Wreckage ✦ Fred Weasley (1)

x. Falling for Quidditch

"Is that sarcasm or are you actually being genuine? We can't really tell at this point," George said to her. Fred nodded in agreement.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. You worked hard for this. Who do you think had the deciding vote when Wood and I chose you?"

Fred's eyes widened slightly. She was right. She and Oliver had been the ones who decided, who made the team or not. Nova believed in them enough to let them join her on the pitch — to join her in the one thing that brought her nothing but happiness... quidditch.

Fred and George didn't say anything.

"Just do your best, alright?" She said as the doors opened. She and everyone else mounted their brooms and zoomed out onto the enormous pitch as students cheered from the stands.

"Hello, and welcome to Hogwarts' first Quidditch game of the season! Today's game Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" Lee called from the teacher's tower.

Nova saw Professor McGonagall sitting close beside him, keeping a good eye on his commentating as her eyes flickered to her house team. Turning away, she looked around the pitch and smiled at the feeling of anxiousness before a game. She loved the tension in the air more than anything.

The players take their positions in the air in a circle. Harry weaves in, highest amongst. He looks down to see Nova in the middle of Katie and Angelina. Another small, pudgy woman, Madam Hooch, stepped out onto the field to begin the game. "Now, I want a nice clean game," she looked at Captain of the Slytherin team, "From all of you."

"The bludgers are up... followed by the Golden Snitch. Remember, the snitch is worth A hundred and fifty points. The seeker who catches the Snitch ends the game!"

The snitch zooms around each Seeker's head, then disappears. Madam Hooch grabs the Quaffle.

"The Quaffle is released... and the game begins! Ooh! That was a nice snatch of the quaffle by Gryffindor's legend, Nova Black!" Lee yelled into the microphone as Nova zoomed across the pitch, passing the ball to Katie, who passed it back in time for her to swat it into the highest hoop.

"NOVA BLACK SCORES! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

The Slytherin chasers acted quickly and stole the ball from Katie's grasps, shoving her off towards the drapes of a tower. Nova narrowed her eyes at Fletcher Brass, who sent a smirk at the girl.

Fred watched a figure zoom past him, to see that it was Nova chasing after the quaffle in Fletcher Brass' hands. She knocked the ball from his hands forcibly and passed it to Angelina.

"Angelina Johnson scores! Ten points for Gryffindor!"

George smacked a bludger towards Fletcher Brass, to see it hit the edge of his broom and send him spiraling out of the way.

"Slytherin takes possession of the Quaffle. Bletchley passes to Captain Marcus Flint."

Nova chased after him and called for the keeper when Flint threw the ball, "Ollie!"

Oliver appeared and whacked the ball away with his broom. He smirked at Flint, who glared at him and Nova. While Angelina and Katie pass the Quaffle back and forth as they strategize to score. Nova left the back end of the pitch and flew between Katie and Angelina, who tossed her the ball and assisted her goal.

"Another 10 points to Gryffindor!"

Across the pitch, the Slytherins decide to play dirty. They dodged, kicked, and tried to score, but all attempts were blocked by Oliver.

"Give me that!" Nova heard Marcus Flint say to Bert, one of his beaters. He grabbed his club and whacked a bludger right at Oliver. It hits Oliver in the stomach and he falls to the ground. Nova's eyes widen, "Ollie!"

Fred watched Nova spiral down to help their keeper, until another player came and shoved her off her broom. "Nova!"

One by one, the Gryffindor chasers fell while Slytherin managed to score twenty points. Nova groaned in pain as she lifted her head up to see the match continuing. She pushed herself up from the ground and glanced to her side to see Oliver Wood unconscious in the sand beside the posts. Meanwhile, Harry stopped struggling with his broom and caught sight of the Slytherin seeker chasing after the golden snitch.

Nova glanced to her other side to see Harry dangerously close to the ground, reaching his hand out to try to catch a blur of gold. "Come on, Harry!" She weakly says as Oliver began to regain consciousness.

Harry goes too far and topples off the broom with a yelp, tumbling to the ground. Nova's eyes widen as it looks like he's about to be sick. Instead of the foreseen vomit, a pop of gold fell out of his mouth and landed in his hands.

"He's got the Snitch! Harry Potter receives a hundred and fifty points for catching the Snitch!" Lee said and jumped in his seat, shaking Professor McGonagall's shoulders as his own head of house merely clapped at the victory.

"Gryffindor wins!" Madam Hooch blew her whistle signaling the end of the game. Nova turned to Oliver, who now stood beside her, and shook his shoulders crying out in joy.

Harry raised the Snitch into the air and the crowd and his team cheered at the victory. The Gryffindors landed their brooms and hurried to Harry to cheer alongside with him.

Fred and George rushed to Nova. Fred grabbed her shoulders, "Are you okay, sunshine?"

Nova looked at him in confusion and glanced behind them to see the team cheering. "Me? What're you talking about? I'm fine! We won!"

George shrugged his shoulders and turned around to celebrate. Nova followed him when Fred pulled her arm. "Nova, you fell from your broom."

"I wasn't that high off the ground... and I'm fine. Just a little sore," She said with a confused smile. Fred kept a serious face, which Nova found odd. "Are you okay?"

Fred blinked, "What? No, I'm fine. I just—"

"Oi! Are you lot coming or not?" George called as the team began to leave the field to celebrate in the Common Room. Nova nodded, "We're going, you can go on ahead."

He nodded and began to walk with Angelina. Nova turned back to Fred, "What's up with you?"

Fred stared at her blankly. Because in all honesty, he had no fucking clue why he had cornered her. Was he worried? Of course, he was. His best friend had fallen off her broom in the middle of the game after being rammed by a Slytherin beater. Nova had said she was fine. So why was he still worried?

He didn't reply. Nova narrowed her eyes at him. "You're so weird, brat," she said and grabbed his collar as she dragged him up to the Gryffindor Common Room while he struggled to catch his breath.