Rough Waters |Sirius Black

Chapter One

Unlike the stormy weather that plagued the seas far from the shore, the waters were calm and the sun was shining as Nixie lifted herself out of the water one morning and onto a smooth rock. She rung the water out of her hair as she looked forward and saw her father's home in the distance. Her head tilted to the side as she took in the view of the home. She hadn't been so close to the Dover household in over a decade, unable to come to terms of the horrors she had experienced while living on land. Her tail splashed about as she mindlessly stared on, dropping her hands from her black hair that had grown even longer during her time at sea.

Her blue eyes darted back and forth scanning over the land, before she looked down to her tail. She hadn't left the water in over twelve years. She had told herself that she wouldn't place a foot on land under Sirius was able to walk freely and she planned on holding onto her word. Her legs hadn't been put to use in so long, she couldn't remember what it felt like to walk, even though she had spent the majority of her life walking about.

"Thinking about leaving the waters during the upcoming moon?" Meri asked her as her head poked out of the water.

Nixie glanced over her shoulder at her mother. Meri, the mermaid was still beautiful as ever, as if she hadn't aged a day since the time Nixie entered the waters on a permanent stay.

"No.." she answered. "I don't plan on leaving the waters until...well, you know..."

"I understand, dear, but you don't have to wait-"

"No. I want to." Nixie told her. "I made the promise to myself and I plan on seeing it through."

It became quiet between the two women for a moment before Nixie cleared her throat.

"The house never changed while we were gone." Nixie called out her observation.

"Of course it hasn't. It wouldn't." Meri said leaning against the rock, allowing her tail to float to the surface of the water. "Your father would never allow it to change, he kept his magic quite handy when it came to maintaining the appearance of his home. He loved that house greatly. I remember when he bought it, second proudest day of his life, I'm sure."

"What was the first?" Nixie asked.

"The day he became a father, of course." Meri said with a smile. " Never seen a man smile more than when he held you in his arms for the first time. He was always so proud of you, everything that you did."

Nixie quickly wiped her hand over her face to wipe the tears that had fallen from just the mere mentioning of her father.

"Oh I miss him...I miss everyone. I miss the way things were." Nixie frowned. "Everyone was just so happy, even if it was for a short time. I want them back. I want them back. No matter how much time passes..I can't forget about them."

"You're not supposed to forget about them, darling." Meri said reaching a hand out and grabbing her daughter's hand. "You are never supposed to forget about the people you loved because you will always love them and as long as you love them, you never forget about them. Goodness, that was a mouthful."

Nixie chuckled before giving a little sniff.

"I've been gone for so long, I don't know what's been happening on land besides what we've heard between the ports we've traveled."

"That might be a good thing."

Since Nixie entered the waters all those years back, she traveled all over with her mother, entering the warmest of waters and the coldest of waters. Her mother saw it as a good distraction to help with Nixie's fragile mental health. The first few years were the roughest, Nixie could hardly bring herself to swim and it brought her some trouble among the other merfolk who didn't believe she belonged among them. 

They kept their distance from her with the exception of a few who were friendly with her mother. However, Meri was fully prepared to fight any mermaid or merman that gave her daughter a sideways glance. But rather than fighting, Nixie just wanted to leave, she wanted to get away from the land as possible. She forced herself to swim, and with her mother as a guide through the waters she was able to see a different aspect of the world.

There was one area that Nixie had tried to swim to multiple times, she tried to swim the waters near the Akzaban prison, but the waters even far out from the prison were dangerous enough to kill any sea creature that tried to near it.

Rather than watch her daughter meet an ill fate, Meri had to steer her daughter in the opposite direction and distract her with sight seeing.

The pain never left Nixie, and Meri was sure it never would unless everything magically reversed itself and was made right. Nixie had witnessed horrors that no young adult should have and she carried her guilt with her everyday for not being able to save all those that she loved dearly.

"Mum?" Nixie called, bringing Meri's attention back to her daughter and away from the house on land.

"What is it, dearie?"

"I miss him so much." Nixie confided her. "I can't even look at land without thinking of him...when will it ever end?"

Meri bit down on her tongue for a moment before looking down at the water.

"Oh Nixie, I-"

Suddenly, a splash in the distance alerted the two to look behind them. They saw one of Nixie's cousins, the infamous Conch making their over to them.

"I sensed you two were back in familiar waters!" Conch said brightly with a grin.

"Conch, it's good to see you." Meri greeted the mermaid.

Nixie gave a smile and nod in her cousin's direction.

"I'm surprised you're not on land, Nixie." Conch said to her.

"Why do you say that?" Nixie asked in a faint voice.

"What? You didn't hear?" Conch looked back and forth between the two.

"Hear what?!" Nixie and Meri said growing irritated together.

Conch swam back a little, intimidated by the two.

"I just..thought..well, I guess you couldn't have..."

"Spit it out, Conch!" Meri growled.

"Sirius escaped from Azkaban."

Stunned, Nixie fell back into the water but quickly emerged and swam over to her cousin. 

"What did you say?!"

"I said Sirius escaped from Azkaban. It's been the talk everywhere! Even the muggles have been warned!" Conch told her.

Nixie's spun around and looked to the shore before turning back to her cousin.

"Are you sure? Are you sure of what you heard?!"

"Y-yes."

Nixie quickly swam towards the shore.

"Nixie, where are..what are you doing?!" Meri called after her.

"If he's out there...if he's free...I'm going to find him."

"Dear..there's just one problem with that..." Meri tried to warn her.

"What's that?"

"The moon dear...you have to wait for the moon."