~ The Road To Cuckoo ~
The night was black, and the world was silent. Freya stared around her, having not the faintest idea where she was, only that she was in a street, one she couldn't remember ever being to in her life, and she was alone. No. Not alone, there was an ivory-haired man standing not so far away, he had his back to her, but if she just leant a little closer...
"Hello?"
He didn't answer, but that might have been because when she'd spoken, no sound had parted from her lips.
Freya shivered, frowning as she drew her arms tightly across her chest. What was this place? Where was she? Feeling suddenly bold, she touched the man's shoulder, and he turned. What she saw, forced the air from Freya's lungs, for he was no longer 'the man' she had been watching, he was Tom Riddle, and he was laughing at her; a horrible, terrifying, high pitched laugh...
Freya screamed.
She suddenly found herself on the hard floor of her bedroom, her skin slick with sweat, and her bed clothes twisted painfully around her legs.
She groaned.
"Freya?!" Her mother's voice called worriedly from downstairs. "Freya!?" A march of footsteps followed, and soon Eliza Ravenwood was framed in the door way of her daughter's room, looking extremely troubled as she took in the chaotic scene in front of her. Spotting Freya's small form on the floor, she rushed to her daughter's side. "Darling, are you alright? You were calling out?"
"Just a bad dream." Freya mumbled apologetically, pulling herself shakily back onto her bed. "Didn't mean to worry you."
"Don't be silly." Her mother soothed, her gaze darting over the room as if she expected to find something untoward. "I was just worried you'd hurt yourself, darling. You're sure you're alright?"
Freya nodded half-heartedly. "Probably just nerves, or something I ate yesterday. You know how dreams can be." She glanced away from her mother, noting the sliver of sun that had succeeded in sneaking through her curtains. She sighed. "Looks like I should be getting up anyway."
"I was just about to wake you." Eliza agreed gently, looking at her watch. "We've got two and a half hours before your train leaves, so we really should get moving. It's going to take at least an hour, just to get that lazy cat of yours into his basket."
Freya giggled, immediately lowering her voice. "I think we may have to slip him a sleeping draught before the journey. You know how he hates to be confined. The train's going to be a nightmare otherwise."
"Indeed." Her mother nodded. "I swear that cat believes he's royalty. Right, you get yourself ready, and I'll deal with his highness. I'm sure I've got some draught left over in my supplies. He'll never see it coming."
"Good luck." Freya smiled.
Stroking her cheek as she passed, her mother left the room, and Freya, once again left to her own devices, forced herself to forget about the dream, and attend to her morning needs.
After all, her mother would not be happy if they missed her train.
[-]
"You seriously want me to run at a wall?" Freya questioned fiercely, sounding thoroughly appalled. "Are you sure that's the way to get to the platform, because if you're wrong – "
"For the last time, yes!" Her mother sighed, gesturing wildly at the pillar between King Cross' 9th and 10th platforms. "I haven't just been telling you this for the last few weeks, for the good of my health!"
"I thought you were pulling my leg!" Freya laughed. "I mean, won't the Muggles notice?"
"Oh, they don't notice anything. Too busy rationalising the world, or as it currently stands; blowing it up." Eliza said, nodding toward a group of Muggle children with suitcases. "Poor little things are being shipped out of the city, it's become so dangerous for them."
Freya frowned grimly. "The bombs? From those sky carriages?"
"Planes, dear. That's how Muggles fly." Eliza informed her daughter lightly, throwing a pitying smile toward the evacuees. She shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder how we stand back and do nothing for them, but I suppose the Ministry knows what it's doing. Now, will you grow a back bone, and run at that blasted pillar."
"Fine." Freya puffed. "But if I crash, or end up knocking myself out, I'm staying with you in London."
"Fine." Her mother rallied smugly. She waved her hand. "Go on. Close your eyes and pelt it if you're nervous. It's good fun if you can get some speed up."
Freya rolled her eyes, her mother was suddenly far too over excited by the whole thing. She had a funny feeling, that Eliza would have loved to have done this years ago.
Here goes nothing, She thought, and she took off blindly, holding her breath and praying that any impact wouldn't hurt. It was only when a fresh rush of chattering voices reached her ears, that Freya opened her eyes again.
Platform 9 ¾. She'd made it.
"There. That wasn't so hard now, was it?" She heard her mother say from behind her.
"Define hard." Freya grinned, busy taking in the sight of her now fellow students, carrying their cases, waving wands, grabbing packages and saying goodbye to their families. She moved her gaze toward the train. "The Hogwarts Express?"
"Only the best for Hogwarts Students." Her mother beamed proudly. "I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of you."
"You're welcome to go in my place?" Freya offered, only half joking.
Eliza's features softened. "Now come on, what did we say? We're going to be...?"
"Positive." Freya replied flatly.
"Exactly. Darling, I know this is a really big step for you, but you must trust me when I say it's for the best. You're going to love it there, I know you will."
"Yes, that's what Dad kept telling me too."
"Your father's right. Look, I know why you're worried about your little... issue, but I trust you. I know you can control yourself."
Freya frowned, her mother sounded dismissive. "Tell that to the woman whose husband set her on fire."
Eliza pouted. "Admittedly a minor set back." She conceded, looking slightly awkward. "But you'd been doing so well before that."
"I hadn't been near people before that." Freya argued. "Well, not crowds anyway. Hogwarts is a school, there's going to be hormones, and emotions flying all over the place. How am I supposed to ignore that?"
"Breathe, visualise, control." Her mother said simply. "Just keep practising. You're still young, Freya, eventually it'll all fall into place. I promise."
"Either that, or they'll lock me away in Azkaban and throw away the key."
"Oh, now you're just being dramatic." Eliza scolded affectionately, giving her daughter's shoulder a playful shove. "Now come on." She bent low, lightly gripping the top of Freya's arms. "Tell me you're going to have a great time."
"I'm going to have a great time."
"And you're going to send us lots of letters."
"I'm going to send you lots of letters."
Her mother beamed, her raven locks falling messily across her face. "That's my girl" She pressed her lips tightly against Freya's cheek, lingering longer than normal. "Be safe, my darling." And then she let go, rallying around their trolley. "Come on, lets get you on the train. I've put a purse with some money in at the front of you trunk, try not to spend it all in your first term. Oh, and don't forget this one." Eliza passed Freya the basket with a heavily snoring Jinx inside. "He'd be simply insufferable if you left him behind."
Freya took the basket into her arms. "What about my trunk?"
"Oh there's people to take care of that. Don't you worry." Eliza smiled.
She wasn't crying, but Freya could tell that she wanted to. Not wanting to make the goodbyes any harder, she forced herself to smile back, stepping up quickly to the train doors. "See you soon, Mum. I'll write to let you know I got there safe."
"Please do, Freya. I love you, darling."
"Love you too."
Soon the train was filling up with students, and Freya's wish to get a compartment facing the platform died pretty quickly. The goodbyes that had been said, would have to do.
"Come on, Jinx. Lets find somewhere to sit."
Freya made her way hastily up the carriage, determined that she was going to find an empty compartment to hide herself away in. It was as she was about to give up hope, that she was jostled by a bunch of excitable third years, and forced to stop and readjust Jinx's basket, that she spotted the emptiest of the rooms she'd seen.
Three. I can cope with three. She told herself, taking a deep, steadying breath.
She raised her hand, and knocked on the window.
R&R!
Okay, finally we are on the train! Whoop! Wonder how the journey goes?
Thank you again to my reviewers! I really appreciate it, so guys if you can spare a moment, it would be welcomed. Just a few words in that box down there :)
Stay tuned! x