Venom & Virtue

chapter 10

"Unlucky," I smirked as my knight slid along the board, brandishing its morning star and smashing Terence's queen into tiny china pieces.

The board turned from red and white to a colourless grey, indicating checkmate and the end of the game.

"That's the third time you've beaten me! What am I doing wrong?" Terence huffed, frowning down at the scattered pieces.

"It takes practice, you have to get used to thinking a few steps ahead."

"Even if I could manage that, I'd still be 5 behind."

I laughed lightly, resetting the board with a wave of my hand.

"Where did you learn to play so well?"

"A wizard from the Department of Magical Games and Sports used to play with me on his lunch break," I shrugged, recalling the countless hours I'd spent getting tutored about the best strategies for wizard's chess.

"Hm, maybe I'll do some research before we play again," they looked doubtfully down at the board whilst they rose from the chair opposite.

Violetta glanced up from the black leather couch as the deflated Terence approached.

"Have you given up?" She teased.

"For now."

"It can't be that hard surely."

"Well, why don't you try if you think it's so easy?"

She smiled, hopping up from her seat and approaching me with pure confidence.

"Fine, I will."

I chuckled and straightened in my chair as we began to play.

It was a quiet evening in the Slytherin common room; only a handful of students were dotted around, conversing between themselves or relaxing alone.

It had quickly grown to be one of my favourite places in the castle to unwind.

Some evenings, when no one was around, I'd come and sit by myself, often observing the murky Black Lake beyond the windows whilst the fire dwindled down into ashes.

The four of us had retired to the room's plush comfort after a long day completing our work in the library, both our brains and hands exhausted from the effort.

My gaze drifted to Adrian, who was sprawled along his couch, watching some wizard programme that was playing on the TV above the mantelpiece.

Meanwhile, Terence had taken Violetta's place on the opposite sofa, trying to continue the drawing she'd started of the merperson hovering at the window.

They cursed as they drew a line wrong, attempting to erase it with a charm.

I turned my attention back to the girl across from me as her bishop stood up from its chair, knocking my castle off the board.

"Did you find enough members to start your lepidopterology society yet?" I asked as my pawn took one of hers in return.

"No, I only have 6 so far. If you joined it would help though," she smiled at me sweetly, attempting to sway my decision once again.

"I don't think it's my kind of thing."

"You say that, but it will be fun, Hagrid even offered to find some exotic breeds from overseas to show us."

"I don't know the first thing about butterflies."

"That's the whole point, you'll learn."

I pulled a face, indicating I still wasn't keen on the concept.