Catch Me, I'm Falling | Fred Weasley

Chapter 49

An owl's hoot sounded and an eerie wind whipped Olivia's curls into her face as she headed home through the dark London streets. Her shoes made barely a sound on the cobblestones, a trick she'd picked up during her spying endeavors. Yet, she was too angry, too clouded with emotion to be truly careful. Because someone was watching her.

And she felt it, too. Olivia could feel the hair on her neck rise as her intuition tingled. She could have sworn she saw a pair of eyes glowing in the dark. Her ears picked up the quietest of sounds.

"Who's there?" she announced with false bravery, but her voice had an undeniable quiver to it.

A sound to her left and she whipped towards it, realizing too late that it was a distraction. Hands clamped her mouth as an attacker came up from behind. The unmistakable jab of a wand poked into her neck. The last thing she heard was a gruffly uttered spell.

-

"Psst." "Psst."

Olivia's eyes fluttered open and she flinched as she came to consciousness. Her entire body hurt, as if it had been carelessly thrown to the ground. She was lying on a pile of hay in a dark room. The scent of moldy walls and blood permeated the space. When she took a deep breath, trying to center herself, she gagged on the putrid air. Someone was whispering to her.

Gingerly, Olivia lifted her head up, angling herself into a sitting position. Behind rusty metal bars stood Draco Malfoy. The realization hit her like a brick. It seemed she'd been betrayed more than once today.

"You told them!" she accused, raising her voice as much as she could despite her dry throat.

Draco's eyes widened and he looked around. "Shh. They can't find out I'm here."

"You bastard!" she whisper-hissed.

Draco raised his hands, palms facing her. "I didn't have a choice-"

"Of course you had a choice! You always have a choice. I- I don't know what to make of you, Malfoy. Who's side are you on?"

"I'm going to get you out of here, alright?" he promised.

Olivia sat up and spat on the ground, a gesture so unlike her. "No, you won't. You can't ever say no to daddy, can you?" The bitter words didn't make her feel any better.

"They're planning to interrogate you- to find out everything they can," Malfoy muttered.

"Of course they are! I'll be lucky to be alive after, let alone sane. If you can break me out, do it now," Olivia insisted.

"Are you mad? I can't do that. They'll know it was me."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"I'll get you food," Malfoy said, rushing out.

"Malfoy! Malfoy!" Olivia called out for him, but he was gone.

She paced around the cell, head pounding. She kept thinking that she should have seen this coming. She should have known, should have prepared for this. How long would it take for her to break, to tell them all the secrets they could never know? How could she stay strong, endure torture, when she was already broken

If they discovered how to break her, how to get the information from her, Voldemort would win. Everything she'd done, all the sacrifices she'd made, would be for nothing. Everyone she loved would suffer. She couldn't let that happen.

When Malfoy came back, tray in hand, Olivia shook her head. Draco frowned, brows furrowing.

"I need you to do a favor for me."

-

As per Olivia's instructions, Crabbe and Goyle stood by her sides, holding her in place. Draco stood before her, wand pointed at her chest.

"Do it, Malfoy."

"Are you sure? Are you sure you want this?" Draco asked hesitantly, wanting so badly not to hurt her. But Olivia had already decided.

"Now, Malfoy," she growled.

He pointed his wand at her, exhaled, and cast the spell. "Crucio!"

The worst pain Olivia had ever felt shot through her body as Crabbe and Goyle pulled her to the ground. Her scream of agony was so pained that it brought tears to Goyle's eyes.

Olivia panted, recovering from the first bout of the spell. Sweat trickled down her brow. She looked up to Malfoy. "Again," she ordered breathlessly.

"Again."

"Again."

"Again."

They went at it for hours, torture spell after torture spell. After a while, the pain faded. It hurt, but Olivia knew how to hide it. Some broken part of her even liked it.

She was ready. If she was tortured, she wouldn't break. Just as she'd planned. Perhaps this pain would haunt her nightmares, but it was all worth it.

-

They tried to torture her. Kept trying for hours. But Olivia just stared at them blankly. Bellatrix screamed in frustration. There was no reaction from Olivia, and she was unsatisfied. She walked up to Olivia. Dragging her finger along her temple so hard, it drew blood. The red waterfall streamed down her face, but Olivia only smiled, earning a slap from Bellatrix. Olivia tasted metal on her tongue.

-

How long Olivia was held in captivity? She didn't know. It could have been as little as a week or as much as a few months. Her concept of time had eluded her. Her body was weak, yet her mind was strong. Every time she felt like she wanted to give up, she remembered:

Fred

Fred

Fred

She kept saying his name, hearing his voice in her ears, seeing his face in her head. Olivia didn't even notice when a commotion sounded outside her cell. She couldn't tell when the real Fred stood before her.

His voice was soft like he was talking to a child. "Olivia, love. I'm here, beautiful. I'm here." His voice broke. He saw the bruises on her, the jagged cuts. She was pale and thin, so damn frail.

Fred stooped beside her, carefully scooping her up into his arms. All Olivia felt was some swaying. And the smell of Fred. The corners of her mouth curled up as black filled her vision.