Catch Me, I'm Falling | Fred Weasley

Chapter 50

"Hey, hey, hey. Lay down," Fred ordered. Olivia glared at him.

"I'm fine, really. Stop being a mother hen," she retorted.

Fred pursed his lips, and looked away as if he couldn't stand to look at her. "You- you were tortured for weeks."

She pushed herself up and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I know."

"H-how are you okay about this?"

"I-" Olivia laughed. "I've never been okay, Fred."

In the weeks after Fred and the order saved Olivia, he watched over her like a hawk. Yet in reality, he was in more pain than she was. He blamed himself, for not protecting her, for thinking she'd run away when she'd been kidnapped.

He kept telling himself that she was safe now. But the guilt still tore at his heart.

She grew stronger until she was no longer a frail, weak version of herself. It eased Fred's mind, seeing her healed. But he knew that when the time came to fight, he would not let her get hurt under any circumstance.

Little did he know that she was planning the same; to save him, no matter the price.

-

They were sitting in Fred and George's apartment when the coins they'd been given buzzed. It was time.

Olivia grabbed her coat and her wand.

"What are you doing?" Fred asked. "I told you I don't want you to go. It's not safe."

"It's not safe for you either. And since when have you been the controlling type? I'm going," she shoved past him.

"Bloody hell, Liv! You were just captured and tortured. You've been through enough."

She whirled on him, wand pointed. "I choose when is enough." Then she stopped. "And you know what? It's you who shouldn't go. I'm not letting you get hurt." With that, she cast a spell, sticking his shoes to the ground.

"Absolutely not," Fred countered, doing the same to her. They shot spells back and forth, both trying to keep the other from going.

It continued until a spell was fired at Olivia from behind, and she slowly lost consciousness. George caught her falling form, laying her down gently.

"I'm sorry," was all he said.

"You betrayed me," was the last thing Olivia said.

-

She awoke hours later, heart hammering.

I'm too late, I'm too late, it seemed to say.

She ran like a madwoman, apparating away. When she made it to Hogwarts, chaos was everywhere. The battle of Hogwarts was in full swing, even more terrifying than she'd imagined. The air smelled like fire and burning flesh. Foul magic tinted the air, death magic. She saw a familiar face, Luna Lovegood, a face that never should have been forced to see such horrors.

"Where is Fred?" she asked frantically. Luna shrugged in response. So Olivia continued on.

"Where is Fred?"

"Where is Fred?"

She kept asking, but no one knew. Then, she saw him, standing with Percy as they faced off against Rookwood. Olivia ran, sprinted like she never had before.

But it was too late. That unmistakable green flash erupted from Rookwood'd wand. "Nooooooo!" Olivia screamed. Fred's eyes met hers as he fell, one last grin settling on his lips.

Olivia turned her rage to her father, Rookwood. "How dare you?"

Rookwood's eyebrows raised. "Well, isn't it Olivia Sparks," he spit. "I thought you'd gone mad, but perhaps it runs in the family."

"I know you're my father. You killed the love of my life, prepare to die."

He laughed maniacally. "I thought I'd gotten rid of you a long time ago, but you keep coming back. I killed your mother, your real one. She was the greatest mistake I ever made. I killed those filthy blood traitors of yours, too. I tried to kill you, too. Wiped your memory. Yet, here you are."

There was no hesitation as Olivia's arm shot out and the unforgivable killing curse hit Rookwood square in the chest. He was out of her mind in an instant as she ran to Fred. Percy was there, sobbing. She shoved him away.

"What- what are you doing? He's gone, Olivia," Percy said, confused.

"I can save him, I can still save him."

Olivia took a deep breath, placing both hands on his chest. She had no idea how to do this, how to transfer the energy, but there had to be a way. She could feel the curse inside him, settling into his bones. She forced that energy up through her hands and into her own body, instead. Take me, take me she told it. Slowly, the curse changed course, spilling into her, instead. It burned like acid, sour in its fire.

Finally, she could feel all of it had left Fred, and slowly, she fell back with a groan as the killing curse took its toll on her.

"Olivia!" Percy yelled. But it was too late, Olivia was no longer conscious.