When I wake up on Saturday morning, George is already awake, staring up at the ceiling of his canopy bed. "George?" I moan, wondering why he's awake so early. Then, I remember. First Quidditch game of the season. "You worried?" I whisper.
He rolls off his back and onto his side so that he's facing me. "A little. Mostly I just wanna beat that little twerp, Malfoy," he confides.
"I hope you beat him, too. I know you can," I assure him.
"Hey, you know what I just realized?" his eyes light up.
"What?" I ask, feeling a smile creep into my face.
"This is your first Quidditch game at Hogwarts! You were unconscious last year until the House Championship, when Pomfrey made you stay inside, not wanting you to get riled up," George reminds me.
"You're right! This is my first time getting to see you and Freddie really play!" I'm suddenly very excited.
"Now, I have to win. Can't disappoint my favorite girl," he winks playfully before rolling out of bed. "You might as well sleep a bit longer. Wood'll want the team down for an early breakfast. See you in the stands?"
"Absolutely," I grin at him before pulling the comforter up to my chin and then rolling onto my stomach so George can get dressed. Within minutes, I fall back asleep.
At ten thirty, I get up and quickly get dressed, completing my outfit with a Gryffindor scarf. From under George's bed, I pull out the sign I made for the twins last week. It looks blank, but I enchanted it so that it would spurt Crimson and Gold fireworks, spelling out:
Gred and Forge for the win!
Excitedly, I tuck the sign under my arm and head downstairs for a quick breakfast. I find Hermione and Ron and sit by them, showing off my sign. By eleven o'clock, the three of us head outside to the stadium.
Quickly, Ron and Hermione run to catch Harry while I run to catch the twins before they head into the locker room as a team. I manage a quick embrace and a good luck wish before the two of them are dragged away by Wood. Then, I take to the stands with Ron and Hermione.
When the Gryffindor team walks onto the field, I'm certain I must cheer the loudest. I want so badly for them to win this match, knowing how much it means to them. Quickly, the twins find me on the ground, having spotted my very distinguishing sign.
Upon seeing the sign, the boys grin and give me a thumbs-up. I laugh, happy I've made them a little less nervous in the face of the Slytherins.
I watch as Wood and Flint shake hands, and then the teams take off. With pride, I see George hit a Bludger toward Adrian Pucey and then Malfoy. Then, there's confusion. Why is this Bludger going after Harry? Finally, Fred knocks it off course. No, it's still tailing Harry. Fred and George fly close beside Harry, hitting it hard as it tries to attack from every angle.
Finally, Wood calls timeout, after a signal from George. I see the huddled Gryffindor team, unsure what's happening. When they kick off again, Fred and George don't tail Harry anymore, though the Bludger still does. Harry twirls and dives, but eventually he's hit. Then, something amazing happens. He catches the Snitch! He falls, fainting on the ground, his arm bent in an odd angle.
The entire Gryffindor team is pressed around him. I run down from the stands when I see the twins struggling to put the Bludger back in its box. By the time I get down there, Harry's already been de-boned.
"What happened?" I squeal when I'm reunited with the twins.
"Rogue Bludger," Fred explains simply.
"Yeah, but who tampered with it?" I ask.
"The Slytherins presumably," he replies. There's silence.
"But you guys won," I smile after a while.
"I suppose there's that," George smiles back.
Just then, Wood appears. "Fred, George. The whole team's going to visit Harry."
"Can Rey come?" Fred asks.
Wood looks me up and down a moment before reluctantly nodding. So, I follow, soaked and muddy, as the team makes their way up to the hospital wing, stopping first to steal some cakes, sweets, and bottles of pumpkin juice from the kitchens.
Unfortunately, though, the victory party can't last long, because, almost immediately, Pomfrey kicks us out. So, we all take the party upstairs, where we laugh and talk for hours, Hermione and Ron eventually joining us. Towards the end, I fall asleep, sprawled across the couch, full of sweets. Soon after, though, I'm woken by George carrying me, bridal style, up the stairs and laying me down on his bed, where I immediately fall back asleep.