“Lily, you’re doing great! Keep it up!” James said, squeezing his wife’s hand reassuringly.

“I…know…I’m…doing great!” Lily said haltingly, her voice breaking between breaths as she struggled through the pain.

“Okay I’ll keep the compliments to myself then,” James said, wincing slightly as his wife’s grasp on his hand tightened. He looked down at Lily, her face scrunched up in concentration and pieces of her beautiful red hair stuck to her forehead. She had never looked more beautiful to him then now, even as she lay on a bed in St. Mungo’s, giving birth to their first child. He couldn’t believe that after all these years of loving Lily, they were fina--.

A sudden pain in James’ right hand interrupted James’ thoughts, and he turned back to Lily.

“Ow, um Lily?” James said. “Could you not squeeze so hard, love? It’s just, that’s my throwing hand and I just…OW!”

“I’m…sorry!” Lily grunted, her face scrunched up. “Is this painful for you? My apologies!”

James smiled painfully and patted his wife’s head with his free hand.

“I forgive you,” James replied lovingly. “But only because you’re lying here giving birth to our first son.”

“FIRST?” Lily exclaimed, turning her head towards James. “How thick can you possibly be, wanting to put me through this aga - -OW!” Lily screeched in pain and rolled onto her side, trying to curl into a ball.

“Get! Healer! Smyth!” Lily cried out, tensing up in pain.

James whipped his wand out of his pocket and waved it frantically in the air, muttering under his breath. Almost immediately Healer Smyth, a small but powerful looking Healer appeared in the doorway.

“All right, Mrs Potter,” Healer Smyth said calmly, walking over towards Lily, “I think it’s about time!”

“Oh you think so?” Lily snapped angrily. “Because I think we’re about to have a picnic in here!”

James winced again as Lily’s grip tightened around his hand and pulled him closer to her. Healer Smyth rolled up his sleeves and waved his wand calmly around Lily’s abdomen, puffs of green and pink smoke circling the air.

“Okay, we’re ready here,” Healer Smyth said as the smoke puffs faded into nothing. “Give me one good push and you’ll be able to meet your son.”

Lily scrunched up her face in concentration, her body tensing as she pushed with all her strength. James cried out slightly as his hand was crushed in Lily’s, but his eyes were completely focused on his wife’s face. Suddenly, she relaxed and fell back against the bed, and the silence in the room was interrupted by a high pitched wailing. James smiled down at his wife in admiration as they waited for their son to be checked by Healer Smyth.

James leaned down and kissed Lily’s forehead softly, as he whispered “You did it, Lily. I’m so proud of you, love.”

“Are you two ready to meet your daughter?” Healer Smyth said, smiling mischievously and handing Lily a small bundle of blankets. “She’s perfectly strong and healthy.”

Lily smiled widely and cuddled the child close, whispering softly as she rocked her daughter.

“We sure are…” James said, trailing off slightly as he processed what Healer Smyth had said. “Wait…daughter?”

“Yes, that’s what I said,” Healer Smyth said laughing at James’ shock. “Congratulations!”

“But we were told it was a boy!” James said confusedly, shaking his head slightly. “We had an appointment ages ago and they confirmed that it was a boy.”

“Oh those tests are never 100% accurate,” Healer Smyth replied. “But if you’ll excuse me, I have another patient to check on. Congratulations again on your daughter!”

James stared disbelievingly at the baby in Lily’s arms, still in utter shock that he had a daughter.

“James, don’t you want to meet our daughter?” Lily asked softly, brushing her finger across the baby’s cheek.

James walked over to Lily and his (he couldn’t believe it) daughter. He gently pulled the blankets away from the baby’s face, and looked at his daughter for the first time. She was tiny and her skin was perfectly pale, like a porcelain doll. There was a small sweeping of jet black hair across her head and as he touched her arm, her little fists reached up towards him. He knew it was just a reflex, but he felt as though his daughter could tell that he was her father.

“She’s perfect,” James murmured, brushing his hand gently across her black hair. “What should we name her? I don’t think Harry James is the perfect name anymore.”

Lily smiled up at her husband who couldn’t tear his eyes away from his tiny daughter. “I was thinking about Haven,” Lily replied. “It means ‘safe place’. We could use a safe place in these tumultuous times.”

“Haven Potter,” James said softly, almost to himself.

“We can keep James as her middle name…if you’d really like,” Lily said teasingly. “I don’t think she’ll mind.”

“Actually, I was thinking of Lily,” James said. “It made sense to use my name when we were having a boy, but now that we have this beautiful daughter, I think it’s fitting to use your beautiful name.”

“Haven Lily Potter,” Lily said, smiling widely, “Perfect.”

James smiled lovingly at Lily and sat on the edge of her bed, wrapping his arms around his wife, with Haven nestled in between the two of them. Lily closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately, her dreams filled with visions of their perfect family.