Title: Checkmate
Author: Nylrebmik
Pairings: Ron/Hermione
Rating: G

Author's Note: Hoo, boy, this one's an oldie. My first shot at fluffy Ron/Hermione goodness. Based on a passing fancy I got while looking at this truly amazing doodle by an artist named Lauren: http:// lberghol. deviantart. com/ art/ Checkmates-HP-22454189 (take out the spaces to view the picture). You can find more of her amazing Potter fanart at deviantart under the name lberghol.

Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to own them, I don't. They belong to the talented Ms. Rowling.

Hermione sat her chin on her hand, a bewildered expression on her face.

"You want me to do what, Ron?" she asked. Ron grinned, clearly excited for whatever he had planned.

"You heard me," he said, rattling the box in his hands. "I challenge you to a game of Wizard's chess."

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, only a few days after Ron's quiet admission that he wouldn't like Hermione to invite McLaggen to Professor Slughorn's party. Since then, Hermione had seen little of Ron. He had taken to blushing faintly and hurrying off whenever he saw her—that is, until a few moments ago when he approached her with an old, battered Wizards chess set.

Perplexed, Hermione watched as Ron sat the chess set up on the floor in front of the Common Room fireplace.

"Ron, you know I'm rubbish at chess," she said patiently. As if she had to remind him. The only time she had tried playing against him, it had been an absolute massacre; she hadn't lasted five minutes.

"Yeah, but this time you'll have a master chess player at your side," he replied. Hermione blinked.

"Who?" She asked, confused. Ron looked up in surprise, then looked away quickly when their eyes met. He shuffled his feet, the bravado from a moment before gone.

"I—well, I thought that I could…y'know. Teach you," he finally said quietly. Hermione fidgeted, feeling her cheeks become hot. "It really wasn't a challenge," he continued, his words coming out with a rush now, and he was still studiously avoiding her eyes. "I just thought I could teach you how to play well, and then we could play each other."

Hermione was silent for a long moment. She looked down at the essay sprawled in her lap, and toyed with her quill. Finally Ron cleared his throat.

"It was probably a dumb---"

"Alright, Mr. Master Chess player," she interrupted, standing suddenly and rolling up the

essay. "You're on." Ron's face lit up almost comically as Hermione took a seat on the floor by the white chess pieces.

Ron caught her completely by surprise by sitting right next to her. Her picked up the chessboard with practiced ease and placed it on her lap. His hand brushed against hers, and she felt her stomach give a funny jolt. She felt dizzily giddy as he began a quick review of the pieces...she never supposed one should find such happiness in being told that the "Little horse shaped fellow goes in an L-shape". She knew he was simplifying it for her sake, and she loved him for it.

She...loved him for it? She dared a glace up into his face, saw the intense concentration in his eyes, the way the sun made his freckled more pronounced. She shivered and smiled a private smile to herself as Ron began explaining the purpose of the queen.

Checkmate, she thought happily.