@quidditchleaguenet favorite ships challenge
ron x viktor
Ron thought that playing a muggle game of football seemed like a good idea at the time, and Dean had been trying to organize it for months, so when they all finally agreed to it, he was ecstatic. It was also a good excuse to catch up, after Hogwarts it was hard to keep in touch with everybody, but now most of Ron’s Hogwarts mates were there, trying as much as him to understand this ridiculous game.
Dean was captain of one team, of course, and Harry was the other since he was at least vaguely familiar with the game. Along with Dean there was Seamus, Ginny, Oliver, Percy, Alicia, Dennis, Katie, Pavarti, and Cho in various positions that Ron didn’t really understand, and then Terry as a keeper, which was the only position that made sense to Ron, so he himself was keeper too.
Then on his team there was Harry, Lee, George, Neville, Luna, Hannah, Anthony, Justin, Padma, and thanks to Hermione, Viktor Krum. He was in town for a Quidditch tournament and Hermione thought it’d be ‘so much fun’ if they invited him along
However, Hermione had refused to participate herself, so she was supposed to keep score the muggle way and Lavender had self-volunteered to be a cheerleader. Though, she thought that meant giving cheering charms to everybody on the teams, and so the first ten minutes of the game were spent trying to fight fits of giggles and smiles as the ball was kicked around randomly.
But now the first half of the game was almost over and Ron had to deal with a lot more than simply misunderstanding the game. In fact, to his immense surprise, he was pretty decent at being a football keeper, and he found it easier than being a Quidditch keeper. He hadn’t let a single ball through all game. Not that there had been many; everybody was rubbish at this game.
What had troubled him even before the game started, was Viktor.
Ron hadn’t seen him in a long time. Sure, there was the occasional picture in the papers or Quidditch magazines, but as soon as Viktor arrived that afternoon, Ron learnt that they didn’t really do him justice at all.
Viktor’s skinny body had filled out nicely. Ron was momentarily jealous, because he had worked hard to fill out his own lanky figure, but he was certain he didn’t look half as nice as Viktor. He had greeted him with a forced smile and a harder than necessary handshake that Viktor must have perceived as angry or rude, but Ron hadn’t been able to help it.
Then he spent the next forty-five minutes with Viktor in his immediate field of vision. Harry had placed Viktor in defense, which meant his back was turned to Ron as he tried to avoid people getting closer to the goal net, so even if Ron hadn’t wanted to be looking at him, he was forced, wasn’t he?
Nevermind that Luna was in defense too.
Hermione blasted a whistle signaling the end of the first time and both teams retreated to their designated spaces. Ron picked up a bottle of water and he was halfway through drinking it when he choked. Viktor was taking off his shirt in front of him, and when he heard Ron coughing he rushed to pat him on the back a couple of times until Ron nodded and gave him a thumbs up, unable to speak.
Viktor smiled. “You better put on sunblock, you’re getting very red,” he said as he stepped in front of Ron again. Ron merely looked at him, trying to get air inside his lungs as normally as possible. Viktor reached over and touched a strand of Ron’s hair that was plastered to his forehead with sweat. “Just like your hair.”
Ron gulped several times and opened his mouth to say something; anything.
“Team, huddle together!” Harry shouted. Viktor stepped back, still smiling, and went to join the rest of the team. Ron emptied the rest of the water over his head before following him.
They were back in the field before Ron could recover properly, and what’s more, he was really confused after switching sides
Why didn’t they just put a confundus charm on him and be done with it?
Most of the players seemed to be thinking along the same lines as him, though, because they were far more erratic than before, if that was possible.
Specially Viktor, who kept running up and down the field as if he was trying to protect the other side, and Harry has to keep directing him back to his right position.
Dean was the only one who had scored a goal, but that spoke more about Dean’s abilities than Ron’s, because the other team’s keeper, Terry, had been practically sitting on the ground the entire game. Harry had been close a couple of times, but not even he was that good or lucky.
Ron thought that the game shouldn’t be much longer, and he couldn’t wait to get away from the sun. He looked at Hermione hopefully, waiting for the moment she would blow the whistle and end the game, but she was talking to Lavender and barely paid attention to the rest of them. Ron groaned.
Suddenly, there were loud shouts and hoots and he thought he heard his name. Ron looked up: he had been distracted with his own thoughts and the ball had been closer to the other side, but now everyone was coming his way, most of them waving their arms at him and trying to tell him something, but he barely had time to register what was happening before the ball was kicked, and Ron tried with all his might to stop it. But it was too late, and it brushed his fingers as it flew past him into the goal.
Once again, Ron didn’t have a second to recover before someone with a big smile was running at him at top speed, and Ron looked into Viktor’s bright eyes right before they both hit the ground.
Viktor had thrown his arms around Ron and knocked him down. He seemed to be laughing, and his glee was so contagious that if Ron wasn’t so busy being in a state of complete shock at having Viktor’s entire, shirtless body on top of him, he probably would have laughed too.
Viktor raised his head, looking down at Ron with a gigantic smile. “I did it! I scored!”
Ron was so taken aback that he couldn’t say anything, but his lips turned up into a smile that made Viktor even more ecstatic. For a second, Viktor leaned down. For a second, Ron’s heart stopped. For a second, they were so close.
“Oi, Krum!”
Viktor gave Ron a disheartened look before he rolled off him and sat up. Ron sat up too, and they both stared at the crowd in front of them, Ron feeling his face heat up considerably. At the very front, there were Dean and Seamus, looking overjoyed and even clapping and hooting at Ron and Viktor. But next to them was Harry, and he looked furious. Ron’s heart sank.
“This is not our goal!” Harry said to Viktor, completely frustrated.
Ron turned his head to look at Viktor, who seemed confused. “But I scored,” he said, cocking his head to the side.
“You scored a goal for the other team!” Harry looked at him incredulously. “You scored an…an…”
“Own goal!” yelled Dean excitedly, and the rest of his team joined him in a big cheer.
Ron watched the way Viktor’s face fell when understanding dawned on him, and his throat tightened. He had been so happy just seconds before.
A whistle was blown. “Game over!” called Hermione and Dean’s team went off to celebrate. Some people like George and Lee gave Viktor dirty looks, but most of them seemed like they couldn’t care less and went off to change. Harry seemed to have calmed down, and he walked up to Viktor and patted him on the back. “That’s alright, mate. Good game.”
Harry then gave Ron a knowing smile before walking away. Ron blushed.
Viktor looked at Ron with a mixture of embarrassment and amusement. “Guess I didn’t score.”
“You kind of did, though,” said Ron rapidly, scratching his head. “It was a really good move.”
Viktor smiled. He reached a hand up to Ron’s face again, and his fingers brushed Ron’s temple. Ron didn’t know if his skin was burning from the sun or the contact, but he didn’t mind either way. “Now you’re just as red as your hair.”
Ron nodded dumbly.
“I know a soothing charm,” Viktor said, his hand dropping to the ground between them. “I’ll go get my vand.”
Before Viktor even moved, Ron scrambled to his feet. “I’ll go with you.”
Viktor looked up at him and beamed. He extended his hand and Ron took it, helping him to his feet. Ron was certain they stood much closer and for far longer than necessary.
As they walked away, their shoulders brushing together, Viktor sighed. “I don’t ever vant to play football again.”
Ron huffed a laugh. “It’s not so bad.”
