Author: OHGinnyfan
Story: Red
Rating: Everyone
Setting: Pre-DH
Status: Completed
Reviews: 11
Words: 898
Red.
The horizon was alight with colour--red, gold, orange,
purple--the brilliance of the sunset playing out across the sky. It
really had been an almost perfect day. The last golden day before...
Well, before the journey into the unknown would begin.
Today
was the wedding. A celebration. It would have been completely flawless,
had it not been for the longing within him. He wanted nothing more than
to take her into his arms. To love her once more. But he knew he
couldn't. He had to leave. And he wouldn't put her in any more danger
than she was already in.
But flashes of red had caught his eye
all day long. Her beautiful red hair, glistening in the sun as she
walked down the aisle. A flash of red as she danced with her brothers.
A splash of red as she laughed with Hermione. His eyes couldn't help
but follow her. He could hear her laughter, feel her touch in his mind.
So he watched and was tortured by denying himself the one thing that
made him whole. Her cinnamon eyes, catching his own occasionally. He
would always look away from her--not wanting her to know he was
watching her. Missing her.
And now, the day was done. The sun
was setting in all its glory. Its shades of red, like her fiery hair,
almost mocking him, trying to tell him not to forget her. How could he
ever forget her? His mind was constantly drifting to the red of
her hair, to the brown of her eyes, to the sandy freckles on her face.
No, he couldn't forget her. But he had to put her out of his mind, to
do what had to be done.
Ron and Hermione were going with him.
But they wouldn't help him forget. They were now closer than ever, and
with that closeness came the reminder that he would be without her. But
he wouldn't risk having her there--having her used as a pawn in the
game Voldemort played. No, he must do this without her.
He
felt a hand on his shoulder. A touch so soft that he barely felt it.
Even without turning, he knew who it was. He knew he had to keep his
resolve. He knew she'd try to convince him to let her go; she'd
probably demand it, but he had to be firm. But how could he be firm
when he saw that face, those eyes, that crimson-red hair?
"Harry?" she asked quietly. "Can we talk?"
She
stood there beside him; her golden robes blowing slightly in the
breeze. The light from the setting sun reflected softly off her red
hair. It was no longer pulled up, but rather down and across her
shoulders. Glancing over at her, his breath hitched. She was
stunning--the picture of beauty--of elegance--all wrapped up in one
perfect package of gold and red.
"Harry," she began. "I can't let you go without me."
"Ginny,
we've been through this," Harry said, looking down at his shoes. He
knew if he didn't look at her, he'd keep his resolve.
"Please,
just listen to me," she said quietly, looking out at the sunset of red
and orange. "I have to go with you. This is my fight, too. He possessed
me, Harry, and I want to help get rid of him. I need to help get rid of him."
"I can't have him get to you again, Ginny. It would...destroy me."
"If
I stay here, I'm still a target. It doesn't matter where I'm at. If he
wants to get to me, he'll try." Looking over at him, she gently tilted
his face to look at her. "I want to be with you, fighting Tom, putting an end to all of this."
"I
don't know, Ginny..." He tried to not look at her. He felt his resolve
crumbling and knew he needed to focus on the sunset. The red and purple
on the horizon. But she held onto his face, not letting him turn away.
"Isn't
it love that's the weapon against him?" she asked. "Isn't it love that
has protected you so far? I love you, Harry; I always have. We can beat
him with the love I have for you. I know we can. But, we need to do this together--not apart."
"Your parents..."
"...Will
kill me when we get back, but let's deal with that when it's over," she
said with an impish smile. A smile he could never resist. "What's the
plan?" she asked, simply.
As the sky faded from red and purple
to the black of night, he shared with her--the woman who had a fire in
her soul as bright and as red as her hair--what he planned to do.
A/N:
This was written for the hpgw_otp LiveJournal Community Color
Challenge. I'd like to dedicate this story to my lovely beta,
aggiebell90, who puts up with me and my rantings, corrects all my
errors and is just a lovely person and friend. This is a belated
birthday pressie for her ~ my muse hasn't been present for the last
month or so, no matter how hard I've tried, and Julie's birthday came
and went without me being able to crank something out for her. So,
happy belated birthday, sweetie. I hope all your wishes came true!
*hugs you* Thanks for all you do for me.