As always, I don't own any of the rights- this is written for fun. All rights reserved for J.K. Rowling.

On A03- I go by firexice

Chapter Text

Kingsley Shacklebolt had nearly fallen asleep at his beachside cabin after another long day in the field. Death eaters killing more muggles in London. Killing more and more Aurors with every passing day. Not that his job was ever very secure in that regard.

These nights, sleep didn't come easy to him. Inferi armies. Giant Wars. Torture. Unforgivable curses. Terrible, terrible times.

The world in pandemonium.

Kingsley was haunted. Everyone was haunted.

His eyelids trembled as he finally began to drift off into the night when he heard it. A mournful song gliding through the air from the ocean. A siren's lament. He immediately rose from his sanctuary, quickly dressed in his deep purple night robe and walked outside, wand at the ready.

"Lumos Maxima." He said. A large bulb of luminous light emerged from its tip, illuminating the moving waves, made greyer by the broken song that burbled from the shore. Then he saw her. Her inky black hair fell in thick waves made flat by the heavy water in them. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and in her arms, she held a small child, covered in kelp who was no older than perhaps several months in age.

"Aenora?" Kingley frowned, "Is that you?"

The siren shook her head slowly, still crying her mournful tune, "Aenora was my sister."

He lowered his wand and went to her side.

"They took her from me. My youngest sister." She whispered melodically, "The masked ones. They came for them in their home."

She made a horrible sound more near a scream that reminded Kingsley of the chill of a dementor's presence.

"I heard the screams...their cries...they killed her lover, the wizard Edgar Bones...and then the children, all the children...save for the youngest..." She continued, gesturing to the bundle in her arms, "She threw her out the window into the sea and called to me just before they...before they…"

She wailed painfully and Kingsley bit back the tears swarming his eyes, letting numbness consume him. So Edgar Bones had been killed. Yet another one of his closest friends murdered by Voldemort. He had more enemies than friends it seemed these days.

"I cannot take her!" The siren continued after her cry, "Though she is of both the sea and land, she will be safest here with you...you were their most trusted friend… please, keep her safe…"

"Surely she would be safer within the sea for now, at least until she is of age. Safer yet till this horrific war ends with your people rather than ours." Kingsley rasped in his lion deep voice.

She shook her hair back from her tail. Kingsley saw it. The jagged lacerations covering the entirety of her pale green tail. The dark clumps of blood oozing down her iridescent scales from a wizard's curse.

"I am the last of our ocean borne clan. The rest of my sisters left their scales on the beach long ago to join the ranks of the humans." She sighed, exhaustion filling her voice, "Those of us left remaining will not recognize her. No...she is too different. She must be raised in the human world. Even if I could… but alas... I am dying of these cursed wounds..."

Kingsley took a long breath. He knew nothing of taking care of children. But Edgar Bones had been one of his closest companions, a kind man, brave and true. A great wizard who had won the love of a mermaid of the north sea.

"I understand. I'll take care of her." Kingsley promised. "I'll raise her as if she were my own blood. You have my word."

The siren nodded with a sad smile and offered him the bundle of kelp and child. As he took her into his arms the siren collapsed. Just before she changed to foam, she whispered, " Her name … her name is Sylver…Sylver bones…"

Kingsley watched as the tide rose, and washed the sea foam away, back into its hidden depths. Gently, he peeled back the kelp from the infant's face. Her hair was dark as night with just the faintest hint of green, like an oil slick. Her skin was pale in the mage light and her eyes, those wide bright eyes, reflected the silvery metallic hue of the moon.

Siren eyes.

~10 years later.

"Uncle, do I really have to leave?" I asked, looking longly towards the white foam and sparkling waters, My toes wiggled as the icy water rushed over my feet. "If I leave, I'll have to leave behind all my friends here."

"Yes, you have to attend Hogwarts." He chuckled, ruffling my hair gently. We were picnicking on the sand just outside our home. Our last day together before I was off to school. Hogwarts.

"Besides," He continued, "You need to make some human friends. Those fishes or whatever that bizarre creature you always play with don't count ."

"Sushi's not bizarre! Maybe a bit slimy though, but he's so sweet! Beauty isn't everything you know. There's more to him than meets the eye. " I smiled, stroking the strange pink creature who lay next to me, sprawled on his back, tummy skywards. The creature chirped in response, wiggling happily in the warm sand. He looked like a combination of naked mole rat with a sea anemone taped to its back. A Murtlap, my uncle once told me. "

"Yeah, well your little friend will remain here until you return from school."

"I know." I sighed, "This is his home after all. I couldn't take him from that."

I paused. Taking in everything. The smell of salt. The coolness of the breeze on my face. Even the roughness from the sand beneath. It was familiar and comfortable, like a well worn sweater, perfect despite its eccentricities. I knew it well- so well I could walk and swim in it blind. I knew every piece of coral, all of the ragged rocks of the tide pools that I skipped across, the hermit crabs hiding underneath, to the seemingly motionless sea stars that crept along the underbellies of the stone. They were my constant companions these 10 years. More than acquaintances yet less than friends. Except Sushi of course. I smiled at the thought.

"I'm going to miss this place." I continued, pulling my legs inwards, wrapping my thin arms around them.

"I know you will. And I'll miss you my little minnow. But if you give it a chance, I believe you'll be quite fond of it before the year's end. Besides, you know, they have a lake there just south of Hogwarts. I bet you could go swimming there in your spare time. It's not the ocean, but I'll bet if you just give it a chance, you might find something new you'll enjoy."

I smiled at the thought. A new body of water to explore. Could be fun. But I would miss the familiarity of this ocean. The salt, the chill of the waves, the spray of foam on my brow- all of it. I knew I had to go though, the magical half of me knew- though my siren half resisted.

We sat there for several hours, sunbathing and swimming- talking about everything and nothing all at once. When the conversation found itself at a natural halt, I stood up and waded into the water. Inhaling deeply, I sang, dancing and twirling in the white and blue of the water. I wondered- what did my mother's voice sound like? Was it like mine- strange and hypnotic, with traces of sadness and happiness combined? Did she too dance with the waves?

I ended my song and dance just as the sun met the horizon and the ocean shifted from blue to crimson.

My uncle shook his head, as though bothered by flies. He cleared his throat loudly as a single tear rolled down his dark cheek, "You remind me of your mother, Aenora, when you dance and sing with the water like that. It was one of the things your father loved best about her." His eyes glazed over the recollection happily, "I remember he came to me the first night he heard her, singing in the reefs. He fell in love with her at first sight you know, or rather, first song. They married several months later- did I tell you I was his best man at the wedding- ah...the fun we had…"

The glossiness from his eyes faded back to his normal chocolate brown, "It pains me to even say this, for your gift of song and dance is a wonder in its own right, but at Hogwarts, you must be careful who choose to sing for if you indeed, choose to do it at all. A siren's song has been known to driven even the strongest of wills into madness. Even if you are only half. Jealousy can drive men to do terrible things. Careful you must be even with your own sense of self. There are those yet who may condemn all that you are from your parentage alone. "

I nodded solemnly, "I understand Uncle."

I would miss the freedom I had here on this isolated beach front, I could dance and sing without worry or fear of discovery for my Uncle had fortified the home with powerful wards.

The sun had set, the last sliver of light vanished echoing in a brilliant flash of emerald green.

"Come now, little minnow, time to rest before your big day." He stood up, dusting off trace remnants of sand on his clothing. He hoisted me up, pressing a small affectionate kiss into my forehead before we turned in for the night.

Next- Chapter 2 The Red Train