freya mckinnon may share the same face as her aunt marlene, but she was more than just the niece of a war heroine, though no one seemed to see that. no one but george weasley, her rival on the quidditch pitch who quickly became so much more.
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CHAPTER FOUR: LOVE LOST
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FRASER REMEMBERED THE NIGHT he lost everyone he loved with perfect clarity.
It was a warm evening in July. The sun was slowly setting on the horizon, casting the tiny town in sleepy shadows, when Fraser McKinnon and Estelle Davies apparated into an empty alley. They were three houses down from Fraser's family home, a two-storey town house on the edge of the village where he grew up with his parents and younger sister. As they stepped out into the street, their three-year-old daughter wriggling in her mother's attentive grip, Fraser remembered feeling as if someone was watching them. Eyes peeking through curtains, watching and waiting. He should've followed his instincts, grabbing Estelle and Freya and disapparating before finding a way to warn his family to do the same. But instead, he ignored the feeling of paranoia, looping his arm around his girlfriend's waist and setting off down the road. Estelle was too busy giggling at the sight of Freya pouting at the feeling of apparation to notice his odd behaviour, running a hand through Freya's light blonde curls with fondness as they stepped up to the front door and let themselves inside.
"Aunty Mar," a young Freya cheered, stumbling over her words at the sight of Marlene McKinnon. Fraser's younger sister had stepped out of the kitchen at the sound of the door creaking, wand in hand and caution in her eyes. You could never be too careful nowadays.
"Well, if it isn't my favourite niece," Marlene beamed, holding out her arms for Freya to waddle into it. Estelle lowered her to the floor, stepping past Marlene's now crouched figure to greet Fraser's parents who were yet to leave the kitchen.
Fraser watched her go before turning back to Marlene; she had picked up Freya and was watching her brother with a smirk that Fraser knew and hated. "Have you got it?"
Hushing her with a furtive glance at the door, he reached into his coat pocket and held up the box, a red velvet cube holding a ring inside. He'd been carrying it around for the past two weeks, trying to find the perfect time to ask Estelle to marry him. They already knew they would spend the rest of their lives together, just them and Freya with the world at their feet, but Fraser wanted to make it official. He wanted Estelle Davies to be Estelle McKinnon, or Estelle McKinnon-Davies if she wished. When Marlene first heard his plan, she'd let out a squeal of delight, a sound she mirrored at the sight of the box that fateful night.
"I can't wait to have a sister-in-law," she whispered, and Fraser hurried to hush her again.
"You won't even have a brother if she finds out this way," he said playfully, causing her to roll her eyes and scoff. Freya was watching them with confused eyes, playing with Marlene's long blonde hair as she babbled away. "I'm just waiting for the perfect moment, alright?"
"Maybe tonight is it," she suggested. Before Fraser could respond, their mother called for Marlene to come help her set the table, voice demanding and leaving no room for her to argue. With a sigh, Marlene stepped towards Fraser, holding out Freya despite her whines. "Take this one up to the play-room. Mum and dad brought her some new toys."
