Our Precious Gift

“Ok, Draco. You are well into your second trimester and past the most dangerous part of the pregnancy. I think it’s time to tell your husband.” Madame Pomphrey announced.

“Are you sure? I just don’t want to get his hopes up again. We were both so devastated when we miscarried last year.” The sadness still lingered in his expressive gray eyes.

“I’m quite sure, dear. You and the babe are in wonderful health. OH! Would you like to know the sex? We never discussed if you wanted it to be a surprise or not.” The medi-witch asked as she bustled around the bed cleaning up after Draco’s exam.

Draco thought for a moment as he dressed. “I think I’ll wait until Harry and I have discussed it. I’m not sure but more than likely we’ll want to know at the next visit. I’m just so relieved to be at this point.” Draco stopped for a moment as a huge smile blossomed on his face. “We’re going to have a baby!”

“It just hit you now, did it?” the older witched asked with a smile.

“More like I just started to believe that I’ll actually be able to carry to term. I’ve been so worried.”

“Just keep going as you are. Regular exercise, healthy eating habits and keep your stress levels low and I assure you in five and a half months time we will be welcoming your first child into the world.”

Draco smiled and hugged her to him. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what Harry and I would do without you.”

“Well, lucky for you both you don’t have to find out.” Poppy Pomphrey said with a laugh.

“Harry, we need to talk. No, he’ll think I’m asking for a divorce.” Draco was pacing around the sitting room trying to decide the best way to tell his husband the amazing news.

The room was festively decorated for the holiday season. Fragrant garland hung all over the room. Fairies flew around the Christmas tree as they chattered quietly amongst themselves. Harry and Draco had spent a wonderful afternoon decorating the sitting room and the outside of their home for Christmas. Draco’s favorite part was seeing the true delight in Harry’s eyes as they transformed their home into a holiday wonderland.

Draco, however, was paying little attention to his surroundings. He was too focused on his dilemma. He needed to figure out the perfect way to tell his husband about the new addition to their family. They were going to be parents.

They had been talking about having children for the last three years and actively trying for the last year. Draco had been pregnant once before but miscarried before he reached six weeks into the pregnancy. The loss was devastating to them both.

When Draco suspected he might be pregnant again, he went straight the only medi-witch he trusted- Madame Poppy Pomphrey, his old nurse from school. She was a certified midwife and agreed to handle Draco’s prenatal care. She knew about the miscarriage and assured Draco that there was no medical reason why he would not be able to carry this pregnancy to term. She agreed to keep the pregnancy a secret, even from Harry, until Draco reached his second trimester.

Draco paced the length of the room and turned to head in the other direction when he looked. As his eyes locked on the Christmas tree and idea formed in his mind. “That just might work…” he whispered to himself.

Draco spent the next week preparing for Christmas. He did all of his shopping and gift-wrapping; except for that one special gift that he had not been able to find yet. He was headed home for the night when he passed an antique store.

“It couldn’t hurt.” He thought to himself as he walked into the quaint boutique. He found himself browsing through vases and assorted bric-a-brac. He spent a good twenty minutes just strolling through the aisles. He was about to leave the store when he saw it. It was the perfect gift for his love. It said exactly what was in his heart.

Draco rushed to the front of the store to pay for his treasure.

The two wizards woke on Christmas morning to a fresh blanket of snow covering their little part of the world. Draco rolled over and curled into his husband’s side. “Good morning, love. Happy Christmas.”

“Happy Christmas to you, too,” Harry said in his sleep-roughened voice. “Would you like breakfast now or after we open our gifts?” Harry asked, but you could see the excitement in his eyes. He was such a big kid. The simplest things made him happy. Draco just knew the excitement he could tell was barely contained in Harry wasn’t for the gifts he would be opening. It was because he couldn’t wait to see the reactions of his loved ones to the gifts he was giving them.

“How about scones and tea while we open our gifts and we’ll worry about eating more later?”

Harry readily agreed to that and both men got up to freshen up and head to the kitchen to make the tea and plate up the scones that were baked the day before.

Draco sat down on the sofa facing the tree. Harry, on the other hand, sat down on the floor right next to the tree. Harry separated the gifts into what was for each of them and what was to be taken with them when they made their rounds to family and friends later that day.

Both men received many thoughtful and heartfelt items. One of the best was a beautiful portrait of the two of them from Narcissa. The note attached said she had it made for them. It was a wizard portrait that would animate upon their deaths. “I just knew you would want to be together even after you left this world.” The note also said that the portrait could be added to later without any problems. Draco just smiled to himself.

“This is for you,” Draco said as he handed a beautifully wrapped gift to his husband.

Harry looked up at Draco with a soft smile. He slowly unwrapped his present. When he had the box open just stared at it.

Inside was a beautifully crafted antique baby comb and brush set. Engraved on the brush was “Our Precious Gift”.

Harry looked up at his husband with tears in his eyes. “Are you….?” He choked out.

“Yes, my darling. You are going to be a father.”