The next day brought a euphoria that was inescapable until Melody was confronted by her mother.
Silence had environed the dinner table as Melody slowly chewed Anna’s food. Her mother’s gaze was glued to Melody, but she said nothing. Oblivious to the watching eyes, kept the image of Harry’s face tucked sweetly in the back of her mind. A fork dropped on glass and Melody finally raised her head to find the glare fallen upon her. Her mother’s hand was raised over the plate.
“What, Mother?” Melody snapped.
“Don’t speak to me like zat!” her mother replied, “I can’t believe you.”
“What did I do now to displease you, your Highness?”
“I’m so ashamed of you, Melody.”
Melody paused in confusion, “What are you talking about?”
“I think you know very well what I am talking about, Melody!”
Remembering the previous night, Melody cautiously shook her head, but it was hopeless. For once, Melody Chancelle couldn’t talk her way out of a touch spot. If her mother had been a teenage boy, a simple hair flip would make him lose his train of thought, but of course her mother wasn’t a teenage boy. She obviously knew and she revealed so by saying, “I know all about your little charade last night, young lady!”
Panic raced through her as she ran possible replies in her head. Nothing had an honest ring to it, and she had a feeling her mom was certain of her suspicions.
“It was nothing…” Melody began, but then restarted with an idea, “I couldn’t sleep, so I went downstairs.”
“Don’t lie to me, Melody! I know ‘arry was ‘ere!” her mother said, pushing her plate away, “I zought I made it perfectly clear zat ‘e was not welcome in zis ‘ouse.”
Melody counted to ten to herself, but nothing could have stopped her revolt. Rage had gotten the best of Melody and she rose from her seat. Before Melody could say anything, Anna scurried in only long enough to gather the two abandoned plates.
“Mother, you don’t understand,” Melody hissed.
“I’ve been in love too, Melody.”
“If you had you would know that by separating us you’re only making us closer, Mother!” Melody howled, “How did you find out, anyways? I froze your room.”
“Don’t worry about zat! You’re trying to change zee subject!”
In an unwise step, Anna entered the dining room to gather more dishes.
Anna’s appearance the night before replayed in Melody’s mind. Why would a freezing charm fade in less than an hour? How had her mother found out? The answers all laid in the aged woman before her.
“Wait a minute!” Melody wept. “Anna? No, Anna…tell me you didn’t tell her. Anna? I thought I could at least trust you!”
No words crossed Anna’s lips and Melody flew from the room. Her last ally in that house had betrayed her. Melody’s loneliness multiplied to its greatest height as she locked the door to her room, and lay down on her bed. Sobs escapes her as she moved onto her side and faced the nightstand.
After a few moments, the two-way mirror that had been placed by the bed revealed Hermione’s face searching the room.
“Melody? Are you all right? I heard someone crying,” Hermione’s voice called out.
Melody ran her hands through her hair and picked up the looking glass with the friendly face.
“Oh, Melody. You have been crying, haven’t you?”
Turning from her mirror to wipe her face she said, “ It’s my mother.”
“Did she find out about Harry?” Hermione asked as Melody nodded, “I knew it was a bad plan. I thought Ron told you to stop Harry. Now your mum must really dislike him.”
“It’s not that. I don’t care what she thinks anymore.”
“Then, what happened?”
“Anna told her about Harry.”
“Anna did?” Hermione asked thrown aback.
Melody nodded and wiped a tear forming in her eye.
“Hang in there, Mel. Only a week until term begins.”
“Yeah, one more week of Hell.”
Hermione shrugged, “Sorry, Mel.”
Melody nodded, “I better go. My punishment is coming up the stairs.”
Hermione waved slightly to Melody and was gone just as Mrs. Chancelle entered.
“Don’t walk out on me when I am talking to you!” her mother snapped.
“What else is there today, Mother?”
“Well, you could start by apologizing for ‘aving ‘arry ‘ere.”
“I won’t,” Melody replied gluing a nasty glare on her mother.
“Melody Renee Chancelle! I’m your muzzer and you WILL respect me!”
“Does that mean I’m supposed to respect my father as well?”
Melody had used a cheap shot. Bringing up her traitor of a father was the only way to break her mother down.
“Don’t talk about ‘im,” her mother replied.
“Why, Mother? Don’t you like being betrayed?”
Her mother paused, “Anna did zee right zing telling me ‘arry was ‘ere.”
“How would you know?”
Taking a step toward Melody, her mother said, “Sweetie, I am only trying to look out for you. We both are!”
“By taking all my friends away?”
“You’re only going to get ‘urt!”
“He isn’t like Dad, Mama! Just because you made the wrong choices doesn’t mean I will! Harry loves me and he isn’t going to hurt me!”
Her mother’s teeth were clenched as she said, "I meant zat You-Know-‘oo is going to return and if you are with ‘arry, you’ll be putting yourself in danger!”
“I’ll take that risk,” Melody said silencing her mother.
Her mother traced the vanity table with her finger until she said, “Melody, you’re too young to even know the evil of You-Know-‘oo. ‘arry got lucky once, but zat doesn’t mean it will happen twice.”
Melody screamed to herself as she threw a pillow on the ground. It wasn’t till she calmed herself that she said, “Get out of my room, Mother.”
“Zis is my ‘ouse.”
“Either you get out of my room, or I leave this house.”
After a short hesitation, Mrs. Chancelle left, leaving Melody alone once more.