Written for QLFC, Book Club

These Violent Delights

Prompt:

[colour] Red

Red

For James, red was luck, red was romance, and red was home.

Hermione's blood-red dress billowed out around her as she danced around the room, and James stopped in the doorway to watch her, his heart swelling with love and adoration for the witch. This was home.

He recognised the dress—how could he not? It was the same dress she had worn to the Yule Ball back in their seventh year at Hogwarts. As he leaned against the doorway and watched her twirl around in their living room, singing off-tune to a Muggle song that was playing on the radio, he was hit with nostalgia.

The day she had walked into the Gryffindor common room wearing that same red dress was the day he had realised he was in love with the pretty brunette.

Students bustled around the courtyard, looking for their dates or friends, but James stood still, waiting for Hermione to come out of the castle. He had asked her out to the Yule Ball as friends, claiming he didn't feel comfortable asking anyone else. To his surprise, she had agreed. He shouldn't have been that surprised; they had been friends since their first year, and it wasn't unusual to find James and Hermione together.

"What's taking that girl so long?" Sirius whined, inspecting his reflection in his handheld mirror.

"Pads, if you're bored, just take Remus and go dance," James said, his eyes trained on the stairs.

"And leave you here alone? Nah," Sirius drawled, artfully running his fingers through his hair.

Just then, Hermione walked through the tall columns, her fingers gently fidgeting with the charm bracelet James had given to her on her fifteenth birthday. The moment James' eyes landed on her, an errant thought or two crossed his mind. Starfire, she's more beautiful than that… She looks like an angel.

"More like the devil," Sirius said with a smirk, pounding James' back with his palm. "Am I right, mate?"

James didn't hear him, too captivated by the red hue of her ankle-length dress. It glinted with little sparkles, like a thousand diamonds blessed with an inner fire. Her soft curls fell in chocolate swirls, glittering brightly as if millions of sparkling stars had descended from the heavens to adorn her.

Hermione reached his side and said, her voice sounding as sweet as a nightingale's, "James? You ready?"

"Yes," James stammered, his hands suddenly clammy. His heart thumped fiercely against his ribcage when Hermione took his hand in hers. "You look…"

"Like an angel," Sirius chimed in, winking at Hermione, who blushed at the compliment. "That's what he said when you came out."

"Really?" Hermione asked, glancing up at James shyly. "You think I look like an angel?"

"Yes," James mumbled, his confidence disappearing as if someone had cast an Evanesco on it. "You look… breathtaking."

"You don't look too bad yourself, James," Hermione said, beaming up at him. The stars above twinkled merrily, but the radiance of her smile burned him hotter than Greek fire.

And that was the moment everything shifted for him. Her dazzling smile, her chocolate-brown eyes, her dark curls—and that damned red dress—stole his heart forever.

"What are you doing standing there, James?" Hermione called out, interrupting his trip down memory lane. "Come here and dance with me!"

James smiled as he walked over and placed his hands on her waist. Gently swaying to the music, he began to croon to her.

"You shine a little love on my life

You shine a little love on my life

You shine a little love on my life and let me see."

Hermione giggled as he dipped her at the end of the song. "That was so much fun!"

"Happy anniversary, love," James whispered, lowering his mouth to kiss her soundly. As she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold onto him, James ran his hands down the back of her dress, silently grateful that the simple garment had made him realise he was in love with her.

For James, red was luck, red was romance, and red was home.

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