Professor Merlin Emrys

Memories

Draco came down the stairs to find Emrys on the couch groaning. He shakes his head and shakes the professor awake the rest of the way.

"Happy Christmas, Professor!" Extra loud just for the fun of it. Emrys groans again, eyes squinted partway open and his hand on his forehead.

"S'time is it?" Slowly sitting up as he asks.

"Nine," Emrys' eyes go wide and he's rushing out of the room, cursing his hangover as he runs. Confused, Draco leaves his professor to whatever strangeness he has planned and goes to the dining room. He is greeted with waffles, fruit salad, and bacon with an assortment of toppings.

He grabs a plate, piled with a waffle, strawberries and chocolate syrup, and some fruit. Halfway through his breakfast, Emrys comes in wearing a silver robe with some kind of bird on the back that's wingtips spans onto the front. He doesn't look hungover, almost like it never happened.

"Morning, our guests should be back for luncheon," Emrys greets, Draco nods, curious as to who he invited for Christmas. He knows that some from the party will be here, but it will be a more sedated gathering. Draco absently watches as Emrys picks his way through the bacon and fruit salad, not touching the waffles.

Draco had finished eating, waiting for Emrys to finish before asking to leave when Emrys called his name.

"Here," sliding a neatly wrapped green and white box his way,"I figured you wouldn't want everyone staring at you when you opened it," getting up before Draco could protest. He stares dumbly at the door as it closes, until his eyes gravitate towards the box that is slightly to the left of him.

Slowly, he unties the bow and unwraps the paper. There is an old ornate wooden box with a family crest on top, an angel with a sword and shield. Draco knows it's ancient and worth probably more than his whole wardrobe. He opens the lid to find a piece of paper and a vial, the closer he looks he can tell they are memories.

Why would the professor give him memories and whose are they? He glances at the parchment.

Dear Draco,

I have been trying to figure out what to give you since I invited you to stay the holiday with me in September. I think I have figured it out. These are some of my earliest memories. Once you finish watching them, please, say nothing, as some are painful to remember and I know I would get lost in watching them over and over.

There is a pensieve in my study, your welcome to use it.

Your Professor,

M E

Draco rereads it to make sure he has it right before sticking his head out of the door to find it eerily quiet, Emrys nowhere to be found.

"Professor?" He calls but gets no reply.

"Drissy?" He asks instead. An elf pops in front of him, eyes attentive, waiting for him to ask for something.

"Have you seen Emrys?" He asks, he wants answers...his eyes glance back to the sheet in his hand, the professor did say to not talk about it.

"Merls has gone out and will be back before lunch," she informs, "Merls has asked for me to take you to his study," confused with Drissy's nickname for the professor, he follows the elf into the west corner of the estate, greeted by a cherry wood door. Drissy leaves him outside the study and motions for him to enter.

The study is much like the rest of the manor, old fashioned but in a stylish way, with shelves filled with books and paintings, most likely family heirlooms. A desk sits in the middle of the room, a sitting area by the window and a fireplace with a painting of a woman hanging above it. She had hair brown, bordering on black, pale skin, and wearing a dress of velvet crimson. Eventually, his eyes find the pensieve, the marble stone holding whispered words and silver threads, swirling.