Chapter Thirty Two

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.

Hey guys! Sorry for the delay of this chapter, I have been swamped with work and hadn't had time to even get to my laptop. Hope this chapter makes up for it!

Enjoy!

HARRY POTTER

Freya stared at James with a blank expression. On the outside, she looked calm and collected but on the inside, her mind was a raging storm. This was a skill that she had perfected over the years and she was so thankful for it in that moment because she was in a state of utter disbelief. Freya couldn't believe what she was hearing. James had just said that he remembered her but that was impossible, he couldn't possibly remember everything. He had only said four words but it was enough to Freya through a loop. James had never said this before whenever her pendant had failed and this is what shocked her the most. She was also wondering exactly how much he remembered.

"What do you mean? What exactly do you remember?" Freya asked carefully, trying very hard not to freak out. She focused on her breathing, inhaling and exhaling slowly while trying to focus on James at the same time.

James grinned widely. "I mean I remember everything. I can remember when I first met you and then how you would constantly be around me. I even remember you saving me in the first year." He said, referring to his first ever Quidditch Match. He had joined the Quidditch team in his first year and had got hit by a Bludger and it had knocked him off his broom. Luckily, Freya had spotted this and had saved him from crashing to the ground while also destroying the Bludger in return. Ever since that incident, Freya never kept her eyes off the Bludger because she didn't want a repeat.

On the outside, Freya looked void of any emotion as she processed this information. Freya remembered that incident well because it was one of the first times she ever truly needed to protect him. It had been one of her first tests and it had proved to the people around her that she deserved her position. When it was announced who Freya was protecting all those years ago, there had been a lot of protest from other families because they had wanted their child to protect the firstborn Potter. Lance had even been accused of favouritism – but anyone who said that had been quickly disposed of. Freya forced herself to stop thinking back and made herself focus on what was happening at that moment. This had never happened before so she was experiencing uncharted territory and now Freya didn't know what to do. For once in her life, Freya truly felt out of her depth. There was no way she could report this to Lance – she would be killed in seconds and James' memory would be erased again which would run the risk of him becoming brain damaged. After looking into James' mind, Freya knew that James' mind couldn't take another memory charm for the next few months because it was going to take time for James' brain to fully heal – even if she had used her magic to heal him. His brain had to naturally heal itself.

James frowned, "Freya, are you okay?" He had noticed that Freya wasn't reacting at all and this worried him. He thought that there would have been more of a reaction but Freya was looking blank of anything. It made him feel nervous and now he didn't know what to do.

Freya snapped out her thoughts when her name was called. "You shouldn't remember. You shouldn't know who I am, you shouldn't have remembered me." She said strongly, shaking her head. She was half expecting her Guardian Mark to activate and cause her pain and she was pleasantly surprised when there was no pain. She had a suspicion that it wouldn't activate but she would need to test this out further.

"What do you mean?" James asked, feeling very confused.

Freya looked around, her stormy grey eyes scanning the area. "We need to go somewhere private. We can't speak about this in the open." She said, her eyes not moving away from the area around her. She knew that no one was watching them but she wanted to make sure. People could easily hide in the shadows around the Quidditch Pitch as she had done plenty of times.

It was silent for a moment. Freya continued to watch the area while James watched her.

"I know a place," James suggested after a few more moments of silence. "But if I take you, will you explain everything to me?" He asked, staring at Freya with a critical look. He had a feeling that Freya knew something – she had to know the reason behind his sketchy memory and why he could suddenly remember now.

Freya turned her head and returned his stare. She was unsure of whether or not she should tell him everything because she wasn't supposed to. But James remembered her and he shouldn't and if she just let him go without any explanation then there was a chance he would go to his father. That was something that Freya would like to avoid.

Nodding her head, Freya answered. "I'll tell you everything."

James didn't need anything else. He picked up his Quidditch gear and began walking back to the castle with Freya in tow. Freya and James walked into the castle in silence and Freya were thankful for this. She needed time to think about what she was going to say. She was also wondering why her Guardian Mark didn't activate. As they walked, Freya reached over and touched her Guardian Mark on the back of her neck. It was still warm – meaning that it was still working. Lance's magic was what kept the Mark active and warm. It didn't take long before James and Freya arrived on the seventh floor of the castle, across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. They had passed it three times before a large door appeared on the wall. As soon as Freya came to the seventh floor, she instantly knew that James was taking her to the Room of Requirement. The Room of Requirement was something that only appeared when a person needed it. It was a very fascinating room because it changed to suit the person and their needs. Freya and the Guardians had never entered this room before because all the other war heroes' children constantly used the room.

Stepping into the room, Freya instantly noticed that it looked exactly like the Gryffindor Common Room – it even had the fire lit. Freya could feel the heat from the room and it was a nice difference from the chill from outside. Seeing the room, Freya did feel herself relax because it was something familiar. She didn't know who the room changed for – herself or for James.

James moved confident in the room, showing how much he had been in this room. He sat down on the long couch near the fire. He dropped down his Quidditch equipment near him before getting comfortable.

Freya walked forward and sat on the same couch as him, on the other side of the couch. Her gaze was trained on the fire because she didn't know where to look.

"Who are you?" James asked, he too was looking at the fire. This question had been burning on the tip of his tongue because he was desperate to know the answer. He had been fighting himself to ask this question on the walk to the Room of Requirement. He knew that no one else would use this room because very few people knew about it. Dominique didn't like the Room of Requirements and tended to avoid it more than anything and she was more than likely asleep as it was well past midnight.

Pursing her lips together, she answered. "My name is Freya Williams." When no pain came, Freya relaxed slightly. She had been fearing that she was being lulled into a false sense of security and she still hoped that she wasn't.

James' eyes crinkled, he was thinking back to when he heard that name but he came up blank. "I haven't heard your name being called out ever. We've been in the same lessons for a long time and not one teacher has called on you. Hagrid couldn't even remember your name." James said, thinking back to the lesson with the Hippogriff. Hagrid had stumbled when he had tried to say Freya's name – it's like he didn't know it at all and had only just realised. However, Hagrid seemed to forget this fact and had moved on.

Freya said nothing, he hadn't asked a question – he had only made a statement.

"No one else has noticed you either. Why is that?" James asked, thinking back over the years. Freya had always been there in the background and no one had ever questioned it. It annoyed him that even he forgot about her. The girl from his dreams had been right in front of him all these years.

Reaching under her top, Freya pulled out her pendant. "This is what has made me invisible all these years. It has a powerful memory charm that activates after we've had an interaction with someone. This is how we have stayed off the radar for so long." Absentmindedly, Freya played with the pendant. She ran her finger over the rough gems on the pendant and touched the back of her pendant where her name was engraved.

James stared at the pendant for a long while. His gaze was narrowed on the pendant as if he blamed the piece of jewellery. James was smart, he knew what happened to people who were overexposed to powerful memory charms – it could tear a person's mind apart. James had no doubt that the charm was what caused him to feel like his mind was splitting into two. Knowing this, he had mixed emotions. He felt relieved that he wasn't going crazy or losing his mind. However, James also felt very annoyed that something had been messing with his memories in the first place.

"You weren't wearing it during the Yule Ball." James pointed out.

Freya nodded her head, "Yes, I took it off for that night only." It had been a good night because it allowed all the Guardians to have some fun and it allowed them to have some freedom. It had resulted in Joseph's death because he hadn't put the pendant back on in time, but it had been worth it.

"Why have you been watching me for all these years?" James asked, moving onto the other thing that had been on his mind. James knew that Freya had been watching him for years now and it creeped him out a bit. It creeped James out that he hadn't noticed and it had been happening for years.

Freya wet her lips for a moment, thinking about how she was going to say this. "James, you've stumbled upon something you shouldn't have. Telling you this is dangerous." She said, standing up to leave. If she left now, maybe he would forget about this encounter.

James stood up too and grabbed her wrist. "You promised you would tell me everything." He said, reminding her.

Freya sighed roughly and turned to face him. "This is dangerous stuff. Once you hear this, you can't go back." She warned him with a severe look.

He grinned and shrugged lightly. "The more you say that, the more I want to know," James said with a cheeky grin.

Rolling her eyes, Freya sat down again. She knew that she had his attention and he wasn't going to stop until she told him. Freya had half a mind to lie to him, but she had a feeling that he would notice. She also wouldn't be able to string a story up that quickly to deceive him either – not a believable one anyway.

Once James saw she wasn't going run away, he too sat down and let go of her wrist.

"There is a Department in the Ministry of Magic called the Department of Guardians. It was set up after the Second Wizarding War. All the war heroes had been receiving threats from Ex-Death Eaters and there was a rumour that Voldemort had a spawn." Freya began, her gaze trained on the ground as she spoke.

James' eyes widened. "What?! Did my dad know?" His dad should have been the first informed about this but his dad had never mentioned anything. His dad never talked about his work at home anyway but James had a feeling that this was something he would have heard about.

Freya shook her head, "No. Kingsley's Aurors intercepted the threats before any of your family received them."

James nodded this head, understanding this reasoning.

"But, there was a growing concern over the war hero's children's safety. So, Lance Johnson put forward an idea and it was approved by Kingsley. The goal was to assign each child a Guardian to protect them. Their duty was to make sure nothing happened to them while also looking for Voldemort's spawn." Freya continued, feeling nervous. She had never told anyone this before and she didn't know if she was doing the right thing.

This time, James said nothing and let her speak. However, he did feel unsettled because he felt like something was coming and he had a feeling he wouldn't like it.

Freya closed her eyes, "However, Lance left out a few details about the Guardians before it got approved. Kingsley didn't know that Lance would be using children as Guardians – children from Ex-Death Eaters and he didn't know that we are seen as expendable."

James froze in his seat. He slowly turned to face Freya, his eyes wide in horror. "…What?"

"We are expendable. We do not matter, only our charge does." Freya whispered this lowly. Actually saying this out loud to a stranger of the Program was weird and it made her realise how bad the situation was. Anyone who she usually spoke to found this normal – this was her normal. Lance was prepared to kill children for the sake of his Program. This time, Freya looked up and stared James in the eyes, letting him see that she was telling the truth.

James saw this and seemed to explode in rage. "That's bullshit! This is inhumane! He shouldn't be allowed to do this!" James yelled out, standing up to pace around the room. There was an indescribable rage inside him to know that people were getting treated like this. James wanted to punch something. It sickened him to know that people like Lance Johnson existed and were able to get away with this. James remembered Lance Johnson well – he always sucked up to his dad whenever they attended any functions. To James, it made it even worse that Lance was a fan of his dad and he doing something like this.

Freya silently agreed with him.

James stopped suddenly, his back facing Freya. "Are… you my Guardian?"

"Yes." Freya answered, "I have been for the past five years."

James swore loudly. He did the math in his head, she would have been eleven years old when she first became his Guardian. She was a child. With that in mind, he turned around to face her. "We need to tell someone. My dad can help." James said with a determined look on his face.

Freya's heart clenched in panic and she shot up, "You can't!" She couldn't let James tell anyone about this.

"And why not?!" James shouted in exasperation.

Freya walked over to James and then turned around so now her back was facing him. She lifted up her hair and exposed her Guardian Mark. "This is the reason."

James stopped and stared at the Mark with an inquisitive stare.

Seeing as James was quiet, Freya spoke. "This is called the Guardian Mark. It stops us from telling anyone about the Guardian Program and if we try, we experience pain worse than the Crucio curse. But it has another purpose." She lowered her hair and turned to face James again. Freya truly realised how trapped she was and it only brought her despair.

James' eyes widened in horror.

"This is why you can't tell anyone. It's too dangerous." Freya said.

"Then how are you telling me this?" James asked, feeling defeated.

Freya pursed her lips together. "I have a theory. When I used my raw magic on you, I felt something click inside my soul. Your own raw magic reacted to mine and they connected, resulting in us starting to connect our souls."

"Huh?" James said, looking confused, "So what does that mean?"

She wasn't that surprised that he didn't know what it meant. Soul Binding was an ancient form of magic that was hardly ever used anymore. Only the oldest and ancient of families used this magic. "It means that we are connected now. By Wizarding Law, we're basically married." She said bluntly, getting the news over and done with. Soul Binding was something that married people did after the wedding and it was used to signify how much the couple loved one another. However, it wasn't used anymore.

"What?!" James yelled out in shock. He was only sixteen years old, he was too young to be married yet – his mother was going to kill him if she found out.

Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Freya rolled her eyes. "It's fine. We haven't completed the Binding of Souls, for us to do that we would have to have sex. As long as we don't have sex, the connection will fade over time."

James flushed slightly with how blunt she was being. "But that doesn't answer my question." He said, coughing awkwardly. For once, he didn't have a retort to what Freya said.

Freya smirked slightly at his behaviour, it wasn't often that James got flustered. "As I was saying, because of that, it got around one of the few loopholes of having a Guardian Mark. I can only speak about the Guardians to other Guardians, Lance and very few selected people. Lance obviously didn't think to include Soul Binding because he doesn't allow Guardians to fall in love." It wasn't made an official rule until after Lydia died but it was common knowledge that they couldn't.

James frowned, "There are rules?" There seemed to be so much to this Guardian Program and he was feeling a bit confused. The rules only made him more frustrated and it was making him dislike this Guardian Program more and more.

Nodding her head, Freya answered. "Yes. There are loads of rules we have and if we break them, we die." She said bluntly.

James paled slightly. "How do you survive?" He whispered lowly.

"Most don't," Freya answered back, her tone just as low as his at the sad reality. The Guardian life didn't suit most people and there were a lot of people who couldn't handle the pressure. Too many people – children – had entered the Guardian Program only for them not to even survive a day.

There was silence in the room as James took in this information. He had found out so much in a short space of time and James didn't know how to feel in that moment of time. James was horrified and sickened to learn that this was happening under everyone's nose. Something in his very core was shouting at him that something needed to be done about this. The Guardian Program needed to be brought down.

"We need to tell my dad," James said, not giving up.

"James, we can't." Frey denied instantly.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing! Something needs to be done." James argued back, becoming frustrated at Freya's constant denial.

Freya could feel herself getting irritated. "If we tell your father then it will make things worse. There is a chance Lance out – it's too risky." Lance would find out and when he did, the outcome was not going to good for her or any other Guardian.

"You don't know that," James argued back while shaking his head while pacing around the room.

Freya glared at him, her temper rising. "You don't know Lance as well as I know him. He has spies in the Ministry – spies that will kill without hesitation. You cannot win against Lance Johnson." She whispered lowly.

James growled lowly under his breath as his fist connected with a nearby wall. The walls seemed to vibrate in irritation but it very quickly quieted down. James stayed there, hunched over and breathing heavily.

Freya watched this all with a blank expression. She was beginning to realise how much of a bad idea this was. She had just spilt secrets to an outsider and that very thought panicked her to her very core. James was a flight risk – there was nothing stopping him from telling his father everything and that thought terrified her. James could be impulsive and spontaneous at times and that didn't sit well with her at the moment. Freya knew that she needed to do something. She needed to fix this before it got out of hand. As she was thinking, an idea came to mind.

"James, I need you to make a vow," Freya said, staring at James with a blank expression. She wasn't going to give up on the matter because of how important it was. It was imperative that Freya made James take this vow. She would convince him no matter what.

James blinked slowly in surprise. "What?"

Freya sighed slightly. "James, you can't tell anyone. Not your father and not your friends. Absolutely no one."

"But we need to tell someone! What's going on isn't right!" James exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Freya walked over to him and grabbed James by the hands and held them tightly. "James, you can't tell anyone. If you do, so many people's lives will be in danger." She lowered her voice, silently telling James to keep his voice low. She knew no one could hear him but she was feeling paranoid and wanted to be careful.

James frowned and went silent for a moment, he seemed to be thinking and weighing up his options. "What would happen?" He asked, hesitation in his tone.

"Death," Freya answered bluntly.

James bit his lip and sighed deeply. He was still unsure of whether or not to agree to make a vow because it was a very big commitment. If James broke it then he would pay the consequences and he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep this big of a secret. However, he did understand why Freya wanted him to make a vow. After everything she had told him, he didn't blame her.

Freya decided to push it further, "It's not that I don't trust you because I do. But I can't risk anything James, I need to protect them. There are children involved, children younger than us," She pleaded further.

James' resolve crumbled in an instant. Slowly, James nodded his head, "Okay, I'll do it."

Inwardly, Freya sighed in relief. She was relieved that she didn't have to force him into an Unbreakable Vow because she had a feeling that it wouldn't have ended well. She cared for James but she would do whatever it took to protect the Guardians. She wouldn't let them suffer for her mistake.

Freya held out her wand hand and waited for James to extend his hand. She stared at him expectantly, silently hoping that he didn't back out of the Unbreakable Vow. An Unbreakable Vow was a type of binding magical contract between people. There also has to be the third person to act as the witness of this vow. Upon the vow being completed, the person involved in the vow cannot break what was agreed and if they did, they died.

Slowly, James extended his hand and clasped Freya's hand, using his wand hand. When he did this, Freya felt herself relax because he wasn't backing out of it. She couldn't help but notice how warm his hands were in hers – her hands were always colder than normal so it was a nice difference.

"Ceely," Freya said, her voice slightly louder than before. She was calling the House Elf that she trusted most in Hogwarts – the one that always guarded James' food and drinks in the Kitchens of Hogwarts. Freya had been in contact with Ceely for four years and she was one of the very few House Elves that Freya trusted completely.

James sent her a curious expression, "What?" That wasn't what he was expecting Freya to say when he agreed to the Unbreakable Vow.

Freya rolled her eyes, "We need a third party to act as a witness."

Just then, there was a popping sound as Ceely appeared in the room. She looked like a normal House Elf, she was three feet tall, spindly arms and legs with an over-sized head and big blue eyes. She also had pointed, bat-like ears. She wore a clean discarded pillowcase and nothing on her feet.

"Yes, Mistress," Ceely said, her voice high and squeaky.

Freya nearly rolled her eyes again. Ceely had picked up of a habit of calling her Mistress when she actually wasn't. Ceely had taken to Freya very quickly because she was one of the only people who actually paid attention to the House Elf and Ceely felt useful. Ceely was thankful for the job in the Hogwarts Kitchens but she particularly enjoyed having another purpose.

James stared at the House Elf, "Is a House Elf allowed to act as a witness?" He leaned in closer to Freya and whispered this softly. He didn't want the House Elf to overhear this because he didn't want to offend her.

Nodding her head, Freya answered him. "My family have used House Elves before. It's fine." Unbreakable Vows weren't used often – for obvious reasons – and only in strict matters of confidence. Her family had always used Unbreakable Vows because they were very secretive about everything and didn't like outsiders knowing things about their family. Freya had been very lucky to avoid being subject to an Unbreakable Vow – yet. However, it was only a matter of time.

James pursed his lips, seeming surprised about the information but he accepted it nonetheless.

"Ceely, we're making an Unbreakable Vow, I need you to act as a witness. Can you do that?" Freya asked, looking over to the House Elf.

Ceely nodded her head, "I would be happy to, Mistress." She said moving closer to James and Freya.

Satisfied, Freya turned back to face James and looked him in the eyes. "Will you, James Sirius Potter, not speak about the Guardian Program with any of your friends?" As they began the vows, their joined hands glowed a white colour.

"I will not," James replied back seriously.

"Will you, James Sirius Potter, not speak about the Guardian Program to your father…" Freya spoke, watching James reaction.

Disappointment shined in James' hazel eyes and it made Freya hesitate. She felt bad about forcing James into this situation but it needed to be done. It made her heart clench in guilt and regret so she went silent for a moment, not finishing her sentence.

"Freya?" James muttered lowly in confusion.

Freya's lips thinned, her mind now made up. "Will you, James Sirius Potter, not speak about the Guardian Program to your father unless I give you permission?" She finished, staring James in the eyes as she spoke the vow.

James' eyes lit up at this change of condition. "I will." He said with more enthusiasm. This was a condition he was happy with.

Nearly smiling, Freya looked over to Ceely and nodded to her, indicating that the Unbreakable Vow was over.

Ceely walked over and tapped on their joined hands. Ceely did not possess a wand so she used her finger instead. As she tapped on their joined hands, she whispered the binding words. A red light wound its way around their hands like a red-hot wire – officially binding them. The white light faded around their hands now that it was done.

"It is complete," Ceely said, stepping away from the two of them. No longer needed, Ceely disappeared in a flash, back to the Kitchens to do some cleaning.

That left James and Freya alone and neither one of them spoke. They stared at one another in their eyes, watching one another and still holding each other's hands. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of them breathing.

"You made an exception," James muttered lowly before grinning.

Freya returned the grin, "You looked like a kicked puppy. I had no choice." She said nonchalantly while shrugging her shoulders. She was acting like it wasn't a big deal but that didn't stop her heart from pounding in her chest.

James sighed in mock disappointment, "I guess it wasn't for my dashing good looks then." He said pouting.

Freya rolled her in good nature.

HARRY POTTER

Freya was now back in her room and it was only then could she relax. She had been running off adrenaline when she had been speaking to James. She laid on her bed and let herself relax, she closed her eyes and breathed in slowly – in and out. Now that she had a moment to think about herself, her thoughts strayed to her interaction with James. Freya could feel her heart beating in her chest and her nerves were shot. She had told an outsider about the Guardian Program – Freya had broken two of the most important rules of the Guardian Program. The charge must never know that they are being protected and they can never tell anyone about being a Guardian. Those were the two biggest rules that Lance had first ever implemented and in his eyes, they were sacred.

Thinking back to everything that happened, Freya remembered one thing that she had forgotten to do.

Sitting up, Freya called out. "Ceely."

A few seconds later, Ceely appeared in the room. Her huge blue eyes staring at Freya, "Yes, Mistress." She said.

Freya stood up and walked over to the House Elf. "Promise me you won't speak of what you saw and heard to anyone," Freya said. She needed to ensure that Ceely wouldn't tell anyone because if she did then Freya would be in a lot of trouble.

Ceely eagerly nodded her head, "I won't tell anyone, Mistress. I swear."

Freya nodded her head, satisfied. "Also, make sure to keep out of Lance Johnson's way, do not engage him at all." Lance had a habit of interrogating House Elves because they tended to hear things most people wouldn't suspect. Lance considered House Elves to be scum but if a House Elf had information he wanted, he would lull them into a false sense of security to make them reveal their secrets. Once Lance got what he wanted, he would then dispose of the House Elf.

"Of course," Ceely replied back.

"Thank you." Freya dismissed her by turning her back on the House Elf and heading back to bed.

In the blink of an eye, Ceely disappeared and Freya was left on her own.

HARRY POTTER

With James

James walked back into his dorm room and sat on his bed. His heading was swarming with all the information he had been given today. When Freya had been explaining everything, he didn't believe her. He thought that she had been making it up because there was no way that the Guardian Program could exist – it was inhuman to treat people as though they were not important. James had originally thought Freya to be a stalker and had been erasing his memory to cover it up. But the more she explained, the more James realised that it made sense. He could also see the truth in Freya's eyes – she had been telling the truth the entire time.

Sighing, James laid down and stared at his canopy ceiling with a blank expression. He had wanted to tell his dad even without Freya's consent but then she had convinced him into an Unbreakable Vow and now James was stuck. He knew he should tell someone, but if he did and didn't get Freya's permission then he would die.

James' eyes widened in realisation. He shot up from his bed as a large grin formed on his face. Freya had made an exception to the Unbreakable Vow – a loophole.

James could tell his father, but only if Freya gave him permission.

Now, James just needed to convince Freya.

HARRY POTTER

FYI, Freya doesn't know that Kingsley knew about the Guardians being children. I didn't get that information wrong – I swear!