Song of the Sea

chapter seven

Harry knew he only had an hour, but the scenery down in the lake was so beautiful. Peaceful, but teeming with life. He remembered what it had looked like from his time in the triwizard tournament, but he had been in a hurry back then and hadn't had time to really enjoy himself. He knew that he was on a mission of sorts, but he also really wanted to just take in the shimmering beauty that was the depths of the Black Lake. A school of brown trout swam around him, tickling his shin, and he let out a bubble filled laugh, smiling from ear to ear as they disappeared in the weeds at the bottom of the lake. He made sure to steer clear of the tall seaweed like strands as he knew grindylows liked to hide in them so they could latch onto their victims with their tentacle-like hands and drown them. His body shivered as he remembered the sting of their suckers on his skin. He had almost been killed by a few of them in his fourth year.

He swam on, passing a few perch as he coasted by, watching as the light made their scales shimmer, feeling peaceful. He felt like he never wanted to leave. He turned over on his back, his arms behind his head and lazily flipped his fins. He strained to hear anything that might tell him where Draco and Zabini might be. He could hear muffled sounds coming from in front of him, farther down in the lake, so he flipped back over and swam in the direction, keeping his head on the swivel for any danger; mainly the giant squid, that thing gave him the creeps.

Harry hid in the weeds at the bottom of the lake, his eyes transfixed on the scene in front of him. He could see Blaise, obviously having also eaten some gillyweed from the look of him, and Draco, who had a fin and spines along his back. His hair was longer and his hands looked clawed, as he stroked the giant squid's tentacles. Of course he would have a giant squid as his best friend. Draco had his head thrown back in a silent laugh and he looked so majestic. Harry couldn't take his eyes off of him, so when the reeds moved around him and a shadow fell over him he didn't notice, and it was too late for him to react as a massive pike clamped onto his shoulder.

Harry screamed as pain lanced through his whole right side, the pikes teeth embedded in his skin, blood floating in the water around him. He glanced back over at the two boys and was relieved to see them swimming over this way. He tried to wrestle the pike off of him, but his time was running out and he was losing his air. He looked desperately at Draco and the rest of his air shot out of him when he saw the fury in Draco's eyes. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was his avenging angel slaughtering the pike that had attacked him.

HPDM

Draco's heart was pounding in his chest, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he swam as fast as he could, desperate to get Harry back to land and breathing again. He couldn't let him die! He burst through the surface of the water and Blaise helped him drag Harry to shore. Harry wasn’t moving and his chest wasn’t rising. He was pale and there was blood soaking into his shirt.

"RENERVATE!" Draco shouted desperately, begging Harry to wake. He repeated the spell over and over but nothing was happening.

Blaise shoved Draco away from Harry’s prone body, and Draco growled at him when he started pounding on his chest. He nearly murdered Blaise when he put his mouth on the other boys, and was about to make a move when Harry pitched sideways and vomited lake water, spluttering and gasping for air.

Draco darted forward and dragged the other boy to him, holding him to his chest.Hewas not ashamed to admit that he was crying a little, he had seen Harry's aura flicker and go out and he thought that he was gone, that he was never going to see his smile or hear his laugh again. He had been terrified that he was going to lose the boy before he even had a chance to have him.

He knew that he needed to explain everything to him, especially if he was so determined to find out what was going on and follow him again. The black lake was a dangerous place if you weren't a dangerous creature, like Draco was. That pike would have shredded him to pieces if he had been alone. It's not called the freshwater shark for no reason.

"What the Hell were you doing, Potter?" Draco hissed. "You nearly got yourself killed! And for what?".

"I needed to know what was going on with you," he gasped, clutching painfully to Draco's arms, shaking from fear and cold. Draco accio'd a blanket and wrapped him in it after drying him off and sent a heating charm at the blanket. He could feel Harry relax into him and he tightened his hold on the other boy. Blaise brought over some food and drinks and settled down next to them.

"I think it's time you explain to him, Draco," he said softly.

Draco nodded and rested his cheek against the top of Harry's head, too afraid to look at the other boy for fear of rejection or disgust.

"This summer was really long and difficult. I don't know how much you know about an inheritance, but there are several different kinds. When I turned seventeen I got mine. It was a creature inheritance and I had no idea I was going to be getting it. Father never told me and he had forbidden mother to, even though it came from her blood. At the very top of my family tree, see, are full and half blooded sirens. So, on the night of my birthday, all of my DNA burned away to be replaced with the new DNA that gives me the ability to change underwater. It was agonizing and it felt like I was on fire and my lungs felt like sandpaper. I had to crawl to my bathtub to get any relief. I had to spend a month in the pond on my property afterwards so that I wouldn't die. It was only after that I was able to change back and walk again. I didn't have any support the whole time and I was sent away when I emerged from the pond. Father couldn't even look at me, he was so ashamed. I was wandering the streets of wizard London before Blaise found me and brought me home with him. His mother had had some family that had the same inheritance, so she had no problem helping me figure things out, and now, every few days I have to come to the lake for a swim so that I don't dry up." He paused then and took a deep breath. The next part he was going to say would most certainly scare the other boy away.

"I gained a few abilities since then and I can now control water and see people’s auras…and I learned that most if not all creature inheritances come with a catch. One that seals the fate of another person with that of the creature." Harry turned his head to look up at him in confusion. Draco gave him a sad smile and looked away before continuing. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I didn't mean to ever drag you into anything that involved me. When you receive a creature inheritance, it comes with having a mate. You are my mate, Harry. You have to know that I don't expect you to do anything for me. I'm so sorry."

Harry was silent as he thought. He was confused and wasn't certain whether to be elated or furious. It seemed that no matter what, everything was predetermined or destined for him, like he had no free will, even when it came to how he felt about Draco. He sat up and slowly gathered his things. He sent a weak smile to Draco and told him he just needed to think about some things alone for a bit. Draco let out a sob when he knew Harry was too far away to hear him and curled in on himself, ignoring the world around him.