A/N: This was inspired by jem-crystairs Tumblr post: "okay but consider this: pirate!james and mermaid!lily". You should check her out!
Lily lifted her head up above water, just enough so she could see the approaching ship. She couldn't make out the flag, so she swam towards a big rock and hoisted herself up.
She squinted at the ship in the distance. She knew the islanders weren't expecting any shipments or visitors, and she didn't see and royal emblem on the mast...
Lily dipped her hand into the black water of the Siréne Sea and made a circle with her thumb and finger. When she pulled it out, the water had hardened into a sort of glass. She held it up to her eye and focused on the flag.
The flag was a strong scarlet, with the head of a gold lion in the middle. A pair of swords were made and X behind the lion.
"Pirates," Lily said to herself. "Calmar!" Lily said louder. "Pirates!"
A giant tentacle wrapped itself around Lily's long, emerald green tale, and placed her in front of the ship. Two more tentacles, unseen to the ship's inhabitants, held the boat in place.
"Why've we stopped, Peter?" Lily heard a deep voice say from the ship.
"I don't know, Captain. Wind's still going strong."
"I've stopped you," Lily called up to the deck. "Down here!"
Lily heard footsteps approach the edge of the ship.
"Hello, there," said the Captain. "Why'd you stop my ship?"
The Captain, Lily thought, was far too young to be the Captain. He only looked about one-or-two and twenty. He had hair that looked like it just stepped out of a whirlpool, hazel eyes with marks around them that signaled he smiled a lot (odd, for a Captain), and he needed a shave. At his side was a big black dog, a tall man with scars holding a map, and nervous-looking shipboy. Peter, she guessed.
"I am Lily, Mistress of these waters. You have reached the Siréne Sea," Lily said. "Only friends of Hogwarts Islanders can enter, and those who answer my riddle."
"Unfortunately, Lily, Mistress of these waters, we don't have any native Hogwartians aboard the Gryffindor today," said the Captain grinning, "so I guess you'll just have to give us your riddle."
"If you do not solve the riddle correctly," said Lily, "you must leave and never return. If you do, you can expect safe travels in the Siréne Sea."
"We'll take the risk," the Captain said, grinning still. "We've got business on Hogwarts, see."
"Are you certain?" Lily asked the pirate. "Only the Ravenclaw has managed to solve it, and their captain was an exceptionally smart woman."
The Captain's smile broadened. "Maybe, but there has never been a crew like mine," he said proudly. "Peter, our shipboy, can track the winds better than anyone who has ever sailed; Remus knows the way of the waves; Padfoot, my friend here-" the Captain patted the dog on his head- "has snuck us in and out of prison more times that we can count. And then there's me. Captain James Potter." He seemed smug as he presented his team.
"What good is a dog who can sneak you into prison?" Lily asked. Potter opened his mouth to answer, but Lily cut him off. "Nevermind. Are you ready for your riddle, Captain James Potter?"
"Always," he said.
Lily cleared her throat.
"First think of the person who lives in disguise,
Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.
Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,
The middle of middle and end of the end?
And finally give me the sound often heard,
During the search for a hard-to-find word.
Now string them together and answer me this,
Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?"
"Creature that I'd be unwilling to kiss," mused Potter. "Can't imagine there are many of those."
Remus snorted.
"Well," said Lily.
"Hold on," said Potter. "Give me a minute."
"'The middle of the middle and the end of the end,'" quoted Remus. "That's easy. The letter d."
"Hard to find word..." said Peter. "Er... during the... er... search, was it? Hard to find... er. Er- wait! Er! That's it!"
Lily frowns. They're quick. "And the person who lives in disguise?"
"A liar," says Potter. "Or an imposter. Agent. Mole. Sneak. A creature I wouldn't want to kiss..." He looks into Lily's eyes, searching for the answer. Slowly, he smiles.
"A spider."
Lily gasps slightly. So quickly, how did they solve it so quickly? She composes herself at the sound of Padfoot's bark.
"Yes- a spider. Erm, safe travels." She waves her hand and Calmar lets go of the ship.
"This has been a pleasure, Mistress Lily!" calls Potter, waving. He winks at her. "I expect I'll be seeing more of you soon, what with my guaranteed safe travels in your waters!"
Lily rolls her eyes, but she does quite like the way he says your waters.
"Good riddle!" he yells to her as his ship sails to Hogwarts. She feels a smile tugging at her lips and waves her hand.
Perhaps it will be nice having someone other than the Ravenclaw sailors for company.
A/N: I'd love it if you could review! Hope you enjoyed this fic.