I really didn't like writing this and I'm not completely satisfied with it. Basically, I hate it.
"Regulus!" Hermione gasped, breathing heavily. "Why is it so hot?"
"Because it's a heatwave," he answered sarcastically as the couple walked along the beach. They were on their honeymoon and had hoped that the cool sea water would be enough to cool them down but if anything, they'd only stayed the same if not gotten hotter and had decided to cool it a day.
"I know that," she huffed. "Don't have to be sarcastic."
"Then maybe you shouldn't ask me silly questions," he teased, grinning at her to take away the sting of his words. "We're nearly there and then we can-" He paused, cocking his head to the side as he tried to listen.
"What?" she asked, her jaw dropping in shock when he shushed her. "Excuse me?" He shushed her again, this time going as far as placing a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. "mmmfffmmmm!"
"Hermione!" he scolded playfully, shooting her a look when she licked his palm to try and dissuade him from stopping her from talking. "Are you telling me that you can't hear that?"
She remained silent and could barely hear a muffled cry which could be in pain or annoyance but it didn't sound like someone desperate for help.
"We should go see what's going on," Regulus suggested, letting her face go and grasping her hand, tugging on her so that she had to walk swiftly or jog to keep up with him. "Come on, keep up!"
"It's too hot to move this fast," she complained but kept up with him nonetheless.
They soon came upon a rock outcrop with some pieces of rock being large enough to cover a full grown man. The closer they got, the more the sounds could be heard and they sounded like someone who was desperately trying to lift something that was far too heavy for just them.
"Come on," he whispered and the pure excitement on his face, the look of utter enthrallment had her nodding her head in agreement and they made their way around to see what was going on. "I didn't expect this," he confessed once they both made their way around the obstacles.
A mermaid.
A mermaid whose tail was stuck under a rock with the tide out.
"Oh, damn," she cursed when she saw the pair. "Damn, damn, damn, damn."
"Hey, it's okay," Hermione reassured. "We're magical folk. We can help."
"Magical folk? I've been warned about your kind. Nothing good ever comes from you lot." the mermaid snarked, crossing her arms defensively. "Although… Looking at you, hot stuff, some good things do come after all."
"Thank you," Regulus thanked, smirking playfully.
"I wasn't talking to you," the mermaid told him snootily. "I was talking to her." The mermaid's blue eyes raked down Hermione's form and they could've sworn that the fish purred.
"Why don't we help you get in the water before the heat dries your scales, yeah?" Regulus suggested, waving his wand so that the rock lifted from her tail and she could move it freely. "Better?"
"Better," she sighed, wriggling her fin in relief. "How about a hand down to the ocean, princess?"
"I don't think I'm strong enough to help you," Hermione apologised. The mermaid shrugged and accepted the helping hand from Regulus instead, moaning when her tail touched the sea water.
"Thank you," the mermaid said sincerely. "Quick and efficient, and no torture or pain like I'd been warned about."
"Not all stories are true. At least you know that now."
The pair watched as the mermaid took one more glance at Hermione before swimming away, waving flirtingly one last time at Hermione.
"That was weird," Regulus spoke after the creature had disappeared from their sight. "Really weird."
"It's still hot though," Hermione whined instantly now that their distraction was over. "Really, really hot."
Flying Assignments: Write about the weather causing a problematic issue in the story. (sunny/heatwave/drought combination)
Additional prompt: a mermaid
Gringotts Prompt Bank: gasped, thanked, spoke, whined, apologised, suggested, told, reassured, huffed, answered, complained - Words instead of said (I managed to fit quite a few in, bonus!)
