Writing To You (A Draco Malfoy Story)

Chapter 12: Water

Dedicated to Dtf720 Lady_Loki_00 sweetrollstealer for the recent comments.

She scrambled out of her hospital bed, breathing now laboured. She turned her back to her overnight guardian (every night someone took it in turns to watch over Boo) and ran. Her legs picking up speed the further and further she got away from them. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, nothing could stop her. No vampire, no wizard, no stupid sister. Boo was an unstoppable force.

"Boo! Get back here!" Neville called feebily after Boo.

His footsteps followed her.

Down staircases she flew. Through corridors she glided. Her pace did not slow even when she passed through the court yard.

The early morning sun was just breaking through the night's dark setting. A soft light was spreading across the inky, navy blue sky.

Boo only stopped when she finally reached the edge of the lake. The same lake that contained the mermaids from the Triwizard Tournament.

By the time she reached the waters edge, the sky was ablaze with an amber fire, the world was set alight by the new dawning day.

Her legs screamed with overuse and her body begin to tremble with exhaustion. Boo could hear Neville approaching but she did not try to escape by using more running. No matter where she ran, he would just follow her.

In one swift movement, Boo hurled herself into the water, stuffing the gillyweed she had picked earlier into her mouth. The rancid taste filled her senses but what happened next was even more peculiar.

She could breathe uderwater. Gills had suddenly opened up in the side of her neck. Her hands and feet were webbed, making it infinitely easier to swim through the murky waters, which is exactly what she did.

Boo found herself travelling deeper and deeper into the Mermaids' domain. Why? She had been reading may books with Hermione about curses and magical beings and had stumbled upon a chapter titled, Mermaids. The notes stated that some European Mermaids were known to be kind to humans if they received a gift of some kind, which was why Boo had "borrowed" one of Luna's very sparkly necklaces- a gift for the Mermaids.

Except, where were they all? Surely they would have sensed her presence by now? Boo looked around her. No, the waters around her appeared to be eerily desolate. There weren't even any fish.

Something was definitely wrong.

Swimming to the surface, she emerged through the water's barrier most ungracefully, spluttering and splashing her way to the lake side. Neville was still waiting for her. He was currently sat on the grass edge, looking very sullen.

She swam quickly to the bank, pulling herself onto the muddy side (with some help from Neville). "Where. Are. The. Mermaids?" she gasped, her gills disappearing and webbed hands and feet fading.

"Voldemort..." he paused, not wanting to tell her the unforunate truth. "Voldemort got rid of them all when he took over Hogwarts."

A sound that was somewhere between a whine and a sob escaped Boo's lips. "No, no, no! They...they are supposed to be in. The. Lake! I'm supposed to ask them for help!" she cried.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what else to tell you."

So there she sat on the bank with Neville Longbottom, drenched from head to toe, crying. It was another failed attempt at saving Draco and Boo was running out of options...

...not to mention time.