Checkmate

Author's Note

Posting this fic here 11 years after it was written, it seems to me, requires some kind of a (probably long) note. :) Checkmate was written between 2002 and 2006, and therefore is based on events from only the first four HP books. Now that the HP series is complete, Checkmate is best categorized as an AU 7th year story set at Hogwarts. Harry's 5th and 6th years in Checkmate are not described, but are not the same as in The Goblet of Fire and The Half-Blood Prince.

Also a bit of forewarning: Checkmate was intended to be a very different exploration of Harry/Draco than what was standard at the time it was written. When I started reading Harry/Draco fics in the fall of 2001, the relationship between Harry and Draco was almost universally characterized by rough fights turned to rough sex, with lots of snark, constant bickering and misunderstandings, and with their mutual attraction so obvious and yet denied for so long you wondered how their brains hadn't liquefied and dribbled out their ears. Then right when they finally acknowledge their attraction/love for each other – that's THE END. Please don't misunderstand - I loved those stories, I LOVED Harry/Draco, and I would never argue that that's not a proper canon interpretation of what they would be like.

But I also wanted to read a story where, since they were supposed to be falling in love, they actually acted loving to each other; a story that explored their similarities rather than compounding their differences, that portrayed sex that was not just hormones and ogling each other and lust. I wanted to read a story that didn't stop, like the well-worn Cinderella story plot, just when the characters realized they wanted to be together. I wanted them to get together at the beginning, and see what happened next. But I couldn't quite find this other kind of Harry/Draco story that I wanted to read. So an experiment named Checkmate was born.

And given that Checkmate was intentionally different in focus, I do want to assure new readers that although he might appear somewhat ooc in the first chapter or so, since you only see him interact with Harry, I did give a great deal of thought to Draco's characterization and the psychology behind his behavior. Could he be in love, and act loving, and still be in character? Probably only with a great deal of growing up and changing having happened. So that's what I did – Checkmate Draco has done a lot of rethinking about his life and beliefs before the story starts, during those 5th and 6th years that are different than the HP books. But then again, if you think that it's not possible for a Slytherin to be nice, or to court someone with loving care, when that's what it takes to get what they desire or further their ambitions, I think maybe you don't know Slytherin. ;-)

And one last word of warning: there is a good bit of silliness in this fic, especially at the beginning, but as it goes on, it becomes increasingly intense and suspenseful, and possibly in parts, maybe even a bit scary before the end. I don't think anyone should be afraid to read it on that account, just be advised – what may seem at first to be a light fluffy story, will not continue to be so throughout. But I will not say anything more about the ending, so as not to ruin all the fun of the suspense. :D