♗♗♗
"So we know it's mersong, that's confirmed." Aidan stated, earning a hum from Lizzy as she continued to scan through the book in her arms, "Y/N, what did you hear again?"
"Come seek us where our voices sound.."
"That's the Black Lake. Obvious." Hermione told as she signaled for the RAvenclaw to continue, "An hour long you'll have to look..."
"Again, merpeople, obvious." Lizzy stated knowingly, earning a hum from the bushy-haired girl, though she held a somewhat worried look, "Though, admittedly, potentially problematic."
"Potentially problematic?" Y/N scoffed, "I don't know about you but the last time I checked I couldn't hold my breath for an hour!" she yelled out frustratedly in a hushed tone, though her face quickly faltered into an apologetic one as she realised she came off a little harsh.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to come off so angry." Y/N apologised before she slammed her head down onto the opened book on the table, groaning irritatedly into it.
"Well...I had an uncle who could stick his head in a pickle jar. Ears and all." Ron chuckled, though Harry gave him a kick under the table along with a glare, signaling him that it wasn't quite the time to joke.
Ron noticed it as he let out an embarrassed chuckle, in attempt to break the awkward silence he created, "Right. Not helpful."
Hermione lips pursed together as she noticed her girlfriend's frustrated look, she comfortingly placed her hand on the Ravenclaws thigh, attempting to give her some sort of comfort to her stress, "Look, Y/N. We can do this. We'll figure it out, all of us. We've just to keep looki-"
"Mione, we've been looking all day, we practically gone through almost half of the library and still found, absolutely nothing." Y/N grumbled as she was now toying with the golden egg in front of her, "Honestly maybe I should turn into an animagus, like Uncle Sirius, don't you think, Har?"
"Yeah, maybe you should turn into a frog." Harry yawned to which Caleb nodded at, "Perhaps a goldfish."
Though, Lizzy and Hermione didn't seem to be amused as they both shot the three a knowing glare, "It takes years to become an animagus." Hermione stated knowingly to which Lizzy nodded at.
"Besides you'd need to register to be a legal animagus." she continued, the two of them held very serious looks to which only added to the Ravenclaw's amusement.
"We're joking, I know I can't just turn into a frog tomorrow morning." she told as the two girls faces flashed with slight embarrassment before Aidan decided to change up the topic, "Speaking of, isn't tomorrow you're birthday, Y/N?"
The Ravenclaw she slowly nodded, "Apparently, it is." she sighed, though she didn't seem happy about it whatsoever, "And I guess drowning alongside merpeople would be a great birthday gift, don't you think?"
Instantly, she felt a swat being sent on her shoulder as she was sent a scolding glare from Hermione, "Joking!" Y/N howled as she rubbed over her shoulder where she had been swatted.
Just then, a scarred hand reached over Y/N's shoulder and snatched the egg, instantly catching everybody's attention, it was Moody as he held the egg to the light.
"My father gave me something like this when I was a child. Played music. Beautiful thing..." her murmured lowly as his eyes were transfixed onto the golden egg.
The Ravenclaw watched uneasily as she noticed his tongue probing out in the corner of his mouth, he then placed the egg back down before he pulled out his flask.
"Hate to break up the skull session, but Professor McGonagall's asked to see you in her office." he told as he began to drink the fluid from his flask.
"Now, Professor?" Harry questioned, slightly disappointed as they were still busy trying to find a way for the Ravenclaw to breath under water, though Moody didn't shy away as he shot the raven-haired boy a serious glare.
"Right away." he stated as everybody began to rise up before he shook his head, "Not all of you, only Granger."
The Ravenclaw exchanged a puzzled glance with the bushy-haired girl who was as clueless as she is, though Y/N only gave a comforting nod as she gave her girlfriend a short peck on the cheeks, "I'll see you tomorrow then." she told, earning a nod from the bushy-haired girl, "Right."
Hermione turned towards the group and waved them all a 'bye' before she left the library, though Y/N couldn't help but frown as she watch her girlfriends figure disappear out away from the library.
"Perhaps you could help Y/L/N and her friends put back their books, Longbottom." Moody told and without saying another word he exited the library.
A sigh escaped the Ravenclaw's lips as she checked the time on her phone before glancing back to the group of friends, "It's getting late, perhaps you guys should get some rest, I'll come up with something."
Though, they didn't seem to be so pleased to take the Ravenclaw's suggestion. It seemed that Harry was more concerned at the others as his frown deepened impossibly, "Y/N, the task is tomorrow, you can't possibly do this research all by yourself-"
"I'm not, I'll go back to bed after me and Neville put back these books. As stupid as it sounds, I think I'll just see what I come up with tomorrow." the Ravenclaw interjected lowly as Lizzy let out a scoff in response, "Y/N you can't possibly be serious, you might die if you don't figure something out-"
"I'll come up with something, I always do. Besides, I wouldn't want to drown on my birthday now do I?" she retaliated knowingly as no one responded, though their faces told the Ravenclaw that they were still very concerned, "Look, I promise with whatever happens tomorrow, I'll still come back alive. I promise."
"Y/N-"
"Uh nuh, no. Now if you all won't go and get some rest, I could easily break that promise." Y/N instructed, earning a scoff from Caleb as he reluctantly swung his bag over his shoulder, "Fine. But you better keep that promise of yours."
The Ravenclaw immediately nodded as she raised her hands up to her side, "I swear on my life. Literally." she beamed as Lizzy rolled her eyes unamusingly, "You're unbelievable."
"Honestly, I don't know how I managed to live with you for 2 years." Harry scoffed, (he only stayed with Y/N during first year and on second year the Dursley's took him in due to some court rules, though he came back to live with her after third year. He blew up aunt marge.)
The Ravenclaw hummed amusingly as she started to pick up the large stacks of books on the table, "You love me, Har." she teased before she turned to Neville who already had a small stack of books in his hand, "Right I'll see you lot tomorrow. Sweet Dreams."
Just like that the group was now gone, only leaving Y/N and Neville as she turned around and noticed Neville already placing back a few books onto the aisle.
"You know, if you really like plants you'd be better off with Gashawk's Guide to Herbology. Or this one. It tells you how Mandrakes were first bred." Neville told as he handed the girl a Herbology book, though she wasn't really in the mood for it, "Thanks, Neville, but-"
"Or you like flying, don't you!" Neville cheered, "Do you know there's a wizard in Nepal growing gravity-resistant trees? The implication for racing brooms are absolutely ama-zing-"
"Neville, I don't mean to be rude, but I really am not in the mood for Mandrakes or gravity-resistant trees. I'm not in the mood to talk about plants unless, well, there's a Tibetan turnip that will allow me to breathe underwater for an hour." Y/N snapped as she slumped down onto the chair, burying her face in her palms along with a groan of frustration.
"Sorry, Nev, I didn't mean to-"
"Y/N?" Neville called out in a curious tone as the Ravenclaw lifted her gaze towards the tall wizard before shrugging, "What?"
"I don't know about a turnip. But you could always use Gillyweed." Neville stated, instantly the Ravenclaw leaped to her two feet, it was like she had won the lottery as she gripped both of her hands onto Neville's shoulders.
"Neville Longbottom. You have just saved my life!"
♗♗♗
The champions were now waiting by the viewing towers, Fleur looked imperious, oblivious to the Beauxbaton girls that were buzzing about her. Karkaroff was busy whispering something to the impassive Krum. Cedric was rolling over his neck and doing stretches as the Ravenclaw kept looking around, eager for a certain someone to appear.
Though, just in time, her face lit up as she dashed towards the tall boy, "Finally, you got it?" she questioned hurriedly as Neville nodded and handed the girl a slimy green coil of leaves that was now undulating in her palms.
She eyed the gillyweed in her palm, cringing at the thought of her having to swallow that, "You're sure about this..Neville?"
"Absolutely." Neville responded confidently as the Ravenclaw flickered her gaze between the slimy gillyweed and the tall boy, "If I eat this, I'll be able to breath underwater?"
"Absolutely." Neville replied, "For an hour?" Y/N questioned, and there it was, the uncertain expression was now flashed across Neville's face, "Well, there is some debate among Herbologists as to the effects of fresh water and saltwater-"
"And you're only telling me this now?!" Y/N seethed, earning a nervous shrug from the tall boy before she let out a scoff, she took a quick glance around the crowds, noticing her group of friends including, Harry and Ron were there, though it seemed as one person was missing.
Slightly concerned she turned back to Neville, "Have you seen Hermione today?" she questioned, though Neville on responded with a shake of his head, "Maybe she's somewhere up in the stands."
Though, before the Ravenclaw could do anything else, Dumbledore had began the announcement as she dashed back to where the other three champions were standing.
"Your attention please!" Dumbledore sounded, instantly it was silent as all's attention was now on the old wizard, "Welcome to the Second Task. Last night, unbeknownst to our Champions, something they value exceptionally was taken from them."
"That something now lies at the bottom of the Black Lake." Dumbledore stated, "Their mission this morning, is to retrieve it."
The Ravenclaw stared at the slimy gillyweed in her hands, cringing in disgust as she couldn't get herself to swallow it, though it was until Moody appeared, "Put that in your mouth. Now."
"Champions, you may begin...." Dumbledore trailed off, "Now!".
BLAM! Filch had fire the cannon as three of the champions instantly dived into the water, only leaving the RAvenclaw as she stuffed the Gillyweed into her mouth, cringing as she forced herself to chew it faster.
Finally she swallows it, and instantly felt as if she was about to throw up as she clasped her two hands onto her mouth, though before she knew it a hard slap onto her back from Moody had sent her down into the waters.
Pain was all Y/N felt as her veins on her temples erupted, her blood vessels snaked through the whites of her eyes, she released her hands from her mouth, not realising that gills were now planted onto her face, though the pain had gone away as now she could breath easily underwater.
However, she did notice her hands beginning to mutate, turning ghostly green and webbed, though she set her concentration back to the task as she kicked further into the water, her feet no longer had toes but flippers.
She glanced over to the side, several yards away she could make out Krum's paled body shimmering. Abruptly, Krum's face turned towards the Ravenclaw, but he was...grinning?
Or so it seems.
The grin began to spread hideously as his teeth lengthened into razor sharp spikes, his head mutated into the blunt angles of a shark. The Ravenclaw stared in shock before she shook herself, getting back to the task as she kicked deeper into the waters.
Y/N now found herself gliding through shimmering shafts of luminescence, passing from shadow into light then back into shadow. She had no clue what she was looking for, though the only way to find out is to..just keep swimming.
The Ravenclaw drifted deeper and deeper as bubbles were trailing from her gills. Dark velvet grasses twitched in the current, gently caressing her skin as the water grows darker.
Just then, a curious silver light flickered in the distance, catching the Ravenclaws attention as a creature gracefully and swiftly flashes into view.
The Ravenclaw just stared, transfixed to the creature before she kicked after it, its radiance was blinding as it slowly began to take shape. It was a Mermaid, a familiar mermaid the Ravenclaw recognized from the painting in the Prefect's bathroom.
The mermaid gazed briefly back, her long golden tresses drifting like smoke across her eyes, then she filted away. Y/N kicked harder as she closed the distance between them, though just then, the mermaid vanished.
She slowed down her pace a little as she glanced about, surrounding her were now black weeds that undulated eerily. Slowly, she began to drift.
Suddenly, the black weeds came apart, though it was not weeds, instead...Grindylows. They're fangs were bared as they swarmed towards the Ravenclaw, instantly she reached down her wand that was lashed to her ankle and poised it towards the swarm of Grindylows.
"Incendio!"
Just then, a jet a fiery red bubbles rocketed from the tip of her wand and strikes the swarm of Grindylows away, though there were distant raged howling which told the Ravenclaw that they weren;t the only swarm as she wheeled further into the waters, firing blindly behind her.
Finally, when the howling were no longer heard, she stayed there as she studied the rippling currents. Suddenly, one more Grindylow emerged from the shadows. Then another. And another. And one by one they appeared until it hit the Ravenclaw, she was surrounded.
Y/N kept her wands poised as she waited warily as the Grindylows began to twitch menacingly. Then, she watched as one of the Grindylows raised one of its tiny fists and shook it angrily before it darted up and away.
One by one the Grindylows vanish like ink above Y/N, just then, the same curious silver light flickered across her eyes. Instantly, she turned towards it, to find the same mermaid drifting dreamily.
She then darted off as the Ravenclaw darted after, and there it was, the same mersong was now playing.
'An hour long you'll have to look. To recover what we took. Your time's half-gone, so tarry not. Lest what you seek stays here....' the song began to trail off as the Ravenclaw sped up and followed the mermaid into a clearing, instantly coming to a halt.
'...to rot.' the song concluded.
Y/N felt her heart drop, there were four people that were drifting eerily lashed onto a shaggy rock, they're eyes were closed, bubbles trailing like pearls from their mouths.
There was a little girl, Y/N could make out as Fleur's sister, Cho Chang, Angelique and to her horror, Hermione.
Instantly, she swam forward, tugging the ropey vines that hind them aggressively but nothing happened, they were too strong and thick. She glanced over to the mermaid pleadingly but her unblinking eyes regarded her impassively through her veil of hair.
Thinking to herself, the Ravenclaw reached down for her wand, "Incendio!". A fireball jetted forth, though the vine only blackened as a red welt grew angrily below Hermione's elbow, where the fireball had hit.
She slipped her wand back into her waistband as she glanced around before something caught her eye. It was a jagged rock. Without another thought, she snatched it up and returned to Hermione and began to viciously hack at the vine.
In three quick blows, Hermione's body was now floating freely. Though, the Ravenclaw didn't think twice as she moved to Angelique, but just as she poised the rock, the mermaid swooped between and shook her head.
"Get out of the way!" Y/N commanded, though the mermaid only merely shook her head, "No! She's my friend too!"
Just then, the hair tumbled from the mermaid's mouth as an ugly snarling mouth is revealed. Y/N quickly reared back.
Suddenly, Cedric dashed out of the shadows, his face was mutating oddly in the translucent membrane that was quivering eerily around his head. He slipped out a knife from his waistband and frees Cho with a flick of the blade.
He glanced back at the Ravenclaw and tapped at his wrist, signaling to her that time was running out as he grabbed Cho and dashed out to the surface.
Just then, Krum appeared, his blunt features were twisted into the face of a shark. As his monstrous craw opened, teeth glittering dangerously over the vines that binded Angelique.
Instinctively, the Ravenclaw rushed forward and striked him directly on the snout. She could sense the angry look on Krum's eyes, though she couldn't care less as she began to hack Angelique's vine.
And just like that she was now floating free, Krum glanced at the girl curiously before she grabbed Angelique and swam away.
The Ravenclaw motioned towards Hermione and grabbed her by the waist, she began to swim up, though when she looked back a deep frown flashed through her face as she noticed Gabrielle still remained, drifting dreamily.
She knew her time was almost up as she felt the deep silts on her neck started to close, she lifted her hand and noticed the webs that spanned her fingers were now thinning. As she lowered her hand she found the mermaid regarding her coolly.
Mentally debating with herself, she came to a conclusion as she let Hermione float from her grasp and dropped her hand behind her back to bring her wand out, slashing forward, "Incendio!"
A jet of fire rocketed towards the mermaid as Y/N kicked towards Gabrielle, she scooped up the same jagged rock and with a single blow, freed her. The mermaid began to shriek horribly as Y/N looped one arm under Gabrielle and the other under Hermione as she started to swim up.
Y/N was straining mightily, the gills on her neck were barely visible as her feet were no longer flippers. The skin between the Ravenclaw's fingers had now vanished as the flesh on her neck grew smooth.
Her face was contorted in pain as all she felt was the burning sensation in her lungs, all she felt was pain, though she forcefully pushed herself despite the burning sensation.
She felt her head began to spin, her lungs began to give up on her as the surface light was now only a feet away. And with the final blow...
She had broke out to the surface, gulping desperately for air like she hadn't breathed fresh air in days. Hermione and Gabrielle began to cough as they regained consciousness.
"Gabrielle! Are you 'urt, bay-bee?" Fleur was even more fetching in anguish as she pulled her sister from the water and embraced her.
The Ravenclaw helped Hermione up to the wooden stands before she pulled herself up, instantly she felt Fleur place her hands on her face and kissed her both cheeks, which caught the Ravenclaw by total surprise.
"You saved 'er. Even though she was not yours to save." Fleur cheered out to which the Ravenclaw shook her head at, accompanied with a dismissive wave, "No..it was nothing, really."
Just then, she felt a towel being wrapped around her, along with a hand rubbing the side of her arm comfortingly. Curiously, she looked over her shoulder, a smile broke out at the sight, "Thanks, Angel, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, thanks to you.." the bushy-haired girl beamed in response, earning a soft chuckle from the Ravenclaw.
Suddenly she felt another pair of arms flung around her, "You're alive! You're alive!" Neville quavered in relief to which the Ravenclaw snickered at as she patted the boy on his shoulder, "Yes, I'm very much alive, thanks Nev."
"Y/N! Thank Merlin you kept your goddamn promise." Caleb scoffed, earning a playful shrug from the Ravenclaw, "I told you I'd figure it out, besides I always keep my promises." she stated in a matter-of-fact tone.
"You did brilliant out there, Y/N!" Ron cheered, though the Ravenclaw only scoffed and shook her head, "I finished last, Ron."
"Next to last. Fleur never got past the Grindylows." Harry stated knowingly as the Ravenclaw shot him a small smile.
"Your attention please!" Dumbledore sounded as once again the stands fell silent, "Your winner is Mr. Diggory, who showed innate command of the Bubble-Head Charm."
Instantly, cheers erupted the stands as the Ravenclaw stood up and gave the tall Hufflepuff an impressed pat on the shoulder, "Not bad. Diggory."
Though, the clearing of Dumbledore's throat had silenced the crowds once more, "However, seeing that Miss Y/L/N would have finished first if not for her determination to rescue not only Miss Granger but the others as well, we have agreed to award him second place. For outstanding moral fiber!"
The Ravenclaw stood there stunned as cheers once more roared within the crowd, she felt a lot of arms being swung around her cheering as she just stood there stunned, not wanting to believe what had happened.
"Not too bad yourself, Y/L/N." Cedric teased as the Ravenclaw rolled her eyes at, "Oh shove off, Ced."
"Guess birthday privileges are a thing huh?" Caleb chuckled playfully, earning an unamused glare from the Ravenclaw before Ron hummed in agreement, "Moral Fiber. Blimey, Y/N. Even when you go wrong it turns out right."
The Ravenclaw only let out a sarcastic laugh before she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist, along with a chin being placed onto her shoulders, "Thank you for saving me."
Y/N let out a scoff as she turned to face the bushy-haired girl, "Of course, I'll do it again if I had to." she told genuinely, "As long as you're safe and fine, that's all that matters to me."
The bushy-haired girl smiled sheepishly before she wrapped her arms around the Ravenclaw's neck, instinctively Y/N wrapped hers around her waist as Hermione sighed deeply before eyeing the Ravenclaw dreamily, "Happy Birthday, love."
"Mhm.. Happy Birthday to me." she snickered out before she pushed Hermione's lips onto hers, the sparking sensation flowing throughout her entire body at the feeling of her girlfriend's soft lips.
Despite the many times they kissed, she still couldn't get over the feeling of safeness, calmness, peacefulness the bushy-haired girls lips could provide. Everytime, her worries were just busted out the window at the feeling.
Though, there was something more in this kiss that Y/N just couldn't get..It felt a little..different.
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