Title: His Daughter’s Father Part 11

Email: tirel@pcnuthut.com

Site: https://www.angelfire.com/tv2/firebird_ascending/

Author: Constant Vigilance

Disclaimer: JK Rowling is God. I own nothing.

Distribution: Sure. Just lemme know where my baby’s going.

Spoilers: Up to GoF. Book 5 never happened. *Growls at Rowling*

Summary: Healing and declarations.

Dedication: To Cassy, in honor of her new S/X/B fic that some ‘traditional slash-preferring’ *cough* idiots *cough* people refuse to allow on their groups. Their loss, luv. You kick ass.

The door slammed shut behind Lucius Malfoy, signifying his escape back to Voldemort…and Harry couldn’t have cared less. The only thing he could latch his brain onto was Draco, lying in a growing pool of blood. He staggered to Draco’s side, blindly shoving interspersing bodies out of the way, and dropped to his knees. He reached down, his fingers hovering over the torn flesh, and he cried.

Dimly, he understood that someone had run for Madam Pomfrey. He realized that Narcissa was vainly trying to cast something he’d never heard of before. She was failing miserably for the sobs that broke her words apart. He knew when Millie skidded to a halt at his side and shoved him over. He also knew when she recognized that the wound was too severe for her beginner mediwitch skills.

“Draco,” he whispered. “Please, hold on. Madam Pomfrey will be here in a minute. You just have to hold on.” He plucked Draco’s hand up from the floor and began trying to rub some warmth back into it. “I need you to live, Draco,” he continued, wondering how that desperate note got into his voice. “You have to live. For me, for the baby. You have to hold on just a few more minutes. Please…” Did he really sound like that? Was that high reedy voice really his?

He couldn’t tell and, to be honest, he didn’t care. About anything. And quite possibly never would again. Ginny stared down at the spectacle in front of her with as much horror and pity as the other students. Until Harry mentioned the baby. Then, she ceased looking at the two boys on the floor and began eyeing the closed Great Hall door. Could she? Ginny’s mind began whirling in a rush of remembered snapshots.

Harry: casting the basic music spell.

Baby: seeing Harry’s work and then improving on it, taking control of the spell and making a leap of logic to transform it into something else.

Harry: casting Expelliarmus on Lucius.

Baby: seeing Harry’s work and upping the ante by a power of 10, slamming Malfoy backwards further and further with each application of the spell. Using the spell to power an inanimate object’s movement—the door closing behind.

Could she? Ginny thought again. Setting her face into grim determination, Ginny began shoving her way to Harry. She ignored the grunts of pain that followed judicious applications of her elbows, she ignored the demands of Professor Sprout to stay back and let the boy have some room. She dropped to her knees on the other side of Draco and attempted to get Harry’s attention.

“Harry!”

He continued to frantically rub Draco’s slowly paling hand, his tears dripping onto blood painted flesh, making pinkish streaks down Draco’s skin.

“Harry! Bloody hell, pay attention!”

“I’m so sorry, love, please, please, please…”

“Harry!” followed by a crack of skin on skin as Ginny openhandedly slapped Harry across the face. Silence fell and Harry looked up at her in astonishment. She didn’t take the time for an apology. Either this would work and she wouldn’t need one, or this wouldn’t work and they’d be too busy mourning to care that she slapped him. “Harry, I need you to cast a healing spell on Draco,” she demanded.

Harry’s face scrunched up again. “Ginny, it won’t help. I don’t know one strong enough. Millie can’t even help him. We have to wait for Pomfrey.”

Ginny wanted to slap him again. “He’ll be dead by the time Pomfrey gets here,” she pointed out harshly, hating how his head snapped back from the force of her hateful words. “You have to cast the spell. It doesn’t matter how crappy it is. You have to cast it.”

“It won’t help, and I might hurt him more,” he wailed. “Let Millie cast.”

Ginny reached across the dying body of Draco Malfoy and snatched a handful of Harry’s hair. “Harry! Listen! You have to cast the spell. You! Not Millie. You’re not casting it for him,” she glanced down at Draco. “You’re casting it for her,” she nodded towards Harry’s belly. “You have to give her a base to work off of. Now cast the bloody spell!”

Harry blinked for a moment and then Ginny saw recognition flow into his eyes. He ceased sobbing and found the purpose he needed. He closed his eyes briefly and gathered his will. “Sanas malum.” He wouldn’t realize until hours later that his wand was still halfway across the room, flung under a table. He carefully cracked his eyes open and peered down at Draco.

“Oh, Draco,” he choked. “It didn’t work, Ginny. It didn’t work.”

Ginny ignored him, staring at Harry’s stomach. “Come on, baby,” she whispered fiercely. “Come on, figure it out, sweetie. Figure it out and save Draco. Come on, come on, come on…” she chanted.

Harry shook his head sadly and raised Draco’s hand to his cheek. Then his eyes widened. His gaze shot to Ginny and he opened his mouth to speak. The only thing that came out, however, was a low moan. He gripped his stomach and dropped Draco’s hand. “Ginny?” he whispered.

But Ginny’s attention was on Draco now. Specifically, on the gash in Draco’s throat. The blood ceased spurting momentarily, but then it began again. Ginny glared at Harry’s belly. “Come on, baby!” she demanded. “Harder, you have to try harder!”

“Ginny, I—ahhh!” Harry bent double as he howled in pain. Ginny watched the blood stop again, this time not to start again.

“Yes! Good job, baby!” she shouted. “Harry, I’m so sorry. But you have to hold on, just a bit longer. Come on, baby…give it more!”

Harry didn’t even try to speak this time. He just screamed. And each time he screamed, the clustered crowd watched the gash become smaller…and smaller…and smaller. Until there was no more wound, only blood smeared around on unmarred flesh.

“Good! Good, baby,” Ginny grinned wildly. “Stop now. Stop, sweetie.” Smiles turned to horror as Harry continued to scream. “Baby? Please, you have to stop now!” Ginny reached across Draco, frantically grasping Harry’s hands over his stomach. The baby’s reply was instant and clear. Harry screeched again and Ginny flew two yards backwards.

Helping hands righted the redhead and she flew back into the fray. “Baby! Stop! You have to stop!” she yelled. “Shit!” she looked crazily around her and her eyes locked on Millicent. “Millie! Wake him up!” she grasped the Slytherin girl with one hand and pointed to Draco with the other.

Millie, not stopping to ask questions, pulled her wand. “Enervate!” she ordered.

Draco’s eyes began to flutter and then opened. “Mum?” he asked, as Narcissa’s face was hanging upside down over him.

Narcissa smiled through her tears and nodded vigorously. “Draco, baby, you’re all right?”

Draco nodded carefully and looked around. “What the hell?” He turned his head and shot up, nearly braining Narcissa in the process. “Harry?”

“Draco! Make her stop,” Ginny gestured to Harry’s belly. “She healed you, but she won’t stop casting. She’s hurting him!”

Draco glared at Ginny, his look promising to make her pay for the screams emanating from his Harry, and then rolled over to straddle Harry’s hips. He wrenched Harry’s robes opened, exposing his naked stomach. The flesh roiled and heaved as though the baby were trying to push out of the skin. Draco placed a hand on either side of the lump and dropped his face down to meet skin to skin.

“Love, you have to stop now,” he whispered against the flesh, feeling the baby kicking his face through her father’s belly. “Please, love. You’re hurting your daddy. You’re hurting him, sweetness. Please, please stop,” tears began to seep from his eyes as he continued to hear Harry’s screams. “Please, please, please stop,” his breath hitched and he pressed his lips to Harry’s stomach.

“Please stop hurting him. You’re killing him, love.” But Harry continued to scream. Draco knew that if someone were to allow him to trade his life for Harry’s in that moment, he would gladly accept. He’d do anything…anything to make Harry’s screams stop. To make the heaving flesh still. To have Harry and the baby calm and tranquil…

He froze. Calm. Tranquil. He began to hum shakily. “Dadadadadadadadadum…dadadum…dadadum…” His voice broke on a sob and he took a deep breath before starting again. Ginny caught on quickly. She scooted over to Draco and placed a hand on his back. Softly, she took up the melody with him. A moment later Hermione sank to her knees in the other side of Draco and added her husky contralto to the mix.

Mione tugged on Ron’s robe and he dropped down next to her. After hearing the song at least three times a day for the last who knew how long, even he was able to join in. One by one, those who spent the most time in Harry’s company picked up the melody. The song gravitated outward, those who weren’t familiar with it catching on from those next to them.

Soon, the whole hall echoed with the hummed strains of Fur Elise. Draco wasn’t sure how in tune he was, the tears closing his throat and the occasional hiccupping sob breaking free, but the baby didn’t seem to mind. Harry gave one last scream and the human choir was added to by the magically generated tones that the Gryffindors, at least, were familiar with.

As soon as the music began, the baby stopped thrashing. Harry stopped screaming and lay panting, every now and then letting a tiny whimper escape. Draco crawled up Harry’s body and desperately searched his face. “Harry? Love?” he whispered. Harry’s eyes fluttered open.

He took a moment to comprehend who was staring so anxiously into his eyes and then he smiled tremulously. “D-Draco?” He lifted a shaky hand to Draco’s cheek. “Y-you’re okay?”

Draco’s breath hitched as he tried to speak. He gave up and just nodded before breaking into laughing sobs. Harry inched his arms around Draco and held him, not knowing how he came to be alive and well, not really caring. He just allowed himself to melt into the blonde’s arms, where he belonged. The world faded to the warmth of Draco’s body pressing against his, the sound of Draco’s breath in his ear. His stomach still gave the occasional spasm, but Draco’s soothing hand eased away the pain.

“I was so afraid,” Harry whispered long minutes later.

“I know, love,” Draco returned with a nuzzle to Harry’s neck. “The pain must have seemed endless. I’m so sorry.”

Harry frowned and pushed Draco up a tiny bit, just enough to look into his eyes. “No,” he shook his head. “I was terrified that you were going to die; bleed to death in front of me and I couldn’t do anything to save you. I would have done anything to save you.” Draco closed his eyes briefly, trying to hide how much Harry’s words touched him, but Harry wouldn’t allow it. He traced a finger down Draco’s cheek and lifted his chin. “I mean it, Draco.”

Draco shook his head and opened his eyes. “You shouldn’t have,” he whispered back. “You nearly died yourself. What about the baby? You shouldn’t have risked yourself like that. I would have been fine.”

Harry snorted. “You would have been dead, Dray.”

Draco stared fiercely into Harry’s eyes. “Better me than you. Or the baby. It wasn’t worth the risk. You should have just let me go, Harry.”

Harry’s eyes filled with tears and he began to shake his head slowly. “No,” he choked. “Nononono. Never, Draco. You promised. You said you’d always be here for me. You promised. I can’t do this without you.”

Draco grasped Harry’s hand out from under his chin and pressed a hard kiss to the back of it. “Harry, you have so many people who can help you with the baby. You won’t be alone. Never alone.”

“No!” Harry shouted. “I don’t care about being alone!” His voice broke and he clutched back at Draco’s hand. “I don’t care about alone. I care about you. I can take care of the baby by myself just fine. This isn’t about the baby anymore, Draco. This is about you. And me. I can’t do anything without you. I can’t sleep, I can’t eat, I can’t smile, I can’t bloody well breathe without you!” his voice dropped into a whisper. “I can’t live without you, Draco Malfoy. I won’t live without you. I love you.”

Draco stared openmouthed at Harry’s confession. “Harry, I…”

Harry shook his head again. “You don’t have to love me back, Draco,” he offered. “You don’t have to say it just because I did. I just wanted you to know. I needed you to know. I had to tell you that it wasn’t just about needing help with the baby. Nothing has to change,” he rushed on to reassure Draco. “You aren’t expected to act any different or treat me any different or—“

Draco was tired of listening to Harry try to convince him that he didn’t need to be loved in return. He determinedly covered Harry’s lips with his own, effectively silencing the babbling boy. The contact was brief and gentle, but very purposeful. There was no doubt in Harry’s mind when Draco pulled away that the blonde felt something in return.

He smiled up at Draco, eyes shining brightly. Draco smiled back and rested his forehead on Harry’s for a moment. “I love you, too, Harry,” he whispered. “Which is why I’m going to hex your ass if you ever do something so stupid again.” His smile took away the harshness of the words, but not their ring of truthfulness. “Now, we need to get you to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey is going to look you over with a fine toothed comb.”