Chapter 22
Corinne turned up the next flight of stairs with a nervous sigh, glancing down to the doorway two stories below. She had caught a brief glimpse of Dumbledore, Karkaroff, Bagman and the perfect gold of Fleur's hair waiting on the grounds outside before the doors had shut.
Yet, despite her nerves, she was thankful the day was finally here. They would finally get to know what horrible creature or challenge Cedric would be facing in a months time. Which meant she and Cedric would be holed up in some extra late night library sessions, paired with her already grueling exam preparation schedule she had laid out with Ella.
"Hi." The cheery voice tore through her train of thought, her eyes pulling towards the red head who had snuck up beside her.
"Really?" She asked, her voice cold and her lips falling into a thin line. "That's all you've got to say after Wednesday?"
"Wednesday... Wednesday..." He placed two fingers on his chin, letting his eyes roll towards the ceiling as if he was deep in thought.
"Go away, Fred."
"Oh, come on, Baker. I was joking. You may have heard of the term-"
"I always thought jokes were meant to be funny." She said, turning at the last second and starting down the random hallway away from him.
"Oh, you know how to cut me deep, don't you, Baker?" She could practically hear the grin seeping through his words, though she didn't look back. "Corinne, come on... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start world war Ced-"
"You didn't." She snapped. She wouldn't have him thinking he had any stake in her relationship, that he could have caused any problems.
"Well, good. Problem solved." He shrugged, keeping pace with her through the corridors with ease. "How was your day?"
She bit back a sigh, which would have likely been more of a groan.
"Fine."
"I saw Eddie Carmichael staring at Ella all through lunch." He started, watching her face closely for any changes. "Did she notice that or is she purposely sitting with her back to him at every chance-"
"I'm not sure." Corinne shook her head as they neared the next staircase, though at this point she knew there was no shaking him. Dinner wasn't for hours and he was surely headed up to the common room with her.
"I mean... Does she not think about it? Like... eventually, assuming the potion was right, I mean-"
"I don't want to talk about this with you." She snapped.
"Corinne-"
"No! I mean it... Either leave me be or stop talking."
Fred paused for a second, letting her pull ahead slightly, and for a moment she thought he might be listening. Might have been leaving her alone and shutting up all in one.
"I don't know why you're making everything so hard." He called through the hallway, though there was no one else to hear his words. Her steps faltered and she spun back to face him, his mouth had fallen into half a frown, though his eyes were linked with hers, burning bright even in the dim light of the castle's lamps.
"I'm making everything hard?"
"Yeah." He answered without hesitation.
"Oh, right. Cry me a river, Weasley. Half the school's throwing themselves at your feet every day-"
"Half the school?" He scoffed through her sentence.
"Like you don't notice the way Alicia and Katie always stare at you with those wide eyes, like they're just begging for you to even glance their way-"
"And I still want you! Only you, and it's still not enough!"
"Enough?"
"Yeah, enough for you to even give me a chance-"
"There's no chance, Weasley! There's none! This isn't about you, or you and me. There is no you and me."
"Right." His voice had turned cold now, despite sounding so lively only seconds before. "Well maybe I'm done waiting around."
"Waiting around?"
"Yeah. Waiting around for you-"
"Good." She snapped. "Thank Merlin. Great job trying to convince everyone you were in love with me. I might have almost believed you if you hadn't been torturing me every day-"
"Corinne, dammit, I'm-"
"What is going on out here?" Professor Flitwick's voice was barely audible over Fred's, though Corinne still spun to face the short man who's eyes were scanning over the two Gryffindors.
"Sorry, Professor... Just..." Corinne trailed off, no explanation coming to her aide as she waited for Fred to cut in.
"Oh, you know her, Professor. Always causing a scene."
"Weasley." She shot him a warning glance.
"Enough. Both of you, detention, my classroom, after dinner." He ordered, shaking his head as he turned between the two of them. "Now, I suggest you go your separate ways and find something to do other than disturbing the entire castle."
✵
"You're never going to guess it." Cedric chuckled, falling into the open seat Corinne had been saving since she had stormed down to the empty Great Hall nearly half an hour ago.
"What is it?" She jolted up, noting the infectious grin he wore.
"A bloody maze." He had dropped his voice low, though Corinne was sure the entire school would know by tomorrow.
"That's it?" She asked, skeptically.
"No, course not."
"Course not."
"They won't say exactly what's in there... but that there will be some serious magical obstacles to get through to find the Tri-Wizard cup at the center of the maze."
"Well, all things considered... that sounds exciting... and do-able. Unlike breathing under water."
"That was do-able." Cedric shrugged, beginning to pile some dinner onto his plate. "Doesn't help much for our preparations. Can't exactly study everything." He bit into his food as if he hadn't eaten in days. "Who knows what Dumbledore's got planned."
"Well, that works out, since I wouldn't be able to help you study for it tonight anyway." Corinne slouched, her chin falling onto her fist as she looked to her boyfriend.
"Why's that?"
"Got detention." She mumbled, though Cedric's eyes went wide.
"You?" He chuckled, "Detention? Since I saw you last... 3 hours ago?"
"Yes." She grumbled, "For yelling at Weasley in the hallway."
"Weasley? Why, what did he do?"
"Bothered me. I told him to shut up and he didn't-"
"Corinne!" Cedric was hardly trying to contain his laughter anymore.
"Why do you care? You hate him."
"Yes, but I am sorry you have detention. Who caught you?"
"Flitwick."
"Damn... I bet that's the first detention he's given all term."
"Right. Couldn't have just given it to Fred. He's got to be a professional by now."
"Well... Hopefully he'll have you two do lines or something easy."
"Is that what they really have you do? For detentions?"
"How would I know? I'm not the trouble maker here."
"Mhm." She rolled her eyes, shoving him away when he twisted his fingers through her hair playfully. "Don't come to me for any help with this task. I'm rooting for Fleur now."
"Really? Not even the other Hogwarts champion?" He grinned.
"Nope. Girl power. She's going to wipe the floor with you both."
"Yeah, I bet you'll feel differently when I'm looking to spend those 1000 galleons on you?"
"Well, good. I would deserve it." She teased.
"Course you do." He leaned forward, pressing a lazy kiss to her cheek before going back for a second plate of food.
✵
Fred had arrived to detention early. Probably the first person to ever look forward to a detention. Well... maybe not quite looking forward to it, though it was certainly not one he was dreading.
Flitwick offered him a single nod as welcome and Fred chose a seat near the middle of the classroom, dropping his bag to the floor with a soft thud.
Corinne slipped into the room a few minutes after, her eyes meeting his for less than a second before she greeted Flitwick with her typical perfect smile and took a seat in the first row. Fred tried to ignore the feeling of disappointment as she sat down. Of course she wouldn't want to sit next to him, even if they hadn't received this detention for their argument just hours earlier.
"Well, I was going to have you both write lines... but seeing as I believe this to be a one time offense for one of you, and one too many for the other... I doubt much good would come of wasted parchment. I presume you both have exams to study for that could keep you occupied for the next hour?"
Corinne nodded at once, not breaking eye contact with the professor, though Fred's gaze flickered towards his bag on the floor. The only book it contained was Potions, and he would be groaned at the thought of reading over recipes for an hour straight.
"I will be in my office should you need anything, and I would ask that you both please refrain from any more screaming matches." He nodded one last time before turning towards the edge of the class room.
Fred waited a few moments in silence, watching as Corinne pulled out her transfiguration book and flipped towards the middle.
"Baker." He hissed, watching as Corinne's shoulders tensed at his voice. "Baker!"
"Flitwick asked me not to scream at you again." She muttered, not turning to face him.
"Then don't." He chuckled, "Come over here... We can study together, all I've got is my potions book-"
"Not my problem." She answered.
"Oh, come on. Don't leave me to die of boredom, Baker, you're not that heartless!"
"Trying to be."
Fred sighed, flipping open his book at last and scanning over the page for less than a minute before giving up.
"Loan me a book then? You can toss it over, I won't even make eye contact-"
"I'm still waiting for the return of the last book I loaned you."
"Right... I'm getting right on that. I need this one as an advance-"
"Weasley, I'm in this stupid detention because of you, can I at least get some work done during it?"
"Because of me?" He laughed.
"Yes, because of you."
"That's not the way I remember it."
"Shocking." Corinne glanced to her wrist, the second hand of her watch moving practically at a snails pace.
"I'll wear you down, Baker. Eventually-"
"No. You won't. You're 'done waiting.' Remember?"
"I was just trying to rile you up-"
"No." She finally turned in her seat, her eyes wide and cold. "Leave me alone, Fred. I can't do it anymore. I don't want to do whatever this is anymore. I want you to leave me alone. Find someone else to bother."
"Wish I could." He muttered beneath his breath, and for both of their sakes, Corinne turned back to the front, pretending not to have heard his last words.
✵
Fred had stayed in his spot even after Flitwick had dismissed them, packing his book back into his bag painfully slow to let Corinne get a decent head start back to Gryffindor tower. He finally climbed to his feet and nodded a quick goodnight to their professor once the door had slammed behind her and he could stall no longer, swinging his bag over his shoulder and starting the journey back upstairs.
The corridors were nearly black, the only light now falling from the lamps hung high on the walls between every darkening window. His mind drifted to her for only a second before he pulled it back, sure she would be fine. Even if it was late, and dark, and she had a profound fear of the moving staircases.
And who's fault is that?
He shook his head violently, picking up his pace slightly, even to catch a glimpse of her at the end of a staircase, or to be able to hear if she screamed...
At last, he reached the final steps and watched the familiar blonde hair disappear through the portrait hole as it swung shut with a thud. He sighed, glancing around the vacant hallway, his eyes landing on his favorite spot of late. He strolled lazily towards the uncovered alcove and dropped onto the bench-like stone. His mind faded back to the Valentines Day party, and the countless other times he had spent stalling from inside these stone walls so that Corinne could have some time without him. Until recently, when he finally seemed to have made a break through. She would look at him again, smile and laugh when he spoke, her eyes lighting up so bright...
But he had ruined it all again. Like every time. He was beginning to think maybe his potion had been wrong. Surely there was no way his soulmate would be able to hate him this much... That he could make her hate him this much...
"There you are." George's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Saw her come in a few minutes ago... Figured you weren't pulling extra detention just for the fun of it."
"Not quite."
"Did it go alright?" George asked, leaning lazily against the wall beside the alcove.
"Brilliant." Fred lied.
"She's still mad?"
"Course she is."
George nodded, slowly, letting the two fall into silence for a few moments. There was really nothing good to say when Fred was in this type of mood, he had learned that quickly over the past few months.
"It's my fault." Fred started, gaze locked on the stone floor.
"The detention?"
"All of this. Whatever's happening. Her hating me, her and Diggory... I know it's my fault. Even before I started the pranks..." He trailed off, letting his head fall to the chilled wall behind him. "I was too busy flirting with any girl I fancied... She was right there the whole time... Took me a stupid potion to notice?"
"Well, you noticed her, didn't you? Doesn't mean-"
"Maybe I don't deserve her." He cut George off without realizing. "I know I don't. Maybe all of this... is some kind of punishment."
"By who?" George scoffed, "Merlin? No one's punishing you for liking a few girls."
"Sure. I guess not."
"So what's wrong then?"
"She wants me to leave her alone."
"She's always wanted that."
"I know. And I've been selfish. Because I thought something was going to change. I thought... that she'd want me. That I just had to wait it out and eventually..." He trailed off.
"And what? You don't think that anymore?"
Fred didn't answer, pausing a moment and then letting his head shake slowly.
"I've got to leave her alone. It's what she wants. I've got to let her be happy."
"Alright... Fred, you can let her be happy without giving up-"
"I can't." He let his fingers sink into his temples, pushing the oncoming headache from his mind. "I know I can't. I can't trust myself. I'm always going to want her. Too much. And she doesn't feel the same. So it's done."
"Can't be done-"
"It is. If I ever had a chance, I ruined it." Fred shrugged, climbing from his spot and patting George twice on the shoulder as he started towards the portrait hole. "Night."