The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

CH 48. Trust

~Fred's POV~

George and I walked in silence to McGonagall's office. Partly because he had finally snapped, and partly because the way he reacted meant more than I'd previously thought it had. It wasn't hard to find McGonagall. Katie came with us as a witness who had seen the actual marks on her hand and not just the bloody aftermath. We walked to her office and knocked on the door for her to answer it right away.

"Mr. Weasley's, Ms. Bell? It's nearly curfew," She said poking her head out the door.

"We need to talk to you professor, to report something," Katie said to her.

"Well surely it can wait till morning-" She began but I interrupted her.

"It's about Elodie Professor. Something happened and you need to do something about it," I told her looking at her dead in the eye. It was one of those moments where she reacted like a mother. Her eyes deepened, running through the list of a million different scenarios of what my words could have meant.

"Very well, have a seat," She said and opened the door for us to come in.

She wasted no time in pleasantries, she didn't offer us tea or a spot by the fire to warm up. She went straight up to her desk and had us tell her immediately what was going on. I told her what I had seen, and then Katie confirmed that into her hand the words 'I will not disrupt class' were written over and over again. McGonagall only wanted to make sure of what we had seen was true since it was such a serious accusation. Though the fact that Elodie hadn't come to see her since the day she left class proved that she was avoiding her as well.

"Very well," She said and looked up at us. "I'll take care of this. You kids go off to bed, it's rather late," She said. Katie and George raised from their seats, but I stayed in mine looking at the carpet for a moment. "Mr. Weasley," she said, pulling my attention back. "I believe it's safe to assume that she did not want me to know, but I can assure you, you've done the right thing my boy." She said to me kindly, but I could only wonder. Had I done the right thing?

We walked back to the Gryffindor common room only running into Hermione on her Prefect rounds, but she made no fuss about us being out. Every now and then I would look at George waiting for him to say something, but it was Katie that broke the silence.

"I need to ask, is it true? Lee and I had our suspicions, but is it?" She asked, directing her question at George.

"No, but I hate ultimatums," he said playing it off. He was lying through his teeth, but if that's what he wanted I hoped she would drop it so I could bring it up later.

Part of me regretted going with them to speak with McGonagall. I knew I should have gone to look for Elodie, but if she wanted to be alone, I'd give her that. The only other time I had a girlfriend was third year, and I liked my personal space too much to want to be with someone all the time. After that was when I'd decided against relationships. Well, all but one.

I just, I didn't know what to do if she wasn't telling me the truth. She wasn't lying but omitting the truth could be considered lying as well. If the tables were turned how would she have reacted? She'd said before that she always felt like her body wasn't really her own, was this part of it? Was she enduring the pain because it meant something more? Trying to figure out why she thought she couldn't tell me was beginning to give me a headache.

Of course I knew that George still had feelings for her. I'd been such a sod for flaunting it in front of him the way that I had. It was always a thought in the back of my mind. I used to think that if she wanted to be with him instead I'd understand. But could I now? After having her all to myself after all this time? I'd want to give her anything she asked for if I was able. But what would I do if that meant letting her go to my brother? My own twin. Of course she'd choose him over me. Who was I? Just Fred Weasley, the family disappointment that always messed something up and was never able to take anything seriously. I couldn't even be mad about it, I'd brought it on myself after all these years. The truth was, I needed her more than she needed me.