LATIBULE - F.WEASLEY

24

Maggie clamps the egg closed for the third time, her ears ringing from the ungodly shrieking that fills the small bubble she had enchanted around herself and Fred. She recognised the shrieks but couldn't place them, which is why books were sprawled all over the table in front of her.

Her eyes scan the books, absorbing every word, trying to find a single hint of what the noise in the egg could be. She blinks as her eyes sheen over and images flicker before her. The Black Lake, mermaids, the egg underwater and a soft melody filled her ears.

The witch blinks as the room comes back into focus, the books still lay open before her. The answer to her questions relied on water, the egg needed to be underwater.

"MERMAIDS!"

Fred startles from his sleep, head resting on the table as drool trickles from his mouth. He wipes at his mouth as Maggie grabs a book, her energy reinvigorated.

"What?"

"The Black Lake, selkie mermaids inhabit it," Maggie explains. "They can speak but only below water, above water, they shriek. We learned about it in history of magic, Cheif Elfrida Clagg refused to accept merpeople as beings under her definition of the term as those who could "speak the human tongue". She thought Mermish to be inadequate as it could not be understood by creatures unless they were also underwater"

"You listen in History of Magic?" Fred asks. "That's a snooze lesson"

"I actually do my assignments," Maggie retorts. "And they've clearly come in handy because it's helped me figure out this dreadful noise"

"So it has helped one person during its entire existence on the curriculum," Fred rolls his eyes.

"It helped Harry, Ron and Hermione with the Philosopher's Stone," Maggie replies, flicking through the book she had grabbed on mermaids and their differing traditions and how to prevent offending them. "It helped Hermione figure out that the creature in the Chamber of Secrets was a basilisk-"

"I get your point," Fred raises his hands in surrender. "Occasionally, History of Magic can be some semblance of useful"

"I'm glad you agree," Maggie murmurs, her eyes scanning the pages. "Considering I'm always right"

"Sure," Fred rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say, sweetheart"

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Maggie pushes open the door to the Prefect's bathroom, Fred in tow. They had received the password from Cedric after much pestering from the pair.

The witch peels her top off before shimmying her trousers down and Fred quickly follows suit. The witch steps into the water and she instantly feels her muscles relax, washing away the tension in her body.

"Oh wow," Fred murmurs, tipping his head back as the water coats him.

Maggie places the egg below the surface of the water before taking a breath and dipping below the surface. The witch carefully twists the top of the egg and it falls open, a haunting melody filling her ears.

"Come seek us where our voices sound. We cannot sing above the ground. And while you're searching, ponder this: We've taken what you'll sorely miss. An hour long you'll have to look. And to recover what we took. But past an hour - the prospect's black. Too late, it's gone, it won't come back"

"Well?" Fred asks when Maggie resurfaces.

"Vague and cryptic," The witch sighs, shaking her head. "Something I'll sorely miss will be taken and I have an hour to recover it"

"Something you'll sorely miss?" Fred asks. "What could that mean?"

"Like I said, very vague and cryptic," Maggie shrugs. "It could quite literally mean anything. Animate or inanimate"

"Animate?" Fred asks. "Like people?"

"It's definitely more of a motivator than an item that can be replaced,"

"So it could be me?" Fred wiggles his eyebrows.

"I doubt they'd put students in the water. Even in a some form of stasis,"

"It's Dumbledore," Fred replies. "Is it really that far of a reach that he'd put some students in a form of danger?"

"You're right," Maggie rolls her neck. "I guess we'll find out on the day"

"I'm hoping I'm not the most important person to you," Fred states. "I'll be all wrinkly if I'm under the water for an extended period of time"

"Not to mention some of the fish might take a nibble,"

"I am tasty or so I've been told,"

"Who the fuck has told you that?"

"Language,"

"Oh fuck off,"

"Go to the ball with me?"

"Fuck of- Wait, what?"

"Will you, Maggie McKinnon, go to the ball with me, Fred Weasley?"

"I guess you're not too bad but I expected some fireworks or flowers. Lee told me to expect big things,"

"You hit me in the face with a pipe, you should be grateful I'm even asking you at all,"

"Are you still holding that against me?"