Summary : Draco's blood might not be as pure as he thought before and Hermione is determined to find out what he is, in their graduating year at Hogwarts post-war.

Disclaimer : I don't own the characters, and it's inspired by the anime : Mermaid, Pichi, Pichi! Not really a cross-over. And please disregard HP's epilogue in book 7. So it means, Hermione is still single, and Draco isn't married to Astoria Greengrass.

Summer 1998 : Malfoy Manor

It was summer 1998, when Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort, and the Wizarding world was all well and good. But for Draco Malfoy, this was a new beginning. Particularly since, on a fine June morning, his birthday, he was called down to Breakfast by Lucius and Narcissa.

"Draco dear, what did you decide to do about your education?" Narcissa was first to ask him.

"Well, I want to go back to Hogwarts and graduate and then I want to start working in the Ministry like Father, maybe."

"Sounds like a plan, Son." said Lucius, approving of his ideas about going back to Hogwarts.

"If there isn't anything you want to talk about, I'll be back in the gardens."

"Actually, yes we do have something to tell you, Son."

"What is it, Mother, Father?" Although both loved their only son, because they were in an aristocratic family, Draco was only allowed to call them formally. And not a simple "Mum" or "Dad", like in normal families.

"Son, we don't know how to tell you this." Lucius started.

"But please don't be upset about it."

"Just get out with it, Mother, Father! I'm dying to know!"

"Well Son, er, in the Malfoy family, we have er, some Merpeople's blood in us."

"WHAT? You're joking, right?" Draco asked them after getting the news.

"No, unfortunately, we're not. We are telling you the truth."

"And, you think, I am a Merman?"

"You might be, you might not be."

"We've hid this during the war because we were afraid the Dark Lord might have done something to you, because of this impurity in your blood." Lucius explained to him.

"You could have told me sooner, you know." said Draco, a bit sourly because he still couldn't quite believe it.

"Yes, but we wanted to wait until your 18th birthday, dear."

"And why?"

"Because we thought this would be the proper time for you to know it."

"And because we thought you wouldn't be a Merman before that." Lucius added.

"So, as a birthday present?" said Draco sarcastically.

"No, because we thought you wouldn't take it well, so we waited, and waited, until your 18th birthday, to tell you."

"And you thought I'd take it better if I was an adult?"

"Yes, but obviously you're not taking it any better."

"No. Because I just can't believe you've kept it secret from me for so long, 18 years! What were you thinking when you didn't want to tell me about it?"

"Because you were too immature to know about it." Narcissa answered.

"Is there anything else I should know about myself?"

"Yes, you will have to find your Mate."

"My what?"

"Mate, Dear."

"And what's a Mate?"

"Someone who is your other half, Dear."

"Before going any further, why do you think I might be a Merman?"

"Because of your increased need of water. We've noticed you drank more water than usual these days, Son." Lucius said simply.

"But that doesn't mean I am a Merman, does it?"

"We'll just have to wait and see. In the next couple of days, if I'm right about it, you will need more water than us, and might even grow a fish tail in the near future." Narcissa chuckled at the thought. Draco wasn't none too happy to hear about it.

"WHAT? WHY ME?" Draco threw his hands in the air in exasperation.

"We don't know why the Fates chose you, so stop asking 'why me', Son."

And this birthday of his turned his peaceful life as a Pure-blood wizard upside down. "I might be a damned Merman! And I have a Mate! Who the hell is she or he? And I might even grow a tail!" He complained about his life interiorly, after having a talk with his parents.

The next days following his finding out that he might be a Merman, he was indeed showing the Symptoms for it. He needed more water than the average human. Sometimes, he would just put his fingers in a glass full of water. Narcissa arched an eyebrow at that.

"Draco, I've got some House-Elves to prepare a bath for you, it might be better than sticking your fingers in a glass of water."

"Thank you, Mother." And sure enough, as soon as he dipped his body in the bathtub, he grew a golden fish tail.

"Oh Merlin! How I am going to deal with this at Hogwarts?"

"You can just stay at home, Draco, no need to go to back to School." His Mother suggested.

"No, I want to finish my education on time. And I want to graduate from School. And I'll be dealing with this at home or at Hogwarts, any way."

"Just mind you, don't let anyone else see you like this."

"Why?"

"Do you want Potter and other students to make fun of you because of that?"

"No, you're right Mother. I shouldn't let anyone see me with a fish tail at School."

The next couple of months before Hogwarts, Draco was thinking about how he should keep it a secret from other students at school, and more importantly, how he should keep this secret from Saint Potter and co, his arch-rivals. "They would certainly laugh at me if they knew about this!" Although the Golden trio saved his life more than once, they were nowhere near his friends. But little did they know Draco's dirty little secret was going to bring them together.

so, how was it? tell me by commenting! I know I'm not good with dialogues!