The Rising of Merlin

The One at the Lake

Chapter 47 The One at the Lake

It was only three weeks till Samhain so Merlin and Morgana decided to spend every free time together which was practically all the time since they didn't have anything else to do.

Merlin spent an hour every day to try and locate the last Horcrux in the north and he came one step closer every time but still not close enough to pinpoint an exact location.

Other than that, he didn't have any obligation because they wouldn't go after the one in Gringotts until the right time and Hermione practised her magic alone or with Harry and Ron there to help her.

Aithusa sometimes transformed into an owl and she and Hedwig would fly away for a few hours or even days. Other days she would spend her time with Crookshank in her cat form and they would be out in the garden and hunt for mice and birds or whatever cats like to do.

So it was a very serene atmosphere in the house at the moment, no one could have guessed the turmoil that was inside Merlin's head every time he thought about Samhain or the deep anxiety he felt the few times Morgana left him alone.

He tried his best not to show any of it, not wanting to upset Morgana or experience the concerned looks Hermione would sometimes give him when she though he wasn't looking. Instead he did his best to make sure Morgana spent her remaining time happy and satisfied, but when night fell and she was asleep, he couldn't keep his thoughts at bay.

Some nights he lay awake, staring at her and thinking what his life would be like without her, other nights he was able to fall asleep but was assaulted with bad dreams, leaving him tired and uneasy the next day, or as Ron liked to call him, a cranky baby.

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"No, that's wrong." Hermione shook her head at Ron and took the large wooden spoon from him.

"How can it be wrong?" Ron looked at her with raised eyebrows. "I'm only stirring."

"It just is," Hermione pushed him aside and started to stir the batter herself.

Hermione was trying to teach Ron how to bake a cake, muggle style, while Morgana and Merlin sat at the small kitchen table, doing crosswords. It was an early Sunday morning so Harry was still asleep.

"If you don't let me try for myself, how am I ever going to learn?" Ron argued and Merlin felt a nagging sensation at the back of his head at their bickering.

He cast a glance at them while adjusting his position on the chair, trying to concentrate on the crossword puzzle in front of him.

"Before Mi?" Morgana said with a frown and got his attention.

"How many letters?" He asked without looking up from his own paper.

"Two..." Morgana answered and he could feel her looking at him. "It starts with an 'R'."

"Re..." He said nonchalantly and cringed inwardly when Ron accidentally dropped the cake pan in the sink while buttering it up. He shook his head to clear it and then refocused on the crossword.

"How do you know that?" Morgana asked while chewing at the end of the pen. He could sense that she had noticed his discomfort but she didn't comment on it.

"It's from Sound of Music," He shrugged and looked up at her with a smile.

"Ah," She said and taped her nose with the pen before looking back down.

"Not like that, Ron!" Hermione exclaimed and Merlin closed his eyes in annoyance.

"Then how do you want me to do it?" Ron argued back in an equally loud voice.