When the world reappeared to Melody, she was lying in a bed of a room identical to Hermione’s.
“Oh God!” she called out as another pain hit her.
“Looks like this one really wants to come out,” the Healer standing over her said, “Let’s begin.”
“No!” Melody said sharply, “Get Harry. He’s in the lobby.”
All the nurses froze in their places.
“GO!” Melody shouted sending two of them off to find Harry.
The Healer began to prepare himself for the birth, but Melody nearly kicked him.
“Don’t you dare start until Harry’s here,” she snapped as he backed away.
“Let me at least give you something for the pain,” he said, delicately reaching his wand forward.
In an instant, the pains were gone and as Hermione said, Melody felt nothing. The room was sent into a freeze frame as they waited for Harry. Melody felt the child’s movements, but still felt no pain.
“We really should begin, Mrs. Potter,” the Healer suggested.
She was about to tell him off when Harry ran into the room and grabbed at her hand. The instant she had the comfort of feeling him there, the Healer almost leapt forward to begin.
What Melody (and everyone else) expected to take at least an hour was finished in less than thirty seconds. Before she could even think, the Healer was walking away with something in his arms. The nurses furiously surrounded him.
“I can’t believe it,” Melody heard the Healer say to the crowd.
Melody was suddenly scared. She pulled Harry’s hand close to her heart for a moment before sending him over to see what was going on.
He ran over to the crowd of medical workers and fought his way to where the Healer was standing.
“What’s wrong?” Melody heard him yell at the Healer.
There was a long pause before it was as if the waters parted and the nurses stepped out of the Healers way. In his arms he held their baby, clean and ready for its mother.
“I’ve never seen such a fast birth. It is unbelievable that she is fine,” he said stepping toward Melody.
“She?” she asked as Harry returned to her side.
A nurse pulled in behind the Healer with a wide smile on her face.
“It looks like you have a little witch on your hands.”
“Who would have expected less from the daughter of you two?” the Healer beamed, placing the baby girl in Melody’s arms.
The proud parents looked down at the warm bundle just as she let out the softest yawn. Her head was covered with light fuzz that Melody affectionately grazed against her cheek. When she again looked down at the child, she was being stared at through two sharp green eyes.
“She’s flawless,” Melody said kissing the baby’s head before handing her to Harry.
He beckoned one of the nurses cleaning up to go out for the Weasleys, still in the lobby, awaiting word. Returning to Melody, he carefully pulled a stool up under himself and sat beside her bed.
Worn from excitement, the fleet of red heads entered the room in silence. Mrs. Weasley was the first to approach Harry.
“Oh, isn’t she a dear,” she sighed sweetly, warmly placing a hand on the newborn’s head, “You’re mother should be here. Why don’t I go for her.”
With that the exhausted woman exited the room. Harry tenderly leaned over so the Kevin and Kallista could see the baby. They poked lightly at her cheeks while Ginny allowed Connor to get a better look as well.
“Do you have a name?” Gabby asked from behind Charlie.
Melody and Harry looked at each other and realized they hadn’t even really thought about it.
“Today’s been crazy. We’ll sleep on it,” Harry said handing the baby off to Melody.
Just as the Weasleys were going to make their way home, their matriarch returned, only now she had a look of great anguish.
“Melly, dear, I have some bad news from your mother,” she said softly, “They’re on their way, but they were just upstairs. I’m afraid…Well, your parents were upstairs because Anna has been very ill and she just now…”
Mrs. Weasley was having trouble finding the words, but Melody had a terrible feeling that she already knew what they were.
“I’m sorry, dear, but she passed away.”
Melody’s body suddenly went rigid.
“Harry, take her,” she said stiffly.
Harry gathered the baby in her arms and had just placed her in her bassinet before he had to pin Melody against her bed.
“What are you doing?” Melody snapped, trying to get past him.
“Lie down,” he said sharply at her, “Where are you going?”
“I have to see Anna!” Melody shouted as the visitors slowly filtered out.
“Oh, she is already gone, dear,” Mrs. Weasley responded, “Your parents were just filling out the papers.”
Melody fought for only a moment longer before she let Harry fall on her in an embrace.
As Mrs. Weasley was exiting, another one of the Healer’s nurses entered holding some paper work.
“Have you thought of a name for the little angel?” the elderly Irish woman asked, her pen at the ready.
Harry began to say something, but Melody stopped him.
“Anna…” she forced herself to say, “Anna Lillian Potter.”
Harry looked down at her and then back at the nurse. He nodded and the name was set. He crossed the room and again took Anna in his arms.
A noise at the door alerted Melody to a new arrival as she looked up to see her parents. Her mother’s eyes were puffy from tears, but somehow she managed to find more as she looked upon her granddaughter.
Mr. Chancelle immediately went to Melody and wrapped his arms around her in comfort.
Aware of her worries, he simple said, “It was in her sleep. She was comfortable. She would have wanted to see this, though.”
Mrs. Chancelle crossed to her husband with Anna in her arms. She rested herself on the edge of the bed beside Melody and three generations sat enjoying the sugar of their most bittersweet day.