Chapter 26

Hey guys! So...900 follows...that's insanely crazy. Btw this is hindsight here: sorry for the long ass author's note this chapter. I was stuck on a plane for 6 hours and I was going a little stir crazy. I don't want to delete any of it cause it made me laugh looking back at how tired I was.

9:15 pm

I'm writing this chapter on a plane and there is some serious turbulence going on rn, so if this chapter never gets posted just assume I died in a fiery crash. Although I guess if I do die this will never actually get posted so bummer I guess. Oh well if this does go up just assume I'm alive and well and more importantly safely back on the ground. But seriously I'm actually super sacred of turbulence and this is not fun for me. Well, back to my distraction I guess. Hope you guys enjoy!

11:30 pm

so the turbulence stopped but I have no signal to talk to any of my friends so I guess I'll just add random thoughts here when I need a break from the story. So how are you guys? How are your lives going? I'm so tired right now none of this probably makes any sense but I cannot for the life of me sleep on air planes. I'm now realizing that none of you can reply to me either so this is just a little sad.

12:45 am

God I am so tired and I cannot fall asleep I wanna dieeeeeeee

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"Are you ready?" Merlin asked, tossing Arthur's nightwear into a teleportation basket he had placed in the corner of the King's room.

"I must admit Merlin, I am quite the fan of modern clothing" Arthur said absentmindedly, looking admirably at his reflection in the mirror. He wore a simple maroon sweater and a pair of immaculate dark jeans. His dark brown loafers were perfectly polished just like the rest of his outfit.

"You just like looking at yourself in it" Merlin scoffed, rolling his eyes. He wore a similar pair of dark jeans with a white cuffed shirt and a blackish sweater vest.

"All of us all seem to look the same though" Arthur said with a small frown, "Some version of sweaters and jeans at all time."

"Well...you're not wrong" Merlin admitted, "but it is a professional ensemble, and people of every economic status can afford some version of it."

"That's true" Arthur shrugged, "are we leaving?"

"Almost, I need to put in my contacts" Merlin remembered.

"Just wear your glasses" Arthur commanded, "I don't know why you just don't fix your eyesight with magic."

"It doesn't work that way Arthur" Merlin rolled his eyes and placed his rounded tortoiseshell on his face.

"It should" Arthur riffed, looking at his friend, "I suppose they look good on you though."

"Thank you" Merlin answered, grabbing his worn shoulder bag from the chair in the room as the two left for their activities for the night.

To any ignorant bystander, the two properly dressed handsome young men would not seem a strange sight, yet to the small scatterings of students left in the halls the view was rather bemusing. Many of them had still not yet seen the king in the flesh and were more accustomed to their defense professor scrambling around in some sort of ensemble involving a wrinkled sweater and two socks that did not come anywhere close to matching. It was obvious to all that the two men had somewhere very important to be.

As they casually strode to Merlin's bedchambers, they listened passively to the lingering conversations of students making their ways back to their respective common rooms.

Arthur personally enjoyed the two young women in red and yellow ties he had come to understand belonged to Gryffindors.

"I mean I thought Professor Emrys was hot but the king is a total ten" the shorter of the two whispered to her friend while tucking a stray piece of dirty blonde hair behind her ear.

"Lavender!" The friend exclaimed with a giggle, seemingly scandalized as she watched her teacher and his friend pass them.

Arthur glanced over to his companion in an attempt to gauge his reaction. He did not seem too excited or bothered, only a smidge uncomfortable.

"That happen a lot mate?" Arthur asked quietly with a smirk.

"Sometimes" Merlin shrugged, "I've learned to tune it out."

"Why would you want to?" Arthur teased, straightening his broad shoulders.

"They're my students! Let alone a thousand years younger than me" Merlin exclaimed, looking rather green, "there is so much wrong with that Arthur. So much."

Arthur shrugged, "I get it mate. Whenever my thoughts wander to romance I can think of no one but Gwen…."

"I'm sorry Arthur" Merlin said empathetically.

"Maybe not to you, but to me it feels as if we were together only a month ago" Arthur sighed, his bright blue eyes glazing over slightly.

"In your own mind…you were" Merlin said sadly, "this may sound selfish but, I am happy to be with you again."

Arthur cocked an eyebrow, "I never thought I'd hear you say that willingly."

"Well it's true" Merlin said with a pout, "it has been a little lonely the past millennia."

"I know mate" Arthur said, rubbing his arm. "It's been a little hard to come to terms with all of this" he gestured to everything around them, "and that you're this all powerful warlock, but if I do have to go through it with someone, I'm glad it's with you."

"Alright sappy moment over" Merlin said quickly, a small blush painting his pale cheeks, "let's get this over with before we're late." He opened the heavy door to his room and the two men strode over to the fireplace that always seemed to house a healthy flame.

Merlin handed Arthur a handful of green powder and took a heaping serving for himself. One after another the well-dressed brits disappeared into a wash of green flame.

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"Merlin, Arthur!" a voice greeted them happily as soon as the two stepped from the fireplace.

"Hello there Sirius" Arthur greeted, giving the man a firm handshake, "how have you been doing?"

"Eh" Sirius dismissed with a wave of his hand, "enough with the formalities, have a drink! It's almost (chrismas?) after all, this is supposed to be a party!"

"You've been cooped up in here much too long mate" Merlin said with a snort as he caught a whiff of the fire whisky on the man's breath.

"Truer words have never been said" laughed another voice coming from Merlin's left. He smiled at the werewolf who stood just behind his shaggy friend.

"Good to see you Remus" Merlin greeted and the two embraced briefly.

"You too Merlin, and how have you been holding up Arthur?" the former professor asked, sizing the two up.

"Rather well considering I haven't left the castle in two fortnights" Arthur joked, shaking Remus's hand firmly.

"I relate!" Sirius interjected suddenly.

Merlin laughed heartily at this, "I'm sure you do mate, we should all try to come visit more often."

"Please do!" Sirius said dramatically, "I feel as if the only time I ever see people is during these blasted meetings and even then it's you three and a dozen of my old professors!"

"And Molly Wesley" Remus added sagely.

"Of course" Arthur laughed, quickly making three drinks from a tray that stood atop the fireplace.

"What about me?" Sirius pouted as Arthur handed the drinks out.

"You're not allowed to have any more until the rest of us have at least caught up with you" Arthur said lightly and took a gulp of the amber liquid filling his crystal glass. He grimaced and swallowed quickly, "how is it that modern alcohol is somehow both more tolerable and less tolerable then ale?"

"I rather miss going down to the village pub" Merlin said with a raise of his glass.

"Here here!" Arthur agreed, raising his own glass to clink against Merlin's, but it seemed as if the smile on his lips did not quiet reach his eyes. Merlin lingered on him for a moment before brushing it off and returning to his conversation with the two marauders.

The four men conversed merrily for the next hour, even dragging the infamous Molly Wesley into their banter for a few moments before she escaped to the sitting room to continue socializing with the other order members that were there. They also spoke to McGonagall for a while before she moved on to the other members that stood talking in the kitchens.

All was well for what seemed to be the first time in a long while. Each of the dozen or so order members that had chosen to attend the impromptu Christmas Party was both having a merry time and rather tipsy which is a perfect stress relieving combination.

That was until Severus Snape burst from the fireplace both out of breath and even paler then normal.

"Severus!" exclaimed Sirius, now perfectly drunk, "have a drink!"

The tall potions professor looked at his teenage nemesis with a roll of his eyes before returning his attention to the other order members who by this point had all gathered in the dining hall to see what the commotion was all about.

"What happened Professor?" asked McGonagall, reading this situation perfectly.

"I have news" Snape replied grimly, looking over each and every one of the people in front of him.

"Spill it" mumbled Sirius, who was promptly whacked on the back of the head by a certain werewolf.

"Voldemort has made a new alliance" Snape said bluntly, eyes cold.

"With who?" Molly asked, leaning into her husband who had instinctively put a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"You're not going to like it" Snape said, unconsciously glancing toward Merlin and Arthur.

"Oh don't tell me" Merlin said with a role of his eyes.

"So you knew she was back already?" Snape said cooley, wrinkling his nose.

"I had my suspicions but there was no way to be sure" Merlin replied, face expressionless.

"Dear Lord just tell us already!" Arthur yelled in exasperation, frustrated at the private exchange between the two, "don't act like the rest of us aren't in the room any…"

"Morgana" Merlin said, cutting the king off.

"What?" Arthur replied, quietly this time.

"Morgana has returned" Merlin stated, addressing the entire order.

"Your foe from legend?" asked McGonagall, studying the two boys.

"The one and only" Merlin replied bitterly. He looked over at Arthur who had remained strangely quiet.

The king had a look of utter shock painted on his face as he looked down at the ground. When he had prayed for his family to return he hadn't meant this. He missed his knights and his wife. He did not, however, miss one person actually related to him.

"You okay mate?" Merlin asked him quietly.

"Yeah" Arthur replied absentmindedly.

"No" Merlin said, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes. Every eye in the room was now trained on the two boy's quiet conversation.

"I just…." Arthur started, lost in thought, "why did the one person that had to return from our past life have to be someone who would be perfectly happy to see both of us dead?"

"Arthur…" Merlin said, taken aback and looking at his friend with sorrow painted on his face.

"Oh dear" Molly Wesley muttered under her breath, looking at the king with shining eyes.

"Sorry" Arthur muttered, very uncomfortable with his own display of emotion.

"That's 'right mate" Sirius slurred, leaning on Remus who elbowed him.

"I…I miss Gwen" Arthur confessed suddenly, taking the whole order by surprise. Merlin watched his friend with misty eyes before grabbing his arm.

"Fill the rest of them in Severus" he instructed, "just catch us up later."

Snape nodded passively, turning to the rest of the order but staying silent.

"You okay?" Merlin finally asked when they entered the sitting room attached to the dining room.

"Sorry Merlin" Arthur muttered, annoying with the lack of sound coming from the dining room.

"I think they're listening to us" Merlin sighed, sharing Arthur's thoughts.

"Probably, I'm the King of Albion who can't function normally because he misses his wife. It's a little sad Merlin" Arthur laughed, but there was no humor in his tone.

"No one in there is judging you for missing Gwen Arthur" Merlin tried, looking at his friend with caring eyes.

"It's not just Gwen, Merlin!" Arthur said suddenly, "it's Percival and Lancelot and Gwaine and Leon and (other knights) and my father!"

Merlin looked at his king in shock, he had never expressed himself in this way before and Merlin had no idea what to do.

"I miss my life! I miss my crown and my wife and my friends Melrin!" Arthur said, now verging on tears.

"Arthur…." was all Merlin could manage as he began to tear up himself.

"I-I miss the way things used to be" Arthur finished quietly, looking away. Merlin walked over to him quickly and pulled the blonde man into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry Arthur…I'm sorry" Merlin sobbed quietly, "I'm sorry."

Arthur simply wrapped his arms around his best friend's small torso and buried his face into his long brown locks. He had never had to deal with something this difficult and painful before, but the one comfort he had in this world was right in front of him.

"I'm okay" Arthur said finally, but the two did not let go of one and other.

"They were probably listening to that whole thing" Merlin replied.

"Probably" Arthur agreed.

"And that's absolutely mortifying" Merlin continued.

"Yes" Arthur nodded.

"I say we escape as fast as we can" Merlin proposed.

"With no eye contact" Arthur added.

"Agreed" Merlin smirked to himself.

"Agreed" Arthur finally loosened his grip.

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Harry Potter sat perched in a windowsill, five stories above the snowy ground below him. He was wrapped in a thick wool blanket to protect him from the icy chill seeping through the thin glass and stone. The room was dark, absent of lit candles and of light from the sun had not yet passed over the trees to touch the grounds.

Harry yawned and blinked rapidly in the early morning hour. He readjusted his blanket so he could draw out his hand and reveal the flower he had hidden underneath. The pale yellow flower was in the same family as the nightshade, although this type was much less poisonous. Its delicate leaves were paper thin as they fluttered slightly in the draft from Harry's breathing. Harry had found the plant on Neville's desk last night along with extensive notes he had taken in his study of it.

Harry had no idea if his experiment would even work. He wasn't sure if the flower had died the moment he had plucked it from its plant, but he assumed it was alive until it begun to wilt. A few rays of sunlight began to shine though the fogged glass panes as the sun slowly rose higher in the pale pink sky.

The flower detected this immediately as it quickly folded in on itself, forming a shell like exterior so it was now completely protected from the outside elements. That was why Harry had it with him now. _ was a nocturnal plant, as during the day time it would curl down into a tight ball and form a protective, hard coating around itself to completely block out the UV rays of the sun. Harry quickly pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it to the small hard ball that now sat in his other hand.

"(open)" he chanted, and waited to see what would happen. He was disappointed when a moment later he was still met with the small ball in his hand as if nothing had changed.

"_!" he tried again, with more force begin his words. The ball wriggled slightly, but still refused to cooperate with the sunlight that now freely shone though the panes.

"Just open already!" Harry huffed in frustration, putting all his focus on what was the flower only moments ago.

He took a deep breath and drew upon all his magic deep in his core. He felt the familiar buzz of power resonating within him and he placed his wand on the windowsill beside him, putting all his attention on the stubborn flower.

" _" he said, but this time his voice sounded different. The tone was deeper and the words were only whispered into the air around him. Harry felt his power engulf him as he looked at the flower.

He started suddenly as a gold wash filled his vision, disappearing as soon as it had consumed his sight.

Harry blinked rapidly to readjust his eyes and when his vision was finally clear once again, he saw the pale green stem and lace like pale petals of the flower in his hand once again.

The flower shown brilliantly in the morning sun for just a moment before shriveling up into a fine power as it's protective state had been ripped from it.

"No way" Harry muttered, pouring the dust of the flower onto the windowsill. He hadn't meant to kill the flower, but he hadn't expected a night flower to open in the sunlight either.

Harry sat on that windowsill contemplating the ramifications of his new found discovery. His mind inevitably wandered back to the conversation he had with Hermione only a few days ago.

As much as he hated to admit it, something was definitely wrong.

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Well this is probably the fastest I've ever written a chapter before. I guess writing for 5 hours straight on a plane really gets things done. Excuse any errors but I wrote 2/3 of this while extremely tired and I may have missed something while proof reading. Well, hope you guys enjoy and look forward to what's coming next.