CHAPTER SEVEN
Summary: Finding herself one thousand years back in the past and in the legendary Kingdom of Camelot was something Hermione had never seen coming. But with no possible way back to the future and being stuck in the past, Hermione had no option but to form a new life for herself, and hopefully without changing the timeline. Unfortunately, matters of the heart cannot be controlled and she finds herself entwined in the lives of Prince Arthur and the great and powerful sorcerer, Merlin. Hermione x Arthur pairing.
Disclaimer: I do not own canon events and characters, they belong to J.K Rowling and the creators of Merlin, and the BBC. I am not making a profit from writing and posting this fanfic. I'm also making some big changes to the Merlin plotline so don't be surprised that nothing matches with canon. If I'm being honest, it's been years since I last saw the series, so I'm mostly going off what I remember and episode reviews and notes. And I've decided Arthur won't be dying.
Page count: 7
Hermione was beside him instantly, kneeling on the ground with tears swimming in her eyes and blurring her vision as she tried to get a look at the wound.
"It's no use, milady," he spoke, a cough leaving him. "This isn't something you can patch up."
"Like hell it isn't," she glared weakly, briefly spying Arthur stood behind her and staring at her friend in surprise, whilst Merlin was on the ground opposite her, looking at William in horror, terror, fear of losing him. "Get him home and put pressure around the wound, I'll be right there. Now!" She ordered, scrambling to her feet and running to her hut no matter of her struggle to breathe. "It's Hermione, let me in," she banged on the wooden door loudly and didn't stop until it opened, rushing past the gathered children and into her storage cupboard.
"Hermione?"
"Everything's fine," she lied, speaking as calmly as she could when tears ran down her cheeks and she felt her panic and fear of losing her best friend threatening to overwhelm her. She grabbed a bucket, cloths, bandages, anything she might need and rushed out of the room. "Stay here until someone comes to get you," she instructed, quickly leaving the hut and running as fast as she could to William's home.
The crowd gathered around the area all parted, making way for her to pass and giving her sad, pitying looks. She barged into the hut, the door slamming against the wall and Arthur approached. Seeing the tears rolling down her cheeks and her heavy breathing, his eyes softened.
"Hermione..."
"Not now, Arthur...Please..."
She rushed around him and over to the table where William lay with Merlin stood beside him, his hands pressing down on his chest with a wad of cloth and what looked to be a tunic. She batted his hands away and pulled the dagger from the cloak, using it to slice William's tunic open and giving her better access to the wound.
She removed the blood-soaked cloth to peer at the wound, but there was so much blood she couldn't see anything. Matthew's wound hadn't been nearly as bad as William's and she'd struggled to save him. Fear spiked through her. No, she couldn't, she wouldn't let him die.
She grabbed the cloths she'd brought with her and pressed down around the arrow as hard as she could, her thoughts racing as she tried to think of a way to save him. Without magic it was impossible, she could really do with having a scan of his chest to see how much damage had been done and if any internal organs had been caught, but she couldn't, there were too many people to witness it.
Her blurry vision darted to William's face when she heard him coughing, blood coated his lips. No! She couldn't lose him.
"It's okay," William whispered, smiling at her weakly.
"No, it's not. I won't let you die."
"You don't have a choice. There's nothing you can do."
"I saved Matthew!" She cried.
"I think my injuries might be a bit worse," he rasped, coughing up more blood.
"What were you doing here? You said you were leaving!"
"Had a change of heart, I couldn't leave you to fight by yourself."
"William..." She whispered, heartbroken.
His arm lifted shakily, clearly from the effort it took to do so and his hand pressed against her cheek, forcing her to look at him.
"Let me go."
"I can't," she cried, shaking her head.
"I'll be fine, let me go, there's nothing you can do. Please..." He begged.
A sob tore from her, her tears falling forcibly down her face and dripping onto the table. She closed her eyes tightly and clenched her jaw, her hands slowly moving from his chest and dropping by her sides, listening to his wishes.
Her hand came up and rested over his on her cheek and she bent at the waist, lowering her head until she was directly above him and their gazes locked. She would be the last thing he'd see before he died.
"Thank you for saving me," she whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't do the same."
He gave her a weak, bloody smile. "But you did, milady, more than you realise."
From the corner of her eyes she caught sight of his free hand reaching out and gripping Merlin's tightly. William's eyes darted to his oldest friend, giving him a look that conveyed so much emotion and feeling, she didn't understand it. When William's eyes returned to her, he gave her a bloodied smile and then his eyes closed for the last time, his breathing stopping.
With a shaky hand, she reached out for his neck, feeling for a pulse. He didn't have one. A sob tore from her and her eyes closed tightly, tears streaming down her face as she lowered her head and pressed a kiss to his forehead, temple and then finally his cheek.
The room was silent except for her cries and she allowed herself to do so for a few moments before taking deep breaths to calm herself. She rose to full height, placing his hand to rest over his chest and then she stepped back, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her cloak.
Without a second glance to either Merlin or Arthur, she turned and exited the hut, silence falling when the gathered villagers noticed the blood on her hands and face and her puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks.
She took a shaky breath and said, "Collect your children from my hut as soon as possible so I may see to those that are injured," and then she strode through the crowd.
~000~000~000~
It had been hours since William's death, hours she'd spent tending to the injured and cleaning up the mess the children had made in her hut. She wasn't quite sure how, but they'd had a minimal death count, there being three in total whilst the rest of the bodies had been Kanan's men. Injuries, on the other hand, there'd been quite a lot of.
There wasn't a single person –except for herself, Arthur and surprisingly Merlin- that had remained uninjured and Hermione tended to them all, whether they were burns, cuts or just a scrape to the knee. No matter how serious or insignificant the injury was, Hermione tended to it in order to keep herself distracted.
She couldn't believe she'd lost her best friend. He'd been the first person to show her kindness when he'd found her and brought her to Ealdor. He'd helped her transition into the village, helped her to settle in and find her place. He'd always encouraged her to do whatever she wanted to no matter what people thought of her. To dress the way she wanted, to behave the way she wanted, to be who she wanted, and he never judged her for it. Not once. He'd been the one constant in her life since her arrival in the past and now he was gone. What was she going to do without him?
"Hermione?"
Hermione looked away from the table she'd been scrubbing for almost half an hour and to the door, seeing Merlin stood in the doorway.
She felt her heart shatter all over again at the sight of him, of William's best friend. She forced back the tears and took a breath.
"Not now, Merlin, please..."
"They're ready to light the pyre, we're just waiting on you."
Hermione blinked slowly at his softly spoken words, before nodding and she left the table, reaching for her cloak which she slipped on over her clothing. Without a word, she left her hut, walking silently beside Merlin as they headed for the crowd gathering around the pyres. She knew he had questions, things he wanted to talk about but she was thankful he allowed her the silence, the time to process the loss of a loved one.
The crowd parted for her and allowed her to stand at the front, Merlin on her left and Arthur appeared from out of nowhere on her right. She could feel his eyes watching her closely but she didn't respond, she kept her gaze firmly on the pyres. There were two, one that sat the three villagers and the other Kanan and his men.
Hermione signalled with a nod that she was ready and she watched as the pyres were lit, the flames soon engulfing the bodies and the dancing fires lighting up the village, filling it with warmth and light. She felt her eyes tearing up and she did her best to force down the emotion but a single tear still managed to fall. She stood there for several minutes, praying that William would find his way to the afterlife, that he'd find his mother and father waiting for him and that he'd be happy.
After several minutes, she turned and left the villagers, heading for her hut only once she reached the door, she paused and instead decided on a walk through the woods. She blindly navigated her way, not exactly being sure where she was heading but knowing that she wouldn't get lost due to the number of times she trekked through the woods in search of firewood, moss and other ingredients she needed for her remedies.
She wasn't quite sure how long she'd been walking and she only came to a stop when she felt as though she could walk no further. Halting, she blinked until her vision focused and she searched her surroundings, quickly realising that she was stood in the area William had found her. She recognised the misshapen trees on the right, the tree stump on the left and the rotting bark of the tree in front of her.
She collapsed to the ground, her legs folding beneath her and barely catching herself on her hands. She wanted to cry but she wasn't sure she had it in her, she'd silently cried the entirety of the walk and she was exhausted. Folding her cloak beneath her and pulling her hood over her head, she laid down on the ground, staring into the darkness of the night. All that could be heard was the hooting of owls and the disturbance of leaves due to the breeze and the birds landing and taking flight. She basked in the silence, until she heard it, fallen leaves and twigs being trampled on by a heavyweight, she wasn't sure how, but she knew it was one of two people, and she honestly didn't know who she'd prefer it to be.
"Hermione?"
It was Arthur, and he'd spoken her name softly as not to frighten her, the worry in his voice would be carefully hidden to anyone else but not to her. She'd grown up surrounded by boys that tried to hide their emotions from her.
"Prince Arthur," she replied, equally as soft.
"Just Arthur," he corrected.
Feeling his presence and hearing the disturbance of the leaves close by, her tired eyes slowly fluttered open to see he was sat on the ground in front of her, looking down at her with a soft expression on his face. She noted that he'd changed out of his chainmail and armour at some point and now only wore what he had the day before, a white shirt, black breeches and leather boots.
"How did you find me?" She asked, her eyes falling closed once more.
"I followed you."
She almost rolled her eyes.
"It's not safe to be wandering the woods alone late at night."
"Perhaps, but I needed the space and the silence. I can hear them all whispering and I see their looks of pity. That is not something I need or wish to be exposed to."
"Why did you leave the children?"
"I grew impatient and felt my talents would be better put to use helping those that may have been injured."
"Hermione, I asked you to stay with the children so you would be safe. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."
Her eyes flew open in surprise, seeing that he'd meant every word he'd spoken. Oh honestly, this was getting ridiculous now! How in the name of Merlin was she supposed to push Arthur away from her without being awful to him? How the hell was she supposed to push him away when he was so kind and considerate towards her? Well, she supposed it was a good thing he was leaving soon and then maybe he'd start falling for Gwen like he was meant to.
"First thing you should know about me, Arthur. I don't take kindly to being told what to do. I am old enough to make my own decisions and to do as I please," she replied, her eyes closing again.
"How are you feeling?" He questioned, changing the topic of conversation.
"My best friend was killed, how do you think I feel?" She replied quietly, tiredly.
"Hermione... I'm s..."
"It wasn't your fault, Arthur," she interrupted, opening her eyes and tilting her head until she could lock gazes with him. "That arrow may have been meant for you –and it was cowardly and dishonourable of Kanan to attack when your back was turned- but William made the decision to push you aside. I suppose he finally understood what I'd been trying to tell him since your arrival. Unfortunately, this isn't the first death of a loved one I've had to cope with and I know that in time, I shall be fine and I'll remember to celebrate William for who and what he was, but right now, it hurts like a knife to the heart. I don't know what I'm going to do without him. He was with me every day, he always encouraged me to be who I wanted to be. I'd turn around and he'd be there, and now, I won't ever hear his voice or see him baking again."
Silence fell upon them and Hermione looked away from him and to the ground beneath her, watching the breeze disturb a fallen leaf right before her eyes.
"Did you know he was a sorcerer?"
Hermione's eyes snapped up to him.
"Excuse me?"
"Did you know he was a sorcerer?" He repeated. Hermione blinked slowly, a frown pulling at her face. "The whirlwind that scared Kanan's men away, he was responsible for that. He admitted it."
Why would William lie about such a thing? Unless, he was doing it to protect someone. Her? No, she wasn't the one to conjure it, Merlin had been...Godric, he knew about Merlin's magic! That was why he'd been so comfortable around her after discovering her secret. He lied to protect Merlin, to keep his secret safe. Hermione's heart broke all over again.
"Yes, I knew he was capable of magic," she lied. William had lied on his deathbed to protect Merlin and she wasn't going to say otherwise.
"Why did you not tell me?"
She looked back to him, he almost looked...Hurt?
"Why would I tell you of William's magic? It is my understanding that magic is only forbidden in Camelot, not the Kingdom of Essetir. William didn't wish for anyone to know and so I kept his secret. William was a good man; he never used his magic for evil, only good, if he used it at all. William not only exposed himself to you, but he gave his life for you, too. Do you believe a sorcerer would do that?"
"No," he admitted. "And you were not afraid of him?"
"No, William would never hurt me or anyone else for that matter. He had a temper but he never hurt anyone. I'm not afraid of magic, I believe it is a gift from the Gods. I believe that those who have magic and use it for good should be allowed to do so freely. I've been around magic users most of my life."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning, in the Kingdom of Hogwarts, magic is celebrated." She saw his eyes widen, whether it was in surprise or horror she didn't know. "We welcomed those that had magic and we protected them from those that wished them harm. We have a school in which young children who possess magic are expected to attend, and they are taught and trained on how to use their magic for good, to better the lives of others. If there was ever a sign of darkness within a child, they were kindly asked to leave and to never return for Hogwarts is a Kingdom of peace. It is my understanding that many of the sorcerers and sorceresses you have seen in Camelot have practised dark, evil magic and I can understand why magic has been outlawed. But is it really fair that those who are good and wish to use their magic to better the lives of others are punished with execution? Is it really fair that sorcerers and sorceresses are executed without a trial? Without the chance to present their case, to prove they are good and not evil?"
"I..." He started, looking to be struggling to form a reply. He cleared his throat. "It is the way it has always been, since the day of my birth magic has been outlawed."
"It is the way of King Uther, but Arthur, is it your way? Do you share the same beliefs as your father? Do you wish for a war between magical and non-magical people? I have seen this happen before, Arthur. I have seen the outcome of such a battle and once it was all over, there was no winner. Everyone lost. Is it really fair that they must live their lives in fear? That they are being hunted for simply existing?"
"I don't know how to respond to that," he replied honestly, blinking slowly.
"What you have to understand, Arthur, is that magic is not evil, it just is. It is a tool to be used by others, like your sword for instance. Your sword, in the hands of you, is used to protect and defend, but in the hands of a bandit, it is used to steal and kill. Magic is the same. It's not the magic that is good or evil, rather the person that is using it. I understand if you do not wish to think of such things yet, but someday you will be King and it will be your duty to protect and better the lives of your people. Will that include those who have magic? Will it not? That is something you have to decide for yourself, don't let your father's beliefs override your own because once you're King, you can do whatever you believe is right and good for your Kingdom and its people. I believe in you and you need to believe in yourself."
