The evening Harry arrived at the Burrow, he, Ron and Hermione spent half the night catching up on everything that had happened over the summer, until Mr Weasley knocked on Ron's bedroom door and suggested it might be time for Hermione to go down to Ginny's room and for everyone to get some sleep. The following morning after breakfast, they retreated once more until all topics had been covered, as many stories regaled as possible, and Ron and Hermione were fully caught up on Harry's visit to see Slughorn with Dumbledore. It was only after lunch that they all realised they should probably do something with their day, rather than sitting around exchanging stories for its entirety.

'I'd suggest a game of chess now everyone can play it,' Ron looked pointedly at Hermione, having explained to Harry how he'd taught her to play yesterday (without the detail of quite how quickly she'd picked it up), 'but it's not exactly a three player game, is it?'

Hermione started to say that they could play while she did some more arithmancy reading, but Harry cut across her.

'No, it's fine – I think Ginny wanted to do a bit of quidditch training this afternoon anyway, so you two can play chess while we do that?'

'Oh, I would quite like to do some flying, though…' Ron started, and both boys could see their own and each other's conflict at both wanting to get out on their brooms, but also not admitting to perhaps wanting to spend time on their own with particular people. The solution came to Harry quickly.

'I know, Ginny and I will do some drills and training and stuff now – that was what we were going to do anyway – and then you can join us for a game with Fred and George later, after your chess game?'

Ron smiled his lopsided smile at such an elegant solution. 'That sounds alright to me. Hermione?'

'Me too – I can finally finish my reading while you're flying, that way.' The boys rolled their eyes at each other, mocking her dedication to studying before the school year had even begun; but an unspoken understanding passed between them. Ron was OK with Harry spending time alone with Ginny. Harry was OK with Ron spending time alone with Hermione. They didn't have to do everything together all the time, but this way everyone was happy.

'Right, see you later then Harry.' Ron called as he got up from the kitchen table, and he and Hermione headed upstairs once more.

'I'm going to beat you this time.' Hermione stated coolly as she followed him up the stairs.

'You what?!' Ron replied, entertained by her competitive spirit before the pieces were even laid out on the board.

'You heard me.'

Ron laughed warmly as he set up the board while Hermione watched with her arms folded, a defiant look on her face trying to resist being melted by an impending smile.

'Now, do you want me to go over anything from yesterday? Or are you good to go?' Ron asked.

'Unless you can tell me exactly how not to have my king dragged kicking and screaming off the board again?'

Ron shook his head.

'Then I'm good to go.' She set her face defiantly again, determined to do a better job today, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she was laughing again.

Knowing a bit more what to expect this time, and understanding more what she could and couldn't do, she tried to develop something of a game plan as the game progressed. She knew her brain wouldn't work as quickly as Ron's could, without his experience, but she also knew that her logical brain could at least try. Squeaks of indignation as her pieces got taken, and giggles of celebration as she took Ron's spilled from her as prolifically as they had before, and Ron's heart grew unwittingly with each and every one.

It was a lovely and awkward situation for both of them. Once again, the pair laughed their way through their game – Hermione largely at herself, and Ron largely because of Hermione – and both unconsciously relished the other's undisturbed company. Perhaps helpfully, neither of them had truly admitted to themselves what they might feel for each other, although they both had recognised strange responses in themselves to situations regarding the other, that they felt were best ignored. If they had actually acknowledged what they felt for each other, their afternoons spent playing chess might not have been so easy, comfortable and enjoyable as they ended up being, but laced with tension and uncertainty. Undoubtedly, these hours spent together added fuel to the fire that would come some time later when their relationship would finally ignite; but, thankfully for their present friendship, they neither of them realised quite how in love with each other they were falling.

Ron was impressed as the game progressed that it didn't look like he was going to be able to win this one. And then Hermione ordered her next move and took his queen.

'Bloody hell!' he exclaimed, in awe rather than frustration. 'How did you do that?! I didn't see that one coming at all!'

Hermione laughed and grinned as her bishop dragged Ron's queen off the board.

'No seriously,' he went on, 'that's dead impressive. You shouldn't be this good yet. Merlin's beard.' Hermione could tell Ron was genuinely surprised by her move, and felt a twinge of guilt, but it quickly died in the glow of his compliments.

Ron examined the board thoroughly to see what he could do next. Just as he was about to voice his conclusion, one of his pieces cleared its throat haughtily, and declared, 'I think you'll find it's a stalemate.'

Ron looked up at Hermione. 'Well. I think it's a stalemate.'

Hermione laughed. 'So I gather.'

'Seriously though, good game.' Ron faltered for a moment, and then went on, 'I mean, I'm fairly sure this is as good as you'll get though – a stalemate against me is probably the best you can hope for…'

Hermione smacked him in the arm as he was gathering the pieces up and putting them back in their case. She knew he was joking, but she wasn't willing to let him get away with it.

They began their descent back to the kitchen. 'So this is it now, is it?' Hermione asked. 'I've peaked after two games of chess. That's as good as I'm ever going to get?'

'Yeah, I'd say so. Against me, anyway. Against Harry might be a different matter…'

Hermione squawked indignantly at Ron, half amused and half worried that Harry would hear him belittling his chess skills behind his back. Thankfully, as they reached Harry and Ginny in the kitchen, who had just come in from the garden, all Harry and Ginny caught was their laughter, rather than what had caused it.

'Ah, you're here, good timing!' greeted Ginny as Ron and Hermione sat themselves at the table. 'Good game?'

Before Hermione could respond, Mrs Weasley, who had been pottering around the kitchen as they all reconvened, cut across their conversation. 'I am sorry to interrupt my dears, but do any of you need a drink? Especially you two, Harry and Ginny, out there exerting yourselves. I've got some pumpkin juice around here somewhere…?'

The four of them nodded eagerly. 'Yes please, Mrs Weasley, that would be perfect.' Replied Harry, on behalf of everyone.

'Oh Harry, my dear, I do wish you'd call me Molly. You can't call me Mrs Weasley forever, you're essentially part of our family now. Same goes for you, Hermione.'

Harry smiled at her sheepishly. 'Sorry, force of habit.' Hermione blushed as Molly slipped off to get the drinks.

'So, the game.' Ginny resumed. 'Did you beat him this time?' Her eyes twinkled as she relished the thought of Hermione so quickly beating her brother at the thing he was best at.

'No, afraid not. Nearly though.' She gave Ron her defiant look again which he returned, now that they were in company, rather than smiling at her as he had done earlier.

'You did not nearly beat me.' Ron stated.

'I did!' Hermione retorted indignantly. She knew that Ron was both trying to save face in front of his sister, and trying not to let on how encouraging he had been towards her in private; but, she wasn't going to let him let Harry and Ginny think he'd won.

Mrs Weasley bustled back in with the pumpkin juice and handed them out as their conversation continued.

'You did not!' Ron replied simply.

'Well, you didn't beat me this time, and that is significantly closer to having beaten you than my one previous attempt.'

'What, it was a stalemate on your second game?!' Harry asked, slightly incredulous. Ron grimaced. 'Hermione, how did you do that, Ron's really good?!'

'She's also really good.' Ron sighed, resignedly.

Hermione gave him a sheepish smile, then to the others a little shrug.

'Anyway, how was your practice?' Ron asked, diverting attention away from Hermione, who was clearly a little embarrassed. She didn't know whether he had done this on purpose or not, but she appreciated it all the same.

'Pretty good, I reckon.' Replied Ginny.

'Yeah, we got a few good drills done. And the weather's great, we should definitely have a game in a bit.' Added Harry.

'Definitely, I'm up for that!' enthused Ron. 'Where are Fred and George, they're around today, right?'

'They'll be back in half an hour.' Mrs Weasley chimed in. 'They're out being useful.'

'Oh, right. Great!' Ron replied, glad of the promise of some time out on his broom.

'You be alright if we're all off flying, Hermione?' Ginny asked, kindly, but knowing the answer before she'd even asked.

'Of course I will. I've got a lot of reading still to do if I'm going to get ahead.' She replied, with a slight edge of panic. The three of them looked at her with a mixture of concern and bewilderment. 'But…I'll be happy and cosy in here. Or, I'll come and sit outside, if it's not too bright, while you fly?'

'Oh, you should do that.' Said Ron, quickly. 'That way I can make sure you're not sneakily reading up on chess strategy to destroy me in our next game.'

Hermione scowled at him. 'You'll be far too busy flying to be concentrating on me!'

'You might think that, but I'll be keeping my eye on you…' He squinted his eyes at her, and pointed a warning finger.

Hermione laughed in spite of herself. 'It's just arithmancy, Ronald, you have nothing to worry about.'

Ron shook his head and muttered under his breath, 'Arithmancy. In August. In August. Unbelievable.'

Mrs Weasley observed her son and Hermione affectionately as they sparred back and forth, drawing conclusions from their interaction that they themselves had yet to draw. She caught Ginny's eye with excitement who quickly got up from the table to join her mother, taking her glass to refill it with pumpkin juice as an excuse for her movement. She leant into her mother subtly and spoke so only she could hear. 'Shush Mum, I know exactly what that look meant.'

'But, they…!' Molly replied with stifled excitement.

'I know.' Ginny stated plainly. 'But they haven't worked it out yet. Everyone else knows they're in love apart from them and it's bloody infuriating.'

'Language, Ginny!' Molly exclaimed in hushed tones, in a knee-jerk reaction.

'Oh Mum, that's not the point. You mustn't say anything, we're trying to let them work it out.'

'Oh sweetheart, but we'll be here forever!?' Molly responded with exasperation.

'Yeah. I know.' Ginny sighed.