Fallen Angel

Chapter Nineteen: Fall Apart

Harry grumbled under his breath as he stretched out upon the couch of the Gryffindor common room, all in an attempt to get comfortable. He, Ron, Hermione, and Draco had just finished their final end-of-term exams, while Ginny was in the process of completing her final OWL in charms, and due back to the common room within the hour. Draco and Ron played wizard's chess across the room and Hermione, worried for Harry, finally pushed him up and began to squeeze at the muscles in his back patiently.

"Have you heard from him yet?" Hermione whispered.

Harry shook his head and gritted his teeth, so as to prevent the stream of tears which seemed to plague him for the last several weeks. "No," he replied. Damn hormones, he thought for the umpteenth time since his pregnancy had revealed itself.

"How are you feeling?"

Harry sighed. "Stiff," he admitted, finally pushing himself up. "It's late. I'd better get downstairs to Remus before it sets in."

Hermione nodded, summoning a bottle of Wolfsbane from her secret stash at the bottom of her trunk in the sixth-year girls' dormitory, and handed it over to Harry. "Good luck," she told him, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

Harry forced a smile to his lips. "Thanks," he said. He waved to Ron and Draco as he got to his feet, positioning his bag over his shoulder, and left the common room. On his way to Remus, he ran into Ginny, who hugged him, and told him that her charms exam had gone well, and Harry, in turn, told her that Draco was waiting for her in the common room.

Harry entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom a few moments later, and let himself into Remus's inner office, before he made his way into the man's inner rooms. It was a few hours before the transformation was due to take place, and so Harry found Remus, freshly showered, and sitting beside the fireplace. Although spring had set in over a month ago, Remus always seemed cold right before the transformation, and so he was wrapped up in a series of blankets upon Harry's arrival.

"Oh, Harry," Remus said warmly, "I should've mentioned..."

Harry blinked as the door shut automatically behind him. "Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes," Remus assured him, a smile coming to his lips. "It's just that Sirius agreed to sit with me tonight. You look exhausted, so I think the plan is a good one."

Harry swallowed and shuffled from foot to foot. "He doesn't know, does he?"

Remus shook his head. "I haven't told him, so I don't think so."

"But he knows I'm exhausted..."

"You've just completed your end-of-term exams, Harry," Remus said. "And, given that you're best friends with the best student in your year, it's understandable."

Harry smirked, inviting himself to sit across from Remus, and handed over the bottle of Wolfsbane, and put a hand on his belly. "Well, Hermione's study schedules are murder, although I did opt not to take Divination or Astronomy..."

"Good thing, too," Remus said, taking the bottle. "You wouldn't have needed them, given that I have a distinct idea of what you're good at by now."

Harry sighed, and stiffened for a moment. "Merlin," he muttered.

"Everything all right?"

Harry sighed, sinking deeper into the chair. "She's kicking," he explained.

Remus chuckled at that. "I hear they do that," he replied, turning the potions bottle over and over in his hands. "Tonks and I were speaking earlier..."

Harry looked up, knowing that a discussion involving Remus and Tonks would prove to be a worthy distraction. "Yeah? Everything all right with you guys?"