Chapter Twenty-Three: Preparations to Leave Lothlórien
Disclaimer: I do not own the works of Lord of the Rings, this belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien, or the works of Harry Potter which belongs to J.K. Rowling. Any familiar dialogue or scenes belong to their respective owners.
A/N:Sorry for the wait guys! I didn't have internet for a while, so I wasn't able to update and then some real-life stuff happened which left me no time! Anyway, we're finally back online and things are back to normal so here is the next chapter! I hope everyone has been okay and taking care during this difficult time.
I hope you all enjoy and please let me know in a review.
oOoOo
After her talk with Legolas, Hermione spent the remainder of the morning tidying up the pavilion and making sure everyone had their things. As no one had taken much with them for this journey, it didn't take long. She sat down on her bed, picking up her journal which had lain forgotten since she last wrote in it. She frowned, flipping through the pages as she wondered if it would just disappear if she returned to the future.
A loud thump and yelp from Gimli shook Hermione from her musings. She looked over to where he had been sharpening his axe, but it was now on the ground and he was holding his hand, pain etched on his face. She walked over to him. 'What happened, Gimli?' she asked, looking at his hand which was bleeding quite severely.
'Cut my damn thumb on my axe,' Gimli muttered through gritted teeth.
Hermione looked around, spotting Legolas at the far side of the pavilion. 'Hold on,' she told Gimli who nodded, biting his lip from the pain as tears welled in his eyes.
Hermione made her way over to Legolas. 'Legolas?' she called, and he turned to her as he strapped his bow and quiver onto his back. 'Can I borrow that potion you used on my hand when I hurt it in Rivendell?' she asked him.
Without a word, Legolas reached into a pouch on his belt and handed Hermione the potion and a rag. 'Are you okay?' he asked her quietly with a frown.
Hermione blinked. 'Yes, I'm fine. It's for Gimli,' she told Legolas, gesturing to the Dwarf.
Legolas looked past Hermione to Gimli and raised his eyebrows, receiving a glare in response. 'I see,' he answered, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
'Not a word, Elf,' Gimli growled as Hermione moved back over to him and dabbed some of the potion on the rag.
Legolas watched in amusement as Hermione took Gimli's hand. 'This is going to hurt,' she whispered, wrapping his thumb in the rag. The Dwarf flinched but didn't complain outright. 'Hold it there for a few minutes,' she told him.
'Thank you, lass,' Gimli said, holding the rag against his thumb tightly.
Hermione nodded, giving Gimli a smile, before turning back to Legolas. She tried to keep the smile off her lips as she handed him the vial of Nebra. 'Thanks,' she whispered, coughing lightly to hide the chuckle.
'My pleasure,' Legolas answered softly, before returning the vial to his pouch. 'Remind me to burn the rag later,' he muttered, shaking his head.
Hermione raised her eyebrows. 'You really hate him that much?' she asked, a little alarmed at this as Legolas and Gimli seemed to be getting on reasonably well for two races who despised each other.
Legolas's mouth twitched. 'No, it was a jest,' he answered, watching as Hermione's mouth formed a little 'o' as she realised this, and his smile widened.
'I couldn't tell,' Hermione muttered, a blush appearing on her cheeks.
'Evidently,' Legolas said, shaking his head before strapping his bow and quiver tighter to his back.
'I didn't think we were leaving yet,' Hermione said to Legolas with a frown as she wondered what time it was.
Legolas nodded. 'We are not. I am going on a patrol with Haldir,' he answered, glancing past Hermione to see Gimli walking over to them.
'Here,' Gimli grumbled, handing the rag back to Legolas. 'Thanks, Elf,' he added quickly before walking away.
Legolas put the rag back in his pouch. 'I best be off,' he said, gazing at Hermione for a moment before walking away into the trees.
Hermione watched Legolas go for a moment before heading back to her bed to pick up her journal, deciding it couldn't hurt to continue writing in it until she knew for sure whether it would be worth it or not.
As Hermione sat at the table to begin writing, a shadow fell across the pages and she looked up to find Harry and Draco sitting down opposite her. 'Hey guys,' she said, capping her ink bottle and putting her quill down.
'You okay?' Harry asked, waving his wand and making three cups appear. Hermione raised her eyebrows as Draco handed him a flask and he poured a sweet-smelling liquid into the cups.
'Yeah,' Hermione said, frowning as Harry pushed one of the cups towards her. 'What is this?' she asked, taking a sniff of the liquid.
'Tea,' Draco answered, taking a sip.
'Elvish tea,' Harry corrected, raising an eyebrow at Draco.
'Same difference,' Draco said with a shrug.
Hermione took a sip of the tea, wrinkling her nose slightly. She had never been a lover of tea in general and especially not with sugar. This was a tad too sweet for her liking. 'It'll do. I prefer coffee, though,' she told them.
Harry nodded, sipping his own tea before looking at Hermione purposely. 'So, what happened after I left last night?' he asked, crossing his arms.
Hermione shrugged, looking down at her cup as she wondered how best to answer. She wasn't sure she was ready to tell them what she learned about her parents just yet. She gave them both a half-hearted smile. 'Nothing of too much importance. Lady Galadriel did explain more about how I am the rightful owner of the pendent though,' she answered, taking a sip of her tea, and scrunching up her face in revulsion.
Harry and Draco stared at Hermione expectantly, but when she said nothing more the Slytherin cleared his throat. 'So?' he prodded, finishing his current cup of tea, and pouring some more from the flask.
Hermione took a deep breath before looking up at them both. 'So, it turns out I have Elvish ancestry on my mother's side,' she answered, swallowing thickly as she thought about how much her life had completely changed in the space of a single night.
Draco laughed, making Hermione look at him in alarm. 'Cough it up, Potter,' he said, holding out his hand to Harry.
Harry rolled his eyes before reaching into his pocket and pulling out several Galleons, which he handed begrudgingly to Draco. 'You know it's worthless in this age, right?' he muttered, crossing his arms, and looking sheepishly at Hermione.
'Hang on… you both placed a bet on me?' Hermione asked, knowing somehow that this had to be Draco's idea.
Draco looked over at Hermione and shrugged. 'Shit, I didn't think it would bother you,' he answered, crossing his arms.
Hermione shook her head, a small smile appearing. 'It doesn't really. I'm simply curious as to what made you both bet on my heritage,' she answered, making the boys look at her in wonder.
'Well I was the one who started it-'
'Of course, it was. Harry would never purposefully place a bet on me,' Hermione cut in, smirking at Draco.
'-and I suggested you had to be Elven. Why would a regular person be taught the history and culture of an ancient race if they were not somehow related to them?' Draco continued, posing a hypothetical question to back up his reasoning.
Harry nodded. 'And I disagreed. I genuinely thought you were just learning about them because it was an interest your family had,' he told Hermione with a shrug.
'And so a "friendly" wager was established,' Draco admitted.
Harry laughed. 'By "friendly" he means we both got pissed, threw some punches and then agreed to a wager,' he told Hermione, shaking his head.
Hermione raised her eyebrows. 'I think that constitutes as friendly for you two,' she said, shaking her head and chuckling at them both. 'I have to admit if we were all still in Hogwarts, I would have cursed your asses into oblivion,' she added, crossing her arms.
The boys chuckled nervously at that. 'Yeah, we were kind of expecting you to throw a punch or two,' Draco replied, rubbing his jaw with a frown as if he were recalling the last time Hermione punched him.
'Yes, well, this is a different scenario, Malfoy. Back then you were a bastard,' Hermione answered, giving him a stern look.
'It was fun to goad you,' Draco countered with a smirk. 'See, Granger, you get this little knot between your eyebrows…' he paused as she glared at him. 'See! There it is! Delightful!' he laughed.
Hermione huffed. 'Continue on this path and we'll see if it remains "delightful", Malfoy,' she said through gritted teeth.
Draco shook his head, his smirk still present. 'Ah lighten up, Granger. I was a bastard back then as you so helpfully pointed out. I just looked for every reason to piss you guys off,' he told them, crossing his arms.
Harry rolled his eyes and looked back at Hermione. 'So, did Galadriel say anything else last night?' he asked, sipping his tea.
Hermione hesitated, something which didn't go unnoticed by Harry. 'Not really, no,' she answered quickly, trying to think of something else to talk about to deflect the attention from her. 'So, what did she talk to you about, Malfoy?' she asked, taking a sip of her tea.
Draco blinked before looking at them uneasily. 'I… I can't talk about that. It's… I mean…' he trailed off, closing his eyes. 'It's personal,' he said guardedly, crossing his arms and looking away from them.
'Okay…' Hermione replied, looking at Draco with a frown.
A shadow fell over the table and they looked up to see Aragorn. 'We will be leaving once Legolas returns. Are you all ready?' he asked them.
'Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you in private if that's alright?' Harry asked, receiving a nod from Aragorn. He stood and followed the Ranger to the tree Boromir had been sitting at the previous night.
'What does he want to talk to Aragorn about?' Draco asked nosily, pouring more tea into his cup, and taking a sip.
'His heritage,' Hermione answered, pushing her own cup away from her.
'So, what is bothering you, Granger? It doesn't take an idiot to know there was more to your chat with Galadriel than you're letting on,' Draco said, looking at Hermione with raised eyebrows.
Hermione swallowed before looking longingly at her neglected notebook and inkwell. 'If I can't talk to Harry about it, what makes you think I'll talk to you?' she asked softly.
There was a moment of silence between them before Draco sighed. 'Point taken. That is not all it is though,' he said, tilting his head and looking at Hermione seriously.
Hermione was taken aback at Draco's tone. It was almost understanding and not scathing as normal. She searched his eyes for a moment, trying to find some sort of jest lurking in them, but there was nothing but sincerity which astonished her. Could she talk to the Slytherin about some of the things plaguing her? Or was this a game to him?
After some time in which Draco had begun to think Hermione would keep silent about what was distracting her, the witch broke the silence. 'Do you ever wonder why you're here?' she asked, making him look up at her in surprise.
'In what sense?' Draco asked with a frown.
'Well, I have to wonder why I'm here in this age,' Hermione answered, crossing her arms. 'Would it be any different if I weren't friends with Harry?' she asked him, though she wasn't entirely sure how he could answer.
'Nah,' Draco said, shaking his head as Hermione looked at him curiously. 'I do not believe in coincidence. There is no such thing. Fate and destiny are what takes us to where we are meant to be,' he replied, thinking back to what Galadriel had told him about the tapestries of fate that morning. He swallowed as he remembered some of the other things he learned but pushed it from his mind for the moment.
'I didn't peg you as someone who believed in that sort of stuff,' Hermione scoffed somewhat, wrinkling her nose at the thought of Divination lessons in Hogwarts and how utterly useless she felt they were.
Draco smiled. 'Ah yes, I recall you loathing Divination, Granger,' he said with a chuckle, shaking his head as Hermione raised her eyebrow at him. 'Whether you believe or not, I think you would have ended up here irrespective of your reputation as a member of the Golden Trio. Hell, I might have liked you if you were not tangled up with them,' he told her, frowning at his own words before shrugging.
Hermione chuckled. 'Unlikely. I'm a Muggleborn, remember?' she answered, shaking her head. Although, now that she said it out loud for the first time since she talked to Galadriel, she felt guilt associated with it. She was not Muggleborn… so had circumstances been different in the future and her parents had joined with Voldemort, she would have grown up as a Pureblood like Draco.
Hermione shuddered, making Draco look at her with a frown. 'Anyway, you really are weird, Draco Malfoy,' she said, shrugging off her unease.
'Oh, how so?' Draco asked, leaning forward on the table.
'One minute you can be so funny and have everyone laughing at your antics. Then the next you can be so serious and full of interesting and valuable advice. I don't recall you being like this in school,' Hermione answered, tilting her head at him curiously.
Draco gave Hermione a genuine smile that nearly floored her. 'This is the real me, Hermione,' he whispered, shaking his head as she stared at him in stunned silence. 'I have always been like this. You were just never around to see it. Inside the Slytherin Common Room I was in my comfort zone. My friends all knew the real me so I could be myself,' he paused, shaking his head. 'In public, I put on my mask and became the asshole you all knew,' he revealed, looking away from her shamefully.
Hermione's lips lifted in a smile as she began to see Draco in a new light. 'You've changed, Malfoy,' she whispered, looking back down at her notebook.
Draco shrugged and stood up, sensing Hermione wanted to get back to writing in her notebook. 'Well, on that note…' he said, nodding to her and wandering off towards the Hobbits who were sitting by the fountain.
Hermione watched Draco go for a moment, before opening her notebook and finally getting back to writing about their journey.
oOoOo
'You wanted to speak with me, Harry?' Aragorn prompted the Gryffindor as they stopped by the roots of a huge tree.
Harry nodded, swallowing nervously as he thought about how to broach the topic of his heritage with the Ranger. He wasn't entirely sure how Aragorn would react to the news that he was literally his ancestor. He'll probably think I'm crazy, but I have to try, he thought to himself.
Steeling his nerves, Harry looked up at Aragorn. 'So, what I'm going to tell you will sound completely unbelievable. You're going to think I'm nuts,' he started, shaking his head as Aragorn raised an eyebrow at him in interest. 'Well, Hermione, Draco and myself… we're um… we're from the future,' he paused and took a deep breath.
Aragorn blinked, before looking away from Harry into the trees. 'Well, I was not expecting that,' he finally answered after a moment of quiet contemplation. 'Nevertheless, it does explain the peculiarities the three of you have,' he added reflectively, looking back at Harry.
Harry nodded, crossing his arms. 'There's more…' he trailed off, wondering how Aragorn would take the rest of the information he was about to unload on him.
'Such as?' Aragorn asked, frowning at Harry.
Harry swallowed, twisting his hands anxiously. 'Well… Hermione and I recently discovered that some jewellery we received were heirlooms passed down to us from our family lines. Apparently, my family line leads back to you,' he told him, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the Ring of Barahir.
Aragorn stared at Harry, shocked by this news. 'We are related?' he asked uncertainly.
Harry nodded, holding out the ring to Aragorn where it glinted on his palm. The Ranger took it, comparing it to the one adorning his finger. The only distinction between them was the wear and tear on Harry's much older version of the ring. 'There was only one of these rings made. It has been passed down to the eldest sons' in our line since its creation,' Aragorn explained, turning the ring over in his hand. 'Why tell me now? Why keep it hidden?' he asked, frowning at Harry.
'I only found out last night when I spoke to Lady Galadriel,' Harry answered quickly, taking the ring back when Aragorn handed it to him. 'She told Hermione and me about our heritage. Hermione wasn't very open about who she is related to in this time, but I think I already know,' he added, looking over at Hermione who was scribbling away in her notebook. He assumed Hermione was related to Lord Elrond and had been speculating about it since he spotted Aragorn with the pendant Arwen gave him. They were identical.
'Hermione is of Elvish descent,' Aragorn stated, looking over at Hermione as well.
Harry looked back at Aragorn in astonishment. 'How did you know?' he asked curiously, knowing Hermione had not spoken to the Ranger about it.
Aragorn chuckled. 'It was only an assumption,' he answered, looking back at Harry. 'I came upon her in the library at Rivendell. She was reading and writing in Elvish. When she realised she had been caught, she told me she had been tutored in their ways since she was a child. At the time, I thought nothing of it as I, myself, was taught their ways by Elrond,' he clarified, letting what he said sink in with Harry.
Harry frowned. 'That doesn't explain how you deduced she has Elvish blood though,' he said, looking back over at Hermione.
Aragorn smiled. 'Particular characteristics made me wonder. Her enhanced senses such as being able to hear the Goblins in the Mines of Moria which our ears are dulled to. Also, the introduction she and yourself received from Haldir. He may have known through the Lady Galadriel if she were aware of it and would have given you both the courtesy and respect you are due. Hermione, I believed, had to be Half-Elven. You and Draco puzzled me though. I can understand why you received that welcome now, but Draco is still a mystery,' he answered, crossing his arms as he looked over at Draco.
Harry frowned as he found a blonde head poking up from behind the fountain where Draco was sitting with the Hobbits and Gimli. 'Yeah, I was confused at that as well. Even he didn't seem to know why. I think he asked Lady Galadriel this morning, but he has kept quiet about what she told him so far,' he said, crossing his arms.
'He is known to the Elves which could mean he is also of Elvish descent, but that would be mere conjecture. Legolas did not seem to know why Draco was regarded as he was. Haldir may be able to tell us, but I think Draco should be the one to let us know. It is only right,' Aragorn advised, shaking his head.
Harry nodded. 'Yeah, I agree,' he answered, looking back at Aragorn. 'Anyway, what I told you was only half of what I wanted to chat with you about,' he said, making the Ranger look back at him curiously. 'So, Lady Galadriel told us that our heirlooms hold some sort of power and my ring can only be unlocked by those who are of Barahir's bloodline. For some reason, my ring has never activated,' he explained, looking down at his ring in frustration.
Aragorn looked taken aback by this. 'How is it not activated? If you are related to me, the ring should have responded to you,' he explained, taking the ring and analysing it again. The green stone in the middle was dull, whereas the one on Aragorn's ring seemed to have a glow to it. 'How far into the future are you from?' he asked suddenly, looking up at Harry.
Harry smiled uneasily, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. 'Uh we're from the… 21st century,' he replied.
Aragorn blinked. 'Well… I assume that is quite far into the future from our time,' he said, receiving a nod from Harry. 'Hmm… that explains the eccentric clothing you were all wearing when you arrived. It was entirely irregular,' he said, shaking his head. He looked back at the ring and sighed. 'It could also explain why your ring has not activated as it should have,' he told him, handing the ring back.
Harry looked down at the ring with a frown. 'So… is there no way to activate it now?' he asked in slight disappointment, wondering what was going to happen if he couldn't get it working.
Aragorn frowned. 'There will be a way to activate it. We are just missing a crucial piece of the puzzle surrounding it. I am sure we will come across the answers, but it may be a good idea to ask Lady Galadriel and, perhaps, Lord Celeborn if they have any insight,' he explained and Harry nodded, smiling up at the Ranger. Aragorn reminded Harry of Sirius, and even though no one could ever replace his Godfather, he was glad to feel a small connection to him through one of his ancestors.
'I will make sure to speak to them before we leave today,' Harry told Aragorn, receiving a nod from the elder man.
'Let me know if you wish for me to come with you. Lord Celeborn can be a rather… intimidating,' Aragorn said, shaking his head.
Harry chuckled. 'Yeah, I got that impression when we met him. I was thinking of seeing if Hermione wanted to come as well. I'm sure she will have loads of questions for them,' he said, smiling over at Hermione.
'Indeed,' Aragorn agreed with a smile. 'This may be your last chance,' he whispered, a frown creasing his brow.
Harry looked up at Aragorn. 'Yeah, we don't know what will happen from here on out. It's a good opportunity,' he said, moving to walk back over to Hermione.
Aragorn placed a hand on Harry's shoulder, making the younger man look back at him curiously. 'Life is defined by opportunities, even those which are missed,' he said, looking up at the sky for a moment, a sadness lingering in his eyes. 'What is it you want most, Harry?' he asked him, looking back at the young Gryffindor.
Harry was stunned by this question and looked at the ground for a moment as he thought about how to answer. His eyes fell on Hermione for a moment and Aragorn followed his line of sight, sighing sadly. 'I see,' Aragorn whispered, shaking his head.
Harry looked back at Aragorn in surprise. 'What? No, it's not what you think. Hermione is like a sister to me. She has been my one constant for so many years. The thought of losing her is terrifying,' he clarified, not wanting to give the Ranger the wrong impression.
Aragorn nodded, but chuckled. 'I understand, but you have to consider that reality will not be so sympathetic to how you feel, Harry. All you can do is protect the ones you love to the best of your ability,' he told Harry who nodded in agreement to his words.
Harry sighed. 'I'm worried about her. There's just some things I can't protect her from,' he whispered, looking back at Hermione whose head shot up as Legolas came back into the clearing followed by Haldir.
Aragorn observed this as well. 'Yes, that is a matter for her heart to come to terms with. All you can do is be there for her if and when she needs it,' he said, crossing his arms.
Harry nodded. 'I'll do my best, but Hermione is not open when it comes to her heart,' he told Aragorn, shaking his head. 'It's going to tear them apart,' he whispered, noticing Legolas gazing over at Hermione who was now focused back on her writing.
Aragorn frowned. 'What is?' he asked curiously.
Harry looked back up at Aragorn. 'When we return home to the future, she'll be lost without him. It's so obvious she has strong feelings for him. Hell, maybe she even loves him, but she's in denial,' he explained with a sigh.
'And you believe Legolas feels the same for her?' Aragorn asked, looking over at them as Harry nodded. 'Yes, I have had suspicions about them since Rivendell. If accurate, Legolas will be fighting his feelings while she tries to keep them concealed. It could have unthinkable consequences for them both,' he explained, looking at Legolas as he said this. He knew the pain would be unbearable for his friend if Hermione were to leave. 'What is your impression of Legolas?' he asked Harry, turning to look at him.
Harry was taken aback at the question. 'I'm not sure. He doesn't really speak much, except to Hermione, Gimli or you. It's like he's reluctant to speak to the rest of us,' he answered honestly with a shrug.
'Yes, Legolas has a good, noble heart. He is well-mannered, honest, and incredibly talented. He is fiercely protective of those he cares about, including our Fellowship. He is not as open about it, but he would give his life for all of us. He is loyal and faithful to his heart,' Aragorn explained, his expression becoming dismayed as he looked back at Legolas.
'What's wrong?' Harry asked Aragorn, curious as to his change in demeanour.
Aragorn sighed. 'I have known Legolas for a long time. He has always been the way he is, but I know this was not always so. Elves are a jovial race, always happy and full of life. Legolas changed when he lost his sister, Hélène,' he told him quietly, shaking his head.
'What happened?' Harry asked him with a frown.
'Hélène fell in love with a mortal man from Rohan who happened to be travelling through Mirkwood. He was a merchant who sold goods to the town beyond, Esgaroth, the Long Lake to the east of Mirkwood. Apparently, he had some awful run ins with the Elves of Mirkwood and decided he loathed all Elves, including Hélène,' he paused, crossing his arms as he shook his head.
'Hélène thought that if she gave up her gift from the Eldar and became mortal, he would love her. Legolas was furious at her naïvety and tried to stop her, but she was tenacious. The man from Rohan never felt the same way and Hélène fled. Legolas went in search of her and found her dying at the edge of Mirkwood near Esgaroth. He stayed with her, holding her as she died,' he explained, frowning over at Legolas.
'Did the man kill her?' Harry asked in disbelief, wondering why someone would do that.
'In a sense, but he cannot be condemned for it. He did not return her feelings, which is not uncommon. What is unusual is an Elf fell in love with a mortal,' Aragorn told him, crossing his arms.
'Why?' Harry asked interestedly.
'Elves are cursed. I do not know the full details, but I know that it is a worry for an Elf to fall in love with a mortal. Hélène was the only member of her family to do so and I imagine she was spurned for it. Legolas was the only one who did not shun her. He had always been more protective of her than his other siblings. They were close,' Aragorn clarified with a frown.
'So, does that mean there's a chance Legolas doesn't feel the same about Hermione?' Harry asked in confusion.
Aragorn shook his head. 'No, I think he feels something. I am not certain it is love, but he will be reluctant to permit it even though it is not his choice. It was part of the curse; they do not have influence over who their heart chooses. Legolas has never been the same since Hélène died and tends to not be inclined to let anyone get close if he knows they will die before him,' he told Harry sorrowfully with a sigh.
'I can sort of understand. I have lost everyone I care about, except Hermione. If I lost her too, I think I would find it difficult to let others in again,' Harry told Aragorn, his eyes falling on Hermione.
Aragorn nodded. 'Legolas is the only one in his family who has not found a life partner. His two younger siblings, Kulich and Caresia, are both married and have children. Legolas is the eldest son of the Elf-King Thranduil and Queen Kérishiéra, the Mother of Elves. Hélène was the youngest of the four and Legolas condemns himself for what happened to her. Losing her was heart-breaking for him, but he has learned to live with it. It has been over a thousand years since Hélène died and Legolas has had time to cope with his contrition and absolve himself,' Aragorn clarified as Harry stared at him with wide eyes.
'A thousand years!?'
Aragorn nodded. 'Yes, Hélène was only 1805 years old when she died,' he told him.
'Bloody hell!' Harry exclaimed, having not realised how old Elves could live to. 'So, how old is Legolas then if he's the oldest?' he asked curiously, looking over at the blonde Elf.
Aragorn smiled. '2931 years old, which is young for Elves,' he answered.
'He doesn't look that old,' Harry muttered, shaking his head.
Aragorn chuckled at that. 'Elves do not age after their 100th year. They may look like adults at this age, but they do not reach maturity until their 1800th year. They do not age again until they are at least 15000 years old,' he explained to Harry who was completely shocked at this revelation.
Harry looked over at Legolas. 'He's way too old for Hermione,' he said which made Aragorn laugh outright.
oOoOo
After saying farewell to Haldir at the fountain, Legolas found himself wandering slowly through Caras Galadhon. As he walked, he fiddled with the string of his bow, not realising he had reached the top of the city where they had been brought by Haldir when they first arrived. In front of him was the Elven House where Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel resided.
Legolas sighed and turned to leave, knowing he should not be up at this part of the city, but movement caught his eye. He looked back at the house to see Galadriel descending the steps towards him. He bowed his head to her as she came to stand next to him.
Galadriel tutted at the distracted Elf, placing a hand under his chin, and raising his head. 'A Prince bows to no one, Legolas, son of Thranduil,' she told him sternly, receiving a nod from him. Galadriel frowned at him. 'You are troubled,' she said, tilting her head.
Legolas looked away to the sky before turning his eyes back to Galadriel. 'I have much plaguing my mind,' he answered ambiguously, knowing the Lady of Light would most likely know precisely what was bothering him.
Galadriel smiled gently. 'You must exonerate yourself, Legolas. What transpired with Hélène was not your fault. There was nothing you could do to save her,' she said, touching his cheek tenderly with the back of her hand.
'One day,' Legolas answered with a sigh.
'The past is a treacherous place to live. You must not let it dominate your judgement of the present. You must not deny what your heart is telling you, but permit it to be receptive,' Galadriel counselled him.
'I… cannot,' Legolas countered, shaking his head.
Galadriel smiled softly. 'That choice is not yours to make,' she answered, placing her hand over his heart. 'And soon, your hearts voice will become louder than your own. You will not be capable to argue. I am merely recommending you to accept it now to make it easier,' she told Legolas and after a moment he nodded, swallowing thickly.
'It will never be easy. I fear the same outcome will befall me,' Legolas whispered, closing his eyes.
Galadriel nodded. 'A reasonable fear for all Elves who find themselves in this situation. Too much hope is the opposite of despair. An overpowering love may consume you in the end, but that is not to say the result will be a terrible one,' she told him, turning to walk back up the stairs to her home.
Legolas watched Galadriel go, before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. 'Perhaps,' he whispered before following the path back down towards the clearing.
oOoOo
Harry, Hermione, and Aragorn made their way up the path towards the top of Caras Galadhon where Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel resided. They were talking amiably, not noticing that Legolas was making his way down the path towards them.
The Elf stopped upon seeing them. 'Aragorn,' he greeted, nodding at Hermione and Harry in turn. 'Are you on your way to see Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn?' he asked, his eyes moving to Hermione for a moment as Galadriel's words lingered in the fore of his mind.
'Yes, Hermione and Harry wish to speak to them before we leave,' Aragorn answered, stopping next to Legolas on the path.
Legolas nodded. 'I see,' he muttered, looking at them curiously. 'They are in their residence,' he added, before continuing down the path away from them and out of sight.
Hermione frowned as she watched Legolas go, wondering if something was bothering him. He seemed a bit distant, she thought to herself, before shaking it off and following Aragorn and Harry up the path.
When they reached the top of the city, they found Galadriel and Celeborn standing side by side as if they were waiting for them the entire time. Aragorn bowed his head to them in greeting before standing behind Harry and Hermione. 'You wish to speak to us both about your heirlooms?' Galadriel asked them.
Harry nodded, taking out his ring while Hermione reached into her pocket to take out the Evenstar. They handed them to Celeborn who looked at them curiously. 'It is my understanding these trinkets should have activated when they became yours. Nevertheless, the pendant cannot function without the ring,' Celeborn told them, holding up the ring to the sunlight streaming through the trees overhead. 'Would you permit me to keep them until you are due to leave. I wish to examine them further,' he requested.
'Of course,' Hermione answered timidly, hoping that the Elven Lord would find some answers.
'Very well, we will return them upon your departure with any information we have gleaned from them,' Galadriel told them. With that they took their leave back into their home along with the heirlooms.
Hermione frowned. 'That was not what I was expecting. Galadriel seemed stunned before when I showed her my pendant. I wanted to ask them some questions about it,' she said, placing a hand on her hip.
'They are very gifted. I imagine they will have more information for you once they have studied the heirlooms in more detail,' Aragorn told them, leading them back down the path.
'But it won't be that long until we leave. How will they be able to get any information together in time?' Harry asked, somewhat irritated that nothing more was said or done when they were there.
Aragorn smiled. 'You underestimate Lord Celeborn. He has a knack for finding information in obscure places and for recollecting everything he has ever come across and read. He will find some information, whether it be from a book he has to hand or his own memory,' he told them encouragingly and they nodded, this knowledge putting them at ease for the moment.
oOoOo
Later that day, the Fellowship were checking through their meagre belongings by the shore where they awaited the arrival of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel who were seeing them off. Legolas had given a few glass bottles of Elvish Tea to Hermione which she put into her bag while wrinkling her nose.
Legolas watched Hermione, taking note of her expression. 'You do not like Tea?' he asked her, looking down at his own cup.
Hermione shook her head. 'No, I'm not a big fan of sweet drinks,' she answered, putting the last bottle in her bag.
'It may become essential for this journey. It has the same influence as Miruvor and will revitalise the drinker,' Legolas justified, picking up some Lembas Bread wrapped in leaves and handing them to Hermione to pack as well.
After Hermione was done, she leaned against the tree next to Legolas. 'Can I ask you something?' she said, crossing her arms.
Legolas glanced over at Hermione, giving her a small nod. 'Of course,' he answered, tilting his head in interest.
'How do Elves sleep with their eyes open? Can you still see your surroundings? How can you still be aware of the immediate area if you're asleep?' Hermione asked with a frown.
Legolas's mouth twitched at Hermione's line of questioning. 'Informed questions, but difficult to answer,' he said, watching as she directed her frown at him. 'It is what we know. It is routine like requiring oxygen to breath. I do not know the answer because it just is,' he told her with a small shrug.
Hermione nodded in understanding. 'I think I get it. So, how do you feel when you wake up? What do you see?' she asked instead, wondering if her questions were maybe a bit too obscure.
Legolas frowned and turned fully towards Hermione, surprising her a little at the sudden movement. 'When you wake up, the world is a blur. What was evident in a dream no longer makes sense. No surreal rescues and no easy, magic way out. It takes time for you to come out of your dazed sleep state, but you are conscious even if you are not fully aware,' he described, gazing into her eyes.
'When Elves wake, we do not experience this sleep state. We feel invigorated and our energy is replenished, but it is no dissimilar a feeling than when we went to sleep. It takes much to make us fatigued, which is why we do not tire easily. Elves do not dream nor do we have nightmares, but the Lady Galadriel shows us images from her mirror if she wishes to,' Legolas explained, taking a sip of his tea while watching an array of expressions flit across Hermione's face.
'That's bizarre,' Hermione whispered, looking away from Legolas to the boats so she missed the small smile he gave her. He reached over and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before leaving her to her thoughts.
oOoOo
A/N: I apologise for the all talk no action in this chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless. Let me know what you thought in a review! It is good to be back XD
Stay safe and take care everyone!