The cold, crisp air of the Black Lake stung Echo's cheeks as he emerged from the castle, the clumsily crafted angel clutched tightly in his hand. The day after Christmas dawned with a soft, ethereal mist hanging over the water, shrouding the Forbidden Forest in a ghostly veil. His black hair, still faintly touched with the residual satisfaction of his gift-giving spree, was calm and resolute. Shimmer, a silent silver presence, was nestled on his shoulder, and Sniffles, having managed to sneak out with him, was a tiny, warm lump in his pocket.
He walked to the edge of the lake, where the water lapped gently against the shore. Taking a deep breath, he submerged his hand, the angel still in his grasp, and silently called out to Skate. Moments later, the surface of the lake rippled, and Skate's head emerged. Her long, flowing green hair shimmered with droplets, and her startlingly blue eyes fixed on him with a mixture of curiosity and concern.
"Echo," she murmured, her voice a melodic whisper that seemed to carry across the water. "What are you doing out here so early? And what is that… thing?" She gestured to the angel.
Echo offered a faint, almost shy smile. "Merry Christmas, Skate. Or, rather, belated Merry Christmas." He held out the driftwood angel. "I… I made this for you. I know it's not much, and it's a bit… lopsided. But the one on the Great Hall tree was so beautiful, and I thought you might like to have something like it. It's a symbol of… well, of light. And hope." He felt a blush creep up his neck. "And also, I'm sorry for being so wrapped up in myself yesterday. I kind of… wallowed. A lot."
Skate's eyes widened as she took the angel from his hand. Her slender fingers traced the crooked wings and the slightly off-center halo. A soft, genuine smile, rare and breathtaking, spread across her face, illuminating the misty morning.
"Echo," she whispered, her voice filled with a warmth that sent a shiver down his spine. "It's beautiful. Truly. It's the most thoughtful gift I've ever received." She held it close, then, with a graceful movement, she dove beneath the surface.
Echo waited, a nervous anticipation fluttering in his chest. A moment later, she resurfaced, her eyes sparkling. "Come down, Echo. I want to show you something."
Without hesitation, Echo nodded. He left Snifffles and Shimmer on the shore, then he took a deep breath, and with a familiar, effortless transition, he dove down as Skate cast her water-breathing spell on him, allowing him to breathe and not feel wet or the water cold and see in the murky dark. He slipped into the cold embrace of Black Lake, feeling the familiar chill around him yet knowing that Skate's presence would quickly make it feel warm.
He followed her, his eyes adjusting to the dim, emerald light filtering through the water. Skate led him to her grotto, a hidden alcove of shimmering coral and luminescent plants. In the center of the grotto, carefully placed on a bed of soft, phosphorescent moss, was the driftwood angel, its shell wings now catching the subtle currents and gleaming with an inner light. It looked… perfect here. Not lopsided at all.
Skate turned to him, her smile still lingering. "Thank you, Echo. Truly." She then gestured to a large, flat rock nearby. "But I also have something for you."
Echo, surprised, looked at the rock. Upon it lay a single, perfectly smooth, obsidian-black stone. It was cold to the touch and seemed to absorb all the light around it, yet it hummed with a faint, deep energy.
"What is it?" Echo asked, his voice muffled by the charm, his black hair pulsing with curious blue.
"It's a pact stone," Skate explained, her voice soft. "From the deepest parts of the lake. The merpeople use them for sacred vows. When two beings touch it and speak their true intentions, it seals a bond. A promise." She looked at him, her blue eyes intense. "I want to make a pact with you, Echo. A promise."
Echo's heart thumped against his ribs. He looked from the stone to Skate's unwavering gaze. "What kind of promise?"
"A promise that we will always be there for each other," Skate said, her voice firm. "That we will always protect each other. That no matter what darkness comes, we face it together. And a promise… that you will always come back to me."
He held the stone, feeling its cool energy, then looked at Skate, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. His emerald hair flickered with a curious blue. "Skate," he began, "I would never willingly break this promise. But… what happens if it is broken? Not by choice, but… by circumstance? What does the pact stone do then?"
Skate's gaze softened, a hint of ancient wisdom in her blue eyes. "If the pact is broken, Echo, not by intent but by events beyond control, the stone will lose its light. It will become just a simple rock once more. The connection will fade, and with it, the protection it offers." She paused, her voice taking on a more solemn tone. "But if it is broken by betrayal, by a willing act of deceit against the other… then the stone darkens. It becomes cold, a burden that weighs heavily on the one who broke the vow. And their magic, their very essence, will feel the chill of that betrayal, a constant reminder of what they have lost."
Echo nodded slowly, taking in her words. "And… and what if one of us… dies?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper, the blue in his hair deepening to a somber indigo. "What happens to the pact then?"
Skate's eyes met his, and for a fleeting moment, a profound sadness flickered in their depths. "Then, Echo," she said, her voice even softer, laden with ancient sorrow, "the stone will shatter, not with a bang, but with a silent, internal scream. And the one left behind… they will feel the echo of that loss, a deep, pervasive cold in their soul, a constant ache that will never truly heal. A part of them will die with the other, bound by the shattered promise, forever yearning for what was lost."
Echo shuddered, a cold dread seeping into his bones despite the warmth of the water around him. The image of the stone shattering and the internal scream was a visceral blow to his heart. The thought of such an enduring, agonizing loss, a wound that would never heal, was a fear he hadn't known he possessed until this very moment. His indigo hair pulsed, a faint, terrified red now staining its depths.
Echo felt a profound warmth spread through him, chasing away the last vestiges of his earlier self-pity. He had found family in the most unexpected places. He reached out, his fingers brushing against the cold, smooth stone. "I promise, Skate," he said, his voice imbued with absolute conviction. "I promise. Always."
As his fingers closed around the stone, a faint, pulsing light emanated from its surface, then spread to engulf both his hand and Skate's. A feeling of profound connection, of ancient magic, flowed between them. His blue hair flared with a brilliant, resolute emerald, mirroring the depths of the lake around them. The pact was sealed.
Echo resurfaced from the Black Lake, the spell dissolving around him with a soft pop as he exited the lake. He felt invigorated, a profound sense of peace settling in his chest. The obsidian pact stone, now subtly glowing with a faint, internal light, was tucked securely into his robes. His emerald hair, a reflection of the deep-seated joy he felt, shimmered under the morning sun. Shimmer emerged back on his shoulder, and Sniffles, still a sleepy lump, shifted back into his pocket.
Lily, Severus, Remus, Amos, and Frank were still waiting by the shore, their faces etched with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Lily, ever the most direct, immediately stepped forward.
"Echo! You're back!" she exclaimed, her green eyes scanning his face. "So? How was it? Did Skate like the gift? The… the angel?" She exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Amos and Frank, who were still struggling to suppress their amusement.
Echo's emerald hair brightened further, and a genuine, almost giddy smile spread across his face. "She loved it, Lily! Absolutely loved it! She even put it in her grotto. It looks… perfect there." He paused, then added, his voice brimming with a quiet excitement, "And she gave me a gift, too!"
Lily's eyes widened, her amusement forgotten. "She did? What was it?" The others leaned in, equally intrigued.
Echo reached into his robes and pulled out the obsidian pact stone, holding it up for them to see. Its faint glow pulsed in his palm. "This," he announced, his voice a little reverent. "It's a pact stone. She said it's for sacred vows, for promises." He looked at their bewildered faces, his emerald hair flickering with a thoughtful blue. "We made a promise on it. A pact."
Lily blinked, then her brow furrowed. "A pact? What kind of pact?"
Echo shrugged, a faint, almost mischievous glint in his hollow eyes. "Well, she wants us to always be there for each other, always protect each other, and face any darkness together. And… she wants me always to come back to her." He paused, a slow, dawning realization spreading across his face, and his blue hair deepened to a confused, yet strangely pleased, indigo. "I'm not sure if it's… marriage, or some kind of devilish deal. It's kind of both, isn't it? Since she wants us to be together forever."
Lily's jaw dropped. "What?!" she shrieked, her voice echoing across the silent lake. Severus's eyes widened in genuine surprise, and even Remus looked utterly flabbergasted. Amos and Frank, however, burst into another round of uncontrollable laughter, their faces turning red.
Echo looked at Lily, genuinely bewildered by her reaction. "Well, it is! She even said that if I break the pact through betrayal, my magic will feel the chill of it, a constant reminder of what I've lost. Sounds like a pretty serious commitment to me, a bit like a binding magical contract for… eternal togetherness." His indigo hair flickered, settling into a calm, resolute black. "But I wouldn't have it any other way. I promised. Always."
Lily stood there, utterly speechless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Severus, recovering quickly, let out a low, almost incredulous chuckle. "Eternal togetherness, you say, Echo? And you sealed it with a merperson pact stone? You truly are a marvel of… unconventionality."
Remus, finally finding his voice, stepped forward, a concerned frown on his face. "Echo, a merperson pact is an incredibly serious magical bond. It's not to be taken lightly. It's… well, it's essentially an unbreakable vow, with severe magical consequences for betrayal."
Echo merely nodded, his black hair unwavering. "I know, Remus. Skate explained. And I meant every word. I'd never betray her. Not willingly. And I'm not going to die so that the stone won't shatter either." He looked at them all, a faint, almost challenging glint in his eyes. "Besides, I don't see what the big deal is. It's just a promise to a friend. A very special friend."
Lily finally snapped out of her stupor. "Just a promise to a friend?" she shrieked, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Echo, merpeople pacts are often considered more binding than marriage vows! You've essentially entered into a magical, lifelong commitment with a mermaid! Do you have any idea what that entails?"
Echo tilted his head, his black hair flickering with a curious blue. "What does it entail, Lily? More shared butterbeer? More late-night talks by the lake? More protection against Dementors?"
Lily groaned, burying her face in her hands. Amos and Frank, having finally composed themselves, dissolved into fresh fits of laughter. Severus merely shook his head, a mixture of amusement and genuine concern on his face.
"He's utterly clueless," Severus muttered, almost to himself. "A true force of nature, entirely oblivious to the ripples he creates."
Remus, however, stepped forward, his expression softening. He placed a hand on Echo's shoulder. "Echo," he said gently, "it means that you now have a bond, a connection, that will forever tie you to Skate. You will feel each other's emotions more deeply, you will be drawn to each other, and you will always, always have a place to belong with her." He offered a small, knowing smile. "And yes, it means eternal togetherness. In a way that very few humans ever experience."
Echo looked at Remus, then at the glowing stone in his robes, then back towards the shimmering surface of the Black Lake. A slow, profound smile spread across his face, a warmth radiating from him that seemed to push back the morning chill. His blue hair brightened to a vibrant, serene emerald.
"Good," he said, his voice quiet but utterly content. "I wouldn't want it any other way." He turned, his gaze sweeping over his friends, a genuine, unburdened happiness in his hollow eyes. "Now, who's ready for some breakfast? All that emotional turmoil and pledging eternal devotion has made me absolutely ravenous."
As Echo led the way back to the castle, his emerald hair shimmering, his friends followed, their initial shock slowly giving way to a shared, bewildered amusement. They knew, as they watched him, that Echo's life was never going to be simple. And they wouldn't have it any other way either. The peculiar, powerful, and utterly unique boy who befriended creatures and sealed unbreakable vows with mermaids was, after all, their friend. And in the strange, dangerous world of Hogwarts, that was a bond just as strong, in its own way, as any magical pact.