Nightingale

by emarosa

Summary:

Draco had known, for a good portion of his life, about his siren heritage. He'd underestimated how much he'd come to embrace that part of him. How much good it would bring into his life. The summer before his fourth year at Hogwarts had been a pivotal moment for Draco but as the school year begins, there are still many new changes for him to navigate.

As his entire life perspective is upended, the Triwizard Tournament comes to Hogwarts, and Potter takes a suspicious interest in him... Well, Draco Malfoy definitely has his work cut out for him.

Chapter 1: Spines

Narcissa brushed imaginary dust off of Draco's shoulders one last time. "Promise me you'll be careful-"

Draco finished the sentence for her. "And not find myself in any precarious danger. Mother, Cassie is more than capable of keeping me safe, there is no reason to fret. I promise, I'll be safe." 

She hugged him one last time as the train blew the final whistle. It was a sight to behold, an improper gesture that any sensible witch or wizard would never guess would be seen within their lifetime. An outwardly display of affection by a pure-blood family, and the Malfoys, at that. Had more people been actively watching the group amidst all the chaos of parents and students doing a last-minute shuffle before departure, perhaps the momentous act would've made the gossip section of the next day's paper. 

If Lucius disproved of the hug, there was no visible sign. Ever since the end of Draco's third year, that's how it had been. Narcissa taking a sudden charge over Draco's upbringing and Lucius being put in his place if he attempted to have a say. The first time it occurred had been jarring for Draco, not used to his passive and mild-mannered mother lose all subtlety and begin to announce how things were going to go. 

Lucius had learned quickly to not defy his wife's wishes. He had known that the date would arrive long before Draco had been born; the day where he would not be the best-suited to guide his son through his young life. 

"It's time to get moving," Cassie quietly announced, and within the blink of an eye Draco was now seated on the Hogwarts express, watching through the window as Narcissa's smiling face grew further and further away from him. 

The two had the apartment all to themselves. While Draco knew this was intentional, a small part of him wished he could've sat with his friends. Things were different now. He was different now. 

His fifth-year companion spoke up. "You're free to brood if you want, or you can say what's on your mind. The latter would be much healthier for you, emotionally."

"You're an ass," he laughed, "you know that?"

Cassie grinned, tapping his shin with her foot. "Yeah, and don't you forget it." 

They fell into a comfortable silence, alternating between watching the rolling scenery and stretching out on the long benches. He was glad to have spent the summer with her already and gotten to know his few-times-removed cousin, otherwise this would be quite awkward the whole way. 

As they grew nearer to their destination, both had changed into their robes. It was around this time where Draco began to feel butterflies whirling around in his stomach, his heart picking up its pace. 

"Cassie?" There must have been something in his voice, for she was quick to look at him in concern. "What do I do if someone finds out? What if I can't keep it secret? What if a potion explodes in my face during class and they rush me to the hospital wing and then Dumbledore finds out?" 

He could have easily continued, but Cassie's stern kick to his shin shut him up. "If someone finds out, hex them and find me. You can. If a potion explodes, Snape already knows. If you're in a different class and something goes to absolute shit, which is unlikely, Pomfrey would have to be very specific in her spell work to find out you're a siren. It wouldn't happen on accident, she'd have to be purposefully looking. Which, she won't, because no one at that damned school has any reason to believe you're anything but a pure-blooded wizard." 

This was not the first (frankly, not the last either) time they had gone over this very conversation. But it wasn't every day that you risked being outed as being part magical creature--long thought to be extinct--and getting yourself murdered as a result. All because he didn't want to be privately educated, wanted to be as normal as he could and continue going to school like his friends. 

Friends that he had barely communicated with all summer, and who he would have to keep his distance from to keep both him and themselves safe. If they discovered his secret and harbored it (as he knew they would), they could be charged as accomplices in harboring a fugitive creature. If he was going down, he would not drag them with him. 

If anything, he was grateful for Cassiopeia. Privately educated, his "cousin" had enrolled to transfer to Hogwarts to look out for him. His godfather must've pulled an endless amount of strings to get her into Hogwarts without raising too many questions into her past, but the American Ministry of Magic was thankfully quite lawless and disorganized, therefore making the transition much easier. 

Draco easily got lost in his head as they arrived at Hogsmeade, Cassie gently guiding him under the appearance he was escorting her, her hand curled around his bicep and tucked in by his elbow. He felt nauseous. Maybe this had been a mistake. The solid ground beneath his feet felt like a thousand pinpricks, he longed to be nearer to the Great Lake. The air was suffocating, he desperately craved the comforts of water pressure pushing in on him like a firm hug, the weight of its resistance slowing everything down around him. 

They got to the carriages, and he stiffened. 

"You knew you would be able to see the threstrals," Cassie muttered to him. They briefly separated to climb into the carriage, shared with some older Hufflepuffs Draco vaguely recognized. 

Once seated, he pressed into her side for stability. "Knowing and actually seeing are two very different things. They're unsettling."

She snorted. "The same could be said about you." 

He elbowed her ribs, and the Hufflepuff on her other side lightly glared as they were shoved to the side as Cass tried to evade the assault. None of the badgers dared say anything, however, as the one bracing herself to speak up was cut off by Cassie's head snapping to look at her. 

As the girl's eyes watered, the rest of the carriage fell silent. Once they arrived at the castle and separated from the group, Draco was quick to cut to the chase. 

"Are you going to teach me how to do that?" 

Cass smiled at his eagerness. "Am I going to teach you how to put the fear of Merlin deep into the very bones of random strangers, compelling them into a mute silence?" She mockingly scratched at her chin. "I don't know, such a nefarious act seems very out of character for me." 

An obvious yes, then. 

They took their seats in the Great Hall. Blaise and Pansy were quick to seat themselves across from them. It did not matter he had done the equivalent of abandoning them over the summer sans explanation, they knew he had done so for a reason. It was moments like these that he was grateful for pure-blood culture; every family held deep, dark secrets that supported an unspoken don't ask, don't tell policy. If he wanted to tell them, he would. Otherwise, it was none of their interest. 

"How was your summer, Draco?" Pansy asked, smiling politely at Cassie. 

"Good, lots of traveling," he replied, "spent time with my cousin Cassiopeia, here."

Pansy's eyes widened a tad at the informal introduction, a clear indicator that Cass was not of a Noble and Most Ancient House. If only she knew the full story. 

Blaise, ever the socialite, was quick to strike up a conversation with Cassie. Pansy's interest was also sparked when they heard her obvious American accent, and Draco was grateful for the attention being redirected away from him. 

Draco's eyes flittered throughout the hall, mindlessly eating as the conversation lulled around him. Around his twentieth or so pass of the Gryffindor table, he was not surprised to find Weasley and Potter's gazes directed straight at him with suspicion and discontent clear on their faces. For once, he loathed the attention, quickly looking away in hopes to drop their interest. 

He had already made a pact with himself this year to not try and start anything with Potter, or anyone else, for that matter. He didn't need to draw unnecessary attention to himself, it could only bring trouble. Especially when it concerned the Gryffindor trio, whose curiosity could kill quite a few herds of cats. Not even their nine lives could save them at that point. 

Hopefully Granger would talk some sense into them. Loathe to admit it, but the girl was intelligent, and definitely the most sensible of the three. He hoped she didn't hold too much scorn for him and the way he had treated her these past few years. He'd apologize, but it would likely only make them more suspicious. Heaven forbid they discover he was projecting his fears of not being a true pure-blood onto a muggle-born. At that point, he'd gratefully turn himself in to the Ministry to be boiled alive. 

Draco hoped his dissociating wasn't that obvious to the blind eye. As Dumbledore droned on about new staff, the Triwizard Tournament, Merlin knows what else... He couldn't buy into the excitement. He simply wished for the feast to be over so he could retire to his dorm. 

It was only once he was in his private quarters that Cassie began to take an inventory of him. "Draco, where does it hurt?"

Oh. He was in pain. Yes, that seemed accurate. 

Cassie carefully helped him disrobe, and only once his shirt was removed was the source identified. He felt Cassie's hand lightly touch the spines beginning to form under the skin on his back, and he didn't even attempt to restrain the scream of pain that escaped him. That was the whole point of private quarters, after all. 

"It's so painful because they take root in your vertebrae, and there's a fair amount of nerves bundled up there. It isn't so bad once they're established and break through the skin, but it's going to be a few days before they get to that point." Her words made sense, but his head felt cloudy. 

While he embraced his siren heritage wholeheartedly, the transitioning was almost not worth it. Regardless, he did not have much choice in the matter, as there was no stopping it. It would happen whether he wanted it to or not. 

Cassie must've moved him. The cold pool of water lifted some of the fog, the searing pain dulled down to a strong ache. He feel into a fitful sleep, but it was hard for him to tell whether he was sporadically waking up or simply having fever dreams. He could've sworn he could hear Severus talking at one point. He also heard his mother's, too, which convinced him it was a dream. Someone kept screaming. They must be drowning, for the noise was mixed in with harsh gurgles of water. He wished to help them. 

It was in between moments of darkness that it was calm. The drowning boy did not scream, there was no thrashing of water or loud voices arguing. There was a soft glowing light. It felt nice, like the bright sun being muted by a passing cloud. 

"He's bleeding." His godfather was there, a blurry figure looming over him. 

Another voice, off to the side, joined in. "Like I said, it's normal. It means the spines are breaching through his skin. This part's almost over."

"It's been three days!"

"Yep."

"How does your kind endure this? This seems more like a botched homicide than a coming-of-age transition." 

A laugh. Cold, short. "Before we were forced into hiding, they happened slowly over the years as children grew. After the Ministry decided we lost our right to exist? An instinctual preservation gene kicked in so the changes wouldn't happen until the kid at least has a bit of a fighting chance." 

It was growing dark again. Loud, like someone was screaming. He was screaming. 

"There are times like this where I wish to burn that whole institution to the ground for the atrocities they've committed."

"You and me both, Severus. You and me both..." 

Chapter 2: Paranoia

Draco ended up missing the first four days of classes. Not that he minded too much, with Cassie doing all the assigned work he had missed on top of making him review guides of the topics for him to catch up. 

He was scanning over said review guides when the door swung open, Cassie waltzing in. 

"The gossip in this place is intense!" 

He set the pieces of parchment down, knowing he would not be able to get any more studying in now. "Oh?"

Cassie crossed over to the seating area where Draco was located, plopping down next to him on the sofa. He grumbled as he shoved her out of his personal space, but he did not try very hard to ward her off. 

"Well." Cassie leaned back against the sofa arm, looking upward to the ceiling to really amp her theatrics. "Millicent Bulstrode conveniently overheard my conversation with Professor Snape regarding your 'return from St. Mungo's', and already the entirety of Slytherin knows about your debilitating illness that's been ailing you since the end of last year. Do you know how much shit I could start with a gossip chain this efficient?"

He should've shoved her off the couch when he had the chance. "You really want to watch this whole place burn? Is there not enough chaos already with the Triwizard Tournament?"

Cassie shrugged. "That kind of chaos is too controlled. Practically predictable. Where's the fun in that?"

"You definitely belong in Slytherin, there's no mistaking that. Circling back to my so-called illness, did you invent any specific symptoms for me to emulate?"

She sat up on the couch, leaning forward enough so he could see the twinkle in her eyes. "Don't worry, princess, I left all of the creative freedom up to you. The popular theory, however, is that is has to do with your heart. It would explain why it's something the Healers haven't managed to heal after all of this time, with it being one of the more complicated organs."

_

As they entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, Draco could feel the effects of the rumors amongst his own house. Pitying glances across the board, although quickly masked. It said enough that they let him read their expressions even for the briefest of seconds. Bloody hell, they probably thought he was terminally ill. 

At least the rumors were contained to just the Slytherins. Perks of being in the house with the united front; everyone rather keeping to their kind than risking the unreliability of the other three. Draco wondered briefly, what it would be like to be in his situation in any other house. The Ravenclaws seemed the type to see past the lies, capable enough to figure him out. The Hufflepuffs might be too dunder-headed to think much of his illness, more likely to try and smother him and annoy the living hell out of him. 

The Gryffindors, well. There were some capable enough to unearth his secrets, and once someone found out it would spread like wildfire throughout the whole school. The Ministry would be upon him in mere seconds, swift to deliver his death sentence. Even worse, if they kept it secret, they'd use it to hold it over him and blackmail him into doing their dirty work. He could barely fathom being dragged into one of their reckless schemes. 

Breakfast was an otherwise quiet affair. Cassie had somehow already earned a reputation for not being someone to cross, and many were weary to engage with her early in the morning. Knowing her, she'd probably gone to the extreme the first day to make less effort for herself later on. If only that rumor was spreading around, those were details he could sink his teeth into. 

Instead, there was just a collective fear of the older siren. Wordlessly shared between students. And how boring was that? 

As Cassie walked with him to DADA, Draco tugged at the shoulder of his robes, irritated at the fabric brushing against his sore skin. The spines of his dorsal fin had finished establishing themselves and breached his skin, but as they grew... It was itchy and tender and the fabric brushing against them with even the slightest of movements was driving him insane. He wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly began hexing students left and right for simply glancing in his direction.  

Cassie took a seat next to him towards the back of the room. He didn't even question why she was here, he had looked at her timetable the other day and it was complete nonsense. He was fairly confident that she was far too advanced for any of the typical fifth-year courses, and the fact she shared a fair number of his classes made it quite obvious Severus had fabricated her academic record. 

"Ilvermorny has never had a student transfer to Hogwarts, although they do have an exchange program with Beauxbatons. All privately schooled wizarding students can test for credits there, so they have a transcript when applying for advanced education opportunities. Having friends in high places there made obtaining a fabricated transcript way too easy," Cassie had explained to him over the summer. 

And both Dumbledore and all the other professors were none the wiser to the true extent of Cassie's knowledge, as well as the vast capability of her magic. It could pose a challenge for Draco to continue to be a straight-O student while also hiding his increased magical abilities. As his siren heritage had manifested, the sudden ease with which he could do wandless magic was unbelievable. 

He could understand now, why the Ministry had been so adamant on wiping out his kind. Had he been a regular wizard, not an ounce of creature blood in him, he too would be terrified at the power sirens held. He hadn't even mastered his Song yet, still had a ways to go in his development. 

-

DADA was... something else. 

Mad-Eye Moody made him uneasy. It went beyond his physical appearance, there was something about the energy he gave off that felt dark in a way Draco had never encountered before. And that was coming from the child of a known Death Eater. 

Cassie, if she was uncomfortable, hid it well. She took notes and paid attention, nodded her head at key points to make it look like she was attentive to the lecture. Draco tried to keep up as well, fall into the same pattern. But with the scratchiness of his back, the blood that was definitely seeping into his white dress shirt, and Moody's swirling eyeball that always found a way back to him, it was too much. 

How the hell was he going to make it through the school year if his first day back he could barely focus? 

The rest of the day went similarly. It was easier to focus in the other classes thanks to the absence of one very unsettling professor, but as the day grew on he could feel his soaked shirt clinging to his skin. Instead of the material brushing against the wounds with each movement, it stuck against it, the fabric dragging. If was though every time he breathed he felt like scabs were being peeled off, the wound reopening. It reminded him much of wet paper, the way it was stubborn to disobey his wills and desires, everything getting much worse as he tried to remedy the situation. 

If Severus hadn't helped charm his robes, he'd be paranoid of the blood completely seeping through to the outer layer for everyone to see. Then he really would have the unbearable curiosity of all four houses breathing down his neck, if not that of the two visiting schools, AND Madam Pomfrey. It was all a bloody mess. 

Nevertheless, Draco survived the day without any major life-changing events. Come time for dinner, and he was exhausted. He may have to take up Severus' offer to build him a reduced schedule with no electives. He couldn't imagine what it was going to be like once the bones for his tail began to fuse. Would he even be able to walk, let alone climb the ever-changing staircases?

This damn castle really was not that accessible to anyone with a disability. He'd have to bring up that particular concern to his father some other time. 

As he ate, his neck felt hot. Someone's eyes were intently on him, but he didn't want to draw even more attention to himself by whipping around to catch the culprit in the act. 

"Cassie, are we being watched?" he muttered, mindful to not let those nearby them overhear. 

Sat across from him, his cousin straightened in her seat, looking at something over Draco's shoulder. 

"It's the miracle child in Gryffindor. The one you have an obsession with," she answered. 

He would get his revenge for that snide comment some other time. "What have I done to garner his attention this time?"

Cassie tilted her head at him, as though the answer was obvious. "You did vanish for quite a few days there, princess. He probably thinks you made a pact with the Devil and you're out for his blood. I've only been here less than a week, and him and his friends are definitely the paranoid type. Like, not all people have it out for you. Maybe you're just annoying and way too self-centered."

He rolled his eyes. "Potter's really not the brightest. It's a miracle he doesn't get lost on the way to his dormitory every day. And, we've already been over this. I'm trying to avoid causing a stir with him this year. It's not worth the risks." 

Cassie hummed in response, but otherwise said nothing more. Draco finished his treacle tart, and then the two sirens pushed out of their seats and took their leave. They barely made it down the corridor before Cassie stopped, spinning on her heel so fast it almost gave Draco whiplash as he tried to catch up with her movements. 

The Golden Trio were gathered behind a pillar, quite obviously following them. 

"Can I help you?" Cassie drawled out, her sickly sweet tone paired with sharp eyes that sent a shiver down Draco's achy spine. 

The three looked at each other in a panic as they tried to gather a feasible excuse. 

Cass beat them to the punch. "Just spit it out. I have evil things to get to, a small child to dismember." 

Weasley paled, failing to catch on to the obvious sarcasm. What Granger saw in those fools, Draco would never know. She was far too intelligent for their likes, not that he'd ever say it aloud to her face. 

Speaking of Granger. "Malfoy was gone for a few days. It was odd to disappear before the term even started."

Those lions really couldn't leave well enough alone. What made them think they had the right to dig into other people's personal lives, anyway? Curiosity should just do them all a favor and kill the cats already. 

"Draco was at St. Mungo's, which you would know if he considered you people of importance in his life. However, you clearly are not, and it is blatantly rude to go and invade someone's privacy like this. I mean, stalking him? Do you really have no dignity left? My cousin already has to deal with chronic illness, the last thing he needs is you mutts breathing down his neck at every turn." 

It was moments like this, that Draco was eternally grateful for Cassiopeia. The exhaustion had seeped deep into his bones at this point, and he didn't have the energy to try and fend off curious onlookers to his life. While she was ruthless in her choice of words, he found comfort in the fact there was someone to look out for him. 

All three stood shocked, stunned into silence. Cassie didn't wait to hear anything else they had to say, hooking an arm around Draco and ushering him down to the dungeons. As she walked up to the portrait of the kraken, tapping thrice on its head, Draco wondered what Potter thought of him now. Would he be happy that Draco was suffering, even if he didn't know the true reason for it? Or, would he have pity like his housemates? 

Did he hate Draco any less with this revelation?

Chapter 3: Summertime

Notes:

trigger warnings for mentions of drowning/violence/mentioned non-con in mythology (all not explicit in their descriptions)

The summer before his fourth year had been Draco's favorite summer by far. 

After term had ended, Mother had taken him to the American state of Washington, a rainy place thick with endless forests. He had known about this trip since the Christmas break, and honestly, had been filled with a looming sense of dread leading up to it. 

He looked at the modest cabin surrounded by sea cliffs and towering pines and wondered how soon he could go back to the Malfoy estate. He already knew he'd have to leave behind his wand, but this was a muggle cabin. Something that became increasingly evident as they crossed over the threshold, the normalcy of the inside suffocating. 

It was then that he met Cassie. 

"Narcissa, it's lovely to see you." The two smiled at each other, but otherwise made no physical contact. If this was supposedly a member of his family, would they not embrace for even the slightest of seconds? 

"You as well, Cassiopeia. This is my son, Draco."

He bowed his head awkwardly at the mention of his name. Cassiopeia was thin like both him and his mother, yet loomed over them with an impressive height. She must have been at least 180 centimetres. 

"Let me show you to your room, Draco. Once you're settled I'll bring you to meet the others."

And thus had started his tumultuous journey with the pod of teenaged sirens. It was difficult to interact with them at first, their customs not even the exact opposite of Draco's. It was more like they were going by entirely different books, but theirs was in Ancient Greek and written both backwards and upside-down. 

While they were all users of magic, none had wands. They wore muggle clothing and played muggle games and did things the muggle way. It was mind-blowing to watch how different the two worlds were. 

It was something, however, that Draco had quickly learned to accept. After the Great Hunt in 1513 (and the subsequent follow-up in the 1940's), the sirens had hidden among the muggle folk to stay alive. By hiding in plain sight, they had made it thus far, and Draco was alive because of it.

If you had told his 11 year-old self that he would have ended up playing muggle card games in just a few years and having the time of his life with a bunch of fugitives, well. He might say you’d gone mad.

The best part was the sea. They all spent a good amount of time down on the beach behind the cabin, the waves crashing against rock lulling them into a peaceful state. It was there that Draco began to learn more about his ancestors’ culture. 

"If you are ever on the run, get to the sea," Corey had advised him on one such occasion. "She will always protect you, no matter what."

There wasn't a doubt about that. He had been to the ocean many times before, but not since his fourteenth birthday. Now, as he stood barefooted in the shallows, he could feel Her love. The protection that She would always provide for her children, a promise no one else but Her could keep. The wizarding world would be no match against Her wrath, for no wizard in existence could be more powerful that a formidable force of nature. In that way, She was much like magic itself. A living energy that could not be created nor destroyed, forever existing, as true as the sun and stars above them. 

As he stood there, he watched the other four of his pod splash about, their roughhousing a common sight. Draco envied their true forms, wishing for his development to be complete already so he could be like them too. It'd be a full year before he'd get there, but next summer for certain. Then he would be the envy of someone else, not the other way around. 

Cassie was the only other siren that was the same kind as him. A Nightingale siren, with deep black scales and skin paler than the moon. Native to the harsh Northern Seas, built to blend in with the dark waters that drug thousands of sailors to their deaths. Corey had commented that he could see the familial resemblance between the two of them, even if Draco was blond-haired and grey-eyed. 

Cassie's features were more dark. Coffee brown hair that appeared black unless she was in the sunlight. Eyes much the same, the amber brown appearing inky black in all other lights. But she shared his build, and his bone structure, enough so that one would believe they were more closely related. 

In the small Washington towns they frequented, many mistook them for siblings. They never corrected the passing comments from waitresses and cashiers, not needing to draw any more attention to themselves than they already had. 

In total, there were five of them: Draco, Cassie, Corey, Jessica, and Andrew. It was his first time ever fully immersed with others just like him; that had an answer for his endless questions and curiosities. He hadn't even known that he was a Nightingale. Hadn't known how that made him any different from any other siren out there. He had come in with only the knowledge that he was a siren, and that his body would soon transform to reflect that.

"Nightingales were feared the most by sailors, as they couldn't be spotted at night. They couldn't sleep easy if they knew they had crossed a siren, and even worse, days would go by with no event. Then, when they finally felt safe, Nightingales would enact their revenge, and She would drag them to the very pits of Hell itself."

It was a tale that he was regaled with at least once every week. Not that he minded. With each recollection, it was like the power of his ancestors was brought forth in his veins, his blood boiling to continue their legacy. 

He also loved learning about the others. Corey was a Sea Devil, all dark reds with streaks of black on his caudal and dorsal fins. Jessie was a Moonbeam, a beautiful pattern of navy and violet swirled across her whole tail, her caudal fins deep purple and royal blue that reminded him of an aurora. And Andrew, well. 

If there were any doubts in Draco's mind that he was attracted to blokes, Andrew definitely settled those. 

Outside of the water, his honey-tanned skin stretched over lithe muscles with prominent veins which made Draco reconsider all blokes in passing that he had considered attractive. They had nothing on the Hellfire siren before him. His warm almond-shaped eyes were always kind and inviting, and when Draco got caught staring by them he barely managed to not completely malfunction and disintegrate on the spot. 

As a siren, he was stunning. Bright red scales like a rose in bloom with the loveliest orange undertones, accented by random patches of gold scales. His fins had gotten a similar treatment, stained crimson with more streaks of simmering gold that were craftily subtle, only popping out in the sunlight. Contrasted against the deep blue sea, it was like looking at a fallen star. 

Too bad he was a whole two years ahead of Draco, and also not a Hogwarts student. It really put a wrench in his plans to absolutely ravish him. 

"Draco, is there something in my teeth?" Andrew asked, having caught him in the act of staring like a creep. 

Jessie and Corey were back at the cabin, having decided to spend the night in. Cassie had demanded they go out for some pie, and Andrew had driven them in the muggle death machine to where they were presently. But, he had to admit, the pies they served were surprisingly addicting. All the waitstaff knew them by name at this point, and they had only been here a few weeks into the summertime. 

Cassie came back from the ladies' room, sliding into Andrew's booth and squashing him up against the wall, as if there wasn't already a wide berth of room open for her to sit. Andrew glared at her in response, and she grinned like a cat that got the cream, putting even more force into the squish. 

"One of these days I'm going to poison your pie. You'll rue the day you ever decided to harass all the bones in my body." 

Cass relented, but the smile stayed on her face. "It's not like I have much else to work with, with that hollow head of yours."

Andrew then tried shoving her out of the booth onto the floor. She was ready, hands gripping the table like her life depended on it, and Draco could see her feet planting onto his own booth for more leverage. 

Had he been in any other setting, he might be mortified at their childish behavior. Instead, it was something he had come to depend upon, as steadfast as gravity or Her love. He didn't have to worry about appearances or a reputation or anything of the like here. He could be anyone he wanted to be. Most importantly, himself. 

As they left the diner and walked back to the contraption of death and destruction, there was a small group of young men gathered in the parking lot. Something about them made Draco uneasy, and he picked up his pace to keep close to the older sirens. 

One of the young men pushed off the wall he was leaning on, sauntering up to the trio. Andrew had straightened his posture, and Cassie had shoved her way in front of Draco, her height obscuring the men from his view. 

"We don't want any trouble," Andrew stated, and the men scoffed at him. 

"Sucks that it found you anyways."

Draco's heart was pounding, all he could hear was the rush of his own blood in his ears. He wished he had his wand. He wished he wasn't frozen in place and paralyzed like a coward from his own fear. 

Cassie swung first, hitting the one closest in the temple, and it was almost comical how fast he crumpled to the ground like a puppet getting its strings cut. Instead of backing down, the other three lunged at them, and Draco's vision went black before he could register anything else. 

The next thing he remembered was watching Cassie and Andrew start stuffing the bodies in the trunk of the car. The one that Cassie had knocked out was starting to come to, and she punted his head to keep him down and out. Draco was guided to the car, his whole body tingling and numb and everything felt like it was happening to someone else. 

The four bodies were taken straight to the sea, but Draco wasn't there to witness it. He had been sat on the couch in the sitting room as Andrew spoke to Jess and Corey in a hushed voice. Tea had been shoved into his hands, and he drank it obligingly, like it was the only action his limbs were capable of executing at the moment. 

Andrew disappeared at some point, and returned much later with Cassie in tow, both of them smelling crisp of salt and brine. Cassie had come to kneel in front of him, gently removing the empty mug from his hands before speaking to him. 

"Do you feel better now?" 

He nodded. It was a small, slow movement, but he nodded. He did feel better. 

What happened?  was his unspoken question, which was answered nonetheless. 

"You used your Song. The first few times can be a bit jarring before you learn to control it, as it comes out when you're afraid. It's okay, it's happened to all of us, you're not alone. You used Her gift, and there's nothing wrong with that."

That concluded the story of Draco's first three accidental murders, and the part he played as an unknowing accomplice to the fourth victim that Cassie had 'put out of his misery' by drowning him in the sea. 

Draco did find it a bit odd at how at peace he was from the actions of that night. Although he was aware he was a magical creature specifically designed to kill, he thought the deaths of the men would bring about more emotional turmoil than it actually did. It was that sense of static calm that did alarm him some bit, and he reminded himself that the murders were not premeditated and that he instinctively defended himself against a very real threat. He was not an emotionless psychopath seeking out victims to slaughter left and right. He was a victim, even if he wasn't the one buried out at sea. 

It helped that the other sirens were there to support him unconditionally. He thought he might actually become unhinged without their comforting presence. It was while he was cuddled into Corey's side that he asked Andrew to tell him the story of the First Siren one more time, a tale that helped him come to peace with his actions. 

"At the beginning of magic, very long ago, there was a young girl who loved the ocean with her entire being. The ocean, being quite lonely, reveled in her presence, a girl who would spend all her waking hours by Her side while asking for nothing in return. A selfless girl, the first of the humans to not ask for anything, quickly grew into Her favor as she graced Her with tales of her days and songs learned from her mother. 

"Then, one day, a traveler came through the small Oceanside town, and was struck by the beauty the girl held. He stole her away and robbed the girl of her innocence, and, once he was satisfied with his sins, the brute cast her aside to rot. She ran to the sea, an empty shell of the girl she used to be. Devastated of the pain She had been unable to save her from, Mother pulled her into the sea with the promise that no one would hurt her ever again. Using all of Her love, She created the First Siren, gifting her the ability to defend herself and never having to be the victim to that pain ever again. Newly transformed, she went after the brute, and upon hearing her voice he was captivated to follow her. Even as she walked into the depths of the sea and he began to breathe in lungfuls of wretched waves, he followed and followed to his last dying breath. 

"Eternally grateful, the girl never left Her side, and She was never lonely again. Her sirens were the living proof of Her love, and carried the power of Her wrath within them, a promise to all those who would threaten them."

Again, that summer had been Draco's favorite, by far. 

Notes:

I figured since Draco was learning about the non-magical world in an American setting, it only seemed fair that he would learn the American terminology instead of the English ones

Chapter 4: Hellfire

Draco's suspicions regarding Mad-Eye Moody quickly turned into paranoia. Defense Against the Dark Arts suddenly having a lesson on Sirens? Despite starting with the three Unforgiveables, completely unrelated to magical creatures? Quite the turnaround. 

"Now, who can tell me what the five kinds of sirens are?" Moody and his twirling prosthetic eye made Draco feel nauseated. 

The class remained dead quiet, before Cassie rolled her own eyes, raising her hand. 

"Yes, Miss-?" Moody called on her, but she supplied no last name. 

"The five types of sirens are Sea Devil, Sea Demon or Hellfire, Moonbeam, Sounding Tomb Siren, and Nightingale," she supplied, putting an emphasis on her know-it-all voice. 

Moody nodded. "Excellent. Five points to Slytherin. Now, why are sirens considered more dangerous than most other types of magical creatures?"

Cassie didn't raise her hand this time, and Draco tried his best to not tense up in his seat. No other student provided an answer. Moody did not seem to care too much, ready to answer his own question. 

"Sirens are very difficult to defeat in battle. They must be fought with your eyes closed and your ears covered, as there is no discovered way of resisting their Song. Much like the Imperius Curse, a siren can use their Song to control their victims, or even use their Song to inflict sudden death. Historically, no one was spared from their wrath, any witch or wizard who caused one even the slightest of inconveniences would die at the hands of the ocean, their bodies never recovered by their loved ones. It was for this reason, that the Ministry sought to put an end to their reign of terror. And, why, should you ever encounter one, report their existence immediately to governing authorities. Even the Dark Lord himself was said to fear their power." 

-

Draco had been pestering Cassiopeia with his worries for the rest of the day. "Are you certain he doesn't know? What if he was hinting that he suspects us?"

Cassie didn't answer him, continuing to work on her Potions essay. He didn't even understand why she insisted on doing it, as Severus had already told her to not bother and instead focus on preparing for the private lessons he was giving her. 

"Should we tell Severus? Do you think Dumbledore knows? Do you think Mad-Eye talked to him? Do you think Dumbledore told Mad-Eye to look into us?"

Cassie wrapped up her last sentence, and then leveled with him. "Draco. I love you dearly, but sometimes I really do question whether there is anything occupying that thick skull of yours. Now, please shut up, or I might just bash your head in to prove my point."

The Triwizard Tournament had honestly not proved much of a distraction. He was not about to let his guard down and risk his tail because of some stupid Goblet. He couldn't even enter his own name in, not that he wanted to. He'd rather have a potion blow up in his face in front of the entire Gryffindor house than endanger his life with a pointless suicide mission. 

That wasn't even considering the press attention that the Tournament brought. Rita Skeeter, in her obnoxiously bright outfits and her invasive disregard for others' privacy or personal space, made Draco consider bribing Cassie to use her Song and get the horrid reporter to have an untimely appointment with the Great Lake. It surely would do everyone else at Hogwarts a big favor. 

Things only got interesting when Potter's name came spewing out of the Goblet on the night of the school champions being selected. Of course the golden boy had to be involved in this mess some way. Had Draco not fundamentally changed as an individual, he'd sneer at the attention Potter was drawing to himself, as if the other boy could use any more fame. 

Now, more attuned to others' energies... Draco could feel the shock and dread rolling off of Potter in waves. Interesting... perhaps Potter had not been the one to chance entering his own name? But, who did? Why?

"My money's on Mad-Eye," Cassie mentioned, her interest directed more to the heaping mountain of mashed potatoes occupying her entire plate. It was by some divine miracle that none was occupying anywhere else, with how it threatened to spill over the edges.  

Draco spun to face her, the commotion around them diverting all the focus to the front of the room. 

Cassie looked up at Draco like she hadn't expected that reaction out of him. Her mouth stuffed comically full, he had to wait for her to finish chewing for a solid twenty seconds before she was able to speak again. 

"Why're you lookin' at me like that?" she questioned, already shoving another scoop into her mouth, albeit a bit smaller than the first. 

He stared at her like she was the one with the empty skull. "Do you actually think he could be behind this?"

She shrugged. "Why not? He's super fishy, radiates bad vibes, and could easily get past the age line."

"But why Potter? Is he trying to get him killed?"

Cass looked longingly at her mashed potatoes, likely regretting triggering a conversation in the first place. "Well, I'm sure there are plenty of wizards out there that'd rather have him dead, it's not like all the Dark Lord's followers vanished overnight."

Draco immediately thought of his father. He certainly disliked the Boy Who Lived, but was it enough to support a ploy to bring about his death? Was Moody the only one involved? And wasn't he an Auror? Certainly not a follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Yet, Cassie had a point. Even Severus radiated a friendlier energy. Underneath the hard exterior, Draco could feel the pain held close to his godfather's heart. It tainted his whole aura with a bitter tang while also carrying a warmth of childlike curiosity and affection. Other than his mother's aura, Severus' was ranked up there on Draco's favorites of those he'd ever encountered among magic folk. It seemed to be one of the few that was genuinely honest, an accurate reflection of the person portrayed outward. Honest on the inside, and out. 

Mad-Eye Moody was much like looking at a fish left out to rot for much too long. Draco didn't dare dive any deeper than that, not needing the nightmares of whatever he'd find. 

"Mad-Eye's supposed to be one of the good guys," he told her, remembering she wasn't as familiar with the British wizarding world. 

She snorted as if he were telling a joke. Upon turning to him and realizing he wasn't, she frowned. 

"That's not possible. He makes Snape look like a giant teddy bear." 

"Don't tell Snape you said that."

Cassie snorted, audible enough for those nearby to startle at the sudden noise. Why was everyone so quiet? Surely-

Dumbledore looked furious as Potter made his way towards the front of the hall. Good grief, the theatrics were already too much. How in Merlin's name was he supposed to make it through an entire tournament of this debauchery? 

-

Severus did not seem amused at being called a 'giant teddy bear' by Cassie. Although, his true thoughts on the matter were hard to decipher, as his facial expression remained stoic as ever, and he simply stared at her just a second too long before acting like he hadn't heard her. 

"You're certain that something is off with Professor Moody?" he asked them once more. 

"I feel like we should be using a stronger word than 'off,' Severus. I'd say he's a completely different person, based off of what Draco's told me."

Severus stood with a gloom expression on his face. It was very similar to the one he made when Longbottom botched yet another potion. "Very well. I will deal with the matter. Do not go investigating on your own." 

It was Draco's turn to snort. "We're not Gryffindors, we actually have a sense of self-preservation, thank you very much."

-

Time passed very quickly after that. Trusting Severus to have everything under control, Draco's focus returned to his studies. After spending a whole summer getting impromptu private lessons from the older sirens, much of it was quite manageable. His magical core had also grown tremendously, and it meant he needn't put so much effort and concentration into his spellwork. 

What proved more challenging was the curriculum being taught to him by Cassiopeia. Sat together in a clearing of the Forbidden Forest, he carefully laid his twigs out in the formation Cassie had drawn in his notebook for him. 

Once finished, he looked up, and she shook her head. 

He was ready to turn the damn twigs into firewood. "That's the third time I've laid it! You can't be serious!"

"In your rising quadrant, you've laid your foundation twig on top of your dowsing twig. You have a habit of neglecting the importance of the foundation. The magic won't work without it, but it will if you've only fumbled with the dowsing twigs. Sure, your specifications of the spell won't be exact, but a working spell is better than a pile of sticks doing jack squat." 

"Thank you, Cassie, for such valuable insight," he spat, fixing the mistake. The second he did, he could feel the air around him shift, as if the wind were telling him a secret in passing. 

He clapped his hands, standing up from the forest floor. "Great news! It's scheduled to rain tomorrow. Now, can we please go back to the castle? I hate being out here past sundown." 

Cassie followed him, but not before ruffling his hair and putting up a general stink about having to 'put up with his bratty ass.' As if she wouldn't be perfectly capable of making other friends at Hogwarts besides him, if she really wanted to. Even students from the two visiting schools took an interest in her. 

They made it back just after sundown, and Draco pondered the likelihood of Peeves coming after them to stir up a cauldron of trouble. Filch wouldn't be able to do much to them if they were caught outside of their dormitories, other than perhaps demand that Severus serve them detention. 

It still wasn't that late, and Peeves did not appear to stall them as they made their way back. However, a much unlikelier foe decided to make an appearance. 

Potter leapt out from behind a pillar, practically stabbing his wand into Draco's throat. For fuck's sake, how hard was it to avoid getting the Scarhead's attention 'round here? Was there no one else he could bother?

"Tell me how you did it!" Potter demanded. 

Draco looked at him like he had grown three heads. "What on earth are you talking about?" 

"The Goblet, I know you had something to do with it!" 

Cassie was glancing between the two like they were both pieces of kelp that had decided to become sentient enough to put on a musical number. Perhaps a musical number put on by some kelp would be easier to understand fundamentally. 

Draco was not having any of this. "Potter, did someone slip something into your pumpkin juice? Have you finally gone mad?" 

"I know you're up to something, alright? You've been avoiding me and acting suspicious, and-"

Cassie stepped in between them. "Were you not present when I informed you of my cousin's illness? Not everything is about you, Potter. Draco is gravelly ill, and he doesn't need the headache you bring on top of the rest of his pain and suffering. Now, if you bother him just one more time about whatever lunacy you've turned to next... The Triwizard Tournament will be the least of your worries. You may just find yourself expelled from Hogwarts and inadmissible to any decent Wizarding School worldwide. They'll break your wand and make you more of an outcast than you already are. Now, move."

Potter, frozen in his spot, was shouldered out of the way by a fuming Cassie. Draco was quick to fall in step, not sure how much more he could witness her covering for him. The more details released, the weaker their lies became. Although, Cassie being a skilled liar certainly moved the odds in their favor. 

"Wait, Malfoy!" Potter called after him. "It's true?"

Draco looked back, feeling like this all must be a prank at this point. 

"I didn't- I didn't believe it was true. You being ill, that is. I just thought, maybe, that it was an excuse... Is it really bad?"

Maybe it wasn't a prank. Perhaps someone slipped something into Draco's pumpkin juice.

"What are you on about, Potter? It's not like you care, we're not even friends." 

The Golden Boy gaped like a fish, and Draco decided he'd heard enough. Cassie had not stopped for him, and was already towards the end of the corridor. He moved to catch up, and Potter had nothing else to say. He didn't look back, but Draco wouldn't be surprised if it had been a minute or two before Potter unglued himself from the spot once the shock had worn off. 

Good riddance. 

Chapter 5: Gills

Summary:

lots of introspection and mythology on part of one Draco Malfoy.

Draco laid on the ground of the bathroom floor, ready to hex anyone that tried to move him. He had barely slept a wink last night thanks to his stupid gills that were coming in on both sides of his rib cage. It wasn't even as excruciating as when his spines were manifesting. It was the type of ache that persisted no matter what position he laid in, aggravating enough that he had yet to find a singular position where the ache lessened even slightly. 

That was how Severus came upon him after he had failed to show up at breakfast. 

"Oh, dear," was all he said, before rushing off to do Merlin knows what.

Cassie had stayed with him throughout the night, being utterly useless as she did. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Every so often she'd take a cup of water to pour over the gills, washing away the blood before it could dry and keeping the gills generally wet. 

"When my first set of gills appeared along my neck, I don't remember it being this drawn-out of a process," Draco whined. 

Cass took a sip of her tea from where she was sat at the edge of the pool. "That passageway was formed when you were born, all that had to be done was shed some skin. The bleeding should stop in the next hour or two, but you're not going to be able to walk any long distances for the rest of the day."

He huffed. Great, missing even more class. Like he wasn't already the gossip of his house enough. 

Severus came back in, looking slightly out of breath. "You've been dismissed from your classes for the day. Cassiopeia is dismissed as well, from every class except for Defense."

Cassie set down her mug, straightening in her spot. "Every professor is empathetic of my cousin's illness except for Moody? Why am I not surprised?"

Severus seemed equally displeased. "He said that, should this be a regular excuse from class, that he wishes to have a meeting with us and Professor Dumbledore."

They must have had a silent conversation with their eyes that Draco could not participate in from the floor. Cassie had scrambled to find a piece of parchment and a quill, the scratching of the two together emphasizing the hurry she was in. He could hear the parchment crinkle as it was forced into Severus' hands, followed by the slamming of the entry door to their quarters. 

His godfather laughed, a sound so rare, Draco spooked a bit from the floor to and tried to sit up. Cognizant of his struggle, Severus moved to sit down next to him. It honestly was all a bit unbelievable, seeing him sat on the floor with his robes pooling around him. Didn't he know the floor was wet? Likely a disgusting mix of blood and saltwater from the tub. 

A hand came to run through his hair, and a cup of water was poured over his gills. Perhaps this was all a fever dream. 

"Where'd Cassie go?" he mumbled, his lack of sleep beginning to catch up to him. 

Severus laughed once more, further convincing Draco he was hallucinating. "Your dear 'cousin' has gone to use her Siren Song on both the headmaster and our beloved Defense professor. If only we'd had her during the war, she could overthrow the whole Ministry if she really wanted to."

Now that was an idea. 

The fingers kept brushing through his hair, lulling Draco into a state of calm despite the dull throbbing in his sides. Everything had been handled, all he had to do was lay there and heal. Letting the darkness overcome him, he fell into a dreamless sleep. 

-

When he awoke much later in the day, he was no longer on the floor, but in his own bed. There was a plate of food and a cup of tea on his nightstand--still warm, likely charmed to do so--and a piece of parchment atop a few of his school books. As he scarfed down the much needed meal, the parchment revealed itself to be his list of assignments to complete for the day. 

Grateful he wouldn't have to move out of bed to do them, he got to work. The rest of his quarters were eerily quiet, meaning he likely was by his lonesome for the time being. Which, granted, wasn't the worst thing. He hadn't had much time to himself all summer, and that hadn't changed upon arriving to Hogwarts. If Cassie wasn't actively glued to his hip, Severus was breathing down his neck about either A) his schoolwork, or, B) his state of health. 

Not that he minded. It was nice to have people that cared. Both had done more than either of his parents combined. Father almost acted as though Draco wasn't there sometimes. He had yet to send any sort of letter this far into the year, and hadn't corresponded with him over summer either. His mother, with whom he had sent daily letters over the summer, regularly sent him letters and parcels of treats each week. But she'd been quite unhelpful on the Siren front. 

Although the genes came from somewhere on her side--which was never clarified to Draco, although it was strongly hinted that she may have been an illegitimate child to the House of Black--her mother had taken a different approach when it came to the manifestation of her siren genes. Said approach, being the severing of her dorsal and the cauterization of her first set of gills, and various attempts to stunt her presentation in general. 

It must have been... Violating. He couldn't imagine how painful it would've been, both physically and emotionally. To have that part of her identity stripped from her so cruelly. 

She never did go into much detail after her initial explanation of what she had underwent, as she had only told him as she wanted him to understand why she was taking such a 'liberal' approach to his upbringing in turn. Why she had sent him off to be with a pod over the summer instead of teaching him the culture herself. Why she hadn't known how to help with his pain as his first set of gills developed, only stared at him in shock for a moment before doing her best to comfort him. 

She was trying to be supportive, though. That was what truly mattered. He wished greatly that things could've been different for her, that she could've had the sense of love and community that came with being who she was, unashamed. 

In some twisted way, Draco could see how his grandmother's actions could be seen as protection. Sirens have always been prosecuted and brutally killed by the Ministry, and if her secret got out, keeping her safe would've turned impossible. Fueled by fear of not understanding her siren daughter and the need to protect her from the world turned it all into a distorted goal of snuffing out the thing that caused both. Two birds with one stone, and all that. 

Draco shuddered at the recollection of the tale. At moments like these, he did not wish to think too much about his future, but it was all inevitable. It wasn't like he hadn't brought it up with Cassie a few times over the summer. Talks about faking his death in the British wizarding world and going off to live with a pod in America. It was easier to be in hiding there, with the vast lands and the Magical Congress' lax laws regarding magical creatures. While sirens weren't immune in the States, the Native wizarding community had been strong opponents to their persecution and had stayed true to their word of protecting them. 

Then again, sirens were not as common in the waters surrounding North America. They were native to basically everywhere else in the world, and even then all descended from the First Siren of Ancient Greece. 

They hadn't had a reason to fear them. Should they? 

The entrance door swung open with a telltale creak, barely-there footsteps indicating Cassie had returned. Knowing there was gossip to be shared, he was grateful he was mostly finished with his schoolwork for the day. 

His bedroom door had been left open, and Cassie poked her head in, grinning at the sight of him awake and alert. 

"Dray, how come you didn't tell me how easy it is to manipulate Dumbledore? He's the most unsuspecting wizard I've ever met, not an ounce of resistance in him! Even Moody put up more of a challenge!" 

That was it. He needed to pressure her into helping him master his Song. He hated not being able to do the one skill sirens were most known for. Especially when Cassie loved to abuse it so frequently. 

"Also, I think we should be friends with Hermione Granger. I quite like her, even if her two best friends are possibly the most empty-headed wizards this side of the sea. The other Slytherins weren't even surprised to see me talking to her! Pansy said something about 'Americans having such loose morals,' and I couldn't even care to try and argue her point." 

Yes, Draco had enjoyed his peace and quiet. He'd almost forgotten how little volume control Cassiopeia possessed. 

She seemed ready to keep going, so he held up a hand to stop her. "Slow down, we're just going to brush past you mind-manipulating the great Albus Dumbledore AND an auror-turned-professor?"

Cassie rolled her eyes like this was old news. "Again, not that impressive, any siren could've done it. Dumbledore now thinks of me as an exchange student that he does not care about what I get up to, and Moody believes I'm much too advanced for anything his class has to offer, and understands how important it is for me to support my cousin this year. Piece. Of. Cake."

"And, Granger? I can see you two getting along just fine, and I'm sure her company wouldn't be too insufferable. However, if either of her dim-witted friends attempt to join us-"

"Don't worry! I already told her as much. And, I'm so glad you agree, because she's going to be here in an hour to come study." 

He hummed in annoyance of having last-minute plans sprung on him. "Very well, but if she finds anything incriminating it's on you to do the damage control."

Cassie grinned, spinning out of his room, her robes outlining the movement as they disappeared from his view. At least someone had fun today. 

Chapter 6: Granger

Draco stayed hidden in his room for the first ten minutes of Granger's visit. He could hear the two girls talking through his now closed door, which he now stared at intently. He wasn't building up courage to open it, that would be preposterous. He simply doubted his company would be enjoyed, and he'd rather not sit through an awkward silence. 

He thought back to the previous year and the punch that he'd taken. He'd been awful to Granger, there's no way she'd forgive him for such intolerant behavior. 

He couldn't be one to judge her blood purity. If only she knew what he really was... Sirens ranked even lower than muggle-borns, at least the latter was allowed to live. 

The doorknob began to turn, and Draco leapt back. Cassie poked her head in, not amused with his behavior, grabbing his wrist and dragging him out into the parlor. 

"Hermione, you've met my cousin Draco, so sorry if he's been a real sod to you in the past." Cassie shoved him forward like the petulant child that she was, and Draco wished he'd made up an excuse about his gills still hurting. 

"Granger," he greeted, giving her a slight nod. 

She looked quite hesitant to interact with him. Bloody hell, she probably thought he was an irredeemable asshole. 

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but he beat her to it. 

"I am, sorry, by the way... It doesn't excuse the things I've said to you in the past, and doesn't erase the hurt that I've caused you, but I do apologize. There have been many times where I've wished that I could take it all back, you've done nothing to deserve such hatred." 

Granger's eyes were wider than saucers, her skin almost as ashen as the Bloody Baron's. She blinked rapidly in succession to reacquaint herself with her surroundings before responding. 

"I-, um, thank you, Malfoy. I would have never expected to receive any sort of apology from you. Not that it isn't nice to hear! It's just, a bit out of character for you. Is it true then, your illness? Is it really that bad?"

Ugh, not pity. Did she really think that he'd have to be on his actual deathbed to apologize to her? 

"That wasn't the point of this conversation," he said rather harshly, "I don't want to talk about that." 

His response elicited even more of a pitiful glance. Great, just great. Exactly what he needed right now.

Cassie jumped in, grabbing both their arms and leading them towards the sofa. "So! That essay for Potions, am I right?"

Granger perked right up, eager to discuss the assignment. Leave it to Cass to save the mood. After that, it was easy for Draco to get into the discussion, enjoying the mirth that Granger's intelligence brought to the table. They quickly moved on from Potions to Transfiguration, and then somehow got onto Xylomancy, which was the last thing Draco wanted to hear about. 

"It's a much more reliable form of Divination than tea leaves or a crystal ball. Think of it more like an actual spell you can cast, getting a direct response from nature instead of having to blindly guess what your interpretation of a sign means. Ilvermorny incorporates it into their regular Divination courses, but you can also take it as an extracurricular and study more of the theory." 

And didn't Granger just eat that up. "That sounds so much better! I've always thought that Trelawny's methods were quite unstructured in their applications-"

Merlin, this was going to be a long night. It was just sticks, it wasn't that exciting! 

-

The first Triwizard task was dragons. No wonder the tournament had a history of its champions dying, with how they let actual children compete against each other. 

"I can think of a few reasons why Ilvermorny refuses to participate in this hodpodge. Are there no statutes in place to prioritize students' safety? A challenge like this would be much better for students that have already graduated, or at least have made it close enough to graduating. Who in their right mind thought that this was a good idea? Wouldn't it be more constructive to have, like, a big Quidditch tournament?" 

That idea wasn't half bad. Child endangerment was more of Hogwarts' style, however, so it likely wouldn't stick. 

"Seriously, if there's an age requirement, how can they let Potter participate? Bitch, haven't they read Shakespeare? 'What is in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name, would smell just as sweet.' You'd think the Goblet would have better security. Like a blood oath! If anyone can write another person's name and bind them to a contract, especially in this case a minor, and I bet your ass it wasn't his legal guardian that signed him up for this! It should be spelled to bind the person who wrote the name, not the owner of the name itself! What if Potter legally changed his name? Would he still be bound?"

Blaise sighed. "Does she ever stop talking?"

Draco had to hold in a snort of amusement. "She does bring up some interesting points." 

"I'm just saying, if the system is this easy to play, maybe it's time to reform the system. So many weak spots is like asking for someone to come and corrupt it. I still can't wrap my head around a bunch of adults not putting the pieces together that Harry Potter, of all students, is the one who gets his name unwillingly put in the Goblet! Ah fuck, my tea's gone cold. But if the damn thing's only supposed to allow one student from each school, what if someone went and said they went somewhere else, like Ilvermorny? What's the damn cup to know any different?"

Blaise looked really to poke his eyeballs out with a rusty fork. "Draco, please, help."

Cassie cursed to herself as she accidentally heated her tea to its boiling point. It was surprising how no teacher had yet to overhear her cursing like a sailor, even with the sounds of dragons roaring in the forefront. 

"Cassiopeia, have you considered simply spectating in silence? We wouldn't want to hurt Blaise's ego with a discussion that is clearly above his level of comprehension, you understand." 

Blaise glared daggers, but seemed content with the responding silence that fell over their loudmouth companion. 

The dragon that Diggory was facing breathed a stream of fire awfully close to their sections in the stands, and Cassie gripped Draco's hands so tightly that he was certain he'd heard at least two of them break. He hadn't been actively watching the event as it had happened, otherwise he would've certainly had a similar reflex-fueled reaction. 

"I hate dragons," she muttered to him, and he nodded in agreement. 

"Care to leave?" he asked, not caring for any of this any longer. It likely would be more exciting without the deathly fear of fire he'd inherited recently. He could really go for a dip in the private pool in his quarters. Surely Cass had a similar idea in mind. 

No one questioned their leave of absence, and for once Draco didn't mind the pity-filled glances some of his housemates directed in his direction. He couldn't think of any other excuse for this once-in-a-lifetime sort of experience. 

They were making their way back up towards the castle, unfortunately past the champions' tent, when she spotted them. Rita Skeeter, in all her sniveling glory, cut straight into their path. 

"Leaving so soon?"

"My cousin was just taking me to the hospital wing," Cassie replied, already well-informed on who they were dealing with. 

"Ah, and not the other way around? I have heard some little birdies about saying something about Draco Malfoy's-"

Cassiopeia hummed, and the reporter's jaw slammed shut with an unnerving clatter. "If you write anything in your little paper about anything regarding my family, you will be unable to resist taking a dip in the lake. Doesn't that sound nice, going for a swim? Letting the water overtake you? You will forget this conversation, lest your lungs run out of air. A shame, how they won't find your body. Isn't that right, dear?"

Skeeter nodded in gleeful agreement. "Of course, thank you so much for your time. Have a good day, Mr. Malfoy."

"She's not actually going to drown herself, is she?" Draco hoped he hid the hint of fear from his voice. 

Cassie turned, a bit of the dark ire still lingering in her eyes. "Of course not, wouldn't want to draw any attention to ourselves. However, in the future if she does write an article about you, even if it's about your engagement or some new position you've taken up, well..."

"So you've cursed her to die if she writes anything about the Malfoy name?" he hissed at her.

She shrugged, as if this were a fact of life to just be accepted. "A song cannot be unsung. However, if it bugs you this much, I can counteract it by the end of the tournament."

"Can't you teach me to use my Song, so I can just undo it?"

"Doesn't work like that, Dray. Only the Siren that sang to someone can counter the damage. You could sing to them to extend the demands you wish of them, but trying to undo another siren's Song will do virtually nothing."

They were inside the castle now, almost to their shared quarters. "That isn't fair! What if one siren manipulates someone to get at another siren?"

Cassie patted his back reassuringly. "Don't worry, She would never let that happen. We must always have a just reason for using our Song. It's for protection, not for abuse. Besides, if a siren were to truly grow out of control, once a siren dies so does the influence of their Song."

"Oh, goody. The solution to the big Bad Problem is to just kill them! How convenient!"  

Chapter 7: Black Lake

Cassiopeia sipped her tea, not taking her eyes off of Severus as she did so. "He doesn't know, and I wasn't planning on telling him. Narcissa already made me to swear not to."

Severus sighed, turning to gaze out the windows of his office. Things could never be so easy. "And Dumbledore wants to take a passive approach? You're certain?"

"Both of us have already tried convincing him that something is off with Alastor. There's been whispers among the pods, the longer we sit by and do nothing... This may be Draco's last year at Hogwarts. Sirenum scopoli is already preparing for a complete lockdown, something they haven't done since the First Wizarding War. Narcissa wanted Draco there yesterday." 

"So she's said. I'm assuming that's why we'll be welcoming another exchange student soon?"

"Dumbledore knows better than to outright say 'no' to me. It wasn't like he had any other choice than to compromise."

Severus stood from his seat, moving to gather some loose pieces of parchment from his desk. "You're certain, then? This is the best solution you could come up with?"

Cassie smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes. "It's what She wants. I don't really have a say in the matter, you know as much." 

"Cassiopeia." He handed her the stack of parchment. "Can you at least assure me you'll be careful?"

This time the smile spread across her whole face. "Oh, Severus, are you worried for my safety?"

He huffed, turning to gather his books for his next lesson. 

"I'll be okay, stop stressing so much, Dad."

"You're insufferable," he said, refusing to face her as her footsteps made their way towards the door. Had there been any witnesses, one could say Severus Snape began to cry as the door closed with the tiniest of clicks. However, the room was empty with the sole exception of one Professor, and he'd tell you he spent the morning alone revising lesson plans. 

-

"The second task is in the Black Lake?" Draco almost couldn't believe his ears. 

"Yeah, and it sounds like the merpeople are super excited about it." Cassie was stacking pebbles atop one another, her boredom evident as she didn't even blink as they toppled, quietly going about rebuilding the stacks. 

"Who even comes up with these ideas? How are we supposed to spectate an event that's deep underwater?"

Cassie looked up from her pebbles, a glint in her eye that could only mean trouble. 

"No, no, absolutely not!" he protested, not even needing to hear her say it aloud. 

"Dracoooo-," she drawled out the last vowel, "no one will ever know we were there! We can enter the lake from the pool here in our rooms! By the time the second task rolls around, you'll be almost completely mature! That means a tail, scales perfect for camouflage, it'll be great practice for navigating while trying to avoid being out in the open." 

He shook his head vehemently, even if he knew internally that this was going to be a losing battle. And... It would be an interesting perspective on the competition. 

"What if someone sees us? They'll recognize us for sure, and even if they don't, there'll be reports of sirens in the Black Lake."

Cassie huffed, snatching his wrist and yanking him towards the bath. He looked at the wall with disinterest as she took off her robes, feeling like a stubborn child as he slowly followed suit. 

He was splashed with water when she dove into the pool, which earned her a glare when she resurfaced. 

"Come on, Dray, the water is perfect!"

"You're the worst."

He opted to slide in versus diving straight in, still not 100% comfortable in the water. As he got in, he let his glamours drop, letting the cool water rush through his gills as his dorsal fin flexed, having been a few days since he last stretched them out. Compared to Cassiopeia, he felt like a baby bird, awkward and ugly-looking as its feathers grew in. 

While she had scales covering her entire body neck-down, he only had patches here and there, as well as from his lower torso to the tops of his thighs. He had webbed hands and feet, she had a gorgeous six-foot long tail. He despised how long of a process his presentation was, just wanting it to be over with so he'd stop looking so ridiculous. He felt ridiculous. 

"C'mon, it's about time I dragged you out for a real swim, not just you doing laps in this pool." Cass blinked, her second set of eyelids sliding shut, making her entire eyes an inky black that Draco tried not to see his reflection in. He blinked as well, ready to get this over with, and dove down after her.

The entrance into the Black Lake was charmed to only let sirens pass through either way, and on the outside took the appearance of a pipe like any other that led out of the castle. Severus had really outdone himself with the minor details. 

Draco could feel the anxiety clenching at his heart as he passed the threshold. He had swam a few times in the ocean in Washington, but had mostly stuck to the shallows, only having his first set of gills at that point. This was his first time out in the open in a large body of water. He'd be putting himself in a vulnerable position, leaving a space he knew was safe.

Cassie glided at a leisurely pace, obvious in her attempts to not push Draco past his comfort zone too much. 

The lake was... nothing like Draco would've expected. He thought the water would be dark and grimy closer to the bottom, his vision obscured by weeds. Yet, he could see all the minor details with a shocking amount of clarity. Although the sunlight from the surface didn't reach this far down he was still able to make out all the figures in the dark. What he couldn't see in the distance, he could smell. The Grindylows burrowed in the weeds, a small school of fish on the other side of a rock to his right... 

They swam up until they could see the bow of the Durmstrang ship before turning around. Draco didn't know why he had been so apprehensive about doing this, it was so much better than staying in the pool (even if it was charmed to measure a couple hundred meters in distance, it didn't come with the same excitement and life that the lake did).

Alright, Draco did feel more confident at the idea of watching the Tournament from the actual lake itself. The water made him feel safe and secure, and he knew that She would never let him come to harm in her jurisdiction. 

As they reentered the pool and breached the surface, Draco could sense a presence before coming up. Expecting his godfather, he almost shrieked when it was anyone but. 

"Andrew, you made it!" Cass exclaimed, and Draco wanted to die. Of course he hadn't been warned of his visit, what good would that have done him? Draco didn't need to mentally prepare himself for his summer crush suddenly appearing in a place he'd least expect, that would be absurd! 

"Not soon enough, it seems, I could really go for a swim right now. I despise traveling by Floo."

Draco didn't know if he could survive the embarrassment of Andrew seeing the full-extent of his pathetic lack of scales. It didn't matter that he had likely looked the same not too many years ago, he probably was able to make that look good somehow. Even worse, he was exhausted from the swim that probably hadn't tired Cassie in the slightest.

"Come in, then!" Cassie splashed the newcomer, which Draco took as his cue to begin moving towards the ledge occupied by a stack of large, fluffy towels and hurriedly climbing out and wrapping himself in one. 

"You ain't coming along Draco?" Andrew asked, and curse his stupid smile of concern. 

"I'm really tired from the one I just went on, and I need to finish an essay for Charms." Cassie raised an eyebrow in his direction, knowing for a fact there was no Charms essay to be done. 

"Alright, but next time you better come with. Good luck with your essay!" 

Draco said his goodbyes and left the bath while trying not to look like an absolute fool while doing so. He got dressed and curled up on the sofa by the fireplace when he noticed something peculiar about the room. An extra door had appeared next to the one that led into Cassie's bedroom, and upon further investigation, Draco felt a stone drop in his stomach.

Bloody hell, Andrew wasn't just visiting, he was coming to live with them! 

Chapter 8: Hymns and Pyres

Come December, Draco had returned to some sense of normalcy in terms of his class attendance. The pitying glances diminished, and Cassie was less likely to be found glued to his hip outside of their shared classes.

Instead, Draco somehow found himself in the company of his friends from school year's past. They all seemed to pretend like nothing was different, like Draco had barely communicated with them for the past few months. Even more surprising, was their quick tolerance to the newest addition to their group. 

Pansy, Blaise, Greg, Vince, and Hermione Granger sat with him around a library table, discussing the Potions practical coming up and the ridiculously lengthy essay they had to complete for History of Magic. 

"Draco," Hermione turned to him, "Do you think you'll attend the Yule Ball?"

Ah, yes. The dreaded event that meant everyone would be staying over Winter Break, and would draw unwanted attention to Draco if he didn't make an appearance. His mother had already had him measured for new dress robes in August, and they would be arriving within the next week, likely along with a stern reminder he still had certain appearances to keep up. 

"Of course, yourself?" He hoped he kept the dread out of his voice. 

"Why, yes, I was looking into the history-"

She kept talking, and Draco couldn't find the energy in him to keep listening. It all seemed so trivial. Worrying about a dance, when there was so much else happening in the world. 

When Draco's consciousness reentered the conversation, it had been picked up by Pansy, who had been chattering excitedly with Granger about potential dates to the dance. In the past, he'd probably have asked Pansy to go with him, a politically safe choice. There were friends, and complimented each other well. 

Draco's mind then drifted to Andrew, a thought he had to quickly shake away. He was two years older than Draco, and would never ask him out even if Amortentia had been slipped in his morning coffee. No one would be appalled if he went with a bloke, it wasn't unheard of in the Wizarding community, and not anything to be ashamed of. He was the only heir in his family, and in the past would have deterred him from any sort of public announcement to his sexuality. It'd disgrace his family if he displayed intentions to not continue his bloodline. 

But, now... He was 'terminally ill,' and therefore incapable of disgracing a bloodline people already figured would end with him, as grim as it sounded. He could go with a bloke, and it would be an accepted fact. 

Madam Pince announced the library was closing, and everyone began to pack their bags and return to the dormitories. As they all grew closer to the Slytherin dormitory entrance, Draco lightly grabbed at Blaise's wrist. 

"Blaise, may I speak with you for a moment?" he asked. 

The others went on ahead of them, not paying them much mind (well aware they would get all the juicy details later). 

Blaise looked at him expectantly, and Draco swallowed a lump in his throat. Worse case scenario, he just said 'no.' There were worst things, like embarrassing himself in front of the entire school, or in front of Andrew. 

Well, it was now or never. "Are you going with anyone to the Yule Ball?"

Blaise raised an eyebrow, his lip quirking. "I am not."

"Would you want to go with me?" Nice, Draco, very proper. 

Blaise replied without a moment's hesitation. "It would be an honor."

-

Upon returning to his quarters, Draco found Cassie splayed across the couch in muggle clothing, dead asleep. In front of her, the coffee table had been magicked into a lab station. A cauldron simmering with a navy blue concoction inside sat atop it, giving off a slight peach smell. 

Andrew walked out of his respective room, holding a steel container in his hands. "Draco, how was the library?"

"Good. Good. I asked Blaise Zabini to the Yule Ball." 

Andrew gave him one of those stupidly cheery smiles. "I'm glad, I'm sure you two will have a lot of fun. Now, you may want to cover your nose for this next bit."

He complied, pulling the front of his robes over his nose and pinching his nostrils closed. Andrew removed the lid of the canister, and despite his precautions Draco was hit with the pungent, rotten smell. 

"Dear Merlin, what the hell is that?" he grumbled, surprised Andrew hadn't passed out from being so close to it as the elder siren added its contents to the potion. 

Cassie didn't stir from her spot on the couch. Perhaps she had smelled it earlier and died. Seemed like a logical conclusion to make. 

"Compost! A variety of fruit peelings and tea leaves, and I'm pretty certain Cass threw a dead fish in there at some point that she found in the lake."

"And, how, exactly, is that a potion ingredient?"

Andy laughed at the incredulous look on Draco's face. "It's a nourishing potion for aquatic plants. When you pick them and move them to a tank to be stored, they need this potion to keep their properties nice and potent. Basically, a potion to keep future potion ingredients good while they're being stored."

That actually sounded quite interesting. He was determined to help brew the next batch. "Any particular reason why Cassie is dead to the world?"

"She spent the evening on the floo with your mother. From the sounds of it, there was a lot to be discussed."

He didn't even know the two of them were corresponding. He wondered if this had been one-time-only sort of occasion or a regularly scheduled talk-about-Draco-behind-his-back type of thing. 

Andrew must've read something on his face, and stopped Draco from forcibly waking his cousin up while he was still pondering it. 

"Your mother called here, but you had left already. Let her rest, Dray. She's been learning aquaparition this week."

"Is that where you two have been? Teleporting all over the place?" Draco wished he'd been there to see that. He assumed it was a lot like apparition, and would've gotten a laugh if Cassie landed somewhere without her eyebrows. 

"She can't slack on her studies even if it's her job to play the dumb American here," Andy said, "The Oracles think that something bad is coming, and we all need to be prepared. That's why your mother called. She wants you to spend the summer at Sirenum scopoli, and attend St. Achelous' next year. It's expected sirens worldwide will end up sheltering there, some have already left for the islands."

"I thought only old sirens that couldn't defend themselves anymore lived there. And, St. Achelous? No one bothered to tell me there's an academy for sirens?"

Cassie stirred as his voice raised in pitch and was very quick to read the room. 

Andy attempted to explain. "The Sirenum scopoli's location is covertly moved every few years, as you already know. A lot of sirens have non-siren family who can't even step foot on the island, and if it's constantly moving all over the world they might go a long time without seeing that family. A lot of sirens get privately tutored because of it. But we as a species have always been prosecuted. Some feel safest at the islands, and seldom leave them."

Draco could hear the blood rushing through his head. "Is it really that dangerous out there, for us?"

Cassie moved her long legs and patted the now empty spot on the couch. He obliged, sitting with his legs tucked against his chest for comfort. 

"We haven't really discussed it, but in September, a Moonbeam siren was found dead in France. He was found by our kind, so it was kept secret from the wizarding world, but..." Cass stared at her feet, making it impossible to read her expression. "He was... When they found him, his tail had been skinned. Someone wanted his scales, probably for a vitality potion or who fucking knows what..."

Draco pulled his knees even tighter against his chest. He shouldn't have asked, even though it would've all come out eventually.

"A vitality potion?" His own voice sounded small. Weak. 

Cassie pressed her side into his. "It's not a commonly known fact, but a handful of centuries ago some alchemists discovered that siren scales were very effective in potions designed to make a person have the same health as someone young. The hunt for surviving sirens spiked, with the goal obviously being to obtain their scales. They called it the Fountain of Youth Era. We called it the Great Hunt of 1513."

There was a knock on the door, signalling the end of their conversation. Andrew answered it, and let out a small gasp of surprise. Spinning around in his seat, Draco paled at the sight. 

Albus Dumbledore, in all his glory, with Snape stood just behind him. 

"So sorry for the intrusion, but you three need to come with me."

Chapter 9: Walking my days on a Wire

The trio followed both Dumbledore and Snape from a short distance. 

"Does he know?" Draco hissed at Cassie, who turned her head so he could watch her roll her eyes. 

"Of course he knows, did you really think I was going to use my Song on Dumbledore?" her voice was closer to a stage-whisper than an actual one, and the two professors in front of them could definitely hear that snippet of conversation. 

"You said no one was going to tell him!" Draco was also struggling with volume-control at the moment, but in his defense it was well past hours of when students should be in their beds.

Andrew had maintained his composure, not looking surprised in the slightest. "No one told him, Draco, he figured it out. Don't worry, he's one of the few advocates for magical creature rights, he's not going to let anyone harm us here."

Great, so both of his roommates had been keeping secrets from him. Typical Slytherins. 

They continued towards what Draco suspected was Dumbledore's office. They got to a griffin statue, the password as simple as 'Chocolate Frogs,' and the griffin leapt out of their way. 

Draco somehow ended up squished between Andrew and Cassie on a couch that really wasn't large enough for the three of them and their broad shoulders that protruded into each other's space. Said shoulders were bumping into each other as they all tried to get comfortable, before Snape took pity on them and charmed the couch to fit them more comfortably. 

It was then that he noticed that Snape looked paler than usual. Even Dumbledore lacked that ever-present twinkle in his eye, his shoulders slumped as he turned over a letter in his hands. 

"I wanted you three to hear it from me, before you read it in the papers tomorrow," the headmaster started, looking down at the letter like it was a dark artifact. 

He moved forward to hand it over to Draco, and he recognized his mother's handwriting in an instant. His head shot back up to look at Snape, but his question was answered before it could even leave his lips. 

"Your mother is fine, Draco. Nothing has happened to her." 

He let out a deep breath. His hands still trembled as they held the letter. Whatever words were inside, they were bad. Even if they weren't regarding his mother. 

Draco shoved the damned thing into Cassie's hands. She was meticulous in opening the envelope, sliding out its contents like they could rip with the tiniest of efforts. Draco didn't dare read over her shoulder, instead choosing to watch her eyes as they scanned over the words. She read them over once. Twice. Three times. Dark eyes that grew darker and heavier each read-through, before meeting Draco's. He wasn't sure if he wanted them to unload some of their burden onto him, if he would be strong enough to carry it. 

She wordlessly handed the letter to Andrew. Pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes Cassie began to take a few steadying breaths. After collecting herself for a minute, she fixed herself into a proper position, all straight posture and chin lifted and hands crossed on her lap with poise. 

"Did the Ministry... Do they suspect who did it?" she asked, and still Draco didn't look away from her. She was being strong enough for the two of them, he could feel it. 

Andrew was trembling, the movement jarring at the point where their two shoulders grazed each other. Something bad had happened. Something very bad. 

Dumbledore moved in the corner of Draco's vision. "No, but my guess is that it's the same culprit as the first time. I'm so sorry for your loss, my dear."

Cass raised her chin even higher. "I'm not 'your dear' anything. Nothing will ever change that. Is this all you wished to share with us?"

"Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore was talking straight to him. "Are you alright?"

Loss. Someone died. Oh, no. No, no, no, no. It was someone Cassie knew. Please not be someone that Draco knew as well. 

Andrew put a hand on his shoulder, and Draco clenched his eyes shut, as if it would prevent him from hearing what was about to be shared. 

"It's Jessica. The Magical Congress found her body off the coast of Florida... she's dead, Draco."

Jessica. Jessica, who cooked him muggle foods out of a box many times over the summer, late at night when he had cravings for a snack. Jess, who was kind and pretty and would listen to him talk about nonsense for hours. Jess, whose tail reminded him of an aurora in the night sky, shining just as brightly as her personality. 

"How?" he croaked out. 

Andrew didn't answer right away. Draco forced his eyes open, the tears welling in them not daring to fall. He willed them down, he would breakdown about this in private, not now. Not in front of Dumbledore and Snape and all the portraits that were asleep but could very likely be eavesdropping anyways. 

"The Moonbeam in France-" Cassie said, her voice catching. "They found her like the Moonbeam in France was found."

Her tail was skinned. Bloody fucking hell. So many questions were spinning around in his head, accompanied by a silence so loud it was painful. 

His chest kept growing tighter and tighter. He couldn't take any more. There better not be anything more. 

-

He must had started dissociating, as he found himself being supported by Cassie and Andrew while being led down one of the moving staircases. He didn't remember anything else that had happened in Dumbledore's office. He had no idea when they had left, getting to this part of the castle. 

The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. Someone was watching them. He blearily scanned his surroundings, but he was closer to passing out cold than being an effective lookout. Andrew and Cassie had stopped in their tracks, likely sensing the same thing. Survival instincts were silly that way. 

"We need to keep moving," Andrew spoke in a low voice, but it sounded warped to Draco. Like they were underwater.

He blinked, and they were now in the dungeons. Someone was still following them. Draco needed to vomit. How could She let this happen? They had found two sirens off the coasts, they had died in Her realm! She was supposed to keep them safe!

The portrait swung open, and he broke out of his friends' supporting grasps to rush to the toilet and empty the contents of his stomach. Andrew stood at the portrait's entrance, stance wide and arms stretched between the open door and the wall, as though he were trying to block someone from entering. Draco rested his cheek on the cool porcelain, observing the protective stance. If She couldn't protect them, then how could Andrew? They weren't even near a body of water. 

The door swung shut, and Andrew glanced wearily throughout the space. Where had Cassie gone? 

Something awful began to fill the air, and if he had anything left in him, he would've puked again. Cassie was brandishing the open aluminum tin full of compost, letting the rotten smell permeate into the room. Someone coughed from over by the fireplace, and Cassie and Andrew leapt towards the source of the noise. 

Draco closed his eyes. They would try to protect him, and that was good enough. Had She tried, to protect Jess? The other siren before her? 

When he opened his eyes the next time, he was tucked into his bed. His robes had been changed, and their was no lingering taste of vomit on his breath. There was a vial of Dreamless Drought on his nightstand, and a small bowl of oatmeal placed under a stasis charm. Sunlight trickled in through the stained glass windows of his room, the rays fluttering about as a result of the lake water they had to breach to travel this far down. 

He ate the oatmeal mechanically, getting it over with so he could take the Draught and go back to sleep. Maybe Severus would take pity on him and let him sleep through the rest of the school year. It wasn't like it mattered, with the way things were going. His mother would be shipping him off to the islands at the earliest possible convenience, at this rate. 

He swallowed the Draught in one gulp, and was grateful for its almost immediate effects. It was the small blessings in life, truly. Not everything was naught. 

 

Chapter 10: Courtyard Commotion

Notes:

switching up the timeline just a bit, but Harry's still as clueless as ever, so what's really changed?

"Harry, you can't be serious!" Hermione looked ready to wack him upside the head with the book she was holding. 

He took a step back from her, just in case. "I don't understand why you're trying to defend him!" 

Ron kept glancing between the two of them and the exit, likely wishing he'd gone to breakfast instead of staying back with them in the common room. 

Hermione refused to back down. "Draco's a different person now! He apologized to me about the way he's treated me in the past. He most certainly has no motivations to have put your name in the Goblet of Fire."

"People don't just change that quickly! He's probably faking it to get closer to me-"

Hermione raised an eyebrow, her expression gone cold. "Oh? Is that all I'm good for, being friends with Harry Potter?"

"No! No, you know that's not what I meant-"

"He's evil, Hermione, just like his family. He was in Dumbledore's office last night with Snape and his cousin and someone else whose name I didn't recognize, and when I followed them they didn't go back to the Slytherin dorms! He has his own quarters that aren't even attached to the dorms-"

"Harry." Now her look had evolved to one of pity, like he was the dumbest person she had ever come across. "He's ill. I've been to his quarters, and there have been times when I've visited with Cassie and he's looked truly awful. He's in pain, Harry. I don't know why that's so hard for you to understand. And, really? Spying on him with the Marauder's Map? If he was in Dumbledore's office with his Head of House, they were likely talking about something of personal matters. Which, is none of your business, and frankly if you keep this behavior up I'll have no choice but to burn that bloody map and lock away that stupid cloak-"

Ron tentatively raised his hand, still glancing between the two of them. Hermione stopped mid-monologue to look at the ginger expectantly.

"I hate to say it, mate, but she's got a point. He's barely ever in class from what I've heard, and when I do see him he looks pretty exhausted. And I don't understand how you've connected the dots between someone putting your name in the Goblet and that someone being Draco Malfoy. I'd be suspicious of his cousin before him. She's terrifying."

"Cassie is sweet, I don't know how many times I have to tell you," Hermione contributed, albeit looking grateful the conversation was beginning to take a turn. 

Ron leaped to the offense. "I saw her arguing with Professor Snape! She called him 'Severus' and told him that if he tried to give her detention ever again she'd steal his left femur and beat him with it!" 

Harry rolled his eyes, knowing the two of them were done listening to anything he had to say. He'd show them how wrong they were. Malfoy was a conniving Slytherin that hated his guts, there was no way he'd suddenly be interested in becoming friends with Harry's muggle-born friend, with his whole house not saying a word about it. 

That was it. The rest of Slytherin didn't give Malfoy any flack for his sudden change in behavior, treating him just the same, if not friendlier. He watched them in the Great Hall, how Slytherins of all years would walk up to talk to him, giving him books and sweets and whatnot. If he wasn't there, then Cassie was, and he didn't like her very much either. 

While he could see the resemblance, her appearance was highly suspicious. Hogwarts hadn't ever had exchange students in the past--he'd checked--especially not ones from Ilvermorny. He hadn't even heard of the school (granted, he wasn't very familiar with any magical schools other than Hogwarts before this year), and for them to send an exchange student but not participate in the Triwizard Tournament? Or even send more than just the one student? 

She was weird, too. Old enough to be in fifth year, but her timetable was incoherent. He'd heard from some Ravenclaws that she had started out in fourth year classes, but had since bounced around and had sat-in on sixth and seventh year ones, but on days where Malfoy attended classes she'd be inseparable from him. She acted like she was badly educated in magic, but Hermione had raved about how intelligent she was after one of their many study sessions. She was connected in this all, somehow... 

"C'mon, we'll be late to class if we don't leave now." Hermione's voice broke him from his stupor. 

He barely focused through first period, mind occupied with figuring out the second task and why Malfoy and his strange cousin would want him apart of the Tournament. It was known to have been quite deadly in the past, but they had no way of ensuring one of the tasks would do him in for good. Maybe they just wanted to watch him make a fool of himself? 

There was a break before Potions, and Harry found himself crossing the courtyard when he spotted Malfoy leaning against a tree, speaking to the bloke he'd seen him with last night. Another American, also in Slytherin robes, looking bleak at whatever their topic of conversation was. 

Feeling a surge of Gryffindor bravery, he surged forward. He'd get answers if it killed him. 

"I know you're up to something, Malfoy." His hand automatically reached into his pocket to tighten around his wand. 

Malfoy looked tired, barely glancing over at him. "Not now, Potter, I'm not in the mood."

"What, afraid now that Cassie's not here to fight your battles?" 

Malfoy's companion sized him up, but then made eye contact with Malfoy and took off. Harry didn't pay too much mind to him. 

"What is it now?" Malfoy asked. 

Now or never. "I know you had something to do with putting my name in the Goblet, and I know you're lying about this whole 'being deathly sick' shtick. Everyone else might buy it, but I'm not stupid."

Malfoy barely blinked in surprise. Ha! Caught in the act. 

"Potter, this obsession you have with me is quite unhealthy. Have you considered going to a Mind Healer and getting your head checked?"

Oh, that was it. Drawing his wand, Harry took a defensive stance, Malfoy reacting just as quickly. He dodged Harry's first spell by ducking around the tree, Harry narrowly missing whatever hex was cast at him in retaliation. Before either could cast another spell, Professor Moody's voice boomed through the courtyard.  

Harry didn't recognize the spell, but didn't get the chance to see its effects. Before it could hit Malfoy a shield had formed around him. Malfoy, looking around in confusion, must not have been the one to cast it. 

The bloke from before had returned, with a furious looking Cassie in front of him. She stormed towards Moody, who seemed taken aback, raising a hand in his direction. Where was her wand?

The entire courtyard was silent, everyone frozen, not daring to move or even breathe too loudly. 

Moody spoke first. "Miss Prince."

Huh. It was the first time Harry had ever heard her last name. He'd seen it last night, on the map, but he'd assumed that it was also Malfoy for the longest time, seeing as everyone referred to her as Cassie. 

Cassie smirked, nodding her head. "Asshole."

Harry sucked in a breath. Did she know who she was speaking to?

Moody grimaced, sending a hex in her direction, and--arm still outstretched--Cassie flicked her wrist. The hex bounced right off of her. 

Malfoy then rushed to her side, pulling on her arm and pleading with her to stand down. Moody looked furious now, ready to try again, when McGonagall rushed in and pointed her own wand at her colleague. 

Moody was chastised for his handling of the situation, and Harry heard Dumbledore's name brought up, yet he was still trying to wrap his head around the wandless magic he'd just seen. Wandless magic was incredibly difficult, especially one that was powerful enough to ward off a hex. Cassie didn't even break a sweat, hadn't even hesitated. She'd done that before. 

McGonagall finished her tirade, demanding all of them (even Harry) immediately go to the headmaster's office, when Cassie raised her chin in Moody's direction. 

"Before we go anywhere, my father would love to hear about this." 

Harry might've imagined it, but Malfoy appeared to roll his eyes in exasperation. 

Chapter 11: Prince of Snakes

"Before we go anywhere, my father would love to hear about this."

Of course Cassie had inherited her father's flair for the dramatic. Draco couldn't be so lucky as to be spared from the theatrics that were going to go down once seated in Dumbledore's office. 

Not even twenty-four hours later, and he was back on the same couch. Only difference was Cassie was now in the middle of Draco and Andrew, and she was in a much brighter mood as she watched McGonagall pace back and forth, Mad-Eye sat with his arms crossed in an armchair and Potter stood nearby shifting from foot to foot every two seconds. Dumbledore had yet to arrive, so when the door swung open, there was no surprise when it was he who entered, Snape not far behind. 

"What's he doing here?" Potter felt the audacity to speak up, as if that wasn't the exact reason they were in this mess in the first place. 

No one answered him, although no one got the chance, as Snape immediately leapt for Moody's throat. 

"HOW DARE YOU?" the Potions master screamed, and even McGonagall jumped in fright at the outburst. 

Dumbledore calmly arranged himself in his seat as Moody was toppled from his chair and backed into the wall, Snape's wand digging into his throat with enough pressure to do more than bruise. 

"You're lucky there are witnesses present, or the things I'd do... They would not even recognize your corpse," Snape started, but Dumbledore cheerfully cleared his throat, which was enough for Snape to collect himself and back off, dusting himself off with an unnecessary amount of aggression. 

Dumbledore had that twinkle in his eye again. Was this situation amusing to him?

"Minerva, would you care to fill us in on the finer details of what has occurred?"

She nodded, shaking herself out of her shock. "Cedric Diggory came running to me about students fighting in the courtyard. When I arrived, Professor Moody"--she shot him a glare--"had just attempted to hex Miss Prince, who was capable enough to defend herself, when I stepped in."

Snape cut in, enunciating each word with care. "And, why, pray tell, was he trying to hex her in the first place?" 

Andrew raised his hand, all eyes turning in his direction. "I had left to get Cassie when Potter had started taunting Draco about his illness, and when we got back a fight had broken out between Potter and Draco. Moody had tried to hex Draco, but Cassie stepped in, knowing that magic is already straining enough on him. Who knows what could've happened had he been successfully hit, on top of everything else he's battling..."

Draco shrunk in on himself, playing the part of small and defenseless. 

"I was not taunting him!" Potter leapt to defend his honor. "I was confronting him-"

"This is not about you, Potter. Sit. Down." Snape waved a hand, conjuring the nearest chair to slide over, running into the back of Potter's legs so he'd topple back and be forced to take a seat. 

"So." Snape straightened his back as he turned in Moody's direction once more. "Not only did you try to hex my daughter, but you did so because she was defending her ill cousin that you also attempted to hex."

"Your daughter?" Potter looked ready to piss himself. 

Well, that cat was out of the bag. Now the entire Gryffindor house would know. 

Moody's biological eye widened just as much as Potter's, the Auror's Adam's apple bobbing with a nervous swallow. The sight was honestly unsettling, seeing the brash Defense professor looking that rattled. While Draco knew his godfather to be powerful, most of the time his threats were empty, all bark and no bite. At least, where Draco was concerned. Clearly, others had quite the wrath to be fearful of. 

Cassie somehow maintained decorum, keeping her face blank and serious, but Draco just knew that once they were no longer privy to outside eyes she'd be grinning like Christmas had come early. She loathed Moody just as much as Draco, if not more, and they had known he was bad news from the start. For him to be put in his place in front of Dumbledore, by Severus Snape of all people! 

Dumbledore cleared his throat once more, reigning the room in with the simple sound. "Alastor, the offense you have committed is entirely unacceptable. I cannot let it go unpunished."

The fear fell from Mad-Eye's face as the man leapt to his defense. "It was justified! She's just as rotten as her father! Powerful wandless magic, no doubt taught to her by her no good, Death Eater-"

In a move that not even Draco could predict, McGonagall's wand sliced through the air, the point of it stopping mere centimetres from Moody's good eye. Draco felt a shiver run through him at the sight, and even Cassie had tensed a bit beside him at the sudden movement. 

The Head of Gryffindor House, true to its namesake, was the definition of fearless. "You will not finish that sentence. Severus turned to the side of the Light, and his daughter is one of the most brilliant witches I have ever come to teach. Clearly, you have not paid enough attention to her in your lectures, or you would know her magic is as pure as it can be. There is nothing dark about her."

Potter was whiter than the Bloody Baron. Dumbledore still had that bloody twinkle in his eye, no doubt having sat back knowing he'd barely have to lift a finger to get the point across. 

Moody's face had fallen flat. He seemed as if he accepted this losing battle, in a room where he had no allies. Not even Potter, who had some sort of weird attachment to the Auror. 

Dumbledore stood from his seat. "Alastor, I will have to insist upon your immediate suspension until after Winter Break. Attempting to hex not one, but two students, is quite the egregious offense ever committed by a Hogwarts professor. This punishment, in my opinion, is a tad too forgiving. But, as a longtime friend, I insist upon giving you the benefit of the doubt and a second chance. Take this sabbatical as a time for most needed reflection. You are dismissed."

Moody seemed barely restrained from stomping out of the room like a petulant child, if his huff of disbelief were anything to go by. The door slammed shut behind him, and Dumbledore switched the focus of the room. 

"Mister Potter," he addressed, "you have become aware of information that has not been publicly disclosed. Miss Prince's identity as Severus' daughter must be kept confidential, and it is of the highest importance that you understand that."

Snape ducked his head as Dumbledore spoke, the poor bastard likely blaming himself for revealing that tidbit of information. Potter, on the other hand, stared at Snape as though he was discovering one of the secrets of life. 

"Mr. Potter?" McGonagall called him out after a moment's silence gone too long. 

Potter straightened in his seat. "Why is it a secret? I don't understand."

"Because," Snape was quick to answer, "if aggrieved followers of the Dark Lord were to discover I had a daughter..."

His voice trailed off with a choke, and for the first time in his life, Draco watched as the man struggled to collect himself. McGonagall turned to Cassie with an evaluating look. 

"Miss Prince, perhaps with some encouragement, Mr. Potter would be better equipped to not reveal your secret."

Bloody hell, she knew? Was there anyone in this damn castle that wasn't aware of its siren occupants? Why was Draco just finding out about all these people now?

Potter looked like someone had knocked over his morning porridge, the utter confusion on his face most pitiful. McGonagall then stormed out of the room, likely wishing to claim credulity to the aftermath of her suggestion. 

Snape had a wordless conversation with Dumbledore, and both promptly left for the hall, but not before Draco could watch the kooky old man send Cassiopeia a sly wink of approval. Subtlety really was a dying art form. 

"Potter." Andrew stood from the couch, crossing the floor. Draco was trembling again, yet this time it was in excitement. He'd seen Cassie use her Song, but not Andrew. As a Hellfire siren, his call would be different, warm unlike the chilling tone of a Nightingale, fiery and-

"You will forget to mention what was discussed today, unless it becomes common knowledge. Look into my eyes, won't you?"

Potter leaned forward, eyes glazed over, his body lightly swaying in the trance. He could hear the low hum emitted from Andrew, so deep it was barely audible to the untrained ear, lasting a brief few seconds before Potter's eyes cleared, and the room fell silent. 

Like a reanimated corpse, Potter stood, nodded his head in goodbye, and calmly walked out of the room. After a minute, only Dumbledore returned, looking as cheerful as he had left. 

The next sequence of words that left the headmaster's mouth had Draco reeling. 

"I am beginning to believe your suspicions regarding Alastor Moody may have some merit."

Draco leaned away from the warmth of Cassie's side to meet her eyes square on. "Is there anything you all want to share with the class?!" 

Cassie slid over to Andrew's unoccupied spot, but merely squinted at Draco. "McGonagall knows I'm Snape's daughter, but she thinks that only Andrew and I are sirens. Your secret is still safe from her."

He turned to Andrew for confirmation, who stared blankly in response. A yes, then. He pointed at the kook. "And him knowing about our suspicions about Moody?"

"We told Severus, did we not? He has confided in Dumbledore for longer than either of our lives, and if there's something off about one of the professors in his school, then I do not see why he should not be made aware of it." 

There was a certain lilt to her words, like she was trying to convince herself at the same time. So, she hadn't known that Dumbledore knew. She was just prepared to blindly defend her father's honor. 

Something still itched at the back of his mind. "Why tell McGonagall about Andrew being a siren at all? Doesn't that make me a more suspicious candidate to also being one?"

Dumbledore butt in, "Like the majority of Hogwarts staff and students, she believes you suffer from an ailment most severe. Your godfather's daughter helping care for you is not the most suspicious thing to be witnessed by the Castle's walls." 

"That doesn't answer my question about Andrew."

Andrew moved to be closer to Cassie, measuring Draco's expression as he did so. "We were planning on waiting to tell you until it was official, as I've only just gotten permission from Severus and didn't want to test his patience any more..."

Draco was growing impatient. "Tell me what?"

Cassie grasped Andrew's wrist, tugging him even closer to her side. "With everything that the Oracles have been predicting and that Moonbeam in France, Andrew's family put pressure on him to begin courting someone to be his mate." She ducked her head, hiding a grin. 

Andrew beat her to the punchline. "I've been courting Cassiopeia since Samhain." 

Chapter 12: Of Veelas & Virtues

As he started looking for it, Draco realized how blind he truly was. The soft touches, the staring when the other wasn't looking, the bright smiles when caught in the act of said staring... 

Andrew adored Cassie, and his affections were most definitely returned. 

He shouldn't have felt this hurt, he had never told either of them about his crush. Realistically, it was a long-shot to begin with. Andrew was two years older and had known Cassie for years (not to mention also being a year closer to her in age), and had barely gotten to know Draco over the course of a couple months. 

Not to discredit himself, either, but he could see all that Cassiopeia had to offer. A fully mature siren, and a striking one at that, with a self-assurance unlike anyone else's. She was cunning in the use of both her intellectual and emotional intelligence, had mastered her Song, and Draco couldn't compete. 

Hermione tapped his shin with her foot. "What are you moping about?" 

They were supposed to be studying for Herbology. Andrew and Cassie had gone out, citing they'd be out well past midnight, so Draco had the quarters to himself. Himself and all his spinning thoughts. 

"Can I, um, can I share something with you? Something you'll promise to keep to yourself?" He couldn't meet her eyes, or the lump in his throat would grow to the point where he wouldn't be able to breathe, let alone finish this conversation. 

"Of course, Draco, you can tell me anything. I pinky swear on it."

The phrase was novel enough to break him out of his daze, and he looked at her for an explanation. "Pinky swear?" 

"Oh! Of course!" It was a Muggle thing, then. "Hold out your pinky."

She held her hand out towards him, pinky outstretched, and he mimicked her. Then she wrapped her pinky around his, and he bent his to mirror hers. 

"It means that if I were to break your promise, that you'd have the right to cut off my finger. It means it's a promise of the highest regard. So, pinky promise."

She lightly shook their entwined pinkies, as though they were shaking hands before a Quidditch match.

"Pinky promise," he repeated weakly. 

She moved her books from her lap to the coffee table, leaning in expectantly for him to continue. 

"I, uh- Well, I fancy blokes. Women, too, but... That's not the big secret, really. I'm..." Merlin, it was hot in here. He pulled on the collar of his shirt. "You know Andrew?"

"Yes." She tilted her head, analyzing him. He probably seemed like he was having a stroke. 

"Well, this past summer I spent some time with him and Cassie, and I sorta, kinda developed what some may classify as a crush, which in my opinion is a heavy-handed word-"

The impatient know-it-all beat him to it. "You have a crush on Andrew, yes?"

"Well, to put it so bluntly," he huffed, "but, yes. On Andrew."

"How does this relate to your moping, exactly? Did he hurt your feelings? Oh, Draco, please tell me you didn't ask him to the Ball-"

"No. No." Was his face getting even redder? He might have to give the tomatoes a run for their money. "Him and Cassie..."

He couldn't exactly say 'are courting to become lifelong mates, which is irreversible even in death, thus destroying my chances eternally.' That didn't really roll off the tongue, and would raise more questions than it would settle. 

"Are going to the Ball together?" Hermione supplied.

And, ugh, Draco hadn't even thought that far ahead. They most certainly would be, and now Draco added that to his pile of things to mope about. 

He sighed. "They're dating, but yeah, probably going to the Ball together as well." 

"Wait, weren't you already planning on going with Zabini? You asked him a few weeks ago, did you not?"

Curse her and her brilliant mind for remembering those sorts of things. 

"Yes, but that's not the point! See, I'm well-aware that the likelihood of Andrew seeing me as anything other than a child is close to zero, and I'm not even that upset about him pursuing someone else! It's just, just..."

"That someone else is Cassie."

He nodded, feeling his lungs deflate in defeat. It really hadn't been anything more than a crush. Maybe it also had to do with the feeling that one of his closest friends was abandoning him, his cousin-kinda-not-cousin moving on with her own life while Draco was still trying to unravel his. Was that really what this was about? With all of these uncertainties piling up, had Draco finally reached his breaking point?

"Have you tried talking to her about it?" Hermione asked. 

And, ugh, what a stupid question. 

"Of course not," he sniffed, turning his head away from her, nose high in the air. Bloody Gryffindors and their desire to confront people about things. Was it really that hard to be passive aggressive like normal people? 

Hermione laughed at him. "Well, there's a place to start." 

-

Draco was laying on the floor in Severus' office, struggling to catch his breath and stop himself from laughing hysterically. Alas, anytime his laughter subsided and air finally returned to his lungs, he'd make eye contact with either Cassie or his godfather, and it would start up once more. 

In his defense, the idea of Weasley attempting to ask Fleur Delacour to the Yule Ball? 

Even Severus had failed to suppress his smirk of amusement. 

After a few minutes, he determined it was all 'out of his system' and pulled himself from the floor, reacquainting himself with the battered sofa he had rolled off of. 

"Now that you have returned to your barely redeemable levels of decorum," Severus drawled, "the Headmaster has burdened me with inquiring you both about a favor."

Draco groaned. "Can we seriously not catch a break, here? We've already done him a favor by exposing Mad-Eye as an irredeemable psycho." 

Severus rolled his eyes and continued on. "They are currently arranging the finer details of the Third Triwizard Task, and concerns have been raised about the assurance of the Champions' safety. After the incident with Professor Moody, Dumbledore has decided it may be wiser to trust two magical creatures to oversee an abundance of other magical creatures."

"Then get the gamekeeper! He has already shown an idiotic affection for dangerous creatures, and the oaf is far from a devious mastermind!" Draco couldn't believe his ears. Did all Dumbledore think about was various ways in which he could endanger his students' lives? 

"As you already know, sirens are more respected than half-giants among magical creatures. Not even veela are a match to your kind."

Cassie had remained uncharacteristically quiet. Draco looked to her now for her input, but was shocked to see a blank expression staring right back at him. Why were they both looking at him? This wasn't entirely his decision!

He shrunk in his seat, for once loathing the attention. "Cassie, a little help here?"

She looked to Severus, some unreadable expression on her face that only the professor understood. "Will the Ministry be aware of our involvement in the Task? The champions? Does Dumbledore expect him to stick his neck out for an IOU?" 

Severus shifted from one foot to another, before making his way over to sit next to Draco on the sofa, staring straight ahead at the wall instead of meeting Draco's eyes. "I would never do anything to endanger your life, Draco. The Third Task will be a labyrinth, with various obstacles installed by other professors. The walls of the maze are enchanted, and will make way for any magical creature attempting to navigate it. Along with some other enchantments, and you would be protected from the eyes of the champions, not even the Minister would know of your involvement. 

"If you say no, then I will support that decision."

Draco's mind was swimming as he tried to process what he was being offered. They wanted him as a safety precaution in a historically deadly Tournament? At that point in the year, he'd be a newly-matured siren, fresh into his powers. He had extremely limited experience with his Song, the only few times he'd used it were accidental! Well, he had been practicing, but only on Cassie and Andrew who were immune to its effects... He wasn't ready for a responsibility like this! What if he exposed them both to the Wizarding World? Someone was already hunting sirens and killing them, did he really want to risk putting a target on their backs? And-

Wait.

"Why does it sound like you're only trying to convince me? Cassie?"

His cousin smiled at him, but it was nowhere near reaching her eyes. Eyes that were sad. Resigned. 

"Cassie?" he asked once more, not even trying to hide the tremble in his voice. Why did she have that look? 

"Something is coming, Dray. We both know it. Even before what happened to Jessica, I've been-, I've been tasked with uncovering more about the threat. I can't disobey Her wishes."

He shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His eyes fell to Severus' hands. They were clutching his knees, knuckles bone-white as his fingers dug into black robes. Robes being clenched so tightly that Draco was certain the fabric would tear under the pressure, straining and stretching until it could handle the tension no longer. 

"I didn't just come with you to Hogwarts to help you with your transition. The Triwizard Tournament is a colossal event that only happens once in a blue moon. Behind the curtain there are so many things happening, there's been shifts in magic itself, in the very essence of nature, and She feels it. She knows that something is coming, and She's scared. Whatever is happening, the sirens need to know about it. We need to be prepared. She refuses for our kind to be threatened any longer."

A drop fell onto Severus' hands. Another, his robes, the tear-stain the only evidence that what Draco was hearing was true. 

He shot up from his seat, blinking away the stinging in his eyes. "How can She ask this of you? She's risking you, your life! What about Andrew? What about me? We need you!"

Steady arms embraced his trembling form. He felt like he wasn't the one in this room who deserved it most, but without it he'd surely collapse to his knees. 

He felt helpless as he soaked her robes with snot and tears. As she rocked him gently, shushed his cries and whispered empty assurances into his ear. 

"I'll take your place, let me take your place," he bartered, and she hugged him with renewed vigor. 

"It's not a death sentence, Draco. I'm going to be okay."

He felt small. "You can't promise me that. It's not fair."

Things rarely were. 

Chapter 13: The Yule Ball

Notes:

TW: (slight) internalized homophobia, panic attack/hyperventilating

Draco straightened his dress robes in the mirror one last time. They appeared black at first glance, but shimmered a deep emerald green when caught in a certain lighting. He felt that they made him look even paler than he actually was. 

There was a crash of something falling to the ground in the next room over, followed by hysterical giggles. The door slammed open and out twirled an ecstatic Cassiopeia that rushed over to Draco, grabbing his hand and twirling him alongside her. Her joy was contagious to the point that he couldn't resist not joining in on the laughter. 

It was only when they both began to feel dizzy that their ministrations stopped. Draco collapsed onto the sofa as he reoriented himself, which finally gave him the chance to take in Cassie's look. 

The floor-length fishtail dress was reminiscent of her siren form. It was the same deep black of her scales; the kind of black that was not an absence of color, but one that appeared to devour its surrounding light, forcing your attention to the wearer. Unlike the blinding sun that stunned you upon first glance, she was the polar opposite of brightness, drawing your eyes to her like a black hole pulling you in. 

He found that he could barely look away, the rest of the room drab and pitiful, the crackling fire place and its orange glow no longer the most lively entity in his presence.

There was a clanking sound of whatever had tumbled to the floor being picked up, followed promptly by Andrew exiting his room to join them. Unlike Cassie, he had not chosen the same color palette as his siren form. His dress robes were quite simple, as were Draco's, and had clearly been chosen to compliment his date's dress. The main color of it being a tasteful ash grey, almost white in color. What really stood out was that the fabric was charmed with wisps and swirls of a stronger grey that slowly danced throughout. It reminded Draco of campfire smoke from those that they had shared over the summer, ascending into the night sky to be consumed by the atmosphere. 

It was unfair how complementary the two of them were. Side-by-side, they would catch the attention of the entire hall tonight, there was no doubt in his mind. 

He went back to scrutinizing his appearance in the mirror. His face had changed so much since the start of summer. His hand came up to brush against his cheekbones that seemed to be sharpening with each passing day. Even as his fingertips brushed over soft and delicate skin he failed to convince himself that he wasn't looking less and less human.

It was subtle differences. But he had a trained eye, and two other sirens as his real-life models. Gone was the roundness of his face and the youthful innocence it conveyed. Gone was the gentleness of his features, instead replaced with sharp bones and harsh beauty. There was something oddly birdlike about how it all came together. The face of a monster. Destined to reside in deep, dark waters. 

Arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. He watched in the mirror as Cass rested a chin over his shoulder, one of her hands drawing his down from his face to over his heart, hers resting on top of his. 

"Were you aware that veelas are distant relatives to sirens? While their beauty captures the attention of foolish men, it is incomparable to that of ours."

He stared at the reflection of her eyes, a dark amber in the glow of the firelight. 

She continued. "We were blessed with Her beauty, Draco. The beauty of nature, the purest of its kind. Everything that you are is a blessing, and you need to treat yourself to the same kindness that you give to those you love. Mirrors are ludicrous tools to reinforce false insecurities we have created in our own minds. If you don't banish whatever thoughts it has helped manifest in your head and leave for the dance with us right now, I will dye your hair bright pink and you will not be able to change it back for the rest of the week."

She leapt away before he could turn and retaliate against her threats. Andrew merely gave him a small pat on the shoulder as he brushed past him to follow her out of the door. Alas, as they say... If you can't beat 'em...

-

When Harry laid eyes on Malfoy, he stumbled forward, stomping onto Parvati's foot. He was grateful, even as she kicked his shin, that everyone else had joined in on the dancing and that all eyes were no longer on them. 

Parvati made a comment about finding Padma and disappeared before he could really process what she was saying. His eyes flew back to Malfoy--they honestly hadn't left the Slytherin in the first place--and tried to process the sight before him. 

Draco Malfoy was dancing with Blaise Zabini? 

Did no one else find that strange? 

He looked around in a panic, hoping to find Hermione Ron. Parvati went to find Padma, wouldn't Ron be with her? He tried his best to skirt around the crowds, not wanting to be deterred from his goal. 

He found his date, her sister, and Ron sitting at a table. All had their arms crossed, and the twins were glaring at Ron (and, now, Harry by proxy). 

"Ron, did you see Malfoy?" he hissed, hoping the Patil sisters couldn't hear him (they could, they just really didn't care). 

Ron seemed unphased, nodding in response to Harry's question, but ducking to the side to look behind him. 

"He's here with Blaise Zabini! They're dancing together!" 

Ron blinked, sitting upright to look at Harry like he'd grown another head. "Yeah, mate, what about it?"

Was he hallucinating? "They're both blokes."

Ron sighed, pulling out the empty chair next to him and patting it. Harry obliged, slumping down into the chair. 

"Harry, Malfoy's ill, we've been over this."

Harry wanted to hit him upside the head. "How is that relevant here?"

Ron's eyes widened. "Oh! That's right, you wouldn't- Well, with Pure-blood families, it's expected that the Heir will continue on the family bloodline. Malfoy's the Heir in his family, so it would be expected he'd marry a witch, but since he's ill that expectation for him gets waived. The Lord can pick a distant relative instead as the Heir... Wait, I wonder about that cousin of his, the American? Maybe she qualifies..."

"But Zabini's a bloke."

"What are you on about?" Ron was now scanning the room. "What's so weird about that?"

Harry felt like shrinking in on himself, Vernon's words pounding around his head. "Isn't it... not natural?"

Ron stopped scanning to turn to him in concern. "Is this some Muggle thing? Same-sex attraction isn't unnatural if that's your question, it's just not some people's cup of tea. Heck, I have a great uncle that's gay, don't see him too often but he's alright-"

This was not an ideal time to be having an identity crisis. "So, it's okay?"

"Yes, mate, it's okay." Ron resumed scanning, but once he found what he was looking for, he grabbed at the front of Harry's robes so tightly that he barely saved himself from toppling out of his chair. 

He followed his friend's line of vision, and it wasn't hard to deduce what it was he was supposed to see. 

The Americans dancing, a mesmerizing movement that had drawn a crowd around them. Ron had stood, moving to them as if under a spell, his hold on Harry still not relinquished and forcing him to follow. 

They were both stunning. This wasn't news, especially not to him, as the guy--what was his name? Alex?--had been the reason for Harry walking straight into a pillar upon his arrival to Hogwarts. 

Looking at him now, Ron's words echoing inside his head, clashing against Vernon's overbearing screaming. It's okay. 

It's okay to be attracted to men. 

Alex, or whatever his bloody name was, was very attractive. 

The song finished and the couple broke away from each other. Cassie laughed at something not-Alex said, and the circle of onlookers parted for her. She strolled past Harry and a drooling Ron, walking straight up to Malfoy and doing some sort of mock-bow as she asked him to dance. 

Malfoy looked... Happy. The dark circles under his eyes had lightened, his face practically glowing in the silver lights of the Hall. 

As Malfoy danced with his cousin, an uncoordinated mess--were both of them trying to lead?--that they still somehow managed to look graceful, Harry felt a pit in his stomach as he came upon a realization. 

Malfoy and his bloody smiling face, all high cheekbones and grey eyes, a face he had literally picked out of a crowd a hundred times. A face that... A face that...

His lungs struggled to get air. His feet were cemented down, and he was trembling, his joints protesting at the harsh movements. How had he been so blind? How had this happened? This was Malfoy they were talking about! He couldn't, he wouldn't-

He wanted to be the one Malfoy was dancing with. Cassie passed him off to Zabini, making some snarky comment that Harry only caught the end of. 

Harry was not jealous of Blaise Zabini. The world had not come to this. This was all ridiculous. Maybe he really was hallucinating, maybe this was all a farce. Maybe he was just caught in some weird potion-induced dream, and he'd wake up in the Hospital Wing and everything would go back to making sense. He did not have a crush on Draco bloody Malfoy. 

Someone tucked their arm into his elbow, guiding him out of the Great Hall with gentle steps. His chest rattled as he sucked in air, and Hermione helped lower him to the ground, sitting beside him as he cried. 

"Harry, are you alright?"

He shook his head, hating himself for dragging her away from the dance.

"Hermione, you-" A gasp. "-can go."

She rubbed circles into his back, shushing him. "The dance isn't going anywhere. Breathe with me, alright?"

He did as she asked, and she began rambling off about the legacy of Rowena Ravenclaw. He was never going to take her for granted ever again, bless her heart. 

Finally calming down, he wiped the tears from his cheeks. Hermione stopped talking, just sat there waiting patiently for him. 

"I think I like blokes," he muttered. 

She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "That's okay."

He shook his head. "I think, um, that I like Draco Malfoy."

Another squeeze. "That's okay too."

-

Harry promised to talk to her again tomorrow, after some much needed rest, and she began to make her way back to the dance. She had taken them both into a courtyard hallway far enough from the Hall where they wouldn't be interrupted, and barely caught herself as she went around a corner to an untimely sight. 

She ducked back behind the pillar, inching her head around the corner ever so slowly. She bit back a gasp as she watched Professor Snape and Cassie dance a slow waltz to the muted orchestra floating in from nearby. 

Snape tucked a kiss onto the top of her head, stopping them both. Hermione had to strain her ears to hear their conversation. 

"I would do anything, if it meant you didn't have to risk your safety," the Potions professor spoke, his voice lacking its usual timbre. 

Cassie tucked her face into the crook of his neck. "Dad, you know as good as anyone that I need to do this. For both of us."

Dad? Dad? 

Hermione watched in horror as a tear rolled down Snape's face. "You foolish girl. You needn't worry about me."

Cassie pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. "If what Dumbledore thinks is true, I'm not risking what he'd do to you. To me, or Draco. If he knew about me there would be no lengths at which he would stop. I refuse to let him hurt you."

If Dumbledore was involved in this, it could mean nothing good. It wasn't public knowledge that Snape had a daughter, and yet they transferred her to Hogwarts for the school year. Were the States not safe for her? But the threat was targeting Snape and Draco as well... 

Voldemort. 

Chapter 14: Heads & Tails

"Scratching at it is only going to make it worse."

Draco looked up, mustering the strongest possible glare he was capable of. "Piss off, Andrew."

The elder boy laughed, and Draco's glare hardened. 

His skin was sloughing off not unlike a snake shedding its skin, leaving raw and tender flesh in its wake. The flesh itself was littered with small pinpricks of blood as his scales established themselves and came out into the world. 

The worst part was that it wasn't painful in the slightest. He'd gotten used to the pains, whether they be dull aches or sharp stabs, they were manageable. The itching? 

He imagined this is how his aunt Bella felt when she went too long without casting an Unforgivable. 

Cassie opened the bathroom door with her side, carefully maneuvering a tray in her hands from bumping into anything. She brought it over and set it on the side of the pool ledge before placing both hands on her hips and looking down at Draco, who laid miserably on the floor surrounded by a pile of dead skin and blood. 

"Did I not tell you that scratching would make it worse?" she chastised. 

He forced his hands away from his shin. "Sorry, mom, but dad's already been playing that broken record for the past hour." 

Cass laughed, grabbing a potion off of the tray and motioning for Draco to lay his legs flat. As she applied the salve he could've cried in relief. 

Andrew hopped down from where he'd been lounging on the pool ledge to grab a rose-colored potion. He knelt down behind Draco, using a clean scrap of gauze to apply it to the established scales on the back of his neck. While the anti-itch potion was clear in color and smelled strongly of winterbloom and chamomile, the conditioner for his scales smelled like freshwater algae and came with a cool burning sensation. 

"The conditioner will promote blood circulation to the area," Cassie explained without prompting, "You should apply it at least once a month, but also on new scales that come in after an injury to prevent infection."

"First you'll have to teach me how to brew it." Along with every other relevant siren-created potions that he'd been too incapacitated to help brew the first time around. It also wasn't helpful that most of the ingredients needed were sold in apothecaries on the Islands, a place he had yet to travel to. 

Soon. Once he had his tail, and could out-swim even the fastest of grindylows or kelpies. When he would be just a hair's breadth away from full maturity. 

-

It was late in the evening. Andrew had long gone to bed, so it was just Draco and Cassie sat in front of the fire. He had tried to convince her to go to sleep as well with no luck, she was determined for him to fall asleep first, no matter how unlikely that was. 

Even with the aid of the potion, the itching felt like being bitten by thousands of fire ants. Severus had begun brewing a numbing draught after dinner but it was unlikely to be finished for another hour. 

The fire made his eyelids warm and heavy. Closing them was almost painful from the heat yet was nothing but a pleasant sensation. He leaned into it, caressed by the blazing glow and soft crackling of the logs, accented by the occasional turning of the page per Cassie. 

"What're you reading?" he mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes. 

"Your mother asked me to begin planning your death."

Of course she did. "What is there to plan?"

Cassie scoffed. The silence resumed. The itching wasn't that bad, honestly, if he imagined himself paralyzed in the fight against it. Perhaps scratching at it really did make it worse. 

Another pop! from the fire. The swift slide of parchment turning over. A knock at the door.

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Of course Severus arrives after he's reached the brink of sleep. How splendid. 

He doesn't move other than opening his eyes to watch Cassie get up to answer the door. Draco might just sleep here, screw moving to his cold bed. 

"Mr. Malfoy has been requested in the Headmaster's Office." 

Draco groaned, burrowing further into the cushions. 

Severus' robes billowed behind him as he made his way around the furniture, a vial in hand. 

"Here, boy." He held it out for Draco, who sat up only because of the promised relief in front of him. He took it without having to exercise any cognitive function, at this point used to taking potions by rote. 

"What does he possibly want at this hour? Couldn't he have waited until breakfast?" Draco asked. 

Severus shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't tell you until we reach our destination, for even I do not know the answer to your questions."

"Fucking hell," Cassie grumbled, tying her hair up into a bun. Severus turned to her expectantly at the curse, mouth half-open as though uncertain if he should chastise her or not. 

Cass pulled on a hoodie, prompting Severus to cut in. "And, do tell, where you think you're going?"

Cassie frowned. "With Draco." 

Severus shook his head, a curse muttered under his breath, but didn't fight it. "Very well." 

The numbing potion had kicked in the moment it had gone down Draco's throat, and he could feel its potency as they trekked up the many staircases to get to Dumbledore's office. At some point Cassie had thrown an arm around his waist to support him, and by the time they made it to the door, Severus was on his other side doing the same. 

Draco wanted to roll his eyes at the unexpected audience that greeted them inside and barely managed to restrain himself. He allowed Cassie to manhandle him into a chair, with her sitting atop one of the arms like a crow perched on a castle spire. She leveled her gaze at Barty Crouch Sr. and Ludo Bagman. 

Barty Crouch took a step backwards, nearly toppling himself over as he tripped on the rug. Ludo gave an unsure smile; he appeared like he was trying to decide whether he was afraid or not. 

Dumbledore smiled from where he leaned against his desk. "Cassiopeia, how nice of you to join us."

"I only requested the presence of Mr. Malfoy," Crouch said, as though he were accusing someone--Dumbledore? Snape?--of something. 

Dumbledore's smile grew even wider. The man surely did live for chaos. 

Severus cleared his throat. "You will find, sir, that Mr. Malfoy and Miss Prince are joined at the hip, whether you like it or not." 

Was his godfather trying to suppress a smirk as well? At least someone was amused at this hour. He should've just played dead in front of the fire. 

"Is someone going to explain why I'm here?" Draco rested his head against the back of the chair. "With this numbing potion in my system there is not much keeping me from falling asleep right here." 

Crouch regained his footing. "Of course. Mr. Malfoy, we require your assistance in the Second Triwizard Task-"

In a baffling synchronization, Severus and Cassie blurted out, "Absolutely not!" 

Draco was now slightly more awake. Key word being: slightly. He blinked a few times to clear the fogginess from his vision, unveiling the sight of two stunned Triwizard judges. 

Ludo raised his hand like a timid first-year. "Pardon me, but did Mr. Malfoy say he had taken a numbing potion?"

"Indeed," Severus replied, "to allow him to sleep despite his chronic pain."

One of Cassie's hands came to rest on Draco's shoulder. Honestly, having two mama bears ready to do all the heavy-lifting for him? This was living the life. Despite what onlookers may say, Draco despised confrontation. 

"Oh, yes, yes, we're aware Mr. Malfoy has been... dealing with some health issues lately." Crouch used the word 'aware' like he was unsure of the definition. 

Cassie moved her hand from his shoulder to his hair, running her fingers through it. Here come the waterworks...

"Then you understand he's in no condition to be involved with the Second Task? Dragging him up here at this ungodly hour is already taxing enough on his frail health. If you want to try justifying risking my cousin's life for some silly game then you are wasting your time!" 

Cassie brought the sleeve of her robe to wipe away tears that weren't there. One, two sniffles, and-

"Have you even informed his parents? Requested a specialist from St. Mungo's clear him before trying to drag him into this?! I'm sure the Prophet would love to hear about how despite your claims of attempting to avoid deaths you're fine with risking the lives of non-Champions! This is clear disregard for students who are not able-bodied, at Ilvermorny this would be unacceptable! No wonder they've never been involved with this damned Tournament, they see it for what it is-" Her tirade ended on a choked sob, and she buried her face into the crook of Draco's neck.

The continued shaking of her shoulders was a nice touch. He shushed her and put on the most pained face he was capable of. 

The two Ministry judges were pale as a sheet. Severus had a hand over his mouth, feigning shock, most likely trying not to smirk at the lunacy. Dumbledore remained unphased. 

"Now, now." Ludo rushed to make reparations. "Let's not blow this out of proportion, no one is being forced to participate in anything. Mr. Malfoy's health is of the upmost priorities here, but I must add that I do not believe he will be in any immediate danger-"

Severus interrupted, "I'm sorry, but I wasn't aware you had gone and trained extensively as a Healer? Tell me, who was it you studied under at St. Mungo's?"

And that was the end of that. Cassie was done with her little show, resuming her glaring contest, and Draco leaned against her side. They'd have to levitate him back down to his quarters. As the voices in the room lulled in volume, assurances made that Draco would not be involved in any way and that they were sorry for even thinking it was 'permissible to entertain the idea' in the first place... 

His eyelids were lead weights that he could not hold up any longer.  

-

He was curious, after breakfast, what they possibly could have wanted him for in the Second Task. He obviously could not risk making them believe he'd even consider the idea of volunteering himself, with the task being in the Black Lake and all... 

Draco lost his train of thought as he walked into the bath and was confronted with the calm stare of the pool. He spun on his heel to leave, but was met with firm hands on his chest pushing him back into the room. 

"Andrew, wait-" he tried to protest, and all he got was an amused laugh in return. 

"There's no need to be nervous! You should be excited!" Andrew waved his hands around to express the grandiosity of it all. Blasted optimists and their distorted view of life-defining events.  

"You're not entitled to telling me how I'm supposed to feel."  Draco looked at the pool, butterflies stirring in his stomach and rising up into his chest. 

More footsteps greeted them. "Dray, stop looking at the water like it's going to bite you, this isn't Louisiana." 

"Louisi-? You know what, later. You're both crowding me." 

Cassie and Andrew smiled sheepishly but otherwise did not move from their spots. 

"Do you want us to cover our eyes?" Cass suggested, and he groaned. 

While nudity wasn't anything to be ashamed of--he'd learned as much over the summer--he felt self-conscious. About both his human body and his siren one. What if he was... disappointing? What if he didn't look right? Was there a right way to look? 

His thoughts must've been too loud, as both of the older sirens turned their backs to him. Stripping quickly of his robes, he slid into the pool, his muscles tensing at the freezing temperatures. 

Andrew peeked over his shoulder before giving Cassie some sort of signal, and both of them rushed to join him. His first swim with his tail-

His tail. Cassie had charmed the ceiling to be a reflective surface the day prior. He hated the concept at the time, but now he rejoiced in it. As his transformation completed after a brief few seconds, he couldn't look away. It was just incredible. 

He floated with zero effort. Attempting to move around was... baby steps, 'slow and steady,' he told himself. He shifted his tail, thinking about using the same muscles one would to shift your weight from one foot, but all it did was throw him off kilter. His tail was so much longer than his legs, didn't cooperate in the same way as these muscles were different. Like having a completely different set of limbs nothing like either his arms or legs. 

Draco rolled onto his stomach, practicing a tail-over-head type roll while staying in place. He'd seen Corey and Cassie do them a bunch, and the mechanics of the movement weren't as complicated as he initially thought them to be. He began to swim downwards, and the weightlessness that allowed him to float shifted into an anchor that helped drive him down. With the addition of his scales, he slid through the water with a new type of ease.

It was like flying, but better. Like the water knew where he was headed and made way for him. In a way, the water likely was sentient enough to be capable of such a thing.

She welcomed him in a new embrace as he existed the way he was meant to be. Her encouragements, the declarations of Her love, they were everywhere; in the water and in his magic and in every fiber of his very being. A fierce protectiveness that emboldened him. Here, he was untouchable. 

A true Nightingale. 

Chapter 15: Sinking

The three sirens kept low, swimming a few feet above the sandy lake bottom. Draco was already feeling like he had a handle on swimming with a tail, like it was something he'd known how to do even before he could walk. 

Andrew and Cassie, now that they were unafraid of triggering jealously in him, were showing off. 

Andrew was 'jumping leagues,' a skill where he would swim straight at an obstacle--whether that be a rock or a cluster of weeds--and vanish right before colliding with it, appearing again a good distance away that he logically couldn't have swam to based off of trajectories. It was a skill more advanced than portal creation, where water would swirl into a physical portal that could transport you into any body of water anywhere, as it involved illusive evasion that required blind trust in Her. With a portal, you had a destination in mind. With league jumping, you had to trust Her to prevent any collisions and also trust she would transport you safely out of harm's reach.

It was all incredible, really, even if Draco had already learned everything about the theories behind the magic and their properties. Any normal Wizard would be out of their element in open water already, but Sirens had multiple advantages. There was no possible way for them to be his equal here. And, that did not even begin to cover what would happen if She came in to intervene. 

Cassie was a bit behind Andrew in her abilities, but she made up for it by being much faster a swimmer. He may be able to skip around to get ahead, but it did not take very long for her to catch up. 

Both always circled back to Draco, never getting too far away from him. He wanted to voice how grateful he was for their consideration as they were likely attuned to his anxieties at being near the Tournament. If the Ministry were to find out what lurked beneath them... 

As they approached the docks where the spectators stood, despite being almost a mile beneath them Draco could hear the echos of their cheering. The Task hadn't started yet, but it would soon. 

Cassie tapped his shoulder. Right, the cloaking. 

She made a choreographed movement with her hands in the shapes of different symbols and the water rippled around her. He carefully copied the motions and felt a ripple embrace him as well. 

Cassie's voice echoed through his head. "We will be able to see each other, but only because we are not trying to hide from one another. The cloaking will be undone when you transform back,  or if you repeat the hand movements you did to cast the cloaking spell. We'll meet back at the Castle, alright?" 

He nodded an affirmation, and he watched Andrew cloak himself before the two swam off. It had been his idea to split up, as he knew he needed to get comfortable being by himself in the water. If absolutely necessary, he could easily locate the other two of his pod through echolocation. 

The champions jumped forth into the water, and Draco waited a beat before following Diggory. He glanced back to Potter apparently drowning himself, and shrugged it off to follow the true Hogwarts Champion. 

It was all rather boring, to be honest, in comparison to the First Task. At least then there was guaranteed action, not just some teenagers swimming around a lake going after Merlin-knows-what. It might have been explained above-water by the judges, mind you, but Draco had not been one to pay attention. 

There was some commotion in a cluster of weeds as Grindylows made their way to attack Diggory, but the Hufflepuff made quick work of them and continued on. Draco almost did, as well, had the commotion not been redirected towards another Champion. 

He was a tad bit surprised that it was Potter, who likely was unsuccessful in his attempt to drown himself. Upon closer inspection, it appeared he had used gillyweed to get him through the task. Wonder where he acquired that, especially when the bubblehead charm would've been much easier in all aspects. 

More grindylows had appeared than there where initially, and Potter struggled to fend them off. As they began to drag Potter downwards into the cluster of weeds, Draco reacted without even thinking. Talons extended, he clawed at the closest grindylow, a rumble of satisfaction coming through him. The other grindylows, aware of the predator in their midst, scattered like leaves in the wind. 

Potter shook his head in confusion, looking at the mauled grindylow and then around it in an attempt to figure out what the bloody hell had just happened. 

In all honesty, not even Draco was aware of the answer to that. Why had he done that? He may as well have undone the cloaking spell at that point, since he was apparently hellbent on exposing himself after all. 

He swam away in a panic. The longer he stayed there the risk of him doing something stupid once more increased. He sped through the water before the Merpeople's village was in sight. They would be able to smell him, even if they couldn't see him. Draco forced himself and his heart rate to slow down so they wouldn't mistake him for a threat. 

At the center of the village, four people hung suspended in the water, chained down to a stone statue. He recognized Hermione first, then Cho Chang and Weasley. The younger blonde held an unmistakable likeness to Delacour, likely her younger sister. 

He was confused. Was this what they had wanted Draco for? These individuals clearly held some connection to each Champion, but where did he come into play? If this was what they needed him for then who was his replacement? Which one of these four didn't belong?

Perhaps... Chang? Diggory was friendly enough towards him, but Draco didn't think he was more important to the Hufflepuff than his girlfriend. Unless Diggory was fiercely in the closet, which would add up considering he was an only child, but Draco always considered the Diggory family to be on the more progressive side of wizarding society.

Krum came to collect Hermione, and Draco felt relieved to know his friend wouldn't be stuck down here much longer. It was then that he noticed Potter hovering about, a merperson growling at him with their trident aimed to strike. What had he done to piss the merpeople off this quickly?

Diggory came and released Chang from her bindings, tapping his watch and looking pointedly in Potter's direction before taking off. Potter still hovered around, looking torn up about having to leave the tiny Delacour behind even as the merperson hissed that he 'could only save one.'

Draco inched closer, looking at the chain attaching the mini Fleur to the statue. Taking a breath, he focused on increasing the pressure of the water surrounding it, until it broke apart. The girl began to float up towards the surface, and Potter (once more utterly confused) made quick work of grabbing Weasley and going up towards the surface. Draco followed the girl long enough to ensure she breached the surface, before diving back down to the village. 

A few of the guards were waiting for him, and he made quick work of removing the cloak. 

"That was foolish of you, taking action in front of the wizard," the one warned. 

He shrugged his shoulders. Seeing as they weren't sirens, he had no other way of communicating with them down here. 

The same merperson shook their head in disdain. Likely the leader, then. "I will have to make up a lie for the judges to explain what has happened, if the boy has not blabbered to them already." 

Draco nodded his head in thanks, and got nothing else in reply. Getting the memo, he made his way back towards the castle and tried to explain for himself his actions from today. Taking action not once, but twice, in front of Potter? He must be going mad. Even worse, he hadn't even thought before acting, had been going on pure instinct and only realizing the potential consequences after the fact. 

Gods, once Andrew and Cassie heard about what he'd done... If not from Draco himself, then likely from Dumbledore and Severus as Potter wasn't exactly one for keeping his damn mouth shut. 

The Ministry, too. They'd find out about something invisible attacking a grindylow and deduce there was a siren in the Black Lake. Even better, they'd probably send someone to recover the body and get even further proof from his claw marks. Why hadn't he destroyed the body, or buried it where it wouldn't be found? He was such an idiot! Slytherins were supposed to have more self-preservation than this!

He entered the tunnel that led into the castle. Cassie and Andrew had beat him here, he could sense them already up near the surface. Maybe they'd be blind to the obvious guilt on his face? 

They were the opposite of blind. 

Cassie clicked her tongue at him. Tsk, tsk, tsk. "Draco, care to explain the torn up grindylow we found and then proceeded to bury? If you were hungry, at least clean up after yourself." 

Alright, so they didn't know too much. Which meant he could cover for himself. 

"I bumped into it with my tail and it tried to attack me, I wasn't planning on eating it," he explained. 

Both seemed satisfied with his answer, and went about transforming back and drying themselves off. Draco pushed himself up onto the edge of the pool and almost feel right back in as a fluffy towel in the ugliest shade of yellow smacked him upside the head. It was followed by uncontrolled cackling, but instead of starting a fight and tossing it back, he used it to dry his hair like the good sport that he was. He'd get revenge later, when they were least expected it. 

About twenty minutes later as they were all lounging around the fire karma came knocking at the door. 

Severus stormed in, his eyes ablaze. "Which one of you was foolish enough to be seen by Potter?" 

Andrew and Cassie's heads whipped in Draco's direction with Severus' glare following. 

"You were seen by someone?" Cassie practically screamed at him, and he shrunk into himself. 

"I never took my cloak down!" he tried to defend. 

Severus didn't look any less infuriated. "Something attacked a grindylow that was after him, and then Gabrielle Delacour was mysteriously freed right in front of Potter's eyes! You may have been cloaked, but your blatant disregard for your safety was on display for all to see!

"You're lucky the merpeople claimed to have been the ones to free Gabrielle when they saw no one was coming to rescue her, but that meant there was no viable explanation to give him regarding the grindylow! Dumbledore had to lie on the spot to the Ministry judges to throw them off your scent! After all I've done for you, this is how you repay me? By not only endangering yourself, but your friends, my daughter?" 

Cass' face didn't hold any heat to it as she examined Draco from where she sat. Severus opened his mouth to continue his tirade, but she held a hand out for him to stop. The scrutiny in her eyes made him wish he'd combust on the spot and not have to confront whatever accusation she was about to lay down.

"You wanted to help Potter."

Her words seemed to shatter the earth underneath Severus' feet, as his godfather stumbled to sit down into a chair. Andrew, on the other hand, let out a heavy sigh and stood. 

"I'm going to the Islands to get everything ready."

Andrew was gone before Draco could even process the words that left his mouth. 

"I'm sorry," Draco said, his voice trembling. They were all mad at him and it was all his fault. He couldn't handle it when people were mad at him. 

"It's not your fault," Cassie assured, "I should have seen something like this coming."

Severus was pale. Draco wished he was clued in to what he was thinking. 

"Something like what?" he asked, feeling like a child with how small he felt. 

Severus stood slowly, walking to the door like he was stepping around broken glass. Yet Draco's eyes never left his cousin's and the look of pity that they held. She knew he hated pity from others' and she wasn't even attempting to hide it.

"Draco," she started, moving towards him as though he were a spooked animal, "do you care for Harry Potter?"

The words washed over him like a bucket of freezing water. Had it been a year prior, those words would have elicited a scoff of disbelief, a laugh at the incredulity of it all. 

Now, they stole the breath from his lungs. Now, they filled his eyes with unshed tears, and he shook his head so they would go away. Instead, they fell down his cheeks and dripped onto his robes, with more and more tears following right behind them. He couldn't care for Potter. There were too many reasons why it could never be. He was a siren, a fugitive, the son of a Death Eater. Potter was the boy-who-freaking-lived. 

Draco was about to move to the Islands, a place only sirens could travel, where he would be hidden away for the rest of his life. His mother was sending him away to keep him safe, where the Ministry could never find him, and Potter... Potter would always be on their radar. There was nothing subtle about him, he was a bloody reckless Gryffindor that attracted attention wherever he went! 

Not that he would ever like Draco in that way, anyways. 

"Draco?"

He closed his eyes. His life was cursed, there was no other explanation. Perhaps, this was karma for all the years he was an intolerable git to so many people around him. His life was not destined to be fair, he had been born to stay in the shadows. He was not meant to know the light, especially not one as bright as Harry Potter. 

"Yes," he finally replied, "I suppose I do."

Cassie wrapped her arms around him. "But you don't love him, right? You know sirens only fall in love once, and I need you to tell me now if you do, it'll change everything-"

He cut her off. "No, no, it's not love. I don't love him." He had to be sure about that. 

"Good, good. We'll have to move some things around, we can't risk you getting involved with him. Something's coming, Dray, something dark. Given Potter's track record, he'll act as a beacon for that darkness, it'll just put us all at risk."

He nodded, not capable of any more words, his throat tightening and holding the air in his lungs captive. 

Andrew reappeared, a vial in his hands. He passed it off to Cassie, who carefully uncorked it before holding it out to Draco.

"It's time," she said, the finality in her tone sending a shiver down his spine. He took the vial from her, bracing himself as he downed it in one go. 

Although, he wasn't sure how much he could mentally brace himself for his imminent death. 

Chapter 16: In loving memory

All of Hogwarts had been summoned to the Great Hall for breakfast, the Prefects ushering them quickly out of bed to get dressed and head down. Harry sent Ron a look of confusion, but his friend merely shrugged in response. Glad they were on the same page. 

It had been three days since the Second Task, and everyone sat in the Hall seemed groggy this Monday morning, with the exception of Hermione of course. Leave it to her to be excited for a full day of classes. 

She sat across from them as usual, whispering to Ginny on her right. The whole table was trying to figure out why they had been summoned, as where the tables of the other three houses. No students from the two visiting schools were present. 

Harry scanned the room, looking up at the teachers' table to find everyone present except for Snape and Dumbledore. His attention was quickly drawn back to his table when George stated, matter-of-factly:

"A student's died."

All attention was on him as any student in hearing distance asked after the identity of the student. Who died? If this was anything like the Chamber of Secrets, wouldn't they have been locked up in their respective house? Unless it was like last year when Sirius broke into the castle, but then again, they had been immediately moved to the Great Hall. Today they had waited until breakfast to summon them... 

The room fell silent as Dumbledore entered, walking with purpose to the front of the Hall. The look on his face was eerie, one Harry had rarely seen present on the Headmaster. As the man took to the podium, everyone was on the edge of their seats to hear what had to be said. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat, looking back at the teachers table before speaking. If he noticed Snape's absence, he didn't look twice. 

"It is, with the heaviest of hearts, that I share with you this news. In the early hours of the morning, one of your peers succumbed to illness and passed away. The loss of a life is never easy, certainly not one who has left us too soon, a whole life of potential in front of them. But, we must remind ourselves that in death, one is able to find peace. Draco Malfoy suffered greatly from illness, but is in pain no more."

Harry's heart stopped. No, this wasn't possible. Malfoy couldn't be- He couldn't-

"In honor of Mr. Malfoy's memory, and to allow anyone the time they need to grieve, classes are cancelled for the next three days. Professor Snape will also be taking a leave of absence for the week, meaning I will stand in as Potions professor. If students need to confide in a trusting adult, their Head of House, prefects, and other professors are here to support you. Mind Healers will also be present in the Infirmary for the next two weeks should you wish to talk with one. Lastly, I ask of you one thing: Be kind to one another. We all grieve in different ways. Even if we were not close to the one we lost, they always seem to have held a place in your life, and learning to live without someone is never an easy feat. To Mr. Draco Malfoy, you will be dearly missed."

The Hall stayed silent after Dumbledore's speech as every student sat in shock. It was only when the silence was broken by a loud sob from the Slytherin table did people finally react. Many Slytherins stood and left, dead silent with the exception of Pansy Parkinson who sobbed uncontrollably and had to be held up by two older girls from her house. Noises of disbelief filled the gap the silence once occupied, students whispering to each other as they all processed the news. 

Draco was dead. 

It hadn't been that long ago, in this very room, that he had danced and laughed and looked so vibrantly alive. He had looked fine. Hadn't he been fine? He couldn't remember the last interaction he had with the blond. He'd seen him, before the Second Task, sat with his cousin at breakfast. Draco had looked tired, certainly, but he was still up and about.

He had heard that Draco hadn't attended the Second Task. Between breakfast and then, had he started to feel unwell? This whole weekend, as Harry had been celebrating and having fun with his house, had he been suffering? Harry hadn't even gotten the chance to tell him... 

He'd never get the chance to tell him. 

Ron elbowed his side, and he was broken from his trance. Hermione was trembling like a leaf as she cried, Ginny shushing her and wrapping an arm around her in comfort. She had been his friend. He hadn't even gotten the same honor. 

"Hermione," he began to ask, his tongue moving before his brain could think, "did you know?"

Ron elbowed him again, harder this time. Hermione furiously wiped at her tears, although it was fruitless as they kept falling. She nodded, and then shook her head.

"I went to see him on Saturday, and I knew he wasn't doing well, and Cassiopeia had, she had-" Hermione hiccuped. "Had warned me that it wasn't looking good. I tried to see him again yesterday but he was asleep and Snape was with him, Andrew told me to come back tomorrow but, but-"

Her sobbing resumed. Harry felt faint. If he hadn't been so hung up on accusing Draco of whatever he'd been so hellbent on accusing him with, he could've gone with Hermione to study with him. Maybe they would've been friends. Maybe, maybe instead of Zabini, Harry could've gone with him to the dance, or at least been friendly enough to ask him to dance? Maybe they could have been more, than just friends. 

Except they weren't even just friends. They just, were. Harry had tried to hex him, for Pete's sake. Draco had thought that Harry hated him, had tried telling Harry that he had changed. And he'd been too stupid to realize that it was himself who hadn't changed, instead caught up in trying to maintain their stupid rivalry, because at least then Malfoy had talked to him!

Malfoy. He'd been calling him 'Draco' in his head. But to Draco, he'd only ever been 'Potter.' He was always going to be just 'Potter.'

-

"Look, Dray, you're front page news." 

Cassie smacked him with the paper, and he faux-kicked at her from his seat, trying to spill her precious bowl of oatmeal (he was not successful).  

Sure enough, he was. 

Malfoy Heir Tragically Dies at Fourteen of Fatal Illness.

Below the headline was a picture taken of him at the beginning of last summer, likely submitted to the Prophet by his parents. A bit further down a more recent one, of Cassie and him dancing at the Yule Ball. The article itself was uneventful, as his 'illness' wasn't new to anyone. The only sentence of interest to him was the speculation that "Lord Malfoy is to name Lady Cassiopeia Prince the new Heir, potentially through post-humorous marriage."

Ugh, bloody pure-bloods and the accepted notion that marrying your cousin was the key to continuing the bloodline. Cassie and him were also vaguely related, a good five times removed, and the idea still grossed him out. 

It likely did not help that he considered her more of a sister. Not that that had stopped pure-bloods in the past, either. 

Although, the marriage would only be on paper, and not considered legitimate on the Islands. Mating bonds were tried and true, here, and not even death could sever them. He was reminded of this as he looked over to Cassie, the loose sweater she was wearing revealing the thin scar on her shoulder where one of Andrew's scales lied inside. The scar would soon fade even more, and in her siren form her left shoulder would hold a patch of vibrant red scales. 

He was envious of her. Sirens could only love once, and she had found that love. He was still young, had plenty of time and still many other sirens to meet, but he was caught up in the idea of what could have been. If he didn't have to leave Hogwarts, if he didn't have to hide who he was. 

He shook those thoughts from his head. They were a waste of space. He couldn't be hung up on someone who was not a viable option. He needed a distraction, to move on to someone else. A siren, someone he didn't have to hide from, someone whose scales one day he'd carry on his shoulder. 

The porch door opened, letting in the warm ocean breeze. It was Corey, hair still dripping wet from the water, carrying a crate of potion ingredients for Andrew. 

Someone like Corey. Corey was a safe option. 

He got up as Corey handed off the crate and turned to leave, putting himself in his path. Corey tilted his head with a smirk, the question in his eyes. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to go with me, on a swim, to the Northern Reef?" Draco asked, Corey's smirk turning into a smile. 

"I would love to." 

Draco nodded, smiling back, avoiding Cassie's eyes burning into the back of his head. He could already hear her voice and what she wanted to say to him: "Oh, so I tell you all about the most romantic spot on the Islands, and think that I won't notice you asking someone to go with you to said spot?"  

Refusing to look at her, knowing he'd burn up with embarrassment at the look she was most definitely giving him, he began to disrobe and make his way out onto the porch. Corey followed, going to close the door behind him, when Cassie decided to get her two cents in.

"Use protection!"

He was going to kill her. 

Chapter 17: The Islands of Sirenum Scopuli

Draco spent the majority of his days at Sirenum Scopuli learning to brew siren-specific potions from Andrew. It was very different from how he was used to brewing in that the ingredients seemed to be outrageously specific at times. 

"A cupful of water collected from the headwaters of the Mississippi River during the winter months?" he read aloud, turning to his mentor, a thousand questions at the tip of his tongue.

Andrew barked out a laugh. "Don't stress over that. Tomorrow I'll take you to St. Achelous' where they have hundreds of shelves with the different collected waters you might need for potion-brewing."

"You don't have to be enrolled at the academy to access their stores?" he pondered. 

Andrew finished rolling up the cattails with Irish sea moss and added them to the bubbling cauldron. He turned to Draco with a patient smile. 

"St. Achelous is the name of the island, but St. Achelous' Academy for Magical Arts is located on it. Beside the school is a small town full of shops where you can purchase anything you might need--quills, ingredients, new robes--but there's also the Bank of Aquarius. It's full of collections of water from all over the globe, and you're able to get what you need from them for free."

"Free? Then how do they make a profit?"

"They aren't concerned with making a profit, this place is much different from the rest of the Wizarding World. You really should have Cassie take you around for a tour, I think it's long overdue."

-

He found Cassie outside of the small villa, laying stones and twigs in a Xylomancy formation that he didn't recognize, and therefore couldn't tell you what it was that she was trying to predict. Draco had long given up on that form of Divination, it wasn't his strong suit and made him more frustrated than anything else, even after he had done it correctly and gotten a prediction in response. 

"Cass!" he called out, and she waved him over. 

Even up close he couldn't decipher the formation. He waited for her to finish her reading before looking at her with the question in her eyes.

She sighed upon meeting his gaze, likely disappointed he didn't recognize what she was doing. "Really, Dray, this is an important skill set to have. Our ancestors have relied on these predictions to survive after all these centuries."

He continued to stare blankly at her. Quite honestly, he expected her to try and smack him for his ignorance. 

"This is the pattern for war, Draco." Her lips pursued, the shadows under her eyes looking darker than they had been the week prior. 

Oh. That's where he recognized it from, had seen Cassie make this formation once every few days as though the predictions would change. 

"Do you think Dumbledore's right, then? About the return of the Dark Lord?" he asked. 

She stood from where she knelt to wrap an arm around his shoulders. "It's coming, that's for sure. The Oracles believe he's connected to the murdered Moonbeams, as well. Did you need something from me?"

He should have been felt more anxious, more afraid for what was ahead. But things were different now, and so was he. Let the universe throw whatever it wanted his way. 

"Yes, Andrew says I need a formal tour of the Islands and to not stay cooped up in the villa all day."

The arm around him squeezed before he was released entirely from its hold. "Alright, then. Let's go for a stroll, shall we?"

The truth was that Draco had not been 'cooped up in the villa' all of the time, per say, with the exception being the hours and hours he spent swimming in the sea surrounding the three islands. He had seen the civilizations built underneath, elaborate caves and structures built to accommodate the hundreds of sirens that lived down there. He'd seen the Oracles' cavern underneath the extinct volcano of St. Achelous, full of enormous, shining crystals that were illuminated by the brilliant skies that peered through the volcano's crater. 

He'd decided that the Oracles' cavern was his favorite place in the entirety of the Islands. Although it was extremely unlikely he would ever advance to become an Oracle with his strong dislike for the practice of Divination, none could deny the absolute beauty of their residence. 

Draco had fallen a few steps behind Cassie from getting distracted at the sights around him. Not that either of them were in much of a hurry to get anywhere. Cass must have noticed, as she stopped, her slate grey toga ruffled by the soft winds. Her dark hair tousled around, some strands wrapping around her face as she turned to look at Draco. The sun here had changed her complexion, the once pale skin now a light olive, her near black hair sun-bleached to a golden brown. 

It prompted him to bring one of his hands up to his face for closer inspection. He hadn't noticed until now, but he had changed to the new environment as well. Not unusual, as sirens had to be quick to adapt as they traveled through the oceans. He, too, had gained a significant amount of color, more so than he ever had in his entire life. Who knew all it took was a bit of Mediterranean sun for him to look like he didn't spend all of his years hidden in the shadows? 

Later on in the day, he would look in a mirror, and find that his tanned skin helped compliment his white-blond hair; daresay, making him even more attractive. 

He jogged to catch up, and Cassie took his arm in her elbow. "As you already know, Sirenum Scopuli was the birthplace of the First Siren. Each island is a distinct district; St. Achelous the home of the school and the majority of the shops, Isle Poseidon is home to our healers and elders, and Amphitrite being the island we're currently on."

"Amphitrite is mostly a residential island?" Draco asked. 

Cassie tilted her head in consideration. "Usually the civilizations beneath the Islands are considered the 'residential areas' for sirens. I believe the best comparison for Amphitrite is that it is much like the muggle state of Texas: lawless and wild. Most of those that live on Amphitrite are Sea Devils and Sea Demons, historically it's always been that way."

He had noticed that most of those that resided underneath scopuli were Moonbeams and Tomb sirens, but hadn't paid too much mind to it. In all honesty, the idea of sirens living separated by species was an idea novel to him. But here, pods lived in permanent settlements. Traveling pods were more likely to be diverse with their safety relying on numbers. 

Fallen trees with trunks taller than Draco in diameter had been hollowed out to act as bridges between the three islands. Draco could see one coming up in the distance, a group of young kids chasing each other through one. He wondered what it would have been like for him to grow up here instead, never seeing the world outside of this safe haven. He wondered if news of the impending war was even scarier considering sirens were being targeted by Voldemort, or if they were blind to the threat lurking around the corner. 

-

"So, you and Corey, huh?" Cassie asked him after they had walked the perimeters of all three islands. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon, the evening sun casting them both in golden warmth. 

He nodded, curt and quick, and Cassie yanked him by his arm to stop, keeping him in a death grip so he couldn't escape. He refused to meet her eyes.

"Dray, you can talk to me, you know? I don't know if your mother has talked to you or anything like that, but as you get older-"

"NO! Stop! La, la, la!" Draco plugged his ears, yanking his arm out of her grasp in doing so. 

Cassie grinned like the maniac that she was, and Draco shoved her, starting a wrestling match that left them both breathlessly cackling like hyenas laid out on the sandy beach. He didn't even care that he was going to have sand coming out of his hair and ears for the next few days because of this. For once, he didn't have to be afraid to be himself, and he'd never felt freer. 

Their cackling died down, leaving them both laying there side-by-side staring up at the pink and orange paint strokes in the sunset sky. Draco felt like his whole body was thrumming with happiness. 

Cassie turned to look at him, and he did the same. "I'm serious, though. If Corey hurts you, I'm making a coat out of his scales." 

He laughed, this time with much less hysteria. "I don't think he will, to be frank."

"I don't either. I just want you to be happy. Okay?" 

"Cass, I am happy, it's not your job to try and make my life perfect. Worry about your own happiness."

She turned away from him to look back towards the sky. The smile had left her face, and even at side-glance Draco could tell that he wasn't meant to see the look in her eyes. He'd seen it more than enough times all year, knew it had to do with what they had discussed all those weeks ago in Severus' office.  

That look, full of resignation and sadness and grief made Draco feel unsteady in his foundation. He wished she'd confide in him more about what She had asked Cassie to do. 

Draco gulped. "Cassie?" 

Her face hardened. She made no move to look in his direction and pushed herself up to a sitting position. He followed automatically, trembling with nerves.

"Draco," she started, "If Voldemort truly is after sirens, then we will have no choice but to be involved in the war. Myself, alongside a dozen other sirens, have been asked to plant ourselves in positions where we can gather more information on what is coming. She needs to know which side we should take, which will ensure our survival in the long run."

He was going to be sick. "Wait, are you saying that She's considering aligning herself with the Dark? Against Dumbledore?" 

"No. Absolutely not, not after what he did. It's siding with the Light that will be taking a calculated risk, or choosing to side with neither, stay our own faction aligned with neither side."

Movement out of the corner of his eye revealed Andrew padding their way, and he came to sit among them. Cassie sought comfort in Andrew's side in the blink of the eye, the two curling around each other as though they could shield each other from the horrors of the world. 

There was one question in particular burning an itch in his mind. "What about my parents?" 

Andrew answered, already attuned to the nature of their conversation. "Narcissa will come to scopuli, under the guise of spending time in France to grieve the loss of her child. I don't know about your father, but he doesn't exactly enjoy fraternizing with magical beasts." 

Of course not, the bigoted git. "And where will we go? The three of us?"

They both smiled at him, affection clear as day in their eyes. 

"First, you and me have a Triwizard Task to referee," Cassie joked, "then you can worry about your plans for summer vacation." 

Chapter 18: Labyrinth

Being back at Hogwarts after months of being away was a strange experience for Draco. Cassie and him had port-keyed to Hogsmeade at midnight, moving in utter silence through the desolate village before meeting Severus at the gate. Both wore long cloaks with hoods that obscured their faces from view, but the second Cassie laid eyes on Severus she leapt at him, the hug nearly toppling them both to the ground. 

His godfather tried to chastise her for the behavior, despite the fact that once on steady feet he returned the hug tenfold. Draco let them have their moment, knowing how hard it had been for the two of them to be apart. He had to fight for owl privileges after all, with Cassie insisting on sending her daily letters before Draco's, leading to many wrestling matches that had to be broken up by Andrew. 

Severus pulled away from the hug and readjusted Cassie's hood that had slipped back. Draco was never going to grow accustomed to the look of Severus as a doting father, despite it being the most convincing proof that Cassiopeia truly was his daughter. Otherwise, anyone who told him that Severus Snape was indeed a loving parent would get the quickest recommendation to the nearest Mind Healer. 

Their trek to the castle was just as quiet. McGonagall and Dumbledore were waiting for them all at the entrance, ushering them in. They followed the Headmaster up a multitude of staircases heading towards the west side of the fortress. Draco realized that they must be heading towards a lower part of Ravenclaw tower. Sure enough, they came to a corridor that was mostly a large expanse of brick wall. Pulling out his wand, Severus tapped five times on a brick as though he were tapping on the points of a star. 

A door bled into existence, swinging inward for them. Inside, Draco was welcomed by the familiar sights of his private quarters, not a thing out of place despite the room hopping to a new location. The moment his head hit the pillow of his four-poster bed, he was dead to the world around him.

-

He awoke late in the morning. Still in the robes from the night before, he cast a quick scourgify on himself before heading out into the living area. Cassie was sprawled across the sofa with a cup of tea in one hand and a copy of the Prophet in the other. 

"Anything interesting?" he asked, spotting the breakfast spread on the coffee table and helping himself. 

She hummed, an obvious 'no.' The darned thing had been mostly gossip the past few weeks, pointedly about Hermione and Potter's speculated love lives, which made Draco uncomfortable on many levels. They were both children for Merlin's sake, it seemed borderline predatory to be so invested in their romantic relationships. Then again, Rita Skeeter was not a prime example of a model witch. Perhaps he should have convinced Cassie to take her out at the First Task, it would have been a great service for the whole country. 

Now, he supposed, he was more than capable to take her out himself. He was 15 now, and a fully mature siren at that. He had perfected the use of his Song during his time on the Islands, meaning he no longer needed help from others in fighting his battles. 

There was a tapping on the door. It creaked open to reveal McGonagall, who hurried in to close the door behind her. It was daylight now, and although they were in a part of the castle that was unfrequented they still had to take precautions. If Draco were accidentally seen... 

"It's time," she told them, and Draco crammed in a few more bites downed by a splash of tea before pulling the hood up over his face. Cassie was more of a sloth in her movements, taking her time to straighten her robes upon standing, a picture of elegance. Draco wasn't going to lie, he had been bubbling with a mix of both nerves and excitement for the past few days. 

They followed the Transfiguration professor down to the Quidditch patch, not coming across anyone else in the hallways. Probably in class, he figured. 

Draco was blown away at the transformation the field had undergone. The hedge walls of the labyrinth towered over him, the air sparking with capricious magic. Severus and Dumbledore were already there, and walked in their direction from where they had been having a huddled conversation. 

"Everything is ready," McGonagall told the headmaster, who nodded in acknowledgement. 

He turned to the two sirens. "The walls are charmed to part for magical creatures, yourselves included. The Champions will enter the maze at staggered intervals with the goal being to reach the Triwizard Cup at the center of the maze. There are many dangers that lie inside to deter them, but Miss Prince has assured me that she has amply prepared you both should you find yourselves in trouble."

Draco nodded, hoping that the buzzing of his nerves wasn't as evident as he felt they were in that moment. 

"The Champions will be instructed to send up a blast of red sparks should they require assistance. By doing so, they have forfeited their right to the Cup, and you shall escort them safely back to the entrance. The maze has been briefed that it must protect you from the Champions' sight at all costs, and will assist you in staying hidden should you need to escort a Champion out. I wish you both the best of luck."

Severus took a tentative step forward, indecision clouding his eyes before they cleared and he strode forward to engulf Cassie in a hug. 

"If you so much as get a scratch in that bloody maze, I'll never let you out of my sight again," he warned. Dumbledore and McGonagall both shared looks of amusement at the rare outwardly display of emotion on behalf of the Potions professor. 

"Dad, we both know I'm going to be the most dangerous thing in that maze." Cassie's voice was a bit muffled from her face being smothered by her father's robes. 

"Hush."

Dumbledore raised a hand to lightly rest on Severus' shoulder, and the latter released Cassie with the greatest reluctance. Sensing their departure the labyrinth parted to create an opening. Draco grabbed Cassie's hand before stepping over the threshold, both looking over their shoulders to wave as the wall closed up behind them. 

They had a few hours until the Tournament, which gave them plenty of time to acquaint themselves with the hazards residing within the maze. As expected, there were many magical creatures; a blast-ended skrewt, a boggart, and so on and so forth. They had a lovely conversation with a sphinx that lasted over an hour when they began to hear chatter and music coming from outside. They said their goodbyes, and Draco made sure his hood was in place one final time. 

"Still comfortable splitting up?" Cassie asked. 

"Actually, can we stick together? I feel like I'll get lost in here otherwise, parting walls or not."

-

A blast of sparks went up not long after the Task commenced. It was Delacour, stunned and beginning to be consumed by vines. He hummed a low tune and they released her, and cast a silent levitation charm before sending her on her way, the maze automatically parting and guiding her back to the entrance. 

Draco turned to Cass as unease rumbled in his chest. "How did she get stunned? Nothing in the maze is capable of anything like that except for us."

Cassie was just as lost for words as he was. She shrugged, and they moved along, not having the time for a discussion. 

Hexes were being swapped a couple hundred feet to the east of them, and the hedges bent and curled to make a path for them. They stopped a few feet away from Diggory, using a charm to peer through the hedges unseen. He was being overcome by the skrewt and looked worse for wear. As the conflict progressed, it appeared less and less that Diggory would be able to walk away in the end. Cassie gave him a pointed look, and he hummed a few notes, the skrewt easing up enough in the fight for Diggory to get the upper-hand needed to win (and more importantly, walk out of the squabble alive). 

Diggory advanced forward, getting closer and closer to the Cup, when a curse struck him while his back was turned. Diggory let out an agonized scream that made Draco jump back in fright until he laid eyes on the caster of the Cruciatus Curse. Krum?

Krum raised his wand to strike again, and Cassie entered the hedge wall which enveloped her to keep her out of sight. Draco would have followed if he wasn't glued to his spot in terror. 

"Snap out of it," Cassie hissed, but the Imperius Curse didn't lift. Someone had not only stunned Delacour, but put Krum under an Imperio... If they saw Cassie trying to pull Krum out of the curse- They had to be nearby, where were they? 

Draco spun in circles, trying to find the location of the culprit to no luck. Why would someone do all of this for a silly game? It was just a cash prize in the end, plus a trophy that would mean absolutely nothing once the war started. 

Cass was humming, stopping Krum from advancing forward, but failing to release him from the curse's hold. Still lost in thought, Draco began to hum with her, matching her tone to strengthen the Song enough to snap Krum out of it. 

Krum blinked in confusion, and that was when Draco saw Potter and Diggory arguing next to the Triwizard Cup. The hedge walls began to shift, cutting Krum off, and Draco yanked on Cassie's sleeve to pull her towards the two Hogwarts Champions. Krum would be safe now. Hopefully. 

Draco still had no clue as to the whereabouts of the caster of the Imperius. Why target the Triwizard Tournament? What-

Harry Potter. It was a set-up.

"Cass, it's a trap!" 

He broke into a dead sprint, letting go of Cassie and not bothering to waste time looking back to see if she would follow. She did, gaining on him as she caught on to what Draco had said. The maze had obscured them from being detected by Diggory and Potter, but as they ran towards them the vines shielding them curled away, as if they had caught on that bigger things were afoot. 

"Don't!" he screamed, "Stop!" 

But it didn't matter. As he got to where the two Hogwarts champions were kneeling, placing their own hands on the Cup, Draco was too late. He grabbed onto their robes in a feeble attempt to pull them away, but it was too late. 

As the familiar squeeze of traveling by portkey surrounded him, as Cassie threw herself at Draco, all he could think was that they were too late. 

Cassie smashed a vial into the back of his head. The dizzying twists and turns of the portkey amplified as he was struck, turning to her with a dazed look. He could feel shards embedded in the back of his skull--when had his hood fallen down?--and the warm trickle of blood mixing with another, cooler liquid. 

The portkey threw the four of them to tumble onto the muddied grounds. Draco had landed a good five feet from Potter, landing behind a headstone- 

Cassie? He dared not shout, could hear that they weren't alone, muffled voices of confusion in the distance. 

Cassie knelt behind a spindly old tree, pulling her hood up before turning her head in his direction.

She mouthed, "Stay put. Wait for my signal."  

With his head still throbbing, he did not have much of a choice. He risked a peak to the other two, when a strained voice blared through the cemetery, turning Draco's blood ice cold and stopping his heart in its tracks. 

"Kill the spare!" 

Another voice shouted out the killing curse, and Cassie leapt out from her hiding place to let out a blood-curdling scream that created a bubble-type shield for the killing curse to ricochet off of, striking the ground and leaving a scorched patch of grass. Still loopy, he watched Cassie lunge for Diggory and the Cup, all three vanishing with a pop! 

This was fine. It was fine, Draco can handle himself. Once he regained his strength, that is.

His vision was spotty, black dots flashing in and out of existence. He hadn't been spotted. He knew as much when they grabbed Potter and made no move in his direction, dragging off the boy-who-lived to some statue in the near distance. Lifting his shaking hands, he made the sign formation for a cloaking spell, allowing himself to camouflage into his surroundings as the world around him went dark. 

Chapter 19: Cemetery Drive

Notes:

TW (at end of chapter): descriptions of vomit, thoughts of self-loathing

Draco was torn from unconsciousness by a brilliant light, so bright he felt as though he had been staring into the sun despite his eyelids being clenched shut. He could feel his heartbeat in the relentless throb in his head, worsened by the shouting-

Merlin's fucking balls. 

He stumbled to his feet to assess the scene before him. Potter was running in his direction. Draco looked down, the cloaking spell was still active. Potter couldn't see him, nor could-

Voldemort. Death Eaters. His father. 

Potter was a blur running past him with the amassed group of dark wizards hot on his heels. He needed to do something, anything, despite the growing lump in his throat and the searing pain that pushed past the adrenaline rush. 

The pain. He reached a hand to the back of his head, where Cassie had smashed the vial. The moment his hand touched the cool liquid mixed with his boiling blood, he felt Her. She would protect him, keep him calm. He wasn't alone. 

He screamed before they could get any closer to him or Potter. Not strong enough to kill them, just to stun, and felt a rumble of satisfaction as one of the most powerful wizards of all time collapsed to his knees in pain. He didn't even feel remorse at the pain-filled look of guilty realization on his father's face; it was what he deserved for responding to the call of that monster. 

Draco spun on his heel. Potter was covering his ears with a grimace, but hadn't fallen to the ground like the others. Draco ran for him, grabbing a forearm with an unrelinquishing grip and took off. Either Potter would follow or risk his arm getting ripped from its socket. 

Potter made a grunt of confusion yet still obliged and followed. At first, Draco wasn't certain where he was even going, but he was not running about aimlessly. She was guiding him, She would led him to safety. 

They came to a small pond. There was no hesitation, he threw himself at the water, Potter getting caught in the momentum right behind him. He let the water embrace him, letting the pain and blood wash away with the day's troubles. The cloaking spell wore off as pure exhaustion took over. 

He had failed to let go of Potter, who struggled to the surface for air. He wasn't certain where they had ended up, but were no longer at that blasted graveyard. Had Draco been in a better frame of mind, he would've been more careful in the moments that followed, but, alas...

"Draco?" Potter's voice trembled, like a tree creaking under the weight of a gale wind. Draco's mind was unfocused, where they back in the labyrinth? They were both bone dry and standing on solid ground. Where had the water gone? How did She do that?

Potter looked ready to burst into tears. Draco rolled his eyes. 

"What, did you honestly think I was going to let you die back there? Have some faith, I may be Slytherin-"

He was cut off by two clammy hands grabbing his face, a mouth pressing against his. He leaned in, even as he realized the implications of the situation he found himself in. So sue him, if he wasn't going to pass up on a chance to kiss Harry bloody Potter! By Circe, he never could've imagined his luck. 

The air shifted, announcing the arrival of an onlooker. Draco pulled back, eyes snapping open to find Harry's still closed. Cassie grabbed his hand, pulling him gently back into the cover of the hedges, back to reality. 

Watching through the magic window in the hedge wall he was cursed with witnessing the moment Harry reopened his eyes. The utter devastation tore the air from his lungs. Eyes that looked around with desperate hope, then overflowed with tears when they could not find what they were looking for. Eyes that longed for Draco. His heart would have been better off being ripped from his chest than having to live through this moment. He wanted to push through the walls, throw himself at the other boy, assure him that everything would be alright, that both of them were alright. 

But he couldn't. 

He gripped Cassie's hand even tighter, tight enough that maybe he could get some of her strength from the contact. As shouting voices of concern mounted in volume, McGonagall and Dumbledore and Snape rushing to the trembling boy with Aurors not far behind, his grip tightened to the point that he was certain he had just broken two of his fingers. 

He couldn't stomach seeing anything more. He turned his head, silently pleading for Cassie to take them away, and she did. In a blink they were both standing at the edge of the Black Lake, far far away from the crowd that would quickly learn of the looming threat over all of them. 

They stepped into the lake together, allowing Her to whisk them away from the madness and chaos. Away from the life Draco had long abandoned. Away from the boy his heart could not. 

-

Despite watching his memories over and over, the Aurors couldn't ask enough questions. It took Snape of all people to get them to finally back off, escorting Harry down to the Hospital Wing. 

Having re-watched the memory himself, there was one question still rattling about in his brain. One that Kingsley had asked, one he was not able to answer for them or himself. 

"How did you get out of the cemetery and back to the maze?" 

In the pensieve, that part of the memory was cloudy, like it was marred with dirt and debris that couldn't be looked past. Dumbledore attributed the corrupted memory to shock, an answer good enough for the Aurors. But not him. 

His parents had gotten him away from Voldemort. Of that, he was certain. After that was were he couldn't clearly make out the lines anymore, could remember the adrenaline scouring his blood as he ran, the invisible force dragging him forward with brave certainty. He hadn't feared the force, was able to blindly trust it even as it threw him into a shallow pond. 

Harry's face burned at the thought of what had happened next, was glad that part of the memory had not been included in the pensieve. 

Draco. 

He had looked more corporeal than the ghosts of his parents. Had felt solid under his hands, soft as they kissed. He'd looked alive. Not as deathly pale, instead lightly bronzed by the sun. Bright grey eyes that held no pain, his voice full and lulling over Harry like a warm summer day. 

Draco had felt so real that Harry questioned if the event had actually occurred. Because, as he opened his eyes once more, Draco was gone without a trace. Vanished into thin air without even the slightest of sounds. Because he was still dead. Like his parents, he'd been there to save him, even if it didn't add up. 

His parents were remnants of Voldemort's wand as a direct result of their murders. Dumbledore had said so. Yet, he had nothing to do with Draco's death. No one did, as it was Draco's illness to blame. Issues with his heart, Parkinson had explained with pity as he'd asked, a tricky organ, few Healers have mastered its secrets. Draco had died inside of Hogwarts. Could his ghost have been in the maze, as it was located on the Quidditch pitch? 

Despite not seeing anyone, he knew Draco had been the one to pull him from the cemetery. He'd told Harry himself! That he wouldn't 'let him die back there.'

Madam Pomfrey finished cleaning his wounds, shoving a potion into his hand for him to drink. Snape was still hovering nearby, likely on Dumbledore's orders, eyes flicking over to the doors every few seconds. The man was fidgeting, something Harry didn't even know Snape was capable of, like a bird itching to take flight. Was this about Mad-Eye turning out to be Barty Crouch Jr.? Or did it have to do with Voldemort's return? 

As long as no one let Skeeter near the Hospital Wing. He already knew the Prophet would be filled with tonight's events, but he'd rather not have to be dragged into another unseemly interview. 

The doors opened, McGonagall hurrying over to Snape. She grasped the other professor's forearm with both hands before leaning in to mutter something unintelligible to Harry. As Snape processed her words his face changed into a calmer demeanor, his posture going rigid as the fidgeting was trampled from existence. Harry caught the end of Snape thanking McGonagall, then realized he'd been given a sleeping draught. His eyelids grew heavy--as did his bones--as he sunk into a dreamless sleep. 

-

Draco emptied the contents of his stomach all over the bathroom floor, not even making it to the toilet in time. He sobbed, coughing and gagging on the lingering bile in his throat and mouth, and Cassie shushed him as she removed his soiled robes and moved him into the shower stall. He wailed like his soul was trying to escape him, break free of this prison of a body and go somewhere where it would never undergo torment ever again. 

His own father had betrayed him. For what? 

The shower spray was turned on, lukewarm water soaking him in a feeble attempt to calm his trembling nerves. He kept gagging, despite there being nothing left to purge from his system, the water dripping down his face and into his mouth and turning his coughs to pathetic gurgles. He wished for it to drown him. He wished he was capable of drowning. 

Cassie's hair was drenched from the shower spray. He watched the dark tendrils cling to her face in disordered swirls as she talked to Andrew. Well, less talk and more commanding. Andrew called it her 'delegating' voice. Normally, it'd made him smile. 

Instead, he realized how messy his life had become. Things used to be so simple. Why couldn't they just stay simple? 

"They've gotten Narcissa to safety, but Lucius exposed her secret, all of his followers will know before midnight! If he reveals that Draco is alive, we're fucked, am I clear? Tell the Order I don't give a damn about some trial, Lucius needs to be dealt with!"

His own father. The bloody coward only cared about saving his own skin, damn it all if it meant endangering the rest of his family. He'd been distant since Draco had come-of-age, but to go this far? Did Draco mean nothing to him at all? 

Andrew left, Corey taking his spot not a moment later. Draco, head leaned against the tile wall, turned his eyes to the drain. He couldn't face him. Even if Corey was nice and a siren and easy on the eyes, Draco would never be able to feel the same way as him. He hadn't even gone farther than holding hands with him, and yet-

He'd kissed Harry. 

Draco would never be the same because of it. It was the last pure thing he had in his life, he couldn't move on from it. Had no desire to do such a thing. 

But when Corey reached for his hand, Draco didn't pull away. Harry didn't know what he was, would never consider him as a choice if he knew. The world wasn't safe enough for him to be taking risks like that. This was how he needed to play it. A war was brewing on their back door. 

He let Corey link their fingers together and closed his eyes. Then he wouldn't have to look at him any different than before. 

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of A Siren's Song