DISCLAIMER ~ You know the score, but I own the eater of the waterweed. You'll see what I mean.

THANKS TO ~ Lux-soap, Bulma Greenleaf and Keladria.

WARNING ~ Lots of underwater frolics. ^ _ ~

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Chapter Eight ~ Fish Tails

Detention Day Two had come with the pale gold dawn peering over the horizon, making the shadows long and dark. On command of Professor Snape, as punishment for making a spectacle of themselves the day before, Draco and Hermione turned up for their detention at six of the clock in the morning, right on time. The Head of Slytherin stood at the edge of the lake, and to the students' surprise Professor McGonnagal was with him. They turned their heads at the sound of the crunching snow.

'Good morning,' said Snape in a sickeningly cheery tone, smiling at the dark circles beneath their eyes. 'Since you seem to like the lake so much I have organised another *enjoyable* detention for you today. Stand over there.'

Snape pointed to the shallows of the lake. Draco and Hermione didn't move.

'Go on, then!' cried McGonnagal in irritation. She was not a morning person.

They reluctantly stepped into the water, shivering as the icy liquid filled their shoes and soaked their socks.

'Now,' said Snape, 'There is a very rare type of waterweed that grows at the bottom of the Hogwarts lake -'

Hermione gasped.

'You're not going to -'

Professor Snape silenced her with a glare.

'I have not finished, Miss Granger,' he said stiffly. 'As I was saying - this particular waterweed is the only thing that a Scottish Water Sphinx will eat.'

'A what?' said Draco.

'A Scottish Water Sphinx, Mr Malfoy,' McGonnagal said. 'It is a beast that has very recently been discovered in our very own Forbidden Forest by Hagrid.'

Hermione smiled.

'The Scottish Water Sphinx will only eat this rare waterweed and bowtruckles, but bowtruckes are needed to guard wand-wood trees so we have not been feeding him with those. We have captured him as Hagrid is very eager to display him in his lessons. We have, however, run out of the waterweed.'

Draco and Hermione exchanged a nervous glance. Snape smiled and continued.

'And we want *you* to get some of it.'

This caused an immediate uproar and three gold and silver firecrackers from Snape's wand could only silence it.

'SILENCE!' He bellowed. 'We are not going to send you down there with the head-bubble charm or gillyweed. . . Professor McGonnagal would like to try a new transfiguration charm on you.'

'And what is that new transfiguration charm?' asked Draco.

'You will see in a minute.'

Shaking with anxiety and cold, Hermione and Draco watched and listened as McGonnagal performed the new charm on them. Suddenly Draco's legs felt odd, as though he had severe pins and needles. Then to his horror he felt that he could no longer stand up and collapsed into the water beside Hermione, who had already collapsed. Draco watched in terror as his legs fused together, a loud rip was heard as his trousers split and he yelled in alarm as he saw that his legs were not covered with skin but glittering black scales, and instead of two feet he had one fish tail. He was no longer a wizard. He was a merwizard.

'That's good!' cried McGonnagal in glee. 'What excellent results!'

Draco looked over his new tail. The scales were black like ink and they sparkled as though someone had sprinkled silver glitter all over them. He glanced at Hermione's tail. It was deep violet and sparkled the same way that his did. He also noticed that she had gills at her neck, though they were closed and barely noticeable, fro she was on land and breathed through her nose. He put his fingers to his own neck and felt soft ridges there.

'Well,' said Snape. 'Off you go. You can't miss the waterweed; it's bright orange and shaped like oak leaves.'

And the two professors turned and crunched over the snow back to the castle. Hermione looked at Draco.

'Shall we go?'

'I suppose so. . .'

He ripped off the tattered remains of his trousers and boxers (black silk with little snitches all over) and Hermione did the same, blushing as she removed the lacy red thong that she had been wearing. Draco smirked. Now the two only wore their school shirts, and surprisingly enough the bitter breeze did not seem to affect them. On a glance that signalled the other was ready to go, Draco and Hermione slid smoothly into the water.

No sooner had they entered the water it was an unspoken but mutual agreement that the upper pieces of clothing were incredibly aggravating, since clothes were not a mermish custom. Writhing with difficulty the merwizard and the merwitch unbuttoned their shirts, surfaced and discarded the sopping garments upon the pile of their other clothes. Draco was now naked, though it was not as taboo since he had a tail instead of legs. Hermione, through decency and dignity, had remained within her bra, and Draco smiled inwardly to see it did not co-ordinate with her thongs, as it was lacy lilac, not lacy red.

'So you don't -'

But he stopped in mid sentence and clutched his throat, and Hermione stared at him through the greenish murk of the water with a shocked expression on her face. He had understood what he had said, as was the case with Hermione, but what was so shocking was the fact that they *had* understood the half-finished sentence, for it was not English that had passed Draco's lips, but a dolphin like jitter.

'What were you going to say?' Hermione asked slowly, listening to her new voice like a child does when they shout in an echoey room.

'I was just going to point out that you don't co-ordinate your underwear.'

Even in the cold water Hermione blushed, and even through the watery shards of sunlight that impaired Draco's view he saw her blush. He swam to her, gambolling gracefully and experimentally. He flitted around her teasingly then darted away into the blue-green dark. Hermione was left all by herself; the unknown gaped ominously at her all around. Above was the distorted glare of the morning sun, below and on her every side was a deep nothingness.

A pair of eyes latched onto their prey. It was a merperson, bobbing foolishly a couple of metres beneath the surface. It was alone, silhouetted against the sunlight that streamed forth through the water. It was vulnerable, a worthy piece of flesh to attack. The hunter felt the deep distress and panic radiating through the depths. From below and behind was the most effective form of ambush, and an effective ambush this would be.

Hermione was severely distressed now, and she called for Draco, sounding like the majestic Blue Wale. There was no answer. She thrashed around casting her glance here, there and everywhere but Draco was not to be seen. Then something snatched her tail from below and she screamed her whalish scream, she lashed out with her strong and delivered a heavy blow to her attacker. She reached her arms down to detach the other's grip from her but an extremely powerful pair of hands seized her wrists, stopping her, and she found herself staring into a pair of beautiful azure eyes.

'YOU!' She shrieked. 'I HATE YOU!'

Draco Malfoy released Hermione, snickering and darting out of the way of the merwitch's angry swipes.

'You're so horrible!' she choked, shaking with anger and shock. 'You really scared me!'

Draco just smiled and whirled around her in circles.

'I think we'd best go and get this rare waterweed,' he said, still chuckling.

'Well don't go off and leave me again!'

Draco grinned and turned to look at her. His smirk fell as he saw the terrified glint in her eye and the obvious way her hands shook. Her face was a perfect portrait of hurt and fear. The phantom of a smile swept over his angular features. He reached out and took her quaking hand before swimming away, down to the bottom of the lake, down to where the waterweed grew. He glanced back at Hermione. The fading light cast an ethereal dapple over her pale back and swaying hair.

The merwizard proved his lack of self-discipline by not being able to avert his gaze from her ample bust. She was not a stick insect like all those horrible models who looked as though would drop dead because they were so disgustingly scraggy. She was buxom and rosy cheeked, as all women should be, and Draco longed to feel her embrace again. On an impulse, probably driven by his innate instinct to find a mate, he reached out, placed a hand on her voluptuous hip and slowly drew it up over the side of her waist, flexing his fingers as though playing a piano. Her flesh yielded like warm dough, or a soft pillow, and Draco growled in pleasure, placing his other hand on the other side of her body, pulling her closer through the shadowy green water.

Hermione was in shock, thoroughly perplexed by the clash of his earlier banter and his now gentle inspection of her body. She raised her arms and placed them on Draco's shoulders, trying to push him away. She halted when she found that he was a lot less than willing to leave her alone, and he only responded by holding her firmer than before and pulling there aquatic bodies into full contact.

The merwitch shuddered as she felt the other's hand sneaking up her spine and resting on the fastening of her bra. With one fleet and skilful fiddle of his fingers Draco had unhooked the bra and it floated freely, with only her shoulders denying its escape.

'What are you doing?' cried Hermione.

Draco sneered.

'You've seen my ass, now I'm making the odds even.'

Hermione tried to hide her grin with a frown, making Draco beam with amusement. He pulled the skimpy garment off her shoulders and they both watched as it floated down into the deep. Draco then had a sudden idea and he dived down underneath the bra. He expertly blew two large bubbles that floated up into the cups. Hermione laughed loudly as her bra drifted past her on towards the surface of the lake, looking as though it was filled with two invisible breasts.

Draco swam back up to her and pulled her into his arms, quaking in his sudden desire when he felt her hard nipples pressing into his chest. He crushed their bodies close together, as close as close can be, and wrapped his strong arms around her. Deciding that nothing could possible go wrong in this situation, (and she was right), Hermione folded her own arms around Draco and purred as he buried his face into the crook of her neck, tickling her. She reacted by doing the same to him, causing him to purr, or growl, as it seemed.

He turned his attention away from her neck and brushed his open lips across her cheek. He felt her tense as he did so, and he felt her heartbeat thumping against him as he repeated the gesture to her full lips. Then to Draco's utmost surprise she took advantage of him and pressed her mouth to his, rudely invading his tongue's personal space with her own tongue. They made the slow beginnings of the Tango of the Tongue, gradually picking up speed as their yearning increased.

Draco lightly rubbed his fingers in circles on the small of Hermione's back, feeling pleased as she shuddered at this. Hermione ran her fingers through Draco's hair, opening her eyes to watch it waver idly in the still waters. They spiralled slowly into the depths; both still ensnared within the others arms. They kissed passionately until they hit the faraway floor of the lake, where Draco laid upon Hermione as she sank into a secure bed of reeds and weeds.

Eventually the kiss was broken, and both felt as though they had been kissing for nigh on three quarters of an hour, for indeed they had been, and Draco cast his craving eyes over Hermione's face then to the watery plants beneath her. He ripped up a handful of them and waved them in the merwitch's face. She laughed. They were bright orange and shaped like oak leaves. Lady Luck was smiling on them that day but luck's a lady and a lady is allowed to changer her mind.

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AN ~ Whew. Glad that's finished. I swear I've heard that last sentence somewhere before, I just don't know where. Ah well, if you know then I wouldn't mind if you told me. Sorry it took so long, but I hope you liked it. I just got back from holiday and I'm feeling a bit gloomy coz I have to go back to school this Friday. Don't ask me why it's a Friday, I think it's stupid too. Anyway, chapter 9 up ASAP.