Work Text:
“Checkmate!” Ron grinned triumphantly as his Bishop took Harry’s King. Harry just rolled his eyes; he knew Ron would beat him; Ron always beat him at chess.
“It’s hardly a win when you’re playing against me.” Harry muttered. “It’s not like I’m any good.”
Ron’s smile faltered and his eyes darkened a bit. “Sounds like you’re a sore loser mate.” His tone sharper than Harry expected.
“Maybe you’re just a sore winner.” Harry retorted and stood; his chair scraping against the stone floor. He made his way over to Hermione, who was engrossed in a book, and sat next to her.
“He’s such a tosser.” Harry grumbled. Hermione snorted and closed her book, angling herself toward Harry she smirked.
“He’s just happy to be good at something for once.” She spoke quietly so only Harry would hear her. It cheered him up a little to know Hermione was on his side.
The common room around them continued with chatter. It was a new, expanded common room, designed for the students returning for their ‘do-over’ year. Headmistress McGonagall had wanted to promote inter-house unity, so she dissolved their Houses and put them all in the same shared space. Of course, the boys and girls were separated in their dorms, but there was no spell on the staircases to turn them into slides like in their younger years; McGonagall wasn’t foolish enough to think she could separate eighteen year olds…
Harry and Hermione had made the effort to befriend the other students returning, including the Slytherin ones. Ron, however, had no such intentions of befriending what he called ‘slimy snakes’. Harry had lost count on how many times he’d said “they’re our age.” Or “Draco was Marked by force.” Ron wouldn’t hear of it.
He stewed for a little bit longer while Ron gloated to Dean and Seamus that he was the undefeated chess champion of Hogwarts, until the clearing of a throat caught his attention.
Draco Malfoy.
“You think you’re good Weasley? You’ve not played against me.” Draco’s voice was even, but laced with challenge.
“I’m not playing against you, you bloody Death Eater!” Ron was practically foaming at the mouth with anger.
The common room fell silent. Even the portraits seemed to have frozen. Draco’s jaw clenched but he said nothing. Hermione’s book lay open and untouched in her lap as she scowled at Ron.
“What if I teach Potter?” Draco said calmly again, but the tension was written all over his face.
“What?” Ron sputtered with indignation. “Y-you? Teach Harry? Yeah right, didn’t you try and Crucio him in sixth year?”
“Ronald!” Hermione hissed and reached for the sleeve of Ron’s robe. “Enough!” She spoke like she was disciplining an unruly child.
“I did.” Draco replied. “I was under pressure from The Dark Lord and he had taken over my home. Though if I remember correctly, Potter did almost kill me that night.” There it was. Draco’s arrogant smirk. Harry, however, saw the pain in his eyes; he too had the same look.
“Ron, stop it!” Harry stood and looked between the two boys. His best friend and his…acquaintance? Friend? He wasn’t sure what Draco was, but he didn’t deserve this.
“Draco was cleared of all charges, Ron. He has the same right to be here as you do. As any of us do. And I’m not being funny but if it wasn’t for me, none of us would be here in the first place. So sit down, shut the fuck up and let Draco teach me chess!” Harry’s chest was heaving by the time he’d finished speaking.
Ron stormed off into the dorms without another word.
***
“You’re abysmal at chess, Potter.” Draco smirked, yet Harry could see the playfulness to it.
“Forgive me, between saving the world and technically dying I haven’t had the chance to learn the rules.” Harry quipped with a cheeky smile.
Draco huffed a small laugh and rolled his eyes. “Focus on the board Potter, do you see where my Knight is?” His voice became harder again as he looked down at the chessboard.
“That’s this one, right?” Harry pointed at the white figure atop a horse. “So here I could move my Rook and take your Knight?” Harry sat up, pleased as punch, until he saw Draco slowly shaking his head. His smile faltered. “What?!”
Draco sighed. “You’re thinking too much about the immediate situation…you need to assess the whole board and think three moves ahead…if not five.” Draco waved his hand, and a translucent copy of the chessboard appeared next to the original one.
“If you were to move your Rook, yes you’d take my Knight, but then I could move my Pawn and take your Rook whilst being able to ‘Check’ you.” Draco looked up at Harry who had his brows knitted in confusion.
“Huh…smart. Alright let’s go again.” Harry was determined to learn how to not only play chess, but to beat Ron too. He was sick of his friend gloating.
***
“Why did you move your queen there?” Draco demanded, sounding genuinely offended.
“Because it looked like a good spot!” Harry said defensively.
“A good spot?” Draco pressed a hand to his temple. “This isn’t redecorating a sitting room, Potter.”
Harry leaned forward, grinning. “You’re just annoyed because you didn’t see it coming.”
Draco froze, glanced at the board, and his eyes widened slightly. Harry had cornered one of his rooks.
“…Beginner’s luck,” Draco muttered, moving his knight with unnecessary force.
Harry sat back, smug. “Feels good, doesn’t it? Being surprised by me?”
“Infuriating,” Draco corrected, but there was the faintest curve of amusement on his lips.
***
“So you were essentially a house-elf?” At Harry’s nod, Draco immediately felt sorry for him. Every cruel, childish barb stung him. “We were told you were raised like royalty.”
Harry couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him. “Well, I’m glad I could clear that up.”
The chessboard stood forgotten between them as they sat in comfortable silence. Their eyes trained on the pieces, but their minds somewhere else entirely.
“You know…you’re not that terrible when you’re not being arrogant.” Harry spoke gently; quietly, almost as if he were afraid of the words.
Draco simply smiled. “You’re not so bad either. When you’re not being an insufferable lion charging into everything.”
Harry chuckled and refocused on the board. He moved some pieces and grinned. “Checkmate!”
“Good. You’re ready.” Draco smirked; his silver eyes lit up like the night sky.
***
The common room was silent. Every breath, every rustle; it could be heard by the room. Harry sat opposite Ron and in between them lay the chessboard. Harry took black, Ron; white. So Ron moved first.
He was already grinning, his freckled hand instructing the white pawn forward with a confidence born from years of crushing Harry in game after game.
“D4.” he announced, like it was already a declaration of victory.
Harry’s jaw tightened, but his eyes were steady. He touched the head of his pawn and it moved to D5. Calm. Controlled. Just as Draco had drilled into him.
Ron snorted. “You always fall for this one, mate.” His knight clattered forward, an overeager leap. Harry didn’t flinch. He brought his own knight out, smooth and measured, as though he’d already foreseen it.
Ron raised a brow. “Learning a trick or two, are you?”
Without looking up from the board, Harry smirked. “Something like that.” He murmured. Hands clasped together in concentration.
Pieces clattered as Ron advanced with his usual bravado, his bishop lunging, pawns storming the center like a brawl at the Burrow. He barely paused between moves, already smirking before Harry had moved his next piece.
But Harry instructed them with a patience Ron wasn’t used to. Every time Ron lunged, Harry sidestepped. Every reckless push left a gap that Harry quietly filled. The black pieces seemed to coil tighter around the board, watching; waiting.
“Bloody hell…” Ron muttered as one of his pawns was neatly captured. “That’s new.”
Harry didn’t answer. He pushed a rook into play, clean and deliberate.
Ron leaned in, frowning. He shoved a knight forward, but too far, too fast. Harry’s bishop swept in, taking it without hesitation.
“Oi!” Ron barked, eyes wide. “That was…”
“A mistake,” Harry cut in, voice calm, almost cold. He set the captured knight aside. “You left it hanging.”
Ron blinked at him, the familiar grin faltering. For the first time in years of their matches, it wasn’t Ron dictating the pace; it was Harry.
Finally, when Ron tried one last desperate swing with his queen, Harry’s rook slammed into place with a decisive clack.
“Checkmate.”
The word came quiet, but firm, and Ron sat back like he’d been slapped. His mouth opened, closed, then opened again.
“What the fuck did that slimy snake teach you?!” Ron sputtered, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Chess was his thing.
Harry shrugged. “He bought out my Slytherin side.” With a cheeky smirk, he looked up at Draco who had also got a tinge of pink to his pale cheeks. Though Harry could have sworn there was desire in his eyes.
In his typical Ronald Weasley fashion, he got up and walked away in a huff. Dean and Seamus followed, but Harry could hear them taking the piss about finally losing a chess match.
Soon, the common room emptied; leaving Draco and Harry alone. Harry walked over to Draco and smiled.
“Hey…thanks for teaching me chess…and for, you know…everything else.” He looked up slightly to meet Draco’s gaze and he could see that look of desire again.
“You bloody brilliant lion.” Draco murmured before he stepped forward; hands gripping Harry’s waist as their lips met. The kiss deepened and their tongues connected. Harry’s hands gripped Draco’s hair and both boys groaned.
When they finally pulled apart, both their chests were heavy and their foreheads pressed together. “Come on, my dorm room is empty.” Draco spoke huskily and Harry’s cock twitched.
“Lead the way…” Harry slipped his hand into Draco’s and they made their way upstairs; their hearts beating like drums as the anticipation built.
As soon as they entered Draco’s dorm room, Harry felt his back hit the door; Draco had him pinned and his mouth was on him again. Harry’s hands begin unbuttoning the blonde’s shirt and his hands ran over his pale, toned chest.
“Now I know why you’re so smug. I would be too if I looked like this.” Harry’s voice was gruff and breathless. He felt Draco smile against his lips; his mouth moving along Harry’s jaw and down his neck.
“Fuuuck!” Harry groaned again and his hips bucked; trying to relieve the ache of his erection.
“Impatient lion…” Draco teased; his hands pushing Harry’s shirt off his shoulders and unbuckling his belt. Before Harry could come up with something snarky or sassy, Draco knelt in front of him and his brain short circuited.
Draco pulled Harry’s boxers down and Harry felt the cool air around his cock; his hand gently threading through Draco’s hair. Those beautiful, sinful grey eyes locked onto emerald eyes and Harry choked on his gasp when he felt Draco run his tongue up the underside of his cock; swirling around the weeping tip before he closed his mouth around and sucked Harry deep into his mouth.
“O-oh fuck! Shit just like that.” Harry was too far gone in his arousal to care about what he sounded like as he began to slowly thrust into Draco’s mouth. Draco’s throat relaxed and Harry moaned again when he felt his cock being encased by Draco’s throat.
Harry felt his toes curl as his orgasm approached; Draco must have sensed it too; his hands massaging Harry’s testicles so he pulled off and looked up at Harry. His lips slightly swollen; his usually neat hair out of place and Harry could have sworn he’d never seen a more perfect image.
Draco stood in one fluid motion and stripped; his own cock standing proudly to attention and weeping pre-cum.
“On the bed…on your back with your legs up.” Draco ordered and Harry moved immediately. As soon as he lay down, Draco was on top of him; kissing him deeply; nipping and biting his neck. Harry spread his legs further and Draco wordlessly, and wandlessly lubed his fingers before pressing a digit into Harry’s anus.
“Draco, fuck! Please…I need you inside me.” Harry’s breath was heavy; ragged with pure need and he moaned again when Draco added a second finger and began to stretch him open.
“You’re so fucking beautiful like this Harry.” Draco murmured huskily in his ear. “You’re ready for me…”
Draco pulled back and hooked one of Harry’s legs over his forearm; lining his cock up to Harry’s anus he slowly pushed in and both boys moaned.
“Oh shit…”
“Fuck!”
“Fucking tight…”
“So good!”
Both of them lost in their own sensations as Draco began to thrust; harder and deeper; he leaned down and kissed Harry. It was clumsy and their teeth clashed but neither minded as Harry wrapped his arms around Draco and Draco pounded harder into Harry.
“Fuck I’m not going to last.” Harry moaned and Draco wrapped his hand around his cock.
“Come for me, baby.” He groaned and with a few more hard, deep thrusts, Harry’s body tensed and he felt his cock throb with his release. His chest coated in his come; Draco curled and licked Harry’s chest clean as his thrusts faltered and he came, shouting Harry’s name.
Their skin coated in a light sheen of sweat; their chests heaving and breaths mixing together the two of them lay entwined.
“So…” Harry began, catching his breath. “Does this mean we’re boyfriends?” He scowled slightly at Draco’s snort of laughter.
Draco couldn’t help the belly laugh that escaped him. He wiped the tears from his cheeks and wrapped Harry up tighter in his arms.
“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at the question, you’re just so fucking adorable. Alright, Scarhead; I’ll be your boyfriend. Though I thought it was a given. I don’t just fuck anybody.”
“Prat.” Harry grumbled before kissing him again.
“Your prat though.” Draco said against his mouth.
“Yeah…mine.” Harry agreed, and the two of them slept soundly, neither of them dreaming of the war for the first time in months.
Checkmate.