A/N: Fair warning now THIS NOT KING ARTHUR THE MOVIE BUT ONE BETTER KNOWN IN BOOKS. All the King Arthur characters names should be recognizable, but the personalities and their story are mine. Still really good though. I've read so many King Arthur stories that I think I've got him down to pin. Anyway, on with the story! (HP won't happen until much later in the story).

Godric's Hollow was not a big town. Most people haven't even heard of it. Funny, even after one of the greatest wizards ever to be alive was born there, no one knew of it. Yet it wasn't until I was much older that anyone thought I was worth anything. You see, my parents like many others at the time were very against magic. I know I know, you're thinking WHAT? The Great Seer Merlyn was nothing more than a common muggleborn? Yes, I am and I'm damn proud of it too.

My mother, Braith, helped her sister Carys run the local pub. The two of them made quite a bit of gold too. They were the only "civilized" pub in all of Wales. Or so the Romans said they were. I wouldn't have known. I had never left the town. Yes, I was never allowed to leave the grounds around our little…well, I say little now because I happen to live in a castle, but that is for later. We lived in a large cottage on the outskirts of town. It had many bedrooms because I had a lot of siblings.

I know, I keep surprising you. You think I'm going to say I was the oldest or the smartest or the bravest or the strongest but I'm not. That's not even close to how it was. I had ten brothers and sisters. Dafyd was the oldest. He was a trader, selling and buying jewelry. He traveled all over Gwynedd with his family. Drystan was the brave one. He was in King Heddwyn army, one of he's leading generals. Eira was the smart one. She was the only girl I have ever heard of to be schooled in those days. It wasn't the woman's place, but she learned so much in so little time that the king had decided she was worth having around his courts. Geraint was the strongest. He made buildings for our little village and others nearby. He could lift the stones o no one else could. Enid was the best looking one of us all. No one had hair as blonde or eyes as blue or teeth as straight as her. She had been married off very quickly. Gladys was the witty one. She could whip up a retort faster than anyone I knew. Ifan was the one with the temper. He was easily set off and very dangerous. Meredith was the cook. She made al of our meals and they were always delicious.

Elen was my favorite sister. She was two years older than me and quite a seamstress. She was the only one who didn't mind that I was nothing more than Emrys. You're probably wondering why I go by Merlyn and not Emrys. I promise, all we be explained in time. Emrys was the name I was born with. My parents expected me to be as great as all their other sons but I wasn't. They thought I was strange because I could see the future. They thought I must hate my siblings if I claimed to see everyone of them die.

So my family gave me the dirty jobs and ignored me. I cleaned the house while they were out, mucked out the pig pen and horse stall, collected firewood, farmed our small acre of land and fished in the local river. Most of the time I was alone, but sometimes Elen came with me. She hated the way our family treated me. She loved to listen to my visions. We had a grand old time.

Of course, the good times always end. We had a rough winter in the year that the Gauls left after trading. Many people died of fever. Half of Godric's Hollow was lost, including my beloved Elen. Meredith was the one who took care of her when she fell ill. She allowed no one in. She was trying to prevent a spread. I was the only allowed in mostly because I think they were hoping I would fall ill and die. I was there when she died. I held her hand and told her she would get better but she told me that it wouldn't be so. I told her she couldn't die, but she told me to let go.

The following spring was morose for me. I hardly remember anything. What I do remember was the Roman invasion and her.

Emrys stormed out of the house in a huff. He was lucky he didn't lose control of his magic in anger. He would show Ifan. He would show them all he wasn't useless. He didn't know how, but he would. He took Taranis and saddled him up. Then he took off into the woods. It was some time before he slowed down. He eventually stopped in a clearing. He dismounted and sat on a stump.

Maybe they were right. Maybe he really was losing it. Maybe he wasn't seeing the future, but seeing what he wanted to see. He had magic, he had made it time and again. He had made a wand out of a birch tree and channeled his magic through it. That's how the pig pens and horse stall got clean so fast. That was how the dishes cleaned themselves and out themselves away. It was how he should have been able to help Elen.

He got up and let out a yell aiming his foot at the stump.

"Ouch!" he yelled stomping on one foot and nursing the other. Then he sat down again. He sighed. "You know Taranis, you're lucky you're a horse."

Taranis looked at him.

"You don't have to worry about evil siblings and parents or people calling you queer because you can make a rock fly without touching it. You just graze and run until someone calls you. Then you just do as you're told because you know you'll get an apple." Taranis nuzzled him. Emrys petted his velvety nose. He laughed. "Sorry boy, I don't have an apple with me."

Taranis snorted.

"I wonder what it's like outside of Gwynedd." He said looking at the deep blue sky through the trees. "It's got to be better out there."

A horn sounded in the distance. Emrys looked back down and squinted into the trees. He saw a flash of light like sunlight bouncing off a shield. Emrys clicked his tongue and Taranis stood absolutely still. Emrys crept forward. Once he felt he had gone far enough, he peered through the bushes. He didn't like what he saw. A whole Roman legion was marching straight for Godric's Hollow. What in the world was a Roman legion doing in Britain? They pulled out decades ago, why were the back?

Not waiting to be found, Emrys took off back to Taranis. He jumped onto the Welsh pony's back and kicked him into a gallop. He heard voices shouting behind him but he didn't stop. If he did he was likely to be killed. Romans hated magic. They were Christian now and believed magic to be evil. They would try to hang him for sure. He heard arrows whizzing after him.

"Protego," he whispered surrounding his horse and himself in a protective shield. He could feel his shield being battered with arrows. He needed to get out of range. The shield slowed down Taranis. Emrys chanced a glance behind him. Ten soldiers were following him on the gleaming backs of much larger and more powerful horses than his own mount. He would never be able to out ride them. He turned back around. He needed to slow them down.

"Diffindo," he whispered. A tree branch cracked and swung down to meet one of the soldiers knocking him off his horse.

"He's a wizard!" one of them shouted. Emrys glanced back. The soldiers had stopped and were staring at him and their fallen comrade. Emrys smirked and galloped off. He made it to town just as the legion did. The Legate grabbed hold of a man running past his horse. He yelled.

"Who is your leader?" the Legate demanded.

"We d-d-don't have one!" the man stuttered. "We only follow King Heddwyn and he's miles from here!"

"Put him down!" Emrys shouted trotting over. The Legate looked at him and dropped the man. The poor man took off not wanting to be caught again.

"And who are you?" the Legate demanded. Emrys squared his shoulders.

"Emrys Gryffindor," he said. The Legate just stared.

"Id that name supposed to mean something to me?" he laughed. The legion laughed too.

"Er…no, but you asked who I was." Emrys said thinking this man very daft.

"Do you have any importance to this village, do you mean anything to them?" the Legate asked.

"No, not really, they think I'm crazy." Emrys replied. The legion laughed again.

"Then they won't mind me striking you down." The Legate said swinging his sword at me. I put my arms in front of me, but the sword never reached me. My shield charm was still up. The sword hit the shield with a loud clang causing the Legate's arm to shake. The legion fell silent.

"He's a wizard," someone whispered. The Legate looked mutinous.

"So no importance, just the local magician, eh?" he asked. Emrys shook his head.

"I was telling the truth, the village thinks I'm a nutcase." He said.

"Don't mess with me boy." The Legate said. "I am more important than you'll ever be."

"Oh, yes, Emperor Constantine, isn't it?" Emrys asked. The legion gasped and began whispering. How did he know their leader's name?

"Quit acting like women. He knows my name through stories. Unfortunately, Emperor isn't correct. My father Antonius still is." Legate Constantine said. He pulled off his helmet. "What I am curious to know, is how did you recognize me with my helmet on?"

"I had a vision of you." Emrys said boldly. "I can see the future and it doesn't look good for you. Your own son grows greedy and beheads you."

"You insolent little brat," Constantine roared. Emrys made Taranis rear. His front hooves hit Constantine on the chest and knocked him off his tall mount. He hit the ground in a cloud of dust but Emrys didn't stay to enjoy the view. He had already galloped back into the woods, half the legion on his tail. He hoped he was a good distraction and he hoped that Godric's Hollow would be okay even if they didn't miss him. He didn't plan on returning, not because he thought he was going to die by this legion but because he wanted to get out of Wales. He knew he wouldn't die, he had seen himself beside a great king when he was very old. He didn't know who the king was nor of which kingdom but he was alive and very old.

He could feel the shield charm weakening under the continuous rain of arrows. If they kept up, they'd break through his defenses and hurt him. He felt it break just as the arrows stopped flying toward him. He turned around. Flames were blocking the path of the legion. Where they had come from, Emrys didn't know, but it was all he needed to get away. He was miles from familiar woods when he had to stop. He had to give Taranis a break.

He stopped at a small stream and hobbled his pony near it so he could drink. Emrys practically fell into the creek so great was his thirst. The cold water felt good on his parched throat. He heard a giggle and he sat up. He looked around the woods looking for the source of the sound. He saw no one. Taranis was still drinking and he didn't seem to have heard it. Emrys relaxed. He was hearing things because he was worried the Romans would find him. That was all.

The Emrys was cute that much was for certain. I had spent most of my life hidden away from everyone because of my overbearing sister. Of course being naïve, I believed all her stories about how evil humans were. Looking at this young man, I was starting to disbelieve her. He had saved most of his village, which didn't like him, from a whole legion of Romans. I admired him for that.

He was the first human I had seen in a very long time. He was also the palest. Then again, the last human I had seen was Arabic. He was handsome in so many ways that even my brothers couldn't rival. None of them had red hair or freckles. None of them had eyes the color of the sky. None of them had a crooked grin.

He was the reason my life nearly fell apart. If I had only stayed with Enya and gone to watch her drool all over Constantine I would be home safe in bed with my brothers and sisters. But no, I had fallen for this boy and I had grown weary of home and Donelle and her rules. Mother and Father would never even know if we listened or not. It's not like they were here to enforce it.

The young man had fallen asleep. He looked so peaceful and handsome as he slept. Naiya knew he'd been through a rough life. Naiya knew his family hated him because he had magic. Naiya knew his village thought he was crazy because he claimed to have visions. Naiya knew his only friend had died that past winter. She walked up to his camp and watched him sleep.

If only she were brave enough to approach him when he was awake. She had been following him for days now. She made the streams appear for him to drink. She grew fruit trees for him to eat. She was taking care of him and he didn't even know it. She had long forgotten that she could not return home. It was more important that the young man get to wherever he was going safely.

Sighing, Naiya stood and went to the little stream by his campsite. This one was natural and had a fresh taste to it. Naiya took a sip. It wasn't as good as what she was used to, but water was water. She was just about to take another sip when.

"Aha!"

Naiya screamed and fell into the stream. She spluttered as she looked up to see the handsome young man. She nearly screamed again.

"I knew someone was following me!" he shouted. "Who are you? What do you want? Are you a spy for the Romans?" he demanded. Naiya couldn't speak. She was petrified to be in this situation with the handsome young man.

"Answer woman!" he said. The tone shocked her out of her daze.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" she said. "And while you're at it, help me up!"

He looked shocked to be addressed that way but he held out his hand for her, his other holding a long thin piece of wood. His hand felt warm and was calloused from hard work. It made Naiya's hand tingle. Once she stood up she held up her soaking dress. She sighed angrily.

"Er…I can dry that off for you." He said. "If you're not opposed to magic," He said.

"It's fine, I don't need you to do it." Naiya said siphoning the water off with her hand. The young man watched amazed.

"How are you doing that?" he asked.

"Magic," Naiya muttered sarcastically.

"Har har very funny," the young man said. "I'm seventeen not three."

Naiya looked up. She had not known he was that young.

"Now, why are you following me?" he asked.

"How do you know I'm even following you and we didn't just happen across he other tonight?" Naiya replied.

"You were watching me sleep." He retorted. Naiya blushed. How did he know that?

"I was not," she said.

"Yes you were," the young man said. "I felt you. I felt your magic."

"So what if I was watching you? Maybe I was curious as to why someone so young was out here on his own with out a change of clothes, no provisions and no shelter." Naiya replied coolly.

"I've felt you following me since I first left Godric's Hollow." He said. "Who are you?"

Naiya couldn't give him her real name. He would certainly know who she was if she did.

"Nimue," she said. "Just Nimue,"

"Why are you following me?"

"No now you tell me your name," Naiya said. He rolled his eyes.

"Emrys," he said. "Emrys Gryffindor."

"There, now I'm not following you, we just happen to be going the same direction." Naiya said. Emrys looked skeptical.

"Oh, where are you headed?" he asked. Naiya didn't say anything. "That's what I thought. Now for the last time, why are you following me?"

Because you're handsome and I've been watching you every day for a year Naiya thought. Emrys raised an eyebrow and began tapping his foot waiting for an answer.

"Er…"

"You know what, it's not that important. This would be the first time a pretty lady followed me anywhere anyway with calling me a basket case." Emrys said going back to his camp.

"Why would I call you a basket case? You're an amazing wizard!" Naiya said before she realized she shouldn't have known that. He stopped and looked back at her.

"Have you been stalking me?" he asked.

"No, of course not," Naiya said quickly. "Your home just happens to be in direct correlation with mine and I go past it often to go trade for my family." She made up wildly. Emrys seemed to buy it.

"You mean, you've heard of me and you'd don't think it's weird that I can see the future?" he asked. Naiya shook her head.

"On the contrary I'm quite intrigued. You're the first Seer ever!" she said. "Well, first mortal seer at any rate."

"What do you mean?" Emrys asked sitting down at his campsite. Naiya joined him.

"Well, it's hard to explain." Naiya said. "The point is, you are the only one alive at this moment who can see into the future! You must be the one from the pro…stories." Naiya said.

"Stories?"

"Goodness, haven't you heard them?" Naiya asked. "The war is just now reaching Wales I suppose, but I thought…well, no matter…the stories say that a great king will be born, half Roman, half Briton. He will also be half-magic. He will lead the isle of Briton to peace and drive the Romans, the Saxons, the Picts, and the Gaels, everyone out. But to do this, a great wizard must help him. In the stories he's a great Seer with many other amazing powers."

Emrys just stared at her. This girl was crazy. She must have had one too many cups of wine because Emrys Merlyn Gryffindor was not a powerful wizard. He was just some kid that could see his family dying. And what maltreated kid couldn't?

"You've got the wrong person." He said shaking his head. "I'm not powerful. I'm average and I haven't even been trained properly. All the spells I know are from books I've found discarded in the garbage at my mother's inn. I'm not this great seer."

"But, the king's reign will be here soon. There's not another seer alive. The Great Seer must be you."

"There's no proof." Emrys said. "And they thought I was crazy."

Naiya glared. No one called her crazy.

"So no one has ever called you Merlyn?" she asked. Emrys stopped poking his stick into the fire. He looked at the strange girl.

"How did you know my middle name?" he asked.

"Because, the Great Seer was known, not by his first name but by Merlyn," Naiya said. Emrys stared at her. This couldn't be right. This random girl stalks him all the way out to the middle of some dank wood, tells him he's destined to be some all powerful wizard and just smiles at him? How was he supposed to take that?

"Let's say I believe you, what would you have me do to help this king?" he asked carefully.

"I have no say in that. It is up to you." Naiya said. "I know as much as you do. It is my sister…" she clasped a hand over her mouth.

"You're sister is having visions of me?" Emrys asked. "Wait, but you said I was the only one alive who could see the future. Why would you lie to me?"

"I didn't, not technically." Naiya said. Emrys glared. "I'm not trying to hurt you! For Avalon's sake I'm just trying to help!" she said flushing. Emrys couldn't help it. He laughed.

"What's so funny?" Naiya asked sounding hurt.

"Nothing, it's just I've never heard anyone swear to Avalon." He laughed. Naiya blinked and then she laughed too.

"You know what, we should travel together. It gets boring when you have to talk to is a horse." Emrys said when he'd stopped laughing.

"I don't know, some animals are fun to talk to." Naiya said.

"Like what?" Emrys asked.

"How about an owl?" someone else asked. Emrys almost jumped out of his skin as an owl zoomed down out of the trees and pecked the top of his head before landing on Naiya's outstretched arm.

"Archimedes that was not very nice." she laughed. Archimedes ruffled his feathers.

"Well, he shouldn't be speaking as though all animals are dumb." He snipped. Emrys's eyes grew wide.

"He can talk!"

"Well spotted boy." Archimedes said sarcastically.

"Archimedes," Naiya said tapping his beak. "Be nice,"

"How can he…you… talk?" Emrys asked.

"Erm, he's from a magical breed of owl. They're very rare." Naiya said. Archimedes looked up at her incredulously. Emrys realized this must not be true so he didn't push it.

"That's amazing, I'm very impressed." He said. Naiya blushed.

"Thanks," she said. Archimedes made a strange noise that may have been a sigh if he had been human. He climbed to her shoulder and turned his head all the way around so he wouldn't have to look at him.

"Sorry he's a bit cranky." Naiya said. Archimedes fluffed his feathers indignantly. Naiya and Emrys laughed.

"We should get to bed." Emrys whispered. "We have a long trip ahead of us."

"Yes, we do," Naiya said. "You don't happen to have blankets do you?"

Emrys blushed. "Er, no,"

"That's fine, I'll get them." Naiya said. She got up and went to the creek. Emrys tried to see what she was doing but he missed it. When she returned she had several blankets.

"Where did you get these?" Emrys asked.

"The king's palace." Archimedes snapped not looking at him. Naiya rolled her eyes.

"I just made them. Here," she handed him two blankets and kept two for herself. Then they settled down. Archimedes flew off to hunt and Taranis slept by a bush near Emrys. Naiya was asleep before you could snap your fingers. Emrys sat up and gazed at her. Even if she was crazy, she was absolutely gorgeous. He had a feeling that even with as young as she looked, she was a lot older than him.

He felt strange when he looked at her. He had never felt this way with anyone else. He had loved the feel of her hand when he helped her up. She was softer than any of his sisters were. She looked so fragile yet acted so tough. He couldn't get enough of looking at her. When heard Archimedes flying back in he decided to call it a night. He didn't need the owl pecking him for looking at Nimue any special way.

A/N: More pronunciation guides: Braith: Bray-ith, Carys: Care-iss, Dafyd: David, Drystan: like Tristan, Eira: Eye-ruh, Geraint: Jur-aint, Enid: hopefully this one isn't too hard, Gladys: same with this one, Glynn: Glinn, Ifan: Ivan, Meredith: again, easy, Elen: Ellen, Emrys: Em-riss, Heddwyn: Heth-win, Taranis: Tear-an-iss, Naiya: Neigh-uh, Archimedes: Ar-ki-me-dee-z, Nimue: Ni-mew-ee.

Please review! Thanks!