hapter Seven
Memories flashed by. Unpleasant, those better forgotten. Vernon's drunken breath, his own fear, his thudding heart, his plea of please, no please not this not this not this...
Harry bolted up from bed, his emerald eyes wide and a scream tore from his throat. Voldemort woke up and sat up. Harry convulsed once before the dinner he had eaten came up with a force. The Dark Lord captured his trashing body and held him gently but firmly against his chest.
"Harry?" he asked the teen softly. His wand was already out and he spelled away the remains of the food. Harry whimpered and clutched the man's silken shirt. "Harry, what's wrong?"
"Bad dream," Harry mumbled. "'s nothing."
"You just threw up, love."
"I'm fine," the teen said and opened his eyes. "Just a bad dream."
Voldemort looked into his eyes, saw the fear in them and said:
"What happened?"
"Just something from the past," the raven-haired teen said, snuggling down. "Just help me fall asleep again."
"Harry..."
The teen looked up at the man, saw the worry and concern and whispered:
"I dreamt about Vernon."
Voldemort saw red. His jaws clenched, and at the moment he wanted to go to Privet Drive and rip Vernon's heart out.
"Tom?"
Voldemort looked down at Harry's wide eyes. He realized he was letting his magic out and drew it back in.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "Let's go back to sleep. I want Tessa to check you tomorrow, okay?"
"Okay," the teen whispered.
-o-
Tessa looked at the parchment and then up at the Prince.
"It's okay to throw up sometimes," she reassured. "No harm done, but I would love to see some fat on your bones, my Prince. You are far too thin for being five and a half-month pregnant."
Harry laid his hand over his stomach and the healer sat down.
"Is there a specific reason that you are throwing up more than you should?" she asked.
Harry stiffened. She noticed and said:
"You don't need to tell me in details, but I need this information."
"I have nightmares," the teen replied after a while. "I can't keep the food down sometimes when I wake up after them."
"Nightmares," she said and wrote it down. "I'll talk to Severus and we'll make sure you get what you need, my Prince."
Voldemort stepped into the room and Harry smiled at him. Tessa got up and said:
"Now he's all yours, my lord. Feed him well until I come for the next check-up."
Voldemort nodded and dismissed her. Harry walked up and wrapped his arms around the man. The Dark Lord tilted his head up and gave him a gentle kiss.
"You alright?" he asked the teen.
"Yes," Harry replied. He smiled as one of the man's hands came to rest over his belly. The hand slowly stroke the swollen belly and said:
"Have I said how beautiful you look like?"
Harry smiled at him and replied:
"Only a thousand times, Tom."
"Then I'll say it again," Voldemort said and kissed his lover's forehead. "You're beautiful."
