TGS: Build the Burrow (Photographs: Write a fluffy family story), Ollivander's Wand Shop (Cypress - Write about a Pureblood), Madame Malkin's Dress Shop (Orange slacks: Write about a Weasley), It's a bit Riddikulus (Arachnophobia: The fear of spiders. Write about Ronald Weasley + (genre) romance + (word) fake + (colour) forest green).
(Beauxbatons, Melusine)

A/N they're playing with a Muggle chess set because it comes from Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I loved writing it!

"Dad, tell us that story again," Rose said, still holding on Ron's arm as if she feared he would disappear.

She had rushed into his study a few minutes earlier and had jumped on his lap, bouncing and uncaring that he often repeated he was not to be disturbed when he was sitting at his desk—but then, no one had ever really followed that rule and he didn't actually mind.

Hugo nodded at Rose's words as he raised on his tiptoes and tried to place the ivory chessboard on the table. "Yes, tell us again about the Ice King." He was still too short so he jumped a little while pushing the chessboard up. "Bloody—" he said as it bounced against something and started falling.

"Hugo!" Ron was appalled. "What would your mother say?" he said as he captured the chessboard with one hand while steadying his son with the other, Rose still hanging onto his forearm.

"Sorry, Dad." Hugo's ears turned red as he flashed Ron a shy smile.

"It's ok. Just don't let your mum hear you." Ron winked. "Now, what do we have here. Hm, it's a black and white square—" he said faking disinterest.

"Daaad!" Rose pulled his arm. "We want the story."

Hugo took hold of his other arm, his grip strong despite his young age, and both he and Rose dragged and forced Ron to sit at the table, in front of the chessboard.

She handed him the lime green velvet bag with the chess pieces.

Ron wrinkled his nose at it—Hermione's parents had given them this ivory chess set, for which he was very grateful, but that shade of green hurt his eyes every time. Hermione calling it forest green didn't make it any more appealing; Ron still thought that something red, gold, or even orange would have been better. She'd just laugh his Gryffindor and Cannon pride away and kiss him.

"Story story story!" Hugo chanted as he climbed up a chair, putting his elbows on the table.

"Yes, Dad. How can we know how to arrange pieces otherwise?"

"Oh, I'm sure you must be tired of it; it's always the same old, boring story. And you don't need it anymore, after all. This is not the first time you play."

"But we want to hear it again." Rose pouted, her face conveying that greatest amount of disappointment she could muster.

Ron glanced at the clock; they had still some time before Hermione got home. "Alright—"

"Yay!"

"Once upon a time, long ago, there was a white and snowy realm; it was ruled over by the White Queen—"

He took said piece and put it on a white square in the bottom of the chessboard.

"—and the Ice King. They happily lived together—"

Ron put the King beside the Queen.

"—surrounded by wise advisors—"

The two Bishops were placed on the King's left and on the Queen's right.

"—and protected by bold and valiant Knights armed with long and unforgiving spears. They rode smart, strong horses who enjoyed grazing in the shade of the high towers—"

He put the Knights by the Bishops and the Rooks in the corners.

"—and playing with the little Pawns whose duty was to guard the King."

Ron filled the second row with white Pawns.

"Not too far away from there, there was a realm where everything was hot and black. It belonged to the Volcano King and the Lava Queen. Like in the other castle, there were wise advisors, brave Knights, high towers, and little guards.

"By chance, there hadn't been any more wars in a while, so the two Kings—bored and reckless—decided to wage one against each other, but wisely counselled and fearing to get hurt, they asked their Knights to give up their sharp spears and had their little Pawns gathering white snow and black wool at the border between their realms to make it softer and cozier.

"Once they were all there, they agreed to make just one move each to keep it fair, and since the Snow people were the first to arrive, it was decided they would be the one to start it all.

"The Kings stayed back and gave orders and when the situation became too dangerous for them they found shelter in the highest tower."

Ron took the King and the Rooks and castled.

.

During the game, Rose elbowed Hugo, whispering, "Look, our King is about to walk into Dad's ambush. Move it out of there."

Hugo picked the piece up and hugged it. "I'll save you, White King." Guided by Rose, he positioned it into a safer square.

Ron reminded them, "The King has fought all his life. He's always been ambitious, hoping to expand his kingdom so in his youth, he took part in many wars, each time hoping to become the greatest. Wars have never frightened him; he could beat everyone. He could even talk to God. But now, he's old and tired, hindered by his long cloak and the big crown, which represent his power, so yes, he can go everywhere—he's the mighty King after all—but he really can't do more than one step at a time. Poor King!"

"But he's safe now," Hugo said as Rose's eyes were fixed on Ron's ones, trying to read them and foresee what he would do.

He smiled and moved his Queen, making her cross more than half chessboard. "The Queen can go everywhere, but she's very haughty and proud—"

"I bet she's a Slytherin, huh?" Hugo said.

Ron nodded and grinned. "—so when she walks, she never looks around and heads straight to where she wants to go, her chin up in the air. She's the best, the greatest, and she knows it."

.

Rose reached out for her Queen, ready to capture Ron's Knight, but he stopped her.

"Wait, consider it very carefully, Rose. You must always think in advance while playing chess."

She rolled her eyes. "I know the rules, Dad."

"It doesn't mean you can play though—it takes years of practice," he quickly added at her outraged look. "I know you can play rather well for your age."

"For my age? You were barely any older, and Mum says you were already the greatest player she's ever known—even better than Professor McGonagall," she said, her voice filled with awe and a bit of envy.

"It was-it was different, and some things I'd rather you didn't know. Here, however, you can't capture my Knight with your Queen because you're gonna leave your King vulnerable, especially since I could checkmate you with my Rook after—"

"WHAT?" Hermione's voice shrieked from the hall.

"Mum!"

"Hermione, are you all right?"

"Ronald Weasley, what did you do?"

Ron, Rose, and Hugo frozen.

"It's ok, we were just playing chess," Ron hastily said as his mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to figure out what he had done to upset his wife.

He mentally retraced all his steps from when she had left to that moment.

Godric! he panicked, Hugo had cursed and—but how did she know? Muggle cameras, that's how! After all, she'd always been so informed about anything going on at home when she wasn't there that Hugo and Rose called her Hawk Mama sometimes. Hermione had just laughed at it and often used it to make them behave.

Or… What else could he have done? He hadn't forgotten any anniversary, he was sure of that—he could never forget any of them even if he tried.

Then what?

"RON, you stupid, idiot, reckless! You Gryffindor." She launched at him, crashing against him and starting hitting his chest.

He instinctively wrapped his arms around her, still trying to figure out what he had done, desperately wishing to make it right. "Err, Hermione—" He hadn't hurt her feelings again, or had he? The thought was unbearable. "I'm sorry I—" He what?

He felt Hermione going limp in his arms and he hugged her closer.

"You bloody idiot," she weakly said.

He glanced at Rose and Hugo. "Hermione, mind your tongue, will you?" he half-heartedly joked.

The children chuckled and Rose clasped Hugo's shoulder and leaned forward to speak into his ear, making him laugh harder as a look of triumph entered her eyes.

"I can't believe she did that in our first year—made that darned chessboard to… to kill." Her voice was barely a whisper. "And you knew it and… You took advantage of me and Harry back then."

"What?" Ron was hurt that she could even think something like that. "I—"

"Let me finish. Harry and I… I didn't know what your move entitled, but you, you knew. That move—you just said to Rose it's not wise because it leaves the King vulnerable, and yet McGonagall's Queen did it, and you knew—" Her voice broke. "You saved us, protected us both from that fate and from that awful knowledge."

"Hermione, love, it was long time ago—"

"You haven't changed though. You'd do it again, wouldn't you?"

He averted his eyes and looked at their beautiful children. "As would you."

"Dad did what?" Rose asked.

"He beat the world," Hermione smiled, turning and disentangling herself from Ron's arms. She grabbed his hand and hold on tight.

"Wow!"

"Dad is the King from the story!" Hugo said.

"Hugo, I'm not—"

"Yes! He is. Isn't she, Mum?"

A calculating look entered Hermione's eyes. "That'll teach you not to hide things from me," she playfully whispered.

"I was eleven, for Merlin's sake!" Ron ran a hand through his hair, sighing.

"I can honestly tell," Hermione said, "neither I nor uncle Harry nor anyone else for that matter would be here, had it not been for your father."

Rose's and Hugo's eyes widened as they stared at him in awe.

Ron felt hot all of a sudden. "No, I—" He couldn't speak; his mouth and throat felt too dry while his eyes felt too watery, and it was all Hermione's fault, Hermione who was now looking at him, a mischievous grin on her face. Oh, the brightest Witch of her age was going to pay for this. "You, Hermione—tell them the truth." If anything, he was a Knight—every Gryffindor was one.

His wife's grin got bigger.

She wouldn't—

"So you don't know?" she asked to Rose and Hugo.

"Hermione, you're supposed to be the serious one!" Ron pleaded as he felt his ears on fire.

"I am, love. I'm just educating our children. They have the right to know that—"

"Stop!"

"—Weasley is our King," she proudly finished.

Too late. They definitely had had an awful influence on her.