Slippery Floors

"Merlin?"

Merlin opened his eyes. For a moment he didn't move, nursing a faint hope that Silas would think he'd gone to sleep. He had managed to avoid everyone after returning to the orphanage with Snape, some mumbled excuse that he was tired and needed to think. Now the dark swirled around them, dim yellow light from street lamps causing shadows to dance on the ceiling. But, somehow Silas knew that he wasn't asleep.

"You ever gonna tell me who those two guys were?" A pause. "Merlin—"

"They were from a school," he interrupted and he rolled over. He could see Silas propping himself up on his pillow. His eyebrows were scrunched up together.

"What kind of school?"

Merlin rolled back, staring at the ceiling. He didn't know what to tell him. He didn't want to lie to him, he had been such a good friend to him these last few weeks but he also knew that the Statute of Secrecy was important. It felt like Camelot all over again, being forced to hide who he was. He was always hiding who he was. Even the Headmaster he had no idea who Merlin really was.

He was always in the shadows.

"Merlin," Silas pressed. "What's going on? Why won't you talk to me?"

And he always would be.

"It's a boarding school," Merlin told him. "A school for the gifted or something." He turned and watched Silas digest this information.

"A boarding school?" he repeated. "That's why you've been so moody?"

"What?"

Moody?!

"You think that I'm going to hate you for leaving, or something?"

"What—no! I—"

"You'll be able to come back for the summer and holidays, right?"

"Um, I think so. Yeah, but—"

Merlin couldn't get a word in. The next minute, Silas was rambling about how it was such a great opportunity and how he'd write him all the time. Silas kept assuring Merlin that he wasn't upset. He'd miss him, sure, but he wouldn't hate him. Here Merlin was, upset that he couldn't tell Silas the truth, and Silas thought that it was because he was scared about how he'd take the news.

It made him smile, and actually feel bad that he would be leaving.

"You're not leaving before your birthday, are you?" Silas asked.

"No," and Merlin smiled. "I'm not leaving until September." He paused. "But I do need to go buy school supplies and stuff."

"Well, I'm sure Martha wouldn't mind if we stopped by the—"

Merlin shook his head. "No, they have a weird supply list. Professor Snape, one of the guys I met with, will come and take me to get the materials. We're just waiting for some funding card to get approved."

"Oh." Silas nodded. He was silent for a moment. Merlin could hear Mark snoring loudly from two beds over. His magic tingled pleasantly in the air around him. It had been uncomfortably excited ever since the elevator fiasco, as if it still had pent up energy to burn.

"Merlin?"

"Yeah?"

"If—I mean when you go to—to that school…" Silas sucked in a deep shuddering breath. "You won't forget about me, will you?"

He chuckled softly. "Wouldn't be able to even if I tried."

"Hey! I'm being serious."

"So am I." Merlin glanced at him and smiled. "I promise, I won't forget you." You're the first friend I made in the new world you know, but of course he couldn't tell him that.

Only A Boy

"Merlin!"

Ah, that inflection of his name was so painfully familiar. Exasperated, a little strained with irritation, and just the right amount of incredulity. She would have made King Arthur proud. Merlin turned – slowly, so as to appear more innocent – to see Martha hurrying toward him. From the look on her face, he had not just won some sort of prize.

"Yes?"

"I know you're leaving in a little over a month, but this is no excuse!"

Merlin blinked. "Er… sorry?" There was a squeaking sound and he watched as Silas rounded the corner behind Martha, looking both terrified and excited at the same time. He was waving his arms wildly in the air, mouthing, "I did it!"

"Where's Silas?"

"I don't have any idea who that is."

Martha raised her eyebrow. Behind her, Silas was stuffing his fist into his mouth, trying to stop himself from laughing.

"You two flooded the entire boys bathroom."

"Really? Isn't that difficult to do?"

"Well, you certainly managed it!"

After years of practice, Merlin had gotten very good at keeping his face perfectly impassive when faced with hilarity. In Camelot he'd had such few opportunities to play. He'd always been risking his life, trying to save Arthur's, and keeping his head down. Though the prankster spirit felt familiar, and he had the odd feeling this wasn't the first time he'd let it out. In any case, after that talk with Silas they'd been thick as thieves, and more than a little mischievous. He blamed Silas, of course.

"What am I going to do with you? I've got to get that bathroom back in working order before Social Services arrive, never mind dinner—"

"What?" Silas had interrupted her. He raced over to them now, confusion coloring his features. "Why are Social Services coming?"

Martha swallowed, looking suddenly uncomfortable. It was strange. It was as though she had swallowed a lemon. The room quickly fell silent as the other boys turned to look at her, a ripple of apprehension sweeping around the room.

Martha sighed. "I suppose you all ought to know, you'll be finding out soon enough." She paused. "Wool's Orphanage is closing down."

Merlin felt as though someone had smacked him in the face. He stared, wordlessly at her as he tried to make sense of what she had said. An oppressive silence filled the room. Then, uproar as panicked questions filled the air.

"They can't do that!"

"But where will we go?"

"When are they—?"

"Boys!" Martha shouted, and they quieted down again. She straightened her blouse. "By the end of August, you will be placed in foster homes." The questions tried to break out again, but she held up her hand. "This is the way it is. There's nothing I can do to change it. People from Social Services will be arriving later today to collect files and start the process."

"Why?" Merlin asked once it was clear she had finished speaking. He felt like his home was being taken away from him, like he was being banished.

Martha turned to him, shaking her head. "Most other orphanages were closed down by the 1970s. It was a strange twist of fate that kept this place going for as long as it did." She glanced from him to Silas. "You two, in my office now. Everyone else, start thinking of goodbye party ideas."

Mood deflated and fairly certain Martha was going to continue her attempt to get a confession out of them, Merlin dejectedly followed the elderly woman to her office. From beside him, Silas didn't seem much happier. He kept shooting him worried looks. Martha closed the door behind them when they entered and took a seat in front of an aged wooden desk. The office showed signs of packing. One bookshelf on the wall was stripped, several boxed stacked in front of it. Merlin wondered how long she had known about the orphanage getting closed down.

"Take a seat," Martha told them. Merlin sat, Silas following his lead. She surveyed them for a moment, seeming to almost glare at the pair of them before softening her expression. "I've decided to join your two files."

"What does that even mean?" Merlin asked blankly. He and Silas exchanged confused looks.

"It means, that whatever foster family Silas gets sent to, that's the one you'll be going to as well." And then she gave them a small smile. "You're a package deal."

"Oh."

Merlin had never had a brother. The closest one he'd ever had was Arthur. And maybe Gwaine, but he'd never been the elder brother. Silas was a year or so younger than him, and the kid looked up to him – not that he was sure he was the greatest role model. He felt strange. He couldn't describe it. But, whatever it was, it felt good.

A broad grin cross his face as he looked over at Silas. "Hear that? We're stuck together."

"Lord help your foster parents," Martha muttered and the two boys burst into laughter. Merlin's cheeks felt stiff when he'd finally stopped.

"Now, I want the both of you to grab mops, and clean up the bathroom."

"What? Seriously? You can't prove it was us."

"Please Silas, your right shoe is soaking wet. How much more obvious could it get?" She sighed. "Now get to it. Oh, I have a letter for you Merlin."

"A letter?" Merlin blinked and then it came to him. It'd been nearly a month. The ministry of magic should have approved his funding card by now. He got to his feet as Martha pulled out an envelope. He could see his name, Mr. M Evans, written across its surface in flowing elegant script.

"Who's it from?" Silas asked, coming to stand at his elbow.

"I think it's from that school," Merlin said taking it from Martha. It was written on thick yellow parchment. It sent him back to a time of candlelight, working in Gaius' study. He smiled at the memory, and turned it over. It had a red wax seal on it, a lion, a snake, a badger, and a raven all surrounded by a large letter H.

"That. Is the strangest looking letter I've ever seen in my life."

"How so?" Merlin asked him. It looked perfectly ordinary to him.

"It doesn't have a stamp! How did they send it?"

"Silas, stop asking him questions he couldn't possibly know," Martha interrupted. "You have a bathroom to mop. Merlin, you're allowed to stop by your room to drop off the letter. Silas, you are not."

Silas grumbled something incoherent under his breath as he followed Merlin out of the room. One of the janitorial staff members met them in the hallway and handed Silas a mop and bucket, looking a little too happy that they were about to do his job. Merlin muttered in Silas's ear that he'd be right back before taking off to the bedroom.

He was actually relieved he had a chance to open it without Silas peering over his shoulder. While he didn't want to hide anything from his new brother, he certainly didn't want to have to explain to Severus Snape that he had spilled the beans on the magical world. Merlin shook his head, and ripped the envelope open as he scaled the staircase.

Dear Mr. Evans,

The Department of Finance for Wizard Incapables has informed the Headmaster of your approval. I'll not get into the number of times that students have lost important documents due to their negligence and blatant disregard. Therefore, I had the department send your Wizarding Orphan Funding Card directly to me. I'll be coming to take you to Diagon Alley to get your equipment tomorrow. Be ready to leave at nine o'clock sharp.

Yours Sincerely,

Professor Snape

Merlin came to a dead stop outside his bedroom. Tomorrow was his birthday. Snape should have known that, right? He had been at the office when he was filling out the information, he heard say his birthday was July 31st didn't he? What, did he just think he wouldn't have plans or something? Merlin frowned, wondering whether or not this was a guise to give him a treat for his birthday, or to ruin it.

Just bloody perfect.

Only A Boy

"Hey, bro!"

Merlin winced. As much as he liked being called that by Silas, right now it just felt like a twisting knife in his gut. He had to tell him, now. He gave him a small half-smile and grabbed one of the mops that were lying against the counter. The Janitor gave him a piercing look before taking his leave from the bathroom.

"Hey… Merlin, you okay?"

He had forgotten how very observant Silas was. Merlin didn't answer for a moment, swinging his mop across the damp floor of the boy's bathroom. "I read the letter."

"Not great news, I take it…"

"No, not really." Merlin squeezed the ripped cloth out in the sink. "Remember that guy I told you about, Snape?"

"The super strict guy in black? Yeah…"

"He's coming to take me to get my school supplies. Tomorrow."

Silas looked up sharply. "Does he know that tomorrow is…" he trailed off pointedly.

Merlin nodded, frowning. "I don't think he really cares." He leaned against the counter, watching Silas. With Arthur, he could always tell when it was a good time to duck or leap out of the way of a flying goblet. But, with Silas? Not really, and not just because the kid wasn't the type to throw hard metal objects at him. He had the weird ability to hide the fact that something made him upset, whether he was angry, scared, or sad.

It made knowing if something was wrong difficult.

"You can't play it sick and ask him to reschedule?"

"Would if I could, but I don't even have a return mailing address, let alone any other way to contact him."

Silas nodded and started mopping again, staring at the ground. After he had squeezed his mop out again, he straightened up. "Well, then. It looks like we're staying up to celebrate your birthday tonight."

"What?" Merlin took a hurried step toward him, taken aback by what he had heard. But his foot touched down on a particularly watery patch of linoleum and he slipped.

Everything slowed down.

Merlin felt his legs fly out from under him, saw Silas turn to him with a start, and just as his back smacked into the wet ground he felt his magic shoot out from around him. It wrapped around his head and neck, stopping him from cracking on the ground. But he couldn't contain it, it whiplashed out, washing over the entire bathroom in a warm wave of fresh wild air, smelling of his home in Ealdor. Crisp and dry, rich with the scent of growing crops and thatched houses.

For a moment, he laid perfectly still on the ground, taking in the familiar air. Then, he realized that the ground he laid on was completely dry. Merlin jerked upright, and saw Silas staring around the bathroom with the most beautiful expression of shock and confusion.

"What… just happened?"