Oh, Merlin, Riddle

{11: Lake}

"Who's going?"

"Me, you, Astoria, Draco, Mattheo, Blaise, Alex, and Theo."

I looked at Pansy as she and Astoria dragged me through the forest.

"Really? All those boys? Just us three?"

"Stop complaining," Astoria laughed. "Come on. We're staying till after sundown. It'll be fun."

"We're getting Detention," I groaned, but Pansy just rolled her eyes.

In the distance we heard the boys. They were already in the water when we arrived, all shirtless. I sighed, turning to Pansy.

"I don't have-"

"You're stealing a shirt," she said, throwing me the first shirt she could reach. "They'll understand. Now get dressed."

She shoved me behind a tree, where I snuck out of my school clothes, and into the shirt, over my underwear.

When I came out, Astoria was already in the water, and Pansy was tying her hair up.

"Come on," she said, grabbing my hand.

I pulled away, smiling. "You go first. I'll join now."

She laughed, before running straight into the water. I looked from one person, to the other. Then I frowned. There were only six people. Knowing my group, there were supposed to be seven, excluding me. I frowned.

Then, wet arms wrapped around my body, and I was literally swept off my feet. I almost screamed, until I realized that they were carrying me to the water. So I still screamed, demanding of them to let me go. When in the water, I kept demanding of them to release me, and they did, dropping me into the water.

I pushed myself around; hair soaked and body drenched. Then I saw Mattheo laughing.

"Twat!" I yelled, splashing him with water.

He laughed, swimming forward, pushing me back, before grabbing me around the waist, holding me. Then I remembered: we were 'dating'.

For a long while we'd all swim around, have splash contests, and just laugh as the boys would have water fights. Mattheo hadn't hung around me all night, but would occasionally swim passed me, his hand grabbing mine.

Eventually the sky turned dark, and it lit with stars. Astoria, Theo, Blaise, and Pansy made their way out of the water, where they dried up, and sat looking at the bright half moon and open sky.

Draco and Alex were shallow, but still floated in the water.

Only Mattheo and I ended up being a little deep in the water. He had his arms under through mine, holding around my body as we looked up at the stars.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" He whispered into my left ear as his head rested on my shoulder.

For a moment it all felt real. An odd feeling, but a real feeling. But it wasn't. It was all a lie.

I nodded. "Beautiful," I agreed.