Ancient Help (A Harry Potter and Merlin Crossover)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Sir Elyan of Camelot

Her heart painfully clenched upon remembering a specific trip she had with Gwen back in the Darkling Woods. Softly sighing, Hermione remembered how she had opened up to her friend about her life back in Hogwarts. The brunette sadly looked at the bubbling cauldron in front of her, absentmindedly stirring the ladle counter-clockwise. She grabbed a handful of powdered aconite and was about to sprinkle it inside the concoction when Gaius' wrinkly hand suddenly cupped hers.

Hermione knitted her eyebrows in surprise when Gaius roughly pushed her hand away. Some of the powder sprinkled all over the worktable, prompting her to frown. "What's the matter, Gaius?" she asked.

The Court Physician expelled a disgruntled sigh and brushed off some of his perspiration form his forehead. "You had almost added deadly nightshade instead of aconite, Hermione," he tiredly said, gesturing at the green powder on her hand. "I just saved you from blowing up the whole chamber."

The brunette, horrified, stared at the powder in her hands. Since deadly nightshade and aconite almost had the same shade of color, with aconite being lighter than the former, she had mistaken the deadly nightshade with aconite.

Her cheeks colored in embarrassment and she hastily returned the powdered aconite back inside the small sack. "I'm so sorry, Gaius," she profusely apologized, grabbing a handful of powdered deadly nightshade instead and sprinkling it inside the bubbling cauldron. A putrid smell, a sure sign that she had done the potion right, reached her nose and she slightly gagged. Hermione quickly stirred the potion, this time in a clockwise motion, before finally finishing it.

She was about to stand up and grabbed a vial but Gaius' comforting hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Do not stress yourself anymore," he said. "It is perfectly obvious that you are exhausted, Hermione. Why don't you go back home and rest?"

She slightly scowled at the mention of the word home. "I can't," she answered through gritted teeth. "The house just makes me remember about Gwen, Gaius."

It had almost been a week ever since Gwen's exile, but Hermione was still grieving over the banishment of her friend. Things were still normal, seeing that nobody really cared that much for Gwen's absence. But Hermione could see that King Arthur's work had slightly declined. Sometimes, when she was doing her daily chores in the castle, she would catch sight of the king, absentminded and silent, as if deeply pondering over something only he knew. But then again, Hermione perfectly knew what, or more appropriately who, he was thinking about.

"I miss Gwen," she confessed, mournfully staring at the wooden tabletop.

"So do I, my dear," Gaius said, placing a comforting hand on top of her own and squeezing it. "So do I."

"I still don't understand why we can't tell Arthur that Gwen was under a spell when she kissed Lancelot," Hermione said, frowning darkly. "Maybe, Gwen wouldn't have to leave Camelot."

The Court Physician sighed and shook his head. They had been arguing about this matter for days now. "It does not erase the fact that Gwen kissed Lancelot," Gaius slowly explained. "Her infidelity, whether accident or not, had a great impact to our King's feelings, Hermione. Perhaps any sane reason would all sound unreasonable to the current insanity that he feels."

"But it is plain to see that Gwen's absence is affecting his reign greatly," Hermione pointed out petulantly. "From what I've observed he looked more... subdued."

"If there is someone who misses Gwen more than anybody, my dear Hermione," Gaius said, sitting down beside her, "It is most definitely King Arthur."

Before Hermione could retort a snarky comment, the doors had burst open and in came an exhausted Merlin. He sat down at the other side of Hermione and surprisingly pulled her into an affectionate hug. He tiredly buried his face into her voluminous hair and released a soft, satisfied sigh.