In The Water

Mermaids

I held her in my arms as I walked into the ocean. She wasn't conscious or breathing. We were chest deep when her fins had come out completely.I lowered my arms so that she was mostly under water. The water was cold from the storm and there was debris everywhere. She began breathing and she had quit shaking in my arms.

"Come on baby, wake up." I dipped my head and kissed her forehead.Her eyes open. They were glowing a bright cinnamon shade and didn't have the same warmth they normally do.

"Cedric?" She looked around then back to me confused."You hate the ocean."

"But I love you." I kissed her softly and she smiled against my lips. "Feeling better my love?" She nodded and wiggles out of my arms to swim.

"Thank you." She dove under and swam under the water around me. I watched her dance under the waves in fascination. She re-emerge behind me and wrapped her arms and leg around me.

"I felt like I couldn't breathe." She rested her head against my back.

"I know baby, I know.For a few minutes there you weren't." I patted her hand and brought it to my lips. We remained like that for awhile, her clinging to me and me trying to stay in the present. She unhooked her legs and let go of me. "Hermione sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Something's different." Her hand dragged across the surface of the water. I reached for her and she acknowledged me but kept walking forward towards the open water.

"Darling let's go inside, your mum is worried about you." I reached for her again but she brushed me off. She kept moving forward. The water was up to her shoulders and she was still moving like she was in a trance. 

"Hermione." I walked a few steps towards her and grab her shoulder. She turns and hisses at me, her teeth almost looked sharpened. Her eyes glowing a brighter nearly orange color. I put my hands up and take a step back. "Baby come back to me."
She shook her head and the glow from her eyes dims. I watch her run her tongue across her teeth, they had lost their sharp look.  She rushed into my arms and buried herself into my neck.

"I'm so sorry." She started shaking again and I wrap my arms her. I begin to slowly back us back to the shore when I heard a low growl. I look down to check on her but she was still clinging to me.

"Love, You okay?" She nodded and looked up at me.

"That wasn't me." She whispered. She let go of my neck but grabbed my hand as she faced the ocean again.  I continued to back us up towards the beach.  "Cedric?"

"Yes my love." Her grip tightened and she back up against me.

"I'm scared." I turned her around and picked her up. She wrapped herself around me and put her head in the crook of my neck.

"I'm here my love." I whispered and started to fight the waves back to the shore.

"Mine." A low voice growled from in front of us. A man with white hair and glowing blue eyes emerged. He snarled at me with pointed teeth. Hermione grip tightened around my neck. Her eyes screwed shut.

"No." She whispered in my ear. I hold her tighter and keep walking backwards towards the shore, the water had receded to my waist but the man kept walking towards us.

"Sir, back up." I calmly say, he doesn't acknowledge me just keeps staring at Hermione. His arm is now exposed. Fins. Bright blue, they seem to be more fan like then hers.

He growled again and began walking towards us at a faster pace. I look behind and see Potter walking towards the beach. He sees the other man and runs towards us.

"Hermione,I'm going to put you down now. I need to you to run to your brother okay." She looks up at me and nods.

"I trust you." She kissed my cheek as she slide down my body. I kiss her forehead.

"Run baby." I whisper pushing her behind me. She nods and begins running towards her brother. I stay in front of the man with my arms outstretched.

"Mine." He growled again and began to move towards her.

"I got her." Harry yelled out.

"Get her inside." I yelled back not breaking eye contact with the man.

He growled again and tried to charge past me. I pushed him back. But damn he's strong.

"Calm down." I yell as he gets ready to charge again. He snarls and charges. I catch him by his waist and toss him to the side. He begins to circle me like a shark. His eyes glowing as he stared at me.

"Mine." He hissed again.

"No." I growled back making sure he kept his attention on me. He hissed and lunges at me. I moved at the last second and elbowed him in the back as he passes me.

"She's inside." Harry was back at the shore." Need help?" No I can totally handle a crazy merman by myself. How in Merlins name did someone allow him to be a healer.

" That would be appreciated asshole." I growled as the man glared at me then him. I hear loud splashing and he appears on the other side of Harry.

"He's like her." He whispered at me.

"No shit." I said, Harry rolled his eyes.

"Mine." The blue eyed man growled again.

"Oh, yeah that's a problem. I assume he's talking about Mione?" Leave it to Harry to have a discussion while fighting off whatever this is.

"Yeah." I said in an annoyed voice.

The man hissed again after staring both of us down. He cocked his head like I've seen Hermione do, before diving under the water. We waited but he never came back up.

" This is bad isn't it." He asked, I just nodded as I stared out to the ocean.