Disclaimer: I don't own any familiar characters, and or anything pertaining to the world of the Hobbit. All, but my ocs, are owned by J.R.R Tolkien (who probably hates us for doing this to his work).

Chapter 1

Magdalen Kathan just wanted to be left alone.

It was the third night in a row Magdalen found herself locked away in the confinements of her room. She thought the soft playing of an old western movie on repeat and the musty smell of stale popcorn that wafted at the edges of her doorway had sent a clear message to her roommates. The banging on her bedroom door at 10 p.m. on Saturday night made it evident to Magdalen that her hermit habits had not gotten across to Emma and Felicity.

"Mags come on!" Called the low voice of Emma Smith from the other side of her door. "Go to the bars with us tonight, you know you want to…" Emma sang in her off-tune voice.

Magdalen envisioned Emma doing a small shimmy against the thin wooden door. Emma played every bit of the wild child in their small circle of friends. She was not afraid to call someone out on their shit, and let you know her opinion. The pure wildness of Emma reflected in her looks. Her long caramel hair hung freely over her shoulders, rarely did she ever try to tam her hair. The color of her hair was highlighted by her warm brown skin and deep hazel eyes. Emma was the life of the party, even when there was no party to be found. Once at a party Emma had climbed the roof of one of their friend's houses after a few too many drinks and jumped off. Later calming that she did it because her spidey senses were tingling. There was never a dull moment with Emma, that was for sure. Magdalen rolled over in her small bed, curling into the warmth of her quilt, creating a small cocoon around her body.

"Magdalen please come out. It's been three days and we are worried about you." The soft musical voice of Felicity floated through her door. Felicity Robison was the kindest soul Magdalen had ever met. When Felicity wasn't working on keeping her GPA nearly perfect, she spent her time volunteering at the food bank or working at her part-time job at the veterinarian's office. Not only was the girl sickly sweet, and she had all the makings of a Disney princess. Her raven hair was always perfect and framed her heart-shaped face. Her green eyes always made you feel comforted like you could say anything to her. And you could, Felicity could listen to the complaints of strangers with a grin on her face. But behind that sweet doe-eyed face, Felicity had a wicked sense of humor.

Felicity and Emma pressed their heads against the door listening for any signs that their friend was alive in her cave. Emma backed up with a huff, brushing her hair out of her face and crossing her arms over her chest. "I told you I think she's dead."

Felicity rolled her eyes at Emma's dramatics. "She is not dead, this isn't one your crime shows. I saw her dart from the kitchen with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine an hour ago."

Magdalen looked over her shoulder to see her emptied glass. She sighed pushing herself up, running her hands through her tangled hair.

Man, when was the last time I brushed my hair? She thought to herself.

Slumping out of her bed, her body ached and moaned as she stretched out the kinks in her body. Her bones had begun to root themselves in her mattress after seventy-two long hours in her bed. Reaching forward Magdalen turned the cheap gold handle, making Emma tumble as the door swept open.

"That's where all my Rosé has been going!" Emma pointed to the emptied glass that sat on her nightstand as she pushed past Felicity into Magdalen's room. Felicity glared at Emma with a look that said "Shut up already", to which Emma dropped her accusatory point sheepishly smiling at Magdalen.

"Em, Mags is obviously upset about something, she can have as much wine as she wants," Felicity said pointedly at Emma.

Emma looked between Felicity and Magdalen. "Something? She's obviously upset about Jack, and whatever the jerk did this ti-" Felicity's fist collided with Emma's arm.

"Ow! Felicity that hurt." Emma exclaimed holding her arm.

Emma and Felicity quickly forgot the presence of their friend and began yelling at one another. It wasn't often the two got into arguments, that was usually relegated to Magdalen and Emma. Felicity was the mediator, but without Magdalen to call out Emma on her bullshit, Emma's ego went unchecked.

For the first time, a small smile tugged at Magdalen's lips. She loved her two roommates and looked at them like sisters. She could still remember the first time they had met. It was Magdalen's freshmen year, the first time she was truly on her own, and she was desperate to find her place at Avalon. Her roommate at the time, Joanie the terror, as she had come to call the girl years later, had convinced her to tag along with a few other freshmen she had met throughout Welcome Week. A time in which every student in Avalon partied from dusk till dawn. Joanie, in all of her kindness, abandoned her at a house party on Oak Street. But if Joanie hadn't, Magdalen wouldn't have stopped a tall brunette girl from fighting a six-foot-tall football player for harassing her painfully bashful friend. From that moment on the three were inseparable. They were always there for her. But right now she didn't want them to be.

Wrapping herself tightly in the thick covers of her covers, Magdalen watched their quarrel with smugness in her steel eyes.

Now, this is interesting.

Felicity may have been a poised young lady, but she had all the makings of the lawyer she dreamed of becoming. Despite some of the more obscene language she used, Felicity gave Emma a piece of her mind.

A small part of Magdalen just wanted to tell them why she wanted to be left alone. Another part of her wanted to kick them out of her room, turn off the lights, and watch unfunny reruns of Friends, and not speak on the subject ever again. Something in her mind whispered they wouldn't understand her pain, while that may be true it didn't mean they wouldn't try and listen to her. Her feelings weren't something she could bottle up and throw away. As much as she wished she could.

"I didn't think Felicity knew that many curse words, this has to be some kind of record Em. Felicity what would your mother say," Magdalen said as a tiny grin tugged at her lips causing her friends to stop, looking back at her.

The pair suddenly remembered the presence of said friend they had been arguing over. Emma grinned showing off her brilliant white teeth, Felicity rushed over to Magdalen wrapping around her like a boa constrictor. Magdalen laughed patting Felicity's back, "Let go I can't breathe." Felicity gave her one last tight squeeze before backing away from her friend.

Emma leaned against the doorframe, shaking her head. "Dude you've ghosted us for the last three days, I thought you died and were haunting us from beyond the grave." Emma wiggled her ringed cover fingers. Magdalen rolled her eyes at Emma, always the drama queen.

Felicity ignored Emma's jabs, worry settling in her eyes as she stared at Magdalen. She reached forward placing a small hand on Magdalen's shoulder.

"Seriously Maggie, we've been worried about you." Felicity echoed a more formal version of Emma's words, ever the mother hen of the group.

Magdalen hummed pulling the heavyweight of the blanket closer to her body.

"I've just got a lot on my mind lately, family stuff. I didn't mean to worry you guys." Magdalen brushed off the concerns.

Her friends shared a look. In the three years, they had known her, Magdalen had only mentioned her family a handful of times. Magdalen liked to keep it that way.

"And I broke up with Jack." She tagged on quickly, wanting to stray from the subject of her family.

"Jesus, finally!" Emma exclaimed joyously.

It hadn't been a secret that her roommates didn't like Jack or any of her other friends for that matter. They made that clear the second time they met him. Magdalen couldn't blame them looking back at it now. Jack wasn't the most charming guy, he was hard to get along with most of the time. But Magdalen had been so blinded by what she thought was love. She had never had a real boyfriend before Jack. Sure there were flings, meaningless kisses, and dates but nothing like Jack. She felt like a bad feminist when he swept her off her feet. Jack saw her, he listened to her- or at least she thought he did. No one will love you, she cackled out loud when he said that to her Monday night as she took her things from his apartment. She may have been alone but she was still loved. Magdalen certainly didn't need his love, not if he was going to treat her like she didn't matter. Driving away from the Hannah Lane apartment's she felt nothing after their messy breakup. In fact, she felt a bit of light for the first time in a long time.

"What Emma means to say is that we're sorry, but you can do much better." Felicity interpreted, giving Magdalen a sympathetic look.

Magdalen sighed smiling at her friends, her hand mindlessly fiddling with the silver necklace that laid at her throat.

"No you guys were right. Jack was a complete jerk. But he has nothing to do with this, I would never sulk over that dirtbag." Magdalen confessed, and it was true. Breaking up with Jack Hawthorne was the highlight of her week, it felt liberating knocking the pompous prick down a few pegs.

Emma reached out encircling Magdalen's wrists.

"Maggie, come out with us tonight and we'll make you forget all about Voldemort." Emma's lovely nickname for Jack." And find you a hot prince charming instead." Emma winked, shaking her black sparkly crop top in Magdalen's face. Magdalen laughed pushing her friend away playfully.

"Or," Felicity interrupted "we can stay in the apartment tonight, not go to the bar, and have a girl's night with Maggie."

"It's trivia night Felicity, we never miss trivia night at the bar," Emma whined, making Maggie giggle. It was true the trio rarely missed a trivia night at The Chug, it was a tradition.

"I think I'm just going to stay in for tonight, catch up on some shows. Go on without me, I'll be fine." Felicity didn't look like she believed her, Emma simply shrugged.

"It's trivia night, that cute bartender Clayton will be working," Emma said trying to entice Felicity who rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but if you feel like joining us, or need us back here you call me Mags," Felicity pointed at Magdalen, sternness ringing in her voice.

Reluctantly Felicity decided to head out, finally leaving Magdalen alone with sorrow. Emma wrapped her arms around Magdalen, whispering in her ear that she stunk and needed a bath, causing Magdalen to punch her jokingly. Felicity squeezed her tight repeating that she would sprint home the moment Magdalen needed anything. Magdalen waved as Emma dragged Felicity down the streets of the apartment. The apartment fell silent and Magdalen sighed emerging from the hall into their small living space collapsing on their worn green couch, which Emma had found in her grandma's storage. She stared at the darkened T.V. unsure what to do. A familiar sadness washed over her, Magdalen tightened her grip on her blanket.

Looking at their small kitchen, studying the outline of their refrigerator in the dimly lit room. Pushing herself off the couch, Magdalen abandoned her blanket heading into the kitchen. The fridge was covered in pictures of the trio, flyers for basement concerts, scribbled notes reminding Emma to do something, and an adorable puppy/kitten calendar. Magdalen's eyes settled on the day's date, April 7th.

Six years. Her mind whispered. Her days were always darker this time of year, no matter how many years had passed. The wound was still fresh, she knew eventually she would have to move on from the grief stage. But this was not the year to do so. Magdalen's finger traced over her necklace and she sighed, it had been six years since her grandfather passed away.

Her grandfather was the most important person in her life. He had raised her and her older sister, Susan after her parents died. He was all she had ever known, her parents died in a boat accident when she was four. She didn't even remember them. But her grandfather made sure to keep their memory and the love for their daughters alive. He was a kind man and made sure they had everything they could ever need. For a simple farmer, he had left enough to put both Susan and her through their schooling with little help. Harri Kathan was loved by many, and feared by all. His kindness couldn't distract from his hulking appearance. Getting past faded war scars, and a scruffy beard there was a man who would do anything for neighbors. Losing him was the hardest day of her life. He and Susan were the only family she had left in this world. And a world without him seemed to be a cold one that she didn't want to live in. With each passing year, the world grew a bit dimmer.

They say time heals all wounds, but Magdalen didn't believe that. When April 7th came around it was like she was back in that hospital room, listening to his last breaths. Magdalen holding his hand tightly as she pleads with him not to leave them, Susan's tight grip on her shoulders telling her to let go that he was gone. It was all too much for her. Sometime Magdalen wondered if Susan felt the same way she did. If she mourned his passing as she did. Susan had always been far more mature than she was, an effect of being the older sibling Magdalen figured.

While grandfather was a wonderful guardian and taught her a lot. He always seemed to have his head in the clouds. It was Susan that prepared Magdalen for the real world. She loved her sister dearly, but Susan was distant. Magdalen knew Susan felt the pain of their loss and had the weight of her younger sister on top of that. She heard it in her voice when she called. Susan worried for Magdalen, as she always had, asking why she never came to visit her. Magdalen always tried to reassure Susan that she was fine and was busy with school work, but it wasn't the truth. Susan was married to a wonderful guy, she was on her way to becoming a doctor. Susan had happiness in her life for the first time in a long time, Magdalen didn't want to intrude and bring along the pain of the past. Susan deserved happiness.

Tap Tap Tap

Magdalen snapped out of her depressing thoughts to see the skeleton figure of a tree branch clicking against her living room window. As if on cue Magdalen's stomach growled, it seemed her bowl of popcorn and wine hadn't filled her up. Struggled to pull the fridge door open, and when it finally popped open it revealed a desolate scene of nothingness. Her stomach moaned in protest.

Nothing of substance resided in the racks other than a half-emptied bottle of wine and a few cans of Felicity's favorite soda. It was the end of the week and it was Magdalen's turn to go grocery shopping tomorrow. Magdalen groaned, rubbing her face, something from the convenience store would have to do for now. Shuffling back to her room she found a pair of vans slipping them onto her feet. Magdalen stopped in front of her mirror, her shoulder-length blonde hair was frizzy and unkempt, tied into a loose knot at the base of her neck. Black smudges gathered in the valleys under her sharp eyes. She wore one of Jack's large shirts he had left at her apartment and some leggings. Magdalen sighed at her poor appearance, and how frighteningly pale her skin looked after three days locked away in her darkroom. Susan would flip out if she saw her now. Magdalen wasn't meeting the Queen of England, she was slipping into the convenience store across the street for a bowl of instant made mac & cheese, nothing more. It was ten o'clock on a Friday night in Avalon anyway, everyone would either be heading to one of the parties on college row, which was on the other side of town or would already be at the bars by now. There was no chance she would run into anyone she knows. At least she hoped that was the case.