Hi. Sorry for the delay, here is the belated next chapter of

All's fair in love and chess

As everyone leaned towards the chessboard, collective shocked intakes of breath were snatched.

Everyone watched in amazement as the Black king and the White Queen were caught up in the most passionate kiss Hogwarts had possibly ever seen. Having evidently abandoned his position, they black king had moved to the other end of the board. The other chess pieces looked on, their faces bearing the same shocked expressions as those of the Gryffindors.

"Get in there!!" whooped the knights.

"Neither the time nor the place," stammered the Bishops, clearly embarrassed by the demonstration.

"Finally!" cooed the pawns, "About time!"

Ron's face was a picture. He simply stared at the board with a shocked look on his face.

"Would anyone like to explain what's going on?" whispered Hermione. "Is this supposed to happen?"

Fred and George dissolved into hysterical laughter. "Why don't you ask them?" Fred managed, gesturing towards the board.

"Well, I don't really like to," Hermione coughed, "Disturb them."

"Well, I will then!" George grinned, cheekily. "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!" He yelled at the board. "BREAK IT UP!!!"

Immediately the King and Queen broke apart, as if they had been so wrapped up that they hadn't noticed the commotion around them.

Regaining his ability for coherent thought, Ron felt a strange affinity with the king. He could have sworn that if the king could blush, he would have a red complexion to rival his own.

"Oh dear." Mumbled the queen. "Sorry about that." She turned her back to the crowd, obviously terribly embarrassed.

"We didn't mean to…. What I mean to say is……. Bloody Hell!" the king stammered.

"Don't swear!" admonished the Queen, turning round.

At this it became too much for Fred, George, Seamus and Neville. They collapsed on a large sofa guffawing madly, pointing at Ron and Hermione and nudging each other. 

Hermione stared at the King, then to Ron, then to the Queen, and shook her head.

If it was possible, Ron turned a deeper shade of crimson.

Despite her rather emotional state, Ginny still managed a grin to herself.

"Right" summoned Ron. "What's happening here?  Pardon me for asking the obvious, but I didn't think chess pieces spoke, let alone did…you know…that."

"They're not supposed to!" piped up the black bishop. "Particularly during a game, in front of their owners……." He gave a menacing stare to the black king, who looked sheepish.

"Abominable behaviour" piped up the white bishop.

The white queen regained herself. "Mr Weasley. Miss Granger. We owe you an apology. I'd like to assure you that this has never happened before."

The King looked like he was trying to suppress a grin, and as he caught Ron's eye Ron felt a chuckle emerge from himself too.

The Queen carried on. "Believe me of all the places, I wouldn't have thought that would have happened here!" she turned towards the black king. "Honestly, what were you thinking Robert?"

"Excuse me?" The king looked affronted.

"Coming over here, kissing me like that."

"Would you rather I hadn't?"

The queen looked surprised. "That's not the point."

"Well, what is the point then?"

"Do you have to be so argumentative?"

"Do you have to criticise everything I do?"

They stopped and stared at each other, neither saying anything.

The king moved to speak. "What was I thinking Harriet? I was thinking that you were standing far too far away from me."

"Robert……."

"I was thinking that I didn't want to spend any more time standing on opposite sides of a board. I was thinking that I had wasted far too much time not doing anything about the way I feel about you. I was thinking about you. I am always, always thinking about you"

The white queen stared at him, open mouthed, and everyone leaned in sure that she was going to speak when they were all startled by a Huge, Loud, unexpected *Sniff*

"It's. Just. All. Too. Much!" wailed George.

"George!" Hissed Fred. "You're kind of ruining the moment for them here!"

"Sorry"  *sniff*

"Actually you lot, do you think you could give us a moment?" Asked the white Queen politely, "I just have something to say to Robert, and I think it needs saying now."

Hermione instantly sprung into action. "Of course. Come on!" She carefully picked the two of them up and moved them off the board whilst Ginny put the rest of the pieces back in their box, whispering a quick sorry to them as they all cried out in frustration.

"Psst, Ginny!" Cried one of the pawns. "Tell us what happens wont you?"

"Course" smiled Ginny

"And not just with those two," she motioned to the King and Queen, "but with Ron and Hermione."

"Will do!" giggled Ginny.

"And you and Harry" the little pawn grinned mischievously. "If I were you Ginny, I'd ditch that Dean fellow. I mean he's nice enough, but Harry….." she winked at Ginny. "He has a lot he wants to say to you, you've just got to let him!"

"How do you know all this?" asked Ginny incredulously.

"Oh, you hear a lot, when no one thinks you're listening." The pawn giggled. "Good luck Ginny!" and with that, she ducked her head inside the box and out of sight.

"Come on Gin. Let's leave them to it eh?" laughed Ron, and he turned and smiled at Hermione.

Ginny walked to rejoin them. They were almost out the door, when they all as one, turned back towards the King and Queen.

Just in time to see the Queen pull the King towards her and kiss the living daylights out of him.

"That's nice for them, isn't it?" sighed Hermione.

"Is a bit!" agreed Ron. "They're made for each other though, aren't they? You can just tell."

Hermione looked surprised by Ron's rather romantic admission, and she closed the door to the common room, smiling to herself.

"Still a bit weird though. I mean, talking chess sets, that's something else, that is!" Ron laughed. "Can't believe we didn't realise they could do that sooner."

"STOP!!!" yelled Seamus. "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George and Neville all stopped suddenly, turning to face Seamus.

"What?" asked Neville, confusedly. "What?"

"They were Ron and Hermione's chess pieces, right?" Said Seamus, a grin taking over his face.

"Right" agreed everyone, in unison.

"So no one else has found it a bit odd that Ron and Hermione's King and Queen took a fancy to each other? That Ron and Hermione's King and Queen acted, well, just like Ron and Hermione? That Ron and Hermione's King and Queen are called Robert and Harriet? Has anyone else noticed that there are rather a lot of similarities here? Well, HAVE YOU?" Seamus' eyes were glinting manically, willing someone to reply.

"Firstly, Breathe, Seamus, breathe." Fred said calmly. "In fact, have a mint." He offered a dubious looking white shaped pellet to Seamus.

"Er, no thanks mate, I don't fancy becoming a cockroach again." Muttered Seamus.

"Fair enough. Secondly, yes we had all noticed, but we chose not to yell it out so loud everyone in Gryffindor could hear." Fred explained, slowly.

"Yeah, we were going to announce it in assembly, but now that plan's kind of foiled," added George.

"Exactly. And thirdly… thirdly…..what was thirdly again George?" Fred asked.

But it was Ginny who interrupted. "Look, I think we all know what this means. I think even they," she pointed at a startled Ron and Hermione, "know what this means."

Everyone looked blankly at her.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Ginny breathed in, deeply. "Ron, Hermione your chess pieces are all a little like you. They spend their time listening to you, taking instructions from you: it's bound to happen. Further more, there's a reason you choose the chess set you choose. It's a bit like a wand, the set always seems to have been kind of destined for you."

"A hah!" laughed George. "I can see where you're going with this one Ginny."

Ginny smiled at him. "In each set, there is always one piece which sort of personifies you, if you get me. There's always going to be one you have an affinity with, one that represents your character."

"So Ron's is the Black King" Neville said brightly.

"And Hermione's the White Queen." Seamus finished.

 "And that's why Ron and Hermione's chess pieces fancy each other!" George laughed. "Because Ron and Hermione ffffff…….." But George got no further, because Ron had paced up behind him and clapped his hand over his elder brother's mouth.

"I think that's enough." Ron locked eyes with Hermione, and the stare they shared was so intense that it caused Ron to drop his hand from George's face, and allowed everyone else to share knowing looks.

"Well, I think that's all there is to see here." Ginny stated quickly, wanting to give Ron and Hermione a bit of space. Haven't you lot got somewhere else you should be?"

"Yeah," mumbled Fred, glumly. "Detention."

"Good," said Ginny "Well you'd better get to it. You too George!" she yelled as she noticed George trying to slip away.

"You are getting way too much like Mum!" George hissed at Ginny, following Fred out of the door. "We'll leave you to….talk." he raised an eyebrow at Ron and Hermione, before leaving the room in a flourish, whistling a tune which sounded suspiciously like "Let there be love"

"Hey Gin, how did you know about all that stuff?" asked Neville, suddenly.

"Guess I know from experience, playing with Har… Dean!" Ginny stammered.

"Dean?" Seamus looked sceptical.

"Let's go, said Ginny, looking purposeful. There's something I've got to do, and there's definitely something they've got to do." All three looked amusedly at the shell- shocked forms of Ron and Hermione, who were still staring at each other.

"Right," said Ginny, swallowing nervously. "Where's Dean?"

Next time on "All's fair in love and chess"

What will Ginny say to Dean?

Will Ron and Hermione ever stop staring and get their act together?

Will we find out what the heck's wrong with Harry?

Tune in next time to find out………………..

Sorry, got a bit carried away there. Sorry about taking such a phenomenally long time to update, the joys* cough* of coursework and multiple essays got a bit too much for me!

I just had a little panic attack reading through this, and I have a nasty feeling that someone may have written a story a little like this before. If they have, I really didn't intend to steal their idea, I had this plot in my head when I wrote the first chapter. If anyone thinks they may have read a plot like this before, I'd be really grateful if they could tell me. If I'm just imagining it: sorry for being annoying and wittering on. Thanks again.

But now, I am on holiday, and part three of three (I think, it may be more) will be wizzing it's way to you soon.

Thanks for reading, and if you'd like to offer a review, good or bad, that would be just lovely.

TTFN

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