Disclaimer- Nothing belongs to me except the new characters and the plot of
this story. J.K Rowling, (aka the master), owns it all and I am making no
profit from this story.
This story alternates between the PoV of Ron and Hermione, starting off with Hermione. At the end of each chapter there are the thoughts of Harry and Ginny, Ginny's confided in her secret (non-magical) diary and Harry's to, well, himself.
Chapter One- The night before.
"Your move."
I knew I was frowning slightly as I stared at the chessboard. My pieces were staring back at me expectantly, while Harry's stood impatiently checking their fingernails and tutting. Harry Potter himself was getting a little impatient with me, but as he was my best friend, he was slightly subtler than his pieces.
"Your move Herm." He repeated. I didn't look up; but merely continued to stare at the board. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Harry rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. I saw him glance at our other best friend, Ron Weasley, who was sitting in a nearby armchair, supposedly doing his Charms homework. However, Ron was also observing the chessboard, but instead of the look of painful concentration that I knew I wore, Ron's face was a picture of understanding. (Typical). And quite a bit of smugness. (Even more typical).
Finally, I made my move. "Knight to F2." I said. My Knight moved obediently, and sighs of relief were heard from Harry's playing pieces. But above that noise came the sound of muffled laughter.
On the table next to the chessboard sat a wooden box containing Ron's chess pieces. The box had a see-through plastic side, and all of his men (and woman including the queen) were bunched up, watching the game with interest through their window. When I looked down at them suspiciously they all hurriedly looked away from me, but I could still see them giggling.
"What's so funny?" I snapped. Now, I always tried to be nice to Ron's chess pieces; even when they tutted at one of my moves or gloated at their wins. But laughing at me outright was a different matter entirely.
The chess pieces didn't answer me- they just started to laugh harder. "Cut it out you guys." Ron's voice spoke a bit sharply, but with a faint trace of amusement that couldn't be missed. However, the command worked. The pieces, which practically worshipped Ron, (just short of sacrificing live animals to him) stopped laughing immediately. I gave them a haughty look and turned to Ron.
"What's so funny?" I repeated, I admit it, a little huffily. Ron tried to keep a straight face, but I and, I'm sure, Harry, could see he was struggling not laugh along with his men (and woman).
"You could have checkmated Harry in two moves." He said in his incredibly annoying you're-not-very-good-at-chess-but-I'm-not-going-to-brag-that-I-am voice. I opened my mouth in indignation and spun back round to face the chessboard.
"And now." Ron said sympathetically. Harry's eyes lit up and he spoke quickly. "Bishop to B6." His piece obeyed, and Harry looked up in triumph. "Checkmate."
"What?!" I exclaimed. I stared at the chessboard in disbelief as Harry's pieces all began to congratulate each other and mine applauded reluctantly. (My playing pieces were very well trained, and were always taught to be polite).
"Unlucky Herm. But if you'd just." Ron began, reaching forward towards the chessboard. I looked up and angrily batted his hand away. "Do your homework." I snapped bitterly.
Ron sat back in his chair and grinned. "I woke the beast." He said to Harry with a fake grimace. Harry quickly turned his laugh into a hacking cough under my evil glare. I took a deep, calming breath and opened a wooden box for my playing pieces to get into.
"One day one of us is going to beat you Ron Weasley, and I'm really going to enjoy it." I said calmly. Ron grinned again. "I was only trying to help." He sulked, pretending to be really offended. I still looked at him coldly, so he shrugged and went back to his homework. Finally.
"I take it you don't want another game then Hermione?" Harry asked me. I shook my head as I slid the lid over the box. Harry shrugged and reached for his own chess-piece box.
I placed my box next to my bag where I wouldn't forget it and sat back in my chair. "Shouldn't you be going over plays?" I asked, stifling a yawn. Harry frowned. "Huh?" He said bemusedly.
Ron looked up again and grinned at Harry. "For the Quidditch matches, Oh Captain My Captain." He said. Harry laughed but I pointed at Ron's Charms homework. I was determined to make him do it, whatever happened. Ron rolled his eyes. "Have you ever thought of a career in fascist slave-driving?" He said grumpily, loading his quill with ink and starting to write again.
"Well actually Herm, I've already figured out most of the new plays we're going to try out," Harry told me. "And we're gonna put them into play tomorrow morning at practise. I'm planning to get out there by about seven." Harry added, with an amused glance in Ron's direction. Sure enough, Ron groaned loudly, though he didn't stop writing.
I smiled. "That's the price to pay for being on the Gryffindor team." I said while Harry laughed. "Especially while we're holding a tournament against another school." He added with a grin. Ron kept writing.
Harry yawned loudly and stretched. "I think I'll go to bed." He said, starting to stand up. I nodded. "Good night Harry. Oh, tomorrow, when they arrive, will you say hello to Viktor for me? I won't see him 'til lunch." I said, handing Harry his playing pieces. I knew my voice sounded a bit too eager- but I couldn't help it at all. Tomorrow I would be seeing Viktor again for the first time in four months, and I could hardly wait. We'd written to each other at least twice every week.
Harry nodded. "Sure." He said. "How long has he got left at school anyway? I thought his last year was, well, last year." Harry asked.
I snapped out of my daydreaming and shrugged. "It was, in theory. But he's missed so much school touring with Bulgaria that they're making him do another term." I answered. Ron snorted.
"They only wanted him there to play in the tournament." He said without looking up from his homework. I pointedly ignored him.
"Well, I can't wait to see him." I said, picking up my bag. There was suddenly a loud snapping noise from behind me, and when I looked round I saw Ron's quill had broken in half in his hand. Harry tutted loudly. "Only you would manage to snap a quill mid-sentence Ron." He said with a grin.
Ron whipped out his wand and pointed it at his ruined quill. "Reparo." He muttered angrily. The two pieces he held rose up into the air, zoomed together and back into his hand. Ron hastily finished the sentence he had been writing and rolled up his work. He stood up quickly and picked up his chess pieces. "Well, good night." He said.
Harry and I watched as Ron walked away towards the boy's staircase. He had been doing that a lot lately- suddenly going quiet and then taking off somewhere. And his quill wasn't the first thing he'd 'accidentally' broken. Oh well, I wasn't going to spend my last Viktor-free hours worrying about Ron; I was going to worry about what I was going to say to him the next day. I mean, was 'hello' really enough to say to your boyfriend?
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Dear Diary, My brother is *the* most mystifying person I know. I mean, what is his problem? Ever since the Durmstrang tournament was announced, he has been acting so weird. He storms off, goes quiet, and like just now, breaks things. A lot. Anyone would think he I'm not even going to write it. That can't be it. No way. Or could it? I need to sleep. Ginny xxx
The deep, dark, sometimes-sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter:
Ron broke something. Again. I'm glad that I seem to be the only person who knows this happens when Hermione mentions Viktor. I don't even think Ron knows. I wonder if Hermione knows? Ugh- I'm too tired to think now.
The next chapter's better- please r/r!
This story alternates between the PoV of Ron and Hermione, starting off with Hermione. At the end of each chapter there are the thoughts of Harry and Ginny, Ginny's confided in her secret (non-magical) diary and Harry's to, well, himself.
Chapter One- The night before.
"Your move."
I knew I was frowning slightly as I stared at the chessboard. My pieces were staring back at me expectantly, while Harry's stood impatiently checking their fingernails and tutting. Harry Potter himself was getting a little impatient with me, but as he was my best friend, he was slightly subtler than his pieces.
"Your move Herm." He repeated. I didn't look up; but merely continued to stare at the board. I watched out of the corner of my eye as Harry rolled his eyes and sat back in his chair. I saw him glance at our other best friend, Ron Weasley, who was sitting in a nearby armchair, supposedly doing his Charms homework. However, Ron was also observing the chessboard, but instead of the look of painful concentration that I knew I wore, Ron's face was a picture of understanding. (Typical). And quite a bit of smugness. (Even more typical).
Finally, I made my move. "Knight to F2." I said. My Knight moved obediently, and sighs of relief were heard from Harry's playing pieces. But above that noise came the sound of muffled laughter.
On the table next to the chessboard sat a wooden box containing Ron's chess pieces. The box had a see-through plastic side, and all of his men (and woman including the queen) were bunched up, watching the game with interest through their window. When I looked down at them suspiciously they all hurriedly looked away from me, but I could still see them giggling.
"What's so funny?" I snapped. Now, I always tried to be nice to Ron's chess pieces; even when they tutted at one of my moves or gloated at their wins. But laughing at me outright was a different matter entirely.
The chess pieces didn't answer me- they just started to laugh harder. "Cut it out you guys." Ron's voice spoke a bit sharply, but with a faint trace of amusement that couldn't be missed. However, the command worked. The pieces, which practically worshipped Ron, (just short of sacrificing live animals to him) stopped laughing immediately. I gave them a haughty look and turned to Ron.
"What's so funny?" I repeated, I admit it, a little huffily. Ron tried to keep a straight face, but I and, I'm sure, Harry, could see he was struggling not laugh along with his men (and woman).
"You could have checkmated Harry in two moves." He said in his incredibly annoying you're-not-very-good-at-chess-but-I'm-not-going-to-brag-that-I-am voice. I opened my mouth in indignation and spun back round to face the chessboard.
"And now." Ron said sympathetically. Harry's eyes lit up and he spoke quickly. "Bishop to B6." His piece obeyed, and Harry looked up in triumph. "Checkmate."
"What?!" I exclaimed. I stared at the chessboard in disbelief as Harry's pieces all began to congratulate each other and mine applauded reluctantly. (My playing pieces were very well trained, and were always taught to be polite).
"Unlucky Herm. But if you'd just." Ron began, reaching forward towards the chessboard. I looked up and angrily batted his hand away. "Do your homework." I snapped bitterly.
Ron sat back in his chair and grinned. "I woke the beast." He said to Harry with a fake grimace. Harry quickly turned his laugh into a hacking cough under my evil glare. I took a deep, calming breath and opened a wooden box for my playing pieces to get into.
"One day one of us is going to beat you Ron Weasley, and I'm really going to enjoy it." I said calmly. Ron grinned again. "I was only trying to help." He sulked, pretending to be really offended. I still looked at him coldly, so he shrugged and went back to his homework. Finally.
"I take it you don't want another game then Hermione?" Harry asked me. I shook my head as I slid the lid over the box. Harry shrugged and reached for his own chess-piece box.
I placed my box next to my bag where I wouldn't forget it and sat back in my chair. "Shouldn't you be going over plays?" I asked, stifling a yawn. Harry frowned. "Huh?" He said bemusedly.
Ron looked up again and grinned at Harry. "For the Quidditch matches, Oh Captain My Captain." He said. Harry laughed but I pointed at Ron's Charms homework. I was determined to make him do it, whatever happened. Ron rolled his eyes. "Have you ever thought of a career in fascist slave-driving?" He said grumpily, loading his quill with ink and starting to write again.
"Well actually Herm, I've already figured out most of the new plays we're going to try out," Harry told me. "And we're gonna put them into play tomorrow morning at practise. I'm planning to get out there by about seven." Harry added, with an amused glance in Ron's direction. Sure enough, Ron groaned loudly, though he didn't stop writing.
I smiled. "That's the price to pay for being on the Gryffindor team." I said while Harry laughed. "Especially while we're holding a tournament against another school." He added with a grin. Ron kept writing.
Harry yawned loudly and stretched. "I think I'll go to bed." He said, starting to stand up. I nodded. "Good night Harry. Oh, tomorrow, when they arrive, will you say hello to Viktor for me? I won't see him 'til lunch." I said, handing Harry his playing pieces. I knew my voice sounded a bit too eager- but I couldn't help it at all. Tomorrow I would be seeing Viktor again for the first time in four months, and I could hardly wait. We'd written to each other at least twice every week.
Harry nodded. "Sure." He said. "How long has he got left at school anyway? I thought his last year was, well, last year." Harry asked.
I snapped out of my daydreaming and shrugged. "It was, in theory. But he's missed so much school touring with Bulgaria that they're making him do another term." I answered. Ron snorted.
"They only wanted him there to play in the tournament." He said without looking up from his homework. I pointedly ignored him.
"Well, I can't wait to see him." I said, picking up my bag. There was suddenly a loud snapping noise from behind me, and when I looked round I saw Ron's quill had broken in half in his hand. Harry tutted loudly. "Only you would manage to snap a quill mid-sentence Ron." He said with a grin.
Ron whipped out his wand and pointed it at his ruined quill. "Reparo." He muttered angrily. The two pieces he held rose up into the air, zoomed together and back into his hand. Ron hastily finished the sentence he had been writing and rolled up his work. He stood up quickly and picked up his chess pieces. "Well, good night." He said.
Harry and I watched as Ron walked away towards the boy's staircase. He had been doing that a lot lately- suddenly going quiet and then taking off somewhere. And his quill wasn't the first thing he'd 'accidentally' broken. Oh well, I wasn't going to spend my last Viktor-free hours worrying about Ron; I was going to worry about what I was going to say to him the next day. I mean, was 'hello' really enough to say to your boyfriend?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dear Diary, My brother is *the* most mystifying person I know. I mean, what is his problem? Ever since the Durmstrang tournament was announced, he has been acting so weird. He storms off, goes quiet, and like just now, breaks things. A lot. Anyone would think he I'm not even going to write it. That can't be it. No way. Or could it? I need to sleep. Ginny xxx
The deep, dark, sometimes-sarcastic thoughts of Harry Potter:
Ron broke something. Again. I'm glad that I seem to be the only person who knows this happens when Hermione mentions Viktor. I don't even think Ron knows. I wonder if Hermione knows? Ugh- I'm too tired to think now.
The next chapter's better- please r/r!