Second Chances

14. Dark Lord's Consorts, Scans and Blasted Arms

"I'm sorry Harry," Tom sighed as soon as the door was closed.

"Sit down Tom," Harry tugged him lightly until he was seated right next to Harry on the sofa, the younger man then threw his legs over Tom's thighs and made himself comfortable. His fingers absently playing with Tom's in his lap as green eyes looked at Tom intently.

"You have nothing to apologise for Tom, no listen to me!" Harry said firmly when Tom opened his mouth. "You have been busy with things that you could not put off, especially considering the baby is coming soon and I am going to expect you to be there for that. Tom there are going to be times where you are kept busy and away from us for a certain amount of time, it comes with who you are. I know that, and our son will too. Just like I know you will always make time for us and be with us when we need you, that you will be there for the important things, and when you do have the time you will be with us,"

"This is important," Tom muttered looking over all the paint swatches, patterns and wallpapers.

"I know it is, so to make it easier, myself, Lucius and Draco were going through all of these to narrow it down to what I reckon you will like as well as what I like, and what will go with the furniture and all the things that we bought. Then you and I can sit down together and pick, this way we aren't spending hour upon hour making our way through all this," Harry smiled cupping Tom's face tenderly. "Tom, my job is to take the unnecessary things from your plate and leave the things that need your attention the most,"

"I should have thought that this needed doing," Tom still wasn't ready to be soothed clearly so Harry leant forwards and brushed their lips together.

"Tom, its only been three weeks since everything with Bellatrix and that, not to mention all the treaties and followers that have been coming in since the final publication of your story. Its more than understandable that it slipped your mind, it slipped mines until Severus told me that Healer Burns was starting to move in ready for the birth," Harry assured him, combing his fingers through the hair at Tom's temples in the way he knew he loved.

"That's cheating," Tom groaned dropping his head back onto the sofa as he just absorbed the feeling of his Consort's warmth and closeness.

"Dark Lord's Consort," Harry said gaining startled laughter from Tom, who cracked open his red eyes to see the cheeky grin on Harry's lips. "That's better," Harry said with satisfaction, wriggling a little so he could rest his head on Tom's shoulder. Tom wrapped his arm around Harry's waist, though he could only make his way half around it considering the large bump of Harry's stomach that seemed to have increased dramatically in the last two weeks, as though their son was reassuring them that he was perfectly healthy after what had happened. Harry was both pleased and miserable about the increase in size depending on the day. Tom had really not known what to do with himself when Harry had burst into tears one evening because he was fat, only to start flinging curses when Tom assured him he looked gorgeous still instead of telling him he wasn't fat.

"Are you ready for our appointment after lunch?" Tom asked softly after both of them had sat in silence for a while just enjoying the quiet. They knew they should be getting to lunch, but Harry's appetite had been getting smaller as he went passed his eighth month, which Burns had assured them was just the baby taking up more space and pressing against his stomach.

"I can't wait," Harry beamed, automatically looking to the mantle place where a copy of the scan sat framed, Severus's frame and the original scan sitting in the evening living room.

"We can send a copy to the papers this afternoon for the evening addition, it would not do to keep your friends waiting," Tom said, amusement heavy in his tone.

"No, they may just storm the manor in the middle of the night to get to see it. You know, we haven't talked about godparents, the books say that its tradition to have them picked out before the baby is born," Harry hummed.