Chapter Twenty

A/N: No reviewers.

For the next few weeks, Morgana spent every waking moment outside of her lessons with her sister. She had abandoned her House table in favour of dining with the Slytherins and had ignored Merlin whenever he tried to speak to her. She felt the guilt weighing down on her conscience, seeing the hurt look on the boy's puppy-like features, but decided for now to ignore it- anything was worth it to spend time with her sister.

As for Morgause, she was everything Morgana had imagined a sister would be. Kind, caring and fiercely protective, she treated her younger sister as if she were the most only person in the world, abandoning her own friends in turn to spend time with her. It made the little girl feel important in a way no one else had ever done, not even her dear father, her grandmother or Arthur. Not even Merlin.

But still, even content as she was, there were moments when Morgana longed for someone else's company beside her sister's. Of course, she did not dare tell her this. After they had gotten into an argument so quickly, she did not want to do anything to spoil this new-found bliss that they shared. But surely she would not mind if she spent a brief afternoon with her closest friend?

That was why, for the first time in weeks, Morgana turned and smiled when she heard Merlin calling after her. The boy was persistent in trying to speak to her, as he had been for weeks, and never seemed discouraged when she brushed him off. 'One day, he'll chase after a girl, and he won't stop until they're married with three babies.' she thought with a smile.

"Morgana." he greeted, when he finally caught up to her. For all his persistence, now that he had found her, Merlin seemed a little lost as to what to do next. Morgana smiled encouragingly at him, like she always did when the boy became tongue-tied, but this time it did not work. He just stood next to her, tangling and untangling his fingers, which could see even from this distance were trembling like leaves in a light breeze.

"Merlin, it's so good to see you." she confessed, hoping it would help him feel a little more at ease. Though he still did not speak, Merlin began to smile. He looked a little more comfortable, at least, which was a good start.

"It's good to see you as well." he returned. Suddenly, his eyes turned downwards, staring intently at the grass beneath their feet. Morgana did not speak again, instead waiting for the boy to tell her what was wrong. When he finally spoke, she realised she already knew. "I've been trying to speak to you for ages."

"I know." she responded sadly. "It's just that... well, I've been spending all my time with my sister, Morgause. She's been trying to get to know me, to make up for all the years we lost. I haven't really had time for anyone else."

When she spoke her reasons- excuses- out loud, they did not seem to carry as much weight as they did when they spoke them to herself inside her head. 'Perhaps I was wrong.' she wondered. 'Perhaps I was spending all my time with Morgause when there were more important people I should have been speaking with.'

"I missed you." Merlin all but whispered, but the words were still loud enough to bring Morgana from her thoughts. She felt the pangs of guilt pulling at her heartstrings. Aside from her, Merlin did not really have any friends, for he was too shy to approach people. 'He must have been so lonely.' she realised and was furious at herself for causing him such upset.

"I missed you too, Merlin." she told him. It was true enough. Although Morgause had kept her occupied, that had not stopped her from longing for the company of her old friend again. "I missed you so much. And I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone like that. I won't do it again."

"But what about your sister?" he asked tentatively. "Don't you want to spend more time with her?"

Morgana smiled to herself. 'No wonder he was sorted into Hufflepuff.' she thought, not for the first time. 'He always puts other people's happiness before his own.'

The girl shook her head, still smiling, and looped her arm through Merlin's, resting her head on his shoulder. "No. From now on, I'm going to spend all my time with you. I promise."

Finally, that wonderful smile she had come to love so well illuminated Merlin's features, lighting up his eyes, which had been so dulled since she had left him alone. 'Everything is alright again.' Morgana told herself with a smile. 'Everything is going to be alright.'

But it was not.

What Morgana did not realise was that, high up on the Astronomy Tower, her sister was watching her once again. And this time, she was not alone.

"He's a Muggle-born, you know, and poor besides." Morgause spoke. The hooded figure to her right nodded slightly, already aware of Merlin's situation, as he was of every student's in the school. "He's no good for her. How can we allow the great-granddaughter of Ravenclaw herself be enamoured with a boy who is not worthy to breathe the same air?"

"We cannot." the man agreed. "To allow one of our own to go to waste in such a way, and with such a talent as well... she must be saved."

"I agree." Morgause told him, with a curt nod. "But how?"

"When a disease threatens to consume a child, to take away all that they are and should be, what do you do?" the figure asked cryptically. Morgause looked at him blankly, unsure of his meaning. The man smiled, a malicious smirk full of promise. "Why, there is only one thing that can be done, girl. You cut it out."

A/N: Who's the figure? Please review!