**Author's Note: Thanks to all who've reviewed. This chapter's a bit longer than the other two, which I was very happy with. Thanks again.**
"All right, here we are at the first match of the season," Gryffindor's team captain and Keeper said. "I know that you're all feeling a bit bummed about Oliver not being here --"
"Bummed isn't the word I was thinking of," Fred interrupted.
"No, more like ecstatic," George said. The captain glared at him. "Sorry, Will."
Wilma Shakespeare crossed her arms, looking at the twins disappointedly. Then she turned to the rest of the team with a grin. "Now, if we win, great, if we lose, that's okay too. It doesn't matter."
"Yes it does!" Alicia Spinnet protested. "We can't lose to Hufflepuff, they're the worst team in the whole school!"
"Alicia has a point," Katie said.
George nodded and glanced toward the castle. A man was marching down to the pitch, more specifically, the team rooms. He looked to be wearing some sort of uniform: blue and white. They might have been Quidditch robes, but George couldn't tell.
He turned to Harry as the Seeker was saying, "We couldn't have found a captain more unlike Oliver."
"All right, are we ready?" Wilma asked. "I think Madam Hooch is just about to blow the whistle."
Then, as Wilma had predicted, they heard the piercing noise of a whistle being blown. Quickly, they went out onto the pitch and the game began.
George found himself constantly darting from one end of the field to the other. The Bludgers seemed to have become a bit stir-crazy locked up in that box all summer. Either that, or McGonagall wanted to make her Beaters work harder this season.
He rounded the goalpost and knocked a Bludger away from Angelina as she carried the Quaffle to the other end of the pitch. He noticed the man in blue again. It wasn't because George was looking for him, but the man's outfit stood out amongst the Gryffindors' red and gold.
"Weasley! Whichever one you are! Over here!" George didn't need to look. He would recognize that voice anywhere. But of course he did look. He turned his broomstick around and flew over. "Oliver, what are you doing here? I'm trying to win a game, not lose it! Though if we did, our cap --"
"Weasley, look out!"
~
"George, can you see me?" Fred asked. He waved his hand over his brother's face.
When his vision came into focus, George said slowly, "It was a Bludger?"
"Yes," Katie replied.
"If that git hadn't distracted me ---" George began.
"Oh, sorry about that, George," Oliver Wood said. "I tried to warn you about it. Trust me, if I would've had a club, I would have knocked that ball straight out of the way."
"When I get out of here, Wood, and when I have the use of both my arms and my right eye, I am going to kill you," George threatened, trying to sit up.
"George, calm down." Katie pushed him back.
"Maybe I should go," Oliver said uncertainly.
Angelina nodded and led him, Wilma, Harry, and Alicia out. "You'll be okay, right?"
"We'll be fine," Fred responded. "Just get Oliver as far away from him as you can." Quickly, they all walked out, leaving Fred and Katie alone with George. "Oh, calm down, would you?"
"I can't. The man is a maniac," George justified. "He knows there are two mad Bludgers flying around! I'm a Beater; my job is to keep those things away. I ---"
"George?" Hermione stepped into the room. "This is probably a bad time and you most likely don't feel like talking, but I wanted to see how you were."
"He'll live," Katie said, smiling.
"Oh, well, that's good." Hermione started backing out. "I'll tell Ron, he was wondering. Ah, bye." She hurried out.
"Oooh," Fred said. "George and Hermione sitting in a tree ---"
"Oh, grow up, Fred," Katie said, her tone making it obvious how irritated she was.
George could tell his face was bright red. It was one of the plagues of the Weasley's. He pulled the sheet over his head.
"Suck it up," he heard his brother say. "It's not all that bad. See you later." Then there were footsteps.
"You know, George, it wasn't completely Oliver's fault." Katie was still there. He didn't say anything. "He shouldn't have distracted you, you have a point, but it was your choice to respond. I think you should give Oliver a break. He was just trying to support Gryffindor."
"You know, Katie, I really don't want to talk to anyone right now, especially someone who's so sympathetic to the man that nearly caused my death," George snapped. Again, he heard receding footsteps. When he could no longer hear them, he removed the sheet and sat up. Oliver nearly causing his death was a bit of an exaggeration and George knew that. He was angry … possibly unreasonably so, but that was another thing the Weasleys were plagued with: a temper. When he heard another pair of footsteps, he threw the cover over his head again.
"Mr. Weasley." It was Professor McGonagall. "Mr. Weasley, take that ridiculous thing off your head."
George looked up at her and said weakly, "Peek-a-boo."
"How do you feel?" she asked without much genuine concern.
"Not so good," he replied truthfully.
"Miss Granger informed me of the aid you gave her. That was a very kind thing to do for her. I'm sure she's grateful." McGonagall adjusted her glasses. "Five points will be awarded to you - mostly because it's so unlike you."
"Thanks, Professor."
"You'll be in class on Monday, I hope?" George nodded. "Good." She left and George went back to sulking.
~
"Puddlemere United," George muttered. He started moving and walked straight into the portrait.
"Speak up, dearie," said the Fat Lady. "I can't hear you when you don't speak clearly."
"Pud-dle-mere U-nit-ed," he said, enunciating each syllable. "Got that?" The door swung open. Slowly, he shuffled in; but he stopped when he heard his name.
"Why is he acting like this?" he heard Katie ask. She sniffled.
"Who, George?" Fred questioned.
"Yes!" she said, sounding exasperated.
"Well, y'know, it's that time of the month." Fred laughed and said, "Sorry, I'm sorry," at Katie's furious look. "I don't know, did he say anything to you?"
Katie waited a moment, pondering something. "Well, he did mention one thing … a couple of weeks ago. He said he was jealous of you."
George's jaw dropped. How could she tell him that? He had told her that in complete and utter confidence. That was the last time he'd tell her anything in secret. He had to stop this right now, before anything else was revealed.
"Hey, guys," he said cheerfully.
Fred and Katie exchanged quick nervous looks. Then Fred said, "Hi, George. How're you feeling?"
"Fine." He grinned. "Anyone for a game of Exploding Snap? Chess? Anyone? No?" He sat down and looked up at them. "So, did Oliver say why he came?"
Fred shrugged and watched as Katie abruptly stood up and left for her dormitory. "He didn't say. Say, George, word's been floating around that you're jealous of me."
George laughed. "Don't you remember?" he asked.
Fred gave him a questioning look. "Remember? Remember what?"
"That little prank we played." George shook his head. "I can't believe you don't remember. It was the first week of school. We were sitting around the common room and I said really loud, 'Goodness, I wish I was more like Fred. He's got all those muscles and he's so brave. I'm just so jealous of him!' Do you remember now?"
"Oh, yes, now I remember!" Fred exclaimed.
George raised an eyebrow. "You do? I mean, you do!"
Fred nodded. "And then I said, quit now, because you're lying through your teeth and everyone within a mile can tell."
"Look, I said that nearly four weeks ago. I'm not jealous now and I never really was," George admitted. "All right, I was a little jealous. But people like you better, you know that! They think you're funnier or better looking, or whatever. Take girls, for example. You've always been a lot more comfortable with dating - I can never think of anything to say to them." He lowered his voice slightly. "I mean, I have been working my arse off just to get Hermione to look at me in a different light." He put his face in his hands, realizing what he had just said. "Oh, God, why can't I keep my mouth shut?"
Quickly, Hermione (who had been listening a good deal too long) slipped back into her dormitory.
