Re-Sorted Chaos

Re-Sorting Chaos: Twelve

A crowd huddled over the two, watching the chess pieces move with a intimate type of grace over the board. A few were whispering, actually a lot were whispering Ron noticed. It seemed like the same people that made the comments when he entered had taken to narrating the chess match.

"He's beating Mandy-" whisper-shouted a second year. Her hair was messy and her eyes were wide. She reminded Ron of a starstruck fan of Harry who he had tracked down a bit ago. She was the one, Ron remembered with annoyance, that had taken to giving Harry nasty howlers and dosed the letters with love potions. Hermione and he had set the girl straight, especially after one of the letters left Harry with second degree burns. Ron didn't believe in hitting woman, his father told him that it was wrong and he stood by that belief, however he hit that girl. Socked her right in the face She was crazy and she hurt Harry– she didn't get remorse.

"Did you see what move?!" Another hushed voice spoke. Ron felt the tips of his ears heat up. He could practically feel the red creep up his neck. His eyes flickered between the board and the crowd.

No time to get distracted, he told himself. But they didn't expect the most insignificant Weasley to be winning, huh?

He shook his head as if to shake away the self doubt edging away at his confidence. He had done so much more stressful things before, he had even played a chess game thinking he wouldn't see the end of it. This was a simple match in the common room, so why was he so anxious? The word anxious burned in his head, anger bubbling as an attempt to lash out at the people around him, he could feel letters start to form. He gritted his teeth, hoping if he pressed his emotions down he would get rid of the words flashing around his face.

"Remember in first year when he played a chess game and Dumbledore gave him points? I bet this is just like that."

Ron didn't know if the student was implying that he was going to win points for an in-house chess match, or that Ron was blowing people away with his skills. While rare, Ron decided to settle for the later. He moved another piece, watching as Mandy's knight was crushed. She let out a strangled sound. For a minute Ron felt like he had all the confidence he needed, he felt like how he imagined fame to feel when younger (and admittedly stupider).

It came crashing down by a comment by a sixth year.

"Are we sure this is Ron Weasley, the hungry guy?"

Was that all he was? There was a crowd now leaning over the board. A few were pushing themselves to get a better view. Mandy sniffled, her eyes were glassy as she lost one of her pawns. Not the best piece to keep, but it might have helped her win.

"I mean.. I heard he was dating Hermione Granger, she had to have had some effect on him." One whispered near him. A few lines of gossip made it into his ear. It made his blood run cold. He was caught up in what others thought of him that Mandy managed to take his Bishop.

"I thought she was dating Harry?"

"Yeah, I'm not really sure what's happening with them."

The two second years talking about his love life above him jogged his memory.

"I don't know why you're not as confident as you should be, Ron." Harry said, Ron's head was settled in Hermione's lap. Harry was sitting above and on his knees to play with Ron's hair.

"You deserve so much more credit than you end up receiving." Hermione voiced. She was reading a book, the tip of a page resting on Ron's neck as he was used as a book stand.

Ron opened his mouth but was cut off.

"If you're about to say that you don't deserve recognition I will send Hermione on you." Ron laughed at Harry's threat. Rolling his eyes with a fond grin.

"I will attack you, I'll curse you so every time you don't get the love you deserve they will turn bright orange until they give you credit." Although Hermione's tone left no room to argue, it just made Ron laugh more.

"We're serious," Harry added and scratched the tip of Ron's scalp. Ron felt his body relax, his legs dangling off the common room couch.

"I know," he murmured "and thanks."

They exchanged brief "I love you"s before Harry had to flex his wrist.

"Give yourself the credit, Ron." Harry told him. Ron gave in before the trio went to the boys dorms.

"Give myself the credit." He muttered. A mantra nothing short of sickeningly cliché and narcissistic-sounding helped his shoulders become relaxed. He ordered his king up the board. Mandy's face lit up, and she made a move. Ron didn't let her turn damped his decision, after all she had made a rookies mistake. The people above him only further cementing it by stating; "Oh my god that move from Mandy sucked!"

Ron had Mandy surrounded. One wrong move and she would be finished. He would win. Mandy bit her lip and examined her options. She happened to overhear the crowd's feedback. She was pale and her hands hovered over each of her pieces. Mandy made small motions as if mock-placing her pieces mentally. Ron waited and made sure to counteract every imaginary move she made.

She moved and took a few pawns, so he finished her queen.

"Checkmate," Ron said with a smirk.

The cheers from everyone never felt so amazing. He had beat someone, in Ravenclaw, at chess. He had made the right moves and proved... Ron made the realization he had proven he had brains.

So.. so what if he decided he wanted to show it off more?

Ron let out a sigh, he'd have to talk to Hermione about this.