Fred and George had now been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team for five months and had helped the team win against Ravenclaw. As soon as they had begun their second year they had already planned on trying to become beaters on the team, they were undeniably the best beaters Gryffindor had seen for quite a while, according to Charlie anyway. Even though they wouldn't admit it, they did really enjoy playing on the same team as their older brother.
George woke up and excitedly got out of bed knowing that this morning was the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game. He looked over to see Fred still asleep, so he took the few steps over to Fred's bed and shook his brother's shoulders.
"Fred c'mon get up!"
"Ugh" moaned Fred as he lifted an arm up to cover his eyes.
"Fred wakey wakey!" urged George as he shook Fred's shoulder harder.
"Go away" groaned Fred keeping his eyes firmly shut.
"Fred. Get. Up!" ordered George to no avail. Sighing George rubbed the back of his neck trying to decide on the best way to get Fred out of bed. He then smirked, "I'll get Charlie in here if you don't get up in ten seconds. Ten, nine, eight-"
"I'm up! I'm up!" cried Fred as his eyes snapped open and he quickly sat up.
George smiled and then got dressed, he was surprised that by the time he was dressed, Fred was also dressed. As they made their way down the dormitory steps and into the common room they were overwhelmed when the other Gryffindor's bombarded them with "Good luck!" "I know you'll do great" and "I've bet two Gallons on us so make sure you thrash Slytherin!"
They sat down at breakfast where they really felt the pressure, not only were the Gryffindor's wanting them to win the match, but also the Hufflepuff's and the Ravenclaw's. No one wanted the Slytherin's to win (except their own house). But the twins knew with Charlie as their Seeker they were bound to win.
As they were finishing their breakfast Charlie made his way over and leaned on their shoulders. "You all set?" The twins nodded. "Look I know you know there's a lot of pressure riding on us to win this match. But just ignore it, think of it as nothing more than when you played against Ravenclaw okay?"
The twins sighed, they knew this speech already, they were the youngest members on the team and everyone had seemed to have the need to tell them this speech. At least twice.
"We know Charlie" started George rolling his eyes.
Fred also rolled his eyes, continuing on from what George was saying "You and the team seem determined to-"
"Give us this speech, not thinking-"
"We already know it-"
"Off by heart" they finished together.
"I just want to make sure you're okay, you are my younger brothers" shrugged Charlie.
"We know" answered George and Fred at the same time.
Charlie rolled his eyes and then seriously said, "Just be careful out there alright? I don't want either of you getting hurt and then have me answer to mum on why I let you be Beaters" with that Charlie walked away out of the Hall to get ready at the Quidditch pitch. Leaving the twins sniggering, over the summer at home the twins had announced to the family their plans on becoming the Gryffindor Beaters because that way they had a good chance of being on the team together. Everyone in the family wished them well. Everyone except their mother. Molly had cornered Charlie (the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain) and forbade him on letting the twins become the new Gryffindor Beaters, saying he could give them any position but not Beaters. Molly knew that being Beaters Fred and George were going to have to put themselves between their teammates and the Bludgers, Charlie had argued that every position on the team was at risk from getting hit by a Bludger. It was a surprise to Charlie when he didn't receive a Howler from his mother after the twins wrote home telling their mother and father the news that they were the new Gryffindor Beaters.
A few minutes after Charlie left the twins finished their breakfast and then walked out of the Hall with cheering Gryffindor's, Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's following them along with booing Slytherin's.
Soon enough they were flying out onto the pitch and soaring around, George felt huge excitement hearing the roaring crowd. And looking over at his twin he could see Fred felt the same. They took their positions and were waiting for the Quaffle to be released, looking over at the Slytherin's George could see them sneering so he just smirked back. He wasn't going to let the other team make him feel scared. Despite the Slytherin Beaters being a Seventh Year and a Sixth Year George wasn't intimidated by them, it made him only want to help Gryffindor win to show he was just as good, if not better, than the older Slytherin Beaters.
Then when the Quaffle was released he took off to the side of the pitch he was previously told to cover. And already he spotted as a Slytherin Beater hit a Bludger towards Charlie who didn't notice and kept his eyes on looking for the Snitch. George pushed his broom to its top speed and outstretched his arm and just in time he hit the Bludger towards a Slytherin Chaser.
"Thanks George!" called Charlie,
"No problem!" replied George as he turned away from Charlie and focused on where the Bludgers were.
It had been half an hour and Gryffindor had scored 40 points while Slytherin had scored 30 points and still the Snitch hadn't been caught. Both Seekers had made attempts at catching it but for both it had just slipped out reach.
After hitting a Bludger at a Slytherin Chaser and watching with satisfaction as the Chaser tumbled to the ground below. George spotted Charlie giving chase to the Snitch and George smiled seeing the Slytherin Seeker at the other end of the pitch, he knew then that that game was about to end and Gryffindor were going to win.
But the smile slipped off his face when he saw the two Slytherin Beaters hit both Bludgers in his direction. George raised his bat defiantly but knew he was only going to be able to hit one Bludger away while the other was going to hit him. Time seemed to slow and he faintly heard Fred calling his name, but mostly, all George could hear was his pounding heart in his ears and his ragged breathing as he waited and braced himself for the pain that was about to come. The first Bludger neared and he hit it back towards the Slytherin's, and with not enough time to move out of the way the second Bludger hit him. He felt pain rip through his head as he felt himself begin to fall. Then everything went black.
Fred was flying around the pitch looking for the Bludgers when he saw George hit one towards a Slytherin Chaser. Fred smirked as the Chaser fell to the floor, as soon as the Chaser hit the ground he sat up and looked up at the other players with a frown. Fred turned his head back towards George to give him the thumbs up, but instead he could only gape in shock as two Bludgers hurtled their way towards George.
He could only watch as he sped towards his brother as George valiantly raised his bat in order to hit the Bludgers away. But Fred, like his brother, knew George was only going to be able to hit one Bludger while the other was going to hit him.
"GEORGE!" yelled Fred as he neared his brother, but he was still too far away to help his twin.
George managed to hit the first Bludger away and Fred hoped that George would have enough time to hit the other Bludger. But instead he could only fly towards his brother as George visibly braced himself for the pain he knew was coming. The second Bludger then collided with George.
Fred cried out as he saw the Bludger connect with George's head and George fell backwards off his broom. Fred ignored the announcement that Charlie had caught the Snitch winning the match for Gryffindor, instead he remained focused on the slight chance he could save George from hitting the ground. But Fred was still too far away. George's limbs splayed out as he hit the ground.
Fred landed beside George and quickly knelt beside his brother. "George can you hear me?"
George didn't respond.
Fred took one of George's hands in his own and softly asked, "George if you can hear me squeeze my hand"
Again there was no response.
Fred clenched his eyes shut to not let his unshed tears fall, as he squeezed George's hand and in a broken whisper said "Georgie?"
Charlie then reached them and placed a hand on Fred's shoulder and also closed his eyes seeing George lying on his side with his limbs splayed out, looking deathly pale and with some blood trickling down his forehead.
Madame Pompfrey soon arrived and conjured a stretcher to take George to the Hospital Wing. While Fred and Charlie ignored the celebrating mass to instead walk beside the stretcher carrying their brother.
Fred was sat beside George's bed with Charlie sat the other side, George still looked too pale for Fred's liking. Madame Pompfrey had said George had suffered a concussion, a fractured skull, his left arm had been broken in two places and his right ankle had been dislocated. Fred had panicked hearing this but Madame Pompfrey had reassured him that she had mended all of George's bones, including his skull and all there was left to do was wait for George to wake up on his own. She had added that George might feel sore for a little while and suffer from bad headaches but she said that would all fade quickly.
Charlie sighed, "I'm definitely getting a Howler from mum now"
Fred snapped his head around to face Charlie and hissed, "Is that all you can worry about? With George lying here unconscious after suffering five injuries! After having a Bludger hit him on the head and falling fifty feet off his broom! And all you're concerned about is getting a Howler?!"
"Of course I'm more worried about George than getting a Howler!" retorted Charlie, angry and hurt that Fred would think that of him.
"Then why did you say that?" demanded Fred, his eyes narrowed in anger but his hand was still gently holding George's.
"Because he's trying to keep his mind off what happened" said a voice, Fred turned to see Percy entering the Hospital Wing.
Percy came to a stop at the foot of George's bed and flinched seeing George lying so still with a bandage wrapped around his head and looking pale.
"Well he still-" Fred paused and waited for his sentence to be finished by George, but then he remembered. George couldn't finish his sentence. So in a quieter voice he added "…shouldn't have said it"
Fred then turned back to looking at George hoping to see George's eyes flicker open. Nothing. He ignored Charlie's apology and Percy's unusual show of sympathy by briefly placing a hand on Fred's shoulder. All three Weasley brothers watched as their brother remained unconscious and unaware of what was happening.
It had been a week since the Quidditch match and George's altercation with the Bludger and still George had not regained consciousness. Fred had remained by George's side for most of the week, but had been told he had to go to lessons by Professor McGonagall because "it will help to keep your mind off what has happened" Fred had internally snorted at hearing that, how could he forget what happened to George? Charlie and Percy might find it easy to be in their lessons, but he on the other hand found his mind kept wandering to his twin who was still in the Hospital Wing. And he dreaded the thought that George might wake up and not see him there. So he spent all of his free time in the Hospital Wing even as Charlie's and Percy's visits grew shorter and less, Fred remained wanting to be there for his brother.
"George this is getting a bit boring now. I think it's time you woke up" commented Fred, taking his usual position in the chair beside George's bedside and held onto his twin's hand. "Snape wanted to give me a detention today for not paying attention. But McGonagall stepped in and told him under the circumstances it would be expected that I would find it harder to pay attention. Normally I would love getting a free pass to avoid detention, but not under these circumstances" Fred paused and looked at George hoping for a sign his twin was coming back to him. Sighing he continued, "Charlie didn't get a Howler from mum, instead just a normal letter hoping the rest of us were alright and to let her know how you are doing. I wrote to her instead saying I see you more than either Charlie or Percy"
Fred paused again and sniffed trying not to cry while bowing his head and gently squeezing George's hand, "Georgie please. You have to wake up!"
The blackness began to fade and he felt a dull throb in his head, he also felt someone gently squeezing his hand.
He heard someone sniff, "Georgie please. You have to wake up!"
He knew that voice. It was Fred! He then forced his eyes open and blinked as the sunlight streaming into the room momentarily blinded him.
"Fred" he groaned.
He heard Fred take a sharp intake of breath, "George?"
George managed to focus his eyes on his brother and smiled. Fred looked a little paler and had dark circles under his eyes. He then noticed he was in the Hospital Wing and for a moment he couldn't remember what happened, then it all came back to him.
"Those gits" he muttered as he brought his free hand up to touch where the Bludger connected with his head. Seeing the dark look on Fred's face George asked, "You didn't do anything to them did you?"
"No. Though I wish I had" glared Fred, he calmed down and then added grinning, "There was no need actually, I over-heard the Hufflepuff Beaters planning on giving the Slytherin Beaters a taste of their own medicine when they play them"
George smiled then gasped "did Charlie catch the Snitch?!"
"That's the first thing you ask?! You were injured by a Bludger to the head and you ask how the match ended?!" exclaimed Fred,
"Yeah, as I can feel all my arms and legs and feel fine apart from the slight pounding in my head" responded George, shrugging the best he could from lying flat on his back on a hospital bed.
Fred sighed, "Yeah he caught it and we won"
"Good" smiled George, but he saw Fred frowning his smile dropped, "Fred?"
"You were injured pretty badly. A concussion, fractured skull, left arm broken in two places and right ankle dislocated" said Fred stiffly.
"Wow. That does sound pretty bad" mused George.
"'Sounds pretty bad'? George you were lucky to get away with what injuries you did!" exclaimed Fred.
"Hey Fred calm down! It's alright!"
"No it's not!"
"Yes Fred. It. Is! I'm fine so there's no reason to worry" soothed George.
"When I saw you get hit by that Bludger I was terrified, and then when you fell off your broom I couldn't get to you in time before you hit the floor" murmured Fred looking at George with wide eyes.
"I don't remember hitting the floor, all I remember is getting hit by the Bludger and then I fell unconscious as I came off my broom" said George helpfully.
"Small comforts" grumbled Fred.
"Hey Fred it's okay really" smiled George.
"When I saw you o-on t-t-the ground-d, I-I th-thought you w-w-were d-d-dead" cried Fred.
George then let his brother climb onto the bed beside him and they held each other, afraid that if they let go their twin would be lost to them. Fred hugged George loosely afraid that if he held on to tight he would hurt his twin.
"It's okay Fred" soothed George as he hugged his brother.
Ten minutes later Madame Pompfrey walked over to the bed and smiled seeing the twins, both asleep. She had heard them talking and so knew George would be fine, she found she couldn't find it in herself to move Fred so placed a blanket on him and then left to send an owl to Mrs Weasley and to find Percy and Charlie telling them George had woken up. The twins slept most of the day away completely oblivious to the visit of Percy and Charlie.
Two months later the Gryffindor Team were about to fly out onto the pitch to face the Hufflepuff's. Fred stood closely beside George remembering all too clearly what happened the last time they played a match.
"You ready George?" asked Fred worriedly turning to face George. It had taken a month and a half for George to be ready to fly on his broom again as he kept feeling dizzy. But once he stopped feeling dizzy George had forcefully told everyone (even Fred) that they couldn't stop him from playing. But Fred was still worried about George playing a Quidditch match so soon after getting back on his broom, practise was one thing, but a match was a completely different thing.
George grinned widely, "I'm always ready. Let's go and show Hogwarts that nothing can keep the Weasley twins down!"
Fred had laughed agreeing and reassured. When the match ended with another win for Gryffindor Fred was relieved that George was unharmed, so they walked back to the common room ready for a night of partying.
The End.