Unbreakable - Fred Weasley

Be Careful

"Again," Olivia insisted, she held her wand up to Cedric who'd been practicing spells on her for hours.
"Olivia, look at yourself, you look terrible. Can't I practice on something else?" He tried to get her to understand. She was bruised all over, and had a bloody nose.
"No. You need to practice on someone who can counter-attack, and I could say the same thing about you." She maintained. Cedric also looked worse for wear, his hair was in shambles and he had a black eye.
"Okay, but it's nearly midnight. We ought to call it quits." He looked at her determined. She withdrew her wand and sighed,
"Alright. But tomorrow, same time."
He nodded in compliance and they walked to the Hufflepuff Common Room. She and Cedric had been practicing defensive spells every night for weeks, and they were definitely raising suspicions. Teachers and students eyed them with curiosity as they traipsed through the halls, bloody and bruised, Olivia rarely smiled anymore— a menacing aura flowing about her. Cedric was just as happy as ever, Olivia had mostly forgiven him and he felt that they were nearly back to normal. From the outside they were a bizarre looking couple, Olivia had a stern look about her nearly every night, Cedric smiled like a giddy child, and they both looked as if they'd tried to fight a band of trolls and lost miserably.
"Have you owled Bill again yet?" Cedric asked, standing just outside of the Hufflepuff Common Room. Olivia shook her head,
"I don't know what to say."
The letter from Bill had been disheartening, to say the least.
Olivia,
Sorry for the late reply. I haven't found anything as of yet.
There are some mumblings regarding perhaps, some sort of remedy that I'll be looking into soon.
Hope your holidays went well, and that my dunces of brothers aren't giving you too much trouble!
I'll be there at the third task.
Cheers,
Bill W.
She had read and re-read it hundreds of times, hoping to find something different each time, and frustrating herself each time.
"Well, he did say he would be at the third task..." Cedric sighed,
"He did." Olivia replied, before turning on her heel. Cedric reached out and grabbed her arm swinging her to face him. "What is it?"
"Stay." He said, "like before."
She looked him over while pursing her lips.
"Ced, I don't know if that's a good id-"
"Liv, c'mon. We can talk about the task." He smiled his shy, Cedric smile, and she nodded while sighing.
"One of these days that smile won't work, Diggory." She said, waving a finger at him.
"Well then, one of these days, I reckon I'll be out of luck, Wood." He ushered her into the Hufflepuff house and into his dormitory.
Cedric fell asleep long before Olivia, she stared up to the top of the four post bed and sighed, she turned to Cedric and noticed how he looked so peaceful. Her heart sank as she remembered Fred and how disheveled and relaxed he looked while sleeping. She felt a slight tingle in her arm at the memory and quickly tried to push it away, she had told him that they didn't need each other and knew that it was best if she pretended that he didn't matter. After all, he was dating Katie, and Olivia supposed she did seem like a nice girl. She turned back to Cedric and watched him again while he slept, I reckon that is my husband, technically, she thought. She furrowed her brow, perhaps Bill will come up with something when he's here. She fell asleep hopeful, but her night was riddled with bad dreams. Cedric woke when she stirred and ran his hands through her hair, trying to calm her down without startling her awake. Her brow was sweaty and she was crying,
"Don't go," she mumbled in her sleep, "I need you."
Cedric thought perhaps she was dreaming about Fred, and quietly said her name, trying to rouse her from her nightmare.
"Cedric, Cedric please," another mumble came as more tears slipped down her face,
"Liv, I'm here, right here." He soothed while holding her face softly, her eyelids fluttered open and she looked at him dreamily,
"Be careful, you can't leave me." Her voice was weak, dripping with exhaustion as she held her arm up to his face.
"I'm not leaving you, never." He comforted, she relaxed slightly brought her hand back to her side. "What happened in your dream?"
Olivia thought about it, her mind was a blank slate and she looked puzzled,
"I don't... I don't remember. You, something happened. But I don't know."
Cedric nodded and lied back down beside her, she nestled into him and he waited for her to fall asleep before letting himself relax.
———
Olivia was tormented in her sleep every night leading up to the third task, she fell asleep during nearly every class and hardly ate or spoke. She followed Cedric around like a puppy, watching for anything and everything. Cedric tried his best to ensure she was watered, fed, and at least sleeping occasionally, often staying with her during free periods and letting her fall asleep against him. She still insisted on practicing spells every night, late into the night, and with her slower reflexes, she got hurt a lot more. No matter how hard Cedric tried to postpone, or have her stop, she refused vehemently and said,
"You need to be better prepared. You need to be safe."
Fred watched her carefully, noticing her spiralling state and worsening aesthetic, he fought against himself to leave her be— it's what she wanted.
George found her, about a week before the third task, asleep in one of the hallways. He had tried to keep his distance from her as well, and only now noticed the poor state of affairs that she was in. The circles under her eyes were dark and heavy, sinking into her face. She was more pale and her hair had no shine to it, her robes were limply hanging off of her and she was wearing no shoes. He noticed bruises along her jaw line, and her knuckles were covered in dried blood.
"She looks a bit worse for wear." Cedric's voice said, catching George off guard.
"She looks bloody wretched, mate. What's wrong with her?"
"She hasn't been sleeping... nightmares, and she insists on sparring every night leading up to the Third Task." Cedric rubbed his eyes and looked back down at her sombrely, George noticed that he had a black eye too. Cedric began rolling up his sleeves displaying an array of bruises on his arms,
"What are you doing?" George asked,
"I was going to take her to my dorm, perhaps she'll sleep better there."
"She looks fine here, and I reckon you have a class, I'll stay with her." George insisted, sitting on the floor next to her.
"You don't have any classes?" Cedric asked, George shook his head and held up three fingers,
"Only three O.W.L's mate."
Cedric nodded his head, "you're sure?"
"Positive."
Cedric walked away, leaving George and a sleeping Olivia. A few minutes later, he was taken aback by a sharp inhale and looked towards Olivia whose face was contorted and breathing more rapidly than before.
"No, no, no, no..." she murmured, still deep in a sleep state.
"Olive, you're alright, wake up." George shook her lightly, trying to rouse her from her dream. Her body was stiff and her head was turning back and forth, as if she was shaking her head no. "C'mon, wake up love." He tried to say gently, she stirred and opened her eyes, looking immediately confused. She breathed in the scent of smoke, but something different as well,
"George?" She asked softly, "where's Ced?"
"Class. You fell asleep in the hallway, you mad bird." He smiled, she nodded,
"I'm just so tired." She shut her eyes again, if sleep had a siren song, she was under its influence.
"Do you want me to bring you to your dorm?"
"I won't be able to solve the riddle, too tired." Her eyes were still shut, and she waved him off.
"Then mine."
"N-no, I'm fine." She yawned, still refusing to open her eyes.
"Olive, really." George rolled his eyes, "this doesn't look comfortable in the least."
"O-Liv-" she yawned again, "-ya"
"Yea?" He confirmed, knowing she was too tired to understand.
"Mhmm." She agreed,
"Alright, but you agreed." He scooped her up, slightly alarmed that she weighed next to nothing, and carried her down the hall. Olivia had slept only a few hours in the past two weeks and simply didn't understand what was happening, nor did she care. She was only vaguely aware that George was going up steps, or even that he was moving at all. She thought she heard him say fairy lights, but couldn't be sure. The next thing she knew she was against something very soft, and smelled smoke and butterbeer, a hint of cinnamon.
"This floor is so soft." She mumbled before falling into a deep sleep, George had put her on Fred's bed, having a hunch that she'd sleep better there. He lied across the room on his and watched her carefully, she'd gone three hours with no stirring, her light snoring was the only sound in the room. She would probably be mad at his misconstruing of her words, but, at least she was sleeping. A few hours later he made his way down to the Great Hall, leaving her asleep in his dormitory, he'd made sure to draw the blinds closed on Fred's bed to ensure that no one would disturb her. Or, at least he thought it would ensure that no one would disturb her.
——
Olivia woke to find herself completely unaware of her surroundings, what time it was, and looked down upon by a very beautiful, but distraught Katie Bell.
"What are you doing here?" Katie asked, suspiciously, he voice wavered with uncertainty.
"Where is here?" Olivia rubbed her eyes and tried to hone in on something that would give away her location.
"Are you seeing Fred?" Katie asked, she sounded more hurt than mad.
"What? No. Look, I don't even know where I am. I haven't slept in... weeks. And I just woke up here." Olivia tried to stifle a yawn, and looked up at the Gryffindor girl who was looking at her awkwardly. She looked around the room and noticed all of the red drapery, and smelled the familiar smoky scent. She remembered George slightly, the hallway, but her mind was still tired. "I think George must've brought me here."
"But you're in Fred's bed." Katie said, again more curious than anything.
"Bloody hell," Olivia mumbled under her breath, "I don't pretend to understand the inner workings of George Weasley's mind, so I won't pretend to know why he put me here. All I know, is that I just woke up, and I really should be going." Olivia swung her legs off of the bed and stood up, straightening her robes. Katie stood a half-foot taller than Olivia and still watched her with wonder.
"He says your name in his sleep." Katie blurted, unable to contain herself. Olivia froze, uncomfortable at the information as well as the fact that Katie knew because she was his bed companion.
"Oh." Olivia said in a monotone voice, hoping she wouldn't continue.
"I think he's in love with you." Katie stepped closer to Olivia, who stepped out of the way.
"He's not."
"I think-"
"I've got to go." Olivia cut her off before she could continue, she sighed and looked Katie in the eyes, "there's nothing going on between Fred and I, so, don't worry about it."
Olivia strode across the room and quickly out of the Gryffindor house.
———
George watched as Olivia sauntered across the Great Hall to Cedric, and pulled him out of his seat. They both left in a hurry, Olivia waving her hands about, telling Cedric something—surely, George thought, about where she'd woken up. Katie came in next and took a seat next to Fred, she looked at him with narrowed eyes.
"You don't know anything about Olivia being in your bed?" She asked, Fred had been drinking water at the time and nearly choked,
"W-what?" He spluttered, wiping his wet face off on a napkin. She eyed George next,
"And you?"
"I put her there, yea. She was asleep in the bloody hallway for Merlins' sake." George tried to remain cool, but wished he'd told Fred before Katie came.
"I'm sorry, she was where?" Fred asked incredulously,
"Your bed." Katie replied curtly. Fred looked at George wide-eyed,
"Look, sod off you two. Cedric said she'd been having nightmares and she hadn't slept for weeks, so yea, I put her in your bed— you weren't using it at the time anyway— and she slept fine." George rolled his eyes, frustrated.
"She did say that she hadn't been sleeping well..." Katie said softly, leaning her head against her hand.
"You spoke to her?" Fred asked,
"You woke her!" George accused,
"Well, I suppose... but it was by accident." Katie nodded slightly, George let out an exasperated groan and left the table. Fred looked at Katie who was watching him suspiciously.
———
"You shouldn't have left me with George!" Olivia groaned, "he brought me to the Gryffindor house, and I woke up in Fred's bed with his girlfriend accusing me of stealing him away from her!"
"S-sorry!" Cedric said through laughs, Olivia had told him everything that had happened and he hadn't been able to stop laughing. She looked slightly better, like she had actually gotten some rest, the colour on her face was noticeable. She leaned into Cedric, both lying on his bed.
"It was terrible."
"But you slept." Cedric consoled, he felt her nod her head against his chest.
"I guess." She sighed, she moved her head up, so she could look him in the eyes, "you promise you'll be careful?"
"I promise. I'll be careful." Cedric replied.
Olivia didn't sleep at all that night, nor did she sleep the next three leading up to the task. She wasn't sure why, but the all encompassing and overwhelming feeling of dread settled over her and seeped into her bones. She carefully watched over Cedric every day and night, keeping an eye on everything other than the two of them, not wanting to let anything in.