Once More
Title: Once More
Author: hunters_retreat
Fandoms: Harry Potter/Merlin
Pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post-Series Harry Potter (totally disregarding the book's epilogue), Post-Series Merlin (though no spoilers to anything really)
Warnings: None, unless the word prat bothers you :P
Summary: Harry needs some advice and decides that the only one to ask is the greatest wizard of all time.
A/N: I don't dabble in either of these fandoms often, but it was just such a great prompt I had to run with it! Prompt was Harry Potter/Merlin Scenario: The Merlin of the Harry Potter past is the Merlin of the show. Some sort of portrait interaction or even time travel would be cool. I posted a link to this earlier this month but now i'm actually posting it here since the crossover exchange is done :P
Once More
Harry stared at the painting for a while, almost afraid to wake the sleeping man in it. Well, afraid wasn’t quite the right word. He was terrified. There was so much awe at the idea of speaking to the wizard, even if it was just an incarnation of him. The stories were legendary and he’d never thought an actual portrait remained. Trust Hermione to find out he was wrong. It almost made him feel bad for lying about his interest in it, but not quite. She’d made her feelings clear about what he was doing and he had no need to rile his friend up again. He knew, given time, that she and Ron would be able to see through their childhood rivalries and learn to look at the man he cared about with the same respect and warmth that he did.
It wasn’t Ron and Hermione he was worried about really. With the war over and half the wizarding world still torn apart by it, they were taking help wherever it came to rebuild. Draco Malfoy had been relentless in his efforts to help put together what his family had torn apart. His family fortune was vastly depleted as he tried to help people that had been destroyed by the Death Eaters.
Not everyone was so easy to accept his help, but Draco went on anyway, trying to be someone other than the man his father had tried to make him into, trying to find out what sort of man he needed to become for himself. Harry could understand that. Everyone had such huge expectations of who he was and the great things he would still do. Luckily, Ron and Hermione were there to ground him and remind him, over and over again, that he was just Harry, not the legendary “Harry Potter” everyone kept talking about.
“Were you planning to just watch me all day?” The wizard in the picture asked.
Harry gaped. He’d been so caught up in his head that he hadn’t seen or heard the wizard moving. There was nothing in his eyes that indicated sleep though, so he wondered if the man in the painting had just been waiting for him all along.
“Um, no. Sorry sir. I mean, I was watching but I wasn’t sure I should wake you up.”
The wizard smiled and his brilliant blue eyes held nothing but warmth and reassurance. “I don’t mind the interruption at all. I spend most of my time sleeping these days. Well, as long as Arthur is off hunting the dragons in the library paintings. They keep threatening to cut him off from the library for it but I don’t think Arthur has it in him to stop.” He said with a sigh. “I’d blame Uther for it, but Arthur was always driven like that. Has to be so bloody perfect all the time.” He shook his head then and looked back at Harry. “But I’ve been rude. You were waiting to wake me up and I haven’t even done a proper introduction. I am Merlin, and you are?”
“Harry Potter.”
“Really?” His mouth gave a small quirk and his eyebrows twitched down. “You look a bit small for Harry Potter.”
Harry couldn’t help but let out the small huff of laughter that escaped. “You’re not exactly what I expected either.”
“I know.” Merlin said in a conspiratorial fashion. “I used to get that all the time. People think you have to be serious all the time if your Arthur’s Merlin. And when exactly did my name get attached to his like that? I mean, yes, there is some merit in the word choice, but I have done a lot of things on my own that did not include Arthur Pendragon, prat King of Camelot.”
“Of course you have.” Harry assured him immediately. “You’re the most famous wizard in history. Even muggles know about you, even if they don’t think you’re real.”
Merlin smiled at that. “One of these days, I’m going to send Arthur on a ‘quest’ to run bare skinned through the paintings in muggle London. I just haven’t figured out how to convince him that he has to do it yet. I’m thinking some sort of curse on the land that can only be lifted if he reveals himself, in all his naked glory, to the unknowing people.”
Harry didn’t try to stop that laugh. “But why?”
Merlin winked. “You haven’t met Arthur yet. He’s a prat, but he’s also got an unbelievably caring heart and a body that should have been sculpted by the ancients.” He said with a sigh.
Harry took a step closer. This was what he had come for really. When Hermione told him that the Hogwarts had one of the largest collections of ancient art, hidden in their basement for safe keeping and that the original “Guardians of Camelot” was there, he had to see it. He needed to know if the rumors Draco spoke were true.
“There were rumors about the two of you.” Harry said carefully. The other man didn’t seem to be easily put off and he had a great sense of humor, but it was always wise to tread carefully when wizards were around. Even if you were one yourself.
“There always were.” Merlin answered, looking out of the picture frame to something Harry couldn’t see. “His father, Uther Pendragon, would never have understood. I was his servant after all, nothing more to him than that. To Uther the fact that I saved his son’s life countless times was something to be commended, but it was just what I was supposed to do. There was no need to think more highly of me. Arthur was never the man his father wanted him to be though. He tried to live up to his expectations, but he had his honor and a very keen mind and a will to do the right thing even when it went against what his father thought of as the right thing.”
“And you were the right thing?”
Merlin laughed. “Not for a while. But we grew to be friends, which I’m sure would appall Uther if he’d ever understood. When things got rough though, when he found out what I was, it was hard for him to put that aside.”
“But it wasn’t your fault that Uther had banned magic from Camelot.”
“True, but it was my fault that I lied to him. It was never about me having to keep my secret, but more about the fact that I hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him. That I felt he’d follow his father’s orders and either take me to him in front of the court and confess what I was, or that he’d tell me to leave and never come back. I knew Arthur and I knew he would never do those things to me, but I never told him.”
“Then how…”
Merlin’s smile lit up. “I told you about his heart? It’s not something everyone talks about. They talk about his courage and his great feats and the justice he instilled in the people, but it all starts with his heart and the compassion he has. We both realized that there was so much more between us and when he was facing that betrayal, and I was afraid of losing him, we both realized why it hurt so much. It wasn’t an easy path, but we became lovers and Arthur never let anyone question my value to Camelot.”
“You mean how well you polish armor?”
“Except himself of course.” Merlin said as another man walked into the portrait. “Arthur Pendragon, I am pleased to introduce you to Harry Potter.”
Arthur took one look at Harry and quirked his eyebrows up. “Really? An honor. I was just having a chat about you actually. It is true you have a fear of Ms. Weasley’s Christmas sweaters?”
Harry felt his face growing hot. “Only because she’s insisted on adding comments to mine.”
“Who is Ms. Weasley?”
“Crazy woman who apparently knits sweaters trying to divine Harry Potter’s love life. And who takes to trying to squeeze the breath out of him whenever they meet.”
“Wait, she’s not like that. She’s affectionate.”
“Can she really divine your love life from sweaters? That sounds like something fun to learn.”
“That would interest you. You mean you don’t want to root around in the herbs and trees and bring back those nasty little grubby things anymore?”
“Well I can’t stop that. I’m a wizard after all.”
“I think I should have kept the ban in Camelot.”
“You couldn’t. You know you can’t live without me Arthur.”
“Maybe I could find someone to cast a spell on you so you wouldn’t be able to do magic any longer? What is it they call them? Squibs?”
“You couldn’t and you wouldn’t. You like it too much when I-”
“Merlin.” Arthur interrupted, looking pointedly out of the painting to Harry. “We have company.”
Harry felt his blush intensifying as both Merlin and Arthur stared at him.
“Does he always do that?” Arthur asked, looking past Harry’s shoulder. He turned quickly, wand in hand, to find Draco Malfoy staring up at Arthur.
“Yes. I don’t understand the need to blush about everything, but he does it quite often.” Draco said, coming up behind Harry and wrapping his arms around his waist, his chin resting on Harry’s shoulder.
Harry nearly gapped at the affection because while Draco seemed to crave touch when they were private, he was usually standoffish in front of other people.
“It is quite becoming on him.” Arthur said. “You were right about that.”
“Well that explains how he knew about the sweaters. You just said that because Ms. Weasley keeps making me things that say “Gryffindors do it with muggles” or “Slytherins keep it in the family.”
“She’s not exactly subtle in her disapproval.”
“She’s not subtle in anything. But at least she’s let you come over for Christmas this year.”
“Great. So I can get a sweater that says “go snog a frog” Harry?”
“They’re rather cute.”
Harry and Draco both looked up at Merlin to see Arthur had draped his arm around the other man’s shoulder. “They are. Both a bit of a prat, but they might survive it.”
Merlin laughed. “You did.” He said, turning to face the other man.
Arthur’s eyes turned soft, his lips that had been curled in laughter turned into something more serious. One hand cupped Merlin’s cheek and the wizard leaned slightly into it. “Yes, I did, because I had you.”
The kiss was brief, the barest brush of lips against lips, but there was so much in it, love and trust and acceptance. Merlin looked up at Arthur, his eyes filled with deep emotion and Harry felt like an intruder suddenly. Like he didn’t have a right to be there, to even think of wondering how two men who had overcome such obstacles between them had found a way to make it work.
Draco leaned forward slightly, pressing a small kiss just behind his ear. “Love, Harry.” He said softly. “It was all they needed to see them through.”
He turned slightly, looking up at Draco and nodded. There was no magical secret to be found here, but the truth was far greater for it. He looked back at the painting, at the two men who were still so wrapped up around one another and he pulled at Draco, wanting to leave the two men to themselves.
They didn’t get far before Draco pushed him against the wall, brushing his lips against his. “Love you, Harry.” He said softly, his fingers playing over the skin of his neck and up to his face.
“Draco.” He whispered the name like a prayer.
“You think they’ll be okay?” He heard the voice and he felt Draco still the kisses along his neck, press into his body as they listened to Arthur and Merlin.
“Are you kidding? They’re both prats, but they’ll be alright.”
“You really think so Arthur?”
“Yeah. The boy might have screwed up some things, but his hearts in the right place now.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
They could hear the smile in his voice. “Yeah. They’ll have to face a lot but they already have. They’ll be stronger for it, Merlin. They’ll grow to rely on each other like we did, to trust each other no matter how many people try to get between them. In the end, they’ll make it. Who knows? Maybe they’ll get a painting and bring it down here so we can discuss all the sordid details.”
“Or we could just have them tell us about their sex life. They were both very attractive. Sort of like-”
“Don’t you say, Merlin. If you say it, I might have to kill you and then I would be left in this vault with nothing but sleeping wizards who wouldn’t know a real dragon from a stuffed up lizard.”
“I was just saying that Lan-”
“You did it. Merlin, I thought we agreed you were not allowed to bring up old boyfriends.”
“Just because you still get jealous that he got Gw-”
There was a growl and Harry looked down to see Draco smiling up at him as they listened.
“He did not get Gwen. I got you and there is a big difference. In case it hasn’t settled into your brain in the last thousand years, I love you Merlin and when I made my choice to take a servant as a lover, it was your bed and not hers I found. Do you remember that?”
“I do.”
“Good, because if you bring this up again I might just go insane and then you’d be stuck in this painting for all eternity with the formerly Great King Arthur who is now the looney boy king in the corner dancing with his underpants.”
“You really are a prat sometimes.”
There was a soft laugh, joined by another. “Yeah, but you love me anyway.”
“Yeah, I really do.”
Harry ran a hand through Draco’s hair, watching the way the low candlelight reflected off the golden strands. He felt the press of lips against his chin and then he was opening up under Draco’s mouth.
When their lips finally parted Draco looked at him, warmth and love and need so bright it lit the world for Harry. “You ready?” Draco asked.
“Yeah.”
He had all the answers he had come for. He’d never expected that Draco might have the same concerns he did, that Draco was as worried about others approval as he was, but Arthur had been right. They had each other and they trusted each other. No matter what anyone else threw in their way, they believed in one another and in what they had. It would be enough to see them through as the dark times tried to dissipate around them.
“Harry, let’s go home.”
They walked hand in hand through the vault, neither noticing a very happy, smiling Professor Dumbledore who followed their path all the way through. “Good luck, my boys.” He said softly. “Heal each other, and bring peace to the land once more.”
Author: hunters_retreat
Fandoms: Harry Potter/Merlin
Pairings: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Arthur/Merlin
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post-Series Harry Potter (totally disregarding the book's epilogue), Post-Series Merlin (though no spoilers to anything really)
Warnings: None, unless the word prat bothers you :P
Summary: Harry needs some advice and decides that the only one to ask is the greatest wizard of all time.
A/N: I don't dabble in either of these fandoms often, but it was just such a great prompt I had to run with it! Prompt was Harry Potter/Merlin Scenario: The Merlin of the Harry Potter past is the Merlin of the show. Some sort of portrait interaction or even time travel would be cool. I posted a link to this earlier this month but now i'm actually posting it here since the crossover exchange is done :P
Once More
Harry stared at the painting for a while, almost afraid to wake the sleeping man in it. Well, afraid wasn’t quite the right word. He was terrified. There was so much awe at the idea of speaking to the wizard, even if it was just an incarnation of him. The stories were legendary and he’d never thought an actual portrait remained. Trust Hermione to find out he was wrong. It almost made him feel bad for lying about his interest in it, but not quite. She’d made her feelings clear about what he was doing and he had no need to rile his friend up again. He knew, given time, that she and Ron would be able to see through their childhood rivalries and learn to look at the man he cared about with the same respect and warmth that he did.
It wasn’t Ron and Hermione he was worried about really. With the war over and half the wizarding world still torn apart by it, they were taking help wherever it came to rebuild. Draco Malfoy had been relentless in his efforts to help put together what his family had torn apart. His family fortune was vastly depleted as he tried to help people that had been destroyed by the Death Eaters.
Not everyone was so easy to accept his help, but Draco went on anyway, trying to be someone other than the man his father had tried to make him into, trying to find out what sort of man he needed to become for himself. Harry could understand that. Everyone had such huge expectations of who he was and the great things he would still do. Luckily, Ron and Hermione were there to ground him and remind him, over and over again, that he was just Harry, not the legendary “Harry Potter” everyone kept talking about.
“Were you planning to just watch me all day?” The wizard in the picture asked.
Harry gaped. He’d been so caught up in his head that he hadn’t seen or heard the wizard moving. There was nothing in his eyes that indicated sleep though, so he wondered if the man in the painting had just been waiting for him all along.
“Um, no. Sorry sir. I mean, I was watching but I wasn’t sure I should wake you up.”
The wizard smiled and his brilliant blue eyes held nothing but warmth and reassurance. “I don’t mind the interruption at all. I spend most of my time sleeping these days. Well, as long as Arthur is off hunting the dragons in the library paintings. They keep threatening to cut him off from the library for it but I don’t think Arthur has it in him to stop.” He said with a sigh. “I’d blame Uther for it, but Arthur was always driven like that. Has to be so bloody perfect all the time.” He shook his head then and looked back at Harry. “But I’ve been rude. You were waiting to wake me up and I haven’t even done a proper introduction. I am Merlin, and you are?”
“Harry Potter.”
“Really?” His mouth gave a small quirk and his eyebrows twitched down. “You look a bit small for Harry Potter.”
Harry couldn’t help but let out the small huff of laughter that escaped. “You’re not exactly what I expected either.”
“I know.” Merlin said in a conspiratorial fashion. “I used to get that all the time. People think you have to be serious all the time if your Arthur’s Merlin. And when exactly did my name get attached to his like that? I mean, yes, there is some merit in the word choice, but I have done a lot of things on my own that did not include Arthur Pendragon, prat King of Camelot.”
“Of course you have.” Harry assured him immediately. “You’re the most famous wizard in history. Even muggles know about you, even if they don’t think you’re real.”
Merlin smiled at that. “One of these days, I’m going to send Arthur on a ‘quest’ to run bare skinned through the paintings in muggle London. I just haven’t figured out how to convince him that he has to do it yet. I’m thinking some sort of curse on the land that can only be lifted if he reveals himself, in all his naked glory, to the unknowing people.”
Harry didn’t try to stop that laugh. “But why?”
Merlin winked. “You haven’t met Arthur yet. He’s a prat, but he’s also got an unbelievably caring heart and a body that should have been sculpted by the ancients.” He said with a sigh.
Harry took a step closer. This was what he had come for really. When Hermione told him that the Hogwarts had one of the largest collections of ancient art, hidden in their basement for safe keeping and that the original “Guardians of Camelot” was there, he had to see it. He needed to know if the rumors Draco spoke were true.
“There were rumors about the two of you.” Harry said carefully. The other man didn’t seem to be easily put off and he had a great sense of humor, but it was always wise to tread carefully when wizards were around. Even if you were one yourself.
“There always were.” Merlin answered, looking out of the picture frame to something Harry couldn’t see. “His father, Uther Pendragon, would never have understood. I was his servant after all, nothing more to him than that. To Uther the fact that I saved his son’s life countless times was something to be commended, but it was just what I was supposed to do. There was no need to think more highly of me. Arthur was never the man his father wanted him to be though. He tried to live up to his expectations, but he had his honor and a very keen mind and a will to do the right thing even when it went against what his father thought of as the right thing.”
“And you were the right thing?”
Merlin laughed. “Not for a while. But we grew to be friends, which I’m sure would appall Uther if he’d ever understood. When things got rough though, when he found out what I was, it was hard for him to put that aside.”
“But it wasn’t your fault that Uther had banned magic from Camelot.”
“True, but it was my fault that I lied to him. It was never about me having to keep my secret, but more about the fact that I hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him. That I felt he’d follow his father’s orders and either take me to him in front of the court and confess what I was, or that he’d tell me to leave and never come back. I knew Arthur and I knew he would never do those things to me, but I never told him.”
“Then how…”
Merlin’s smile lit up. “I told you about his heart? It’s not something everyone talks about. They talk about his courage and his great feats and the justice he instilled in the people, but it all starts with his heart and the compassion he has. We both realized that there was so much more between us and when he was facing that betrayal, and I was afraid of losing him, we both realized why it hurt so much. It wasn’t an easy path, but we became lovers and Arthur never let anyone question my value to Camelot.”
“You mean how well you polish armor?”
“Except himself of course.” Merlin said as another man walked into the portrait. “Arthur Pendragon, I am pleased to introduce you to Harry Potter.”
Arthur took one look at Harry and quirked his eyebrows up. “Really? An honor. I was just having a chat about you actually. It is true you have a fear of Ms. Weasley’s Christmas sweaters?”
Harry felt his face growing hot. “Only because she’s insisted on adding comments to mine.”
“Who is Ms. Weasley?”
“Crazy woman who apparently knits sweaters trying to divine Harry Potter’s love life. And who takes to trying to squeeze the breath out of him whenever they meet.”
“Wait, she’s not like that. She’s affectionate.”
“Can she really divine your love life from sweaters? That sounds like something fun to learn.”
“That would interest you. You mean you don’t want to root around in the herbs and trees and bring back those nasty little grubby things anymore?”
“Well I can’t stop that. I’m a wizard after all.”
“I think I should have kept the ban in Camelot.”
“You couldn’t. You know you can’t live without me Arthur.”
“Maybe I could find someone to cast a spell on you so you wouldn’t be able to do magic any longer? What is it they call them? Squibs?”
“You couldn’t and you wouldn’t. You like it too much when I-”
“Merlin.” Arthur interrupted, looking pointedly out of the painting to Harry. “We have company.”
Harry felt his blush intensifying as both Merlin and Arthur stared at him.
“Does he always do that?” Arthur asked, looking past Harry’s shoulder. He turned quickly, wand in hand, to find Draco Malfoy staring up at Arthur.
“Yes. I don’t understand the need to blush about everything, but he does it quite often.” Draco said, coming up behind Harry and wrapping his arms around his waist, his chin resting on Harry’s shoulder.
Harry nearly gapped at the affection because while Draco seemed to crave touch when they were private, he was usually standoffish in front of other people.
“It is quite becoming on him.” Arthur said. “You were right about that.”
“Well that explains how he knew about the sweaters. You just said that because Ms. Weasley keeps making me things that say “Gryffindors do it with muggles” or “Slytherins keep it in the family.”
“She’s not exactly subtle in her disapproval.”
“She’s not subtle in anything. But at least she’s let you come over for Christmas this year.”
“Great. So I can get a sweater that says “go snog a frog” Harry?”
“They’re rather cute.”
Harry and Draco both looked up at Merlin to see Arthur had draped his arm around the other man’s shoulder. “They are. Both a bit of a prat, but they might survive it.”
Merlin laughed. “You did.” He said, turning to face the other man.
Arthur’s eyes turned soft, his lips that had been curled in laughter turned into something more serious. One hand cupped Merlin’s cheek and the wizard leaned slightly into it. “Yes, I did, because I had you.”
The kiss was brief, the barest brush of lips against lips, but there was so much in it, love and trust and acceptance. Merlin looked up at Arthur, his eyes filled with deep emotion and Harry felt like an intruder suddenly. Like he didn’t have a right to be there, to even think of wondering how two men who had overcome such obstacles between them had found a way to make it work.
Draco leaned forward slightly, pressing a small kiss just behind his ear. “Love, Harry.” He said softly. “It was all they needed to see them through.”
He turned slightly, looking up at Draco and nodded. There was no magical secret to be found here, but the truth was far greater for it. He looked back at the painting, at the two men who were still so wrapped up around one another and he pulled at Draco, wanting to leave the two men to themselves.
They didn’t get far before Draco pushed him against the wall, brushing his lips against his. “Love you, Harry.” He said softly, his fingers playing over the skin of his neck and up to his face.
“Draco.” He whispered the name like a prayer.
“You think they’ll be okay?” He heard the voice and he felt Draco still the kisses along his neck, press into his body as they listened to Arthur and Merlin.
“Are you kidding? They’re both prats, but they’ll be alright.”
“You really think so Arthur?”
“Yeah. The boy might have screwed up some things, but his hearts in the right place now.”
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
They could hear the smile in his voice. “Yeah. They’ll have to face a lot but they already have. They’ll be stronger for it, Merlin. They’ll grow to rely on each other like we did, to trust each other no matter how many people try to get between them. In the end, they’ll make it. Who knows? Maybe they’ll get a painting and bring it down here so we can discuss all the sordid details.”
“Or we could just have them tell us about their sex life. They were both very attractive. Sort of like-”
“Don’t you say, Merlin. If you say it, I might have to kill you and then I would be left in this vault with nothing but sleeping wizards who wouldn’t know a real dragon from a stuffed up lizard.”
“I was just saying that Lan-”
“You did it. Merlin, I thought we agreed you were not allowed to bring up old boyfriends.”
“Just because you still get jealous that he got Gw-”
There was a growl and Harry looked down to see Draco smiling up at him as they listened.
“He did not get Gwen. I got you and there is a big difference. In case it hasn’t settled into your brain in the last thousand years, I love you Merlin and when I made my choice to take a servant as a lover, it was your bed and not hers I found. Do you remember that?”
“I do.”
“Good, because if you bring this up again I might just go insane and then you’d be stuck in this painting for all eternity with the formerly Great King Arthur who is now the looney boy king in the corner dancing with his underpants.”
“You really are a prat sometimes.”
There was a soft laugh, joined by another. “Yeah, but you love me anyway.”
“Yeah, I really do.”
Harry ran a hand through Draco’s hair, watching the way the low candlelight reflected off the golden strands. He felt the press of lips against his chin and then he was opening up under Draco’s mouth.
When their lips finally parted Draco looked at him, warmth and love and need so bright it lit the world for Harry. “You ready?” Draco asked.
“Yeah.”
He had all the answers he had come for. He’d never expected that Draco might have the same concerns he did, that Draco was as worried about others approval as he was, but Arthur had been right. They had each other and they trusted each other. No matter what anyone else threw in their way, they believed in one another and in what they had. It would be enough to see them through as the dark times tried to dissipate around them.
“Harry, let’s go home.”
They walked hand in hand through the vault, neither noticing a very happy, smiling Professor Dumbledore who followed their path all the way through. “Good luck, my boys.” He said softly. “Heal each other, and bring peace to the land once more.”