Ryn_
As she tentatively reached her hand out to the water, it shifted as if wanting to feel her touch. The very tips of her fingers made contact with it, and a cool sense of comfort spread through her hand; like the water was safe. On the inside of the water bubble luna smiled and beckoned.
Luna, too, had been one of Ryn's closer friends. Given Ryn's...family situation, the people in her year had tended to tease her. Most except for the twins, that was, who had been her best friends. She'd fit in better with the younger years whose minds were more open. Luna often wandered the halls with Ryn at night, talking with the lonely ghosts and finding all manor of creatures.
So, for all that, when Luna beckoned, Ryn answered. She stepped through the water and re-emerged on the inside, and it was heavenly.
Inside the bubble of water, mer-music echoed. It was enchanting and soft paired with the delicate moonlight that shimmered amongst the water ripples. Below, under the water skin, the mermaids swam past with their tridents in hand. A few would make eye contact before continuing on their midnight swim.
"Wonderful, isn't it?"
Luna said, and Ryn nodded without looking up, still caught on the sight. Others began to step in, and all had the same reaction.
Before long all had stepped through. The bubble expanded enough to about the size of half the great hall in the castle, and people gathered in groups. Ryn was talking quietly with George when Trelawney said,
"Now, we begin!"
She exclaimed, her hands in the air and shivering for emphasis. Ryn furrowed her brows in slight confusion, and Luna stepped to her side and whispered,
"Be careful for this next part, I'd be quite sad if you fell through and the mermaids got ahold of you."
It made sense, Ryn supposed, that Luna alone knew what was going on. Trelawney stepped aside with McGonagall, and not three seconds later did everyone see what the former was talking about. The mer-music suddenly picked up to a much faster and stronger pace, and Ryn felt her heart begin to pulse to its beat. Adrenaline raced through her veins as the sound flowed through her. The kind she only felt when she was diving through the air on her broom, hand outstretched to catch the golden snitch. It immediately made her breathing speed up, and George looked down at her, a look in his eye she couldn't quite place. His breathing was heavy as well. His chest expanding in large huffs.
Suddenly the music hit a short rise and her foot involuntarily moved forward, as if she were about to dance.
Beside her, Ginny suddenly dashed forward, hand in hand with Harry, and they danced together. It was fast and matched the pace of the music, or rather, singing. They laughed and beemed as they spun and turned. Others joined them quickly.
Without thinking she grabbed georges hand and pulled him into the flurry.
He let out a surprised yelp but went with her.
Behind him, Fred narrowed his eyes a fraction.
Ryn spun in a wide circle with George before laughing at his expression. He was wide eyed with a grin, as if he might have a lot of energy but not know what to do with it. So she giggled again and spun, closing her eyes this time.
She didn't know what the mermaids were saying, but it was wonderful. She tilted her head up and spread her arms, a feeling so light and joyful spreading through her. She wanted to stay here forever. Maybe she could. Suddenly, a tight feeling began to coil, and she opened her eyes to look down. A rope was wrapping itself around her ribs, slowly coiling, and the other end trailed off somewhere into the crowd.
She didn't care. Why would she? It was so nice in here. She had all the energy in the world and the most beautiful music to dance to.
She'd locked arms with Luna was about to turn in a tight circle when the rope around her chest suddenly gave a powerful tug.
She paused to look down at it and frowned.
Ryn shook it off and continued with Luna, laughing with her friend and dancing like partners. The rope wouldn't give up.
Tug, tug, tug, it went.
It got stronger and stronger each time it pulsed, to the point where she wasn't strong enough to fight it. Slowly, it weaved her through the crowd, and soon she was in the centre of people. They all smiled and swayed to the enchanting music.
A circle formed, and everyone clapped and stepped to the rhythm as people would step in and out of the middle.
Unintentionally, her eyes found Fred, standing across the circle with his brother, both clapping and grinning ear to ear. Only then did she realise that everyone had the same rope wrapped around them. Some had it on their legs, others hips, some even loosely around their necks. Fred's rope was around his torso, tightly.
George pushed his brother forward with a powerful shove.
Fred didn't seem to mind.
Not as he called out Angelina, and she gladly jumped from the crowd to take his hand. He spun her around and brought her close, doing a sped up mockery of the Yule ball waltz.
A sudden spike of jealousy exploded in her stomach at the sight and she was thrown back to her fifth year.
~~~~
The study hall was quiet but packed. Ryn sat with Hermione, quietly pointing out subtle mistakes in the younger witches notes on potions and divination.
Hermione scratched her head and huffed, scribbling out something and fixing it. Ryn smile supportively and whispered,
"Don't worry, it's child's play once you understand. If you look here-"
She cut herself off as something caught her eye, and she looked up. Down the table, she saw Fred throw a paper ball at Angelina and then act out a dance. She tucked her hair and smiled, nodding to him.
Ryn sat up straighter as Fred chuckled and then winked at Ron.
"Did Fred just ask Angelina to the Yule ball? I had no idea he even liked her."
Hermione whispered, and Ryn slouched, looking back to her own notes.
"Neither did I..."
Hermione frowned sympathetically, and went back to study. Ryn couldn't help the way she was feeling, even if she didn't know why she was feeling that way.
"Oi."
Someone whispered, and she looked her her shoulder. It was George.
He was leaning back on his seat, flicking his long hair out of his face.
"Yes?"
She whispered, and he said,
"You alright?"
She hesitated, but nodded. George glanced at Snape as he patrolled the hall before saying,
"Got a date to the Yule ball?"
Ryn glanced down the table, at the girl who had been Georges date. A pretty thing, with fair skin and dark hair.
"Don't you have a date already?"
He glanced at the girl who he'd previously asked, and shrugged innocently.
"Think she'd rather go with someone who...she actually wants to go with. Plus, we're great friends! It'll be great."
Ryn paused for a second, then weakly smiled.
"Sure. I'll go with you."
"Wicked."
He said, and hissed quietly when Snape smacked a book harshly over his head. Ryn immediately went back to her books to avoid the professor.
~~~~
Ryn's clapping slowed as she watched Fred lift Angelina into the air. The spit of jealousy in her gut flared hot red.
She swallowed, the adrenaline suddenly faltering in her blood.
Fred looked so happy, so comfortable dancing with Angelina. Like she was so familiar to him.
Ryn took in a deep breath but kept up her clapping.
"Looking at Weasley?"
Someone said, and Ryn snapped her head to the side to see who it was. Ryn blinked, shocked, and said,
"C-Cormac!"
He grinned and tilted his head. She'd graduated a year before him in school, but they were the same age. She'd only been a year above because her parents had put her into school early.
And she...may or may not have had a fling with him before she'd realised she liked Fred.
Cormac looked between her and Fred before saying,
"Well, come on then!"
"What?"
"You're going to tell me that seeing those two doesn't kick you in the gut?"
She paused, then looked back to Fred and Angelina. Maybe it was the weird music that was like a drug in her system, but she threw her hands up and said,
"You know what? It does! And I wanna dance with someone who wants to dance with me!"
He grinned,
"Good, then! Let's go!"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the circle, she followed him with a laugh. He held both her hands and danced like a happy idiot, and she laughed at him.
He stepped out and spun her as the singing began speeding up. It got higher and faster until it felt like it was coming to a climax.
The rope around her chest gave another insane tug and she tripped backwards, letting out a surprised yelp. Cormac laughed, though he stopped when the rope around his leg tugged him sidewards, spreading his legs until it looked like he was about to do the splits.
Ryn giggled. The breath was knocked out of her as the rope yanked again, this time so hard she almost fell.
She'd just straightened herself when the singing suddenly stopped and the rope gave one last final pull. Her back slammed into someone and held her tight.
Whoever they were, they were much bigger than her, and she breathed heavily to catch her breath. Everyone else seemed to have paired up as well. Everyone was tethered to a partner.
She tried to turn around, but the rope wouldn't budge. So instead she looked down and grasped their hand.
It was large, so big it dwarfed her own, and lightly freckled.
"Oh, jesus..."
She whispered, realising who exactly she was attached to. Fred had a similar reaction,
"Blimey..."
The rope evaporated into the air after a few seconds and freed them both. Immediately, she stepped away from him and cleared her throat. He looked just as uncomfortable and embarrassed as he ran a hand through his hair.
Trelawney clapped enthusiastically.
"Well done, everyone! Now, let us head back and-"
She said something else, but Ryn had no chance of hearing it. Her focus was pinned solely on the man in front of her. For some reason her fall into jealousy hadn't left her, and she was still upset over seeing Fred with his hands on Angelina.
"Dissatisfied, I bet."
She said, with a slight sneer in her voice. He cracked his neck and glanced over at Cormac,
"The feeling is mutual, 'I bet.'"
She scoffed and stepped closer, he held his ground. Fred crossed his arms and leant down slightly to whispered in her ear,
"Really? McLaggen? He'd sooner pull that silver spoon out of his ass than have honest intentions towards you."
She pulled back and looked at him, wide-eyed. Squaring her shoulders she whispered,
"And you're so much better? Prancing like that with Angelina? You looked quite happy with her-"
"You know we're just friends."
"Please."
He arched an eyebrow, a hint of challenge in his eye. Ryn shook her head at him and made her way for the barrier of the bubble again.
"If you say so..."
He said, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Her hands balled into fists at her sides and her nails bit into her palms.
Let it go, he's just baiting you.
She let out a slow breath and kept walking.