Gambit

Gambit

by, Caliente

gambit (noun) (1) a chess opening in which a player seeks to obtain some advantage by sacrificing a pawn or piece; (2) any maneuver by which one seeks to gain an advantage; (3) a remark made to open or redirect a conversation

Tears raced down her face as she tore her arm from her grasp. "Stop it! Just stop it!" She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It's not funny! I won't be your joke anymore! Just stop and leave me be!"

Dumbstruck, he gaped at her for a moment. "What are you on about?" he asked, brows furrowed.

"I don't understand," she continued, ignoring his question. "I thought you were my friend but--" She pulled herself up and faced him head on. "Do you laugh when I'm not around? Amusement for you and your real mates. How could you?" Now her tear filled eyes bored holes into him.

He ran a hand through his hair, obviously bewildered. "Rose, I have no idea what you're talking about. Just--"

She waved him off, thrusting a piece of parchment toward him. "I can't believe you knew. It would be one thing if you just-just didn't feel the same but that you would string me along for so long for your own sick pleasure--how could you be so cruel?" She shook her head. "Sweet Circe, Scorpius, I don't even know you."

His mouth opened to try and piece together some semblance of sense but she just shook her head and disappeared with a pop.

Blinking, he glanced down at the parchment left in his hands. There were water drops--tears, he realized belatedly--but the ink was still readable.

Hugo--

I can't believe school's only been over for a week! It feels like an age. My mum's already on me about my O.W.L.'s, though, can you believe it? You'd think we were already halfway through our fifth year or something!

Anyway, I've not got long. I just wanted to check--are you still planning to visit Diagon Alley next week? I was hoping we could get tea...without our parents. They are horrible bores, after all.

One last thing before I go; I never could work up the nerve to say anything during the year. Please don't be mad--I'm not a brave Gryffindor like you. I know your sister is supposed to be friends with Malfoy, but I have to tell you...

My older sister said she heard him laughing about her behind her back. About how she's always following him like a puppy dog and obviously infatuated. Apparently, they're always mocking what she says and other things.

I'm so sorry, Hugo. I just didn't know how to tell you. I know you love your sister dearly, even when she's being insufferable. I hope you forgive me. We can chat more next week or over floo...

Aurelia Zabini xoxo

Face set in a deep scowl, Scorpius raced toward Malfoy Manor. Unlike Rose, he hadn't been old enough to take the Apparation class in sixth year. Instead, he was stuck using brooms and the floo network. It wasn't long before he was standing before a roaring fire and making a firecall to the Zabini household.

A House Elf with drooping ears and large eyes answered the call. "Mister Scorpius Malfoy, sir," it squeaked. "Did you wish to speak with Miss Giulia?"

"Yes," he barked.

The little Elf gave a frightened sound and scampered away without another word.

It wasn't long before Giulia's tanned face popped into view. "Scorpius?" she questioned curiously. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this impromptu call?"

He did not spare her any pleasantries. "Rose has just been here, Giulia. She was in an absolute state because of something your sister wrote to her brother. Something you apparently shared with Aurelia about me." His expression darkened. "I just have one question: why?"

Giulia had the audacity to look innocent. "Am I not allowed to share things with my sister now? How was I to know she was friends with Hugo?" She crossed her arms. "I'm not the one who told all those stories about the 'stupid flower' and that 'pansy cow'."

Instantly his face fell. "That--you thought..." Scorpius growled with irritation. "I called her that pansy cow because the stories were about Pansy Parkinson and my father!" He grit his teeth. "You insufferable busybody. Instead of coming to me or having all the facts, you just--ugh!" Throwing his hands up, he waved off her hasty apologies. "Never mind. I've got a mess to clean up."

After closing the firecall, Scorpius began pacing. He couldn't very well floo to the Weasley household or wherever Rose had chosen to hide out. If her mum and dad didn't do him in, her brother and cousins would surely finish the job. No, despite his inclination to try to fix this that moment, it would probably be best to wait. Forcing himself to sit, Scorpius began to formulate a plan.

It was late morning when Scorpius ordered a House Elf to take him to Godric's Hollow. Then, like always, he offered to give the elf clothes. Immediately the poor thing burst into tears and pleaded for him to take it back. Sighing, he did just that and, after being thanked profusely, he was left to his own devices.

Wandering down the lane, it wasn't hard for him to find a small park. A cursory look confirmed that it was the park. The park that Rose always chatted about. It really wasn't much to look at--just a few benches, a nice lawn with some flowers around the edges and a few chess tables in the centre. But for the child of Ronald Weasley, Wizard chess player extraordinaire (or so the legend went), it was enough.

He spotted her almost instantly. Her red hair shone like a beacon--a splash of color in an utterly gray world.

For a moment, he paused. An anxious hand ran through his white-blond hair and he considered running away. But, no. That wasn't even possible, not really. He had no way back to Malfoy Manor without the Weasley or Potter's access to the floo network.

Steeling himself, Scorpius marched forward. As he closed in on her, he could see Rose was waiting for another opponent. He gave the evil eye to anyone that even glanced her way and swooped into the seat across from her.

Rose's gaze snapped up, and she froze. "Scorpius?" Her mouth formed a thin line as she started to stand.

Covering her hand with his, his gray eyes pleaded with her. "Please, Rose. Hear me out."

Maybe it was his sincerity. Maybe it was the dark circles under his eyes from a night of restless sleep. Maybe it was nothing more than some kind of morbid curiosity. Whatever the reason, though, she gave a small nod and sat again. "Fine," she said stiffly. "But, if you want to sit there, you're playing."

"Fine," he agreed. Because he was the challenger, he let her make the first move.

They played in silence for at least ten minutes before Rose's irritation outweighed her lingering mortification. "You were going to say something?" she prompted, bringing her bishop out to take one of his pawns.

"So I was," Scorpius confirmed with a nod, eying the board for a moment. Scowling at what he saw, he moved his castle. Then he looked up to meet her gaze evenly. "Thing is, I don't know where to start."

Her lips were pursed as she toyed with her pawn, finally moving it. "The beginning is usually a good place," was her dry response.

Scorpius shrugged. "Fine. I don't like to disrespect the girls I know but boys are boys. So, one day, after a good deal of ribbing--" here, he moved his queen, taking her knight, "--I finally acquiesced. I told them a story. A story about Pansy Parkinson and my father."

Busying herself with making her move, Rose didn't comment at first. "But Aurelia--"

"Zabini heard a bunch of nonsense from her sister who didn't know what the bloody hell she was talking about." Scorpius frowned and moved one of his pawns. "It's not my fault you all are named after sodding flowers, is it?" he added under his breath.

Rose heard him. Crossing her arms, she huffed a little. "Well, I--"

"Nuh-uh," he cut in, wagging his finger. "You don't get to argue right now, Rose. Way I see it, there can be only one of two reasons you believed this load of nonsense. Either you really do have that little faith in me as a friend or there was more going on here than I've been aware of." He cocked a brow at her as he moved his bishop into place. "So which is it? And check."

Scowling, Rose looked down at the board and made a quick move. "I don't have to answer that."

Scorpius nodded. "True, I suppose," he agreed, pushing his knight forward. "Check."

"But I suppose if I don't, you'll be inclined to think I have little-to-no faith in the strength of our friendship," she said in a long-suffering tone, moving her king out of danger.

He smirked a little. "Well, there is that," he drawled in typical Malfoy fashion as he prepared his bishop for attack. "I am more interested, though, in what I think was going on in that head of yours."

Rose chose not to comment, instead concentrating on the game. After a minute of contemplation, she pulled out the age-old trick of castling.

"Aren't you interested in my theory?" Scorpius pressed, putting his pawn up for sacrifice.

"Not especially," she muttered, taking said pawn.

Now he smiled a little, tapping her wrist so she'd look at him. "Not even if I think the same thing?" he asked, slipping his queen behind her defenses. "Checkmate."

Rose was not looking at the board, though. She was standing, expression fierce. "Scorpius, I swear on all that is holy, if you are screwing with me--"

That was as far as he'd let her go. "I'm not," he interrupted, making his way to her. "And, unless I've completely misread everything, I'm going to kiss you now." He smirked again as he leaned forward. "Feel free to shove me away if this is an unwanted attack."

She laughed a little at that, though it had a distinctly higher pitch than her usual.

It didn't matter. The next moment, his lips met hers and even though it was awkward and fumbling and he completely forgot where to put his hands, it was still warm and sweet and he wanted more. Much more.

They pulled apart, noses just centimeters away from each other. Wide blue eyes met wide gray and neither quite knew what to say.

Rose recovered first, clearing her throat. "Well."

"Okay," Scorpius agreed without actually agreeing to anything.

She nodded. "So?"

He matched the movement. "Yeah."

They both still looked like deer caught in headlights for another moment, then Scorpius reached forward and grabbed her hips the same time Rose wrapped her arms around his neck. The next instant, she was plastered against him and they were full on snogging.

Half an hour later, they were discovered by a myriad of her cousins and other, more homicidal, family members. Scorpius wasn't certain he'd live through the day but, with Rose's hand clasped in his, he found he couldn't mind too much.