A few days later the Great Hall had a frosty atmosphere at dinner, especially between the Mers. The first years concluded that the Prince and Princess of Hogwarts were going through a divorce; what else could explain their tense and clipped conversations?
"Draco, I am not going to explain it to you again. I am not going home without you." Marilyn said tersely, "You were stupid enough the other night on your own with him."
"Marilyn, it was an accident. There should have been a prescribed dosage – look, it's not about the potion. The point is that Potter will need me. I have to go with him and help." Draco insisted whilst playing with his food.
"And what about me?!" She quipped as her hair turned a fiery red, "You just think you can leave me here and have Nott take his chances?"
"No!" He protested dropping his fork, "Of course not but you can't come with me. Go home, stay with your parents, rule our people; they'll probably need you more than me."
Everyone in their house was now staring at them so Marie began to whisper; "I can't rule alone… look Draco; I either go with you on your hunt or I drag you to the sea. I know which one you'd prefer."
After seeing everyone avert their gaze he whispered back; "Yes, I know; I'd rather much disappear to the oceans entirely and come back when this war all blows over-"
"And not fight? You're such a coward." She bit, "Draco we have to fight and we know the only way you'll do that is when I'm by your side. I have to come with you and I'm more than willing."
"But what if you get hurt?" Draco asked fiercely yet soft.
"The same to you!" She quietly hissed barring her fangs, "Stop treating me like I'm made of glass. You're not my protector, you're my soldier, remember that."
"Yes Princess." He sighed leaning away from her, "Three bags full Princess." Marilyn scoffed at him and abruptly left, warning him to stay away with a harsh internal screech. The magical ceiling above him turned a sudden depressing grey and thunder rumbled. Instantly feeling terrible he downed his tea and snatched someone's Evening Prophet out of their hands with a wandless Wingardium and walked off with it. He had not meant to be nasty but they had argued last night and the lack of sleep wasn't helping. He found himself a tree in a secluded courtyard and climbed it, perching on a sturdy branch so he could read the news in peace. It turned out a friend of his had the same desire as well; Harry Potter was leaning against the trunk eating an apple with a spare green one in his other hand.
"Care for a bite Grumpy Gills?" Harry chuckled amicably.
"No thank you. I'm not in the mood." He snarled.
"Oh come on, what happened to the other night and that fun we had?" Harry moaned.
"Fun? You call having a fit, drying out and then arguing with your other half fun? Well excuse me, King of the Dunderheads, I have a different definition." Draco spat before straightening his newspaper for emphasis.
"A fight? What did you fight about?" Harry continued as he began climbing the tree also.
"Do you Gryffindors have any sense of personal protection? I'm not telling you." Draco grunted. Harry had by now sat on the branch nearest his own and Draco noticed the boy's baggy Muggle clothing.
"Do they not feed you, wherever you come from?" Draco chuckled as he folded his Prophet away.
"They feed my cousin – they're his originally. I don't get much – he usually eats it." Harry said drifting off wishing to drop the subject.
"No wonder you pig out every day here, I was beginning to wonder..." Draco responded cruelly and then saw his friends face, "Look, Harry, it's difficult at the moment. We don't know what to do… and she's stopped talking to me. I try and get closer to her and she clams up or changes the subject. We're in love yes... but we're not friends at the moment."
"Why?" He pouted instantly.
"I don't know. I keep trying to make her feel safe and she goes out of her way to refute it. It is mating season so we might just be antsy because we're not… all over – never mind." Draco said blushing, "The point is, our bodies want to go to open waters and we're stuck here trying to fend off Nott the major nutter. He's gotten me so territorial – I want to scratch his eyes out whenever I see him."
"And you also can't leave because you'll know you'll stay there until this is all over – you won't even do it on purpose. You're scared you've finally chosen." Harry realised for himself. Draco snarled back at him; "Of course I have Harry and that's the point! I'm not human anymore."
He took a breath and a pause, "Despite these legs… I am a creature of shells, brine and scales. I don't even want to finish school anymore, I just want to be underwater fighting the real fight, keeping my own people safe – No offence – and I can't do it here."
"What if I was to tell you Dumbledore figured it out? We know who's running it. And there is something you can do to stop it from on land." Harry said cryptically with a grin which made Draco wonder if he was alright.
"What is it?" He drawled curiously.
"You'll have to come with me first!" Harry chirped as he jumped off his branch.
"Bloody typical." Draco moaned before hovering himself down gracefully; after all a Malfoy never jumps no matter how desperate the situation. He dusted down his black suit and gave Harry a dim stare.
"Well then Wonder Boy, lead the way." He drawled before Harry broke into an even bigger grin. As they wound their way through the castle and Draco asked more questions without getting any answers it suddenly occurred to him that he might be heading into certain danger. He abruptly stopped in the corridor that led to the Headmasters office and folded his arms causing Harry to stop himself and look behind him. "If you do not tell me what is happening right now Harry Potter I will drown you on the spot and I'll personally high five Voldemort. Job done." Draco growled with a tapping foot.
"Alright, keep your pointy hat on!" Harry said exasperatedly, "We need you for something. Your particular skills will help us we think. I don't really know myself, Dumbledore just asked me to fetch you!"
"Alright, alright – All I want to know is if I'll return alive – I am attached you know!"
Harry gulped, "Of course – I should have realised! I don't suppose she could come with?"
"If it's dangerous then no. I don't care if it's against her rules she's not coming and if you don't explain yourself properly neither will I!" Draco stated staring him down. There was a crackle of thunder and Harry smirked in response; "You're not that terrifying when you do that you know. Fine. We think we've found a Horcrux and Dumbledore has asked for your help specifically. He knows you're, and I'm quoting him here, 'the more expendable of the two'."
"What the hell does that mean?!" Draco barked.
"I don't know! Something about being less important or something – take it up with him not me!"
"How dare he?!" He roared before catching himself and taking a breath and closing his eyes before the pipes burst all around him, "Calm, keep calm don't drown anyone no matter how tempting Sorcette."
"Are you ok?" Harry asked approaching him tentatively.
Draco opened his eyes; "I'm fine Potter, but considering my situation and the lack of information you're giving me I can't do it. I wish you every luck in finding and destroying the blasted thing but I can't do this not knowing what could happen. I'm not brave like you Harry. I have to save my skin to fight another day. Tell Dumbledore I'm not expendable."
He then simply walked away leaving the Boy Who Lived completely stumped as to what to do. He carried on into the Headmaster's office and accepted his doom.
Draco found her eventually sitting alone in the library, perched atop a high stack of books, heavy potion tome in her hands. Her song had calmed down considerably, becoming warm and mellow and her hair was platinum and sunset pink. The black dirndl dress she wore was the prettiest of all her casual clothes he thought as he leant against the bookshelf opposite her.
"Evening Love." He smiled wearily. She looked up from her book once and nodded acknowledging him. As she returned to her reading he noticed the small smile spreading from the corner of her mouth and threatening to lift her mood.
"Come on, you still can't be mad at me surely?" He whispered standing next to her. Her sitting place was so high he was able to rest his cheek on her thigh which he did, if only because he could. A stray hand of hers stroked through his quiff and French plait absentmindedly. She closed the book and made it fly to its original shelf, looking down at her husband with a sigh.
"What are we going to do with each other? We've so many options and we can't do a thing." Marilyn moaned whilst her body slumped.
"Chin up Princess, it's my fault we're in this mess." He said straightening and sitting on his own tall pile of books. "We want two different things. You want to be human and I… well, I am what I want to be. I just miss it. I've been given it all and then it's been taken away again because of this ruddy place. I don't want to find Horcruxes and you should know that if you were listening."
"I know, I heard. To be honest Draco, with the way things might be going….being as human as possible won't be the safest option anymore. I'm sorry I called you a coward – I just thought we'd be braver joining in. Maybe what bravery is for us, is denying both sides and refusing to fight all together." Marilyn admitted.
"And it is mating season. Not to be rude but we do need to do it and soon. I miss you, truly... We don't really talk anymore and all we do is bicker." He complained.
"Because you just complain all the time! I get it, you want to be free and get out and never come back – I don't blame you! In fact I want to do it with you but I don't want to be seen as a betrayer or backstabber. I promised I'd help my friends. They need us." Marie insisted getting off of her perch and standing before him, hands on her hips.
"But what about Theo?" He asked standing up to meet her gaze. "If we stay here we are under threat from all of Tom Riddle's plans including him. There must be a reason why the Dark Lord promised you to Nott."
"He could just be tormenting you as punishment for not agreeing with him. I am after all your life and your light. Without me you'd never last." She whispered taking hold of hands gently. He grabbed hold of them tighter yet tenderly; he looked into her eyes for the right words to say, "Then what do we do? How do I keep us safe?"
She took a breath, closed her eyes and sighed as she opened them again; "We leave."
His face was a picture of silent confusion and elation before she carried on; "We are Mers and I think it's about time we live like we're supposed to. I can't believe I'm saying this, but, I think it's about time I give up pretending to be something I'm not. I can't hold on to it any longer Draco, I've chosen."
"And that's why we're unhappy. We don't fit our skins anymore." He said breathlessly before taking her into a joyful embrace.
"Exactly my love." She smiled after he kissed her softly and fondly. He hugged her once more before he began pacing, rubbing his hands together in thought and anticipation.
"How are we going to do this? Do we go public or do we slip out in the middle of the night? What about the paperwork and our families and-"
She placed her hands on his temples, singing a lullaby into his mind, "Draco, calm down my darling. We'll sort it in the morning. Let's just go to bed and see what we want first thing."
"An excellent idea." Draco purred, putting an arm around her waist and leading her out of the library. As they walked to the dungeons they noted how quiet the portraits were and how a few of them gave them shifty looks. There was a faint fizz of tense magic in the air, a magic that felt alien and seething. None of the Mers liked it and as they turned the corner near the Room of Requirement they found out why. The moment they saw him they pulled back into the shadows. Theo Nott was standing in front of a haunt of Deatheaters, trying to give directions to the Astronomy Tower. None of them was listening, especially Draco's crazy Aunt Bellatrix Lestrange. At the sight of her demonic curls and possessed eyes, Draco stopped internally singing and backed further away. He had not told his extended family for fear of death about his marriage, his royal status or his transformation but as a Deatheater, Bella would know everything. He turned to Marilyn, grabbing her shoulders and hurrying her back from whence they came.
"What is up with you?!" Marilyn screeched at him in Mer.
"We can't be here! The devils are inside the school – this is it – This is Theo's task – If they find us they'll kill you and use me."
"Maybe they won't." Marilyn said calmly much to his anger.
"Marilyn, are you ok? Look, we have to jump into the lake and head for the sea. We have to leave right now."
Marilyn stepped away from him and towards the Deatheaters, barely giving him a look. She walked serenely towards the enemy, a faint golden green glow about her. He grabbed her hand trying to pull her back but the magic that was encasing her pushed him violently back. As he came to, getting off of the floor he saw Marilyn's enchanted form bow gracefully in front of Bella, whose wand was emitting an emerald gold spell.
"Oh niece, beautiful, Queenly niece, wherever could your husband be?" Bella drawled holding onto a cackle. Draco stood and pulled his wand from out of his suit pocket, trying to aim at Bella but Marilyn was in the way.
"Leave her be." Draco wheezed.
"Ah! There you are!" Bella exclaimed standing in front of him, "There's my traitor of a family heir! Oh, look at him boys! Barely able to stand the poor creature… Go on, bare your teeth at me, get out your claws!"
She laughed wildly at him, snorting at his derision. In her fit of satanic giggles he grabbed her hair, pulled her head back and put his wand to the hollow of her throat, poking it in making it difficult to breathe.
"Make one more false move and I swear you will never see the light of day again. I could drown you right now without any hesitation or better yet, I could withdraw every single drop of water from your body and turn you into dust. Now Bella, you have two options; you free Marilyn & leave this school or I will kill you."
Draco's wand clattered against the floor and then himself as Nott's Expelliarmus hit him full force in the back. From the floor he could hear his aunt giving thanks to his attacker. He lunged for his wand and shot a spell at Nott. Draco's body was lifted from the ground in a cocoon of light and then his vision went black.
It was deathly cold in the Astronomy Tower due to it being so late at night and the shivering of his body woke him up. He had been tethered by magical chains to two Deatheaters and propped up with an unforgiving posture. He ached and bruised and as he came to, his vision was swimming. His aunt, unmistakable with those haphazard curls, was giggling quietly in front of him, her wand dangerously poised.
"Wakey, wakey Draco… Who's my pretty and useless Merman?" She cooed.
"I'm not useless-" Draco croaked tasting blood on his tongue.
"Oh but you are, unless you do your job swiftly and correctly! You see, Mister Nott Jr is a little bit, hmm, occupied at the moment – oh yes!" Bella grabbed his jaw and forced him to look to the side.
"No…" Draco gasped at the sight of his rival kissing Marilyn whole heartedly and passionately. In his hand was his wand, the tip glowing an emerald gold. Marilyn was completely still, not one ounce of emotion within her and it was the only solace Draco could have. He squirmed and fought against his chains, putting his whole weight into moving forward to get out.
"Let her go!" He snarled baring his fangs.
"Only if you do as you're told. His left arm." Bella snapped. The Deatheater on his left pushed back his sleeve, baring the pale and slightly scaled skin. Bella's wand hand stroked it, revelling in the virgin skin but her move back fired – He grabbed her wrist and dug his claws in ever so slightly.
"Release me now and I will do as you wish without that horrid mark. And upon completing my task you will return my wife and let us walk away free."
"The Dark Lord wanted this Your Highness!" Bella laughed waving the chains away, "You'll make him so proud!"
The chains transformed into snakes, spiralling down his body and slithering away. The moment he was free he wandlessly stupefied his body guards and aimed his wand at Theo.
"What is happening or so help me I'll ruin every one of you!" He barked at Bella, "Tell me!"
"Theo has finished his task sweet prince and it was to get you here, to this moment. She is payment for that – You won't need her by the time you're through." She said excitedly, maniacally fidgeting and then cackled; "You are to kill your headmaster!"
"Kill Dumbledore? Those are my duties?!"
"They never were mine." Nott scoffed, wiping spittle of his swollen lips, "I would stay to watch you commit murder but I have a lot to get on with."
He lunged at him, spitting the words out as he charged towards him; "She'll never love you Nott. Every day she will fight you and bite and scratch and make plans to escape. Mark my words; you will never be loved by her."
Nott cast a flurry of angry sparks at him near to Draco's face, a perverted grin lighting up his own; "That's not what I want, you sentimental idiot! I will use her and know her in every sense and when she's done and used up maybe then I'll toss her back into the sea but that won't be for a very, very long time."
Draco growled and roared at him, diving forward to seize Marilyn to get her away from that monster but her glowing curse flung him across the room and against the tower wall. He fell into a crumpled heap but got up again, charging at Nott to fight him – Bella's Petrificus Totalus was the only thing that could stop him as Nott and his bewitched captive slipped away. Bella released him promptly when Nott had gotten a good distance. Draco was rightfully angry, the sky above them black and heavy with thunder clouds. A storm was rolling over the farthest side of the lake and drawing in, his mind calling to his brethren for help. The seal on his wand felt red hot, as if itself was refusing to do such a horrific spell. He paced and paced and his aunt watched on, taunting him against better judgement.
"My little Lucius Junior, my! This will make him so proud. The Mudblood who kills upon the Dark Lord's command!"
"I'm not a Mudblood Lestrange." He scowled, "I'm not even human. This isn't my war."
"Then it won't matter when you kill him for you have no soul to split. Come now Draco, you can't tell me you actually love her? I thought with all your upbringing you wouldn't dare touch a thing like her." Bella whispered ever so softly to him in an awkward and forced embrace.
He pushed her off of him; "The Malfoys have always been Mermen and have been muddied with your human dirt just for the sake of appearances, so yes I'd very much dare and you better pray to God that I forgive you for what you have done! I will never kill Albus Dumbledore!"
"Then you shall die Mr Malfoy." Bella spoke in a careless whisper.
"It's Prince Ambroiux-Sorcette if you please and I will die before I kill anyone-"
"And your beloved will then never be safe. Carry out the deed and she is yours again my prince! I still hold sway on her bewitchment." She said twizzling and swishing her wand to demonstrate, acting at one point like a pendulum which irritated him most foul. "But why me? Why couldn't Theo do it, or you even?!"
"You're a creature with god like powers Draco, do you have any idea how much blood you could spill without guilt or consequence? It would not be murder, no, no, just a fatal attack." She said brightly as she walked around him, tapping her wand tip against her palm. He gritted his fangs at her words; "It's still the Killing Curse and from my wand! How could I be king with that on my conscience?"
"Those with greater power have done far worse." Spoke a voice Draco did not wish to hear. He looked up and there stood Professor Dumbledore, his silvery robes wet and ruined with seaweed stains and his hand cut and bleeding.
"But those with a better conscious and stronger morals undo what harm has been done." He finished standing before him, "I understand what you are required to do and I would do likewise if it meant saving my own kin."
"But Sir, I mustn't."
"Then don't." He chuckled, his beard twitching from the smile underneath.
"Draco do it!" Bella hissed. Professor Snape, who had lingered in the shadows now came forth and put a hand to Draco's trembling shoulder; "Lestrange, leave the child alone."
"But it is his duty!" She screeched, "Don't you dare interfere!"
The young prince, dishonoured by Snape's belittlement, piped up: "What will happen if I don't kill him?"
Bella snorted poshly, giggling like a hyena; "Then I will have to destroy you myself for your disobedience little prince!"
Angered Draco threw a wandless Expelliarmus at Dumbledore. His Elder wand flew out of his hand to the floor. Bella was most pleased and Dumbledore mildly surprised. Draco approached his old teacher, his hands shaking and the grip on his wand wavering as he poised it towards his victim's heart. The old man was oddly calm, almost welcoming. Draco felt sick at the sight and tears were blearing his eyes. There were so many ways to kill that man - instantaneous drowning, dehydration, a lightning strike – but the merman couldn't bring himself to do it; he was still too human. Maybe if he was Albus' age, nearing a whole century and half, entrenched in dark magic and the lore of the sea, callous and cruel like Poseidon, maybe then he could do it. But Draco was only a boy. A very angry, terrified and magically powerful boy.
"Please, there must be another way." Draco whispered hoarsely.
Dumbledore didn't say a word but nodded his head solemnly at his student. Whimpering, Draco decided to put his wand down and kill the Professor through dehydration, the most humane and quickest way he could. There was a green flash. It had not come from Draco. He watched in horror as the Headmaster's body grew limp and grey, eyes alight in the last moments of fear and then he fell swiftly and silently over the edge. Draco turned with hatred and anger towards the killer, all sense of hope and sanity stripped from him. Professor Snape was there to greet him, his wand lowering and the realisation of his actions slowly dawning upon him. There were tears in his eyes but none fell. Draco had been doomed. His life was over. He had not completed his task no matter how unwilling he was. And then it came through the fog of confusion, guilt, relief, anger and suffering; "Run!" Snape shouted to Draco.
Time seemed to slow down as he bolted, his feet like lead as he broke for the stairs. There were shouts and duels behind him, spells being fired in his direction. His aunt screamed and hollered incessantly interspersed with her craziest and demented laugh. He flew down the stairs in panic, hoping to all the gods he could outrun them all. Someone was running behind him, catching speed – Draco turned to check and got a punch to the face. He crashed to the ground and when he looked up he found Harry towering over him.
"How could you?!" He yelled at him as he stood up shakily, "After I trusted you! After I forgave you!"
"I didn't kill him! Snape did – I was forced-"
"BULLSHIT. You were going to, weren't you?" Harry spat full of boiling hatred, his voice shaking.
"NO!" Draco roared lying, "I lowered my wand Potter. On purpose. It was I die and let Marilyn get raped for the rest of her life or kill him and retrieve her. I had to play along – You would have done the same!"
He turned his back on him but carried on; "If you want to be angry be mad at Snape. I'm done with you. Don't expect mine or Marilyn's help ever again or to see us. I'm through with this."
Harry cried out, his anger becoming sadness, reaching out to touch him; "Draco don't-"
"It's your Highness. You are nothing to me." Draco said coldly not even turning to look. He swooped around the corner and started to run again. As he ran the seal around his wand grew hotter and felt as if it was melting but he took no heed; he kept on running until he could find his worst enemy. He managed to exit the tower stairway but there was no sight of him. He stopped for a moment to detect anything of Marilyn or of Theo; a scent, a frightened song or a strand of hair, but he was too furious to think clearly. He took a breath and sang out loud and waited for a reply. And then it came; she was 2 minutes in front, somewhere near the Great Hall and clearly of enough free will to sing with her mind. It was a distressed and pleading call and once he heard it, Draco locked onto it and hastened towards her. The closer he got the louder and more desperate Marilyn sounded, her calls becoming more animalistic, growling, whimpering – interspersed with swear words of the deep. When he found them in a darkened corridor near the dungeons he understood why.
Nott had her pinned against the wall, fingers lustfully gripping her jaw as he tried to kiss her. Bella's bewitchment was waning or Marilyn's seething anger was overpowering her entrapment; either way Marie now fought back as best she could. She would bite and scratch him viscously and then suddenly become passive as the spell regained strength. In her passivity Nott did all he could, his hands reaching under her skirt. In the next moment it was him pinned against the wall, a newly formed trident poised at his throat, the tip of it already cutting his worthless flesh. Draco hadn't even realised what he now wielded, he just wanted to destroy him. Nott laughed nervously at him, trying to smile but Draco's wrath was terrifying.
"Now, now, your lordship – I didn't mean any harm – I"
Draco pushed against his trident just a fraction harder but it had Nott snivelling and crying in seconds.
"Please-Please-Please – The Dark Lord made me – I should have listened to you – this wasn't my fault-"
"LIES!" Draco spat as he retracted his weapon only to cast a freezing blow. Nott froze in moments, each drop of water in his being turned instantly into ice. Draco stood back, grasping his trident with both hands to throw his final spell; complete and utter destruction. Through the red haze of anger in that moment he heard a plea to forgive and forget and felt warm soft hands upon his own and then upon his face.
"Draconis." Marilyn spoke with a quiver, "Please don't go through with this. You are not a killer." She took his trident out of his grasp and he let her. Marilyn took hold of his hand and they began to run.