The Fifth Marauder: 16 years asleep (R.A.B)

Febuary 17th 1981

⚠️// ED themes, Depression, Vivian Erickson

"Freya." Casper whispered walking into their bedroom, "Freya, do you want to hold her, she's awake. She misses you."

Freya didn't respond so Casper switched on their bedroom light and made his way over to his wife.

"Freya, come on." Casper said sitting down next to her, "I think she misses you. Do you want to say hello to mummy? I think you do."

Casper tried to hand Freya the child but instead, she pushed it back in Casper's hands.

"Ma-Ma." The child giggled reaching for her mother.

"Fuck off." Freya snapped cruelly, "I don't want to see her."

"Come on. Shit Freya. You need to at least acknowledge she exists. It's been a year since we lost Henry." Casper said slightly irritated, "She's your daughter."

Freya turned on her side, wrapping her blanket around her tighter, "My Mother is coming. She can deal with that thing."

"The least you could do is name her Freya." Casper snapped before leaving the bedroom slamming the door shut.

Freya rushed out, red in the face, "I have an idea for a fucking name, what about fucking bitch? Huh? That's a bloody wonderful name for the bitch that killed my baby!"

Casper picked the child up covering her ears from the abuse Freya was now hurling.

They entered the nursery, closing the door behind them.

Casper looked down at his daughter, who was perhaps the spitting image of Freya and could help but feel sorry for her.

He never thought about settling down but Casper knew if he ever had a child he would treat them right.

What he didn't predict was that he would get married to the female version of his Dad.

"My darling girl, I'm so sorry." Casper whispered brushing her hair out of her face, "I'm so sorry."

The doorbell rang out alerting Casper that Freya's mother Vivian had arrived.

He placed Harper in her bed before going to answer the door.

"Took you long enough boy." Vivian scoffed, "Didn't your parents teach you to not gawk at your elders. For Merlin's sake take my bags in and tell me where I can find my daughter."

Casper pulled Vivian's bag in, "She in the bedroom, first door on your right."

Vivian didn't say a word of thanks instead she marched into Freya's bedroom, "Is this any way to greet your Mother."

Freya shielded her eyes from the blinding sunlight that Vivian allowed to flood into her room, "Good afternoon Mom."

"Afternoon exactly! Why are you still in bed?" Vivian scolded, "Is that any way for a wife to behave?"

Casper walked into the bedroom and pulled Vivian aside, "The doctor says she's depressed. After everything that happened with Henry."

"Depressed? Erickson's don't get depressed. They just get lazy like their Father."

"Don't talk about Dad like that."

"I can talk about that lazy piece of shit however I want." Vivian said sharply, she sat down on the bed next to Freya, her expression softer, "He didn't love us. If he loved us he wouldn't have left us. I love you, Freya, you're my little girl."

Casper was shocked by Vivian's actions, they mirrored Freya's every time they got into a fight.

She really was her mother's daughter whether she wanted to be or not.

"Come out of bed honey." Vivian coaxed, "I'll make you some of your favourite blueberry pancakes. Sugar-free just the way you like them."

Freya nodded leaving her bed for the first time in months, "Thank you, Mom."

Vivian watched as Freya walked downstairs before turning to Casper, her face hard once again, "What are you doing just standing there. Bring the child downstairs and feed her."

Casper rolled his eyes, "I see where Freya gets her charming personality from."

Casper tried to push past Vivian but she grabbed his arm pulling him back before giving him a sharp slap across the cheek, "You will not disrespect me. I'm not your mother I know how to discipline disobedient children. It's a shame your Father had to put up with such a docile woman."

"Don't you dare talk about my Mum like that." Casper snapped pulling his arm firmly away from Vivian's grip, "And while you're with Freya tell her to come up with a name for our daughter."

Casper walked past Vivian, collected his daughter from her room and brought her downstairs where Freya sat as Vivian began cooking on the stove.

"What is that doing here." Freya spat, "I don't want to spend time with that thing."

"Freya." Vivian snapped, "Let the child stay."

Casper strapped her into a high chair avoiding the withering look Freya was giving him.

"Here." Vivian said placing places filled with food in front of the both of them, "And when we are going for a walk."

"I don't want to go for a walk, it's freezing out there."

Vivian slammed the pan in the sink, "Freya, we are going for a walk. Godric knows you need to lose that weight you've gained from doing nothing."

"I think Freya is fine as she is."

"What?"

Casper cleared his throat and made eye contact with Vivian, "I said, I think Freya is fine as she is. If she doesn't want to go on a walk she doesn't have to."

"Casper." Freya snapped turning his attention towards her, "My Mom is right. I'm going on that walk."

Casper dropped his fork on his plate, "Whatever, I'm having a shower."

He left the room not looking back as he did so.

***

The walk with Vivian felt less like a walk and more like a formal event for three reasons.

One, it lasted the entire day meaning that the family didn't get back home till evening.

Two, Vivian refused for anyone to wear sports apparel, insisting that they dress up in case someone 'important' spotted them.

Three, it was filled with pointless small talk that made an already awkward situation ten times more awkward.

Luckily for Casper immediately after dinner, Vivian went up to the guest room to sleep.

"It was a nice day wasn't it." Freya hummed, "It was just what I needed after everything, to see my Mom again."

"Whatever you say, Freya." Casper muttered, "Do you want to say goodnight to our daughter?"

Casper knew her answer.

Freya shook her head, "Maybe later. Night though Casper." She hesitated for a second, "I love you."

"I love you too." Casper smiled before walking away to send his daughter to sleep.

"I don't think Mummy's going to be much help with picking a name." He said picking up the girl, "It's just you and me. Any ideas?"

She grinned, her smile mirroring a smile he had not seen in a long time.

It was Violetta's.

Violetta hadn't come back to collect her stuff, but Casper refused to allow his parents to throw it out. Instead, it sat in boxes hidden away in the attic of his house.

All except one thing.

In his daughter's room, hidden in plain sight was a small music box Violetta used to own and when he couldn't sleep she would play it for him.

Casper opened the box and a quiet harp melody played out; he swayed slowly to the beat with his daughter in his arms, watching as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

He lauded her down, pushing her brown hair away from her face.

"Goodnight Harper."