Merlin's Beard || Marauders Era

12\\Its Only Going To Get Weirder//12

"Merlin, how is it that you've lost more points in a month than I have ever?"

His head popped up from the table where he'd been catching a few minutes of sleep while he had the Common Room to himself. Blinking up at Gaius, he slowly registered that his friend had probably said words when his brain had registered white noise. "Huh?"

Sighing, the seventh year took in his appearance. "Merlin, either you got up way too early to get done or you haven't slept."

"Both, actually," He smiled, because it was the only way he could think to keep from crying. But Gaius didn't need to know that, no one did. "I couldn't sleep so I showered and got my clothes while everyone else was out."

The older boy looked at him for a while, eyes carefully scrutinizing every detail it seemed. Then he sighed, and Merlin was unbelievably confused. "So, what happened this time?"

"This... time, what?"

"The house points. How'd you lose more this time?"

"Oh!" His brain 'helpfully' decided to translate the garble it had held onto from earlier and it made Merlin flush. He really needed some more sleep. "Oh, um, remember how I skipped the end of detention to look for Pigmy Puffs at the lake?"

"And cost us five points and yourself another detention, yes."

"They found the Pigmy Puffs."

Gaius decided at once that he'd actually rather not know and gestured towards the door. "I'm meeting up with Fabian and Gideon before breakfast. Want to tag along?"

As if Merlin would ever want to spend a second longer than he had to in that snake den. He hopped up and they left together.

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"Merlin?"

He full body jerked, blinking rapidly and trying to figure out exactly what was going on because when he'd blinked a second ago they'd been talking and now James was studying his face like it was a potions recipe. "Yeah?"

"Merlin did you sleep at all last night?"

"Okay why is everyone asking me that today," He huffed. Remus had a similar concerned look to the one James did, but his was different. More understanding. Even though what he said was, "Maybe because your eyes look like they're carrying the entire school's bags."

"Wha- Ugh." He started rubbing at them, as if that'd actually make it go away. Gwaine caught his left wrist and Sirius his right. "Merlin, stop. What's wrong, why haven't you slept?"

"Wasn't tired," He lied, tugging his hands free. "I got distracted reading that book you got me."

"The one about Beards-"

A piece of Merlin's breakfast toast hit him square in the face, making them laugh. "The one about the old Merlin, from a few hundred years ago. Did you know he believed he'd been reincarnated?"

"What?" Peter asked. Sirius nodded though. "Yeah, apparently he was convinced he'd lived once before, that he'd been the one to end the Dragon Purge."

"He didn't just believe it," They were all startled, as usual, when Xenophilius actually spoke. Usually he just sat and listened and laughed, more focused on his Pigmy Puff and whatever book he'd found to obsess over. "It's true. The man to end the Dragon Purge was named Merlin too, and Dragons always obeyed him ever since he was young."

"That doesn't necessarily mean he was reincarnated," Peter argued.

"But that Merlin wasn't the second Merlin to have saved the world either," Xenophilius mentioned. "Actually, he was third. The first ever Merlin ended the Dragon Purge, the second ended the war on Magic and helped King Arthur create Albion, and the Third, the one everyone always talks about, prevented the enslavement of Muggleborns and Halfbreeds by fighting for their rights alongside King Arthur."