La Reine Rouge

She remembered red. Red queens in a game of chess. That must have been where everything started, so long ago, those games she used to play with...someone. The color red. It had always been her favorite. But now she couldn't stand the sight of it. It surrounded her, choking her. Red blood, red power, red velvet, red lipstick. They were always there, imprinted forever in her mind. And a red rose. A blood red rose with a black stem. And black thorns. A rose...

Ginny Weasley mentally kicked herself for about the fifteenth time that week. She sat in the Gryffindor common room staring at the merrily cackling fire, absently shredding a blank piece of stationary. Why do you have to be so shy, you idiot? She asked herself. You're fifteen! Get a grip! Ginny had been settling down to write a letter to her parents when Harry, Ron, and Seamus had burst through the portrait hole, animatedly discussing tactics for revenge against Fred and George, who had apparently ambushed them with magical snowballs. Ginny had turned to say something and froze when she saw Seamus.

"Hi Ginny!" he'd called out, flashing her a smile. She'd turned beet red and slid lower in her chair a mumbled greeting barely escaping her lips.

"Griglplxerlack_Hi Seamus." Then the boys had rushed upstairs, leaving Ginny to ponder over beautiful Seamus, kind Seamus, wonderful Seamus, his hair tousled, dusted with snow, those sparkling eyes, those beautiful lips-

"Stop it!" she said aloud. "It's no use obsessing." But she smiled to herself. He had been speaking to her more. The other day he'd helped her with her charms homework. Maybe... No, she thought. You'll never get the courage to say anything so just forget it! She sighed and looked longingly up the stairs to where Seamus, Ron, and Harry were sitting, just out of her reach. Forget it...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"What's with Ginny?" Harry asked Ron. The three of them were changing into dry clothes in the dormitory. "Lately she's been off in her own little world. All shy and sighing."

"She's a girl. I dunno. Aren't girls always like that?" Came a muffled reply from Ron. "I... hate... this... sweater!" He gasped. "When did it get so small? I can barely get my head through!"

"That's because your head is sticking out of the arm hole you stupid prat!" Seamus said, laughing at the sight of Ron fighting with the sweater. The sweater was definitely winning. "I didn't notice anything different about Ginny. She seams great to me." He continued, turning a bit red around the ears.

Ron finally throwing off the evil sweater snorted. "Great? Did you just refer to my sister as great? She's annoying, not great!"

"I don't think she's so bad. In fact, I think she's rather nice," said Seamus, his ears turning redder and redder. Boys and their ears...

Harry coughed. Ron's draw dropped. Seamus's ears turned redder still. They all stood like that for a couple of seconds while a fly flew around Ron's mouth. Actually, there really was no fly. I just felt like saying that. But back to the story...

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'SHE'S RATHER NICE'?" Ron exploded. "She's an annoying, stupid, ugly-"

"She's not that ugly, but she is annoying," interrupted Harry.

"Ugly," Ron went on, "goody-goody! Plus she's my sister!"

"It's not like I'm gonna marry her. In fact, I didn't even say I liked her. Lay off!" shot back Seamus.

"I'll let you two discuss this. I have, um, homework. Yeah, important homework Yeah! Bye," Harry mumbled as he inched out of the room, eager to get away.

"But you do like her don't you? DON'T YOU?" Ron yelled, cornering him.

"Well, erm, maybe a little. Ok maybe a lot," squirmed Seamus. His whole face was the color of a very angry, angry hippopotamus by now - I assume that would be the color red - but it was nothing compared to Ron's face. He looked more like a steam engine about to explode.

"You know, I really think Harry might need help with his, err, homework. Catch ya later!" he sputtered, pushing past the now fuming Ron and running down the stairs as fast as he could.

"What did I ever to you to make you send me this?" asked Ron looking up to the ceiling, imagining The Big Guy in the sky laughing.

"Oh shut up."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A few hours later, Seamus Finnigan paced back and forth.

"Will you stop it?" shouted a very pompous duke, staring at him from a picture frame.

"You're enough to drive anyone mad!"

"Sorry!" called Seamus as he rounded a corner. He had been so absorbed in thought that he didn't even know where he was. Harry had said to tell her how he felt... well that would be easy. The sandy-haired boy was very outgoing. The problem was what would Ron do? They'd have to keep it secret...

An owl hooted in the room to his right. Ah! He was near the owlry. He peeked inside and caught a flash of red hair. Ginny! Perfect! He thought. Well, here goes nothing!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ginny fed Errol a drop of the potion she'd made to keep him healthy, and gave him a little nudge. He wouldn't go. She was about to throw him out the window when she felt a tap on her should. She whirled around, dropping the poor bird on the sill. He fluttered helplessly for a few seconds, finally rolling off the edge and plummeting into the snow, but Ginny took no notice. Seamus stood in front of her. She looked up and felt a blush creep into her cheeks. His eyes are so blue... she thought.

"Hi," he said smiling.

"Hi," she smiled back. He must be here to talk to one of the Patils, she thought, glancing at them chatting in the corner. It was well known that they were "easy" sluts. All the guys drooled over them. After all, two is better than one...

"Can we talk?" he continued. "Alone?" The Patils had stopped their conversation and were eyeing Seamus lustily. He really was quite good looking.

"Sure," Ginny replied. Am I dreaming? Seamus grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the owlry and into an empty classroom, closing the door.

"I've been... thinking... about you and me. A lot. Not as friends, but, well, as more than that," said Seamus, pulling her closer. Ginny's heart was pounding in her chest. It was so loud that she was afraid he'd hear it.

"I've been thinking about it too," she said, finally finding her voice. Please don't let him stop, she thought.

"You're so beautiful..." he whispered, stroking her curls.

"I don't know how to say this, but--" Ginny began.

"Shh. Don't. You don't have to." And then he kissed her. It was everything a good kiss should be. Her heart soared and there were fireworks going off in every direction, just like in Disneyland. These were courtesy of Peeves until Seamus, in mid-kiss, flashed him a very rude sign.

Ginny had never been properly kissed. The closest she had come was when Harry had kissed her in her third year, but it was nothing compared to this. It's one thing to imagine snogging Seamus Finnigan and quite another thing to actually have a go at it. She felt like her mouth was on fire, a wonderful, sweet fire that engulfed her. She ran her fingers through his hair and before she knew it they were on a table, rolling around. We won't go into detail on all of the things that went on. They finally pulled apart, gasping for breath.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," said Seamus.

"Well, the feeling is mutual," winked Ginny, no longer shy. And with that said and done, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back down for more.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The two emerged from the classroom a few minutes later, Ginny glowing with happiness. Seamus, noticing the Patils talking nearby, loudly said, "And that's how you get rid of er...pixies." He smiled nervously, hoping Ginny got the hint.

"Err, yeah, thanks."

"Anytime," Seamus said, nodding his head. "I'm heading back to the common room, so err...goodbye."

Seamus started walking towards the Gryffindor common room when Padma and Parvati hurried over to flirt with him. They each attached to one side of him, making a Seamus and Patil sandwich. Ginny sighed, following. At least he kissed me, she thought as she followed the three towards the common room.

Padma broke off from Seamus, going towards the Ravenclaw common room. Ginny shot up and took her place next to Seamus. Parvati and he were talking about their previous trip to Hogsmeade

"And you laughed so hard, butterbeer came shooting from your nose!" Parvati said, clinging to Seamus as she laughed. Ginny glared at her flirting so openly with Seamus. Suddenly, she felt jealous, like she wanted to scream, "Get your fingers off you little brat!" But she didn't, since it would most likely cause suspicion. She sighed again, wondering if the kiss had just been a dream. No, it couldn't have been, she thought as Seamus grabbed her hand. She squeezed it as they rounded the corner and smiled to herself.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Later on that night...

After dinner Ron and Harry were sitting next to the common room fire talking. Ron was boiling with anger as words sputtered out of his mouth.

"I just don't see it," he practically roared. "My sister, GINNY, and Seamus! It's...it's...it's WRONG!"

"How do you know they're even together? Really, Seamus might have just been kidding this afternoon. We are talking about Seamus here," Harry said, trying to calm down Ron.

"'Fraid not. Did you see them at dinner? Sitting next to each other, looking at one another, blushing, and both of them just so 'happened' to leave early. Neither of them is back. Think of what their kids will look like!" Ron's face flooded with terror.

"Oh Ron, calm down. Do you really think it'll last that long? Anyway, what's the worst they could be doing? I bet they're just talking out on the grounds." Ron's eyes widened.

"They could be making out on the lawns! That Seamus!" Ron grabbed his cloak and clambered through the portrait hole in a mad rampage towards the grounds.

Harry sighed, muttering to himself. "Wonder what's gotten into Ron...Ginny, Seamus, snogging, ehhh." He pulled himself from the armchair he occupied and trod up to the boy's dormitory to read himself to sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Ginny and Seamus were walking around the grounds, hand in hand. The two just couldn't stop grinning. It's perfect, perfectly perfect, Ginny thought as she continued to grin. Seamus was thinking just about the same thing.

Their trail of thought was abruptly stopped when Ron hurtled himself out of the castle, yelling and foaming at the mouth like a mad rhinoceros. Ginny's smiled turned upside-down.

"Ron, what on earth are you doing?" She demanded, her eyes narrowing into little slits on her face.

"What are you doing?!" he yelled, spraying the two with spit.

"Ugh...don't worry, we're just talking." Ginny shot Ron a nasty look.

"Don't do that, you look like Mum," Ron winced, looking away from Ginny to Seamus.

"Don't look at me, Ron, we were just talking," Seamus smiled innocently.

"Talking and holding hands, eh? Ginny need help crossing the grounds?" Ron smirked. Immediately the two let go of each other, both turning bright red, especially, in Seamus's case, around the ears.

Ron glared at them before turning around and walking back towards the castle, muttering something about Ginny Finnigan.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When Ron arrived back in the common room Harry was fast asleep. Ron sighed and changed into his bedclothes, thinking about the events of the day. As much as he hated to admit it, Ron was somewhat jealous of Ginny. He had never had a girlfriend. Never. Not once. Zip. Zero. Nata. And here's Ginny, snatching his friends away to be her boyfriends. Why?? It didn't make sense! He, Ron, was hilariously funny, very popular, and quite handsome. Ginny was quiet, shy, studious...maybe she was pretty but still...Ron sighed. It was no use. Fred and George always had girlfriends too.

"You really don't like me, do you?" Ron whispered huffily, angered once again with the Headmaster of the Clouds. "Well, I don't like you either. So there. That was a really lame come-back. Yea. I think I need to go to bed now. Yea." And with that, Ron fell asleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Seamus and Ginny showed up an hour later, both ready to fall into bed.

"I'm so tired I could just fall asleep on the floor right now," Ginny yawned, fighting to keep her eyes opened. Seamus nodded in agreement. They embraced in a goodnight hug, and a rather long goodnight kiss, and departed for their individual dormitories.

Ginny felt like she could just sprout wings and fly at the moment, except for the fact that she was exhausted, and about to collapse. She fumbled her way to her bed and soon dozed off...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Ginny!" a voice screamed. "Ginny, I need you!"

"What?" she called. "Who's there?" She tried to look around herself but Ginny seemed to be stuck in some sort of red fog. She tried to move but found that her body would not respond. The Red Queen...she was coming. She had to warn someone! Ginny tried in vain to once again see through the blood colored mist. All she could make out was a bush of some sort. Maybe it was a rose bush...

"Ginny!" the voice called again, distressed and worried. "Ginny, it's me! Help me! I must find the Red Queen!"

Ginny gasped in recognition of the disembodied voice, her face a mask of fear. Not again. This couldn't be happening to her, not again. Not after all of the pain. I thought I was through all this! Ginny thought to herself in exasperation. No, no! I won't let you come back to me! Stay away from my head! The memories were coming back now at the sound of his voice. The blood, the fear, she had almost died. Not again! No! And it would all come again, she knew. When the Red Queen came. But as much as she tried to resist, Ginny felt her parched lips moving as a name came out, a soft whisper, barely audible even to her...

"Tom?"

(Dun dun dun...)