Title: Descending Guardianship

Summary: The moment she saw those beautiful blue eyes of Elizabeth Heather Dursley for the very first time, Ivy Potter fell in love.

Warnings: AlwaysFemHarry! Alternate Timeline, AU, and maybe some other things too.

~0o0o0~

Melody was unhappy. At first, she thought everything would work for her favor. She was living in Rome, living in a beautiful manor, with servants doing everything she wanted. Yet it wasn't as good as she liked it to be. She was living in Rome, but in the suburban area instead of the city like she hoped. She was living in a beautiful manor, but it was from the old days. If she wanted a bath, which she did daily, she needed to wait for the servants to fill her bath with water, heat it to an acceptable temperature, and then she could take a bath. The manor might be beautiful, but it was old and Melody was used to taking a bath whenever she wanted, for how long she wanted. The manor also didn't have indoors plumbing. Melody felt horrified when she was told to use the waste bucket at night. Then there were the servants. There were several and she was never alone in a room by herself in case she thought to harm herself, unless she was taking a bath or sleeping. However, they never spoke to her unless it was necessary. She didn't know any of their names or even what they do when they worked around the manor. She has never felt so alone with so many people around her.

Being pregnant wasn't fun either. The morning sickness was enough for Melody to give up on the thing inside her. She wasn't allowed to eat certain food, only whatever the servants deemed fit for her to eat, vegetables, white meat, wheat, and protein. She wasn't allowed to eat much red meat or too much salt. Even sugary food, she was limited to an amount. Then the sudden food cravings started. The servants always knew when she started craving certain strange food craving would appear on her next meal but like her sugar intake, only a limited amount. Melody didn't like the supplements they force her to take, but it was in the contract for her to take them, to provide for the baby inside her.

For eight long months, Melody had to lug around a growing watermelon in her belly. She had to carry the kicking abomination within her wherever she went. Even when she went into town, she had to carry herself properly or else the servants would request she return back to the manor. Even her favorite pastime, shopping, didn't make her happy. In fact, it made her feel worst. Her belly was enormous and she felt like she was the size of a house. It just depressed her.

As the months went by, the only person who came by to visit her was Dudley. It made her feel a little better, not much, but better than before. The first time he dropped by, Melody didn't want to see him. Instead, she wanted him to leave immediately. The second time, a month after the first, she was more open for him to see her. The lonely feeling was getting to her. She needed some form of company before she drove herself to insanity. He stayed for a few days, talked about nothing at all before he left for England again. As guilty as she was about what happened, she did like Dudley. Besides Raphael, Dudley was a man she wouldn't have mind marrying. He was sweet, kind, and honest. She wouldn't mind falling for him.

As though she could read her mind, the next time he visited, Potter was with him. Without any opening or small talk, Potter told her under no pretense that Dudley was only there for the baby, she was only there for the baby, and the only reason Melody was even living in the Manor was due to the baby she was carrying. She was to marry her fiancé, not his best friend.

"I don't care if you love him or not. You signed that contract; you read the fine note. You know what I will do to you if you put one toe out of line. And I will know. You can't hide from me. So once this is over, stay away from my family."

Since then, every time Dudley came to visit, Potter was always there, supervising. The servants, who were once quiet and bland with Melody, became jolly, happy, outgoing, and each trying to impress her over the others. Everything changes every time she visited. It wasn't as though she even talk to Melody. She was only in the same room, or walked to the city with them. She never spoke to Melody after the first time. In fact, she outright ignored her.

Months passed and it wasn't a surprise when Melody woke up one day in pain, sheets soaked, and a scream on her lips. The pain, it was horrible. It was only for a few seconds but it felt a lifetime. Melody was blinded by the pain, even after it left. The servants were everywhere, some carrying her to the mobile outside; others were disappearing into the Manor. One servant, a young woman, was holding onto her hand, making soothing noises as they drove to a hospital.

The next few hours were a blur. All Melody knew was Dudley arrived first, even though she knew he was supposed to be in England still. Then Potter arrived in a beautiful gown, as though attending a birthing in a silk evening gown was normal. It was a fast birth, only eight hours or so. The first person to hold the baby was Dudley.

"Congratulazioni! It's a girl!"

A baby girl, Melody thought. She had always wanted a daughter. She watched as the baby was passed over to Potter. She was gentle with the baby, holding her with the utmost care. She wanted to hold the baby too. Melody held out her arms for the child, for the baby. Potter glanced her way before she left the room with a doctor walking behind her. Melody felt her heart break.

"You signed the contract Mel. It stated you would have no contact with the baby at all." Dudley held her as she cried her heart out from the pain. She didn't know where it came from, the tears and hurt, but it might have been her inner mother who cried for the daughter she will never be able to hold in her arms.

~0o0o0~

Dudley found his cousin in the baby ward. She was staring at his daughter but her green eyes connected with his when he stopped in front of her. He stared at the woman before him. He knew she was different, even from all the other witches in the world. They aged. The Granger witch who came by before showed she aged. Ivy didn't age. She still appeared the same as she did all those years ago.

"You could have let her hold the baby, Ivy. She was devastated." Her eyes might be softer, calmer, but they were still the eyes of a woman who lost too much just to save everyone else.

"Dudley, she signed the contract knowing exactly what she was giving up. I fulfilled my part of the agreement. She will fulfill her part." Dudley had to make her understand. She had to see Melody's pain.

"You weren't the one who had to hold her as she cried for her baby." It seems that was the wrong thing to say as Ivy snapped at him.

"I'm not the one who decided to give up my child in the first place."

"Ivy, just let her hold her, just for a minute." Ivy looked at him. Dudley didn't know what she saw, but her tensed shoulders relaxed just a bit. She crossed her arms and spoke in a kinder tone of voice.

"Dudley, you're only teasing her. You give her what she wants for a moment and she'll continue to want more. How is that helping her?" He didn't think of it that way. All he was thinking about was to stop Melody from crying. All he wanted to do was help.

"…I just don't like seeing her cry." Ivy wanted to hug her giant cousin, but she was not a physical person.

"I know."

"I'm sorry for yelling at you."

"It's fine Dudley."

The silence was calming. They turned to look at the baby cradled in the crib behind the glass window. Ivy couldn't help but to smile at the sight. Her soft skin, her soft blonde hair, and the very brief glimpse of blue eyes were enough for Ivy to fall in love with the little baby.

"She's so tiny." Dudley placed one hand on the window over the image of his daughter. He was afraid of how small she was. What if he hurts her?

Ivy agreed with the size of the baby but she knew there was nothing wrong with her. "She's healthy though. I made sure of it."

A moment of silence before Ivy brought up something of importance. "Have you thought of a name for her?"

Dudley gave a half shrug. "I thought maybe Rose or Daisy, but-"

Ivy cut right in to interrupt him. "They're too plain." He chuckled in agreement.

"Yeah. Not to mention, I was thinking more boys names than girls." Ivy rolled her eyes at the overthought. Lucky for him, she was prepared. However, she needed him to be accepting of the idea first. So in a curious tone, she asked him a question.

"What was Aunt Petunia's middle name?"

Dudley focused on her question. "Mum? I think it was Diane? Wait, no, that's not Mum's middle name. That's Melody's. I think it's Elizabeth?" Ivy, of course, knew already. However she had to lead him on still.

"Hm, do you want to follow the flower theme for her name?"

"What do you have in mind?" Dudley might have been stupid in the past, but he was smarter now. He wasn't the stupid bully he was before.

"How about 'Elizabeth Heather'?"

"Elizabeth Heather Dursley…" Dudley repeated the name again, tasting how it sounded. "I like it."

A smirk made its way onto Ivy's lips as she glanced over to her cousin. "Good, because I told the doctor that's her name."

He blinked several times before he laughed. It was a laugh from the belly and from the heart. "Ivy, you really are something."

Ivy straightened her back and her head. "I'm her godmother Dudley. If she can't have a mum, then I will do whatever I can to fill in those shoes." Aunt Petunia was only an aunt. Ivy had no mother, had no one to show her how to take care of herself. Augusta was a wonderful mentor, but she was more of a sister than a mother. Dudley chuckles a bit as he bumped her shoulder.

"Um, as much as I like you Ivy, I don't think I can like you like that." Ivy was confused for a moment before the implication caught on. With a red face, Ivy smacked his arm. She would have smacked his head but it was too far up for her to reach.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Dudley."

"Thanks Ivy."

"Just remember your promise Dudley. No matter what, you are her father. Don't forget that, ever."

~0o0o0~

A/N: Hope you like it and please review. The bold parts were obviously things said during the 8 months Melody was pregnant. I didn't want to go too in depth with the eight months, so I just glanced over. Since they were in Italy, I thought I add in a little Italian for the hell of it.

Disclaimer: I do not own HP or Glee. If I did, Will Schuester should be smacked several times due to his inability to notice bullying when it's obvious.