Undefeated
a Harry Potter story
by me211152004
"Knight to..." Ron began; "to... t...eh-chihh!"
Harry watched amused as Ron's knight flew around the board desperately confused.
Ron, however, did not immediately notice this; "Ih-ihhh- chishhoo! Ishhoo!"
"Ron?" Harry prompted curiously.
"What?" Ron sniffed.
Harry was surprised to notice that his friend's voice had an underlining fog to it as if he might be getting congested. He didn't call upon it though because he had a feeling Ron would not appreciate it.
"Your Knight..." Harry pointed out just as Ron began to notice.
"Ohhh..." he moaned pitifully explaining; "He's never going to forgive me! Knight to A2,"
The little Knight shook an angry fist up at Ron with a menacing scowl on his face, but moved as he was told.
"Pawn to G4," Harry commanded and the little piece moved easily across to the next square. Harry smiled. It was really only this small, single piece that cared anything for how he conducted them.
Ron paused thoughtfully before directing a Castle to H4. Harry smiled a bit when the castle obeyed slowly as if it was worried about Ron's plan, and Ron sniffed angrily at it.
"Pawn to G3," Harry said confidently. There was a good feeling about this game.
"Knight..." Ron addressed; "Kn-Kn...iiiiih...hit-kisshoo!"
"That's right! Get it all out BEFORE you tell me to go some place!" the Knight shouted scornfully.
Harry waited for Ron to yell something back at the mouthy Knight, but when he didn't Harry looked up at Ron for an explanation.
Ron was breathing short, shallow breaths with his face contorting intermittently. His eyes were screwed shut and his mouth was open in a snarl. Ron's hand fluttered somewhere by his chest ready to save Harry from any soon-to-be airborne germs.
And they were soon.
Swinging sideways, Ron finally rid himself of the tickle plaguing his sinuses; "Uhhhhh-ITCHOO! Ih-chitchhoo! ISHuhhh!"
Harry watched as Ron slowly unfolded himself and turned his attention back to the game sniffling.
"Knight to...to..."
Oh no, Harry thought.
"To B3...ishihhh!"
Thank Merlin the Knight knew what Ron meant this time though it took its time following through.
Unfortunately, Harry's relief was premature as Ron booted his Bishop off.
"Aw, Ron..." Harry whined playfully; "I was just starting to get him to cooperate!"
Ron sniffled liquidly around a weak chuckle; "Your loss,"
Harry grinned; "Oh I don't know...I haven't had such a good game in while."
"I'm undefehhh..." Ron began proudly but his face crumpled; "Undehhh...hahhh-chishhoo!"
Harry eyed his friend who was rubbing viciously at his nose and sniffing.
"Bloody hell!" he muttered softly under his breath taking his hand away from his nose.
Harry looked quickly away and back to the board; "Pawn to B3," Harry couldn't help but grin at this.
Ron's Knight let out a long, angry howl before Harry's pawn brought him down to rubble.
"Take that Ron!" Harry said joyfully; "See? I might just win!"
"You're counting your dragons before they're hatched," Ron grumbled sniffing.
Harry glanced up sharply. Ron sounded almost hostile. He looked hostile too. His face was puckered and tight with a hot and bothered flush. He positively glared down at the board grinding his teeth furiously.
"Ron?" Harry asked gently; "Hey, Ron, listen...I'm really..."
"Shut up!" Ron snapped with burning eyes; "Shut up and let me concentrate!"
Harry shut his mouth halfway through an apology with a snap.
"Castle to H6!" Ron barked and got a quick, nervous response.
"Bishop to H6!" Harry countered and his usually infuriating piece rapidly took Ron's Castle down.
"Pawn to C2!" One of Ron's pawns shuffled hastily over.
"Bishop to C2!" Harry harshly instructed foiling another of Ron's moves.
Ron looked highly enraged and started to spit out; "Kihhh... King...kih-chihhh! Ih-kishhh! To...to Cahhh...huhhh-ISHOO! Ih-tishhoo!"
Ron's King reacted much the same as his Knight had only in a much more regal fashion. He floated about the board terribly confused.
It didn't help when Ron tried to address the situation again; "Kidg to...IH-shhh! Kid-Kidg...t-to...ah-ISHHH!"
Harry watched Ron sneezing his head off, yet still trying to direct his King to a spot on the board. His cheeks were a darker shade of furious red and his eyes smoldered.
After the fifth sneeze Ron's tickle finally seemed to taper off leaving Harry's friend congested with a perpetually runny nose.
"Here," Harry offered a couple of tissues that he found lurking in the corner of his pocket.
Ron didn't take them though. Instead he gave a Merlin Almighty congested snort swiping his nose with a suspiciously damp sleeve cuff.
"I'b fide!" he snapped shoving Harry's hand out of the way of the sight of the board; "Kidg to C2!"
Ron's King did not respond though. It didn't seem to realize Ron was addressing him, and sent Ron's other remaining pieces into a flurry of movement.
Ron growled deep his throat, but it sent him into a fit of rattling wet coughs.
Harry could feel concern welling up. His friend really didn't look good. He had been sneezing horribly through the whole game, and, now when Harry thought about it, had been muffling sneezes all day. He'd woken late even for a weekend of late nights and was now looking like death warmed over.
"Ron?" Harry said softly; "D'you just want to go up to bed?"
Still coughing Ron shook his head murmuring around coughs; "The game..."
Harry's head swayed with disbelief. The game?!
"Ron, come on..." he wheedled; "You're not well."
Finally finished coughing Ron's head popped up a challenging glare in his eyes; "I'b fide! I've dever left a gabe udfidished ad I'b dot going to start dow."
"Your pieces don't understand you!" Harry protested.
"They do to!" Ron roared gaining the common room's attention, but continued lower; "I've dever had theb dot uderstad before!"
"Ron..." Harry persisted weakly; "You're not feeling well. I can tell."
"I'b fide," Ron insisted, but twisted away from Harry even as he said it; "Ihhh-ITCHuhhh!"
"Listen to yourself," Harry said concern shining in his eyes; "You're sneezing, coughing, flushed, and irritable."
"You're baking be irritable!" Ron hissed.
"Look, all I'm saying is that you should get some more sleep so you can go to classes tomorrow."
"Who says I'b goidg to classes toborrow?!" Ron cried in exasperation.
Well, Harry thought, he's hit a dead end there; "My point exactly. If you feel like you might not be going to classes tomorrow then you should be up in bed not coughing up a lung down here over a chess game!"
"It's dot just a gabe!" Ron objected hotly; "It's about keepidg by reputatiod up as udefeated. If I cad't wid with a head code then how will I ever make it big?"
"Make it big?" Harry said with popping eyes; "You want to be a Chess Master?"
Ron looked away; "I dew you ad Herbiode would't subort be..."
"No, no!" Harry hurried to correct; "I just didn't know. You're really good at chess, Ron."
"Dot good edough to beat you with a head code." Ron pointed out.
"Well I surrender," Harry said getting up from the table; "You have lots of time to work on that."
Ron blinked considering; "I AB tired..."
"Yes,"
"Ad sdeezig a lot..."
As if to prove this he turned away to sneeze; "Uhhh-kishhoo! KISHuhhh!"
"Ron," Harry said with lost patience; "Just go up to bed. I'll put the board away."
Slumped with defeat Ron turned away to go up the stairs. Harry noticed this and called out as Ron left went; "Hey, I don't think Hogwarts' Chess Master would walk like that! You put up a good fight tonight considering, and look-we're tied: same number of men on the board!"
The End