Title: Princess of Mirkwood

Author: Zannna

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: I *sniffle* do not own LOTR, the characters, or the plot. Middle Earth was the brilliant brain child of none other than the king of fantasy JRR Tolkien. I also do not own Harry Potter, the characters, or the plot. All that is Harry Potter belongs to the amazing JK Rowling. I do however, own Lithariel, Mithelena, and Vialnen. Please do not use them without permission. Thank you! ^_^

Author's Notes: Hi! I just wanted to say that I don't like the angst that comes from immortal/mortal romance. Take that however you want, but you'll just have to wait and see what happens! I went to see "The Two Towers" on opening day. I can honestly say it is the best Movie that I have ever seen!! I had quite the adventure going to see it though. In short, I had to walk 2 miles in the snow because my dad was late picking me up, and I didn't want to risk not getting a good seat. And, oh yeah, I got food poisoning from some cheesecake I had at the Theater. Why I didn't think it odd that they had cheesecake at a Movie Theater, and therefore be cautious, I don't know. But I'll tell you one thing: I'm never going to eat cheesecake again!... Wait, scratch that, I'm never going to eat cheesecake at a Movie Theater again!! ^-^ Zannna

Chapter 9

All of the Gryffindor's that were involved in the snowball fight were sitting in their common room bundled in blankets, and sipping hot drinks. A giggle could be heard every now and then, as they reflected on the last moments of the battle.

The fight had ended abruptly, when Snape came out and discovered three unfortunate Slytherins being attached relentlessly. The very second that Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle had stepped out of the school, the rest of the students united against them. Those who were pinning other's down stood, and helped them up. Everyone turned their attention towards their common enemy. A collective war-cry went up, and the next thing anybody knew, Draco and his cronies were almost completely covered in a mountain of snow.

Of course Snape had to walk out at that very moment, and stop the whole thing. 25 points were taken from Gryffindor for starting it, and 15 points each were taken from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for joining in. And when Lithariel walked past Snape, covered in snow and soaking wet, he gave her a very disapproving look.

'I would have stopped it, had you not come out just then.' she sent to him telepathically.

Lithariel turned at the top of the stairs, and looked down to Snape. He turned and met her eyes just long enough to give her an almost imperceptible nod.

Thus Lithariel was now sitting in a big cushy chair near the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Hermione and Ginny were sitting very close to the fire, teeth chattering. Lavender and Partivi also looked the worse for wear. Lithariel stood, went to each of the girls, and asked them to come with her.

They walked up to the fifth year dorm where Lithariel went to her night stand, and took out a bottle of fire orange liquid. She then led them to the bathroom.

"Put four drops of this in your bath water, and you will be warm in two shakes of a Warg's tail."

The girls had no idea what a 'Warg' was, but did what she said any way. Soon four girls, and one she-elf were relaxing in very warm bubble-baths. Luckily there were six tubs, all separated by curtains, so they could all take a bath at once.

"Lithariel what is this splendid potion? I feel warmed all the way to the bone." said Lavender.

"Mmm. It is my Grandmother's recipe. My Grandfather had some friends who were Hobbit... that is to say hobbitually predisposed to the cold." said Lithariel. She was so relaxed, that she had almost given herself up. 'They most likely do not know what Hobbits are in any case.' she assured herself.

And indeed, they did not seem to as they chatted happily for almost an hour before getting out of the baths.

After they were dressed, they returned to the common room. There were a few Gryffindor's here and there, dressed in dry clothes. The rest were in their dorm rooms drying off. Fred and George were busily chatting away with Harry and Ron. When they saw Lithariel come down the stairs from her dorm they called her over.

"Lithariel, are you planning on playing Quiditch with us next Saturday?" asked Fred.

"No I was not. I was planning on watching." answered Lithariel. She had only played Quiditch once. She was chosen to be seeker in a friendly game between Gryffindor's. The game had ended not forty-five seconds after it had started, with Lithariel holding the Snitch. After a great deal of contemplation, Lithariel came to the conclusion that it was not fair for her to play Quiditch with mortals.

"Well Oliver's going to play, so it should be a good game." said Harry.

* * *

The next Saturday Hermione and Lithariel were in the stands cheering for opposite teams. Hermione was cheering for Harry's team, which consisted mostly of the Gryffindor House Team. Except for Fred and George who had decided to be on Oliver's team.

Oliver ducked, just barley missing getting hit in the head by a Bludger. Lithariel sighed with relief, she had been sure that it was going to hit him.

Oliver had been getting better at evading Bludgers over the years. His greatest improvement came when he got hit in the head for the twenty-third time. It was then that he decided, after getting out of the Hospital Wing, to get in some practice dodging Bludgers. A month, and many, many bruises, later he was an expert at keeping himself conscious during Quiditch.

Lithariel cheered as Oliver, once again, blocked the Quaffle.

That's when it happened.

* * *

Hermione sighed as Oliver blocked the Quaffle. All of the sudden she heard Lithariel start to gasp violently beside her. She turned to look, and saw Lithariel fighting for air. Hermione immediately asked if she was alright. Lithariel didn't respond, as she doubled over in obvious agony.

Hermione heard her gasp "No" once before she let out a shaky scream, and collapsed.

* * *

Oliver heard a scream, and turned towards it's source to find Lithariel lying in a heap next to Hermione on the floor of one of the stands. He was speeding toward the pair in seconds. Hermione was already on her knees next to Lithariel checking her pulse.

"Lithariel?" he heard Hermione say. She brushed some of Lithariel's hair out of her face, as he landed next to the pair.

"Lithariel, wake up."

"What happened?" asked Oliver.

" I don't know. She was having trouble breathing, then she just screamed, and fainted." Hermione looked up at Oliver, her concern clearly written on her face.

"Her pulse is way to fast." she said. "We need to get her to the Hospital Wing."

"Right." Oliver said as he knelt next to her. He couldn't help but notice how pale she was. She was usually pale, but not like this. Oliver leaned forward, and gently picked her up. As he stood he noticed that she weighed no more that a trite leaf. He didn't dwell on this fact for very long however, as Lithariel hung limply in his arms.

"Oliver, what's happened?" asked the Weasley twins in unison. They had been right behind Oliver, and were hovering next to the stands.

"I don't know." Oliver replied. He looked up to the twins and said, "Everyone stay here while I take her to the Hospital Wing. Except you," he said turning to Hermione. "Come with me."

Oliver rushed over to the stairs and hurried down them as quickly, and as carefully as he could. Hermione was directly on his heels. She dashed ahead of him to open the door, then rushed after him once he was through.

They were halfway to the Hospital Wing, when they turned a corner and ran into none other than Professor Severus Snape.

* * *

~Vision~

~ She saw a man.

He was walking next to a black mountain. He disturbed some kind of dust as he walked. No not dust, ash.

The man looked into a fissure ahead of him as he saw something reflect the setting sun. He climbed down to see what it was. It looked to be some sort of crystal.

The man felt compelled to take a closer look. He dusted off the surface of the object. It was sphere shaped. It was about six inches in diameter. He took hold of it and pulled it free of the surrounding rock and ash. He brushed it off, and set it in his palm to get a better look. It was a crystal ball.

The man was about to drop it back to the ground when he saw a black mist start to form inside the crystal.

"No." thought Lithariel. She knew what this was, and no good could come of it's finding.

The man looked deep into the swirling mist...

And saw a great eye...

Lidless...

Wreathed in flame...

Lithariel screamed, and felt herself falling as everything went dark.~

~End Vision~

* * *

Oliver had never seen Snape look this angry, this confused in his entire time at Hogwarts. And that wasn't what was bothering him the most. What was bothering him the most, was that Snape looked worried. Really worried.

Snape stepped right up to Oliver and demanded "What is going on here?!"

"Um...uh-well"

Thankfully, his babbling was cut short by Hermione. "Lithariel and I were watching a Quiditch game, and she fainted. We're taking her to the Hospital Wing."

Snape turned his sneer to Hermione. "You know where Headmaster Dumbledore's office is, do you not?"

"Yes." replied Hermione trying not to shrink away from his intense gaze.

"Go get him, and bring him to the Hospital Wing post haste. Tell him what you told me."

"Yes, Professor." said Hermione. She spun on her heel, and dashed off to do as she was told.

Snape then returned his attention to a very distressed looking Oliver. "Give me Lithariel." he said in a tone that demanded immediate acquiescence.

Oliver sighed, and handed her over. Snape was surprisingly gentle as he took Lithariel into his arms. Snape turned, and swept off down the hall, ignoring the fact that Oliver was directly behind him.

As they reached the Hospital Wing Oliver opened the door for Snape, who not surprisingly, swept past him without a word or a nod. Snape went directly to the bed that Lithariel had used before when she was recovering from the Glamor. He laid her down on it gently, then went to the window, and threw open the curtains.

Oliver watched this all in silence from a corner. Snape's behavior was confusing to say the least. Snape went back over to Lithariel, and stood next to her bed, waiting for Dumbledore to arrive.

Several minutes later, Dumbledore blew into the room, with Hermione right behind him.

"Hermione, Oliver, you may leave now." said Dumbledore as he gazed worriedly down at Lithariel.

Oliver walked over to Dumbledore and asked in a very worried tone "She'll be alright, won't she Headmaster?"

Dumbledore put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "I hope so Oliver. You and Hermione need to leave now."

Oliver nodded, and left the room with Hermione. Oliver looked back. The door hadn't shut completely. He walked back to shut it, and heard Dumbledore and Professor Snape talking in hurried, hushed voices.

"What is wrong with her?"

"Calm yourself Severus. We will figure out some way to help her."

Hermione walked up to Oliver. "What are you doing?"

Oliver replied by putting a finger up to his lips to signal Hermione to be quiet. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, and was about to say something, when Snape spoke again.

"Look, Dumbledore! She is crying. Could she be suffering from grief? You know the Eldar, can fade and die from such an affliction. We have to do something to help her!"

"Severus you need to calm down. You're not helping the situation by getting so upset. As far as I know when one of the First Born is suffering from grief, they usually fade rather slowly. If that is what it is we have at least a few days to figure out a way to save her."

Oliver looked over to Hermione. She looked as if a light bulb went on in her head. She reached out, and grabbed Oliver's arm. He didn't resist as he was drug down the hall. When Hermione felt they were a safe distance away, she stopped.

"I think I know what they were talking about!" Hermione said excitedly as she turned to face Oliver.

"Well, what is it then?" he asked.

"Come on! I'm still not sure." she said as she once again grabbed his hand and rushed off towards the library. "But I think I read about something in a book called 'Ancient Mystical Creatures' my third year that might be helpful."

When they reached the library, Hermione did not let go of Oliver's hand, but still clung to it as she continued to drag him through the library. She swung him up to a shelf on the back wall, and, finally, let go of his hand as she searched the titles. She found it on the bottom shelf, and with great difficulty seeing as the book was rather large, hefted it up on a nearby table. She opened it up to the table of contents, and ran her finger down the page.

"Fairies, Pixies, Ents," Hermione trailed of as her finger moved down the page. "Ah, here we are: Elves, page 874."

"Elves?" said Oliver incredulously.

Hermione looked up from where she was quickly turning pages to glare at Oliver. "Yes, Elves." she said "Why not? Do you think the only beings with names consisting of the word 'Elf" are the slaves that you so aptly call 'House Elves'?" she spat.

"Well, yes." when her glare deepened, he stuttered on "I mean... no of course not."

Hermione returned her gaze to the huge book on the table. "Alright then, here we are 'Elves'." she began. She took a seat, and continued reading. "'Elves, also known as The First Born, or The Eldarin Race were the first creatures to inhabit the world. Their appearance was similar to that of man, with several key differences. Unlike the ears of a man the Ears of an Elf were pointed at the top.'"

"Well, there you have it then!" interrupted Oliver. "Lithariel's ears aren't pointed. She can't be an Elf."

Hermione thought for a moment. "Well actually, she could have a Glamour on. Have you noticed that ring, and bracelet she always wears?" inquired Hermione.

"Yeah, now I think about it I've never seen her without them on." Oliver conceded.

Hermione nodded, and continued reading. "'Elves were also taller than the average man. They were slim, lithe, and were considered to be the fairest of all creatures. Elves were immortal, having an immunity to age, and disease. However, an Elf was able to be killed by act of war, or could fade and die from grief. Elves thrived on fresh air, and plant life such as trees. They also had a special connection to the Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and the Earth.' It also says here that the last of the Elves were believed to have 'Sailed West' over 12,000 years ago. Lithariel has to be at least that old if not older." finished Hermione.

Oliver sat, quietly considering what Hermione had said. He had been denying his feelings for a long time now. Lithariel was a student; He was a teacher. That was all there was to it. She was his friend, and it would be wrong for them to be anything more. But if what Hermione said was true, than Lithariel was way older than him. There was no reason they couldn't be together. If she felt the same way, that is.

"Hermione," Oliver began, "We have to keep this to ourselves. If she wanted anyone to know she would have told them. Promise me you won't tell anyone about this."

Hermione considered this. What he was saying made sense, but she could never keep a secret from Harry and Ron.

As if he was reading her mind Oliver added. "Well, you can tell Harry and Ron, but only if they promise not to tell anyone else. And those are the only two people you can tell, promise?"

Hermione immediately agreed. "You have my word."

* * *



AN's

Hi:)

Sorry about the long wait peoples! I started school on the 6th, and my life has been rather chaotic. I hope you all liked this chapter. I had a really hard time getting it from my head onto the computer. Anyway, I'll try really hard to get the next chapter up soon. ;)

Response to Reviewers:

Vana Everyoung: Thank you so much for Reviewing so promptly! It made my day! As you have probably already noticed, I used your idea for my summary. Although I had to change a few things around to make everything fit. Thanks so much. I just couldn't figure out a proper summary for this story. As always: YOU ROCK! ^_^ Zannna

Mystic Queen: I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! RL can really suck. Thanks for your Review! =)

AndinaOfRivendell: I'm glad that you enjoyed the last chapter! Thank you for your Review! :) Zannna

Guest: I'm really happy that you liked the snowball fight! I just started writing the scene, and it kinda flowed. *blushes* Thank you so much for all of your Reviews! I really enjoy reading them! Not that I read my Reviews over, and over or anything. *clutches printed out Reviews to chest, and looks around suspiciously* lol. ^_~ Zannna

Arwen: Thanks for your Review! I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.

^-^ Zannna



Additional Disclaimer: The line: 'As he stood he noticed that she weighed no more that a trite leaf.' I adapted from the line: 'He picked me up as though I weighed no more than a trite leaf.' Which is found in 'Sense and Sensibility' I do not own the book, written by the brilliant Jane Austen, or the movie, screenplay by Emma Thompson. When I was writing this that line came to mind, and I just had to use it. :)