Catch Me, I'm Falling | Fred Weasley

Chapter 10

Fred Weasley was nothing like she'd expected. Yes, she was a little biased. Who could blame her? He'd given her candy. It was still better if she avoided him, though. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she ran into him every once in a while. Maybe.

For now, Olivia had more important things to worry about. Her O.W.L.s were coming up. She sat in her usual spot. In the back. Where no one bothered her. Adjusting herself on the hard wood, she pulled the History of Magic book out of her bag.

There was no rhyme or reason for her studying. Unlike the many Ravenclaws who had intricate, specific rituals, Olivia just... winged it. She had grown to like the rhythm of it. Of losing herself in the names, and words, and information. She sat like that for hours, until she could barely feel her backside.

She decided she'd been there long enough. Rising with a groan she stretched her aching body. It was stiff, not only from the prolonged stillness but also from the aftereffects of the coma. Which reminded her; she had something to attend to. Not an hour later, Olivia found herself standing below the hill, readying herself for the enormous task before her. Madam Pomfrey had told her to train up her strength. The woman had been right. Olivia desperately needed it. She'd been procrastinating for long enough.

Here we go. She leaned down, digging her heel into the dirt. Three, two, one. Olivia exploded up the hill, propelling herself up with all her might. At first, it was exhilarating. The wind in her hair. The blood pumping through her. The adrenaline igniting her. She was an angel. Flying. But soon enough, that exhilaration faded. It was replaced with the thundering of her heart in her ears. Her legs burned. Ached for her to stop, stop stop. But Olivia pushed on. She wasn't even halfway up the hill yet.

She was weak. So pathetically weak. She hated it. Which was exactly why she didn't stop. No, Olivia pushed her body, which was shaking now, to the breaking point. Only that would make her stronger. Her breath wheezed in and out of her, past the point of just breathing hard. Her lungs begged for air. For a break. Stop, stop, stop.

And just like that, Olivia was at the top of the hill. She braced her hand on her knees, panting. Sweat slicked her forehead, dripping down her back. She stayed there for a full minute before she dared move. She felt dead... but not quite. Again. Olivia ran up and down that hill, over and over again, until she could no longer walk.

When it was over, she lay at the top of the grassy hill, staring up at the passing clouds. They looked so soft. So peaceful. So whole. So unlike her body. Had she gone too far? No, she hadn't. But it still felt like torture. Olivia could barely believe that some people actually enjoyed exercise. To her, the idea was ludicrous.

Dragging herself back into the castle was an effort. To put it mildly. She was a rag doll. Her limbs felt flimsy, useless. Yet, her body ached. There was only one thing that she could think of to put her body at ease. A nice, hot, bath. Yesss her body seemed to agree.

The prefect's bathroom was easy enough to break into. It was a large, cavernous space. Luxurious, compared to the dingy bathrooms in the rest of the castle. And mercifully, it was empty. Thank Merlin.

Olivia locked the door and set her things down. Then, she ripped off her clothes, shedding them like a wolf shed its winter coat. After a quick rinse to get the sticky sweat off her skin, she finally made her way to the pool. It was hot. Billowing clouds of steam rose to the elegant arched ceilings. She let out a gasp as she lowered herself in.

The heat enveloped her like a hug, soothing and testing her. She let it in, relaxing as she leaned her head back against the stone rim of the pool. Time stood still. There were no visions, no Weasleys, no worries. Everything was perfect.