Hey everyone. Loving the reviews. I hope you're loving the story so far... but here's a slight twist. I'm terribly sorry if it's not exact when following the King Arthur Movie storyline, but this is my version and so far, you seem to like it. So, enjoy. =]

Chapter Five

Hermione was angry. Seething. She had been tied to a tree – again. Bloody bastards. If Harry and Ron were with her, they'd help her and the three of them would sneak away under the invisibility cloak. This thought saddened her.

Harry and Ron weren't with her, though, and while she had been angry with them – as it really was their fault she'd ended up here – she missed them terribly. She wondered if they were missing her at all. They probably were, she mused. Potions was probably becoming difficult and there was nobody there to stop them bashing one another when the issue of Cho arose.

She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. So far, she hadn't missed home as much as she did now. She'd had no previous time to think; everyday was full of riding and helping people, or running from Woads. But now that she sat alone in the snow, shivering beneath the thin blanket and tied to a tree, she wished she were at Hogwarts, helping Harry and Ron with their assignments beside the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Don't look so happy." Someone said sarcastically. Hermione jumped in surprise. He chuckled and plopped down beside her, settling his back against the tree. "What are you thinking about that makes you frown so much?" Lancelot asked.

She looked up at the stars through the thinning leaves of the tree. "Home." She sighed. "Right now, if I was home, I'd be in the Gryffindor common room, helping my best friends with their assignments." A small smile adorned her face, but faded quickly. "But I'm not home. I don't know if I'll ever get home."

"And where exactly is home?" He asked, looking at her curiously. He hadn't heard anything from the other men about her home and where she came from. He'd be the first to find out, Lancelot guessed, taking a swig of rum.

She sighed again. "Well... I guess that you know I'm a witch, so I might as well tell you. I'm from the future. Britain, to be exact." She smiled at his shocked face and he simply stared. "Yes, I know; hard to believe. But really, in my time, we go to a magical school with other witches and wizards. It's simply amazing. The safest place on the planet... or at least, it was. But that was before the war and now, I think it's on the way to becoming good old Hogwarts."

"War?" Lancelot prompted. Hermione nodded. "Between Wizards, witches and humans?"

Hermione smiled grimly, but shook her head. "Oh, no, the muggles don't know about the existence of Witches and Wizards. It was a magical war, between the good witches and wizards and the bad ones. You see, there was this evil git called Voldemort, who sought to take over the world and kill all those he though un worthy to live amongst the 'Pureblood' wizards." She spat bitterly. "Which included me. I'm what they call a Muggleborn. I was born with non magical parents and for some reason, it makes me unworthy."

"So, you fought for the light?" She nodded. "Well, did you win?"

She smiled again. "Yes, we won. My best friend, Harry Potter was the one who killed Voldemort. Unfortunately," Tears began to gather. It had been a while since she had spoken about the war. Or even thought about it. "We lost many witches and wizards who didn't deserve to die." Her voice was thick with emotion. "Many, many great people." She muttered.

Lancelot looked down at the girl, her eyes full of tears and glassy with pain. "Hey, if it helps, it is a great honour here for someone to die for a cause they believe in. My forefathers have all died in battles and I plan to do the same." He said quietly.

She smiled to herself. Oh, how true it was. "Thank you." She said almost shyly.

"Welcome." He replied, before standing up. "But you, Lady, will not be spending all night out in the snow again." He said, before untying her wrist and pulling her up. "I am a gentleman. Unlike those brutes." Lancelot joked as she thanked him.

Lancelot took Hermione over to a tent where the dim glow of a candle formed the silhouettes of two women. "Lady, I ask your permission to leave another woman in your care." He stated quite formally.

The head of Marius' wife poked out. "If you wish. There is plenty room." She said politely. Her kind eyes scrutinised Hermione before she nodded to herself and held the flaps of the tent open for Hermione.

Animal skins lined the floor of the tent, presumably for a good night's sleep. "Thank you, My Lady." Hermione said, using proper etiquette. "My name is Hermione." She said, acknowledging both women, recognising the wounded woman from earlier in the morning.

"My name is Fulcinia." Marius' wife said kindly, her eyes crinkling as she smiled.

"Guinevere." The other said humbly. Hermione stifled a gasp. Guinevere. The Guinevere. Never in all her life had Hermione ever thought she'd be meeting the wife of King Arthur. Or King Arthur himself, for that matter.

"Pleased to meet you." Hermione said politely, feeling slightly awkward in front of the Queen to be. So this was the true story of how Arthur met his Guinevere. It was... amazingly romantic. Not at all like she had been led to believe. She couldn't wait to tell Dumbledore about this.

"Tell me, Hermione. Why is it you travel with these men? Are they not Knights?" Guinevere asked, curiosity gaining the best of her.

Hermione stared at Guinevere. She was being addressed by Lady Guinevere. "I – uh... well, I can't really say. But they rescued me from the Bishop back at Hadrian's Wall." She said. "Maybe one day I'll tell you."

"Why can't you tell us?" Fulcinia asked, peering at the younger girl. "We will not tell a soul." She looked at Hermione with such honesty that she almost hugged the older woman. "You have my word."

"And mine." Guinevere chimed in.

Hermione sighed. "It's a long story and you must not – I stress, must not judge me on what I say. Please." The two women nodded at her and she felt her heart glow slightly with pride. "Well, you see, I'm a witch." She stated warily, watching the other women for their reactions. They simply waited for her to continue. "And I come from thousands of years in the future. I ended up going into an enchanted forest and somehow, I ended up falling into the middle of a field at Hadrian's Wall." She told them. They listened intently still, not passing judgement just as she had asked.

"When I crash landed, the Bishop saw it and he immediately took things out of context, screaming 'Witch, witch! She must be burnt!' and well, the knights saved me from being burnt, stating simply that I was a woad and must have been spying." She told them of how Arthur had stood up to the Bishop, of how he had made sure she was to accompany them on the mission. When she was done, they smiled at her and took her hands.

Guinevere was the first to notice the lacerations and she ran her finger over them. "If these knights rescued you, then why do they tie you to a horse and mark your wrists so unkindly? Are they distrusting of you?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's that wretch, Horton. He thinks I'll murder him in his sleep, so the Knights do what they can to please him. After all, he is secretary to the Bishop himself." She said, rubbing at the raw skin on her wrists. "I understand that, but honestly, I am getting so entirely sick of it..." She trailed off, leaving her dangerous tone to fade.

Guinevere smiled faintly, her head bowing. She looked up and met the eyes of Fulcinia and they nodded to one another. "I must go now. Hermione, leave this camp and head eighty-six paces into the trees, that way." Guinevere pointed toward the other end of the tent. Hermione nodded and Guinevere stood, smoothing the silk of her skirt. "I shall keep Lancelot busy. Don't worry, you'll return safely."

Hermione stood, too, smoothing out the fabric of her own crimson coloured dress. "Where exactly am I going?"

"There is someone who wishes to meet you." Guinevere told Hermione mysteriously. "Don't worry," She chuckled. "You will be fine. No harm will come to you."

"Okay..." Hermione said uncertainly. "I will be back soon, Lady Fulcinia." Fulcinia wished them both luck, understanding that each woman had tasks to do, and they left, Hermione after Guinevere.

Guinevere began making conversation with Lancelot, and Hermione could sense the tension between them as she walked silently past, wishing she had her wand to cast an illusion spell. She walked in the same silence for eighty paces and stopped, looking for any sign of where her next six paces would lead her. Nothing.

Frowning, Hermione took her final six paces and stood in the silence, waiting. It didn't take long for a hand to land on her shoulder. She squealed in surprise and her body jolted. The deep voice of a man covered in black and blue paint chuckled.

"Hermione Granger." He rasped. "I have been expecting you." He said, bowing his head. "I am Merlin."

Hermione gasped and quickly curtsied. "Oh my goodness, I am so sorry, I didn't recognise you – the books –" She rambled, before he stopped her with a wave of his hand.

He chuckled again, his brown eyes twinkling much like Dumbledore's with mirth. "Calm down, child. I forgive you." He laughed. "But I have a task for you." Hermione nodded eagerly. "Stay with the Knights. Help them. Do all you can to persuade them to fight. Fight for Britain." She nodded, and he continued. "In their hearts, they belong to this land, but in their minds, they belong to nothing. They love no one. No place. Their hearts are darkened and cold."

"What can I do about it?" She wasn't sure where this was leading.

"Change it, Hermione. Save their souls."

"You're beginning to sound like a Christian." She muttered, earning a laugh from Merlin.

"I know you can do it, Hermione. Follow your instincts; I hear they're pretty good." He said mysteriously, much like Guinevere. She was about to ask, but he touched her forehead and a warm shock ran through her body.

She suddenly saw images of swords, shields and other weaponry. When her eyes fluttered open, Merlin was gone and she felt the insane urge to try out her magic.

"Without a wand?" She asked herself. "Wandless magic. Right." Her hand shot out in front of her. "Expecto Patronum!" She said loudly. An otter formed in the darkness, illuminating the trees around her with its eerie blue light. She jumped back in surprise and the otter faded. "Oh Merlin!" She grinned to herself and repeated the incantation. This time, Hermione kept her concentration and the otter ran around the trees, darting in front of her eyes from place to place joyfully.

Hermione smiled and the otter disappeared into thin air. Hermione suddenly felt a lot lighter as she walked back to the camp, knowing exactly where she was going. It seemed Merlin was on her side.