Merlin's Ward - Chapter 1
Hello. I haven't forgotten about my other stories, they're all work in progress. This story isn't new either. I wrote this a long time ago and figured I might as well post it to celebrate submitting my last project of my undergrad.
Hope you enjoy!
Intro:
Morgana was cursed for the evil she has done. The punishment was for her and her descendants to be removed from magic for 1000 years. For not fulfilling his destiny, Merlin was sentenced to walking the earth alone for centuries. Hermione is first magical descendant of Morgana in hundreds of years. Merlin takes it upon himself to teach her until she goes to Hogwarts.
...
They say Spring is a season of hope, and today was the first day of spring. When he set his eyes on her, to Merlin it felt like the sun started shining again after hundreds of years of rainy days.
He entered the seemingly abandoned playground, and slowly walked up to the swings. Every next step as careful as the last, anxious the sight before him would disappear, proving to be only a trick of a centuries old and lonely mind. Was his mind playing tricks on him or was this impossible scenario real?
"Do you mind if I join you?" Merlin asked, making eye contact with the girl who sat on the swing.
She blinked up at him from her long eyelashes, as if assessing the moment, weighing her options. She nodded her head to signalise he is welcome to sit next to her. Merlin slowly sat down on the swing to her right.
His breath sped up for the first time since the 1939. Was he feeling nervous because of what he just saw her do? Or because he hasn't spoken to anyone in many years, and his remaining social skills declined enough to chip away at his self-taught confidence, in the face of having to verbally communicate with a little girl?
He winced at his own ability to infiltrate and analyse every behaviour of his own body and mind. Merlin let his breath out slowly and turned to finally address the girl.
"It's a cool trick, how did you learn to do that?" He asked with a transparent enthusiasm.
"Aren't you scared of me mister?" She looked at him curiously.
"Because of that?" Merlin pointed at the magical dancing leafs. She nodded.
"No. I think it's amazing." He confirmed.
"I think you are the first one to like them." She said quietly.
Right... She was barely 7 years of age, if he remembered correctly. Seven years is enough time for cold dry exposure to muggle's fearful reactions, assuming her magic didn't just develop yesterday. Which was unlikely, judging by how skilfully she handled those leafs, making them dance in the air like little ballerinas.
But if her abilities have been around for some time now, how could he have missed it? Have his emotions clouded his judgement enough to neglect his primary duty of safeguarding Morgana's descendants?
Perhaps secretly checking in on them from afar wasn't enough anymore.
They sat in silence like that, for few minutes. Enjoying the day, together, one as lonely as the other.
"It's none of my business but, It's Thursday today. Shouldn't you be at school?" He asked casually. He instantly regretted it when she frowned like a hurt puppy. Merlin's heart was not immune to little girls frowning in hurt - especially little girls with magical ability.
"My classmates won't play with me. They say I'm weird, and that strange things happen when I'm around." She explained.
"I see." As expected, the magic was already proving to make this little one's life difficult. "But won't you get in trouble?"
"I think the teacher prefers when I'm not there"
"Why do you think that?"
"She always looks at me funny."
"How does she look at you, exactly?" He furrowed his eyebrows in deep thought.
"Like she's scared of me."
There.
There it was.
A single information that solidified his plan, it was all Merlin needed. Suddenly it was not the case of whether he should intervene, but how soon should he.
The sooner the better, he decided.
"Can you do, more?" He asked intrigued with her skill. She reminded him of himself when he was her age. Perhaps this nostalgic feeling was why he felt so guilty and so responsible.
"More?" She looked at him surprised. No one ever asked before, nobody was ever interested in what she could do.
"Mhm." He smiled encouragingly. But suddenly the spark in her eyes was replaced by entirely different reaction.
"I shouldn't." She looked down, deflated.
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me. Why would you think that?" He asked lightly, yet slightly concerned.
"Once, when I was angry I said to Amber that I wish mice would eat her, and the next day she came to school with small bites all over her body."
Oh.
He understood her reluctance now.
To a young girl such accident could be pretty traumatic, she'd blame herself for causing harm to her friend. But having such connection with the natural world, with old magic...
"That's impressive." Slipped out of his mouth.
"But it was wrong. I did something bad." Hearing her say this was on some level reassuring to Merlin. He observed many of Morgana's descendants and while most of them were good natured and honest, there were a few dark characters out there, addicted to commanding great power and attracted to the darker ways of life.
Merlin would never assume this little, obviously kind girl was naturally capable of true evil, but his caution that came with age couldn't help but warn him of circumstantial slip up of one's character. Morgana herself wasn't born evil, it was loneliness and fear that pushed her onto the dark path. And Merlin swore he would never let it happen ever again.
"It was an accident, and accidents happen when we're not in control of something." He told her. "Has there been any more, accidents?"
"Once I accidentally pushed a glass off the table, I caught it with my eyes for few seconds before the water splashed onto the floor. Then, I set our fire place on fire by looking at the wooden blocks."
Stopping time, and igniting fire. This was starting to feel awfully familiar.
"Like this?" Merlin asked and extended his fist to her. Her eyes went wide as he opened his hand.
In the palm of his hand a small flame of fire was dancing.
Merlin smiled when he saw the way she was looking at the flame in his hand. The flame was gone when he closed the palm of his hand, but not Hermione's amazement.
"Can you teach me, sir?"
He wanted to laugh out of happiness. How long has he waited for this day!
"You can call me Merlin."
"It's nice to meet you Merlin. My name is Hermione."
Thank you for reading! Until next time.
Liv x