Catch Me, I'm Falling | Fred Weasley

Chapter 25

Olivia's gift was a secret. The only people who knew of her ability were Fred, George, Lee, Alicia, Katie, Angelina, and Hermione. She'd made sure from the beginning that they knew to keep their mouths shut. Olivia hadn't needed Hermione's warning to know that in the wrong hands, her gift could be very dangerous.

Which was why it was so concerning that Draco now knew, or at least suspected. Olivia knew what his future held. She knew he'd soon be tangled in a terrible mess. Trapped as a death eater. Trapped in the dark lord's clutches

She'd been conflicted over his character before, but now it was much worse. His little display towards Luna had truly disgusted Olivia. It made her mad. She understood that he had his own struggles, her visions of him had shown her that, but coping with it by picking on others was not okay.

When Olivia had spilled her secret, she'd been blinded by rage. All Olivia could do now was wait and hope he stayed silent.

To distract herself, Olivia dove into another of her mother's diaries. She'd loved the one her mother had given her for Christmas. So, she'd searched through old boxes in the attic and found another of her mother's old diaries.

Dear Diary,

I visited Hannah's grave today. It would have been her sixth birthday. She died so young. The doctors said she wouldn't live to see a week with her weak heart, but she lived to be three.

She was a miracle child. We'd already given up hope. We tried for a baby so many times. The doctors at St. Mungo's said it wasn't possible. That was why we adopted Olivia, after all. She was so excited when Hannah was born. Excited to have a sister. One night, I found her asleep on top of Hannah. It would have been sweet if I hadn't been afraid she'd suffocate poor Hannah. She didn't, of course.

Daffodils were her favorite flower. Hannah's favorite. I brought them to her. I hope she likes them.

Areas of the page were stained with tears and parts were scratched out. Even the words were stiff, thoughts jumbled as if Angela had difficulty writing them.

At first glance, everything was fine. Olivia felt her eyes grow a little teary as she read the parts about Hannah, the little sister she'd lost.

But then, Olivia looked closer and one word stood out to her. Adopted.

It was as if her heart stopped. Her mind tried to wrap around the idea. No, this can't be. I'm not adopted. There must be a mistake.

The denial turned to confusion. What? I don't understand? How can this be?

The confusion bled into a bleak understanding. Of course. It all makes sense now. That's what they were keeping from me.

Then came the anger. How could they? How could they do this to me? I went through so much. I woke up from a coma for Merlin's sake. They could have told me the truth. But they lied to me instead. Is that all my life is to be? A lie?

It was dark now and the Gryffindors had long finished their celebration. Olivia made her way to the library through a secret tunnel. With a flourish of her wand, she illuminated the space. Crying, Olivia went to grab a book from the shelf.

She'd meant to read, to lose herself in the comforting embrace of knowledge, but on a whim, she threw the book against the wall. It gave a satisfying thud before dropping to the ground. It felt good. Olivia grabbed another and another, hurling books at the wall with screams of frustration.

She hadn't noticed that someone had followed her into the library. Fred watched from the shadows for a minute before he made his presence known.

"Hey there, Sparks. Seems we've got quite the temper today. I- oh dear, are those tears?" he asked, finally seeing her tear-streaked cheeks.

"It's n-nothing," Olivia wiped at her face.

Fred took a step closer. "Don't say that. It's not nothing to me. Now come here," he held out his arms. Olivia gave a little sob, exterior breaking, then ran towards him, burying her head in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her as she cried, murmuring soft words into her hair.

"It's okay, love. Let it out," he whispered. He rocked her back and forth, warm and sweet and comforting and... uncharacteristically patient.

When she calmed down, he grinned. "Seems you're always getting me wet, Sparks." Olivia slapped his shoulder and swore under her breath, knowing exactly what he'd meant. Fred chuckled. Then, he grew serious, grabbing her shoulders and staring at her reddened eyes.

"Are you alright? What is it that's got you so worked up?" Olivia took a deep breath.

"I read a diary I wasn't supposed to see. My mother's. I- Fred, I'm a-adopted," Olivia's lip trembled.

Understanding settled in Fred's expression. "Oh, darling. I-I'm so sorry." He took Olivia's hand, stroking his thumb over her knuckles.

Olivia gave a sad laugh. "I thought they trusted me, you know? I mean, I woke from a coma. I didn't remember anything from before. I still don't. It's ironic, really. I can see the future but I forgot the past."

Fred opened his mouth to say something but Olivia wasn't done. "I'm not a child. I deserve to know. Why did my parents not tell me? When were they planning on telling me I'm adopted? Were they going to keep this from me forever?"

Uncharacteristically calm, Fred wiped the tears off her cheeks, "Does it really change anything?" Olivia swallowed, looking into his eyes.

"I-" she sighed "No, it doesn't. It just hurts that they didn't tell me." Fred nodded, pulling her into his arms.

"I know what'll make it better..." Fred said mischievously.

"What could possibly-" she trailed off as Fred pulled a lemon drop out of his pocket holding it out. Olivia's lips twitched.

"You're unbelievable."

-

Olivia was an emotional wreck. Everyone could see it. Lee was careful around her as if any joke could cause her to break. The girls were mostly wrapped up in preparations for the Yule Ball, so their presence was rare. George was the sweetest of the bunch. He brought her little gifts and tried to cheer her up. Sometimes it was wildflowers he'd picked from beside the Quidditch field, other times it was chocolate.

Fred on the other hand seemed to have an unspoken connection with her. When she needed space, he gave it to her. When she needed a hug, he was right there. It was as if he could sense his best friend's mood.

Yet, as the Yule Ball grew closer, Olivia grew anxious. She had no one to go with. Part of her had hoped that Fred would ask her, or George... or at least Lee. But no. To prove a point to Harry and Ron, Fred asked Angelina, who just happened to be there. And George had asked Katie. Lee quickly grouped up with Alicia. So, Olivia was left stranded, the odd one out.

As a result of the chaotic past few months, Olivia had been slacking on taking her medicine. To be fair, Madam Pomfrey had warned her that there would be consequences if she forgot, but Olivia was too preoccupied to notice something was wrong until it was too late.

In the days leading up to the Yule Ball, Olivia was unsure whether or not to attend. She went back and forth, unsure of what to do. She had no date, no dress, and no determination.

In the end, it didn't matter. Because the night before the Yule Ball, Olivia got sick. When she thought back, she realized it had been a long time coming. The stress and pressure had built up and boiled over.

So, while the others were off at the Yule Ball, dancing the night away dressed like royalty, Olivia had to lay in the hospital wing, raging with fever. She'd been chastised for a bit by Madam Pomfrey, who then left to attend the Yule Ball, leaving Olivia completely and utterly alone.