"Do I Wanna Know?"
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An aroused feeling erupted in the pit of Joey's stomach as she and Fred kept their eyes locked inches apart. George had never kissed her like that. A part of her had to admit she liked the way Fred kissed her. Maybe one day she could experience a kiss like that with George. George... Joey jumped and tore her eyes away from Fred, head jerking to George who was watching them both with an unreadable expression. Joey didn't know when the party got silent, but not even the library had ever been this quiet. She did it again. She did something stupid again.
George lifted his chin and looked around with embarrassment. "It's a game, people," he said, "she didn't actually want to kiss him. Right, Jo?"
Joey didn't mean to hesitate. She was still in shock that she had just kissed Fred. Fred, her boyfriend's twin brother. And her boyfriend watched. "Oh, of course not," she finally said, her eyes following to a figure behind George's head.
Joseph stood, shaking his head at Joey, before turning around and leaving. Joey jumped up and ran after him as George continued to defend his and Joey's relationship to everyone in the room. She kissed Fred, and Joseph saw. She had no idea what he must think of her, because he looked as though he had just gotten there. "Seph!" Joey called after him, as he angrily stormed through the corridors.
After much chasing, he stopped in a dark hallway and turned around, face red with anger. "What did I tell you? Why do you always have to do something stupid and embarrass yourself? Enough drinking, Joey! It's clearly not good for you."
"Would you like to know that George kissed Alicia before I kissed Fred? Because I'm pretty sure that's just as stupid! It was a game!" she shouted back at him.
"But he didn't kiss her like that, did he?"
"Millie changed the rules!"
Joseph laughed incredulously. "And you still think she's such a good friend?"
Joey clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes at him. "She didn't know it was going to land on Fred."
"Of course she did! She's causing trouble for you and your boyfriend, and for your boyfriend and his family. Millie likes to see things fall apart because that's all that ever happens to her in life. Misery loves company, Joey," Joseph spat. "I'm disappointed in you, and you better hope George loves you enough to realize that you're fucking drunk and stupid, and he was too for playing that adolescent game! Grow the hell up!" He stormed off without looking back once to see the effect his words had on Joey.
Silence again. Joey held her breath, holding and holding, until she couldn't. Bursting into tears, Joey held her face in her hands in the dark hallway. Joseph was right. She was being stupid. It was irresponsible of her to agree to that stupid game. Only single people should be playing that game. And this is why. Now she didn't know if the boy she loved hated her for kissing his brother. Even worse, she hated herself for liking it. She hated herself for falling into the kiss without thinking twice as if it were a hole she could never climb out of. Joey couldn't believe she could hurt George like this, all to appease Millie and get even with George.
The tears kept running and Joey didn't know how to make them stop. Quick footsteps grew closer to her, until she felt a pair of arms wrap warmly around her shaking body. "Shhh. It's okay, Josephina," It was Fred. Only Fred called her that. "George loves you, he knows that it... meant nothing. Otherwise, he wouldn't be yelling at a room full of people right now for you."
Joey cried harder into Fred's arms. "I keep making mistakes, Fred."
Fred laughed softly. "What're you talking about?"
"Last year," she said through tears.
Fred's smile fell. Everyone knew that story. "Joey, last year wasn't your fault. You drank a little too much, but it happens to everyone. Even me. I've done much worse at parties."
"You don't get it," she sniffled, wiping her cheeks with her wrist.
"Enlighten me then," Fred said to her, using her index finger to angle her face at him. He frowned. Her sad green eyes found his, filled with tears and running mascara. Even crying, Joey was so, so beautiful. "Talk to me, angel. Let it out."
"Forget it," she shook her head, eyes flitting to his lips for a fraction of a second before she placed her head back on his chest. "Can you take me back to my dorm? I can't face George like this."
Fred placed his chin on top of her head and squeezed her firmly. "Of course, pretty girl."
They stood there for another minute, not saying anything with their words, but a lot with the silence. Fred rocked Joey back and forth, his eyes closed. He could stay here like this forever if she would let him. But to his dismay, Joey pulled away, and they began the small journey back to the Gryffindor common room. Fred had his arm around Joey, rubbing her shoulders, telling her jokes. Sometimes she'd crack a smile, other times she broke further into tears before finally laughing. Fred was happy he could make her laugh because she clearly needed it.
When they made it back into the Gryffindor common room, they were alone. Based on the look they gave each other, they both thought heavily on that matter. Fred proceeded for the sake of his friendship with Joey, and brought her up the stairs to her dormitory. He opened the door for her and in she walked. Fred followed. It was easy to single out Joey's bed from the rest. Purple sheets with a lot of stuffed animals, and fairy lights around the bed posts. Joey sat down on the bed, unstrapping her shoes, then kicking them toward her dresser so they were out of the way.
Fred moved throughout Joey's side of the room, looking at a framed picture of Joey and her brothers that rested on top of her dressed. She looked about 13, smiling goofily with her brothers who looked even more goofy than she did. Fred grinned at it, then turned back to Joey. She was watching him with a sad expression.
"Joey," Fred began, stepping to her and crouching down between her knees. "George loves you. You don't have to worry."
"It doesn't matter, I'm still mad at myself."
Fred tutted and waved his index finger at her. "Hey, if you're going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me. I spun the bottle. I kissed you. I'll take the heat, don't worry. Tomorrow, George is going to be attached to your hip as if nothing happened, I assure you."
Joey nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Freddie."
His lips twitched, wanting to kiss her again. But he didn't. Instead, he reached over and opened Joey's drawer, pulling out one of her big t-shirts. "Here, pretty girl. Put this on." Fred put his hands on Joey's knees and boosted himself up. He turned around while Joey removed her clothes.
"Fred," Joey mumbled. "My shirt is caught. Can you help me?"
Of course it was. Fred wanted to scream in anguish. The lord was torturing him. "Sure thing," Fred said, and turned around to Joey. Her back was to him, and sure enough, thread from her shirt was caught on her necklace. Fred broke the thread with his fingers, and Joey immediately pulled her shirt off. Fred blushed, seeing the front of her in the mirror. She was standing right in front of him in a white bra and a short skirt.
Joey reached up to her hair and began pulling elastics from it, struggling. Fred caught her hand and moved it aside, carefully removing the elastics and Bobbi pins from each bun. Joey's wavy hair fell, and Fred ran his fingers through it. It was smooth and soft, and his fingers could remain in it forever and he'd never complain. "Thank you," she said to him softly.
"Mhm," he hummed, lowering his gaze to her skirt. The teenage boy in him wanted her to take it off, but the rest of him knew it was proper and right to turn around. So he turned, and squeezed his eyes shut. He'd seen enough; a lot more than the brother of a girl's boyfriend should see.
"I'm done," Joey said after a minute.
Fred was beginning to get dizzy from spinning so much. For the umpteenth time, Fred turned back to her. Joey was on her bed again, brushing her hair with a comb. Her makeup was a mess. Fred went into the girl's bathroom and came out with a damp washcloth. Sitting next to her on the bed, he turned her head to him, and gently wiped the makeup from her face. "If I hurt you, tell me," he said.
Joey said nothing, and soon he was finished. Placing the rag in his lap, he reached to Joey's ears and pulled out her silver hoops, collecting them in his hand. Fred got up with the rag, and placed Joey's earrings on her nightstand, then returned the cloth to the bathroom. When he got back to Joey, he wasn't sure what to say. He didn't know if he should stay or go.
It was quiet. Owls hooted outside, crickets chirped, and the floorboards beneath Fred's feet creaked as he shifted his weight. But that was it until Fred decided to break the silence, "Do you want me to leave? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"Please stay," Joey spoke fast and quiet.
She didn't have to tell him twice. Fred sat down with Joey on her bed. Joey scooted closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. If Joey was his girlfriend, he would fall asleep with her this way every night. Nothing would be able to stop him. They sank back into the pillows and stuffed animals together. "You alright, pretty girl?"
Joey inclined her head and leaned close to him as if to tell him a secret. Instead, she placed her soft pink lips on his cheek, lingering for just a few seconds, before putting her head back down. Fred's face became hot and he couldn't help but smile. "Why're you so nice to me, Fred Weasley?" she asked in a whisper. "Are you sweet on me?" She giggled, holding onto his shoulder.
"Nah," he lied, mustering up the most convincing grin that he could.
"I still can't put my finger on why you don't have a girlfriend yet. You're a sweetheart," Joey told him. She sounded tired and dreamy, and her breathing slowed as the minutes passed.
Fred stayed silent. He could feel as Joey's hand unclenched his shoulder, and her body relaxed into the bed. She was asleep. This was why he didn't have a girlfriend. Joey was why he didn't have a girlfriend. There was no point in having a girlfriend when he knew he could never love someone as much as her. Fred contemplated staying even longer and falling asleep with her. But that wasn't fair to Joey, nor George. Fred carefully pulled his arm out from under Joey, and pulled a thin blanket over her body. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Goodnight, pretty girl. I'll see you in my dreams."
He made it to the door before he looked back at her one last time. One day. One day he would be in bed with her, holding her tight, and smothering her with kisses. Whether that was in his dreams or not, he would have her. Tonight, for the first time in a long time, his reality was far better than his dreams. And he went to sleep knowing no dream could ever compare to that night.
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