In My Mind | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

𝑻𝒘𝒐

September 1976,
His Only Weapon

'I saw her again'

The same figure that he believed he saw yesterday, was confirmed he did see something or someone. It looked like a mermaid, he only saw her out of the corner of his eye, in case he scared her away. Avery said mermaids were ugly, she was beautiful, the most beautiful person he had ever seen, after his last class ended he headed to the library to do a bit of reading.

He sat in the far corner to avoid someone seeing him, he had two books one about merfolk and the other about the history of the Great Lake. He looked at the artist's depiction of Mermaids, they looked horrid nothing like what he saw, as he read further into the book he came across the first recorded merfolk. Sirens. The oldest and possibly first race of merpeople.

Beautiful, conniving and dangerous, sirens would do anything to protect their home. Some believe they can be benevolent or fall in love with humans. They're drawn to the surface by man-made light and sing their siren song, entrancing their prey before dragging them to the depths drowning them before feasting on their flesh-

He closed the book before reading anymore, how can something be so beautiful but so deadly? At least he knew how to draw her out now, a fire or maybe even the sparks from his wand, like the one Avery cast, when he first saw her. She could have easily seen the flicker of fire from the fireplace that drew her to the window.

As night fell, he snuck out of his common room, hurrying down to the lake but rather than be out in the open, he moved further towards the forest edge. He might have been insane but he need this distraction, he cast red sparks that flew over the lake, he hid behind a rock, listening for her, he heard the water shift, he looked around the rock, she back away upon seeing him.

"Don't be scared I won't hurt you," he lowered his wand throwing it to the side, her eyes followed the unfamiliar object she jumped a little out of the water to get a better look.

"What is it?"

"It's my wand, it's how I do magic, can I show you?" she nodded, he slowly picked up his wand, looking around him, he found a bludger sized rock, he pointed his wand to it casting 'lapifors' the rock turned into a rabbit, she bobbed up and down in the water trying her best to see.

"I have magic too," she said, she sank below the water, bubbles formed above the surface taking the form of a horse, that ran across the lake, she emerged from the water slicking her hair back.

"That was really cool, my name is Regulus," he said

"Like the star?"

"Exactly, like the star," he said chuckling to himself

"I'm Tamara, fifth daughter of Orys and Avienna,"

"Fifth, you have siblings?"

"Yes, seven sisters, do you have siblings?" he froze for a moment he had forgotten about Sirius, about everything that happened over the summer his mother's loud shrieks ran through his mind.

"I'm sorry, your brother left,"

"How did you-

"Sirens can read the minds of those closest to them,"

"Oh well, here on land, that's kind of rude," she lowered her head, "I didn't mean to offend you,"

"You didn't it's rude underwater too," her head tilted towards the water, "I must leave,"

"Can I see you again?" he asked, she thought for a moment, he wasn't rude or mean to her in any way, her mother and aunt, might be wrong about wizards, she nodded

"Just let your thoughts call for me, then I come," she said, she dove down back to her home.

Her sisters didn't realise that she wasn't present at her father's arrival, but he did and he would most likely come to see her. She prepared herself for bed just before dark fell, her father swam through to her room she wrapped her arms around him, missing him too much.

"How was your trip father?"

"Terrible, twenty-four siren, I had to imprison,"

"Twenty-four? That many,"

"Yes, it seems everyone isn't as open to a non-human diet as we are," he explained "there are dark sirens and light sirens out there, it's just about finding the truly dangerous ones,"

"Father, you know how there are dark and light sirens," she began her father waited for her to continue, "do you think there can be dark and light wizards too," he studied her for a minute before answering

"Wizards are driven by power, even the purest of hearts are drawn to darkness, and think they're doing good, we must protect our own first," he kissed her forehead before leaving "goodnight, my daughters," after she was certain her father had left she swam to her sister that she shared a room with.

"Thaleia, I spoke to him,"

"Who?" she groaned as she was genuinely tired

"The wizard,"

"You did what? Aunt Nevaeh is going to kill you," Thaleia sat up more awake now

"I know but he's kind, he even threw away his only weapon, I have to see him again-

"You will not," she stated, "I'll come with you so you aren't alone,"

"Why would you do that?" Tamara asked,

"You're going to go regardless of what I say, at least aunt Nevaeh won't become too suspicious,"

Tamara swam over to her sister, hugging her tightly, she loved her sisters dearly, her oldest sister was 25-years-old Wenona. She assisted their father on his trips, while the next one Delora who was 2 years younger than Wenona; stayed to teach the youngsters how to swim swiftly, through the water and avoid getting tangled in the kelp.

Sybil was 20-years-old, she lived the boring life of marriage and a family she was expecting her first child with her husband. Thaleia was Tamara's favourite sister, 16-years-old being only a year older than Tamara they were the closest of the sisters.

Then there were the youngest, Waverley 12, Daliria 8, Syrena 6, they were too younger to leave their home only without an adult with them the lake was filled with many dangerous creatures, you didn't cross mermaids without a fight and Grindylows weren't creatures to be toyed with.

Tamara couldn't wait till he called for her, then she could see him again. There was something different about him, she couldn't put her finger on what it was. He threw away his only weapon against her to prove he wasn't a threat.

"Maybe I can trust him,"