Dangerous Tide

[Artemis Tuuri]

"Take a towel!" bellowed Artemis' mother as she tossed it to Art who was speeding out of the doorway. "Thank 'ye!" squeaked Art, catching it deftly and storming out the door. True, it was freezing cold weather in New Zealand at the moment, but Artemis was determined to have her swim since she had not since Jareth proposed to her. That night hadn't been particularly relaxing (though it was one of the bets she'd ever had), and so why should she not make good use of the beach nearby her house? Art's feet slapped against the cobblestones on the street as she raced down the lane towards the pebbled beach. It wasn't particularly large, but it was scenic and it was the perfect place for a dip. Not necessarily today though, as Art was about to find out.

Artemis shimmied out of her little patchwork dress to reveal a simple black one-piece suit tailored just for her. The wind blew cold but the tiny girl did not shiver and only grinned out at the ocean of the early morning. Sometimes she did not understand why Simon came out so early to swim on days like these, but it was at that moment that she understood. Art dropped the towel that was fisted in her small hand and began to make her way out into the freezing waters. Now she was shivering, but it was an exhilarated shiver and soon she dived in completely. She was only about ten meters out before her feet left the ground, and she grinned and waved her hand over a little bubbly patch beside her that wound it's way around the beach. "Curious," said Art. She did not recognise the signs of a rip tide.

 

[Angus Greenwood]

Angus, while he couldn't fly to save himself, quite honestly loved to swim. You wouldn't have picked it, looking at the dorky musical boy, but underneath his clothes (and wizarding robes, when he was at school), he was relatively muscly and tanned from swimming. Especially in summer. At school, he took every opportunity to go swim in the lake, and even though it was midwinter, here he was by a small cobbled beach in New Zealand, standing in board shorts as he admired the water.

It was a cold day, which was good for Angus, because the beach was empty. He liked having the place to himself. Well, almost to himself - there was a small girl swimming in the water, but she wouldn't bother him too much, he suspected, so he ignored her and set his towel and shirt down, before jogging down to the water.

The water was positively freezing, but Angus figured he'd get used to it quickly. Violet hated cold water, as did the rest of his family, really, but because Angus was a born water baby, he honestly didn't mind it at all. But today, today was a day where he'd have to be careful. Because once he was a few metres in, Angus could see that there was a rip tide. I hope that girl's okay, Angus thought to himself, as he looked over to her. She looked oddly familiar, probably a Hogwarts student. Keeping an eye on the girl, Angus stood in the water, enjoying the sensation of the ice cold water surrounding him. But his worry kept eating at him, and soon Angus found himself calling out to the girl. She could've been a world-class swimmer for all he knew, but he wanted to make sure she was alright, in any case. "Hey!" he called. "You alright? Careful out there, there's a pretty nasty rip tide..."

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Suddenly Art heard a voice calling out to her. Gosh, who's here this early? she blushed, sinking up to her neck just in case it was a boy. It was, but suddenly she didn't mind so much when there was a more pressing matter at hand. Art waved at him jovially. "I'm fine! I can swim alright!" she called back. Frowning, Artemis scanned the water around her. What on earth was a rip tide? Without realising it, she was floating slightly to the left as the soft currents were pulling her straight towards the rip tide.There was a strange swirling around her legs, and Art look around. To her shock, she was further out towards the ocean than she had expected. The world was suddenly sucked beneath her feet as they were pulled directly into the current, Artemis floundering in shock. What was there to hold onto when you were floating out on the water? Pointlessly, she gasped and did not manage a cry before her head was sucked under too.

Being so small, her entire body was taken under completely and thrown deep beneath within seconds. Only a few large bubbles were left in her wake as the breath was knocked out of her, and Artemis was twirling in the current and being dragged across the ocean floor. It was not sandy as it would have been anywhere else, but pebbly with jagged rocks dotting the bottom. She would have cried out as her elbows and back scraped the bottom but her mouth was full of water. Desperately, Artemis thought of the boy on the beach who had called out to her. Had he seen her go under?

 

[Angus Greenwood]

The girl seemed to be able to handle it, but Angus was worried, nonetheless. So, he kept right where he was, keeping an eye on the girl. She was drifting further and further away, and Angus was really worried. There were no lifeguards around - the beach was small, it was midwinter...so they were the only two people on the beach. And Angus, as a capable swimmer, felt it his duty to keep an eye on the girl.

It was a very good thing that he did, for the girl was dragged under the water. Well, Angus wasn't going to be letting anyone drown. He may have been a Slytherin, but he was a nice guy. After all, it was just the fact that he was cunning and ambitious, not that he was evil. So without even thinking, he followed the girl to find her and pull her to the surface. It was lucky that he was a lot bigger than her, and was such a strong swimmer. As he reached the spot, Angus dived, straining his eyes through salty water to find her. Where'd she go? he thought, panicking. Where is she? Short of breath, he surfaced for a second, only to go under again. I should have warmed up...oh, there she is! Fighting against the current, he dived down and reached to her, grabbing on to her with one hand and furiously making his way back to the surface. Please let her be okay, please...

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Artemis was aching like nothing she had felt for a very long time. Only pure terror and salt water rushed through her, and Art could hold her breath no longer. A great gulp of water directly into her lungs later and her eyes were closing. Her fingernails scraped against the rocks though she flopped bonelessly otherwise. Why hadn't Simon warned her about these kinds of water dangers? She knew all about jellyfish and sharks and storm waves and such, but nothing about this 'rip tide'. She had no idea that they were not common to that part of New Zealand, though none of it mattered now that she was losing consciousness. So why was Artemis calling for Jareth in her mind? Was she really going to die in such a pointless and tragic way? No...

Something was tugging on her wrist, so thin that felt like it would break beneath the person's fingers. Art did not aid them in the slightest and was only a dead weight as Angus pulled her up. Even as their heads broke the surface she did not respond for some time. As weakly as a newborn kitten, Art opened her eyes. Seconds later, she opened her mouth and emptied the seat water from her lungs in several violent spasms that rocked her frame. Without realising it, she was clinging to the older boy's arm with tears of shock and pain leaking down her cheeks, almost invisible against her already wet cheeks. Where were they now? Breath heaving, Art looked around to see only water. Water, water, water, rock. The lighthouse! She couldn't summon the breath to speak, and only nudged his arm weakly with anguished eyes.

 

[Angus Greenwood]

They broke the surface, and Angus was so relieved to see that the girl was okay. He recognised her now, she was a Ravenclaw, he was pretty sure. She was alive, she seemed okay, and that was the important thing. He could see that she wasn't really able to talk at the moment, just plain shocked, so Angus wasn't going to make her say anything. Just knowing she was okay was enough for now.

Feeling a slight movement at his arm, Angus followed the younger girl's gaze and saw the lighthouse, off in the distance. Giving a small nod, he slowly kicked his way over to it, pulling the girl along gently and not letting go of her. The current was strong, but not so much where they were, so it wasn't too difficult to swim over to it. Once they reached it, Angus grabbed on to a rock with his free hand and heaved a sigh, grinning at the younger girl. "Good way to start the morning, hey," he drawled, with a grin. "You alright there?" he asked, concern evident in his tone. "Name's Angus, by the way. Angus Greenwood. I'm sure I've seen you at school, before...what's the name of this lovely damsel in distress I've just saved?" he winked, grinning. Angus had a strange sense of fun, and maybe teasing a girl who'd just been pulled out of the water wasn't the nicest thing to do, but he really couldn't help himself.

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Art's throat was burning and she was glad of him not saying anything for the present moment. Eventually she was not all useless, but managed to kick fairly well to help him along as they aimed towards the lighthouse rock. For some reason the water seemed even colder than before, or so she deduced because she was shivering. Two tiny hands slapped against the dark rocks that she clung to, bobbing up and down slightly in the mercifully calm current. This was not how she had been planning to spend the morning, and Art looked around to see the beach quite far away. How were they ever to swim back?

Angus was suddenly speaking to her, and she listened with a dazed look on her face for a moment before gathering her wits to speak. "Bloody 'ell," she said, her voice rough with strain but as high as it ever was. "I'd rather be punched by a 'ippogryph than go through that again." She had to pause after a fit of coughing and dragged herself up higher till she was out of the water completely. Reaching out, she took a hold of Angus' arm and simply pulled him right out of the water. He dangled in the air for a moment before she set him down. It was probably now that he would recognise her as being a part goblin. Out of the water she was smaller still, and her hair had flattened to reveal the long pointed ears that flopped slightly at the tips. If the remarkable strength wasn't enough of an indication, they he was quite uneducated. Hesitantly, Art grinned back at him. "I'm Artemis Blackmoore-Yearling. Yer a year older than me, aintcha?". Suddenly she had several important questions, but with her throat burning the way it was then she thought it best to go slow. "What was that thing? Some sort 'o magic?".

 

[Angus Greenwood]

Angus couldn't help but grin at the girl and her cool accent. Angus had a slight English accent, but it had been toned down after living in Australia for a bit. This girl's accent was so awesome! "Heh, I understand. Not something I'd want to go through either." Shrugging, Angus didn't realise the girl was pulling him out of the water until a moment later...when she did. "Holy...wow!" he exclaimed. "You sure are strong, for such a little thing," he muttered, without thinking. "Oh!" Was she part goblin, or something? She knew they were small but very strong. The ears were an indication too, now he had taken a good look at her. Still, she was quite pretty, for having goblin blood. Not something Angus would have expected, but then again there were a lot of things he didn't know or expect. "Well, it sure is a pleasure to meet you, Artemis, even if it had to be in these circumstances," he snorted, running a hand through his wet hair.

"That wasn't magic," he explained, looking out to sea. "Just something weird about the ocean. A very strong current. Something to do with the pull of the moon and...actually, I know nothing about it," he said, grinning sheepishly. "I just know that they're strong currents that you have to try and avoid." He shook his head, with a smile. "There's a lot I don't know. I guess that's why I'm in Slytherin and not Ravenclaw, heh."

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Artemis quirked an eyebrow at Angus. "Well, I can tell 'ye that I'm pleased to meet 'ye as well, if at least for the fact that I'd be dead by now, if not." Suddenly the truth of the statement hit her like a brick. Even though this boy was a Slytherin, he had saved her life! Without warning Art hopped over, wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed. She swallowed heavily as tears pricked her eyes again, but this time they did not fall so as to not embarrass Angus. "Boy, yer a hero." mumbled Art. Finally she let go, though she had apparently forgotten that her hugs were a far sight more powerful than most other people's. Luckily she hadn't cracked his ribs.

Art gazed out across the sea in unison with Angus. "I don't ever wanna get caught in one again." she said seriously. She turned to say something else but whimpered involuntarily. Suddenly there was a soft ripping noise, and Artemis twisted her head to see her black swimsuit almost slashed to ribbons on the back. It was no wonder why she hadn't noticed the burning pains of the cuts, for she was aching all over anyway. Even as she watched, a trickle of blood hit the rock behind her. Lifting her hands, she saw that her fingers were torn and bleeding, and there was no small amount of wounds on her arms and legs. Being dragged through sand was one thing, but the rocky beach had been one of the worst places to be caught in a rip. Artemis' face rumpled up as she tried quite hard not to cry at the sight of them. What would her mother say when she finally returned home? "Ach," she mumbled, keeping a brave face. "That's gonna hurt in th' mornin'. My wand's still on the beach."

 

[Angus Greenwood]

Angus laughed quietly to himself, pushing his hair aside once more. "It's how I usually make favourable impressions with people, saving their lives first," he joked. In all honesty he hadn't ever done anything like this before, but it was a nice feeling. Not the 'being a hero' part, but to see Artemis alive and mostly well...that felt good. He blushed slightly as Artemis hopped over to him and gave him a hug. Boy, her hugs were pretty strong. Then again, she was a very strong girl, he'd noticed. After all, she'd been the one pulling him up to the rocks. "Heh, thanks," he muttered, blushing a little at the thought of being heroic. Angus was the lazy middle child, the one who was put in Slytherin, not Gryffindor, Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw. The one who was accused of spending too much time dreaming and not enough time working. Oh well. Now he had a source of pride.

"I hope you don't," he said with a nod, until he heard her whimper and turned to look. Oh my God, he thought to himself, gasping. He hadn't paid much attention before, he'd been looking at her face, after all, but now that he looked he saw that she was covered in cuts from the rocks. "Oh gosh..." Angus muttered, biting his lip. "Oh, Artemis, I didn't even see those," he admitted, sheepishly. "I think I have my wand..." he muttered, rummaging around in his pockets. The board shorts had long pockets, which was good for him. Angus liked to take his wand wherever he went, even swimming. Cause one could never know what would happen. If only he'd thought to take it out earlier..."Uhh...problem is...I can't think of any healing spells." Angus looked extremely embarassed at this, and he knew he had to revise when he got home, to brush up on magic. He just had a habit of forgetting things when he needed them the most. Like his wand, for example.

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Well, Artemis wasn't exactly healing illiterate because of her father (who was a Healer). Not to mention the fact that she was often covered in scrapes, bruises and breaks for all the sparring she did with her friends. She couldn't perform the spells necessary but she knew them well enough. Angus was older than here, so surely he would be able to. "Oh! Well, if 'ye wouldn't mind," she said, scanning her arms with a worried look. "I know that the incantation is 'Episkey'. P'raps 'ye could try saying that?". How she hated being indebted to someone. If he got the spell right she would be doubly grateful for his help, and though she would not follow him around like a puppy, her undivided servitude would always be on call. Angus looked rather worried, so Art gave him a large grin to show him that she was indeed quite fine, just rather fragile.

"Don't worry mate. I'm a bit breakable, but always put-back-togetherable." she told him, her eyes sparkling. By this time she was beginning to feel a little better, if just a bit too cold for her liking. Art knew that she'd probably catch the sniffles the next day and grumpily reviewed the prospect of having to stay in bed all day. "Well, at least 'ye have a wand." While Angus was probably figuring out how to attempt a healing spell, she continued to scan the waters with a wary eye. If the tide came in, they were well and truly stuffed. Yet if they were left alone for a day in the cold winter sun they'd fair not much better. Should she try summoning her broom from her house? Surely a few miles wasn't that long. "It'd have to be a pretty powerful spell," she muttered to herself, wincing as a waves washed over her cut feet.

 

[Angus Greenwood]

"A-alright," he said, a little nervously, before swallowing and clearing his throat. It would be fine, she sure sounded confident with it, and magic wasn't too hard. And if he didn't heal her completely, he would at least be able to patch up her wounds long enough for them to get back to shore and for someone more qualified to look at her. I really need to pay more attention in class, he chastised himself, before picking up his wand. "Ahem. Episkey!" he said, waving his wand at Artemis' back. "Wait, wait, I know, wrong wand movement. Sorry. Episkey!" he tried again, swishing his wand in what he believed to be an appropriate fashion. By the looks of things, it seemed to work. At least her back looked a little better.

"Ah...was that okay? I didn't hurt you, right?" he questioned. He wanted to make sure he was at least getting the spell right before he moved on to her arms and legs. There was also the problem of how on earth they were going to get back to the mainland. If only he was better at Transfiguration, then maybe he could have become a dolphin animagi, or something. Or if only he could summon a boat...but there really didn't seem to be any around. If he could levitate Art's body back, and then swim back himself, he would...but he wasn't sure he could do that, after all, his magic probably wasn't strong enough. Angus tried not to think of that dilemma, however, deciding to take things one problem at a time.

 

[Artemis Tuuri]

Angus seemed to have some sort of latent talent at healing, for though he had probably never seen the charm performed in all his life, there he was healing her back much better than she probably could have herself. Artemis looked back at herself and smiled to see only thin red lines peppering her shoulder blades now. "Has anyone ever toldya that yer a natural?" she grinned, now holding out her arms for them to be healed as well. "Na, it doesn't hurt a bit." Yet even then she was still pondering how to make it back to shore. Any way that she looked at it, they would have to swim back. The waves might be a bit dangerous, but if they were under the water then they could rest and go at their own leisure. A bubble-head charm would be perfect for that, though Art was hesitant to suggest it. Would Angus think it too dangerous? They were both strong swimmers, she knew. The charm itself Artemis was able to perform, and to a fifth year it would be nothing at all.

Eventually she frowned and turned her head back to Angus. "Waddaya reckon 'bout doin' a bubble head charm, aye?". Artemis soon explained just how it would work for them and being a fourth year she was able to perform the charm quite well. Angus certainly would be able to as well. She opened her mouth to explain further but a slightly bigger wave that would have just bumped another person unseated Artemis entirely and swept her into the ocean again. Second later she surfaced and began to laugh, her once-drying hair now sodden again. "Ach, thank 'ye very much, nature!" called Art to the sky as she bobbed up and down in the water. "So. What do 'ye think?" she said finally, still not entirely sure of what Angus would say.