Gosh, I suck. I really, truly do. I'm going to do my very best to start updating more regularly. School is a pain and I'm not the Hermione I used to be, unfortunately.

I'm not abandoning any of my fics; I just need you all to know that.

ON WITH THE SHOW.

C is for…

"Checkmate."

Harry clucked his tongue and scratched his head. "We've only been playing for five minutes! How'd you get me that quickly?"

Hermione glanced up as she shoved her arithmancy text out of site. Ron was shrugging, despite the proud glow on his face.

"Better luck next time, mate." He glanced down at his watch and frowned. Hermione felt a new emotion spread through her (was it relief? disappointment?) as she realized that he dreaded prefect duties as much as she did these days. "I've gotta get going. Maybe by the time I'm back, you'll be whipped into shape."

"Yes, I'm sure I'll become a chess master with years worth of experience while you're off on your rounds," Harry remarked dryly. "Definitely see that happening, right after I put Bellatrix Lestrange back in Azkaban."

"That's it, Harry, dream big," Ron chuckled as he stood. "I'll catch up with you later."

"See ya."

Ron was nearly to the Fat Lady when Harry's eyes met Hermione's. The latter pair appeared fearful. "What?" Harry asked. Hermione gave him a pointed look. "Oh, come on. It's just Ron." He certainly wasn't helping. "Hermione, you're going to be late."

Hermione sighed and nodded. "Right. I'll see you later." She made her way to the portrait hole, feeling the tension mount in her gut with each step.

When she exited the common room, she was taken aback by the site of Ron leaning back against the wall, waiting for her. He glanced up just long enough to make sure it was her and pushed away from the brick. Hermione bit her bottom lip and trailed along just slightly behind him.

They went on like that for several minutes. It wasn't until the reached the west wing of the fifth floor that either of them said a word. "Erm…" Ron began, scratching the back of his head. He stopped and Hermione did the same before he looked back at her awkwardly. "So…shouldn't we be…um…"

Hermione's heart seemed to pause for a moment. Was Ron…apologizing? Was he going to clear the air? As angry as she was, she knew she would welcome a cease fire. The sooner they were friends again, the sooner she could stop being so sad. And the sooner she could get in her two cents about Lavender. She liked to believe that, being one of his best friends, she had a bit of pull. As soon as he apologized, all it would just take a quick conversation about how irritating-

"…doing…ya know…prefect stuff?"

And then her heart-begrudgingly- beat itself back to life. "Oh," she gasped, completely lost. The layer of ice that her nerves had melted in anticipation of their rounds returned suddenly. She found herself angry and glaring all over again. "Of course," she threw out icily.

Her attitude caught and Ron stiffened. "Fine."

They took their time peering into abandoned classrooms and broom cupboards to check for any students out past curfew. Luckily, they found none and were able to return back to the common room fairly quickly. Hermione was just considering passing Ron up when he said, "You know, I don't even know I'm supposed to have done."

Hermione stopped just as he did, still a few steps behind him. He waited a few moments for a response before he turned to face her. "Well?"

She stared at him blankly. "Well, what?"

Ron snorted and rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He took a few steps backwards and started to turn back around when Hermione realized she wasn't finished.

"You can't just open the floor for discussion and not explain, you know." He stopped and stared at her. "How can you expect an answer and get angry when I don't give you one if I've got no idea-"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Ron snapped. "Don't play dumb. It doesn't suit you."

Hermione snorted and bit back a few sharp retorts before she found one that felt right. "You're right. I'd forgotten that it's your part to play." She could have sworn he growled. "Well, isn't it? You act like you don't know what it is you've done wrong, when-"

"All I know," Ron said, overpowering her voice with his, "is that one second we're friends, and the next you're sending your stupid birds after me. That hurt, you know." He held up the backs of his still marked hands.

"They'll heal," Hermione sneered unsympathetically. "You can't tell me you've forgotten what you did-"

"I can't forget if I've never-"

"She's only wrapped around you every other second."

Ron rolled his eyes. "So you're jealous, is that it? I'm finally happy and I've finally got someone, and you're on your own? That's not good enough reason to attack someone."

Hermione gaped at him. "You're even stupider than you look, aren't you?" She tried to ignore the hurt expression that flashed across his face for a few seconds, but it cut through her like a knife. She'd gone much too far, but there was no going back now. "You were supposed to go with me to Slughorn's party. And then you went and-and-"

"What's that got to do with anything?" Ron asked. He was staring at a spot on the wall behind her now, unable to look at her. She couldn't blame him after what she had said, but that didn't stop her from being so damn infuriated with him. "I could still go-"

"You were supposed to be my date," Hermione choked out. She wasn't sure why this was suddenly so hard, or why her throat felt like it was closing up, or how exactly her eyes had become so wet…"You were supposed to go to that party with me and-and-"

"As friends," Ron snapped. "And friends can see whoever the fuck they want to see." He crossed his arms and smirked much like he had when he'd beaten Harry at their game of chess. Was that all this was to him? Just another game? Well, she wasn't going to let him win this one. He was in the wrong and she wanted him to know it.

"No," Hermione gasped. "Ron, no. I-I was asking…I wanted you to be my date. As in a more-than-friends kind of date. You had to have known that!" He only stared. She had him now. Check, she said mentally. "You knew that I wanted to go with you as more than just friends. And then you went and snogged the first girl who looked at you when, if you were going to snog anyone, it-" She stopped. Too much too soon. "Well, I can't take you now if you're seeing her."

Ron stayed silent, taking in all she had said in her verbal explosion. Finally, he spoke up.

"You never said that."

Hermione was confused. "What? What didn't I say?"

"You never said you wanted to go as more than friends."

"I-what?" She racked her brains and played the moment over and over in her head. She'd said she was going to ask him…

"You should have been clearer," Ron said. "I didn't realize-"

"But you had to have known," Hermione scoffed. Then, as she surveyed his obvious smirk, she realized that he had known. He had only wanted to make her say it out loud.

She had lost.

"Right," Ron sighed. "Well, if it then…" He turned and started his journey back to the common room, but paused. With his back still to her, he said, "You should be more direct next time. Make sure people know exactly what you mean."

And then he was gone, leaving Hermione alone in the corridor to ponder what he had said. As she sunk to the ground and let the tears that had been building free, she could hear his voice echoing in her head.

"Checkmate."

Reading back through, I realize this paints Ron as a bit...insensitive, to put it nicely. But I think we can say Hermione wasn't exactly acting like a princess. Anyway...

Reviews turn frowns upside down! Hope you enjoyed this bit.