Disclaimer: I own neither Merlin nor Harry Potter.
A/N: Hi everyone! So I know it's been a while. Thank you for being patient. Enjoy!
Snippet Twelve
Title: The Ultimate Camelot Tour Guide for Your Time Traveling Witch (A Starry Night)
The evening is pleasant and quiet.
If not for the famous company and how clear the sky is that the stars feel closer to her than any other night she'd observed them, Hermione would probably think twice before believing she'd really outdone herself this time.
Perhaps she could write a book about it. Depending on how long she'd be here, she could divide it in chapters and start calling it "The Ultimate Camelot Tour Guide for Your Time Traveling Witch & Wizard."
It's a true testament to all the crazy days she's had with Harry and Ron that she now barely bats an eyelash when something like this happens.
To her left, Merlin has made himself comfortable sitting on the floor and plucking on the loose strings of his pants, a leg outstretched while the other is drawn to his chest and used as an armrest. To her right, Prince Arthur has his back on the balustrade with his neck tilted to the sky much like she'd been doing only seconds ago.
Hermione has a feeling both have been dying to ask her questions but she's decided to let them take their time and focus on her own thoughts. Sitting atop the newel cap and swaying her legs absentmindedly as she used to do in the swing when she was a little girl, she allows herself to just relax and live in the moment, basking in the sounds of the crickets and the sight of the fire flies dancing around them under the pale moonlight.
True to Merlin's word, they hadn't taken her outside the palace, just on one of the most rarely visited balconies still inside but private enough to be out of sight from the patrolling knights. She appreciates them for it anyway and had told them so.
A gush of cold wind touched her skin and has her arms covered in goose bumps. The prince is the first to have caught her reaction, already removing his cape and offering it to her.
"Here," he says, handsome ocean blue eyes inquiring, "May I?"
For a second, she wondered what he's on about before she's reminded that not everyone she meets is like Ron. Not that she's bitter or anything, but that boy could use a lesson or a dozen on manners and chivalry.
"Please," Hermione responds, and tried to be still as the prince wrapped the cape around her shoulders. She's taller than his height from where she's sitting, but he's still tall enough that she need not bend for his arms to reach her. "Thank you, your highness," she tells him warmly before he could pull back.
Arthur just nodded in acknowledgment and resumed to leaning on the balustrade though she noticed that he's now closer to her.
'Great. Another overprotective male in my life. Thanks for that Harry,' she thought, annoyed not at him but at herself that it'd become a habit to compare every new person of the opposite gender she meets with the boys she'd surrounded herself with back at Hogwarts.
Had she focused on them more, she'd notice the subtle glances that the prince kept throwing at his manservant.
Prince Arthur, on his part, knows just how rare it is that they stumble upon another magic user that isn't out to kill them. Contrary to what the knights believe, he also isn't oblivious to the fact that try as they might, they still couldn't get Merlin to be truly comfortable just being himself around them.
He's still Merlin, alright. Brave, foolish, clumsy, idiotic, friendly, self-less Merlin. But Arthur likes to think that he knows his best friend better than the knights. It'd been a decision made out of his knowledge of him that makes him act nonchalant and pretend to ignore the warlock's discomfort at using magic in his presence.
Every single chance he's had since knowing about his friend's magic, the prince had purposely tried to act normal, as if the mind blowing secret of his manservant being a warlock with destiny and with a destiny to protect and guide him no less is nothing but an average bump on the road.
Arthur knew that nothing is the same after that incident, but he believes not everything has to change. Not necessarily, at least.
He's still Arthur, heir to the throne of Camelot who also happens to be the Once and Future King. And Merlin is still Merlin, Gaius's ward from Ealdor and Arthur's manservant who just happens to be the greatest magic user to ever live through all of history. So what if they have titles? All these time, he's been the prince and the idiot never lost nerve to call him out every time he started acting like a dollophead. Why does it have to change now?
At least now, Arthur knows when to watch out for the idiot's self-sacrificial tendencies. The knights are aware of this too and that's why they take shifts to keep watch in case they have to do an intervention. But onto the more pressing matters…
"Say, Hermione," Arthur begins, once again trying to be discrete even if the intent in his eyes is very much clear in Hermione's humble opinion. "Can you show us your magic?"
Watching Merlin freeze is amusing enough that Arthur had to bite his lip not to chuckle.
Hermione doesn't know what the prince is up to but she's bright enough to sense that a plan had formed on his head. She turned her head to look around and assure herself that they don't have any unwanted audience in the premise. Satisfied that there aren't any, she casted a silent muffliato to be sure anyway.
Catching Merlin's cautious metallic blue orbs, her doe eyes brightened as excitement bubbled in her voice. "How about a trade then? I'll show you one of mine if you show me one of yours. This could be fun. What do you say?"
Merlin could already feel a headache coming at her suggestion. Curious but hesitant, he turned to Arthur. Seeing his prince nod encouragingly, Merlin found himself nodding his consent albeit warily.
Hermione clapped her hands then and both warlock and prince had their brows rising at her childish glee.
"Alright then," she beams, already holding out her hand. To their amazement, a blue fire roared out of her palm but it doesn't seem to burn her. They stare in stun as they felt its warmth.
Merlin wonders if it's the same spell he'd unknowingly used when he'd been unconscious but had to guide Arthur out of the cave when he went on a solo journey to fetch the elusive mortaeus flower. Arthur wonders how this is his life now.
"Give me your hand," Hermione orders the both of them.
Before the boys know it, both of them are holding blue fires without getting hurt.
"This is one of my favorite spells that I made myself. It's called a bluebell flame. It doesn't do much but provide warmth and light but it's fun to play with. You can even put it in a jar," she explains, secretly delighted that they trusted her this time.
"It's very pretty," Merlin remarks and Arthur hums his agreement. They received an appreciative smile for it.
"Your turn then," Hermione encourages.
"Forbearne. Draca." Merlin murmurs before a fire roars out his palm and turns into a dragon.
Hermione could literally jump up and down and has to control her excitement. Sure, it's simple magic but it's Merlin doing it and it's amazing just to bear witness to it.
"Oh we're onto animals now, I see," she comments, grinning widely as she pulled out her wand and pointed it before them. "How about this one? Expecto patronum!"
Merlin, albeit frightened, instinctively jumped in front of a shocked Arthur when they saw a lioness made of white mist emerges before them.
Hermione laughs at their reaction and was quick to assure them it's harmless.
"Look, you can even pet it," Hermione hurries to explain.
Jumping down, she knelt before her yawning lioness. The predator then started playfully licking its paw before shoving its face to feel the warmth of her touch. Hermione chuckles tiredly at it while the boys watch in daze.
"What I just did is called a Patronus Charm. It's one of the most ancient and most powerful charms there is. It is said that when a truly dark wizard casts it, only maggots will come out but I haven't really seen it happen, so I don't know. Most beginners who try to cast the charm only produce white mist. It happened in my case too, but I had to learn to cast a corporeal one eventually. It's supposed to take on the form of the animal with whom the caster shares the deepest affinity. It actually used to be an otter for me, but after all I've been through, it turned into a lioness."
Both prince and warlock didn't fail to notice how she said that she'd had to learn it, and they could only wonder what exactly it was that happened to her.
Shrugging, she adds, "I love my otter but if I'm honest, I much prefer my patronus this way. It's main purpose is to ward off dementors, magical creatures who feed on human happiness and leave only depression and despair. You see, in my time, the Wizarding world have dementors guarding our prison cells. But since our government controls them, the corrupted officials tend to use the dementors for their own battles. We'd had to learn it to fight them for survival's sake."
There were so many things they wanted to ask after that. Holding back was rather hard, but they can see the magic taking toll on her as she begins to sway with her eyes drifting shut.
Arthur hurried to her side and caught her back with his chest, careful to let her head loll back to his shoulder as he held her arms to keep her steady.
The lioness didn't disappear, and Merlin took the chance to touch it. To his surprise and delight, it didn't move away and found a new friend in both prince and warlock.
Arthur tried not to squirm when it yawned again and gave them a close view of its expressive set of sharp teeth. Seeing it try to nudge Hermione awake, Merlin tried to draw its attention away from waking her.
They never thought a lioness could act like a domesticated pet until Merlin started throwing a branch and having it run and fetch it for him. Where he got said branch, Arthur thought unimportant to ask as he came to a realization.
Face twisting as though he'd swallowed a lemon, he moans, "Gaius is going to kill us. I don't know what I was thinking asking her to do magic when she's still recovering."
Merlin shakes his head in amusement but helps the monarch rise while keeping the sleeping damsel balance in his arms. When they'd settled, Merlin turns away to return his attention to the lioness.
"I know what you're doing," he murmurs in a voice soft so as not to stir their guest awake. They'd already done enough harm as it is and would repent on it tomorrow if Gaius is merciful enough to keep them alive.
Arthur lifts a brow to which Merlin just sighs.
"You and the knights…you don't have to go out of your way to try and make me feel safe around you. I know I am…I just…it's hard to adjust when I've been so used to hiding what I am and what I can do…It's…it's something I have to work on," the warlock admits guiltily, shoulders slumped in resign.
Arthur lets his words sink in before nodding.
With a teasing voice, he makes an attempt to lighten the mood, bumping shoulders with his manservant on his way out the door to deliver the sleeping maiden back to her room. "Guess we're just gonna have to remind you until it sinks in to that idiot brain of yours that we accept you for who you are."
As though knowing that playtime is over, the lioness disappeared as quickly as it came.
"Prat," Merlin then remarks to the prince, mouth twitching in a failed effort to hide a smile.
In return, the prince just grinned, eyes just as bright and heart just as light as his best friend. "Idiot," he retorts, feeling that at last, all is right in the world.
A/N: Thanks for reading! :D I only have one rule. Review if you enjoyed it.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY