Blackinnon micros
lake @blackinnonmicros
The dark, mirror-like surface of the lake, in which the tops of ancient oaks were reflected as if in a giant magical mirror, clearly approved of their spontaneous decision to come here. Even nature itself seemed to have relaxed: dragonflies hovered in the air as if contemplating an unscheduled vacation, and a lazy breeze shuffled the leaves overhead.
Marlene lay on her back in a huge inflatable ring the color of overripe fuchsia. It made her look like an exotic bud, accidentally washed ashore in the English countryside. She slowly kicked her legs in the cool water, feeling the weightless touches of the current tickling her skin, while her face, tilted toward the sun, was caressed by warm rays. The summer heat was still palpable; the air smelled of warm grass and a hint of mud, and somewhere in the distance came the occasional splash — whether from a fish or someone's invisible hand touching the water's surface.
Sirius swam nearby, about ten meters away, without any ring. He paddled vigorously with his paws, snorted like a dog, and spat out duckweed — it clung stickily to his snout, getting in his mouth and eyes. He shook his head, exhaled noisily, and surged forward again, cutting through the water. Spray flew in all directions, sunlit droplets sparkling in the air, and he just kept swimming, as if racing against himself. Until he got bored and resumed his human form.
"McKinnon, that's not fair!" Sirius shouted, swimming closer and grabbing the edge of her inflatable ring. The ring tilted dangerously, and Marlene, shrieking, clung to the sides, nearly tumbling into the water. "We've been on the lake for two hours, and you're still dry! This violates the code of aquatic procedures!"
She opened one eye, gave him a mocking look from beneath the fringe created by unruly strands and a gust of wind, and slowly, deliberately licked her dry lips, still tasting of strawberry lip balm.
"Darling, I'm just enjoying life, alright?" Marlene shook her head, suppressing a smile. "Unlike you, I don't need to race the trout to prove to the lake what a great swimmer I am."
She pointed towards his tousled mop of hair: "By the way, you've got…" Marlene giggled, covering her mouth with her hand, "a piece of seaweed. Right on top of your head. Looks… original. Very sexy, really. Totally your style."
Sirius sighed, paused as if assessing the moment, and then, grabbing the edges of the ring with both hands, flipped the inflatable contraption with one powerful heave. Marlene, before she could process what was happening, landed in the water with a loud splash, accompanying her fall with an indignant cry:
"Black, you bastard!"
"Much better!" he cheerfully retorted, pulling her by the waist so that her wet, lace-trimmed body pressed against his water-slicked chest, and Marlene felt his fingers dig into her hips, holding her in place.
She punched him in the shoulder in response, trying to escape the trap, and said, looking directly into those mocking gray eyes:
"You're just insane. My ring floated away. And besides, I think I stepped on a frog because of you."
Sirius laughed loudly and, still not letting go of Marlene, carefully backed toward the shore. In the distance, on a spread-out blanket in the grass, rolled-up towels and a bottle of wine, forgotten by everyone an hour ago, were visible. But halfway there, his foot snagged on a submerged branch. He lost his balance — and with a short exclamation, they both crashed into the lake, sending up a fountain of spray. Splashing and roaring with laughter, they briefly became a tangle of arms and legs.
Marlene surfaced first, pushing wet strands from her face. She struggled onto the shore and collapsed onto the warm sand, breathless. Sirius surfaced next and flopped down beside her, still laughing. Then he loomed over her; droplets from his hair fell onto her stomach, leaving cool trails on her heated skin. Sirius leaned down even lower, his breath touching Marlene's neck before he traced his nose along it and whispered:
"The frog will forgive your clumsiness, don't worry."
"You'd better worry about whether I'll forgive you," she said slyly.
And Marlene pulled Sirius toward her, because after swimming in a cool lake, there's nothing better than warming each other up.










