Chess Pieces

Rated PG 13

Disclaimer: These characters are from JK Rowling. Yadda yadda yadda.

CHAPTER I



Ron chewed his sugar quill that he had bought from Zonko's, a store from Hogsmeade with uneasiness.

Damn you Snape. What kind of teacher gives homework due the night before winter vacation? Honestly, three rolls of parchment about truth potions? What is there to write? They make the drinker tell the truth! It's that simple. Really...

Hermoine looked up from her rather thick book about vampires to glance over at Ron, who was chewing on his pearly quill intensely. Sighing, Hermoine closed her book quietly and set it aside.

"Ron, do you need some help?" Hermoine asked cheerfully, peering over his left shoulder.

Ron slammed down his sugar quill with frustration. "No, Hermoine. I dont. I've been sitting here for hours with one line for my essay. Of course I dont need any help!" He shot back viciously, his words dripping with sarcasm. He picked up his sugar quill again and entered it in his mouth, returning to the books.

"Wha-Whats your problem!?" Hermoine shrieked, startled. "My intentions were to help you Ron. You dont have to throw a fit at me!"

Ron clenched his fist in annoyance and stood up, placing his hands against the table with such force that the two were recieving looks from other Gryffindors. "OK. FINE THEN! WELL I SAID I DIDNT WANT ANY HELP!"

"FINE!"

"FINE!"

Giving Ron one last glare, Hermoine turned on her heel and stomped upstairs to the girls dormintory. Ron slumped down into his chair, his hand rubbing his temples fiercely. "Oy, Hermoine..."

Fred and George entered right on cue as Hermoine slammed the door to her sleeping quarters. Wincing, the twins sat on either side of Ron. "Whassamatter Ron?" asked George.

"Go away." Ron said, now breaking his quill in little jagged pieces.

"Why Ron," Fred said, in a mock hurt voice. "I'm so hurt."

"Yea, maybe thats how you got whoever that was upstairs to slam the door." George added.

Ron looked completely furious. "Why do you always blame me? It was Hermoine's fault and its not my problem that she's a complete know-it-all!"

Fred and George exchanged fake sympathetic looks. "Ok Ron, we wont blame you for what you really did." Fred said, before taking a slip of paper out of his robes. "By the way, Madam Pomphrey wanted to give you and Hermoine this. Basically, she just wants you to know that Harry's fine and she doesnt want you two pacing outside of the hospital wing everyday."

Ron took the slip of paper with Harry's conditions written on it and slipped it into his own robes. "Okay, now will you leave me alone?!"

Taken back for a moment, George leaned in to add on Ron's pain. "But you have to tell Hermoine, she's probably really worried."

"Yea, she probably has a crush on Harry." Fred agreed.

"She's been panicking about his health." George said.

"Sorta like Mum does when we pull a prank--"

Ron flushed angrily. "I GET THE POINT ALREADY!" With fury, Ron marched up the girls dormitory.

Fred blinked. "Wait...isnt that the girls dorm? OY RO--"

George clamped a hand over Fred's mouth michieviously. "Lets not ruin his fun."

Ron swung the Hermoine's door open. "OY HERMOINE!" Ron glanced at Hermoine, who had feathers scattered all over her. She was evidently beating a pillow before his arrival.

Startled, Hermoine looked up and over at Ron's figure at the door. "R-ron! What are you doing here?"

Ron blinked and did a double take of his surroundings. "Oh shit. This is the girls dorm."

"Would you at least be more observant next time before barging into people like that?" She snapped.

Ron rolled his eyes as he glanced around for any sign of Lavender and Parvati.

Hermoine seemed to read his mind. "They arent here--luckily. Why did you come up here in the first place? Dont you have an essay to do?"

Ron scowled deeply at Hermoine. "Fine. I guess the news of Harry's condition isnt important to you."

Hermoine brightened a great deal, leaving Ron to flush a bit. "He--How is he? He's going to be alright, isnt he?"

Ron felt a creeping jealousy come up, but brushed it away. "Yea, he's fine." He said casually. A sudden wave of guilt passed through him when he recalled the brief moment of jealousy. "Uh Hermoine?"

"Yes?" Hermoine braced herself for another argument.

"I'm sorry about earlier. I over reacted. I guess I was under a lot of stress."

Hermoine's facial features softened and she smiled. "Its...ok. I guess I over reacted too."

Ron felt his face sting slightly with the blush coming up.

She looks so cute when she blushes. Gah! What am I thinking?

Desperate for a change of topic, Ron cleared his throat. "Ah-uh...could you um help me with my potions essay?"

"I thought you didnt need any help." Hermoine teased gently, her cinnamon brown eyes dancing in the light. "Alright, but only if you teach me to be better at chess." Hermoine made her way off of her bed to continue down the steps with Ron.

"But you know, it's good that you lose at something." Ron said, grinning.

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"Ron? Ron!" Hermoine's voice broke into Ron's thoughts.

"Uh what? What page are we on?"

"Honestly Ron, what is wrong with you today? We finished the essay and we're playing chess right now. Why are you thinking about that essay?"

Ron blinked in confusion. "Um right. Sorry about that. Is it my turn?"

"Yes. I've been waiting for--"

"HEY! How did you get half of my chess pieces?" Ron stared at his remaining chess pieces on his side of the board. They all seemed to be glowering at Ron.

Hermoine sighed. "You werent paying attention thats why. Listen, I agreed to help you on your essay if you helped me learn to play chess. I didnt want you to let me win." Hermoine looked into Ron's emerald eyes to scold some more when she suddenly came to a stop. Was it her imagination or was Ron staring at her?

Ron turned quickly away when Hermoine looked at him. "Sorry. I guess I was a bit distracted."

Hermoine looked behind her. "Of what?"

"N-nothing."

Forcing himself to keep his concentration with half of his chess pieces lost, in the end, Ron eventually won.

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Ron slipped on his cotton pajamas and settled into bed, pulling the warm covers over him. Unlike his other roomates, who were sound asleep, Ron couldnt sleep. He had too many thoughts in his mind.

Or rather, too many thoughts about a particular someone on his mind.

Why do I keep visualizing her smile? ...why the hell cant i stop thinking about her damnit? Ron tossed and turned for a few minutes more before trying to settle down.

I couldnt keep my concentration during the chess game, I kept thinking of her...Hermoine probably thinks I'm really strange now… Ron sighed, before wincing as he brought up former emotions, along with more visualizations of Hermoine earlier. A sudden shock surged through Ron, and he clutched the front of his shirt.

...No...I cant be... Ron shook his head fiercely. She's my best friend...I cant be in love...with _her_ ....can I?

Ron thought it over carefully. It wasnt long ago that he had also fell in love with another girl. Fleur. Fleur Delacour. But unlike Hermoine, he hadnt a chance with her.

Now that he though about it, Hermoine had definitely changed. Although her parents disapproved the sudden changing of her teeth size, they eventually grew to a liking of it. They even took her to a salon, for that matter, and smoothed down her hair alike what she had for the Yule Ball.

He also remembered the bitterness of the Yule Ball as well. Victor Krum... Ron clenched his teeth as he visualized his face with Hermoine's. He completely forgot the embaressment of having a crush on his best friend. If I dont see him again, it'll be too soon...

Tired out from frustration, Ron tried to sleep, only falling back into the turning and twisting motions from earlier.


--------

"Ron?"

"Hey Ron!"

"RON!!!"

Voices broke into Ron's sleepy mind and he proceded to cover his head with a pillow. "Go away." He moaned.

Neville's uneasy voice disturbed Ron's sleeping state again. "Ron! We have Potions with P-p-proffesor Snape...y-you already m-missed breakfast." Neville was flung in a state of horror of what Snape would do to him if he were late.

Ron suddenly snapped awake. "THE POTIONS ESSAY!"

Dean slapped a hand to his own forehead. "Don't tell me you forgot to do it. Snape'll have a fit."

Ron shook his head. "No...no. I did it. What time is it?"

Seamus checked the clock on the table. "Eight--"

Ron gaped wordlessly. "EIGHT?! FUCK!" Hurrying, Ron used a summoning charm ("Accio!") to gather his robes and books and ran off to the bathroom.

As Ron got out, the four ran down the steps, Ron slowed down a bit to eat the slice of toast that Neville had brought him.


--------

Snape eyed the four boys warily as they sat down, nearly being late.

"10 points from Gryffinder." He said greasily, "For running in the classroom in such an uncivilized manner."

Behind Ron, Draco Malfoy and his cronies snickered at them.

Although the penalized students were fuming at Snape, as usual, they knew better than to object. Snape always favored his students above others, and took it to a hobby of picking on the other students. However, Snape was in an even fouler mood than usual. Harry Potter had been injured in another bizarre Quidditch Match, where three of the Slytherin players had deliberately teamed up to knock him off his broom, doing more injury than usual. Harry, had been able to skip the potions essay and recieve good marks for it as well, under Dumbledore's orders.

The class proceeded to make love potions--and testing them. Snape originally paired Crabb and Goyle up with Hermoine and Ron, but Crabb gracefully knocked over Hermoine's cauldron onto himself. The fluid proceeded to flow to the next table where Goyle also had been infected. The two grew large red spots on their arms and all over, which seemed to burn them because they began grunting in pain.

After taking an additional 10 points away from Gryffindor for lack of helping their partners, Snape reluctantly paired Hermoine and Ron up.

"Thank god those gorillas were taken away." Hermoine muttered under her breath. Ron grinned sheepishly and agreed.



AUTHOR NOTES: My first try =P. lol. my AIM is yukigirl00. IM me if you can cause motivation for me, inspire me, or give me ideas. Thanks, and the credit you send will be noted. DONT IM me asking a/s/l. oi. C&C welcome. Sorry that it was a bit cut and blunt. I needed to get across the details.