Harry Potter fic- Wizard's Chess
Title: Wizard's Chess
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Very mild Ron/Hermione
Rating: G. Pure fluff.
"Oh blast!" a girl's voice exclaimed. Fifteen year old Harry Potter looked up from the letter he was reading as he entered the mostly empty Gryffindor common room. His two best friends were sitting in armchairs across the table from each other. Ron Weasley was teaching Hermione Granger to play wizard's chess and by the looks of it she was getting trounced.
"Hi Harry!" Ron greeted him. He looked pleased and more than a little smug.
"Hullo Ron. Hi Hermione."
"Hello Harry," Hermione said absently as she studied the board. She was a genius at spells and schoolwork, but was having a horrible time grasping wizard's chess. "Um... rook to E5."
Ron exchanged a look with Harry and shook his head. "Queen to E5." His queen smashed Hermione's rook to pieces and she swept them off the board, looking dejected. "Checkmate."
"What! Where? Oh... blast!" Hermione frantically moved her king, but Ron trapped her and her king crumbled. With the game over, the pieces became whole again and appeared in place for a new game. Hermione slumped back into her chair and looked very upset.
"It's okay, Hermione," Harry comforted. "I lose to Ron all the time."
"But I shouldn't! I read all the books..."
"Wizard's chess isn't about books, Hermione," Ron said. "Maybe you just need to watch some more."
"I've watched you play me across the board for the past hour!"
"No, I mean- Harry, you play me. Hermione, you can sit with me and I'll explain stuff. Okay?" Ron said in an unusually patient voice.
Harry looked at Ron and nodded. Hermione squished onto Ron's armchair and Harry took hers. Ron began explaining his moves; why he did it and what he hoped would happen. Hermione listened uncharacteristically well and asked a few questions, even suggesting a move of two.
"Not that one, Hermione,' Ron said in a low voice. "You see, his bishop will get you there. If you,' he raised his voice "Pawn to D2..." The selected pawn glided to it's square and stopped.
"But Ron-" Hermione protested. He raised a finger and she waited to see what he meant. Wary, Harry studied the board looking for traps. Spotting it, he swooped in ("Queen to A8") and smashed Ron's waiting rook.
Ron grimaced. "I was hoping he wouldn't see that."
Pushing herself forward to see the board, Hermione accidentally put her left hand down on Ron's right. A tingle hit them both and they yanked their hands away. Harry looked at them oddly.
"Electrical shock," Hermione explained hurriedly, blushing.
"Right,' Ron agreed. He sat on his hand but couldn't help being squished against Hermione because they were jammed into the same armchair. He could feel the tips of his ears turning red and he tried to focus on the board. "Uh... bishop to A8," he said trying to be casual and still not sure why. His bishop crushed Harry's queen and Harry groaned. Hermione laughed and glanced at Ron, who smiled proudly. Ron then proceeded to corner Harry's king the same way he had Hermione's. He explained how to do it, then reduced Harry's king to pieces. Harry sighed and the pieces became whole again.
"Anyone for another game?"Ron offered eagerly.
"No, thanks," Harry said, getting up. "My pride's taken its beating for today. Plus, I have to respond to Professor Lupin's', latest letter."
"Tell him we say hello," Hermione said, idly fiddling with a chess piece as Harry left to the boy's dormitory. He nodded, opening the parchment again as he climbed the stairs. "I suppose I should go finish my Arithmancy homework."
"Yeah, I've got another roll of Divination to make up." Hermione shook her head ruefully and he grinned.
Hermione stood up, untangling her and Ron's robes. "Well, thanks Ron. For teaching me and all." She paused for a second as if thinking and leaned forward, kissing him swiftly on the cheek, a mere brush of the lips, before turning and rushing up the stairs to her own dorm.
Ron's hand froze sweeping the chess pieces into their box as his mind raced to catch up. 'What just happened?' his mind asked. 'Dunno,' he told himself. 'I think Hermione just kissed me.' A slow smile spread on his face. "Wow," he breathed.
Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairing: Very mild Ron/Hermione
Rating: G. Pure fluff.
"Oh blast!" a girl's voice exclaimed. Fifteen year old Harry Potter looked up from the letter he was reading as he entered the mostly empty Gryffindor common room. His two best friends were sitting in armchairs across the table from each other. Ron Weasley was teaching Hermione Granger to play wizard's chess and by the looks of it she was getting trounced.
"Hi Harry!" Ron greeted him. He looked pleased and more than a little smug.
"Hullo Ron. Hi Hermione."
"Hello Harry," Hermione said absently as she studied the board. She was a genius at spells and schoolwork, but was having a horrible time grasping wizard's chess. "Um... rook to E5."
Ron exchanged a look with Harry and shook his head. "Queen to E5." His queen smashed Hermione's rook to pieces and she swept them off the board, looking dejected. "Checkmate."
"What! Where? Oh... blast!" Hermione frantically moved her king, but Ron trapped her and her king crumbled. With the game over, the pieces became whole again and appeared in place for a new game. Hermione slumped back into her chair and looked very upset.
"It's okay, Hermione," Harry comforted. "I lose to Ron all the time."
"But I shouldn't! I read all the books..."
"Wizard's chess isn't about books, Hermione," Ron said. "Maybe you just need to watch some more."
"I've watched you play me across the board for the past hour!"
"No, I mean- Harry, you play me. Hermione, you can sit with me and I'll explain stuff. Okay?" Ron said in an unusually patient voice.
Harry looked at Ron and nodded. Hermione squished onto Ron's armchair and Harry took hers. Ron began explaining his moves; why he did it and what he hoped would happen. Hermione listened uncharacteristically well and asked a few questions, even suggesting a move of two.
"Not that one, Hermione,' Ron said in a low voice. "You see, his bishop will get you there. If you,' he raised his voice "Pawn to D2..." The selected pawn glided to it's square and stopped.
"But Ron-" Hermione protested. He raised a finger and she waited to see what he meant. Wary, Harry studied the board looking for traps. Spotting it, he swooped in ("Queen to A8") and smashed Ron's waiting rook.
Ron grimaced. "I was hoping he wouldn't see that."
Pushing herself forward to see the board, Hermione accidentally put her left hand down on Ron's right. A tingle hit them both and they yanked their hands away. Harry looked at them oddly.
"Electrical shock," Hermione explained hurriedly, blushing.
"Right,' Ron agreed. He sat on his hand but couldn't help being squished against Hermione because they were jammed into the same armchair. He could feel the tips of his ears turning red and he tried to focus on the board. "Uh... bishop to A8," he said trying to be casual and still not sure why. His bishop crushed Harry's queen and Harry groaned. Hermione laughed and glanced at Ron, who smiled proudly. Ron then proceeded to corner Harry's king the same way he had Hermione's. He explained how to do it, then reduced Harry's king to pieces. Harry sighed and the pieces became whole again.
"Anyone for another game?"Ron offered eagerly.
"No, thanks," Harry said, getting up. "My pride's taken its beating for today. Plus, I have to respond to Professor Lupin's', latest letter."
"Tell him we say hello," Hermione said, idly fiddling with a chess piece as Harry left to the boy's dormitory. He nodded, opening the parchment again as he climbed the stairs. "I suppose I should go finish my Arithmancy homework."
"Yeah, I've got another roll of Divination to make up." Hermione shook her head ruefully and he grinned.
Hermione stood up, untangling her and Ron's robes. "Well, thanks Ron. For teaching me and all." She paused for a second as if thinking and leaned forward, kissing him swiftly on the cheek, a mere brush of the lips, before turning and rushing up the stairs to her own dorm.
Ron's hand froze sweeping the chess pieces into their box as his mind raced to catch up. 'What just happened?' his mind asked. 'Dunno,' he told himself. 'I think Hermione just kissed me.' A slow smile spread on his face. "Wow," he breathed.