Stress. It had been stress that had made Draco collapse. At least, that's what Hermione had said was probably the cause. At first, the witch recommended bed rest for two weeks, then she said it would have to be until the end of the pregnancy, which the blonde wasn't taking so well.
"She said any physical activity wouldn't harm the babies, so why am I supposed to sit on my arse all day, huh?" the blonde whined for the thousandth time that morning. Harry rolled his eyes.
"It's dangerous for you, and you're equally as important. Why would you want to get up anyway? I can bring you anything you want. Just use the mind link to tell me," the brunette said, gesturing at all the magazines, food, and books that the blonde had made Harry bring up to his room during the past two weeks so Draco wouldn't get bored while Harry was at work. The blonde huffed.
"The boss said he'd replace me after two weeks. I was kind of hoping to go back today," the blonde murmured, playing with the bedsheets and looking away from Harry. The brunette fought the urge to ask if Draco was crazy.
"Why would you want to go back there?" he asked with what he hoped was a casual tone. Draco's head snapped up at that.
"Did you really expect me to quit because of one customer?"
Harry shook his head, but deep down, he wanted to scream "yes!" Of course, he had thought that. A few months earlier, the blonde couldn't even step foot outside the house. He broke down whenever he was forced to interact with another person. After what that customer had said to Draco, the brunette had expected the blonde to regress and want to stay in his room, not complain about being unable to go to work.
"This just feels like a huge step back," the blonde said with a sad tone.
"It's the thought that counts, right? At least you're not...uncomfortable with going out anymore," Harry said cheerfully, trying to get Draco to smile. He didn't need to pretend to be happy. The blonde hated his job. Harry could sense that without Draco saying anything. During every shift that Draco had, the brunette always felt paranoia, panic, and anxiety radiating from Draco's end of the bond. The blonde was clearly pushing himself too hard because he wanted to get better before the birth. Harry wasn't an expert or anything, but he was pretty sure that recovering from such illnesses couldn't be sped through. The brunette really really didn't want the blonde to go back to the cafe again.
"That just sounds like a lousy excuse not to go outside. I am still uncomfortable with it. That's the problem. That's the whole point of me doing this, isn't it? I need to be able to walk out the door without having to take three deep breaths and chant that everything is going to be alright. I mean, if I can't even go to a job where I have to talk to a couple of strangers whose opinions I couldn't care less about, how am I ever supposed to go out in the wizarding world and f-face them w-when they all know-?"
"You don't have to!" Harry said hurriedly, trying to calm the blonde down. Draco was breathing too rapidly and the stress monitor that Hermione had given them was beeping loudly.
How could you say that?
You know why I'm doing this, Harry.
You know how important this is to me.
The brunette nodded, already reaching for a vial of calming draught. The blonde reached out and stopped him from grasping the potion, shaking his head at Harry.
"I don't need it," he said firmly.
"Draco, the monitor-"
"Screw the monitor!" the blonde snapped, yanking the bracelet off his wrist and throwing it across the room, "who cares about that when you don't even believe in me?"
"I do believe in you! I believe you can achieve anything you want but within reason! This-it's like wanting to sprout a second head, Draco. I am not sure how supportive I can be, especially when I see how badly it's hurting you," Harry said, gesturing at the now shattered monitor, "I know you want to get better by the time the babies are here, but...would it be so bad if you didn't? It's not like you'll suddenly stop being able to go outside, then."
The blonde sighed.
"I-if I stay, I want to spoil them. I want them to have everything they could possibly want. I want to buy them magical diapers that will alert me when they're full so the babies won't be uncomfortable. I want the best and safest toys out there. How can I get them any of that if I can't even look a single wizard or witch in the eye?"
"What if you don't need to? There are plenty of great things in the muggle world and it'll be easier for you, here, won't it?" Harry asked, hoping with all his heart that Draco would just consider the suggestion already.
"So, you want to bind their magic? I'm not sure that's such a good idea," the blonde said quietly, clearly uncomfortable with the idea.
"We won't have to. We can still take them to Hogwarts and teach them about wizardry, but..we don't have to be in the wizarding community to do that. Hermione is muggle born and she was top of her class..." the brunette started, glad that the blonde didn't immediately dismiss the suggestion.
"I'll think about it, Harry," the blonde said, interrupting the brunette. He didn't like what Harry was saying one bit. There wasn't anything wrong with raising them in the muggle world, but it would be for Draco , not for the children. This was their first decision together as a family and they were making it based on his needs and accommodations, when they should be thinking about what's best for the babies. He couldn't help but feel guilty.
Maybe it's actually better to raise them in the muggle world...
I'll have to research this...
"If not, then we'll go with the original plan. You can have them here in the wizarding world half the time, and I'll have them the other half in the muggle world," the blonde said, though the thought put a damper on his mood.
"I really don't want to live apart," Harry murmured, then looked Draco in the eye.
I might've done something...
Something that might make you upset...
What is it?
I went to Mcgonagall.
And asked her about the available potions teaching position.
They were both silent for a split-second before Draco spoke, wide-eyed.
"Harry-that's...I can't do that-" the blonde said, unable to believe that he even needed to say that. He thought that Harry understood everything. How could the brunette think he could really teach a room full of students? Was he that stupid? Did he not get what Draco was going through at all?
I know. I know.
The thing is....it's not really a teaching position.
Slughorn is still teaching all the classes.
But it's a lot for him and he hasn't been able to provide the potions' supply that Poppy needs.
I thought maybe, you'd be interested in that?
No one would have to see you except for Slughorn since you'll be using his lab, but, even then, he won't be around you a lot.
What do you think?
"What about the kids?" Draco asked skeptically. Harry hurried to reassure him.
"We'd still raise them together. Only, instead of you being in the muggle world, you'll be at Hogwarts. You'll be able to come through the floo to Grimmauld Place and live here. You won't actually have to stay at the school," the brunette said.
"It sounds like it's too good to be true-" the blonde started, narrowing his eyes at the brunette. Something wasn't right about Harry's posture and the way he was describing the job. He was hiding something. Draco was sure of it.
"It isn't. It's just you're still forbidden from practicing any kind of magic, including making potions," Harry said with a careful tone, "but, I thought we could...ask for a pardon."
Draco's mind went blank for a couple of seconds at the suggestion and the brunette must've taken this to mean that the blonde didn't know what a pardon was, because, next thing Draco knew, Harry was explaining it.
"It's a request we make with the Head Auror. It's completely private. No one will see us except the people around when we walk into his office, obviously. There wouldn't be a trial. Criminals do it when there's a need for them to be in the wizarding world, like when they're pregnant. Anyways, I would sign off on it, and, if we get it, no one will ever speak a single word about your role in the war again or treat you badly because of it. They'd be forbidden from doing so. If they do, it would be like a crime, you know? And-"
Harry spoke quietly and pleadingly, looking the blonde in the eye.
"I know what a pardon is," Draco said, realizing Harry would probably talk forever if he didn't interrupt him, "And I'll do it. I know I said this first job was just a trial to see if I can do it, but I want to stay-"
The blonde had barely started speaking when the brunette threw his arms around Draco and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you," Harry choked out, and Draco wondered when he had gotten so emotional, "I know it'll be difficult to go there, but it'll be worth it. I swear it. This is going to make everything perfect. I know it. We're going to be so happy after, you'll forget about the trip there altogether. I'm going to make you breakfast every day and shower you with presents and- and give you everything you want, really. I've been wanting this for so long, wanting you for so long. You have no idea how amazing it is to hear those words from you, how amazing you are for doing this. I- I love you so much, Draco."
"I love you too, sap," Draco said, adding the last word when the conversation got too mushy for his liking. "I'm still blaming you if this all goes to hell."
The brunette laughed at that.
"I'll happily handle your bitching."