The Emrys's at Hogwarts

Merlin and Arthur were at breakfast laughing and joking with each other, but all the time Merlin felt Albus’s eyes on his back. After 20 minutes he turned, much to the surprise of the headmaster.
‘Slytherin,’ he said softly.
Albus blinked at him in confusion.
‘I’m sorry?’ He asked slightly perplexed. Merlin sighed.
‘You’re clearly not going to stop staring at my back unless I give you something, so Slytherin.’
Albus raised his eyebrows, surprised and Arthur stared at his husband, just as surprised.

‘You know…’ Albus said gently, ‘I was thinking Ravenclaw.’
Merlin quirked his eyebrows. ‘Oh?’ he prompted.
‘You have a wisdom about you, an almost unexplainable intelligence, one I’ve only ever seen in Ravenclaws.’
Merlin nodded.
‘I often get pegged for a Ravenclaw. It’s the simple conclusion,’ It was a dig at Dumbledore, but one the old man choose to ignore.

‘You are a lot of things Myriddian,’ Albus said, deep in thought, ‘But I never pegged you as someone who would put themselves first.’
‘Oh I’m not’ Merlin said with an easy smile, ‘But I’m confident. Cunning, and pretty damn good at staying alive even if no one wants me too.’
Beside him Arthur stiffened at the words, swallowing quickly as he slipped his hand into Merlins.

‘And you’re a leader’ Albus said gently, but to his surprise Professor Emrys let out a bright, tinkling laugh, as did his husband.
‘Oh no,’ Merlin said with the amusement clear in his voice, ‘No, I’m more one to stand behind and help. More the right hand man type.’
Arthur choked on his drink conveniently and Merlin snorted at him.
‘Believe it or not, Arth is more the leader type.’
Albus didn’t see anything suspicious in the sudden coughing fit Arthur went through, Merlin hitting his back lightly until he could breathe properly again.
‘Right hand man?’ Albus continued, looking into Merlin’s sparkling eyes, ‘That’s more Hufflepuff. And your strength, bravery, that’s more Gryffindor.’
Merlin smirked at the man playfully.
‘No one can truly be just one house now, can they.’
Albus smiled politely, even though the whole point of the houses was that everyone fits into just the one. Myriddian was a constant mystery, and the more he learned about him, the more he seemed to want to know.

‘Are you really?’ Arthur asked Merlin a few seconds later, reverting to their old language.
‘No idea!’ Merlin replied brightly.
‘What?’ Arthur hissed, ‘What do you mean no idea?’
‘I tried once, you know. Put the hat on’ A strange, sad expression took over his face, ‘It couldn’t choose one.’
Arthur frowned at Merlin, he hadn’t realised his husband never got sorted.
‘Why couldn’t it?’
A flash of something almost painful passed over Merlin’s face.
‘Why do you think Arthur?’ He sighed, ‘I’m completely impossible. Always have been. I can’t fit it one.’

Arthur scoffed, ‘Did you ever consider’ he said softly, ‘That you’re too possible? That you fit into every house?’
Merlin frowned at him, the very picture of confusion.
‘Merls, you’ve everything’ Arthur said, voice gentle. ‘Cunning, brave, loyal, confident, smart, kind, selfless, everything. You can’t get sorted because you fit too well.’
Merlin frowned again, thinking hard at this idea.
‘No way.’ He said with a snort. ‘I’m far from all of that. I mean selfless? Please. Kind? No way.’
Arthur stared at his husband, completely shocked by the words he was hearing.
‘You’re kidding.’ He said, matter of factly.
Merlin frowned at him again.
‘Merlin’ Arthur said, voice full of shock, ‘You must be kidding. You’re the most selfless person I’ve ever known, and the damn kindest person ever to exist, you must know that!’

Merlin looked like a deer in the headlights for just a moment before he regained his composure.
‘No Arthur. You’re wrong. You didn’t see me all those years, all the years I abandoned everyone, left them to die. I was pretty damn selfish then.’
Arthur shook his head. ‘No way. You don’t get to blame yourself for that, love. You cant blame yourself for that, ok, you just can’t.’
Merlin just shook his head, a gently sign that Arthur should drop it. Arthur sighed, but complied.
‘Why Slytherin then?’

Merlin paused before replying.
‘It’ll stop him from talking to me as much. Albus.’
Arthur snorted at his husband.
‘He’s a perfectly nice man’ Arthur told Merlin, goadingly.
‘He acts like I’m a puzzle and he’s hellbent on solving it.’ Merlin grumbled.
Arthur just raised his eyebrows at his husband.
‘You are a puzzle honey’ he said, truthfully.
Merlin just slapped him.

Hermione was explaining all about her talk with the new professors to Harry and Ron in a hushed tone as they ate breakfast.
‘So, what’ Ron said, part way through a sausage, ‘You interrupted the new Professors having a make out session and learned absolutely nothing?!’
Hermione scoffed at him.
‘Don’t talk with your mouth full Ron!’ She snapped at him, but he just rolled his eyes at her. ‘And I wasn’t finished,’ she hissed.
Harry leaned in as she lowered her voice even more.
‘I was looking into the thing that Pend mentioned last night, druids? Well turns out, that gave us everything we’re looking for!’ She whispered, sounding rather impressed with herself.
Harry waited for her to continue, and when she didn’t he prompted her,
‘Well?’
Hermione cleared her throat, ‘The druids were a magic practicing community, who effectively worshiped a magic user, a magic user they called Emrys.’
‘What?’ Harry hissed at her, ‘Like Professor Emrys?’

‘Well I doubt it’s a coincidence!’ She said excitedly, ‘That must be where his connection to the old religion comes from, I mean his family has to be the oldest magic users ever!’
‘That doesn’t explain how he knew though, I mean how could he know the old religion is calling out or something?’

Hermione frowned,
‘Well maybe he more than knows it, maybe he practices this old kind of magic? You heard it yourself, Dumbledore said he was super powerful, maybe that’s the reason?’
‘But’ Ron said, swallowing down a huge mouthful of scrambled egg down when Hermione shot him a look, ‘I thought you said the old religion dyed out forever ago, how could he be using it?’
‘I don’t know,’ Hermione said with a frustrated sigh, before looking over at the Head table. Dumbledore was talking with Myriddian, looking surprised and intrigued at whatever the man was saying.
‘All I can say is… Myriddian Emrys? He doesn’t make sense at all.’
The other two nodded in agreement.
‘So what our next step then?’ Harry asked, sipping his orange juice seriously.
Hermione looked down,
‘Well there’s nothing more we have until you ask Pend about the name he called Emrys, so you’ll have to do that today. And really, we’ll have to focus on this whole Heir of Slytherin thing, because who knows what the chamber of secrets will cause next. Oh! We really do need to research about the chamber as well’

Ron groaned into his third slice of toast.
‘Seriously? ‘ He asked mournfully, ‘I feel like all we ever do is research!’
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
‘Ronald Weasley’ she hissed, ‘Don’t act like you’ve done a shred of research since this all started!’
Ron looked down, cheeks slightly pink with embarrassment as Harry snorted at him.
Hermione turned to the head table, regarding Myriddian Emrys with a frown. There was something about the man, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on…