In Too Deep (Blairon)

Monster

I choked, squeezing my eyes shut. McLaggen watched me with angry eyes and when I was able to control my breathing again, he sighed, leaning against the walls of the large, dark hallway.

"S-siren?" I asked, my voice groggy. McLaggen nodded. "It explains the shape of his teeth when he eats, his appetite-"

"It explains why there were five deaths in West Bay a few weeks ago," I said. McLaggen stared at me bewildered. "What?"

"Yeah," I murmured, all the pieces suddenly clicking together like a magnets. "My coworker Ernie and I were patrolling West Bay a few weeks ago because of the deaths. At the time, everybody just pinned them as shark attacks but I knew-"

My mouth shut itself. I remembered it as if it were yesterday. Coroners shuffling out the body of the girl that had been half eaten. Ernie McMillan and I hoarding off on lookers, explaining to family and friends what had happened. I remember telling Ernie how weird it was, that the bite marks on the girl were way to sharp, straight and small to be from a shark. I'd been so confused that day. And not even a few hours later, I'd stumbled into Theodore begging for water in the surf...

It never occurred to me that Blaise was actually a killer. The rumors back on Mage Island of a monster in the water? That was him. The five dead bodies found in West Bay? That was him. Three deputies, good people whom I knew and worked with end up mauled and murdered at Finch Labs?

It was all him...

I glanced at the door leading to the sitting room and suddenly, I wasn't so enclined to go back. I was harboring I fugitive in Draco's home. A killer, who'd eaten... who'd murdered innocent people. I was trying to help a creature so inhumane that he couldn't even pass for a human if he really tried. Not with his sharp teeth, or his bright void black, sometimes sunshine yellow eyes. His gills or his tail.

I was falling in life with a monster...

I jumped out of my skin when a hand grazed my own. It was Harry. Beside him, Hermione watched me with concerned eyes, biting her lip. I felt my face. It was wet. Cormac walked away from us, back into the sitting room where Draco sat, probably still watching Blaise.

Oh, Blaise...

I couldn't see him. Not now. Thankfully, Harry knew that.

"Hey, mate. How about we drop by the precinct? I left my spare pair of glasses in my locker."

I didn't speak, only nodded and let Harry guide me upstairs. I showered. The hot water felt great on my skin after having slept on the patio. My tense muscles broke free of the cold and the steam stopped my runny nose. When I finished, I got dressed in a simple army green long sleeved shirt and some overworn black jeans, dark boots clad my feet.

When I walked into Harry's room, I was shocked to find Draco in his scrubs, combing his hair.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, surprising myself. I hadn't really planned on speaking until we'd gotten to the precinct. "Blaise can't stay on his own," Draco stated the obvious and I rolled my eyes. He rolled his own back at me. "Cormac will look after him."

I frowned at the platinum blonde. "Cormac ? First name basis already?" I asked and Draco glared at me. Though he wasn't angry. His blue-grey eyes looked more sorrowful, as if I'd just insulted one of his friends on a personal level. "I-I trust him. He's not as bad as you think," he said and I scoffed, flopping myself onto the bed.

"Well, tell him I'm not as bad as he thinks. He hates me," I muttered and Draco laughed, brushing a stray strand of snow white hair from his eyes. "He's a good guy, Weasley. He cares about Blaise. And the mers."

"The mers he hasn't even met?" I inquired and Draco rolled his eyes, glaring at me again. "I know this is shocking coming from me of all people, but maybe try having an actual conversation with the guy without trying to out testosterone each other?"

A laugh bubbled out of my throat and Draco smirked. "Fine," I sighed. "Harry and I won't be gone for long. But you need to remember, Malfoy, Cormac is still Terrence McLaggen's son. We don't know what he's capable of," I said and Draco was the one to scoff this time. His eyes had turned stormy grey now. Chills ran down my back.

"Lucius Malfoy is my father yet you trust me."

I frowned. "You're different," I said. Draco shook his head. "Am I?"

He pulled his doctor's coat on and left the room, leaving me baffled and trapped within my own thoughts.

He's not wrong, my conscious told me. I shook my head to rid the voice, but I couldn't shake loose the words that kept haunting me.

Siren.

" Am I?"

Monster