FREYA REMAINED IN the hospital for several weeks, her disappearance causing controversy throughout the school as many were afraid that purebloods were now being attacked too. Madam Pomfrey and her brothers alike all reassured the ones who asked that she was not petrified, but they guarded Freya from curious eyes as people tried to come in and see her.
"Brilliant Will, absolutely brilliant!" Fred chortled when he first caught sight of Freya, slapping Will in a congratulatory way on the back as Will blushed a bit red, most likely from the embarrassment of turning their sister into part tabby cat. "This is the best Christmas gift we could ask for!"
"I'm considering tearing up all of your prized possessions, Fred," Freya growled irritably as her brothers teased, "I'm considering doing it and calling it a side-effect."
"Yes, yes, don't tease her." Percy scolded the twins as they snickered still, "And Freya, make sure nobody else sees you like this!"
"Ah, there goes my dreams. Because I'd been so looking forward to walking around the school like a furry freak show," Freya deadpanned as Harry smirked.
"At least you'd be an adorable freakshow," said Will in an awkward sort of cheerfulness, the poor boy still feeling terrible for her predicament. "You make a very nice cat."
"Yes, I mean, look it," George said, poking one of her ears that flicked in annoyance at the response as she looked at him with a chilling look for daring to do what he did as he backed away, still grinning. "The fur on your head is much more well-kept then your hair. Maybe you should invest in pet products, fickle."
After that, Freya didn't let her brothers come that often to visit anymore, but Harry and Will were exceptions as they were her best mates and assignment-bringers.
"You've got to be ruddy kidding me," Freya let out an irritating whine, her cat ears drooping even more than they usually did as Will and Harry came in, Will carrying a bunch of papers that were obviously her homework assignments. "Noo, I'm healing. I don't need homework!"
"Oh, don't be silly." Will tutted as he plopped the papers on the desk next to her bedside, "Of course you need homework."
She stared at the large pile and smirked, looking up at Will. "William, can you do my homework? I mean, it's sort of hard to write with…" she trailed off, lifting off her half-fixed kitten paws from the blanket.
"No." Will stared back at her, unrelenting. "But I will surely help you with your homework."
"Um, may I request homework help too?" Harry asked as he watched them begin to set out their papers. "Or do I need to be kittyfied too?"
Will rolled his eyes, saying of course, as Freya grinned at him amused, "A kitten Harry! I'd love to see that, dark fur and big green eyes, just adorable."
"How about WIlliam?" Harry asked as they both looked to Will, who had a disapproving frown on his face, most likely not liking the fact they were straying off the homework topic.
"I envision a rather grumpy looking Burmese," Freya said after a moment and they both erupted into laughter at the image as Will didn't help by looking even grumpier.
"I guess you don't need my help," Will stated beginning picking up his things.
"No, please stay-" Freya sucked in a gasp of air through her laughter, "We-we need your wisdom, you brilliant Burmese, sir!"
"I hate you," Will said tiredly, closing his eyes as Harry and Freya continued to laugh, Will biting his lip hard as if in an effort to keep from smiling at himself as he shook his head. "So, so much,"
At the time when Harry and Will were finding the notebook in the bathroom, unbeknownst to Freya who was sitting in the infirmary attempting to care about her Potions homework, she got a surprise visitor as she looked up, hearing someone's arrival.
"Harry? William?" Freya asked hopefully as she set down her books, welcoming the distraction, "Did you find something intres-what the bloody hell are you doing here?"
Draco Malfoy opened his mouth to answer, looking surprised to see her, before he looked very surprised to see her and his mouth stayed open, his jaw dropping in shock. Then to her horror he began to laugh, clutching his stomach as though it hurt as he leaned onto the pole of her infirmary curtains.
"You- you're ears- why the-" Malfoy pointed to her in between his gasps as Freya's race reddened in both anger and embarrassment. "Why are you a cat?"
"Why are you such a vile evil git of a prat?" Freya replied back as she looked around frantically, "Where's Madame Pompfrey?"
"I sent her down to check on Goyle, someone shot him with a hex that needed to be fixed downstairs in the common room." Malfoy looked smug as he leaned against the curtain, "He got five galleons out of it at least."
"You hexed one of your mates just to see me," Freya stated, aghast. "Why, I'm charmed."
Malfoy rolled his eyes. "I came up here to check on if the rumors really were true about purebloods being attacked too. It sounded preposterous, but seeing as you're a blood traitor I thought there could be a possibility-"
"Well, you checked, I'm alive obviously, and if you tell anybody my predicament, I'll steal somebody else's wand and hex you properly." Freya growled, angry at both the 'blood traitor' bit and for just remembering what Harry and Will had told her he said about her father and his inquiry. "I'm healing, Malfoy,and you're not helping because just looking at you makes me sick."
"So, you'llget better soon?" she blinked at the sudden turn of question as Malfoy looked at her, blank faced. "You'll come back to class?"
"Uh, y-yes." Freya replied stutteringly as she furrowed her brows at him, shocked into telling the truth. "Of course. Madame Pompfrey can fix anything."
"Good," her smirked, leaning off the pole, "What's the point of getting points taken away from Gryffindor in Snape's class if I'm not getting it taken away from you and your friends at the same time?" She gaped at him as he gave a lazy wave backwards, "Later Weasley, and if it happens to slip out that you're in the infirmary for a bit of a flea problem, well," he gave a derisive laugh. "You'll know who to blame."
"Hey- You-"
"What?" Malfoy smirked broadened as he lifted his hands up in a 'well' gesture as he stood outside the door to the infirmary now, "Do you want to come out and discuss what you need to discuss, Miss Hissy Fit?" Her eyes widened as well as his as he gave out what almost seemed like genuine laughter, "Hissy fit. Has a fancy ring to it, no?"
"Fancy ring, my a-" she didn't get to finish her thought as he rushed out into the hallways, still laughing mockingly and she put her chin in her hands, muttering curses.
Strangely enough though, by the time she was let out, perfectly healed at the beginning of February, none of the Slytherins other than Malfoy himself seemed to know what she'd really been away for and there was a time, when their eyes met the first time upon seeing each other again, she almost asked him why that was.
But then he had looked away, sending a scathing look Harry's way as he said something spitting as he was so good at doing and Freya felt a twinge in her chest as she answered her own question.
Because riffraff, she was sure, from how high Draco Malfoy admittedly was in standings and society - were much too hard to see, making them easily forgettable.
And no matter how silly her predicament had been, it hadn't been noteworthy.
Because Freya Weasley wasn't noteworthy.
Because she was just a yet another Weasley who did something that, knowing her brothers, must have surely already been done before.
The first time Draco met Freya's gaze after she was finnally back in the halls, he thought maybe she would notice he didn't tell anybody.
Maybe she would ask why.
Maybe she wouldthank him.
But instead, she looked away and Draco could have sworn she looked hurt before he couldn't see her expression anymore, walking away himself after he said something mean to Potter - something about having to buy Weasley's friendship back he thought as it had been spoken out of impulse while his thoughts ran wild.
And he could assume why she looked so pained and why she seemed angrier afterwards at him, the days that followed.
Because for just a moment, Freya Weasley must have thought there was some good in him.
And then she considered that implausible.
So, she came up with a scenario where his actions were something that were meant to hurt her, meant to belittle her, and meant to showcase how he, in some way, was better.
Because making up the worst in him was easy and preferable to thinking for a moment that he could be someone Freya Weasley or either of those other two showcases could like.
He knew because he did it all the time.
On Freya's first evening back from the infirmary up in the Gryffindor tower, Will and Harry were both eager to show her their find.
"This diary is fifty years old," Will explained to her enthusiastically as Freya grabbed for the book, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked at it. "And the Chamber of Secrets was opened fifty years ago!"
"Mmmhmm, but you're missing one crucial fact. It's empty," Freya complained as she flipped through the journal with a frown, "I mean, how does the fact it was from fifty years ago make it any more useful than Dumbledore? He was here fifty years ago."
Harry shared a disgruntled look with Will, apparently both of them feeling a bit crestfallen that Freya sort of had a point, as she continued to stare at the diary quizzically.
"Why do I feel like this journal looks familiar?" she questioned as she turned it around in her hands, puzzled. Finally, shaking her head, she handed it back to Harry. "There's a thousand of look-a-like journals in the world, I guess."
"I know there's nothing written on it and that there seems to be no invisible ink upon it, but I'm sure this is a clue!" Will argued as he bit his lip, looking at the diary. "If only we knew what Tom got a special service award for!"
"Maybe he got it by wrestling the giant squid," Freya joked before seeing Will's unamused expression and lifting her hands in a 'just kidding' way. "Seriously, I want to figure this all out too, William, but that journal? It's most likely never been written in; I mean he is a boy. I'm a girl and I don't even keep a diary."
"Well, that's news." George piped up as they were passing quickly enough to hear her last sentence.
"What, that I don't keep a diary?"
"No, that you're a girl." Fred said somberly as he furrowed his brows, looking up as though he were seeing something far away. "We've been telling our mates that we were a family full of brothers for years."
Without looking, Will and Harry at the same time reached out and grabbed an arm as Freya failed to catapult the pillow in her hands and Harry looked to Will with a sigh. "We may as well keep the diary, just in case though, right?"
Will nodded as a yelling match ensued between twin brothers and youngest sister before them.
"A clue is a clue."
With December long past, the sun beginning to shine weakly upon Hogwarts again, and the lack of attacks since the ones on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, the mood in Hogwarts seemed to be slowly lifting into high spirits again.
There were some like Ernie McMillan who didn't take this as a cheerful view, still convinced that Harry was the Slytherin Heir.
"Just biding his time, I suspect." Harry overheard him saying when he passed him in Herbology, "Just waiting until we all settle down and then-"
"Bam," Freya whapped Ernie on the head with her textbook as she passed to get too Will and Harry at their station and covered her mouth in wide-eyed shock as Ernie face-planted into his soil base. "Oh my goodness, my apologies, I was just adding the last minute effect. It was an accident- Really, Professor Sprouts!" she added hastily as she met the eyes of her unamused Herbology teacher, but when she uncovered her hand from her mouth as she walked to Harry and Will, they saw she was grinning.
It didn't help matters that Peeves was still going around singing 'Potter, you Rotter~", by this point the whole song accompanied by dance. It gave Freya and even Will a good laugh as Harry saw, horrified, when he saw people, almost absent-mindedly, dancing along with the song with the correct moves sometimes-as though with how many times Peeves had showcased the dance it'd been implanted in the student bodies brains.
The most infuriating part about the sudden peace though didn't even involve Harry as it took him a tremendous bout of effort not to yell 'silencio' whenever his Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher spoke.
"Yep, I don't think there will be any more trouble around these parts!" The trio overhead Lockhart telling a stern-faced Professor McGonagald one day as they passed to get to Charms, "I think the Chambers are closed for good this time around! The culprit probably caught a whiff that I would be soon on his tail and stopped."
"Where's the logic in that?" asked Will bewildered, shaking his head as they left Professor McGonagald to hear the rest.
"Oh please, like you need to be logical too save the day." Freya said defensively as they waved hello to Professor Flitwick.
"Yeah, Freya's proved that plenty of times." Harry grinned as Will laughed and Freya shot him a narrow-eyed look, most likely wondering whether she was supposed to thank him or hit him.
Lockhart's cheerful and boastful mood continued throughout until he let his classes in on the idea that he was prepared to spread his own mood throughout the school.
"A morale-booster to wash away the memories of last term!" he said to them all excitedly as the bell rang for the end of class. "I won't speak anymore-"
"Oh please, don't." Harry muttered to Will who smirked.
"-But you'll love it for sure!"
Lockhart's idea of a morale-booster soon became clear on February fourteenth. Harry who had a late practice the night before woke up slightly late causing him and his friends too arrive a little after everyone else did and when the three of them all made their way to the dining hall doors they all paused in the middle of it, blinking rapidly, believing momentarily they had walked through the wrong door.
The dining hall was all covered in pink, lurid flowers and banners. Falling from the ceiling, magically avoiding people's food, was heart shaped confetti.
"No." said Harry, dumbstruck.
"No," Will agreed, shaking his head.
"No, but yes," Freya said amazed as her grin widened as they found their seat. Suddenly, she erupted into giggles and pointed to the head seats, "Look at the teachers!"
Lockhart, wearing lurid pink robes that matched the decorations, was waving for quiet. All the teachers beside him were looking particularly stony faced and Snape looked as though he was in the midst of feeling the effects of Skelo-grow.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" said Lockhart cheerfully, "And may I just thank the forty-six people who have sent me cards already so far! Yes, I have worked too put on this delightful surprise for you- and it doesn't end here!"
When he explained the stuff about the singing valentines and the asking of teachers for Valentine related things, Harry winced in embarrassment for poor Professor Flitwick who buried his face in his hands.
"Harry, I dare you to ask Professor Snape for a love potion." Freya chortled as they were excused from the dining hall. "Come on, I'll ask Colina to take a picture when you do."
"Sometimes Freya, I really think that you secretly wish to kill me." Harry replied dryly, remembering the way Snape had looked when Lockhart had offered him up for it.
"Speaking of secrets, I'll be back, there's something I have to do!" Freya grinned excitedly as she ruffled Harry's hair and patted Will on the shoulder in a goodbye before rushing off.
Will cocked his head, glancing back at her. "It'll be horrible if she's late for class. I wonder what she's doing?"
The answer was clear, later on.
After Harry had succeeded in the disarming spell after being horribly embarrassed and ridiculed by Malfoy in the hallway for both his singing Valentine and Riddles diary he was holding, Freya was suddenly very anxious looking as they made their way to lunch.
"Are you still worrying about Colina? I said I'd apologize the next time I saw her and say that I liked her singing valentine...very much." Harry hesitantly said as they went into the dining hall, taking their seats.
"Ah, it-it's not that. It's just that I didn't know there was people like Colina who were taking this card thing seriously." She replied awkwardly, taking a heart shaped pizza bread from one of the plates. "Now I feel bad…"
"Why?" Will asked curiously.
"Well, uh. I thought it would be funny to use the whole singing valentine as a joke, because I didn't actually think people would use it, for like, actualValentines and-"
"Are you saying that you sent someone a singing valentine as a joke?" Will frowned as Freya winced, her ears turning red. "Who?"
"Well...funny you should ask, William-"
"WILLIAM GRANGER?!" Will startled beside Harry as his head whipped around at the grumpy looking dwarf that was coming towards them, "SINGING VALENTINE FOR WILLIAM GRANGER?!"
"You didn't." Will hissed, looking mortified.
"Um, I did." Freya said, looking partly sheepish and partly amused. "I hope you like it?"
Will closed his eyes, irritably, as Harry grinned for the Dwarf had cleared his throat to start. A moment later it sang:
NOSY AND BOSSY AND NAGGING ALWAYS
THE BOY WHO TAKES NOTES AND GETS THE GOOD GRADES
WOULD PERFECT BEING COOL AND FUNNY IF HE LISTENS TO WHAT HIS RED HEADED FRIEND SAYS
I GAVE YOU A LESSON TO LEARN CUZ YOU LIKE THOSE, YOU NERD
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY
Both Will and Freya were red in the face by the time it was done as the song got many laughs and applause, the dwarf sticking the card into Will's backpack grumpily before leaving.
"Why are you embarrassed?" Will muttered to her as Harry grinned, looking to his friend too as she untied her hair, so it fell messily in front of her beet red face.
"Because you were supposed to read it as a joke," Freya muttered back, wincing. "I would not have written that if I'd known it'd be sung out loud!"
There was a moment of silence as he watched his friends dissolve in embarrassment before Harry grinned.
"Where's my valentine?"
"I was going to send you one too, but I had more faith that you'd get a singing valentine then WIlliam here." Freya said, jerking her head.
"Yeah, Fresh Pickled Toe eyes." Will smirked.
"Ignoring you, you nerd" Harry shot back.
Freya laughed, shaking her head as she took a goblet full of a pink, heart sprinkled drink.
"Happy Valentines, you two."
That night, Will sat in the bed of his dormitory looking down at the card in his hands, frowning. He re-read over her usual un-elegant yet decently neat handwriting, smiling a bit as he imagined how she must have grinned writing the words down, and laughed out loud remembering her face when he embarrassing valentine against him turned against her.
He looked at the card that seemed hurriedly, yet carefully folded, and gazed at the part of the card where it read: For William Granger, From Freya Weasley.
I know she sent the stupid card to be annoying, Will thought to himself as he turned the card over in his hands, but...you know…
It was the first Valentine's card he'd ever received.
He was reading it over one last time before he would put it away to make last minute checks on his homework when Harry came barging into their room and Will startled and, for some reason, hastily slid the card under his pillow so Harry wouldn't see.
"Don't scare me like that," he hissed at Harry as Harry stared back at him, too panicked to seem to have seen what Will had done. "What's the matter?"
"Hagrid-" Harry breathed, trying to regain his breath as he seemed to have run up the stairs.
"What about Hag-"
"It was Hagrid, Will."
Harry looked up; his eyes pained.
"Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."