A/N: Written for Romi Lawliet's Fairy Tale Challenge.

Pairing: Viktor/Hermione, one-sided Viktor/mermaid.

The first morning after he marries another your heart will break, and you will become foam on the crest of the waves." – Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid

In your language, we are merpeople.

But like in so many other situations, you humans are wrong again. We are not people in the sense you believe; we are not simply your kind in a different habitat. We are neither civilized nor civilizable.

How foolish of me for thinking otherwise.

…And yet I am here, recounting my story, am I not? Am I not speaking in your tongue, sitting in your chair, explaining to you why and how this happened?

Yes, I will proceed in due time. Please do not ask any questions while I speak. This is difficult enough without your interference.

Very well. Let us begin.

:-:-:-:

I was around seventeen in human years, I believe, when I saw him for the first time. I had come to the surface of the lake, as I was rather fond of doing at the time, and noticed this invader of my privacy.

After wondering exactly why a human was swimming in my lake in the dead of winter, I deigned to observe him from a distance and see what had provoked such insanity. He had not seen me; I preferred to keep it that way for the moment, considering he would surely have attacked at the first glimpse.

As I said before, we are beasts too foul for humans to trust. This, as I am sure you are aware, is why you have restrained me with these chains. I am capable of sitting here and holding a conversation with you quite comfortably without them, but it is of no matter.

I watched him swim back and forth across the width of the lake without stop, wondering how it was that he could move efficiently without the use of a tail. He was quite skilled at it for a creature so… bipedal.

Perhaps he was not quite so attractive for someone of my species, but he was obviously so in the eyes of the group of females that crowded around the bank, watching him just as I did – but I remained unseen, unlike the six or so who giggled and pointed openly in his wake. He ignored them stoically, making little conversation as he emerged from the water and dried himself with a flick of his wand. This might have been from lack of interest, but I assumed differently – from his halting tones that I could not fully understand, he was about as fluent in the language as I was at the time.

Still, he piqued my interest. Why would he put himself through such an intolerable temperature for his body? How did he swim so skillfully and yet still with the clumsiness of his kind? They seem such mundane questions now, but at that time in my life I longed for something to occupy myself with, something to fill the hours of monotony I regularly experienced. I decided to return the next day.

I did return, and he was there with the same routine as the previous day. Again I watched him traverse the lake, reflecting on how fragile humans seemed to be as he gasped for breath above the water. I knew that their lifespan was impossibly short, but they seemed to enjoy it so much.

I continued to visit the surface to watch his quiet training, ever-aware of the humbleness he seemed to exude. I wished I was capable of emotion such as that.

Meanwhile, I consulted each elder of my clan for information on humans. The results were the same: all humans were sedentary, invading creatures who would one day attempt to colonize our waters as well. They did a poor job of concealing their bloodlust at the thought of what they would do if humans did attack. This disgusted me.

I vowed to make my presence known the next day at the surface. I had my mind set on becoming human at whatever the cost, and I had no doubt that my mystery swimmer would be able to do so.

I certainly did not expect what I found that day.

This able-bodied human, previously so skillful, was slowly sinking towards the bottom of the lake.

Panicking, I helped him to the surface and performed what little healing techniques I knew to revive him. They failed me at first, and I worried until a female human came to his aid. She took him from me, eyes wide at my appearance, and revived him at once. But I disappeared before he could open his eyes, fearful of what he might think.

I returned to several furious elders waiting for me at the bottom. "We saw you with the human," they sneered. "We saw you help our enemy. You are not one of us." And they – with excruciating power – they performed their ancient magic and I suddenly could not breathe and my tail split in half and I was rising to the top –

I was human.

I washed up on the shore, not far from where I had left my swimmer and the girl. Testing out my new legs, I attempted to stand up –

…I am very sorry. I am nearing the end of what you want to hear. But please, do try to refrain from interrupting.

I explored my surroundings that day and night, noting how curious the frozen grass felt under my feet and how cold –

…Please stop this – very well.

When I found him next, he was with the girl. They sat near the edge of my lake, sitting and chatting, scarves wound around their necks. As I watched, she smiled slightly at a comment of his, and he leaned in to – to touch his lips to hers.

I may not have been very familiar with human customs, but I did know what that one meant.

You must understand that mermaids do not have the kind of control over their power that you humans do. Ours is largely influenced by emotion and surroundings. I was not even aware of what I was doing until she had fallen to the ground.

We do not follow the same code as your kind. We are beasts by nature.

…Miss… Umbridge, yes? I cannot understand why you wish to exercise the same sentence over me as you would a human. I do not follow your –

…I did not murder the girl. How can you charge me with –

…Do you not understand my situation? I simply –

-END OF TRANSCRIPT-

:-:-:-:

WITCH WEEKLY

MERMAID SENTENCED TO YEARS IN AZKABAN

Early yesterday morning, the Wizengamot put on trial the alleged attacker of Muggleborn Hermione Granger. In accordance with Ministry Decree No. 17, according to Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge, "any creature with sentient powers… will be tried as a human would for unlawful and punishable crimes." This means that if a mermaid or another magical creature killed a person, they would also have a life sentence in Azkaban.

It seems fair in theory, doesn't it? The decree basically restates what we have accepted as fact all our lives.

The catch is this, though: this mermaid didn't kill anyone. It didn't even seriously injure anyone. In fact, according to Mermish ambassador Norman Briggs, it didn't exact any more force on Miss Granger than a Body-Bind Curse.

Where is the justice in that?

Miss Umbridge maintains that the mermaid's statement "We are beasts by nature" is enough to send it to jail for twenty years. She, along with Minister Cornelius Fudge, remain firm in their decision.

Even if we accept the fact that this mermaid is being tried for a human crime, being given a worse punishment than would be exacted upon a human, and being thrown into a jail of only humans… think about it.

We are putting a mermaid in an island-based prison.

While it may have legs right now, that doesn't change the fact that it has been swimming since birth. I'd be willing to bet that it escapes within two days, max.

…I don't know about you, but I'm penning my complaint owl now.

Written by Calliopeia Marchbanks, long-time Prophet editor.