The Game of Chess

Chess is a game of intelligence, a game where you should plan ahead and save your 'big move' for a crucial time, a game where you should be aware of your opponents moves. Most of all chess is a game of strategy.

Ron Weasley was a good chess player. He always had a strategy. Everyone seemed to think Ron only cared about chess and Quidditch. But they were wrong-and they were right, at the same time. Most of his thoughts were about the most treasured chess piece; the queen. However, he had a queen that didn't have anything to do with chess, Hermione Granger.

For almost seven years Ron had been 'playing chess' with Hermione. He was always watching her to get a feel for her style and to see if he could predict her next move.

It was early in the morning, still dark and the morning dew on the grass. Ron was lying in his bed looking up at the ceiling thinking about Hermione. He couldn't sleep, he was too hungry. He pulled the thick quilt off of him and got out of bed, he shivered when his feel hit the cold wood floor.

He came to the stairs and saw the light was on. He rubbed his tired eyes while his stomach led his feet to the food. He looked up and saw why the light was on: Hermione.

Hermione was sitting at the kitchen table staring off into space. 'Let the game begin,' he thought to himself.

"Hey, why are you up?" Ron asked as he watched her shake her head like as her mind came back to the room. "Couldn't sleep?"

"No, I didn't bother," she looked down at the table where a letter was.

"What's that?" he asked as he came and sat across from her. She slid the opened letter across the table. Ron started to read, it was from 'Vicky'. He was asking if she wanted to meet him soon, he was moving near here, apparently. Ron finished the letter and looked up at her, planning his move, "And you're sad because…"

She snatched the letter. 'She won't leave, I know it, she just wants to act mad, but she's not' he thought.

She looked down at it and started to read, "'love, Victor.' Ron, he said Love, that means he loves me."

"Oh and you love him?" He asked, 'smart, Ron…' he thought, 'I should know'

"Umm… I love him as a friend, I think," they said there for a minute then she asked,

"Ron, what is love?"

He looked at her a minute and answered, "To me…love is when you feel like you can't go on with out the person. Love is when you just want to be around that person all the time. And I think there are different kinds of love, like for friends, and a kind for family, a kind for your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife and a kind for your kids. But I think they are all important and that they are all needed and everyone has love to give." Ron answered, 'Nicely said, Weasley!'

"What if you run out?"

"I think that is impossible, it's like the more you give the more you have to give," Ron told her. Hermione started to laugh, and Ron questioned, "What?"

"I just think it's funny, I never thought I would see the day when you would be teaching me something," she smiled at him, "Ron?"

"Yes?"

"Do you love her?" She asked, thinking about the girl from last summer, Amber. She was only around for a few weeks, but she was there.

"Who?" he asked 'wow, didn't see that coming', "If I answer I get to ask you something."

"Okay," she answered thinking he would ask about Victor.

"No, I don't love her now and I didn't I never had and I never will, it's as simple as that." "Oh," she said with a slight smile, "okay, now your turn…"

"Okay," he started looking at her in the eyes, "Who do you love?"

'Checkmate!' his mind screamed 'after seven years I will finally let her say, unless it's not me...'

"Ron..."

"Yes?"

"No… I mean, I umm love Ron, you." She answered, a little embarrassed.

"Hermione…" He started, not knowing were to even begin. No words come to mind, and his face was blank. He watched as Hermione's face changed, she started to stand up to leave, but he reached forward, touching his fingertips to her face. He leaned over the table, and brushed his lips against hers. "Hermione…" He breathed. For a moment he was going to confess of his love, but decided to show her, again. His lips touched hers again, this time more boldly, and her lips moved back against his. He loved her.

Relationships are like chess, a game where you need to be intelligent so you don't hurt your friends, a game where you should be aware of what your opponent's moves and you should plan ahead on what you are going to do, and save the big move until your ready it might be something like asking someone out or just calling someone your best friend. Life is just like the game of chess.

~Fin~

Authors Note:

I hope you enjoyed it! Please review, tell me what you think. Even better yet, send me an e-mail. Again, I hope you enjoyed it, thanks so much for reading! Check out my other stories!

~Addie~