Disclaimer: I do not own the beautiful magic of Harry Potter. All credit towards J.K. Rowling.
"Happy Birthday to James… Happy Birthday to you!" Ginny sang as James clapped happily. It was just the two of them. In a dank, musty cell. Dim as it was, the room could not have been any brighter.
All thoughts of despair or pain was banished from Ginny's mind as she watched James grin. So much like Harry. But this time when she thought of him, it was happy thoughts. The first time he kissed her, how she was so happy. Or just snuggling on the Burrow couch. Good times.
James reached to his gifts. Grinning, Ginny pulled the three, slightly melted chocolate chips from her back pocket. James stared at them curiously.
"Open your mouth, but close your eyes, and I will give you a big surprise!" Ginny sang softly. James did as instructed, with adorable squinted eyes like those in the shower. Ginny popped the one of the chips in his mouth. Almost immediately, his face broke into an ecstatic grin!
"More, more!" was all he could manage. Ginny obliged and soon, all that remained where some sugar crumbs on the cement floor and chocolate smeared around James' mouth. He grinned at her happily, licking his sticky fingers.
Eyeing James' face, Ginny cautiously scrutinized James' face, before drawing out the last present. It was messily wrapped in scraps of newspaper, one flashing "Messy hair? We don't care with… [the rest of the words were faded]" and another showing a brief picture of Neville Longbottom as "Hogwarts Professor!".
Now James full attention was on the new present, and his little greedy hands scrambled for it.
Soon, the wrapping paper lay on the floor, and James was delicately tracing the words "I will always love you". James face was radiant. He was happily playing with the stag with a blink of her eye. Ginny was only broken for her daze when a blood-curdling scream pieced the air.
James looked up momentarily and then deemed it unworthy of his attention before diving back into his reverie. Ginny looked across her cell and stared into bright orange eyes.
His names was Tiger… really it was Theo, but he had such similarity to the large cat that it was an undeniable name. Even the guards called him that.
He had messy raven hair, not unlike Sirius', and sharp teeth that gave pearly white smiles. A huge tattoo over a tiger ran over his back, and you could just see the ear on his lower neck. The tiger roared silently and displayed its large jaw, moving around on his back as magical things often do (move around). Powerful muscles lay on his shoulders, but he was not bulky.
He was handsome, despite the description above. He used to work in the circus: scars from deadly flames licked his shoulders. Tiger had been a flamethrower, a great one at that.
Ginny couldn't help but become friends with him: he was undoubtedly loyal, and James loved him. When the two had become close friends, Tiger confessed why he was there. Cheryl's younger sister was a beautiful, young woman named Naava. Naava and Tiger soon fell in love and eloped before running off to the circus.
As expected, this did not sit well with Cheryl; Naava and Tiger were… separated, and as Tiger said stone-faced, their journey together had ended. Naava left the world soon later after giving birth to two baby girls: Tamara and Naomi. The two girls held their father's gold eyes but received their mother's tan complexion. They was nothing short of gorgeous, like their mother.
Ginny had held them once before, their curly black hair barely contained behind their little ears. Cheryl had - had stolen them seconds after they were born.
Now - Tiger stared at her with his gold eyes. Ginny was so entranced by them, she didn't notice what he had slid underneath the prison bars, until it hit her knee.
Ginny looked down - it was a small doll. Or nutcracker to be exact. He was made out of dark wood. Proper, red boots lay on his feet with a smart uniform. The nutcracker was slightly faded, and he had no left hand. The handle used for cracking nuts had long since fallen off, and there was a gaping hole there now. But Ginny grinned. It was perfect.
"Thank you." She whispered solemnly, handing it off to James. He immediately began playing with the wooden stag and nutcracker.
"Don't do that! Don't do that, Harry." James giggled. Ginny stared, entranced. She often told him stories of his father, but this was the first time he… Nevermind: he was so happy and it was a perfect birthday.
At least that is what Ginny thought…
Harry
Harry stared at the wall, a hangover pounding through his head.
"Harry?" The bathroom door crept open. Hermione stared, her hair perfectly brushed down and crisp in a velvet dress. But Harry noticed that her hair was a little bit frizzy, her dress a little bit rumpled, and a kiss on the side of her neck.
"M'fine." Harry coughed, and Hermione sighed and set to work cleaning up the vomit on the floor beside him. "It's fine Hermione." Harry grabbed her wrist, and Hermione saw tears glistening in his eyes. Nodding, she left.
After a quick shower, Harry got dressed in a t-shirt and jeans. He was an Auror at the Ministry now. Honestly, it was the only thing that distracted him from, well, her. But even being an Auror at the Ministry proved uneventful. He had asked to take the day off, but now, he wished he didn't.
After a couple minutes, Harry heard a knock, and forced him to answer the door.
Here stood a beautiful women with clipped blond hair. She had earnest blue eyes and a curvy appearance that allowed her to where a deep cut, sheer dress that showed off plenty of cleavage. While she was gorgeous, her excessive makeup hid her flaws and perfectly manicured hands gripped a bright pink purse.
"Well-if-it-isn't-the-boy-who-lived!" The woman spoke quickly in a high, chipper voice. "I am Sienna!" She beamed, and Harry felt the urge to vomit again. And the urge to curse Seamus.
Seamus had set him up with his friend after much begging and coaxing. Hermione and Ron insisted he needed to get out more. It never worked, and Harry didn't suppose it would now.
"My car is out back! Shall we go?" She winked. Harry groaned.
Harry sat at the peach-colored circle table. They were at her apartment. It was like they were back in Ms. Umbridge's office. Hot pink wallpaper covered her apartment, and an overly strong fragrance sifted through the air. A black bra lay disposed of on the couch, along with matching knickers on the opposing chair. Harry grimaced.
Finally, Sienna arrived with two platters: one with pancakes and another with fruit. Harry stared. It seemed as though she had… disposed of her bra. Harry looked away.
"Well! Let's eat," It was apparent that Sienna was pleased that she had caught his interest. "Tell me, what is a boy like you doing alone?" When Harry didn't answer, she continued. "I suppose that Ginny girl wasn't enough for you." Harry stopped eating and took a sip of milk. It tasted sour. The pancakes tasted too sweet. He felt tears pushing at the edges of his eyes.
"You see, I know it. She was too desperate and clingy." Harry felt an urge to laugh, looking at her. She continued: "It is like my mother said. They just don't know how to do it!" Sienna laughed, unaware that Harry was clutching his fork like a murder weapon.
"And what is with that hair? Honestly honey. You get certain ones like that. The bitc-"
"SHUT UP!" He roared. Sierra stopped, obviously shocked. Harry was beyond furious, the fork was lodged into the table and his hand gripped the table, like he was going to overturn it.
Sierra's face relaxed. She grinned.
"It's okay!" She smiled again, and purposely slipped the spoon off the table. Still panting, Harry watched her, bemused. Leaning over, Harry saw why. Her dress dipped, exposing… Hot fury bubbled in Harry's chest, along with shame.
"Oooh, big boy, so soon?" Suddenly Sienna grasped a hand on his lap. Harry leapt away from her, overturning his chair. Sienna sat back, grinning. She licked her syrup-covered fingers. Waiting for Harry to approach her.
Harry? Harry bolted, tears burning at his eyes. Horrified. Angry. Scared. But, so lonely. He remembered Hermione. The grin on her face. The rustled hair, dress… it was just the small things.
But the small things hurt the most.
It was well into the night. The rest of that day, Ginny and James had played with the toys, Tiger watching them, amused. It was an uneventful day, and James had gone to sleep early.
Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Ten times. Ten o'clock. It was dark as pitch. No one else was awake.
Ginny felt very sleepy. Her eyes closed. Her breathing slowed… click. The lock in the door turned, and Ginny bolted awake. Her eyes flashed. She sensed a heavy body and lots of panting. Ian. Ginny froze frantically, hoping he would pass her off as being asleep.
It was useless though. Ian's sweaty hand soon grasped hers. He yanked her up, and Ginny muffled a scream. But no one stirred even when Ginny did scream.
"Shut *pant* the *pant* fuck *pant* up *pant*." Ian dragged her down the dark corridor. He placed a sweaty hand on her mouth. Ginny stayed silent, fearing Ian's wrath and wondering why it had not been inflicted on her already. When Ginny felt as though they had traveled for hours, they reached a dim, dank hallway.
"Put her in the room," A raspy, unfamiliar voice called from the shadows. Ginny managed to break away from his hand.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" Ginny screamed, her voice echoing down the hallway. The figured ignored her. Despite her defiant struggling, Ian dragged her into a room. A bedroom to be exact.
It was a pure white and black swirled marble room, only covered by an occasional black rug or tapestry. In the middle lay a forest green bed and a small table to accompany it. At this point, Ginny didn't care if it was Ian or her brother holding her. She scratched and screamed and carried on, but Ian merely dumped her in the middle of the room and slammed the door with a boom that shook the room. Ginny sobbed, resting her back against the bed.
What seemed like hours passed. Finally, the door creaked open. Ginny startled awake - she had been half-sleeping. In the dim light, Ginny could only make out a manly figure. She waited. An instinct told her to run. She stayed.
Suddenly, a strong hand captured her delicate throat and slammed her against the wall. Ginny tried to choke out a scream, but her breath had disappeared. Panic overwhelmed her. Soon, black spots formed at the edges of her vision: as desperately as she could, she clawed at the hand, but it was to no use. She was going to die.
Finally, the hand released her and Ginny fell to the cold floor, coughing and crying.
"Let's make this clear." Ginny looked up now, the room had brightened a bit. Liam stood there in a crisp, ironed shirt. His hair was combed, and he had a smirk on his face. "The little stunt in the bathroom? Not again."
Liam gripped her hair - Ginny whimpered. "I am Master, now." He whispered in a deathly tone.
"Fuck you, Mah-ster." Ginny screamed, so beyond angry at that point. Rage made tears spill down her cheeks.
"Well that won't do, will it? Hmm," Suddenly Ginny was lifted up against the wall again. She expected for him to hold this chokehold until she passed out, but even that would have been better than what he did: he attacked her neck with a kind of animal savagery. Ginny shouted and tried to push him away, but to no avail. He kissed her. Ginny felt a lump in her throat.
"THIS ISN'T RIGHT! Y-y-you have a w-w-wife!" Ginny sobbed, trying to reason with him. He didn't stop, only hugged her tighter and began grinding against her. His intention was clear and pressed against her stomach. Ginny felt sick. Harry. Harry. What would Harry think? How could she do this to him?
A light flickered then went out. Black. The room blackened.
Suddenly, a noice greeting them like gunshots. The crisp clacks of high heels. Which could only mean one thing: Cheryl.
Ginny choked back a sob and slid to the floor.
I can't do this.
The bar was dim. Sweaty bodies shuffled around, and an aroma of liquor hung in the air. Harry fought back the instinct to gag. Suddenly, like a mockingbird in a thunderstorm, he heard a clear voice. A beautiful woman on the stage sung:
"My sadness is the thunder -
My tears are the rain.
Short flashes of love is the lightning.
And clouds are my shame.
My heart is filled with grief.
Sorrow will always reign.
And yet I try to love again,
But all I feel is pain."
Applause erupted around Harry, but it felt like he was listening through earmuffs. His head spun and the room tilted. He stumbled.
"Another drink… Harry?" Ron asked awkwardly, but Harry waved him away. It was a miracle he made it to the bathroom. There, he vomited and was instantly somber.
Ginny. Ginny. It was cool in the delicate restroom. He slid down into a plush chair and sighed…
The sand crunched between Harry's toes. He looked up. Her waist-long ginger hair blew past her shoulders in the salty breeze.
Harry hadn't seen her for months before this. Only two weeks ago, Ginny had graduated from Hogwarts. It was difficult to get away from the Weasley clan - how they [Ginny and Harry] managed to leave, Harry didn't know. They slipped away to Bill's and Fleur's Shell Cottage while they were in France. It was perfect. They got the place to themselves for a couple weeks.
Now, it was their last night. Harry tried not to think about the fact that he was leaving for London tomorrow. He was going to train to become an Auror. The lump in his throat pulsed at the thought of leaving her.
"Don't think about it," Ginny whispered and looked at him with tear-filled eyes. They continued walking until they stopped at a small cove. Harry had discovered the place a couple days ago after going for a run.
The cove was sheltered from nature's wrath, but if you crawled in a small crevice towards the deepest part of the cove, you would find yourself on a secluded part of the beach. Ginny loved it because she could see the sunset perfectly from there. Harry loved because, well, he could see her. Watch her beautiful face.
Harry gently helped her slip into the crevice, and soon, they were sitting on the sand. Delicate, cool waves brushed against their toes. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks made Ginny lean against Harry's shoulder. The lull of it nearly brought them to sleep.
Suddenly, a vivid explosion of light awoke them. The sunset tore their attention away from the waves. It shone spectacularly with all of the colors of the rainbow bursting around it. The clouds managed to capture some of its light, sending warm lights dancing around the sky. Cool blue shades crept in. It was so serene and pulchritudinous. Sunset.
Harry's eyes watered from looking so much at it. He tore his eyes away, and they rested on Ginny. Her eyes were wide with awe, and she was shaking a little bit by being so close to him.
"It's so…"
"Beautiful." Harry finished, not taking his eyes from her. Finally, she slipped her eyes away and looked at Harry. He grinned, and Ginny blushed. Harry leaned in a bit. Harry tucked a lock of vivid hair behind her ear, and she shuddered. They settled for staring at each other's eyes for a couple seconds before Ginny closed the distance in between each other.
Warm lips pressed against hers. Ginny climbed on top of Harry and began to straddle him, her hair sheltering him from the spectacular light of the sunset. So much longing built up in Harry exploded, and he slipped his hands onto her waist and gripped it. She tousled his hair with her delicate hands.
It was their first kiss since Harry's graduation ceremony, a year ago.
But, it would also be their last. But neither knew that at the moment. And neither needed to know. Because they were kissing like it would be their last.
A sharp laugh pierced the air.
"He will never love you," Cheryl told her again. For hours, Cheryl and Liam had reminded her that no one loved her. At first, it was easy to deny. But Sienna? Harry's acceptance. Was this true?
"Never will love you," Liam and Cheryl chanted, the words echoing around the room. Ginny felt a sting and a lump in her chest. Tears blurred her vision. This hurt more than Ian. Hurt more than James favoring Cheryl. Hurt like hell.
Liam and Cheryl exchange joy-filled grins. So this is what hurt her the most.
"Never will love you." Between Liam abusing her, and her losing a bit more of Harry, Ginny broke down.
Because she started to accept the truths. She started to believe them. Started to tell herself they were true.
I am trying to publish these chapters more, so sorry for the delay. Thanks for reading and please review!
Also: so the poem/song in this chapter is part of a poem I wrote. If you would like to read the whole thing, please PM me. One more request: please do not copy it or put it somewhere else without my permission! Merci beaucoup.