A New Beginning
Summary: When Severus Snape begs for a new beginning, asks whatever spirits may see him to help. He didn't think they would be answered. A new world, a new home, a new life.
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, their respective owners are very wonderful people. This is only for your entertainment.
LOTR/HP Crossover
Erestor/Glorfindel Slash (Light)
Elf!Severus
Severus lay against the wooden floor with his life's blood pouring from his throat in a river of red. He could feel the hot tears running from his eyes, a stream against his cheeks and a sob caught in his torn throat bubbled out as a cough. Potter would be fine; he knew he would be, he gave his life for that insufferable brat, him and his friends, a sacrifice he wouldn't take back, but how…how unfair! He could feel the mark burn against dying flesh; here he would parish, marked by a mad man.
"I'm sorry Lily," He whispered to the darkness. He felt so cold with his hair sticking to his face from blood and sweat, his robes felt heavy, "I wish…I wish I could start over." He breathed out and struggled to breathe back in, his lungs protesting as his heart beat slowed in his chest. The bleeding began to slow, red haloing dark hair and pale face. A morbid scene, but the sound of the leaves and the creaking of the tree trunks around the forest made Severus smile just a little, the sounds of war had died away. He hoped it was because the child hero had won. Severus struggled with one more breath, he was so tired, but he couldn't move as the poison began to finish its work. Severus' eyes closed, black lashes against ghostly white skin as his final breath passed his lips and he became still.
Then the air shifted, and a star within the sky shone brightly in the sky before it moved. The star had no substance, just a light as it hovered over the man for a moment before moving away.
"Your wish, Severus Snape, shall be granted," The voice was soothing, caring and gentle and the star danced a moment before it leaned down and touched the body. The room was engulfed by a blinding light before the body simply vanished leaving the man's blood and his wand to be found.
Severus lay in a bed of soft moss and the smell of dying leaves were wet in his nose as he slept peacefully against the forest floor. He could feel every muscle in his body relaxed and at peace, just as his mind was. He smiled selfishly as he thought about how good death felt against his body, he should have died years ago if this was where he was going to be taken. The touch of velvet on his face startled him and Severus woke and gave a shout, surprising the beast above him as Severus himself scrambled away. The stallion watched Severus as he stood up and brushed himself off before carefully stepping towards the creature. The stallion tossed his head and stepped forwards and nudged the hand readily held out for him.
"Now, what are you doing here?" Severus asked him and the stallion snorted as if his asking him the same question. Severus grinned as he stroked the creature's face and looked at the glittering brown eyes and shining white coat of the beautiful creature. "You can't be a wild horse, you look too well cared for, are you dead too?" Severus spoke and the horse tossed his head up from Severus's arms and headed for the pond nearby. Severus chuckled and followed the animal towards the water and knelt down and reached for it but stopped when he caught his reflection. The water rippled as the horse continued to drink and Severus stood up and looked at his hands, small and delicate like a child! Severus took a few deep breaths as he stood above the pond and looked down at himself again. His skin was fair and his hair was a deep ink black color and silken smooth as it fell down his shoulders. His eyes, though, were now a stunning amethyst blue crowned with thick black lashes. Severus had been turned in to a child, and as he fiddled with his hair he sopped intently when he caught the tips of his ears. Feeling again he brought his hair up away from his ears and looked in the water once more. His ears now came up in a soft tapered point, almost the shape of a leaf, and this realization brought Severus back to his knees.
"What happened?" He whispered and hugged himself in the middle as he tried to remember. He was dead, left to bleed out on the floor of the shrieking shack, and he had been talking to himself, a memory of Lily. He tried to remember his babbling, the pointless last words that passed his lips that had meant nothing to him at the time. He had apologized to Lily and then wished for a second chance. His eyes widened and he felt the horse bump his face with his nose and he looked up at the creature.
"Someone gave me a second chance, but, what do I do with it?" Severus was confused, he was now a small child of some inhuman race. Severus had no friends, no family and no one who could help him and he was lost in the woods with a horse that was now sniffing his hair. Severus sighed and looked up at the stallion that now backed off and lay down before tossing his head again. Severus blinked and tilted his head, the horse mimicked him, Severus blinked and the horse mimicked that too. Tired of this game the Stallion snorted and turned his head to his back and then back to the child. "You want me to get on?"
The horse tossed his head and then waited as Severus got up from the ground and then carefully got on to the beast's back. The stallion got up and Severus' fingers quickly tangled in to the silver white mane and held on as the beast stood. "Hey look, I never have been on a horse before so you'll have to go slow alright." The horse dipped his head and began to walk forwards, his little burden keeping his small fingers tangled in his mane as he made his way through the woods.
Severus was in awe at the woods, trees were thick with coloring leaves and the smell of it all made him dizzy. He could hear birds singing in the branches and if he looked hard enough he could see them hopping along the canopy. His mount sped up his step and Severus held on tighter as the animal headed down a hill and then took a turn and began to take a trail away from the woods and down in to a valley. Severus' breath hitched as he looked down in to the haven, rivers and waterfalls spilled over cliffs and through the forest, trees grew thick and tall and as he was carried down in to the valley he could see the buildings that came in to view. Everything was built in to the trees, nothing was disturbed from its natural place and everything weaved in and out and around the trees leaving the land untouched. Severus was completely amazed as he looked around and caught people walking among the open halls, over bridges and through the trees but everything was incredibly peaceful and quiet.
"Asfaloth, ennas le na," A man walked up to the horse and Severus ducked down a little as if to hide himself. The man was tall and limber with hair of honey blond. He wore strange cloths, as if he walked among the world of Merlin, a tunic of silver white and soft green leggings and a cloak of the same color. "Ai, ya naa sen?" He looked up at Severus and he swallowed.
"He…he found me," Severus spoke and the horse huffed and Severus tilted his head, "Well you did."
"You do not speak elvish," Severus turned to look down at the man who smiled up at him, "Where are you from elfling?"
"Elfling…ah! You are elves!" Severus looked down at his hands and fell deep in to his own thought as the elf man came around and put his hands on his waist, making him jump. The man backed off when he saw the look on the boy's face, something between disapproval and fear.
"I only wish to help you down, I am Glorfindel," the man spoke, "And you seem lost, I only wish to help." Severus looked down at Glorfindel, clear blue eyes that showed no kind of hostility and when he reached up again Severus reached down and placed his hands on the Elf's shoulders and was placed easily on his feet, "This is Asfaloth."
"Thank you," He said to the beast and reached up, patting the animal's flank as he trotted off, "He runs free?"
"For now, he has been restless, now, about you young one, you are lost and confused, I will place my bow that you have a story to go with it, if you wish to speak of course," Glorfindel said as he began to walk away and Severus stumbled along behind him. Glorfindel had a soft stride, gliding along the ground like some kind of spirit among mortals. Severus reminded himself that he wasn't mortal, elves were immortal and although no longer around in his time there were books about them in the library.
"I highly doubt you'll believe me," Severus said and Glorfindel gave him a curious look and gave a small smile.
"Perhaps, but you will see that I am open minded," Glorfindel said as he looked at the child. He had a strange accent and spoke with care, not like the children he knew and he had a way moving, a stride that made his hair flutter along behind him. This boy was not from here and the very aura around him was dark and wounded, anyone would be able to see that.
"I…I rather not," Severus spoke and Glorfindel gave a small smile and turned to him and fell down gracefully to one knee and looked the boy in the eyes.
"Whenever you are ready child, I am an open ear," Glorfindel spoke softly and stood again and began to walk and Severus watched him for a moment before he felt himself flush softly from the emotion that filled him. No one had ever been that kind to him, not even Dumbledore had done that for him and he just felt, for a moment, special. "Come along child."
"Severus," Severus said simply, "My name is Severus."
"A strange name," Glorfindel said and seemed thoughtful as they walked through the halls. Severus followed and found himself grabbing on to the cloak of the Elf so not to get lost. "Perhaps we should find another name for you Pen'neth, so not to get unwanted attention."
"Pen'neth?" Severus looked up at the blond as they stepped down the stairs and through some large doors.
"Young one," Glorfindel said "Perhaps a tutor as well," he chuckled and Severus flushed again and looked down at his feet, "Oh, no need to feel ashamed, you are still young."
"I'm thirty-eight," Severus said and Glorfindel laughed as they came through more doors and Severus gasped and looked around the grand library, books covering shelves and tables with chairs, stools and desks. Comfortable window seats surrounded the room and Glorfindel headed towards one that was occupied by another elf. This elf was dark in coloring with ebony black hair that fell like thick velvet down his back, braids crowned his head and one thick pleat lay down his back, resting against the blanket of hair that he left loose. Dark sapphire eyes were reading a scroll and a long feathered quill twirled in long dainty fingers as the rest of his lithe body spilled prettily against pillows and cushions.
"Melloth'nin," Glorfindel spoke softly and the elf turned purposefully and blinked softly before a light smile spread over his face.
"Ai, Melloth'nin, vendui', sun naa llesina re?" the elf said and then spotted Severus and tilted his head, "Ya naa tanya?"
"Ah, this is Severus," Glorfindel spoke and pulled Severus a little closer and Severus had that cautious look on his face again, "Severus, this is Erestor, my lover and friend." Severus went a brilliant shade of red and Erestor chuckled and offered his hand to the child and Severus came forwards and took it in a careful shake.
"Skittish isn't he?" Erestor spoke and got up from his comfortable seat and his robes fell over him, black silks, velvets and heavy material fell down to his feet. Severus looked up at him and blinked slowly, "He must have an interesting story."
"One he is not ready to tell," Glorfindel spoke and placed his hands on the youngster's shoulders, "He only told me his name and age. His name is Severus and he is Thirty-eight."
"Still an elfling," Erestor said and knelt down to Severus and the boy looked away and down at his feet, "A broken one at that." Erestor ran his hands through Severus's hair and the boy looked up at him and felt those fingers run down his cheek and jaw and those sapphire eyes looked right through him. "Will you let us fix you Pen'neth?"
"You won't be able to fix me," Severus said and Erestor cooed and brought Severus forwards, embracing him. Severus trembled, he could feel the warmth and the care in the man's arms and he felt like the child he resembled. His body slowly began to relax and his breathing even out and before Severus could protest, sleep had claimed him.
Erestor picked up the child and held him gently as Glorfindel chuckled, "That was uncalled for Erestor," He spoke as he ran his fingers through the boy's hair. Deep eyes were clouded over with sleep and he could hear the softest of snores escaping the little one's nose.
"He may not thank me for it later, that is truth, but his mind and body still need to catch up with one another, something is amiss and although he will not speak about it, perhaps somewhere in his sleep he will find the help he needs," Erestor explained as he passed the boy to Glorfindel.
"I will take him to our rooms, let him sleep there until his mind sorts itself out," Glorfindel said and began to walk away, "But what are we to call him?"
"Hmm, something that describes him well, he is not from this realm as we know it, mayhaps the Valar sent him here to us?" Erestor said softly as he began to follow his lover from the library.
"Hmm, maybe," Glorfindel whispered as he looked down at the boy in his arms, "And elf with unknown origins, passing through our gates unhindered…"
"That's it!" Erestor exclaimed and smiled "Edhannon, elf gate," He said and looked down at the boy, "will he accept it though?"
"Ai, that, my dear councillor, will be known when he wakes, Edhannon, Elf Gate of Rivendell," Glorfindel smiled and as he looked in to those eyes he could almost see the dreams that appeared there, and the turmoil that had yet to be resolved.