Muggle London was deathly cold but the snow had stopped, the remnants of Christmas and the New Year turning to slush. The streets were filled with a glum merriment as people went back to their nine to five jobs with or without magic. Draco trudged through it all, avoiding eye contact and brushing into people if they didn't move. By lunch time he had ended up on the South Bank, sneering at the pathetic performers with their dull tricks. He could have gone to the wizarding part and sat and stared morosely into a bowl of pea soup at the Leaky Cauldron but then wizards would know; friends of the family would know he wasn't at Hogwarts. He kind of chuckled at that, proud he had kept to his story. But because it was lunch time he would have killed for something to eat and he didn't have a penny of Muggle money on him. Busking came to mind at one point as he watched a shabbily dressed man holler out something awful with a guitar; surely a Mer could do better. Maybe the whole 'partner to partner' singing thing was untrue like Marie had told him; maybe he was a good singer and could get some profit out of it. He was just about to get up from his bench and begin when he remembered what he looked like when he sang. No one would give him any money if he looked like the Missing Link. He sighed and carried on the concrete river bank, thoughts whirling inside his head, not a note of hers to be found. He felt guilty to be terribly truthful but not because he didn't want to help, it was because of the promise he had made and broken on the same day. I never want to harm you, intentionally or accidentally… He had done both without even thinking.

Draco didn't mean what he had said, surely? He bit his tongue and made it bleed in punishment; of course he meant it, he wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true! He knew he was scared but he didn't think he'd get that hostile about it. He would have to accept he was going to be a royal in some capacity and that he wouldn't be able to run away from it; in fact it was the one thing he was willing to become. But the rest; a Deatheater? An Order member? A supremacist and a reformer? It was too much for one 15 year old boy to become. Draco knew where his loyalties lay – with Marilyn and her tail. He would fight every foe that came near her and if that meant himself… He gulped remembering the terrified look in her eyes and the pain etched into her face. He wouldn't be surprised if he left bruises. In fact he wouldn't be surprised if she had left entirely by the time he came back. He thought that whilst he was on the edge of the bank, body leaning against the safety railing.

"Maybe she has gone…" He muttered to himself. 'Maybe she went home…' He thought as he looked at the dirty Thames. The water looked rather still but he knew it would run deep out into the ocean. Without knowing it his feet were on the bottom rung already, steadily climbing as he looked intently at the river. He could feel all his gills shiver underneath his skin as it started to protrude, claws, fangs and fins incrementally growing. At the back of his mind he could hear a growling but all he wanted was to jump in. 'If she has gone home then you can join her… go on… go on, go on!' He was about to straighten himself out on the top most rung when he was suddenly pulled down with a bite.

"Oi!" He yelled as he fell, landing on something soft and furry. He rolled over into a crouch and found that a huge black shaggy dog was barking furiously at him. The dog stopped barking and sniffed angrily before roughly licking his face. Draco stood up and started shooing it away, wiping away drool from his face but the hound stayed put. He tried to find a collar so he could find the owners of such a peculiar beast but there was none. He looked into its dark eyes and thought he recognised them. "Black?" He asked thunderstruck. The dog gave a defiant bark before turning around and walking off, expecting the boy to follow. The dog stopped when it realized Draco was still standing by the edge and stared keenly at him until he moved. Draco followed quickly trying to look like he owned the animal when in fact the dog was pulling him along. They sidled into a derelict alleyway and when they came out the other side there stood Draco and Sirius Black. Sirius didn't say a word to him as he huddled him into a mostly empty greasy spoon, ordering him to sit at a table. He came back after ordering some food and sat in front of him, glaring daggers.

"Are you always this reckless?" He asked in a calm tone which was worse than an angered voice.

"No." Draco moaned.

"Then why does it seem to be your default lately?" Sirius asked.

"Maybe because I didn't ask for all this crap to be piled on top of me." The boy stated, "I didn't ask to be made a hero and a villain. I can't do both and I want to be neither."

"Draco, you haven't been asked to do anything yet. All you've been told is that you'll do something for him. You can set the rules." His elder advised him.

"I can?"

"Yes. You're not part of anything, you can walk away." He said as the waitress came over with their food. Draco received a beef burger and chips and so did Sirius. To be quite honest it looked disgusting but thought he could give it a go.

"But if I can walk away," Draco began, "Where would I go to? My family is involved and the moment I disappear they're dead. It's true I don't see eye to eye to them anymore but they're blood; I can't walk from that."

"So stay with them. You don't believe in blood purity anymore but that doesn't mean you can't live with them." Sirius returned chomping away happily. He tried a chip and could feel his insides turning. What he wouldn't give for some tuna; "But what about Marie? If I'm with her then my family at current has to be out of the picture. That's where I'll always be allied to; I'm hers and she's mine, scales included."

"So why jump into the bloody Thames for Christ's sake?! If you love her why didn't you turn your arse around and go straight back into the house?" Black seethed.

"I wanted to ok? The moment I slammed the door I knew I had fucking done it again – I keep walking out when she needs me! Sirius, I just want her and the sea; I don't care for politics or even Hogwarts anymore. I thought she'd have left by the time I got back so I thought I could join her." He admitted sadly. Sirius started laughing, a naughty gleam in his eyes; Draco got angry because he wouldn't explain his mirth.

"The Thames?" He struggled to get out because he was giggling so much, "The filthiest river in England? Good god you're nuts!"

"What, why?"

"Marilyn is at the safe house boy crying her eyes out over you. She warned me you'd do something stupid like chucking yourself in." Sirius cooed calming down.

"She did? Is she angry at me?" He asked desperately hopeful.

"If looks could kill you'd be a pile of bones the moment you see her. You have a lot of apologizing to do and not just to your sweetheart." Sirius smiled kindly, "Go on and eat your food and I'll take you back before you can run off again."

Marilyn paced and paced so much so that water started to follow her, making Molly's washing up splash everywhere.

"Calm yourself Marie!" Mrs Weasley lovingly chided, "You'll be no use to anyone if you carry on like this."

"She's right Marie, there's no point getting upset." Arthur smiled comfortingly. Marilyn gave him a grim smile back and sat at the kitchen table, sighing into her cold cup of tea.

"I just wish he wasn't so drastic – I just want him safe. Who knows who'll find him before Sirius does? And he hasn't topped up-"

"And he'll be fine." Arthur reassured, "Everyone goes off on one now and again, I for one frequently vanish into my shed to get away from my lot. He'll be back before you know it."

"I just hope you're right. I just don't understand why he'd say something like that – I've never asked him to become king, he just is one whether he likes it or not. He can walk away if he wants…"

"But why would I want to do that?" Came a familiar voice from behind her. She spun around and saw him leaning against the door way, a shy and apologetic smirk on his face.

"You! You have so much nerve I could throttle you into next week! Where have you been? Do you have any idea how much trouble you could have gotten yourself into?!" Marilyn screeched at him from her chair.

"I know," Draco shrugged, "That's why I came home."

"Home? Did you go to the Manor?" She asked with her arms crossed as he came closer.

"No, you silly thing, home is here, with you." He whispered leaning in for a kiss- SLAP!

"DON'T YOU DARE TRY AND PULL A SMOOTH ONE ON ME MALFOY!" Marie shouted standing up, "I've had it with your flip flopping! You're either with me or not!"

"Please Marie!" He groaned recoiling from her attack, "I'm with you – for pete's sakes I'm only with you. God when did you learn how to slap?"

"What?" She blurted.

"You have all my loyalty…" Draco breathed rubbing his scarlet cheek, "I only want to protect you and I'm sorry about what I said – I'm frightened and I thought what you wanted was another burden. It's not! It's all I want to do."

"Really?" Marilyn asked furrowing her brows at him.

"Yes… you and me, we'll leave tonight if you want. Pick a beach and we'll go." He grinned with a grimace.

"No." She denied turning her back on him.

"What? Marie please we can escape this-"

"No, that's what you want to do. We can't walk away from a fight Draco, no matter the consequences." She hissed whilst the Weasley's gave her worried looks. He walked around to the front of her and persuaded her to look at him; "But the consequences are unknown – I might lose you. I don't want to go through that-"

"None of us want to go through that Draco." Arthur butted in, "We're all on the same side with the same situation. The fact you want to leave with her is proof enough that you care. You're a Mer Draco from a pureblood family and I have no idea how difficult that makes your circumstances but you of all people must fight for the right thing."

"Yes, I know… if I don't it'll never get better…" He sighed. Marilyn tentatively took his hand; "Correct, so what is it that's worrying you?"

He sat down huddled with Molly and Arthur at the end of the table, Marilyn opposite and began detailing his fears. Marie acquired a parchment and quill and listed them. When she finished she read them aloud; "Fear A: If Draco leaves his family without contact You-Know-Who will kill him and his parents, Fear B: If Draco lets slip about Marie in You Know Who's presence both he and she will be killed, Fear C: If You Know Who finds out about Draco's tail, he, his parents and Marie will be killed… jeez, that's a lot of death down here…"

"Now do you see why I want to leave? This is also why I can't become a Deatheater because he'll sniff me out. One drop of water and all I hold dear will be gone." He insisted.

"Then don't; you haven't been tasked with anything yet… if you're only allied to me then play the neutral card and stand on your own." Marilyn suggested.

"No, it's not that simple. I can't leave my family and I can't leave you either; ideally I'd like to lump all three of you into one package but I can't." Draco moaned.

"Then do that. Show me to your parents, make me part of the family-"

"No! Oh hell no! You are not meeting them until this whole thing blows over – they will hate you on principle." He warned her flashing a steely glare.

"Then I'll only show the human parts – that's how I won you." Marilyn reminded him passive aggressively. He rolled his eyes and rubbed his eyelids; "But I was already waning in the whole purity thing – they live and breathe prejudice. It's too dangerous and you won't persuade them otherwise."

Marilyn gave a huff and crossed her arms; "I give up then. What do you want to do?"

"I just want to keep you and I safe and the only place I can think of that can do that is the ocean. I don't care if I finish school or not." Draco said grouchily in reply. Arthur took a breath and began calmly; "Do you guys have a safe place to be wet at Hogwarts?"

Both Mers nodded, one more enthusiastically than the other; "Right then, I propose you stay at school the both of you and get on with your studies. Hear me out Draco-" Weasley moaned when the boy gave him a sarcastic look, "Dumbledore's school is the safest place there is, Marilyn wouldn't have been invited otherwise, and it keeps you away from any exterior influences. You-Know-Who won't interfere with you as long as you write home; keep Marie a secret, do not mention her in anything and your parents will be none the wiser."

"Yes dears, keep quiet and all will be fine." Molly reassured them all before shooing them away to make dinner in peace.

Marilyn let him be for the rest of the evening, forgoing a soak so he could have the whole tub to himself. Immersed he looked at his new body which was long and lithe with fins like a salmon; expansive and barbarous and dragging along the bathroom tiles his fish tail was so extensive. He'd only lately received his true colours but they were still taking time to peek through (as it wasn't real seawater he bathed in) but from what he could see he'd be emerald, turquoise and teal. He found the join between human and fish the most interesting as he couldn't fully decide where it began. Was it at his waist? Past his bum? Scales went from a smattering at his ribs to a rigid pattern from the hips downwards, the colour slowly beginning at his waist. It felt weird to have a tail really and it amazed him still when he transformed, switching from one being to another. He found the duplicity enjoyable, seeing he had a chance to free his mind as a merman but also challenging when faced with the fact he'd have to choose. He had read somewhere that at some stage the Mer must choose between land and sea, permanently fusing into a proper tail or sticking to legs. He sighed knowing what he had already chosen.

Draco wasn't being pedantic when he asked for her preferred beach; he was dead serious in his intentions. He didn't want to wait, he didn't want the possibility of separation hanging over his head. Staying at Hogwarts and just keeping topped up sounded like a nightmare. He resented sleeping in a pool every night only to be dragged out in the morning to dry up again; it boggled his mind how Marie could withstand it. But she was a half breed after all and more human than him anyhow. Instead of thinking about going back he dreamed about fleeing with her to open waters, never leaving a note and just letting his body sink. He dreamed of the reefs he'd patrol and the corals he'd tender to; the nest he would build to keep his lady happy. In a sweet deep slumber he pictured the perfect colony filled with Mers from all the Seven Seas bustling with trade and gossip, not a word of hatred betwixt them.

Hogwarts was once again a hive of learning, magic and chatter as everyone came back from their holidays including a hopeful Marilyn and a slightly pessimistic Draco. They'd flooed in separately before everyone else to avoid suspicion whilst the rest of the gang went by the Knight Bus much later. The Common Room was a buzz once more, a few first years they noted glummer than when they went home. Draco approached a few to ask what was wrong the Sunday night before school, expecting something other than what he heard.

"My mum and dad kept teasing me, said I'd become evil since I came to Hogwarts." A petite girl replied, the face of innocence.

"Mine too – All of them Hufflepuffs and not one of them talked to me straight." A scruffy brown haired boy added. His friend, a tall willowy girl sighed and added her two cents; "Even my Muggle part of the family thought I was crooked just because the name sounded evil. They asked why I didn't go into a 'friendlier house'."

Draco chuckled warmly and clasped his hands together looking like a professor, "Thing is guys, every house is evil and every house is good; it's how you act about the place which will determine your label. For crying out loud, Merlin was a Slytherin and you all know how wonderful he was." The first years looked at him both in wonderment and dubiousness; "Merlin? Really?"

"Yeah. And you know those Gryffindors? Bunch of reckless narrow minded rule breakers but they'd never admit it. They insist they're brave and righteous and we can see right through it. And as for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff? Nerds and Huggers, but they're far nicer and more agreeable. You want my advice?"

They all nodded eagerly, enthralled by his charisma; "Make friends with everyone and I mean it. If you want to shake off that evil label that isn't there to even begin with, make allegiances with every house and stick to them. Staying aloof will not win you favours – trust me I've tried it for 4 whole years and I didn't get anywhere."

"But it's impossible!" The boy moaned.

"Yeah! I tried on the train and every one of them kept giving me the shifty eyes and sniggers." The first girl piped.

"Then keep trying. There must have been friends you had before you got sorted; go back and hang out and just be yourself. It's only a tie colour and well, maybe a code of conduct at the end but just be open. Trust me." Draco grinned kindly.

"But what if you're the only Slytherin in the family?" The willowy girl asked worriedly.

"Ermm… you might have to ask my girl…friend about that. Marie?" He asked looking over his shoulder. Marilyn looked up from her book where she sat by the fireplace and came over promptly; "Hey dear. What's up?"

"Gloria? Yeah, Gloria here is the only Slythie in her family. Any advice?" He asked her.

"Oh, good distribution of power there Draco – Well, my dad was a Ravenclaw and my mum, well, let's say she was a Hufflepuff; they weren't shocked per say but it does get some getting used to. You just have to remember they're family and that sometimes you don't agree on things. It's just a house and a way of thinking – you're not any lesser or any superior to the other houses. We're all equals. Snakes included."

"Thanks Draco's Girlfriend!" Gloria smiled before the boy asked; "Are you the one that exploded and then disappeared for a week?"

"Erm – Yeah. Yeah I did just a bit." Marilyn blushed awkwardly.

"Where did you go?" The first girl asked who turned out to be Trista.

"Er… somewhere I don't want to go to ever again. Well, would you look at the time! It's nearly 11! Bedtime I should think." She hurried eager to drop the subject. They soon shuffled off after that, encouraged by a sloppy wet PDA which gave them all the willies.

"Well that was handled well." She complimented laying a hand on his chest. Draco shrugged his shoulders and looked like it was normal; "Just wish someone could have told me the same thing when I was that young."

"You see! You are ready to give advice if you're thinking like that." Marilyn chimed as they set off for the entrance.

"You know what Marie, I think I might just be dry tonight. I fancy catching up with the lads." Draco admitted apologetically.

"Oh ok, that's fine. I'll be where I usually am." She smiled kissing his cheek good night. It still stung a little bit from their argument.

"Goodnight Girly Gills."

"Goodnight Mr Sorcette."