CHAPTER TEN


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: 9


It was sometime later when Hermione had finished administering the 'antidotes' to Arthur. Whilst Gaius' cures had been remedies and such, Hermione had fed Arthur as many anti-poison potions as she dared to, not wanting to overdose him but wanting to give him enough to give him the best chance of survival.

It didn't take long for her to see the results either. Although he didn't wake and his skin didn't lose the sickly pale colouring, his temperature dropped lower than it had yet, his heart rate picked up and his breathing cleared a little more, too.

"Well, that is surprising," Gaius commented in disbelief, apparently not having expected it to work.

"You need to have more faith, Gaius," Hermione said softly, brushing Arthur's damp fallen hair away from his forehead. "No matter how dire the situation may be, I have come to understand there is always hope to be had. I believe in Arthur and that he will fight through this. And I believe in Merlin and that he will find a cure. They are both remarkable people and are destined for great things."

Gaius' mouth pulled in a thin line and he clasped his hands in front of him.

"What do you know?" He asked suspiciously.

"What do you know?" Hermione echoed, briefly looking at him with a raised eyebrow before turning her attention back to Arthur, her mouth twitching in amusement when he grumbled beneath his breath in annoyance.

Hermione pulled back from Arthur and tried to remove her hand from his but his fingers flexed once more whilst the rest of him remained still and unconscious. For an almost dead guy, he was really strong.

Hermione sighed. "Gaius, would you mind fetching some water, please? I would do it myself but Arthur doesn't seem to want to release my hand."

"And you'll get caught," he added.

"Oh, I'd forgotten about that. That, too, I suppose."

"You'd forgotten that you may very well be executed for breaking into the castle and the Prince's bedchamber?"

"Hmmm, my life is not of concern. I'm here for Arthur; my focus should be on him, not my safety."

"Ah, now it all makes sense," he replied, sounding amused.

Hermione lifted her head to question him on his comment but he'd already left the room.

~000~000~000~

Gaius had been gone far longer than she'd expected him to be and although she could easily enough conjure whatever amounts of water she needed, she didn't want to do so and have Gaius questioning where she'd gotten the water from when he did return.

It had been almost an hour since he'd left and she was considering going in search of him, her safety be damned, that was if Arthur would finally release his tight grip on his hand.

Sighing to herself, she felt his forehead to find that his temperature was once again rising and after a quick scan, his breathing and heart rate were slowing back down. The concoction of antidotes and cures they'd given him had worn off and he no longer had anything to fight off the poison in his body. She just hoped Merlin found something and quickly as Hermione didn't think Arthur would make it through the night.

She conjured a small amount of water to wet the cloth before hiding her wand and dabbing and swiping the damp cloth across his face, forehead and chest. The door suddenly burst open and she startled, letting out a squeak of surprise and she turned to the door, sighing in relief when she saw it was only Gaius, but he carried a silver goblet in his hand, a wide-eyed hopeful look on his face.

Hermione's mouth seemed to part as an understanding crossed between them. It was the cure. Holding her hand out expectantly, Gaius rushed across the room, handed her the goblet and then backed out of the room, closing the door behind as he muttered something about "Merlin needing him." She thought it odd but she'd have to see Merlin later, right now Arthur needed her.

She could really do with propping his head up to feed him the cure to prevent him from choking but with him refusing to release her hand she only had one to work with. Carefully, she lowered the goblet to his parted mouth and tipped the liquid in slowly and in increments, massaging his throat to help the liquid down his throat without choking. Once all of it was gone, she placed the goblet off to the side and used the cloth to wipe the droplets that had dribbled down his chin and onto his chest.

Now it was a waiting game.

She felt for a pulse and noted it was stronger than before and his fever was breaking but to help it along she kept pressing the damp cloth to his skin. She wasn't quite sure how long had passed but before she knew it, she had leaned over Arthur's body to readjust the blankets a little more and when she pulled back, bright blue eyes were staring at her, quite clearly and rather intensely, especially for someone who'd just woken up from an unconscious state after almost dying for three days.

"Good afternoon, Prince Arthur," Hermione spoke softly and she felt the hand that was still holding hers give her a gentle squeeze. "I must say, you gave us quite the fright and I would appreciate it if you would refrain from such actions in the future."

"Hermione..." He rasped out, his voice cracking from a lack of use.

She smiled at him. "Well, you did say I had a better bedside manner than the court physician. I thought it would be much more pleasant for you if you were to wake with me by your side rather than Gaius. Wouldn't want to frighten you, would we?"

His mouth twitched in amusement, his hand squeezing hers once more. "You're certainly a sight to behold upon waking," he replied. She felt her cheeks heat up. "What are you doing here? How did you get into the castle?"

"I have my ways," she smiled. "Merlin contacted me and told me you were injured, so of course, I packed myself up and journeyed to Camelot to ensure you had the care you needed. I've got to say, looking at your bandages I'm not quite pleased with Gaius and he shall be getting an earful from me when I next see him."

"You came all this way for me?" He asked, his forehead crinkling.

"I did," she nodded, reaching up to press her hand against his forehead and his eyes fluttered closed at the touch. "Hmmm, not quite back to normal but I'd say you no longer have a fever. I believe the cure's worked its magic but I would suggest you stay in bed for the rest of the day. You've been through quite a lot these last few days and your body's been working hard to fight off the poison so I won't be surprised if you're still a little tired."

"Cure? Did you cure me?"

"No, I was just here to pro-long your chances of survival for as long as possible and to give Merlin enough time to find a cure. Merlin's the one who saved you."

He blinked in surprise. "Where is he?"

"I'm not entirely sure, to be honest. I asked Gaius for more water and he didn't return until an hour later, at which he had no water but the cure and then he left you in my care. Merlin's the one that saved your life, I just watched over you and you're the one that fought. You didn't give up, Arthur, and for that, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. But I have to say, this isn't quite what I had in mind for our next meeting."

His mouth pulled into a smile and he tried to push himself into a sitting position but Hermione gave him a disapproving scowl and held him down to the mattress, her hand pressed against his shoulder.

"Stay where you are, if you move too quickly you'll get dizzy," she scolded.

"How long are you staying?"

She smiled at him sadly and his face pulled into a frown. "I'm not, Arthur."

"But..."

"I would like to stay for longer and see the city, but I have to get back to Ealdor, there are three children who are ill and they need my attention. I came here to ensure your health and well-being and I'm certain you're going to be fine and you'll be back on your feet by tomorrow and without any lasting damage. I'm happy to see you're looking a lot better, but I really have to get back to Ealdor."

"Will you visit again?"

She nodded. "I promise I'll visit again, hopefully without there being a threat of death so I won't have to break into the castle and avoid the guards. It was quite time consuming," she replied and he chuckled at her.

Her head snapped to the door when she heard a ruckus and footsteps in the hallway and her eyes widened.

"Oh," she muttered. "I best go, no one but you and Gaius knows I'm here and I don't fancy the idea of being arrested for trespassing and breaking into the castle. Look after yourself and be careful," she told him.

She stood from the bed and he finally released her hand. She grabbed her satchel and threw it over her shoulder before darting to the door, hiding behind it when it burst open.

"Arthur!"

"Father," Arthur replied, his eyes not on the King but her.

The King slowly approached the bed and Hermione took her chance; she crept around the door, peeked outside into the hallway to see it empty and with a final look over her shoulder, she sent Arthur a smile and then dashed down the corridor, hiding in an alcove and pulling out the Invisibility Cloak. She slipped it around her frame and just in time as two guards walked right past her and she gave a sigh of relief. Using her wand to navigate, she found her way to the physician's chambers and knocked on the door, but receiving no reply she pushed it open and stepped inside.

It was quite similar to her own room only much bigger, with cots and remedies cabinets placed about the room and a large table in the centre. She saw a set of stairs to the left and a door at the back of the room but she knew better than to go snooping through other's belongings. Instead, Hermione took a seat on one of the cots and remained under the cloak lest someone spotted her and whilst she waited, she dug around in her bag until she pulled out some reading material to keep her busy.

~000~000~000~

She didn't know what time it was or how long she'd been waiting, but when the door burst open and she sprang upright, she realised she'd fallen asleep. She looked to the window, seeing that night had fallen and the moon was shining high and then her attention was pulled towards the door as Merlin stumbled inside looking a little worse for wear and he supported the weight of a half-asleep Gaius. She wished to help but if she exposed herself in front of Gaius it meant there was another that knew her secret and the less that knew the better, but she also wasn't sure if she could trust him not to tell anyone.

Hermione followed Merlin's movements as he helped Gaius up the staircase and a ruckus sounded from above and minutes later he reappeared and headed towards the door at the back of the room. When he opened it, Hermione got a glimpse inside and she realised it was a small bedchamber, likely Merlin's. She didn't know what he was doing but she saw him fussing with a blanket and then he backed out of the room, closing the door after him and letting out a huge breath.

Hermione decided to make her presence known and she slipped the cloak off and hid it away before standing from the cot and facing the sorcerer.

"Hello, Merlin," she spoke softly.

He visibly jumped and almost knocked an assortment of vials onto the ground when he bumped into a small cabinet. He spun around, his eyes widening when they landed on her.

"You came," he said, not in surprise that she'd done so, but rather that he was seeing her stood before him.

"Of course, I did. I gave you that coin for a reason, Merlin. If you need my help then you shall have it."

She hadn't seen it coming nor had she expected it, which is why she was so surprised when he strode forward and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his taller frame around her much smaller one. It was probably considered to be a highly inappropriate act given the times but for her it didn't much affect her, being used to it from her friends and family. So, she lifted her arms and wrapped them around his back, remaining silent as she heard his breathing pick up as if he were hyperventilating. It took him a few moments to realise what he'd done and he pulled back from her, his cheeks blazing pink and he struggled to meet her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Hermione...I'm sorry..." He apologised profusely.

She smiled at him, hoping it would calm him. "It's perfectly alright, Merlin. Sometimes I find a good hug and a cup of tea can do wonders for a person."

"How long have you been here? Where did you come from? How did even get into the castle? I mean, I knew you were here, Arthur told me when I went to check on him, but..." He shook his head in confusion

"I came from Ealdor," she replied and his mouth tugged into a smile and he rolled his eyes. "As for getting into the castle, I have my ways, Merlin. I've been here since not long before lunch, I spent most of my time watching over and caring for Arthur. As you know, he's alive and well and I left him with King Uther when I snuck out of his chambers. I'm not entirely sure how long I've been here, if I'm honest, but I had a feeling you'd wish to speak with me before I left."

His face fell and a frown pulled at his brow "You're not staying? Arthur mentioned you were leaving, but I hoped he was wrong."

"I wish I could but I have to get back to Ealdor, I left three sick children to come be with Arthur and I have to get back to them as quickly as possible. I was hoping that whilst I was here I'd be able to speak to Gaius, I'm in need of some fenugreek and I was hoping he'd know where to find it."

"Oh," Merlin said with a thoughtful look on his face.

He spun on his heel and crossed over to one of the cabinets, rummaging around the shelves before he turned to face her with a jar in his hand and a look of victory on his face.

"Fenugreek," he said, approaching her and holding it out in offering.

She blinked in surprise. "Merlin, I can't take Gaius' ingredients, especially without his consent or knowledge."

"I don't think he'd mind. He hasn't had need for this in a while and he'd much rather it be used than go to waste, especially if it'll help children."

"Merlin..."

"It's fine," he interrupted. "I promise, fenugreek grows in the woods not far from the city gates, I can gather more for Gaius before he even wakes and realises it's missing."

"I don't want to get you in any trouble."

"You won't, I doubt he'll even notice it's missing," he smiled.

"If you're sure, thank you, Merlin," she replied and accepted the jar, stuffing it into her satchel.

"Do you have a bed for the night?"

"No, I'm leaving now," she replied, not missing the way he glanced between her and the darkness outside worriedly. "It took me a little over three days to get here on foot."

"On foot?" He said, his voice rising slightly and his eyes widening.

"Yes, you know we don't have horses to spare and I didn't come across any farms or sellers of horses, so I was forced to walk. I best leave now as I've a long journey ahead of me. Why don't you walk me to the gates and we can talk? I'm sure there's something you'd like to speak to me about and with Arthur no longer being in danger, security won't be as big of an issue as it was when I broke in."

He nodded slowly and they left the chambers, Merlin leading the way to the exit and they left the castle without anyone seeing them. Given the late hour, the city was deserted but despite that, Merlin remained quiet as he walked beside her and Hermione knew better than to push someone who wasn't ready to talk.

By the time they reached the gates, she'd expected him to stop and say his goodbyes but he escorted her out of the city walls and into the woods until they could no longer be seen.

"I did something I'm not proud of," he spoke for the first time since leaving the castle.

"And that would be?" She asked softly. "Merlin, you will face no judgement from me," she assured him after seeing the worried look on his face. "I've done things in the past that I'm not proud of either but I know they were essential for my survival as well as the survival of others."

"To get the cure for Arthur, I had to visit the Isle of the Blessed. Nimueh was there, she's the reason magic is outlawed in Camelot," he explained to Hermione's confused expression. "If I wanted to save Arthur, a life had to be taken. A life for a life, balance must be kept."

Hermione really didn't like where this was going.

"I agreed to give my life for Arthur's and she gave me a silver goblet that I filled with rainwater. I carried it all the way back to Camelot and gave it to Gaius."

"Who gave it to me and I fed it to Arthur," she nodded.

"Well, I was expecting to die but when I went to see Gaius, I found my mother and she was dying. Nimueh tricked me and was taking her life instead of mine."

Hermione tried to contain her gasp but failed. She'd known Hunith had left the village to visit Camelot but Hermione hadn't known why. Since William's death, the older woman had kept to herself and she'd barely left her hut, she wouldn't even to speak to Hermione.

Hermione felt truly awful for Merlin. She didn't agree with such magic but she had to remind herself that for the times she was in, sacrificial magic was quite normal and natural. It hadn't yet been outlawed and therefore, lawfully, Merlin had done nothing wrong. It was his destiny to keep Arthur alive until he became King and he'd done so by exchanging his life for Arthur's, which Hermione thought was a truly brave thing to do. It showed how much he truly cared for the Prince, how much he believed in him and that he was willing to sacrifice himself so that Arthur may live and be the King he was destined to be. Hermione found a new sense of respect for the sorcerer.

Unfortunately, Merlin had learned the hard way that sacrificial magic wasn't always the right choice. As much as she disagreed with it, she couldn't blame Merlin for what he'd done. He was known to practice the magic of the Old Religion, whilst Hogwarts was teaching new forms of magic, the magic she knew. Within the next century or so the Old Religion practices would die out and a new form of magic would pave the way for the future.

Hermione reached out, her hand slipping into Merlin's and he squeezed it tightly, twining their fingers together.

"I couldn't let my mother die, Hermione, I couldn't. Not for me, not for a mistake I made. So I went back to the Isle of the Blessed to exchange my life for my mother's, but when I got there, Gaius was dead. He knew of my plans and to stop me, he left to exchange his life before I could. I've never felt so angry, Hermione. I've never felt so much hatred and I couldn't stop it, my magic. I fought with Nimueh but she was a lot stronger than I was, she'd been doing magic longer and had better control. She'd thought she'd killed me and when she was distracted, I hit her with a bolt of lightning. I killed her. With her death, Gaius' life was restored and with Gaius' sacrifice, my mother's was restored, and with my sacrifice, Arthur's was restored."

"Balance," Hermione said softly, squeezing his hand when he refused to look at her.

He was truly distraught by what had happened, she could see it, she could feel it in his magic as it reached out and brushed against hers. Hoping to give him some comfort, she released her magic and allowed it entwine with his, it washing over him like a soothing balm and he turned to look at her.

"It wasn't your fault, Merlin. It truly wasn't. You were not responsible for what happened to Arthur and yet you were going to give your life for his. It's not your fault your mother's was taken. It wasn't your fault Gaius wished to protect you. And it's not your fault Nimueh's life was taken."

"I killed her," he whispered, his eyes distraught, shameful, and her heart broke for him.

"Sometimes death is inevitable. I've killed people, too, Merlin," she admitted.

The look that crossed his face was of pure disbelief and it clearly said he didn't believe a word she'd spoken.

"With magic?"

"Yes, with magic," she confessed. "I told you that my Kingdom suffered a war." His eyes suddenly widened in understanding. "Exactly, I fought in it. I didn't kill in cold blood, only self-defence and I've never been able to forget what I've done no matter of the fact it was them or me, them or my friends, them or my family. It didn't matter, it was still a life taken to me. But Nimueh wasn't your fault. You fought, she tried to kill you, Merlin, and you only defended yourself. It was self-defence. Say it."

"It was self-defence," he said quietly.

"Yes, it was," she agreed. "You're a good man, Merlin. There's not an ounce of evil in you and I know you're destined for great things. I know you're capable of so much. Don't give up and don't allow this to take over your life. It's awful that it happened but it's not your fault that you were stronger or smarter. I know what I'm about to say is going to be difficult for you, but please don't blame yourself. And if you need me, you know what to do."

She came to a stop and with her hand entwined with his, he halted, too, looking down at her with his dark blue orbs. This time it was Hermione that reached up and pulled him into a hug, his taller frame bending slightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt him freeze for but a moment and then his arms folded around her and a sigh left him.

"Will you come to Camelot again?"

"Yes, I will return," she answered honestly, because she knew she would.

She didn't know how or why, but she got the feeling she was meant to be at Camelot. She could feel it in her magic, she could feel that maybe, just maybe, she had a purpose after all. With this newfound knowledge, Hermione knew she'd have to prepare the village for her leaving.

She pulled back from Merlin but before she stepped away entirely, she reached up and placed a kiss to his cheek. She could see his skin blazing pink even in the darkness and she barely held in her chuckle.

"I must go, tell our dear Prince that I shall see him soon, and please tell Gaius that it was a pleasure to meet him, although, he really must work on his wrapping of bandages, the job he did on Arthur was terrible and he's lucky he was half-asleep, otherwise I would've given him a good talking to."

Merlin laughed. "That is something I wouldn't mind bearing witness to."

"Well, if I'm coming to Camelot again, you just might. Be careful, Merlin, and look after yourself. Hopefully, I will see you soon."

She would make sure of it.