Disclaimer: I don't own anything even remotely magical, or any magical characters save Ruth, Gerard and Cassandra, because they're cool. Unfortunately someone else does.
Here we go my little lovely's. Don't worry, I won't make you wait too long for the next update, I hate waiting for people to update myself. So unless I'm really stuck for time I will try to update as soon as possible. Anyway, do you like the story so far, well now we get to learn a little bit more about our little Draco. I feel so sorry for him and all the evil I've put him through.
The Other Way
The next day I pulled out an old muggle chess board my father had given me the year I graduated. Since I got it I have to say I preferred it to wizarding chess, this muggle version was less violent ad noisy. But I hadn't played in ages.
I set the box on the kitchen table and waved Draco over. "We are going to play a game." I told him with a smile.
He frowned a little and looked at me; like he wasn't entirely sure he had heard me correctly.
"You know how to play muggle chess?" I asked him.
He nodded.
"Good, now sit down and we'll start."
He sat obediently and waited.
"Ok, the rules are this, for every piece of the opposition's you take you get to ask a question, any question you like, on anything. The opposition, namely me, or you has to answer, and in detail or you get to question until you get the answer you want. Agreed?" I asked.
He thought for a moment before nodding slowly.
I smiled again and quickly set out the board, I wasn't expecting much today, it was more a confidence exercise than anything else. If it worked we could do it again. And to play against another person after so long would be good.
The last person I had played against was Percy, and he had been winning.
I sat down. "Right, let's go." I said, and started the game with my knight. Less than five minutes into the game I had taken one of his pawns. I started off with an easy question. "Where did you learn to play muggle chess?" most wizards didn't play it.
"At home, mother and father played sometimes, I used to watch them. Mother didn't like the magical pieces, she said they were rude." He answered quietly.
I nodded. "Your move."
Three moves later I had another of his pieces. "So tell me about your parents, what were they like? Honestly."
Draco shrugged lightly. "My mother never really paid me much attention, unless I annoyed her enough. And father… he was always so disappointed in me."
I considered. "Why? I mean, you always seemed the perfect son to the rest of the world." And it was true, he had always been going on about his father like he was the best son n the world.
"I was always second in class to Granger, always whining… father didn't like me, he just put up with me because I was his only child." He said, his voice dull, a depressed air to it, like he had heard it said one to many times and believed it.
Four moves later he had taken my knight. He puzzled over a question, a safe question, one that wouldn't get him into trouble. It was plain to read on his face. "Emm… what was your favourite lesson in school?" he asked finally, ducking his head.
I had to chuckle at that one. "My favourite class? I would have to say… divinations, it was the easiest class in the world, and listening to Trelawney go on was hilarious. Besides that it really was an interesting subject, I used to read up on it quite a bit-in secret of course." I smiled.
I took one of his pieces a move later. "So what was yours?"
"Care of the magical Creatures." He replied promptly.
"No way!" I interrupted.
He nodded.
"Why? What? Why?" I asked in surprise.
"I liked the creatures, it wasn't the class in minded, it was the teacher. The animals were great." He mumbled.
I let the comment on Hagrid slide. "But what about you and the hippogriff?" I asked.
He hesitated. "I was…" he bit his lip. "Depressed that year… I knew it could kill me if I'd provoke it enough, so I did. I didn't want it to be killed."
"You mean that whole episode was you trying to get yourself killed?" I asked, shocked.
He nodded.
"So, if Hagrid hadn't have stopped Buckbeak you would have been dead?" I asked.
He nodded again.
"Dear sweet Merlin!" I breathed.
He reached forward and moved his bishop.
So the game continued. I kept to the lighter questions; ones I hoped would bring less painful memories to him. It was a good game, he wasn't as practiced, or as confident in what he was doing, but he held his own fairly well. He took my queen, leaving his king wide open for attack.
I looked over to him, waiting for the question.
"Why did you become a…" he frowned, searching for the word.
"Medi-wizard? Social worker? Psychiatrist type thing?" I offered.
He nodded.
I took a deep breath. "Because of my sister Ginny." I told him with a sad smile.
"Why?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested.
"She went through some terrible things at the hands of a man. She killed herself. I couldn't do anything to help her, but I think I can help others like her." I sighed, moving my castle to take his king. "Checkmate."£
He looked at me.
"What's your favourite colour?" I asked, very randomly in some kind of vague attempt to lighten the mood.
He blinked at me for a moment. "White and red." He said after a moment.
I smiled at his confusion and started packing the board away and went to start a late lunch.
Alrighty, who else thinks I'm going off track, cause I do. Anyway, I think I forgot to mention it up top, but I don't know why Hermione is so off the wall, it's how she came to me, I'm sure there is a reason, and it'll show itself eventually. Oh, as for the hippogriff thing, I have a completely different theory for that one, but it's not in keeping with this story, I may write it eventually. And I love the idea of Care of the Magical Creatures being his favourite class. Oh, and just pretend there's some kind of difference between muggle chess and wizarding chess. I know how to play neither, so I can't really be held accountable.
Anyway I hoped you enjoyed it. Things start to heat up from next chapter. Here's a hint, Herm and Ron have a heart to heart over dinner with Harry. Hee hee!