Ron trudged outside in a boiling temper that definitely contrasted the chilled spring air that swirled around him. He pulled his too-small jacket tightly around him as another breeze made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably. He angrily kicked the old oak tree beside the lake, only to make his toe throb. He ignored it and wished infinite times the amount of pain as was in his toe upon Lavender Brown for dumping him in front of the entire Gryffindor common room. Unable to contain his aggression, he venomously hurled a pebble at the calm, placid surface of the lake.
"Bother on all girls!" he muttered, still fuming.
Then, he collapsed on the icy grass in despair. It was bad enough being the youngest of six brothers, but to be dumped in front of all his friends when none of his brothers had ever been dumped before? That was just sad. A tear slid down his face. He had always liked Lavender, and never thought their relationship was in jeopardy.
Without warning, a soft, purplish-pink something brushed the tear from his cheek and patted his shoulder comfortingly. Taken aback, Ron bolted upright and looked around for the source of his alarm.
A lone tentacle was protruding from the surface of the lake. He jumped away quickly as he realized what it must be.
"You're the…. The… Squid!" He breathed, knowing full well that it couldn't understand what he was saying, but completely overcome with surprise.
"Actually, my name is Ariel." said the squid in a bubbly voice.
That's it. I've gone crazy! Ron reasoned. The giant squid that lives in the lake is TALKING TO ME! Well… I might as well talk back… If I'm crazy, then the damage is done. Besides, it seems friendly enough…
"Okay, squid. What's the water lik-"
"I said my name is Ariel."
"Fine, Ariel… Wait… How did you get a name? You're a squid!"
The squid gurgled for a moment, then said in an amused voice, "Because someone gave it to me!"
Ron was confused for a moment. He was very curious about the gurgling sound the squid had made, but realized very quickly that it was laughing! He berated himself for being so slow, then shook himself and asked,
"Who gave it to you?"
"An old friend… What's your name?"
Ron was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure if the squid could be trusted yet. Wait a second! He thought, This is all a figment of my imagination anyway! Squids can't talk, and there is no way that I am holding a friendly conversation with the largest resident in the lake without getting my head bitten off!
"Aren't you going to eat me?" Ron asked cautiously. It doesn't matter if it does anyway. Ron thought sullenly, I'm so upset, I wish I could die right now!
"Of course not! The only things squids eat are fish and other squids, and besides, I just had lunch."
Ron sighed heavily in a sarcastic sort of way and said, "Ron Weasley."
"That's a nice name."
"Thanks… I guess…"
"Where are you from, Ronald Weasley?"
"Umm… The… Burrow?" Ron had never really had an address… In fact, he didn't really know where he lived.
"Ronald Weasley of the Burrow… That sounds better than Ariel of the lake." the squid sulked.
"No, your name sounds better… Hey, are you sure you aren't going to eat me?" Ron asked.
"Of course not! Number one, I wouldn't have any friends if I just went around eating people left and right, and I'm sure you wouldn't either if you did, and number two, my food needs to be small enough to fit into my beak for me to eat."
"You have a beak?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Yes, I have a beak!"
"Prove it!"
"….. No, I don't think you want to see me."
"Yes, I do!"
"No, you don-"
"Oh, Please?"
The squid paused for a moment, then relented.
"Oh, alright. But don't hate me because I'm not pretty like all the other girls up at the castle; I am a squid… And is there anyone but you up there?"
"No, there isn't…" said Ron truthfully, though he wished there was so they could prove that he was completely insane.
"Alright. Stand back." And the tentacle disappeared under the surface of the water. Ron quickly obeyed the squid's order. For about a minute, the lake's surface was completely calm, and Ron wondered if his imagination would continue to invent new things. After about fifty seconds, he decided to go back to the castle, completely convinced that his imagination was finished conjuring up the new scenario. Just as he was turning around, a huge tidal wave rushed toward Ron, stopping just before him, inches away as a huge blob of purplish-pink broke the picturesque surface of the water. It washed up partially on shore, and spread apart its huge tentacles to reveal a yellow, birdlike beak. Then, it slowly lowered its eight sucker-covered tentacles and sank down into the water again, leaving only its head exposed. Its large, amber eye gazed at Ron as it said in a clear voice,
"Told you."
"Yes, I think I believe you now." Ron said, completely aghast.
The light around them was fading, and as Ron glanced at his watch, he realized he should be inside. "I have to go, now." He said.
"Oh," said the squid with obvious disappointment in her voice, "okay. Until we meet again, Ronald Weasley of the Burrow." And her magnificent mantle descended into the depths of the inky-black water.
ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL
The next day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went through their classes with nothing eventful happening. Finally, when all their subjects were through, and they only had a little bit of homework, Harry asked,
"Why don't we all go down to the lake and do our homework? It's not nearly as cold as yesterday was!"
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea!" Hermione agreed happily.
"NOOOOOOOO!!!!" Ron screamed in a strangely feminine voice, and he tried to bolt toward the library. Harry barred the way.
"What on earth is wrong with you, mate?" He inquired, confusion evident in his voice, "Yesterday, you suggested we go down to the lake, but Hermione said it was too cold!"
"But… But-But… But…." Ron sputtered helplessly, "It'll EAT ME!"
"What'll eat you, Ron?" asked Hermione, frowning.
Ron looked around surreptitiously, as if to scope their surroundings for eavesdroppers, then whispered in a barely audible voice,
"Ariel!"
Hermione laughed as if he was joking, but quickly stopped at the terror-filled look on Ron's face.
"Oh, come ON! You aren't trying to tell me that you're afraid of some girl?!?"
"…. You don't understand! She's… big!"
Hermione frowned dangerously.
"You aren't going to like a girl because she's fat?"
Ron flinched; he hated when Hermione's voice grew icy like that. It scared him almost as badly as the squid.
"Not fat! No! I would never call a girl fat! Just big!"
Hermione sobered.
"Well, we'll just see about this fear of large girls."
"NO!" Ron shrieked again.
"Harry, drag him down here."
Harry paused, obviously confused. One could obviously read his thoughts that this might cause dispute between his two friends, but he obeyed. Ron flailed powerlessly from over Harry's shoulder. Hermione grinned with satisfaction, but that very same grin slid from her face as she looked over the grounds; only a handful of people were outside, and most of them were first years. Hermione frowned.
"Is she out here, Ron?"
Ron remained silent.
"Ron! Answer me!"
"Yes." Ron squeaked.
Hermione squinted all around, but she could not find the source of Ron's trepidation. She sighed and said, "She isn't out here. I'll find her, though!" and she stalked off. Harry let Ron down and said,
"Wait. Before you run, please show her to me."
Ron looked at him with fear in his eyes that Harry hadn't seen there since their journey into the forbidden forest and their run-in with acromentulas.
"Fine. But you have to come down here when there isn't anyone else here at all. Come down to the lake tonight at 11."
ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL
Harry sat in the common room from 9 to 11 that night, and around 10, the seconds seemed to grow longer and longer until each passing second seemed like an eternity. Finally, at 10:30, he went upstairs to the dorm, practically yanked Ron who was hoarsely whispering, "It isn't 11 yet!" straight out of bed where he seemed to have been bracing himself.
"There isn't anyone out there!" Harry whispered back, "and I'm dying to know who Ariel is!"
"Oh, fine," Ron grumbled, "I suppose you wouldn't be able to sleep until you saw her anyway."
Harry grabbed his invisibility cloak and his firebolt and headed to the window. Wrapping his cloak around his broom and putting disillusionment charms on both of them, Harry pulled Ron onto the broom behind him and asked,
"To the lake?"
"To the lake." Ron replied.
"So this Ariel," Harry continued, "Is she good-looking?"
Ron snorted in a sarcastic sort of way.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Nothing… You-… You'll see when we get there."
They finally landed beside to the oak tree overlooking the lake. Strangely calm, Ron walked over to the edge of the lake where his shoes were in the water, but weren't really getting wet, picked up a small stone, and cast it as far into the middle of the lake as he could. Harry watched in confusion. Suddenly, a cascading, rippling voice sounded from the lake, calling,
"Ronald Weasley of the Burrow? Is that you?"
"Yes, and my friend, Harry Potter."
"You brought another?"
"Yes…" Ron answered, somewhat rattled, "He's my best friend, and I enjoyed your company so much last night, I couldn't help but share the joy."
"Are you sure he's safe?"
"Yes, Ariel. He is safe." Ron assured the voice.
"Alright. Step back."
Ron swiftly pulled Harry away from the shore as Harry watched the progressing scene in amazement. The serene surface of the lake now yielded to an immense source. A large crest projected from the water before them, and a large, amber eye glittered playfully as it watched Ron who was fidgeting uncomfortably.
"How was your day, Ronald Weasley of the Burrow?" said a shining voice.
"Alright, I guess… Yours?"
"It was all right. I missed your presence, though." The eye turned to Harry. "Where do you hail from, oh Harry Potter?"
"Ummm…"
"Where is your home?"
Harry considered this question for a moment; he had never really had a place to call home. This had been his home more than anywhere else.
"Hogwarts." Harry answered firmly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter of Hogwarts. I am Ariel of the Lake."
ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL
Hermione was confused beyond belief. She had hunted down every Ariel in the castle and found from the school records that there were only two and that they were both younger than 3rd year.
She frowned, obviously frustrated. It had been years since she had failed to find what she wanted in a book, and it baffled her. She had sought out both the "Ariel" s in the castle, and both of them were rather petite. She sighed heavily. She just wished she knew how to chew Ron out this time.
ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL
"Well, that certainly was interesting, mate." Harry commented as they flew through the deserted castle, "But why were you so scared of her when Hermione agreed to going out to the lake?" Ron grinned sheepishly at this, and said,
"To confuse her. I knew she would consult the library in her time of need, and I knew she wouldn't find it. Mark my words; as soon as we set foot in the common room, she is going to ask me about Ariel."
"Will she ask before that?"
"No!"
"How much do you want to bet?" Harry asked as he glanced down at the hidden marauder's map.
"Three knuts."
"It's a deal." Harry said, "She's coming now."
They whipped past Hermione in a flurry of voice and wind. Hermione scowled and yelled at their retreating forms,
"So where have you been, and who is Ariel?!?"
"Three Knuts, please." said Harry, beaming,"And I think Ariel likes you."
"No, she doesn't!"
"C'mon! She was flirting with you that whole time, and I could tell that she was only holding back because I was there. Ron looked suddenly disgusted, and Harry wondered if he'd gone too far.
ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL- - - - - - - ARIEL
Ron didn't visit Ariel of his own free will anymore, but whenever he was sitting by the lake when no one else but Harry was around, the squid would say something like,
"Hello, oh strong one." Or,
"Hello, good-looking one."
He was rather getting tired of it, and he avoided the lake as much as possible, but it didn't help that the lake was his only retreat. Ariel was always there if he had a bad day, but her ad infinitum (Latin: to infinity) flirting was really starting to annoy him.
One night after a particularly icy spat with Lavender, whom he still had not forgiven, he found himself again scowling and trudging out the castle doors. It was a crystalline night with shimmering, winking stars and a velvet-black sky with no clouds in sight. Ron sighed as he realized he truly missed Lavender's company. He had actually found the pain of earth's constricted life1 a bit more tolerable with her by his side. He crumpled onto the ground now littered with the daffodils and dandelions that spring will forever bear on bended knee to the soul in dire need of peace. After a few moments, a voice like a fountain interrupted his lonely thoughts of despair and bitter tears, murmuring,
"Are you alright, Ronald Weasley?"
Ron considered the question for a moment. Should I answer truthfully or lie and say yes? Well… He concluded, Even if I lie, she'll see straight through it as she often does.
"No." He replied.
"At least you're being honest for once."
"Hey!" He replied, "You're being really unfair! I am honest almost all of the time!"
"Of course. You ALWAYS tell the truth because I NEVER have to pull it out of you!"
Oh, brilliant. Just what I need! Another fight! He thought, abashed, to say the least. He had never considered his own unfairness and deceitfulness toward Ariel. He paused for quite a while, then said in a downcast voice,
"You're right. Painfully right. I'm sorry." And as he looked into the big, amber eye that he had known so long, he saw a flicker of gratitude.
"Thank you… Ron."
Ron looked both surprised and pleased. He nodded and said,
"No. Thank you."
And as he walked up to the castle, gazing at the beautiful heavens, he thought, Perhaps Ariel of the Lake isn't so bad after all.
THE END!
::AN:: PHEW! Thank heaven that is over! I have been working on that one since… Well… My friend, Anna, ( and I had the idea. And I think that was probably several months ago: D I'm just glad it's DONE! Hope you enjoyed it! Please R&R. Thanks and TOODLES!
Cheesie
1 Excerpt from Foust Written by Goethe (pronounced "Ger-ta"), a German writer of the late 1800s.