(A/N): Hey Guys! FINALLY, IT'S THE SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER OF SECOND YEAR! 'It's going to be shorter than the first year' Yeah, so much for that! Three chapters in one night!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but Leo, Elaine, Shari, Brooke, Nicholai, Mia and Quiggly.

Leo

It was the day after Brooke told me what I truly was, that the Wizards Chess Tournament came to an end.

Over the past few days, competitors had been weeded out until only two remained, Remus and Brooke, both of who had fought various opponents to reach the point they were at now, the final test, as it were.

The entire school was gathered in the Great Hall, surrounding a single table and chess set where my best (male) friend, and one of my best female friends were squaring off.

"Who would have thought it would be two Gryffindor's in the final?" Sirius asked in a hushed voice, completely absorbed in the game, even though he usually hated it with a fiery passion.

"Suck on that, Slytherin!" Elaine exclaimed, and the few Slytherin's within hearing range glared at her.

"Not so loud Dams, you have enough enemies as it is." I reminded her, and she smirked.

"They can go to hell too then." I shook my head, amused but mystified at the same time.

"For someone who can be so kind, you can also be very evil." I noted, and she beamed at me.

"Why, thank you Leo!" What the hell for? I thought to myself, momentarily worried, and definitely very confused.

"Uh...why?" She just continued to smile while James rolled his eyes.

"Telling someone what they are, if they like it anyway, can be seen as a compliment. Remember?" I grinned at them as they watched me, and chuckled lightly, shaking my head.

"Way to use my own words against me guys." Remus moved a rook, and Brooke moved a pawn to counter.

We had already been here fifteen minutes, since the game started, but it didn't look like it would be over any time soon if previous games were anything to go by.

"It's what we do." Sirius said, without turning around, shrugging his shoulders while his gaze remained fixed on the competition going on around us.

"Anything interesting happen yet?" Lily asked as she returned from the buffet table of food on the other side of the hall, three mugs of hot chocolate in her arms, and I quickly rose to help her.

"It's chess." I remarked dryly, and she nodded understandingly. Seeing the chance for a hot beverage, James reached out a hand for one of the hot chocolates, but Lily slapped him away as I grabbed two of them, knowing exactly who they were for.

"In your dreams Potter." She growled, sitting down on the bleachers to my left, Elaine cradling the third hot chocolate to my right.

Hot chocolate was our thing, you see. Ever since the prank the Marauders and I had pulled, when Elaine and I had shown Lily the kitchens, and Quiggly had served us hot chocolate, it was sort of an inside joke.

"Definitely." James muttered, and Lily rolled her eyes in disgust and frustration.

"Piglet." I heard her hiss under breath, and I hid my smile with my mug of hot cocoa.

"They are so going to get together." Elaine whispered, and I grinned at her widely.

"Obviously. A little slow on the uptake aren't you?" I winked at her, letting her know I didn't really mean it, but she still frowned.

"What do you mean?" We were speaking quietly, so neither Lily or the others could hear us.

"The first time I met you, that morning, James and Lily were bickering, do you remember?" She thought about it for a few seconds.

"Yeah." She whispered back, and I nodded.

"That's the first time I actually thought about it. You know, that they were going to end up married, or at the very least, dating." She turned her attention back to the chess game, before nodding.

"Definitely." She said, echoing the words of her distant cousin only a minute earlier.

Nearly twenty minutes later, and the game was almost over.

Only four pieces were remaining, Brooke's King and pawn, and Remus's King and Queen. It was certain then, that Remus was going to be the winner...right?

That was the general perception, that is, until Brooke announced something that made us freeze.

"Checkmate." Remus gasped, quickly followed by the rest of the crowd, as we realised she was speaking the truth.

Brooke's pawn had Remus's king in check, with no way out!

For the past minute or two, Remus's Queen had just been chasing Brooke's king around the board, she stayed one step ahead, every time the Queen moved, Brooke moved so she wasn't in the same line as her. Eventually, Brooke managed to move her pawn, in a roundabout way, up to the top of the board, where she checked the king.

As one, the crowd cheered her victory, even the Slytherin's managed a half-sincere clap. Professor McGonagall shook hands with both Brooke and Remus, congratulating them on such a great game, and handed Brooke a small trophy as a reminder, and reward, for her win.

"And Gryffindor wins the one hundred house points!" Sirius cheered later, in the Gryffindor common room, and everyone there shouted with happiness.

"What a bint." Brooke commented, staring at Sirius as he stood on one of the coffee tables, and we stared at her.

"Isn't bint usually meant for a girl?" James asked, sounding confused, and he glanced to Remus for confirmation.

"Yeah, but the principle is still the same." Brooke explained with a shrug, looking back to us now.

"Everyone excited?" Sirius asked, as he jumped from the table and sat in one of the plush armchairs, leaning forward, elbows perched on his thighs, and I raised an eyebrow silently.

"Excited for what?" Peter asked, sounding puzzled, and for a moment, so was I.

"End of term! It's less than a month until we go home for summer hols!" Sirius announced, jumping up again, and we all smiled after him.

I know I'm looking forward to it, I thought. I get to become an animagus.

(A/N): So, what did you think?

I know the Chess tournament ended quickly, and the year ended abruptly, but I was getting really sick of this year.

Please review and/or check out my other stories!