Disclaimer: I own nothing. Well, actually I just bought a nice car, but as for literary characters, these ones are on loan from JK Rowling and co. and I (unfortunately) am making no profit from this whatsoever.
Note to Readers: I am so sorry that this update took so long. There have been a number of other things occupying a great deal of my time, and this story fell through the cracks. I have been working on something over on HPANA, and well, I'm sorry. I will try to be better about updating more often, but I seem to have lost my notes, and will have to find them again before the next chapter can go up.
Chapter Four: Museum Musings
Ron and Harry were sitting at the kitchen table of the Burrow talking about Ron's day. Mrs. Weasley was preparing dinner as she listened to their conversation out of one ear. She was making little noises that sounded like muffled giggles, but when asked she said that she thought she had a bit of a cold and maybe she should take some of that cough potion from The Household Guide to Magical Maladies.
Ron described the harrowing journey to the museum before telling Harry about the lesson. "So after Hermione bailed me out with the cabbie, she practically pulled me into this museum. I don't understand why she found it so fascinating, all this muggle history; after all, they got it all wrong didn't they? It was Grindlewald that was behind that big war of theirs wasn't it? It wasn't until Dumbledore got him that the war ended. Oy, these people don't know anything. All in all, it was a pretty boring wasted day."
Harry was shaking his head. Ron didn't seem to have gotten the point. "But Ron, did you learn anything about muggles at all today?" Harry asked.
"Well I learned that they don't like it when you touch their displays in the museum. I swear all I did was touch the fang on that saber toothed tiger display and I had all these muggles in uniforms coming at me and telling me they're going to bring me before the Carrot-tater…"
"Curator…"
"… whatever… and then Hermione was telling them that it was all a mistake and that she was responsible and pulling me out of there so fast I think she pulled my arm out of the socket. Merlin's beard! She was all so exited about this thing and it turned out to be a complete catastrophe. At least it's over though. We tried, we failed and now we can get on with our wizarding lives."
"I don't think it's that easy Ron. I mean yeah, today was a flop, but you should try again. It does mean a lot to Hermione, and we know it's going to take some time. You can't learn about another culture in just one day you know. Look, I can go talk with Hermione, and we'll see about something else for tomorrow okay?" Harry said. He wasn't sure what could be salvaged from the day, it was obviously a complete fiasco, but he knew that Ron and Hermione cared for each other, it was just that Ron was… well… Ron.
Mrs. Weasley decided to intervene. She marched up to the table and, while shaking her paring knife in his face, said, "Ronald Weasley, you behaved like an idiot today. Hermione is a nice girl and you should be trying your best to learn for her sake. You put in half an effort today and tomorrow I want you to put in your full effort and do it with a smile or so help me you will be eating boiled turnip for a week!"
Ron stared at his mother in shock. "You wouldn't!"
"Oh yes I would!" She replied!
Harry decided to take his leave before Mrs. Weasley got into full swing. "I'm going to head on home and talk to Hermione about her plans for tomorrow. Maybe I can make sure that there isn't a repeat of what happened today," he said, and proceeded to the door.
"Oh Harry dear, could you remember to tell Ginny that the order has been placed for the cake and that it will be ready for pick up on Friday? GET BACK HERE YOUNG MAN!" Ron had attempted to make a dash for his room while she was distracted with Harry.
"Don't worry Mrs. Weasley," Harry replied, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of Mrs. Weasley starting into Ron about his rudeness to Hermione that day. As Harry left the Burrow, he could hear her shouting from the house behind him.
"RONALD WEASLEY I RAISED YOU FAR BETTER THAN TO MAKE YOUR FRIENDS BAIL YOU OUT LIKE THAT! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT HERMIONE HAD TO PAY FOR YOUR CAB FARE AND YOUR ADMITTANCE TO THE MUSEUM BOTH! YOU ARE GOING TO GRINGOTTS FIRST THING ON MONDAY MORNING AND YOU ARE GOING TO PAY HER BACK EVERY RED MUGGLE-KNUT SO HELP ME…"
And with the sounds of Mrs. Weasley's tirade in his ears, Harry apparated home.
When Harry arrived at Potter Place he found Ginny and Hermione were already there, having almost the identical conversation that he had just had with Ron. Hermione was almost in tears, and Ginny was comforting her. She kept patting Hermione on the shoulder and handing her tissues, while Hermione had her head in her hands and recounted her version of the events of the day.
Ginny saw Harry come in, rolled her eyes at a particularly loud sob from Hermione, and said, "You know that Ron can be a prat. You could never have guessed that things would have gone that badly. He cares about you, very much…"
"He sure didn't show it today!" Hermione sobbed, her face was tear streaked and she was shaking. "I tried to show him my world, I tried to show him some muggle history, but he didn't c...c...care…" and with that she started crying afresh.
"When we went to the pre-history displays, he said that the displays looked alarmingly fake and if they wanted them to look real why didn't they make them move… and everyone was staring at us…hic and then when we went to the World War Two section he was going around saying that they had everything wrong… that it was Grindlewald who had put the imperious curse on… hic he was talking so loud… it was so embarrassing… and in the animal section, where they had all the pre-historic animals, he… he…"
"I know, he touched the fang on the saber toothed tiger…" interjected Harry. "He told me."
"He didn't just TOUCH it! Is that what he said! First he bewitched the fangs to grow so long they touched the floor! And then, OOOHHH! This is so embarrassing! He jumped on top of it and tried to ride the thing! He was acting so immature…hic… that's when the curator of the museum showed up and ordered us out. hic I can never show my face there again!" With her crying slowing to muffled sobs, Ginny went and got Hermione a cup of tea while Harry sat down and tried not to let his repressed laughter get the best of him.
"Hermione, don't take this the wrong way, but… you've known Ron for years. Did you really think that the museum would be the best place to take him?"
"Oh, Harry, I know. I guess I just thought that if he was going to learn about muggle life, it would be best to start at the beginning. And part of it was also for him to understand me a bit better, and I LOVE going to the museum," replied Hermione.
"Well, Ron really isn't capable of absorbing that much at once. I really think that you should focus on one thing at a time, 'cause that's all Ron can do." Ginny and Hermione stared at Harry in shock. They had never heard him speak about his best friend that way before. "Well… Look, I know Ron. He's my best mate, and I think we've reached a point where I can admit that although he's the best friend a bloke could ask for, he has a few drawbacks okay?" Harry said defensively.
"Well, what do you suggest then, oh omnipotent one?" said Ginny, with a twinkle in her eye, and a little exasperation in her voice.
"Um… well, maybe you should focus on his strengths. Ron loves sports. Maybe if you gave him a lesson in muggle sports he would be more interested?" suggested Harry tentatively.
Ginny perked up. "Harry, that is a good idea, but Hermione doesn't know much about sports, muggle or otherwise," Ginny turned to Hermione with an inquisitive look on her face, "do you?"
Hermione got a very determined look on her face. "I'm not a complete clutz if that is what you mean. And tomorrow, I am going to give Ron a lesson in sports that he will not soon forget!"
End Chapter Four