Teen Idle

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

Merl smiled for a moment. "Thank you, Miss Swift," he said, "Though it certainly helps that history is my passion - I am quite terrible, for instance, at remembering potions. And I'm not sure that I could remember a needlework pattern even if I tried!"

Potions were the most boring sort-of-useful thing in the world. History, though - he cared a lot about context, and How They Had Gotten There, and the relevance of random artifact number four.

  

[Ismene Swift]

“You needn’t trouble yourself with needlework!” Issie insisted brightly. “I—or- or any one, of course,” she added hastily, turning a color not dissimilar to that of a tomato, “someone could surely stitch you lovely handkerchiefs or anything else you might need. It is, after all, a lady’s occupation!”

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

Merl smiled brightly at her, not wanting to call attention to her blush but unable to stop himself from smiling anyways, for whatever reason.

"Still," he said, "I would be useless without you -" oh, now his cheeks were turning pink "- or of course anyone else, if no one was willing!"

  

[Ismene Swift]

I’d be useless without you.

Those were the words, she thought, he would whisper softly in her ear with a loving caress just after his second attempt at Minister of Magic proved fruitful. The words that he would write in a letter to her on his deathbed, or (more or less) the words he would issue in her eulogy before he fell into a lifetime of strength mixed with utter misery at her passing.

Was it not so populated a place, she might have swooned just to impress upon him how much the words meant to her. She was too distracted by her own thoughts to note that even he was beginning to blush.

But no; here she stood getting far, far ahead of herself. It would not do for Mr. Huxley to think her in love with him before he was in love with her—men, she knew, should always believe romance to be their own idea.

“I don’t think you shall ever want for help in that regard, Mr. Huxley,” she extended shyly, “but I do think—if only for your help today!—that you should not hesitate to ask me, should you need!”

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

Merl flashed a smile at Miss Swift, glad that his odd turn of phrase had at least not been commented on."Thank you, Miss Swift," he said cheerily, (or as close to cheerily as his tone ever got, which was not very,) "I'll keep that in mind." He did doubt that it would never be especially relevant, but if it was, he would ask! Probably. Maybe. Perhaps.

If he ever had a desperate need for embroidery, certainly. And her offer was very kind.

They had reached the end of the Egyptian exhibit, with apparently no sign of Miss Swift's father or brother. Merl turned to her, "It looks like they've finished here already - where do you think we should head now?"

  

[Ismene Swift]

Who had finished? Oh! Issie realized belatedly. That was right—she was supposed to be looking for her father and brother. She was rather relieved, if she was honest, that they seemed to have moved along without her: any excuse to prolong her time in Mr. Huxley’s company was rather ideal, as far as she was concerned.

Ismene made a show of pausing to ‘think’, for all that her thoughts were primarily centered around how lovely Mr. Huxley’s eyes were, before she spoke again.

“I cannot say that I am familiar with the museum’s layout—what exhibits are nearby?”

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

Merl considered. "We have an exhibit on wizarding Viking ships upstairs," he said, "The room to the left of us has artifacts from Babylon, and there's also the exhibits on Morgana le Fay and Hogwarts' founders nearby." It was difficult to get any solid information on the founders - it had been eight hundred years, and most of the information on them was cloaked in legend. But they tried.

Hopefully one of those would have appealed to Miss Swift's father and brother!

  

[Ismene Swift]

Of all the options offered, the Babylonian exhibit seemed the least likely to interest her brother. Naturally, it was therefore that same exhibit that the Hufflepuff suggested the pair try next.

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

The Messrs. Swift were not in the Babylonian Exhibit, and Merl's concern was growing. Oh, they had to find Ismene's family eventually - but he was worried about her! She had to be even more nervous than he was! "Other than those other two exhibits," he said, when it was clear they had failed to locate her family again, "There's the one on early Quidditch above this."

  

[Ismene Swift]

“Oh, we were there early on in our visit,” the witch put in hastily. “My father simply would not hear of visiting any other exhibits before that one!”

Should she seem more…distressed to avoid arousing suspicions, Ismene wondered? She did not wish for Mr. Huxley to think her too at ease with an ‘undesirable’ situation. Deciding that too much reaction was better than too little, the brunette sank onto a nearby bench with a sigh of dismay.

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

Oh no. Entirely unsure of himself, Merl sat down on the bench besides Miss Swift. "Don't worry, Miss Swift," Merl said, uneasily, "I'm sure we'll find them soon."

But would they? Merl was going to have to make his way back into the archives eventually, and it was a big museum. He was starting to be genuinely worried about this, and frowned faintly.

  

[Ismene Swift]

It hurt her heart to lie to him, but Ismene knew that, in ten years, he would thank her for doing anything that she could to bring them together. She would carry on the ruse for only a little bit longer, the witch decided, and then release him to his undoubtedly important work. Perhaps they really could meet up with her father, and then acquaintances could be made…

“Oh, I could scarcely worry with you here, Mr. Huxley!” Issie replied. “I feel as if I am in the very best of hands.”

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

Merl felt as if he were on the verge of losing it due to his own incompetence, but at least she had faith. "That's good to hear," he said, smiling weakly at her. They had to find her father - or, from this position, be found by her father - and Merl had to keep it together until he could slink back into the basement. He shouldn't even have been the one who was freaking out!

  

[Ismene Swift]

Was she imagining things, or did he not share her enthusiasm? Oh dear, was he tiring of her already?! That did not bode well for the decades of marital bliss they were due to have, did not bode well at all! Was it time to cut him loose so soon, to allow him to come back to her of his own accord later? She was loathe to leave his company, but did not want to be a nuisance…

“Perhaps we might try that way?” Issie suggested helpfully, pointing in a direction they had not yet ventured due to the high chance of actually meeting up with her family.

[His Majesty Merlin Huxley]

Merl sat up from the bench and, unsure of the etiquette for this and before he could really question it, offered Miss Swift his hand for help in getting up. "Let's try it," he said, flashing her a hopeful smile. They had to find her family eventually - even if he was starting to become very worried that they were just going in circles, constantly missing them.

They'd make it. Eventually.

  

[Ismene Swift]

“I really do appreciate your help, Mr. Huxley,” Ismene offered as they walked, only half-heartedly looking for the male members of her family. “It is not every man who would be so willing to set aside his work to help a young lady, and I do so sincerely apologize if I’ve proved a nuisance to you!”