Ron and Luna's wedding was a large affair held out on the lawn in front of the Burrow. Ron had become a little more cordial toward Draco after Harry took Ron aside and explained to him that the bond had very little to do with his and Draco's relationship, and that Harry was ecstatically happy. Ron admitted to Harry that he'd said some petty things to Draco about Ginny, and that he might have fueled some of his sister's hopes about getting back with Harry. He apologized, both to Harry and later to Draco.
Ginny avoided Harry at the wedding, staying far away from him and from Draco, for which Harry was glad. Draco had reached term, and moved a bit sluggishly these days. Harry didn't think Draco could avoid a well-cast hex, but Ginny seemed to have taken Harry's last words to her to heart. She'd even brought a date to the wedding.
"Don't you want to dance with me?" Harry whispered into Draco's ear, giving the lobe a little lick. The sun dipped over the hills in the distance, and the band the Weasleys hired for the reception played a catchy tune as couples moved over the home-made dance floor.
"I can't reach you over this bulge," Draco sniffed. Draco made such an odd picture sitting there under the oak tree, his teacup resting on his large belly, that Harry couldn't help but laugh.
Draco's eyes narrowed. "What is so funny?"
"Nothing, nothing at all," Harry grinned.
"Harry, Draco," Molly Weasley lifted the skirts of her long dress as she moved over the grass toward them.
"You look magnificent, Molly," Draco told her, kissing her cheek, and she blushed. The two had really taken to one another, to Harry's shock and delight. She took the seat next to Draco and patted his leg. "How are you doing, sweetheart? You look tired."
As usual around Molly and her doting, Draco pouted and milked it for all he was worth. "I'm all right, I guess. My feet hurt, though; and Harry's being mean to me."
"Harry!" Molly turned on him, and Harry drew back.
"I'm not! He just looks cute with that teacup on his belly, that's all!"
"Draco doesn't want to be reminded of how large his belly is right now," Molly scolded, and behind her, Draco stuck his tongue out at Harry. The devil.
"Perhaps you should take him home," Molly said, petting Draco's head. "He needs his rest He must be ready to pop." She leaned toward Harry and whispered conspiratorially. "You know, a little sex can bring about labour. Just saying." She patted Harry's shoulder and got up.
"Goodnight, boys! I'm off to have a dance with Arthur."
"What did she say?" Draco asked. "You're as red as that prized beet growing over there." He pointed to the mishmash of a garden behind Harry.
"She thinks we ought to have sex to bring on your labour."
"Will that really help?" Draco asked, cocking his head to the side.
Harry shrugged, a grin slowly spreading over his face. "It can't hurt!"
At home, Harry happily stripped off every piece of Draco's clothing, kissing each revealed patch of bare skin. When he finally took Draco into his mouth, Draco's legs shook so hard, he could barely stand upright. Sucking Draco off was a little different now that Draco was so big; Harry couldn't see Draco's face over the swell of belly over Harry's head, and Draco couldn't reach Harry's hair to pull and tug on it.
Harry let Draco's cock slip out of his mouth, kissing it gently before standing.
"Turn around and kneel on this chair," he directed, leading Draco over to the large, cushioned chair in the corner. Draco did so, opening his legs and resting his elbows on the back. Harry seated himself on the ottoman and, spreading Draco's pale arse cheeks with his hands, blew over the puckered hole, making Draco shiver.
"I love your hole; it's so pink and tiny." Harry leaned in and flattened his tongue to it, feeling Draco shudder and jolt. Harry reached down between Draco's legs and pulled at Draco's stiff cock.
"Harry…" Draco moaned, head bowed.
Harry licked Draco again, then sucked, savouring the taste of Draco's soft flesh. He enjoyed performing this most intimate of acts, and spent a long time at it, loosening Draco until he accepted Harry's tongue inside him.
When Harry glanced to the side, he realised he could see their reflection in the mirror. It looked so decadent…Draco naked and kneeling on the chair, the large swell of his belly hanging down, Harry still clothed and seated behind Draco, face buried between his arse cheeks, jaw moving. He saw that Draco watched their reflection, too, and Harry reached down and undid his own flies, pulling himself out.
Draco groaned, and Harry picked up his wand, pointing it at Draco's hole and casting a lubricating charm. When Draco's hole quivered at the touch of Harry's wand tip, Harry pushed it in a little ways, listening to Draco keen as he watched in the mirror.
Harry fucked Draco a little with the wand tip, listening to Draco whimper and watching him squirm. Finally, Harry couldn't stand it anymore and began stripping off his clothing.
Naked, he looked in the mirror, meeting Draco's eyes before pushing all the way inside of him. Draco moaned and pushed back.
They were loud in their coupling. Draco had to plant his feet on the floor in order for Harry to be able to thrust properly, but once Harry set a rhythm, they were lost, grunting and crying out their pleasure. The chair scooted back inch by inch until it hit the wall, and Draco came all over its cushions long before Harry finished inside him.
Exhausted, they fell into bed.
"Think you might go into labour?" Harry asked, curling up behind Draco and pulling him close.
"I hope not; I'm too knackered to have a baby right now," Draco answered sleepily. Harry pressed a kiss to Draco's shoulder.
When Harry awoke sometime later, it was dark, but his body was aligned with Draco's back, and it was easy to slip his hardening cock inside Draco's arse, still wet with Harry's earlier release.
Lifting Draco's leg up and over Harry's hip, Harry fucked Draco slowly.
"Harry, gods, what time is it?" Draco murmured, coming alive under Harry's hands.
"Don't know; don't care," Harry groaned, speeding up a little.
Draco gasped, and Harry reached down to pump him in his hand.
In the early morning hours, Draco rode Harry, bouncing more vigorously than Harry thought him able, their skin slapping together loudly in the quiet room, Draco's hair falling about his shoulders.
"I love you," Harry said, watching Draco come apart.
"I love you," Draco whispered later into Harry's ear as Harry slipped back into sleep.
OOO
"Fuck, I'm sore," Draco complained the following afternoon. He stared dolefully at his round belly.
"Are you ever coming out of there, child?"
It wasn't for lack of trying. Harry lay sprawled on the parlour floor at Draco's feet, salty taste of cum still in his mouth, having just sucked Draco off moments before.
Draco's pants still bunched around his ankles, as he couldn't reach to pull them up.
Lucy hooted at them from her perch. Harry suspected Kreacher had locked himself in his rooms, afraid to come out.
Earlier that morning, they'd gotten a Floo-call from Hermione, her face appearing in the green flames two inches from where Harry had been doing Draco doggy-style on that very rug. It had been horrifically embarrassing, and Harry had shut the Floo afterward for privacy.
"I don't know where I'm getting this stamina from," Harry wiped his face with his arm. "But it's sure to run out soon." He looked over at Draco's flaccid cock and licked his lips.
Draco laughed. "That'll be the day.—Oh!" Draco's tone held more surprise than pain, and Harry lifted his head.
"What is it?"
Draco looked down. "I felt something. Twinge. Different than my normal twinges."
Harry sat up and helped Draco get his pants back in place.
"O-oh…" Draco doubled up a little. "That one hurt."
Harry stared. "Maybe it's time?" He glanced at the packed bag by the Floo.
Draco doubled over. "Shit!"
"Okay, okay, let me get your robes…" Harry scrambled up the steps. When he came back down, he missed a step and almost slipped to the bottom. Draco leaned against the wall, breathing hard and clutching his middle.
"Don't break your neck," Draco admonished. He winced. "Fuck! Harry, this is coming on fast"
"Okay, okay, everything's fine. Let's get you to St Mungo's." Harry grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled a note to Draco's parents, attaching it to Lucy's leg and letting her out the window. He opened the Floo and helped Draco into his robes, then sent him ahead to St Mungo's, following quickly behind.
Healer Filbert arrived at the hospital quickly, and Harry felt relief just seeing her stern face.
"Hello, darling," she greeted Draco, "are we ready to have that baby? It's about time, isn't it?"
Draco nodded, allowing her to ease him into a wheelchair.
"Harry, don't leave," Draco said, reaching out for Harry's hand.
"I'm not leaving," Harry assured him, squeezing Draco's long fingers. "I've owled for your parents, and I'll be with you the whole time." He leaned down and kissed Draco's forehead.
"He's so hot," Harry told Healer Filbert, worry creasing his brow. "Why would he have a fever?"
"Male pregnancies aren't the same as female," Healer Filbert told him. "His body is treating labour a bit like a disease it needs to fight off. He'll be right as rain as soon as we get the baby out of him." She pushed Draco's chair down the hall, Harry walking beside it.
As they prepped Draco, Draco's fever grew worse and he became delirious, calling out for Harry numerous times even though Harry kept assuring him he was right there. Harry's stomach tied in knots, and more than once after the procedure started, he thought he might pass out.
It didn't take long to extract the baby from Draco's body, although Harry might have believed it had been hours. The medi-team continued to work on Draco as another group took the baby to a station and began cleaning it up. Harry's eyes followed them before darting back to Draco, who was only semi-conscious, his eyes slits and his face pale.
Harry jumped, startled, when Healer Filbert's voice suddenly rose in agitation. An alarm sounded, and someone pushed Harry back. A medi-wizard Harry didn't know burst through the double doors, a myriad of spells filling the air above Draco's bed.
Harry's heart pounded in his chest, fear overcoming him. Something was wrong. He forgot about the baby and everything else as terror at losing his husband consumed him.
When calm finally fell over the room and everyone stepped back, Harry stood clutching one of the hanging curtains in a tight grip.
"What happened?" he asked a relieved-looking Healer Filbert.
"Unforeseen complication—a lot of bleeding and a weakening of the magical core," she explained. "Harry, this is Healer Brown, a specialist in magical core. He was on stand-by just in case." She indicated the medi-wizard who had rushed in when the alarm sounded.
Healer Brown, a burly man with bushy gray hair, shook Harry's hand. "Your husband is very weak and needs his rest. He's lucky to be alive."
"Will he be all right?" Harry asked. He realized he was wringing his hands and tucked them under his arms.
"I'm hopeful. The next few hours will tell. He's stable now."
Harry's heart dropped.
"Mr Potter?" a nurse touched his shoulder. "Would you like to hold your daughter?"
Harry's breath caught in his throat as he turned to look at the bundle in her arms.
"Y-yes. Yes, please."
The nurse placed the baby carefully in Harry's arms, showing him how to support her head, and Harry stared down at the tiny face capped with downy white hair.
"She's beautiful," Harry whispered, blinking back tears.
An hour later, Harry sat with Hermione and Blaise by the windows in a private room as Narcissa and Lucius sat by Draco's bed. Hermione held Carina, cooing at her softly.
"You want me to get you something to eat, Harry?" Blaise offered.
"What?" Harry blinked, looking at him. "Uh, no, thanks. Ron's bringing something." He went back to staring at Draco, who still hadn't awakened. Narcissa held her son's hand, talking softly to him.
The door opened and Ron and Luna appeared, bags of food in their hands. Ron carried them over to the table in the center of the room and began unpacking them.
"We brought a veritable feast," he announced. "Come and get it." Everyone slowly approached and began sifting through the sandwiches.
Luna walked over to the bed to gaze down at Draco, and Harry joined her. "His body's very tired," she said softly.
"I'm so worried about him," Harry told her, voice breaking, and Luna wrapped her arms around him.
"You're bonded. You should touch him, Harry."
"Do you think it will help?" Harry wiped the tears from his face.
Luna nodded. "I really do. But eat first; you need your strength. And introduce me to your new daughter."
The meal was solemn, although everyone praised and passed around the baby.
"She looks a bit like my mother's baby pictures," Narcissa commented, tilting her head to the side.
"Your mother looked like a wizened old apple," Lucius retorted, and Narcissa smacked him on the arm.
"Lucius! What a thing to say."
"It's the truth. Carina is much prettier than your mother ever was."
"I wonder what colour her eyes will be," Hermione interrupted, hiding a smile.
"I hope they're green like Harry's," Luna replied.
Harry could only eat half his sandwich, and when he was finished, he went to sit beside Draco, taking his hand in his and squeezing it.
"Come on, Draco, wake up. You need to look at our beautiful baby girl." Bringing Draco's hand to his lips, he kissed the knuckles and then the palm.
"Harry," Hermione called to him softly, "perhaps you should climb up and stretch out beside him. The physical touch of the bond could only help."
Luna nodded in agreement.
Harry slipped off his shoes and pulled off his jumper before climbing onto the narrow hospital bed, stretching out beside Draco, lying on his side so that the front of his body pressed against Draco's side.
Leaning his head against Draco's he whispered in his ear, "Draco, I can't do this without you. Open your eyes. Please."
When this brought no response, Harry nuzzled Draco's ear and sighed.
One by one, family and friends left to give them some privacy. The baby slept in her bassinet beside the bed, peacefully sucking her thumb. Harry drifted for a while, and when he awoke, rose on one arm and gazed down at Draco, who looked to be sleeping peacefully himself.
"Looking back, I think I've always been drawn to you," Harry said. "I know we fought, but there was always an energy there. It couldn't be denied. Wake up, Draco. I need you."
Draco's lashes fluttered, and Harry's heart skipped a beat. "Draco?"
When Draco's grey eyes opened and looked up at Harry, Harry never felt more relieved in his life. Or happier. He knew his smile must be about to split his face. "Hi."
Draco smiled weakly, tried to move, and groaned.
"Easy, now. You're going to be sore for a while. I need to get the Healer." Harry leaned over and pushed the button for the nurse.
When she appeared at the door, Harry said, "My husband's awake. Could you please get a Healer in here?"
Now that Draco had delivered, Healer Filbert had turned Draco's case over to Healer Brown, the specialist in magical cores. He breezed in seconds later.
"Ah, Mr Malfoy-Potter, you're awake! Excellent news." He began poking and prodding Draco while Harry sat on the edge of the bed.
Healer Brown cast a few spells and watched the colours change above Draco's body, a quill busy writing on a chart floating in midair as he listed off numbers and various inexplicable medical terms that Harry didn't understand.
"Everything looks good, Mr Malfoy-Potter. The anomaly that occurred during the birth seems to have corrected itself naturally, and you should be on your feet again in a few days. I don't necessarily expect it to happen in subsequent pregnancies—it was just one of those things. I'll check on you again tomorrow, and now you gentlemen can concentrate on your new bundle of joy!" He smiled and left them alone.
Draco turned his head. "The baby…"
"It's a girl!" Harry told him, lifting Carina out of the bassinet and bringing her over to lie in Draco's arms. "Isn't she beautiful? She looks just like you."
Draco stared down at her. "No, she doesn't. She looks like you, Harry."
"Do you think so?" Harry was inordinately pleased. Draco nodded slowly.
"She's gorgeous. Hello, princess," he touched her tiny fist with one of his fingers. "I can't believe she's really here. What about her middle name?" Draco looked up at Harry, hair falling into his eyes.
Harry sat on the edge of the bed and reached over to smooth the blond strands back. "Well, we could use your mother's name."
"Or yours," Draco said quickly.
"We could use both."
Draco looked down at the baby. "Carina Lily Narcissa Malfoy-Potter. What a mouthful."
"I tell you what," Harry said. "Why don't we save my mother's name for the next one? I'd like to have a lot of kids."
Draco stared at him. "Fuck, Harry, let me get out of the hospital bed before you start talking about the next one, all right?"
Harry chuckled. "Okay. It's a deal."
"Draco," Harry asked after the nurse had brought in a bottle and they'd fed Carina. She wiggled in Harry's arms before letting out a gigantic burp that made both of her fathers laugh.
"Hm?"
"I've wanted to ask you what you think about maybe buying a house out in the country."
Draco looked surprised. "Sell Grimmauld Place?"
"No, I don't want to sell it, because Sirius gave it to me. But I'm not sure if I want to live there. Sometimes I get the feeling you're uncomfortable there. Are you?"
Draco looked away. "A little. I don't have very happy memories of the place. My Auntie Walburga was rather mean."
"I see. Well, then maybe you'd like to move? We can pick a place out together, with plenty of room and a nice yard. Maybe we can even have a horse or two."
Draco smiled at that. "I'd like that, Harry."
"Good, then. That's what we'll do." He swaddled the baby in her blanket the way Narcissa had shown him and set her in the bassinet. Lying beside Draco again, he wrapped his arms around him. "And then perhaps we'll have a wedding."
Draco started. "A wedding? Why?"
"Because I want to be properly married to you, silly." Harry tilted Draco's chin so he had to look at him. "I love you, you know. We have a marriage bond, but a wedding with all our family and friends would be really nice. Besides, I want them all to know that what we have is the real thing."
Draco looked up at Harry with adoring eyes. "You're such a romantic, Harry Potter. It sounds perfect."
They sealed it with a kiss.
~finis~