freya xo

“We are,” Roman agreed, a wide smile spreading across his face. He felt a little giddy, like a school boy. “We’re getting married.”

Her hands slipped from his cheeks to his chest, her eyes on the ring. “It’s beautiful, Ro.” 

“Four hours?” Roman shook his head. He took the box and slow unwrapped it. “Freya!” He pulled the watch out. “You shouldn’t have.”

“It was the least I could do,” she hummed, grinning softly. “I love you.”

Roman wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes as her lips met his. He could not remember ever being happier than he was at this moment. He had been so stupid, not asking her sooner, but that hardly mattered now. They were engaged. They were going to get married. 

They had their whole lives ahead of them, just the two of them. For now, though. Who knew? Maybe in the future there would be three of them…or more. But right now it didn’t matter. Right now, Roman was indescribably happy. He gently pulled away and said softly, “I love you.”

Butterflies. She hadn’t felt butterflies in years. And now she had them all over again. She was engaged to the love of her life, the man she vowed thirteen years ago would be the only person she loved. Engaged to be married. “I love you,” she responded, her heart beating out of her chest as her hands cupped his face. 

She took him in, memorising his features as if for the first time in so long. He looked a lot older, in worry lines and stress. But in the moment, they were twenty-three and twenty-six again, lovebirds without a care. “We’re getting married,” she said, her voice practically resonating pride. 

“Merry Christmas.” Roman smiled as he bent down and kissed her. “How long have you been up?”

“Oh, you know. Not long. Four hours,” Freya hummed, pulling out a box for him to open. If there was something Freya did for Christmas, it was meaningful gifts. This one, however, had taken longer to figure out as she’d exhausted all meaning to most things. Until she came across the watch his Grandfather handed down to him. In a box, dusted, frozen and cracked. But in this box, it was restored, pristine condition and only in need of a quick winding.

It seemed an eternity before he heard the door open and her call out his name. This was it. He fidgeted, feeling equally excited and nervous. Once she was in view, he rose to greet her. 

“The occasion,” he answered, taking both of her hands in his, “is that I need to ask you something. Something that I should have asked you years ago.” Then, slowly, he got down on one knee and pulled the ring box out of his pocket, opening it and holding it up for her to see. “Freya Natasha Mulligan, will you marry me?”

Freya was taken back by the sight of the box, then when he went down to his knee she could feel the breath escape her. It wasn’t unexpected - even Freya knew that one day they would get married - but she was surprised by the timing. It had been a few weeks since their big fight, and while they had a great Christmas, she just wasn’t thinking this would be happening with how much they had been through recently. 

With that, though, there wasn’t a inkling of regret in the nod of her head when he asked the question. There was no hesitation with the “Yes, yes, a million times yes,” that left her red tinted lips in answer. “Of course,” she whispered, pulling him up and kissing him hard, wrapping herself around him. 

My ships: Roman Winslow & Freya Mulligan

Being in love isn’t always a fairy tale. Sometimes there are hard ships and sometimes you unintentionally hurt those you love. Something that Roman had to learn. He never meant to neglect or hurt Freya. After all how could he do that to the woman he’d been with for ten years? Yet, he had. Even though she’s forgiven him, it is something he will struggle to forgive himself for. Thankfully, things are headed in the right direction again, and Roman is now ready to take the next step in their relationship.

Roman was more nervous than he could ever remember being. Everything was finally ready. He had the ring, he had the house all set up. Now it was just time to actually do it. 

He’d sent Freya an owl saying an emergency at the school would keep him late and that he promised to make it up to her the next day. It was a small lie (one that he hoped he’d been forgiven for, all things considered) designed to keep her at the animal shelter so that he could sneak home early and get everything ready. 

Rose petals covered the floor and the house was lit only by the numerous candles he’d acquired for the occasion. He fingered the small box in his pocket. All he had to do know was wait for her to arrive home. And waiting was agony.

@freyamulligan

Well,considering Roman was working late, and Freya didn’t want to go home to an empty house, she sent young Sylvia home and did the end of day clean up on her own. 

When she got home, however, she was not expecting the candles to greet her. “O... Roman?” Freya shouted through the darkness, spotting the petals and a small gracious smile flickered on her lips, and she followed them. 

“This is awfully mysterious,” she mumbled, finding him. “What’s the occasion?” 

“I know,” Roman said softly, gently kissing her. “I know and for that I am so sorry.” He stroked her cheek. He still felt guilty. He was a fool for nearly letting her slip through his fingers. Even if Freya had forgive him, Roman wasn’t sure he’d forgiven himself. He had a lot to make up for. 

“I’m also sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation with Rob at the festival.” He could still her both their words. He didn’t think he’d forget it any time soon. “I just…I was in my office and saw a photo of the two of you at the ball. You liked like a couple, like you were together. And I just had to see you. To know for sure…” he sighed. “I was afraid you were cheating on me,” he admitted, ashamed now for even thinking it. “Forgive me. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“I would never,” she whispered, but it wasn’t lined with any emotion other than love. “We’re very good friends, and he’s been a good distraction from everything while it was happening,” she mumbled, pressing her lips to his bare chest. “Never think that though, no one will ever be able to have me in that way, because I’m yours,” she nodded, leaning up and looking down into his eyes. “You’re such an idiot,” Freya mumbled, smirking softly. 

Roman watched as the man got up and walked off, looking more than a little confused. He had, Roman noticed, left his knife, behind. Good. Now he can’t threaten more people with it. He pulled his thoughts way from the man and back to Freya. 

“Yes, I am a pureblood,” he answered, wondering why she was asking. “It doesn’t make any difference. Not to me, at least. I love you, Freya.” There. He’d finally said it. “I love you. I loved you before I knew you had magic, though I am glad that you do. It certainly will makes things less complicated. For the both of us.” 

There was so much he could finally tell her. Things he couldn’t share before, but now there weren’t going to be any secrets between them. He had never felt more free. Or more happy. A thought struck him and he had to voice it. “Move in with me?”

I love you, he had said it, before she had, and she knew it was true. “I love you too, Ro,” she whispered, clinging onto him just as tightly. Everything was right with the world, finally. They could be natural together, after years of pretending. She always had a feeling something was wrong, but she wouldn’t have suspected his was a wizard. 

“My parents... I cant...” she thought about it more as his words sunk in. Her parents could run the sanctuary perfectly fine without her being there every day, and she could still help out. She just wouldn’t be living at home. “Okay,” she replied, finally. A quick nod confirmed her words, and a huge smile spreading and lighting up her face. 

She couldn’t be happier than she was in that moment, she could finally be herself and suddenly it was like her future was falling into place. 

There was nothing that could distract her from the moment of clarity, because she had Roman had looked into each other’s eyes, and she knew it was a mutual feeling. However, once she noticed Roman’s shift in attention, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She refocused her gaze on the hooded figure, and noticed he was coming towards them at some speed - and he wasn’t empty handed. 

Part of her wanted to tug on Roman’s jacket and run - but it was too late and in the boots she had on, she wouldn’t get anywhere fast. Without much thinking - and seemingly on the same page as Roman - Freya drew her wand from inside her jacket, grasping the oak, leafy pattern that was the handle. Act first, ask questions later, was her only thought when she saw Roman’s wand clasped firmly between his fingers as well.

“Back off!” Freya gasped out, managing to cast a jinx and force the running man to trip before them, knowing full well that casting magic on a no-maj wasn’t allowed but he was coming at them with a knife. Her hands were shaking as the guy just seemed angry, but also stared at their wands. She couldn’t predict what he would do next, and she hoped he’d stand still enough so that one of the pair could obliviate him. 

Roman could see the fear in the man’s eyes and he knew the man was now going to attack them out of fear. Expelliamus, Roman thought, knocking the knife out of the man’s hand. Eyes wide, the man turned and started to run. Knowing, they couldn’t let him get away, Roman aim at him. Stupefy! The man collapse and didn’t move. 

Roman lowered his wand. He turned toward Freya and looked down at the wand in her hand. For a moment, he was speechless. “You’re a witch.” Three years. Three years they had known each other and she’d never said anything about magic. But then again neither had he. 

Then it hit him. She had magic. She wasn’t a No-Maj. He didn’t have to keep his magic a secret from her any more. All this fears and doubts flooded out of him and before he was even aware of it, he reached for her and pulled her close, capturing her lips in his.

They had kissed before. But not like this. Those had always been short, chaste pecks. This was mad and passionate and Roman never wanted to let go. For a moment, he forgot about everything else, even the unconscious man lying a few feet away who had just tried to attack them with a knife. The only thing he could think about was her.

"Are you pure?" she said, suddenly feeling a rush of panic. It eased when she realised, if he was a pureblood and loved her anyway, thinking she was a no-maj, he wouldn't stop loving her just because she was a no-maj born.

He had spent three years getting to know her, her parents, her younger brother. He knew her unlike anyone else really knew her. And yet here is was, kissing her like that. She was suddenly very much less afraid of any pureblood elite views he could have had.

All that mattered now was that they could finally live their lives the way she had imagined if he'd have known from the start, no more summer vacations to magical weddings alone.

A groan brought her back to reality and she pulled back and looked at the man slowly regaining consciousness. "Obliviate," she whispered, aiming her wand and twisting it slowly, removing the last ten minutes of memory from the attacker.