Falling for You

George looked around the Great Hall. He grinned as he saw his twin sitting by himself (for once he wasn't with Lee Jordon, who had foolishly accepted one of their experimental Combustable Crisps and was in the hospital wing having his ears reattached). George walked over with a business like expression and sat next to his brother.

"Seen Harry lately?" George asked, trying- and failing horribly- to sound innocent as he helped himself to potatoes.

"Might have caught a glimpse," Fred shrugged.

"Did a good job on his appearence, did I not?" George boasted.

Fred turned sideways to look his brother straight in the eye. "Yeah, but you didn't see what happened last night, did you?" he hissed.

"What?" George demanded, dropping his matter-of-fact attitude.

Fred grinned and shrugged again. "Nothing," he said airily.

"Come on! Tell me!" George pounded his fist on the table.

Fred was bursting to tell, anyway. "I saw Hermione and freckles out by the lake late last night... very late... a bit of midnight magic, if you ask me,"

George was burning up. "So? That doesn't mean anything."

"Well, she doesn't seem to be all over Harry like you predicted, ol' brother." He jerked his head towards the end of the table. It was true. Hermione and Harry were keeping their distance. Apparently they were both extremely embarrassed about what happened the night before.

George couldn't think of anything to say. He looked at his watch. "Quidditch practice," he said firmly, changing the subject.

Fred bit his lip. "Okay. I'm coming."

The twins slouched out the hall onto the fields, broomsticks over their shoulders.

George yawned and kicked off from the ground. He looped the field a few times to let the cold rushing air wake him up. When he landed, he saw Harry had appeared on the field, too, stretching and yawning and looking like a lovably teddy bear. Or at least, that's what he hoped he looked like to Hermione, who had just arrived to sit on the sidelines.

"That's weird. Hermione never watches the practices," Fred whispered as he inched by on his broom.

George grinned. "Maybe she came to watch the famous Harry Potter."

Fred narrowed his eyes and took off so sharply that a gust of wind blew George almost off his feet.

"Morning, George," Harry smiled. He had become more friendly towards George since the last Hogsmeade visit. Harry was obviously pleased with his makeover.

"Morning," George responded. They both took off and weaved in and out of the goal posts. George noticed Hermione looking up from her text books more than usual just to watch Harry. George couldn't have been more pleased.

"Seems like Hermione can't take her eyes off you, Harry," George smiled as they passed in mid-air.

"What?" Harry said, distracted. He paid dearly for his lack of concentration. A bludger wizzed passed his ear, and Harry had to turn upside down on his broom to avoid it. Hermione actually stood up and gaped at Harry to make sure he was all right. She only sat back down when Harry was safely sitting back on his broom.

"Hmmm..." George whispered to himself. His mischeivous mind put two and two together, and soon he hatched a plan.

Ten minutes later, the rest of the team had come onto the dew covered grass, accompanied by a few spectators, as well. Seamus and Dean were there, apparently having nothing better to do. Madame Hooch also was present. She often was there watching the teams practice, occasionally making suggestions. Ron was the fourth one. He blushed when he saw Hermione there, but looked pleased. Fred looked very happy about this.

"Okay, team," Katie Bell said to the Gryffindors. "Let's try out those new moves. George, that new looping technique looks good, but Angelina, watch out for your blocking moves. Everyone ready? Let's go!"

Seven brooms rose into the air. Six of the team members instantly began chasing the balls around, but Harry squinted here and there, looking for the snitch.

George sighed. "Harry, I'm really sorry about this," he whispered. He took his wand out of his sleeve and muttered a simple spell. Soon, Harry's broom began to vibrate, and soon he was hanging on by one arm.

The watchers below as well as the team gasped and focused on Harry and his very oddly behaving broom. George bit his lip. "Oh, forgive me, Harry," he whispered. A final flick of his wand, and Harry was thrown inot the air and landed forty-five feet below with a soft thud.

Everyone crowded around Harry.

"Is he okay?"

"What happened?"

"Can you hear us, Harry?"

Harry groaned. He looked up to the panicking crowd. He coughed and tasted blood in his mouth. He tried to wipe his chin with his sleeve, but his arm didn't work. He was too afraid to look.

"I can't move my arm," he said faintly.

Some gasped.

"Harry!" Hermione pushed through the crowd. Her face was stained with tears and she bit her fingers.

"Take him to the hospital wing," Madame Hooch said.

Hermione instantly knelt down and put Harry's good arm around her shoulder. Ron pushed him up by his back and soon the three walked up to the castle.

When they entered the hospital wing, Harry was helped into a bed, then Ron rushed off to find Madame Pomfrey.

"Oh, Harry. Does it hurt much? Do you think you'll be okay? What do you think was wrong with your broom? Was it cursed? Did you break your legs, too? Did you-" Hermione rambled on rather quickly. She was worried out of her mind.

Ron returned with Madame Pomfrey. She bend over to inspect Harry's arm carfully.

"Hmmm..." she muttered. "Just a broken arm, plus a twisted ankle," she said with a tone as if she were saying, "Just a tummy ache. I'm surprised you came down here at all!" After all, this was Hogwarts; a forty-five foot drop from a posessed broom? What else is new?

"I'll have you fixed up in a moment, Potter. Just have to find the right potion," she said as she left the three alone.

Hermione continued to ramble. "Will you be alright? Does everything look fuzzy? Does your head hurt?"

"Gee, Hermione. He just broke his arm and twisted a foot. It's not a huge deal!" Ron shook his head.

Hermione looked furious. "What an awful thing to say! Harry almost plunged to his death and you think it's no big deal? What is wrong with you?"

"Hermione, he'll be fine! Madame Pomfrey must mend five bones a day! Harry'll be good as new in a minute, right Harry?" Ron said honestly. Harry agreed whole heartedly with Ron.

"I can't believe you! Show some sympathy!" Hermione raged.

Ron tightened to corners of his lips and narrowed his eyes; a sign he was very angry. "Fine. I'll just leave, since I apparently don't care about Harry when he's on his... er, deathbed," Ron said sarcasticly. he stormed out of the room.

"Hermione, he's right. I'll be fine. It's really not a big-" Harry began, but he was interrupted when Hermione threw her arms around him and cried, "Oh, Harry... I hope you'll be okay!"

She stood up very suddenly. "I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? Oh, I'm so careless!" She stomped her foot on the ground and ran from the hospital wing, sobbing.

Harry watched her go with his mouth open and his eyebrows up. Why was she so upset? And why had she hugged him? It was so unlike her to become all sensative when something like this happened. Sure, she would be very worried and even panick a little, but not to that extent! Maybe it had something to so with last night...

Harry shook his head roughly. No, he must not think about things that way. Just forget about the night before. He could have even been dreaming, anyway. But it couldn't have been a dream. The way they were coming together was definatly real... and even a bit scary.

Madame Pomfrey returned with a icy goblet and her wand in hand. After drinking down the numbingly cold potion, Harry couldn't feel the pain in his arm at all. Then the nurse whispered a few words and his arm, which was sticking out oddly, straightened. Harry tried moving it. It worked! Ron was right; this was a piece of cake.

Madame Pomfrey suggested Harry spend a few more hours in bed, just to be safe. Harry didn't mind. He wasn't really keen on seeing Hermione right away and having her fuss over him.

While Harry was settling into bed, the quidditch team came in. Every one looked a bit worried. After many "Feel better"s and "See you around"s, the Gryffindors left. George stayed behind, however.

"Where did Ron and Hermione go?" he asked.

"Not sure," Harry said. "But I'm sort of glad. Hermione wouldn't stop worrying about me! You should have seen her! Crying and fussing and-" Harry stopped. He didn't want George to know she had hugged him.

"Oh. I wonder what's up with that," George said absentmindedly. Truthfully, he couldn't have been happier. This was just the affect he was looking for. Yes! No way Hermione can resist Harry Potter, the brave little hero, now!

·~··~··~·

George whistled a tune as he made his way back to the common room. Things were definatly going his way. He was just upset they hadn't gambled more money!

George hummed merrily when suddenly a hand yanked the back of his shirt collar. Gasping for breath, he saw Fred behind a statue with a savage face, crossed arms, and a tapping foot.

"Did you have to choke me? A simple, 'Hey George' would have done just fine," George said as he rubbed his neck.

"Are you crazy? Harry could have really been hurt!" Fred hissed.

"What makes you think I had anything to do with that?" George asked with his brow furrowed.

"Oh, come off it. The way you were smirking... you would have thought Christmas had come early by the look on your face! Now I'll have to come up with some amazing stunt to compete with-"

"Ahah!" George cried. "You don't care about Harry! You just don't want to loose!"

"NO! I care about Harry's safety just as much as this bet!"

George snorted.

"Well, still... you shouldn't be chucking him off brooms!" Fred confessed.

"That's the game," George said matter-of-factly.

Fred gritted his teeth. "Fine. You want to play dirty? We'll play dirty. Oh, you'll be sorry, though. You have no idea what a brilliant mind like mine can come up with!"

Unfortunatly, my brilliant mind is out of ideas. Suggestions welcome, as always. Now I better post this soon, or I'll forget about it and not have it up for a week (like I did with some previous chapters- sorry :). Can't think of anything more to say here. Bye, now!

-QA