Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/313527. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: No_Archive_Warnings_Apply, Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling Relationship: Harry_Potter/Blaise_Zabini Character: Harry_Potter, Mrs_Zabini, Blaise_Zabini Stats: Published: 2011-05-05 Words: 5834 ****** Another Prophecy ****** by thilia Summary It's discovered that Harry can bear children. He’s auctioned off to the purebloods despite his wishes. Notes Written for hp_emofest 2011 on LJ. Even though he wasn't tied to the chair he'd been sat on, or restrained in any way, he felt like a wild animal at the zoo, trapped in a cage. He had never felt more exposed and uncomfortable. He hated being the centre of attention, and this was worse than anything he'd ever experienced before. He'd been in more dangerous situations, faced with death and worse, but he had never felt more helpless than he felt right now. Not for the first time in recent weeks, Harry cursed his life and wondered once again why everything about him seemed to be 'special', in some way. As if the fact that he was the Chosen One, the Boy Who Lived to Defeat Voldemort, hadn't been enough already, Healers had now discovered that he was a complete freak. Or that's how Harry saw it anyway. He could bear children. His body was clearly a mess, and somehow, he had been born with the ability to have children. The healers said it was a blessing, a miracle, but Harry could only consider it a curse. Someone up there had to hate him. His life had been planned for him in more ways than one, and it was getting more than a little frustrating. He had been sure that now that Voldemort was gone, he would be able to live his life the way he wanted to. But apparently not. When he'd first been told, Harry had laughed, unable to wrap his mind around what the Healers were telling him. Now, however, he had seen enough evidence to be convinced that it was true. Healers and Professors had gone on and on about a prophecy about a boy who could bear children, and Harry had had to try his hardest not to tell them where to stick their stupid prophecy. But just the way he'd learned to accept the previous prophecy, he'd realised that he, again, didn't have a say in the matter and would have to learn to live with this one was well. Raising his head and looking at the faces staring back at him, he was again reminded of the seriousness of his situation. His wand had been taken from him – but even worse than that, he would lose his freedom within the next few minutes. Since his condition, for lack of a better word, was so rare, it had been decided that he would be auctioned off to the highest-bidding pureblood. Harry had no say in the matter whatsoever. It was an old Wizarding tradition and none of his influent friends and acquaintances could do anything to help him. Suddenly, being the Boy Who Lived seemed to have lost its meaning and he was being treated like a slave. He had spent a lot of time trying to find a way out but had eventually just come to accept his fate. The only thing Harry could do right now was hope that someone decent would buy him. Cringing underneath the purebloods' critical eyes, he heaved a heavy sigh and let them look at him. He didn't even want to think about what would happen to him if he ended up being Lucius Malfoy's boy-toy. But on the other hand, it could get much worse. Lucius Malfoy was weak; a coward. Harry would be able to handle him. Even though living under the same roof as Draco Malfoy wasn't exactly what he'd imagined, it would still be more bearable than living with a complete stranger. There were other men here, men who were seriously dangerous and would love to get their hands on the boy who had killed their Lord. Harry gulped as he met the dark, cruel eyes of one of those men and quickly averted his eyes. He only looked up when the auctioneer arrived and began the ceremony. Harry couldn't make himself listen. He didn't even want to know how much people were willing to pay for him. So he stared down at his feet and sighed to himself, only looking up when the auctioneer banged his little hammer on the podium and announced that Harry now belonged to "the lovely lady in red". Squinting, Harry let his eyes wander over the disappointed and angry faces of the other purebloods and finally spotted the "lady" in question. She was dark, her black hair tied up in an elegant bun, and wearing a red dress. She looked bored, not at all enthusiastic at the prospect of having won this auction. To be honest, Harry was a little confused. Why would a woman want him? If she wanted children, she could just find a man and bear the child herself. She was relatively old, though, so maybe she couldn't have any children and wanted Harry to have her husband's child. He shivered just thinking about it. This whole situation confused him more than a little. A few minutes later, he found out that the woman who had bought him was Adele Zabini and that she had offered over a million Galleons to call Harry her own. Harry couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the idea that someone would want to pay that much money to own him. She had to need him desperately. The other people in the room were leaving, and Harry resisted the urge to get up and run away to go back home. Because he didn't have a home anymore. He now belonged to the Zabinis. .~*~. "This will be your room," Mrs Zabini said as she led him into a large and surprisingly luxurious bedroom with adjacent bathroom. For some reason, Harry had expected a dark dungeon with only a thin blanket to cover himself, as well as bread and water for dinner, but this was surprisingly nice and comfortable. He was sure that his fate wouldn't have seemed so bearable, had someone else bought him. Harry looked up at the elegant woman, biting his lip. "Thank you," he said emotionlessly, not sure how he was expected to behave or what to say. "You are to remain here at all times, unless you have my explicit permission to leave the room, or even the house. A house elf will escort you to the dining room for your meals and you will be taken out for a walk once a day. Other than that, you are free to do whatever you like. You do not have a wand, so I'm sure you understand that you're not allowed to use magic. If you want more books or other things to entertain yourself with, you may ask the house elf who will be at your disposal day and night. Do we understand each other?" Her dark eyes were cold and Harry managed to nod. This didn't seem as bad a fate as he had expected. She gave another curt nod, then disappeared, leaving Harry alone in the large room. He looked around and felt more alone than ever before. He was sure that sending a letter to either Ron or Hermione was not allowed. He couldn't reach his friends and would be spending most of his time alone. Maybe the house elf would be nice and willing to talk to him every once in a while. Harry snorted, feeling completely pathetic. Sighing, he sat down on the bed and leaned back to take a look around. He was a little surprised that Mrs Zabini hadn't even mentioned the reason why she'd bought him, and he'd been too stunned by the beauty of the room to ask. He was sure that it would come up at some point, though. Unless she just wanted to let him rot here and let his "ability" go to waste… .~*~. "Blaise. Blaise, viens ici pour un instant, s'il-te-plaît." Blaise rolled his eyes but complied, entering the living room and raising an eyebrow expectantly as he stepped in front of his mother. "Yes, mother?" The disapproving look on his mother's face was something Blaise had got used to a long time ago. He knew that she didn't approve of his life choices, most of all the fact that he liked boys. Girls had never interested him in the slightest, and since he wasn't a minor anymore, there was nothing his mother could do to change his preference. She couldn't force him to marry a girl to produce an heir; he'd made that clear to her a while ago. He was pretty sure she had accepted the lack of grandchildren by now, but the disapproving look seemed etched into her once pretty features. He ignored it, most of the time, and provoked it on purpose at other times. "Where have you been, Blaise?" she sighed heavily, setting her book aside and reaching for her drink. "You're never at home anymore." Blaise raised an eyebrow and shrugged, letting his impatience show to make the woman realise that he was a busy man and didn't have time to discuss this with her. "I was at the auction," she said then, swirling the red liquid in her glass and looking up at him, apparently expecting him to know what she was talking about. "What auction?" Blaise asked in a bored tone. "What did you buy this time, mother? Ridiculously expensive earrings? A horse? A new husband?" "Blaise," she hissed, narrowing her eyes. "What? It wouldn't be the first time," he murmured, giving another shrug. "I found a solution to our little problem," she said then, ignoring him. "Since you refuse to get married like every respectable young pureblood your age and therefore won't produce an heir the traditional way, I came up with another option that you will hopefully approve of." Blaise furrowed his brow. "What are you talking about?" His mother smiled slowly, apparently enjoying his confusion. "You won't need to sleep with a woman, my dear Blaise. I've found a man who can bear children. I paid a lot for him, so I expect you to fulfil your duty. Even if he isn't your "type", as you put it, you will do as you're expected and give me the grandchildren I so desperately require." Blaise narrowed his eyes; he was tired of discussing this with her every day. Despite his hate for the subject, he couldn't completely hide his curiosity, though. His mother had bought him a boyfriend? She never ceased to surprise him; he had to give her that. When she didn't explain herself, he sighed. "I still don’t know what you're talking about. A man who can bear children? What does that even mean? I'm not having sex with some circus freak just to have a child." His mother rolled her eyes, setting her empty glass back down. "He is not a circus freak – why don't you just go and see for yourself? I'm sure he'd enjoy the company. He is in our guestroom." Blaise eyed her, and without another word, he left the room and strode upstairs, entering the guestroom with no real expectations – but stopped abruptly when he came face-to-face with Harry Potter. .~*~. Harry blinked and stared at the other boy. Of course he had expected to run into Blaise at some point. He lived at the Zabinis', so seeing the master of the house, so to speak, was inevitable. He hadn't expected it to happen so soon, though. "What are you doing here?" Blaise asked, looking completely confused. "You're the one my mother bought? Is this some sort of sick joke?" "Of course it isn't," Mrs Zabini said, entering the room after her son. "I'm sure you two know each other?" "Yes," Blaise said, looking at Harry with a sneer that would let Malfoy's pale in comparison. "Explain yourself, mother." "I thought I'd made myself perfectly clear," she said, her voice so cutting and cold that it sent shivers down Harry's back. "You and Potter are going to have sexual intercourse and give me an heir. I don't care if it happens once or a dozen times as long as the result is a child." She placed a hand on Blaise's shoulder for all of a second before he shrugged it off. Her lips a tight line, she let her arm fall to her side and left the two boys alone. While Blaise looked as if he was about to throw up at any second, Harry slowly began to understand the reason for his being here. He remembered the rumours at Hogwarts; according to just about everyone, Blaise was gay. Harry was surprised that his mother seemed to be aware of his sexual preferences and had to admit that he admired Blaise for standing up to his mother and, as Harry assumed, refusing an arranged marriage. So that was why she had bought him. She wanted to make sure that once she was dead, Blaise wouldn't waste her fortune, and have an heir to carry on the family name. Harry swallowed hard, not sure how he felt at the prospect of losing his virginity to Blaise Zabini of all people. Of course, someone like Blaise who was his own age and relatively nice to look at would always trump someone like Lucius Malfoy, but it still made him a little uncomfortable when he realised that Blaise would see him naked and do things to him that Harry had never thought he would have to experience. He had always thought he would have his first time with Ginny. But he didn't even know where Ginny was right now, and it didn't look as if he was going to get out of here any time soon, so his chances weren't high. Blaise would be his first, whether he wanted to, or not. "I won't let her do this to us," Blaise murmured and turned around on his heel, slamming the door shut as he left the room. Harry blinked at the other boy's words, and for the first time, he allowed himself to feel something like hope. If Blaise didn't want him, maybe he would be able to go home. .~*~. It took two weeks for Blaise to realise that he wasn't going to change his mother's mind. He shouldn't have expected to get out of this fucked-up situation; when his mother wanted something, she usually got it, and went through with her plans without caring about anyone's feelings. He stared up at the ceiling of his room and considered his options. He could refuse to fuck Potter, which would result in his mother disowning him and possibly kicking him out of the house. He could crash at Draco or Pansy's for a few nights, of course, but without money, he would have to actually work to make a living. His other option was to fuck Potter, produce an heir and let Potter and his mother care for the child he didn't want. Even before he'd thought it through, he realised that sleeping with Potter would be the easiest way to get his mother off his back. If he was lucky, he would only have to do it once, and his life could go back to normal. Besides, it wasn't as if Potter was hideously deformed or anything. While he'd been a skinny, pale boy when he was younger, he'd definitely grown into his looks as he'd got older. His hair was still a mess, the glasses still made him look like a dork, but his eyes were and always had been amazing. And if Blaise was completely honest with himself, he had considered the idea of pursuing Potter once or twice, if only to piss off his mother and Draco. Now that he thought about it, he had to realise that it was more the fact of his mother approving a boy he slept with that bothered him, than the actual thought of doing Potter. Resigned to his fate, he decided to grant his mother's wishes and bed Harry Potter. Apart from the facts that he would get his mother to leave him alone and find out what Potter was like in the sack, fucking him would also be excellent for his reputation. Fucking the Boy Who Lived? He would be a legend. The only problem he had now was that Potter was very apparently straight – which was not really a problem at all. Not for Blaise anyway. He could have anyone he wanted. More than once, he had turned a previously straight guy gay by only looking at him. Potter wouldn't be able to resist his charms, Blaise thought with a smile. It might take a while, considering Potter's stubbornness, but eventually, Blaise would succeed. And in the meantime, he would enjoy the chase. .~*~. For Harry, that night had just been a regular evening at the Zabini house – even though "house" was the understatement of the century. Palace would be more accurate. In his spare time – which Harry had a lot of – he liked to explore his new home, and almost every day, he found new rooms. It was almost like being at Hogwarts. His enthusiasm and hope from the first day had left him quickly because, as it turned out, Blaise didn't seem to be able to convince his mother to let him go. Harry had overheard them arguing more than once and had always been disappointed by the outcome. Blaise was stubborn, but so was his mother and they didn't seem to be able to come to an agreement. Harry didn't mind; even though he would rather be at home, he was grateful for every day he could spend without having to sleep with Blaise. His opinion about the other boy had changed a little in the time they'd spent in the same house. Even though he didn't get to see him often, he had to admit that the fact that Blaise stood up to his mother the way he did was highly impressive. Harry was pretty sure that if he had a mother like that, he would never be able to contradict her for as long as Blaise could. To be honest, she was freaking him out a little. She always snuck up on him, or spoke to him with that cold voice, and Harry wasn't sure that woman had a loving bone in her body. He remembered the rumours he'd heard about her; apparently, she had killed each one of her seven ex-husbands, and Harry wondered if he would meet the same fate, if he ever lost his worth to her. Even though Harry was having a relatively good time, he couldn't deny that he was getting lonelier by the day. The house elf assigned to him was quite talkative but it wasn't the same as talking to his friends. It didn't help that every time, Harry asked a question about the house or the Zabinis, the elf reached for the closest solid object and hit himself over the head with it. Rolling onto his side, Harry pulled the covers over his chin and wondered what Ron and Hermione were doing right now. Or Ginny. Or Mrs Weasley. Or anyone, really. He felt cut off from the outside world, and wondered if he would ever get to see any of them again. He was about to fall asleep when he heard a creaking noise outside his room. Instantly on alert, Harry sat up in his bed and stared at the door, wondering if the time had come and Mrs Zabini had decided she didn't need him. Maybe she'd come to kill him, and he was completely powerless without his wand. The door opened, and Harry held his breath, trying to make out a shape in the darkness. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust and his heart started racing when he realised that it was Blaise. He bit his lip, not sure how to react. Not daring to breathe, Harry watched Blaise approach the bed. "Boo." Harry jumped, then glared and reached for the light switch, rolling his eyes when he came face-to-face with a smirking Blaise. "Got you," the other boy said, laughing softly at the look on Harry's face. Harry felt his cheeks flush and glared, and while he wanted to tell Blaise exactly what he thought of him, he bit his tongue, realising that one bad word out of his mouth could mean… Well, he wasn't sure what it could mean, but he knew that Blaise's mother, at least, was unscrupulous and wouldn't hesitate before she killed him. Maybe Blaise was dangerous as well. "Merlin, relax," Blaise said then, sitting down on the edge of Harry's bed. He seemed thoughtful for a moment before he looked up at Harry. "You weren't asleep, were you?" Harry shook his head, a little surprised at the question. "No, I was just… thinking," he said, shifting a little under the intensity of Blaise's hazel eyes. In the dim light, they looked almost gentle; something Harry had never associated with Blaise's eyes before. He leaned back, waiting for Blaise to announce why he was here, even though part of him already knew. "Ah," Blaise said, nodding. His eyes stayed locked with Harry's, and Harry tried not to blush too much. This situation was awkward to say the least, and he hoped that Blaise would just get it over with. Even though he was as prepared for it was he could be, he still flinched when Blaise moved to crawl onto the bed, hovering above him, dark and threatening. Harry swallowed hard; he was nervous, but also curious. Most of all, he hoped Blaise wouldn't hurt him. His eyes widened when Blaise leaned forward, and he was not at all prepared for the softness of Blaise's lips as they brushed his own. Too stunned to understand that a boy was kissing him, Harry let his eyes drift shut and the kiss happen; it wasn't as if he had a choice. He didn't kiss back, but if Blaise liked to pretend the two of them were doing this willingly, then… good for him. A warm, wet tongue brushed his bottom lip, and Harry swallowed hard, trying to get his breathing under control. His eyes were closed and he tried to part his lips to let Blaise in, but hesitated for a moment; long enough for Blaise to draw back. When he opened his eyes, Blaise was staring at him. "I'm sorry," Harry murmured, feeling his cheeks heat up once again. "I was just-" "You don't want this," Blaise said, frowning, and looking a little hurt, maybe? Harry blinked; he hadn't expected this reaction at all. "No, I mean, I," Harry started, trying to explain himself. But what could he say when Blaise was right? Blaise moved off him and stood up, looking at him from the foot of the bed. "Don't bother, Potter," he said quietly. "Do you think I want to fuck someone who doesn't want me? I could have hundreds of boys who would love to kiss me right now, so why would I bother with you?" He frowned, and again, Harry got the feeling that Blaise was hurt. But why would he be? They didn't even like each other. This was a duty they had to fulfil; nothing more. Right? "Good night," Blaise said quietly, then left the room as quickly as he'd entered it, leaving Harry stunned and cold, his lips still tingling a little from where Blaise's had been pressed against them. .~*~. Blaise smirked, stretching on his bed as he leaned back and waited. He knew that tonight would be the night. Three more weeks had passed since Blaise had first visited Harry in his room that night, and he knew that Harry was ready to cave. His plan had worked, and Potter wanted him. It was obvious. He had flirted with him. He had given Harry unexpected glimpses at his body. He'd made Potter realise that he wanted nothing more than to be with Blaise, even if only for one night. He'd visited Harry in his room twice more that week but had always left, leaving both of them without the satisfaction they craved. It had been hard not to give in to his instincts, even more so when Harry began to show first signs of interest in him. He knew from experience that, in order for Harry to really want him and not regret it later, he would have to give it some time. While he'd subtly conquered Harry, Blaise had also come to the realisation that he wanted Harry as well. They'd had some conversations – both small talk and more deep and meaningful ones – and had actually seen that they had a few things in common. And when he wanked at night, frustrated at the fact that he could not have Harry (yet), it had been Harry Blaise had thought about. He had the possibility to go out every night; spend some time in the clubs with Pansy and Draco and fuck every boy he wanted, but Blaise hadn't had sex once since Harry had come to them. He wasn't sure what it meant, exactly. The thought that he was "saving" himself for Harry was ridiculous, but in a way, it was exactly what he was doing. And now the time had come. Harry was ready – they both were. Blaise let his hand trail down, rubbing his aching cock through the silk sheets on his bed in anticipation. Tonight, he would finally get laid. When he heard the door open, he banished the smile from his face and closed his eyes, feigning sleep… .~*~. Harry wasn't sure what he was doing here. Blaise was obviously asleep, and Harry stood at the foot of his bed, not sure what to do. The past three weeks had been torturous, and Harry was more confused than ever – even though what he wanted seemed clearer to him than ever. He wanted Blaise. He couldn't even begin to understand why he wanted him, but he knew that he did. And if Blaise wasn't going to come to him, Harry would take the next step. He swallowed hard as he took the last few steps towards the bed and sat down on the edge of it, looking down at Blaise. He couldn't see much through the darkness but he reached out to touch him anyway. Hesitating, he caressed Blaise’s chest, without actually touching him. He didn't want to risk waking him up just yet. He was about to give up and decide that tonight, it wouldn't happen, when a warm hand closed around his wrist, yanking him forward. Yelping in surprise, Harry managed to support himself with his arm just before he landed on top of Blaise, their faces centimetres apart. His eyes were wide and he swallowed hard as he met Blaise's, the other boy's warm breath ghosting over his face. "Missing me, Potter?" Blaise murmured, and Harry shivered at the husky sound of his voice. A smile spread on Blaise's lips and Harry swallowed hard. "I knew you'd come." "You did?" Harry whispered, not at all surprised that Blaise had known. He seemed to have some sort of sixth sense. "Mhm," Blaise murmured, his eyes closing halfway as he looked down at Harry's lips. Harry licked his own lips, then gasped in surprise when he felt Blaise's free hand wrap around the back of his neck and pull him down as their lips met in a hard kiss. This time, Harry didn't protest or try to push Blaise away. He wanted this, and from what he could tell, Blaise did, too. His kiss was hard and passionate, demanding, yet soft at the same time. Harry closed his eyes, his brows furrowed as he slid his tongue into Blaise's mouth, his stomach fluttering when Blaise's hand wandered down his back to pull him fully on top of him. Harry moaned in surprise when he felt Blaise's erection against his own, and pressed down against it helplessly, deepening the kiss. He closed his eyes and tilted his head, helping Blaise when the other boy's hands started to try to tug off his pyjamas. When he was naked, he sat up, tugging down the bed sheets to take a long look at Blaise. He sucked in a sharp breath, not entirely unprepared for the beauty of the other boy's body, but it still took his breath away. He met Blaise's eyes again, then gasped when Blaise flipped him over and moved to cover his body with his own. "I want you," Harry breathed, unable to stay silent. "I know," Blaise murmured, and Harry couldn't help rolling his eyes at the smirk that passed over Blaise's face. Soft lips brushed his chest and abdomen and he moaned when Blaise sucked a nipple into his mouth, biting it lightly with sharp teeth. His eyes widened when Blaise continued his way down to finally wrap that warm, wet mouth around his cock, causing Harry to moan loudly. His hips thrust up of their own accord and he reached down to slide a hand into Blaise's hair, tugging at the soft curls lightly as Blaise's head bobbed up and down on his erection. He swallowed hard when Blaise sat up and reached for the tube of lube on his bedside table. As Blaise slicked his fingers, Harry idly wondered if Blaise always kept the small tube there, or if he'd been waiting for Harry, knowing he would show up tonight. The idea that Blaise had been prepared for him made him shiver. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the feel of Blaise's slick fingers at his opening and he moaned when they gently pushed in. He frowned, biting his lip hard at the slight pain; he'd braced himself for more pain, but this felt good, in a way. It was something he could definitely handle. He closed his eyes and arched up when Blaise's other hand wrapped around his cock, stroking him in time with his fingers' gentle thrusts. He crooked them and Harry almost arched off the bed when Blaise brushed some spot inside of him that almost made him come instantly. He bit his lip and swallowed hard, then looked up at Blaise through heavy-lidded eyes. "I'm ready – fuck, I'm ready. Just do it. Please," he breathed, too aroused to realise that he was actually begging for Blaise to fuck him. But even if he had noticed, he didn't care. He was willing to admit that he wanted Blaise and he could tell that Blaise wanted him just as much, judging by the sudden darkness in his eyes. Blaise withdrew his fingers and Harry mewled in disappointment, spreading his legs as he watched the other boy slick his length and position himself at Harry's entrance. The mix of pain and pleasure Harry experienced when Blaise finally breached him was indescribable and unlike everything he'd ever imagined. It didn't feel wrong or painful as he'd expected; when Blaise was all the way inside, buried balls-deep inside of him, he just felt full and sort of complete in a way he never had before. He looked up at Blaise, hissing when he started moving, slowly at first, gently in and out, giving Harry the time he needed to adjust. He moaned loudly, unable to keep it down, and not caring who heard him as he arched up against the other boy, meeting each one of Blaise's thrusts with his hips. He couldn't take his eyes off Blaise, too overwhelmed with the intensity of the situation to even blink, his fingers gripping Blaise's broad shoulders as his legs slid up Blaise's calves to wrap around his waist. He pulled him in again, moaning when Blaise's pace increased and he fucked him harder. It didn't take long for Harry to feel the beginnings of his orgasm; the sensations were too overwhelming for him to be able to last longer than this. He bit his lip and stared up at Blaise, gasping when the other boy instantly reached for his cock, giving it a little twist as he thrust in hard, and that was all it took before Harry came all over his stomach, his muscles clenching uncontrollably around Blaise who followed him over the edge only a few thrusts later. Blaise slid off him, panting heavily, and Harry looked over at him, frowning curiously when he reached into his bedside table and handed Harry a thin phial with a purple liquid. Harry looked at him questioningly. "Increases the chance of you getting pregnant," Blaise said, giving him an encouraging look. Harry looked at him, and suddenly wondered if this had been a one-time thing. It had been his greatest wish on his first few nights here, but now that he actually wanted Blaise, he wouldn't mind if they did it again and again. He swallowed hard, the phial forgotten in his hand as he looked at Blaise, hoping his disappointment wasn’t too obvious. Blaise looked at him curiously and tilted his head. "Go on, take it," he said, then smirked. "If it doesn't work… well, we'll just try again." Harry relaxed and returned Blaise's grin, then uncorked the phial and knocked back the potion, shuddering at the much too sweet blueberry taste of it. It handed it back to him, then raised his brows in surprise when Blaise slid his arms around him and pulled him close. They lay in comfortable silence for a while before Blaise broke it. "So, how weird is it to be told you can get pregnant when you're a guy? I can imagine that came as quite a shock to you… unless you knew before?" Harry shook his head. "I had no idea," he sighed. "I didn't believe them when they first told me. I just thought, "why me?", you know?" Blaise nodded, his long, elegant fingers running through Harry's hair and massaging his scalp lightly. "I can imagine," he murmured, kissing Harry's forehead. Harry smiled and nuzzled him, not sure how far he could take the affectionate little gestures. But he was sure that Blaise would tell him off if he took it too far. "I'm glad you found out, though," Blaise murmured then, his voice heavy with sleep, and he was already gone when Harry raised his head to ask what he meant by that. Watching Blaise sleep for a moment, his long lashes fluttering against his high cheekbones, Harry finally snuggled into him, smiling because his interpretation of Blaise's words was as close to 'I like you' as he might ever get. And then he realised that having Blaise's baby didn't seem like the most terrifying thing in the world anymore. Sure, Harry still had his problems with the other boy's mother, but he had a feeling that, whether he would end up getting pregnant or not, Blaise would be there for him, at least for a little while. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, snuggled into the crook of Blaise's warm neck, and suddenly knew that his future might not be as hopeless as he'd initially thought. Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!