Hi! This is just a little author's note before I get started with the story. This is my first attempt at Harry Potter fanfiction, or any fanfiction for that matter, so I'm not sure how good it is, so I'd really appreciate any feedback people want to give me. I don't care what you say, you can even say it's completely horrendous and an insult to all writing and it should be deleted immediately, just anything so I know if people think it's worth continuing. Also, constructive criticism is very welcome. That's about all I've got to say, so I'll just get on with the story, but remember, please review!

"I am undefeatable!" Ron announced triumphantly as his knight knocked over the opposing king, and Hannah Abbott regretfully passed across two Galleons and four Sickles.

"It's great that you won another game Ron, but it doesn't make you undefeatable." Hermione said as she glanced up from her copy of Charms, Hexes and all other forms of Hocus-Pocus.

"I think the defeated and these," Ron said, holding up his jingling bag of Knuts, Sickles and Galleons to Hermione, "beg to differ, 'Mione."

"I know you've won a lot Ron, I'm not denying that, but I'm just saying that a few games just against other students does not make you the greatest chess player to ever live." she said with a sigh as she set her book down on the table.

"Not yet at least." he said, grinning, even as she reprimanded his pride with a stern 'Ron!'

"Look at the facts Hermione. No one except Bill has ever beaten me, and that was only because I was only nine years old. I've never even come close to losing to anyone at Hogwarts. I dare say I'm the best chess player this school's ever seen."

"Ron, don't be ridiculous! You may be good, but you could not beat the likes of past students like Dumbledore." she said angrily.

"Well, 'Mione, if you think I'm no good why don't you play me? As I remember it, you've always backed down on any time I've asked you to play." he said, starting to get annoyed too.

"Ron! I am not going to play you, for such trivial reasons." she huffed and started to grab her bag to leave.

"Why? Because you know you'll lose, and prove me right?" he muttered darkly, making her stop as she was half-risen from her seat.

She looked down angrily at him in a way that would of normally made him immediately realise his wrongs and beg for forgiveness and mercy, but he was to blinded to see her properly.

"Fine, Ron. I'll play you, but whatever happens, it proves nothing, and this is just so you will be quiet about it." she said angrily as she crossed to the other side of the table, and sat down, and began arranging her chess pieces.

--o--

Her first feelings of regret came early on in the game, as her queen knocked out his bishop.

She could see the shock across his face, as he obviously hadn't even noticed the possibility of the attack, as he had been focused on the battle plan she had seen him execute so many times in so many games that she knew exactly how to play around it.

She glanced down at the Head Girl badge pinned neatly on the front of her robes, and shook her head lightly, wondering how she could of been so silly and rash to accept the game, when she had the duty of responsibility and a calm demeanor to live up to.

She looked across the table at Ron, whose eyebrows were furrowed in concentration as he no doubt mentally plotted each move he could make, and what would result from them.

She bit her lip nervously as she watched his normally calm and happy, large brown eyes dart across the board thoughtfully, and saw his hand reach up to rake through his messy, bright red hair.

She suddenly separated herself from the game as she watched his movements, which she had grown so accustomed to, and dare she say it, perhaps even fond of in more than a friendly way, over the years.

She wished so dearly that she could use her time-turner to go back and tell herself to not accept the game, to just leave him happy and triumphant, as unbearably cocky as it also made him, so that she could be sitting on his side of the table, watching him verse another person.

Her feelings changed however as he suddenly commanded his remaining bishop to eradicate the knight which was guarding her king, and looked up at her triumphantly and challengingly and said loudly, "Check!"

She closed her eyes momentarily before she glanced down at the board, calculating.

This, she reminded herself, was why she had to verse him, and defeat him.

He had become so cocky and proud lately, with all his victories, and the Galleons, Sickles and Knuts he had jingling around in his pockets that he had for his own free spending for a change, that she almost felt like half the time he wasn't the Ron she had known the past years.

Deep down she knew she should of left him to his victories, because, unlike Harry, she could see quite clearly how Ron would feel crowded out and inferior, as Harry was still the house's Quidditch star, even if the fact that he was the famous Harry Potter was ignored, and she was the mental superior of possibly every other student in the school, but still, she could not let it pass.

Perhaps, she had realised one time, that it was the vague feeling that she had that she had deeper feelings for him that made her want to squash all the negative ways of him, or perhaps she just could not stand seeing him be even like Malfoy in his pride.

Either way, she felt and knew she had to stop his pride, even if it meant squashing it completely.

It was with that final thought that she commanded her queen to attack again, this time against his castle, and she watched almost sadly as a realization dawned on his face without her even having to say the words.

He looked across the board at her, unbelieving, challenging and almost begging her at the same time to confirm what he thought.

"Check mate."