The Green Siren

Chapter 13

When Draco woke, the first thing he noticed was that the pale hairs on his arms and neck were tingling.

The second thing he noticed was that Harry was absent, his side of the bed already cold.

The third, and most unsettling, was that it was deathly quiet.

The sound of water sloshing against the side of the ship was only audible if he closed his eyes and listened very closely. He could hear noise coming from the deck, but it was soft, commands whispered solemnly rather than shouted jollily.

Draco's brow furrowed and he climbed out of bed, hurriedly pulling on his shoes and shirt. The air was chilly and he tugged on a coat as well before lightly making his way over to the window, trying to see outside. A dense fog obscured his view and created a gentle condensation on the glass.

Upon leaving the room and making his way on deck, he felt his throat tighten in shock.

The Siren was surrounded by the fog. Water droplets covered nearly every surface on the deck, trickling down the edges of the ship. Draco could see through it well enough to discern the entire ship, though a few feet beyond the Siren, the chilly fog thickened. It was as if they were sailing through a cloud.

While most of the crew was quietly, soberly, going through their chores, Draco saw Timber Toe and Tommo leaning over the edge of the ship, looking into the water. They were murmuring to each other, Tommo's eyes wide.

Draco made his way over to them, curiosity taking reign. Upon seeing Draco's inquisitive expression, Timber Toe nodded his head toward the water. Draco's eyes instantly widened, his brows drawing together.

The water was calm, barely moving, and was milky and shimmering. It looked like an opaque liquid metal, blending with the fog as far as Draco could see. The water, if one could even call it that, was so dense that he wasn't able to see down to the bottom, though if the Siren was able to sail on it, he guessed it was very deep.

"Where are we?" Draco asked, his voice barely louder than a breath.

"Coniunctio," Luna murmured, coming up behind Draco. She stood beside him, her orb-like eyes gleaming as they reflected the liquid. Drops of dew were clinging to her hair and eyelashes, only serving to make her look even more ethereal.

"Aye," Timber Toe said, "that cleared things right up." Tommo shot him a look.

"The Order's safe-haven," Luna clarified.

"The Order?" Draco frowned, confused.

"Harry, Harry, Harry," Luna sighed quietly, rubbing her thumb along a crab shell she conjured. "The Order of the Phoenix," Luna explained, "is thousands of years old. The purpose of the Order is to keep peace between the elements. Without it, there would be only chaos."

Draco looked at her incredulously. "And how did Harry manage to call a meeting with them? Can anyone ask to see the Order? Why haven't I heard of them before?"

Luna merely raised her eyes from the water, meeting Draco's unflinchingly. "There is much Harry has neglected to tell you, Draco Malfoy." She turned her head toward the wheel, where Harry stood, somehow looking like he belonged in the mist, on the impossible water. His hair was slicked back with the moisture in the air and his expression was unwavering, his shirt clinging to his powerful body with the mist. He looked like one of the demigods Draco's mother used to read to him about. "His type is unparalleled."

Draco pulled his eyes from Harry back to Luna. She was already watching him. "Who are his parents, Luna?"

Her eyes twinkled with knowledge. "You will find out soon enough, Draco Malfoy. Harry knows it's inevitable."