Carter laughed as Marie splashed him. He then dove into the water after her. This wasn't so bad. That is, until the floats pulled him uncomfortably toward the surface. Taking them off he set them on the raft. Maybe he should give them to the drowning kid. But since they were Destiny's he decided not to.



Carter was happily enjoying swimming behind the boat, pushing the raft, and playing splash games with Marie when he heard some disturbing news.

A shark? Here? Was that even possible?

He was about to look around when Destiny said that he wasn't a shark. It was true. If Carter was a shark he'd know.

Then Gold said he'd bite. Why would Gold think that he'd bite Destiny? Was he supposed to? You were supposed to listen to your Prefects afterall.

Hmm... maybe he'd just growl like a shark.

Did sharks growl?

Carter didn't know. And that was even more proof he was NOT a shark.

"It's true. I'm not a shark." he said.

Shark problem = Solved.

Unless.... Gold was a shark and she was trying to throw them off...

"My boat is BLUE," Lainey informed Simon, her tone clearly saying that blue made it BETTER. Simple as that, really. She offered him a thumbs up and a little wave though, between gulps and one side-conversation with the lake inhabitants.




Lainey had been telling the Merpeople about her lesson, the answers to the upcoming quiz, and all about the students of her class when Eli, boy wonder, went overboard. She heard the shouts and punctured the surface to check out the damage.

She did hesitate though, waiting to see if the young man would panic or react, sink or swim. Just as she was about to jump in and save him, he was saved by the girls. Good girls. Girls WERE better, no? Yes. Definitely.


"Eli! Are you alright? I wouldn't swallow the water, if I were you!" In a much quieter voice, so not to offend she added, "The Merpeople's plumbing is, what I would call, nonexistent." She certainly never swallowed the lake water.




"Abbi surely won't fire on us," Lainey said simply, giving the young Gryffindor a GLARE. It wasn't a real glare, of course, but ... well. Well maybe she would? Gryff's were all bold and brazen or something. Hum. Maybe it would be like a sprinkler...




But anyway. Lainey cackled at the thought of the squid with hammers, and even moreso at a SHARK in the water. "Destiny - your imagination is rabid! I'd be MUCH more worried about the large and fertile Lobalug I see tangled in your lovely dark hair. That can't be good for it.... "


Lainey saluted Becca Parker for being an excellent Captain and ferry, then promptly slithered off the back of the boat and joined the few others that were already gathering on the shore of the cave.


"Alright children, serpents, and students! We have to dry our fins and start back up to the castle! Please park your boats and come gather around!!!" Lainey summoned her lawn chair from the raft and took a seat in it. All this sailing and sun was tiring, right? She should have packed a snack, really. "Just grab a seat here around me, it's too warm and we're all too wet to traipse back to the room at this point. We'll try to fit a lesson - another lesson - in here. So sit, sit, think warm thoughts and we'll finish up!"

Marie was having fun swimming behind the boat and splashing Carter when she heard someone yellling about sharks. Pfft, there weren't sharks in the lake, unless you counted the giant squid as a shark. But that couldn't be since well, he was a squid.

Feeling the wind pick up and seeing Patroclus get back on the raft Marie decided it was time for her to jump back on too. She could easily lay there and soak up some sun like Evelyn was doing. Grabbing Patroclus' hand she got back on board... just as she noticed the Duckie Floatie was no longer around Destiny, it was... Floating away.

Oh NO, Duck overboard.

"Captain, your duck is getting away, you better go save it." Yeah right, like their fearless captain was about to get in the water.

Aww, just as she was ready to catch some sun the professor decided it was time to go to shore... and learn. Well that's not fun. "Looks like we have to head to shore," she said looking around at everyone in their crew. She would rather stay out on the water but knew that wasn't going to be possible. Maybe after class they could all come back out and have some more fun.

Hopping off his raft, Keefer landed about knee-deep in the water. The bottom of his 1920's-style bathing suit got a bit wet, but wasn't that the point of a bathing suit? Hauling his raft, he waded to shore and pulled the craft up and listened as it scraped against the rocks. Heeding Lainey's instructions, he found a slimy rock to perch on and sat down. "That was so much fun, Professor! I saw all kinds of creatures down there." Then he stopped talking because he realized how tired he was. Huh. Maybe that 'sit and think warm thoughts' thing was a good idea.

Amy finished up drying her hair and went to sit down infront of the proffesor, she was still shivering a little but the sun was heating her up well and already her suit was starting to dry

Professor Vindictus had heard about the History of Magic lesson down at the Lake and decided to kill two birds with one stone. The first was to observe whatever was happening, much like Lainey attending the chaotic Flying lesson, and get some sun in the process. The other reason was to extend an invitation to his colleague.

Dressed in knee-length swim trunks that were in a blue and white tropical pattern and a white tank top, Vindictus looked more like he was heading to the beach than a respectable Hogwarts professor who was out for a casual stroll on the grounds. The snapping sound of his flipflops announced his arrival and he plopped down on the grass next to Lainey's chair.

"So did I miss out on the raft races?" he joked and peered over the rim of his sunglasses at the wet students.

Whaaaat? Like seriously? They were halfway to the other side and now they had to go back to the castle? Bahaha!

Could they sail back instead of walk? She didn't want to walk alllll the way back up to the castle. Unless she ran back. That was acceptable she supposed.

Shifting herself so she was holding herself up by her arms, Evelyn looked from the Professor and to Marie who...just repeated what the professor pretty much said. "How do we turn this thing?" she asked, looking for the nearest shore spot. Unless they sailed really fast to the other side.

After a few minutes of sitting on his raft at the shore, Jacob took the oar to help him onto the shore and so that the raft isn't pulled off randomly while he's trying to get off. But Jacob found it easy to get off, and the boat wasn't pulled away.

Jacobs head was now calm, voice free, and not insane. So Jacob pulled the raft onto shore, and walked to Sit on the ground in front of Professor Lainey's Lawn Chair with all the others who were coming on shore. Luckily he wasn't as wet as the rest of them. He just had slightly wet hands, and an unstable mental state.

Becca saluted right back to Lainey and walked to the front of her ship as they reached the shore. She hopped off, pulled the raft ashore, then gazed over at Diggy. She snickered quietly, did a simple hair flip, then followed Lainey's floating lawn chair. On the way, a smug look grew on her face upon seeing how many students were either soaked or still damp.

She was COMPLETELY dry! Winner!

Becca reached Lainey who was already sitting in her chair and found Vindictus sitting next to her. Where in the world did he come from?! "Professor Vindictus, you should've seen me and Miss Professor Lainey out there," she grinned, sitting on the other side of Lainey's chair. "We had the most intense Ravenclaw sailing vessel around. We were UNSTOPPABLE!"

...Even though Lainey didn't really do much. But, still, Lainey's awesomeness was half of what had made the voyage so fantastic.

" You welcome "Rex told Daisy. "Even pirates can be nice" Rex laughed. " Looks like we all have to sit here and wait for another lesson " Rex explained to Daisy and Dianna.

Destiny glanced from Gold to Carter to Carter to Gold. This glancing back and forth went on for a few seconds and she was starting to feel a tad bit dizzy. Being dizzy out on the open sea lake was not a good sign, especially if you are on a raft. There were no sides to lean over to rid oneself from this sea lake sickness.

But it was okay! Gold had spoke up..rather loudly, and Destiny stopped moving her head. What the Prefect had said made her turn to Carter and glaaaaare at him. "He wouldn't DARE bite me." she muttered to herself. What if he had RABIES?

She picked up the oar Marie had mentioned earlier and held it out to show Gold, "Don't worry Gold! I'll stay safe with THIS!" She would clobber the Carter Shark over the head.

And then Carter decided to speak up.. Now, after hearing what he had said, made her realize he was a shark. Only a shark would LIE and say he wasn't one. She made the 'I'm watching you' gesture towards the shark boy.

She WOULD be watching.



Mmhmm.

And she was still watching Carter. Everyone knows you can't turn your back on a shark. That's when they decide to bite you. Bite you right on the behind.

Hearing her name being called, she turned in that direction. It was probably the EVIL Carter Shark making a distraction..but no, it was only Lainey talking about her being rabid. Pshaw! Destiny wasn't the RABID one, Carter was! He was a shark afterall. She laughed a little at this, but when the Professor mentioned a Lobalug in her hair, the laughter stopped. "Nice try Professor! Everyone knows Lobalugs aren't REAL!"

Can't fool Destiny, that's for sure.

And then it was time to get out of the water!? Aww man!



Did Marie not see Destiny set her duck free!?

She rolled her eyes at her friend, "Marie! When you LOVE something, you are supposed to set it free." Like Marie should be doing to Carter, since he was a shark and all.

"I think you need to paddle faster, we HAVE to get to the other side!" Like now, pronto!



No one, not even ONE member of her crew knew how to sail. Destiny did, of course, since she was the Captain and all. She should have did a background check on her crew members before hiring them. If they thought they were getting paid now, they were soooo wrong!

"Evelyn, the only thing we have to do to turn this thing is face the opposite direction!" And showing her point, Destiny turned around so she was facing Carter, Marie and Mina who were still in the water. "See? Now we are turned around."

Obviously.

O________________________________________________O

Hello Vindictus......................................... ..............


Ahem. Lainey cleared her throat at least seventeen times and still had issues with speaking. She did a few breathing exercises, haaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaa heeeeeeee. Heeeeeeeeeeeheeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaa. Much like birthing class.

But she was cool. She was cool. Sometimes, anyway. She leaned her chair forward so the back legs raised up. "Technically, we weren't racing. Not everything is a competition, you know, Maximus." Lainey sent him a look over her shoulder and set her chair back down on the ground.

Cool. She was cool.


SMIRK.

Considering this was class, she PROBABLY shouldn't wave the Ravenclaw Pride flag TOO noticeably...


... but when did Lainey ever really do what she was supposed to? "She's not lying. Ravenclaw was well represented today." Lainey mimicked the smug look Becca had on. However, she then remembered WHO was watching - Mr. Max in his shorts - and looked sufficiently startled that he was THERE.

... what WAS he doing there?


Anyway.



"CLASS. Sailors and stuff. Are you still in the water?" Lainey didn't care really, "As long as you can HEAR me, I don't care. Whatever. You're not fish though!" Just in case they forgot.


"SO... we sailed across the lake on vessels and boats and rafts that we built ourselves." She stretched her legs out in front of her and rest her arms behind her head. "Did you find that difficult?"

"Glad to hear that, Becca!" Vindictus grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

Vindictus shook his head. "Everything is a competition, my dear. You should know that Ravenclaws thrive on that stuff."

Smirk.

And time to get down to business.

"I'm here to invite you to a totally awesome event - mattress surfing. Ravenclaw Common Room. Be there or be square."

Wink.

He stood up and messed up his hair with his left hand.

Keefer smiled. "The sailing part was fairly easy once you outran the pirates!" Or out-sailed, really. "Building the boat was the hardest part for me."

MATTRESS SURFING?!?!?! This wasn't the first time he had wished he was in Ravenclaw. Man, I wish I could go. That sound wicked fun. Too bad our common room doesn't have stairwells. That would be rather hard to do since we don't have a nifty tower like they do. Still, the lack of mattress-surfing-capabilities of the Hufflepuff common room was a definite detractor.

Becca watched Lainey with curiosity, casually glancing from one professor to the other. She did her best to stiffle her laughter upon realizing that Lainey's mini-seizure wasn't really a seizure at all. Vindictus didn't seem to catch on - or maybe he was just playing it cool. He confirmed Becca's theory when he winked and ruffled his own hair.

Heh.

Mattress-surfing in the common room? What about the weregoat that ATE HER PILLOW in the girls dorm?! Becca shot a fretful look up at Lainey, wondering if her - uh - distraction would make her forget about their mission after class.

"EASY, Miss Professor Lainey. We soared across with EXPERTISE. Smooth sailing the whole way. We even had jealous onlookers," she gave another smug look to Diggy, then Simon, the one who said his boat was better than theirs.

Poor kid. He was in denial.

Carson was astounded. "Enough okay I get it." He paced back and forth like she did earlier and dragged her along. When he stopped her wasn't thinking her pulled Daisy in and kissed her. When he pulled back he looked down and mumbled,"Sorry...I...I don't know what came over me." He looked away and watched as the two Professors exchanged conversation.

Carter was starting to feel a little uncomfortable will all the staring Destiny was giving him. Didn't she know that it wasn't right to stare at her best friend's boyfriend?

And then she turned around at looked straight at him!

Awwwkkkkwarrrrddddd.....

Good thing Evelyn just brought up an excuse for him to get out of her line of sight. He dove under the raft and emerged on the other side.

Time to start pushing it back to shore.

Freeman's craft hit the edge of the cavern shore not long after Lainey had summoned her lawnchair. He was still flabbergasted by her decision to stick her head in the water and scream at the people living below. Many of the other students had jumped/fallen in, defying all risk of having their toes nibbled by fish, or worse--getting slimed by seaweed. This was an insane class. What exactly were they supposed to be learning?

Freeman stood and hopped, ever-so-delicately, onto the cave's shore. He had managed to cross the entire lake without suffering so much as a drop of water. The boy checked his shirt and smoothed his trousers. Lainey could tease all she liked. He preferred to stay fully clothed and fully dry, and he had, all while completing the lesson. She certainly couldn't complain about his participation.

Freeman found a clear spot and settled down, cross-legged. He noted that many of the other boaters were still far out on the lake, and some of them were bickering. STILL.

"Professor Lainey, I had no trouble," he piped up. "At least. . . not as much trouble as others."

Pert little smile.

Mina rested her arms on the raft itself as she looked at her other crew mates. It was time to return to the shore already? How unfair, she was starting to have fun now.

Pouting a bit, she turned her head as she heard Destiny and Evelyn. They did need to turn the raft and head the other direction, but just pushing it probably would take too long.

Pulling herself up, she plopped down and grabbed an oar. "How about the boys push and paddle?" she suggested. If they paddled on one side, they could turn the raft around and the sail would face the right direction and then they could just the breeze, the oars and the boys to get back faster.

As Patroclus stood on the raft, he could see from the looks on Destiny's and Evelyn's faces that they were not pleased with his emergance from the water. With sly grin, he shook like a dog, and sent drips flying everywhere, "That is why i have stopped paddling Cap'n"
Hearing the Professor from the shore Patroclus became greatly disheartened, they had only just all got on the raft at the same time. Mina, Marie and Carter had just stopped paddling, and now they had to return to shore! Not fair.

Listening to Mina's suggestion Patroclus was horrified, doubly unfair!!!!
"I have a suggestion, why dont Carter and I just swim back and let you ladies figure out your return!" However eying the group and finding it was mostly girls....with wands Patroclus retracted his statement, or we could use Kylie's suggestion of the wind spell,you said it before Destiny?"

Mina blinked and shook her head. There was no way the boys would do that to them. Pouting, she dipped her oar into the water. "Boys push and girls paddle. I don't see that as too unfair," she voiced as she used her oar to possible steer the raft in a turning direction.

Oar in, oar out......

Looking up at the sail, she tilted her head slightly. "Maybe a combined attempt? Pushing, paddling, and wind?"

Gold had not said Carter was a shark. She had subtly suggested that he could be.
Subtly. You know?

"You're not a shark," she agreed. "You're a Lion!" See? It was a win-win situation for her, either way!

....

Did Carter rawr?

"Carter, can you roar?

Looked like it was time for a second landing! Gold, wet but happy because she had had fun - because she was still having fun - shook more water out of her hair, as she pinned it back again. There. Hair pinned, at the back of her head. Out of the way.

GOOD.

"Looks like we're headed back to the shore," Gold said to Eli, as she fed the sail its diet of awesome, hot air and they sped back to the place they had turned back from. This time, though, Gold was glad it was smooth sailing all the way across. No bumps, no overboard First Mate Jarod, no toppled Captain Laksh, nothing. Who had made her the Captain of this raft, anyway?

No idea.

But maybe it was because she could swim?

Possibly.


Hehehe.

"But Lion!Sharks can eat WOOD," Gold said. Oars are made of wood, no? "I've heard they can eat metal, too," she added, to stay on the safe side.

......

"Can I pick up your duck floatie, if it comes my way?"

Because the floatie was.

OOH. Gold waved a hand in the air, and resisted the urge to jump up and down on the raft. She knew that could send herself or Eli overboard again. But for now, the raft continued to sail, smoooothly and quite prettily.

Prettily. That was important.

"It was fun, Professor," she said, cheerfully. Because it had been. "It would have been more difficult, if Eli hadn't helped me build the vessel. But we shared the work, which made things easier." She paused, and then added, "I liked the experience." Sun and lake. Lovely combination. "... and I realized that, even though things don't always go the way one thinks they will, one can still have plenty of fun, and even learn, pick up something new and useful, in the process."

She continued to feed hot air to the sail. They were there, now. The wind on the raft, and in her ears, and all around them. Time for the second, not-so-bumpy but still amazing, landing.

Eli took the towel from Gold with a grateful smile, drying off as best he could. She was soooooo soooooo nice. Right up there with Annie and Ellie as the Best People at Hogwarts. He ruffled his purple hair with the towel, getting as many of the drips as he could and wishing he knew the air-drying charm. His mum used that one on his before.

He blanched. Oh glory be. Mer-poo? He had inadvertently swallowed MER-POO? Oh, Ag! ACK! He gagged, and then tried to wipe his tongue off with his hand before realizing that it, too, had been in contact with Mer-poo.

Oh, gorry!

He gagged again and began rubbing his tongue with the little bit of his towel that was still dry. In a low voice he whispered to the Professor, "You don't think I swallowed much Mer-poo, do you? It's not-- it's not toxic, is it?"

Please don't let it be as toxic as it was DISGUSTING in concept. It was probably like, the key ingredient in draught of the living death or something. He was doooomed.

He rubbed his tongue harder, when he heard a Familiar Voice.

O________O!

He froze.

Ohgoodnessnodon'tletitbeitcan'tbebutit is! Eli turned slowly to see none other than his HERO, his Head of House and Quidditch KING MAXIMUS VINDICTUS, standing there looking supercool. And here he was, soaking wet and with a corner of a towel in his mouth like an idiot infant.

Mer-poo or no, he pulled the towel from his mouth, hoping MAXIMUS VINDICTUS did not see him and think him utterly barmy.

He listened to Vindictus. Mattress races? He was so there. Of course, MAXIMUS VINDICTUS could ask him to go to the bowels of hell for tea with a Dementor and he'd sign on.

That's just what you had to do for a hero.

But mattress races sounded exciting anyway. Maybe he'd win and MAXIMUS VINDICTUS would decide he was awesome! Maybe they'd become, like, pals and he'd give him special flying lessons and stuff!

A boy could dream.


Eli pinked up happily. He could have kissed Gold (well, not really. Cooties, you know.) for making him look good in front of MAXIMUS VINDICTUS and Professor Lainey. He grinned and nodded... Mer-poo, squids and drowning aside, it HAD been fun. "I liked it, too. It was extremely educational, and we learned ...erm... more than I imagined we would, especially about the creatures of the lake." Like, the fact that there is mer-poo in the lake. Probably squid poo, too. One could extrapolate that NONE of the creatures of the deep had plumbing, therefore... Yuck. He restrained himself from rubbing his tongue with the towel again. Barely.

They had landed.

Nicely.

Gold turned to Eli, whose eyes seemed to have lit up, at Professor Vinductus's arrival. Her own gaze, bright and green, switched from the purple-haired first year to the the Flying Instructor, and she half-smiled. She remembered that Professor Lainey had come to Professor V's lesson. So yes, it wasn't unexpected that he was here.

Wouldn't have been, even if Professor Lainey hadn't come to that flying lesson. It was expected because Gold could expect anything [and anyone!] in Professor Lainey's classes.

In Professor Lafay's classes, too.

She straightened up, having dried her hair up with a golden towel that really, really stood out because of how red her hair and swimsuit were and then, vanishing the towel, glanced warily at the lake. She had never thought of Mer-plumbing before, you know. The thought made her feel a wee bit squeamish, but Gold decided things could have been worse.

Because at least the lake water looked clean.

You know?

"Reckon we should get off the EGGCUP?" She asked.

Nonexistent mer-plumbing. EEP.

Lainey tipped her chair back to look UP at the now standing Maximus. Her nose wrinkled like perhaps he stunk or had a booger in his nose.

Dear. Hah.

"In that case, I believe it was a Gryffindor that landed first. Head first even, as Gryffindors tend to do." Lainey threw a look to Gold, mixed with concern and pride for the Prefect.

But who was really counting? Lainey had said it wasn't a race and no flying HUNK could swagger down and change that. He could swagger down though, and as Lainey tipped her chair back precariously far, she wondered if he was going to swagger back... Distracting much??

"I'm an excellent surfer. Count me in! And you should make some crab dip. I do love crab dip, Max." Really. It was excellent stuff and would go just right with riding a mattress in a Common Room.


"What? No! No. Don't be silly. Some people eat it on crackers, you know. I hear it's quite good, but I've never tried it. Can't really get past the fact that it's... well. You know. But you should live to be at least 102, Eli. Stop worrying so, you make me nervous. I'll get you a cracker after class."







The class had answered as Lainey expected them too, that they'd had fun. Some had had more trouble than others. As expected. "Let's pretend for a moment that I had asked a different task of you. Imagine instead that I am your Queen," Lainey glanced at Vindictus, daring him to snort or make some other noise against such a daydream," and as your Queen, I demanded you build a vessel and sail across an entire ocean. How would that have been different for you? What would have changed? Could you have done it?"