((Anyone around))

Merlin paid for his assortment of jokes and waited outside before he wanted to take more things. It was time to go back with everyone in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop. He was getting tired of the shopping and just wanted to go get the quills and back to his pets but they still had more places to go according to the schedule and The Three Broomsticks Inn was next. "I could use a snack and a butterbeer." He took out the creme scone he brought and started eating while he waits for everyone to finish their shopping. "It's a bit squished, but still good."

(and anyone else ^.^)

Niall stood completely mesmerized by a working model of a qudditch match. One of the players sure looked a lot like Eros to him. “Hey guys, check this out!” He turned around to show them but there was no one there. In fact the shop was empty save for the clerk who said everyone else left some time ago. Niall went outside and sure enough no sign of anyone. “Don’t panic,” he said to himself as he fumbled to get his map out. Then it took him a few moments to realise why the print was blurry. He put on his glasses and studied the map. He struggled to hold the map and his bonsai tree as well as the other bag. He looked for the tea place. He figured if he found someone they could help him find the others. It looked like he needed to go to the right and hook over to the left and he should be back at the shop. So he held the crumpled map and started off to the right and then hooked right through another alley. Okay this doesn’t look correct so he looked back at the map and scratched his head. He did everything correctly he thought, so he kept going and then turned right onto another alley then left and by this time was completely lost and nothing looked like shops at all. Now he was panicking and the tears falling made reading print even more difficult not that the map had helped him. What was he going to do?

Magnus was happily ready to go get another cup of tea, sit down and wait for the rest of the tour. “You’re awfully quiet, Niall,” Magnus said, “did you like zonkos? Buy anything?” He looked around but the little Irish boy wasn’t with them. “Where’s Niall?”

When Merlin heard Magnus asked about Niall he opened his eyes. "isn't he with you? I thought he was with you! We can't ACCIO him, so..we have to look for him. You sure he is not inside Zonko's?" Merlin went back in and asked everyone about Niall and then went back. "He is lost! We are horrible! How come we lost a kid?" Merlin was thoughtful. "Use your nose Magnus, it should lead us to him or you want me to fly and go find him?"

“I thought ‘e were with us.” Magnus could’ve told Merlin he’d never been there. “We must’ve accidentally left ‘im at Spintwitches.” His heart sunk into his stomach. They lost a little timid kid. He wanted to kick himself. “No, a dragon is a bad idea mate, it might scare people who don’t know you ain’t a real one. Best we use it as a last resort. Retrieving Magnus dog, at your service. Give me a mo to get ‘is scent sorted in me nose.” He closed his eyes and gave Merlin a long sniff and then Drew—very close to them both. They had both touched the boy. He started filtering out their scents and finding the common link. Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff. “This way, back towards Spintwitches.”

Merlin was very nervous, he never lost anyone before and he felt horrible for leaving Niall, of all people, behind. "If something happens to him I won't ever forgive myself! If you don't find him, I'm calling Tamsin. I still got her earring." Merlin wanted to cry since he was genuinely mortified for the loss of Niall, but he hold his tears back with difficulty. He looked frantically to every direction trying to spot the young boy. "Red hair, red hair, red hair......" He was so hysterical he blocked his memory. "What was he wearing?" He was surely stressing the others, but what he fear the most was how the little guy was feeling and if he felt betrayed for being left by himself. "Niall!" He begins to call his name, hoping he might hear and come out. They arrived at Spintwitches just to hear the owner say he left a while ago. "Which way he went?" But he only shrugged.

"Green striped shirt and ripped jeans," Drew muttered in response to Merlin's frantic query as to what Niall was wearing. He couldn't believe this had happened. With Merls calling and Mags tracking, surely they would find Niall. And there was nothing dangerous here in Hogsmeade...was there?

Drew peered down an alley. "Niall!!" he called.

"Ok thanks Drew." He kept looking, but his hands were sweating and he didn't noticed he was running without tripping even once. "NIALL!" He looked at Magnus who was rapidly moving and hoped he had found his trail.

“Merlin, its okay,” he said, “we’re gonna find ‘im.” He hadn’t bothered asking the shopkeep, but kept going—letting his nose be the guide.

The little boy had slunk to the ground not sure where to go. He drew his legs up to his chest and drew his arms around them. His head down so he was a little ball. He was crying.

Magnus lead them to an ally and then a Niall “ball.”

Drew raced after Magnus as he turned down another alley and then skidded to a halt at the sight before them. He felt a sob choke him and moved closer to Niall. Dropping to his knees beside the little boy, he acted on big brother instinct as if it had been Bridget. "Oh, Niall...I'm so sorry," he said softly, putting his arms around the younger boy. "It's alright. We're here now. You've safe and not alone."

Merlin was last to reach the boy since he was looking in another direction and noticed last they have found him so he quickly went to him with tears in his eyes. "Oh Niall, I'm sorry! I was so worried, you ok?" He washed his tears with the back of his hand but they kept coming out. "I was scared we might not find you." He pull him and hugged him without caring if he would get upset. "I'm so sorry, there is no excuse we should have been more careful."

Niall’s head lifted as he saw the others. “I-I dinn’t see ye leave,” he said as he started trying to calming down. “I-I thought I could find ye.” He wiped his eyes, removing his glasses. He shook his head to Merlin. “Madame’s lost me before. It-its okay.”

Magnus knelt down to Niall, pulling out a piece of no melt ice cream from his jar. “’Ere ‘ave a sweetie. And no, it ain’t. We should’ve checked cos you don’t know this town. But it won’t ‘appen again. ‘Ow about we go back to the tea shop, sit and ‘ave some tea, yeah? Nice calming tea.” He sounded the calmest of all of them, remarkably far calmer than he felt. “You know I got lost in the middle o’ London in a rather scary neighbourhood.” He would have rubbed the other boy’s back, if Drew wasn’t already there.

Merlin nods. "I think it's a great idea, we need chamomile and lemon tea." Merlin felt like he needed four cups and stood up next to Niall. "Want me to carry your plant?" When Niall got up he dust him off and did his best to smile. "We are together now and we won't ever leave you again."

"Mags is right," Drew said, rubbing Niall's back soothingly. "It's not alright. We got too carried away with our own stuff and didn't stop to think about the newest member of our little group. But he's also right that it won't be happening again."

Glancing up at Magnus, Drew nodded. "Tea and just sitting around together for a while sounds good. I think I'm pretty shopped out for now."

Then he looked back at Niall and gave him a gentle hug before allowing his arm to slide away in case the younger boy didn't like it. "How about it, Niall? Does relaxing and sipping tea sound good? We have to remember to gossip a bit and quirk our pinkies though," he said, hoping for a bit of lightness.

(and everyone else XD we are back at the tea shop.)

Niall pulled away from Drew as he got calmer and the tears stopped. Niall stood up, dusted himself off and collected his things. “Thanks but I got it.” Niall looked up at Merlin, "Of course ye'll leave me." He said it very calmly considering. “Ye’ll leave when the tour is over. But tea would be nice.” He gave a shy slightly watery smile.

“Quirk our pinkies?” Magnus asked, “Mate, you’ve sniffed too much sweets. People don’t do that. At least I sure as ‘ell ain’t ever seen on one do it.”

“C-could we not tell anyone I got lost? Please?” Niall asked as they headed to the door to the shop and he straightened his shirt to look less conspicuous.

Drew held back a sigh and shrugged at Magnus' words. "I was just kidding, Mags," he said. "I've yet to see it happen. It's just the stereotypical thing people think of with British tea...especially if you're in the states."

"I'm not telling anyone," Drew promised Niall. "Not unless they ask outright, which doesn't seem likely since we're all together and no one will know."

Merlin felt relief they found him but was sure the boy was not really alright. He wanted to hold his hand but was sure he would reject it, so he just walked behind him until they reached the tea place. Once they sit down he brought Niall tea and a few snacks and brought tea for everyone else as well. "Eat up, drink up." He drank from his cup still feeling a bit nervous but he wanted to change the subject so he pulled out the glasses from his bag and gave one to Niall. Look I bought these for you, one for you Drew, one for Paddy and Rosie, and of course for me. I was going to get you one Mag but you bought it yourself." He put the glasses on and his eyes turned huge. "What do you think?" He smiled and tried acting the goof he always was but deep down he felt a big knot on his stomach and he wondered why this felt familiar. Maybe he got lost as a child and couldn't remember.

"Oh," Magnus said. He hadn't realised it was a joke.

Niall felt a lot better now he was sitting down with everyone again and had drinks and snacks in front of him. He watched his bonsai, the wizard was having a tea party with the bunny and a deer wearing a bow tie. Then Merlin gave him the glasses and Niall laughed. "Oh I like these, thank ya." He was to shy to put them on though. "Whatda ye lot reckon ye're gonna do after Hogwarts?" he asked as he felt more comfortable and happy to be un-lost.

Merlin nods. "I'm hoping to be a dragonologist and an auror." Merlin nods. "If I can't then I have no idea, I would be soaring the sky until I found a place to settle down. But i won't give up on my dream." He looked at the others and then at Niall. "Have you thought about it, I mean you are still very young and have time."

Drew grinned at the glasses. "Thanks, Merls," he said. "These will be fun. I really like them." As Merlin put on his own pair, Drew snickered. "Glad I hadn't just taken a sip of tea," he said with a giggle.

"After Hogwarts?" he said to Niall. "Probably close to what I do while at Hogwarts...read, write, explore and take walks and rides in the woods. Well...I can't take rides while at Hogwarts. Unless I seek out the thestrals again."

"I 'ope to be a 'ealer," doubt was in Magnus' voice a little.

Niall nodded. "That sounds amazing and I don't see why ye wouldn't, ye both seem really smart. I'd like to take care of Magical creatures, I just don't know which one yet if I specialize. Ride what in the woods Drew? Acromantulas?"