Okay, I haven't quite read the new book so this is pre-HBP, so some details may now be off now. I like to keep my facts somewhat realistic, so this just tanks it doesn't it? Oh well, Just grant me some artistic license, ta.

"I think," Legolas continued, "That you would like the woodscapes."

"They do sound very beautiful." Hermione admitted. "You miss them then?"

"Occasionally," Legolas admitted with a slow nod as they walked along. "I've spent many years there. But I shall look forward to seeing the magics of the dwarves."

"You're up for the venture then?"

"I'm here aren't I?"

"So you like the different?"

"Ay."

Hermione glanced at him sidelong with a concealed smile. He had been wonderful to tell her of the trees and his world, the rivers and magics, everything that he could. He made it sound so magnificent she was sure it was just as inspiring, if not more so, in person. The infliction in his voice told her didn't lie.

Legolas, feeling Hermione surreptitiously eyeing him, turned toward her, calling her on this. He raised a single brow. He got her to laugh in confession. Willing, he told her all he could of his home, she took so much pleasure from it. He even would have made some up to keep that smile on her face. Fortunately, it was all true what he told her; Middle Earth needed no fabrication.

"So, what do you think of England then?" She asked him. "What you've seen of us anyway?"

"There are similarities," he nodded, "Which make the parting ache less."

Further back, Ron and Ginny walked along in the steps of the other two. Both seemed to be lost in their own worlds, thoughts that demanded to be dealt with, which seemed to impair walking. Checking on his sister, Ron shook his head and took strides toward the pair in his sights. Ginny looked up from her troubled thoughts and groaned.

Following at a slower pace, Ginny caught up with Ron before he said anything. She didn't know why he was interfering when obviously Legolas and Hermione were having some sort of bonding experience. Hermione seldom parted from her troubles, why couldn't he let them alone?

Before Ron had the chance to say anything, Hermione stopped them all. "It's dark and we've to decide."

All nodded, succumbing to the solemn tone. They would have to avoid the alarms for a certain period of time and then they could set them off at will. With every alarm being triggered, it would cause a loud distraction on each end of the premise. Out of the five of them, Legolas, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Tonks, someone had to have a chance. The conversation was kept brief and the watches were synchronized. Afterwards, all separated trekking around the outskirts of the property.

Legolas gave a nod to Ginny and Ron, and turned to Hermione before he left. He searched her eyes, seeing her grave manner, and gave her a smile for luck. It was moment that was all too long and short in the same breadth. With another courteous nod, he was gone, quick on elf feet.

Hermione turned towards the remaining two with a nod of her own, not leaving time for discussion. With a shake of two fingers she pointed out their general ways. She quickly turned and left. If Ron had anything left to say, no one was left to hear, for Ginny was gone in a heartbeat.

Shaking her head, Hermione tried to banish all extraneous thought from her head. She needed to focus on the problem at hand. She didn't have time to think of….well, yeah, stuff. She sent a quick wish of safety to her mates and set her mind to strategizing. Pulling out her wand she felt the magic vibrating about and she knew that she was close to the alarm. It was so subtle that she almost missed it, if she had not known. The manor was still in the distance.

As she walked towards it she tried to keep on a quick pace, but not to make too much noise. The magic about her remained silent to the unaware, and just whispering to her. When she could see the gate yards in front of her, Hermione stopped. How was she to get over it? She pondered. Surely she would alert everyone before then. She would just cast herself over she finally decided. She had never tried to levitate herself before, but it would have to do. The gate stood feet about her with particularly pointed tips. Maybe once she was there, she could think up away to slide through the gaps instead. Hermione took a deep breath and walked on.

The buzzing in her wand and hand grew ferociously until she stopped just short of her wand exploding. She knew it wouldn't, but it would trip the alarm. Casting a hearing charm, She could tell that no one else had tripped the spell yet. She would wait.

After what felt like an age but surely wasn't, Hermione let out her breath that she had been holding. The house was still quiet, telling her that nothing had happened. She looked up at the moon, nice and full and she winced. Certainly a bad sign as she sent another wish of safety to Remus and one of empathy to Tonks. Tonks must be distracted, for she had started out so long ago, Hermione would have thought Tonks to be the first to break and enter.

Ron, well Ron would certainly wait for a sign. He was as brave and loyal as the day was long, but he was not as hasty as he had been in his younger days. He would not risk the safety of his sister and best friend on the chance and whim that his support was ready. He would want someone else to make the first move so he could be the back up.

Ginny would without doubt go in after Harry, whether she had help or not. The girl was strong in so many ways, but Harry was her weakness. All the boys and men she had ever dated meant nothing compared to Harry. None probably ever would. So why hadn't she made motions yet? Maybe she didn't want to blow their chance. The odds were slim, and Ginny was playing them carefully.

And Legolas? Hermione didn't know. She couldn't anticipate his moves. Standing and pondering didn't help her situation. Part of her hoped, while she considered her mates, someone would have decided to go on in. But no one had. Maybe they weren't there yet.

"Sod it" Hermione decided. The initial rain had soaked her enough.

Tonks and Ginny were supposed to be the impulsive ones, and here she was taking initiative to reckless danger. Taking a gulp of her flask, she kissed her wand on an impulse and walked up to the fence surrounding the property. She could feel the shock as she crossed.

Some alarms were silent, some were loud. Others froze people in place, and some hexed. The Damians' security was so elite as to be unnoticeable. She had a vague feeling that anyone crossing into the property would be ambushed. The territory was unknown yes, but the Damians' were wise enough not to blow an advantage on a loud sound off.

"Aperio obduco" Hermione cast her spell with vicious force and cracked her wand to the fence, feeling and hearing the vibration scale up the long metal posts.

She walked through as if she were an apparition, passing through the bars that bent and phased out of her way. Her enchantment had overridden the security block, but had triggered the alarm. The spell was one of her own, so very powerful, she just hoped she could continue on as such.

She could tell that the others were alerted, and deatheaters swarmed on her as she came to the massive wooden door. Some hardly realized that the sirens were ringing all around, magically speaking, but other darted back to the house. Hermione was focused on getting through, her passions and strains spitting magic, the hexes and curses flying. Harry had taught her well, as she dodged the dark spells sent her way.

The battle continued and she made her way into the house as the deatheaters backed up. She was strong, and they were unprepared. But the fight was fairly equal. Her aptness as a witch held her against the overwhelming numbers. The average caster would have long since been dead at the gate.

The concentration spent left her little time to ponder her mates, but she felt confident, or at least hoped for it. Indistinguishable voices echoed through the large house, and sparks shot through the halls. Nonetheless, she took her fair share of blows, dodging the shots but the aftershocks and the spray of the new-spelled wands still hit her. It seemed to be easier to take rather than a head on shot of death. But she would take no chances.

A scream ricocheted through the house, a familiar fighting voice that Hermione wavered at hearing. Her split second wasted she turned her attentions back to her fight, but it was getting harder. More deatheaters appeared, and she was outnumbered. The occasional dark face, a hood slapped back, grinned manically at her and Hermione found herself backed into a corner.

Behind an armoire, she fell back for a breath. She hit her head repeatedly with her hands and gently against the wall, willing it to work and generate a new idea. After a moment, when she was sure her foes would charge her, her back tensed and every nerve at call, nothing happened. It was quite.

She scanned about hurriedly her adrenaline pumping, petrified at the silence more than the actual fight. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a movement. The door of the armoire opened and Hermione raised her wand. Before she could even consider it a waylay, a setup she should have seen, her eyes closed and darkness enveloped her when she was met with a generously dealt and quite heavy thud to her skull.

:Now, would I kill her? No, or at least not yet::evil grin: nah, just developing plot. Poor girl's gone wake up with quite the bump, eh? Maybe Volde'll have some Tylenol or something….

Sorry for the late late late update. I have been so busy, but I know, that is no excuse. But as you can see, I am still interested in my story. I can only hope you are too.