Part 3

Hermione was slightly white faced as she took the maia's hand and suddenly found herself in a place brighter than any she had seen before, and more beautiful. She stood in a circle of people that were impossibly gorgeous inside a courtyard ringed by slender, plant covered marble columns.

Eönwë bowed to the tallest of them, a male appearing being with an eagle resting on one shoulder. He then turn her so that she was facing the being opposite to the being of light she had just looked at to a darkly beautiful being with aramanthine eyes that regarded her quietly. He held out a hand and, stealing her courage, she took it.

"Welcome Nólëwen, formally Hermione Granger, to Valinor. I am Namo, one of the Feanturi, the Lord of the Soul. It falls to me to fulfil our promise and make you an elf, if you will come with me." She nodded, face pale. He smiled, face surprisingly gentle, and led her to a white silk covered bed. She noticed as she walked her clothes shimmered to a soft white gown that was impossibly comfortable. He bid her lie down gently.

Almost as soon as she lay down she found herself drifting to sleep never noting as all fourteen who had been waiting there to greet her surrounded the bed.

XXX

The Valar watched as the soul of the human girl rose out of her body, seeing it in a way they rarely saw the souls of the mirrowanwe, well except for Namo, who often saw the bare souls of elves. None of them had ever seen a human soul laid bare. Those went straight to wherever Eru took them after they departed their bodies.

Irmo held onto the soul as the human body it was attached to relaxed and then began to die. Once it was dead a maia took the body away as Namo stood there concentrating on forming a new elven form for the girl. The other Valar lent their power for usually when he made a new form for an elf to be reborn into it was simply a case of cloning their old form. This time he was creating one nearly from scratch.

He kept some element, features that worked well with an elven form. Her new form also had dark hair, and he decided to keep a wave there, though rather more manageable than her previous form's. No elves had hair anything other than straight hair but that Vala rather liked the way her hair had a bit more shape to it. Her eyes he also kept as brown though with a richer, almost gold hint to the colour. This new form was almost a foot taller than they old though and just a little bit better formed in terms of figure. Her cheekbones became more defined. With a hint of mischief he made sure that even by elven standards she was stunningly beautiful and would make waves where she stepped. He knew that this perfectly innocent girl, who he rather admired for her tenacity, who had come out as a wonderful person despite everything the world threw at her and a terrible hand in life, used to being looked over in terms of looks for her bookishness, would have a hard time simply because of who she had decided to marry. He rather felt for her, and the least he could do was make sure she turned heads for the rest of eternity. Not to mention it would be funny to see the looks on the snotty ladies' faces as Maedhros's wife (who many were already denigrating despite only knowing that she had decided to marry the kinslayer) when she walked into a room and outshone the lot. He wasn't overly fond of her husband but he definitely liked this girl.

Once he was done he nodded to his brother and the two put her soul in the new body watching as it began to breath and came back to life. They stepped back knowing it would be a short while before she woke up and she would most likely be rather creeped out to wake to find herself surrounded by all of the Valar. They stepped slightly to the side and Manwë smiled knowingly at Namo.

"Have fun?" He asked with amusement. The younger vala shrugged.

"It gives them one less thing to be rude about. And she deserves all the help she can get. Maedhros is one lucky elf." The elder king laughed softly and turned in the direction of the bier as the elleth on it began to moved and sit up, rubbing her eyes. A maia turned up and solicitously helped her sit and offered her a drink. After several moments she was able to stand. Namo hid a smile as it became clear that the first thing she noticed about her new form was the increased height.

He went over and offered he his arm with a smile and the took it, still blinking as she became accustomed to her new body, and its vastly improved senses.

"Would you like a mirror?" He asked and smiled as she nodded, apparently not yet having found her voice. Several appeared, allowing her to take a good look at herself. The vala couldn't help grinning at her expression, far more open then that of most elves.

It was only once she seemed to have at least mostly accustomed herself to her new form (as much as she was going to within the next few hours anyway) that he took her arm again and led her through the gardens to where three elves were waiting. The only ellon was red haired and bearded, with a circlet of copper round his brow. Beside him were two elleth, one with rich brown hair and the other, a seemingly younger but not young elf, with rich red hair, almost auburn. Hermione was pretty sure she could work out who they were.

"Lady Nerdanel, this is your daughter in law, Nólëwen." The red haired elleth smiled brightly and drew Hermione into a hug, almost clinging to her.

"Welcome child, and please accept my deepest thanks for giving me back my son." Hermione smiled at her, and hugged back. Eventually the two separated and Nerdanel introduced her to her parents. They talked for some time, Hermione slowly becoming comfortable with her husbands family. After a some time Nerdanel smiled.

"We should probably go introduce you to the rest of the impatiently awaiting horde." Hermione raised a perfect eyebrow at her mother in law in question. "We decided to introduce you to a small number of us first before being presented to the rest of those eagerly awaiting meeting you."

"There are more people wanting to meet me?" Nerdanel smiled.

"A decent chunk of the Noldorin royal family for a start, for you are to be a member of the royal family. Findecano is particularly looking forward to meeting you, he ever did see Nelyafinwë as his otornor." Hermione nodded, recognising her beloved's Quenya name. If she remembered rightly Findecano was Fingon, firstborn son of Fingolfin/Nolofinwë, who Maedhros had given up the right of the title of High King in exile to. Otornor meant sworn brother and was equivalent to 'gwador' in Sindarin.

She took a deep breath.

"Okay, I'm as ready as I will ever be." Nerdanel smiled gently at her and took her arm.

Hermione was glad Nerdanel hadn't warned her about just how many of them there were – because there were a lot of them. At the sound of the door to the hall they had all been sat in opening they all turned to look. An elf with rich brown hair with hints of gold to it grinned and rose, ignoring the elf beside him that tried to hold him back even as he strode over, eyes sparkling.

He pulled Hermione into a brief hug.

"Well met! I am Fingon, or Findecano, whichever you prefer." She grinned at him, having heard stories of this elf from Maedhros.

"Fingon's less of a mouthful, and what Maedhros refers to you by." He grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Maedhros has been telling tales?" She laughed.

"A decent chunk of what could be called our courtship involved him telling me interesting stories about the interesting things he's seen in his very long life." The elf raised an eyebrow.

"What passed for your courtship? You mean my dear cousin did not keep to proper courtship?" He sounded like a little brother looking for dirt to use. Hermione laughed.

"Apart from the fact I have no clue what you would refer to as proper courtship, I wasn't actually aware he was interested in me until he basically proposed in a distinctly roundabout way. And then started going on about he didn't know why I would want to marry him at which point I decided to shut him up by snogging him and it kinda went downhill from there. He only explained what the elves require to be considered married the morning after, when a certain mouthy maia sent a little note asking when to elf-ize me." Fingon snorted with laughter.

"He didn't?" the elf managed between laughs. Indeed a number of elves present seemed distinctly amused by this. A tall and thoroughly ancient looking blond smiled and came up to her, Fingon stepping aside respectfully for all that he still had laughter in his eyes.

That started off another round of introductions. The stunning and ancient blond was Ingwë, High King of the Elves. Then there was both Fingolfin, the elf who had tried to hold Fingon back and his wife Anairë, and then his younger brother and High King of the Noldor, Finarfin who preferred to be known as Arafinwë. His wife had stayed in Tirion to act as regent while most of the more senior bits of the royal house came to Ilmarin to greet their newest member. Interestingly enough Maglor, Maedhros's brother, was there apparently having already earned his forgiveness.

Eventually though all introductions were done and Ingwë quietly suggested that they go down the mountain so as to be back in his city, Vanyamar, at a sensible hour. Hermione suspected the High King rarely spoke in anything other than that soft, authoritative tone that immediately commanded respect.

By the time they got down the mountain side twilight was beginning to set in. It only enhanced the beauty of the city. Hemione smiled softly.

"Its beautiful." Ingwë smiled and nodded his thanks for the compliment on his city.

"You don't seem as awed as I would expect." Fingon commented, eyebrow raised enquiringly.

"I'm guessing you are basing my expectations of cities on your experience of humans in the first age?" He nodded. "I should mention then, that the city only short travelling distance from where I grew up has a population of nearly eight point seven million and an area of more than six hundred square miles, depending on how you measure the definition of its boundaries. This is a lot prettier but that's the only scale upon which it is awe inspiring. Otherwise it is barely bigger than what I would call a town." They were all staring at her in shock. It was Nerdanel who recovered her voice first.

"Surely you are mistaken?" Hermione smiled.

"Nope. Granted that is the capital city but its hardly our only city. We are not considered that large a country but we have roughly sixty five million people give or take. Places like America have much bigger populations. And bigger cities too, though I've never seen a picture of an American city I would call pretty. They seem to like building with glass, concrete and steel. Humanity where I come from is just a bit different from the ones you've met, who we would consider rather primitive." She had the slight satisfaction of seeing all of them shut up in shock. She was willing to be she would be a bit of a culture shock on the elves.

XXX

She quickly found out the Valar were going to mess with time. She might be arriving back only a week after she had left but she was staying in Valinor for significantly longer. After several days in Vanyamar (she only lost her temper once and only silenced an arrogant elleth making rude comments about her choice of mate, to the general badly concealed amusement of a number of people watching on) they had ridden to Tirion via Valmar where they had again stopped for a few days before going onwards. When they got to Tirion Earwen, Arafinwë wife, insisted on giving Hermione a crash course in being a princess of the Noldor. Despite the fact it was obvious the lady had no lost love for Hermione's mate she seemed to have taken to Hermione herself.

"I know a little of what you are going through – the Lindar particularly back then were very isolated from the other realms of Aman and I spent a lot of time not quite sure what to do when I first married Arafinwë. Granted I had at least been raised a princess but I can sympathise." She had said and then gone on, between teaching Hermione everything she needed to know, to rant how, even if Maedhros did know current etiquette and suchlike that he wasn't likely to teach it since he had never seemed to care when he had been in Aman. And between this crash course were dress fittings (She apparently was having an entire wardrobe made fit for a princess) and dealing with the 'vapid vultures' as Nerdanel still called them. She had earned the amused approval of much of the court when one elf was having a rant at her that she'd politely tried to deflect more than once and she got fed up, turning him into and honest-to-god toad. The elves didn't get the reference but it didn't stop them finding it funny. Apparently the elf was not popular.

Eventually though everything was ready and so the Valar returned them to Hogwarts the day before the wedding itself.

XXX

Maedhros waited with Hermione's friends (including a thoroughly brow beaten Ron who had only sort of accepted Hermione was well and truly taken) impatiently and with not a small amount of nerves. Then in front of the group began to shimmer, a much larger area than he had though necessary as the group of elves materialised under the power of the Valar.

He gaped openly as he saw the size of the group and who was in it. He honestly had expected, other than Hermione, his mother, maybe his grandparents and Fingon but no more. To see most of the Noldorin Royal family, and the High King and his wife also there, plus the odd lord he had once been close to. He thought he could see some of his oath bound from Arda as well, shocking him to the core. This many people cared enough to come to his wedding?

He was shaken out of his shock by a flying hug. He automatically hugged back, his soul recognising his mate. After some moments she pulled back and grinned as his jaw dropped again.

"I missed you." She whispered as the elf hugged her then grinned at his facial expression when he got a good look at her.

"Come on gwador, surely becoming an elf hasn't changed her appearance that much?" Maedhros looked round to see Fingon grinning at him, Maglor standing beside the elf and rolling his eyes and the seemingly hyper elf prince. Maedhros grinned and solved the problem of which to hug first by simply hugging both at the same time, earning a slight 'oof' of pain from his brother. Hermione just laughed, eyes twinkling as she saw her friends gaping at her in shock, particularly Ron. Her perfectly formed elven lips twisted slightly at that. He hadn't endeared himself to her since the announcement of her relationship with Maedhros.

Soon Maedhros was engaged in greeting all of those who had come to see him wed and then introducing them to the Hogwarts party, who were suitably awed by the party of stunning elves. To Hermione's vast amusement at one poin she heard someone sigh and mutter.

"And every single last one is taken!" The tone was incredibly regretful. She knew looking at the dancing eyes of the elves around her that they had all heard and understood.

XXX

Nerdanel smiled softly at Hermione as she finished putting the finishing touches to Hermione's wedding outfit. The two had grown close in the time they had spent together in Valinor, sharing in their dislike of the insipid females of court and love of Maedhros.

They were using a variant on the elven marriage ceremony that had been introduced to the wizarding world by Maedhros as Godric Gryffindor and so in an unusual move, Nerdanel was standing with Hermione in place of her mother.

The lawn outside the castle was packed with guests, the elven party at the front as the main guests of honour, though Harry, several surviving members of the DA and a few VIP's of the wizarding world were there, as well as some of Maedhros's colleagues from Australia.

Neither elf remembered much of the ceremony, or the party after it, or for that matter the amused and tolerant looks shared between many of the guests, particularly those of the elven kind. Nerdanel quietly herded them through the public parts of the day and was the one to finally inform them that they were allowed to sneak off when they had stayed long enough. They couple barely managed a thank you before they vanished off.

XXX

The elven wedding party were allowed to stay a little while and were given a quick crash course in the world that Maedhros had spent his penance in. The wizards were suitably awed by the beautiful elves and Kingsley as Minister of Magic welcomed them as his first formal international visit. The Kings had greeted the man with all the grace Hermione had come to expect of the two, though she could see that they were shocked, never having seen a person with dark skin. She couldn't help noticing they reacted a lot better to the ethnic diversity than many humans did.

All the same they were gone fairly quickly, Nerdanel, Fingon and Mahtan particularly giving emotional farewells and admonishments to delay no more than the presently stated time in the two coming to Valinor.

Over the years, between sorting out the wizarding world, they prepared for the move. While in Valinor Hermione had talked the Valar into allowing her to travel between Valinor and Britain to allow them to set up house properly. She and Nerdanel had arranged a nice sized house on Mahtan's estate out in the Southern Fifedoms, the breadbasket of Valinor for her and Maedhros to live on. Now she was setting it up so they had a ready house for the eventual move.

The Valar had posed some restriction, things like 'no computers or other modern technology' to be brought across, but since most of what they wanted to take across were books and keepsakes, that wasn't a problem (though Maedhros had mischievously included a book that fully explained how cameras worked so he could work with his grandfather to make an elven version when in Valinor).

Eventually though the wizarding world was as good as it was ever going to be through their work.

When they announced that they would be leaving permanently Kinsley, now nearing the end of his second term as Minister, announced a large farewell ball for the two. They had smiled tolerantly and stated clearly that they would show up, but only hand chosen close friends would be with them the morning after when they left.

The ball had been sumptuous and the sentiments expressed genuine, for the two were both loved and respected.

The next morning broke spectacularly, neither elf having slept but simply staying up to watch the dawn light up behind the unusually active northern lights that sparkled across the Scottish sky.

As the view faded they turned to their bathroom to clean themselves up and change into the elven clothing Nerdanel had sent back with Hermione on her last trip especially for this day.

Once they were done they proceeded down to breakfast in the great hall and ate with the students of Hogwarts, as well as the teachers and their close friends.

Once the meal was done they all exited the castle. The students formed a ring far enough out to allow a little privacy in the farewells between the two and elves and their loved ones even as they went to that spot where, ten years previously, Harry had challenged Maedhros about his identity.

Just as they finished bidding everyone farewell Eönwë appeared out of thin air with an enigmatic smile on his face.

"Are you ready to return home now?" He asked quietly. They both smiled and nodded.

The maia held out his hand and the two elves held out their free hands, taking the maia's even as they held each other's hands tightly forming a circle. The Northern lights flared enough that they could be seen even in daylight and suddenly neither elves nor maia were there any more.

XXX

Maedhros drew in a deep breath as he looked around, recognising the estate he had spent many a happy week away from the Noldorin court in when visiting his grandparents. He looked around, eyes wide. He'd forgotten how beautiful Aman was.

It took some time of just staring at the scenery and taking in the wonderful aura of the blessed land to really notice anything else. That something else was the look of loving affecting from his mother as his wife continued to hold his hand supportively.

Nerdanel smiled at him and held open her arms to him, laughing as he hugged her and spun her up in the air.

"Welcome home my son." She whispered to him as he dropped her into a hug, before pulling Hermione in as well.

Home, that was a word he'd never expected to truly apply to him again, but here in Valinor with his lovely wife, it felt like he truly had one for the first time in so very long.

The elf let out a soft sigh of pure contentment.

Fin.