A Riddle Full of Trouble.

Chapter 10: I will not go to the sea

Written by dustyrules.

Aerwyn's POV

Tom and I had become... Almost friends, although he had hardly any emotion, his witty remarks were enough to keep me company, although I sometimes dreaded the moments I would have to spend with him.

I myself graced him with smiles whenever he looked at me, which was often, in fact, he spent almost every minute with me scrutinising me. His penetrating gaze often found me in the great hall, and as I walked around the corridors, I could feel his eyes fixed on the back of my head.

He proved himself to be very useful one day, very useful indeed.

You see, boys had been lining up to sit by me for weeks in the great hall, and so far I had just chatted politely, ignored the dirty remarks and accepted the compliments.

But the boys had gotten desperate, rather like Penny Parkinson does to Tom. They were pushing each other around, yelling, and just bringing my nerves too tight.

I mean, no one wants me to end up throwing an icy cold water ball at their heads in this weather do they?

So, one day, I walked out of class, with the usual contingent of boys offering to carry my bag, walk me to my common room, and go on a date. Today there were about four or five, more than usual, and the one and only McKinnon was in the lead.

He purposely made me drop my books and my stuff flew all over the entrance hall. I turned to glare, as a nice guy named Noah Lupin collected my belongings. I thanked Noah, smiled, and gave him a giggle for good measure.

Once they had all snapped out of the spell, I had walked a few metres to the bench to sort out my bag, as I peered into the faithful satchel, McKinnon sauntered over and sat down.

"You know you want me, Aerwyn." He said.

I rolled my eyes, "Push off McKinnon!" I groaned. His smile stayed. As I stood up he put his hand on the small of my back. "Get off!" I growled.

His smirk repulsed me, how could one person be so cocky?

"So, what about that date we talked about?" He drawled,dragging out the so, I shoved him, declining.

"Hogsmeade weekend tomorrow, wanna go?"

"I said push off."

"Or would you like to just.... Kiss me?"

I lost it.

The water ball was only small, but it drenched him completely, and his suave composure was ruined. He grabbed me and shook me roughly.

To be honest, I was terrified.

I was about to blow a hole through his head when he was yanked off me, in his place stood Tom, he hit McKinnon with a sharp tap of his wand, rendering him immobile.

In the confusion, I had dropped to the floor, shocked.

Mermaids in my region were calm, loving people, no act of violence towards a girl was permitted, of course, though it was frowned upon, the fights between males were tolerated, one does not become chief without proving they can protect us. I know it seems horrible, but, after all, we are half fish. It's in our nature

The crowd of onlookers were staring at the scene. Tom literally picked me up, gently, grabbed my bag and turned to face everyone.

He revived McKinnon and, walking away, yelled behind us "if you even go within fifteen feet of her, you fucking prick, I will make sure that you'll never walk again."

He walked until we were deep into the grounds, him having walked outside, where bitter ice covered the path. I shivered, and gracefully let myself down from his arms.... Who was I kidding, I fell out, and would have broken my neck if it weren't for him.

We walked a while in silence, until I tripped, again, man, I am so much more graceful with a tail.

This time I knew I was going to face plant the rock, and just as I reached the ground, strong arms lifted me out of danger. He turned me around to face him, my nose inches away from his.

"Thank you." I breathed.


Tom POV

Her breath looked like smoke in the frosty air, my gaze was drawn to her chapped lips, still looking beautiful.

Snap out of it Tom, no, Voldemort, snap out of it.

I chuckled. Her cheeks flushed, making me laugh more.

"What?" She mumbled.

"Remember at the start of the year? You were so different back then."

She smiled slightly, "Merlin, I can't believe that was three months ago!"

My thoughts were drawn further back, back to fifth year.

I had just finished potions, and had set out to search more for the Chamber when I heard a beautiful song, it was coming from the astronomy tower. I stopped, entranced.

'I will not go to the sea without you,
not if you hired one hundred men,
To take me away to the ocean blue,
I will not go to the sea without you.
I will not go to the sea.

Though it's beautiful colours entrance me,
I shall stay away from the white crested waves,
And there I will wait for thee.
I will not go to the sea without you
I will not got to the sea.

Though my family beckons me over,
And I surely do miss my kin,
I can't bear it without you, my lover,
I will not go to the sea without you
I will not go to the sea.

But now you are with another,
And though the arrow flew true,
I won't return without my old lover,
I will not go to the sea without you,
I will not go to the sea.'

Without knowing it I had walked to the edge of the astronomy tower, ready to leap to the singer, who was fifty feet away on the Ravenclaw tower.

'I know that I have you under my spell,
My voice rings pure and true,
But I know you can definitely tell,
That I will not go to the sea without you,
So come to the sea with me.

So come to the sea with me.'

I knew even then that it must be that entrancing girl in Ravenclaw, she was the only girl capable of making me do that.

This was a flaw, it had to stop.

I came back to the present, slowly realising that her lips were turned up into a cheeky grin.

"What?" It was my turn to ask.

She giggled again, "You're so much more relaxed when you space out."

I chuckled, leave it to Aerwyn to notice such a small thing and like it.

I slowly pulled her upright and we continued walking.

"Hey, Aerwyn,"

This was it, now or never.


Aerwyn's POV

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend?"

I bit my lip, why was I so happy? I mean, this was the soon to be evil, terrifying 'Voldemort', surely he had an ulterior motif, right?

My mouth formed the words as my brain was still processing it.

"I would love to!"

Tom's POV

I smiled, nodded and kissed her on the cheek.

What the hell!

I watched her walk away dizzily, then turned to slam my head on a tree.

I created a fiend fire, spinning round and round, controlling it, the fire snapped and glared at me, sinister shapes in the growing darkness.

I turned everything for ten metres to ash then stopped the fire as abruptly as it started.

I stood in the dead clearing and let my rage flow out of my head onto a passing spider, I hadn't used the cruciatus curse for a while.

Aerwyn's POV

I desperately needed to swim, far away, to my cousins in the lake. They would calm me, we would have fun and swim.

I took in a breath of air and dived cleanly into the lake.