Chapter 18: Christmas Day
Feeling like being a small child for once Harry woke up early Christmas morning and snuck into his grandparents' room.
He jumped on the bed shouting, "Merry Christmas Gran and Granddad!"
Minerva groaned and threw a pillow at her grandson as Albus sat up laughing. "And Merry Christmas to you too."
"Will you two shut up!?" Minerva snapped. The two laughed as they climbed out of bed and left the room.
Minerva went back to sleep.
Twenty minutes later as Severus, Albus, and Harry were cooking breakfast Alisia wandered into her parents' bedroom. She hadn't been feeling good all night and was very tired. She climbed into the large four poster bed and snuggled into her mother's arm falling asleep.
Minerva's arms instinctively went around her daughter.
Severus was looking at the calendar hanging on the side of the icebox frowning.
"You know…I got this feeling Alisia won't make it to February," he replied.
"What makes you say that?" Harry asked placing the food on the breakfast trays for the ladies.
"She's miscarried twice since we've been married and she has been having cramps all night," Severus answered.
Albus turned around with a very worried look on his face.
"Severus you better call Poppy," he said leaving the stove and heading upstairs.
Severus nodded heading to the living room. Harry quickly finished cooking and then cleaned up before going after his uncle.
"AGGGHHH! AGGGH!!!" Alisia cried as she squirmed and writhed in the bed. Sweat was pouring down her face and Minerva rubbing her back was just not helping.
"Alisia please take the epidural," Severus urged holding her hand.
"Ummm no! It'll scare the baby and she'll just drain me more," Alisia cried shaking her head.
"Come on Alisia push! Push!" Poppy coached.
Alisia pushed with all her might and fell against the pillows crying.
"Come one Lisa Baby you can do it. You're stronger than you think. You can do this," Severus said softly. Tears shown in his eyes as he watched his wife's slowly diminishing life form.
Alisia turned to him with tears falling down her face.
"You will choose her if it comes to it?" she asked tiredly.
"I…don't make me have to please," he begged.
Another contraction hit and she sat up with Minerva's help pushing again with all her might.
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Albus and Harry paced back and forth in the hall listening to the screams of Alisia. Albus went one way and Harry the other as they both paced back and forth.
"They'll be okay won't they?" Harry asked.
"I haven't a clue," Albs sighed.
Thirty minutes later the screams stopped and there was complete silence. The two looked at each other and hurried to the door as it opened and Poppy came out wiping blood off on a towel.
"Is she all right? Is the baby? What's happened?" Albus asked quickly.
"Calm down Albus calm down," Poppy sighed, "Everything is fine. Alisia is a sleep from exhaustion but she's fine and so is the baby. It's a little girl! You two can go in," the medi-witch smiled.
"Thank you Poppy," Albus sighed as he and Harry rushed in.
Inside the room they found Minerva and Alisia in bed. Alisia was sleeping curled up to Minerva as Minerva ran her hands through her daughter's hair. Sitting by the bed was Severus cooing to a small purple bundle.
Albus and Harry walked over to the Defense Professor and looked into his arms. There wriggling around was a small pink baby with a tuft of black hair and dark green eyes.
"She's cute. What are you going to call her?" Harry asked as the baby locked eye with him and stared for a minute before yawning and curling into her father falling asleep.
"Lily…Lily Minerva," Severus replied.