Unbreakable - Fred Weasley

An Unbreakable Promise

The fifth year potions class was madness after Olivia fell, but she thankfully was not conscious to hear.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER WEASLEY?" Cedric boomed, wand pointed at George. Fred jumped between them,
"Oi, Diggory, watch that." He said pointing towards his wand, "I don't think George did anything! Look at her bloody arm!"
All three of them looked down and the red striations burning into her arm. They looked up at Snape who stared wide-eyed at the marks, he knew exactly what they were.
"Leave the classroom. Now. All of you." He demanded, kneeling down and attending to the girl. He summoned a stretcher and levitated her onto it.
"Professor, if you think I'm going to l-" Cedric started, Snape whirled around at him a glare in his eye,
"Mr. Diggory I can and will make you leave if you dare talk back to me again," he threatened then looked at the rest of the class zeroing in on the Weasley twins, "Are you all deaf, or simply stupid. I said leave now, and I mean NOW." He hissed. The room emptied in a matter of seconds, and a very reluctant Cedric Diggory was the last to leave. He saw George down the hall, inconsolable.
"Mate, I really don't think it was the potion that did it. From what I saw it seemed to work perfectly." Fred said the last part bitterly, Cedric stopped looking between the two boys.
"Weasley, I'm sorry. I don't think it was you, but I want to know what happened. And if she'll be okay."
The twins looked at Cedric, who looked rather glumly at the ground.
"Us too." They agreed in unison.
—————
Olivia woke up a week later to learn that not only had she kissed George Weasley in front of an entire glass full of people including Cedric, but that she also missed the quidditch cup.
"Here you are dear," Madame Pomfrey gave her a green potion, Olivia eyed it suspiciously and poured it into her mouth.
"When can I leave?" She asked, setting the vial down and looking at the flowers and gifts all around her. She was disappointed that no one was there visiting her. She lifted her arm to discover it was bandaged up tightly and thickly, she could only see her fingertips and it was bound up to her elbow. Madame Pomfrey looked at the girl, with pity? Olivia thought.
"Professor Dumbledore and Lupin want to see you first."
"But why? What happened?" Olivia asked, but Madame Pomfrey just gave her a sad smile and strode away. It was nightfall by the time the two professors came and they stood at her feet.
"There are many things we must discuss, but first Miss Wood, how are you feeling?" Dumbledore inquired.
"I'm fine-or well, I suppose." She looked at him questioningly, "but I'd like to know what happened."
Professor Lupin walked towards her and looked down at her arm,
"Olivia, do you know what an unbreakable vow is?" He asked, she looked into his eyes and answered,
"Not really..."
"That is unfortunate Miss Wood, because you seem to be the participant of one. An unbreakable vow is when a witch or wizard make an oath to one another. If the terms of the oath are broken, the person who breaks it will..." Dumbledore trailed off,
"Will what?" She asked quickly, knowing what it must be but wanting to hear it.
"Will die." Professor Lupin stated grimly.
"But, how can that be?" She asked, "I've never made that kind of vow! I've never cast that kind of spell!"
"Think hard, try to remember any time that you've promised someone something with magic." Dumbledore implored the girl. She thought hard, and the two professors waited for her to speak. A few minutes later she remembered,
"It couldn't possibly be this, but Cedric and I, when we were children made a promise to one another- it's rather stupid really, but he tapped our hands with his father's wand-" she cut herself off and looked up at the two professors who had the same knowing expression on their faces, and she too realized what it meant.
"B-but that's impossible!" She cried, tears in her eyes, "it wasn't even his wand! And we promised, not vowed. It was a silly promise! A promise between children. It wasn't-it wasn't even our wand. We didn't even know magic..." She explained, more to herself than the professors. She was shaking by this point, her eyes spilling over with tears. She felt a hand on her shoulder and tearfully looked up at Professor Dumbledore,
"We were only children..." she whispered and he nodded.
"It seems as though because of this, you are not dead now. A promise and a vow are different, only just, but they are. The magic is just as strong, but it seems less fatal. It's magic we haven't seen before, so I can't say with confidence that it will indefinitely be not fatal. Unfortunately those burns on your arms will continue to happen should anything... like this happen again. Perhaps something worse next time... Professor Snape is very lucky that you are alive right now." He finished, and Olivia thought about Fred, her heart sealing off any thought of him and pushing it deep into it's darkest chambers.
"I need to find Cedric." She pulled herself up and out of bed.
"You can, but not just yet. Wait until morning. You need to regain your strength. It took a lot out of you, so as it is, you and Mr. Diggory are bound together. We will try and find a way to reverse, but it is very strong magic. You're a couple though, are you not?" Professor Lupin asked, Olivia pressed her lips together and nodded.
"Then you should have nothing too much to worry-" he continued before Dumbledore interrupted him,
"Miss Wood, I understand that matters of the heart are difficult, but for your own sake, for your own safety, take every precaution to keep yourself and Mr. Diggory safe. It is much to ask, but unfortunately that is all we can do for now."
She nodded, wondering how much he knew and startled at how he seemed to read her mind.
"You've had many visitors, but we didn't let anyone see you today. Mr. Weasley has come every morning, and was quite put out that we didn't let him see you today." Dumbledore said nonchalantly, mouth twitching to a smile for a moment as he looked at her. She smiled at both professors graciously, and watched as they left. She cried herself to sleep that night. How one childish act could turn so dark was the question that ran through her mind for the rest of the night.
—————
She woke up the next morning looking more sickly than ever, her hand still bandaged and her hair in need of a good wash. The lack of sleep did not help with her look, and neither did the crying. She shrugged Madame Pomfrey off as she ran out of the Hospital Wing that morning, running into Fred on the way to the Great Hall. He attempted to pull her into a hug, but she ducked out of the way and looked at him apologetically. He noticed the state that she was in and knew something had to be wrong.
"What's the matter love?" He asked, she flinched at the word love.
"Nothing Fred. I just really need to find Cedric. I'm sorry. I-I'll see you later." She brushed past him, and set her sights for the Great Hall. She swung the door to the Great Hall open and everyone looked at her, not having seen her for the last week. Cedric ran up to her and she pulled him briskly by the arm and dragged him out of the hall, out of the school, and down to the Black Lake.
"Liv! What's going on? What's the matter?" He asked as he watched her pace around. She continued to pace for a few seconds before walking over to him and looking him straight in the eyes.
"Ced-we, I-no we, We need to talk." She stumbled over her words, not knowing how to tell him.
"Is this about Weasley?" He asked crossing his arms over his chest, she looked up at him shocked,
"W-what? Why would you say that? What does Fred have to do with this?" She blurted,
"Well, the fact that I said Weasley, and you said Fred might have something to do with it." He chortled. She looked at him and raised her eyebrows,
"What do you think I want to talk about?"
"You're breaking up with me, are you not?" He looked at her, face very serious.
"No! I'm not, I-"
"Olivia please, I'm not daft. I can tell you like him and the way that he fawned all over you this week I would say it's very much reciprocated. I could tell since the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of the year, you've never looked at anybody like that before. I've kept you to myself for far too long, and it's been really more of a close friendship than relationship. I think we both know that. Really, I'm not mad. I just want you to be happy." Cedric said sincerely, two tears fell down Olivia's face and Cedric took a step back surprised.
"Y-you d-don't understand!" She cried, "we're stuck!" She told Cedric everything that Dumbledore and Lupin told her and about their conversation the past night in the infirmary. She didn't stop there either, she told him about the broom cupboard, the umbrella, and her question about Angelina. Cedric sat dumbfounded,
"But, I promised I'd marry you." He said dully, realizing what that now meant.
"I know."
They stared at each other and finally saw one another; their love shifting itself into a more natural place. She saw him as her best friend, the only person she ever needed and the love of her life, of her soul, but in the most innocent way possible. Cedric saw her as his girlfriend that had slipped away, but he knew she was his, no matter what. She loved him and he loved her. He knew that they weren't meant to be together, but now they had no choice, and it was his fault.
"I'm so sorry Liv. What do we do?"
"What can we do?" She said calmly, not intending for it to be a question. Some time passed and she turned to him,
"We can't let anyone else in. We love each other, even if it's not in that way. If we start loving other people, what if that changes? I couldn't bear the thought of losing you."
Cedric nodded, he agreed. "It's incredibly selfish of me. Especially seeing you and Weasley... now you don't even have a chance to know." Olivia looked down at her feet,
"But I don't love him." She told Cedric, and herself, she looked him in the eyes and leaned her forehead into his, "no one can know." He clasped her hands in his and repeated,
"No one."
They had made another pact, another promise. But this one was more important. Unbreakable. Or they'd die.