Uses of Red
There are so many ways to use red. You have your normal red that is just red, and there is no two ways about it. Purple-Red is a deep colour that calm and even, yet bold. Red-Orange is bright, and can put a smile on your face even on the worst days. But green and red make brown. A colour no-one likes to talk about, almost as if it is a stain on humanity, but it always exists. But it is always uses red.
Set during Deathly Hallows, but at different times and not in chronological order. Some references to torture of children, but not particularly graphic. Some slightly sexual scenes, but no further than feeling up and non-consensual snogging. There are quite a few choice phrases, however nothing I didn't know aged 13. Yes, I have borrowed one or two concepts from other fanfictions, but I have made them my own as much as possible. Please review. If you spot a mistake, please tell me.
Ginny struggled against the harsh unforgiving hand holding her wrist so hard, almost like the time she had got it trapped in the vice on her father's muggle work bench, but she refused to scream and diverted her energy into kicking and scratching at her captor. She would only go down one way, and that was fighting.
"Unhand me you foul, disgusting bitch!"
"Miss Weasley, you are in enough trouble as it is. I suggest you shut up now." Laughing manically she dragged the unfortunate girl closer to the dungeons, not taking care to ensure she came down the stairs safely. Ginny tried to use this to her advantage by attempting to trip Alecto up, but she always missed because at the last minute Carrow stepped to the side. Getting frustrated, her attacks became more violent as she released her fury on the so called teacher who was in front of her. Her resistance earned her a clip round the head.
"Fucking Merlin! That hurt!"
"Then stop that. One more time and I don't care that I'm not supposed to cruciate you buggers in the corridor, and I swear to Merlin you will be screaming about something." The warning did nothing to stop Ginny from attacking, and she managed to get one or two kicks in before Alecto reached the end of her tether. "Right, that's it, blood traitor!" She turned to face the red headed girl whose face showed no fear, and spoke, no, shouted, the words that struck fear into the heart of every adult witch or wizard. "Crucio!" Ginny thrashed on the floor for a short while, but only let small, strangled cries escape her lips. Hoisting herself up using the banister, a quick grin flashed across Ginny's face in a show of defiance.
"Is that really the best you can do?" Two little pink spots appeared on Carrow's cheekbones. "You were much better last sum…" She never got a chance to finish the sentence because she was struck down again, this time by a much better cast cruciatus. Ginny let the curse consume every fibre of her being, yet relishing it with every scream because at least this was something to cry about. Much better. If we are going to do this, we may as well do it properly.
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Jimmy Peakes stood arguing with Neville Longbottom in the corner of the Room of Requirement.
"But you can't hold a battle in the Library. We could damage all those precious books!"
"Look Peakes, I don't want to destroy them any more than you, but it's our only choice. The library has 1 entrance to trap them, it doesn't look suspicious if they find us before, and there are few people there just before curfew."
"But please Commander; surely there must be another way?"
Neville stood there for a few second contemplating his response. He could see the anguish on the young wizard's face, but their plan was already established, and there was no two ways about it. He hated command at times like this; when he had to tell a DA Cadet that their relatives had been found dead, but the prophet hadn't said a word, or when he had to crush someone's hopes, because they were just impossible to uphold.
"I'm sorry Jimmy, the only thing I could do is to try and stay away from the prised literature section, though I can't promise anything about the final battle."
"Anything Neville. I don't want any knowledge to be lost. We need those books. Even in foreign languages. Terry can translate a million languages, and if it isn't in his repertoire, then one of the other Ravenclaws, or me, will be able too. We need as many exotic, unfathomable, foreign, bizarre spells as possible."
"Consider it done."
"One other thing."
"What is it now Peakes?"
"If anyone is going to be put in charge of responsibility for those books, I want to be there to keep them in line."
There was nothing stopping him now from allowing Jimmy this request. The only thing holding him back was a niggling feeling that Peakes would do something that would hurt the mission.
"You would have to promise not to do anything that could harm the chances of success?"
"On my Cadet's Honour, Commander." You won't regret this Neville.
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Ritchie Coote sat with a tiny first year boy, being the only 6th year available to help, the others being a bit preoccupied with the Carrows, and Commander and Finnegan had been reported as MIA since lunch. The first year had a massive gash running from his ear to his chin. The garish red of the Gryffindor common room felt cosy and protective, something that was missing from the rest of the castle. It was empty, the other students being in the Great Hall for dinner. The sofa they sat on was in front of the fire, and Ritchie held a protective arm around the little child, whose head, covered in mousy brown curly locks, rested on Ritchie's shoulder
"Shhhh, now. Come on, it isn't that bad. Can you tell me what the matter is?" The boy quietened down enough to sound coherent, but was still sniffling
"Professor Carrow was trying to make me…sniff…cruciate Tim, and I thought I would be brave and make a stand…sniff (at this point he wiped his nose on his sleeve)…and I refused. He told me again to do it, so I said no. He cruciated me…sniff…and told me agin, this time…sniff…sniff…he shouted, I mean literally screamed, but I said no again. He said some spell I couldn't make out, and…sniff…I felt a huge pain on my right cheek. He told me to get out, and that I wasn't to go to Madam Pomfrey."
"You were very brave. Godric Gryffindor would be proud of you."
"Some days I think that I shouldn't be a Gryffindor. I'm not brave when I'm scared to go to Dark Arts because I don't want to be cruciated."
"Someone once told me that bravery is not the absence of fear, but the acceptance of ones fear, and the ability to carry on despite ones fear. You were very brave today. You stood up for what is right. You stood up for your friend, and you walked into that classroom even though you were terrified. That is brave in my books. And not only were you brave, you were loyal, and kind too. I bet Hufflepuff want you, but you are a Gryffindor, so we get dibs. And I will protect any Gryffindor to the end of the world and back.
"Why, Ritchie?...Sniff…Why is this happening?"
"I'm sorry Briac, I can't stop it. I'm powerless. I don't know why it's happening, but I know that no child should ever have to go through what we are going through, and I pray to Merlin everyday in the hope that he can do something, though it never works. But I will try again tonight, and tomorrow, and I will keep going on until this is ended, because it gives me hope that something will change, hope keeps us going, and without hope, what do we have left to live for." We must keep going, for there will always be light at the end of the tunnel, we just can't see it yet.
DotDotDot
Romilda Vane sat laughing in the cell she had been thrown into, that was situated in the dungeons. They had only left one Slytherin goon squad as guard, and that they thought that was enough just showed how stupid the Carrows really were. Clearly they underestimated her. They would regret that. What did she really have here to make her stay put? The slimy walls; the cold hard floor; or perhaps it was the absolutely stunning bars that were considered enough to hold her? She leaned seductively against the bars, summoning up all her femme fatale to win over the young fifth year standing guard.
"You know, lovely, I can make it worth your while if you just hand over those keys right now. I'll even give them back…" She fluttered her eyelashes at the tall, strong, silent captor that stood between her and freedom.
"No chance blood-traitor!" Laughing at the idea that anything she could do would take his fancy. "The Carrows would have me for dinner. You are just going to stay there while I finish my duty." His brown eyes really did make him attractive, and his handsome mop of blonde hair left Romilda one last idea.
"Look mate, will you come over here towards the bars please?" The young man strode over with the intention of teasing the curly haired rebel, whose face showed nothing but the make-up she plastered on every morning. Romilda leant through the bars, which to be fair, weren't doing the best job of keeping her confined "You really are a ladies man, aren't you sweetie? What with your blonde hair," She ran her hand through said hair, messing it, "Muscular biceps," squeezing the aforementioned muscle, "And that most spectacular arse." She pinched his buttocks, and then put her face right against his. "Let's see how much you like the taste of blood-traitor, eh?" Passionately snogging his face off, she felt around his pockets to find the keys and the boy's wand. He tried to pull away, but she just leant in further, not letting him draw breath. She found them after feeling him up an awful lot. The boy was beginning to lose alertness, just the right time to stop. He was pushed hard, and landed right up against the opposite wall, and this was quickly followed by a stunner to the chest. Sliding the key into the keyhole, Romilda could almost taste freedom. The clink of the lock was too loud in the silence. The creak of the opening mechanism grinding, overly piercing in the stillness. The corridors were empty, which she was thankful for, because it made her escape easier. She rounded another corner in the maze that was the dungeons, and standing at the end of the long, extensive corridor was Alecto Carrow.
"Shit." Romilda considered her chances, but knew there was no hope, because she was in a dead end to the dungeons, and while she could hope to outrun Alecto, there was no way to put her off forever. The stout witch leered as she walked forward.
"Well, well, well. Aren't you currently supposed to be locked under guard in the cells you are walking away from? This, I take it aided your escape." She plucked the wand from her hand, "I guess this belongs to Mr Runcorn. And the keys?" She tapped her foot, waiting for surrender. Romilda complied. Carrow grabbed Romilda's upper arm and marched her back towards the cell she just came from. Oh well, another day, another escape attempt.
DotDotDot
Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan hobbled back to Gryffindor Tower from the Hospital Wing, supported by Ernie Macmillan and Terry Boot, the only other 7th years tall enough to carry them. The slightest movement was agony for the men, tearing up their backs, but they refused to allow pain to consume them. They had been through much worse, and this was dwarfed be the torture they had suffered. Seamus allowed a smile to grace his lips, and began humming "Always look on the bright side of life".
"Seamus, you may be my mate, but if you don't shut up that infernal racket then you will have a hard time explaining to your mother why your face has been re-arranged – muggle style. I have had enough of it while we were on the wall." He doubled over from the exertion this rant had cost, but that created more pain. He was hacking phlegm up.
"Commander, if you don't "shut up" yourself you will not recover. I am ordering you, as a friend, to keep quiet."
"Merlin, Terry…" A look quelled his response. Blimey, he still felt 11.
"Thanks mate! I may get some…" Seamus was also told, in not so polite terms by Ernie to be quiet.
The walked along the grey corridors until they reached the common room. The portraits kept peeking looks at them, for they had all seen the flogging from the few portraits in the Great Hall, and had watched the aftermath. Some had watched as the men were carried to the Hospital Wing unconscious. They heard the contorted cries of pain as Madam Pomfrey tried to heal their thoroughly non-magical wounds caused by Filch's whips that he had been threatening to use for years. The Fat Lady clucked at them sympathetically, but told the two additional boys she wasn't allowed to grant them entry. Neville and Seamus struggled through the portrait hole and into the common room, where the whole house was assembled. Ginny and Lavender ran forwards to help them as soon as the door opened.
"Oh Merlin, you're here, we were so worried…it was horrid…and we weren't allowed into the hospital wing! Damn Snape…" The girls' words got all jumbled up and Neville's head span from excitement. They had gone back to the crowd and before he knew it a cry came from the red headed girl standing front and centre.
"Gryffindors! Salute!" As one, from the smallest first year, to the 7th years wands came out of sleeves and pockets, drawn across their chest as a sign of respect.
"You…didn't have to do this."
"But Neville, this is for our Commander and fellow solider, and for our friends."