Audacity. | Harry Potter

SEVENTY-EIGHT

"PASS ME THE mashed potatoes," Ron's mouth was full as he shoveled a third helping of ham onto his plate.

Freya and Ginny had disgusted looks on their faces as they watched the scene unfold in front of them. The blonde hesitantly picked up the bowl and passed it to the boy, who happily took it.

"I take it the food wasn't very good on this journey?" Ginny grimaced as her brother went in for another bite.

"Oh I don't blame him," Freya cut in, "If he had any of Harry's cooking I can guarantee it was disgusting."

"She gets it." Ron pointed to Freya with his fork, emphasizing her correctness, and then dove back in.

The Christmas Eve feast felt different that year, just as everything else had. There were several empty chairs across the table and Freya couldn't help but picture the faces that were supposed to be filling them.

"Don't think about it too much," Remus whispered from his seat next to her, "Only makes it worse."

Freya just nodded and attempted to bring a smile back to her face. The dinner wasn't all bad however, the blonde was elated to see Tonks. It was quite the shock when the woman walked through the door heavily pregnant. Freya felt incredibly out of the loop since her time at school, no one would send letters containing important information there, just in case it was somehow intercepted.

"Let me tell you a secret," Tonks stuck her head out from behind Remus and into Freya's line of view, "The best part about being pregnant, is the food."

The blonde laughed and nodded. She often forgot that some of her closest friends were quite a bit older than her. It felt strange seeing one of them bringing a baby into the world when she was just trying to survive being 17.

"You're simply glowing." Amity teased the purple haired woman from across the table as she ate just as much as Ron.

"Oh am, don't be jealous," Tonks flashed a devious smile, "You'll be as beautiful as me one day."

"You're lucky you're pregnant," The brunette declared, her eyes narrowing playfully.

"Ladies," Sirius chuckled and wrapped an arm around his girlfriend who gave a swift eyeroll as he squeezed her, "Let's play nice."

Freya enjoyed the light-hearted moments each day brought, but they were slowing becoming less frequent. Everyone was stressed about the war, and nothing was getting any better.

She knew Remus and Tonks were terrified of having a child with the world being in the state it was. Sirius could barely hold it together most days with all the stress he was under. He took it upon himself to lead the Order after Moody's passing, and was clearly motivated by the guilt he carried with him from the first war.

Freya could also tell that it was driving the men crazy not knowing where Harry was or what he was doing. Both cared very deeply for the boy and she knew it was killing them to feel helpless.

They tried to get some information out of Ron, but for the most part he kept his mouth shut, not wanting to trouble anyone else with their mission. Tried as she might, Freya couldn't get much out of him either.

That night she was sitting in the living room when she got an urge that she hadn't felt in a long time. Freya could feel her fingers start to tingle, and her vision slowly go dark around the edges. She managed to get herself up and to the table, scrambling for a piece of parchment.

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"Do you think she's finished?" Freya could hear Ginny's voice as she came out of her daze.