AN: I don't own either HP or Merlin.

I figured since Katie McGrath plays Morgana in Merlin, I'd use a redhaired Hariel for this one. My face claim for redhaired Hariel is Eleanor Tomlinson in 'Poldark' for Hariel.

Morgana flinched, her eyes widening, as King Uther stood up from his table and walked out of the great hall. The last few guests had left a few minutes earlier and Arthur had already left, Merlin at his side, to go to bed. Gwen was busy in the kitchen so she was alone as she stood up and walked through the hall, her heart beating fast.

The King thought that someone was after her, that someone had gotten into the castle undetected and tried to kill her. The fire that had burned in her room last night had left him anxious and nervous and as was becoming more common, Uther had come to the conclusion that it was a sorcerer. The evening sky bloomed around them through the windows, covering the castle and the town beyond with darkness.

Morgana stood up from the table and walked out as the servants started to clean up, heading out of the dining hall and out into the hallway. She shivered slightly, slowing down on purpose just so it would be a little while longer before she went to bed. Her nightmares had begun last year and then they had… increased in tension and accuracy over the past moon.

And… she didn't know what to think. She yawned even as she glanced through the balcony windows, looking out into the night sky over Camelot. The town was quiet though she could see the few taverns were doing well, loud with music and laughter.

"Oh, excuse me, Lady Morgana! Didn't see you there!"

Morgana turned around, her heart jolting within her chest, and saw the newest servant in the castle. The woman stood before her and made a slow, clumsy attempt at a curtsey.

The woman had long wild, red hair and bright green eyes, and a scar on her forehead. The scar drew Morgana's attention very easily, her eyes following the raised skin as it forked downward on the woman's skin. The woman was about Morgana's age, perhaps twenty years old or a year older. She was wearing a simple beige colored dress, with a red lioness rearing on it, curled around her body. The animal seemed to weave over the fabric and Morgana's lips twitched at the sight.

Morgana met the woman's eyes, seeing her green eyes soften.

"It's no worry, Hariel. I was just heading back to my room. Did you need something?"

Hariel looked at her, her eyes narrowing before shaking her head. Morgana stared at the other woman, remembering the day last month when Hariel had joined the castle servants. Hariel had been staring at her while the head man had been giving her a tour of the castle. They had run into Morgana while on tour and they had locked eyes. Hariel's had been narrowed, her shoulders stiff. "Did you need something, Lady Morgana? I am here to help after all."

"No. I should be getting to bed anyway. It is late."

Hariel dipped her head in a nod and began to turn away, sparing her one last glance. Morgana watched the other woman go before heading back to her room, hearing Arthur yell for Merlin another time. She wondered what the boys were getting up to tonight and wondered if they had realized each other's feelings yet. She smiled a little and walked on, trying to keep her mind on more happy thoughts.

The crackle of flames woke Morgana up and she yelped, her heart immediately galloping within her chest at the sight. The curtains on her windows were on fire, her window was open and the flower vase was fallen. The candle that she had requested be put out was on fire and she bolted out of bed.

"Help!"

Morgana stood in the middle of her room, drawing her blankets around her. She tried to croak out another plea for help, her voice drawn and hoarse. "H- Help!"

Her door budged open a minute later and it was not Gwen that came into her room but Hariel. The young woman stared at Morgana for a second before moving into action, ripping the curtains down by hand and stepping on them, taking the vase of flowers and pouring out the water right onto the flames.

"What… What's happening..." Morgana trailed off, her voice hoarse.

As soon as the fire was out, Hariel turned to stare at Morgana, her eyes wide. "Morgana…"

"What's happening to me?"

Hariel blinked, sucked in a tight breath, before turning to look back at the door. Morgana distantly watched as Hariel walked over to the door, closed it, and slowly padded back to stand in front of her.

"Morgana… You don't know, do you?" Hariel murmured, reaching out slowly and drawing Morgana's hands into her own. Warmth invaded Morgana's skin at the touch, feeling Hariel begin to rub circles into her palm. Her world narrowed down to Hariel's fingertips, the light scritch of her nails tracing patterns on her skin.

Morgana stared at Hariel, feeling the other woman's hands tremble or was it herself that was trembling? She shuddered and met Hariel's eyes, tried to catch her breath and failed.

"Morgana, I need you to breathe," Hariel whispered, transferring her hands to one of her own and reaching out to place a hand on Morgana's chest. "Breathe with me. You're safe. Breathe."

"What…"

Morgana stared right into Hariel's eyes, trailing over the way most of her red hair was in a braid and that a few strands had already escaped. Hariel looked… beautiful in the moonlight, in a way that sometimes she thought Gwen was. She focused on her breathing, inhaling and then exhaling after a beat or two.

"That's it," Hariel murmured, pulling her hand back. "I… You're alright."

"Do you know what's happening to me? Is it…" Morgana trailed off, glancing at her hands as she shivered. Hariel still held her hands within her own as she met her eyes. "It's not…"

"First off… you're not a freak," Hariel remarked, raising her voice a little. "Second of all, magic is not a bad thing."

Morgana's eyes widened even as she heard a little shakiness in Hariel's voice at the word freak. "Magic?"

"Not a bad thing." Hariel looked at her before sighing. "And you… You have it."

Morgana stared at her and swallowed, took in a deep breath. "I… I have magic?"

"Yes. That's what's causing your prophetic dreams and the fires."

Morgana stared at Hariel, blinking once, twice, before slowly shaking her head. "No. No, I can't have magic. I can't. Uther would…"

Hariel rolled her eyes, muttered something under her breath, and Morgana's eyes widened as a bright blue stag leapt from the woman's hands. It was light and see through and gorgeous as it whinnied eerily, loping around the two women. The stag's eyes softened as it halted next to Hariel, peering at the red haired woman expectantly.

"Just showing you off, Prongs," Hariel whispered, meeting Morgana's eyes steadily. "Magic can be a beautiful thing. It's not just whatever your father says it is. It can be ugly, yes, but it can also be brilliant."

Morgana shuddered even as her heart slowed down, her shoulders loosened, and her breathing evened out. She felt… safe and warm and… comfortable, more comfortable than she had felt in quite a few days. She sighed, watched as Hariel withdrew her hand and pulled away. Morgana flexed her fingers as Hariel's warmth lingered, the other woman's words echoing in her mind.

"I have magic?"

"Yes."

"And you do too."

"Yes. The stag is called a patronus," Hariel explained, shrugging as she reached out a hand to lightly tap the stag's antlers. "It can be a shield against dark creatures or it can be used as a messenger."

Morgana stared at the stag, watched as it bent its head to her before turning to look at Hariel. "You are not just a servant, are you?"

Hariel blinked before shaking her head. "I… it's a long story but I am also a witch. I was born with magic and you were too."

Morgana sucked in a tight breath at the words, at the confirmation that yes, she did have magic. She wasn't going crazy. She let out a little laugh, relief entangled within it, and Hariel smiled a little.

"How… How am I supposed to keep this a secret? Uther hates magic. He thinks that all sorcerers should be put to death regardless of whether or not they have done wrong."

"You need someone to teach you control. These incidents are just your magic growing more and more. And… I hide it from him and everyone else. I just don't talk about it to anyone else."

"You are talking about it to me," Morgana remarked, crossing her arms. "You were brave."

Hariel snorted quietly, her eyes darkening before she sighed, running a hand through her braid. Morgana grinned a little as the woman brushed even more hair out of her tie. It seemed Hariel didn't care at all about her appearance. "You… You are a special case."

Morgana blinked and watched Hariel for a few minutes, glancing down at her hands. There was something in the woman's voice that she didn't know quite how to decipher. Something cautious and yet… wistful.

"Why are you really here?" Morgana asked, her eyes narrowing. "Why help me? You could live with the Druids."

"I… Do you want me to be honest?"

"Yes."

"I…" Hariel started wearily. She took a breath, swallowed and continued. "I come from the future and in my future, you arrived in my time and… destroyed everything."

Morgana froze, her heart skipping a beat. "What?"

"In my time, when you and I first met, you were out to destroy my world. I took the only path available to me and I traveled back in time to before you turned. Classic trope I know. Hero goes back in time to stop villain. Hero watches villain before she or he becomes villain. Hero falls in love with villain. It doesn't really happen."

"What are you talking about?"

Hariel's lips twitched up and her cheeks reddened slightly. "I…"

"You… love me?"

Hariel's cheeks reddened even further. "Can we forget I said that and skip right back to the magic bit? Or the time travel part."

Morgana stared at the woman across from her, at the brilliant blue stag. "Villain? I was going to destroy your world?"

Hariel sighed and stayed silent for a minute before she slowly dipped her head in a nod. "Yes. My time is hundreds of years from now though and I think…. Well, I didn't know you didn't know about your magic. I thought you knew in this time."

Morgana shook her head. "Gaius has never… Merlin's been the same."

"Merlin! I thought he would have…" Hariel trailed off at Morgana's expression. "'S not my secret to tell is all."

"Your secret?"

"Uh… Your magic. I'm not going to tell anyone about it." Hariel looked at her and then spoke something else under her breath. The stag vanished and the room was suddenly darker, more ominous. "I know this is a lot. I'll leave you to it."

"Is there something you can do to stop me from setting the curtains on fire?" Morgana asked, her voice as shaky as her hands had been.

"I can ward your room, sure. Or perhaps… There is a charm or two that I know of that will keep your magic in. If you have a favorite bracelet or something…" Hariel stopped then shrugged. "I can spell it. Morgana…"

"Do you have the time tomorrow to talk?"

"Yes. I do. What of it?"

"You said I would need to find someone to teach me."

Hariel nodded, her eyes narrowed.

"I will be going out for the day tomorrow. You can pack some food for us and we can talk in peace outside of the castle."

Hariel grinned a little and then dipped her head in a nod. "Yes, my lady."

"And… talk about you teaching me control and all about magic itself. I want to learn."

Hariel blinked and nodded again.

"Hariel…"

"Call me Harrie. It's what my friends call me."

Morgana nodded, focusing on her breathing and on what had just transpired. "Harrie. Alright."

Hariel's lips twitched into a soft grin, her cheeks darkening just a little bit.

"Thank you," Morgana whispered, just loud enough that Harrie would hear her.

"You're welcome."

Merlin ducked behind a tree to watch as Morgana dismounted from her horse, tied it to a tree, and ducked under a low lying branch. There was another horse already tied to the same tree, one that looked a little odd. As his eyes moved off of it, the horse's sides flickered in and out of sight, with feathers appearing on the horse. Its' front feet and head were also the same way, flickering in and out of his vision.

The horse was dappled grey otherwise, a pretty but far from unusual color.

Morgana had been trotting out to have lunch out in the country every week on the same day and at the same time for the past three months. And Merlin suspected… Well, he didn't know what to suspect. She had been having far less nightmares since that one night several weeks ago and there was an odd glint in her eyes now, more confident and sure of herself now than she had been. Gaius didn't know what to think when Merlin had brought it up and even Arthur was a bit suspicious of his friend.

Merlin ducked under another tree, keeping himself hidden from view, and took in the small clearing in front of him.

Morgana sat on a blanket in the clearing and one of the servants of the castle sat with her. Merlin ran through what he knew of the household and recognized her, the young woman with the fire red hair and the bright green eyes and the scar on her forehead. She was talking animatedly with Morgana, gesturing a little with her hands.

Merlin wasn't close enough to hear either of them talk but he knew enough to realize that both of them were safe. Morgana wasn't in any trouble.

Morgana was smiling widely, her shoulders loose and her arms by her sides, as she watched her friend talk. Merlin watched as she shuffled closer to Hariel, her cheeks dusted with pink.

Hariel said something and then quieted down, watching Morgana expectantly, patiently. Merlin tilted his head in confusion as neither woman talked and with as little space between them as there was, he was unsure what was going on. And then… Morgana spoke two words and her eyes flashed before a brilliant, silvery doe leapt from her hand.

Merlin froze, his heart jolting in his chest at the sight, as he watched the doe circle around both women. His own magic tingled a warning at him and he ducked deeper into the bushes than he had been, still keeping an eye on Morgana and Hariel.

Morgana was laughing excitedly, her eyes wide with awe. Hariel was looking on, her green eyes fond and Merlin sighed, wishing… that Arthur could look at him like that. Morgana had clearly been told about her magic and he wondered who this Hariel was.

As he was about to turn away and head back to the castle, he saw Hariel reach out an arm to cup Morgana's cheek. Morgana froze a little and then sighed even as Hariel leaned in and pressed her lips to Morgana's.

Merlin turned away after that, ducking back through the bushes and headed back to Camelot. He didn't know what to tell Arthur or Gaius but he figured he would make something up to cover for Morgana's weekly outings.