Yeah, I don't think this chapter's particularly great, but anywho…

Chess – TCOS, Ch11, p148

"Maybe I can talk to him at dinner."

Hermione sighed heavily and looked at Harry again. He was sitting in a winged armchair next to the fire, staring out of the window at the swirling blizzard outside. He had been going on about Justin and the snake for the last twenty minutes, and it was starting to get annoying.

He was starting to put her off.

She turned back to the chessboard. It was Ron's move, and he was staring intently at his pieces. He obviously wasn't bothered by Harry's whining, but then nothing derailed Ron when he was playing chess. Hermione had often thought it was a result of growing up with so many siblings – he could deal with distractions.

Hermione found it more difficult. Whenever she and her father played chess at home, they played in the study where it was quiet, and she usually beat him. She had yet to win a match against Ron.

Ron moved his knight to the side, and Hermione watched as it leapt over her pawn. The piece's tiny marble hooves clattered onto the board and he, and all the other pieces, turned to look at her expectantly.

It was strange, really, how good Ron was at chess. He'd told he'd learnt by playing against Bill and then, when he'd left for Hogwarts, Percy. Hermione thought that if he applied the same concentration to his studies as he did to a chess game he'd probably outstrip her in lessons.

Well, maybe not. But he'd do a lot better anyway.

Hermione kept her head bent, staring at the board. She refused to look at Ron, because he always put her off. He never actually did anything – there was just this look in his eye. As though he had a plan and no matter what you did you wouldn't be able to stop him.

She hated that look.

Right, she wanted that knight, but if she moved her pawn her king would be exposed, so she couldn't do that. She could take it with her queen, but then if he moved his own queen she'd have to move the pawn and then the king would be open to attack, and that was probably what Ron was after. Or maybe he was after her knight – hmm, that was possible, if she –

"I could see him at dinner, couldn't I? But what time does he go?"

Hermione glared at Harry for breaking her concentration again, but he didn't notice. He was still staring at the snow. Hermione went back to the game, but not before she caught Ron's eye. Yep, there was the look.

Darn.

So, if she moved the knight to the left –

"I wonder what lesson the Hufflepuffs have after this?"

Hermione gritted her teeth and took the knight with her queen.

Ron shot forward like a dart to take his next move, and Hermione knew that she had just done exactly what he'd wanted her to do.

"Bishop to E7," he said.

Hermione watched the bishop advance on her fearful-looking knight and fought the urge to groan. She could see what was going to happen now – she'd been concentrating too hard on the left, and now that her knight was gone she had no protection on the right. And if she moved pieces over there Ron would just swoop in on the left.

"What if-"

"For heaven's sake, Harry," snapped Hermione as the bishop dragged the knight off of his horse. "Go and find Justin if it's so important to you."

Harry got up and left the common room, and Hermione watched him go, glaring at his retreating back. All his grouching had completely thrown her off her game, and now she was sure to lose.

She turned back to Ron, who was smirking. She glared at him too. "I want a re-match," she stated flatly.

"We haven't finished the game yet," Ron replied.

"After this one," she said. "Which I expect will be over very soon."

Ron's smirk grew. "Don't feel bad," he said. "You're getting much better."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at his condescending tone. "I. Want. A. Rematch."