Muggle Studies Brief Lesson – Muggle Sports: Just like wizard kind, Muggles have a plethora of sports that they partake in. Naturally, their sports all take place on the ground, or in some cases, within a body of water. Similarly to us, most of their sports are of a competitive nature when played as games, but they can also be participated in primarily for fun. As most sports played by Muggles are physically exerting, they usually require good physical health and may improve this when played long term.

Task: For this task, I would like you to write about a Muggle/Muggle-born/Half-blood teaching a non-Muggle affiliated witch or wizard a Muggle sport.

Prompts Used: (object) Tennis Skirt, (dialogue) "You whacked me with that on purpose," (word) Effort, (phrase) Out of breath

Competitive Edge

"Nice legs, Granger," Draco Malfoy says and Hermione barely suppresses the blush that threatens to rise upon her cheeks. The tennis skirt she is wearing is shorter (and fits better) than her uniform skirt. Normally, Hermione wouldn't have worn a skirt as short as the one she is currently wearing. However, during a tennis tournament she played over the summer, she had learned the hard way the consequences of wearing clothing that doesn't fit properly.

Startled by what she thinks is a compliment, she distracts herself by looking at the blonde Slytherin.

'Typical Malfoy,' she thinks to herself, as she eyes the blond Slytherin and recognizes that he is wearing Lactose sports most recent tennis collection.

Hermione wonders if Draco went shopping for the clothing himself or if he had someone familiar with the Muggle world to buy the clothing for him.

Like he's able to hear her thoughts, Draco's states –

"I bought the clothing for myself. I have done my own shopping since I was thirteen years old."

Hermione stammers –

"How did you know what -"

"You're a Griff. Your lot isn't known for having a poker face. Are we going to start playing or what?"

~~~ 0o0o0o0o0 ~~~

"Are you familiar with the game," Hermione asks as the pair walks towards the grass tennis courts.

"I'm a little familiar. My sport of choice, other than Quidditch, is show jumping."

Hermione's only response is a surprised expression on her face. Clearing her throat in an effort to get back on track, she asks Draco to tell her the object of the game.

"The purpose of the game is to hit a ball over a net within predetermined margins of the court. You want to do so in a way that results in your opponent from not being able to return the ball."

"I see that you have been paying attention in Muggle Studies."

"I'm not one of your idiot friends. I'm capable of paying attention in class without having someone prompting me to do so."

Hermione opens her mouth as if she's going to reprimand Draco for his response, but she changes her mind.

'I was a bit condescending,' she admits to herself that her response, both in wording and tone, was patronizing.

"Which line you have to stay within in order to keep the ball in play and not lose a point," Hermione quizzes Draco instead.

"In a singles match, the inner tram line and if we're playing doubles, the outer tram line," Draco responds, giving the correct answer quickly.

Hermione asks a few more questions ('how do you determine who serves first'; 'what's a double fault') Hermione and Draco reach the court.

"Since we're playing mixed single tennis," Hermione explains, "we will be playing the best out of three sets. Ready to lose Malfoy?"

"You wish," he simply responds.

~~~ 0o0o0o0o0 ~~~

"I thought you would have the competitive edge in this game, Hermione," Ron yells from the sidelines. "Put some more effort into it!"

What has started as a simple tennis lesson has turned into a competitive tennis match. Hermione is surprised that Draco's just as agile on his feet as he is in the air and she's soon gasping, the long rallies leaving her out of breath.

A second-year Hufflepuff had seen the duo on the tennis court and the word quickly spread, hence the crowd.

"Shut . . . up . . .Ron," she gasps as she and Draco change sides of the tennis court.

Hermione is genuinely surprised at how quickly Draco has picked up the game. While he is still a bit fuzzy on the scoring ("Why is the scoring 15 for one point, 30 for two points and 40 for three points? Wouldn't it be easier if the scoring was exactly one, two, three, etcetera?") and was frustrated on the semantics of serving ("What do you mean it was a fault? The ball went over the net!"), the pale blond has a natural affinity for the sport.

The gathered crowd becomes quiet (someone, probably a Muggle-born, tells them it's impolite to cheer and/or heckle before a serve or while the ball is in play) before Hermione serves to stay in the third and final set.

She commits a double fault, and Draco wins the game.

The crowd is eerily quiet before the usually reserved Slytherins breaks the silence with cheers for their housemate.

"I can't believe she lost," Ron moans as he walks to the court with Harry to speak to Hermione.

Hermione quickly walks over to her friends and let them know that she will meet them in the Gryffindor common room later.

"I have to help Malfoy put the equipment we used away," she explains.

As the crowd disperses, Hermione and Draco silently works side by side, taking down the net and covering the grass court with a tarp, since the weather-witch has predicted rain.

As they walk back towards the castle together, Draco makes a confession.

"I already know how to play tennis."

Hermione stops walking and there's a tangible tension in the air that doesn't bode well for the blond.

"Oww, oww! Stop that!"

"Stop what, Malfoy? I haven't done anything. My racket just slipped from my hand."

"It didn't 'just slip,' you whacked me with that on purpose," Draco says, rubbing his arm.

"You mislead me! You already know how to play tennis!"

"Yes, I do know how to play, but I haven't played tennis in a long time. So when the opportunity presented itself, I couldn't pass it up."

"You could have learned to play any other sport."

"True, but none of the other Muggle sports offered interested me. Besides, you're the tennis instructor."

"You're telling me that you signed up to learn tennis because of me?"

"Yes. I already participate in show jumping, fencing, lacrosse, and I even play a little golf."

"How's that possible? They're all Muggle sports!

"You really shouldn't believe everything that you hear about Slytherins in general and my family in particular. Besides, before Quidditch became popular, what do you think witches and wizards did for fun? Play gobstones?"

"We're getting off topic. You said that you signed up for tennis because of me. Why?"

"Because your bodyguards didn't sign up for it and it presented me the perfect chance to get to know you better without them interfering."

This time, Hermione didn't even attempt to fight the blush rising to her cheeks.

"You do know that word of our tennis match is going to spread and it's possible that the professor requests that you pick another sport to learn."

"No problem. You're also teaching taekwondo, correct?"

"Yes."

"If she makes me switch, I'll sign up for that. It actually something I don't know. In the meanwhile, would you consider spending at least part of the day with me the next time we have a Hogsmeade weekend?"

"I'll think about it, Mal – I mean, Draco. I'll think about it."

A genuine smile lights up Draco's face and Hermione feels slightly giddy as she realizes that her answer is the reason why.

"You really are a good teacher, Hermione. I'll send you an owl later," Draco says and the two go their separate ways, Hermione heading up the stairs towards Gryffindor Tower as Draco went below towards the Slytherin dungeons.