one hand and a wad of tissues in the other as he bawled his eyes out loudly.

"Draco, it's just a movie!" Harry sighed in exasperation.

"But it's such a happy ending!" Draco wailed. "She... he..." Draco couldn't even finish his explanation before he grabbed more tissues and choked on a sob.

"It was Bridget Jones' Diary!" Harry laughed. "This was not a tear-inducing movie!"

"Shut up," was Draco's muffled reply from behind the tissues. The doorbell sounded from downstairs and Draco wiped his nose, sniffling some more. "That will be Mum," he said thickly.

"Are you ok now?" Harry asked with a smirk of amusement.

"Are you mocking me?" Draco accused, frowning.

"No, just seriously wondering if men can get pregnant," Harry snorted. "You're a textbook case for Hermione's baby book!"

"This has nothing to do with my Couvade Syndrome!" Draco protested. "It was just a happy ending!"

"When was the last time you cried during any film?" Harry shook his head. "I'm starting to fear you may sprout breasts or something." Draco made a noise that sounded a cross between horror and indignation. "I'm going to let your Mum in. Go and wash your face or something otherwise you will scare her with eyes like that."

"Bastard," Draco murmured with a smirk. Harry blew him a kiss from the doorway before bounding down the stairs.

o o o o o

"I'm fine, Mum! Bloody hell! Must you fuss?" Draco complained and batted her hand away as she rubbed at something on his face with a frilly lace handkerchief.

"If you don't stay in this bed until the four days are up, so help you Draco Xavier Carston Regis Jestyn Malfoy, I will smack your arse! You're not too old to go over my knee, you know!" Narcissa scolded. Harry snorted in a failed attempt to stifle a laugh and Draco glared at him.

"Did you tattle on me?" Draco huffed.

"It's irrelevant if he did, young man!" Narcissa snapped. "You are going to be a father! Act like it!"

"Harry already gave me this lecture," Draco muttered and shoved the last of his sandwich in his mouth.

"What the bloody hell was that you just ate?" Narcissa asked in surprise.

"Don't ask, Narcissa," Harry warned. "The description alone will be enough to make you heave." Draco just eyed them both while he chewed slowly and brushed the crumbs off his lap.

"How're all the other symptoms, my darling?" Narcissa asked.

Draco shrugged and then yawned abruptly. "Mmm, excuse me for that, Mum," he murmured. "The early mornings are catching up with me."

"Still sick? How's the neck massaging going?" Narcissa tucked the quilt around her son as Draco shuffled down in the bed and sighed softly.

"Believe it or not, he's not been sick since we saw the Healer," Harry explained. "Hopefully we are seeing some relief in the morning sickness."

"Were you sick when you had me, Mum?" Draco asked through another yawn.

"Unbelievably so," Narcissa said with a wry smile. "Which is probably why you are suffering similarly now. They tell me it's a Pureblood thing but I think that's a load of rot."

"How long did it last? What did you do to help it?" Draco asked.

"I was still throwing up right into my six month of pregnancy, much to your father's disgust," Narcissa sneered and looked almost identical to Draco when she did so.

"What do you mean?" Draco asked with a hard edge to his voice.

"He hated weakness of any sort, darling. You know that," Narcissa said gently. "He did not nurse you once when you were ill as a young child. I distinctly remember one night when you were about two years old. You were up with a terrible stomach bug and cried all night. I must have changed your nappy about fifteen times in a few short hours and you were vomiting so much you were dehydrating. You were sick all over me at one point so I called Lucius and asked if he would sit with you for ten minutes while I had a shower and changed. He just told me to stop being ridiculous and to call in the Healer to see to you or to hire a nurse if I was incapable. I was ropeable."

"What did you do?" Harry whispered disbelief.

"I called the Healer, of course," Narcissa said with a short laugh. "Lucius' word was always final. The Healer did nothing more than dose Draco up with potions which basically went right through him and he was sick for about two days."

"How could someone just completely ignore their sick child like that?" Draco spat in disgust. "Our child will never have to go through that, Harry. NEVER!" Draco seemed close to tears, so Harry went over and gave him a hug.

"You have nothing to worry about, Draco," Narcissa soothed. "You and Harry are both going to be the most wonderful fathers. Don't ever doubt yourself, darling."

Draco smiled up at his mother and nodded. "You'll help us, won't you, Mum? You won't let us stuff this up?"

"You'll both need support, darling, not help. Believe it or not, the way you love and care for each other is more than enough foundation to build a wonderful parenthood on. You're going to know instinctively what to do and when you need to do it. You're insecure now because it's fear of the unknown. When your little one arrives, you won't need to be constantly thinking ahead of your next move. You will know when a kiss or hug is needed. It will be hard at times and nerve wracking at others, but that's the beauty of being a parent. Shhh, no need for that, my darling," Narcissa soothed as Draco started crying again. She smoothed his hair back and bent down to kiss his head.

Harry blinked rapidly to stop his own tears flowing. "Um, I'll just... yeah..." He indicated the bathroom door before hastily retreating in there and closing the door behind him. He flopped down onto the closed toilet seat and cried into his hands.

Narcissa's words hard stirred something inside him that he didn't even realise he possessed. She made it seem so real and... possible? Harry had always known since he met her that Narcissa was a perfect mother. She couldn't do enough for both Draco and Harry. She would joke with them and tease them, but was always there to soothe, comfort and reassure when necessary. Was it actually possible that Harry and Draco could be just as wonderful parents as Narcissa? She made it all sound so easy. She had so much faith in Harry and Draco that Harry couldn't help thinking he was going to disappoint her. What did he know of being a father? Was this whole thing a completely idiotic idea to start with?

Sure, it was always easy to know when Draco was upset or unwell, but... well, it was Draco! The love of his life and his other half! How in the world was he to know when a tiny squealing bundle needed a hug or a kiss? Instinct? Well, it hadn't always been Harry's strong point.

A knock at the bathroom door drew Harry out of his musing. He sighed and frantically yanked some toilet paper off the roll and wiped at his eyes. "Yes?" he called.

"Harry, are you alright, darling?" Narcissa's sweet voice rang through the door.

Bloody hell, Harry thought. I don't want her to know I've been crying. "I'm fine!" he answered back.

"Can I come in?" she asked. Shit. She had guessed Harry wasn't actually using the toilet.

"I swear she's a bloody Seer," Harry mumbled. He got up off the toilet and opened the door, giving Narcissa a feeble smile. She studied his face and smiled knowingly, but knew there was no need to embarrass her soon to be son-in-law.

"Draco's nodded off. Are you ok for dinner? Do you want me to order some takeaway for you?" Narcissa offered. She stepped back and let Harry leave the bathroom. He smiled when he saw the lump that was Draco. His boyfriend had burrowed deep into the covers as per usual.

"I made some soup today and there is still plenty left. Would you like to stay for dinner?" Harry asked.

"I would absolutely love to, but I can't, sweetheart." Narcissa smiled apologetically and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. "I just came to see how you were both faring and now I must get back to Hogwarts. I have a huge pile of essays to mark that Severus refuses to help me with. The shit," she joked as she fished for something from inside her robes. "Here, I brought these for the two of you. It's Draco's baby book and a blank one for you to start of your own. I thought it might give Draco something to do over the next few days. Not that you have much to fill out just yet, but you have the first ultrasound photo and there is a little part that's like a diary for the mother to fill out during the pregnancy. I thought you and Draco could do that together. Write about the joys of Couvades!"

Harry laughed. "Joys? More like horrors," he groaned.

"It'll be worth it in the end," Narcissa said wisely. "Trust me. When you hold that tiny person in your arms for the first time, memories of the mood swings and vomiting will be just that: memories."

"Thank you for just..." Harry started and then stopped thoughtfully. "Just thank you."

Narcissa kissed both of his cheeks and then hugged him tightly. "You don't know how precious you are, Harry," she murmured and then waved goodbye and Apparated away.