Disclaimer: I only own the plot. The rest of the characters do not belong to me.

A/N: SO HI :D Just so you know, it was never really my intention to write a Hermione/Arthur story. After all, I'm a hardcore Hermione/Merlin fan because, well, this pairs makes more sense. I mean, Hermione and Merlin had so much more in common than Hermione and Arthur. I am also an avid fan of Arthur/Guinevere and I hope they live happily ever after in the TV series and make wonderful babies.

BUT THEN BAM XD I read a really wonderful Armione fic somewhere in livejournal (can't remember who the author was) and watched a couple of AWESOME Armione videos in youtube. So, let us just say I kinda fell in love with this lovely pair, too.

So yeah, here's a two-shot. Read and review afterwards! Enjoy! :D

Title: A Place to Belong
Author: WickedlyAwesomeMe
Language: English
Form: Two-shot
Genre: Romance/Drama
Rating: T, just to be safe
Warning: Language use, I suppose. Maybe heartbreak too :(
Crossover: Harry Potter/BBC Merlin
Pairing: Arthur Pendragon/Hermione Granger
Summary: "I don't belong here," she whispered yet again. Arthur looked up at her, noting how her eyes shone with the tears she desperately held back. Of course he knew she did not belong here; she never failed to repeat it every day, hoping to push him farther and farther away from her. But the way she looked at him spoke of the undeniable secret only he and she shared – her heart already belonged to him. HP/Merlin crossover; Armione.

A Place to Belong by WickedlyAwesomeMe

Part I

"Merlin," Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot exasperatedly claimed. His idiot of a manservant sheepishly smiled and urged for his horse to trot farther away from Arthur so as not to bump against his horse again.

"My apologies, sire," Merlin murmured, looking anything but apologetic. Ever since they started their little journey around the Darkling Woods, Arthur thought his manservant was doing everything, and he meant anything, just to annoy him.

Arthur was not exactly in a wonderful mood as of late, and he knew Merlin was merely trying to cheer him up. 'He is a good friend,' a soft voice whispered inside his mind and he sighed, resignedly concurring. It was undoubted, of course, but that did not exactly mean Merlin was helping him from nursing his broken heart. That was why, it startled him when his manservant chirpily voiced out his desire to hunt for the day.

"You don't like to hunt, Merlin," he answered back, brooding, and lifted an eyebrow when Merlin embarrassedly blushed. After that, a furious babble spilled out from Merlin, and he was not even making sense at all. But then, due to an inkling that a headache was about to form because of Merlin's incessant talking, Arthur finally agreed.

Somehow, he was starting to regret it.

The Darkling Woods held memories, too many memories, and he couldn't help but be embittered by the scenery. His hunting tools were all stashed away inside a small satchel Merlin surprisingly prepared, purposefully neglected by the prince. Truthfully, he wasn't really in the mood to hunt.

"Arthur, do you want to talk - "

"Shut up, Merlin, I don't," Arthur said through gritted teeth. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Merlin instantly clamping his mouth, dejected, and Arthur instantly regretted blowing up at him. Sometimes, he wondered as to why Merlin still constantly flanked his side despite the prince's terrible temper. He knew he had given Merlin a hard time for the past few years he worked under him and although he always promised to himself to lessen the burden of his loyal servant, this childish and irrational side of him always hindered him from doing so.

"Forgive me," he said without wavering. Merlin's eyes widened in disbelief and in spite of himself, Arthur couldn't help but smile. He rarely apologizes to Merlin. "But I'd rather travel in peace, Merlin."

Merlin willed his eyes to go back into their original shape before vigorously nodding. "O-of course, sire," he said, turning scarlet.

Arthur briefly nodded his head and looked straight ahead, welcoming the silence that befell upon them.

His thoughts immediately returned to the soft words Guinevere uttered to him ages ago, the same words that steered him into a terrible mood… the same words that broke his heart.

"I-I'm sorry, Arthur," she tearfully whispered, gazing up at him with her wide, shining eyes. Arthur thought it was unfair that despite the tears, despite the words he knew she was about to utter, she still was the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on. "But I love Lancelot."

The harsh reminder of Gwen's true nature of feelings once again painfully stabbed his heart, or what was left of it really. He had always known the knight held a special place in Gwen's heart. Arthur's heart soared, though, when Lancelot was banished from the kingdom by pretending to be a knight. He thought he had the chance to win Morgana's maidservant's heart. And for a moment, even Guinevere wavered.

For a moment, he was happy.

But then, Lancelot returned, having helped Camelot with the increasing uprisings up in the north. The rebellions had almost cost Arthur's life, but it was Lancelot who came into the rescue. Arthur, eternally grateful for Lancelot's chivalry and loyalty, urged him to accompany them back to Camelot, knowing that Uther's order of banishment would be lifted and perhaps, Lancelot would be knighted once again.

It turned out Arthur was right. Uther was pleased with Lancelot's act of bravery, having saved the Crown Prince of Camelot; thus, he was knighted and had been serving Camelot for a few months now.

Unbeknownst to the Prince, Lancelot's return would also cause his ultimate heartbreak. Gwen's dying love for Lancelot had been reawakened by his return. Arthur ignored this feeling at first, thinking that perhaps, Gwen was merely confused. But as days passed by and it was increasingly becoming obvious that Gwen's feelings were solely directed to Lancelot, Arthur knew he had lost. And since then, he desperately picked up the pieces of his shattered heart and tried to put them back together.

For now, he was unsuccessful.

He was embittered by Gwen's choice, but at the same time resigned. He was foolish to think that with his love for her strong and her feelings for him pronounced, Arthur thought something would happen between them. He even fancied himself into thinking that he'd ask her to be his queen. His father would be enraged for all he care, but he was willing to fight for his love for Guinevere until the very end. Now, that seemed to be a distant dream, for the woman he devoted himself with was in love with another.

Arthur had never known a pain as great as heartbreak and he suspected it would take a while for him to move on. Seeing Gwen everyday, serving Morgana and doing her castle duties, was painful enough. Sometimes, he even caught his knight and the maidservant having secret meetings that would be frowned upon by the society due to their impropriety and indecorum, and he would once again be reminded of what he had lost.

His misery grew as days passed by and it made him wonder as to why his father never suspected of the illness that he carried. It was only Merlin who knew, it was always Merlin who knew, and he had been trying his best to at least make Arthur happy.

A sudden shout from nearby pulled him out of his reverie. The noise startled his horse for it reared back and neighed, lifting its front legs up into the air.

"Whoa, whoa," Arthur said, trying to calm his horse so as not to fall on the ground. Merlin was unfortunate, though, for his equally startled horse managed to unseat him. His manservant lost his balance and landed with a loud thud on the ground, prompting him to groan in pain.

Scowling, Arthur's eyes scanned the source of the noise. He was finally able to calm his horse down. At the same time, a girl suddenly stumbled off from a bush and fell on the ground. Arthur's eyes opened in shock, watching as the disgruntled girl muttered dark nothings under her breath.

She wore a peculiar ensemble of clothes. A light blue blouse hugged her top while a white, dirtied skirt that shockingly ended a few inches below the knee covered her thighs. Arthur found himself blushing at her obvious state of being underdressed. He could see her milky white legs, tainted with dirt and blood, and found himself flushing redder.

Her hair was a mess. It was tied at the at the back of her head, with stubborn tendrils framing her furious face. Her warm, brown eyes were narrowed in a dark glare; her nose was a small, button one, and her full, pink lips were still opening and closing, furiously mumbling something Arthur could not hear.

She seemed not to notice that Arthur and Merlin were there, and it was only when Arthur lightly cleared his throat when she noticed. The strange girl stiffened and paled, her mutterings now halted in surprise. Slowly, she looked at them and her eyes widened. If it was possible, she paled even more.

"Umm…" she whispered, sounding almost breathless. Slowly, she stood up from the ground and grew cautious.

Arthur frowned and dismounted from his horse. Beside him, Merlin scrambled back on his feet. His forehead was a little red due to his fall, but he seemed to ignore it as he also looked at the strange girl. Judging from Merlin's bright red ears, Arthur deduced that even his manservant noticed how underdressed the girl was.

"Are you lost?" the prince slowly asked. His frown deepened when the anger that was present on her face a while ago was back again. "Can we help you?"

She released a long, annoyed sigh and massaged the bridge of her nose. "Yes, you can," she said, warily looking at them. Perhaps, it was merely Arthur's imagine, but a sudden look of bafflement appeared on her face. "Y-you're a… a knight."

He lifted an eyebrow at her surprise. It seemed she did not know who he was. Tempted to say his title as the Prince of Camelot, Arthur shot a quick glance at his manservant. Merlin was still confusedly staring at the strange girl. When he looked back at her again, he in the end chose to nod his head as his answer.

She started to panic when he gave her his answer. "Can you… can you tell me where I am?" she said. Arthur detected the fear in her question and was confused.

"Near the western boundaries of Camelot," Arthur replied. She released a surprised gasp at the mention of his kingdom.

"Oh," she said, her panic increasing ten-fold. "I… err… Blast."

He was startled by the improper word that escaped from her lips. She once again fell into a round of mumbling, her anger back and heightened. Arthur looked at Merlin, who looked back at him with an amused smile. The idiot seemed to be enjoying the presence of the strange girl.

"Perhaps, it is best if you come along with us," Merlin suddenly said. Arthur shot him a bemused look, but his manservant merely shrugged. She stopped rambling now and was staring at the two of them, wide-eyed. His eyes lightly strayed at her clothes and Arthur had to roll his eyes when Merlin blushed again. "A-a lot of evil lurk in this forest and it isn't nice for a girl to roam around, unattended. Right, Arthur?"

He gave him a withering glare, but his attention was brought back to the girl when she gasped. "A-Arthur?" she sputtered out. "King Arthur?"

"Prince, actually," Arthur immediately corrected. He then pointed to his manservant. "And this is Merlin, I'm sure we'd - "

"M-Merlin?" she sputtered out, this time her astonishment greater. Merlin knitted his eyebrows at the surprise in her voice. "I… I c-can't…" Her hands then crept against her face and she released an ear-splitting scream. Merlin flinched beside him and Arthur's eyes widened into round saucers. "KINGSLEY SHACKLEBOLT, I'LL KILL YOU!"

Silence followed her surprising outburst and Arthur was at loss of what to do. If he wasn't surprised himself, he would have laughed at Merlin's idiotic look on his face.

Slowly, then, the girl removed her hands away from her face, which by now was a lovely shade of red. Arthur frowned at the tears that had now gathered at the corner of her eyes.

"T-the help that you offered," she started, obviously trying her best not to cry, "Does it still stand?"

Arthur swallowed and nodded his head.

The prince opened his eyes, scowling as once again, he had dreamt of Gwen's smile.

He rolled over to his side, wishing for sleep to return, but every time he closed his eyes, he would see Gwen's lovely face. He knew this heartbreak of his was starting to annoy him, but what could he do? He had no remedy for this. Arthur had been tempted to ask some Sleeping Draught from Gaius, but he was too prideful and embarrassed to ask. Besides, Gaius tells Merlin everything and he was sure Merlin's unbearable sympathy would increase if he discovered that Arthur was seeking aid from potions just to sleep peacefully at night.

Arthur grabbed a pillow and hugged it tight, burying his face against its softness. Just then, his door creaked open and he softly sighed. He could hear Merlin's noisy footsteps and scowled. He reprimanded his manservant time and again to walk softly whenever he woke him up. His heavy footsteps could wake the whole castle, if Arthur was to describe it.

A soft yelp then tore from Merlin's mouth. Arthur heard him tumble down on the floor, prompting his study table to creak in the process.

"You clumsy idiot," Arthur muttered, slowly sitting up to see his manservant sprawled messily on the floor. His laundry basket was upturned beside Merlin, its contents spilled all over him. Arthur guessed this was the reason why Merlin tripped down.

"I'm sorry, sire, if I woke you up," Merlin apologetically said, hastily gathering the soiled clothes and dumping them unceremoniously inside the laundry basket. As soon as he was done, Merlin climbed up to his feet and ran towards the curtains. He opened them quickly, earning a soft hiss from Arthur. Craning his neck, he sheepishly smiled at the prince, who was now shielding his eyes from the sudden bright light in the room. "Um… sorry about that."

Arthur grumbled and stood up from his bed. "You're extra clumsier in the morning," he snarled, his bad mood heightening. "One more incident and I'd fire you."

Of course, he did not mean it, but Arthur was feeling very grumpy today. Merlin by then had turned to his master and frowned.

"You haven't slept at all?" Merlin asked.

Arthur glared. A look of understanding crossed on Merlin's face. "Arthur, I really think it's starting to get unhealthy. Maybe, we should ta - "

"No," the prince boomed. Merlin flinched and stopped mid-sentence. Arthur beseechingly turned his eyes at Merlin. "Not yet."

Merlin stared at him for a full long minute before slowly nodding his head. Arthur scowled and looked away, annoyed at how Merlin's face softened in sympathy.

Arthur racked his brain for something to say to break the awkward silence. "The girl in the forest," he hastily said, remembering the events of yesterday. "Is she well?"

To Arthur's surprise, Merlin chuckled. He looked at him in confusion, frowning when he saw something odd twinkling in Merlin's eyes. "Oh, Hermione?" he asked. Merlin absentmindedly scratched his chin and grinned. "She is well, albeit a little surprised. Gaius and I had to calm her down a great deal last night, but I think she is well now."

"She is an odd girl," Arthur commented, walking behind the panel screen and to start to change.

"Oh, she is," Merlin said. "And a lot more."

The prince knitted his eyebrows, confused with Merlin's words. "Did she say where she was from and how she landed herself here in Camelot?" he asked.

"Certain… err… circumstances happened back in her home, and she found herself here in Camelot," Merlin said vaguely. Arthur assumed that the 'certain circumstances' he spoke of were something about the uprisings that was happening at the outskirts of Camelot. "Which then leads me to my next question."

The prince emerged from the panel screen and questioningly looked at Merlin.

"I think Hermione has to stay for a few days, perhaps even a few months here in Camelot," his manservant continued. "Will you permit her, sire? She promises to be a servant in exchange for shelter. As soon as things settle back down in her home, she will leave."

Arthur nonchalantly shrugged. "I'm sure father will agree," he said. "But where will she live?"

"There's a spare cot in Gaius' bedchambers," Merlin answered. "She can stay in my bedroom while I sleep outside."

"Then, let her stay if she must," Arthur said.

Merlin smiled and nodded his head. "She will appreciate that, Arthur," he then said. "Thank you."

Three days had passed, and yet things were still the same and ordinary. Arthur found himself immensely bored, having cooped up in the castle with nothing to do. He very much wanted to train with the other knights of Camelot, but Uther had issued a decree for such trainings to be halted indefinitely until the uprisings were controlled.

He had done other things he could come up with – read a book, listen to council meetings, and even ride on horseback in the forest, but soon, even these things started to bore him. His boredom wasn't exactly a welcomed guest, for memories with Guinevere would once again rush into his head; thus, making him grumpier than usual. Merlin was unfortunately the receiving end for his terrible mood and Arthur, in a bout of irrational annoyance, had ordered for him to go to the stocks.

Now, he was in his bedroom, lazing around on his vast bed. His eyes were staring unseeingly at his ceiling, waiting for sleep to at least come.

His attention suddenly swerved at the door when a knock resounded in his room. He muttered a soft "Come in" and to his utmost surprise, Hermione strode inside. She curtsied and he lifted an eyebrow, noting the small scowl that was present on her face.

"And what are you doing here?" he asked, slowly sitting up on his bed.

He was secretly amused when her scowl darkened. "Seeing that you have sent Merlin to the stocks, I volunteered to collect your laundry so that he could clean up, sire," she said. Arthur slightly flinched with the way she addressed him.

Arthur frowned and stood up. No one had ever talked to him like that, not even Merlin. With the way she was glaring at him, Arthur knew she was undoubtedly annoyed. Because of what? He did not really know.

"I trust that you've settled well in Camelot," the prince lightly said. She warily glanced at him and silently nodded her head. Arthur frowned; normally, servants he talked to would be flustered at being addressed to. "I've heard what happened from Merlin. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like as soon as the certain circumstances Merlin spoke of are finally settled."

She frowned at his statement and nodded her head. "I'm not really sure for how long I'd stay," she said, a hint of tiredness in her voice. "But thank you, Prince Arthur."

She looked back at him and, to his utmost surprise, slightly smiled. That simple facial expression on her face seemed to make Arthur look at her properly this time. She was decently dressed, with her curly hair held up in a neat bun. Her face was void with the dirt and the tears that surprisingly streamed down from her face before.

Arthur thought, with a jolt, that she was quite disarming.

"Do you wish for me to clean your study table, sire?" she then asked. Arthur caught his trail of thought and lightly shook his head.

"Do not bother yourself," he said. "Merlin will do that later."

Upon the mention of his manservant, her expression turned sour again. "I'd rather do it myself," she quickly snapped. "Poor Merlin might be sent off to the stocks again."

And that was when Arthur understood the reason as to why she seemed annoyed at him when she arrived. "I'm sorry," the prince snapped, feeling annoyed himself, "do you want to tell me something?"

The brunette gave him a defiant stare. "Sending Merlin to the stocks without any reason," she said, lifting her chin. "It wasn't very nice."

He raised an eyebrow at her audacity. "He is annoying," he interjected, offended with the way she was speaking to him. He was a prince, for goodness' sake! A servant like her must show her respects.

"Then, pray tell, sire, what will you feel in the future if your people suddenly decided to overthrow you from your throne because you are, simply put, annoying?" she rebutted, her eyes ablaze.

Prince Arthur's jaw dropped, appalled. His cheeks colored in anger. "Are you questioning the way how I handle my manservant?" he spat.

He scowled when her withering stare did not even falter. "A king must treat his subjects fairly," she admonished, shaking her head. "Your servants will not give you some respect if you do petty things." She looked away from him and stared at the laundry basket. She muttered things under her breath and Arthur only caught the words "future King" and "I thought wrong".

Arthur bristled, too angry to find the right words to reply back. 'How dare she?!' he exclaimed inside his mind, trying to restrain himself from doing something violent. After all, she was still a girl. But then again, no one had ever told him off like that and he was appalled how a strange, maidservant who he even generously permitted to stay in the castle, was reprimanding him like he did something wrong.

'Well, sending Merlin to the stocks for being annoying is a pretty petty reason,' a soft voice whispered in his ear, prompting him to scowl darker.

"I'll let this slide because you are quite new here in the castle," Arthur then coldly said, unable to suppress the glare. "Perhaps, you still haven't grasped the fact that I am the prince and no one disrespects me."

She was about to reply something back, before clamping her lips shut. Arthur even prepared himself to answer a scathing remark in return. But then, surprisingly, she turned to him, a hint of apology in her eyes. "Of course," she said, sighing softly. Arthur thought he detected disappointment in his voice. "I'm sorry, sire."

She then curtsied and turned around, striding closer to the door. Before she could leave, though, she turned around and sternly looked at the prince. "A word of advice, Prince Arthur," she said. "Do something with that condescending attitude of yours, or even your most loyal of followers might turn their backs on you someday." She curtsied again and left, leaving a baffled and offended Prince.

He stared at the spot where she used to stand in confusion and anger, wondering what had just happened back then.

"Arthur?"

His trail of thought was halted when his own manservant walked inside his bedroom.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked, surveying the weird expression on his face.

Arthur then darkly scowled and glared menacingly at Merlin. "Tell that Hermione," he spat, "to not insult the prince next time."

Merlin looked highly amused. "She insulted you?" he asked, unable to suppress the grin. "That is her. I've suspected she is a feisty one but…" His voice faltered when Arthur's glare darkened. He quickly hid his smile and vigorously nodded his head. "Of course, of course, I'd tell her the basic rules of Camelot." Merlin then ran out of his room even before Arthur could answer something in return.

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

'What a baffling person,' he told to himself, scowling as he remembered the words she had uttered to him.

He couldn't deny the fact that she intrigued him, though.

He stormed into the stables, unable to look at them.

Just a while ago, he, together with the other knights, was having a much-anticipated training. Arthur thought today would be a wonderful day, seeing that he was back at doing what he absolutely loved to do. But then, he was to be reminded of his broken heart, dampening whatever good mood he ever developed today.

Scowling, he took a peek outside the stables and saw Guinevere in Lancelot's arms, laughing softly at something the knight had whispered to her. Arthur's hands slowly closed into tight fists and he looked away. Just seeing the two of them was an unbearable sight.

"You should control your emotions, you know."

He whipped his head at the sound of her voice and scowled darker. Stomping in haste, he was not able to see that the stables were not unoccupied. Bent down on the ground was Hermione, stacking some hay hither thither for the horses inside.

He glared darkly at her, remembering their not-so-pleasant conversation two days ago. Hermione, on the other hand, expelled a soft sigh and stood up. She warily looked at him before stepping closer, her gaze now landing on the couple outside the stables.

Something flashed in her eyes, something Arthur thought was a mixture of bafflement and confusion, before turning to look at him.

"I thought Guinevere loves you," she said.

Her words had sent a million knives into his heart. Hermione's eyes widened, realizing what her words had done to him, and hastily apologized.

He momentarily forgot the pain and amusedly stared at her. "You're apologizing?" he asked, disbelieving.

To his surprise, she blushed and lightly scowled. "Must you get cheeky now, sire?" she asked. It still confused him as to how she could be insulting and respecting him at the same time.

Arthur sighed and looked back at Gwen and Lancelot. "She did," he then answered. He felt her questioning eyes on him. "I mean, she did love me. I'm not really sure." Arthur frowned and ran a hand through his hair. "Perhaps, it was a mere fantasy by me, but I still believe that she used to love me, even though, now she doesn't."

Silence followed his little statement and the two of them watched together when Gwen giggled while Lancelot pulled her away until the couple was gone.

"But it's… it's wrong," Hermione finally answered.

Surprised, Arthur directed his wide eyes at her.

Hermione seemed to be lost in her little world. "I mean, it's not yet time," she chattered on, worriedly wringing her wrists. "You're not even king yet and… and…" She suddenly paused, her eyes widening a little. She looked at him, suspiciously horrified, before flushing red once more. "I-I'm sorry, I just…"

It surprised him when he managed to flash a small smile. "Why do you think it's wrong?" he asked.

"Well, you're a prince," she answered back. "I mean… who can deny a prince?"

He incredulously laughed at her statement. "For a person who seemed keen to insult a prince, I'm surprised those words came out from your mouth," he pointed out. She light glared at him, but the hostility she wished to achieve was dampened by her lovely, red cheeks.

"Why don't you try fighting for her?" she then asked. All mirth left his eyes and he stared at her, bemused. "I-I mean, it is obvious that you still love her, Prince Arthur."

Wryly, he smiled and shook his head. "I just cannot throw myself at Guinevere," he stated. "That won't make her love me again."

He was saddened by the thought and once again, he felt that familiar pang in his heart. He was growing accustomed to it, but that did not necessarily mean that it wasn't painful anymore.

Arthur suddenly jolted when Hermione placed a hand on his arm. He looked at her, shocked, but even she was mirroring his expression. Her hand recoiled and limply fell back on her side. Her cheeks had darkened once more and she shifted her gaze away from him, embarrassed.

"Um… you know, if you are destined for each other," she softly started, "then I'm sure whatever obstacles you face in the future, you'd still end up together."

She shyly looked back at him and prettily smiled. Hermione then politely curtsied and walked away, leaving a baffled Arthur in her wake.

He found himself watching her at times. Whenever she passes in the palace courtyard, his eyes would instantly magnetize on her form. Whenever a crowd of servants enter the throne room, his eyes would land on hers and her alone. Sometimes, she did catch him, and he would nonchalantly raise an eyebrow in return, not wanting to admit he was caught staring.

Arthur Pendragon believes that Hermione the maidservant was a peculiar thing.

Their conversation back in the stables still echoed in his mind, and he found himself mulling over it again and again. He did not want to admit it, but her words brought great hope in his heart. If Guinevere and he were destined to be together, then God Almighty, all he had to do was to wait. It wasn't an easy feat, of course, because he was known to be an impatient prince. But if that was the only thing that could help him survive this broken heart, then so be it.

"You're staring, sire," Merlin suddenly whispered in his ear, surprising the prince.

Arthur knitted his eyebrows and blushed, embarrassed to be caught. Currently, he was in the Throne Room signing documents while his father was resting. Sometimes, Uther was already showing signs of weakness and Arthur couldn't help but feel that his reign as the next King of Camelot was slowly nearing.

He was so keen to finish the signatures but when the assigned maidservants came to clean the Throne Room, Hermione was included in the little group. She was now cleaning a tall statue, her cheeks splattered with red due to frustration (she couldn't quite reach the statue's face) and exhaustion.

Arthur was amused with the way she made little jumps just to wipe the dirt that had collected on the statue's face. She blew frustrated breaths and scowled at the statue, trying to look intimidating when in fact, Arthur thought she was just being plain ridiculous for being mad at an inanimate object.

"You're doing it again," Merlin said, this time with clear amusement. "Staring, Arthur."

"I am not staring," Arthur hissed, glaring in annoyance.

Beside him, Merlin chuckled and shook his head. "Hermione is a lovely person," he said, sounding a little hopeful.

"With that sharp tongue of hers, I don't really see how the word 'lovely' describes her," Arthur grumbled, slumping on his throne. He willed his eyes to return back to the document he was reading, but a few minutes later, he found himself staring at her again.

"That's exactly what makes her lovely," Merlin said, followed by a soft sigh. "Too bad she doesn't belong here."

Arthur frowned and craned his neck to look at his manservant. "She doesn't belong here?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

Merlin's eyes widened and he flustered, a sure sign that he was panicking. 'But why?' Arthur asked.

"I-I mean, she doesn't belong in Camelot!" Merlin hastily said. "Y-you know, she lives in a village far away from her. So, err, um, as soon as things settled back home, she will leave."

"Hmm…" Arthur said, returning his gaze back at her. By now, she had successfully wiped the dirt away from the statue and was staring smugly at it. Unwittingly, he smiled at her ridiculousness.

'I forgot that she only has to temporarily stay in Camelot,' he told himself.

Strangely, that thought made him frown.

Walking in the forest to clear his head had always been the prince's favourite pastime. Bringing a horse was a hassle, and although convenient, he'd rather meandered through the dreary and earthly forest by foot.

Two weeks had already passed, and yet the uprisings in the north had not tamed down yet. Camelot already lost a few of its finest knights, and King Uther was starting to get alarmed by this. He had officially lifted the prohibition for the knights to train, much to Arthur's gratefulness. Days of boredom finally ended for he could train with the other knights and make him preoccupied.

He always saw Guinevere and Lancelot together, though, and the familiar pain was still there. Strangely enough, those feelings of jealousy and heartache did not send him into a fit of a terrible temper. Merlin kept on giving him confused and amused looks, and Arthur, not really in the mood to be under his scrutiny, tried his very best to avoid his manservant for now.

True, his heart was still broken, but it came to him as a surprise that although he thought it was impossible at first, he was starting to piece it back together. Sometimes, he even tolerated their presence, baffling him further.

Arthur had no idea what caused this sudden change in his feelings, but whatever or whoever had caused this, then Arthur was eternally grateful he was slowly embarking on a slow journey towards the path of moving on.

A sudden figure from a distance suddenly caught his attention. Walking closer, he raised an eyebrow at the familiar figure of Hermione, who was bent down on a nearby bush, busily collecting what Arthur deemed as flowers.

She looked different today. Her dress, a flowing yellow, complemented her pale features. Her hair, which was usually in a bun, was left undone. Her curly tresses ended up until at the middle of her back and Arthur was amused he never realized she had such a long hair. A basket was perched on one of her arms, idly picking more flowers to fill the almost-full basket.

"Fancy seeing you here," Arthur then said, announcing his presence.

Hermione stiffened and whipped around, her free hand immediately inserting inside her pocket. He raised an eyebrow at her peculiar actions, but she slowly relaxed. A small frown gradually grew on her face and she reluctantly curtsied.

Why she seemed to be perpetual annoyed by his presence, Arthur did not really know. From what he observed and accidentally heard from her small conversation with Merlin, she thought he was a condescending, arrogant, and stuck-up Prince. Normally, those words would have offended him, but surprisingly, he was strangely amused by the way she viewed him. Not that her observation were false, of course. He knew he was a condescending, arrogant, and stuck-up Prince.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur continued, walking closer to her.

She lifted her basketful of flowers. "I was ordered to collect flowers today for the Hall of Ceremonies, sire," she explained.

The prince absentmindedly nodded and finally stopped until he was standing beside her. The sweet smell teased his nose and he wondered if he smelt the flowers or her. "Travelling in the forest unattended is dangerous," he lightly admonished. "I'm surprised they gave such a task to a girl."

He was surprised when she scowled. "Frankly, sire, I'm capable of taking care of myself," she shot back, now annoyed. When he gave her a confused stare, she sighed and shook her head. "Not all maidens need to be rescued, Prince Arthur. There are those who strive to rescue themselves."

'Interesting,' he thought, clasping his hands behind his back. She prattled about equality and his lack of proper maturity when it came to handling his servants. 'Interesting indeed.'

"Have you any news about your hometown?" Arthur then inquired.

She frowned in disappointment and shook her head. "None yet," she replied back. "I don't think I'll be able to go home in the next two weeks."

Involuntarily, Arthur beamed. Hermione shot a wary look at the expression on his face.

"Well then," he said, ignoring her suspicious look, "you are welcome to stay in Camelot for as long as you like."

That made her frown more deeply.

"Come on, Camelot isn't that so bad," he said, defending his kingdom.

"It's just… it's not home," she interjected and forlornly gazed around her. "True, Camelot withholds a unique beauty but… but it's not the same. It's not my home." She settled her doe-like eyes at him and sadly smiled. "I don't belong here."

Arthur frowned. That was the first time he heard her say that phrase. "Why do you speak as if you're not even supposed to be here?" he asked, oddly annoyed. "Certain circumstances, and I assume they are uprisings, are happening in your hometown and obviously, you are far safer here in Camelot than any place in the Five Kingdoms and their outskirts."

"But you see, I'm not supposed to be here," she answered back, confusing him more. Hermione smiled at the look on his face. "You won't understand. I just… I don't belong here."

"You baffle me," the prince replied, expelling a soft sigh. "I don't even know how to properly interact with you. You're annoyed by me, aren't you? That is why you are so keen of going home."

To his surprise, she looked at him in amusement. "Yes, you annoy me," she bluntly said, prompting him to raise an eyebrow at her audacity, "but you're not entirely the reason as to why I'm so keen of going home. I've left a lot of… err… work back home and I know I've missed a lot already. I'm needed back home."

Arthur absentmindedly sauntered to one of the nearby bushes and fingered a flower. "This home that you speak," he said, "where exactly is it?"

"Oh, somewhere," she flippantly said. When he shot her a suspicious look, she shrugged. "I'm not inclined to tell you something personal, Prince Arthur. I've already established the fact that you are a prince and you deserve some of my respect."

He smiled at her words, clearly remembering the first banter they exchanged. "Will you give me the opportunity to know you more?" he then suddenly asked, surprising her… surprising him. She blushed into a lovely shade of red, but the wary look did not leave her face.

"Um… we'll see about that," she guardedly answered.

Arthur chuckled and walked closer to her, the flower he was toying with now clutched in his hand. "You are a strange girl, Hermione of Somewhere," he said in amusement, lifting his hand and gently tucking the flower behind her right ear.

For a moment, his fingers brushed against her cheek and she grew warmer still. Arthur was surprised as to how smooth her skin was and he recoiled back, a sudden jolt of electricity running through his arm. He stared at his fingers in bewilderment and was confused as to why they were still tingling despite the fact that he wasn't touching her face anymore.

"Well… err… g-good day, sire," she hastily said, curtsying and passing him by. That same sweet smell reached his nose again, answering his earlier question just a while ago.

Arthur turned around and confusedly stared at her retreating back. For a moment, she briefly turned around, and a ghost of a smile imprinted itself in his mind.

Hermione was a strange girl.

And Arthur believed she was doing something strange to him, too.

A/N: Yay, end of part one! How was it? Tell me in your reviews.

Now, I know things are happening quite fast between Arthur and Hermione, but then again, this is a two-shot (that is supposedly a one-shot). It is quite long, yes, but I focused more on the development of their relationship than the things happening around Camelot. If I included more things about those, then this wouldn't merely be a two-shot.

I know I haven't said anything about Hermione's sudden arrival in Camelot, but oh well, that will stay as a mystery. Again, two-shot :D

That's it for now! I might post the next chapter tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Depends on my schedule because school is starting once again *sigh*

Please review and make me happy!

With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe