Chapter three
Chapter three
Harry turned to Charlie, ‘How often do dragons lay eggs?’
‘Once a year, similar to humans. Now, you’re dragon is a Hungarian horntail, they have been known to lay two eggs at once, but normally it’s one. You’re small, and I’ve only known the smaller horntails to lay one egg at a time.’
‘How easy is it for a dragon to get pregnant?’
‘Really easy Hermione, the male will smell when the female is ready and they mate. Within a week we do the test and they are always pregnant.’
‘So after all the shagging we just did, I could be pregnant now?’
‘Wait, hang on,’ Hermione said then flicked to another page in the book, ‘The first forty eight hours is for bonding. You’ll mate a lot, confirm your bond, but you would not have fallen pregnant. After that you can, it can happen when you are transformed or as your human self. You might need to read these Harry, there is a potion that can be made so the, sorry, female partner can take which will stop you falling pregnant.’
‘Oh that’s good to know. I want kids, but not right now. So I’ll work on the potion.’
‘Yeah, we can wait a few years,’ Charlie grinned, ‘I hope you’re not like the female dragons at the reserve, they get mean when their pregnant.’
‘Well you’re a dragon handler Charlie, so handle me,’ Harry laughed making Charlie laugh.
‘Gladly, but later.’
‘What if it was the other way around, Charlie was the younger, he would be the one to give birth right?’ Bill asked.
‘Yes but as the stag or doe give birth to live baby’s that’s how it would be, not with an egg.’
‘So your children will have to be artificially fed, not breast fed like most babies?’ Molly asked.
‘That’s in here too, Harry can have the baby suckle him for up to four months, then he dries up. It’s so they can bond. He will have enough of a breast to feed the child.’
‘Bloody hell Hermione, stop shocking me here.’
‘Sorry Harry, I find this fascinating.’
‘Yes it’s very interesting. Does it mention why Harry is a Morphixen, was it passed through his family?’
‘Not it’s not genetic or linked to his blood in any way Mr. Weasley, it’s just very rare and will chose anyone. The last case was four hundred and sixty four year ago. It does say it normally chooses someone that can handle the change, someone that is naturally powerful. But when both partners change, their power will double.’
‘Explain more about that Hermione?’ Bill asked.
‘Well Harry, you had trouble working most non-verbal spells, you should be able to do any now. So try summoning something non-verbally.’
‘Okay,’ Harry took his wand from his pocket and aimed it at a cup on the sink, thought the spell, accio cup and it flew straight into his hand, ‘Great.’
‘Charlie, did you ever find anything difficult with your magic?’
‘Well, I could never conjure a patronus, but it never worried me as I lived in Romania and there aren’t any dementors there.’
‘Try it now, you should know the spell,’ Arthur said.
‘Alright,’ Charlie pulled his wand, smiled at Harry then spoke the charm, ‘Expecto patronum,’ out the end of Charlie’s wand flew a silver dragon, ‘I match Harry.’
‘You sort of match yourself in a way Charlie, since you’ve worked with them for years,’ George said, ‘This is strange but fascinating. Hermione, you said before if one gets sick the other will as well. We’ve all heard what women go through when their pregnant, morning sickness, sometimes aching backs and of course, giving birth doesn’t tickle, how will that work?’
‘Oh Charlie will feel it all as well. What you said before Charlie about pregnant dragons, it won’t be quite the same. Harry will be himself during the pregnancy, but will transform when it’s time to lay his egg, then transform back to himself once the baby is out of the shell.’
Everyone noticed that Charlie grimaced a little at knowing he was going to feel everything Harry did. All Harry did was smirk knowing he won’t be going through it all alone. He heard how woman wished their husbands would feel what they went through giving birth, now Charlie would feel exactly what was going to happen when Harry gave birth.
‘Even though I like the idea of Charlie sharing all the stuff I’m going to go through, you mean I’ll look like me, how I am now but with a stomach, a man with a pregnant stomach?’
‘Yes, you will,’ Hermione grinned, then laughed with everyone else as Harry grimaced this time.
‘Um Hermione, I’ve seen the size of a dragon egg, they’re not small. If Harry tried to spit one of those out, or even carry one, I think it would split him in two,’ Charlie said looking worried.
‘No, after conceiving and Harry changes back to himself, the baby will grow like normal but inside an egg instead of the womb, since Harry doesn’t have a womb. So the egg will be the size or just larger than a baby and will grow as the baby grows.’
‘Charlie was a big baby, so Harry and Charlie, expect to feel a lot of pain,’ Molly grinned.
‘I don’t want to think about that, and since it’s not going to happen any time soon, let’s forget about all that for now.’ Harry said.
‘Good idea. But Charlie, you were staying because you wanted to stay with the family for a while, but you were intending to go back to Romania, what’s going to happen now?’ Bill asked.
‘Oh, I’ll stay with Harry; I just need to work out what I want to do. Sometimes I have thought of opening a shop, one dedicated to all creatures. Books, toys, anything you might need, like cages, stands, whatever that particular creature needs. Even though I love dragons, having Harry turning into one makes it great, I still get to see and handle one all the time,’ Charlie smirked at Harry making him laugh.
‘That’s not a bad idea Charlie. If you go to Owlops, you can buy an owl, cage and treats, but not books on them. Then you would need to go to the magical menagerie to get other animals but again not the books.’
‘Then why don’t I fund it for you, open a shop wherever you want. I gave Fred and George there start-up money which helped them make all their stuff, then that place just took off. I could do the same for you.’
‘I don’t want your money Harry, you’ll need that yourself.’
‘Um Charlie,’ Ron grinned, ‘Harry has more than enough.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Harry’s rich Charlie, really rich,’ Hermione smiled, ‘He showed Ron and I his three vaults, all loaded and not just with money.’
‘Three vaults, why do you have three vaults Harry?’ George asked.
‘The trust vault my parents left me, Hagrid gave me the key when I was eleven. Then the Black vault that Sirius left me, and they were a loaded. When I went to work on paying for the damage we did to Gringotts, the goblins handed me another key, the Potter family vault and merlin that bloody shocked me. I never realised the Potters were so rich, so you see, I’ve got more than enough and we are bonded. Since we are bonded, what’s mine is yours, so if you think of it that way, you’re not taking my money, you’re using your own.’
‘Harry’s got a point Charlie, even though this Morphixen makes you life and soul mates, you are bonded, if you wanted to make it official then you have a bonding ceremony, like a wedding. But from what I’ve been reading, you and Harry are partners in every way, just not legally,’ Hermione said.
‘I’ll think about it, we’ve got time and I’m still helping with Hogwarts and the shops.’
‘Yeah, we have got time,’ Harry smiled then all of a sudden he growled and pulled Charlie behind him as his body transformed into his dragon. His clothes ripping from his body, then Charlie changed into his stag, again his robes ripping from his bodies.
‘Ginny, don’t, get back upstairs now,’ Arthur yelled and ran towards her.
‘Harry, Charlie, it’s fine, dad will deal with her,’ Ron said as he took a tentative step closer as the dragon kept growling and puffs of smoke issued from its nostrils, ‘Please mate, you could hurt someone and you might set the house on fire.’
Arthur had dragged Ginny up the stairs, then Charlie slowly changed back, he put his hand on the face of the dragon. He gently caressed the scaly skin until finally Harry changed back, then the two men held each other until their breathing became normal. Bill raced upstairs and grabbed more robes then helped Harry and Charlie put them on.
‘She was going to curse you Charlie, she blames you.’
‘I know, I sensed it babe, but since dad’s up there, I should get my stuff so she’s got time to get used to this.’
‘I’m not going to trust her, she could try something else.’
‘Harry, let me and Ron go up with Charlie, you stay here. If you start breathing fire, the house will go up,’ Bill said.
‘Alright, I don’t want to hurt anyone or damage this place. I’ll stay with Fleur, her pregnancy is calming on me, if that’s alright Fleur?’
‘Of course ‘arry, zit,’ she smiled then Harry sat beside her, she took his hand, ‘Better.’
‘Yes, lots, thanks Fleur.’
‘You were smoking Harry, your nostrils I mean,’ Hermione said as she sat back down.
‘I know, I tried to pull it back and finally it worked. Kingsley said I’ll learn to control it. I don’t want to hurt anyone and I really don’t want to hurt Ginny, it just takes over.’
‘We know you wouldn’t deliberately hurt Ginny or anyone Harry. So it’s good that Charlie is going to live with you. We’ll work on getting together, just not with Ginny until she learns to accept this.’
‘Thanks Mrs. Weasley,’ Harry gave her a smile, ‘But look at our clothes, we have to keep something on us at all times and I’ll have to keep buying more. Maybe I should just stock up on a lot in case this keeps happening,’ Harry sighed as he saw his ripped clothes, then turned back, ‘Hey Angelina, you’ve been quiet through all this, too much for you is it?’
‘No, just been listening to everything, then I’ve been trying to control myself. First seeing you and Charlie, naked, well, you’re naked butts since you turned to face each other,’ Angelina chuckled, ‘Then I keep imagining you pregnant Harry,’ Angelina snickered, then laughed with George, Lee and Hermione.
‘I shouldn’t have asked, but the feelings I’m getting from Fleur is making me less anxious about that. I can hear two heartbeats, Fleur’s is slower, the babies fast. I can feel, or sense how she’s changing, growing, it’s beautiful, it’s life.’
‘Yes it is and that’s a very lovely way to put that. It is beautiful, life and I think a lot of us used to take that for granted. We don’t anymore and no one ever should again, don’t you agree Harry?’ Molly asked.
‘Definitely, we all should cherish life, all living creatures, humans, elves, dragons, owls, everything, even the worms in the earth. They all are part of our world, they connect us together, we can’t have one without the other. They make us love, that brings all of us together, makes the world go around,’ Harry grinned as Hermione gazed at him with an amazed look on her face, which made Harry’s smile bigger.
Harry, Charlie, Ron and Hermione stepped into Harry’s house and stared around at the mess and broken items scattered everywhere.
‘What did you two do?’ Hermione asked as she gazed around at the damage.
‘You really don’t want to know Hermione, but it was fun,’ Charlie grinned, ‘I’ll take my stuff up Harry, then we need to eat, I’m starved.’
‘I’ll go start on dinner, then we’ll fix everything.’
‘You go do dinner Harry, I’m sure Ron and I can take care of all this. Just try and be careful next time. Especially if you decide to mate as your dragon and stag, imagine the damage then.’
Harry laughed, ‘We’ll try, but thanks,’ Harry walked into the kitchen and started to put together dinner for the four of them. Charlie came in to help, then Hermione and Ron sat at the table watching the two men, who couldn’t seem to stop touching each other.
‘You two aren’t going to take off, or shag right here, are you?’ Ron asked, grimacing at the thought.
‘No, we’re hungry, we’ll shag after,’ Charlie said as he started floating plates to the table.
‘Yep, we will later,’ Harry floated the last of the plates and everyone dished up.
‘I think you should consider putting a block on the fireplace Harry, just in case.’ Hermione said.
‘You think Ginny will come here?’ Charlie asked.
‘Yes, and I think she will during the night. So after we leave, seal the house, but block the floo, maybe it would be a good idea to enchant the place.’
‘I never thought of that Hermione and you’re right, she just might. It was strange before, even though I could hear Harry’s growls, I felt it, felt the rage inside me, but the protectiveness towards Harry. I was going to do anything to make sure he was safe.’
‘Yeah, I felt the same way Charlie, but I was able to pull back so I never breathed fire.’
‘So if dad didn’t take Ginny upstairs, both of you might have done something?’ Ron asked.
‘Yeah, we could feel each other and knew what the other was going to do. My antlers, well imagine what damage that could have done. If Harry breathed fire, the whole house and everyone could have been hurt or killed. Now since he is smaller than a normal dragon, he might have just hurt Ginny. That would depend on if he could control his flames and where they went.’
‘I never read anything about that, but I will finish those books and let you know if there’s anything else you need to know.’
‘The more we know, the better we can understand all this and we do need to understand everything that could happen,’ Harry said.
‘Um Harry, you were dating Ginny right, well how do you feel going from straight to gay in a few minutes?’
‘It’s not really like that Ron, it’s hard to explain. I don’t see myself as gay or straight, I just see and feel Charlie and he’s who I have to be with. We need to be together, but more importantly, we want to, in every way.’
‘Yeah, I feel the same. I was shagging woman and even though I’m shagging Harry, it’s not about being gay or straight, it’s just about us, we have to be together.’
‘Don’t you feel like you’re had your decisions taken away from you though. If Harry didn’t see you, you’d still be shagging woman?’ Ron asked.
‘Again, it doesn’t feel like that. The moment I saw Harry jump over that railing, I felt it, something inside was just drawn to him, like we were made for each other. We are literally soul mates, life mates, we want each other.’
‘I read about that and that’s how it is. You could have been friends for years, but the moment the Morphixen emerges, you see who you belong with. If say you were in Romania from before Harry turned eighteen, nothing would have changed, not until you saw each other. There’s been cases where a man was married, had kids, but when he reached fifty three, he literally bumped into another man walking out the door of a shop. From then on, they were together.’
‘What happened to the wife and kids?’ Harry asked.
‘Once they explained everything to the wife, it took her a while, but she did accept it, so the father still saw his kids. He was a tiger, his mate was a unicorn, unlikely pair, but you just go with what the other likes. The tiger sometimes transformed and let his kids ride on his back, the unicorn did as well, but not for a while as it took the kids a long time to accept that their father was no longer with their mother. One thing that seems to happen with all Morphixen’s, one will be a magical creature, like a unicorn or dragon, one will be a normal animal, stag or tiger. The couples always seem to be completely different animals.’
‘That just reminded me, I felt jealous that you three got to ride a dragon, I’ve worked with them, but never ridden one,’ Charlie grinned at Harry, ‘What do you say?’
Harry laughed, ‘We could do that, I think it’ll be fun having you on my back,’ Harry looked at his friends, ‘What about you two, want a ride?’
‘No thank you, once was enough Harry,’ Hermione shook her head.
‘Maybe I will, I’ll let you know. But if you start doing that, imagine when all of us have kids, they’ll all want uncle Harry to take them for a fly. You’ll never get any peace.’
The four of them laughed, ‘I wouldn’t mind and in a way the kids will be introduced to a dragon that won’t try to eat them. Charlie can tell them all about dragons and I can give them a fly. It’s actually a good way for kids to learn about something that is normally so dangerous. But Hermione, this baby I could have, it won’t be a Morphixen, will it?’
‘No, for whatever reason, someone just gets chosen and they are usually powerful. So if you’re son or daughter is powerful, then there is a chance, but it would have nothing to do with you.’
‘Okay, I was just wondering if it could happen. I love it, but does everyone that becomes a Morphixen, like it?’
‘I know I do even if I wish I could be a dragon, or maybe a hippogriff, something that flies.’
‘As for what you asked Harry, yes, well after they accept the change, usually it does happen straight away, like with you two. But there’s been a few cases where they didn’t want it. No reason was given as to why though.’
‘It’s interesting, because if I was to choose an animal, I don’t think I would have chosen a dragon. Maybe a phoenix, I love Fawkes, or a panther, I always liked those large cats.’
‘Well as Charlie likes dragons; you got to be a dragon. But Charlie turning into a stag, there are deep feelings inside you Harry; the changed sensed it, that’s why Charlie became a stag. There are no reasons given to why each Morphixen will become a certain animal. It could have nothing to do with what you like or dislike, there is no way of knowing.’
Harry and Charlie both nodded but it made them both think about their feelings, how Charlie sensed Harry, when Harry just admitted he loved the phoenix and panther’s. Maybe it had something to do with each other and not really which animals they liked.
‘Tomorrow you need to set up a potions room or just use the kitchen. After forty eight hours you could fall pregnant, so you need to make the potion. Luckily it doesn’t take long to make and it’s a simple potion to make. You only have to drink it once a week.’
‘We’ll go shop for everything in the morning, now I hope it doesn’t taste terrible like Madame Pomfrey’s always did.’
For the next few hours, the four of them kept talking about Morphixen’s and what Harry and Charlie could expect.
After Hermione and Ron left, Harry did seal the house and blocked the floo. Ron was going to explain to the family why they couldn’t floo to Harry’s place. They all thought that was smart because Ginny was still angry and being stubborn, she just wouldn’t listen and keeps blaming Charlie for losing Harry.