Harry Potter:Bonds of Hope

Chapter Two: Complications

TW: mentions of rape

Of course, Harry's body started with the potential complications as soon as they apparated to the bank. He clutched his stomach, gasping in pain as he collapsed to the floor, Snape, who was still holding Draco, kneeled down next to him with a worried look in his eyes.

"P-Harry, are you okay?"

"Don't think so," he muttered, groaning as he felt his birth canal start to open, slowly as well as the contraction that was still filling his flat stomach.

Harry sighed with relief when the contraction ended and the opening stopped for the moment.

"Griphook, I think we need a healer, like now," he said, his voice and breathing shaking with nerves.

"Of course, Harry," Griphook said with worry in his eyes, "What seems to be happening?"

"Pretty sure I just went into labour. Which I am also pretty sure is impossible considering Draco is no longer in me," he muttered the last bit but felt warm at the worry in everyone's eyes. He wasn't used to having so many people genuinely care about him, even though he became friends with the goblins last summer and they have been looking after him since. He figured that not being loved or cared for for twelve years meant that it would take a long time for him to get used to such things.

Griphook walked over to Harry worriedly and helped the young wizard gently onto the double bed in the room Harry stayed in briefly whenever he needed medical attention over the previous two summers.

"Get yourself comfortable, I will get a healer to come and help you and speak to King Ragnok," Griphook said as Harry shakily moved some pillows against the headboard so he could lean back against them and be comfortable.

"Thank you, Griphook,"

Griphook nodded and left the room. Harry smiled when Dobby and Snape sat next to him, Snape sitting against the headboard next to Harry and Dobby sitting at his other side.

"Is Draco okay?" Harry asked Snape, looking at their son worriedly.

"He seems to be, but the healer can check him over so we know for sure,"

Harry nodded before groaning as another contraction ripped through his stomach and he felt his canal start to slowly, torturously open again. He knew from his readings that it wasn't supposed to happen like that, but the whole situation wasn't normal.

Dobby held his hand and Harry smiled slightly through his groan of pain, smiling a bit more when Snape started rubbing his back, he had hunched over slightly so there was a gap between his back and the pillows.

"Master Harry needs to breathe," Dobby said calmly.

"Pretty sure I'm doing that, Dobby," Harry practically growled.

"I means like how you read about in the book," Dobby said, demonstrating the breathing technique for Harry.

Harry tried to breathe like he was shown but it was difficult.

The door opened but Harry ignored it, his mind not really able to focus on anything at that moment.

"Hello again, sweetie," Healer Greyclaw said kindly as she sat in front of Harry on the bed.

Harry smiled at her as he sighed in relief at the end of the contraction.

"Griphook explained briefly what was going on before going to speak to King Ragnok, but I would like you to explain it to me in more detail, please,"

"Everything, or just what is happening now?" Harry asked.

She raised an eyebrow at him as if to tell him it was a stupid question that he already knew the answer to. Which he did.

He sighed, "Well, all week my magic has felt… weird, but especially around Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape. Then last night, I was on my way to detention with Professor Snape and my magic kinda panicked, I guess, and started pulling me to someone. I followed and it led me to Draco who was being raped and hurt by a group of older Slytherin students on the orders of Lucius. My magic exploded, the person raping Draco threw a knife at me before my magic exploded again. I went to comfort Draco, someone threw a cutting spell at us. Professor Snape's magic exploded, we all passed out,

"Then we woke up in the hospital wing, I was in pain because apparently no one gave me any pain-relievers. Draco wasn't there, though, so we panicked. Madame Pomfrey told us that Draco was de-aged to an eight month foetus and implanted in my womb, however Dumbledore told her to do a C-section on me because I have 'been through too much'. He took Draco from us because he wanted to give him back to his original parents, even though he is now biologically and magically mine and Professor Snape's son. She gave Draco back to us. Professor Snape has been de-aged to seventeen, and we are magically and soul bonded. We have all been bonded by the Bonds of Hope. Griphook and Madame Pomfrey argued before we apparated here, where I am pretty sure I have gone into labour despite not being pregnant anymore," Harry rushed everything out because he didn't want to have to speak too much when the next contraction hit, whenever that may be.

"Griphook said you were unconscious when she performed the C-section and you didn't give permission," Harry nodded, "Okay, what are you feeling in terms of contractions? How many have you had? Is anything else happening?"

"I have had two. They hurt a lot. And I am pretty sure my birth canal is also slowly, and very painfully, opening-" he groaned as the next contraction hit and he felt that horribly slow opening that seemed to start burning the more it opened.

"Harry, sweetie, you need to breathe with me, okay? Can you do that?" she said before starting the same breathing technique that Dobby was trying to work him through before.

Harry tried to copy her, he really did, but he was pretty sure that labour wasn't supposed to be this bad this early on. He couldn't stop the tears from leaving his eyes as he leaned towards the motherly healer who wrapped her warm arms around his shoulders and carded her fingers through his hair, whispering soothing things in his ears even as she tried to get him to breathe.

When the contraction ended he sighed in relief again, but he was still burning slightly where his canal was forming.

"Okay, Harry, I need to check you over before I do anything, okay? Can you lay back for me and open your legs so I can check what is going on?"

Harry blushed slightly as he laid back against the mound of pillows he formed and opened his legs, pulling his knees up. She rubbed his knee gently in comfort before looking, gently putting her hand against the slowly forming canal, causing him to hiss.

"It still hurts?"

"Yes, but it only opens during contractions," Harry said.

"Why is he in labour? Is there anything you can do to stop the process?" Snape asked, worried.

"He is in labour because his body is confused. He was very suddenly pregnant, and then very suddenly not pregnant. This can cause confusion. Especially when you start the pregnancy at eight months. At that point in a male bearer pregnancy the birth canal forms, however it isn't meant to be painful or slow. The canal typically forms overnight when a male bearer reaches eight months so that the body is ready for labour to begin as it can happen at any point after that. So had Harry remained pregnant, the canal would have formed painlessly overnight. However, the unwanted and unnecessary C-section at a vital point of the pregnancy has caused havoc in his body, essentially. His canal is forming because it doesn't know it doesn't have to. And he is in labour because he body is still in baby mode and doesn't realise there is no longer a baby in him,

"As for stopping this, there is a very obscure spell that can reverse the process, however no one has been taught it in generations because it hasn't been needed. Everyone was thought to have the knowledge not to do something like this to a male bearer. However, clearly people are becoming incompetent, or someone wanted to cause Harry unnecessary pain. Therefore, I will have to go into the archives to find a book that details this spell and learn it before I can stop the process,"

"Wonderful," Harry muttered.

"Harry, sweetie, you may be more comfortable in water. It will help ease the burning a little, and can help ease contractions also. Would you like to give it a try?" Harry nodded, "Dobby, can you go fill the birthing pool in the adjoining bathroom up with warm water for me, please?"

"Of course," Dobby said before popping into the bathroom.

"Okay, Potions Master Snape, if you would be so kind as to pass me your son so I can check him over and make sure there are no complications on his side," Snape hesitated for a couple of seconds before gently passing Draco over to her.

She laid Draco on the bed and waved her wand over him.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked nervously as he saw the looks of danger pass over her face.

"He will be," she growled, "To think she told Griphook you were both perfectly fine," she shook her head, "He is underweight for his gestation. Not terribly so as he seems to be relatively healthy, but we will have to keep an eye on his weight to make sure he is growing well. He currently weighs about four and a half pounds. Which is about two pounds smaller than the average at his gestation. He is almost fully developed, his lungs still need some developing, hence why he is breathing a bit heavily, but being close to you two, and being fed, will help. We will keep an eye on him to make sure all is okay, and if he needs it at any point we can give him some extra oxygen,

"His magic is rather erratic at the moment. This would be due to the length of time he was away from you both. Most especially you, Harry. When a male bearer has a child they need skin-to-skin contact a lot after the child is born to help stabilise their magic, they also just need to be in the same room as the parents for a while to help stabilise themselves and help with their health and such. Since you weren't even in the same room for however long his magic hasn't had the chance to stabilise all that much. It will get better with time, but this time apart from you both could lead to his magic taking longer to calm, or to slower development. We will keep an eye on him, though. Hopefully it wasn't too long that you were away from each other, but even just a couple of hours can lead to negative effects,"

"Well, the Bond happened last night and we didn't wake up until this morning. We would have to ask Poppy how long we were separated," Snape said, an angry tilt to his voice.

Harry just nodded, not knowing what to say, and he could feel another contraction building up so he didn't want to say anything, even as he started groaning. Snape held his hand and Harry squeezed it through the pain, even as he tried to breathe.

Healer Greyclaw waved her wand over Harry to check him over also but didn't say anything until the contraction was finally over and Harry sunk back into the pillows, breathing shakily.

"Your magic is also rather erratic, again caused by the separation from Draco so shortly after his birth. When we get you situated in the pool we can allow you both some skin to skin contact which will help to start to stabilise both your magics, and might just help your body calm down on the contractions, though there is no guarantee. I am going to transfigure your gown into some shorts to make the contact easier, and Draco's onesie into shorts. Is that okay?" Harry nodded, not really having much energy.

Dobby popped back into the room as Healer Greyclaw finished transfiguring their clothes into waterproof shorts.

"Potions Master Snape, it would also help their magic if you were in the pool with them. Would you like to? I can transfigure your clothes into shorts also?"

"Would you like me to, Harry?" Snape asked kindly, worry still lingering in his eyes.

"Y-yes," Harry said, he knew he needed it. He needed Snape to help him with the pain, and to help them both with their magic. Harry could feel that his magic wasn't steady, that it wasn't working right.

Snape, when his robes were transfigured into black waterproof shorts, helped Harry into the bathroom and into the round birthing pool that was built into the floor. It wasn't deep, only slightly deeper than a regular muggle bath. The bottom of the pool seemed to be covered in cushioning charms.

Harry slowly kneeled on the floor of the pool, Snape guiding him whilst also kneeling down in front of him. The water felt rather nice; it was warm and the petals of lavender and chamomile floating at the top made it rather relaxing.

Healer Greyclaw, who was standing at the edge of the pool holding Draco, gently passed Draco to Snape, once Harry and Snape were both settled into a comfortable position. Snape then placed their son in Harry's arms. Harry held his son against his chest and breathed in the warmth, and love, and comfort that flowed through the air from his son, and soulmate, and himself.

That was until another contraction raced through his body anyway. The pain was slightly better, but not much. The burning was also eased slightly as Healer Greyclaw subtly transfigured his shorts so that it was just a sheet covering him, meaning the water could get to where the canal was and ease the burn. But again, it wasn't much better.

"Right, I am going to find that book. Potions Master Snape, make sure he is doing his breathing exercises through contractions, and just help him with what he needs, whether it be comfort, or anything. Dobby, keep an eye on things. Make sure Harry drinks and eats. There are some cupboards in the bedroom with drinks and snacks in them, take what he needs or wants. If Draco needs any help with breathing at any point there is a device in the corner of this room that you can drag carefully over to the pool, put the little mask over his nose and press some of your magic into it. If you need me or another healer then there is a button next to the door you can press for assistance. I will be as quick as I can,"

They all nod and she leaves after saying her goodbyes.

"Does you need anything, Master Harry?" Dobby asked.

"Erm, water maybe, please?"

Dobby nodded and popped away, only to appear a moment later with a glass of cool water that had a straw in it. Dobby held it as Harry drank from it greedily, his throat a tad sore and the water helping to soothe the pain there.

"Thank you," Harry said as he finished.

"So, how are you feeling?" Snape asked rather awkwardly.

"Like I'm being torn apart. Though the water is helping marginally, and being close to you and Draco," Harry said, "Are… Are you okay with this?" Harry was nervous, he didn't want to force Snape into anything. He never seemed the type to want a family, but Harry knew that people wore masks, especially Slytherins.

"I mean, I know I haven't been the best person to you, and there are reasons for that. Reasons which I will share with you soon, once you are no longer in labour. But I have never hated you. And although it is rather… strange, being seventeen again, and being soul bonded to my fourteen year old student… I have always wanted a family, I just haven't had the opportunity to. So this… I know that nothing will really happen between the two of us until you are of age, because I may physically be seventeen but mentally I'm not… But I want to try. I want to try and be a family," Snape said and Harry smiled comfortingly at the man as he realised that there was more he wanted to say, that he was terrified maybe, but he still wanted their family.

Harry grimaced as another contraction ripped through his stomach. Snape wrapped an arm around his shoulders and gently pulled him down so his head was resting on Snape's shoulder. Snape rubbed his lower back gently with one hand whilst carding his fingers through Harry's hair with the other. Harry smiled slightly through his pain, breathing along with Snape as he relished in the comfort he felt in the man's arms.

Draco fidgeted in Harry's arms and let out a gurgled whine as he woke up again. Harry pulled back, sighing in relief, and looked down at the baby with love in his eyes.

"Hey, baby," Harry whispered as he cupped Draco's head and stroked the soft skin gently with his thumb.

It hit Harry, finally, as Draco looked up at him with his gorgeous green eyes, that he was a mother.

He was a mother. 

He was a mother.

He was a mother, and despite his age, and the way it happened, he couldn't help but be happy. A happy tear left his eye as he looked at his son. His son. Merlin, he wished his mother was there, to help and guide him. But he knew he would do everything he could to make sure he was the best mother he could be. He hadn't had a good childhood. He didn't have a mother. But he knew that he would love Draco with all his being, and he would do anything for him. And that is what mattered.

He had a family.

He was a mother.

Hiya, I hope you are all well!

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I hope to update again in the next week or two so keep an eye out. 

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