milliways_bar | (no subject)

A stressed-looking Miniver drops himself into a chair across from Draco and stares at the chess pieces with eyes that clearly don't quite process what they're seeing.

Draco barked an order to a knight who rode forward to destroy a pawn.

He then looked over, "Miniver...? You all right?"

Little smile. "No. It'll pass. 'Swhy I used to drink. Used to, used to, used to." He is very determined that this remain past tense. He takes a deep breath and focuses on the chess pieces. "Hi, love. The hell are those?"

"Because of this?" He grimaced. He was half tempted to tell him that maybe he was better off with the drink. No, it would have killed him. Or maybe not as much now... no.

"Wizard chess of course." He then told one of his bishops to put the opoosing king in check.

"No," Miniver sighs and rubs his eyes. "I get like... you know... kinda stressed, or something. Distract me?" Aww, lookit those big eyes. "That's what it was for. Distraction. Made the world go away."

He looks at the board and adds, softly, "I can play chess..."

"There's better things for distractions."

Draco raised an eyebrow at that.

"Oh? You have to order the pieces around the board. Want to try then?"

"Yeah, okay." Miniver leans against the table. "Where'd you get this? I've never seen it in your room..."

"Mother Owled it to me from home. She's all right." For now. In hiding though.

Miniver grins brightly at that. "Oh, you heard from her! Wonderful! What did she say?"

"She's fine. In a safe place for now." Professor Snape was helping her as best as he could.

"Good. You must be glad, huh? Um. Anyway. How does this game work? I just tell it what to do?"

"Yes, I think it's like your muggle chess other than our pieces actually move and interact."

"Cool," Miniver says, tossing back his hair nervously. "Let's play, then."

He tries to pick up a chess piece to move it back into starting position.

First bad move...

Yep, and Draco didn't have to say anything. The piece itself actually yelled up at him. Or really squeaked.

"Oi! What are you doing? Put me down!"

Miniver gives a surprised laugh and puts him down. "Sorry! Okay, could you guys all um... shuffle back where you begin?"

Draco chuckled to himself as they did so. With much grumbling amongst themselves.

He added, "They're rather temperamental to somebody they're not used to. Have to get a feel for the game."

"I bet. They'd better watch out, though. They don't have to be used to me to do as I say and smash your guys to bits."

That look he's got right now is a little bit dangerous.

Draco looked amused at that. And dangerous looks. He *liked* dangerous looks. I

"We'll see about that," he grinned.

"I'm out of practice, but I'll have your queen at least." His grin is slightly flirty now. "And then your king."

Draco smirked back, "Oh? Maybe I'll only let you have my queen so you can fall into my trap where I'll take your queen, your knight, your rook and your bishop all off the board at once?" More than slightly flirty here.

Miniver leans far forward and GRINS over the heads of the chess pieces.

"You like it when I take your pieces." Smuggitty smug smug. "Your move first, I think."

"Well, even if I did, it would because of exquisite skills in doing so," Still smirking, and then he ordered one of his knights out first. The piece neighed, and moved forward to the new square, jumping over a pawn blocking the way who ducked.

"Oooh, heavy artillery." Miniver scoffs, and sets a pawn out.

The pawn looks a bit nervous.

It probably has good reason to.

It should. Draco smirked, and sent one of his pawns two spaces forward. Clearing some room for the bishop.

Miniver sees what he's doing, and moves out a knight of his own.

"All the King's soldiers and all the King's men can't put the Pope back together again..."