A/N: Joy! For those of you who don't know, Tainted Fire and I are totally taking the H/P world by storm…hehe…We'll have a site, a clique, a webring, a and anything else you might suggest. We will be the Queens (yes, we're both from the Digimon section, can you tell?)/Captains of the H/P realm.

Dedication: My partner in crime, Tainted Fire. I 3 you!!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, and all things from that universe are property of J.K. Rowling. I make no profit off of this, except for the pleasure of torturing my readers.

Harry stormed out of the ocean, unbelievably angry at what he had heard. They had refused his offer! He was practically giving them half of his kingdom on a platter, and they still would not accept it. He would have stomped his way back to his castle had he not seen her sunning on one of the many rocks near the shore.

All feelings of contempt for merpeople washed out of his mind as he saw her. Beautiful. Just beautiful. He grinned, and ran over to her. Her chocolate brown eyes lit up at the site of him, her land boy, running to her. The sad smile on his face though, told him that her father had not accepted the offer.

He put his head in her lap, upon reaching her, and sighed heavily.

"I wish they would grant my wish and give you your legs. I love you, and I want us to be happy together. We could start a family…I've never had a family before…" his eyes misted slightly at the though. Even at his 22 years of age, his parents death still haunted him so.

His father, bravely going into battle at the front, not lingering behind like a coward, was one of the first struck down by a vastly underestimated army. His mother, upon hearing the news, barely survived in her grief, living only by doting upon Harry. When he was three, she died from the spear of one of the knight armors in the corridors. It was still not known if she purposely walked into the spear, if she was so fatigued she just didn't see it, or if she had been pushed into it by a malevolent spirit in the castle. The entire kingdom mourned their queen's death, and her younger sister Petunia, an ugly woman, with an ugly heart, was brought in to take care of Harry until he was 16 and able to take the throne for himself.

Drawn out of his memories by the caress of the woman who ruled his heart, his green eyes looked up to her expectant face, and planted a kiss square on her nose. Obviously upset at the less than passionate action, her small nose turned up and away from his face.

"Baby, I'm sorry, but I have to go back to the council and have them draw up another plan." and with another kiss, this one on her cheek, he was off to the castle.

She held her head in her hands. He still hasn't realized he's going to have to sacrifice more than land to be able to be with me. Oh Harry, why do you have to be so thick headed?

Not that she really minded his naiveté, and all around…lack of understand for what was going on around him. She loved him, all of him, even the less than desirable parts of him. He was the prince of her heart, and she loved him dearly…if only he'd get to the realization that he couldn't have her on his terms.

"Do come in, for the tide recedes, and I do not want you to be stuck on the rocks!" one of her many siblings called out. Merpeople were known for being extremely fertile.

With a sigh, she dived into the water, and swam back to her small village under the sea.

Meanwhile…

"Your Majesty, we simply cannot offer MORE of our land, riches, and people to them. You'll have no where to bring this bride by time you're done!" said one of the members of his council, as pointedly as he could without getting his head cut off.

Another member rushed to his aide at the sight of Harry's face turning red. "He is right your excellency. Besides, why would these water creatures want your land anyway?"

Harry opened his mouth to yell, but the truthfulness of the man's words rang in his ears. Why WOULD they want, or even need land? Merpeople could not walk on the land at all. Harry himself had to wait for an air bauble to be created to talk to them, for they could not come to his castle. Of course!

So now the question was what could he offer them now that would be good enough to give his future wife her legs? He left the question to the council to ponder and he went off to his room to take a nap.

In the council room, they pondered what their king could possibly give these merpeople to make them happy…Harry could not keep going under water to make these talks, for air baubles were few and far between these days. How would they get the girl her legs?

That's when it hit them, and they all stared up at each other with a grim look upon their faces. She would not be getting her legs.

They moved at once, as they were trained to do, and made their way to their king's chambers to wake him up and deliver the news. Hey found him asleep and signed, as one, knowing they could not wake him from his royal slumber.

They turned instead, to go outside and hold an air bauble, knowing that Harry would need it soon.

When Harry wakes up…

His green eyes opened, greeted with the painted ceiling harboring several mythical creatures which roamed the large walls all day. He sensed already that something was wrong, and his fears were only confirmed when he opened the door to his chambers and found the entire council standing outside.

"Have you made some discovery then?" he asked tentatively.

"We have, and we fear you may not like it." one of the several council members said.

"If it means I can be with the love of my life forever, of course I like the idea!"

"Then…the only answer is this Harry-they are not going to give her legs."

"WHAT?!" he exploded, "They promised that we would be able to live together normally! Merpeople never go back on their promises."

"That they do not, but they are very tricky. They will not be giving her legs…I believe they will be -taking- yours."

"Taking mine?" he questioned, obviously confused, until realization dawned. Of course they wouldn't be giving her legs. They would be giving him fins!

"But that's not any normal way to live!" he said, still believing that there was some lying going on in this situation.

"Alas your highness, that is a normal way to live…for them."

Sighing he said, "Then inform me when the next air bauble comes, for I must talk to them."

"We have prepared an air bauble already, you may go now if you wish."

The words were barely out of the man's mouth before Harry was flying to the shore. He needed to talk to the merpeople, and he needed to talk to them now.

He was sitting before the elders of the sea with a scowl on his face. It had just been confirmed that he would in fact have to give his legs up in order to be with the woman of his dreams.

The eldest of all said with a smug look on his face, "So I presume now that you know the consequences of this inter-marriage, you'll be backing out?"

Harry met his eyes and said with a stubborn, "No. I will marry her whether it be on land or in the sea. Point blank. You think that alone will keep me away from her?"

The elder said with a softened expression, "Yes, but King Harry, you would be surprised how many time this has stopped a potential marriage. Many a land man is afraid of having to give up his legs."

"I'm not your average land man. I love Pansy, and I'd do anything for her. I was willing to give up my entire world for her. I highly doubt my legs are a huge sacrifice."

"Good."

And with that, Harry felt a tingling sensation in his feet. He glanced down and saw that the dragon hide boots he wore had vanished, and in it's place was a red flipper. Red scales were slowly climbing up his now naked legs and stopped just short of his belly button. He looked in amazement as the air bauble around him burst, and water was surrounding him.

And he could still breathe.

"Welcome King Harry to the merpeople's world. I hope you and our princess shall be happy together.

"Indeed, we will, you need not worry about that."

Pansy, who had been floating around the conversation dome swam in, excited beyond belief.. She didn't stop her swimming until she was in Harry's arms, crying tears of joy.

"You FINALLY figured it out you nut brain!"

Harry let out a small laugh, holding her as close as possible. When he was still a human the two of them couldn't get too close because of her immobility on land. However, underwater it was a totally different story. Due to his unfamiliarity with fins, Harry was having a small trouble with moving, but Pansy had him pinned down in such a way that stated he would not need to move for a while.

The elders, discretely went away to the surface, to inform the awaiting council members at the shore their king was now a merman.

Two Years Later…

Harry and his wife Pansy, holding the bundle close as possible, swam to the surface. His green eyes met her brown ones and together they broke the water. Awaiting them were several humans, lined up from the shore to the castle gates, all eager to see the new arrival. The entire underwater kingdom was floating near the surface behind them. At the very edge of the shore King Sirius, Harry's godfather who had taken over his kingdom in Harry's name, stood with his life-partner Remus.

Grinning, Pansy held the baby into the air, allowing both sides to see the small child. She had purple fins, a perfect mix between her mother's blue and her father's red.

King Sirius walked out into the ocean, and held the baby.

"What are you calling her?"

"We're going to name her Levia." Pansy said proudly.

"A fitting name!" Sirius declared, and the crowds rejoiced.

To live happily ever after you must make some sacrifices, but in the end it will always be worth it. Love and happiness are like a promise of tomorrow-there is no such thing, for neither is guaranteed. When you get the chance though, grab it with both hands…or legs.