Chapter Two:- An introduction to Muggle sports and hobbies
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny wondered through Diagon Alley together having been left to amuse themselves without getting into or causing trouble. Since having left Fred and George's shop at noon they had run across various other students coming and going through the stores to pick up their own school supplies. Luna joined them carrying a copy of the Quibbler and read a few amusing stories that kept them laughing for quite sometime. Harry secretly enjoyed the one about the muggle who 'apparently' found a wizard wand and chased people down the street trying to turn them into toads. They were interrupted by Ron calling out "Oiy, who or what is that?"
From a distance it appeared that what was approaching them from the far side of the street was white, and moving rather fast. They soon discovered it was Seamus Flannigan dressed in his team's colours, who was rushing over to tell them that England was playing France in the World Cup Final.
"You want to come Harry?" He glanced at Ron with an apologetic smile.
"I know you wouldn't, you probably don't even know what football is right?"
"Of course I know what football is" Ron snapped indignantly, ignoring the sniggers coming from Ginny.
"They're showing it on the tele at the pub across the street" Ron looked confused, unsure as to what exactly a tele or a pub actually were. Hermione and Ginny both laughed outright at his expression.
"Seamus, Ron wouldn't know what football was if he fell over the game in the middle of the street, and besides, we can't go parading about the Muggle world with things the way they are". Ginny told him before either Ron or Harry could answer him any differently.
"Suit yourself" Seamus shrugged, heading off in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron. "I'm not missing this for anything". Harry tried to give an annoyed looking Ron a quick explanation of what football was, hoping to take his mind off Hermione and Ginny's teasing. Unfortunately Ginny was enjoying herself far too much, and feeling rather vindictive of his comments about Dean earlier this morning, she decided to have a little fun of her own.
"So what is football Ron?" She asked sweetly, smiling up innocently at her brother.
"Have you ever been to a match?" Hermione was looking at him with wide eyes, wondering if it was possible he would find such a muggle sport interesting.
"Ah, its…." He stammered, looking helplessly at Harry who muttered.
"The players kick the ball through the net" while pretending to cough.
"Of course I've been to……." he fumbled quickly, enthused by Hermione's interest, but being saved by Harry who nudged him hard at the start of his lie. Unfortunately this was too much for Ginny.
"Didn't Victor invite you to watch a game in Bulgaria Hermione?" Ginny asked, loud enough for Ron to hear. Harry cringed when he saw the anger flash through his friend's face and silently wished Ginny had picked a topic that had a less explosive effect on Ron.
"He what?" Ron snapped, turning suddenly on Hermione. Hermione met him unflinchingly, gazing at him with an innocent expression.
"Victor asked me if I wanted to come with him to a football match last summer" she repeated softly, her eyes challenging him.
"Why would you want to go anywhere near that….that….. "Ron spluttered, casting around desperately to find the right word.
"Unlike some people, Victor doesn't find all muggle sports pointless! He wanted to learn more about it". Ron was now red faced and shaking with fury. He didn't know why he was so angry. He didn't know why Victor Krum writing to Hermione made his gut twist until he felt quite ill, and finally he did not understand what she saw in this arrogant obnoxious git.
"I do NOT think all muggle sports are pointless" he shot back angrily.
"Can you name one apart from football?" Ginny chided, not fully comprehending the extent of Ron's touchiness on this subject. He transferred a murderous glare towards her and Harry began to worry when the wands were going to appear.
"Come on Ron it's not that big a deal" He said quietly.
"Tell me Ron, why does it bother you so much what Victor is interested in?" Ginny's words were the last straw. After another murderous glance he turned around, heading in the direction Seamus had just gone.
"I'm going to see what Fred and George are doing". He hated himself for walking away from them like a prat, but he didn't trust himself to speak without either doing further damage or telling her the truth. And he wasn't quiet sure which one was worse. Having lived in the wizarding world all his life there wasn't too much that Ron had been exposed to by way of learning about the world outside of magic, until he met Harry and Hermione. Although he wouldn't admit this to anyone but since having met Hermione he had been taking a lot more interest in the muggle world since then.
He'd even taken to asking his father about different muggle artefacts that he'd brought home from work, and was reading a book that he kept well hidden from certain other members of his family that would roar with laughter if they only knew. 'Somehow I just look like more of an idiot no matter what I do". He thought with disgust as reached the Leaky Cauldron and found that Fred and George were also being asked by Seamus to join him in watching the football match. Unlike Ron, Fred and George were immediately amenable to the idea, exclaiming something about having subjects to test upon.
Against his better judgement Ron was soon convinced to join the group, his hesitations squashed by annoyance and a desire to prove himself capable of learning the ways of the muggle world. Besides, it was only across the road, and it was only a pub. What kind of trouble could people possibly get into at a pub watching a football game?...