Red

Jake caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror and sighed. He couldn't stand his red hair. Firstly any witch or wizard looking at him could immediately assess that he was a Weasley descendant. He was sick of being stopped in Diagon Alley and perfect strangers asking after his mum or his dad or his grandparents. He was sick of meeting people for the first time and they already had preconceptions about him- good and bad. It was never just Jake. It was always Jake-Harry-Potter's- Son or Jake-Molly-and-Arthur's-Grandson. He wished with all his might to be 'just Jake.' The second problem with the red hair was another of his wishes: he longed to look more like River. He longed to be more like River. Jake reckoned that he lived one of the most boring wizard childhoods ever. He had heard more than once the story of Star and River's abandonment and discovery. They were so lucky. They had already had an adventure by the time they were four months old! As if that wasn't bad enough his little sister Ruby out-shone him to. Not only did she inherit their father's striking black hair (which in Jake's opinion was grossly unfair, considering she was already funny and clever), but she too had already had an adventure. When Jake had been at a birthday party Ruby had got upset and lonely so Star had taken her to the local hangout place for the older kids. Jake had been dying to go but River had never got round to taking him. As if that wasn't enough all Star and River's friends had found Ruby irresistibly cute and now, according to River who never lied and Star who tried to never lie, they all asked after her now. Jake was pretty sure if he ever went to River and Star's place he wouldn't gain such instant popularity. He put it all down to his hair. No, red hair was more trouble than it was worth.

Ginny picked up the post, smiling absently at her melancholy son. There they were. The bills. The final notice bills. The red final notice bills. Ginny sighed. She could remember when the twins were little, Jake even littler and Ruby merely a baby when money had simply not been a problem. Harry had been raking it in as an Auror, Ginny had also been working hard as personnel in the ministry and they had Harry's inheritance money to boot. Then, without warning, their situation went downhill. With the War over there was little work for an Auror, slowly but surely Lily and James' money had come to an end and now, now Ginny had lost her job. She hadn't been fired. She had been made redundant.

"Don't worry about it," Harry told his wife, clearing her hair away from her face, "we'll get other jobs. Better jobs even." She managed a weak smile. Harry played the game that helped him through his childhood with the Dursleys. The story game. He began to spin a story for Ginny. "I'll get into a major Quidditch team, international. I'll work hard and make it into the England squad. Meanwhile you'll be running your own nursery school and-"

"I'll be what?" Ginny asked.

"I thought you'd like to run a kindergarten." Harry said shyly.

Ginny suddenly broke into a grin. "I would. Let's do that!"

In the kitchen River was searching for some strawberries. Last week there had only been icky blueberries. River hated blueberries. They were too squishy. Nope, there were no strawberries. He caught sight of some crisp red apples. He picked one up and rubbed it on his T-shirt. It would have to do. He wandered into the garden, munching. River strolled round the garden, thinking deeply. He thought about his mother, father, Jake, Ruby, his friends and then he thought about Star. Star was his favourite person and he was hers. Soon they would leave their little cocoon and go to live in Hogwarts. They would be in different dormitories at the end of different flights of stairs. He only prayed they would be in the same house. R for River came before S for Star. He would know before her where his destiny lay. River decided to go to Star's room tonight and have a chat with her. They hadn't chatted in ages. River then thought about the one person he never let himself think about. The person who he had blocked from his mind for years. He thought about his birth mother.

Ruby sat at her mother's dressing table while Ginny tried to put together an outfit for Luna's wedding. Ruby opened up her mother's jewellery box. She loved playing with all the bracelets and necklaces and rings. She knew everything that was in the jewellery box but it still excited her to see it. It was all there; emeralds, sapphires, topazes, amethysts, aquamarines, diamonds, pearl and of course Ruby's favourite: rubies. When Ruby had been born Molly and Arthur had bought a tiny little bracelet for the newborn. It was engraved with RUBY and had two of the sparkly gemstones embedded in it. They had done the same for star but using black star sapphires. Both bracelets were now far too small for their owners and lay in their childhood memory boxes, amongst kindergarten pictures, favourite picture books and little babygros. These boxes were stored in the attic somewhere, and every so often someone would remember them, take them down, and look through them, occasionally adding a new treasure or two. Ruby picked up a necklace of rubies. She knew it was naughty to take things without asking, especially precious things like jewellery. But it wasn't stealing. Not really.

In the park Star was chatting with her best friend, Maisie Thomas, Dean's daughter. Maisie had straight brown hair that fell to just past her shoulders and big brown eyes. She was of medium height and slim. Star's ringlets had fallen out as she got older and she was left with soft blonde hair. Her eyes were also big and icy blue. She was slightly smaller than Maisie. They were both very pretty. Walking in the park together they turned more than one head. They strolled through a patch of deep red roses. Maisie was telling Star about the new boy in her area, Kieran.

"He's really buff " Maisie was saying. "But more your type than mine."

"My type? What's that then?" Although only twelve Maisie had already had two boyfriends, although all said and done each had lasted all of five weeks. Star had yet to date.

"Oh you know!" Maisie laughed, bending down to smell a rose.

"No Maize," Star told her best friend, "I really don't!"

Just then two boys, roughly Star and Maisie's age joined them. Star knew the first one, Patrick Finnigan. Most of Star's friends thought Seamus' son was incredibly hot. Star couldn't see it herself. Sure he was nice as a friend, but she couldn't imagine going out with him. She smiled and greeted Patrick. Then she turned to his friend. Star was taken aback. He was so good-looking. In one instant Star's peaches -and –cream complexion went bright red.

"Star meet Kieran," Maisie introduced him, "and Kieran meet Star." And Star could have sworn that when he smiled at her his eyes were as sparkly as her own.

Hi! Thank you for reading this far! As the title showed this was the Red chapter. Red things: Jake-Red hair, Ginny n Harry: red bills, Ruby: red rubies, River: red strawberries and apples, Star: red roses and red blush.

Please review. I love it so much and I always reply within 2 days! Also if someone wants to request a colour, please do!

Anya xxx