Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this story, they all belong to J.K. Rowling. (Except for Sophie!) I am in no way trying to benefit physically from this story.
The Color Red
Description: "Imagine I'm blind and have never seen color before," his younger cousin, Sophie, asks him. "How would you describe it?" He's instantly reminded of a fiery-haired girl he knows. "Well…" He begins.
A.N: June 5, 2016 -
Just a little something I whipped up. I've been reading a lot of depressing fan fictions lately, so I needed something to lighten the mood! Enjoy! :)
Red is the color of Gryffindor, the house that Rose was sorted into her first year at Hogwarts. She gave him an apologetic smile before scampering off to be with the rest of her cheering family at the table for the said house. He then walked up to the Sorting Hat and begrudgingly accepted whatever fate awaited him, knowing he was too much of a coward to be sorted into Gryffindor.
Ravenclaw, the hat shouted.
Red is the color of Rose Weasley's hair. It's the kind of red that shines when the light hits it just right and makes you lose your breath. Her hair is curly and it bounces off her shoulders when she rushes down the hallway to get to her next class. One time it smacked him in the face when she whipped around to give him a grin after he said something particularly witty.
It was really soft.
Red is the color of the autumn leaves that fall from the tree near the lake. On one of the rare days when Rose wasn't busy, he convinced her to have a picnic with him for lunch. It was early autumn, and the cold hadn't quite settled in yet.
Red is the color of the strawberries Rose ate happily whilst talking about something funny her brother did once.
He laughed when she was finished with her story, but he didn't really pay attention to her words. He was too busy thinking about how beautiful she was.
Red is the color of the dress Rose wore to the Christmas ball in fifth year. He remembers her shy entrance into the Great Hall. Barely anybody noticed. But he noticed. And his eyes were caught on the smooth silk that cascaded from her body as she timidly walked into the room. She didn't notice him, but instead ran to Peter—her date—and encapsulated him in a hug, laughing.
He tried to have fun that night, but instead sat at a table and watched her dance with Peter.
Red is the color of the Hogwarts Express and the seats in its compartments. In one of these compartments, he sat alone, on the way back to London for Christmas holiday. He anticipated another lonely journey when the door slid open and there stood Rose, a crooked smile on her face. He glanced at her hand on the door and saw red nail polish on her fingernails.
"Mind if I join you?" She asked.
He didn't mind at all.
Nor did he mind when her head drooped against his shoulder as she slept peacefully.
Red is the color of the fire a sobbing Rose recounted to him that one night in the library. The fire that stole her grandparents and their home away from her. It had been a year, she hiccupped, since they had died, and she had kept it in for so long. She didn't have the heart to discuss it with anyone at first, deciding instead to pretend it didn't happen, but she finally felt the need to open up to someone. He was simultaneously grateful that she entrusted him with this secret she had and also deeply saddened by the news.
He decided to be brave and give her a hug. And he just held her until she stopped crying.
Red is the color of Valentine's Day and the flower that he was going to present to Rose on that day. He had planned to ask her to go to Hogsmeade with him the following weekend. When he finally got enough nerve to stand up from the Ravenclaw table, he saw Peter also stand up from one end of the Gryffindor table and walk over to Rose. He watched, horrified, as Peter loudly asked Rose if she would accompany him to Hogsmeade, producing a bouquet of red flowers with a flourish. Embarrassed at his grand gesture, she shushed him, but nodded an enthusiastic consent as she accepted the flowers.
Scorpius tossed the rose in his hand onto the table and walked out of the Great Hall.
Red is the color of the Quidditch robes Rose wears. A fierce look was in her eyes as she searched for the tiny golden snitch amongst the many people and all the open air. He watched her instead of the snitch. She suddenly jerked her broom downward, and he scrambled to follow her.
Ravenclaw lost the match that day.
Red is the color you see when you come across Rose arguing with her boyfriend of a year and a half and he admits to having cheated on her several times throughout the course of their relationship.
Red is the color of the blood that comes spurting from Peter's nose when Scorpius punches him in the face.
Red is the color of the Howler Scorpius gets when his mother finds out about all the detentions he had to serve.
Red is the color of Rose Weasley's lips, when you finally notice them. Instead of listening to the lesson, he was looking at her again. She scribbled down notes faster than he'd seen anyone write, and whilst she did so, she bit her bottom lip. Once he looked at them, he couldn't not notice them.
He dreamed about placing a quick kiss on those lips.
Red is the color of the blush that makes its way across Rose's cheeks when she's embarrassed. He overheard one of her friends asking her who "that blond bloke is that I always see you around." She stammered a response that they were just friends.
He didn't realize what the ache in his chest was from until someone asked him if he was okay.
Red is the color of the final sunset of the school year that Rose was watching with him. They were laying on a slight hill overlooking the lake, with the sun just peeking over the horizon. He felt an early summer breeze blow something soft onto his face and he spat as it went into his mouth. He opened his eyes and sat up, her name on his tongue as he realized it was her hair. Looking over, he saw her back was turned to him as she laid on her side. Peering over her shoulder at her face, he saw that she was sleeping. Grinning, he whispered her name directly into her ear. Her eyes flew open and she thrashed out wildly, smacking him in the face with the back of her hand. She blushed and apologized profusely, gently touching his cheek as he laughed it off. Throwing caution out the window, he suddenly stood up and picked her up bridal style. Shrieking, she looped her arms around his neck and yelled at him to put her down. Smirking, he ran down the hill and into the water. When he got deep enough, he tossed her in the water. He waited for a minute, but she didn't emerge. She was under long enough that he started to get worried, until he felt a firm tug on his ankle and he lost his balance. Falling into the water, he felt the whisper of her fingers on his leg. Quickly, he stood up again and wiped his face off. She stood there, laughing, her red jumper soaked through and her red hair a curly mess. She stood directly in front of the fading sun, and a halo of light circumscribed her face.
He was wet, and he was a little cold, but he was with her and that was enough for him.
Red is the color of the blur that you see before you feel Rose hugging you and wishing you a happy summer holiday. She bit her bottom lip before running off to her family.
There was a grin that couldn't seem to come off his face after that.
"You know what else is red?" Sophie asked after a minute. "Love. Love is red, Scorpius," she pointed out. "You could just tell her, you know."
"I know," he sighed. "I was sorted into Ravenclaw for a reason, though. Not Gryffindor."
She just patted his shoulder and clicked her tongue at him sadly. "You'll do it eventually. Now push me on the swings again."
Red is the color of the lipstick that was attached to Scorpius' cheek when he finally did tell Rose.