(about 4:30pm)

There was, really, only so long a sane person could sit in the quiet library and stare at lists of rune translations.  Despite his usual high tolerance for long hours spent studying, even he had limits.  When the lines and cross marks started to swim together in a sea of symbols, he knew it was time for a break.  He wasn't worried; as long as he could keep the runes stationary on his test paper, he should do just fine on the upcoming exams. 

The Ravenclaw common room was filled with focused studious housemates.  But, Sasha was strongly craving some fresh air and sunshine.  After the long winter it was impossible not to.  His book bag bounced slightly against his back as he took the stairs two at a time up to his dorm room.  "That second page is tricky," he said to his dorm mate as his bag landed on his bed with a bounce and thump.  "I got lost on the third paragraph.  Had to put it down."  Having grown up in the UK, his accent wasn't nearly as strong as it could have been but, the harshness to his tone betrayed the German still spoken as a primary language in his home. 

"I'm still on the first page," he heard his roommate admit in a low grumble as he kicked his loafers off and shed his school uniform.  "Ja, I was up until midnight last night fighting through it.  It's tough."  Though much more casual than his usual attire, the slacks and sweat shirt he changed into were still carefully pressed and winkle free.  From his trunk, he pulled a slightly scuffed soccer ball from his trunk.  His father had given him the ball, under the belief that Sasha had made it onto the football team at Le Rosey, a prestigious international boarding school in Switzerland.  At regular intervals, Hogwarts had sent notices to his parents in the name of the Le Rosey school to uphold this perception. 

With football in hand, Sasha descended the stairs once more and made his way out onto the grounds.  Over the years, he'd grown to be quite a fan of quidditch and had been selected for the team as a chaser the last year.  But, he still enjoyed finding a quiet spot and kicking the ball around. 

In a quiet spot along the side of the castle, Sasha set the black and white ball on the ground and toed it.  The evening sun was slanting pleasantly through the trees and reflected brightly off the surface of the lake behind him.  After a few warm up dribbles, Sasha kicked it against the base of the castle wall.  The ball ricocheted against the wall back towards him and he caught it on the side of his foot.  The stress that hours spent translating runes eased gently from his shoulders with the rhythmic dribbling of the ball.  He gave the ball a good, firm kick and side-stepped to catch the ball but the ball had a stone that protruded from the wall and went sailing out behind him across the lawn.  Turning, Sasha moved off after the ball.

The common room was buzzing about with studies, everyone was trying to clog their brains for final exams. Beatrix had actually closed her books for one day and was out and about in the hallways. A few Professors asked "Why aren't you studying for exams?" while Beatrix passed by, only to get a response of "I always study, are you blind? Give me a break." Which would get a small laugh or a disapproving look. Beatrix would just smile, politely, and continue her merry way. It was odd to see Beatrix out and not in the library, studying. But she was confident in what she was doing and decided it was best to give her brain a rest.

After going down the main staircase, Beatrix thought maybe it would be nice to get some sunshine. Her skin was getting pale and her hair was losing its sun-touched look. That wasn't very attractive, if one were to really think about it. Beatrix set off into the grounds, the warmth of the sun causing her to smile. It hadn't been that nice out for a very long time. Maybe she could go visit the Hogwarts Lake monster... Or find a nice spot to doze off at. "Oh," Beatrix thought, "My life is pathetic if that's all I can think of." But since she thought of nothing else, she headed towards a nice, comfortable looking tree to laze on.

If Beatrix were to be inside, she would have to be studying Divination. "Which," she thought, "Is hard, since it's not exactly a class to study." But she liked Divination, though she struggled a bit with the predictions. She doesn't have the ability to See as well as she would like. Beatrix let out a sigh, and smiled. It was a fun class, though. That's why she had joined the club. Beatrix shook her head at thinking about her studies. She needed to relax, not have strange fantasies about studying her future.

Beatrix adjusted her sweater and sighed, again. What a nice day to be out and about. She was walking rather slow to enjoy the weather; she had no place to be soon, anyways. She was focusing so much on relaxing and not... Thinking... That when Beatrix had just gotten halfway across the lawn something hit her on the head. She yelped and fell down onto her side and into the dirt. Beatrix sat herself up after a few seconds and rubbed her scalp. "What was that!" Beatrix grumbled and looked around, spotting a soccer ball a couple of feet away.

Sasha made a valiant dash for the ball but it was still almost a foot away from him when it sailed past.  Most of the time, missed shots were a normal part of practicing and under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have given the wayward ball a second thought.  He simply turned and jogged after it.  After two steps, he froze.  His eyes widened as his stomach sunk.  From where he stood, he could readily follow the trajectory of the ball's path moments before it ricocheted off one of his housemate's head.

He remained frozen in place.  Beatrix was lying on the ground.  Knocked over by the ball he'd kicked.  His study break couldn't have made a worse turn of events.  Well, of course, it could.  But, that was beside the point.  Beatrix was looking around after the ball and, for a moment, Sasha was tempted to turn and slink away before she'd realized where the ball had started its path.  It would be cowardly but it'd be far less awkward in the long run.

He turned but, almost immediately, turned back.  After a deep, steadying breath, he willed his feet to move over the grass towards Beatrix.  "I'm - I'm so sorry," he mumbled as he neared her.  "I didn't - It was supposed to go - I missed."  He reached a hand out to help her up as he reached her.  "I - you're not hurt too bad, are you?"

He strode away, briefly, to retrieve the ball before returning to Beatrix.  He assumed Beatrix' surprised question was a reaction to the collision.  When he'd returned from the winter holidays with the football, the purebloods amongst his dormmates had shown considerable interest in the ball.  They'd spent an evening, before classes started and homework had caught up with them, explaining to the purebloods that the ball stayed on the ground and could only be touched with the feet.  "It's just ... I was practicing.  Playing.  I'm sorry," he repeated again, his face flushed.

Beatrix rubbed her head and waved off the apology. "It's fine, love." She grinned and took Sasha's hand, pulling herself up with ease. Beatrix was a ball magnet when she was younger, so she didn't mind at all. Though, it really did hurt and sometimes she would even go into a violent rage because of it. But, that was in the past. Beatrix dusted off her clothes with hard pats and grinned at Sasha in a strange, but friendly, way.

Her attention shifted from Sasha retrieving the ball to, well, the ball. "What is that, anyways?" She asked, politely. She had never seen such an object. It was like a quaffle, only... Black and white. Beatrix would normally be embarrassed when not knowing something, since she likes to know all, but she kept her cool and smiled. She took a couple of steps forward to see the ball up close, only not so close that it hits her in the head.

Beatrix bounced on the souls of her feet, interested in the new item. She rubbed her head and remembered when she was playing quidditch with her father and two of his friends and she was playing Keeper. It was a close match, and the older men weren't taking her fragile age into consideration, but some how Beatrix had blocked almost all of the quaffles. She remembered that she and her father won because the quaffle hit her in the head and zoomed away from her "rings" (Which were nonexistant since it was in her backyard). Beatrix's smile faded for a second while thinking of her Father. She really did miss him.

Beatrix shook her head, slightly, at her thoughts, and went back to watching Sasha. "Is it just a quaffle you painted or something? Because that's a little weird." She went back to smiling her toothy grin and showing her enthusiasm. Weakness wasn't a choice in Beatrix's eyes, so she hid away her secret longing for her imprisoned Father and hid her secret hope to actually be normal one day, instead of hiding in a library and reading books about potions that she'll never use.

Color flooded Sasha's face and he nodded, slightly.  She'd shrugged off the apology, but the guilt still lingered.  Whatever the reason she had for disregarding it, it was the type of event that one wished they could rewind and alter.  But, he let his mind move on from the blunder to the ball that was now propped against his hip. 

"Oh, that?"  Sasha asked, taking the black and white ball in his hands and giving it a slight toss.  He passed it between his hands before handing it over to her.  Though it was the same shape as a quaffle, it felt considerably different.  The quaffle was smoother and harder, more firm in the hand.  The football had the traces of the stitching along it, giving it a slight texture and it had a little more give.  Surprisingly, Sasha's previous experience with football had given him a leg up in quidditch - at least as much as a muggleborn could expect. 

"It's a football," he answered.  "For football - a muggle sport."  He couldn't blame those who'd grown up in magical families for finding the sport of football rather boring sounding.  Compared to quidditch, it could seem rather dull.  "You kick it.  Across a field and try to get it in the other team's goal.  Kind of like in quidditch, but there's just one goal and it's bigger and ... on the ground.  But, you can't touch the ball with your hands while playing.  You kick it or hit - it with ... your head," he said, grinning slightly.  "Or, rather, you do so on purpose. Not by surprise."

"Oh, that?"

Beatrix's head tilted a bit and she took the ball from Sasha. It definitly wasn't a quaffle, that's for sure. It was more rubber-feeling than anything. She didn't really know what to think of it. This wasn't the type of ball that could be of any use in Quidditch. Bea wouldn't call it useless, but she wanted to.

"It's a football," he answered.  "For football - a muggle sport."

She snorted, slightly, and looked away from the ball and at Sasha. He was joking, right? "Football? What kind of name is that?" she giggled. She then began to skip around Sasha with a silly look on her face, "I like to play FOOT-BAAALLLL!" Bea said in a girly voice, which hit several octaves when she said 'football'. She apparently thought football seemed like a girly sport. A girly sport for... Girls.

"You kick it.  Across a field and try to get it in the other team's goal.  Kind of like in quidditch, but there's just one goal and it's bigger and ... on the ground.  But, you can't touch the ball with your hands while playing.  You kick it or hit - it with ... your head," he said, grinning slightly.  "Or, rather, you do so on purpose. Not by surprise."

Beatrix stopped skipping and stood infront of Sasha, smirking at his last comment, "Right." she said. After taking in everything he had said, she shook her head and handed him back the ball. "That's dumb," She began, "You kick it? Explains the name, but that's stupid. Why can't you use hands?"

Sasha couldn't help but watch curiously as she took the ball, oddly intrigued by her clear fascination with it.  He understood that muggles and wizarding sorts (when they had two wizarding parents) grew up in almost completely separate worlds.  But, it still amazed him that someone could grow up in this country and not know football.  Muggles took football very seriously.  Easily as seriously as their magical counterparts took quidditch.

"Football," he repeated with a shy grin as a little color pinched his cheeks.  He knew Bea wasn't one of the purebloods that considered anything muggle disgustingly inferior but over the years it had become hard not to be even slightly self-conscious about things that were muggle.  "It's a very important sport to muggles.  Well, over here at least.  For some reason the Americans don't really think it's that ... I mean, some like it.  The just ... it's not like football.  American football.  That's different.  They almost never kick the ..."  Sasha's voice trailed off awkwardly and he looked down as Bea seemed to take a very flighty and amused interest in the sport.

"No!  It's not like that!" Sasha tried to interject, grinning.  Many muggles he knew would be offended by the display but Sasha did find it amusing.  "Muggles take it very seriously.  Don't you remember summer, two years ago when all the muggles got so excited about a game in Germany?"  Muggles throughout Europe were prone to getting rather rambunctious and excited during the world cup - sometimes violently so.  "Italy won but they had to go into overtime.  Even then, it was stilled tied zero to zero.  They won with penalty shots.  It was an incredible game!"  His own excitement still showed through in his voice as he briefly relieved the game.

"It's not dumb!"  Sasha said, amused but feigning offense.  "It's serious stuff!  Just because the ball doesn't fly.  Well, it does sometimes, but not like the snitch or anything.  It doesn't sprout wings, but when the forward kicks it halfway across the field it looks like it ... flies."  Sasha's voice trailed off again and he reached out and took the ball.  He bounced the ball between his hands before letting it drop on his knee and knocking it back up to catch in his hands again.  "It's the rules.  You can only touch it with your hands if you are throwing it in from the side.  Or goalie.  The goalie - kind of like the keeper - can use his hands.  That's usually what I play.  When I play."

Beatrix rolled her eyes, playfully. How can someone take something so seriously? Well, it was a sport... It's understandable. Beatrix shrugged and finally took in 'Football' as if it were nothing. It was like the muggle version of quidditch in her eyes... Only there's only one ball. "There's no fun in a sport if there isn't any Beaters." She said to herself in a rhetorical fashion. She smiled at Sasha like it was nothing, again. "I'd like to play this... Football with you, if you didn't mind." Beatrix added, friendly and polite.

"Muggles take it very seriously.  Don't you remember summer, two years ago when all the muggles got so excited about a game in Germany?"

Beatrix tilted her head and thought about it, "Nope." She finally said, "I've never really been close to muggles. The closest I've ever gotten was my little brother... But he's a squib." She sighed, "A dumb little squib, too." Bea didn't really like her brother, and liked to voice it out a lot. Even though sometimes she was the sweetest possible thing towards him, but that was only when she was alone with him.

"Italy won but they had to go into overtime.  Even then, it was stilled tied zero to zero.  They won with penalty shots.  It was an incredible game!"

"Ohh? Italy? I love Italy." Beatrix nodded, "So they don't have a snitch or anything? Just that one ball? How do they know when it ends?" she asked, curious enough. "But, no. I don't remember that game~ Two years ago was probably the summer that Zoey and I thought it would be fun to go to the beach together..." She nearly laughed at the memories, but shook it off. Sasha didn't need to be bored to death by Bea's memories of destroying sand castles and jumping of piers. No one deserved that pain... Beatrix laughed at that thought, out loud.

"It's serious stuff!  Just because the ball doesn't fly.  Well, it does sometimes, but not like the snitch or anything.  It doesn't sprout wings, but when the forward kicks it halfway across the field it looks like it ... flies."

"It's serious stuff." Beatrix giggled, "This is serious business!" She then used her impression of a business man. "Oh, I'm sure it is." She added, trying not to offend Sasha anymore, "Like I said, I'll play this game with you. I'm an excellent keeper... But I'll try... Kicking the ball, if you want." She smiled, sweetly. Like a child who's acting innocent but is clearly not.

Sasha could see her point, readily.  Beaters did add an element of excitement to Quidditch that the game of football, itself, didn't quite have.  He'd readily joined in with Quidditch in this third year and did enjoy that sport as well.  He rubbed his forehead as he nodded his head.  "Well, true.  We don't have beaters.  But, the spectators make up for it.  Most good football games have some sort of fight amongst those watching.  Not that I like ... that's not what ... nevermind." 

He shook his head, slowly.  When one considered the levels of excitement muggles reached when watching football, it was hard to imagine it could go unnoticed by one segment of the population.  "You should have seen the muggles after the game in Germany.  People were hanging out of cars, waving flags and shouting everywhere.  Even at three in the morning, still.  You know those pictures of the crowds in New York after Japan surrendered?  Hanging out of windows and that soldier kissing the ... girl?"  Chances were, using another muggle factoid to try to illustrate the situation wouldn't work that well.  "It's a big deal," he concluded.

"Italy is nice," Sasha agreed.  "I've only been a couple times, we usually go back to Germany to visit mostly.  But, the food's usually better in Italy."  Sasha looked perplexed a moment.  Most sports didn't have a snitch - in fact, other than those historic snitch hunting games (which made him shiver to think about), only Quidditch had a snitch.  None of those games went on forever.   "There's a time limit.  When time's up, the game's over.  Whoever has the most points wins, unless there's a tie.  Then they go into overtime."  Sasha listened curiously to Beatrix as she reminisced about her sister but didn't press her when she cut the story off.  He didn't want to pry into personal matters if she wasn't comfortable sharing.  Sasha was very familiar with that; he didn't speak much of home unless he was asked. 

"It is serious!" he laughed, tossing the ball between his hands before setting it on the ground.  "alright, alright.  Well, we don't have full teams, but we can play a little bit.  So, to start out with, it's rather simple.  You want to kick it, trying to kick it to the place you want it to go."  With his toe, he rolled the ball into position and kicked it lightly over in Beatrix' direction.  "Ok, so, just kick it back.  With the side of your foot."

[[Zoey’s a dude. He’s Bea’s best friend. xD]]

"Well, true.  We don't have beaters.  But, the spectators make up for it.  Most good football games have some sort of fight amongst those watching.  Not that I like ... that's not what ... nevermind."

Beatrix smiled as Sasha stumbled over his words. It was cute in a way, but Bea didn’t say anything about it. “Right. I get it.” She giggled. Beatrix finally understood the sport, well… Sort of. And wasn’t all too skeptical of it anymore. The sport seemed violent and fun, therefore she probably would like it very much. “The fans, they fight over the teams. I understand.” She smiled and winked at Sasha. What a silly boy.

“You should have seen the muggles after the game in Germany.  People were hanging out of cars, waving flags and shouting everywhere.  Even at three in the morning, still.  You know those pictures of the crowds in New York after Japan surrendered?  Hanging out of windows and that soldier kissing the ... girl?"

She sort of just stood there, with a look that was painfully obvious that she had no idea what Sasha was talking about. “If we learned that in History, I don’t pay attention in that class.” She finally said after a minute. Beatrix then chuckled and reached out to pat Sasha’s shoulder, “Thanks for trying to explain it to me, really. But I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She continued to smile, sweetly, “I appreciate it, though.” Bea then stepped back a bit, as if she didn’t want to invade Sasha’s personal space.

"There's a time limit.  When time's up, the game's over.  Whoever has the most points wins, unless there's a tie.  Then they go into overtime."

Bea curled her brow and sighed, “Why didn’t I think of that?” She laughed, slightly. She sort of felt a little dumb, but she didn’t really care. Everyone makes mistakes. “I’m just not a sports person, I guess.” She shrugged and kicked the ground beneath her, “No biggie.”

"Alright, alright.  Well, we don't have full teams, but we can play a little bit.  So, to start out with, it's rather simple.  You want to kick it, trying to kick it to the place you want it to go."

She stuck her tongue out at Sasha and cackled, “This isn’t funny! It’s… Serious business!” Beatrix then watched as he lightly kicked the ball towards her, still a bit giggly. “I promise I won’t kick it at you. Even if that is where I want it to go.” She joked and stepped towards the ball. With a swift kick from the side of her foot, like how Sasha told her to, the ball went sailing a bit overhead and landed not too far away. “Ooh. That was fun!” Beatrix jumped up and down and clapped her hands. She got pure excitement out of anything.

She was listening to him, obviously.  He could also tell she was making a concerted effort to understand what he was trying to explain.  But, it was clear there was a cultural gap.  The excitement of football fans and the picture of the sailor kissing the girl in Times Square after the war was just too far on the muggle side of the field.  "No.  We didn't cover it in History of Magic.  It's not - it's muggle ... history."  Sasha's voice faded slightly, a bright blush blossoming on his cheeks as she patted him consolingly on the shoulder.  "I'm glad you appreciated it; I try." 

Sasha tried to offer a reassuring grin.  "Well, we can't all be sports people, you know?  I mean, if we were all sports people, there'd be no one to watch.  And, most sports people like to be watched." 

She'd turned his words around on him.  It was cheeky and amusing.  Despite her assertion it was serious, her giggling and wayward tongue made it obvious she didn't quite believe it.  "It is serious!  That's something non-sports people don't understand.  Here, just kick the ball."  He laughed as she tried to reassure him.  "But, that's the point.  You are supposed to kick the ball at - or rather - towards other people."

"Excellent!  That's fabulous," he said, reassuringly as he turned and jogged after the ball.  It was good to hear her laughing; she was clearly amused by one kick.  With the toe of his foot, he rolled the ball back to him and guided it into position.  "Alright, you got part of it.  I'm going to kick it back to you.  Try to stop it with your foot and kick it back."  He gave the ball a firm kick and it rolled back over the grass towards her.

"No.  We didn't cover it in History of Magic.  It's not - it's muggle ... history."

Beatrix snorted, slightly, and nodded. “Sorry, love. I’m not in Muggle Studies.” She shrugged. She knew fully well that Sasha was a halfblood, but she liked to joke with him nonetheless. Beatrix just thought it was funny how Sasha blushed. It was like talking to a ten year old boy. Beatrix laughed at her thoughts and smiled at Sasha. She wanted to pinch his cheeks and say ‘It’s okay, Sasha. You’re a big boy’. Beatrix kept the urge to herself and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm glad you appreciated it; I try." She nodded and gave Sasha a crooked smirk. She was happy to please.

"Well, we can't all be sports people, you know?  I mean, if we were all sports people, there'd be no one to watch.  And, most sports people like to be watched."

“That makes them sound a little self-centered.” Beatrix giggled a bit and scratched her head. “I wish everyone wasn’t a sports person, so they’d watch me. ONLY ME.” She laughed even more at her own little joke. She actually liked self-centered people, but she also liked to make fun of them. It was so easy to, because they always get flustered over it. If Beatrix were to have said that to someone’s face, they’d begin to argue or yell ‘It’s not funny! IT’S SERIOUS BUSINESS!’ This thought made Beatrix laugh even harder than before. She was having a blast with Sasha around, simply because he was being… Him.

"It is serious!  That's something non-sports people don't understand.  Here, just kick the ball."

"But, that's the point.  You are supposed to kick the ball at - or rather - towards other people."

Beatrix raised an eyebrow at this, “Kick the ball at people? I think I’ll like this game.” She giggled. She wanted to laugh even more at Sasha saying it was serious again, but her sides were beginning to hurt. Even if she laughed like crazy, this was too much for her. “I think muggles have discovered a great sport here, and I want to congratulate them.” Bea smirked and flicked her hair out of her face. She was happy she left the castle today. Sasha was real fun to talk to, even if he was shy.

"Alright, you got part of it.  I'm going to kick it back to you.  Try to stop it with your foot and kick it back."

She smirked and bowed at Sasha’s compliment and then got ready to stop the ball. She normally would panic and try to block it like how she does in Quidditch. It was an excellent rush of adrenaline. But this was different~ She had to stop the bloody ball with her foot and only her foot. As it flew towards her, she was about ready to stop it, like how Sasha said, only it hit her in the stomach and knocked the wind out of her. Normally she would go into a violent rage, but instead she caught her breath and put her foot on the ball. “Got it!” She coughed and attempted to giggle. Beatrix didn’t blame Sasha, but she did blame the ball and she didn’t really like the it anymore.

Sasha nodded.  "Yeah, I take muggle studies," he admitted.  Sometimes it felt like a strange choice and he did get a few strange glances for his choice, but there had been reasons to it.  Most of the time, he kept those reasons to himself.  But, the harsh truth was he was supposed to be at a muggle school - it was hard enough keeping Hogwarts secret on its own. 

Being able to go home at the end of the year and actually, legitimately, act like he'd learned something he could share with his mother and step-father just made it a little easier.  During his first two years, he'd had to study on his own to be able to do that - he remembered the late evenings in the library, ignoring the curious glances from the librarian when he'd picked up the algebra textbooks he'd requested.  At least, the extra studying was for a legitimate class that he could get a grade for. 

But, he spoke little of his home life with his classmates.  No one liked complaints and he was happy enough to leave home at home.  "I grew up with Muggles, but it's good to keep studying.  It's a shame they don't require it, though." 

Between the giggles, grins and laughs, it was hard to imagine that Beatrix was, in fact, taking the sport seriously.  And, her giggling didn't help with his bashfulness much.  And the occasional grin and smirk only brought a new brush of color to his face.  Luckily, the football offered a source of distraction. 

"Well, ... I mean, a lot are.  Self-centered, I mean.  But not all, you know?  I mean, I'm not self- ... I don't care if others - I just like the game," he finished awkwardly.  He wasn't quite sure what he was trying to say - he hoped she didn't think him self-centered.  But, she was laughing now, even harder.  The color brightened on his own cheeks and he chuckled some himself.  "Well, yes.  That's how you play.  Like chasers toss the ball to each other to get up the field, forwards pass the football to each other to get up the field to make a goal."

Guilt twisted his stomach again when the ball caught her in the stomach.  "Are - are you alright?" But, it seemed like she was, she was holding the ball again.  "Ok - so.  You can kick it again if you want and I'll block it."

"Yeah, I take muggle studies,"

Beatrix furrowed her brow and gave Sasha a puzzled look, “… Don’t you live with muggles or something? Or am I thinking of someone else…?” She chuckled a bit, “Why is that the only people who take muggle studies are the people who live with muggles? That’s so weird.” Beatrix shrugged and smiled, suppressing more laughter. Sasha did seem like the type of person to do that… Why study something that you experience every day during the summer?

"I grew up with Muggles, but it's good to keep studying.  It's a shame they don't require it, though."

She opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it right away. She wanted to say ’I’d die if I had to take that class!’ but she was usually interested in muggle things… She just felt the best teachers were the students. The class seemed full of bologna. “Makes sense. If I was a potions master, I would want to study potions so I wouldn’t get iffy.” Beatrix paused, “But I am a potions master.” She said, pompously.

"Well, ... I mean, a lot are.  Self-centered, I mean.  But not all, you know?  I mean, I'm not self- ... I don't care if others - I just like the game,"

Though the girl wanted to laugh at Sasha, she held her hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking with giggles. “I get it, Sasha.” She chuckled, “We’re all a little self-centered…” Beatrix eyed Sasha, “Well… Maybe not you.” She shook her head and stopped herself from giggling some more. It was adorable how awkward he was.

"Well, yes.  That's how you play.  Like chasers toss the ball to each other to get up the field, forwards pass the football to each other to get up the field to make a goal."

“While running?” Beatrix’s eye twitched a bit. Running was a useless task, though Beatrix could run rather well. She needed to so she could get out of predicaments. But for a sport? How tiring. “Ergh.” She let out a strange sound before shrugging, “Whatever floats a muggle’s boat.” Beatrix smiled, crookedly. Exercise was for chumps.

Beatrix raised a hand as if to say, “Yeah. I’m okay!” before taking a step back to kick the ball again. She didn’t know what would happen when Sasha blocked it… Probably would come back and hit her in the face. Beatrix took a swift kick, aiming the ball at Sasha, and watched it fly again. She jumped up and down, clapping, again, out of pure excitement. She loved kicking things, yes, sir.

Sasha grinned sheepishly as he turned his attention to the ball that was moving quickly in his direction.  The distraction of the oncoming ball gave him an opportunity to avoid answering her question for a moment. He reached a foot out mid-stride and caught the ball under his toe.  "Yes.  I live with muggles," Sasha admitted once the ball was stationary and no longer an effective distraction.  "Well, I take it because  I live with muggles, you know?  I mean ...  I still have to ... well, fit in when I go home.  It helps me remember what muggles are like." 

In a simple, non-specific sense, it was the truth.  It was unfortunate that the class didn't go into enough details to really serve the purpose he needed it to serve.  "You'd be surprised of the things muggles study.  We don't cover a lot of it here but, you know, any little bit helps."  Sasha smiled as he kicked the ball gently back in her direction, making sure that the ball's path remained firmly on the ground as Beatrix' face seemed to have a strange attraction to the ball.  "That kind of makes sense - but ... it's kind of different.  You aren't likely to run into potions on the street and have to interact with them." 

"Yes, while running," Sasha said, visibly surprised by the question.  "What else would we do?  It'd be an even duller game if we were standing still."  Alright.  He knew the answer to that.  Fly.  It was the answer most magical folks would give.  "You'd have to see a game to understand.  It's more exciting then it sounds, I swear. I mean, other sports move in different ways.  I played a little polo before coming here - we ride horses, there.  But, there aren't any horses here, really."