Written for the QLFC Season 5 - Round 7
Tutshill Tornados - Chaser 2
Prompt: Write about a witch or wizard trying to figure out how (one or more) Muggle technology works in an experimental space.
Optional Prompts:
[9] Broken torch (object)
[13] Batteries (word)
[15] "What do you mean, these pictures don't move?" (disalogue)
Word Count: 1,741
"Grab the extra bottles, they're in the fridge," Hermione called from the hallway.
Ron pointed his wand over his shoulder and two small bottles zoomed into the room. He crammed them into the bag and forced the zip shut. Hugo was sleeping soundly in the car seat on top of the table. It was a welcome change from the non-stop screaming they had had to endure over the past three days. Ron smiled down at his son and couldn't help but think how perfect he was even when he was screaming – but especially so when he was asleep. Ron slung the baby bag over his shoulder before picking up the car seat and making his way outside. Hermione was already buckling their daughter, Rose, into her own car seat but turned to look at him just as the door snapped shut behind him.
"Did you grab the bottles?"
"Yep," said Ron as he stowed the baby bag into the boot. "I also picked up Rose's juice."
He handed her the small, yellow, sippy cup which was decorated with several black cats. Hermione gave him a warm smile before giving it to Rose. Ron strapped Hugo into the car and got into the driver's seat just as Hermione got into the passenger side. He turned on the ignition and pulled out onto the road.
"Wait! Do we have the gifts?"
"Yes, Hermione," said Ron.
"The extra nappies?"
"Yep."
"What about-"
"Hermione, we have everything, alright?" Ron snapped.
"Well, I'm sorry for trying to make a visit to my family go as smoothly as possible for once."
Ron bit back his retort, not wanting to argue during the entirety of the journey. Instead, he flicked one of the switches and let the sound of the radio fill the car. Rose began to sing along from the backseat; at least it was her version of singing which was really just random words interspersed with a lot of humming. Hermione didn't say anything more but as they neared their destination the dark looks she had been throwing him seemed to occur less and less.
"So, what is it your cousin does again?"
Hermione sighed. "Annabelle is a neurosurgeon and her husband, Imran, is a physics professor at Cambridge. I've told you this at least five times."
"I'm sure you have."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," said Ron, feeling exasperated. "I was just agreeing with you."
"If that's how you're going to act today then I wish you weren't bothering to come!" Hermione spat.
Ron didn't reply. Hermione always seemed to get this way when she was nervous and she was usually nervous when they were around the Muggle members of their family. Only her parents knew of the wizarding world as it was the law that prevented her from telling everybody else. However, Ron also found himself getting nervous whenever they visited Hermione's side of the family. He often felt awkward around Muggles, not knowing their customs or much about their world. He had learnt quite a bit since meeting Harry and Hermione, who had both been raised by Muggles, but he still was not fully comfortable out in their world.
There was also a heightened anxiety on any trip to their Muggle relatives while travelling with two small children. Hugo had recently begun showing signs of magic, nothing big but little flickers here and there. Rose, on the other hand, had been able to use hers since she had reached eight months of age and ever since had delighted in using it to her advantage. As if to prove his point the yellow sippy cup floated into his field of vision. Hermione grabbed it and slammed it down onto the dashboard.
"Did you see that?" Hermione hissed. "What if she does that at Annabelle's?"
"She won't," said Ron through gritted teeth.
"Oh, really! And how do you know that, oh wise one?"
"Look, you need to stop worrying. If something does happen then we'll deal with it. Until then let's just try and have a nice time and pretend to be happy at least."
"Pretend to be happy?"
"For the love of Merlin! Stop. Picking. At. Everything."
Hermione fell silent and didn't say another word to him for the rest of the drive. Ron thought about saying something but didn't quite feel like getting his head bitten off again. They finally arrived at the small cottage. Hermione sprung out of the car as soon as they came to a stop, slamming the door hard behind her. Ron followed rather reluctantly, lagging behind as he got everything out of the car. The front door was being opened by Annabelle as he walked up and Hermione walked inside with the children without acknowledging him. Annabelle kissed him on the cheek as he entered and Ron passed her the gifts they had brought. Imran shook his hand rather vigorously and offered him a beer as Hermione and Annabelle went into the kitchen.
"How was the drive?" said Imran.
"Not too bad."
"You made good time. Did you take the A1?"
"Yeah, it was pretty clear."
Imran nodded and made his way to the kitchen with Ron close on his heels.
"Darling," said Annabelle. "Go and fetch Terrence from his nap. Oh and bring our latest copy of New Scientist, I want to show Hermione one of the articles."
"Yes, dear."
"Right, you four head into the front room and I'll be right along with some snacks."
Hermione herded Rose into the hallway while Ron carried the still-sleeping Hugo. He nudged Hermione as they walked past all of the photographs.
"Why aren't they moving?" said Ron.
"What?"
"The pictures!"
"You know they don't move in Muggle photographs, Ronald."
"What do you mean, these pictures don't move? I thought that was just for posters and at your parents."
Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down on one of the sofas. At that moment Annabelle entered the room and Ron abruptly stopped talking. The conversation was a little stilted, even after Imran came back with Terrence in tow. Ron knew little to nothing of the science Muggles were so fond of and so found himself lost within the conversation for most of the time.
"Darling, you should show Ronald your lab," said Annabelle.
"If you're interested it's just out the back," said Imran.
"Yeah, sure," said Ron.
He got up and followed Imran back into the kitchen and out of the back doors. They made their way across the grass to a small, square, brick building which looked as though it had been recently developed. Inside Ron found himself immersed in white. White walls, white floors, white everything. There were metal machines dotted about the room and several workspaces which were cluttered with odd bits of paper.
"I do most of my research at the university. This is more for when I need to spend some time at home so I can. There's nothing too dangerous in here as you can see."
Ron picked up an object from the nearest table and began to examine it.
"Yeah, that torch is broken," said Imran. "I've changed the batteries six or seven times but the bulb just won't light. Pretty sure something's loose inside, just not sure what." His mobile phone starts ringing and Imran looks down at it. "Sorry, mate. I'm just going to take this quickly outside. Feel free to look around but don't touch the machines."
As Imran left the room Ron felt himself relax. It was truly hard work being around Muggles for such long periods of time. He began to survey the torch and clicking the buttons on top. Ron couldn't help but think how much his father would love taking it apart, even broken. He shook the torch from side to side and could hear a small rattling sound. Ron didn't know much about Muggle objects but the rattling just sounded odd to him.
Glancing around to make sure that Imran wasn't coming back Ron pulled out his wand and began muttering over the torch. He wanted to figure out how it worked before simply repairing it. Ron knew that he could easily ask his dad or Hermione but for once he just wanted to discover something on his own.
Suddenly there was a loud bang. Ron looked up in alarm in time to see that he had accidentally knocked over one of the strange machines which had knocked onto another.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Ron cried.
The machine that was about to topple over levitated in the air and Ron lowered it slowly back down to the ground. He then stood the other machine back up and went back to examine the torch. Ron noticed that one end of the torch seemed to swivel and so he turned it until the end came off. Out fell two of the metal things he recognised as batteries. Ron assumed they powered the torch somehow but still was unsure. He shoved them back into the torch, deciding that it would be best to get it working so he could actually see it work in action. Cautiously, Ron raised his wand over the torch once again.
"Reparo," he muttered.
Ron pressed one of the buttons and suddenly the head of the torch began beaming with light. Ron flicked the switch off and on for a few moments before setting it back down on the table. He felt perhaps he had finally figured it out. Clearly, the batteries are magic. Yet that couldn't be right or they wouldn't need torches at all. Ron felt as if his brain was about to explode, it was like he was back in school except for this time it was his choice. Surely it couldn't be so hard to determine how one simple Muggle object worked.
Stowing his wand away Ron leant backwards without realising that there was another table stood behind him. The table jolted and all of the papers that had been on top scattered around the room. It was at that moment that Imran walked back inside, evidently done with his phone call. He just stood there for a few moments, taking in the mess. Then he began to chuckle so softly that Ron wasn't sure he was hearing correctly until Imran began to choke with laughter. Ron couldn't help but join in and the two of them began the slow process of cleaning up, all the while just laughing the time away.