Minutes of the Inaugural meeting of the Magical Parental Readiness & Encouragement Group (MPREG)
Founder: Severus Snape
Co-founder and Secretary: Remus Lupin
Treasurer: Sirius Black
Present: Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter
Founder and Chairperson of the meeting outlined the purpose of the MPREG support group to the two present members, who had just embarked on their journey into parenthood.
Male pregnancies, while more common these days, are still rare enough and not always understood and the MPREG support group can give practical advice based on experience.
Looking back over the minutes of that first meeting, Remus couldn’t help but smile when recalling that meeting.
Harry had been appalled that his husband’s godfather had founded a support group for Draco and had been even more appalled when the practical advice was based on Snape’s experience as the surrogate parent of a Giant Squid baby.
Draco was of course delighted with the attention from his godfather, which did not go down well with Harry, who had never really warmed to their potions master and found Draco’s admiration for the man somewhat annoying.
Sirius was also not best pleased, but for a different reason. He did not really appreciate having to listen to Snape reminisce about how Remus had stood by him throughout his pregnancy and the importance of someone who cares about you and for you at such an emotional time in your life.
Remus did not mind the trip down memory lane, even though Snape glossed over some of their less amicable exchanges throughout that period in their lives, which included the unmentioned fact that no-one had ever survived such surrogacy before and that Snape would have died, if it wasn’t for Remus’ quick actions and Madam Pomfrey’s superb medical skills.
~ ~ ~
Luckily Draco was not pregnant with a Giant Squid baby, but with a perfectly normal human baby, Harry’s baby, Remus and Sirius’ grand-baby no less, but Snape’s heart was in the right place and establishing a support group was his way of showing how proud he was without being overly sentimental about it. Being practical and supportive came more natural to him than showing physical affection. Remus should know.
While his feelings for Snape had changed since those trying days when they were students, he still was fond of the man and glad that he had been allowed to share in that most unorthodox pregnancy. Snape didn’t share this caring nurturing side of himself with anyone, but Remus had witnessed it firsthand and it was a side of Snape he would always remember fondly.
~ ~ ~
They were going to be grand parents!
It was finally beginning to sink in. Remus and Sirius had never regretted taking Harry in after his parents died, once Sirius was released from prison, and had always considered him their son, and now their son and his husband were expecting. Such wondrous news.
Sirius and Remus had contemplated the idea of having another child, through adoption, as MPreg was not really accepted in their day, but caring for Harry had always been enough, perfect in fact, and it wasn’t as if Harry needed any siblings, he had six brothers and a sister already, as Molly had adopted Harry as one of her own, being as tough on him as on her own kids and taking no nonsense, which was just as well, as Sirius was at times much too indulgent with his godson.
And now they were going to be grandparents. They could be as indulgent as they liked. Sirius was already planning on buying the baby it’s first broom and Remus was looking forward to babysitting and reading to the baby, as his mother had done to him, as he had done to his landlady’s children in those dark days when Sirius was in prison, and as he had done to Harry from the moment they retrieved him from the Dursleys.
He couldn’t wait.
~ ~ ~
Maybe they didn’t need a formal support group structure, Remus thought and made a mental note to talk to Snape about this.
Harry and Draco were surrounded by supporting family and friends from both worlds. This baby would have the biggest fanclub imaginable and would be welcomed with open arms by aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Even Narcissa was looking forward to this little grandchild, though she warned Draco that she wasn’t going to be called granny, or nana, or any of those dreadful monikers.
‘Of course not,’ Draco had replied. He had only ever called her ‘Mother’ so why would his child call her anything other than ‘Grandmother’?
‘And I am not cleaning up sick or change nappies, or whatever else grandmothers are supposed to do,’ she had said to Draco, who was beginning to think his mother had been hit on the head by something.
When had his mother ever done any of those things. Wasn’t that what she had an entire army of house elves for?
And then it dawned on him, Harry did not approve of their past enslavement and mistreatment of house elves and Draco had never been able to convince him that things had changed, that the elves still employed by his mother were in fact paid and treated fairly now.
His mother was clearly worried that Harry would not approve of her staff being left to clean up after the baby and would expect her to do it herself without magic or help.
The thought of Narcissa Malfoy not using magic and lifting a finger other than to point and issue instructions was so laughable, that Draco nearly had a fit of giggles.
Then he sobered up and the awful thought occurred to him that his husband might expect the same from him. Draco really had to work on Harry some more, because while he might be carrying their child, as a true son of his mother, he also had no intention of changing nappies and had been hoping to employ Dobby as their nanny and general protector of their child. He knew from personal experience what an excellent child minder Dobby was.
He would shower Dobby in gold and gratitude, if that would be what it would take to convince Harry.
~ ~ ~
When Remus confronted Snape that maybe a formal support group structure was a bit over the top, the former potions master claimed to have bigger fish to fry, than just Draco and his husband.
‘You are as always taking too narrow a view, Remus. Once it will be public knowledge that the Boy Who Lived had a child by MPreg, there will be many more couples who will want take this step towards parenthood.
We are sitting on a potential gold mine.’
‘Spoken as a true Slytherin, Severus, and here I was thinking you did it all because you had a soft spot for your godson,’ Remus had laughed, knowing all too well that Snape would never admit to having any weaknesses. And love was the greatest weakness in Snape’s book, especially a fondness for his godson and his spouse.
Remus would bet his entire supply of Wolfsbane potion that Snape had already picked out baby furniture in Slytherin green and a potions play set for the new baby and at least one or two plushy snake toys.
Sirius had been exactly the same when they prepared the house for taking in Harry, back in the day.
While the two men would never admit it, they had a lot in common, and both having loved and cared for Remus wasn’t the only thing.
This baby was going to bring a lot of joy to these weird extended families, Remus mused.
He hoped it would bring Severus and Sirius closer together and heal some of the wounds from the past, but one thing was for sure this baby would be loved by all and he for one couldn’t wait to hold his first grandchild.