a/n: Hey guys! I hope you're all enjoying the story! Remember, reviews make my day! xx
As they sat down for dinner Merlin felt very uncomfortable at the fact that everyone was unashamedly glancing at him curiously. The first person to break the ice was Mrs Weasley.
"So, where did you grow up dear?" She asked kindly.
"I grew up with my mother in the North." he replied swiftly. Everyone kind of looked around as if they were expecting more of a detailed and interesting answer. Merlin was trying to keep it short and sweet to attempt to keep as much suspicion away as possible.
"What about your dad?" asked Ron curiously.
"Oh he had to leave before I was born so I was brought up by my mother. It was a tough life, we were very poor, but we got by."
This time it was Hermione's turn to question him. Her's was full of suspicion. "Why did he leave?"
"For work, mostly, and some personal issues I guess. He had to leave before he even found out my mother was pregnant so he went most of his life not knowing he had a son. I only met him for a couple of days before he died." Merlin said somberly. Suddenly, the mood in the room changed to a grave atmosphere.
"I'm so sorry Mack." Mr Weasley said in respect. Everyone nodded in agreement to let him know they were all sorry for his loss.
"It's okay. I mean I never really knew him so there's not much to get upset about."
"But still. He was your dad." Merlin just nodded.
"How did he die?" Ron asked suddenly, but not unkindly. He said it as a sort of after thought.
"Ronald!" Reprimanded Mrs Weasley.
"No no, it's alright." he looked around the table before telling the short tale.
"I went to try and find him at his work, which I found out was with dragons. I found him soon enough and we bonded but I hadn't yet told him who I really was. The next day when we were alone I told him who I was and we had a conversation about my mother and my uncle. But then a dragon escaped one of its cages." Merlin's voice began to shake.
"Mack, honey, you don't have to tell us." Mrs Weasley said comfortingly. He just shook his head in dismissal. He was only bending the truth, the pain of his father's death still remained.
"He went off to help deal with the dragon and I followed him thinking I could help in some way. The dragon came towards me and I tried using my magic but it wouldn't do anything against such a powerful creature. I began to feel helpless as the dragon threateningly stalked towards me. I closed my eyes in horror, not wanting to see myself be slashed apart by the beast. I heard it roar but my death never came. I opened my eyes to see my father stood in front of me holding a sword. He had killed the dragon in protecting me. I breathed a sigh of relief and thanks but then he turned round to face me. He had large claw marks down his torso that were seeping blood. He died protecting me and died in my arms. The last thing he told me was that he knew I'd make him proud. So that's why I came here. To learn better magic so I'm never as defenseless as I was that day. So I can protect my loved ones and do him proud."
Merlin had streams of tears running down his cheeks by this point. As did Mrs Weasley and Ginny and Hermione looked ashamed of herself for treating him so badly without having known anything about him. Ron and the rest of the guys looked at him in sorrow.
Mrs Weasley got up and gave him a large motherly hug, once he'd finished. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that!"
"Don't be, its not your fault. If you'll excuse me I'd quite like to go to my bed now." He said with a shaky voice. Everyone mumbled their obvious agreement so he got up and headed to his room.
"Wow. I think we can all agree that we weren't expecting that!" Mr Weasley said. They all nodded.
"From now on, I don't think we should judge him without getting to know him. I think we pressured him into telling us that story. So none of you are allowed to ask him questions that are too personal. Okay?" Mrs Weasley reprimanded.
"I'm gonna go and see if he's alright." Ron said before following Merlin up to their room.
"Ron and him are obviously becoming close friends, so I don't think we should say anything about Mack with Ron in the room in case he tells Mack or becomes defensive of him." Hermione stated.
"I agree. But I don't think that there's anything suspicious about Mack anymore. He told us an incredibly personal story which must have been hard for him since we're all practically still strangers. I think he's trustworthy." Mrs Weasley defended.
Hermione still looked uneasy.
Ron softly knocked on the bedroom door before walking in. He saw Merlin lying on his side facing away from the door, fiddling with a carved wooden dragon. He still had tear streaks running down his face.
"Hey mate, you okay? I'm sorry about downstairs, I shouldn't have asked what I did. I should've known it was too personal and i'm sorry." Ron apologized.
During Ron's small speech Merlin had turned himself over to face him.
"Don't be silly Ron, I get it. None of you trust me yet so you just wanted to ask me questions about myself in order to figure me out." Merlin said sadly. He should've realized no one would trust him straight away.
Ron manically shook his head. "That's ridiculous! I trust you, or I wouldn't have come up here to check on you and I would've been more hesitant about having you stay in my room! Maybe some of the others find your arrival slightly odd considering the timing but who cares about them? They'll get over it eventually. And since you have me, it doesn't matter about anyone else 'cause I'll defend you form whatever they say!"
Merlin smiled lightly. "Thank you Ron. It means a lot. I'm really glad to have a friend like you." Inside it made him extremely sad to know that he couldn't tell Ron, his first good friend here, who he really was."
They smiled at each other before it became slightly awkward and Ron went to sit down on his bed.
"Do you mind if I ask about the little dragon next to your bed?"
"Oh no, not at all. My dad made it for me the day before he died. It's the only thing of his that I have."
"It's really stunning. He was very talented." Ron said in an attempt to comfort.
"Thank you, and yeah he was."
There was a moment silence while both were wrapped up in their own thoughts.
"Mack, I'm really sorry about your dad." Ron said, beginning to feel slightly emotional. He couldn't imagine how it felt to have your dad die in your arms after only knowing him for a few days. It made him really upset.
"It's okay. It wasn't your fault. You have nothing to be sorry for."
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that!"
"It's alright. It happened quite a long time ago. I've let it go. Obviously, I still miss him and it makes me sad to know I'll never get to see him again. But I'm over what happened. No one was to blame but myself."
"It wasn't your fault, mate. Don't think like that!"
Merlin just smiled sadly at him. "I'm going to get ready for bed I think. It's been a long day."
"Yeah, course."
"Harry's coming in like a week, guys." Hermione said.
"Yup, what do you think he'll make of Mack?" George asked.
"I dunno. I think he'll be really suspicious of him. I mean, especially since he arrived out of the blue so close after what happened with Voldemort last year."
They nodded.
"But Harry's friendly, so he'll make it work and unless he finds a reason not to trust Mack, he'll be friendly with him I'm sure."
"True."
Ron came back downstairs to say goodnight to everyone. Even though it wasn't very late, he thought he'd join Mack in getting an early night. Everyone had left the table and were dispersed throughout the rooms.
His mom saw him first.
"Ron, how is he?" she asked in concern.
"Yeah, he's okay. He knows that people don't trust him, which obviously is making him feel excluded but he's alright."
By this time everyone had gathered in the lounge and was staring at Ron.
"Everyone should feel ashamed of themselves," Mrs Weasley scolded, "its not his fault that he's been through a rough time and this is the time that he's come here. He probably doesn't even know what has happened at Hogwarts over the last year. We can't judge him for when he's arrived. We need to make him feel welcome."
Ron was glaring at Hermione.
"Why are you glaring at me?" she asked.
"Because you have been the least accepting in his arrival. Constantly treating him like some sort of suspect and with your utmost suspicion. He hasn't done anything wrong! Just let him be! I don't know who you think he is, but he's not working for 'he who must not be named' or anything like that, so just leave him alone!" Ron exclaimed.
Hermione didn't say anything but she glared at the floor but also looked ashamed of herself. In her head she knew he hadn't done anything wrong and that he was obviously too nice to be working for anyone evil. She just couldn't help but be suspicious after everything that had happened.
"Right, well I'm going to bed and so is Mack. He's had a very long day and I'm tired. So goodnight."
"Goodnight." Everyone said after him.
Once he'd gone upstairs everyone turned to each other.
"I told you he'd be defensive. But he's right." Mrs Weasley said. "We shouldn't have been so harsh and distant towards him. And now he doesn't feel welcome here at all. The next time you see him I want you all to be warm, and kind, and welcoming towards him."
Everyone looked very apologetic and agreed to be friendlier to the new guy.
A/N: who do you think should find out about Merlin first? Ron, Hermione, Harry, Snape, Dumbledore or someone else? Please review who you think it should be!
Fandomlover xx
