Fandoms: Merlin, Harry Potter

Pairings: Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (pre-slash), Gwen/Lancelot (implied)

Characters: Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, Morgana, Lancelot, Gwaine, Leon, Elyan

Tags: Reincarnation, Pre-slash, AU - Book/Movie Fusion, Humor, Underaged character, Immortal!Merlin

A/N: This is a short ficlet set in the HP 'verse. Title from the song "This Year's Kisses" as sung by Nina Simone.

Right, so. I wanted this. So I wrote it. No actual slash occurs in this, though the potential is there should I be inspired to write more in this 'verse.

Arthur is 16 in this, and Merlin is immortal but appears to be in his late twenties. I tagged it underage despite the lack of slash as a heads up. In England and Wales (and Scotland, as of 2010 apparently) the age of consent is 16, unless the other partner is over 18, which would then make it illegal. I have no idea how this applies in the Wizarding World of HP where 17 is the legal age but well.

Anyway, please excuse any grammatical errors and typos; English isn't my first language and this hasn't been beta read. It's also been a few years since I wrote anything HP.

But yeah, enjoy! :)

.

Still Wearing Last Year's Love

.

Arthur had managed to meet up with Lance, Gwaine and Leon on the platform, which allowed them to search for an empty compartment together away from the worst of the crush of overly-excited and nervous first years. They ended up near the end of the train, having picked up Elyan on their way, effectively rescuing him from his little sister and Arthur's hell spawn of a half-sister Morgana. Arthur hadn't been aware of her existence until she'd turned up red-faced at their father's doorstep at age eleven, outing the dirty secret of Pureblood Pendragon having consorted with Muggles and leaving a daughter behind. Their relationship had been off to a rocky start, though Morgana had been wide-eyed and hungry for everything Arthur had to share about the world of magic. They'd eventually bonded over their strained relationship with a father Arthur had thought he'd known, and Morgana had wished she'd never met. Now, with Morgana off to start her 5th year at Hogwarts and Arthur his 6th, they coexisted in a relationship built mostly on sarcasm and reluctant affection.

"Be prepared to lose the House Cup this year, Golden Boy," Morgana shouted after them as they left with Elyan, smirking. "Slytherin will crush you!"

Arthur rolled his eyes, but grinned over his shoulder. "You wish! Gryffindor won't lose to the likes of you, witch!"

Gwaine whooped in agreement, while Leon and Elyan snickered. Lance merely rolled his eyes, muttering something about slow and steady winning the race which Arthur just took to mean he was still sore about Hufflepuff coming in last the previous year. Punching him lightly in the shoulder, Arthur grinned.

Eventually, they found a compartment to fit them all and settled down to properly catch up after their summer away from each other. Uther didn't much approve of Arthur's friends, mostly because they weren't all purebloods and in Slytherin. His stays at home were feeling more and more like a prison every year he returned and was denied proper communication or visits with anyone but the families and their children Uther saw fit to invite over in increasingly desperate attempts to 'properly socialize' his son. Never mind the fact that Arthur was in Gryffindor and had a half-blood sister sired by Uther himself. It was an argument that had earned him a slap in the face and containment to his room for most of the summer this year, leaving him with even less opportunities to contact his friends.

"Hey, you okay?"Lance blurted, jolting Arthur out of his declining mood long enough to realize he'd been losing track on the conversation. His friends watched him with various degrees of concern, causing him to stiffen up and clear his throat in embarrassment.

"Yeah, sorry. It's nothing. Rumania, you said, Leon?" he asked, desperate to prevent any further questions. Lance looked about to protest, but Gwaine elbowed him as Leon picked up on the conversation again.

"Yes, I went with my parents to see the dragons kept there. Father knows some of the handlers, you see, and my brother wants to work there once he's completed his training."

As Leon continued to describe his visit, Arthur directed his full concentration to his friends and enjoyed their stories immensely, which helped with his mood. Elyan talked about a 'Disneyland', which seemed to be some sort of magical place for Muggles, though he wasn't sure if it was its own country or just a province in France. Even Gwaine had been travelling, though he usually avoided any and all contact with the 'pureblood bastards' that made up his family. He'd gone to Bermuda and proceeded to bed half the population, going by his tales. Poor Lance looked ready to combust in embarrassment at some of the stories Gwaine boasted, leaving the rest of them red-faced with laughter as he tried to stutter his way through denial when Elyan smirked and asked if he knew anything about all the owls that had flown in and out of his sister's room all summer. It was sometime during Lance's timid tale of visiting his Muggle grandparents in Wales, who seemed to be as humble and warm as their grandson, that the compartment door flung open to reveal a man with messy hair and robes. He had a slightly crazed look in his eyes, and the moment he met Arthur's incredulous stare he beamed like a maniac. Arthur shuffled closer to Gwaine, frowning.

"Hi!" the man exclaimed, sounding...bubbly. He swept inside, closing the door after himself and plopping down next to Arthur, a little too close. "Wow! It took me ages to find yo—err, a seat! Thanks for having me, by the way, bright young students like you. Very kind!"

Leon met Arthur eyes, looking equally confused. "Err," Arthur began, looking back at the man, not quite knowing how to say 'get your own bloody compartment; the next one was empty last time I checked, you lunatic' without tempting any murderous inclinations the man quite possibly harboured behind his...sunshine and smiles front.

"Yes, well, sorry I'm a bit late by the way. Um. I was on a short vacation, Bermuda you know. It had escaped me that I had somewhere to be. Won't happen again, you see," the man continued, seemingly unaware of the bewilderment of his audience.

"Hey!" Gwaine exclaimed at that, causing the man to jump and tear his eyes away from Arthur for the first time since he entered (creepy) and blink. Gwaine pointed an accusing finger at him, grinning wide. "I know you! You're the bloke who spit a mouthful of beer in my face when I asked if you were up for a blowjob!"

Arthur groaned along with Leon, remembering that innuendo-laden piece of embarrassing anecdote from earlier. Lance hid his face in his palms as Elyan sniggered. The man looked horribly mortified, casting nervous looks Arthur's way as he fidgeted.

"Err, well," he coughed, scratching one of his ridiculously large ears. He was blushing bright red, which clashed terribly well on his pale skin (one wouldn't think he'd been anywhere sunny for years). "I'd rather hoped you'd forgotten that. Let's forget that, yes? Yes. Forgetting, that's good. It's good when you don't have to remember something, anyway, which I've buggered up before. But not this time, no Sire! Err, I mean. Yes. Forgotten. Right."

Gwaine looked disgustingly charmed by the utter nonsense the man was spluttering, grinning widely. Huffing in annoyance, Arthur elbowed his friend in the ribs and turned to properly face the man. "I'm sorry but, who are you?"

The man stilled in his embarrassed flailing, meeting Arthur's gaze once again and looking genuinely bewildered before he seemed to remember something. A light Arthur hadn't been aware of until it was gone faded from his blue eyes and the man seemed to deflate with a sad little sigh. "Right, yes. Forgetting," he muttered, before mustering up a strained smile and holding out a hand. "I'm Professor Merlin Emrys and I'll be your DADA teacher this year! Pleased to meet you!"

Arthur eyed Professor Emrys' hand for a moment before taking it, bemused and slightly embarrassed he hadn't thought to connect the obviously adult man with the vacant teaching position at Hogwarts. "Um, ah, hi Professor. I'm Arthur Pendragon."

"Oh I know!" Emrys grinned, more genuine this time, which oddly felt like a relief. As Arthur's friends chimed in, introducing themselves and drawing the Professor into an excited conversation about the upcoming school year and what he might have planned for DADA, Arthur leaned back to observe. More often than not, Emrys would look over at Arthur or attempt to have him join the others, leaving Arthur slightly unsettled and utterly confused. He didn't recognise the man, couldn't think of why he seemed to be so interested and jittery around Arthur. Unless the man knew his father, which was always a possibility. People as a rule either feared or strongly disliked (hated with a passion) Uther Pendragon, which more often than not was reflected in the way they would approach his son. It had been a blessing and a curse to be sorted into Gryffindor, as Pendragon was not a very popular name after the Dark Lord's defeat a few years before Arthur was born. Emrys looked old enough to remember why.

"Who would've thought," Emrys mumbled quietly after some time had passed and they'd all fallen into their own conversations or, in Gwaine's case, fallen asleep. "You, a wizard. Life's funny that way, I suppose. No wonder I had such a hard time finding...well. I just never thought to look here, that's all."

"Excuse me?" Arthur asked, confused. Emrys jerked, surprised, as if he hadn't realized he was speaking out loud, or hadn't thought Arthur would hear. He looked at Arthur, guilty, and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry. Never mind me; just an old man's ranting!"

If possible, Arthur was even more puzzled. And suspicious. "You're not old. Sir," he added the last bit belatedly; Emrys had a comfortable air about him which made it easy to forget the polite respect that society demanded a student show his Professor. It sounded odd on his tongue too, but Arthur dismissed the discomfort. Emrys laughed, seemingly delighted.

"And how young do you think I am then, Arthur?" he inquired, an amused tilt to his grin. Feelingly slightly embarrassed, Arthur fidgeted before mentally scolding himself and giving Emrys a thoroughly exaggerated once-over that had both on them blushing for reasons Arthur chose not to contemplate.

"I don't know, Professor. 30?" he tried, drawling and putting as much insolence as he could in his tone to make up for his appallingly embarrassing behaviour. Emrys chuckled, tipping his head as if conceding a point.

"Hmm, as good as anything, I suppose. Better make it 26 though, for poetic justice," he replied causing Arthur to frown. Was there anything about this man that made any sense?

"Sorry, does that mean you're 26 then?" Arthur attempted to clarify, causing Emrys to shrug.

"Sure," was his only reply, which only served to frustrate Arthur even more. Huffing, Arthur turned away from the man intent to ignore him and his confounding existence the rest of the way. Emrys merely laughed and left him be, thank Merlin. Arthur fell asleep not long after that, and by the time Lance woke him, Emrys was gone. Gwaine just shrugged and Elyan didn't seem to care either way, though Leon had a wicked glint in his eye as they got off the train.

"Merlin and Arthur, huh?" he grinned, making Arthur groan.

"I'm surprised any of you waited this long to start in on that. You are the worst mates ever, you know that?" Arthur sulked, pushing Gwaine over when he laughed. Lance and Elyan grinned, a sign they weren't going to let this go. Of course not.

"At least he's fit," Gwaine pointed out, amused. "And not, you know, all wrinkly with a beard."

"He does channel Dumbledore through his alarmingly blue robes though. I think I saw silver swords embroidered in places. And stars, there were definitely stars. And quite possibly a goblet and crown," Elyan joined in, sounding possibly gleeful. Arthur was slightly alarmed and embarrassed that he honestly hadn't noticed much beyond Emrys' face and vexing general existence.

"All that's missing is a pointy hat," Lance agreed.

Arthur gave up. It was obviously going to be a miserable year.

"Chin up, mate," Gwaine cheered, throwing an arm over Arthur's shoulders. "He seemed to like you. And he never did outright say 'no' to that blowjob." He winked.

Absolutely miserable.

.

.

.

A/N: Quick note on character's Houses;

Gryffindor - Arthur, Leon, Gwaine, Elyan
Hufflepuff - Lancelot, Gwen
Ravenclaw - Gaius (when/if he appears. He's the headmaster in my headcanon atm)
Slytherin - Morgana, Merlin

You don't have to agree with the sorting, it's just how I wanted it written :)

Hope you liked the story!