Merlin's beard!
‘H-H-Hi’ A bubbly voice said. The ghost floated up next to him and twisted her hair in an attempt at seduction. Merlin rolled his eyes.
‘Myrtle’ He said with a grin.
‘I’m s-sorry’ the ghost whispered, gliding backwards a couple steps. ‘Who are you?’
‘Does that matter?’
‘Are you a friend of…’ she sidled up to the warlock again ‘H-h-harry?’
Merlin snorted, stepping back obviously.
‘I’m a Professor’ he said, voice deep and dangerous.
‘You’re awfully young for a p-professor’
Merlin let out a low chuckle, looking at her with a playful humour in his eyes.
‘Am I?’
‘Yes’ Her voice was bubbly, cheeky, finished off with a high chuckle.
‘I want to ask you about something’
She let out a ghostly, tinkling laugh and flicked her hair, eyelashes batting wildly at the Professor.
‘Anything’ She continued, ‘Sir’ She added in a high, chuckling voice.
Merlin sighed at her, but asked anyway.
‘Where did you die?’
He watched as the ghost clammed up, swooping away from him and backwards.
‘None of your business!’ She snapped, turning her head away.
‘Oh but I think it is, Miss Warren,’ He said silkily, and her head snapped back to face him.
‘How do you know my name?’
He ignored her, leaning against the wall casually.
‘The chamber of secrets had been opened, Myrtle, you must know that!’
She made an indignant huffing noise, and he stared at her, puzzled.
‘I’ve seen a hell of a lot of deaths Miss Warren. Don’t let any more happen that could be prevented.’
She looked at him again, eyes wide and innocent.
‘Who are you?’ She said again.
‘Where did you die?’
She sighed.
‘That cubical.’ She whispered. ‘That one, right there’
Merlin looked towards it, eyes glowing gold as he tried to look back in time, but to no avail.
‘What did you just do?’ Myrtle asked, voice full of fear at the man.
‘Doesn’t matter.’
‘Yes-y-yes it does’
‘Where did the basilisk come from, Myrtle, the one that killed you?’
She flinched involuntarily at the words.
‘I don’t know,’ She replied, looking down.
‘Yes’ Merlin said forcefully. ‘Yes. You do’
‘Who are you?’ Myrtle whispered, eyes filled with tears as she met the man’s eyes.
Merlin scoffed softly under his breath.
‘I’m no one’ he said quietly. ‘Now: where did the snake come from, Myrtle Elizabeth Warren?’
‘How did you-‘
‘Where?’ He said loudly, forcefully.
Myrtle took a shaky breath, pointing at the sinks.
Merlin’s eyes flashed gold again and Myrtle saw it and slid back in fear, disappearing into a toilet.
‘The pipes.’ Merlin whispered in his old language.
‘SHIT!’
Arthur was sitting by his desk grading papers when Merlin popped up beside him, almost triggering a heart attack from the future king.
‘FUCK MERLIN!’
‘That’s the intention’ Merlin murmured, sliding a hand onto Arthurs shoulder and drawing circles with his fingers. Arthur shrugged him off, and spun his chair round to face the warlock.
‘You can’t just appear!’ He yelled in exasperation, ‘I mean what if I was naked?’
Merlin frowned at the man, completely unperturbed.
‘Arthur hon, we’ve been married for 200 years, I think we’re past the stage of modesty’
Arthur went slightly pink.
‘Right…’
‘Prat’ Merlin shot at him
‘Idiot’ The response came just as quick
‘Why did you appear then?’ Arthur asked with a tired sigh.
‘The pipes’ Merlin hissed.
‘What?’ Arthur blinked at him in utter confusion.
‘The basilisk, that’s how it’s moving around!’
Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again.
‘Oh my god’ He whispered.
‘I know’ Merlin whispered back.
‘So…’ Arthur said, pushing his papers to the side ‘What do we do about it?’
Merlin paused for a second before jumping up again.
‘Hermione Granger!’ He yelled.
‘Bit of a cheery way to say the name of the girl practically in a coma, love’
‘Sorry’ Merlin murmured, slightly red. ‘But it is cheery. We can plant note in her hand for her friends to find, a note telling them that the basilisk is in the pipes. That way, they’ll get to the bathroom, talk to Myrtle, and they’ll find the chamber, all without needing to find out about us!’
‘Merlin’s beard, you’re a genius!’
Merlin froze, mouth opening slowly.
‘You did not’ He whispered darkly.
‘Oh my god’ Arthur murmured, a grin forming on his face. ‘I just- Oh my god!’
‘Did you think my Dragoon beard…fetching, Arthur?’ Merlin asked seductively, sitting across Arthur on his chair.
‘Get off me Merlin!’
‘Can’t!’ Merlin was grinning from ear to ear. ‘Not when you think me famous, my beard a cultural icon-‘
Arthur stopped him with a deep kiss, and Merlin grinned into it, wrapping his arms lovingly around his husband’s neck.
‘It was a rather impressive beard to be fair!’ Arthur said huskily between kisses.
‘Mm’ Merlin replied, grabbing Arthurs waist and pulling him closer.
‘Really long’ Merlin murmured, as Arthur peppered his neck with kisses.
‘I love you,’ Arthur whispered, and Merlin shivered into his touch.
‘I love you too’
Because through everything, they were still Merlin and Arthur, and that was all that mattered.
‘That doesn’t matter anymore Harry!’ Ron yelled through gritted teeth.
‘Ron you know it does-‘ Harry argued back in exasperation.
‘Hermione has been petrified, Harry, nothing matters anymore!’
Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron.
‘You didn’t speak to her for a week before she was petrified Ron, and she’s going to be fine, Dumbledore says so-‘
‘Bloody hell Harry!’ Ron spat out. ‘Our best friend is practically in a coma and all you care about is our slightly suspicious professors!’
Harry scoffed at the redhead.
‘Hermione cared just as much! And they’re not slightly suspicious, one of them’s completely bloody impossible!’
‘Sure’ Ron said sarcastically. ‘Why don’t you follow up on that then, Friend, and I’ll go stay with our petrified best friend’
‘Fine!’ Harry said tightly.
‘Fine!’ Ron replied.
The two friends split up, both muttering under their breath as they sped in opposite directions.
‘Shittt’ Merlin moaned at the end of the corridor, burying his head in Arthur’s shoulder.
‘They’ll make up!’ Arthur said, trying to make his voice seem cheery. ‘When Ron finds the note, he’ll have no choice but to show Harry, right?’
Merlin lifted his head up with a glare.
‘He better. Why are teenage boys so immature?’
Arthur just snorted at him
‘You know we were just like that right? Plus we were older so that makes it even worse’
Merlin spluttered at him ‘I was never that immature!’
Arthur just raised an eyebrow at him in disagreement.
It was always at dinner that things went wrong, the immortal couple were discovering. Merlin hadn’t even wanted to go, saying he felt ‘weird’ and had a bad feeling, but Arthur had just figured he wanted to avoid Dumbledore, and dragged him along anyway. So a slightly grumpy Merlin was daintily chopping a green bean when something happened. And as ever, it included Merlin being in pain.
The warlock started breathing through his nose heavily all of a sudden, teeth clenched. Arthur didn’t notice it until a hand dug into his arm, and he turned with a snap.
‘What?’ He hissed at his husband ‘Can you let me go, jesus, that hurts!’
But Merlin didn’t reply, looking into Arthurs eyes instead.
‘Shit’ Arthur murmured, ‘What’s wrong’
He looked down in alarm, making a pained noise as he saw blood pouring from a wound in Merlin’s side.
‘Merls- shit, put pressure on it, we have to get out of here!’
‘It’s not-‘ Merlin rasped out, clawing at his throat. ‘It’s not- It’s not new’
Arthur frowned at him, as Merlin arched his back, a bruised mark appearing on his neck.
‘It’s-‘ He struggled to speak, ‘Everything-‘ He began to cough, and people were starting to notice as he was racked with the painful coughing, teachers turning to ask if he was alright.
‘All my-‘ He breathed in quickly as another injury hit, ‘Wounds, Arth’
Arthur went pale as a ghost, using his body to try and shield Merlin from the concerned glances.
‘We have to get out of here, but we can’t just-‘
Merlin made a pained gasp, doubling over as his chest burned.
‘Arthur!’ He yelled in warning, but Arthur looked around in panic, unsure of what to do.
Merlin grabbed his husband’s arm as a scream ripped through his body and they both disappeared, Arthur realising a fraction of a second before, and putting a hand up to Merlin’s face, hiding his glowing eyes from everyone in the hall.
They appeared in their house, Merlin collapsing to the ground with harsh breaths, Arthur rushing to his side in a blind panic.
‘What can I do?’ He rushed out, and Merlin yelled out again, grabbing Arthurs arm as if to keep himself grounded.
~Bottle~ Merlin screamed into Arthur’s head, as the king jumped up in surprise ~Third drawer on my side~
Arthur frowned, before realised what his husband meant and springing up, running to their bedroom and grabbing one of three blue potions in Merlin’s drawer, frowning at them slightly.
Merlin reached out for it, and Arthur stared, wondering how that strong of a grip didn’t splinter the bottle. The warlock downed it in one with a small wince, closing his eyes until his breathing evened out and the blood seeping into his clothing started to disappear.
Arthur waited by his side, eyes slowly hardening until Merlin sighed, the pain having disappeared finally.
‘Explain’ Arthur snapped at him, and Merlin turned slowly, eyes full of guilt.
‘Arthur.’ He said softly, reaching out a hand.
‘No’ The future king snapped, drawing back from his husband. ‘Explain’ He repeated.
Merlin sighed heavily, ‘I’m sorry’ He whispered
‘No, Merlin’ Arthur spat, ‘What the fuck was that’
Merlin swallowed, looking down quickly, ‘I don’t know’ He murmured, refusing to meet his husbands eyes.
‘Don’t lie to me’ Arthur said, deadly quiet, ‘Never lie to me’
Merlin walked closer to him, ‘I’m sorry’ He murmured, ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you’
‘We’re married, Merlin’ The exasperation in his voice was evident, ‘I love you, I trust you. I’m not going anywhere’ He hissed, ‘So why do you hide things from me? You’re not alone anymore, you have to trust me’
Merlin’s eyes clouded in that sadness, the deep loss that Arthur could never understand.
‘Arthur’ He whispered, and his voice was so hurt, so broken that it almost made Arthur gasp out loud. ‘I want to’ He whispered, voice breaking, and Arthur took him in his arms.
‘I’m sorry’ Merlin repeated, ‘I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m so sorry’
Arthur stroked his hair carefully,
‘We’re in this together Carwr, ok? I’m not leaving you, I swear, I’m not going anywhere, I love you’
Merlin was wracked with silent sobs as his husband held them.
‘I can’t, Arthur’ He sobbed out, ‘I can’t be alone anymore Arth’
Arthur held the man closer, their bodies morphing into one.
‘You never will, love, I’m never leaving’
They held each other as Merlin ran out of sobs and relaxed into Arthurs arms as if he was meant to be there.