March To The Sea - George Weasley ✔️

- 0 2 - CHARLIE

LORELEI DID NOT WAIT, HOWEVER. She quickly dived back into the water and left the two boys staring at her tail as she left. She knew she couldn't return any time soon. They would tell their parents and would try to kill her. She saw their wands. She knew they were wizards. Her mother said to never trust a wizard.

Brizo gave her a look as if to say I told you so when she returned to her cove that evening. He must have still been near.

She yearned to go back in the following days. There was a force that she didn't know or could control that pushed her tail toward that pond again. So, after waiting a week, she decided to give it a try. The force pulling her to that home was strong, and she knew her mother wouldn't understand it. It felt like a witch problem.

When her head surfaced the water, she blew out a breath when she saw no one there. Well, for a moment at least.

The boy she knew as Charlie came out of the home toward the pond. His eyes widened when he saw her and he ran toward her. She knew this time she couldn't leave. She held too much curiosity for the family. This would for sure get her killed and de-scaled.

Charlie made it to the pond, and not even a few moments later the twins ran out as well. Once the three red-heads were panting by the edge of the shore from running, the eldest of the three gave her a small smile and wave.

"Hi," he said amazed to be standing in front of a real mermaid. He loved studying creatures. He knew she was more human than those beasts he studied, but he was still fascinated.

Lorelei nodded her head in greeting but said nothing.

The twins gave each other a look before glancing at Charlie. One of them questioned, "Can mermaids speak, Charlie?"

The other asked, "She won't attack us, right Charlie?"

These two seemed to look up high to their brother.

Lorelei scoffed but held a smirk on her lips similar to her mother's. She lifted her body enough to show her whole head, but not enough to show her chest. "I am not mute, nor will I harm any of you. I'm only observing," Lorelei replied making her voice as clear and confident for an eleven-year-old as she could.

Charlie kicked off his shoes and sat down with his feet in the water. "Fascinating, you are. You don't look like the mermaids I've read about. Most have golden hair. What's your name?"

The twins copied their brother's actions to sit.

"You haven't told your mother or father about me, have you?" Lorelei asked ignoring his question.

The twins furrowed their eyebrows. She noticed then that one had darker eyes than the other. The one with darker eyes asked with fear in his tone, "No. Why are you worried about that?"

"Which one are you? Fred or George?" she questioned instead, once again diverting the topic away from her.

The darker eyes looked amazed as he said, "Fred. How'd you know our names?"

Charlie grinned a bit. "You've been watching us for a while, have you?"

Suddenly, Lorelei felt a tug on her tail again. She groaned and picked up Brizo from his temper tantrum against her tail. "Brizo, what? I'm making friends." The crab did not look amused. "They aren't going to hurt me. Are you, boys?"

The three shook their heads looking even more amazed about the girl speaking to a crab.

Charlie asked if he could hold Brizo. Brizo shook his head indignantly and jumped back into the water.

"Sorry about him. He's very...er--Protective?"

The three boys laughed making Lorelei feel at ease.

"Well?" George, the lighter eyes, asked. "What's your name?"

"Lorelei."

Charlie grinned and took out a notepad he had brought with him. He wrote some things down making Lorelei feel a bit frightened. Fred snorted at her fearful glance. "Charlie is into all types of creatures, beasts, and breeds. Don't mind him."

"Am I a beast?"

Two of them chuckled as George said quickly, "No!"

Charlie looked at her with a curious glance. "Why is your hair different?"

"I'm not a full-blooded mermaid," Lorelei said but didn't say anymore. She hadn't trusted them fully. What if they tried to kill her if they knew she was a part witch?

"Brilliant. What are you half?"

Lorelei had said too much. She shook her head and gave them a smile. "Goodbye Fred, George, and Charlie."

"Where are you going?" Fred asked before she could disappear.

Lorelei smiled at them. They looked frightened that they had scared her off. "My mother will be wondering where I am. Not safe to wander being what I am."

"Will you come back?" Charlie questioned.

Lorelei nodded and dived back in the water giving them a glance at her tail while simultaneously splashing them.

Charlie's amazed look didn't falter. He looked at his twin brothers and smiled at their faces, too. He patted their backs. "We can't tell mum and dad, yet."

"What? Why not!?" Fred questioned. He wanted to tell everyone they had met an actual mermaid. Ron would be so jealous.

"She was frightened after she let slip she was a half-breed. Obviously, she doesn't want people to know."

Fred and George let their shoulders sag at the news. They wanted to tell all of their friends. Who would care if she was a half-breed? They were considered blood-traitors, but they didn't care.

Charlie smiled and looked back at the water to see the girl floating a bit under. He gave her a wave to which she only left the pond completely.