Titian
"Ginny, why did you bring me back?"
"Because I could."
Her arms snaked around him from behind and he found himself leaning into her touch. Whether it was her touch or just touch itself he was attracted to, he didn't know. He didn't spend much time pondering it, though. There were other questions to be asked.
"Why don't we leave here?" he asked.
"Because the world has teeth, Sirius. Sharp ones," she replied, lifting a pale arm to point to the window.
He walked slowly to the window, drawing back the heavy brocade curtain. The world was churning, an endless black ocean, with a ball of midnight at its center. He looked closer and the ball came toward him, growing in size, faster and faster until he saw that it wasn't a ball at all. It was war, famine, pestilence, and death and as it got closer, the mouth of it yawned wide and he saw that it indeed had teeth. Startled, he jerked the curtains closed and turned to look at Ginny, his hands shaking.
"We've been promised a garden, Sirius. And I get to be Eve."
His eyes narrowed and he closed the distance between them. He grasped her arms tightly, and absently thought he might be hurting her. He ignored that thought and held fast.
"What are you on about, Ginny?"
She smiled, tiny white teeth flashing. "In time, Sirius. In time."
He gripped her harder, shaking her thin frame. She licked her lips invitingly, and he grimaced, shoving her away. She laughed, the sound richer than blood, and wrapped her arms around herself, hands gliding up and down her arms in a sick parody of a lover's embrace.
"You were the only one I could have back," she explained, her voice low, seductive and so unlike the Ginny Weasley he remembered that he thought he would vomit. "The only one heaven didn't have," she continued.
"The veil," he half-muttered to himself before looking at her sharply. "Ginny -- you have to see," he said, his hand pointing toward the window. "You have to understand that this isn't right."
"Oh, but it is, Sirius, it's just right -- more than that. It's perfect."
His face twisted. "Perfect? Ginny, what's this about? Why are you talking in riddles?"
She sauntered over to him, stopping just scant inches from his face. Her lips hovered over his and he could taste her breath -- strawberries and cream. Delicious and unnatural.
"I'm full of Riddles, Sirius. You wouldn't believe how full." She grabbed his hand and slid it down over the slope of her belly, resting in between her thighs. She rubbed their hands back and forth over her heated flesh, tossing her head back and moaning long and low. He made no move to stop her and couldn't figure out why.
He looked at the woman writhing in front of him, then past her to the window. No matter where he looked, chaos reigned supreme. It was a matter of choice; be devoured by darkness or surrender to red.
"Soon, Sirius," she panted. "We'll get back to the garden and begin again."
His hand worked her harder and faster and she crowed triumphantly. Her victory was his downfall, but it was the only thing that was left.
He closed his eyes and let red seep in.