Disclaimer: I own neither Merlin nor Harry Potter.

Snippet Four

Title: Searching for a Place in the World

"Have you found any clue?" The question came from one of the knights, but Merlin didn't turn to look, only shook his head and continued willing his magic to search the earth for trace.

He would have started far earlier but he still relied on Gaius' spell book to tell him what enchantments to use for specific situations and how to cast them.

The moment they got back to Camelot, the warlock couldn't be quicker to retrieve the object from his room's floor compartment, Arthur at his tail as well as the knights who had seen their panic-stricken state. Gaius, upon hearing the news, had offered himself to distract Uther.

Searching the forest now, it doesn't feel like it was just yesterday.

"I can't find her. Why can't I find her?" Merlin groaned from behind the trees, and they all watched as the dried leaves began to shake and rise from the ground only to set back down again for the nth time that day.

Arthur sighed and struck his sword to the ground in frustration, the action ignored by his knights who were scattered all around the perimeters, looking for anything useful. They had tried to ask around town and the nearby villages only to end up with nothing.

In truth, Arthur had seen this coming and hated to be right. His manservant had explained that the leaves were supposed to move and lead them to her, but it was like there was a barrier hiding her from the rest of the world.

Their only conclusion was that they really had messed up, and that Hermione didn't want to be found.

"Leon? Gwaine?" the prince inquired, sounding hopeful as he turned to the approaching knights. It was one of the rare moments when Gwaine wasn't chirpy, and that was never a good sign. Still, Arthur had to ask and it was the elder knight who answered.

"Nothing, sire."

The sentiment was only echoed by Percival and Elyan sometime later. By then, Gwaine was sulking from his place atop a stone, and they all looked up to the thunderous roars of the darkening sky. Arthur frowned at nature's timing.

"I'm afraid it's time we-"

"I'm not returning until she's found," Merlin interrupted from beside him.

Arthur glared at him and the idiot has the audacity to look sheepish. "No one is returning until she's found. You're not the only one who cares about her Merlin. Or have you forgotten she's my betrothed?"

At this, Gwaine coughed, standing up. "Fake betrothed, you mean?"

"Oh for the love of- fine! Yes, our relationship is nothing real but it doesn't mean she isn't important to me as much as she is to all of you!"

"Go ahead Arthur. Say it. F-R-I-E-N-D. You know you don't really use the word often," Elyan teased much to his chagrin, earning tired laughter from around them at his expense.

Deciding it best to ignore them, Arthur made his way to the cave to seek shelter from the coming storm, all the while grumbling about insufferable knights and self-sacrificing warlocks.

The knights, of course, followed him. But Lancelot chose to tarry a little, and offer a comforting pat on his friend's shoulder. They all had been worried upon being alerted to the witch's disappearance, but it was his magical friend who looks like he hasn't slept in days, like a rush of wind would sway him down.

"We'll find her Merlin. We'll bring her home," he encouraged.

Merlin nodded but didn't speak, and Lancelot was left to observe him in silence as they followed after their friends. The knight's instinct was telling him that something more was going on, but he couldn't bring himself to put it into words, not if there's even the slightest possibility that he was only seeing things when there was nothing.

It was against all odds because of the manservants' loyalty to Arthur, but maybe, just maybe, most powerful warlock in the world or not, even he was not knowledgeable of his own growing feelings for a certain brunette.

Lightning and rain barrelled outside, making her tent smell of moist grass and damp air. The frogs' ribbiting was constantly getting louder and Hermione couldn't be more thankful to the God above that the wards repel even animals. She has nothing against the amphibian species but she was also not a fan of their slimy appearance and potentially deadly poisons.

She was only pleased that she had stocked supplies enough to last her months, maybe even half a year if she's really careful in managing her food and water intake.

She had spent hours looking for the perfect place to stay, and then a couple more in setting up wards against intruders that she had only just managed to cook herself a meal and rest.

Now, with her stomach full, a good book on her hand and the fire crackling at the hearth, the brightest witch of her age was all cozied up in bed.

Many years ago, she would admit that this was her most comfortable position in the world. Alone, in the company of a great literature where she likes it best because no one would judge her even if she let the whole day pass doing nothing else but read. Only this time was different, because the reality was, this wasn't supposed to be her time at all. She couldn't help but wonder if she only has herself to blame.

Maybe, she really loved books so much that she somehow managed to get herself inside one. Maybe this was all her illusion and everything that had happened was fiction instead of history. Maybe she really was back in her time, asleep.

Maybe Harry wouldn't be so mad that she had missed his wedding with Ginny after all. Maybe Ron would finally regret not inviting her to his engagement with Lavender. Maybe her two best friends in the world would finally get their heads together and manage to solve the mystery without her help this time.

But the cold hard truth was, she knew from experience how low the probability was that they would even realize she didn't leave them by choice. Their friendship, while strong, was starting to build up cracks when she disappeared into the past.

With all the bizarre things that had happened to them, how would she know that hearing a dragon's call was not common, and that answering it would wake up ancient magic to bring her back to the time when the most powerful warlock in all of history was barely just a man?

Hermione buried her face in her pillow and screamed so loud, it shook the whole tent.

It's odd. This was just like long ago when they were on the run and her own mind process was driving her insane. The only difference was that this time she's alone, and if she dies in here, then no one would even be able to find her body. No one would even know she's dead.

The thought made her feel like crying.

Her solitude was a gift.

It was both her weakness and her strength. But is this really the way she wanted it all to end? All the fight she gave, only to get her to this point when she would give up just like that?

No. She refuses to bend. She's stronger than this.

Still, it doesn't change the fact that she's here in the same tent where she'd spent hungry and cold many years ago, alone in a time long before her birth, without family and without friends.

She was laughing in spite of the tears.

It's funny what life can do to a witch.

If she was being truthful, a huge part of her knows that Arthur and Merlin never really intended to hurt her feelings. But she was angry at her own situation and couldn't help but lash out at them.

She knows she was behaving like a child. They weren't her Harry and Ron. They could never be her Harry and Ron, which means that they have a perfectly good reason for wanting to keep her out of their battles because they don't know her enough to understand the source of her motivation, of her loyalty, and of her unhealthy need and obsession to keep them out of harm's way. But it still hurts just the same, and now, she's crying just the same.

No one else would know that for the first time ever since she came to Ancient Camelot, Hermione Granger finally allowed herself to break.

A/N: I have to say that writing this is so freeing. I feel that the meaning embedded in the words I wrote are really what I feel deep down, a piece of my own perception of humanity. Maybe, there's really more than what meets the eye, and I like it that way.

So, what do you guys think of the story? I'd love to read your reviews. :) They encourage me to keep posting. Oh, and please let me know if you see any typos or grammar errors.