"Fuck me...." the man groaned in pain. Josephine approached him, gripping his neck firmly and pressing him against the wall. "Who are you?" she demanded, her voice filled with authority.
"Garreth... a little help..." the man choked out, gasping for breath. All eyes turned towards him, eyebrows raised in curiosity.
"Gabriel?" Garreth questioned, still struggling to see the man's face clearly.
"You know this idiot?" Josephine asked, her voice laced with skepticism. She released her grip on him, pulling him closer to the light by his collar.
"This is Gabriel Aldridge, my mentor, the one I mentioned to you all. He's been training me to become an Unspeakable," Garreth explained, gesturing towards Gabriel. The group exchanged glances, their expressions reflecting surprise.
"Kind of loses the meaning if you 'speak' about it, doesn't it?" Gabriel retorted, spitting out blood. "But you're still slow, Garreth. All that training going to waste is going to make me look bad."
"I smelled you from a mile away, human," Josephine interjected, her voice filled with an edge. "I just wanted to see if you were stupid enough to actually try anything."
"Now, now, I come in peace," Gabriel said, forcefully pushing his way out of Josephine's grasp. "The Ministry sent me specifically to check on Alexander and Aurora, but obviously, we know how that all went down." He lowered his head slightly, a tinge of sorrow evident in his voice. Alexander had been a close comrade.
"So why were you following us?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued.
Gabriel's gaze swept across the group, pausing briefly on Ominis before he began speaking. "The Orb was stolen from the Ministry," he started.
"Which was stolen from us," Josephine declared, her tone icy.
"As I was saying," Gabriel continued, his eyes fixed on Josephine, "it was stolen, and we have reason to believe that certain threats are planning to use it for their own agenda. I need to speak with your mother about these exact threats." He concluded, then shifted his gaze towards me. "The Minister of Magic should have informed her that I would be coming as well."
"If that is the case," Josephine stepped forward, her face inches away from his, and began, "Whispered wishes, carried by the tide..."
"Ocean's magic, where desires coincide," he completed, meeting her gaze unwaveringly. Josephine locked eyes with him, a predator ready to defend her realm. When it came to the ocean, her protectiveness was fierce.
With an annoyed look, she backed off, turned on her heel and continued walking towards the end of the cave, and we followed suit until we reached the dock that I typically passed through. I distributed the gillyweed to everyone present.
"Usually, I leave any unnecessary items at this hideout and travel with my Sirens. However, this is the first time I've brought others along, so we'll have to adapt as we go," I explained hesitantly.
"As you all know, gillyweed will enable you to breathe and swim underwater, but like most potions, there is a limited duration," I said, eyeing the green and slimy gillyweed, silently grateful that I didn't have to consume it. "We'll need to consult with our alchemists to see if they can create something stronger or temporarily modify your states."
"This might be one of the most repulsive thing I've ever had to ingest," Poppy remarked, reluctantly examining her vial.
"I highly doubt that" Garreth remarked while also eyeing the gillyweed.
"Follow me," Josephine stated, stashing any unnecessary items in the shed. "We should reach our destination in a couple of hours.
They all consumed the gillyweed, only to start gagging and struggling to keep it down. It was certainly not an easy thing to ingest. As Josephine transformed into a mermaid with her beautiful yet deadly green-blue scales, everyone followed her into the crashing waves. She swam gracefully beneath the water's surface.
"Follow her into the waves. You should be able to breathe," I shouted, trying to be heard over the roaring water. Soon after, my own transformation revealed my true form to everyone. Their curious gazes made me slightly uneasy, as they were my friends. My friends dived beneath the waves followed by gills, webbed hands and feet forming on everyone's bodies.
Taking Ominis' hand, I guided him further into the ocean. "Don't worry, Omi. We won't let anything happen to you," I assured him. "I made this necklace for you, duplicating your magic so it mimics that of your wand, in case we're not around. I also added elements of echolocation to help you navigate. We can make adjustments once we're back home."
As I adjusted the necklace, Ominis' hands gently encircled my waist underwater, and his face immediately turned bright red. His touch sent a tingle through me, but I tried to focus on the task at hand.
"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned that he might be frightened or uncomfortable.
"Darling... Um... I hadn't realized... well, you're not wearing anything," he confessed, clearly embarrassed by the realization.
"Oh... I see... well, many merfolk don't bother with clothes; there's not much point, but I can make a change," I assured him. With a wave of my magic, I shifted my scales to cover my breasts, making them less exposed. However, their shape was still evident, which seemed to make Ominis even more flustered.
"I don't recall you having issues with my breasts in the piano room, Omi," I teased, playfully trying to lighten the atmosphere. I couldn't help but notice that he was struggling to hide his emotions, his face now fully flushed and his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Just then, Sebastian's voice broke the moment. "Are you two done chit-chatting? We'd like to get a move on," he interjected suddenly from behind us, and his tone sounded a bit sharp.
"Yes, he's all set now," I replied, clearing my throat and giving Ominis' hand a reassuring squeeze before diving back into the water to continue our journey.
"When are you going to stop-" I briefly heard Sebastian before completely submerging.
As we swam forward, I couldn't shake off Sebastian's jealousy. He swam beside me but seemed to keep his distance, his expression guarded. I wanted to address the tension but didn't want to cause further discomfort. Instead, I made an effort to include him more in our conversations, trying to bridge the gap that seemed to have formed. As we swam, I noticed his subtle glances and gestures.
***
Seconds by Alaskan Tapes on Spotify
(Memory/Dream)
"Sebastian, stop!" I said, my laughter echoing through the woods as he playfully chased me, trying to mess up my perfectly styled hair. I had spent hours getting it just right for a date with a visiting Durmstrang student, right in the midst of the Triwizard Tournament.
"Why is it so important that you look extra nice for this fellow anyway?" he asked, sounding annoyed but attempting to appear nonchalant.
I couldn't resist using a spell to gently knock him onto his behind. As I bent down to collect lacewing flies right beside his head, I teased, "Curiosity killed the cat, you know."
Sebastian looked at me, waiting for an answer. "I think he might ask me to the Yule Ball, okay?" I confessed, my frustration evident as I shut the jar containing the collected flies. "I've never gone to a ball before, since I usually go back home and I'm a little nervous."
I continued to collect ashwinder eggs, trying to focus on the task to distract myself from my anxious thoughts. Sebastian, who was now sitting up, seemed to sense my unease and softened his tone. "You'll be just fine, Yvaine. You're an amazing witch, and anyone would be lucky to go to the Yule Ball with you."
A small smile formed on my lips as I appreciated his encouragement.
"Do you really like this fellow?" Sebastian asked, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness as he began to collect ingredients alongside me.
"I like him enough to say yes to the ball... but it wouldn't be anything more than that since he doesn't live around here," I replied, trying to be honest about my feelings.
"There is such a thing as long-distance relationships," he said, his tone almost hopeful.
I let out a sigh, "Well, that's not in the cards for me," I admitted.
"Ever?" he questioned, his voice barely audible.
"Ever. I mean, who'd want to deal with a troll-fighting, Ranrok-defeating, ancient-power-wielding witch, right?" I said with a reluctant laugh, masking my own pain as I turned away and started searching for dittany.
As I walked away, I could sense him following me. I could feel his eyes on me, and part of me wanted to turn back and tell him how I've been feeling around him lately. But fear held me back, fear of losing our friendship and making things awkward between us. Fear of starting something that will ultimately end in heartbreak, knowing that I'm already betrothed.
"I wouldn't mind giving a crack at it," I thought I heard him mumble to himself, and my heart skipped a beat. Quickly I dismissed that idea. He couldn't possibly feel that way about me.
Trying to regain my composure, I turned back to him with a forced smile. "Come on, you slowpoke! We have three other classes to collect ingredients for," I said hurriedly, reaching for his hand and pulling him forward. Our hands stayed interlaced as we trudged through the woods and later the forbidden forest throughout the evening.
His smile and laughter were everything to me at that time. I treasured these moments of joy, especially considering the constant struggles he faced in finding a cure for his sister. Even in the midst of his pain, he managed to find happiness, and it warmed my heart.
As the sun set, we made our way back to the castle, our hands still entwined. I couldn't help but wonder what the future held for us. I wished I had the courage to tell him how much he meant to me, but for now, I cherished the friendship we had, knowing that these brief periods of peace were something to be utterly grateful for.