The Black Lake
Chapter 10
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"It is time you hear your destiny..."
The Shaman peered forward, yellow eyes tearing into her. "It is time for you to embrace what you must do. It is time for you to break the curse on the Merpeople."
The Queen had looked at her, regret and sadness in her yellow eyes.
"I'm so sorry, little one."
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Harry and Ginny were holding each other closely in the grotto. Words hadn't left either of them for several minutes, both still reveling in the embrace of their reunion. Ginny wasn't quite ready to speak, and Harry didn't push her to. The words she had heard down at the bottom of the lake from the Shaman flitted in and out of her mind, clenching her insides with guilt.
"This end falls on you and you alone..."
"Forget the boy."
Hands clamped painfully around her arm.
"Forget it all."
She felt sick. She felt ill. Waves of acidic uncertainty crested up her throat. The decision was impossible. She clung tighter to Harry. She was nothing before him. She had felt nothing. But his eyes and his voice and his hands had awakened her. Instead of moving through the cold waters like some lifeless ghost she could hear and see and feel and want. She was a living, breathing thing- because of him. She felt his lips brush gently across her hair and felt the warm exhale of his breath near her ear. Her own hand moved up to the back of his neck, feeling the soft, warm skin there. She tangled her fingers in his hair. Could she let him go? The very thought felt like a spear in her heart.
"It has been fated to be so."
Could she defy fate?
But then Harry asked her a question that sent all her terrible thoughts to a screeching halt- A question she never thought she would hear.
"Are you ready to meet your brother?"
She felt his voice as it rumbled through his chest. Stiffening at his words, she pulled back incredulously. Surely, she had heard him wrong. "What did you say?"
"I said that Ron wants to see you," he grinned, "He's been pestering me to meet you. He knows you don't really remember, well, you know, but he still wants to see you. Hermione too. I know you don't remember her either but you two were great friends-"
His words died out in her ears as she tried to make sense of his earlier statement. Her brother? Her brother wanted to see her... But Ron was dead. All her brothers were dead... her whole family was dead. The memory of that night was still so fresh and new- she fought to remember the brief glimpse of him that she had seen that night. Surrounded by redheads, he had been taller and lankier than the others. His blue eyes had been fearful, but with a resound determination in them.
"Ron," she murmured, the name familiar yet still strange. "Ron wants to ... see me?"
Harry nodded. "Yes."
A flash of light burst through the room, and Ron crumpled to the floor in a heap. Her cry of horror was lost in the cacophony of screams around them. She wanted to go to him, but strong arms pulled her away.
"I don't understand, I saw the light. He was hit- it hit him right in the chest and then he-" Her throat seemed to clog up at the memory. "I saw him fall."
Understanding flickered in Harry's face. "No, he's alright. He survived. He was hit with a spell- a bad one mind you, I think he spent a few months in Saint Mungo's- but he didn't die. He completely recovered, and then went on to train to be an Auror with the Ministry."
"An Auror?"
"Yeah. He catches dark wizards for a living." He brushed a hand through Ginny's hair, watching the strands fall between his fingers. He seemed mesmerized by the sight. "I think he's doing as well as can be expected, considering everything."
Ginny licked her lips. "Was there- was there anyone else? Anyone else that might have...?"
His finger paused their motion. "No," he murmured. "No, it was just him."
She nodded thickly. It was wishful thinking, anyway. Harry resumed playing with her lock of hair.
"But he would very much like to see you."
Something painful and wonderful was doing flipflops inside her stomach. Ron was alive. She had a brother. She had family. That horrid night hadn't taken everything away from her after all. She smiled jubilantly up at Harry, fighting back the burning in her eyes. A happy, incredulous noise escaped her lips. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, and both seemed to be happening. She wiped her cheeks quickly; she had shed quite enough tears for one day. Harry simply held her as she processed this latest revelation, never once recoiling from her bizarre behavior. For a moment, everything was as it should be.
But the curse...
In an instant, her joy evaporated. She was still trapped as a Mermaid, bound to a tail and a life below the surface, deep in the cold waters. She knew Harry wanted to help her, but they had no cure, no plan. It could be months before they freed her. And never mind that- there was that blasted curse on the Merpeople. The curse would ruin everything... and she was somehow bound to it. It had been fated to her, and she had been foreseen long ago by the Queen as the only soul who could break it.
It has been fated to be so.
"Harry, there is something else I need to tell you." Her hands held tightly to Harry's shoulders, taking a precious few seconds to feel the lean muscles of them. He was always so warm. Warmth was a sensation she only ever felt when she was touching him. He seemed to be trembling underneath her hands. "Are you cold?"
"Er, a bit." His lips seemed to be paler than usual, and he looked sheepish. "Warming charm must be wearing off. But I want to hear what you have to say." As he spoke his teeth gave small chatter.
"It'll keep. You should get yourself warm first."
Harry nodded shakily, before hauling himself out of the frigid water. Wand out, he dried his robes and hair. Another flick of the wand and he conjured a blue flame that he set on the rocky floor of the grotto. It pulsated with a warm glow. He pulled off his outer robe, spreading it gently on the floor. Turning to Ginny, he held out a hand to her. "Sit with me."
Heat rose to her cheeks inexplicably, but she reached up and allowed him to pull her out of the water. She sat her bottom on the edge of his robes, allowing half of her tail to remain in the water to sate her Mermaid thirst. The warm air of the grotto was pleasant on her upper body, and she felt her skin and hair begin to dry. But without the water surrounding her, she suddenly felt exposed and shy. He was sitting very close to her, almost too close- but was there such a thing with him? She had just been in his arms, after all. But that was an embrace of relief and comfort. This proximity was... different.
Neither said a word as he made himself comfortable next to her on the edge of the rock. It was suddenly very, very warm in the grotto. She was close enough to study his lips- their shape and color, no longer pale. Unwittingly she thought of how he had kissed her before he had sent her away. How it had felt like the same warmth she always felt from his hands was inside of her and creating tiny explosions. He licked his lips and his gaze darkened and she was sure he was thinking about it too. Leaning closer, he reached out a hand to rest on her tail. He hesitated at the last moment. His green eyes met hers, seeking her permission. Swallowing, she could only nod. His hand came to a gentle rest on her tail, and she thought she heard a small hitch in his breathing. She held her own breath as well. Was he disgusted by her? She was always so cold compared to him. But he seemed fascinated by her Mermaid tail. The heat of his hand on her was a sunlit day, but she still felt open and vulnerable being touched like this. It was so much more intimate than it had any right to be. She forced herself not to withdraw, but to relax. His hand began to move slowly up and down her tail, leaving trails of tingling pleasure. Her tail glimmered from the flickering light of the blue flame. The warmth of his touch seemed to travel from his fingers and spill outwards, sending a thrill of heat through her. Something delicious began pooling in her stomach, a hot liquid sort of... longing. Her breathing seemed to be heavier, and she blushed at her own reactions. It was only a simple touch, just a gentle hand on her tail, nothing more. Yet she felt like she was being carried away by a current she could not resist. Harry must have felt it too, because when she dared look at him, his eyes were gleaming, and his mouth was slightly open. He was the only one who ever looked at her that way- so different from the Merpeople who often stared with suspicion and dislike. She stared at that mouth, remembering again that union of their lips. She replayed how it felt when those lips had brushed hers- soft and sweet. She licked her lips. Would it be too forward of her to ask him to kiss her again? And maybe again after that? Was she allowed to ask for a kiss? She had begun leaning into him without even realizing it, but stilled when she felt Harry's hand traveling further upward. He watched his own hand as it moved upward to the top of her tail, then slowed. His palm tentatively moved from her tail to the pale skin of her abdomen. Her whole body seemed to stiffen at the touch but she did not pull away- it felt too wonderful. One of his fingers circled her navel and her mouth went dry. Harry's breathing was heavier now, and it made her tremble. All thoughts- good and bad- that had been on her mind mere seconds ago had fled. There was just her and Harry and this incredible way he was making her feel. After months and months of numbness, the powerful sensations she felt now were surreal. He had been slowly melting her numbness away these past weeks, but now he was melting her into a puddle. She was leaning so far into him that her head was resting gently on his neck, eyes fluttering closed. His hand moved again, scorching her skin with heat as it moved along her abdomen. A whimper escaped her lips, and he froze. His hand flew away from her side, and he leaned back to look at her, green eyes darkened and worried.
"I'm sorry," he gulped, "I shouldn't have mmph!"
She cut off his stupid apology by crushing her lips onto his. He seemed momentarily shocked at her attack, not moving a muscle. She threaded her hands into his hair, willing him to respond to her. A moment or two was all it took, and a low moan rumbled through him as he returned the kiss. His own hand was back on her, resting on her waist. Steam wafted off the heated skin of the couple as they kissed in the grotto. It was bliss. It was right. It was worth everything. And the curse-
Ginny suddenly broke the kiss, panting. Damn that bloody, infuriating curse! All the heat coursing through her began to chill. It couldn't wait any longer, she had to tell him. Harry rested his forehead on hers.
"Are you alright?" He panted.
"Yeah," she breathed. "I'm alright."
He leaned back, looking guilty. "Er, I think you were going to tell me something important, but I got a bit distracted."
Ginny laughed, feeling the heat returning to her cheeks. "I was distracted as well. But I will say it was a very pleasant distraction."
Harry's face became serious again. "Tell me," He prodded. When she hesitated, he smirked at her. "I promise I will keep my hands to myself this time."
She smiled weakly, dreading the words and feelings that welled up in her. She wrung her hands in her lap, biting her lip.
"It's about the curse on the Merpeople."
Harry said nothing, watching her eagerly.
She took a deep breath, but it did not soothe the painfully heavy feeling in her heart. Just say it. Out with it. "I'm the only one who can break the curse." It was suddenly impossible to meet his eyes. "And if I do..." she reached out and squeezed his hands, barely managing to look him square in the eye.
"You'll never see me again."
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A/N: Again, shorter chapters from here on out. I promise it WILL be a happy ending!
Up Next: All the details regarding the Curse on the Merpeople.