A/N: An exciting chapter, this one. It was fun and challenging to write at the same time. Finally, the two worlds merge into one and we get a full crossover! Yay!
And like I said at the first chapter, this is AU!!!! So don't get mad at me for changing things around a little ;)
Bleep! Bleep! Madeline groaned as a noise interrupted her sleep. Coming to her senses, she realized the noise was coming from the headset on her desk. John had given her a radio before turning in last night.
She waddled down to her desk, groggily rubbing her eyes. She slid the headset on. "Why in Merlin's name are you waking me up at this hour?" She asked without thinking.
"Merlin?" John's voice questioned over the radio. She winced as she spoke. Oops. She thought.
"It was a university thing that I never shook off." Madeline explained hastily. "Merlin was our mascot." She sighed as if she was bored with the conversation. "So what's going on?" She asked again.
"You're as bad as Rodney in the morning." Johncommented. "Carter wants us in the briefing room. Apparently Major Lorne's team has some interesting perspective allies for us." He answered before she could bite his head off for wasting her time.
"At three in the morning?" Madeline asked incredulously, glancing at the clock.
"Different time zone on their planet." John explained. "It's three in the afternoon over there." He knocked on her door. She shrugged on her uniform before letting him in. "You ready?" He asked. She nodded, and they headed to the briefing room.
The rest of the team was already assembled by the time they arrived. Madeline and John sat in the remaining seats at the far left of the table. "So what's going on?" Madeline asked, eager to get back to bed.
"Major Lorne brings news of a group that's fighting the Wraith." Carter answered.
"Not just any group," A brown haired man cut in. Madeline guessed this was Lorne.
"How so?" Rodney questioned.
Lorne grinned sheepishly and ran a hand through his hair. Years of training told Madeline he wasn't sure he wanted to explain. Sheppard nodded towards him supportively. " I don't know where to begin," he finally admitted.
Carter smiled understandably. "Just tell them what you told me."
Lorne nodded. "As most of you know, my team and I have spent the last day on P3X-828, known to the locals as Lorena. And in my life, I have not had a more bizarre day." That was saying something, especially after working at Atlantis for so long.
He looked directly at McKay. "What I am about to say will sound crazy, but I swear by God that it's the truth." He paused, planning his next sentence.
"The people of Lorena call themselves witches and wizards. They wear black cloaks, carry magic wands, and concoct potions in cauldrons." He stopped and glanced around, waiting for-
"Impossible." Rodney stated, ending the awkward silence. "Magic cannot exist within the laws of physics."
Madeline rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Dr. McKay. I've read enough of your mission reports to know you lot stretch the 'laws of physics' every day around here." She smiled at Lorne, not sure why she was supporting him when these people could very easily expose her past. "You said these people want to help?"
Lorne nodded. "Madeline, right? Yeah, they really do. They can do some powerful stuff, from what I've seen, too."
"Like?" Ronon asked skeptically.
"We watched a few matches of their school's Dueling Club. One girl literally petrified her opponent, who didn't move until he was released from the spell. Another kid cast a 'hex' that made his opponent spit up slugs for the next hour." He looked around, satisfied upon seeing thoroughly impressed expressions. "If that's what the kids can do, imagine what the trained professionals can do." The others nodded.
You have no idea, Madeline thought. Though she was surprised to discover that these wizards used spells she had seen on Earth, she had expected the possibility of meeting wizards in other galaxies, especially this one. After all, the Ancients were the first wizards on Earth, as far as she could tell - names like Merlin and Morgan Le Fay were well known and well respected throughout the wizarding realm back home. She had thought, however, that magic – like people – would change if it originated on another planet. Obviously she was wrong.
"But how is any of this possible?" Rodney asked in disbelief.
"You can find out when you leave." Carter responded, cutting him off before they digressed too much. Though she was just as skeptical, she knew they needed strong allies. She also knew Lorne well enough to know that he wouldn't make something like this up. "Your team will join s team in an hour to escort Madeline to the planet, who will negotiate a treaty with the Lorenian leader." She turned to Madeline. "Are you ready for this?"
Madeline grinned. "I was born ready, ma'am." It was the truth. As a witch, she could relate to the Lorenians better than anyone else on Atlantis.
"Teyla, have you heard of anybody like these people before?" John asked.
Teyla shook her head. "Only in children's stories."
John looked at Ronon, who shrugged. "There were some warrior's tales back home, but they always seemed like ghost stories to me. Guess there's some truth to them after all."
Rodney laughed. "You don't honestly believe this, do you? Magic does not exist!"
Lorne stared at him hard. "Are you calling me a liar, Dr. McKay?" His voice shook and his face was red with anger.
Rodney sighed. "No, of course not. All I'm saying is that there has to be some sort of technology in play here." Sheppard and Carter groaned.
Lorne shook his head. "I don't think so, Rodney. You'll see for yourself what I mean soon enough." He got up and left the room, slightly appeased but still angry.
John gave Rodney a glare before leaving himself.
"What'd I do?" The scientist asked.
"Honestly, Ronald, think before using your mouth." Madeline exclaimed before dashing out of the room. Who was Ronald? One thing was certain to those in the room: Madeline Marshall was hiding something in her past – something that she hadn't stopped caring about.
Ronon decided he would ask her about it, whatever it was. He had a feeling that their pasts were quite similar. "I'll go after her." He declared, standing. The others nodded. He followed Madeline out of the room.
Madeline didn't stop running until she reached the balcony at the end of the hall her quarters were on. She slunk to the balcony floor with tears streaming down her face, peering at the scene before her. Atlantis was almost as beautiful as Hogwarts, she noted. A new wave of grief shook her body. How could she be so thick? She had just revealed a part of her pas – her wizarding past – to a room full of muggles. She knew they'd want to know who… he was. She'd have to talk about it, something she wasn't sure she could do.
A shadow sent her dread into overdrive. Madeline groaned. The shadow moved forward and its creator slid to the floor beside her. Ronon put his arm around her shoulders. "Do you know what happened before I left Sateda?" He asked, thinking that perhaps opening his past to her would build more trust between them. The diplomat shook her head. "The Wraith attacked my planet. I tried to convince the woman I loved to leave with the refugees. Of course, as a doctor, she wouldn't leave her patients behind. \: He paused, and Madeline looked up. "She died, along with everyone else who stayed."
Madeline searched his face, wondering why he was telling her this. Then it clicked. He had guessed – and rightly so – that Madeline's past was similar to his own. She sighed. His grip was strong and comforting, supportive in every way. It wouldn't hurt to tell him an altered version of R… Ron's death, she decided. As long as she left out the magic part, she could tell him about how he died…
"Ronald Weasley was my best friend all the way through school. Four months after we graduated, he finally worked up the courage to propose to me." She paused, just as Ronon had. "The next morning, he was killed by a… gang. I haven't seen or heard from any of my old friends since then."
Ronon hugged her hard. "Why did they kill him?"
Madeline shook her head, trying to come up with a valid story without going into detail about the war. "Probably because we helped the police capture some of their members." It was true enough. After the war, she, Ron, and Harry had spent most of their time rounding up rogue Death Eaters with the Aurors.
Ronon nodded. "How long ago was this?"
Madeline's vice cracked. "Ten years. I left when I was seventeen."
Ronon realized that she was now the youngest member of the expedition team at 27. He admired her bravery – it had been hard leaving everything behind as an adult. As a teen… the pain would have been unbearable. He thought leaving under her circumstances was rather foolish, though. "Why did you leave?"
Madeline thought for a minute. "I was scared." She finally admitted, shameful of her cowardice. "I knew that the gang would go after me next. That wasn't all though." She conceded. "I couldn't bear being around my friends – they all reminded me of him. My parents… well, they died a few months before." For all intensive purposes, that was true as well. "All the deaths, the constant…." Her voice trailed off. She was getting so close to telling him everything, so close to revealing her true identity.
She looked up at him, pleading, "Don't ask me about my past anymore. I can't…"
Ronon nodded. "I'm here when you're ready."
Madeline shook her head. "It's not just that… most of it's classified. I shouldn't even have told you as much as I have."
Ronon sighed. He understood better than she knew. As a soldier, the Satedan had gone on classified missions that went horribly. Those close to him were always concerned, but eh could never talk about what had happened. He looked at Madeline – so young, so fragile. He handled the terrors of war well, but her? She, he could easily tell, had depended on others to help her cope. Without that help, she couldn't move on. He was sure she had been involved with some kind of war. The signs were all there, the pain and suffering etched clearly on her face. "Do the laws still apply, after all these years?"
Madeline nodded. She was certain the Statue of Secrecy was still in place.
Ronon rested his chin on her head. "When they're lifted, and you need someone to talk to, I'm here."
"Thank you," She whispered, smiling. Though she knew the Statue of Secrecy would never be rescinded, she appreciated his support.
"Dr. Marshall, if you and Ronon will join us in the control room, we'll be on our way." Lorne's voice interrupted over her radio.
"Right, we'll join you shortly." Madeline answered. "We're leaving." She explained. Ronon let go of her and got up. The two went back into the hallway, silently walking to the control room and their next adventure.
A/N: Next stop, Lorena!