The small boat rocked dangerously as he stepped into it. More worried about his cargo than himself he stilled. Only once he sat down on the wooden bench seat did he risk pulling his wand out and lighting it. A soft light spell of his own invention, it should not draw attention from the residents of the castle – if anyone was awake this late. Severus snorted to himself, the witching hour, the Muggles called it. The only "witching" he'd be doing tonight would be achievable with a Muggle torch if he had one.
The lake was still for the most part, the winds from the shore, as he made his was across. His destination was one of the small islands that dotted the lake. Many of the islands were just rocky sandbars near the shore, but there were a few that housed some trees and miniature beaches. It was one of these that had become their meeting place.
He had first discovered the place when he was desperate to get all from his housemates, as well as Potter and his lackeys. It took too much effort for them to follow him out onto the lake, and so he found peaceful hours of solitude. The chill and potential punishments if he was ever caught were worth quiet, and his occasional visitor
He tugged the boat onto shore, tying it off to a tree, and leaving his shoes on the bench seat. He rolled the legs of his trousers up to his knees before gathering up the cargo. Picking his way over the beach to where a large rock sat beside a deep pool. He let his legs dangle in the water, setting the cargo on his lap. A wave of his wand sent a shower of sparkling lights dancing across the water like skipping stones.
Invitation sent, he waved his wand again, turning it into a light to read by and opened the book on his lap. It wasn't long before the water at his feet rippled and a headful of kinked hair appeared above the waves. Severus always suspected that it would be a wild mess of curls if it was ever allowed to dry. The moment her mouth cleared the water she was talking, so fast that instead of English it came out as shrieks.
"Hermione! Shut up! Slow down before you make my ears bleed!" He snapped, gently prodding her in the shoulder with his foot.
She bared her sharp teeth at him but took a moment before speaking again. "Sorry." She pulled herself up and rested her chin on her crossed arms which she had braced upon his knees. He made a half-hearted complaint about her soaking his trousers but she ignored it. She eyed the book he brought. "What did you bring today?" she asked, her tail twitching just beneath the surface in her curiosity.
He turned the book so she could see the cover, illuminating the words as Hermione took her time mouthing them out. She was a clever thing. Severus had not heard of many mermaids teaching themselves English, or requesting to someone to teach them how to read. To be truthful, her name wasn't Hermione. But while she was able to speak English with near fluency, Severus' attempts to speak Mermish weren't as fruitful. So Hermione it was, she had agreed it was close enough anyway.
She made a sound of disgust that drew him out of his musings. "I don't know this word, Sev'ris." She tagged a webbed finger on the word in question.
"I says 'vampires'. It's about creatures that have roots in humanity. Like werewolves and ghosts and the like." He let her flip the book open on his lap, careful not to drip on the parchment. "Do you want to read it yourself, or would you like me to read to you?"
"Oh, you read, please!" She wriggled and grinned up at him. "I love it when you read. You've got a wonderful reading voice."
He turned the light to the pages so that she wouldn't see him blush. "A-alright. 'In this world there are plenty of creatures that view humans as prey…'"