Moving her knight and smiling sweetly at the look of horror on her brother's face, she took the opportunity to distract him further.
"So, has Harry written back yet?"
Without taking his eyes off the board, he replied, "Nah, but then that useless git of an owl has probably got lost and not delivered my letter yet, and that's not going to work you know… You'll still lose."
"You think?" Ginny replied, raising her eyebrows, "and leave poor little Pig alone, just because he is little eccentric…" Making her move, she looked up, and watched as her brother's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, as she closed in for the kill.
Her king turned round and saluted her, "Fine move, madam. We have the blighter on the run now."
Ron completely ignored Ginny's chess pieces taunts. "Eccentric? Completely bonkers more like!" He paused for a moment to consider his next move. "You do realise that if I have to beat you with one piece left on the board, I will?"
"Whatever you say, Ronnikins, whatever you say... Oh and thank you."
"Why?"
"Why?" Ginny pretended to be indignant. "Does your little sister need a reason to thank her favourite brother?"
"Normally, yes."
"Well, you might be right," said Ginny coyly. "Look at the board." She gestured across the chessboard, where her pieces smiled in the particularly eager way they did when they were about to finish off the enemy.
"Look, Ginny, you won't tell anyone will you? Bad enough to... but to my little sister..."
Ginny was about respond to the little jibe, when a ball of feathers flew past her face, smacked into the light in the corner which began to magically flash on and off, rounded Ron's head and crashed on to the chess board sending pieces flying everywhere.
"OW! Gerroff!"
"Oh, I say, is that allowed?"
"What the...?" Whatever the knight was about to say was lost when his Queen landed right on top of him. "You all right your majesty?" he asked, suddenly very flustered.
"Fine, good Sir Knight, fine," replied the Queen, smiling in such a way as to let her knight know she did not intend to move anytime soon.
Ron just sat there and grinned... very broadly, "Pig! Come here you clever little owl."
Ginny raised her eyebrows inquisitively.
"Shame about the game, eh Ginny?"
"What do you mean shame? I was about to beat the great Ron Weasley, chess master extraordinaire and you're not bothered?"
"That's it Ginny... About to beat... not actually beat, and now… Well you can't make that move now, can you? I always knew Pig was cleverer than he looked."
Ron's face continued to grin broadly as he read the letter. "Hey Ginny! Harry wants you to write to him!" Wagging his eyebrows, he passed the letter over, to his suddenly very pink sister.
"Oh, you! " She punched her brother on the arm. "He obviously doesn't mean it like that."
Putting the letter down, she picked up the chess pieces and carefully put them back to where they were before Pig's crash landing, "I believe it was your move, big brother."
"What?"
"Close you mouth dear," said Mrs. Weasley, as she walked past and ruffled her son's hair. "You look like you're trying to catch Doxies. "
"Yes, Ron, close your mouth, and make your move," said Ginny.
***
Wrinkling her forehead as she was rereading Harry's letter, she turned to Ron and asked, "Ron, does it seem odd to you that Harry has no complaints at all about those Muggles?"
"I don't know, Ginny, you know what Harry's been like recently, probably wouldn't tell us if they were. Although if those Muggles have harmed him at all, Mad Eye will be the least of their worries."
"I will be the least of whose worries?" Mad Eye stood before them, his good eye glinting and his false eye watching the open door he had just come through.
"It's those Muggles Harry has to stay with. I think something is wrong. I wrote to Harry yesterday and Pig's just returned and well, things seem to be going too well." These words spilled very quickly out of Ron's mouth.
"I think, perhaps, your old professor might be able help you there." As Mad Eye Moody stood there, his eye spun with amusement. "REMUS! You finished playing with that owl yet? I think she might be wanted in here."
Remus burst through the door, blood coming from more places than he cared to mention. Spotting Ron, he headed over, watching very carefully the snowy white owl on the end of his arm.
"I think perhaps it wasn't a good idea to try and collect your mail for you, Ron...." He gingerly handed Hedwig over, never taking his eyes of the owl. "Do you know where your mum is? Mad Eye and I just need a quick word."
Ginny answered for Ron, who was too busy trying to remove Harry's letter from Hedwig. She was still glaring balefully at Remus just in case he came anywhere near her. "I think she is in the shed clearing out some of dad's erm... collection..."
"OK," said Remus. "Would you mind telling us about what Harry has to say, when we come back in?"
"Of course we will, Professor."
Ron, who had finally removed the letter from Hedwig, proceeded to read it.
Ginny saw his face pale slightly and asked, "Ron, what's wrong?"
"I don't know Ginny, but I think Mad Eye need to see this."
When Mad Eye had finished reading the letter, he passed it silently to Remus and waited for him to finish.
"What do you think?"
"Well, with the report Mrs. Tiddles has just given Arabella..."
"WHAT'S WRONG? WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW?" Ron yelled.
"Well, with that and this letter..."
"If they have laid one finger on that boy!"
"I think a little visit is needed, just as a reminder, don't you?"
"IS SOMEONE GOING TO ANSWER ME?"
"Definitely, question is who?"
"Well, I should really report to Dumbledore."
"And someone should stay here to look after these two."
"That leaves me then."
Over the two pops of Disapparition, Ron, now almost apoplectic, yelled, "WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MY FRIEND?"
A/N: What cliffhanger? I see no cliffhanger! >:)
Once again thanks to Imogen, Pooca and LadyChi for the beta.