Title: The Basilisk's Heir

Author: ZelgadisGreywood

Fandom: Harry Potter

Disclaimer: Harry Potter & co. are not mine. I am not getting paid for this.

Warnings: creatura, rape, and mpreg

Summary: Voldemort is displeased when Lucius Malfoy turns to the good side.

Archive: If you'd like. Just let me know.

Author's Notes: Creatura (from 'Druuna: Creatura' by Paolo E. Serpieri) a horror tale in which a human being is raped by or forcibly mated to a non-standard or mythological creature, usually with the intent of impregnating the human. Creatura pregnancies are usually intentionally fatal (though intervening factors may appear to rescue the impregnated human.)


The Basilisk's Heir
by ZelgadisGreywood


-Chapter One-

Lucius Malfoy was furious.

"Hurry up," he shouted at his House Elves. "Get those things in those suitcases! Go on! Get packing!"

"But... master... surely you don't wish us to pick up the clothes?" A confused House Elf blinked.

"I don't give a rat's ass about the clothes. You're welcome to them, and this house once I'm packed."

The House Elves stared at their master in awe.

Ever since he'd found Narcissa cozying up to Peter Pettigrew, Lucius Malfoy had begun to question the types of people he surrounded himself with.

After much debate and round of drinks, he had announced to the wizarding world, or at least the portion of it that was in the pub that night, that he'd had enough of dark wizards and that Lord Voldemort and his followers could take a flying leap.

That was the reason he was packing so hurriedly. Voldemort had sent him an owl stating quite plainly that Lucius's betrayal was well-known and that Voldemort would be punishing him soon.

Another owl flew into the room, as Lucius trunks were being hoisted onto the carriage that stood outside his family manor.

He grabbed the howler from it's leg and opened it.

"MR. MALFOY,

YOUR PUNISHMENT HAS BEGUN AND CONTINUES
EVEN NOW..

YOU WILL NOT STOP IT UPON PAIN OF DEATH.

The howler incinerated itself.

Lucius blinked in confusion. What did the letter mean, the punishment had already started? Nothing was happening to him. So how was Voldemort punishing him? Did he mean Pettigrew and Narcissa? That was no punishment. If she wanted to fool around, then good riddance to her.

"Draco," he called upstairs. "Are you ready?"

There was no answer.

"Dibsy," he told a House Elf, "Go fetch Draco. Now!"

Dibsy bowed and ran upstairs. Lucius heard the door to Draco's room open, and heard the House Elf scream. Then, Lucius heard the thudding of the bed against the wall, a sound that had been muffled by the door.

Racing to the stairs, he took them two at a time as he hurried to his son's room.

"Deeper, Nagoro," a cold, voice hissed. "You can get it deeper. That's right. No need to be gentle. Hurt him all you want. Just be sure to leave him
alive. You want to be a father, don't you, Nagoro?"

Lucius stopped in horror. He could not run in to save Draco. Were he to try it, he'd be dead before he took two steps into the room.

He sank to the floor, put his head in his hands, and wept, listening to the vicious rape that was tearing apart his beloved son.



-Chapter Two-

The rape tore at Lucius's soul as it tore at Draco's body. It seemed to last for an eternity.

"What have I done?" Lucius wailed as he listened to the horrible noises that came so chillingly from his son's room.

"Draco, forgive me. This is all my fault." He sank into despair as the Basilisk's thrusts sped up, the giant serpent shuddering to a climax that shook the whole house, and went silent.

He heard Voldemort again, this time speaking in Parsletongue. Then heard the basilisk as it slithered into the hallway. He averted his eyes, just in time, keeping his head lowered until the great beast was out of his house. Then, he ran into Draco's room, dreading what he would find.

Draco lie on the bed, bound, gagged, and blindfolded. His buttocks and inner thighs were coated with blood and semen, badly scratched, and he was torn apart internally and externally.

Lucius vomited , then wiped his mouth and set to work untying his son.

"Draco," he said, as he unbound the pale wizard, who was shivering and sobbing. "Oh, Merlyn's beard, Draco. How could I have let that bastard do this to you? This is my fault. All my fault."

He carried Draco into his room, not wishing to leave his son for even a second, and wrapped him in a blanket.

He ran out to the carriage, only to find the driver and thestrals all dead, and the driver's bones littering the driveway.

Voldemort approached. "Did you think you would be able to leave me so easily, Lucius?" the inhuman wizard asked, coldly. "You surely must see that I do not take lightly to such a betrayal.

Lucius silently waved his wand arm.

Voldemort stepped forward. "Oh, come now, Lucius. You surely haven't forgotten that you hold no powers that can defeat me."

Lucius would have laughed a moment later, were he not so griefstricken, when the Night Bus plowed straight into Voldemort.

"'Ere now," Stan asked, "what's a rich bloke like you flaggin' us down fer?"

Lucius pushed him aside and got onto the bus. "We have to get my son to St.Mungo's he said.

Now that Voldemort was at least temporarily out of the way, he had noticed that Draco was sick and delirious with a raging fever. "Please, hurry. My son is sick." he sat by Draco as the bus took off at top speed.

"He'll never forgive me," he told himself.



-Chapter Three-

Lucius sat on the edge of Draco's bed for the duration of the ride to St. Mungo's, his expression ranging from grief, to remorse, to anger as he looked down at his son.

"Draco," he said, still holding back his tears. He needed to be strong for Draco. His son was depending on him now. He had let him down. He would not let him down again.

The bus came to a halt, the bed lurching several feet forward, and Lucius leapt to his feet. "Be more careful, damn it!"

"St. Mungo's," Stan announced, moving to help Lucius with Draco.

Lucius glare at him with an expression that could make a basilisk get on with what it was doing. "Stay away from my son." he growled.

Stan backed away. Lucius lifted Draco into his arms and ran into the wizarding hospital with him.

"Basilisk attack," Lucius told the witch at the front desk as he rushed by her and headed into the treatment area. "Get the healers now*!"

The blond witch placed a sonorus charm upon herself and called for the healer at once.

*****

Lucius Malfoy had been in the treatment area for less than five seconds when a mediwizard joined him.

"What happened to him?" The healer asked, professionally. Introductions would have to wait. The young wizard looked very ill.

"He was attacked by a basilisk." Lucius told him. He could not bring himself to say 'raped'. It was too horrific a burden for him to bear.

"Put him on the table."

Lucius clung to Draco. He suddenly did not want to let the healers, or anyone else, touch him. "Just cast a spell." he ordered.

"It's not that simple, sir," the healer told him. "We need to examine him first so we know how to treat him. If we give him the wrong cure, it might do nothing or it might kill him."

"Nobody is ever going to touch my son again," Lucius hollered.

Another healer joined them. "May I help you?"

The first healer nodded, stern-faced, and told her "Please take Mr. Malfoy up to the cafeteria and get him a cup of tea. He's rather distraught. See what youcando to calm him down while I take care of his son."

The mediwitch extended her arm for Lucius, but he refused to take it.

"No," he said, "I won't leave my son. Don't you touch him!"

"Mr. Malfoy," the mediwitch reasoned with him, "your son will not be harmed. Now come with me."

Lucius glared at the mediwizard with a look of distrust on his face, as the mediwitch led him out of the treatment area.

With Lucius Malfoy out of the way, the healer opened the blankets that were wrapped around Draco. He understood at once why Lucius had been so protective, and why the man had been so vehemently against Draco being touched in any way.

The younger Malfoy hadn't just been attacked by the basilisk. The deadly serpent had raped him. Lucius had wanted Draco treated, but hadn't wanted the healers to know about the rape.

*****

Lucius Malfoy glared at the mediwitch across the table from him as she sipped her tea. "How can you be so damned calm when my son is dying? I need to be with him. Can't you see that?"

"Your son is with a highly qualified healer," the mediwitch assured him. "He will be fine. But you need to calm down and relax. You won't do your son any good if you're too agitated. Go ahead, have some tea. It's really quite good."

Lucius eyed the tea, but his mind kept telling him he should be with his son. That he had to protect Draco.

"Your son is fine," the mediwitch assured him. "Well, maybe not fine. But he is in good hands. We'll do all we can for him. You can't help him. You need to let us do our work."

Lucius took a sip of tea, still looking very tense. He wanted to do more. To be at Draco's side. To protect him from the shame of what had happened.

"I let him down," he told the witch. "I can't let him down again. If he dies. If anything happens to him."

"Something did happen to him," the witch reasoned. "And now you have to let the healers sort it out. They'll find a way."

Lucius hurled his teacup across the room. "MY SON WAS RAPED BY A BASILISK, YOU STUPID BITCH!" he screamed, wishing instantly that he could take it back. They knew now. Knew of the shameful thing that had happened to his son. And it was all her fault. This stupid witch who had goaded him into it with her nice words and cups of tea. He leapt to his feet in rage.

Before Lucius could do any further damage, the mediwitch raised her wand. "Petrificus totalus."

Lucius went rigid, then fell over.



-Chapter Four-

"HARRY POTTER! GET THIS RUDDY OWL OUT OF HERE!" Uncle Vernon bellowed as a tawny owl flew past him and landed on Harry's shoulder.

Harry blanched as he saw the red envelope. Red envelopes contained howlers. The worst kind of correspondence a wizard or witch could receive.

The howler flew open before Harry could begin to tear open the envelope. Whoever this one was from was really pissed off.

"HARRY POTTER! I BLAME YOU FOR ALL OF THIS!
IF YOU WEREN'T SUCH A SELF-CENTERED BASTARD
THEN VOLDEMORT WOULD HAVE BEEN DEAD AND
MY SON WOULD NOT BE IN ST. MUNGO'S."

Harry glared at the howler, recognizing the female voice at once. "She's got a lot of nerve," he said, crossly. "The woman lives up to her name, and she's calling *me* self-centered?"

"What's St. Mungo's?" Uncle Vernon wanted to know.

"Wizarding Hospital," Harry explained. "My friend Ron's dad went there last year when he got bitten by a snake. The wound wouldn't close up, so one of the doctors tried stitches."

"Bloody sensible thing to do." Uncle Vernon grunted. "Better than that mumbo jumbo those witch doctors use."

"Normally, perhaps so," Harry shrugged. He couldn't believe how well this conversation was going. "But the stitches kept dissolving. Hermione says she thinks the bite had something in it that caused it."

"Knows about stitches, does she? Bit odd for one of your kind."

"Her mother and father are dentists." Harry shrugged.

"And they let her go to that school of yours?" Uncle Vernon shook his head, resignedly. "I would have thought that being doctors would have meant they had a little more sense in them. So, why's this woman's son in the hospital?"

Harry shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe Voldemort stepped on his foot during the Death Eater's Ball. I'm going upstairs to pack. The Weasley will be here in an hour."

"And just what new and innovative way are they going to come up with to ruin my house this time?" Uncle Vernon inquired.

"We'll have to see." Harry shrugged, with a slight smile upon his face. He headed upstairs to pack, his mind racing with joy that he would be spending at least some time in the wizarding world without his greatest rival to spoil it for him.



-Chapter Five-

"Did you hear," Ron asked Harry just over an hour later. "Draco's in St. Mungo's. Got attacked by a basilisk. A friend of Dad's at the ministry told him about it. Said he's really bad."

Harry felt a twinge of guilt, which he shoved aside. It was Draco's own fault if people didn't feel too badly when he got hurt. And besides, he hadn't known Draco had been attacked by a basilisk.

"I heard he was in St.Mungo's." Harry told Ron. "His mom sent me a howler. Said it was my fault for not finishing off Voldemort properly."

"Lucius Malfoy's in a right state," Fred said from the front seat. "Dad says he blew a sparkplug, as the Muggles say."

"You mean blew a fuse?" Harry offered.

"Yeah, that's what he did all right," George nodded. "Started yelling and throwing things. Screaming that a basilisk had." he spotted Ginny in the mirror and went silent. It wasn't something she needed to hear. "Well, it damaged him pretty badly. He's sick with fever, delirious..."

*****

"Ruddy miracle he's still alive, if you ask me." Hagrid told his drinking companions at the Three Broomsticks. "I mean, seeing as how it was a basilisk and all. Don't know how he managed it mehself. But my friend, he says Draco Malfoy was in such bad shape, that when the doctor was working on him, he was pratically in tears."

"I was in a pub shortly before it happened," Fletcher told him. "And I heard Lucius Malfoy say he thought You Know Who could go ... what's that Muggle expression?"

"Not in here, buster." Rosemerta warned.

Mundungus shrugged. "Anyhow, he basically said that if You Know Who was going to help his wife cheat on him, then he didn't want to be around either of them."

"If you heard Lucius Malfoy was on our side, why didn't you say anything?" Hagrid asked. "Blimey. You mean to tell us we've had a chance to get one of You Know Who's biggest supporters on our side, and you never told us?"

"Didn't want to say anything until I was sure, did I?" Mundugus sipped a bit more firewhiskey. "After all, Lucius Malfoy was drunk. Who's to say he wouldn't take it all back the next morning."

"All the same, yeh should've said something." Hagrid pointed out.

*****

"Mum! Dad!" Ginny called. "We're home!"

Mrs. Weasley hugged her children, looking quite relieved.

"Welcome back, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, sounding cheerful, but looking rather harrassed.

"When I learned that your father had let you drive off with that...car." Molly shook her head.

"When'd you get it back?" Harry asked.

"We didn't actually get it back," Mr. Weasley admitted. "That's the thing. It's really just sort of, well, visitting us. really.

Harry couldn't help laugh. The Weasley's were a wonderful family, really. Even Percy, who was still not on speaking terms with the rest of his family, had his good side. And Harry was sure that one day the family would be whole once more. It was no wonder, when one thought of how kind and considerate they were, that even their old car would want to drop by and honk 'hello' from time to time.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley asked him. "Would you like to see my workshed? I've got all sorts of really neat muggle things out there."

"Oh, Arthur," Mrs. Weasley admonished. "Harry's been living with Muggles all summer. He doesn't want to look at plugs."

"It's okay," Harry told her as he followed Mr. Weasley to the workshed.

The workshed was cluttered much like the rest of the house. It was packed with all kinds of contraptions, no doubt Mr. Weasley's attempts at creating the wizarding equivalent of the light bulb. The thing that fascinated Harry most were the models Mr. Weasley had made of Muggle towns. He had clearly been studying them carefully. And while he had a few things understandably wrong, he'd put as much effort into them as a war buff might put into his favorite kriegspiel.

"Harry," Mr. Weasley told him, as he examine one of the model towns. "Molly doesn't think I should be talking to you about this. But you're an adult now, and I think you have a right to know how serious things are with Draco Malfoy."

"I heard he got bitten by a basilisk." Harry said, wondering why concern was creeping into his voice.

"Not bitten," Mr. Weasley corrected him. "Raped. Because Lucius and Draco switched sides. Which we only heard about shortly before you arrived. Hagrid sent an owl from Hogsmeade as soon as he'd heard."

Harry looked at Mr. Weasley in horror. Had he heard correctly? Lucius Malfoy was now on their side? And Draco had been raped by a basilisk as a punishment for Lucius?

Harry felt confused, and sick to his stomach as he thought of the cavalier way in which he'd first thought of the attack. Before he had known exactly what type of attack it had been.

"I'd better go unpack," he told Mr. Weasley, running out quickly, before he could throw up on one of the model towns.

*****

"Now, Mr. Malfoy," a kind witch in a blue and white robe asked, "Please relax. I know how difficult for you this is, but I can assure you that the healers at this hospital will do we can to help you cope with what has happened."

"Help *me* cope?" Lucius demanded. "What about Draco? He's dead isn't he? That bastard killed him. That's why..."

"Your son is still alive," the counseling witch told him. "Though just barely. To be honest, he should have been dead hours ago. The doctors are still trying to figure it out. It shouldn't be long now."

"I want to see him," Lucius told him.

"There's been no change since you brought him in." the doctor told him. "There's really no point. What you shoud do is go home, and get yourself some rest. I promise you, once we know anything more, we'll call you."

Lucius looked at the floor,for a moment, in thought.

"Perhaps you're right." he sighed, defeatedly.



-Chapter Six-

Healer Michael Hyssop frowned into his butterbeer, which he swirled with the tip of his wand. Two months had gone by. Two whole months with no explanation as to why a wizard who had only just reached adulthood, and who had therefore very little knowledge of spellcasting or potions, had been able to survive a basilisk attack.

The poison was present. The tests had identified it as the reason for the young man's continual fever, which still had not broken. Yet, Draco Malfoy continued to defy the poison by means the healer had yet to discover.

Draco had been transferred to a bed in the long-term care section of the first floor after the first week, and his care had fallen into the hands of Healer Hyssop, who had at once submerged himself into every book he could find on basilisk attacks.

They had been no good. Every reported incident had been fatal. There was no antidote in any of the books. He was aware of the healing powers of phoenix tears, but these were so rare that they were not a reliable method.

He went back to the hospital to check on his patient one more time before going home to bed.

There had been no change. But wait, had he seen a flicker of movement? He watched carefully, sure he was seeing some kind of movement. But Draco was lying perfectly still.

Hyssop turned to leave, then froze. Turning slowly back, he realized what he was seeing and stared at it in abject horror.

Something was moving inside of Draco Malfoy.

Everything fell into place in that moment. The fever. Draco's immunity to the deadly venom in his blood. It was all being caused by the same thing. Somehow, the basilisk which had raped Draco Malfoy had impregnated him.

The healer stared at Draco in sympathy as he realized that only the child growing inside of him at that moment was keeping him alive. That Draco was immune only until he gave birth.

He had to find a cure before the baby was born. Otherwise, Draco Malfoy would die in childbirth.

*****

Harry met Ron and Hermione in main hall. They had Thaumaturgy class next, then double potions with the Slytherins.

Harry was not looking forward to seeing the Slytherins. They were a surly lot on a good day, and the absence of Draco Malfoy seemed to make them, if anything, worse.

He found himself, not for the first time since he'd learned how Draco had been attacked, actually missing his rival and wondering how the relationship would change if Lucius Malfoy truly had changed sides.

Wrapped up in these thoughts, he walked straight into Professor Snape, who, to Harry's utter astonishment, went on down the corridor without deducting a single point from Gryffindor.

The look on Snape's face made him shudder however. It was a look of utter horror and revulsion, and for the first time since their paths had crossed, Harry Potter was absolutely positive that it wasn't him that Snape was looking that way about.

He made up his mind that he would ask Snape what the problem was after his Potions class.



-Chapter Seven-

"My son is *WHAT*?!" Lucius exploded at Healer Hyssop.

"Your son was apparently impregnated by the basilisk which assaulted him." Hyssop explained. "I believe the child is at least humanoid in shape based on the movement I've seen. But that, and the fact that it is progress more rapidly than a normal human pregnancy, is all I can really be sure
of."

"Get that... *thing*... out of him." Lucius glared at Hyssop.

"I'm afraid I can't," Hyssop explained. "Not without killing him. Apparently one of the byproducts of the pregnancy is that it is making your son immune to the Basilisk venom that was introduced into his bloodstream at the time of conception.

Lucius cursed Voldemort, bitterly. The Dark Lord had been thorough, thinking of every way Lucius might have found out of the 'punishment' he'd exacted upon the Malfoys, and removing those escape routes.

Lucius could not abort the pregnancy forced upon Draco without killing him. And if he had the baby, what then? What kind of monstrosity would his son bring into the world? Even the healer didn't know the answer to that question.

He paced, started to speak several times, then went over to the bed, and sat down at Draco's side. He leaned over and brushed some hair out of Draco's face.

The fever still raged, and Draco continued to moan and mutter in his delirium.

"I'm sorry, Draco." Lucius took his son's hand, and just sat there for a moment as the fullness of the situation crashed down upon him. Then, with Draco's hand still in his own, he bowed his head as the tears he'd been holding back suddenly poured out of him.



-Chapter Eight-

Snape growled belligerently as he heard the knock on his door. Slamming down the book he'd been reading on magical herbs and venom antidotes, he stormed over to the offending door and threw it open.

"Potter," he said, angrily. "I am very busy. You are wasting valuable time."

"I only came to ask you what was wrong," Harry told him.

Snape looked like he was on the verge of taking a million points from Gryffindor. If he did, Harry was sure they could kiss all future House Cups goodbye.

With a remarkable show of restraint, Snape sat back down and went back to reading. "St. Mungo's needs a cure for Basilisk poison." he explained.

"For Draco?" Harry asked.

Snape nodded, but did not look up.

There was a moment's uncomfortable silence. Then, Hermione gave an exasperated sigh and grabbed a book.

"What do you think you're doing?" Snape wanted to know.

"We're helping you." Hermione told him, emphasizing 'we're' so clearly that Harry and Ron knew at once that she intended for them to help as well.

Snape grumbled to himself about 'meddlesome busibodies', but Hermione was sure she heard a tone of gratitude in his voice. She looked over at Harry, who looked as determined as Snape to find the cure.

She had no doubt in her mind why, and this made her frown and bite her lip ever so slightly. She adored Harry nnd wanted him to be happy, but Draco had recently been the enemy. The thought of Harry being in love with him was something she would have to acclimate herself to.

*****

Lucius Malfoy looked up, sharply, as the door to the hospital room swung open.

Hagrid walked in, watching the other man in case he lost his temper again. "May I sit down?"

"Stand over there," Lucius said, warningly. "Nobody comes near my son."

Hagrid understood and stayed back a respectful distance. "Look..." he began.

"If you're going to defend the monster that attacked him, then you're wasting your breath." Malfoy warned.

"Nah, I ain't here to try to do no such thing," Hagrid assured him. "Them basilisks are bad news. Can't get nothing good out of none o' them."

"They'd do okay as Palace Guards, Malfoy shrugged.

"I reckon they'd keep everyone else from entering the Palace," Hagrid shrugged. "But they'd probably kill the King as well."

Lucius looked down at the heavily perspiring Draco and wiped his face again. "He's been like that for these last few months." he told Hagrid. "Ever since it happened. Ever since... "

"Ever since your son was raped." Hagrid finished for him. "Look, you've got a lot of things to be ashamed for. But what happened to Draco ain't one of them."

"I''m not ashamed of Draco," Lucius shot back. "It's me I'm ashamed of. It's my fault this happned. If I hadn't been such a bigoted fool..."

"Yeh was a fool," Hagrid agreed. "But that's in the past now. Yeh gotta stop blamin' yourself for something you didn't do. Your son needs yeh, Lucius."

Lucius looked at Hagrid with a determined expression on his face.

"I do not intend to let my son down again."



-Chapter Nine-

Ron looked up. "Why don't we just use Fawkes?" he asked. "Harry, didn\t you say that his tears cured you when the basilisk attacked you?"

"Not everyone can afford Phoenix tears," Hermione pointed out.

"But..." Ron began.

"Draco's allergic." Snape said, not looking up. "They found that out when his arm was clawed by that hippogriff. That's why it took so long for his arm to heal."

Harry looked up. "I think I've found something."

Hermione looked. "No, Harry. That's too strong. It could cause him to go into labor. If he delivers before the baby before the cure takes affect, the poison in his blood will kill him."

Harry went back to searching while Hermione tried to think of any muggle medicines that might work on basilisk poison.

*****

Lucius stirred, momentarily, from his sleep as something twitched in his grip. At first, he was too tired to realize what was going on. He grumbled irritably, and dozed off again. It happened again, and this time he muttered a disgruntled "Draco, knock it off".

A moment later, Lucius Malfoy was wide awake.

Draco was still perspiring from fever. Still pregnant with the basilisk's offspring. But he was, at least, awake.

"Draco," Lucius said, glad that he could at least talk with his son. "Thank Merlyn. Listen to me. You're in St. Mungo's. The attack has made you very ill. Somehow that monster made you pregnant. We can't abort it. The doctor reckons its the only reason the poison hasn't killed you. Professor Snape is trying to find a cure, though. In the meantime. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Don't let Harry see me like this." Draco pleaded.

"You love him." It was a statement, not a question.

Draco nodded. If learning the truth meant him leaving Hogwarts, then that was fine with him. He could go somewhere where they'd never know what happened to him.

"I heard that he loves you, too." Lucius told his son. "He's a good man, Draco. And considering what you might be carrying, having a husband who can speak Parsletongue might be a good idea."


-Chapter Ten-

Hyssop sat in his office with a grave look upon his face. Draco's awakening had, if anything, troubled him even more than his continued unconsciousness.

"It means," he told Lucius,"that your son's body is preparing to go into labor. That means we now have even less time to find a cure. It could be a matter of days or even hours at this point. We can only hope it';s the former."

Lucius looked old and frail at these words. Being roused from his sleep to find his son conscious had seemed a wonderful thing to him. But now that joy had been replaced with the fear that they might not find a cure in time to save him. That any moment now, a cry of pain from Draco would signal the onset of labor, and the end of his life.

*****

Snape sat alone in his rooms, quietly reading the pile of muggle medicine books Hermione had left there that afternoon. He scoffed as he read about the medicines they used to treat themselves. He was halfway through it when he hurled it across the room in disgust. Did Hermione really think any of those ridiculous treatments could possibly help Draco?

As the book hit the floor, something fell out of it. Snape picked it up and went to stuff it back in. Then he stopped as he read the words on the top of the card:

POISON CONTROL CENTER.

Surely they wouldn't have a cure for Basilisk attacks. He stuffed the card back into the front of the book, and set it on the table before heading off to bed.

*****

Draco moaned, softly, and tugged his father's shirt.

"Mmmmwha...?" Lucius woke, blearly.

"My stomach hurts," Draco whimpered. "Really badly."

Lucius jumped out of his chair and rushed to get the healer. "I think it's time." he said with a heavy heart as he caught his breath.

The doctor sprinted to Draco's room. When he got there he frowned at the sight before him.

Draco was lying in bed, looking paler than a veela and fair less pretty at the moment. His face was contorted in agony and he was clutching his abdomen as though he were being punched in the stomach.

There was no doubt in Hyssop's mind that Draco Malfoy had, indeed, gone into labor.



-Chapter Eleven-

Snape was awakened by the urgent knocking. He opened the door and found Dumbledore standing there with Harry and Hermione, who was standing there with a triumphant look on her faee.

"We found the cure," she told him. "And just in time, too."

"Draco went into labor just short of an hour ago," Dumbledore told Snape. "We're heading over to St. Mungo's so Harry can be with him." he gave Harry a knowing (and approving) look. Then he looked in Snape's direction. "Are you coming, Severus?"

Snape gave a brusque nod, then followed them out to the carriages.

"So, what's the cure?" Snape asked, once they'd bundled into the carriages and were on their way to St. Mungo's.

"Puking pasties." Harry told him.

"I thought we tried those?" Snape recalled.

"We tried the 'get cured' end." Hermione pointed out. "But we never tried using the 'get sick' end first. Something in those ingredients weakens basilisk venom. Once it's in Draco's system, we give Draco the 'cure' end and he should be fine."

"What about fact that he's going to be vomiting all over the place?" Snape asked.

"The healer's going to give him an anti-vomitting draught first." Dumbledore assured him.

Snape sat and looked out the windows at the interior of the cloud they were passing through as they landed just outside of St.Mungo's.



-Chapter Twelve-

Lucius Malfoy sat drumming his fingers on a cup of tea while Harry Potter sat across the table from him.

Had anyone told Lucius he'd be doing this a year ago, he'd have laughed in their face. If they'd told him he'd be talking with Harry because The Boy Who Lived was in love with his son, he'd have probably cast an illegal curse upon them.

"What are your intentions toward my son?" he asked.

"Um... well..." Harry had never been afraid of Lucius Malfoy when he'd been the enemy. He'd stood up to him under many circumstances and had never once felt anything remotely close to fear. But now, at this moment, sitting there and preparing to ask permission to court Draco, for the purpose of becoming his husband, Harry Potter was nearly terrified.

Lucius smiled. "Finally afraid of me, are you? Just when you no longer have any need to be."

Harry gave a weak smiled. "I intend no harm to Draco." he stammered. "I just."

"Wish to love him," Lucius nodded, with a light-tipped smile. "Yes, I can see it quite plainly in the look on your face. If he survives, youwish to..." his voice faltered as his own words stung his ears

If he survives.

No. Not if. After. The cure would work. Draco would be all right. There was no reason for him to get all upset about it.

"After the baby is born, you wish to make a family with my son and his child. He wants that, too. And as my grandchild is going to be at least some part Basilisk, the fact that you can speak Parsletongue will be a benefit. Particularly if the child can only speak Parsletongue himself."

Harry relaxed. He didn't need to convince Lucius that a love between him and Draco would be a good idea. Lucius had already done that, himself.

Lucius took another sip of tea, then looked up as a shadow fell across the table.

Dumbledore was standing over them with a concerned smile on his face.

"Is it.. .born?" Lucius asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"They are. A boy and a female."

At Harry's puzzled look, Dumbledore explained. "The female is a basilisk.But it has Draco's eyes, so fortunately no harm came to any of the healers who delivered her. The boy has basilisk eyes, but he does not seem to have developed a kill stare. That might change when he gets older, however. So it is something you and Draco will have to watch out for, Harry."

Lucius looked at the medium sized wicker basket which held the basilisk his son had carried. She was unique in all her race, the first female of her species. And she was utterly beautiful.

Her scales, white and gold like Draco's hair, flashed brilliantly like white fire and her silver eyes, human eyes, hinted of what would one day be a great intelligence.

The boy, in his bassinet alongside his sister's basket, also had the traditional Malfoy blonde hair, though his eyes , as Dumbledore had warned, were the same in appearance as those of a basilisk.

Harry looked at the Malfoy Twins, and began, at once, to speak in Parsletongue.

As Lucius listened, he noticed a strange lilting quality to Harry's voice. He wasn't speaking Parsletongue. He was singing it. He listened, quietly, to the strange lullaby that Harry was singing to the twins.

A woman's hand rested on Lucius's shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

Lucius turned and saw Narcissa there.

"When I heard that Draco was in labor I had to come. I've been doing a lot of thinking on the way over."

"Where's your lover?" Narcissa asked. "Where's Wormtail?"

"He left me just after you did." Narcissa explained. "Seems I wasn't as good a catch to him when I wasn't your wife anymore."

"If you're trying to get back with me for *his* sake." Lucius warned.

"I'm not." Narcissa replied. "And I'm not going to ask you to rejoin the Dark Lord. I can't ever forgive what he tried to do to our son." She paused for a moment, to listen as Harry fnished singing. "He'll make a good stepfather for Draco's children. " she smiled. "Come on," she took her ex-husband's hand. "Let's go see our son."



END