Chapter 3
“That should’ve been the end.” Draco moaned closing his eyes wishing the memory would go away. He didn’t want to think about what happened after that day, but his current reality existed because of it. “I don’t know why I didn’t see it earlier,” Draco murmured, his eyes filling with tears. “Why I was sick, why I had all those back pains, why I started putting on weight, why I’ve been craving cucumbers and chocolate and why the hell my emotions have been running amuck!” He glared down at his expanding girth. “I’m fucking pregnant! Men aren’t supposed to get pregnant, but THAT potion changes the male body so they can! Damn! Damn! Damn!” The last damn was squeaked as Draco began to sob.
Pulling his legs up so that his feet were on the bed, Draco leaned forward grabbing knees. Resting his forehead on his thighs, he rocked back and forth.
Father is going to disown me if I tell him who it really was. The description said that this would only happen if we were in love with each other already. Sniffling, Draco wiped his tears on his robe. This means I’m in love with him. Halting his rocking abruptly, Draco lifted his head. He’s in love with me. Slowly he began to uncurl until he was sitting cross-legged, his gaze focused downward. That’s crazy! I can’t be in love with him anymore than he can be in love with me.
Shaking his head in confusion, Draco felt something move inside him. For the first time, he understood what it was. He didn’t know what he was going to do. In four months this thing would come out, then what? Drop the parasite on Potter’s front stoop with a note? That wasn’t likely. The possibility that Lucius would disown him was still there. If that happened, Draco didn’t know what he’d do. He couldn’t work as a quill-pushing lowbrow bureaucrat; he was a Malfoy.
Touching his stomach tentatively, Draco shuddered. He didn’t want to think about what would happen if his mother came home early from her holiday on the continent. Visualizing her fainting, Draco knew that was the least of his worries with Narcissa. The fury she’d unleash when she came too was possibly more damaging than anything Lucius could do.
Cold dread slithered through his veins; Draco realized he couldn’t continue as he had. He had to do something to insure his survival if he was disowned. Plus he’d have to make plans for the parasite. Orphanages always had room for one more.
Snarling, Draco threw the robe across the room. How was he to dress in the morning if nothing fit properly? This was the third time in two weeks that he’d found his clothes too tight to wear. No matter what he did, he couldn’t keep the parasite from invading his life. Ignoring the wiggling, annoying monster had been hard the past two months. By focusing his attention on activities he enjoyed, he managed to keep the little sanity he had.
Riding his broom was the best way, he’d found to take his mind off his problem. Draco didn’t fly very far, just circled the manor low to the ground. This way he could hop off quickly and hide if anyone unfamiliar came calling. Now though, it appeared he’d be forced to give it up.
“Stop growing!” Draco growled, glaring down at his bulging belly. “I mean it!” The parasite remained still. “Can’t you leave me as I was? I was happy, I was content, I was normal! But no! You had to come along an ruin everything!”
Huffing angrily, he stalked over to his wardrobe. Inside were a few robes that his mother had used during her pregnancy. She’d kept them, Merlin knew why though. At Lucius’ request, the House-elves had brought them to Draco the morning after he’d found out he was pregnant. At least the colors weren’t atrocious and he was nearly the same size so he could wear them.
Narcissa was still on the continent, thankfully. She and Lucius had left together right after Draco graduated from Hogwarts. They’d been gone three weeks when Lucius had unexpectedly returned. Draco guessed that Lord Voldemort had requested his father come back. It was lucky for Draco though that Lucius had; otherwise they wouldn’t know what was happening until Draco gave birth. Shaking his head, he didn’t want to think about that.
“At least Mother’s staying on the continent. Let her run around Europe while I suffer. It’s probably safer anyway.” Draco grumbled, scanning the selection for one to try on.
When Draco had first arrived home in June, Lucius had questioned him about his weight. Draco had started to look, “chunky”, he’d commented. Draco had dodged the question, but had to admit his father was right. Narcissa had been too busy packing to do more than congratulate him on finishing school. She completely missed her son dipping cucumbers into chocolate ice cream.
Once his parents left, Draco put himself on a strict diet. For the next couple weeks he cut out all meat and sweets from his daily meals. He continued the regiment even after his father returned, saying that it took time to loose the pounds. Lucius agreed, but took it upon himself to watch his son throughout the day.
The constant surveillance made Draco extremely self-conscious of his looks. Any time he and Lucius were in a room together, Draco held his hands over his stomach allowing the wide sleeves of his robes to hide him. Unfortunately, this technique couldn’t conceal the growing bulge.
Eventually, Lucius asked his son if anything unusual had happened before he’d left school. Draco grudgingly admitted he’d consumed a potion of unknown origins, but quickly added that it didn’t have any lasting effects. Lucius obviously hadn’t believed him. He held up in the library for three days straight before emerging with the book about Hathor’s Kiss.
Snatching out a deep sapphire colored garment, Draco prayed it’d fit. Thankfully it did. It was even hung loose on him, a sight Draco rarely saw. Lucius would immediately notice the change of wardrobe. He hated the look his father gave him these days. The mere thought was enough to send shivers down Draco’s spine. He could picture the cool gray eyes glaring down at him, making him feel hideous and ashamed.
The parasite shifted, its tiny limbs colliding with inside of his abdomen.
“I was wondering when you were going to put your two Knuts in,” he sneered. “Falling asleep on the job. You’re supposed to be making my life miserable remember?” To answer him, it rolled over and kicked out against his stomach making him choke. Eyes watering slightly, he fell back to his bed and sat with his head in his hands.
“Why me? Why me?” He repeated as it settled back down. “Why would someone do this to me? It feels strange inside me. I’m a wizard, not a witch! It makes me crave foods I wouldn’t normally eat, it squishes my insides, it moves and jostles and it grows. Every fucking day it’s bigger! It’s forced me to wear Mother’s old maternity robes and I can’t be seen in public like this!” His shoulders began to shake, tears sliding down his cheeks. “Horrible, wretched creature! I want to wear my clothes again!”
Sobbing, he held his head in his hands. This wasn’t how he’d thought his first year out of school would go. Why was he cursed to become a host to a parasite? Yes, it was a parasite, a leech that was ruining his life one day at a time. Calling it human would raise sympathy and it didn’t deserve that.
“Why are you doing this to me?” He whined. “I’m a brilliant wizard and I was going to prove that by the end of this year. I had a plan, but you’ve destroyed that. You’ve destroyed everything! Father hates me and it’s entirely your fault. You and that…that BASTARD!”
Draco moaned as the creature jostled into a new position. It had to end soon; he couldn’t take much more. The orphanage would have a new mouth to feed in two months and he’d be free.