Title: Gamma Draconis
Author: WickedlyAwesomeMe
Language: English
Form: Multi-chaptered
Genre: Romance/Hurt and Comfort
Rating: M (leaning towards a milder M, tho)
Warning: Cuss words, major drama, attempts of suicide, innuendos, a sex scene
Pairing: Fem!Merlin/Draco Malfoy
Summary: "In my constellation, you are the brightest star." Draco Malfoy found salvation in the most unlikely place. Female!Merlin. Time Travel Fic. Merlin/Draco Malfoy pairing.

Disclaimer: I neither own Harry Potter nor BBC Merlin.

A/N: Surprise, y'all.

So... I said I'll be on an indefinite hiatus but I cannot get this story out of my head without typing it down. I am miserable and I have 2 exams and 1 report on Thursday but this bloody plot won't stop bothering and I just had to write it. Fear not, I'm already on the last chapter so it will be regularly updated. Besides, this will only consist of at most 5 chapters.

On the strange pairing, I can say I'm fairly surprised nobody had ever thought of pairing this two. I mean, come on, a Dragon and a Dragonlord (in this case, Dragonlady). IT IS DESTINY, I TELL YOU. So Merlin's a female because I do not trust myself in writing slash. I've read tons of them, though, like I said, I don't trust myself. Besides, I'm in a phase where I like Merlin as a girl, so that's that.

I rated this M because there will be a sex scene somewhere... few cuss words and innuendos here and there so I think T might not be fitting enough.

Anyway, do read and drop a review if you can!

Part I. Spring

Merlin shielded her eyes as she looked up at the sky, a wide smile seen on her pretty face.

Surprisingly, King Arthur was strangely in a good mood today, therefore giving her the much needed break she had always craved. 'Thank you, Guinevere,' she thought, absentmindedly swinging her basket as she meandered through the flower-filled meadow. Perhaps, marrying Gwen really brought wonders to the clotpole's mood. His spirit was always through the roof, and Merlin could not help but be infected by her friends' happiness.

Arthur had been through a lot this past few years. He deserved to at least have some semblance of happiness, especially with the person he loved the most.

Now, left with nothing to do, Merlin decided to have some time for herself. The great meadow at the outskirts of Camelot beckoned her for a visit, and with a brief farewell to Gaius, she now bounded out from the castle and into this vast meadow.

This place reminded her so much of Ealdor, her heart ached a little as she remembered her home. Hunith was growing old now, and Merlin worry for her always. But her mother, her brave, strong mother, always reassured her that she could take care of herself and that Merlin must only worry for Arthur, and him alone.

A soft sigh escaped from her lips as she unceremoniously plopped down on the lush field. Now that Arthur is King, Merlin knew he was bound to face more challenges in the future. Thinking about her past adventures with the Once and Future Clotpole, Merlin could not help but scowl as thoughts of possible mishaps were bound to befall Arthur Pendragon.

"I hate my life," she murmured, finally lying down on the ground. Sunlight bathed her face and Merlin once again smiled. Springtime was always a wonderful time of the year, and Merlin momentarily forgot about her stupid king and their stupid destinies.

While she was slowly drifting into a lazy nap, a sudden shout from the nearby forest shook her awake. Sitting up abruptly, Merlin narrowed her eyes and looked around, wondering if she merely imagined the sound. But then, a string of colorful words she had never heard before filled the quiet field and she was intrigued.

The young sorceress slowly stood up from the ground and approached the direction of the sound. Judging from the timbre of the voice, the source was possibly a young male. Suddenly feeling vigilant and wary, Merlin summoned her magic from the inner core of her being in case she needed a release to protect herself.

His voice grew louder this time, and Merlin could already make out luscious blond hair on the man that was so much paler than Arthur's golden ones. Her eyes narrowed in alarm as she tried to quietly approach the panicking blond. But then again, Merlin would not be Merlin without her clumsiness. She almost laughed out loud when she stepped onto an unsuspecting twig and snapped it loudly into two.

The stranger's reaction were instant, for he swiveled around and pulled out an odd stick from his sleeve with frightening speed.

Now that he was fully facing her, Merlin's eyes widened a little at his appearance. The first thing she noticed was his strange garb. She was so used in seeing men in their breeches and tunics and armors, the man almost looked naked with only a thin, long-sleeved shirt and strange, blue trousers.

Her blue eyes met his silver ones and Merlin frowned. He looked too sallow for her own liking, dark bags staining his seemingly smooth, pale face. The sorceress thought he would actually be kind of handsome, if only that haunted look would leave his face.

"Who are you?" he demanded, lifting his slightly pointy chin in the air.

Merlin raised an eyebrow. He exuded such arrogance he almost resembled Arthur. She made a great show of rolling her eyes and frowned. 'Great,' she thought. 'A possible clotpole.'

"Oh, I'm just a maidservant," she told him reassuringly when he still waited for her answer.

His arm, the one holding the strange stick, faltered a bit. "Maidservant?" he asked, now mirroring her frown. "What, are you living in some castle?"

She did not understand the mocking tone he used. "Well, so what if I am?" she claimed back in slight annoyance. As minutes passed by, he was starting to become the prat she guessed him to be. 'Clotpole,' she hissed, crossing her arms defensively against her chest.

His grip on the stick tightened and he now pointed it squarely to her face. "Where am I?" he harshly barked, silver eyes hardening into an unreadable look.

Her magic tingled in alarm at his change of stance. Merlin had this inkling he could hurt her if the situation called for it. "You are in the outskirts of Camelot," she slowly said, watching his expression carefully. To her surprise, his face drew into a blank.

"Camelot?" he asked, almost breathlessly. His eyes never left hers. "Who's the current king?"

"Arthur," she answered without skipping a beat. He sucked in a shuddering breath of surprise. "In fact, I am his maidservant."

He gave her a strange look, his outstretched hand now trembling as he placed it back at his side. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion at his change of attitude. Warily, she watched as he took a few cautious step forward.

"Can you bring me to the castle?" he suddenly asked, his voice strangely tight. "I… I have nowhere to go."

Her mother always told her to never talk to strangers because she could never know their true intentions. Merlin contemplated for a while as she thoughtfully stared at the stranger, trying to gauge what his intentions were. Her magic was still going haywire inside her body she swore her fingertips were already crackling with power.

Finally, she wordlessly nodded her head and turned around. The man fell into step behind her and did not say a word all throughout their journey.

Looking at the vast meadow, Merlin frowned. She promised herself she would visit this place soon.

His name was Draco Malfoy and he was from the future.

His last revelation came as a shock for both her and Gaius, as she decided to bring the stranger into the Court Physician's room. Since he said he had nowhere else to go, Merlin instantly thought of Gaius. He would know what to do.

But then, when Draco Malfoy revealed he was a time traveler, even Gaius did not know what to do with him.

"I can… I can research on how to send you back home," the old physician kindly offered. "I have seen all kinds of magic, but never time travelling. I ask you to be patient while I researched."

He merely nodded his head in reply. Merlin wondered if he really wanted to go home in the first place.

Another intriguing thing about the man was the fact that he was also a sorcerer. The stick he held on tightly apparently was his wand, which piqued Merlin's interest. She heard from before that rarely do sorcerers prefer a vessel, such as a stick or a staff, to channel their magic into. Merlin made a mental note to inquire him about his wand.

Gaius warned him that his magic must be hidden, for Camelot is ruthless for the likes of him. Merlin, with a tight lip, knew she could attest to that.

"I'm sorry," Draco then said, his emotions masked into a blank face once more. Merlin felt a little irritated just staring at it. "I never asked for your names when you graciously offered me some help."

"I'm Gaius, the Court Physician of this kingdom," her mentor answered with a kind, withered smile. He then gestured at the silent maidservant and continued, "and that is Merlin, my ward and maidservant to the king."

She was surprised that his mask of indifference completely broke as he stared incredulously at her. Merlin felt a little bothered by his gaze, feeling her cheeks already coloring in embarrassment. She did not understand why he was looking at her like that.

"M-Merlin?" he asked breathlessly, his gaze never leaving her face.

Merlin looked at Gaius in alarm, but the old man merely looked at them in curiosity.

"Um, yes?" she said, tucking a stray curl behind her large ear.

"Blimey," he sputtered, a wide, disarming grin now stretched widely on his handsome face. Merlin was surprised with the expression on his face, for he had been brooding and silent ever since she found him in the forest. "I-I can't believe it. The great Merlin in the flesh!"

Gaius laughed heartily. "Oh, trust me, lad, if there is a word to describe her, 'great' will not be the first one to come into mind," he cajoled, prompting her to glare at him. Gaius merely gave her a fond smile, and Merlin rolled her eyes, biting her cheek to stop herself from smiling. After all, the Court Physician was right.

"But… but you're a girl," Draco pointed out.

She scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"No offense, but I actually expected a beard," he confessed, his eyes twinkling in humor.

"What?!"

To her surprise, he started to laugh. "Look," he started, trying to appease the infuriated sorceress with a winning smile, "as a wizard, I grew up in a world idolizing Merlin, the greatest wizard to ever grace this world."

Both Gaius and Merlin froze at his claim. Merlin fearfully looked at Gaius as the Court Physician took a step forward and tried to shield her from the blond.

"How did you know that?" she calmly asked, although her heart was beating wildly inside her chest. No one knew of her power, except from Gaius, her mother, and Lancelot.

"Merlin," Gaius warned, throwing her a glare, but she merely shook her head.

Draco's face cleared with understanding. "It's not like I'm going to tell," he snapped, suddenly feeling annoyed. Merlin mirrored his frown. "I told you, I'm from the future. The Great Merlin himself… well herself here is the reason why Hogwarts and other wizarding schools are built to teach people like me."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's all thanks to all-powerful you all witches and wizards alike are able to freely use their magic," he explained, slight exasperation in his voice. "Well Muggles, non-magical people, still do not know we exist, mind you, but we are able to coexist peacefully by being indifferent from each other so I think that's still good."

Merlin, her eyes wide with shock, pushed Gaius aside as she took a few steps closer to Draco. "You mean to say," she slowly started, "that… that magic can be used freely?"

He rolled his eyes. "I did not expect the Great Merlin to be deaf, too," he mumbled, earning him a glare from her.

"Stop calling me that."

"What?"

"That," she said through gritted teeth. "The 'Great Merlin'." She made air quotes, much to his amusement.

"Oh, but you are," he said.

She frowned and crossed her arms, but did not reply.

"Anyway," Gaius said, stepping forward. "Seeing that you have nowhere to go while I try to seek your means of going home, I think it is best if you stay here."

"But Gaius," Merlin protested, turning to face her guardian.

He lifted his already perpetually lifted eyebrow. "You have other suggestions in mind, Merlin?"

Her answer was a mere pout, much to amusement of the blond. She shot him a glare and looked away. Truth be told, she did not really like Draco Malfoy.

"You can pose as my nephew trying to help me with my practice," Gaius continued. "Merlin here is a terrible assistant, so I think you can do." Merlin immaturely stuck a tongue at Gaius' direction, which he pointedly ignored. "How are your potion-making skills?"

Draco smirked. "The only best one in my year," he arrogantly proclaimed. "Though Granger might disagree but really, everybody knows I'm the best."

Merlin tried to stop her urge from rolling her eyes once more. Apparently, somebody finally rivalled King Arthur's gigantic ego.

"Good," the physician said, giving him a parchment of lists of ingredients he needed for his next potions. "Get me these and you can begin brewing."

"I don't receive orders from you, muggle," he spat.

Merlin grew offended for her mentor, but Gaius merely raised an eyebrow. Draco grumbled and sighed, turning around as he now walked out of Gaius' bedchambers.

Once he was gone, Merlin looked at the Court Physician. "I don't think this is a good idea, Gaius."

"Unless you come up with a suggestion, lass, I'll stick with this one."

She expelled a sigh through her nose. "He's not trustworthy enough," she said with a grimace. 'Especially with that arrogant attitude.'

"He needs help," he simply said. "And, aren't you known to be the champion of the lost and downtrodden?"

"Very funny," she replied, plopping down on the bench. "I still don't trust him."

"Well, neither do I, but he needs help," he reiterated. Merlin opened her mouth to protest once more, but Gaius cut her off. "Aren't you supposed to be polishing Arthur's armor right now?"

Her eyes widened in remembrance. "Oh blast," she said, dashing out of the room without a glance back, thoughts of Draco Malfoy now pushed at the farthest corner in her mind.

"How can you do magic?"

When he lifted a blond eyebrow at her question, Merlin blushed. She silently cursed her burning curiosity while she watched him absentmindedly twirl his wand.

"Well, how do you do yours?" he shot back, prompting her to frown.

"Never mind."

He gave her a lazy shrug and went back to gazing outside the large window in Gaius' room.

Merlin sighed and shook her head, once again trying to return to scrubbing Gaius' pots and cauldrons. But then, her eyes would always stray back to the strange blond, and she would once again be consumed with millions of unanswered questions.

A week already passed since Draco arrived and he was still as enigmatic as ever. True to his word, Gaius introduced him as his nephew to King Arthur, asking him if he could be an assistant to old, rickety him. Arthur did not seem to mind and thankfully did not ask too many questions.

Merlin tried to steer clear from him during his stay. He was an arrogant prat, just as much as Arthur, and she'd very much rather deal with only one. But then, of course, it proved to be such an impossible feat, especially because he seemed to spend as much of his time in Gaius' bedchambers as he could. Merlin, having lesser chores too because Arthur and Gwen were still too busy with their marital bliss, found herself constantly accompanying Gaius, and ultimately the blond.

Gaius told her Draco never talked much. He was a brilliant potions-maker, that much they both knew, but he never shared his life from the future. Gaius never complained with his silence, perfectly content in having enough potions to last the kingdom for a year.

But Merlin, being Merlin, was too curious for her own liking. She had this inkling Draco knew of this and enjoyed her inner turmoil.

"My eyes turn golden," she suddenly sputtered out, cheeks gradually turning red with embarrassment.

He looked back at her and lifted an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

She grew redder and sighed exasperatedly. "When I do magic, my eyes turn golden," she further explained. "I don't use… you know," – her eyes strayed at his wand – "I just mutter a spell and magic will be released from me."

He was silent for a while. "Show me," he said.

"I'd rather not," she harrumphed.

A small smirk grew on his face. "I can show you how I do magic if you show me yours," he suggested.

Blast him, he knew how to make the girl more curious. Frustrated, Merlin directed her blue eyes at the pots and cauldrons and muttered, "Béo áfeorme [1]." As her eyes turned golden, Merlin watched the rag scrub the containers until they were spotless.

His eyes were lit as she looked back at him. Merlin felt a little flustered but did not look away. "Well?"

He thoughtfully tapped his wand against his thigh for a while before, with a small smile, pointed his wand in the air. "Expecto Patronum," he clearly said.

Merlin knitted her eyebrows, having not heard of that spell before, but her face froze as a great, silvery wolf appeared. It bounded around, curiously looking at the trinkets inside Gaius' room, before stopping in front Merlin. The wolf silently looked at Merlin for a while, before nuzzling against her neck. Merlin shivered with the surprising sensation as Draco chuckled.

"He likes you."

The wolf turned into mists as Merlin tried to touch him. Her big, round eyes stared back at the young wizard. "That was… that was beautiful," she said breathlessly, standing up from her seat. "You must teach me."

His eyes widened with her plea. "I… I'm not sure if I can," he confessed, a little humbled by her request.

"What language do you use?" Merlin pressed further, ignoring his words.

He looked at her silently for a while. "Depends on the incantation," he said. "You surely use Old English for your spells. The modern ones, the spells we use, have numerous influences from Latin to French to Asian languages. The common ones are usually from Latin. Expecto Patronum roughly translates to 'I await a protector'."

She knew he was looking at her strangely, but Merlin was too delighted to care. Spell books were her constant teacher and for someone to actually share knowledge about the different spells and incantations made her extremely happy. "It protects you from…?"

"A dementor."

"Which is?"

"You ask too much questions, Merlin," he sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Well, pardon me for my curiosity."

He quirked a smirk. "I can't believe I'm giving lessons to the Great Merlin."

"Don't call me that," she scowled.

He merely shrugged.

Merlin released a frustrated sigh and stood up. Seeing that the enchanted rug did all of her chores, Merlin was already done for the day. "Prat," she muttered, turning around and marching towards the door. She heard him chuckle behind her back, infuriating her more.

"How were you able to travel back in time?" she asked him.

He grinned, but it did not reach his eyes. "Magic," he replied.

Merlin frowned. "Gaius cannot help you go back if you don't tell us how you got here in the first place," she lectured.

Draco's eyes dimmed, the strained smile still on his face. "I'm not really sure I'll be welcomed back."

She lifted an eyebrow. "What?"

"Never mind."

"Merlin!"

The maidservant grinned, turning around as Sir Gwaine enveloped her into a bear hug. The burly knight gave her a slight squeeze, knocking some breath off of her, and she laughed.

"Gwaine, I can't breathe!" she gasped, weakly pushing him away.

The knight laughed, his breath washing over her face. "You're drunk," she tutted, grimacing at the smell.

Sir Gwaine finally let go of her and gave her a playful wink. "Well, the lads thought we would finally let Malfoy have a taste of the taverns," he offered.

Merlin frowned and took a peek behind Gwaine. Still afar, she could make out the bodies of Percival, Leon, Elyan, Lancelot and Draco himself. Clearly, they looked a little plastered, their voices too loud in the almost deserted streets. The maidservant rolled her eyes as Percival toppled over and landed squarely on his face. The others boisterously laughed at his misfortune, while Percival tried to lunge at Elyan who was laughing the loudest.

"What did Gaius tell you about staying away from taverns?" she admonished, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Oh, mother, cheer up," Gwaine said with a cheeky grin. "Arthur's busy with his queen, so he does not really need any saving right now. I assure you that any shouts you hear from their bedroom would be purely from pleasure, really."

Cheeks coloring, Merlin looked scandalized. "Gwaine!" she shrilly exclaimed.

"Prude," he said with a wink.

The others finally caught up to Gwaine and all grinned as they saw Merlin. Even Draco gave her a cheeky wink and she, once more, rolled her eyes. "Boys," she muttered, shaking her head in disapproval.

The time traveler surprising grew close to the Knights of the Round Table. Draco, not having anything to do with his time, stumbled upon the Training Grounds of the knights and struck an unlikely friendship with the knights. Apparently, Draco knew how to hold a sword and had been sparring with the band during his free time.

"My father forces me to do swordsmanship lessons," he explained to her one day. "Let us just say I've been practicing ever since. It helps with wand wielding, actually."

"Why are you still roaming the streets at this time of the day, Merlin?" Lancelot, always the kinder one, asked with worry.

Merlin lifted her basketful of flowers and grinned. "I got a little carried away," she merely answered.

Gwaine playfully swung an arm around her shoulder. "Well, I guess you can call yourself lucky for knights will escort you back to the castle," he said, a slight slur in her words.

"Lucky me," she said with sigh, but unable to suppress a small smile. The boys, although rowdy, messy, and drunkards at times, had this soft spot in her heart. Camelot would be bleak if she were not friends with the Knights of the Round Table.

The journey back in the castle was a noisy one. One old lady even had to go out of her house to loudly reprimand the group. But the knights were too happy and Merlin really did not have the heart to scold them.

Merlin found herself at the back of the group, with Draco flanking her side. The blond had been awfully quiet now, and Merlin felt a little awkward. Questions still flitted her mind, but Draco seemed adamant to evade most of them. He was such an infuriating man.

"You have wonderful friends," he suddenly pointed out, breaking the silence.

Merlin gave him a sideway glance. "They're a nice lot," she said with a smile. "Brave prats, really. But they'll have your back even in the bleakest of times." She paused for a moment, watching as Draco smiled at Gwaine and Elyan's petty cajoling. "They think of you as a friend, too, you know."

Pure surprise crossed his face as he looked back at her. "Really?"

He asked it with so much wonder it made her heart jump a bit. "Err, yes," she hastily replied, thankful that the night sky masked her suddenly red cheeks. "They won't invite you in the tavern if they don't treat you as one."

Draco fell silent, his face contemplative. "I've… I've never had friends," he confessed.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

Merlin blinked, eyes fondly looking at the knights. "Well you got yourself a group," she pointed out with smile. "Consider yourself lucky."

Draco did not return her smile.

Merlin took a deep satisfied breath, her right hand shielding her face from the blinding sunlight.

She was in the meadow once more, running away from Arthur's constant nagging for her to be at his beck and call. Thank the heavens above for Guinevere; Merlin could actually have some peace and quiet since Gwen could distract Arthur from his mindless bullying.

With her back on the ground, Merlin finally felt some semblance of peace. The past few weeks had been frustratingly uneventful and Merlin felt very uneasy. Camelot was always bursting with action and adventure, and to be thrown into a peaceful phase promised big, frightening events in the future. Moments like this in the meadow calmed her heart for a while, knowing that she should cherish her time of quiet as much as she could.

A sudden shadow loomed over her face and she frowned. Opening her eyes, she saw Draco's unmistakable grey eyes and blond hair, looking down at her in amusement.

"Gaius said I might find you here," he said.

She made an annoyed sound at the back of her throat but did not reply.

"King Arthur's looking for you."

"What's new," she grumbled, prompting him to smirk.

"You should really go back," he pointed out.

Merlin closed her eyes once more. "In a minute," she said, without any intention of standing up from her position. She was actually planning to take a nap before Draco came.

Silence followed and she thought he left. But then, when she felt his presence now lying down beside her, her eyes shot open and scowled at him. "What are you still doing here?" she asked.

"I need some rest," he merely replied.

"Go away."

He gave her an amused look. "Why?"

"This is my spot," she said through gritted teeth. "Go away."

"The meadow is vast," he pointed out. "Learn to share."

"I don't want to."

A good-natured laugh escaped from his lips and Merlin felt her heart skip a beat. "Great Merlin, selfish extraordinaire," he declared.

"Can you please stop calling me that?" she asked, annoyed.

"I don't want to," he said, echoing her words with a wide smirk.

Merlin turned her head to glare at him. "Prat."

They fell into silence once more, but now Merlin felt restless. She was hyperaware of the man lying next to her and she did not like it one bit. Draco Malfoy infuriated her so; he made her feel confusing things she had never felt before. All she wanted some peace of mind, running here in this meadow to give her some break, but Draco Malfoy ruined it with that pointy, smirky face of his.

"Why are you annoyed of me?" he suddenly asked, surprising her.

Her cheeks colored. She did not know she was that obvious. "I don't know," she confessed. "You're infuriating."

He smiled at her confession. "I've been told I can be if I wanted to," he said, sounding as if she complimented him. "My schoolmates thought I was an arrogant sod, too, really."

She was surprised he offered a small glimpse of his time, albeit a simple, useless one. "Well, they got that right," Merlin replied. "You are one arrogant sod if you want to."

"What can I say," he said with a shrug. "I was raised to be one."

A question sat at the tip of her tongue and Merlin didn't know if she could risk asking him. He always got defensive and evasive every time Gaius and Merlin tried to pry answers from him. Gaius was still at a loss on how to save him because of his secrecy. Apparently, he needed to know how Draco got in this place to direct him in his research. Still, Draco was silent.

"Gaius said he knew of 'Malfoys' of nobility," Merlin sputtered out before she could think about it. Cheeks reddening, she looked away from Draco and cursed her inability to hold her tongue. Her mother once told her she always talked mindlessly without thinking first.

Draco was silent, and Merlin wondered if she had offended him. The blond could be broody at times, and she wouldn't be surprised if he'd shut himself off again.

'I just wanted some peace and quiet,' she moaned internally.

"Yeah, they're most likely my ancestors," he coolly replied.

Merlin turned to face him in surprise. Draco did not seem to notice.

"My mother used to tell me how the Malfoys had some pivotal role during the Arthurian times," he continued, his hand lazily grazing the grass. "They're awfully proud about it, really, boasting how they evaded Uther's ruthless purging of magical humans and beasts alike."

"What?" she asked, amazed.

Draco smiled and looked at her. "My ancestors were a bitch," he said. "Manipulating people for survival. Without them, I'm sure the Malfoy family would be history now."

"So, in the future, are you still of noble blood?" Merlin carefully asked, wondering if Draco's sudden openness would cease.

"You… can say that," he said with a frown. "We're regarded as Purebloods in our time, and I'm quite sure they're equivalent with being noble ones."

Merlin fell silent as she took in his words. She always suspected Draco was brought up in a well-off family. How he carried himself, his arrogance, his rich words… all of them screamed aristocracy and it was scary to think how Draco fitted more as a knight than the others she knew.

"Don't you miss home?" she quietly asked. Cringing, she watched as he schooled his features and hid behind that indifferent mask of his once more.

"Well, I'm not sure they miss me," he snarled in reply. Merlin flinched with the venom in his voice.

The young sorceress swallowed a lump in her throat. "What… what happened to you?" she whispered. "What happened to you back home?"

In times of quiet, Merlin had seen such vulnerable emotions in him. She once confided to Gaius about this, and the Court Physician, worried himself, reckoned that Draco had a rough time back home. The fact that he refused to divulge how he got here in the first place was already a testament to that.

"What's it to you?" he harshly asked with a scowl. His grey eyes dangerously glinted and Merlin smothered a gasp. He could be quite frightening if he really needed to be. She felt her magic surging inside her, waiting to be released in case she needed to defend herself.

"We just want to help," she slowly said. Merlin connected her eyes with his tumultuous ones. "I just want to help you."

"I don't need your help," he snapped, already scrambling on his feet.

Merlin sighed through her nose and also stood up from the ground. 'So much for some peace and quiet,' she thought, berating her loose tongue.

She silently looked at him and felt her heart constricting. She had seen that face before. He beheld so much pain, raw guilt, and vulnerability and Merlin, for the life of her, wanted to help him. "Yes, you do," she whispered, trying to reach out to touch him, but Draco flinched away.

"Well, I don't deserve it, so stay the fuck away," he shouted, giving her the darkest glare he could muster, before turning around and stomping away.

Merlin was left dumbstruck, her eyes watching his retreating back. She only snapped off her stupor when Draco was nowhere to be seen.

She ran a trembling hand through her hair and tried to calm herself down. She had never seen Draco so angry before, and it caught her off guard. 'Good job, self,' she thought, having this inkling that she had pushed him away once more when they were at least starting to become friends.

Sighing in defeat, she sadly looked at the blossoming flowers in the vast meadow. She envied their peacefulness and a small fraction in her, the part that loved to champion the sad and downtrodden, wanted to give some semblance of peace to the troubled blond.

"Arthur said you were busy with a boy," Queen Guinevere pointed out with a wide grin.

Merlin frowned. "What?" she asked, knitting her eyebrows.

"Oh please, the knights were talking about it," her friend replied with a sigh. "Don't deny it."

"I didn't take you as a gossip, Gwen," Merlin said, amused. "A crown changed you."

Gwen blushed and glared.

The maidservant laughed and raised her arms in defense. "All right, all right, gods you don't have to be so frightening about it," Merlin said in amusement. Gwen was the kindest, purest, bravest soul she had never met but she could be a rightful witch when she was angry. Merlin never wanted to be the receiving end of one of her tempers. "But really, you heard wrong, your highness. I am not, and I quote, 'busy with a boy'."

The queen deflated, obvious disappointment in her eyes. "Gwaine said you're always with this boy…" she thoughtfully said. "What was his name? It sounded awfully like dragons?"

"Draco?!" she asked, eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes, that's his name!" Gwen exclaimed. "A rather peculiar one, if you ask me."

Unwittingly, Merlin blushed. Unfortunately, this did not escape Gwen's notice.

"So there's a boy!" she cried jovially.

"NO!" was her vehement reply. Upon Gwen's raised eyebrow, Merlin rolled her eyes. "Okay, so there is a boy, but he's Gaius' nephew."

"And?"

"And we're just trying to help him," Merlin interjected, a tad defensive. "He's a little… troubled. He needs help."

Gwen, ever the romantic one between the two, expelled a dreamy sigh. "I'm sure your help - "

The maidservant groaned. "Oh, Gwen," she cried in exasperation, "don't even think about it."

"What? I think it's a little romantic. You, saving the troubled man. Although normally it's the other way around, you and I both know you are more than capable of saving yourself."

Merlin laughed in embarrassment, silently concurring with Gwen. With her vast and powerful magic, she did not need a knight to save her from the beasts. "Gwen, really, he's just a… just a friend." She almost made a face, not really sure if she considered him as such, much less if he considered her as one.

Gwen gave her a dubious look and shook her head. "Whatever you say, Merlin."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You can be really daft, you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she repeated, a frown marring her pale face.

Gwen merely prettily smiled and shrugged. Merlin wanted to press on, but Arthur suddenly arrived.

"Oh good, you're here," Arthur said, removing his heavy chainmail and plopping them in Merlin's already awaiting arms. "Clean this, and this." He then proceeded to place his crusted sword on top. "I think I've killed too many games today."

Merlin made a face, still not getting the logic behind hunting when all they did was kill innocent animals. "Clotpole," she said through gritted teeth.

"What did you say?" Arthur snarled.

His maidservant made a great show of rolling her eyes. Behind him, Gwen smothered a laugh behind her hand. "Nothing, clotpole," she said, this time a little louder.

"Why you – "

Merlin grinned and immaturely stuck her tongue, dashing out of their bedchambers even before Arthur could throw a pillow to her. She could hear Arthur's shouts of annoyance mixed with Gwen's merry laughter and she grinned.

Merlin glared at the setting sun, her body already sweltering with heat. Spring was coming to an end and summer was arriving.

She hated summer.

Wiping sweat from her forehead, she trudged inside the castle. On her way to Gaius' bedchambers, she greeted some of the knights and servants she came across to. It was more unbearably hot inside the castle, Merlin was forced the remove her neckerchief from her neck. Instead, she loosely tied it around her hair to keep them away from her sticky face.

Merlin planned to have a nap before she served dinner to the royal couple. She knew that Gaius was in the village, giving his last supplies of potions to the village infirmary and most likely tending to the ailments of the people. She hoped against hope that Draco would be away, too, giving her some peace she deserved.

Ever since their little fight in the meadows, Draco had been distant. He spent most of his times in the Training Grounds sparring against the other knights. If not in the Training Grounds, he would be staying with them in the taverns. Gaius had given him an earful most of the time for going home drunk, but Draco seemed not to care at all.

The young sorceress worried if their fight in the meadow suddenly triggered this drunken phase.

She worried for him more, especially since he seemed to be spiraling out of control. She voiced out her worry to the weary Gaius, but even the Court Physician, who seemed to know everything, did not know what to do. Draco was doing fine for months already, but stupid Merlin had to open her stupid mouth.

Sighing, she rubbed her temples and urged her feet to move faster.

She finally arrived and prayed to the gods above Draco would not be inside. But then, when did they ever listen to her? Merlin tried not to look at Draco as she stepped inside the Court Physician's room. Her blue eyes betrayed her, for she looked at the blond, and froze on the spot.

Draco seemed startled with her arrival, a small vial clutched in his hand frozen in the air. Merlin's jaw dropped, recognizing the vial as aconite. Her heart dropped to her feet as Draco snapped off his stupor and proceeded to lift the vial into his mouth.

Horror fueled her to stretch out her hands and blast him away. She flinched, hearing a sickening crunch as his back collided with her bedroom door, and Draco slid down on the floor.

Terrified tears blurred her vision, but she took a shuddering sigh of relief upon recognizing the spilled contents of aconite on the floor.

"Draco…" she called out, cautiously walking towards the blond.

He lifted his face and looked squarely at her. Merlin took a sharp intake of breath, noting the blood dribbling down from the corner of his mouth. But what surprised her more were the anguished tears in his eyes.

More tears escaped from her eyes and she tried to reach out to him. Draco flinched and looked away from her, clear shame now etched on his face.

"What were you thinking?" she croaked. She wanted to reprimand him, to call him an idiot for even attempting to do that, but she could not bring herself to. There was something in his tumultuous grey eyes that tugged the very strings in her heart.

"I want to die," he whispered, voice void of emotion. His eyes betrayed him, though, for they glistened in the room and Merlin did not know what to do.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Merlin crouched down in front of him. "Y-you can't," she said, almost vehemently.

"Why not?"

"You don't deserve to."

A shaky laugh escaped from his bloodied lips. "I do, too," he wryly replied. "You… you have no idea what I did, Merlin. You wouldn't understand."

"Then let me," she begged. "Let me understand, Draco. You need help."

"Nobody can help me."

"I can," she proclaimed with so much conviction. He gazed at her warily and she slightly deflated. "I'll try. I want to."

Gingerly, she placed her hand against his check and wiped a teardrop away. For some strange reason, this gesture increased his tears.

"I had no choice," he whispered, and Merlin did not understand. "They made me do it."

Merlin did not ask any more questions, wordlessly healing his wounds as the man earnestly cried.

Minutes passed, his throat was raw and his eyes were dry. His face was still swollen from all the tears he expelled, but Merlin stayed by his side. She was silent throughout this whole ordeal, offering her presence as a way to comfort him. She did not know what to do, and staying was the only thing she could think of.

"I… I tried to, you know," he suddenly said, surprising her. She directed her questioning gaze at his direction and he sighed. "I tried to off myself back home by drinking unnamed potions." He ran a tired hand against his face. "I thought… I thought I finally did it when I found myself in that vast meadow with those pretty flowers and towering trees."

He offered her a small smile and continued, "But then you came, proclaimed I was in Camelot with Arthur as king and I thought I might have drank some time travelling potion in the process."

"Oh," was her mere reply. She now understood why he was evasive every time they asked him how he travelled back in time.

Minutes ticked by in continued silence. Merlin watched Draco at the corner of her eyes, and was relieved when he seemed to finally calm down. That broken look in his eyes was gone, replaced by exhaustion that seemed to envelop his whole body.

Gaius soon came and he stared at the mess in shock. "What in the blazes happened here?" he demanded, his eyes almost bulging from his socket as he looked at the broken vial of aconite.

Merlin sadly shook her head at the Court Physician while Draco turned to an embarrassed shade of red.

The old man's eyes widened with understanding, until they softened and gently looked at Draco. Wordlessly, he cleaned up the mess they made, while Merlin and Draco looked at him through heavy-lidded eyes.

"I will prepare us some supper," he declared with a smile, now moving towards his small kitchen.

"Thank you, Gaius," Merlin replied. "I have to run some more errands, though, but I'll be quick."

Gaius already disappeared in the kitchen and Merlin stood up. "Will you be okay?" she asked, worried. At least, Gaius was already here while she was gone.

Draco merely nodded his head.

Satisfied with his answer, Merlin made a move to walk towards the door. But then, a warm, big hand enclosed her small, calloused one. She stared down at Draco in shock, her cheeks already tinted with embarrassed redness.

"I… I um," he sputtered, his cheeks matching her own. His grey eyes, now a calming sea of silver, connected with hers. "Thank you, Merlin."

Emotions erupted in her chest and she wanted to cry for this poor boy on the ground. Merlin still had no idea what had happened to him, but she knew… she believed they were too much to break this beautiful, brilliant boy.

Not trusting herself to speak, she merely squeezed his hand and gave a nod.

Draco seemed satisfied with her reply for he gave her a brilliant smile.

'That's better,' she thought, silently vowing to help him in whatever ways she could.

[1] Béo áfeorme – Be clean

A/N: So ehhhh? Drop a review.

I apologize for some grammatical mistakes. I am sleepy af while posting this, so I had no time to make some last minute edits.

My next update will most likely be on the weekend. I really like to hear your opinions on this story (AND THIS SHIP BECAUSE COME ONNNN, IT'S STILL NOT SAILING?)

With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe