July 2nd, 1890 — The Black Lake, Hogsmeade Side
Sisse Thompsett

Ned loved Hogsmeade in the summer. Despite the hustle and bustle from those who'd funneled in for the Quidditch World Cup, there were still a good amount of quiet spaces to be found. A walk along the shore of The Black Lake was a favored outing.

With his hands lazily taking up residence in his pockets, Ned allowed his thoughts to quietly collect themselves. The sounds of the wind and children distantly playing were not intrusive enough to keep him from much needed decompressing. He decided an hour would be sufficient before he returned home.

However, a splash and a subsequent scream jarred him from his easy thoughts. At first, he tried to pretend as if he hadn't heard. It wasn't odd for shrieking children to leap into the lake to cool off. A second scream had him reconsidering. It didn't sound like a shout of joy.

Ned hurried around a tree that extended from the shore into the lake and spotted a girl, flailing about in the water. Her cries became garbled each time her head threatened to bob under. It didn't take long for young Gryffindor to conclude that she needed help.

"Keep moving your arms and legs! I'm coming!"

Barely loosening his laces, the teen tugged his boots and socks off and chucked them to the ground. He didn't need them weighing him down. He could swim well, but footwear could impede even the most practiced of swimmers.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3 <3

It had been Matthew's idea to go boating this afternoon. Mother had taken one look at the seventeen year old and had agreed he was responsible enough to lead his younger siblings on such a venture without their father (partly, Sisse suspected, to simply get them out from under her feet for the afternoon). But they had no sooner gotten to the lake and set the rowboat in the water when Matthew spotted a friend and had jogged off to join them, waving away his siblings and telling them not to wait. Henry, feeling quite proud that his older brother had thought him responsible enough (in Sisse's mind Matthew probably hadn't cared a whit about any of thise) to take care of their sister, had assured his sister that he could handle this and had climbed aboard after her with a paddle in his hand.

Remembering her last voyage on the black lake Sisse wasn't precisely thrilled at the idea of this outing in the first place, but home was so stuffy after the freedom of the castle that she hadn't been able to resist joining her brothers for the adventure. A fact that she sorely regretted now.

It had seemed fine until Henry had pushed the boat out into the lake just a little too far. The giant squid's tentacle had accidentally brushed the boat, jostling it enough that Henry had lost a paddle. In his attempt to reach the paddle Henry had leaned a little too far and the other paddle had started to make an escape, so Sisse had hastily tried to catch it. The end result was both Sisse and the paddle ended up in the water. Her scream wrenched through the air as Henry was left paddleless in the middle of the lake with a roughly rocking boat.

Sisse sputtered and cried out, clinging to the paddle with all her might. Her skirts began to weigh her down, tangling as her feet caught in it. Later she'd curse her recent birthday and the lowered hems that she had been so proud of only weeks before. The current, or maybe it was the squid's moving tentacles under the water, moved her further and further away from Henry, away from any hope of being saved. She was going to die in this frigid cold water. A scream escaped Sisse's lips again as a voice reached her. Keep moving. Help. Sisse tried, but with every movement she found herself being pulled back into the lake. "Help!" She screamed, terror fully having absorbed her senses like the icy cold of the water.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

As Ned splashed into the cold water, he cursed the fact that they weren't allowed to use magic outside of school. Surely, a well placed charm would make it easier to ensure the girl didn't meet her untimely death, but he also had his future to worry about. The muggle way it would have to be. However, he did ensure his wand was readily accessible; if it came down to it, he'd rather contend with the ministry than allow the girl to drown.

Once he was deep enough, he dove forward and began to swim, strong arms propelling him forward at a decent speed. It was lucky that he'd enjoyed the water when he was young and committed to learning properly. The Black Lake, however, was not without its own perils. Concerning creatures lurked in its depths. He only hoped they wouldn't stumble upon them.

Ned closed the gap between him and Sisse, only recognizing her once he could properly see her face. He tread water next to her and attempted to reach out for one of her flailing arms. "Miss Thompsett," he stated, rather calmly, though his breath hissed out from the exertion. "Miss Thompsett, you need to grab hold of me." He only hoped that his voice broke through her terror and that she would hang onto him in a sensible manner. The last thing they needed was for her to drag them both down in her panic.

He eyed the boat she had spilled out of and the boy in it. The paddle that floated nearby allowed him to connect the dots as to what had happened, rendering any assistance from Henry useless. They would have to hope they'd be successful.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3 <3

Someone was coming closer, probably a good thing as her voice was already hoarse and the water was filling up her lungs and nose every time she tried to scream. She did everything she could to stay afloat, the paddle bobbing up and down with her attempts as the water pulled her under again and again.

Suddenly there was a hand on her arm, blindly she reached out as her head was pulled out of the water again, reaching for the person. Almost sobbing, Sisse nodded and tried to wrap her arm around the person - no boy. Somewhere in the back of the mind she realized it was Mr. Moony. Her attempt went awry and left Sisse pulling one arm as she tried desperately to pull her other arm back again (clutching the oar and all). “I’m trying-” The words were somewhere between a gasp and a sob of desperation as fear and relief warred inside her.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Sisse's flailing attempts were altogether unsuccessful, leaving Ned to receive a mouthful of water as his arm was pulled. The girl's skirts made her heavy, and he felt himself being weighed down more than he was used to, but he wasn't about to give up.

"Let go of the paddle; it's useless," he stated, volume higher than normal, wanting to be sure she could hear him. The paddle was a sad excuse for a flotation device, and all he could imagine was either of them accidentally getting knocked in the head with it in Sisse's panic.

While he struggled, Ned quietly assessed the situation, not completely sure how he would be able to swim back with her clutching to him. Unless. "I'm going to hold you instead." Maneuvering so that he was behind her, Ned tried to reach out and scoop his arms under Sisse's armpits. If she allowed him, he'd try to hook his forearms onto her shoulders. Maybe from that vantage point he would have more control and be able to swim backwards without worry of her kicking him or accidentally dragging them both down.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3 <3

Let go of the paddle? Sisse’s mind couldn’t understand why and reflectively her grip tightened on it. But she nodded numbly, at least Mr. Moony knew how to swim. Terrified Sisse listened to his plan, kicking her legs with the fierceness of fear as her skirts tangled around her. But Sisse let go of the oar as soon as she felt his arms under him. She had to trust him, it was her only option. “Okay.” The one word held all the fear and uncertainty of her screams even as quiet as it came out from her hoarse throat.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Ned let out a sigh of relief when it seemed he had Sisse securely under the arms, and she'd finally let go of the paddle. The weight of her and her many skirts had him sinking slightly, but he wouldn't allow her to go under. Leaning back, so they were both somewhat laying in the water, he started to fiercely kick his legs out, in almost a frog-like fashion. It seemed his plan would work as they started to propel their way closer to the shore.

His face grew red from the exertion, finding it exceedingly difficult to swim while carrying another, especially without the use of his arms, but he was determined not to let her drown. Just when he thought they weren't going to make it, his legs drifted downward, and Ned felt his toes graze the silt that gave the Black Lake its murky appearance.

"Al...most..." he hissed out between breaths, suddenly gaining a second wind in which to close the gap between the deep and where he could stand. Once his feet confidently hit the ground, he allowed a tired grin to grace his face, and he half, pulled, half stumbled over Sisse until she too could stand. He continued to urge her toward the shore, even as the water began to only reach their waists.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3 <3

Even with Ned's arms reassuringly around her, his legs propelling them through the water, Sisse still felt panic clawing at her. At any moment he could let go of her and she could sink, at any moment her weight might drag them both under. But she did her best to keep quiet, hating the fact that there was nothing she could do. She caught gasping uneasy breathes as she tried to stay calm. The furthest thing from her mind was how inappropriate this had to look from shore.

Finally after what felt like hours Ned pulled her to standing, for a moment as he adjusted them she couldn't feel the bottom of the lake and the panic rose clawing at her throat and chest. Then her feet touched the silty bottom. Ned managed to finally get them to the shore line and Sisse landed unlady like on the sand of the shore trying not to cry in relief. She looked up at Ned, fully seeing him for the first time. "Thank you." She tried to put as much meaning in her voice as the fear and sudden tiredness would allow. It was there in the sudden mess that an almost drowning created Sisse realized just how handsome and brave Mr. Moony was and just how unsuited to be a Gryffindor she was.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Once they were on shore, Ned flopped down next to Sisse. His muscles burned with each shaky breath that he tried to get under control. If Sisse had been stuck just a little farther out, he wasn't so sure they would have made it. It was an incredibly rare occasion where he had to swim with someone. He was fairly certain the last time he did so was while roughhousing with other boys or joking about with his sister.

Once he could breath again, he gave Calla a smile and waved away her thanks. Ned hoped anyone else would have attempted the same thing. "Are you alright?" He was fairly certain he knew the answer, but he asked anyways. Of course she wasn't; she had nearly drowned.

Ned squinted at the rowboat that seemed to be going in zigzag circles instead of any semblance of a straight line. Henry wouldn't have been of any help. The poor boy would just have to figure out how to return to shore on his own.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3 <3

Sisse’s lungs burned with each gasping breath she took, but it was better than the feeling of them filling with water because she couldn’t keep her head above the water. All she had to do now was trying to catch her breath and not cry (how mortifying it would be to cry in front of a boy). Ned sitting beside her helped calm some of her frayed nerves, he wasn’t going to just run off. How very sweet of him. She nodded as best she could, trying to appear as if she hadn’t just almost died. “Thanks to you.”

Sisse found that she couldn’t quite keep a frightened tear from escaping, so quickly turned to look back out at Henry’s boat instead, discreetly brushing it aside as if she had hair in her face. She’d have to find Matthew and have him help their brother. But Henry could wait until she was more composed.

A moment more of silence passed between the schoolmates before Sisse turned to Ned again. “I don’t know how to swim.” She explained, although at this point it was likely obvious. It wasn’t like it was a secret, it just wasn’t something she often shared with others. As far as she was aware, Calla was the only of her friends who knew and that had more to do with being stranded in a pumpkin boat than anything else.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Ned shrugged off her thanks, though he pretended as if he were just concentrating on willing his breathing to become more even. He was fairly certain that he might fall asleep in his supper that night. If his aching muscles allowed it.

Sisse's admission was met with a nod. It was fairly obvious that she didn't know how to swim. It seemed ill-advised to go boating if one couldn't keep themselves afloat, but he wasn't about to lecture her about it. She was likely already embarrassed enough and would face such a thing at home. "Have you ever considered learning how? I'm sure Calla or Sloane would be willing to teach you."

He assumed the other girls knew how to do so, at least. Ned idly wondered if it would be something that a professor would be willing to teach at Hogwarts. It seemed like an important safety skill.

  

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Pretties by Bee <3 <3

“I have.” Sisse admitted quietly, her cheeks a vibrant red as she looked down at her soaked gown. “But I never thought I’d need to.” Her mother would prefer it that way, she well knew.

“Sisse?” A voice called, Sisse looked up to see Matthew jogging toward the lake.

“I better go tell him what happened.” Sisse stood up, the layers of her gown clinging to her in a heavy uncomfortable sheet of wet fabric. “Thank you again Ned.” Braving her own embarrassment she sought his gaze her blue eyes earnest with her gratitude. If not for Ned Moony Sisse would never have felt dry land again.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom

Ned wasn't the sort to point out that knowledge of swimming should be a prerequisite to getting in a small boat, so he just shot Sisse an understanding smile and a nod. When Matthew appeared, he glanced up, fully realizing that was the girl's cue to leave. "Of course." He wouldn't have ever just left her out there.

"Sisse," Ned called out, hoping she'd pause before she fully left. "Write me in a few days, so I know you're still doing alright?" It was a suggestion he would make of anyone. Nearly drowning was something he assumed could make one ill, and he wanted to be sure that she would continue to be okay.

He climbed to his own feet, located his shoes, and turned to set off toward home. He wanted to get out of his sopping clothing. "Take care, Miss Thompsett."

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Pretties by Bee <3 <3

At the sound of her voice Sisse paused and turned back to Mr. Moony, feeling even more grateful for his kind friendship. “I will.” She wasn’t sure why but the pink returned to them again.

“You as well Mr. Moony.” And with that she set off toward Matthew, keeping her head down so she wouldn’t see the judging stares of those in the park who might see her drenched.

  

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Thank you Bee <3 Your magic has made Sisse bloom