CHAPTER 11:

WISH OF A WISH-MAIDEN

Rossweisse woke up, and almost immediately regretted it. The most immediate regret was the hangover, the combination of all-pervasive pain, sensory overload, and nausea that, unfortunately, was already familiar to her because of the spiked punch incident. Seriously, she felt like Ratotoskr had crawled into her mouth and died or something on top of that.

Her eyes creaked open, and then shut again to block out the light. A moan of pain escaped her lips, and she risked opening them again, to spy a bottle on the coffee table nearby. A note read, Rossweisse, this is a hangover potion. Brynhildr and I are currently punishing Sirius for what he did. It tastes like shit, rather literally, but it'll get rid of most of the hangover. Lupin.

Rossweisse took the bottle and swigged it down. She fought down an urge to vomit. Ugh, that tasted like dung shovelled out of Sleipnir's stable! But the effects were almost instantaneous. The headache receded, the nausea left almost entirely, and the sensory overload went away.

But that only allowed the embarrassing memories to treacherously take their place.

She put her face in her hands, and groaned. Why, oh why, did she do such a thing? She kissed Harry! She kissed him! Twice, even! Fuck, how embarrassing! And all because she was worried she would die a perpetual spinster, a virgin, just like her bullies and detractors claimed!

Even in her inebriated state, she wasn't going to sleep with him. They were still too young for that, even by the standards of Asgard. Besides, their relationship, such as it was, was only in its earliest stages. But she wanted to do something, to know what it was like to kiss a boy. And so, she did that on impulse.

Once more, she groaned in sheer embarrassment and self-reproach. She hadn't really given Harry a chance to object or offer permission! If he had done the same to her, she would have slapped him silly at the bare minimum, drunk or not! And yet, he had forgiven her, even let her do it again before the alcohol sent her to sleep.

And here she was, on the couch of his quarters. A quick look at the clock told her it was early the next morning. Damn, she had slept for that long?

She decided to gather herself together and head elsewhere. She needed time to think, and to come to terms with what she had done. And to think up a suitable apology. Harry probably wouldn't need it, true, but it would help her feel better at least…


She made it to the library, stopping only to have a quick meal on the way, as she had missed dinner. The library of Asgard was open 24/7, and Atreus was usually the one manning it. He was certainly there now, and he nodded to her. "You're up early, Rossweisse. Then again, I heard about what happened from Brynhildr."

Rossweisse blushed. "Everything?"

"Well, apparently you got drunk off a bottle of wizarding Butterbeer and then snogged the Boy Who Lived," Atreus said with a wry smile. As Rossweisse groaned in embarrassment, he waved his hand. "Eh, don't worry, as screw-ups go, they don't even remotely compare to my own."

"Your own?"

Atreus' features softened. "…Your grandmother already told you, I'm sure, but…I'm not from this timeline. I come from quite a few away, and brought a few passengers along with me. Asgard and the Norse pantheon were very different in my world. So were the Greek pantheon…before my father put paid to them."

"Your father?"

"My father was a Spartan demigod, born from Zeus' loins, of course. He became infamous for his ferocity and…well, his sins, sins which stained his skin ghostly white, save for red tattoos. Hence why he became known as the Ghost of Sparta."

"The Ghost of Sparta?"

"Yeah, though his real name was Kratos. I didn't learn about this until later, but, well, he killed Ares after Ares enslaved him, and when the Olympians tried to have him killed out of fear…he slaughtered them, and the Titans, almost without exception."

Rossweisse's hand flew to her hand in horror. "That was your father?"

"Yeah. Of course, by the time he had me, he was plagued by the guilt of what he had done in the name of revenge. He…didn't know how to be a father. His first child, a daughter, he hadn't exactly helped raise before she died. But when my mother died, we were forced to bond. I was only a kid, and I ended up in all sorts of life and death battles. It's a very long story, but the upshot is, I made a lot of mistakes. Some decisions, I never regretted, while others, I'll regret to my dying days. Some mistakes are worth making, or else they're worth learning from. What was it my father once told me? Don't be sorry. Be better."

"But…if I've ruined my relationship with Harry…"

"I doubt you have, Rossweisse," Atreus said kindly. "Harry seems like a decent guy, and forgiving. At best, this is a road bump in your relationship, it's not going to crash and burn. It's just going to make things a bit awkward for a while. And the reason why you're so worried is that you think you've scuppered any chance of it going any further, right? Don't worry about it."

"Easy for you to say. I mean, they call me…"

"They call you the Spinster Valkyrie partly because they're jealous. Jealous of your beauty, your heritage, and your intelligence," Atreus said sharply. "I've told you this before, and I'll say it again. And they also cannot comprehend that just because you work hard doesn't mean you can't find happiness later. But it also doesn't mean you can't find happiness now. You just needed someone understanding. Harry certainly seems like that. Just…give him a chance. I'm sure he's giving you a chance."

"I…"

"Look…sometimes, Valkyries are called Óskmeys, which means 'wish-maiden'," Atreus said, cutting off her response. "It's because they grant the deceased's desire to go to Valhalla. But what of the wishes of the Valkyrie? You deserve a wish of your own, Rossweisse. And if that wish is to have Harry Potter as a boyfriend…well, if he says yes, then go for it…"


She stayed in the library, looking for more to do with her dissertation into unique seals, including that on Trihexa. Atreus had finally managed to get some books on Enochian magic and particularly sealing magic, and she spent the next couple of hours doing research and taking notes, hoping to take her mind off yesterday's events. And, of course, the awkward conversation that was sure to follow.

However, she would have to pay the piper. She went back to her quarters, showered and changed into a clean suit (the other would be cleaned by magic, but she had two pairs of the same style of suit, despite how expensive it was), before returning to Harry's quarters. She paused outside of the door to his quarters, gathering herself, before she made to knock. Of course, the moment she did so, her fist hit nothing but air, and she toppled and fell with a yelp. A yelp mirrored by someone else as she landed on them.

Oh. Oh dear. And to think the day was already so awkward…


Harry's sleep had been troubled, but he'd managed to get some sleep. When he finally got up, Rossweisse had left. The hangover potion had been used, but he hoped she hadn't done anything stupid. He decided to have breakfast first before looking to see if he could find her. The library was a safe bet.

Of course, as he opened the door, Rossweisse toppled in, about to knock. She fell onto him, and they ended up sprawled on the floor, with her on top. For a moment, dazed by the fall, all he could think about was her breasts pressed into his torso. Then, the moment passed, and his brain rebooted, his libido shoved into a box for now.

"…Well, this is awkward," Harry said quietly. "Umm, would you mind getting off me?"

"EEP!" Rossweisse seemed to teleport to an upright position, that was how swiftly she seemed to move. She then helped him to his feet. "I'm…I'm…I'm sorry! I just…"

"Rossweisse…just…it's okay. What you did last night…next time, just ask permission, okay? I'm not angry with you."

"Oh, well, that's a relief, but…I disgraced myself in such a manner last night, I just…I…" Her voice caught in her throat, her aqua eyes glimmering with tears. "…I was just worried I had ruined our friendship, Harry."

"Not by a long shot, Rossweisse," Harry said gently, hugging her and rubbing her back. "Not by a long shot."

He gently held her as she sobbed in relief, a catharsis of the worries she had felt. The unlikely pair of a part-Jotunn wizard and a Valkyrie. This was when their bond truly solidified, and began moving into what would become love…


Elsewhere in the world, a man with long pale hair and lean, sardonic features made for haughty sneering, scowled silently to himself as he sat near a fire. Recently, it had been harder for him to walk abroad with impunity of late. The Allfather was searching for him, and with more dedication than after he disappeared.

And he could hazard a guess why. He'd kept abreast of events in the wizarding world. It was prudent to do so. So to learn of his brood being accused of mass-slaughter using abilities that were unmistakeably that of a Jotunn's…well, it was fairly obvious to those with a modicum of intelligence. Such a shame that intelligence was in such short supply in the world, a painful lesson he had learned long ago. The world did not respect the intelligent, but the strong. It was one of the reasons he left a place others called his home long ago.

He wanted to become famed as something other than that which he had been tainted with. He wanted to be a hero, not a villain. Envy drove him to answer the petty prayers of the Potters, praying over the dying body of their newborn child. And in that moment, he saw opportunity.

He had to admit, he enjoyed his new childhood, where he was doted on by his new parents. They didn't know that he was within their son, only that a god had answered their prayers. Then again, it was only right and fitting that they gave proper tribute to a god, to raise him how he should have been raised.

Of course, once he saw Lily Evans at Hogwarts, he knew he had to have her. She was like Sif or Gondül, fiery and sharp-minded. And thinking of cuckolding Thor, even by proxy, appealed to him immensely. However, she didn't seem to realise that she was meant to be his, and that greasy-haired little bastard was ill-suited for her. The fact that he joined those fools in the Death Eaters was proof enough of that, and the only reason why he saved Snivellous from the werewolf was to ensure he had a debt to hold over the little git's head.

But when Snape showed his true colours, she still wouldn't come to him. So, having already ensured Dumbledore was under his sway, he then took measures to put Lily under his sway too. He loved her, and that was all that mattered. It was an honour for a god to love and desire someone.

Of course, he didn't fight that hard against the Death Eaters. He was hoping to avoid scrutiny from Asgard, at least until he was ready. Indeed, he was gratified when Lily finally fell pregnant.

Until the prophecies came along.

One, of course, was uttered by that dipsomaniac Trelawney. And thanks to Snivellous, they would be pursued by Voldemort. That didn't worry him, though.

What worried him was the prophecy the Norns had given him.

He'd wiped it from their heads afterwards, no mean feat, given how powerful they were, but he knew he had to take action. He acceded to Black's plan to use Pettigrew because he knew the little rat would probably sell them out from fear. And he had been laying the groundwork to influence Lily to sacrifice herself.

Because the Norns said that Lily would be the one to kill him if he continued down the path he was.

Absurd, of course. A mere human woman, under his control, lacked the capacity, especially as she had no Sacred Gear, he had checked. But he wanted to make absolutely sure.

Come that night, he faked his death, and watched as Lily sacrificed herself to save Harry. A waste of a good woman, but he didn't want to take the chance that she would kill him. He also wondered if Harry would die, but made no move to save him. He had plenty of children, Hel, Fenrir, Sleipnir, the Midgard Serpent. If Lily's sacrifice or Harry's latent Jotunn abilities didn't save him, nothing would.

Lily's sacrifice did do something. For a moment, he was tempted to take Harry and leave, or else reveal himself as a widower, a bereaved hero. But he decided against it. He'd grown bored of his life as James Potter. And he was sick of the so-called friends he had accumulated.

Pettigrew was a coward. So too was Lupin, and a sickly werewolf who was but a pale shade compared to his beloved Fenrir. Black was fine enough, but he had been favoured by the Potters, and he got sick and tired of Black stealing the attention and praise that was his own. Hell, they'd even had a major argument the night the Potters died, and James Potter realised…he didn't care about them anymore. Not them, and not about Black. He was bored of them all. He wanted something new.

So, Black went to Azkaban. Pettigrew fled into hiding. Lupin drowned in his own self-loathing. And Harry was sent to the Dursleys.

And him? Well, he received an interesting offer from Ophis not long before Lily's death. If nothing else, he could use her to his own ends, just as everyone else in the Khaos Brigade were.

No, he wasn't bothered that much by Harry awakening his powers and being in Asgard. As far as he was concerned, the brat was only his child by blood. Any attempt at bringing him into the fold would be futile, and it wasn't like he could kill his father. After all, Lily was dead. And while he was not so cocky as to believe himself invincible, he knew some emotional teenaged spawn of his loins couldn't do it.

No, Harry was pretty much a non-issue to Loki, and that was all he needed to know…

CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. Rossweisse and Harry have overcome this little hump in their relationship, while Loki is scheming. We have some explanation as to why Loki did what he did. Because he's a narcissistic sociopath who, by this point in his life, can't help but to screw people over if he feels slighted. Atreus, on the other hand, makes a marked contrast.

Now, I actually have the next couple of chapters mostly written, but there'll be something of a break before I post them. The second of the two chapters needs completion, and both are in bad need of being polished. It's a fitting place to stop for now anyway, as the next chapter will see a timeskip to the beginning of High School DxD canon.

Review-answering time! Guest (regarding spells violating physics and a Harry/Freya God of War crossover): True, but I like to think of magic as being affected by physical laws to some degree or another. The Nasuverse form of magecraft certainly is, even if it seems otherwise. It's more like more effort is required to break more laws or laws that are more fundamental.

As for Freya's age, I have paired Harry (albeit post-Hogwarts age Harry, or else one who is a reincarnation of someone else) with beings that are centuries or millennia old before. For example, Tiamat (Primordial Song), Medusa (Gorgon and Thanatos), and Altera/Sephyr (Obtaining Salvation) from the Nasuverse, Crossbreed Priscilla (Worth a Thousand Words and More and You're the Son of Legends, Harry!) from Dark Souls, and Ranni (Virtus et Scientia) from Elden Ring. In addition, I have at least tentative plans to do stories shipping him with the likes of Raynare from High School DxD, Vierna Do'urden from the Legend of Drizzt books, Arfoire from Hyperdimension Neptunia (Yes! Really!), the adult form of Nelliel from Bleach, and Malenia and Melina from Elden Ring. So your comment about Freya's age is irrelevant.

No numbered annotations this time.