A/N I Just want to take a moment at the beginning of this chapter to say how truly grateful I am to each and every reader, reviewer, person who has alerted or favourited the story. I'm coming close to finishing writing now (I've actually slowed my pace massively because I don't want it to end) and knowing that this story has had over a thousand people read it, nearly a hundred reviews is insane. I'm blown away by all your kind words in every review I receive so I want to say thank you so much. Now on with the show!
'"Oh yes, she arrived the day before yesterday,"'
11th July 1996
Ginny and Hermione were sprawled in the grass close to the pond in the garden of The Burrow. Hermione had arrived yesterday and the weather was warm and clear. After a hearty breakfast the girls had made their way outside, Ginny with a copy of The Quibbler and Hermione with a book and they'd spent the better part of the morning lounging on the ground, reading. After a while Ginny threw down her magazine and rolled over to face Hermione.
"I hate Phlegm!" She said, staring up at the sky.
Hermione glanced down at her "That's a really odd thing to say."
Ginny chuckled "It's my new name for Fleur, do you like it?"
Hermione laughed heartily.
"She treats me like a child," Ginny sat up and swished her curtain of hair over her shoulder and put on a snooty French accent "Ooooh Ginny don't you look pretty in your nice top. You 'ave a wonderful figure you know, you should start wearing dresses."
Hermione shook her head. "I know, she tried to talk to me about my hair outside the bathroom this morning, said she could 'help me' with it if I wanted."
Hermione frowned at the memory. She'd been patiently waiting to use the bathroom for ten minutes when Fleur had swanned out and begun treating her as if Hermione was her little sister, cooing over how she'd 'grown up' since Fleur had last seen her and asking if she wanted 'tips' for how to style her hair.
"All she cares about is bloody hair and clothes and looking beautiful," Ginny scoffed, lying back down with a thump "She thinks I should be more 'ladylike'. You know she wants me to be a bridesmaid!"
"Does she?" Hermione asked "Well I suppose you're her fiance's sister."
Ginny sighed heavily "I know and it would be okay if she didn't keep banging on about what dress I'm going to wear and how me and Gabrielle will wear our hair. It's like she doesn't have anything else to talk about. And-" Ginny was really getting into a flow now "I can't stand what an absolute prat Ron acts around her. I swear I will slap him soon!"
Hermione had to agree with this. Ron completely ignored everyone else whenever Fleur was around and made a complete prat of himself in front of her. Hermione, who had been hoping things with Ron might change a little if she was living in his house for six weeks, felt thoroughly annoyed with him already.
"I know," Hermione said, shaking her head "I hate the way all men are around her, it's sickening!"
"And she just laps up their attention," Ginny spat, then sighed heavily again "I feel sorry for you though."
"Why?" Hermione asked
"Well having to watch Ron act like that around her," Ginny said, sitting up again to give Hermione a hard look.
Hermione frowned "What do you mean?" She asked slowly.
Ginny's eyes bored into Hermione's and she quirked her brow "Do you really think I don't know?"
"Know what Ginny!?" Hermione was starting to feel distinctly hot around her collar now.
"That you are pretty much in love with Ron!"
Hermione spluttered incoherently. She didn't love Ron did she? She had been trying to push aside what she'd been feeling for him for months now, or maybe years. But whatever it was it couldn't be love could it? Wasn't it just a crush? Somehow even though she hadn't addressed it to herself, Ginny had worked it out on her own. Was she that obvious? Did Ron know? And if he did know, what did he know because Hermione wasn't even sure she herself knew. Her head was beginning to hurt with overthinking.
"If it helps I think he's pretty much in love with you to!" Ginny said, pulling a handful of grass out of the ground.
"No he is not!" Hermione said forefully, staring at Ginny.
Ginny cocked her head to the side to think about it "Well I think he is. I just think he hasn't even realised it yet which is why he's making a pig's ear of himself around Fleur."
"You don't know what your talking about Ginny," Hermione mumbled, her face now burning hot. Ron couldn't like her, could he?
"I think I do!" Ginny said hotly "He's my brother, and you're one my best friends. I'm not stupid. Harry might be but I'm not!"
Hermione was at a complete loss for words. She couldn't be in love with Ron. He was her best friend. But her feelings for him were definitely different to her feelings for Harry. Harry didn't make her stomach somersault everytime he touched her, Harry didn't make her laugh the way Ron did, Harry also didn't drive her absolutely crazy and angry like Ron did so she had no idea what that meant. And there was no way Ron could like her. He hadn't even remembered she was a girl to think to ask her to the Yule Ball apart from as a last resort, he was constantly picking fights with her when he was grumpy, he never showed any signs of liking her. Well apart from the complete jealousy and anger everytime Viktor's name came up in conversation. And that perfume he had given her. Could that mean he liked her as more than a friend? Hermione didn't realise she had been silently staring into the pond for quite a while until Ginny sighed loudly and stood up.
"I'm going in. I'm too hot," She said, tucking her magazine under her arm "You can talk to me about it whenever you're ready Hermione."
"But I …" Hermione began but Ginny was gone.
Hermione resumed her staring at the pond for quite some time, lost in thought until a figure plopped down beside her in the grass. Hermione saw it was Ron and grew hot again, embarrassed by the thoughts that had been swirling around her head for the last half an hour.
"Mum says lunch'll be ready in an hour," Ron said, kicking off his shoes and socks and wiggling his toes "I brought my chess set out, do you want to play?"
Trying to avoid looking at Ron's bare feet which were making her feel uncomfortable, Hermioen agreed. After only ten minutes Ron sighed irritably.
"I'm too hot, I don't know how you stand this!" And he shuffled closer to the pond, plunging his feet in and sighing contently. He dragged the chess set closer to him so Hermione had to follow.
"I like the heat," Hermione said simply, gazing at where his feet disappeared into the water, he looked so laid-back and Hermione had the urge to take off her own shoes and join him.
Ron mumbled something about being "bloody ginger" and made his move on the chess board. Making her mind up Hermione kicked off her own shoes and dipped her toes into the water. It was very cool but pleasant and Hermione sighed.
"See it's nicer to be cool isn't it!" Ron said triumphantly.
He glanced down at her bare legs and feet and his gaze lingered for long enough to make Hermione clear her throat uncomfortably, her mind of what Ginny had said earlier. Ron's ears were slightly pink when he looked up.
The game meandered on more another half an hour, Ron and Hermione both swishing their legs in the cool pond water.
"You alright?" Ron asked, looking over at Hermione "It's your move and it's been like 5 minutes!"
Hermione sighed and looked up at him "If I move the kinght you'll get my rook, if I move my queen she'll no longer be blocking my King and the only thing that's stopping me going into check is my Bishop,"
Ron looked at her and raised an eyebrow "You know you're really not meant to tell me all of that,"
Hermione shrugged.
Ron sighed "Well I'm not much better off, you've got half of my pieces stuck as well but at least try..."
"Ron," Hermione interrupted, gazing down at the board in amazement.
"What," Ron said, frowning.
"Ron," Hermione repeated, looking up at him, her mouth hanging open.
"Her-my-knee!" Ron spelled out, pulling a face "What!"
Hermione reverted her eyes back to the board and picked up her queen, moving it all the way to the other side of the board, to in front of Ron's King.
"Checkmate!"
There was a beat of silence where Ron stared in absolute horror at the board in front of him.
"No, no, that's not ... how did you ... how did I not ... how long's that been..." he stuttered, looking from Hermione to the board and back again.
Hermione began to laugh hysterically and jumped to her feet, punching the air.
"I won!" she shouted, doing a little jig "I finally won! Six years ago I told you I would beat you one day and I have! I won!"
She spun around and waved her arms about, laughing madly. She couldn't believe she'd finally won.
"But that wasn't fair!" Ron exclaimed, jumping up as well "How long was my King even open. Did you cheat? I must have been distracted or something..."
"What were you distracted by?" Hermione laughed, still dancing around madly. She couldn't remember feeling this happy in a while.
Ron's ears went red and Hermione whooped again, turning to head towards the Burrow, calling "I won, I won, I won," over her shoulder.
"It wasn't really a win," Ron insisted as they reached the kitchen door, his tone belligerent "We were both trying to do such complicated moves neither of noticed that stupidly easy win. Really it doesn't count."
Mrs Weasley and Ginny had turned from the stove to watch the pair of them as Hermione threw herself down at the table.
"Shut up Ron," she advised, still laughing "You're not going to take this away from me. I won a game of chess against you."
Mrs Weasley and Ginny started to laugh as they realised what was going on.
"Well done Hermione, that's impressive!" Mrs Weasley said, handing over a jug of pumpkin juice for them.
"It didn't count," Ron whined, also throwing himself into a chair.
"Where's Harry when I need him here to see this," Hermione said, giggling "All those years of watching us play and he didn't see me win. Can I borrow Pig, Ron."
Ron raised a sardonic brow "What you're going to write Dear Harry. I won a game of chess against Ron. Love Hermione"
"Yes," Hermione said simply and Ginny burst into giggles.
"I'll get Pig," she said, hurrying up the stairs.
"You're not serious," Ron said, watching his sisters retreating form "Oh come on. It's just a game of chess!"
Hermione shook her head
"No it's not. It's six years worth of learning, of hours I could have spent doing my homework, of listening to you tease me because it's something I wasn't very good at. I'm going to milk this for all it's worth."
Ron rolled his eyes and Hermione laughed harder, her mind going back to what Ginny had said earlier. Could she really love Ron? And could he love her back? She wasn't sure of the answer to these questions, but she knew in these sort of moments, she'd rather be with him than anyone else.
This chapter actually had a completely different and frankly very weak ending when i wrote it a few weeks ago. The entire chess bit was put in recently and is a direct story taken from myself. This is how I won my first game of chess against my boyfriend. I figured it's an honour for Hermione to borrow this moment from me. A-a-V xxx
