74Last Chance To Love
Disclaimer: Characters taken from JKR's Harry Potter © and used in this fanfiction do not belong to me.
Summary: (Not including DH and parts of HBP) Harry is in his sixth year when a transfer from Beauxbatons arrives. She is smart, beautiful and head strong. She is a new challenge, especially since she doesn't treat Harry like any other girl he's ever met…But what happens when Harry has to make a choice, either to love or to fight?
Chapter Recap
"She and the baby are ok. I left her with her family. I think they need time to catch up." Harry said. Ron and Hermione smiled and nodded.
The next couple of days, Vera stayed in the hospital to make sure she was fully healed before she left. Harry stayed by her side along with her aunt and cousin. It turned out that Annabelle, Vera's cousin, went to a wizarding school in Canada and Vera's aunt Melanie, lived in house in Paris. She and Annabelle were very friendly to Harry and treated him like he was part of the family. Harry knew that he needed to get things straight with her family about his intentions and his plans. Now that Voldemort was gone, Harry needed to think about his life and how that life would include Vera and their child for as long as he lived...
A/N:Hi everyone. So this is it. The epilogue and the end of this story. It's taken me 3 years to finish it, but I did. I'm glad you all stuck with me. Thanks for reading and reviewing everyone, XOXO TBG
Chapter 24: Epilogue
Vera tapped her quill impatiently on her exam as the NEWT examination wizards finally said quills down. It was finally over, Vera couldn't believe it. She sighed in relief as her final NEWT, before she graduated, ended.
The sun had been streaming through the window that she had been sitting next to as she had written her exam. But even though she was so happy to be finished, all Vera could think about was that this would be the last time she sat in the Great Hall in this castle. This castle...where so much had happened.
The examination wizards waved their wands and all the exams in the room flew into the air and into a neat pile at the front of the room. Vera looked over her shoulder to look at Harry. He looked a little shaken after taking the exam but nothing overly extreme. He caught Vera looking at him and smiled at her. She smiled back and then turned back to look at the front.
"The examination is now over. You may now leave." And with that Vera pushed out of her chair and began to file out with her classmates. Before she reached the doors, she felt a pair of hands wrap themselves around her waist.
Vera turned her head and looked at Harry's smiling face. He smiled down at her and kissed her cheek lightly as they walked in the crowd.
"So how did you find it?" He asked. She shrugged.
"It was ok, I did get stuck on that question about how the bubble charm could be used as a defensive move. And I kept on thinking and wondering what Annabelle and our angel were up to. How about you?" She asked. Harry screwed up his face and Vera laughed.
"The same as you. I got caught on a few questions because I kept on wondering what Annabelle was up to, but I'm hoping that it didn't stop me from passing. But a part of me is glad that we're finished and can focus on our family. My whole life happened in Hogwarts and I'm going to miss it," Harry said. Vera nodded.
"I understand the feeling of missing the castle. I'm going to miss it too. I mean this is where I met you," She said as they got out to the front hall and waitied for Hermione and Ron. Harry pulled Vera aside to the wall and leaned her against it.
"Yes, and where we got married. Hogwarts holds all of our most important memories," Harry said as he pulled Vera's hands to his lips and kissed it, his lips skimming over her wedding ring, a diamond encircled by emeralds. Vera sighed in contentment as she watched Harry.
"Ya, every single one. But I guess it's time to move on," Vera said with a small smile. Harry looked at her, took her chin and lifted her face up to his.
"But we'll be moving on together with Mily. Our little angel," Harry said as he thought of his sweet daughter Miriam-Lily, a name that was as an ode to their lost mothers. Harry still remembered the day that she'd been born a year and a half ago...
Harry sat with Vera in their sixth year second term classes. Since they had left immediately after Christmas break, they had had to retake those classes again the next school term.
It was the beginning of November, November 4 to be exact, as they sat in their NEWT level Double Potions class. Vera was heavily pregnant and Harry glanced at her lovingly. He wasn't sure exactly when Vera was due because she kept on trying to keep it a secret so that he wouldn't expect anything.
Vera smiled back and then turned to the front again. Harry did as well, as Snape droned on. He was taking extra time out of his schedule to teach them so they were the only ones in the class with Ron and Hermione.
Suddenly Vera raised her hand. Snape's back was turned at the moment, so Vera waited patiently until he turned to face them. Harry was looking at her questioningly. Snape raised a brow and then nodded at Vera.
"Yes Miss Minare?" He asked.
"Professor, I think my water just broke," She said calmly. A jolt of excitement and fear ran through Harry as he turned to Vera. She smiled quickly at him as he took her hand. Snape's face was pale and both Ron and Hermione turned to smile at Vera. Snape looked uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. For the first time, he didn't have an air of arrogance and cold confidence about himself.
"Well...we should get moving then. To the Madame Pomfrey's...no to the headmaster's...no...um..." Snape stopped speaking as Hermione and Ron came over to Vera, who was being helped out of her seat by Harry. Hermione took Vera's other hand and began to walk with her, out of the class.
Snape was following after them anxiously as Vera walked, looking very calm for someone who was in labour. Harry kept glancing at her as they made their way up to Madam Pomfrey's. They entered the ward and Harry and Hermione led Vera to the first available bed. The pain was now coming a little bit sharper than it had been before and quicker. Ron went and called Madame Pomfrey who came in promptly to check Vera.
Her contractions were coming more frequently now as Professor Dumbledore and Snape came into the ward. He had gone and told him the news while they had made their way to the ward. Professor Dumbledore was beaming as he looked down at Vera and Harry. Harry stood up.
"Professor we need..." Professor Dumbledore smiled and nodded.
"I've already alerted the witches and wizards at St. Mungo's. They should be arriving here in..." As Dumbledore spoke, two witches in white popped into the looked much younger and was clutching her wand with a smile on her face, while the other was older and looked very much like Professor McGonagall. Dumbledore turned and clapped his hands together at the sight of them.
"Now. Welcome, now here is the patient. She went into labour only a few moments ago," Dumbledore explained to the witches. They nodded and came over to the bedside and looked over Vera. The older McGonagall-looking one, took out her wand and floated it overtop Vera's stomach. The wand emitted a soft blue glow at its tip before she pulled it back and nodded.
"She's moving along quite nicely, but I think to be on the safe side she should be brought to St. Mungo's with us. Professor would it be alright if we used Fawkes to take us back to St. Mungo's?" The older looking witch asked. Now that they looked, they could see that Fawkes was standing on the ground where the witches had arrived.
"So that's how they got into Hogwarts," Hermione whispered. Both Ron and Harry looked at her and rolled their now, Hermione was thinking of the logistics of how the medical witches had come through Hogwart's protection enchantments. The pain had grown exponentially worse as Vera had lain there. She gave Harry's hand a hard squeeze. He winced and then looked down at her.
"Are you ok?" He asked. Vera smiled.
"Yes, but the pain is getting worse faster than I expected. Maybe we should get moving."
"Yes, yes. It will be fine to use Fawkes. Come here Fawkes," Dumbledore said. Fawkes came over as Dumbledore storked his head.
"You know what to do," Dumbledore whispered. Fawkes squawked lightly and flew onto the bed. He turned expectantly. Hermione grabbed Ron's hand as she was still holding onto Vera's. The two nurses shook Dumbledore's hand and then took each others hands. The younger one took Harry's and smiled at him. Then the older witch took Fawkes tailfeathers and everyone was engulfed in flames. They all felt the slight pull and sqeezing sensation as they flew to St. Mungo's.
When they got there, they all landed, Vera shaking slightly at the feeling of being back on her feet, but with Harry and Hermione's help, she didn't fall. But before they could think, a stretcher was there taking Vera into another room.
Harry tried to stay with her but the witches and wizards told him to wait out there for a moment. Harry was too nervous to fight them, but when he heard Vera give a strangled cry from the other room, he couldn't stand being away from her any longer.
Harry rushed in to see Vera sweating as the wizards told her to push. She caught sight of Harry and reached out for him. He quickly went over and took her hand, holding it in both of his. It seemed to Harry, that it happened so fast, because before he knew it, the sounds of a baby crying filled the room.
"It's a girl," one of the wizards said.
Vera was crying as Harry was handed the scissors to cut the imbilical cord. He did so with shaking hands, but also felt tears forming in his eyes. He leaned over and kissed Vera. She kissed him back, even though she was exhausted as the small baby was brought over to them.
Harry took her first, looking down at the little girl with a small dusting of black hair on her head and coffee lait skin. She was rubbing her nose as Harry looked down at her and he smiled and felt his tears fall when she opened her eyes and looked up at him with his mother's green eyes. Harry smiled at her and then handed her over to Vera.
Vera stared at the baby for a long time before she finally smiled up at Harry and took one of his hands.
"Harry...look how perfect she is. Oh my goodness," Vera whispered into the now empty room.
"I know. She is perfect, just like you," Harry said as he kissed Vera's cheek. She smiled as she stared at the small bundle.
"What should we name her?"Vera asked.
"Well I had been thinking of something for a girl," Harry said. Vera looked up questioningly. He hadn't mentioned anything to her.
"What?"
"How about Miriam-Lily? Mily for short?" Vera thought about that for moment and looked down at the baby.(A/N: Her name is pronounced like Lily but with an M. I didn't want it to get confused with Miley :S)
"Mily...I love it." Vera kissed her daughter and then kissed Harry in happiness.
Harry came out of his thoughts as Hermione and Ron joined them. Hermione hugged both Vera and Harry, her cheeks pink with excitement. She was basically jumping around. Vera was laughing at her while Ron had his arms crossed and was shaking his head.
"You'd think she would be alittle calmer since we just came out of an exam. I mean I'm glad it's the last one and we're graduating, but she is acting-"
"Don't say crazy Ron, or I swear I'll use my magic on you in ways you've never heard of," she said with slitted eyes. Vera and Harry both laughed as they made their way through the hall to their dorms. After the battle, Dumbledore had had the castle built back to its former glory. The four of them continued, after the castle had been restored, to stay in their private dorm during their time at Hogwarts, and they made their way there now.
As soon as they entered the dorm, Mily's sweet laugh was heard. Annabelle and Mily were playing a peek-a-boo game on the floor and Mily kept laughing everytime Annabelle uncovered her eyes and said peek-a-boo. Mily looked up at them and reached out her arms for her mother and father, gurgling as she did. Annabelle waved at the four of them as they walked over to her.
Vera smiled and lifted Mily up, cuddling her in her arms. At nearly seven months, Mily was a happy baby. She was beautiful with bright green eyes and thick black curly hair. Her milk cappuccino skin tone and pink cheeks made her that much cuter. She giggled as Vera kissed her cheek and handed her to Harry. Annabelle stood up and came toward them.
"So how was she? I hope she wasn't trouble," Vera said as she glanced at all the toys scattered on the floor.
"No she was so good. She napped most of the time, and then only woke up a couple of hours ago for feeding, and then we played a few games. But I think her powers are already starting to develop, her blocks kept shaking when we were nowhere near them," Annabelle said. Vera nodded and laughed.
"It must have freaked you out huh?" Annabelle nodded.
"It was the same thing for us too when she first did it, but its normal. It doesn't happen that often, but it just means her powers are starting to settle inside of her."
Annabelle sighed in relief and smiled. I hugged her and smiled.
"Anyway, thank you so much for babysitting."
"It was no problem, I loved taking care of my niece," Annabelle said as she looked over at Mily lovingly. Then she realized what a mess she'd made.
"Oh, I should clean up," Annabelle said. She pulled out her wand and quickly waved it around the room. The toys that had been scattered, quickly flew off the floor and into their bins. Annabelle went over and hugged Harry, Ron and Hermione goodbye. She also kissed Mily goodbye as Vera smiled at her and led her to door.
"Alright, I'll see you in a few days for graduation," Vera said. Annabelle nodded. She hugged Vera one more time and waved goodbye to the others again before she went out the portrait hole.
Vera turned back to her husband and her two best friends. Vera never would have guessed that her life would have turned out this way. Never would have guessed that having a daughter and a husband would fulfill her so much.
Mily clutched onto Vera's cloak as Vera held her close and smiled to herself. This was her life now, and no matter what happened, she would take it for what it was and always remember the love of all the people in that room. Vera smiled and walked over to Harry, who smiled up at her and Mily.
THE END