Author's Note: Just wanted to thank all those who favorited, followed and reviewed!
Chapter: 2
Ron wasn't much of a thinker, he knew that, but so much odd stuff had happened he really wanted the time to just sit and think about it. Time that life, or this game, wouldn't give him just yet.
"Ron Weasley, you get up right this instant! You're going to be late for your studies!" His mother bellowed as she strode into the room and tossed his covers back, "Up, up, up! I won't have your laziness embarrass me to the Diggory's today. You've only one year before you go to Hogwarts and need to learn to get up in time on your own."
Having flashbacks to his earlier years when all the kids in town were homeschooled by Mrs. Diggory, Ron knew that a delay in getting ready would force him to miss breakfast. So he hopped to. Speedy, he got dressed, threw some parchment and quills into a bag and pounded down the stairs.
"No time to sit and eat. Ginny's already long gone. Here's your lunch and egg sandwich. Off you get." the older witch said as she vigorously shooed him out the door.
New Quest!
The Rush of Learning
Finish your breakfast and make it to the Diggory's house before 8am. Success: +1 Int, +15 Rep Molly Weasley, +25 Exp. Failure: -15 Rep Molly Weasley, -15 Rep Marlene Diggory.
Time: 7:50:00 am
Ten minutes!
Time: 7:50:02 am
I gulped as the clock shifted by the second, my chess-honed mind whirling. It normally took 20 minutes to walk to the Diggory's house on the other side of town.
Time: 7:50:12 am
It'd be easier to run without stuff in my hands, not to mention the risk of choking - I still had a sandwich to eat.
Time: 7:50:36 am
I stuffed my lunch into my bag with my supplies and scarfed my breakfast with a speed that made me internally cringing, almost able to hear Hermione's voice lecture in disgust. I choked down the last few swallows, waited a moment to ensure my air passage was clear, then took off.
Time: 7:52:09 am
You have learned the skill: Running!
There was a grin on my face and a , "Woop!" hidden by my stronger need to breath as I ran down the dirt road past homey country cottages. I'd never thought running could feel so close to flying!
Time: 7:54:43 am
Of course, it didn't take long for my glee to be replaced by stubbornness. My body definitely was not used to this level of exertion and I huffed and puffed trying to maintain my speed.
Time: 7:57:13 am
Time: 7:58:53 am
I could finally see the house. Just a little bit more now.
Success! Quest Completed!
You have earned +1 Int, +15 Rep Molly Weasley, +25 Exp.
My shout of joy stayed in mind as my mouth was still occupied taking in great gulps of air. I took my time getting to the dining room, trying to calm my racing heart rate.
"Nice of you to make on time Ronald. Please take a seat." Mrs. Diggory looked the very image of a gentile country witch wearing a casual cotton robe over a flowery summer dress, a strand of white pearls around her neck and her blond hair loosely up in a casual bun. "Let's see what you've retained over the summer, starting with Latin conjugates."
There was a comfortable familiarity to the day's work, and Ron was pleased by the time he went home to have picked up skills in Language: Latin, Writing, Mathematics, and Wizarding History. He also gained +12 Rep with Mrs. Diggory. That was the positives, on the negative side of the spectrum was the lack of any improvement on his relationship with Luna. He knew he owed her a lot for everything she did in the future, and how he'd treated her in the past, but what was he supposed to do - just walk up and apologize out of no where? She'd think him nutters! Well he knew that's what he'd think if it were him. He really couldn't predict how she'd react. She always was a strange one, and that just made him nervous. Oh, feck it all! Gryffindors ahead!
"Oi Luna! Um… Can I talk to you a sec?" Ginny and she paused on the path leading away from the Diggory's, his sister looking at him incredulously.
Luna tilted her head at him, her eyes staring somewhere over his left shoulder, "Yes, Ronald?"
"Well, I, umm… I know I haven't always really been nice to you, been a bit of an arse in fact, and, well, I just wanted to say sorry." The last bit was mumbled, but she seemed to have understood it anyways.
"You have far less wrackspurts around you then you used to. You should play games more often. I accept your apology, Ronald."
+20 Rep Luna Lovegood, +10 Rep Ginny Weasley
What?! How the hell did she? I was flabbergasted watching her walk away, Ginny whispering in her ear. Didn't matter what age she was, that girl was still bloody odd. I mean clearly she could see more than he knew, but damned if she didn't always creep the willies out of him!
After returning home, there were chores to do. While Ginny was forced to clean inside, his Mother set him to do the outside work. Weeding the garden brought him the gardening skill, and milking the goats and collecting eggs from the chickens gave him the skill Handle Animal.
New Quest!
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Gnome!
Find 20 gnomes in the garden and send them flying out of there! Success: +20 Exp, +10 Care of Magical Creatures. Failure: -1 Luck
A familiar task, I shrugged my shoulders, should be easy. 2 hours and 20 gnomes sent flying later…
Success! Quest Completed!
+20 Exp, +10 CoMC
Ron sighed in relief and inspected the myriad of injuries he had somehow managed to accumulate. Most were just small scrapes and bruises from where he leapt and dived, the worst were a nasty bite on one hand and a goose egg on a shin where one gnome had completed a move reminiscent of something Dean had tried to describe to him from that odd muggle sport Wrastling. He hobbled into the Burrow and soon after gained the new skill: First Aid.
Ron Weasley, The Gamer
Lvl 1, age 10
Exp: 45/100
Str 8
Dex 3
Con 9
Int 5
Wis 7
Cha 4
Luk 5
Skills:
Running 5/100
Language: Latin 10/100
Writing 5/100
Mathematics 5/100
Wizarding History 5/100
Gardening 5/100
Handle Animal 10/100
First Aid 5/100
Reputation:
Arthor Weasley 350/1000
Molly Weasley 315/1000
William (Bill) Weasley 296/1000
Charlie Weasley 275/1000
Percy Weasley 201/1000
Fred Weasley 326/1000
George Weasley 350/1000
Ginevra Weasley 432/1000
Xenophilious Lovegood -300/1000
Luna Lovegood -232/1000
Amos Diggory 0/1000
Marlene Diggory 52/1000
Cedric Diggory 56/1000