eyes like wildflowers. [tag; freya]

It was freezing.

It had newly turned November and there was a hint of snow in the cool air and in the grey, heavy laden clouds. Christmas was on the way because the various cakes in the shops smelt like ginger and cinnamon. Heels echoed on the worn cobble stones on an early Saturday afternoon as a tall girl made her way through the crowds.

Ruari had been spending more and more time in the wizarding village and often, she got pangs of want for the Scottish country side. Under her arm was a thick, fabric covered notebook, the cream coloured pages filled and bursting with drawings and fabric samples. Since the spread she had in laBEL magazine, her sales had been through the roof and with the festive season around the corner, it was all hands on deck.

Her long blonde hair was tied into a loose and carefree fishtail braid that hung over her left shoulder, the trench coat she wore was tied at the waist, emphasizing her teeny waist. She was carrying three bags stuffed with lace and chiffon, tulle and wool. She had lengths and lengths of ribbons, small boxes of pearls and sequins. It was like an explosion.

Ruari debated calling in and Crust and Crumbs and she hesitated by the door. She placed her hand on the door knob and frowned. Since bumping previously into Geri and Liv, it was a bad idea. Hal was in her past and everything Trickett related just dragged her back eight years. The place was packed, anyway. It was filled with chatter and laughter and heaving a sigh, she resolutely turned her back and walked away.

The wind kicked up and Ruari rubbed her hands together quickly, lifting them to her mouth and blowing into them quickly when something caught her eye.

A short blonde haired girl was standing outside of the Three Broomsticks, head bowed and her body language clearly told her something was wrong. Looking over her shoulder, the dress maker stepped closer, using the pretence that she was going inside for a drink.

Ruari drew closer, shifting her bags awkwardly and the girl's sniffles caught on the wind. Why was no one stopping? "Hello," she offered quietly. Swiftly, she reached into her hand bag and extracted a lavender scented tissue which she quickly held out to her. She looked utterly distraught, poor little lamb.

Hesitant to reach out and hug the student despite really rather wanting to, she tilted her head. Hang on. "Freya?" Ruari asked, her grey eyes wide and surprise clear on her pretty face. The last time she'd seen Freya must have been before she'd entered her teens. The last time she'd seen her, it must have been the younger girl's birthday. Her heart sank.

"Freya," she said again, softly, extracting a handful more of tissues before frowning deeply. She was wondering if she should cross the street and tell Geri but…men were really bad at this sort of thing.

"Freya it's okay," she said soothingly. She had no idea why she was crying but a nagging feeling told her it must have been a boy. Or her pet bunny had died. Aw. "Why don't we go inside?" She asked. It was a question but she already had the door held open. It'd be awkward if Freya didn't realise they'd met before when she was dating her older brother. She paused. Her friends would be inside. "Or!" She said brightly. "Come for a walk with me?"

She’d waited patiently at a table for over forty minutes, not really wanting to order anything before he came. And then she’d waited uncomfortably for another twenty or so minutes because friends of hers had come in and she hadn’t really wanted to explain that she was waiting for someone who was supposed to be there an hour ago. This was ridiculous. The blonde knew that she was probably overreacting, but she was a bit of an emotional mess right now. Worst case scenarios played through her mind. Was he playing some kind of mean prank on her?  Or – probably even worse –  had he simply forgotten? She wasn’t going to go and look for him, because the idea of running into him and having him explain that he hadn’t remembered that they were meeting up was too humiliating to imagine.

Her eyes stung as she tried to blink back stupid, embarrassed tears while heading for the door. Freya hoped that no one she knew saw her. She hesitated outside of the pub, but there really was no sight of him. Ruari’s sudden appearance made her jump. Freya’s eyes were wide as she looked up at the person holding a tissue out for her. “Ruari?” she asked, puzzled. She sniffed quietly, trying to force a bright smile at her brother’s ex girlfriend. It didn’t really work though. She wiped her face quickly, taking the tissue thankfully. “Oh, I’m okay,” she said quickly, waving a hand. She fanned herself, casting her eyes upward and trying to blink away the oncoming tears. Going back inside would be even more humiliating. Honestly? She was crushed. She shook her head slightly, trying to think of something polite to say. She’d idolised Ruari a few years ago.

“How are you?” she asked with a watery smile. "I miss you." She wasn't surprised to find that the words were true. Freya was very sentimental about people that she cared for. Her idea of "family" was rather broad, and definitely stretched to include the witch in front of her. Dash popped up in her mind for a moment and she frowned, but Kerr was taking up most of her thinking power.

Her thoughts were going in circles like dogs chasing their tails. Freya hadn’t spoken too much to Kerr in the past week. She blushed profusely every time he waved to her or he caught her watching him in class or across the table at breakfast though. And might have been completely aware of him every time he walked into a room. And told all of her friends about their date (ugh!). But if he’d wanted to cancel, he’d had plenty of time to do so. Freya didn’t know how long you were supposed to wait when a date stood you up, but she’d been so eager that she was sure she’d gone over whatever the standard limit for waiting was. Which probably just made her look like more of an idiot.

The Gryffindor considered Ruari’s second option for a moment before nodding silently, her lower lip trembling a little. She wanted to get as far away from here as possible. Talking about it wasn’t all that appealing, but a part of her felt like she needed to vent her confusion. Where to start? Instead of waiting for the older witch to ask her why she was crying, Freya came straight out. “It’s boy stuff,” she admitted, kicking a rock out of her path lifelessly before picking up the pace. It was only after she’d taken her first few steps that it struck her that Ruari and Kerr were cousins. Her eyes widened a little, but she kept them focussed on the ground ahead.

"Hello," Ruari repeated with a gentle smile, thankful that Freya had remembered her. She wouldn't have been hurt if she didn't. She was so young back then. Seeing anyone cry was upsetting but seeing someone she genuinely cared for felt like a punch in the gut. As she took the tissue, she offered another and another. Much like her nanna, she always carried a bundle of tissues and a ball point pen. Never know when you might need one.

The girl's smile was more of a grimace and the taller blonde offered a weak smile. She reached out and brushed a lock of Freya's hair behind her ear, the action soft. They'd lost touch and she didn't know the Gryffindor well enough to offer a comforting hug.

"Well that's good," she replied cheerfully despite seeing straight through the transparent little white lie. Ruari took a half step backwards, just in case. Ah. She knew that look. Whenever she cried, she looked at the sky, sort of hoping that the gravity of having her head backwards would somehow stem the flow of tears.

The Irish girl had to smile when asked how she was. Even in such a state, she was always so polite. "Fine," Ruari said softly. "But I'm really more interested in how you are," she said as she offered her another tissue. The worst possible thing that could happen when she was sixteen was having a make up meltdown. It was just the small things that seemed to help.

"I --" when Freya said she'd missed her, the words caught her off guard. It felt like she'd been whacked by a bludger. It hurt. Subconsciously, she lifted a hand and gently rubbed her chest. Funny, no one had ever said they'd missed her before and she felt a weird sort of emotion, somewhere between flattery and crushing guilt.

"I miss you too," Ruari said quickly with another smile. She'd wanted to hang out with Freya lots of times but it might have felt a bit weird. What with the age difference and the fact she was Hal's little sister. Freya had sisters and cousins but sometimes, having someone not related act as counsel was never a bad idea. "I really do," she added, reaching out to touch her shoulder in a soft, non-invasive touch. She still didn’t know where she stood.

Walking? They were walking. "Great," Ruari replied briskly and with a sunny smile. She'd been in Freya's position before, many a time. She was a clumsy teenager and things often went wrong so if she was already feeling embarrassed, facing her friends directly afterwards made the entire thing ten times worse.

They turned and began to walk away from the pub, having no destination in mind. Hogsmeade was different now that she was an adult. The small village seemed to have lost a bit of its sparkle. The place held too many memories for Ruari to just "swing by". It was business or no visit.

"Ah," the dress maker said softly, nodding along as the scent of her patchouli shampoo caught on the wind. "I thought you looked exceptionally beautiful today," she said kindly. Freya always looked beautiful. The entire Trickett clan always looked beautiful. Good looks ran deep in that family. Ruari thought Freya must have been beating boys off with point sticks.

Then it hit her; that little jerk must have stood her up. Ruari heaved a sigh, her long bare legs slowing their pace to an idle wander. She nodded sagely. "What happened?" She asked, her big grey eyes flicking over to Freya, feeling a bit concerned. Urgh. She really hoped it was something minor, like a boy had forgotten her name or spelt it wrong. Then again, when a person was sixteen, everything was exaggerated. "Darling, I'm sorry," she said gently. "We can work whatever this is out, I promise."

“I brushed my hair,” she answered nonchalantly, gesturing simply at her usually messy curls. Tess had helped her with some kind of hair serum. Her hair was all shiny and soft today. Not that it mattered, now. Ruari brushed some hair behind her ear and Freya was thankful for the contact. It felt nice. She was a touchy kind of girl.

She didn’t really want to talk, but Ruari had a familiar sisterly kind of air about her that made Freya feel all warm and safe. Perhaps, being so open and family-oriented, Freya was particularly drawn to people who were like that. One hint of familial affection and all of her secrets were unlocked? It sounded about right. Ruari wasn’t Valda or Liv, but she was something. “What happened? Well he was really nice and said all these really sweet things and asked me out. But then didn’t turn up…” Freya kicked another tiny rock on the footpath, like it was a piece of rubbish blocking her way. “I waited for a long time.” She folded her arms across her chest as she walked, adding the cold weather to her list of reasons not to be happy right now.

Why hadn’t he showed up?. “He probably forgot or something,” she added flatly, wiping her nose with a tissue. She was still a little flushed with embarrassment, but at least she wasn’t crying now. It was Seth all over again, except this time it wasn’t her own wishful thinking that made her a little confused and embarrassingly disappointed. It was actually his actions. “Seth didn’t say so many lovely things, but at least he turned up for our date,” she mumbled. Her eyebrows came together in a sad frown. She couldn’t really muster up enough frustration or anger to overcome the embarrassment. “It’s so humiliating,” she stressed, the corners of her lips turned down. The pair had come to a quieter part of the village, where the cottages and odd cafe or bookshop were a little more quaint. There were neat little gardens and not so many students around here. Freya barely noticed.

“But I guess there’s not really anything to work out.” Freya gave a heavy shrug. He obviously just didn’t like her as much as she thought he did. He probably hadn’t spent the past week simultaneously dying for the school week to be over and freaking out about every little aspect of what she might say, wear or do. She scratched her head, staring at the footpath her shoes were beating a steady rhythm into.

"Well you look very nice," Ruari said diplomatically. If Freya was anything like she was at her age, she must have agonised over what to wear. Maybe wore some perfume. Did something new with her hair. It was…weird. Weird to see Freya all grown up, especially when she stubbornly remained nine years old in her mind. She felt a bit uneasy. It was the same sort of feeling when Clooney, her older brother, brought home his very first girlfriend. Awkward.

Ruari winced.

Listening to the little blonde talk sort of hurt her heart. It felt like someone had reached into her chest and was squeezing the organ. She'd done the same thing to Hal. That must have been the catalyst to them breaking up, her inability to keep a date. She looked down, shoving her pale hands into the pockets of her trench coat and avoided the Gryffindor's eyes.

"I'm sure he has a reasonable explanation," she offered softly. A perpetual optimist, she was sure something must have happened. "He might have been held up. You know what boys are like," she said playfully with a roll of her eyes. "They're not that smart. And they're annoying. And they don't get any better when you get older, either." The last bit slipped out before she could contain it.

Ruari parted her lips and then closed them, slightly amused at Freya's ability to read her mind. "I'm sure that's not true," she said gently with a deep frown. "Freya, you're not the type of girl that's easily forgotten." The dress maker didn't know if she'd earned the right to hug the student or not so instead, she settled for just rubbing the forearm Freya had closest to her in a soft, comforting motion.

"You gave him more than you deserved," Ruari said as she commented that she'd waited a long time. She was such a bloody hypocrite. Absently, she wondered if Hal had reacted much the same as his sister said when she didn't show up for their pre-arranged date.

"I know," Ruari said with a gentle smile, looking around at their new surroundings. She didn't think she'd ever come this far out of the village itself. "It's the worst," she offered. "But don't think that anyone's talking about you," she said softly. "In Hogwarts, there is always something juicer waiting in the wings. Give it a few days and no one will bother you."

She'd been stood up a lot of times in her life and it never got any easier. It was awkward and embarrassing. She was often left wondering if the boy had arrived, seen her, changed her mind and walked away.

As they passed pretty garden with a low wall, Ruari leant across it and gently plucked a single small bright blue forget-me-not. Unusual to see them this time of year. Swiftly, the Irish girl held the small flower out to Freya for her to take.

"I know it sucks," she said candidly with a knowing smile. "But it will get better. When you see him in school, make him realise what a fool he is." Not that it'd be hard. When she mentioned someone called Seth, she frowned. Seth. Seth…Stanton? Aline's younger brother? Her heart dropped and she quickly cleared her throat. She'd met him once or twice and she was sure he'd been hitting on Dash.

If Hal knew, he'd be livid.

"Being a teenager's no fun, right?" The tall blonde joked with a smile, tilting her pretty face up into the cloudy sky. It looked like it might snow. Ruari stepped closer and took a chance. She draped an arm around Freya's slender shoulders and pulled her close and into a sideways hug. "Don't blame yourself," she stated plainly. "You didn't do anything wrong. He, no matter how cute, isn't worth your time. What's his name anyway? Just so I can make a mental note to punch him if I see him."

"How's school?" Ruari asked, changing tack. "I heard somewhere that you're the Gryffindor co-captain," she added. "That's great! I'm about as co-ordinated as a kumquat on a good day," she mused, frowning.

“Yeah… maybe.” Maybe he had a good reason. Maybe she wasn’t forgettable. But didn’t Ruari see it? Freya was totally mediocre. She was averagely smart, averagely pretty, averagely talented… It was better than being stupid, ugly and useless, but sometimes she felt like that. Maybe it was because she’d surrounded herself with such great friends. Most of the time, she didn’t let any of this affect her. Right now, though, the girl’s self esteem had taken a blow.  “Oh my gosh,” Freya said, realising what Ruari had meant. “Everyone’s going to know. Oh, Merlin. Why did I tell all my friends about this?” she whined softly, slapping a palm to her forehead. A fresh lot of tears appeared in her eyes, but she held them back determinedly. Freya wanted to curl up and die.

Make him realise what a fool he was? Ruari’s words were nice, but Freya felt dumb even trying to imagine a situation where something like that could happen. No, she thought it was much more likely that she was going to avoid Kerr Regan forever and ever, starting right now. Tomorrow morning she’d have to wake up especially early to avoid meeting him accidentally in the common room again. Last time they’d met in the common room he’d been all full of sweet compliments and she’d kissed him on the cheek. The girl’s lips curved downward in an unhappy pout at the thought of this. “How do you do that?” she asked vaguely, “he’s so much cooler than me.” A part of Freya still thought this was some elaborate joke. Just like the time Ramsey had bought her lingerie and given it to her on her birthday in front of all of his friends. A joke designed to humiliate her.

“He’s pretty cute,” she admitted, kicking something on the ground. Kerr’s face popping up in her memory momentarily. The girl mentally shooed the image away. “He– ” Freya cut herself off abruptly, one hand flying up to cover her mouth. The girl glanced side-long at the older witch, remembering suddenly that Ruari and Kerr were cousins. It really shouldn’t be so hard to forget. She wet her lips with her tongue, glancing back down at the ground ahead of her. She could trust Ruari, right? Ru had been friends with all of Freya’s older cousins and sisters. She treated Freya like a little sister too. Would it be too weird? Would she say something? “I… You have to promise to forget about it completely as soon as I go back,” she said, nibbling on her lip nervously when she finished speaking. “No matter what... And you can’t punch him,” she added with a frown.

Bugger.

There was a reason Ruari didn't have any sisters and this was pretty much it; her mouth. She winced, her slender shoulders slumping in defeat as she mentally kicked herself. "It's okay," she said gently. "You did it because you were excited. It's not your fault everything didn't go to plan," she said brightly. "Those who matter won't mind and those who mind don't matter," she said soothingly.

"Oh don't cry," she frowned, her deeply pink lips down turning at the corner as she hastily produced another tissue for her to use if she wanted to. As soon as she got home, she was making Freya a dress. Something short but sensibly so, possibly pink or red. Maybe red. She'd suit red. She didn't have her measurements but Ruari had a keen eye and she was seldom wrong. She was slight and slim, it wasn't rocket science. Yeah, red. She'd address it to Hogwarts. Her owl would find her.

Man alive, she'd done it again.

Hal would kill her if he found out. Not that he would. They hadn't seen, much less spoken to one another in months. Freya was too young to learn about sexual politics and Ruari was unwilling to be the one to teach her. "Be happy," she said with another smile. "He'll see that beautiful smile of yours and he'll regret doing this to you for a long, long time. You should always be happy," she said quickly. "Don't hide away," the taller blonde said as she flicked her eyes up to the grey, laden sky. "You're too good for that."

"I'm sure that's not true," Ruari said fondly. "You're plenty cool," the Dubliner was quick to mollify her. "You're smart and you're funny and you're kind," she said. None of this would surprise Freya, she was sure. "And I think that's really cool. You shouldn't change who you are to fit in," she offered, glancing at her. "It never works."

Cute? He was cute. She smiled gently. When she was at school, the place was teeming with cute boys. Granted, none of them were interested in a girl who tied ribbons around trees in the lunch break.

Freya's gasp made her jump, panic etched on her pretty face. "What is it?" She asked anxiously with wide eyes, looking in the way the Gryffindor was before over her shoulder, unable to connect up the dots. Ruari hesitated. She didn't take promises lightly, no one should. Regardless, she nodded. "Promise," she said, extending her pink finger to Freya for her to pinky swear. Did anyone pinky swear any more? She was getting old.

She frowned. Deep down she knew she was incapable of harming another human being. Torrence had said it, he'd called her out on being a wuss, a pushover. Her concern for Freya grew. Who was this boy? Some kind of school top dog that she'd fallen for? Ruari frowned, feeling sad both that Freya seemed cautious to trust her and sad that she was so upset.

"You can trust me," she said softly as she tilted her head. "We're friends, right?" Ruari smiled. Her brother hated her, not Freya. They'd be out of each other's lives for a long, long time but her feelings about her hadn't changed one iota. "Do you want to sit?" She asked, gesturing to a garden wall.

“I’m not crying,” Freya said, blinking profusely and glancing away, trying to will her tear ducts to suck those tears right back in, thank you very much. She listened to the older witch speak, and while she knew that the be happy approach wouldn’t make boys any more likely to be attracted to her, she was still soothed by Ruari’s words. Freya snorted when Ruari said that she was cool, but she didn’t say anything. Freya gave a small smile at all of the woman’s compliments. It was nice despite herself. The girl cast her gaze upward as they walked, and she wondered absentmindedly what she’d be doing if Kerr had turned up for their date. Ugh.

Freya held her hand up immediately to pinky-promise when Ruarui suggested it. The act didn’t really have the same ceremonial graveness it might have had when she was six, but the gesture was familiar and easily appealed to Freya’s childlike view on promises and honesty. She was very naïve. Letting her hand drop, the Gryffindor continued to walk, trying to come up with a way to tell Ruari that all of this had been caused by her cousin. “We’re friends.” She confirmed with a determined nod. If Freya could have had it her way, Ruari would probably be a Trickett by now and they’d be more than friends, they’d be sisters. She nodded again when Ruari gestured to the wall, taking her place heavily and adjusting her skirt anxiously.

Freya realised with a jolt that Ruari was probably still really good friends with Dash. She resolved to ask about the brunette later. If she had it her way, Dash would undoubtedly be a Trickett too. Thinking about Trickett-exes that she wanted to be Tricketts made Freya a little sad. “It’s nothing bad,” she assured the blonde woman beside her. “It’s just that he seemed so nice and it seemed so weird that he would even ask me out… I mean, we’re friends but not really? Like…” she chewed her lip for a moment, trying to explain. When the words came, they were rushed, like Freya couldn’t wait to get them out of her system. 

“We have a lot of friends in common and he’s in my year, so we’ve known each other for a while but like.. we’re not good friends. But he’s so cute and sweet and… kind of your cousin?” Freya winced at the end, like she was confessing something. The girl glanced at Ruari before dropping her gaze to her hands folded in her lap. “Kerr, not Trevor,” she added "Or Conall". There were a lot of Regans at Hogwarts.

"I know," Ruari said gently with a smile. "There must be something in your eye," she said fondly. Ah. How many times had she used that excuse? Something in her eye, her allergies were flaring up, the sunlight was too bright. "I'll let you into a little something," the taller blonde said gently as they walked together. "Boys are overrated," she offered. "I know when you're your age, it's a big deal," she replied sagely with a nod of her head. "But give it five years and you'll realise that you'll be much more happier with a puppy."

That was…kind of true. Sort of. Teenage boys were weird and unpredictable and teenage girls were just another mark on the scoreboard that they kept with their friends and she didn't want Freya to be just another statistic. The idea made her feel uncomfortable as her stomach turned, a queasy feeling washing over her as she swallowed. It was so easy to get swept off your feet, it had happened to her.

Ruari wasn't really qualified to be giving the Gryffindor any sort of relationship advice. Since dating her brother, she'd made a string of terrible relationship choices. Nothing longer than three months and a colourful collection of one night stands. When she agreed to the pinky swear, she smiled. It was a small comfort to know that she wasn't growing up too fast. She was precious and delicate and lovely and anyone who didn't appreciate and protect her should be taken outside and set on fire. Twice.

The dressmaker sat next to her and crossed her long legs at the knee, sort of wishing that she'd brought Jeff along to give Freya something to distract her. Ruari nodded gently as she listened. "Well your brother and I weren't best friends," she added as she tilted her head, a loose lock of blonde hair coming loose and curling as it met the curve of her shoulder. "I didn't know him very well before he asked me out." She paused and frowned. Funny. She still didn't know him very well. She'd never understand why he'd broken up with her and immediately sought out her cousin and had sex with her in an empty classroom. Classy.

"I'm sure he still is nice," the Irish girl replied diplomatically, her sunny optimism still shining through. Seeing Freya struggle over her words made Ruari frown gently. The Gryffindor was speaking so hushed and fast that she was struggling to keep up. "More like a friend of a friend?" Ruari offered helpfully.

…hang on.

Ruari's bright smile faltered at Freya's next words and her heart sank to rest somewhere that felt like the pit of her stomach. Her first thought was Torrence and she was about to throw up over the wall and into that lovely garden. So much so that she reached up and pressed her finger tips against her lips, just in case. She was somewhat settled by hearing said cousin was in Freya's year. Merlin's trouser leg, there really were a lot of Regans running around that school but she helpfully came out with it.

"Kerrigan?" She asked, her finely groomed eyebrows coming together in a rush to furrow as she reached up and scratched the back of her head. It was kind of inevitable, she supposed. Both families were so large and sprawling that an overlapping of the two seemed destined to happen. Ruari fell quiet for a couple of seconds. Kerrigan wasn't a bad choice, unlike his downright dangerous older brothers.

Heaving a sigh, she leant forward a little to press her elbows into her thighs and rest her chin on an upturned palm. "He doesn't seem the type to willingly stand anyone up. Especially not you." Kerr hadn't mentioned a girl. Or a boy. Or…anyone. She thought that was because Torrence would have made fun of him mercilessly. She was still so mad at him for ruining her big magazine break. Ruari let the wind ruffle her golden blonde hair as she shifted her position so she could rub her palms together to try and warm them up a little bit. She actually felt a bit of responsibility for her cousin's bad choices. Did he know he'd made Freya cry? If he didn't, he was damned sure to find out as soon as she saw him next.

The dressmaker scooched closer to Freya so their shoulders were almost touching. She still wasn't sure how receptive she'd be with so many lost years between them now. "You shouldn't be scared of telling me," she said kindly. "He's a great guy but he's a bit of a berk when I comes to anything that involves his heart. But I am going to have words with him when I see him next. And you're totally sure that I can't punch him?" She joked, bumping her shoulder playfully. "There's got to be a reason, Freya," she said sensibly. "But does that mean you're coming to our New Year's Eve party? We'd love to have you."

“You don’t have a boyfriend?” Freya asked curiously, when Ruari started talking about puppies being better than boys. Maybe she should get back together with Hal, then? Freya’s lips twitched up a little at the thought. She twirled a strand of hair nervously, listening to Ruari’s advice as if she was about to write it down. Taking notes would probably be helpful, she thought, and besides… Ruari was basically like an older sister to the girl.

She tried to gage Ruari’s reaction to her declaration, but it was hard when she was staring so intensely at her fingernails. “You can’t have words with him,” Freya exclaimed in shock, turning her head sharply to give Ruari a pointed look. “You can’t say anything,” she added, her sense of panic rising. The girl shifted her body, turning her torso to face the older blonde woman. Distress was written all over her face and her eyes were wide and pleading. The Gryffindor was trying to imagine what it would be like if Kerr found out about this. Merlin, what if he thought it was funny? Thought she was pathetic? Freya shuddered noticeably at the thought. After a moment, she pushed herself back up into a standing position.

The girl rubbed her nose with the back of her right hand, mentally trying to pull herself together. “I’m going to go back up to school,” she told Ruari, glancing down at the ground and kicking an offending rock out of her way absentmindedly. Freya ran her hands through her hair a couple of times, unsuccessfully trying to brush out some of her knots. “But Ruari,” she said abruptly, “Do you think… maybe we could get a tea sometime?” The blonde glanced at the woman with hesitation; she didn’t want to overstep any boundaries or make Ruari feel like there was anything that she simply had to do.

Freya was more nervous than she thought she’d be asking something like this. It struck her suddenly that she had no idea about whether Ruari and Hal were still in touch or not. Were they still friends? The blonde was more than willing to have Ruari as her big sister again.