Chapter Text
RON, for once, was not in the library. Hermione had disappeared with Ginny and Luna earlier that morning. Something about a girl's day, though Ron was happy for her. She deserved to have normal teen moments where they weren't always fighting to survive. Harry had Quidditch practice, so that left Ron to find something to do. So, Ron found himself sitting near the Black Lake, his eyes laser-focused on the comic he was reading. It was a superhero comic, Spider-Man. Hermione had given him a few last Christmas, believing he'd enjoy them. Again, she was right, as usual. Ron had immediately flipped through the pages, enamored by the colorful artwork. He was enjoying his quiet moment, basking in the warm sunlight as he read. Then he heard him.
He looked across the lake where Viktor stood alongside his friends. His head was tilted back as he laughed. He looked so carefree. He looked attractive. Ron swallowed hard, forcing his eyes back down to his comic. Though it was too late, Viktor had already noticed him.
The Bulgarian’s eyes glanced over him in what some would say admiringly. His friends noticed. One bumped against him, their blonde curls shaking as he laughed.
“You are obvious, Vik.”
Viktor turned to him, glaring. “Shut up, Vasil.”
Vasil turned to the other next to him. He slung his arms around him, scratching playfully through his buzzed hair. “You have been quiet, Stoyan. You agree?”
The boy in question looked up, narrowing his eyes. Instead of responding, he tackled him to the grass. Onlookers looked curiously at them. Viktor shook his head, though his lips ticked up slightly despite his efforts. Viktor glanced back towards Ron. The boy still had his head down, red waves falling perfectly to hide his face. The sunlight shone on him, casting a shiny glow. Viktor felt entranced. He glanced at his friends, the two still rolling around in the grass, then back at the Gryffindor. His feet seemed to decide before him, already moving towards the boy.
“Hi.”
Ron totally didn't yelp or nearly jump out of his skin. He glanced up at the Bulgarian who stood above him, blocking the sunlight. He blinked. “Hi...?” Ron felt awkward. He could feel the heat rising up his neck, making this situation worse. He forced his eyes to look anywhere but at the Quidditch star before him.
Viktor was smiling at him. He couldn't help it. Ron's awkward, flustered demeanor was too cute. The thought surprised him, but he didn't think too much on it. “Can I sit?”
Ron silently nodded, not trusting himself to speak again. Viktor sat down next to him, brushing his shoulder against Ron’s. The Gryffindor wondered if Viktor was trying to kill him.
Viktor noticed the comic clutched tightly between Ron's fingers. His expression turned curious. “What is that?”
Ron looked down, quickly relaxing his hands. He flattened the comic back out, smoothing his hand over it to remove the wrinkles. He didn't want to ruin it! “Uh, a comic? It's a muggle thing.”
Viktor shifted slightly closer, peering down at the colorful print. “Spider Man. What is a Spider Man?”
Ron bit his lip, successfully stilling his laughter. “A superhero. He has powers similar to a spider. He uses his abilities to fight crime to keep New York safe.”
“New York?”
“A city in America,” he shrugged, flipping to the next page. “I only know it because Hermione explained it.”
Viktor nodded, “Herm-ony is smart.”
Ron would never disagree on that. He pointed down to a drawing of Spiderman in his suit. “This is Spiderman. He wears his suit to hide his identity.”
Viktor frowned. “Why does he hide?”
Ron's lips pursed as he thought. “Well, it's not safe for him or those he loves. If he's found out, then others could be too. It's like us in a way. We have to hide the magic world from non-magic users to keep us safe. It would be risky if they knew about us.”
Viktor nodded, his expression one of understanding. “Ah, I get it.”
“Viktor!”
The two boys jerked, eyes landing on the approaching boys. One looked surprised, the other annoyed. Vasil came to a stop in front of them, Stoyan getting dragged along by the blonde. Weirdly, he didn’t look upset about it.
Ron looked curiously at them. The blonde ( Vasil ) was the shortest of the three and the only one with long hair. He had piercing blue eyes, plump pink lips, and a crooked nose ( possibly from a break, Ron thought ). He didn't have height, unlike the other two, but he had muscle. Ron tried not to look, but the subtle flexing of his arms beneath his blue sweater made it hard. He was lean with an athletic build, a perfect mix of boyish charm and cuteness. He was walking trouble with a charming grin.
He swallowed roughly, looking away from the blonde to the boy next to him. It was a mistake. He had the rugged, handsome look that made him appear mysterious. One eye was a pale blue and the other a dark brown, his buzzed hair was a deep black like a midnight sky. Above his upper lip on the right side was a jagged scar. His arms reminded Ron of the Muggle Army soldiers Hermione had shown him pictures of. Ron bit his lip; the thought of the boy in such a uniform left him feeling strange. He briefly wondered if either of them played Quidditch before his thoughts began to stray further.
A nudge to his side had Ron snapping back into focus. He looked at Viktor questioningly. The Bulgarian’s annoyance went unnoticed by Ron. “What?”
Viktor's jaw tensed briefly before a blank look took over. He tilted his chin to the two arrivals. “Blonde is Vasil. The quiet one is Stoyan.”
The two boys shared a matching look. Their expressions turned smug. Ron's moment of admiration hadn't gone unnoticed. “Pleasure to meet you...?” He trailed off awkwardly.
“And your name?” Vasil asked.
“Ron Weasley.”
Vasil's smile turned flirtatious, much to Viktor's annoyance. “Pleasure to meet you, Ron.” He glanced briefly at Viktor before looking back at Ron. The way his gaze trailed over Ron sent an unfamiliar feeling through Viktor. He glared at his friend.
“What did you need, Vas?”
The blonde shrugged, smiling innocently. “Nothing. Though I see why you're interested.”
Ron looked between the two, utterly lost. He looked at Stoyan, hoping he wasn't alone in the matter. The quiet one shrugged, his gaze trailing off to look around. Viktor's scoffing brought his attention back. He said something in Bulgarian that Ron didn't catch, but the cheeky look Vasil had given him gave somewhat of an idea. Durmstrang boys were nothing but trouble, Ron could already tell. Ron quietly but quickly gathered his things, hoping to sneak away before being noticed, though luck was rarely on his side.
“Leaving?”
Ron felt the heat rush to his ears as the three looked at him. He swallowed thickly. “Uh, hungry?” He cursed himself inwardly. Why was he so awkward? “Was going to the Great Hall. It's lunch.”
Vasil slung an arm around the redhead. Ron noticed he was slightly shorter than him too. “We can come with?”
Ron shrugged slightly. He could feel the muscle of Vasil's arm when he did so. The thought of him in a t-shirt or Quidditch uniform flexing filtered through his mind, leaving Ron feeling warm. “Uh, sure.” He side-eyed the blonde. “Not sitting at the snake table, though. I'd rather drown.” Vasil blinked, slightly caught off guard by the sudden change. Then he was laughing openly, pulling Ron a little closer.
“Funny,” He glanced at Viktor. “We should keep him.”
Ron wasn't sure how to feel about that. He wasn't a pet. He chose not to respond to it. Neither did Viktor, but his jaw was tensed again. Silently, he began leading the way, taking a breath now that he was no longer pressed against the blonde. He could hear Viktor mutter quietly to Vasil, but smartly chose to ignore it. He wanted no part in those angry whispers, even if Viktor's tone raised a fluttery feeling in him. It was just another thing for him to ignore.
Ron stepped through the Great Hall entrance, the three Durmstrang boys close behind. Ron fought not to shrink in on himself when he felt eyes watching them. Not very subtle whispers quickly reached him. A wave of heat shot up his neck, burning his ears red. He quickly sat down at the Gryffindor table, refusing to meet the twins' curious gazes. Ron knew he couldn't hide from them; their mischievous grins said so. Viktor sat down beside him, and Vasil and Stoyan sat across from him. The quiet one, Stoyan, began eating. Ron had a feeling he was not much of the caring or talking type. He had a certain nonchalance about him ( that Ron definitely didn't also have a weird attraction to). A type that Ron knew would drive Hermione insane. He tried to absorb the same persona and ignore the eyes he could feel on him. He ducked his head down and began filling his plate. The one thing that always helped was food, no matter how he was feeling.
“So, Ron, do you like Quidditch?”
He glanced up, his fork halfway to his mouth. He nodded, “Yeah.”
Viktor’s knee bumped against Ron's beneath the table. “Favorite team?” The Bulgarian asked.
Ron moved his fork around on his plate, pushing his food around. “Chudley Cannons.” Vasil's sudden laughter had Ron's eyes snapping up. He glared at the blonde, his lips dipping into a frown. “What?”
Vasil tried to stifle his laughter but failed. “They, well, how do I say this? Uh, suck.”
Ron flicked a piece of chicken at him. “Shut up.”
Viktor watched in amusement. He smartly kept silent even though he agreed with Vasil. Surprisingly, it was Stoyan to speak. “Your loyalty is admirable,” A brow ticked up. “But what about Bulgaria's team?”
Viktor's eyes were back on Ron. His gaze was like a fiery blaze that left Ron warm all over. He just hoped he wouldn't be burned. He swallowed, chewing at the inside of his cheek. “They're alright.”
Viktor’s knee bumped against him again, but this time he didn't move away from Ron's space. No, he was leaning in closer than Ron could handle. Ron could practically feel the other boy's body warmth against him. “Just alright?” Ron found himself fidgeting under the other's intense gaze. He could hear Vasil's snickering across from them, but Ron couldn't look away. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to, if he could.
Words stumbled from anxious lips, landing in a stuttering heap. “That's not what I meant! You're - I mean, your team is great! The whole team is great and very talented. One of the best seekers of our time and all. You know that. Everyone knows that.” Ron couldn't stop talking, his whole body burning in embarrassment. Ron smashed his tongue between his teeth till he tasted the gross metallic taste of blood. Vasil was openly laughing, loudly. Even Stoyan was amused, judging by the slight uptick of his lips. Though it was still only Viktor Ron could focus on. His eyes were dark and watching with a hint of amusement. His lips were forming a smirk that had no right to be that attractive. That thought alone made Ron even more eager to drop dead. Where were the creepy, old, murderous wizards when Ron actually needed one?