Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!
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As summer classes resumed on Monday, Severus and Lily stole glances at each other throughout each period.
It bothered Severus that each time Lily looked at him, he saw a frown on her lips and an unreadable expression in her eyes.
Was that guilt?
……..Relief?
……..Regret?
Later that evening, Severus slipped out of the castle with his handful of Gillyweed and followed Lily on her nightly stroll down to the Black Lake.
As she undressed, he hurriedly slipped his clothes off as well until he stood only in his greying boxers.
He glanced over in time to see her disappear underneath the water, after which, he stuffed the Gillyweed into his mouth and promptly did the same.
It only took a moment for his gills to form.
The process was much less painful than he had imagined and with his new, temporary improvements, he had no trouble trailing behind Lily as she bolted through the water.
Severus quickly learned there were several, odd-looking openings at the very bottom of the Black Lake.
Severus followed Lily as she swam through one tunnel after another, across the inner workings of those hidden arteries.
He wondered if his limbs would survive the punishing exercise his darling flower put him through until Lily turned down yet another long passageway only to emerge in a current of salty, warm water.
Severus breathed through his temporary gills as he stayed a reasonable distance behind her while she headed towards the surface.
He realized they must have reached their destination at last.
As Lily moved towards a darkness that hovered above the water, Severus continued to loyally follow her.
Without so much as gasping, she emerged from the ocean into a cavernous grotto, deep beneath a village nestled proudly on the cliff above.
Severus carefully stayed on the outskirts of the grotto's edge and allowed the night to conceal him from view as he lifted his face out of the water, eager to see and hear what would happen next.
He narrowed his eyes to slits as he watched Lily step from the sea onto the sandy terrain of the grotto, towards to a trio of bare women.
His body stilled as he treaded only enough water to keep him in place, not wanting to make an audible splash and draw attention to himself.
"Circe." He heard Lily greet the first woman, who stood with her blood red hair bound and braided in elegant coils.
Severus narrowed his eyes as he recognized the siren largely responsible for the destruction of Voldemort's ship.
"Ligeia." Lily nodded at the second woman, who had such dark skin and hair that her flawlessly white and blue eyes radiated under the beam of moonlight which jutted into the grotto like an unwelcome leer.
Ligeia nodded before Lily turned to the third siren, "...Raidne." She greeted the last of the trio, an olive-skinned woman with jet-black hair and matching eyes.
Severus watched Lily incline her head in a low bow of deep respect as the three sirens narrowed their eyes at her.
The trio Lily had come to greet all shared differing characteristics yet similar traits.
All three were nude, like Lily, but much taller.
Their skin possessed an almost unnatural shimmer as their eyes glimmered, untouched by blood streaks.
Severus noticed the wild unruliness of Lily's red hair. Its contrast was undeniable against the detailed braids the three women all wore.
"Rise." Ligeia commanded.
As soon as the order fell from her lips, Lily looked up to face the three tall beings.
Severus grit his teeth against the nervous tension that tightened his chest.
"No……Leave." Circe hissed at Lily.
"What?...I-I can't!" She cried.
Severus could hear the disappointment in her voice, though as he stayed hidden, he could not see the pout on her lips.
"You…..You told me to come and I have!" Lily retorted, "I've suffered these three long years now and I'm ready for it to end! I-"
"-But not quite ready enough, young one." Raidne said with a wicked smirk as she crossed her arms.
Lily's frown turned into a grimace as Raidne stepped forward and leaned towards Lily's face with a sneer as she spoke, "You come to us tonight with your heart light and your body as clean as the day it left your mother's……How are you to ever to become one of us with a heart so disgustingly pure?"
Ligeia and Circe exchanged silent glances of snide approval while Raidne went on, "You foolish girl…..This is what happens when our kind lives too long among mortal men. It is easy to forget they live for your delight, not you for theirs, my little love. They exist for you to take from, to kill, to bend and twist……however you see fit."
"I'm trying my best!" Lily insisted as Raidne's warm breath blew over her face while she held Lily in her gaze, "I've found a boy who's very wealthy, he has lots of gold…..I'll get him to give some to me and then I can pay my-"
"-Gold may not be offered as payment to become a siren….I know your mother taught you that, what idiocy do you speak of?!" Ligeia cut in as Raidne straightened her back.
"...Only blood can suffice." Circe declared as her full breasts pushed together once she moved her arms, "Blood, little one, that you must spill. Do not waste your time thinking up foolish diversions any longer. Either a man dies by your hand or you will die by your own, it is your choice, daughter of Lucienda."
Severus's black eyes widened as he listened closely.
"That's no choice at all!" Lily cried.
Raidne's large hand came across her face so quickly Severus didn't even see the slap until Lily's head turned all the way over her shoulder.
It hurt Severus to watch.
As she cried out at the impact, he gnashed his teeth and tensed his body, as if he had been hit instead of her.
For a moment, his heart skipped a beat, worried she had accidentally seen him, but as she corrected herself, he sighed.
Good.
The situation had blinded her from suspicion.
"Tell me, daughter of Lucienda…." Circe shrugged, "Why have you sought another man as your first victim when you've already chosen one years ago?"
"What are you talking about?" Severus heard Lily scoff.
His heart skipped another heat.
Was it possible she would say……?
"I met him recently at a fine party, filled with flames and death." Circe recounted with a disturbing smile, as if the wreckage of Voldemort's ship had been a fun social outing she had enjoyed, "You were there, little one…..I'm certain you remember it well."
"And yet, she did not act." Ligeia said as she scowled at Lily.
Raidne glared as Circe frowned and scoffed, "Ligeia is right, daughter of Lucienda. You should have already taken your place among us….Instead, you hesitate again and again. Your behaviour dishonours your mother and your grandmother before her, all the way back through our bloodlines."
"I…..I haven't meant any offense!" Lily cried. While all three ancient sirens glared at her, she raised her hands in defence, "I….I'm no murderess! That's just not who I am!"
"YOU are a siren! That is WHO and WHAT you are! Face the truth, you stupid girl!" Raidne snapped.
"Like it or not, you'll have to one day." Ligeia growled at Lily.
"Daughter of Lucienda…" Circe called softly as she stepped forward and opened her arms, "Embrace me, child, and I will show you the affection of the sea."
Severus watched from his hiding place as Lily took a step forward and let Circe envelope her in a hug.
She laid her head against Circe's bare breasts while the tall siren combed her fingers through Lily's wavy, red hair in a gesture that seemed almost motherly.
"Oh, my dear little one…." Circe sighed, "You aren't the first to struggle with the task of preying on man…..Unfortunately, the sea is not forgiving."
Lily blinked as Circe moved her hand over her face.
"Temporary, perhaps, but effective nonetheless." Circe said with another sigh.
Severus watched in abject horror as Circe clamped her huge hand down over Lily's face and squeezed.
The muffled screams that came from his darling's throat went straight to his heart as Circe went on, "Without eyes, may you find the truth. Without a tongue, may you listen instead of speak…..Then shall the music of the ocean reach your ears and the shouts of our kind ground your soul. Think wisely, daughter of Lucienda, and act….if you wish to have your sight and speech returned."
As Circe took her hand away, Lily flailed into the water while the three sirens cackled.
Severus watched her struggle to lift herself as their large, feathery wings erupted from their backs.
Instead of escaping into the ocean, the three winged creatures squatted down and launched themselves through the air to soar towards the night sky, callously leaving Lily to fend for herself.
A strangled gasp came from her throat as she clumsily sputtered in the water.
"LILY!" Severus shouted as he hurriedly swam towards her, "LILY!"
Daggers of fright and pain pierced his heart as she turned her head towards the sound of his voice.
Severus struggled not to lose his wits as he gazed at his wounded, wronged darling.
Lily's tongue was missing from her open mouth and above her nose, two empty, bloodied sockets revealed the disturbing truth that her oceanic family had taken her two beautiful, bright, emerald eyes.