Disclaimer: All recognizable (and copyrighted) characters and plots belong to their respectful owners. I'm just taking them out for a walk.

A/N: And here's the next chapter for your reading enjoyment. Updates may slow down now, as today is my first day of classes at my new college and I'm going to be busy, busy, busy with class work and… general exhaustion. I'll try to keep up with my updates, but I'm forgetful and easily distracted, so… feel free to remind me guys.

Chapter 10: Late Night Discussions

Rivendell was quiet in the way Hogwarts was at night, when all the students were tucked away in their dormitories and, when Harry wasn't off running after some evil Dark Lord or chasing escaped convicts, the air was soft and still. There was no noise save crickets and the odd hooting of an owl or murmur of lilting voices from beyond the door. Ron had already fallen asleep in the arm chair he'd been sitting in to eat, head lolling to the side and the occasional snore breaking the quiet. It was nice, peaceful, and such a stark contrast from the last few weeks of rough cross country travel and terror that Harry nearly thought everything that had happened was a dream. Nearly, but not quite.

Even though Ron hadn't been able to fight off the inevitable need to sleep, Hermione knew Harry well enough to know that something was coming. Even Malfoy knew that something bad was coming, and was eyeing Harry warily from his seat, leg elevated, twirling his wand. Malfoy knew, and was enough of a strategist to know that with a wrenched ankle and angry Harry he wouldn't stand too much of a chance if things went… badly. And they would. After they'd cleaned up, changed clothes and eaten, Strider had come to them to update them on Frodo, and, initially, things had gone well enough.

When Glorfindel had taken off with Frodo he'd very quickly drawn the attention of the Nazgul, and the Nine had pursed them with almost Hellish determination the entire day and a half it had taken them to reach the safety of The Ford. They'd nearly been caught a few times on the road and almost hadn't made it, but when they managed to reach The Ford, The Nine were scattered. Elrond was so desperate to find the Nazgul that he was sending scouts out in all directions to locate them, and couldn't see them until morning, Glorfindel among them, which was why the elf hadn't come to meet them.

And that's where things took a bit of a turn. No, Harry didn't start storming around the room, breaking furniture or yelling, nor did he even speak, just nodded, bade Strider a good night, settled in a chair and stared at his Elven boots. But everyone could tell, they could just feel the tension seeping from Harry and into the room. Even Malfoy, who didn't know Harry half as well as Hermione and Ron did, sensed that something nasty was coming and had drawn his wand and hadn't put it away since. Hermione and Ron, who did know Harry, had sat in a tense silence waiting for the dam to break, but that had been about an hour ago and Ron had fallen asleep somewhere during that time. Hermione had pulled a few books from the shelves and was pretending to read, but her eyes hadn't shifted across a page yet, just stared fixed at one spot, hoping to avoid eye contact.

Malfoy, however, was watching Harry guardedly from the corner of his eye, careful to avoid eye contact but equally as careful to keep Harry in his line of sight and, frankly, Harry was starting to feel more and more like a time bomb or a wild animal everyone was afraid to provoke. Something would have to be done or they'd never get a proper night's sleep.

"Well?" Harry nearly leapt out of his skin and Hermione squeaked and dropped the book she'd been hiding behind. Ron jerked, but didn't wake. They glanced at Draco, who was still watching Harry from the corner of his eye, but his wand had stopped twirling and was now held firmly in his hand.

"Well, what?"

Malfoy sighed, "Don't play stupid with me Potter; you're far too good at it." He didn't sound spiteful, just tired. "You think we're all just sitting here quietly for our health? Well, I am," he amended with a gesture to his ankle, "but you two could move anytime you wanted to." Harry didn't catch it, being more direct and confrontational than Draco and therefore not thinking like him, but Hermione knew exactly what Draco was up to the moment he spoke and immediately leapt in to stop it.

"Now, Harry, he didn't mean it like that, he's just trying to provoke-"

"Actually Malfoy," Harry spat, ignoring Hermione. "I can't. I'm stuck in here with you." He stood up, Hermione flinched and Draco tightened his grip on his wand. Yes, he'd provoked Potter on purpose, knew exactly how to play him really, but he'd never seen Granger flinch away before and was suddenly concerned he'd pushed it a little too far.

"I'd love to leave," Harry started pacing, "I'd love to go home, and go back to bed and pretend none of this has happened, but I can't!" Ron jerked awake and leaned back, looking bewildered, but Draco kept his attention on Potter. "I'm trapped in this room like a bloody prisoner because apparently I can't be trusted! It's not like we helped get Frodo here or anything! It's not like we saved his life -twice by my count- but no! We're obviously servants of-!"

Hermione leapt up to shush him but Draco cast Silencio just in time and Harry's raised voice stopped abruptly, though his mouth kept moving. He looked at Draco furiously, but the blonde just twirled his wand around his fingers with a smirk. Ron looked confusedly from Hermione to Draco but didn't have a chance to ask his question when Hermione whirled on Draco and marched forward, swatting his shoulder.

"Malfoy, you little weasel, you knew you were going to rile Harry up! What on earth possessed you to say that for?! We're relying on these people you know, the last thing we need is to upset them!"

He leaned around her and looked at Harry, who was looking infuriated, but somehow calmer, "Better?"

Everyone froze and Draco lifted the jinx so Harry could talk again. Harry swallowed, looked at Hermione, then Ron, and finally back to Draco and said quietly, "Yeah, actually…"

Draco shifted his foot, annoyed at the twinge from his ankle and said, "We're all pissed off and rightly so. We're stuck in here like bloody criminals."

Though Harry was startled to find an ally in Draco, he leapt on the opportunity, "Exactly! We haven't done anything wrong! We're completely lost, with no idea where we are, yanked all over the place and now we're being locked away just for-!?"

"This is not our world." Draco cut him off abruptly, "No, it's not right-"

"Because you're suddenly an expert on morality?" Hermione cut in.

"-but we're stuck here and we need to play nice or worse could happen to us than getting a nice bed and a hot meal." Draco shook his head. "That's the problem with you Gryffindors, you never think, you just act. You go bursting in, wands blazing, and hope everything works out for you when you should stop. And. Think."

Ron scoffed, but Hermione nodded, "Loathe as I am to admit it, he's right. Things are different here, and we need to keep calm and collected. We need to learn the rules here before we go barreling off hoping for the best."

Harry sat, calmer now that he'd vented, at least a little, and frowned at Hermione, "But we don't even know where we are, Hermione."

She gave him a look, "Harry James Potter, don't even pretend that you didn't know where we were immediately when we were talking to Frodo and Sam back in The Shire. I saw the look you shot Ron, and the look Ron shot you!" She rounded on Ron, whose eyebrows lifted in surprise, but Draco spoke first.

"Oh, come now! They know where we are and I don't?!" He sighed and slumped in his chair. "That's just embarrassing that is…"

Hermione smirked, not intending to mention that the three of them had been doing research and had stumbled across the pertinent information while doing said research, and that it wasn't likely Draco would have ever encountered it, in class or otherwise. It was nice to see the usually arrogant Slytherin humbled a bit, and she wasn't going to spoil the fun. She did, however, stride over to the bookcase in their room and pick a thick leather-bound from the collection, dropping it on the table in front of Draco and gesturing for Harry and Ron to join them.

"Now look," she said as they pulled up chairs, "doesn't this book look familiar?"

"No."

"Yeah, actually…"

Hermione gave Ron an annoyed look, "This was one of the books we found in The Room of Requirement, the one you tripped on actually Ron… only new and with all the pages. Obviously its missing loads of information, as the version we have was added to… And I'll have to copy out of this one to fill in the missing pages…" She muttered.

"What were you all doing in the Room of Requirement anyway?" Draco asked, but the others ignored him.

Harry's eyes widened as he looked at the familiar book, only new and well cared for, though somewhat shorter. "Hermione… you can't be seriously suggesting that we're-"

"You thought it too, back in The Shire!"

"Yeah, but not seriously." Ron mumbled, "I mean, how's it possible that we're…you know?"

"That we're what?" Draco asked, but again he was ignored.

"I don't know Ron, but where else could we be? Think about it, it makes total sense."

"In a completely illogical sort of way, yeah!" Harry argued. Draco tossed his hands up in exasperation. "There's just no way Hermione, we have to be stuck somewhere else, or maybe…" when he faltered Hermione leapt on the opportunity.

"Harry, really, where else could we possibly be? Clearly we're not home; you would have been recognized by now if we were. Look at the book, it's the same one, but in much better condition and missing some information, meaning it hasn't been finished yet. We haven't seen any cars or planes, let along any wiring-"

"Or plumbing." Ron interjected.

"-and all the clothes are so different from home; they aren't even Wizarding robes, just older looking clothes. Draco, don't you think it's possible that… are you even listening?"

Draco, who'd propped his chin in his hand and had been staring out a nearby window with a dull look on his face, turned and said, "Oh, am I allowed a part in the conversation now? Or would you rather I hobbled over to the corner and sat quietly? I'm sure that wouldn't do irreparable damage to my already ruined ankle."

Hermione lifted an eyebrow, "It's sprained, you twit, it's not as though you need an amputation. Honestly…" she rolled her eyes but continued her question. "As I was saying, don't you think it's entirely possible that we're trapped in the past?"

He froze, gray eyes wide, mouth slack, looking absolutely thunderstruck. Draco blinked at her, looked at Harry and Ron in bewilderment, looked back to her and opened his mouth as if to speak and then shut it again. Harry had never seen Malfoy lose his composure before, but it was rather amusing. After another moment's hesitation he finally spluttered, "W-well, I don't…maybe?"

"See? Even Malfoy thinks it's ridiculous-"

"I didn't say that Weasley, don't put words in my mouth." Draco snapped, having regained his composure. He looked at Hermione again and shrugged, "It seems… plausible. What were you all doing in The Room of Requirement anyways?"

"What's that got to do with it?" Hermione asked her tone a little too clipped. Harry could understand why, it wasn't as though they wanted to tell anyone, particularly Malfoy, that they'd been doing research on Voldemort. While Ron and Hermione didn't think Malfoy was a Deatheater, Harry still wasn't convinced of his innocence and was hesitant to share any information.

But Malfoy was good, exceptional really, at reading people, and he narrowed his eyes on Hermione, the worst liar of the three. "Nothing really, Granger." He said carefully and Harry suddenly hoped and prayed that Hermione could outwit the Slytherin. "But that is where everything started isn't it? Maybe whatever this book is," Hermione hurriedly pulled it away but Harry knew it was too late; Draco'd probably seen everything he needed to find the book again, "could clue us in on what happened?"

Hermione tucked the book to her chest and shrugged, "It's just a book on runes I was showing to Harry and Ron."

"Because they read so much."

"For homework, Malfoy." She snapped.

"You take Ancient Runes, not them." Hermione tensed up. "And you could have showed it to them in the dorm, not the Room of Requirement."

Ron and Harry glanced at each other when Hermione sighed, clicked her tongue and said, "Fine! I got it from the Restricted Sect-"

"Room of Requirement, at least that's what you said a second ago…" Draco smirked at Hermione's flushed face. "Well, if it's not the book, maybe whatever you all were doing in The Room could clue us in? You haven't explained yet."

"We were studying." Hermione said, "These two get distracted in the dorm and the library's closed at night."

"Really? Because I heard you talking about some place called Middle Earth. And a wide scale cover up done by The Ministry." Harry cursed inwardly and Ron groaned.

Of course, Draco had overheard at least a portion of their conversation. They'd been so distracted lately that it was no wonder they'd completely forgotten about it. Harry doubted Draco would use the information to get them a detention; the stakes were much higher than that now and Draco was far too smart for his own good. He'd saved it to use on them, to get information about the situation. To strategize and manipulate. It was all very Slytherin and Harry should have seen it coming.

There was a pause as Hermione waited for Draco to continue, but he frowned in thought, eyed Harry and Ron, and then said, "You're right there was a cover up. It was years ago, before we were born, before our parents were born. Father read about it somewhere or another –he didn't mention- and pulled some strings at work to find out more about it. Apparently a large portion of Wizarding history was covered up, since Muggles knew too much and it caused a war or something… I didn't get details."

Hermione frowned, knowing that their previous conversation was nowhere near over, but was happy to let it slide for now. If Draco wanted to wait, Hermione could wait, and hopefully hit him with a memory charm or two to try and do some damage control. "So… this is the past then?"

Draco shrugged, "Not a lot of information survived the cover up. What did is in horrible condition, and can be written off as something else. The cover up was so good most of the Ministry even forgot about it. Father reckons Fudge doesn't even know."

"You didn't answer my question: do you think we're in the past?"

Draco hesitated and nodded. "Yes I do, and that begs another question doesn't it? How did we get here?"

"And why were we brought here?"

"Or sent," Hermione corrected, looking at Harry, "this could be a plan by…" she glanced at Draco, who didn't react except to blink slowly, his face going blank as a slate. With a poker face that good, Harry suddenly wondered if the Malfoy fortune came from inheritance and good connections or if they gambled their way to riches.

Harry didn't get a chance to comment, as a quiet knock came from the door. Hermione darted over and opened it, stepping aside to allow Strider and two other men inside. One was an elf, and who Harry assumed to be Lord Elrond. He was tall and lean, with a chiseled, stern face and the tips of leaf shaped ears poked out of long, dark hair. He wore wine colored robes and an elegant gold headpiece. Behind him was a man who looked strikingly similar to Dumbledore. Dressed in gray robes, with a pointed hat, a long white beard and bushy eyebrows the two could have passed for brothers, though this man looked much less kind, and his gray eyes chilled Harry.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, Locien," Strider started, "This is Master Elrond," the elf inclined his head gracefully, "and Gandalf the Grey."

Elrond stepped forward, "Mae govannen (1), welcome to Imladris, my home." He bowed his head in greeting and after the others had murmured their hellos continued. "I wish to offer my apologies. With days so dark we do not greet strangers as kindly as we once did. Glorfindel and Estel tell me that you are Istari, but none that they recognize-" Harry frowned, not knowing who Estel was, but didn't interrupt, "-and this is of great concern to me. There are few Istari in Middle Earth, and none so young as you."

Gandalf stepped forward, "I do not recognize you four, though I am hesitant to name any of you an enemy. Strider tells me you were of great service to their journey."

"Without them Frodo surely would have suffered at the hands of the Nazgul." Strider said immediately, stepping forward.

Gandalf nodded and looked at Harry sternly, frowning at the scar, "That is no average scar, is it lad?"

"No sir." Harry was suddenly terrified of having to explain everything, from the time of his being a baby and through all his years at Hogwarts. It was difficult enough to explain to Strider without being too specific, and Harry knew their explanation, while rushed, had also been as vague as possible. They'd been hoping to avoid incriminating Draco who, for all his faults, didn't deserve to die or be taken prisoner. No, Harry wasn't fond of Draco, but he didn't want to see him hurt… seriously at any rate.

Gandalf nodded, "That is a mark of great evil, isn't it?" Elrond eyed the scar and Strider frowned.

Harry nodded, "Yes sir."

Gandalf nodded again and glanced at the others, "Perhaps we should hear your tale. Strider tells us it is a fantastic one, and I am always willing to hear a good story..." He settled in a seat next to Hermione and looked expectantly at the four of them.

"We'll tell you like we told Strider," Ron started, "it's long, it's involved, and you aren't likely to believe us."

"Nevertheless," Elrond moved into a seat next to Draco, who tucked his wand away as subtly as he could, though Harry very much doubted that little got past Gandalf or Elrond. "it is one we must hear."

"You need to know, first and foremost sirs," Hermione started. "that we don't mean any harm to anyone. We're lost and just want to go back home. We don't want to hurt anyone or cause any trouble…" Harry was startled to see her chin wobble and moved over to put an arm around her. Ron took her hand and gently squeezed.

Gandalf's expression softened. "And we will aid you, Hermione, however we may." Strider said, taking her other hand, "But we must hear your tale." He looked at Harry, releasing Hermione. "All of it, from the beginning."

So Strider knew they'd been hiding something. Harry couldn't say he was surprised, the man was smart and it was likely they'd all let something slip about events going on back home, or maybe he'd just put it together himself. Harry suspected that Strider had already told Elrond and Gandalf what they had told him.

Draco sighed, "I'm never going to get to sleep am I?"

"Perhaps after," Gandalf started, sounding stern, "we have decided if you are to be trusted or not, Locien…" his gray eyes twinkled, "Though I very much doubt that is your real name."

Strider sat down next to Harry and said, "I asked him to go by that name, Gandalf. His true name is Draco, and there are very few in this world comfortable with someone named for a dragon."

Gandalf nodded. "A wise decision."

There was a pause and Hermione looked at Harry, "You should go first Harry… since it all sort of started with you?"

"I suppose." Harry sighed and started their story, at the very beginning, so far back that not even Harry remembered all of it. So far back that, really, that no one was at all surprised that, after a few hours the sun began to rise and Elrond called for them to take breakfast there in their rooms while they continued their tale well into the day.

(1) Mae govannen – Well Met