For Warnings and Disclaimer see Chapter 1
Chapter 4: Of Mer Memories, Mischief and Misery
"Meanwhile Dumbledore was focusing on assembling the Order of the Phoenix, they had a boy to find."
– [-}x{-] –
In a river deep inside a forest an old woman sat deep in thought. Eathelyn was enjoying a sunny afternoon as she watched her two favourite boys playing in the evening sun. The woman watched as the elder of the two used his magic to hide himself in the shadows, and the younger naïvely inched closer to his trap until…
"RAWWWWRRRRRRRR!"
The small black haired child was suddenly ripped from the water squealing happily by a chuckling brown haired man.
Eathelyn smiled peacefully as the two males continued with their game, each time each time rocketing out of the water and landing with an earth-shattering splash. The elder might have been concerned about the amount of noise the younger inhabitants of the river were currently making, if she wasn't so confident in the trees ability to hide and muffle the sounds of her family.
'Yes' her family. Eight years ago she would have laughed at the mere suggestion of the little Potter brat becoming anything more than a tool, for her to exploit at her pleasure. She admitted that when she had taken in the boy in nine years ago it wasn't out of the most noble of intentions. She wanted revenge on the people that had taken away her daughter-in-law and grandchild away from herself and her son.
The wrinkled mer-woman's smile turned sad as her only son Kelby started to tickle Harry until the mer-boy was crying from the force of his giggles.
Her plan had been at first to gain the satisfaction of a life for a life. To kill the wizarding worlds most loved child, to punish them for murdering her son's mate and child. Yes, Nadia had been eight months pregnant when the wizards had taken her to use as ingredients in their foul potions. Her blood still boiled at the mere thought and when she had seen the little boy that early November morning, she had every intention of harming the puny human. That was up until he had opened his eyes, 'pure emerald just like her son'. 'How could she kill something that looked so much like her own son?' She had quickly thought up a new plan, one that would let the boy live and still get her the revenge she deserved.
'Turn the boy against the wizards and see how they like it' she had plotted.
But that had all changed when she had arrived home. And her son had seen the babe.
– [-} FLASHBACK {-] –
She smirked down at the human child that she held tightly in her pale arms.
"Oh little one you are going to make all my dreams come true" the old woman laughed cruelly. She started to make the proper adjustments to the river side of her home to house a human. "Wouldn't want to get too attached to a disgusting midget two leg, would I?" she muttered under her breath. She then put the little boy (not so gently) on a makeshift bed of grass and reeds, then left to gather supplies for the whelp.
When she came back she heard the unmistakable sound of a child giggling and to her shock the almost forgotten sound of her son's laughter. After his mate's death, Kelby had turned into a mere shadow of his former self. Barely eating, not talking and definitely not laughing. So when set her eyes upon the sight of her son laughing while holding a now mer-baby instead of a human one, she had fainted.
– [-} END OF FLASHBACK {-] –
The wrinkled woman still had no idea how the child had changed biology. But had long since accepted that she didn't how it happened, as long as it did. The abandoned child had single-handily picked up the broken pieces of her son's heart. And for that eternally great full to the raven haired child, but there was only one thing wrong with the relationship between her son and adopted grandchild…
SPLAAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!
A huge jet of water slapped the half-fish woman right out of her thoughts and head first into situation at hand. That situation was the before mentioned males, both with guilt ridden faces waiting nervously for their punishment.
"Sorry Grandma, it was my fault we splashed you. I asked Kelby to launch me higher. Sorry" said the smaller of the two.
"Is this true Kelby?" questioned the wise woman, towards the elder with a raised white eyebrow.
"No" (Harry gasped) "It's my fault for putting you both in harms way. I should have never agreed to throw him so high in shallow water. I'm sorry Mother" here he bowed to the old woman "and to you little brother" and he hugged the small boy.
Eathelyn could see the mere-child's sad smile at the title, from over her son's shoulder. It was a well-known fact to the insightful woman that the boy thought of the brunet as a father. And it was to that fact that her son was blissfully oblivious too. That's why it always made the small green-eyed child to be referred to as 'little brother' instead of the desired 'son'.
After the moment was finished her son asked what he could do to make up, for his mistake. She smiled as she replied "pffff' Forget about it, I'm in a nice mood today so get back to your playing. But this time a bit more careful, stick to the deeper patches a for the gods sake go before I change my mind!" Her son grinned and quickly swam over to the deeper part of the river, scooping up Harry into his arms on the way. He had just enough time to hear his mother scream "Stay where I can see you!" at him before he disappeared under the water.
The old woman grinned as the two restarted their game again. She watched them for a while, to keep out an eye for danger or for anymore rogue/surprise waves. But soon she was immersed back into the pool of deep thought. 'Hmm I wonder if the kid could take the Deep Sea Trip next year? It has been years since we last went…'
Suddenly there was an earth-shattering crash, which was closely followed by a high pitch scream of terror. Moving with speed that would seem impossible for a woman her age, Eathelyn swam swiftly over to the source of the commotion.
Where the boys had last been seen playing, there was now a group of several imposing humans. The three humans that were at the front were talking in hushed tones to each other. The first was a short plump man with a ridiculous eggplant of a hat and an expression of panicked worry.
"I sure hope the boy is alright. Poor little tyke was such an adorable baby. Looked so much like James he did." Here the man started to brawl loudly like an oversized baby. "Poor James, poor Lily I should have…"
"Shut up Diggle," the second man snapped at the first. This man had eyes as black as coal with clothes that matched. "With you squealing like the pig you are, every creature in the forest must now know that we are here" snared the sour man at the now named Diggle.
"Calm yourself Severus" a grandfatherly voice said that seemed to ooze eons of patience.
Eathelyn bared her teeth as she easily recognised the third wizard. 'Dumbledore' she mentally spat. But she had no time to fume; her first priority was to find her boys and to get the hell out of here! She was just about to move when she heard Dumbledore's next words that froze her very blood.
"I believe I heard a scream from over there, where Hagrid knocked that tree over. Remember to save the boy and kill anybody that's with him. Petunia the boy's aunt mentioned something about the kidnappers being extremely violent. We do not the boy to be harmed in the fight do we?" Even though it was a rhetorical question there was a loud confirming series of YES's from the group, especially from a very large man with a bushy beard.
'No!' Eathelyn wailed silently as she jet propelled to spot of black hair just peaking over the surface of the water when…
"MUHAHA YOU'RE GONNA GET IT NOW POTTER!" The loud voice of her son yelled from the far side of the stream. This out burst caused all the wizards to stop in their tracks towards Harry and her hiding place, to turn and face the suicidal mer. Then to all the mer's horror started to throw curses at the half fish man
With a yell Kelby sprung off his ledge and into the water and started to disappear deep into the forest. The large collection of wizards left angrily chasing and cursing (in both ways) after him.
Eathlyn not sparing a second quickly snatched up the bare essentials, took Harry into her thin but strong arms and spend in the opposite direction of her son. She kept on swimming until her fins burned and night had long since fallen. She let out a choked sob escape when she heard off in the distance, a long familiar scream and then a chorus of victorious yells.
With a watery smile that didn't reach her eyes, the old woman realized that she had finally arrived at her destination. Bringing the now crying Harry closer to her age-deflated chest, she surveyed her surroundings. A small creek just deep enough to hide in comfort, with a huge grassy hill near it's bank. She could only just see the tip of a enormous white building behind it.
"Hmm that's new," she muttered under her breath getting ready to sleep. 'Those disgusting wizards' she thought distastefully. 'First they take my son's mate and child and then his life! They will pay!' with this last thought of revenge she gave in to an exhausted sleep. Harry curled tightly in her arms still crying silently.
– [-}x{-] –
AN: Ohh drama ok ladies and gents we are now getting into the main plot of the story yay! 1694 words 'wheou' sorry it took so long to update and I hope this massive chappie makes up for it. I want thank Darshu and preisempffor being my reviewers thanks. On another note the names of the mer's mean this if you are interested:
English Eathelyn "Noble waterfall" Greek Naida "Water nymph"Garlic Kelby "Place by the fountain; spring"
TTFN until next time review GeenieMac!