Metamorphosis
Regulus was watching Remus practice for his championship with swimming. His friend asked him to time his time, but the only thing Regulus could do was being impressed on how fast and smooth his friend could swim. "Wow Remus, 13 seconds... That must be a record." Remus laughed. Regulus never gives any compliments, except when he's impressed by something. "For me it is! It's 2 seconds faster then my last one!" Remus cheered. "You really killed it!" Regulus said joining a bit of Remus enthusiasm. "I will do better next month! Give me two weeks and I will be ready for the championship." Remus said as he was already diving underwater again. Regulus found it very cool, not that he would ever say that out loud. He couldn't swim. He never learned it and he always thought it was something you needed to learn when you where younger and his parents never thought him.
Regulus was walking careful near the harbour when James Potter called him. James Potter was his brothers best friend and an absolute jerk. "Regulus! Hey Regulus!" Regulus looked around. "Black! Regulus Black!" James shouted harder as Regulus rolled his eyes. "I'm in a bit of trouble. Can you help?" He asked with a small grin. "Don't you have slaves? Or my brother? Wait there's no difference." James laughed. "There not here, so please could dear Regulus Black have a heart and help?" Regulus thought he had a good day, so why not. "My boat doesn't work. You only need to pass me the tools." Great Regulus thought. Now I'm one of his slaves.
With another eye roll he stepped on the boat, still careful, although he didn't want James to notice. "I'm not good with boats, Potter." "You'll be fine Black." As Regulus was on the boat James explained what was wrong. Stupid of Regulus not to notice he was still on the pier. "Yeah someone stole my spark plug." James said with a laugh. While Regulus was still looking in the toolbox he didn't notice James pushing the boat away from the pier. "So does it work without a spark plug?" Regulus ask grabbing and screwdriver. When he looked up he was in the middle of the water surrounded by the boats from the pier. All the boast where too far away and he couldn't jump to the scaffolding. He also couldn't swim, so he was helpless on the boat. "Nope, no spark plug no spark." James said laughing while Sirius joined him. "See ya later brother!" Sirius laughed. "Fuck off!" Regulus yelled out of anger, but also out of hope. "Gladly!" Said Sirius while walking away with James. In the mean time Regulus was drifted towards the sea. Fuck why does the wind now stand in that direction.
While Regulus was feeling helpless, not that he would let that see. Someone jumped on the boat. Red hair in Regulus face. She looked shocked. "Fuck Marlene." Regulus recognised the girl. Lily Evans. "Is this supposed to be some sort of rescue?" Regulus just slipped out. "Because there is a fatal flaw here. I don't mean to set the obvious, but we're just floating out to sea. THE BOTH OF US." He said as he was leaning back down on the boat again. Lily raised here eyebrows. As she put her hand up with the spark. "No worries. I just wanted to return something that Marlene stole. " She plugged it in. "Good thing my dad thought me a bit about boats." She laughed. Regulus still felt a bit of panicked. "Also James Potter is a arrogant toerag." Regulus laughed by the term she used. He never heard anyone dislike James before. "Cool. Thanks Lily." He said a bit silent. "You know my name?" She clearly was surprised. "Yeah, well I've seen you around school and around Pandora and Dorcas." He still felt her surprise look. "Oh you know them! Great!" She said. "Watch out!" She said while starting the boat.
They where driving a bit in the boat. Regulus saw James and Sirius walking a head. "Could we please drive past them?" He said smirking. While Lily drove faster. Regulus would pay a hundred gallons to see Sirius and James faces again. "My boat!" James yelled, before Lily made a sharp turn making both Sirius and James wet by a wave.
Regulus and Lily where still laughing afterward. They've been driving in the boat for a while now. Regulus still was a bit scared, but Lily seemed pretty confident. All of a sudden Regulus saw Remus. "Remus? Care to join?" He asked. "Are you licensed?" He asked. "Are you my mother?" Lily asked. Regulus bit his lip not to laugh as Remus give them a look.
Later on they persuaded Remus and he was with them on the boat. "Wanna go out to sea?" Lily asked. "Isn't it dangerous?" Remus was probably yhe smartest out of the three of them Regulus thought, but answered. "Chill out, Remus." So they went off to sea. Regulus was feeling the breeze through his curls and he never wanted to learn how to swim this badly.
For a while they where out on the sea and you could see the island. All of a sudden the motor stopped. Regulus eyes widened. Calm down Regulus, he said to himself. Lily tried a few times to start it again, but nothing worked. "Fuck what now?" She said. "Great, now where "chilled out"" Remus said. "Relax where only floating, where not sinking." Lily said. Regulus was impressed on how calm both Remus and Lily where. "Where out of fuel, so where gonna have to paddel to that island." She said while handing both Remus and Regulus and paddle. "Hogwarts island? No way! It's surrounded my sharks and reefs. I've read all about it." Remus said. "I know, but we have no other option!" As they started paddling Regulus felt a weird feeling. He wasn't sacred, but he wasn't exactly thrilled.
They finally arrived at the island. Regulus couldn't feel his arms anymore. They island looked comforting, which was something Regulus hated. It makes the traps and scary things work easier if you less expect it. Regulus could've swore as he stepped on the island that about around 30 meters away he saw a snake. They carried the boat on the land. "We need signal." Remus said while looking at his phone. "We probably will find that at the highest spot." Regulus said. Not that he wanted to climb, but there probably was no other way. There weren't gonna get stuck here.
They walked over rocks, jumped over rivers and felt very tired. The moon was already hanging in the sky. They didn't even knew where they where going. They just walked to get better signal. Regulus felt bugs on his legs and arms and he could still feel the heat of the sun. They bickered and talked to each other the whole way. Not always positive, but Remus and Lily did keep the hope.
At one point there was a big rock where they needed to jump over. "I'm not gonna jump over that!" Remus said. Lily already jumped to the other side. "Come on Remus! Look!" Regulus said as he jumped. No way that there where going to leave Remus or find another way around. They've been walking long enough. "I can't do this! It's to slippery. " Remus said it while shaking his head. The panic was in his eyes. He stepped another way and all of he sudden he fell. He screamed and fell down into a cave. "Remus!" Lily yelled while jumping back looking where he slipped. Remus fell down a slide which was made out of rocks. He rested in the sand while breathing heavily. Where the fuck was he? "Remus? Remus" Lily yelled again. Regulus also jumped to the other side now joining Lily. Remus looked around. "I'm fine!" Feeling his head, arms and ankles. "Can you climb up?" Lily asked. Panic was also now writing on her face. "No it's too steep. Fuck!" Shit! Remus couldn't climb up what now? "I'm going to help him!" Lily said. Was she absolute crazy? Regulus thought. "Are you stupid? It isn't gon-" Before he could finish his sentence she was falling down and also screaming. Lily was looking around thinking the same as Remus: where the fuck where they?
Regulus now also slided down. Where the fuck was he. It was a small gave with a little beach and a weird waterpool which looked like a big round bathtub with to many liquids and salts in it. Remus was already standing. He scanned the room looking for a way out. "There's a hole there!" Lily pointed at it. "We could swim are ways out maybe?" That would be a brilliant idea if Regulus could swim. Plus maybe it was even wide enough or it was a to long of a swim and they where all exhausted. Remus dived into the water. He was swimming through the hole. Only then Regulus noticed the hole above there head. They where standing in the volcano of Hogwarts island. The sky was already turned dark. He and Lily looked around for other ways out, but there was only rock. Remus catched his breath. "it's possible to swim out!" He said. "It's around a 20 seconds swim and it's a big hole!" He said. Lily was already taking off her shoes. "No way! I can't." Regulus said. He still didn't want them to know he couldn't swim. "There is no other way out Reg! You have to do it!" Remus looked him sharp in the eye while saying that. "I can't do it...I can't swim." He looked at Lily not wanting to see Remus reaction. Lily gave him a small smile. "We can try! We have no other option other then staying stuck in here forever!" Lily said. Regulus bit his tongue. He had to he knew even if it wasn't for him it was for his friends. Lily grabbed his hand and dragged him down the water. Regulus catching his breath in the could water. "Hey look at that the full moon!" Remus said. They where all looking up and suddenly something started to bubble. Little bubbles all floated upwards. This couldn't be normal, regulus thought. I looked like they where floating toward the moon. It was magical, nothing like he'd ever seen. He hadn't had the right words to describe it. As the magical thing only lasted for a minute Remus said:"Let's consentrate!" Regulus took a deep breath and swam towards the hole. Outside he took an ever deeper breathe. He did it! They did it!
As soon as he was happy that it all was over a big white flashlight shined in his eyes. "Come out of the water!" It was a boat they! They where saved. Regulus never felt so relived in his life.
The next day
Remus was glad all was over and he really wanted to start swimming again, so he woke up early and went to the sea. Finally he though. He ran into the water and when he was deep enough he dove. Feeling the water in his hair. He couldn't move his legs tho. He looked down and there was a tail! A fucking fish tail. What? He...He was a mermaid! He ran his hands through his hair. What was he supposed to do now?
Regulus was sitting in bath while it happened. He was just enjoying a good bath when all those bubble appeared beside his body. What was he supposed to do now?
With Lily it was another story. She was just walking past a sprayer for the grass on the ground. One second she was fully water and another second she was laying on the ground with an fishtail. What was she supposed to do now?
They decided to meet each other. They where lucky they had each others phonenumbers. "I don't understand how this happened?" Remus muttered. "Yeah me too, it's impossible!" Regulus said. "I was water for like 2 seconds!" Lily sounded shocked while still looking at her arms. Regulus looked around. "Is anyone home?" He asked Remus. They where in his house. "No my mom is shopping, so she's gone for a while." Lily nodded. "Great, so now we have to figure stuff out about mermaids!" She said. "It's not funny, where NOT mermaids!" Regulus was shaking his head. That couldn't be it. James and Sirius where probably playing a prank on them, because they took there boat. "Regulus I hate to say it, but I think Lily is right." Remus said with a small smile. Regulus shook his head. Knock, knock. Regulus and Lily looked at Remus. He frowned. "I didn't expect any-Shit! It's Sirius!" Remus was walking to the door, whilst Regulus was in shock. Remus knew his brother? His dickheaded brother? "Hell Remus!" Sirius said with a grinning smile while looking at him. He scanned the room and his eyes dropped on Regulus. His smile was gone. "I think I have the wrong time, probably." Regulus couldn't help, but smirk. His brother sounded a bit jealous and he didn't even look at Lily yet. "Oh no! You have the right time, just something important came up!" Remus explained helplessly to Sirius. He looked back at Lily and Regulus. They both nodded no and Sirius gave a glare to Regulus. He turned back to look at Remus and put on what he called his "charming smile". "Right, well then I will see you later. Let me know when you need help with something." Sirius added a wink at the end. Regulus could see from where he was sitting a little blush on Remus cheekbones. He walked Sirius to the door and before Sirius walked out Remus asked:"Sirius you're smart and you study biology. Uhm do you know anything about mermaids?" Sirius began to giggle. Regulus could turned to Lily seeing her look furious. "Sorry love, but mermaids don't exist. Maybe I will learn something about werewolves next time for you." He still laughed.
Remus returned to the living room. "Are you stupid?" Lily yelled at him. "Do you know anything about mermaids?" Mimicking Remus voice. Regulus tried not to laugh and bit his lip. "Listen Remus, this is very serious we don't what happened exactly and not why? We could be in big trouble if anyone find out." Regulus said. "We could find out more? By going into the ocean?" Lily said, clearly her angry was a bit less. "No way I' not going!" Regulus said. He still was scared that he needed to swim and he didn't want that. "I'm going! I just don't want to go alone!" Lily said. "I'm going with you." Remus looked at Regulus. No hair on his head that he would go.
So Remus and Lily went to the beach. "Are you ready?" Remus asked. Lily nodded, so they stepped into the water. Luckily the no one was at the beach, because after only 5 seconds they fell down. With a long shimmery tail. Remus had a blue one and his torso was fully exposed. Lily had a orange one, but not like her hair more sunset orange and she had the same orange colour as top. They really did look like fish. Lily burst out laughing and Remus joined.
They swam in the ocean. Discovering the reefs, fish and all the things. They saw the dolphins and swam with them grabbing there fin. Remus thought it was bizarre. They could breath underwater and swam all the way to the bottom. It took a while for them to found out how to swim, but when they did they played all sorts of games like hide and seek.
Sirius on the other hand was looking stuff up about mermaids, because if Remus asked him something he could never turn it down. So he was looking in books, on the internet, everywhere where he could find information. If this is how he could impress Remus why not? "Sirius what are you doing?" Sirius recognised the voice. Regulus was asking. "Well Remus asked, so I'm looking stuff up." Sirius smiled thinking about remus. "That's really sweet, but you don't have to do that." Regulus said. If his brother found out he would be in big problems. "Well I have a lot of free time, so.." He asked standing up walking out of the door of the library. Regulus followed him outside. "You don't believe that stuff do you?" Regulus wanted to play dumb and stupid. "Well now I do so!" Sirius started to get irritated by the questions of his brother.
James drove by with a motorbike. He stopped and put his helmet off. He gave Sirius a hug and then turned to Regulus. "What was that? Stealing my boat?" He asked looking angry and dissapointed. "Well you shouldn't have pushed the boat!" Regulus yelled back. "Awh where you afraid to swim, Reggie?" Sirius laughed and James was focused on Sirius. They where talking about something while Regulus felt his hand move towards the water. He could control the water! And within a few seconds Splash! Right in James and Sirius face. They both fell down and Regulus run away. He had to go talk to Remus and Lily!