𝐇𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐃!

Chapter 7

"I'd like to see Malfoy transfigure anything these days," Harry heard Zacharias Smith mutter to Ernie Macmillan just outside of the Transfiguration classroom, while they all headed inside before the lesson. "I heard being pregnant's really messed with his magic."

Harry slowed, and could feel Ron tense beside him. "Care to say that any louder, Smith?" Ron asked, turning abruptly so that his Prefect badge was visible. His shoulder bumped against Harry; Harry gripped his wand and took a moment to steady himself.

Zachary scowled at them. "Just saying what I've heard," he said defiantly.

"Maybe you shouldn't be running your mouth when you don't know what you're talking about," Harry suggested. It wasn't even a fair attack on Zacharias's part; Malfoy wasn't on the Auror track for his NEWTs and wasn't taking Transfiguration. Harry just felt frustrated on Malfoy's behalf.

Zacharias ignored him. "Is it true he'll have to sit out the rest of the term?" he demanded.

"I assure you, Mr. Smith," Professor McGonagall said, appearing at the doorway with folded arms, "that none of our students will have to leave Hogwarts for the duration of the school year. Now, if you'll kindly step inside?" She gestured into the classroom, and Harry didn't attempt to hide his relief as he crept around her to enter.

McGonagall put her observant eyes to good use during the lesson, halting all attempts at whispering and gossip between the students around Harry. When students began communicating by flashing their buttons in some sort of Morse code, she became far more aggravated. By the end of class she had confiscated an impressive stack of buttons to decorate the surface of her desk.

"Mr. Potter," she called, as Harry gathered his things to leave, "if you would please stay after class? I'd like to have a word with you."

Harry half-expected that he would be meeting with professors a great deal more often now that Malfoy was entering the final trimester of pregnancy, but he had been dreading it all the same. There were too many questions he knew he would be asked, and he didn't have answers to any of them. He waited until the classroom was empty before leaving his bag behind and approaching her desk. "Yes, Professor?"

"Come with me," she said briskly, coming out from behind her desk and passing him to head for the doors. "We're going to see Professor Dumbledore."

~*~

"Harry," Dumbledore eyed Harry carefully over the rims of his glasses. "Professor Snape informs me," he said, as if it were a casual matter of interest, "that Draco has decided to keep the child he is carrying. I assume you were aware of this?"

Harry looked down, feeling vaguely guilty for not having gone to either professor immediately with the information. Of course the decision would affect Malfoy more directly, and of course he would take the issue to the Head of his House first. Harry simply hadn't thought about it. And it was really Malfoy's place to tell others, Harry reasoned, since it had been Malfoy's decision. "Yes, Professor," he admitted.

"Have you given any thought," Dumbledore went on, approaching Harry from behind his desk, "to what you plan to do after the baby is born?

Harry wished yet again that he and Malfoy hadn't spent the past several days avoiding one another, or at least that this conversation didn't have to take place until next week. "No, sir," he mumbled. "We haven't-- we haven't really had much of a chance to talk about it yet--"