"'Cause you're just a man, it's just what you do."
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The three of them sat in McGonagall's office. McGonagall paced as she waited for Dumbledore and Flitwick to arrive. Fred could feel himself seething with anger and hurt for Joey. He was disappointed with himself. He'd dismissed Robin too easily all because of handwriting. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and his breathing couldn't catch up with him. Robin sat beside him with a tissue to his nose. The cat clock in McGonagall's office ticked annoyingly. Fred glared at it out of the corner of his eye. He needed to know what Robin did. He needed to know.
Dumbledore and Flitwick burst into the room. Fred stared straight ahead. He knew this would somehow end up being his fault. He knew Robin would get away with it. He knew if that were to happen that his career at Hogwarts would be over because he wouldn't let Robin leave this room without giving him answers.
"Let me talk to Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Mr. Weasley, Professor Dumbledore would like to speak with you," McGonagall told him.
Fred stood up and left without saying anything.
Him and Dumbledore stood alone in the hallway, it was silent, as Dumbledore had probably sent the school into some sort of lockdown mode. "Tell me your side."
Fred waited. He took a deep breath. He tried to compose himself. "Do I have permission to tell you the full story, Professor?"
"Of course."
He licked his lips and began explaining, "A few months ago, I found a journal on the stairwell. It was empty. Except it wasn't. The author used invisible ink. I have the journal in my room now. The entries talked about Joey Pierce. At first it just seems like a crush. But it comes to the author admitting they tried to do something to her at a... party but they messed up. I had reason to assume it was Robin after he assaulted Joey during the quidditch games. However, looking at the handwriting differences between the notebook and his essay for Transfiguration, I thought I was wrong. Then Robin came to the portrait hole, asking me to give him his journal back, thinking I haven't read it. I did hit him. Twice. Nearly a third time. He hurt someone I care about, and I want to know what he did."
"Is Ms. Pierce aware of any of this journal business?" Dumbledore looked at Fred over his spectacles.
Fred shook his head. "She is not. The journal mentions watching her all of the time. I didn't want to stress her out," Fred said. "I understand I should've brought this to the attention of an authority figure, but I simply think my ego was too big, and I feared you would do nothing but discard of the journal."
"That will be all for now," Dumbledore said, and brought Fred back into McGonagall's office. "Mr.Thompson."
Robin got up and swerved away from Fred's seat. Flitwick followed. Fred crossed his arms and looked at McGonagall. She looked displeased. "I apologize if I've embarrassed you, Professor."
McGonagall huffed and sat down. She pulled out a cookie jar and placed it in front of Fred. "It is not you that causes me a sour look on my face. It is your classmate. Cookie?" she offered with a grin.
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It took a long time for Dumbledore, Flitwick, and Robin to return. During his wait, munching on McGonagall's cookies, he heard a lot of cursing, yelling, and desperate crying on Robin's behalf. When they did come back in, Dumbledore accompanied Fred to the boys dormitory where he retrieved Robin's journal. It didn't take them long to find out it in fact belonged to him, and that every journal entry was also in fact him. Robin continuously denied it. And when it seemed he couldn't anymore, he stood his ground and denied it.
The only downside to this was that one way or another, Joey would have to find out. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, they had to do a full investigation despite revealing Robin's ownership of the journal. Dumbledore explained it could take months, but that until such time it was resolved that Robin would be suspended, and Joey would remain unaware as long as they could hold it off so that she could stay focused on her classes. Fred, however, had a three-day suspension, which did break his and McGonagall's contract. He was overjoyed. He'd caught Robin, he no longer had to worry about being turned into a toad, and he had three days off of school. Fred felt great. Until he remembered he didn't know what Robin tried to do Joey at that party.
Nobody could give him those answers right now, because Robin wouldn't confess. Fred had a couple ideas on how to make him talk, but he was almost sure they would get him expelled. Robin's departure didn't happen quietly. He screamed and cursed and tried to actually throw a few curses before his wand was confiscated. Students that weren't supposed to be outside of their common rooms peeked and they whispered. Joey's name was tossed around in the mix a few times, but since everyone assumed all the Joey-business was over with, they thought he may have done something else. When Robin was gone, Fred was instructed to return to his dorm. He would not be permitted to attend classes, nor quidditch practice. He could study in the library if he pleased, attend meals, and stay in his house common room until time was up.
So, Fred went back to his common room with a few extra cookies that McGonagall slipped into his pocket, and a few chocolates that Dumbledore slipped into his other pocket. Fred considered being a detective if it would always have chocolatey outcomes.
In the common room, Fred had his feet propped up on the coffee table and pulled the cookies out of his pocket. Angelina, Joey, and Alicia came downstairs in a hurry. "Fred, what's going on? We keep hearing all sorts of things?" Angelina asked.
"Don't worry about it," Fred said mysteriously.
"Does this have to do with Robin showing up outside?" Alicia asked him.
Fred had fully intended to keep up the detective act, but his eyes flitted to Joey who at the mention of Robin's name shivered and frowned. "I just found a few things out and thought Dumbledore would like to know," Fred said, stuffing a cookie into his mouth before he could say more than he should.
"Is it or is it not about Robin?" Alicia asked frustratedly. She crossed her arms and was tapping her foot impatiently at Fred.
"You know, I actually have some studying to do in the library," Fred said and stood up.
"Fred?"
Fred wished Joey hadn't said his name. Especially not like that. Her soft voice tickled his eardrums, sending shivers down his spine. His gaze dropped to his feet, because he knew if he gave her the satisfaction of looking at her she'd be able to get anything out of him. The silence was loudly interrupted by Lee's bursting into the common room. "FRED WEASLEY, IS IT TRUE YOU AND ROBIN GOT IN ANOTHER FIGHT?" Then Lee decided to actually read the room, and looked at Joey. He flushed and lowered his head with shame. "I mean... whaaat's up guysss?"
How smooth. Fred closed eyes and released a deep, and stressed breath. "For fuck's sake Lee..."
Angelina cleared her throat. "Lee, Alicia, I think we have somewhere- anywhere else to be." Lee looked reluctant but agreed, and Alicia looked like she couldn't wait to get out of there.
Fred faced Joey, forcing a goofy smile to try and amuse her. But she wasn't having it. She had an eyebrow raised, but her eyes were sad and worried. His shoulders fell and he waved Joey over to the couch, and took a seat. Joey hesitantly sat with him and waited expectantly. He didn't want to tell her everything, but he didn't know how to explain himself without telling her too much. It wasn't really fair to leave her clueless, was it though?
"What happened?"
"Robin showed up looking for something he thought one of us guys had and I did his face in."
Joey glanced away from Fred. "Tell me what really happened. Not a watered-down version."
His mouth went dry. He didn't know how to tell Joey about the journal. She'd been through enough with all this Robin bullshit, Fred didn't want to make things worse. "Joey, I don't think I should tell you. At least not now."
"No, Fred," Joey whined and rubbed her temples. "I need to know now."
Of course she did. He couldn't blame her, but he wished Lee had never opened his fat mouth. "Robin... he showed up looking for a journal," Fred paused. He hoped Joey would change her mind and tell him to stop. That she would tell him she didn't want to hear it after all. But she said nothing. "He claimed it was empty. But... I knew he was lying because I had the journal for months. Everything was written in invisible ink."
"What did he write?"
"He wrote... he wrote about you."
The sun had just set. A faint glow remained pouring through the window. The fire heated Fred's cheeks to a pink blush. But the anger in his veins turned him red as he saw Joey's expression falter further than it already was. She lowered her head and Fred followed her gaze to his fist. It was covered in Robin's dried blood. Fred slowly pulled his sleeve over his hand and Joey looked away.
"What about me did he write?" she asked quietly.
"He uh, he wrote about liking you." Fred wiped his nose and picked at the healing scab on his lip with his teeth.
"And what else?" It was clear by her tone of voice that she was losing patience with Fred.
Fred dropped his hand from his face. It slapped his leg and he suspired defeatedly. "He watched you. And I do mean in the... stalking-sense. And... he claimed to have attempted doing something to you. According to what he wrote, he failed."
"What?"
"I don't know. I'm sorry. I would've found out, but McGonagall caught us," Fred said somberly. "We won't know for some time."
There was a long, dragging silence. It was like a blade cutting through flesh. Fred waited for Joey to say something. Instead she just looked around as if the answer would pop out of the fire, or a painting, or the activities board. Maybe even from under the cushions. Then she started to cry. Joey covered her face and put her head between her knees. Fred was startled and cautiously moved closer. He caressed her back in circular motions and tried to comfort her.
"Joey, I'm sorry. You don't deserve this."
"Why is it me?" she sobbed into her arms. "Why does this have to happen to me? Touching me wasn't enough, he had to stalk me too?"
Fred felt terrible. His heart was crushed seeing her like this. If he could go back, he would've just acted clueless about whatever Lee was saying. "Come here, Joey." Fred softly lifted her up by her shoulders and he pulled her to him. Joey continued sobbing into his chest repeating the same questions as her cries grew more sharp and painful. He couldn't answer them. He didn't know why. He didn't know why people hurt others in that way. He didn't know how anyone could be so disgusting, so evil. Whatever it was that Robin felt toward Joey, it was nothing close to love. Because this isn't what love does. Love is protection, care, appreciation, understanding, and respect. Love is a beautiful thing. It doesn't make you sick, it doesn't make you feel dirty, it isn't evil. Fred tried all he could to calm Joey down. She cried for a long, long time. And until she fell asleep in his arms, Fred wondered where George was and how he was going to tell him this too.
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