Chapter Twenty Six
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does and unfortunately I am not her. However, I do own the OCs and the Guardian Program and the other things that being a Guardian entails.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
There are going to be a lot of OCs, but the focus is going to be on Freya.
Guest: Thank you so much! I am so happy to know you're enjoying the story! The ideas you've suggested are great and I do plan to include some of those ideas (if not all). From now on, there will be more James x Freya moments and I can't wait to write them (finally!).
Enjoy!
HARRY POTTER
A few weeks later
The snow on the ground was thick and was constantly falling. The rest of January had passed without incident and was now into the second week of February. Everything seemed to be calming down at the moment but that just unnerved Freya more. She refused to lower her guard because the minute she did, it would come back and bite her in the ass. However, Lance seemed to be happy with their progress and that no one had defied him in a while and he believed it was because they had all learned their lesson.
Freya now sat in Potions class, her face void of any emotion. She was watching as the Professor rattled on about the latest potions. She always liked to give an update on any new and upcoming potions that were circulating around the potion masters community. It was only after ten minutes of talking did Professor Sheldrake stop.
"Now, we shall be moving on to today's lesson. As you all know, it's nearly Valentine's days." She said with a huge smile on her face. She was very excited about today's lesson and had been thinking about how to deliver it for a few weeks now.
At this, James turned around in his seat and began winking at all the girls. The girls began quietly squealing in their seats, sending James loving gazes back.
Freya rolled her eyes and inwardly scoffed. She was feeling bitter that he was paying other girls attention but she tried her best to push that aside. "Like they need any more encouragement," Freya muttered lowly.
Cordelia snickered next to her. "If this class is going where I think it is, then we're all going to have fun this Valentine's Day."
Freya inwardly groaned. She was not looking forward to Valentine's Day, she never did. It was always the day that James' fangirls would take it a step too far to try and gain his attention – meaning it was a pain in the neck for her. She would have to double her observations that day because that would be the day desperate girls would use love potions to try and make James fall in love with them. Last year, Freya confiscated over twenty bottles of love potions in just one day. Those numbers had been rising with every year that passed because James would always manage to gain more fangirls.
Professor Sheldrake seemed to ignore the squealing girls and continued on with her lesson by clapping her hands together. "So, as a little treat, I thought it would be good to show you all how to brew the Amortentia potion."
Many girl's heads perked up at their and their eyes wide in anticipation.
Freya felt her eye twitch. She knew that this was going to be a disaster already. She was going to have to make sure that no girl walked out with a bottle of their own.
"I know we covered Love Potions last year, but we never covered the most powerful one of all. I think you are all mature enough to handle this, and I expect you all to behave." Professor Sheldrake looked at all the female students, particularly with a stern expression. She had to get special permission from McGonagall before she taught this lesson and she was also hoping that it would go well.
Leaning over to Cordelia, Freya whispered lowly. "Send out an alert to all Guardians. Warn them about Amortentia potions being at large." Freya had found this alert useful because it made all Guardians aware and they knew what to look out for in particular. This time a year was always a dangerous time.
Cordelia nodded her head and sent the alarm through the pendant. Cordelia knew that she needed to be on guard the most. The previous Guardian before Cordelia had slipped up and allowed Fred to consume the Amortentia potion from one of his many fans who had disguised it in chocolates. Apparently, the previous Guardian didn't even have time to check the chocolates before Fred scoffed them down – Fred was known for his massive sweet tooth and he tended to eat anything in sight. Luckily, another Guardian had noticed his weird behaviour and managed to give him an antidote before any major damage was done. The student who gave him the potion was then expelled and the Guardians before Cordelia was killed.
Professor Sheldrake cleared her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Now, can anyone tell me what makes the Amortentia potion so special?" She asked, looking around the room.
A Gryffindor instantly raised their hand. "Amortentia smells different to each person, according to what attracts them."
Professor Sheldrake smiled wildly. "Exactly! Five points to Gryffindor. Now, turn to page 209 and we'll start the lesson. Today you will be working in a pair, so partner up." She said, using her magic to make a piece of chalk move and write down the page number in big letters so everyone could see it.
Immediately, people began grabbing one another. James and Fred linked arms, looking very pleased with one another. Others mainly just paired up with the person sitting next to them, like what Freya and Cordelia had done. Grabbing her pewter cauldron and potions textbook, Freya opened it on that page and began looking at the ingredients.
"Freya," Cordelia said lowly.
Freya turned to face her partner and saw the look she was getting. Cordelia was looking at her with pleading her eyes which only made Freya roll her eyes. Freya knew what Cordelia wanted, she wanted to actually participate in the lesson and show off a lot. The Amortentia potion was difficult to make and not many people could succeed at it – you had to be really determined to make and it would more than likely take a few tries before anyone got it right.
Slowly, Freya sighed. "Fine."
Cordelia's eyes lit up. She immediately sprang up from her seat and began collecting all the ingredients that would be needed from the front of the room. She made sure to pick up ashwinder eggs, rose thorns, peppermint, powdered moonstone and pearl dust. She ignored the other ingredients because she knew that Professor Sheldrake had placed more ingredients down to confuse them. Only people who and read the chapter about love potions would know that these are the key ingredients to a love potion. Sitting back down, Cordelia immediately began making the potion. Freya just watched her, a smirk growing on her face. It was actually amazing how focused Cordelia could become on a potion and it was something Freya did admire – not that she'd actually say that to Cordelia's face.
Taking this opportunity, Freya began watching all the other people in the room. She was keeping an eye on the people who may actually brew this potion right. She wasn't going to let a single bottle get out this room if she could help it. However, it seemed as though people were struggling with this potion and were constantly asking for Professor Sheldrake's assistance.
After around forty minutes of the lesson, Professor Sheldrake clapped her hands loudly together. "And time!" She announced, indicating that it was time for people to stop messing with their potion. During this time, Professor Sheldrake had made her own Amortentia potion, just in case her students weren't able to get it right.
Cordelia grinned and sat back, proud of her work.
Freya looked over at the cauldron and found that the liquid had a mother-of-pearl sheen to it and the steam rising from it in characteristic spirals. She couldn't help but feel impressed with Cordelia's efforts.
Professor Sheldrake seemed to look around the room and only found that a few people had managed to get the potion right. "That was a good effort, everyone. Remember, this is one of the more difficult potions." She said, smiling at everyone in reassurance.
Freya scanned the room. There were actually only three groups that had managed to brew the potion correctly. She and Cordelia being one group, James and Fred being the second and two Ravenclaw students were the third groups.
"For the people who have been successful, you may smell your potion. If you weren't able to, then line up and come to smell the potion for yourself." Professor Sheldrake said with a pleasant smile on her face.
Instantly, most students stood up and lined up, all eager to smell the potion.
Freya looked down at her potion and sighed deeply. She moved closer to the cauldron and inhaled deeply. The smell instantly hit her, it was the most pleasant scent she had ever smelled and it immediately calmed her and made her feel relaxed. All at once, it made her think about the woody smell of a broomstick handle, chocolate frogs and…
Freya eyes widened when she realised what the third scent was. It was James' hair. She wasn't surprised because she already knew she had feelings for James. But the scent sent butterflies to her stomach and made her feel happy.
"Do you smell anything?" Cordelia asked eagerly.
For a moment, Freya didn't answer. However, she shook her head. "No, I smell nothing," Freya said dryly, leaning away from the seductive scent. She was trying her hardest to breathe in deeply, taking in as much of the smell as possible while making it look natural.
Disappointment flashed in Cordelia's eyes. She began to wonder if she had done something wrong to the potion. But that's when she remembered, Freya wasn't attracted to anyone. This notion made her feel better. Slowly, Cordelia leaned in and smelled the potion – which smelt absolutely lovely. Taking a deep breath, she smelled something earthy which immediately reminded her of the Quidditch pitch. Cordelia also smelled burning matchsticks and spices. It took Cordelia a few seconds to realise where she remembered the scent and it only served to fill her with embarrassment and make her face flush bright red.
Freya arched a brow. "Do you smell anything?"
"No," Cordelia said quickly, not looking in Freya's direction.
Slowly, Freya smirked.
Over with James and Fred, they were both looking at each other, wondering who would smell it first. They both glared at one another, silently challenging the other to go first. This lasted for a few minutes before James sighed loudly, giving into defeat. This made Fred grin victoriously, he had won. Slowly, James leaned forward and inhaled deeply and he was surprised with how much he loved this scent. There was something about it that made his muscles relax instantly. It took everything in him not to let a goofy smile spread across his face because he knew that Fred was watching him. Simultaneously, James could smell mint, coffee and something else. He just couldn't think of what the third scent was but James knew that he had smelled it before. Trying to think what it could be made his head hurt, a throbbing pain beginning to from at the back of his head. Giving up, James sat back in his seat.
"Your turn Freddo." James said with a smirk.
Fred frowned, "Did you not smell anything?" He had wanted to tease James, expecting him to become embarrassed just like the rest of the class.
James shrugged, "Who knows?" He said nonchalant.
Narrowing his gaze at him, Fred slowly leaned over and smelled the potion. He too thought it was most lovely scent he had ever smelled. It smelt like food, but it was the smell of bacon that was the strongest. He could also smell ginger and another scent that reminded him of the potions stock room. The more he inhaled, the more relaxed and happy he felt, but Fred couldn't place what the last scent was at all, no matter how hard he racked his brain.
Once all the students had smelled the love potion, they all walked away with flushed cheeks. Professor Sheldrake clapped her hands together. "That's all for today's lesson then. Today's homework will consist of the dangers of using the Amortentia potion which will be due in for next lesson." She reminded them all, using her magic to make this information appear in the board behind her.
With that, everyone stood up and left the room. Freya's watchful eyes making sure that no love potion made it out of that room. Cordelia was also watching Fred's fangirls intently – she had a lot of prove and she wouldn't because she was still new and she would not disappoint.
HARRY POTTER
Later that same day
Luckily, no charge had ingested any love potions – mainly because everyone Guardian was alert and was looking out for any love potions in particular. Freya was sat in the Great Hall, eating her dinner. Cordelia was chatting away while also stuffing her face and managing not to spit food everywhere – a skill only Cordelia could truly master. Freya would calmly respond or made sounds of acknowledgement every now and again but never truly paid attention to what was being said. This only thing that truly grabbed her attention was the owls that flew into the Great Hall, all of them carrying letters. However, Freya turned away from them because she didn't get many letters. However, that night was different. An owl swooped in near her and dropped a letter off right in front of her. Freya looked at the letter in suspicion and then looked at the owl and instantly recognised it. It was a regular barn owl but it had a little ribbon around its neck – it was Katrina's owl. Turning her head to her right, Freya noticed that Cordelia was completely absorbed in her own letters and wouldn't notice that Freya got anything.
Looking down at the letter, Freya recognised the handwriting, she knew it was Katrina's. Slowly, Freya reached out and grabbed the letter and opened it. At first, she had wanted to throw the letter away and never look at it because the thought of Katrina being somewhere she didn't know unsettled her and made her feel annoyed. But something inside her was telling her not to do this and to actually peek inside. Sighing, Freya opened the letter as she became too curious.
Dear Freya,
Before you throw this letter away, please just read on. I know you're hurt by the decision I made but you have to understand that it was the only choice. I hope that you can understand this decision one day and support me.
I thought that it would be best to tell you first, but I am pregnant.
Freya, I need your help. I feel like I am struggling and I need to talk to you. You are my best friend and sister. I can't stand the distance that has been put between us.
I can't leave where I am, but could you please come to see me. I really need you right now. If you choose to come, just use the Floo Network and say Southbank Cottage and you'll find me. You are welcome to pop by any time after 10:00.
Hope you're well and I hope to see you soon,
Katrina Thompson
Freya clenched the letter tightly until she heard a rip. Thinking nothing of it, Freya stood up and left the Great Hall just as James was done with dinner and he also began to leave. Honestly, Freya didn't know what to think. She felt shocked that Katrina had got in contact with her but worried because Katrina sounded desperate at the same time.
HARRY POTTER
Later that same day
It was at the dead of night that Freya snuck out from Hogwarts. She had waited until Cordelia had fallen asleep before she got up from her bed. She re-casted the spells around her bed to make it look like she had never left in the first place. She then quickly grabbed the pair of clothes that Cordelia had lent her for the Tournament and wore them. She was finding that jeans were very comfy to wear. Freya then snuck into McGonagall's office to use the Floo Network which wasn't that easy. If Freya hadn't known the password than she would have been screwed. The fireplace in her office was the only one that was connected to the Floo Service and she couldn't Apparate inside the walls of Hogwarts due to the protective spells surrounding it. Using the location that Katrina had sent her, Freya said it clearly and allowed herself to be covered in green flames as she disappeared through the Floo network.
The next time Freya opened her eyes, she noticed she was in a little cottage. It was small and quaint – it seemed to hold a peaceful aura around it. A perfect place for a pregnant girl to hide away in as it appeared free from stress. It was fully furnished with everything and it appeared to only be one floor.
"Freya?" Said a very familiar voice.
Freya looked to where the voice came from and saw Katrina. She appeared to be different, she almost had this glow around her. However, the most noticeable difference was the small bump around her stomach, she really was pregnant.
"Katrina," Freya whispered lowly as she rushed over to her.
When in arms reach, Katrina grabbed Freya into a tight hug. For a moment, Freya froze but she didn't flinch. It only took a few moments for Freya to snap out of her shock and to hug her friend back. Just having Katrina in front of her, seeing her healthy and well lifted a weight from her chest. Freya had been worried about how Katrina would deal with Lance's high expectations and she was also worried if Katrina would be able to meet them. Freya was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Katrina sniffing. Pulling back, Freya saw that Katrina was indeed crying, tears hanging onto her eyes and some flowing down her face.
Slowly, Freya guided Katrina to the nearby couch and made her sit down. "What's wrong?" Freya asked softly, not wanting to make her even more upset.
Katrina smiled through the tears. "It's nothing, I am just so happy to see you." She wasn't used to not seeing her best friend for that long. What made it worse was that they weren't even speaking to one another and Katrina didn't know if she should write a letter.
Freya rolled her eyes in good nature. Katrina had always been an emotional person which would only be made worse by her pregnancy. Her hormones must be all over the place so Freya didn't comment on it.
"You look happy," Katrina whispered softly, a happy expression on her face. She had plenty of practice of being able to see behind Freya's icy mask. She could see in Freya's eyes that she was happy and her aura also gave it away.
Freya's eyes widened a fraction but she soon smirked. "I am." She said slowly, thinking back to when she and James spent some time together. No longer did she feel the burning guilt that she was betraying Lance, but she felt the freedom. Being with James had made her feel free, something she hadn't felt in a long while.
Katrina squealed, happy for her friend. She didn't need to ask to know that it was James that was making her happy. Katrina could just tell. No one had made a spark appear in Freya's eyes as James had. Katrina remembers watching the pair at the Yule Ball and she had never felt happier for her friend.
However, Freya shook her head. "I am not here for me. What's happening?" Freya asked, getting back onto the point of her visit. She remembered feeling the panic of seeing the letter and Katrina also sounded desperate.
Frowning, Katrina sighed deeply. "I… I don't know how to say this. But I need to tell someone or I will go crazy!" She exclaimed, feeling the panic build up in her chest. She needed to tell someone because the guilt was consuming her and it was starting to get to her. She knew it was the stress of everything and she needed to get it off her chest.
"You can tell me anything, you know that Katrina," Freya said, the worry creeping in now. She had never seen Katrina in such a state. Freya didn't know many things about pregnancy either but she was sure that stress wasn't good for the baby.
Katrina took in a few deep breaths before nodding her head. "I know. That's why I called you here because you need to know."
Freya said nothing and waited for Katrina. She wouldn't force it out of her so she just waited patiently.
Katrina looked directly at Freya. "As you know Freya, I am pregnant. I am exactly eight weeks." She said softly.
Freya frowned and her eyes narrowed. Something didn't settle right in her chest. There was no way that Katrina was eight weeks pregnant because she had only started this program seven weeks ago. That would mean that Katrina had slept with someone beforehand and was pregnant with someone else's child – someone who hadn't been picked out by Lance, especially for this job. The very thought that Katrina was lying directly to Lance shook Freya to her very core because this was something Katrina wouldn't have normally done.
"Katrina… who is the father?" Freya asked softly, the fear creeping in. She needed to know, because she had a sneaking suspicion she knew who the father was, and she wasn't going to like the answer.
Biting her lip, Katrina responded. "It's Frank Longbottom's child." Her voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, but Freya heard every word. Tears were falling fast down Katrina's face, but she couldn't hide the relief she was feeling of finally being able to tell someone the truth.
Freya inhaled sharply as her fears were confirmed. When she and James had been dancing at the Yule Ball, she had noticed that Katrina and Frank were being a bit too friendly with one another. She had even noticed them sneaking away out of the Great Hall, but she had ignored the obvious signs. She had seen other Guardians sneak off with people out of the Great Hall, but none of them had slipped away with their charges – Katrina was the only one who had done this.
"Oh, Merlin's beard," Freya muttered lowly, still in shock from the news.
Katrina sniffed loudly as she continued to cry. She didn't know why she was getting emotional but she couldn't stop the tears there were falling fast down her face. For a few moments, no one said anything. Katrina continued to cry and Freya sat in shock, even though she had been expecting that answer, it still shook her to her very core.
That's when everything clicked into place. "Before taking this position, you knew didn't you?" Freya whispered softly, still in shock. It would make sense if she did. That would explain why Katrina was so adamant on taking this role – because she was already pregnant at the time. It would be the perfect cover-up and no one would ever suspect anything.
Katrina nodded her head, confirming what Freya was already suspicious of.
Taking a deep breath, Freya spoke. "Does anyone else know?" She asked slowly, hoping that she was the only other person that knew.
Katrina shook her head, now using her hands to cover her face.
Freya stood up and took out her wand. Using her magic, she tried to sense if anyone else was in the house and found that no one else was present other than herself and Katrina. She quickly placed the silencing charm around the room, preventing anyone from listening in.
"No one can know about this," Freya said suddenly, sitting back down on the couch beside the crying Hufflepuff.
Katrina looked up, her face red from crying. "W-what?" She asked, sniffed again.
"No one can know. Lance, your parents, Frank or anyone else." Freya said, getting straight to the point.
Looking confused, Katrina asked. "But how? He might figure it you." That's the one thing Katrina was scared about – if Lance found out the truth. She would surely be punished for deceiving him and sleeping with her charge. She had broken so many rules. She wasn't even sure that Lance would let this baby live if he ever found out the truth.
Freya shook her head. "He won't. As far as he is concerned, that child is someone else's and we are going to keep it that way. You just have to promise me that you won't tell anyone else." Freya said, looking Katrina directly in the eyes as she spoke. Freya knew that it was dangerous for Katrina to tell her this secret. If Katrina had kept it to herself then it could have stayed that way, but Freya knew that she wouldn't have been able to. Freya was happy that if Katrina had told anyone then it was her. If any more than two people found out then it wouldn't really be a secret anymore.
Slowly, Katrina nodded her head in agreement.
"Who did Lance pick?" Freya asked, referring to the male in this equation. Katrina and the male had been placed in the cottage so they could procreate but Freya didn't sense another person at all.
Katrina bit her lip. "It's Logan Phillips."
Freya felt her eye twitch violently. "Has he touched you?" She asked while gritting her teeth. The thought of that detestable man touching her friend made her skin crawl. In her eyes Logan was worse than scum – just the thought of him made her angry and made the magic under her skin boil.
Shaking her head, Katrina spoke softly. "No… he said he couldn't. He just hands me his stuff and leaves." She admitted while blushing at the same time. Honestly, she had been scared of having to sleep with Logan – at least he was attractive. But on their first night together, he refused to touch her. He said that he couldn't do it because of how young she was and Katrina would help but feel relieved. Since that night, he dropped by every night to give her his sperm in a cup and would then leave. He has just been gone an hour before Freya dropped by.
Sighing in relief, Freya felt herself relax.
"… Freya, why do you dislike Logan so much?" Katrina asked, her head tilted to the side in curiously. She had never asked this before but she had always wanted to. She always noticed that Freya would get so riled up in Logan's presence. At first, Katrina had assumed that Freya had a crush on him, but then Freya attacked him and she nearly bludgeoned him to death which quickly proved that theory wrong.
Freya frowned deeply and she glared at the floor. "He made a comment about Lydia." She hissed lowly, her anger rising at the memory.
"What did he say?" Katrina asked, wanting to know.
Freya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "He said that Lydia was a dumb bitch and got what she deserved. He then began shooting for her position." She said bitterly. She was only young when he said this to her and Lydia's death was still very fresh and raw – only a day after her death did he make those comments.
Katrina made a sound of protest. "He obviously didn't know Lydia very well then." She said with a grin.
Smirking, Freya leaned back in her seat. "Lydia was the smartest person I knew. She wasn't Ravenclaw for nothing. I bet she could have given Hermione Granger a run for her money." She said fondly.
"Oh, now that's a tough one," Katrina said playfully.
Opening her eyes, Freya spotted the clock on the wall. It was late and nearly morning time. However, Freya didn't feel tired in the slightest. All Guardians were trained to be able to go days without sleep so this was nothing. Freya also felt rejuvenated because she had seen Katrina who always managed to make her feel better.
Turning to Katrina, she noticed that the Hufflepuff was sound asleep. Smirking, Freya stood up and grabbed the nearby blanket. The couch was very comfy so Freya didn't feel guilty about leaving her there. Draping the blanket over Katrina, Freya also removed the charms around the house that she had placed. This was just in case anyone else came in and they wouldn't become suspicious.
"Be safe, Katrina," Freya whispered softly before walking over to the fireplace.
HARRY POTTER
Another chapter done!
Remember to leave a review and tell me what you guys think.
Also, next chapter is going to be the third challenge in the Triwizard Tournament!