Harry woke to an intense throbbing in his head. He hadn't even opened his eyes before he was acutely aware that his entire body was hurting; what felt like every single muscle was tender and aching. He was also intensely thirsty.
He slowly forced his eyes open and blinked as the world came into blurry focus.
He was lying on the floor - on the throw rug next to the bed to be exact - and he was completely starkers. Even his glasses were missing. Harry grit his teeth and gradually pushed himself up into a half-sitting, half slouched-over position, and hesitantly looked around.
The room was in complete disarray; chairs overturned, everything that had been on the desk was now scattered all over the floor, there was a squashed pillow next to Harry on the rug, a heap of blankets near the door on the other side of the room - even the pictures on the walls were at odd angles.
Harry probed his temple with gentle fingers, the throbbing in his head making him feel ill. He couldn't really remember last night - had he been drinking?
Harry heard a rustle from above him on the bed and turned, wincing, to glance over. Draco was sitting up with his back against the headboard, also sans clothing, pale eyes wide and staring.
Harry swallowed, trying to work some saliva into his dry mouth in order to ask his mate what was wrong. It was then he noticed the open door to his left, the one that led into his 'heat room' - and then everything came slamming back into his shattered brain, causing his breath to catch in his throat, nearly choking him.
Oh fuck.
Oh fucking fuck.
He'd spent his heat with Draco.
Harry turned away from his comatose Alpha to glance out the window, the shock of his discovery quelling the pounding in his head for the moment, and saw that it looked like late afternoon. He could feel that he was well and truly finished with his heat, and he suspected that they had been locked in there for quite some time; more than twenty-four hours at any rate.
Harry dropped his head into his hands.
What had they done? He could be bloody pregnant!
After a few moments of internalised all-out panic, he forced himself to his feet and stumbled over to the bed. "Draco?" he said, trying - and failing - to keep the frantic edge out of his voice.
Draco turned to stare at him with something akin to numb disbelief. His mouth opened but no sound came out.
Just on this side of hysterical, Harry felt the irrational urge to laugh, but quickly quashed it, and, with a deep breath, climbed onto the bed to sit cross-legged in front of his mate, clasping his hands together in his lap to keep them from shaking.
"Perhaps… perhaps I'm not pregnant," Harry said weakly. It was the only thing he could think of to say to his Alpha that might wipe the look of utter devastation off his pale, pinched face.
Draco swallowed, a muscle in his cheek jumping, and slowly nodded, as though talking himself down. "Yes… right…"
Harry dragged one of the rumpled blankets from the bed around his waist, suddenly feeling inappropriately naked.
"I'm sorry Harry."
Harry looked up sharply. "What for?" he asked, feeling a hot spike of irritation. He was exhausted, hungry, thirsty, sore, and his skin was covered in dried sweat and all manner of other fluids, and he was in no mood for his mate blaming himself for the situation they now found themselves in. He almost preferred the Draco Malfoy who never blamed himself for anything, the Malfoy who would never let the words 'I'm sorry' trip over his tongue.
Draco frowned at Harry's peevish response, the slightly dazed look finally clearing from grey eyes. "For… for a complete lack of restraint," he replied slowly, as though that should be obvious.
Harry glared. "I all but threw myself on your cock Malfoy, I'm amazed by how long you were able to resist. I'd say the blame rests solely on me; if I had just been able to stay in that room then we wouldn't be in this mess."
Draco's perplexed frown turned into a scowl. "If we're blaming anyone here Harry, then we should be blaming your horrid Muggles for causing you to develop issues with small spaces in the first place."
Harry let out a bitter laugh. "I'll be sure to tell them that their blatant mistreatment is the cause for their gay nephew to now be up the duff. They aren't even aware that men are able to become pregnant in our world."
Draco suddenly exhaled hard, his head falling back against the wall with a thud. "My father is going to kill me," he stated numbly.
Harry couldn't help but snort in the face of Draco's dread. Lucius had only recently come to terms with the fact that Harry was his son's mate, this news - if he was in fact pregnant - was going to come as quite the shock.
Harry sighed, his hot temper fading back down to a simmer as he shuffled over to sit next to his mate. He took Draco's cool hand and placed it in his own, resting them both on his blanket-covered thigh.
His initial panic and horror had receded and he felt remarkably composed about it now. He'd always had a knack for adjusting quite quickly to panic-worthy news and was able to just get on with things.
Harry gazed at their joined hands for a moment and then his gaze slid to his stomach; flat and innocuous above the edge of the woollen blanket. His gaze softened as he couldn't help but imagine a Potter-Malfoy baby growing in there.
"Would it really be so terrible?" he said softly, unable to stop the contemplative words as they spilled forth.
Draco turned to him, incredulous. "You can't be serious Potter. We're still in school! You'd barely have finished the year before… before you…." He broke off and shook his head.
"I know the timing isn't the best, but… I dunno." Harry shrugged, not wanting to continue the conversation if Draco was going to be all cross and negative about it. "Forget it."
Draco squeezed his hand, forcing him to look up. "Harry, having a child is a huge responsibility and not to be taken lightly. Plus-"
"I know that, I'm not an idiot," Harry interrupted with a glare, taking his hand back. "I want a family more than anything but I'm not blind to how much work it will be or just how much it will change my life."
"Our lives," Draco corrected, grey eyes staring intently, and then he looked away with a sigh, running a hand through his tousled hair; a habit he'd clearly picked up from his mate. "I suppose we should just go see Pomfrey and find out for sure before we discuss this any further."
Harry swallowed, suddenly hesitant. "You wouldn't want to terminate the pregnancy, would you?"
"Of course not," Draco retorted, glowering.
"Well I don't know," Harry snapped back, temper rising once more. "You don't seem overly enthusiastic."
"Of course not!" Draco exploded, shifting away from Harry and beginning to roughly pull on his discarded trousers from the floor. "This was an accident," he continued hotly, his back to Harry, "and it's too soon. You're not supposed to be pregnant at Hogwarts Harry. You're vulnerable and surrounded by other people here - including other Alphas." He stood and turned to face him, pale fingers trembling as they slid his belt into place around his waist. "Meanwhile there are still two fuckwits out there who want you dead, and who, if they find out you're pregnant, will most likely re-double their efforts at trying to exterminate you - right along with my child."
Harry stared at him, stunned, and slightly ill. "Draco…"
There was still so much Harry didn't know about Alphas, especially Nundu Alphas, and his mate was plainly struggling with more than just the fact that he might be a father in nine months.
Harry shifted to the side of the bed, hanging his legs off the side and raising his hands to grip onto his mate's hips, giving them a little shake to draw Draco's gaze down to him. "I'll leave school and live at the Manor if it gets to be too much for either of us, or… or I'll come with you to all of your classes so that we're never separated… We'll get through this, whatever it takes, all right?"
Draco stared at him a moment before finally exhaling shakily and nodding, staring back into Harry's unobstructed green eyes, seeking solace in his mate's steady gaze as his own eyes lost some of their manic gleam.
Harry nodded with relief as Draco's breathing evened out and became a little less shallow.
"Shall we go see Madam Pomfrey?" Harry asked, smiling gently as he stood and reached out to smooth the little frown lines between Draco's pale brows. "All this worry may be for naught, right?"
Draco took another moment to collect himself and then nodded.
Harry reckoned there was a lot of internal dialogue occurring within his Alpha at that moment.
They quickly set about making themselves presentable in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Harry waved a quick cleaning charm over the two of them in lieu of an actual shower, as neither of them wanted to put off the inevitable any longer than they had to. Harry eventually found his glasses (on a bookshelf of all places), and Draco released the locking and silencing charms on the door before they stepped out into an empty corridor.
Tension that Harry hadn't even realised he'd been holding on to, released when Draco slipped a hand into his. A part of him had been unconsciously concerned that this might drive a bit of a wedge between them. He glanced at his mate and gave his hand a gentle squeeze in response, grateful for the silent display of support.
They walked all the way to the hospital wing in silence, passing quite a few students along the way. Harry felt as though the fact that he could be pregnant was written all over his face; that his expression was screaming it out clear as day for anyone to see, and that heading for the infirmary was only confirming their suspicions. The fact that people always stared at him wherever he went did not help diminish his paranoia.
He held tight to Draco's hand and kept walking, trying to fix his expression into one of indifferent nonchalance. His Alpha had that expression mastered.
Harry glanced up at the tall ornate clock outside of the infirmary and saw that the last class of the day was nearly finished. They must have missed two full days of classes then.
"Harry."
Harry broke out of his thoughts as Draco suddenly stopped and turned to him before going through the large double doors.
"If I had the choice, I'd rather you weren't pregnant right now," Draco said quietly, noticeably uncomfortable. "But if you are, rest assured that I will do everything I can to protect you and our child." He paused, gaze dropping away self-consciously. "I just wanted you to know that even though the timing may not be ideal, it won't change how I behave, or how I feel towards you or towards our son or daughter."
Harry swallowed, throat feeling unexpectedly tight. He nodded in response, unable to form the words to say how much he appreciated his mate's assurances.
Draco raised his eyes back up to meet Harry's emotional gaze and flashed him a tight smile before turning and walking through the doors into the infirmary, the sharp sting of antiseptic hitting their nostrils and making their eyes burn for a moment as they entered the sterile environment.
Madam Pomfrey turned from where she was attending to a student in the nearest bed. Her gaze tracked over the pair of them and then she pursed her lips when she saw that they showed no outward sign of injury or distress. She silently indicated that they should head into the office to their right to wait for her.
They both took a seat in the two wooden chairs opposite her wide, cluttered desk and waited.
The matron appeared after about ten minutes and closed the door. She sat at her desk, absently wiping her hands on a white towel as she eyed the two of them. "What can I help you with today gentlemen?" she asked, then glanced at Harry. "How was your cycle? I stocked the medicine cabinet in your heat room; did you manage to locate the potions?"
"Erm…" Harry glanced at Draco and felt his cheeks flush. He hadn't really thought about how embarrassing this conversation was going to be until that very moment. "No, I didn't."
Madam Pomfrey frowned, pausing in her hand wiping. "Why-"
"Harry has a fear of small spaces," Draco interjected, taking control and directing the conversation where it needed to go as quickly as possible. "He can't use that room."
Madam Pomfrey blinked in surprise and laid the towel down on the desk as she leaned forwards, gaze flicking between the two mates. "Oh? I wasn't aware that you had Claustrophobia Harry. You should have told me, you could've…"
She trailed off and Harry could see in her eyes when the Knut dropped.
"Where did you spend your heat?" she asked with her usual sharp astuteness.
"In our room," Harry unstuck his tongue long enough to reply. "With Draco."
Madam Pomfrey closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling through her nose, and then exhaled bracingly before opening them again.
"So you've come here for a pregnancy test?" she asked.
Harry was surprised by the lack of condemnation and shouting; he guessed her position forced her to be a little more objective, unlike what a professor's reaction would be. He knew Professor McGonagall would not be quite so calm.
"Yes," Draco was replying, somehow managing to sound just as composed as the matron.
She sighed and folded her hands over a stack of papers on her desk. "Well I'm sorry to inform you that you will have to wait two weeks before I can administer the scan. It's too early yet for me to identify either way."
Harry sat there in stunned silence. He was supposed to live in torturous uncertainty for two weeks?!
Draco cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, visibly taken aback as well.
Madam Pomfrey looked as though she wanted to roll her eyes at their surprise, but instead reached into one of her drawers and withdrew a thin white book. She passed it over to Harry, who took it automatically, and saw that it was a book on early pregnancy for Omegas.
"Read this, just in case," she explained, folding her hands on the desk again. "It will give you some advice on your diet and recommended potions. It was written with the female Omega in mind, so you will have to ignore the female-specific aspects. If, in two weeks, you have a positive pregnancy result, then I will order a male prenatal book for you. There is quite a lot to know and to be prepared for Mr. Potter," she added, and Harry finally saw a little of that censure that he'd been expecting.
Harry swallowed and nodded. "Thank you."
"There are things you need to be aware of as well Mr. Malfoy," she continued briskly, turning to the Alpha. "Harry will need a great deal of support and understanding over the next nine months." She paused and eyed them both a moment. "I assume this was not a planned decision?"
"No," Draco answered for them both, raising his chin slightly as he gazed back at her. "I had to get Harry out of that room and I found that I could not control myself."
"He resisted for as long as he could but I literally threw myself at him," Harry was quick to add with a reproachful glare at his mate. "It wasn't his fault. It wasn't anyone's fault really, it was just… an accident."
"I see," she replied, mouth pressed into a thin line. "This is the problem with having eighteen year olds at Hogwarts," she eventually uttered under her breath, as though it was a discussion that she'd had multiple times before the year started, perhaps with school officials. She finally pushed to her feet with a heavy sigh and addressed them both. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do for you at this stage, you will simply have to wait."
Harry felt oddly dissatisfied as he stood and prepared to leave. Madam Pomfrey fetched him a few potions from the cupboard in her office to help ease the resulting discomfort of his heat, downing them quickly and silently while she watched, and then chasing those up with a tall glass of water. She also forced Draco to drink some water as well, much to his chagrin.
Madam Pomfrey walked them to the door and put her hand on the knob, but didn't open it. She turned to them, eyes narrowing. "And for Merlin's sake, do not tell a soul about the possibility that Harry could be pregnant," she said sternly. "If it turns out that you are not pregnant, then no one need ever know about what happened. If you are, well that will need to remain a secret for as long as possible. I'd hate to think of the media circus that will surround you when that piece of information gets out Mr. Potter, and as loathed as I am to mention it, it may also encourage your attackers to come out of hiding again. Someone who wishes to end the life of Harry Potter would probably love to eliminate his potential offspring as well."
Harry nodded, noticing Draco stiffening beside him. He absently reached out to take his hand.
Madam Pomfrey gave them a sympathetic look, not knowing what else to say. She turned to open the door and swiftly left them in a flurry of skirts, returning to her patient laid out in the hospital bed, withdrawing her wand as she went and approaching with a gentle smile. The first year Hufflepuff with the tear-stained face seemed to relax at her kind demeanour, indicating that he may have done something a bit foolish in Potions class to end up there.
Harry and Draco left the infirmary in a bit of a stupor, unsure of what to do; neither of them having been prepared to play a waiting game for the next fortnight.
"I think it's time for dinner," Harry pointed out numbly as he glanced at the tall ornate clock in the hospital wing corridor.
Draco stopped walking, pulling back on Harry's hand.
Harry turned to him with a frown. "What is it?"
Draco stared at him a moment, brow knit. "Nothing," he finally replied vaguely, giving his head a tiny shake and then starting forward again.
Harry continued to frown at him as they walked; clearly something was agitating his mate and Draco didn't want to talk about it. Harry pressed his lips together and resolved to ask him about it later.
They entered the Great Hall and headed for the half-empty Slytherin table. They were a little early and students were still drifting in and taking their seats at the four long house tables, chatting loudly or getting an early start on assignments.
Harry refused to glance towards the Gryffindor table, because if Ron and Hermione were there, they would be able to read him like a book and would run straight over, demanding to know what was wrong. He had every intention of warning them about the possibility of him being pregnant - just not with half the school listening in.
Only Pansy was seated at the end of the Slytherin table where the eighth years always gathered. She looked up with a smirk as they settled themselves onto the bench opposite her.
"How are you feeling Potter?" she asked, batting her dark lashes innocently.
"Fuck off," Harry muttered. Pansy knew full well he'd been out of class because he'd been in heat. He couldn't wait until her eighteenth birthday; experiencing a heat cycle for herself may finally shut her up - or she may end up a Beta and be utterly mortified. Either way, Harry could count on the snide comments coming to an end.
"Enough Pansy," Draco said warningly, not appearing in the mood for her teasing either.
Pansy immediately pouted at her housemate. "You're no fun tonight Draco. You should be nice to me; I have front-page-worthy gossip."
Harry noted - with no small amount of dread - the smug sparkle in her eyes, and he immediately clenched his hands in his lap. He really hoped this thrilling gossip didn't concern either himself or Draco; he couldn't take anything else going wrong.
Pansy leaned in and lowered her voice dramatically. "Astoria was taken out of Potions yesterday by McGonagall, and Graham Pritchard overheard the Headmistress in the corridor telling Astoria that her family wanted her at home because her sister's illness had taken a turn for the worse. Today, all of Astoria's things have disappeared from her room and Professor Slughorn announced in the common room that she wasn't expected to return again this year - because Daphne had passed away."
Harry felt all the blood drain from his face.
Pansy smiled proudly; clearly pleased that she could be the bearer of such astonishing news. She leaned on one elbow as she absently twirled her dark ponytail with one finger. "I don't know why she's taking the entire year off though," she continued pensively, and then paused in her hair twirling. "I do hope whatever Daphne had wasn't catching," she added, wrinkling her pug-like nose.
Harry was too busy wondering if Daphne really was gone to be outraged by Pansy's insensitive attitude towards her deceased housemate. Had the Nundu Clan finally reached a decision on what she'd done to Draco and executed her? As much as he loathed Daphne for what she'd done, and, even though Draco could've been the one on the wrong side of the executioner's wand because of it, Harry was still shaken by the news.
It all seemed so surreal that he was a part of this secret world where people - teenage girls - were put to death for their crimes.
But perhaps her death was just a ruse for the family to flee the country; either by order of the Clan or in defiance, in order to save their daughter's life.
Harry turned to look at his Alpha, needing answers to questions he knew he couldn't possibly ask in that moment.
Draco wasn't looking at him though; he was looking at Pansy with a slight frown. "And you're clearly overwrought by the news of her passing," he drawled wryly in observation.
Harry was once again struck by just how proficient Draco was at affecting nonchalance, when inside he must have been reeling just as much as Harry.
"I didn't really know her that well," Pansy sniffed dismissively, glancing up as the rest of their year began to filter in and sit at the table around them.
Draco immediately slid an arm around Harry and pulled him in to his side, then left his arm where it was; one hand firmly wrapped around Harry's right shoulder.
Harry glanced at his mate questioningly but Draco was still frowning at Pansy. Harry wondered fleetingly if Draco's Alpha tendencies were going into overdrive because of the possible pregnancy. Draco didn't appear comfortable with the sudden crowd, although it could just be the topic at hand that was making his mate uneasy.
"Talking about Daphne?" Blaise asked as he took a seat on the bench next to Pansy.
The steaming hot food appeared on the table in front of them then and all conversation ceased while they filled their plates.
Harry had been starving when he'd awoken but now he found that he'd lost his appetite. He took a sip of his pumpkin juice and then began to half-heartedly pile a bit of food onto his plate.
"Yes, just filling these two lovebirds in on why Astoria isn't here," Pansy said to Blaise before delicately biting the tip off of a honey-glazed carrot.
"I wonder what she had?" Theo mused aloud with a frown. "Nobody seems to know, not even Professor Slughorn."
"Does it matter?" Pansy sniped. "She was always a bit of a cow, especially this year."
"Is this really how you treat each other in Slytherin?" Harry loudly interrupted in disbelief. As far as the rest of the house knew, Daphne had died from a disease, not from committing a crime, so they had no possible reason to be so heartless.
"Hey don't lump us all in with Parkinson," Blaise instantly replied with a censorious look at Pansy. "Pansy only disliked her because Daphne was her only competition for Pureblood males. You'll soon learn that Pansy's a bit of an unfeeling tart, Potter."
"Oi!" Pansy threw a carrot at Blaise with indignation.
"It's true darling," Blaise said, picking up the thrown vegetable and popping it into his mouth with a smirk.
Harry turned to his mate as the other two continued to squabble, suddenly noticing that Draco was spooning more food onto Harry's plate. He couldn't help but feel a little tug of affection, pushing aside some of the sick feeling in his stomach.
"What are you doing?" he asked him with quiet amusement.
Draco glanced up and caught the warm look in Harry's eyes. He smiled a little and some of the tension in his expression eased as he continued to add more food to Harry's meagre helping. "Fattening you up Potter, you have to keep up your strength," he murmured into his ear.
Harry smiled as his heart did a little flip at his Alpha's words. Regardless of whether it was a good idea or not, or that it was the worst possible timing in the history of bad timing, Harry couldn't help but feel excited about the possibility that he could be carrying their child at that very moment. He knew it was the Omega in him that was flooding him with the warm and fuzzies over all this, but Draco showing signs of love and support was almost making him teary-eyed with happiness.
Harry gave his head a shake and quickly clamped down on that terribly embarrassing response. He picked up his fork and shot a grateful smile at Draco before starting to eat with a little more enthusiasm.
"Ugh! You two make me sick," Pansy proclaimed with a roll of her eyes, having caught the tender exchange of smiles between the two mates. "What happened to you Draco?"
"You're just jealous," Goyle put in around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.
"I know I am," Blaise uttered quietly.
Harry glanced up and then quickly away again at the look in the Slytherin's eyes. Draco's hand on his shoulder tightened in response.
"Jealous of that sickening display?" Pansy continued, waving a hand at them. "I prefer a much more respectable relationship; where my husband keeps his distance and I spend all his money."
"That's real love," Theo interjected sardonically, causing the rest of them to snigger and Pansy to wink at him in response.
Harry took a bite of his roast chicken and hummed in pleasure at the delicious herb flavour; gaining back a little of his appetite as the shock of the news about Daphne began to dissipate. He hadn't eaten at all during his heat cycle, they had barely stopped fucking to sleep and drink during those two and a half days. He would need to remember to fill up on carbohydrates prior to the next heat cycle he planned to actually spend with his mate.
Draco kept his arm around Harry for the entirety of the meal, only releasing him during pudding when a small barn owl flew over and dropped an elegant cream-coloured envelope into Draco's lap.
Harry peered over his mate's shoulder as he opened it and withdrew a thick card in the same cream colour as the envelope, with silvery ornate writing scrawled across it. It looked like a wedding invitation.
"It's an invitation to Sophie McDougall's," Draco informed Harry as he scanned the card. "It's a formal gathering to welcome her new baby."
"Sophie had her baby?" Pansy asked with interest. "I must tell mother. She has the most gorgeous family," she added wistfully. "What did she have?"
"A boy," Draco replied, sliding the card back into the envelope.
Obviously the McDougall's were a Pureblood family whom everyone in Slytherin knew. Harry wondered if it was only Nundu invited to the celebration or if it was open to everyone, and then Harry wondered if he should even be going because his attackers might hear of it and expect to find him there. He hated how complicated everything became due to those two wankers and their irrational vendetta.
"Come on Draco," Goyle said, stuffing one last Abernethy Biscuit into his mouth before standing.
Draco looked up at him with an enquiring arch of his brow.
"Quidditch?" Goyle reminded, deciding to snatch another biscuit from the plate during the delay.
"Oh right," Draco replied, expression clearing.
"The poor Alpha is a bit bewildered after sitting outside Potter's heat room for the past two days," Pansy drawled in amusement. "All those heat pheromones and persistent erections; must have addled your brain darling."
Draco narrowed his eyes at her as the others laughed.
Harry was just relieved that no one suspected the truth.
"I don't think I can make it…" Draco finally replied slowly, turning back to Goyle.
"It's fine," Harry interjected, turning to Draco. He didn't want his mate to miss out on practice just because he was worried about leaving Harry on his own. "I'll come too and hang out in the stands or something. I'm sure I have loads of assignments to catch up on now."
Draco frowned uncertainly.
"I could sit in the stands with him," Blaise offered. "That way he won't be alone."
Draco looked as though he liked that idea even less, despite being the one to ask Blaise to help keep an eye on Harry for him.
"Actually, maybe Hermione and Ron should come instead," Harry suggested with an apologetic glance at Blaise. "They can catch me up on all the classes I missed. Plus, I've been so preoccupied lately that I don't think I've been a very good friend."
"All right," Draco eventually conceded with a nod. He looked at Blaise and the Slytherin merely shrugged and returned to his meal.
Harry stood and walked over to tell Ron and Hermione the plan. The two eagerly agreed, and Harry went up to his room with Draco to grab his schoolwork while his mate changed into his Quidditch attire.
Harry sat huddled in the stands under one of Hermione's warming charms as the trio watched the Slytherin's practice for a few minutes. Harry's gaze tracked his Alpha as he warmed up with a few laps around the pitch, his platinum blond hair easily discernible against the charcoal grey sky.
Harry fidgeted in his seat, feeling a flare of arousal, and then biting his lip at the tenderness in his arse. The potions had helped with the intense aches and pains from his heat but it left just enough soreness to remind him of what they'd got up to over the past few days. That, combined with staring at his mate in his green and silver Quidditch robes, was making him feel decidedly squirmy.
"Should we start with Care of Magical Creatures?" Ron asked, opening his worn leather school bag and rummaging through it.
"Nevermind that," Hermione dismissed with an impatient wave of her hand, causing Ron to frown at her in confusion. "How was your heat? Ron said Draco completely panicked when he told him what was going on."
"He did?" Harry replied in surprise.
Hermione nodded and then looked to Ron for corroboration.
"Oh, right," Ron agreed belatedly. "Yeah, I caught Malfoy in the corridor and told him that you were in heat, and that Madam Pomfrey and I had put you in the little room attached to your bedroom. He sort of went mental and ran off." Ron paused and wrinkled his nose. "I guess he was desperate to get to you, while you were… in heat," he added with reticence.
Harry flushed, feeling decidedly awkward. "Erm, it wasn't about my heat, it was about the room you put me in. You know, small spaces..." He shrugged and hoped that it was enough to fill them in. They'd spent enough time on the run together that he knew Ron and Hermione suspected he had issues with closed-in spaces, but he'd never acknowledged it out loud.
"Oh shit," Ron exclaimed with wide eyes. "I… I forgot, well, I didn't really…know… Sorry mate."
Harry shook his head. "It's fine," he said truthfully. "Madam Pomfrey didn't know and… and it's fine. Really. Draco knew and he unlocked the door and… well, actually that's kind of what I wanted to talk to you both about."
Hermione immediately gasped and her hands flew up to cover her mouth, eyes large and horrified as she silently shook her head at him; clearly entreating him to deny her suspicions.
Never let it be said that his best friend was slow on the uptake. Harry swallowed and pulled at his hair, unable to meet her gaze. He finally nodded his head in response, staring hard at the floor.
"Oh Harry…" she replied, slowly removing her hands, voice dripping with sympathy and perhaps a hint of pity.
"What?" Ron frowned in confusion, glancing between the two.
Harry clenched his hands on the bench and couldn't bring himself to look at Ron.
"Harry… spent his heat with Draco," Hermione answered for him, quietly.
Harry could feel Ron's shocked gaze burning a hole in the side of his head.
"So… you're pregnant?"
"I don't know yet," Harry replied and then sighed heavily, dragging his gaze back up to his two friends. "Pomfrey will test me in two weeks and then I'll… know for sure."
Ron continued to stare at him. "I… I can't believe it. You can't be pregnant!"
Harry smiled humourlessly. "I might not be."
Ron snorted, some of the colour returning to his face. "With your luck, you will be mate."
Hermione placed a hand on Harry's arm and gently squeezed. "Well, whatever happens Harry, we're here for you. I'm glad you told us, even if it turns out to be a false alarm."
Harry nodded, silently acknowledging her point about not keeping secrets.
"Does anyone else know?" Ron asked, suddenly keeping his voice low as he glanced out at the Slytherin players as they swooped by their section of the stands.
"Just Madam Pomfrey."
"So…" Hermione started, eyes narrowing in thought. "If you're pregnant now, you'll be heavily pregnant at the end of the school year. What if it interferes with your exams? What if you go into labour early and missexams?"
Harry sighed; he knew Hermione would overwhelm him with a thousand questions that he hadn't thought of or didn't have answers to. "I dunno, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it I guess."
"What does Malfoy think?" Ron quickly asked before Hermione could scold Harry about lacking a solid contingency plan.
Harry smiled a little, tension easing as green eyes sought out his Alpha on the far side of the pitch. "He was stunned, at first, but… he's coming around to the idea, I think."
Hermione smiled at that. "Cover your ears Ron," she abruptly instructed.
"What for?" Ron replied, insulted.
"Because I want to know what it was like," she said, turning to Harry, eyes alight.
Harry raised his brow. "What… spending my heat with an Alpha was like?"
"Oh Merlin," Ron moaned with a roll of his eyes. "I don't want to know that stuff!"
"That's why I told you to cover your ears," Hermione retorted with a teasing glance at her boyfriend, causing Harry to grin.
"It was bloody amazing," Harry declared before Ron could complain. "I'm a touch sore though today."
"Harry…" Ron groaned, burying his face in his knees as Harry laughed.
Hermione leaned even further forward. "And what was knotting like?" she whispered keenly.
"Hermione!" Ron cried, lifting his head, appalled.
"Purely academic reasons Ron," she responded flippantly without looking at him.
"It was brilliant," Harry said, managing to say it with a straight face. It was the truth, but it was also hilarious to wind Ron up. "Draco is amazing in bed - and on the floor, and the desk, and against the wall…"
Hermione giggled as Ron finally did clap his hands over his ears. She turned away and leaned in towards Harry again, looking curious. "Can I ask you something?" At Harry's nod, she continued. "Don't you ever want to… you know, top?"
Ron tightened his hold on his ears and began to hum in the background.
Harry grinned at him before turning back to Hermione. "You know, I was always interested in a relationship where both partners participated, er, equally, but now… ever since coming into my Omega inheritance, I never have that urge anymore." He shot a glance at Ron before continuing. "I love being under Draco, I mean, there's just something so… perfect about it. I don't even know how to describe it. I suppose it's just part of being an Omega and all of those 'Omega tendencies' the book spoke of."
Hermione nodded with interest.
"Plus he has a huge cock," Harry added with a smirk as Ron hesitantly lifted his hands to see if they had finished.
Ron stood abruptly, nearly falling over in his haste. "If you two can't be… be civilised, then I'm leaving."
Harry and Hermione burst out laughing.
Ron glared down at the pair of them, which only served to make them laugh harder.
Harry suddenly noticed a shimmery quality to the air behind Ron and, without a second thought, instantly withdrew his wand and fired off a Petrificus Totalus.
Ron yelped and ducked out of the way even though Harry's aim had been true and the flash of yellow light flew past him and hit its intended target.
There was a loud thud which reverberated through the wooden floorboards at their feet.
Harry jumped up and neatly hopped over the bench.
"Harry, are you sure you should be…" Hermione stood and trailed off as Harry slid his foot forward and nudged his toe against something solid.
Harry knelt down, wand still in hand, and carefully wrapped his hand around the silky material of an Invisibility Cloak. He wrenched back on the soft fabric to reveal Blaise Zabini lying frozen in shock before them.
Harry rolled his eyes and stood up. "Finite Incantatem," he uttered with an absent flick of his wand.
Blaise blinked as his entire body suddenly melted free of the binding spell. He stared up at the three of them as he rubbed the back of his head with one hand.
"What the fuck are you doing Zabini?" Harry asked with a sigh, crossing his arms over his chest. He then just as quickly uncrossed them and raised his wand. His initial reaction was to relax because it was just Blaise Zabini - but then Harry remembered himself, and his hand tightened on his wand; just because it was Zabini it didn't mean he wasn't involved in the threat against him. No matter how far-fetched it might seem.
Blaise sat up, hands up in mock surrender. "Easy Potter, I'm here on Malfoy's orders."
"What?"
"Draco asked me to help keep an eye on you during practice," he explained, sounding genuine. "He asked while you were at the Gryffindor table with Weasley and Granger. He seemed very intense about your security tonight..." He paused and then a tiny smirk stretched his lips. "I guess we all know why now."
"Fuck," Harry swore under his breath, turning away in agitation. "You weren't supposed to find out about that!"
Blaise shrugged, still smirking. The bastard.
Not knowing what else to do, Harry leaned down and grabbed his cloak back, bundling it up under one arm.
"We could Obliviate him," Ron suggested casually.
Blaise actually appeared slightly concerned by Ron's proposal. "Uh, you don't want to do that. I want to help out, and knowing that you're carrying around Malfoy's offspring will ensure that I keep my hands to myself."
"How do you mean?" Harry asked.
Blaise seemed surprised by the question. "Because Alpha's aren't sexually attracted to pregnant Omegas."
Harry didn't know what to say to that. Did that mean Draco wouldn't want him for the next nine months? That he would find Harry's baby bump a turn-off?
Harry pushed aside the hurt of Blaise's statement and nodded. "Right, that… that's right," he said, as though he'd been aware of that information all along. "Well, you can't tell anyone," he said, voice growing stronger as he frowned at the Slytherin. "Not Slughorn, not Pansy - not anyone."
Blaise rolled his eyes and got to his feet with a huff. "Well of course not Potter; Malfoy would kill me if I leaked that information."
"Fine." Harry nodded, reassured, and then narrowed his eyes at Blaise. "And don't borrow my things again," he warned, tightening his hold on the Cloak. "No matter what Draco says."
Blaise's lips twitched with amusement but he nodded deferentially.
The four of them sat back down on the bench and watched the rest of the Slytherin practice in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Harry chewed on his thumbnail as he absently tried to feel if he was pregnant, whether he felt any different at all. He couldn't feel anything beyond the muted soreness of his heat and his full belly from dinner, other than that, he felt completely normal.
Harry sighed, eyes on his mate as he shouted at some poor third year Chaser.
It was going to be a very long two weeks.