Chapter 6

What Goes Around Comes Around

Levy sat in the center of the Common Room, surrounded by what looked like almost every first through fifth year Hufflepuff. They spoke in hushed whispers, eying the empty corner where Gajeel usually napped.

"You don't think anything happened to him, do you?" Meredy asked, twirling one of her long pigtails.

Wendy sniffed, a sheen of tears filling her eyes. "I hope he didn't get detention because of me."

"That was several days ago. If he was going to get detention, we would have already known." Levy patted the younger girl on the back and worked to keep her worries to herself.

She didn't say it out loud, but Levy was also concerned for their fellow Hufflepuff. According to the schedule the second-years gathered at the beginning of the year, Gajeel should have been long done with his Apparition class. Although Professor Bob tended towards long lectures, the rest of the Hufflepuffs should have seen Gajeel bursting through the door and bolting to his hiding spot a while ago. It was his hardest class and Levy made sure the curious first-years left him alone during his hard earned nap after the challenging class.

"We need to thank him, somehow," a timid second-year student piped up, drawing Levy's attention back towards the group.

The rest of the students nodded thoughtfully.

"That's a great idea!" Levy shook off her worries and hurried to a table to grab an extra quill and paper. "We should brainstorm some ideas while Gajeel is away."

Everyone jumped to their feet, immediately voicing their opinions and ideas. Levy's quill flew over the paper, the page almost filled in just a matter of minutes. Each student in the room received Gajeel's help in one way or another and they were all eager to show their tallest member just how appreciated he was. The students were just debating the merits of a surprise party over a scavenger hunt when the secret door burst open.

Happy stood panting in the opening. "Gajeel's in trouble, those Slytherins finally ganged up on him! They've got him cornered in the courtyard!"

Everyone in the room froze. Levy's quill fluttered to the floor. As one, the entire group looked at one another, nodded, and bolted out of the room.

They ran en masse down the hallway, Levy leading the charge. Their robes billowed behind them like a sea of black and gold and students jumped out of the way to avoid the typhoon. The Hufflepuffs rushed toward the broom riding courtyard, where a large group of Slytherin students huddled in a circle. Gajeel stood proud and tall in the center, wand at the ready, and stared down Laxus. Even from across the courtyard, Levy could see the dark bruising under Laxus' scarred eye. Heart pounding, Levy quickened her already hurried steps.

Normally she tried not to judge students simply based on what house they belonged to, but a wave of resentment washed over her as she watched them sneer at her fellow sixth-year.

"Only cause you used it first, I'm just defendin' myself!"

Levy reached the mass of students just in time to hear Gajeel's signature growl.

"Look who's talking, can you really say that when it was you who messed with our house?"

Shaking off her nerves, Levy pushed through the crowd until she was at Gajeel's side. "What's going on?"

She frowned at the boys, hoping her status as a Prefect would eliminate some of the tension surrounding the young wizards.

Laxus glared down at her. "Stay out of this, Pipsqueak."

"OI!" A blast of magic rushed past her ear and flew over Laxus' hair. "Try talkin' to our Prefect like that again, I dare ya!"

Levy's face warmed and her heart thumped in her chest. She shook off the strange feeling and stood at the front.

"From what I have been told, it was you two who were teasing someone from our house first. Gajeel was just standing up for his fellow classmates."

Laxus snorted and shared a look with Fried. "And yer really gonna take the word of a–"

"The teachers are coming!"

A cry rippled through the students. The Slytherins looked at one another, their faces paling slightly, and the Hufflepuffs looked as if they were ready to run away at any moment. Levy took a deep breath and stood in front of Gajeel in a weak attempt to hide him from the teachers.

Headmaster Makarov rounded the corner with Professors Jose and Roubaul on either side of him. Murmurs drifted between the students and the teachers stopped in the middle of the field.

"What's going on?" Headmaster Makarov asked, a frown wrinkling his forehead.

Levy swallowed and looked up at Gajeel. A glare marked his own face and he looked only a few seconds away from a duel.

Laxus stepped forward, an irritating smirk on his face. "Gajeel brought out his wand and used magic on me. I only have mine out for self defense in case it turned into something more serious."

Wendy gasped and an angry murmur came from the remaining Hufflepuffs. Headmaster Makarov spared them a brief glance before he turned his attention to Gajeel.

The headmaster placed his hands behind his back. "Is that true?"

Gajeel clamped his mouth shut and Levy could see a tick in his jaw. Professor Jose leaned down and whispered into Headmaster Makarov's ear. The professor glanced at Gajeel, his mustache curling as a cruel smile formed on his lips. Levy's hands shook. Who knew what sort of complaints the professor whispered to the headmaster; it was no secret that Professor Jose and Gajeel butted heads on a daily basis.

Professor Jose straightened and Headmaster Makarov sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Your father would be very disappointed with you, Mr. Redfox. Follow us, please."

He waved a hand and turned to leave. Gajeel slowly stepped around Levy and moved towards the teachers, hardened resignation in each step. A lump formed in Levy's throat. She shared a frantic look with Juvia. Her pale face revealed the same fear Levy had…Gajeel was going to get expelled.

Without pausing to think, Levy whispered, "Accio wand."

Gajeel startled as his wand flew from his hand. It came almost eagerly into her palm, warming beneath her fingers the moment her skin touched the light colored wood. The teachers stepped away from the courtyard, not noticing the flare of magic from her wand. Levy took a deep breath and did something she had never done before.

She lied.

"Gajeel never used magic, Professor. I've had his wand with me the entire time."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled sweetly at the teachers. She waved the wand in the air until all three teachers looked in her direction. Laxus gaped at her and the Hufflepuffs stared. Even Gajeel looked at her like she grew a second head. He opened his mouth, but Levy quickly moved in front of him before he could say anything.

"He was letting me study it this afternoon."

"And why did he do that, Miss McGarden?" Professor Jose stroked his mustache, a glint in his dark eyes.

"That's because," Levy swallowed, frantically racking her brain for any plausible excuse, "that's because…I think our wands have the same core!"

She took her own wand out of her pocket and held it next to Gajeel's. "For some reason it feels very similar to mine, like, um…" She studied the wands, seeing how they almost seemed to move towards one another. "Almost like they were made for each other."

"She's lying, Professor!" Laxus yelled, pointing a finger at her, "We all saw it!"

Levy lifted her chin and rose to her full height, as puny as it was. "I am a Prefect, if you haven't noticed. I would never lie to a teacher!" She turned to the professors, trying to match Gajeel's usual, no-nonsense tone, "Gajeel had a hard class this afternoon and wanted to take a nap, but he had to leave for a moment. He loaned me his wand before he left. You can check to see if my magic is on it or not."

She thrust Gajeel's wand out, glaring at Laxus out of the corner of her eye.

He sneered back at her, pointing to his black eye. "Then how do you explain this then, huh?"

Fried nodded, "Everyone saw Gajeel punch him in the face."

Levy licked her lips, glancing at the professors. A bead of sweat trickled down her back.

You have to think of something! Come on, think, think!

A giggle came from the back of the Hufflepuffs. Levy spun, seeing Wendy walk in front of Gajeel.

"That was so funny, he ran into the wall."

Meredy joined her friend, linking her arm through Wendy's. "We were walking around the second floor and saw those boys daring each other to go into Moaning Mavis' bathroom. Laxus got scared and ran away, but ran into the wall first."

"We felt so bad because we kept laughing."

"That's right!" Meredy chuckled, shaking her head. "You were laughing so hard, Gajeel had to carry you on his back, didn't he?"

"Don't remind me!" Wendy buried her face in Meredy's shoulder. "I got snot all over his robes, I just know it!"

Laxus sputtered and turned to his friends for help. For every complaint they had against Gajeel, another Hufflepuff stepped forward with a rebuttal. Some had a ring of truth to them, but most were bold-faced lies. Levy peeked at the confused teachers, desperately hoping they didn't notice the way her knees shook beneath her robes.

Finally, Headmaster Makarov raised his hands. "That's enough! I can see now that this was all a misunderstanding. Laxus, you've lost 50 points for Slytherin for your behavior near the girl's bathroom–"

"What? That's not fair, Professor!"

"And Gajeel, your fellow Housemates have vouched for you, but do remember that you're, as the Muggles say, walking on thin ice."

Levy swallowed thickly, shuffling closer to Gajeel. The headmaster looked at each of her Housemates, a strange twinkle in his eye.

"Well then, I suggest you all head back to your rooms before anyone else resorts to drastic measures."

After a final nod in their direction, the headmaster turned on his heel and headed back inside the castle. Professor Jose shot Gajeel a final glare over his shoulder before following after the shorter teacher. Once the professors were out of sight, Levy took a deep breath.

"You lying little–"

Something inside her flared. With her House at her back and Gajeel at her side, Levy felt quite the Gryffindor at the moment. She spun towards Laxus, fire burning in her chest.

"Let me remind you of something, Laxus," Levy growled, startling everyone around her. "The Slytherin mascot is a snake, for how cunning you lot think you are. Gryffindor has a lion for bravery and Ravenclaw has an eagle to represent their majestic minds. But what is the Hufflepuff animal, hmm?"

She stepped forward until she was standing toe to toe Laxus. He smirked down at her and crossed his arms.

"A fluffy little badger. Super tiny and–"

"That's right, a badger," Levy reached up and wiped an invisible speck of dust from Laxus' robes. "Have you ever seen a badger, Laxus? Very cute and sweet like you say…but what happens when you mess with its den?"

Her flame burned brighter the longer Laxus stared at her. Shuffles came from the Hufflepuffs and from the way Laxus glanced over her head, she knew her friends stood at the ready. She couldn't help but grin at the paling student in front of her.

"What happens when you hurt one of their own? When you show yourself to be a threat and force them to defend those they care about?"

She stood on her toes, her voice deathly quiet. "They will eat you alive and chew on your bones."

A sharp breath was Laxus' only answer. Levy dropped back onto her feet and gave him the brightest smile she could.

"Just remember that, the next time you're itching for a fight."

With a wink and a skip, she spun on her toes and laced her arm through Gajeel's stiff elbow. The rest of the Hufflepuffs formed a protective circle around their favorite member and Levy practically dragged Gajeel away from the courtyard.

No one spoke a word. The only sound came from the rustling of their robes and their footsteps softly trekking on the stone floor. Levy's blood zinged through her veins and her heart hammered in time with each step. She barely remembered the walk back to their Common Room, but she somehow managed to enter the correct password and filed the students into their room. Levy released Gajeel's arm and walked towards a large lounge sofa.

As soon as the secret door closed behind the last student, Levy collapsed against the sofa. The room filled with gasps and rustling fabric as each student sank to the floor.

"I thought I was going to die!" Meredy moaned, flopping onto a thick carpet.

Happy sprawled out on an armchair, "I've never been that scared in my entire life!"

Wendy peeked out from underneath a pile of blankets. "Do you think we're going to get in trouble for lying?"

Levy shook her head, waving a still-shaking hand. "I think the headmaster might have caught on by the end, but those boys won't mess with us for a while. I estimate at least till the end of the year, maybe even next year as well." A tremor passed through her voice and she cleared her throat.

A collective sigh of relief filled the room. Her friends spoke in hushed whispers, showing each other their shaking hands or wiping nervous sweat from their foreheads. Levy held a hand against her heart, willing it to resume its normal rhythm. As she watched the rest of her friends, a soft sound echoed across the room. It grew louder and louder until each Hufflepuff turned to stare at Gajeel.

He stood at the entrance of the room, holding his sides. "Gihee, you guys…I can't believe…that was the most ridiculous thing I ever saw…"

His laughter filled the room until he was nearly doubled over. Levy blinked at him, face growing warm at the sight of his wide, handsome smile. Juvia fought her own smile and ducked her head. Wendy picked at the corner of her blanket and Happy sat up in his chair, his chest puffing out slightly. Levy's lips twitched and soft giggles came from the lounging students. After several minutes, Gajeel finally wiped away his tears and crossed the room to slouch onto the floor next to her. His arm draped on the sofa behind her head, so close that she could feel his warmth even through her thick robes.

"Man, you guys are the best…" He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, sighing softly, "...I'm so glad I'm a Hufflepuff."

Tears pricked Levy's eyes. Biting back a smile, she shared a look with the rest of the group. Their beaming smiles matched her awestruck look and she watched more than one student wipe away their own tears. Levy scooted her legs under her and startled when something sharp jabbed her leg.

"Oh!" She reached into her pocket and drew out Gajeel's wand. "I almost forgot to give this back. Sorry for taking it without permission."

Gajeel reached forward and his fingers brushed against hers as he reclaimed his wand. "No biggie. But did ya really mean what ya said back there, about the wands being drawn to each other or somethin'?"

Levy bit her lip and nodded, her face growing warm. Gajeel hummed and studied his wand closely.

"Say," he murmured after a moment, "can ya teach me that spell?"

Levy tilted her head. "Which one?"

"The one you used to take my wand away from me."

Levy bounced to her knees. "I'd love to! What are you doing later today?"

"Pretty sure I just have study hall, so I should have plenty of time before dinner."

"Do you want to meet up in the library then?"

As Levy planned a meeting place for spell practice, she completely missed the looks the rest of the Hufflepuffs gave one another. Juvia waved the students over and they huddled in the middle of the room, glancing at the oblivious duo. The Hufflepuffs giggled amongst one another, plotting the perfect scheme to get their bubbly Prefect and grumpiest Puff to finally confess to one another.

Thank you for once again reading one of my completely random writing projects! I promise I'm still working on my bigger story that I started a while back...it is outlined and just waiting for my busy schedule to settle enough for me to write! So until next time, have a wonderful week and God Bless!