My appreciation goes to the people that helped me with this story!
Alpha: HalfBloodLittleLamb - thank you for reminding me of the Outlander background for which I needed reminding
Beta: multilingualism - thank you for the grammar help!
TW: Pregnancy and panic attack
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Outlander
3,300 words
18th century
"I don't want to go!" Claire yelled then took out her hand to touch her husband's hand.
Jamie looked at his wife with loving eyes. " Mo Nighean Donn, you have to for the sake of our baby," he muttered, then took her hand and kissed her lightly.
Suddenly a lightning storm struck right on top of them. Her eyes went wide as she looked up. Claire looked back at Jamie one last time.
They stared at each other for what seemed like forever and Jamie forcefully pulled himself together and gently shoved her into the stone and with a pop she disappeared.
—-
February 1980
Hagrid was walking to the Forbidden Forest to check up on Aragog when he almost tripped over something, or was it someone? He looked down and with wide eyes, he picked her up by cradling her in his arms carefully.
As he walked back to Hogwarts he was wondering how in the name of Merlin did this woman land here. At a quick glance, she looked like she was wearing 18th century clothing.
When he arrived at the infirmary, he was lucky Madam Pomfrey was there.
"Oh good heavens!" The mediwitch explained. "Bring her over here." She said then led them to a bed. "Gently now…That's it."
When Hagrid placed the woman on the bed, the mediwitch started to examine her with her wand. She gasped. "Oh my!"
"What is it?" Hagrid asked.
"Go get Albus…" She said as she was examining the woman more closely when Hagrid left.
"I came as soon as I can, Poppy," Albus said as he entered the infirmary.
He stopped in his tracks as he saw a woman lying on the bed.
Gradually, she woke up and saw people surrounding her. She placed her hand on her forehead and hissed with pain. It seemed that she had banged her head pretty hard. Suddenly she remembered and put her hand on her belly. She mumbled something and felt someone gently push herself back down on a soft surface
"Relax, Miss…" She heard older women say. "You hit your head pretty badly."
Claire's eyes landed on the older woman. "My baby?"
"Your baby is safe, dear. You are both safe."
Claire shed a single tear for Jaime and went back into a dreamless sleep.
She got up from her bed and wandered around to what looked like a castle. All of a sudden she jumped when she saw a ghost that oddly looked like Jamie. She was about to call him when…
Once she woke up again, but abruptly, she shed tears for Jamie. She would never see him again. Her baby would never get to meet him. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her hand. Opening her eyes, she glanced to her right and saw the same older woman with the same soft smile she had seen before.
"My name is Madam Pomfrey, dear."
"Claire…" She paused and sobbed. "My name is Claire Fraser." She replied. When she calmed down, she pushed herself up on the bed and looked around the room. It seemed as though she was in some sort of castle. Was she back with Jamie? Please let her be with Jamie again. "Jamie?" She asked while she was about to get out of her bed but the nurse pressed her gently back.
Claire was startled to find a tall man who had a white-beard was staring down at her.
"Sorry, Miss…" He paused. "But no Jamie is here that I know of."
"Frank?" She asked cautiously. When the elderly woman shook her head, Claire closed her eyes and slowly, her tears were coming down. She was in an unknown world, and she didn't know what year this was. All of a sudden she cried and howled with her screams. "I don't want to be here. Please no! Jamie!" She screamed until a gust of what looked like wind, but magic came out of nowhere and rippled through the castle.
She passed out. This time, she had a dreamless sleep.
When she woke for the third time, she didn't know how long she was out. But the person who'd introduced him to her was still there.
"Here, Mrs Fraser, drink this. It will help you calm down." The nurse said with a sad smile.
Claire was skeptical at first, but knew that she was a doctor, and that she knew the nurse wouldn't do anything to harm her because of the oath. She sighed and picked up the vial and drank it. Immediately, she felt a calmness that overtook her.
"What… What year is this?" Claire asked with her eyes closed.
"1980," the man said.
Claire looked at the man for minutes of deafening silence. She was about to scream once again, but the man placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know this is a shock for you. By the look of your clothes, are you by any chance from the 18th century?"
Claire nodded.
After a moment of taking the new information, the man who stood in front of her clapped his hand together. "Right, Mrs. Fraser…." He paused for a moment. "My name is Albus Dumbledore; I am the headmaster of this school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am sure you're exhausted from your journey… Why don't I take you to your room?"
"No! I will not stay; I have to go back!" She yelled. Suddenly, she was feeling a weird sense of static electricity. She jumped when she saw that a vase with flowers sitting next to her bed broke. Maybe whatever she took from the vial wore off, she thought.
The man who said he was called Albus pointed a wooden stick at her and she opened her eyes wide with shock. "What are you doing?!"
It looked as though he was scanning her. He frowned. "Just as I thought. You're a witch."
Claire looked angry. "How many times do I have to say that I am not a witch?!"
Albus nodded with a sigh. "You are in fact a witch. And it just so happens that this school is a wizarding school. Follow me," the Headmaster said, and he nodded his head at the portraits. Claire was walking right behind him as he led her around the castle. To where, she didn't know. The two went down until they arrived at a place that looked like the dungeons.
As they paused in front of a portrait of someone who looked like a knight, the professor whispered something to the portrait and the portrait door opened. Claire jumped behind the white-bearded man and waited for instruction.
"If you will," he muttered, then took out his hand to show her the way.
As they walked inside to what looked like a living room, there was a man seated on a couch near the fireplace reading a book.
"Ah, Severus, sorry to interrupt you…" The headmaster said calmly. The person who was sitting down and reading a book, placed the book on the coffee table and stood up gracefully.
"What can I do for you, Albus?" He asked before turning his head to look at the newcomer. He raised his right eyebrow at her appearance then glanced back at the Headmaster.
"Don't stand on my account," the Headmaster muttered and he took his place on the couch with Claire. When Severus sat back down, the Headmaster smiled. "Allow me to introduce you to Claire Fraser. We just learned that she's from the 18th century and I have confirmed…She's a witch," he said gravely.
"How fascinating," Severus drawled then turned to look at the woman sitting next to him.
Claire just stared at the new person she'd just met. With a raised eyebrow, she slowly took out her hand to shake his. "It's a pleasure to meet you… Er, Severus?" Why did the stones take me here? What will happen to my child?
Severus curtly nodded then looked back at the Headmaster. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of meeting you?" he drawled when he turned to look back at the woman next to him.
Claire looked down onto the floor with a sigh. She was shell shocked. 1980? The stones never sent her in the wrong direction of time.
"What do you mean stones?" Severus paused as his eyes bore into hers. "Are you with child?"
Claire's eyes went wide and looked directly at him. She narrowed her eyes. "You can read my mind," she said as a matter of fact.
Severus shrugged his shoulders. "It is a gift that I have. Perhaps one day I can teach you." He paused for a moment. "What may I ask are the stones you speak of?"
Claire nodded curtly. "I can travel through time."
The air became thick.
"The stones help you do that, how?" Severus drawled.
"When I go near a Stonehenge, I can feel a hum. Like it's alive." She whispered. "I can honestly say that I don't know much about it. I knew that there were people like me who can travel through time…." She muttered then trailed off. Her shoulders sagged.
For the second time, she saw the Headmaster clap his hands together. "I think we had a long night! I think it's time to turn in. Severus, you can show her the guest room you have, yes?" Once he finished he nodded and left the room.
"That man doesn't have the best track record for being tactful." Severus rolled his eyes. "Follow me, I don't normally share my quarters with anyone." He grimaced. "I am a very private person…Through here." He muttered then opened the door. "Should you need anything, I'll be near the fireplace. I don't usually sleep well."
Claire followed him to the door. She tried to walk through, but her legs wouldn't move. Having an exhausting day didn't allow her to be in control of her body. She held her stomach with grief and loss that she wouldn't be able to see Jamie again. All of a sudden, she dropped to her knees and started weeping.
Without a word, Severus gently picked her up in his arms to carry her to her bed. Claire couldn't care less, she just wanted to be back at her time.
Claire was startled when she woke up. She found a strange creature in her room that placed a set of clean clothing and towels on her dresser.
"Oh, sorry, Miss. Retch scared you. Retch is sorry." The creature said while backing away.
She gradually got up from the bed and pulled out her blanket. It looked as though she was in shock. What an odd name for whatever this creature is. Finally out of her stupor, she smiled softly. "Retch is it?" She asked then paused to look around her room that she seemed to have slept in. There were no windows, she thought as she looked down at the creature. "Thank you for bringing those to me… May I ask, where is the bathroom?"
Retch beamed at the mistress in front of her. "Not at all, miss! The bathroom is out the door through to the left. Have a nice day!" He smiled and with a pop, he left.
She blinked. That was unexpected, she thought as she took the towel and her new clothes with her. She felt bad for spacing out like that last night. But who could blame her? She was in a new place with no direction of what she was doing here. She had no Jamie, and not even Frank. She was alone.
Slowly, she opened the door and looked around the living room. She saw a few moving portraits that were hanging around. She tiptoed around the living room, in search of the bathroom. She did as the creature said to do, but awkwardly stumbled into someone else's living quarters. Luckily no one was there. At the opposite end of the living room, there was a door there which had to have been the bathroom, right? When she opened it, she was assaulted with multiple smells. The room seemed to look like a lab. When she dropped her things with a thud, the man whom she met last night turned around.
"I thought I put my wards up," he muttered then grimaced. "What, pray tell, are you snooping around for?" he asked with a pointed look.
Claire crossed her arms. "I wasn't snooping," she snapped. "Retch, that creature, whatever it is, told me where the bathroom is. But I must've heard wrong…." When she finished, she knelt down to pick up her new things.
"The bathroom is that way." He rolled his eyes then turned around to finish his lab work.
"Thank you," she said while gritting her teeth. "By the way, that stuff you're making smells awful," she muttered then rushed to the bathroom.
Once she locked the door, she stepped in front of the mirror to get a good look at herself. Her hair was wild, her eyes were bloodshot, probably from crying too much and her clothing was torn. Quickly, she got out of her clothes, but then she remembered her corset. How was she going to undo the strings? She did not want to ask that man—what was his name?—Severus, to undo them. She sat on the toilet with just her corset on and started to sob once again.
Next thing she knew, she heard a knock at the door. The man grunted, "Mrs, is everything, er, okay?"
She stopped crying and stood. "I um, can't undo my strings from my corset," she said while feeling embarrassed.
There was a stillness in the air between her and the door.
"Is it okay if I help you? I can have my eyes closed," Severus suggested then grunted once again as if he was feeling uncomfortable with that thought.
There was a pregnant pause and Claire spoke softly. "Alright," she muttered. She walked back towards the door to unlock it. She turned around so that her back was to him.
With closed eyes, Severus opened the door slowly and let his hands wander until he found the strings. One by one the strings loosened and Claire placed her hand on the corset to keep it from falling down.
Once the last string was out she nodded without turning around. "Thank you," she muttered. She felt mortified having a man who wasn't Jamie help her out of her dress.
"Not a problem," he said with a bored expression. He carefully turned around then opened his eyes again. Once he grabbed the door, he grunted, "I suspect that Madam Promfrey will want to take a look at you to make sure you have a clean bill of health."
When he opened the door Claire rolled her eyes. "Does she now?" She paused as she was grabbing her shirt. "You can tell Madam Pomfrey that I am fit as a fiddle. I am a doctor after all." She gritted her teeth.
Severus's eyes went wide. "Very well. I'll leave you to it then." He said then closed the door.
When he was out of the door, she slowly walked towards the door then leaned her back towards it and sagged to the floor. She broke down into tears. She couldn't go through the heartache again. First she went through losing Frank. Now she had to lose Jamie? She glanced down at her stomach and placed her hand on it with protectiveness.
—-
November 1980
Nine months later, Claire was carrying Brianna Randall Fraser in her arms. The delivery had been long, but with the help of Madam Pomfrey, they both were fine after the delivery. She was looking at her baby when she heard that deep voice.
"She woke up the entire castle from that crying of hers," Severus muttered as he strode in with his billowing robes.
"She gets that from her da." She smiled softly.
"Another redhead," he said with a grimace.
Claire just rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Now come and meet your niece."
"I am an uncle, am I now?" Severus snorted.
"You always have been, and you knew that from the moment you heard of her existence," she snickered.
He grunted as he reached the bed. When she handed her baby to him, he felt as though he was filled with warmth inside. "Well, I guess I can manage one more redhead."
Claire raised her right eyebrow with confusion.
All of a sudden, little balls of light started floating above Brianna. Severus was surprised at this then turned to look back at Claire.
"Why do you look surprised, Severus? Everyone was keen on telling me that I'm a witch…" she said then trailed off.
"I just thought that Albus was being his cooky self," he muttered.
"I assure you I am not cooky," Albus said as he entered the infirmary and gave Severus a pointed look.
Severus rolled his eyes and continued staring down at his niece. "What is her name then?" he muttered.
"Branna Randall Fraser."
"I see you're using the names of your husbands," Albus said with a knowing look.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" she asked, then rolled her eyes.
Albus grunted, "I've taken the liberty of giving you the time that you need to care for your newborn. Your position as nurse assistant will be kept safe while you're taking care of Brianna." He smiled softly.
"Thank you." Claire smiled.
—-
September 1983
"No running in the halls!" Severus called while a three-year-old was running around the hallways of Hogwarts.
The giggling Brianna rushed over towards her uncle and had a huge grin on her face. "I'm playing hide and seek!" she said excitedly.
Severus sighed then knelt on one of his legs to look directly at Brianna. "As much as I would like to play with you, Bree, this is a school and there are other kids I need to tend to and look after…." He paused for a moment to look around. "And why isn't your mum with you?"
Brianna was twiddling her thumbs. "Well, she was looking after someone in the in-in-," she said with frustration as she couldn't pronounce the word correctly.
"The infirmary?" Severus asked and Brianna nodded. He sighed. "Very well, follow me," he said, then stood up and gently took her hand to help her find her mummy.
As they arrived at the infirmary, they caught Claire on break. "Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" She smiled as Brianna jumped in her arms while giggling.
"I caught her running around the halls." He smirked and crossed his arms.
"Brianna, you know better than to go running in the castle," her mother said with a pointed look.
"But I was playing hide and seek!"
"With whom?" Claire looked at her daughter suspiciously.
"Nearly Headless Nick!" She said with a giggle.
"That ghastly ghost? Honestly, why does Albus keep him in the castle?" She shivered at the thought of the ghost wandering the halls with his almost severed head.
"I never liked his sense of humor," Severus said while rolling his eyes.
—-
September 1985
Brianna was starting to get jealous of the other kids who went to school here. She was only five years old and didn't have many friends. Her playtime resulted in hanging around with ghosts, Uncle Sev, and her mum.
There were times, however, where she'd visit Hagrid. Hagrid, she thought, had a wealth of knowledge. He would always answer her questions and never get stumped with any of her questions.
She always liked Fang even though he'd slobber all over her.
One night, she stayed over in his hut for too long and she fell asleep next to fang. Hagrid smiled and picked her up to bring her back inside the castle.
