Harry Potter:Bonds of Hope

Chapter 5: Visitors

Harry woke to the sound of Draco crying. He smiled slightly as he saw Severus talking gently to their son in his arms as he got ready to change his nappy.

He winced though as a sharp pain went through his head for all of a second before a gentle caress of magic soothed it away. He smiled again as he saw Severus' worried eyes glance at him for a second before he went back to changing Draco's nappy.

"Are you okay?" Severus asked, a worried tilt to his voice.

"Yeah, just a little bit of a headache. Nothing to worry about," Harry slowly sat up, a hand on his sore stomach.

"Your stomach still hurts," it wasn't a question.

"Yeah, though I heard Aunt Petunia talking to a neighbour who had a C-section once and she said that her recovery was a long one due to the scar and the way your skin and organs are moved during the procedure. Plus there is… well, everything else to consider. But I am fine. I've had worse," Harry said, looking at his family with a small smile on his face.

"Here's a pain reliever, Master Harry," Dobby said as he hopped onto the bed next to Harry, a potion bottle in hand.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry smiled and breathed a sigh of relief as he drank the potion and felt the effects.

"I wills go make breakfast,"

"Thank you," Harry said and Dobby popped over to the small kitchenette in the corner of their room to work his magic.

Severus sat next to Harry with Draco in his arms and Harry turned his attention to them, seeing that although Draco was no longer crying he was clearly hungry as he was stuffing his tiny fist in his mouth and sucking it. Harry smiled slightly as he gently took the baby in his arms and guided the soft head to his nipple, gently removing the fist from the baby's mouth beforehand.

"You shouldn't have had worse," Severus whispered and Harry turned his attention to the man next to him, his fingers gently stroking Draco's head.

"I know. And neither should you or Draco have had worse. But we have each other now. And we will be okay, eventually. We will be safe,"

"Eventually," Severus said, a small smile on his face.

They both knew that they weren't safe, yet, but they would be. They would make sure of it. The sooner the better, of course, but they knew who it was they would have to fight.

It would take time, but they were prepared to do whatever it took.

For their family.

Harry didn't know how he knew that Severus was thinking similarly to him, but he knew. He assumed it was part of the bond, to know, somewhat, what the other was thinking and feeling.

There was a knock on the door and Severus looked at Harry for confirmation before calling them in.

Healer Greyclaw entered with a bright smile on her face, walking over to Harry to check him and Draco over.

"How are you feeling, Harry?"

"Fine, I woke up with a sharp pain in my head, it only lasted a second though. And my stomach was sore, but I took a pain reliever and it is fine now. How are you?"

"I am fine. How are you, Severus?"

"I am fine, thank you,"

"And how is Draco this morning?"

"He is good, thank you," Harry said, smiling as Draco let go of his nipple, clearly done with his meal, and he moved him, smiling bright as Severus placed a cloth on his shoulder, so that he could burp his son.

"I am just going to run some scans on you all to make sure you are all okay. Then you have some visitors who would like to spend some time with you all if that is okay with you both?"

Harry and Severus froze.

"Who?" Harry asked.

"Your Weasley twins, and Heir Longbottom,"

Harry breathed a sigh of relief and was surprised when he saw Severus do the same.

"They can come in when you have done your scans," Severus said, his lips twitching slightly as he spoke.

"Of course,"

When Draco was burped and Harry placed him on the bed, Healer Greyclaw performed her scans.

"You are healing well, Harry. Your stomach will be sore for a little while, however, due to the procedure. However the scar is healing and your insides are healing well also. We will keep you here until you are fully healed, and the bond has settled, however as we want you to be in tip top shape for what is to come when you go back to the school. If you want to go back to the school that is. Severus, you are doing well. The bond and your magic are still trying to settle, however I don't see it lasting any longer than a month at the very most,

"Draco is okay. His lungs will improve, however I do see that they seem to be causing some minor strain. It might be worth helping him out with some extra oxygen for a few hours or so a day, so that his magic and the bond has time to settle in him without being expended in helping him to breathe. It is up to you both, of course, but it might help to make sure there are no major attacks or anything whilst he is developing and his magic is settling,"

"Is he in pain?" Harry asked, pain twinging in his heart at the thought of his son in any kind of pain or anything.

"No, his magic is protecting him from any pain or difficulties he may have, however it is strained. Between healing him, trying to settle the bond, and helping him to adjust from being in you, to suddenly not being in you. It is a lot for him, and I would rather he be fed extra oxygen for a few hours a day to help his magic with what it needs to do, than for him to have moments where he can't breathe and it will hurt him because his magic won't be able to protect him from it during that time,"

"Okay, we can give him oxygen. I can't bear to see him having an attack again," Harry said, taking his son into his arms and holding him close as Healer Greyclaw nodded and Dobby brought the oxygen tank over to them and helped to set it up.

It hurt Harry to see Draco with an oxygen mask on his tiny face, he could tell it hurt Severus also. But it was better than waiting for their son to have an attack.

"Right, if you need anything just send Dobby to find me, I will be back in a few hours, and I shall send your friends in also," Healer Greyclaw said, they nodded and she kissed Harry's forehead before leaving.

Shortly after she left the twins and Neville entered the room, but Harry's eyes were focussed on his son. He could feel the nervous energy from the trio at the door, however.

"You can come closer, you three. You are more than welcome," Harry said gently, finally breaking his gaze from the mask that covered the tiny face of the boy in his arms and smiling at his true friends.

The three smiled at them and walked slowly towards the bed, sitting at the other end of it as Dobby brought over trays of food and plates to eat them off.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry said kindly, "You are more than welcome to join us for the meal you prepared for us,"

"Thanks you, Master Harry,"

Dobby hopped onto the bed and they all took food for themselves, although Severus filled Harry's plate and passed him a fork to eat with.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Neville asked, his awed eyes looking at Draco.

"Fine, other than some soreness in the stomach that is helped with pain relievers. How are you all?"

"We are fine, Harry," Fred said.

"Although in a state of shock," George continued.

"Because you have had,"

"A baby,"

"Who just so happens,"

"To be Draco Malfoy,"

"Actually, he is no longer Draco Malfoy, he is now Draco Severus Potter-Prince," Severus said, a small smile on his face.

"Why is he wearing an oxygen mask? Is he okay?" Neville asked, concerned.

"He will be. But he was premature, and his lungs aren't fully developed. And his magic is helping him, but his magic is also trying to settle with the bond, and heal him, and such, and it is causing some strain. So he will be wearing the mask for a few hours to try and help his magic out and hopefully it won't lead to another attack," Harry explained, looking back down at his son.

"How is it that you all know what happened already anyhow?" Severus asked curiously.

"Oh, you know. Dumbles told Ron, Hermione and Ginny and, of course, they aren't happy about it. Ron went on a rampage in the middle of the Great Hall, so the whole school knows that you three went through the Bonds of Hope ritual. Thankfully, though, the purebloods all told everyone else about what that meant and so most people are on your side and are pranking the trio for talking bad about you all," Neville said and Harry was rather shocked that he was talking so much considering that Severus was in the room.

"What about the other professors?" Severus asked, his face wore a thoughtful expression.

"Most of them are supportive of it, understanding, finally, what this means for all of your home lives and such. However, Dumbledore is incensed, keeps muttering about Draco, and Harry, and you sometimes, sir. Moody is acting… strange, he also keeps muttering things but we haven't been able to catch any of it. He's a nutter anyway. Trelawney keeps saying how she saw it coming. And that's about it, to be honest,"

"And how do you three feel about it?" Harry asked, curious.

"We are shocked," Fred said.

"But we support you,"

"As always,"

"And, as weird as it is to say, you two have both been like parents to us since we met," Neville said, which shocked Harry to the core, "I know you don't know Harry, but Severus has been helping the twins and I, as well as Luna, a lot in private with things. He wanted to bring you in also but Dumbledore made him swear a vow to never tell you anything about his side in the war. Obviously, with the bond, he can now do so. But he couldn't bring you into the group,"

Harry looked at Severus, shocked, though he smiled when he saw a pale blush dusting the pale cheeks.

"But yeah, you two, have kind of become parental figures for the four of us, with how you look after us and help us. With how you help us heal from what happens to us. We know that you will both be amazing parents, and that you all deserve this bond. And we will be here to help and support you both all the way. Luna would be here now but she is keeping an eye on things for us. She will be coming in a few days, however,"

"You actually think of me, someone who is younger than you, as a parental figure?" Harry said in shock.

"You are only a day younger than me, Harry," Neville chuckled.

"Of course we do," Fred said.

"You can tell us apart," George said.

"So can Severus,"

"When even our actual parents can't,"

"You look after us,"

"When we are hurt or ill,"

"You don't bully us,"

"Or belittle us,"

"Or our dreams,"

"You feed us food that is,"

"Better than mum's,"

"You both do what parents are meant to do," Neville said, "Things that we have all missed out on, for whatever reason. You fight for us. You make us believe in ourselves. You help us with everything. You support us. You are natural parents. And we love you,"

Harry hated that he felt tears in his eyes, but he couldn't help it. Not with all the extra and different hormones flooding his system.

"Draco's a lucky boy," George said gently.

Harry couldn't stop the tear that trailed down his cheek.

He hoped that Draco was a lucky boy.

He hoped he could be a good mother.

He hoped that everything would be alright.