1 week until Merlin series 5!

I wanted to post a chapter today because I'm just so excited! Aaaah! Twitter ( aliceisafan , if you're interested) is coming alive right now with Merlin fans awakening from their slumber and I LOVE IT.

Sorry if you're not getting it in your country next week, but it'll be worth the wait and I won't do any spoilers on here.

The fact that there's a new season is going to make my job a bit harder as I'll have to make sure I keep it on the same storyline I have planned and don't get swayed by the canon plot, but I'll try to make it as exciting as I can!

The 'A Song of Ice and Fire' character reference near the end is for my brother, who asked me to do it! He won't be a particularly important character, it's mainly for fun.

I really really hope you like this chapter! I've tried writing things before and this is all I've stuck at!

Okay I've gabbled on for too long now, enjoy! Please review, follow, etc :) xxx

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin or Harry Potter


Merlin waited patiently for Severus just outside his chambers. Gaius had exited the room and was now getting on with his daily business. He seemed in a good mood, humming as he arranged the jars of ingredients on the shelves, his overgrown hair tucked behind his ears. Merlin could say that he felt quite relieved; Severus was indeed trustworthy. The poor boy was scared, if anything.

Merlin could barely imagine what it would be like to be taken from the place one felt most at home and dropped into another time and place. He supposed he might feel torn, lost, not like he did in Camelot. Although…it was true that he could never really be complete in Camelot – not without being able to practise magic freely and truly be himself – but here in Camelot with Gaius and Arthur: this was as close to belonging as he could hope for. He must try to remember the positives in his life, to avoid falling into ideas of darkness.

The door of Merlin's chambers opened with a squeak of the hinges and Snape stepped over the threshold. He was dressed in the clothes Merlin had given him the night before – Merlin felt quite satisfied with what he had been able to pull together for the boy – but despite being well-dressed, Merlin had to admit that the boy still looked slightly dishevelled.

"Er…" Merlin began, trying to decide how to voice his apprehension.

Severus' face fell. "Do I look horrible?"

"No!" Merlin said quickly, seeing the boy's distraught look, "You look fine. It's just…"

"Just what?"

"It's your hair," Merlin admitted, "It's just a bit…untidy."

Severus looked down.

"It's…it's not that bad," Merlin said, attempting to make him feel better, but now he had said it, it was becoming even more obvious to him that the way his greasy hair fell around his face and covered it in shadows made him look a little…unapproachable.

"Maybe," Merlin tried in a gentle voice, "Maybe I could smarten you up a bit. I could make you look much more groomed. Maybe…help the ladies of court to look at you favourably?"

Severus looked up and smiled, much to Merlin's relief.

"Thank you Merlin."

Merlin smiled at the boy.

"Well come on then, sit down! I'll sort you out!"

Severus looked fairly eager, going to sit down on one of the chairs by the dining table which Merlin and Gaius ate at. Merlin crossed the room to the cupboard where Gaius kept his medical instruments and took a small pair of cutting apparatus from it, while Gaius gave him an amused smile.

Merlin walked to where Severus was sitting and examined his head. It really was rather greasy, as if the boy saw no reason to keep up appearances. Gaius brought over a bucket of water and gestured for Severus to lean over it. He did so, and Merlin took the sponge out of the bucket and squeezed it over the boy's head, then dunked the sponge back into the water and repeated.

When Severus' dark hair was suitably wet, Gaius passed him one of the cosmetic potions that he kept – these were sold to great profit to the likes of Gwaine and the ladies of the court. This particular concoction was produced out of the juice of special berries which had to be collected at dawn (much to the displeasure of Merlin, whose task it was to collect them) and was intended to soften hair. Merlin knew that Gaius didn't have much time for such potions, in fact he often told Merlin to produce them.

After applying the ointment and then rinsing Severus' hair, Merlin took a bar of soap from the table and washed the boy's face vigorously while he squirmed and squeezed his eyes shut. Once satisfied that Severus was perfectly clean (above the shoulders, at least), he picked up the cutting apparatus and brought them over to Severus' hair, unsure where to begin.

"Ahem," said Gaius, "Perhaps it would be better if I cut the boy's hair. If you do it he might not have any left!"

Merlin rolled his eyes and tried not to get too agitated at this remark, handing the cutters to Gaius with a shrug, then turning round and going about preparing breakfast for the three of them. Merlin was thankful that Severus had managed to find paid work so early: despite Merlin's hard labour and extra load, Arthur hadn't thought to give him a pay rise. To be honest, it was like Arthur didn't really consider Merlin to be paid help at all, the way he behaved around him.

Merlin could hear Gaius snipping away at Severus' hair as he heated up the food. Gaius was the one who gave Merlin his monthly haircuts. They were fine, but Gaius had taken to cutting his hair shorter and shorter each time, possibly so that the cuts would be further apart.

Once breakfast was prepared, he carried the bowls over to the table and walked over to the chair. Gaius had nearly finished cutting: he had cut off a significant length but there was still a decent amount of hair from what he could see, although he couldn't get a good view.

With one last snip, Gaius turned around to face Merlin.

"Could you dry him off?" he asked, "It'll be cold today." Merlin could hear in Gaius' voice the fatherly tone which he often encountered. The old man had obviously taken a shine to the boy. Merlin smiled and held his hand over Severus' head.

"Adrúge"

The hair was dried immediately. Gaius handed Severus a clean rag to wipe his face with and the two residents of Camelot sat down to begin breakfast hungrily. Merlin ate in big mouthfuls – he remained surprised at how skinny he always remained no matter how much food Gaius made him eat – and was halfway through his bowl when he heard Severus sit down.

He looked up at him and was surprised by what he saw. The haircut was now soft and fluffy and hung just above his ears neatly, with a rather odd but admittedly smart fringe which swept across half his face from a side parting. The boy's nose seemed oddly less abnormally large when there weren't shadows around it, and Merlin could see his eyes, which were an eerie but mystical and glimmering onyx black. Although Merlin deduced that he could only be about 16 years old, the wisdom in his eyes (not unlike Merlin's) made him look older and more intriguing.

It was a great improvement, and Merlin felt proud of the work he and Gaius had done. Severus would surely gain respect in the kingdom.

After both Merlin and Severus had finished their breakfast, Merlin accompanied him down to the stables where he was to work caring for the horses. The pair chatted in a comfortable manner as they walked side by side across the courtyard.

They arrived at the stable door to see the two stable hands, Aebba and Hodor, waiting for Severus.

"You must be Severus," said Aebba with a friendly smile, "I'm Aebba and this is Hodor."

"Hodor," said the tall stable hand, nodding at Severus.

Aebba was a fair girl of 16, and her father was one of the King's most trusted members of court. She held out her hand and Severus politely shook it, smiling at her and she at him. I see our tidying up has worked, Merlin thought to himself happily.

"I'll leave you here, shall I?" he said to Severus, patting him on the shoulder, "You'll be in good hands."

Severus nodded.

"Thank you again, Merlin."

"You're welcome," Merlin grinned, "And good luck!"