It was dark.

Once glance around the room told her that the saloon hadn't been in business for years. Stools were overthrown, tables broken in halves, windows smashed and old graffiti painted the walls. The bottles of aged whiskey and wine either cracked and spilled, spider webs covering the jagged edges, or drunken and thrown harshly to the floor, covering the old polished wood with speckles of glass that crunched beneath her heels.

She wrinkled her nose as she maneuvered carefully through the wreckage, careful not to snag her dress on anything.

"Disgusting…" she muttered, running a hand along her calf to make sure that the knife she had hidden was still in place.

"You're telling me, darlin'."

The redhead lady tensed as she heard the voice echo from all around her. Her brown eyes fluttered around, trying to find the other, but she assumed that she was behind her, from the way the glass crunched by feet that weren't her own.

Rose spun around, arm on her hip so that she could easily grab the knife if need be. Her breath caught as she stared at the one who had called her to this miserable hunk of an old western towns post.

The woman, with her deep and sultry voice, was about Rose's parents' age, which was around middle to late thirties. She had long black hair that was pulled up in a high ponytail, and a little black dress that barely reached her knees.

"My, my, there's no need to act like that." The lady sounded amused as she held out her hand.

The redhead refused to take it, instead glaring at the woman. The lady got the message, and dropped it, sighing. "There's no need to be so tense, darlin'. I'm not going to hurt you."

Rose's eyes narrowed. "Stop with the chitchat and get on with it. Why did you call me here?"

The lady tutted. "Now, now. No need to be so hostile. After all, that is what killed your dearest daddy. Isn't that right, Rose?"

Rose stopped breathing for a few seconds, before she ground out, "How do you know that? How do you know my name?"

"I know everything about you, love. You just know nothing about me."

"Then please, inform me of who you are and why you called me here."

The lady smirked and pulled out one of the chairs at the only table left standing in the desolate saloon. Rose hesitated for a moment, quickly scanning for anything threats and finding none, before dropping down in the one opposite of the black haired woman.

"My name, darlin', is something you're going to have to find out yourself."

The nineteen year old wasn't very happy with this. "Fine. What can I call you otherwise?"

The lady raised an eyebrow. "…Gemma. Call me Gemma."

"I would say 'lovely to meet your acquaintance' except I don't lie."

Gemma let out a small laugh, higher pitched then her regular voice but just as mesmerizing as her usual. "How you wound me, love. Now, let's get down to business."

Rose let out a cheer in her head. Finally they were getting somewhere.

"Would you like to play a little game with me?"

Rose stiffened. "A game?"

Gemma's lips curled into a smile that seemed more devious then innocent. "Yes dear, a game. Russian Roulette- I suppose you've heard of it?"

The redhead nodded, her face hard. "I have heard of it. But why play it? I need information that you offered. You need something- someone killed, robbing a bank, infiltration- why play a game to get something that is a fair trade?"

Gemma smiled, closing her dark eyes. "Oh darlin', what I'm going to offer you isn't a fair trade. See, we're both on the dark side of the world. We're both wanted. We've both got a high bounty over our heads. Wouldn't it do the world better if one of us is too just… disappear? I know too much, you do too much. See?"

Rose stood up, reaching for the knife hidden under her own red dress. "Who are you working for?"

Gemma didn't answer, instead taking out a gun that she also had hidden in a holster. "Information comes with each round."

Rose let out a puff of air from her nose, but she desperately needed the information. Gemma was her only lead. The only track left alive. Maybe, just maybe…

"How many rounds?" Rose almost didn't recognize her own voice.

Gemma smiled. "I knew you would play. Five rounds each. Shall I start, or you start?"

Rose took a look at the gun. A small silver pistol, probably could hold a hundred and eighty shots. It could fire five per second, if wanted. Used for close up action, fatal if it worked.

Her luck better hold out.

"I'll take the first."

Gemma handed over the gun. It would be so easy to shoot the other right now, but Rose needed the information badly.

Rose shook the gun, hearing the bullets clattering around, but it was lighter than it would be if it held all the bullets.

Good. So they were playing the real version of Russian Roulette.

Rose held the gun up to her head, staring straight at Gemma with narrowed brown eyes, and her finger pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

Empty.

Rose put down the gun on the table. "There. Now, tell me who killed my father."

Gemma paused for a moment, before nodding her head. "My, my, you really do have the bravery your organization is known for."

The younger lady froze. It wasn't well known that she was really a Gryffindor, after spending years infiltrating Ravenclaw.

"How do you know that?" Rose bit out.

Gemma just tutted and pointed at the gun. "The game, darlin'. The people who killed your father were part of Slytherin."

Rose narrowed her eyes. "Were?"

"I believe that I answered your question. Now, my turn."

Gemma picked up the gun and without another word held it to her head.

CLICK!

Empty again.

Gemma smiled. "I need you to kill a Mr. Marco Bodt for me."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "The captain of the guard?"

"Yes, why, is that too hard for you?"

Rose shook her head. "It will be a piece of cake."

The redhead took the offered gun and pulled the trigger.

CLICK!

How lucky they were getting with this little 'game'.

Rose didn't have to think a while on her next question.

"Who exactly killed him?"

Gemma smacked her lipstick covered lips together. "Marcus Flint, Adrian Pucey, Cassius Warrington," she paused for a moment. "Albus Potter."

Rose's breath caught. What!?

Gemma took the gun. However, just as she was about to fire, Rose flew towards her, knocking the gun upwards where she then pulled the trigger, firing a deadly bullet towards the aged ceiling. The bullet blew a straight hole through it, thankfully not bringing the enter saloon with it.

"What do you mean Albus Potter?"

Gemma pouted. "Darlin', look at that. You made me misfire."

Rose wrinkled her nose as she stared down the beautiful woman. "I need you alive to give me answers. Tell me, why Albus Potter?"

Gemma silently handed her the gun. "Fire and I'll answer."

Rose didn't hesitate, pulling the trigger and hearing a 'CLICK!' that rattled in her ears. "Tell me."

Gemma nodded. "Albus Potter is who asked the leader if he could kill Ron Weasley. He was assigned the three others for their high marks in tracking, weaponry mastery, and defense."

Rose sat back down. Al?

"Darlin', give me the gun."

"I'm not playing anymore."

Gemma raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"I've gotten my information. I'll kill Bodt for you. We're through here."

The black haired woman laughed and shook her head. "Honey, we can't leave here until we're both dead."

Rose's cheeks flushed with anger. "Why?"

"I've already been marked as a traitor. They have this whole building surrounded. It's either die by their hand or die by our own."

"You tricked me." It dawned on Rose.

"I did, darlin'."

Rose stood up again and pushed the table out of the way, pointing the gun at Gemma who was still sitting there, calmly.

"Why did you do it?"

"I told you. We're both wanted. I know too much, and now you do too."

"I'm not- I-"

"Face it, love, we're going to die either way."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Are you really suicidal enough to go outside and check to see if I'm right?"

Damn her. Rose let out a breath as her mind moved a mile per minute. No, that wouldn't work. No, no… She needed a plan. A full proof plan. All those times when it was death on the line, now it was more real than ever.

"I have an idea."

Gemma looked curiously at the younger woman. "Oh?"

"Let's make an alliance."

The black haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Darlin'-"

"Before you go all 'darlin' me, just listen." Rose interrupted. "What's the probability that their listening in right now?"

Gemma paused. "Very low. Probably not at all. Either one or both of us comes outside only to be shot, or we get shot by each other. If we don't come out by the end of the night, they're run in here and kill us. That's their orders."

Rose nodded. "Perfect. Now-" Rose quickly told her the plan that she had made.

Gemma blinked. "You know? That's so crazy and highly unlikely that it's going to work. But hell with it. We're going to die anyway."

Rose smiled. "I figured you'd say that." She held out her hand for Gemma to shake, which the other did. They quickly dropped each other's hands as Gemma gripped the gun in one hand, and Rose patted her holster to make sure that it was hidden.

"Ready?"

Rose nodded, and held out her wrists for Gemma. Gemma walked over to the bar, where just behind it were a bunch of old, but still sturdy, ropes. She quickly tied Rose's wrists and ankles, and ripped off the bottom of her dress (making it even shorter, making Rose turn away to help Gemma keep some kind of decency) to bind Rose's eyes.

"You okay, darlin'?"

"I'm fine." Rose muttered back. "But if I die I'm blaming you."

"You're the one who came up with the plan."

"You're the one who insisted on binding me. If this doesn't work I'm a ticking time bomb, anyone could shoot me and I'd be defenseless."

Gemma rolled her eyes. "Come on, darlin'."

Gemma led her towards the door, Rose stiff and uncomfortable in the binds and slightly fearful for what was going to happen.

She heard a loud bang, and jumped, but Gemma just pushed her through the opening.

CLICK! She heard the familiar sound of someone's finger on a trigger, and judging from it, it was pointed directly at her head.

"Point the guns down."

Rose had never heard Gemma's voice so… harsh or cold before.

"Farley," what Rose supposed was the leader said. "You're under-"

"Save it for someone who cares, Malfoy. I've got a prisoner."

Rose could tell that Malfoy was bemused. "A prisoner?"

"Yes." The redhead could almost imagine Gemma rolling her dark eyes. "A prisoner. Torture her, interrogate her, do anything you want with her. She has information, potential, leverage over the Gryffindors."

"But you're-"

"Look, I pretended to be a traitor, okay? Backstabbed you, backstabbed her, backstabbed everyone. It's my job, you know?"

Wait.

"You bitch!" Rose hissed out.

Gemma was smiling. "All in the job, darlin'."

Gemma pushed her, and Rose stumbled, falling to her knees as she blindly tried to release her binds to grab the knife, hidden. Malfoy ordered her to be restrained, and a man grabbed her. She kicked up her legs and kicked him in between the legs, making him howl in pain and release her, only to be caught once again by two men, one holding her arms and another holding her legs.

She guessed that they had shoved a knockout drug in her face, as she began to pass out. The last thing she heard was Gemma explaining exactly what happened to Malfoy, before her eyes behind the strip of Gemma's dress closed.


She woke up a little bit later to someone shaking her.

"Wake up, darlin'." It was Gemma.

Rose hissed and tried to swipe at her, but Gemma caught her hands and carefully began undoing the bind at her eyes. It soon fell away, and Rose was greeted with darkness and a faint outline of her partner.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked her.

"Undoing your binds, love. We're getting out of here before they learn of my betrayal… again."

Rose's mouth popped open as everything clicked into place. "You're a triple backstabber."

"Possibly quadruple now, but yes." Gemma smiled as she cut the ties holding Rose's feet, and quickly stood up from her crouch. "Now let's hurry, we'll be arriving soon and I can't let them get ahold of me."

"But Malfoy-"

"Malfoy's an idiot. He thinks that no one would dare pull anything from under his nose."

Rose shut her mouth and nodded, quickly standing to her feet and swaying as the truck- as that's what she assumed they were in- moved under their feet.

"Now, when I say run, you run, got it?"

"Yep."

They waited in silence for a few moments, before Gemma tensed as they slowed down.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Gemma flew at the doors just as they opened. "Run!"

Rose laughed as she followed.


A year later found the two women in Venice.

"How the hell did we end up in Italy, again?" Gemma asked Rose as the black haired woman smoked a cigar.

The redhead shrugged. "Don't know. I think it had something to do with the run in with the Hufflepuffs in Germany."

"Ah," Gemma nodded as she turned back to look at the glowing lights reflecting off of the water.

The two of them decided to try one of the gondolas while they were there, and lo and behold Rose and Gemma were sitting across from each other, enjoying the sights and the smells as they were rowed down the streets of water that the city was known for.

"Hey, do you think after this we could go to Japan?" Rose asked suddenly, breaking the silence that overtook them.

Gemma raised an eyebrow as she discreetly dropped her cigar in the water, making Rose frown and glare at her. "Why Japan?"

"We wouldn't run in with any of the other organizations," Rose started.

"But we'd have to deal with Yukaza." Gemma pointed out.

"Not if we went to, like, Hagome or something." The redhead pleaded as they passed under a bridge.

Gemma sighed. "Fine."

Rose smiled brightly. "Great!" she leaned forward and pecked the other woman quickly on the lips, before sitting back down in her seat as she watched the lanterns hanging on the bridge glow brightly.

Gemma just smiled and shook her head, as she got out another cigarette and enjoyed the peacefulness of Venice.

"There they are!"

Rose and Gemma looked up. On top of the bridge they just passed under, there were two men. One of them was Malfoy- Scorpius Malfoy, the woman had learned later on- and the other was Albus Potter.

"Aww," Gemma pouted. "I was hoping to try some of the pasta here before we had to leave."

Rose sighed. "What a shame. So, Hagome?"

"Hagome does sound lovely, yes."


Written for the 'I Kissed A Girl' competition, the Wand Wood Competition (acacia), for the star challenge (Capella), the Hedley Song Challenge (trip), Write A Romance Competition (Gemma/Rose).

I don't own Harry Potter.