Disclaimer: Hmm. . . Harry Potter, no, not mine. Elves, not mine either. ::All Harry Potter characters and Elves dance around joyfully:: I just borrowed them for a while. I promise I won't hurt them. ::Harry Potter characters and Elves stare in shock. They try to escape but are stopped by large men in security tee shirts::
Well, now that you've heard my insane disclaimer, I can continue the story.
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Chapter 4 - Dealing with Grief and Laughter
"That'll be all for today class, I want the essay on my desk in a week's time." Narwen Bennett said firmly, but it was obvious that she was extremely tired.
As the students began to file out of the classroom she flopped very ungracefully into her chair. Which was very uncharacteristic of her. She was rubbing her temples silently when she heard a familiar voice.
"Professor?" Hermione asked.
Narwen looked up, "Hermione, you don't have to call me professor when we're not in class."
"Right, I forgot, anyway Nar - I want to talk to you." Hermione said.
"Ok, let's go to my office, this classroom is being used next period." she said standing up.
"All right, you know, I'm very glad you're back, I always knew I could talk to you about anything." the younger witch said as the two left the room.
Narwen looked down at her and smiled her first genuine smile in days. Hermione always had a way of making her feel very human and while most elves would shudder at the thought, Narwen enjoyed it.
As they ambled down the corridor they happened to pass Oliver walking with Harry and Ron, Narwen felt a stab of pain in her heart and averted her eyes. Hermione winked and, with her hand hidden from Narwen's view, gave a thumbs up. The pair of witches entered her office and sat down.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Narwen asked.
"Oh, that really doesn't seem important right now. What's going on with you and Oliver? You look like you're in so much pain whenever he's around." Hermione asked with genuine concern.
"Oh, are you sure you don't want to talk about you're problem?" Narwen tried to change the topic.
"No, you look like you need to talk about this a lot more than I do. Now tell me everything." Hermione said firmly.
"Fine, fine. There's no changing you're mind. Well as you know we broke up at the end of our seventh year, to the surprise of . . . well . . . everyone. Everyone swore that we were going to get married and this and that, but obviously Oliver had other plans." Narwen started, she never told anyone exactly why they had broken up, come to think of it no one knew except her and Oliver. She felt another stab of pain, this time the stab turned into a lingering wave of pain. She knew that if she didn't do something about her situation she wouldn't make it through this time. "He's going to be the death of me either way." she thought.
Hermione watched as Narwen closed her eyes tight and bit her lip, holding her breath. And then the wave passed, Narwen took in a deep breath, she knew she had to tell Hermione everything.
She began speaking again as if nothing had happened, "He had other plans." she said with a grimace. Hermione looked at her questioningly, silently urging her to go on. "I found him in an empty classroom with some girl, a Slytherin. I don't know why I went in there, but I did and I found him there with her, the both of the half naked. I remember it perfectly, damned Elvish memory, I would've blocked it out if I could, but no, I remember every bloody detail. He was on top of her in his Quidditch robes, which were half torn off him and he had lipstick all over his face and the exposed part of his chest. She was just laying there on the desk smirking at me, her hair was all messed up and knotted and her make up was smeared. I remember him just staring at me as if he didn't know who I was." Narwen said softly, letting herself experience all the pain and anger that accompanied the memory.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I never knew that, that's really bad. I would've ran off and cried . . . what did you do?" Hermione asked quietly, amazed that the kind hearted Gryffindor Oliver Wood would ever do such a thing.
She knew there had to be something behind his actions.
Narwen laughed maliciously, "Are you sure you want to know."
"Well, Oliver's alive and well so, yeah." Hermione reasoned, she knew she had to find out everything that happened.
"I forgot completely about magic, as an elf I'm faster and stronger than humans so after the shock wore off . . . I threw him of her, she tried to curse me, but I was faster. I beat her senseless, she came out with a broken leg, fractured arm, and three cracked ribs . . . not to mention a broken nose and a hell of a lot of bruises and cuts. Then I turned to him. He was lucky, he only had a broken rib, a few bruises and a black eye." Narwen said quietly, she knew she could have killed them both with her bare hands, but something held her back, she remembered every thought that had ran through her head that day and there were no thoughts of mercy.
"Oh my God . . ." Hermione gasped, she couldn't believe what she just heard.
She could never imagine the seemingly docile woman sitting in front of her harming anyone.
"I know, you can't picture me doing that, right?" Narwen asked as if reading her thoughts.
"Not at all . . ." Hermione trailed off, still in shock.
"Well, I'm capable of some things that you'd never expect me to be able to do, you know, being an elf and all. But the only reason I did that was because I lost all control, it still amazes me to this day that I didn't kill them. You see, Elven emotions run deeper than that of humans. So it takes a lot to truly evoke love or anger in an elf and for me to have been that angry and this deeply in love with him on top of it, my only natural reaction was to do what I did and I was so upset that I didn't even stop to think." Narwen explained.
"Didn't you get in trouble?" Hermione asked, her Head Girl instincts kicking in.
"Well, this all occurred the day before the end of the term, which meant everyone was leaving the next day. I don't know if you know this, but I was raised by Professor Dumbledore, and the teachers stay in the school for a few weeks after the students leave, so naturally, I always stayed with them. And, well, the only two ways and elf can die is to be slain in battle or to die of grief. So after everyone left, my anger was gone and I was distraught. My extra weeks at Hogwarts were spent in the infirmary, I almost died. I honestly don't know why I lived through it, I wasn't fighting, I wasn't clinging to life, I was waiting for death to take me. My life had no purpose without Oliver in it. But, all of the teachers kept a constant watch on me, giving me potions and casting spells to keep me alive. Then, one day I just . . . got up."
"Everyone was so happy I was alright they - er- kind of forgot that I should have been in trouble." Narwen told her.
"Oh my - I don't know what to say." Hermione said almost in a whisper.
"Then four years go by, and not a word from Oliver. The only reason I knew he was alive was his Quidditch career." she paused, "Now Im afraid that if I don't do something soon . . . . . well, I - I don't think I'll make it through this time. I already feel the pain starting. It starts mildly, like someone stabbing you in the heart and quickly fades, then it turns into waves of pain that can last for long periods of time. I can function and continue with my life during that, but then comes these seizure like waves where the pain will wrack my body, leaving me weak and unable to walk. Hermione, I don't want it to go that far again, it's horrible. I'm already feeling the stabs . . . I don't want to go through it again. I wasn't going to tell you everything, but I knew that if I didn't tell someone it was going to start again." she began to let tears roll down her face.
"Don't worry, you shouldn't be grieving. Oliver loves you, no matter what he did. And I don't think he was there on his own will, I think there's someone behind what happened, I'll find out the truth. And also I know that after what happened you want Oliver to prove that he really loves you, and I know he's trying, but he doesn't know how to prove what he feels for you." Hermione said, gently wiping the tears from her face and hugging her.
"Hermione what would I do without you?" Narwen laughed through fading tears as sorrow gave way to happiness.
"I don't know." Hermione grinned in return as she heard the first real laugh from Narwen ever since Oliver had come.
She felt a great weight being lifted off her friend's shoulders now that she had told her story. Hermione knew she'd be all right, she knew Narwen was finally healed. Hermione sighed as she released the elf maiden. She surveyed the her closely and she noticed the old mischievous gleam back in her eyes.
"I think I'll be going back to the Common Room now." Hermione said.
"All right I'll come with you. But, I'm just wondering, what did you want to talk to me about in the first place?" Narwen asked, her eyes shining with a rekindled light.
"Oh. Well. That. Ha. Funny you should ask . . ." Hermione started nervously.
It didn't take the elf longer than that to realize why Hermione was there.
"You little spy!! Wood sent you, didn't he!!" the older woman exclaimed, she wasn't mad, but Hermione knew Narwen to be her namesake. (A/N: Narwen means fire maiden in Elvish, meaning that she's quick tempered and well, fiery.)
Especially now that the old fire had returned to her spirit and Hermione had a feeling that the Narwen she once knew had returned, which meant that she would be better off if Narwen didn't catch her. She flung the door open and tore down the corridor to the main stairs.
Well, now that you've heard my insane disclaimer, I can continue the story.
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Chapter 4 - Dealing with Grief and Laughter
"That'll be all for today class, I want the essay on my desk in a week's time." Narwen Bennett said firmly, but it was obvious that she was extremely tired.
As the students began to file out of the classroom she flopped very ungracefully into her chair. Which was very uncharacteristic of her. She was rubbing her temples silently when she heard a familiar voice.
"Professor?" Hermione asked.
Narwen looked up, "Hermione, you don't have to call me professor when we're not in class."
"Right, I forgot, anyway Nar - I want to talk to you." Hermione said.
"Ok, let's go to my office, this classroom is being used next period." she said standing up.
"All right, you know, I'm very glad you're back, I always knew I could talk to you about anything." the younger witch said as the two left the room.
Narwen looked down at her and smiled her first genuine smile in days. Hermione always had a way of making her feel very human and while most elves would shudder at the thought, Narwen enjoyed it.
As they ambled down the corridor they happened to pass Oliver walking with Harry and Ron, Narwen felt a stab of pain in her heart and averted her eyes. Hermione winked and, with her hand hidden from Narwen's view, gave a thumbs up. The pair of witches entered her office and sat down.
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Narwen asked.
"Oh, that really doesn't seem important right now. What's going on with you and Oliver? You look like you're in so much pain whenever he's around." Hermione asked with genuine concern.
"Oh, are you sure you don't want to talk about you're problem?" Narwen tried to change the topic.
"No, you look like you need to talk about this a lot more than I do. Now tell me everything." Hermione said firmly.
"Fine, fine. There's no changing you're mind. Well as you know we broke up at the end of our seventh year, to the surprise of . . . well . . . everyone. Everyone swore that we were going to get married and this and that, but obviously Oliver had other plans." Narwen started, she never told anyone exactly why they had broken up, come to think of it no one knew except her and Oliver. She felt another stab of pain, this time the stab turned into a lingering wave of pain. She knew that if she didn't do something about her situation she wouldn't make it through this time. "He's going to be the death of me either way." she thought.
Hermione watched as Narwen closed her eyes tight and bit her lip, holding her breath. And then the wave passed, Narwen took in a deep breath, she knew she had to tell Hermione everything.
She began speaking again as if nothing had happened, "He had other plans." she said with a grimace. Hermione looked at her questioningly, silently urging her to go on. "I found him in an empty classroom with some girl, a Slytherin. I don't know why I went in there, but I did and I found him there with her, the both of the half naked. I remember it perfectly, damned Elvish memory, I would've blocked it out if I could, but no, I remember every bloody detail. He was on top of her in his Quidditch robes, which were half torn off him and he had lipstick all over his face and the exposed part of his chest. She was just laying there on the desk smirking at me, her hair was all messed up and knotted and her make up was smeared. I remember him just staring at me as if he didn't know who I was." Narwen said softly, letting herself experience all the pain and anger that accompanied the memory.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I never knew that, that's really bad. I would've ran off and cried . . . what did you do?" Hermione asked quietly, amazed that the kind hearted Gryffindor Oliver Wood would ever do such a thing.
She knew there had to be something behind his actions.
Narwen laughed maliciously, "Are you sure you want to know."
"Well, Oliver's alive and well so, yeah." Hermione reasoned, she knew she had to find out everything that happened.
"I forgot completely about magic, as an elf I'm faster and stronger than humans so after the shock wore off . . . I threw him of her, she tried to curse me, but I was faster. I beat her senseless, she came out with a broken leg, fractured arm, and three cracked ribs . . . not to mention a broken nose and a hell of a lot of bruises and cuts. Then I turned to him. He was lucky, he only had a broken rib, a few bruises and a black eye." Narwen said quietly, she knew she could have killed them both with her bare hands, but something held her back, she remembered every thought that had ran through her head that day and there were no thoughts of mercy.
"Oh my God . . ." Hermione gasped, she couldn't believe what she just heard.
She could never imagine the seemingly docile woman sitting in front of her harming anyone.
"I know, you can't picture me doing that, right?" Narwen asked as if reading her thoughts.
"Not at all . . ." Hermione trailed off, still in shock.
"Well, I'm capable of some things that you'd never expect me to be able to do, you know, being an elf and all. But the only reason I did that was because I lost all control, it still amazes me to this day that I didn't kill them. You see, Elven emotions run deeper than that of humans. So it takes a lot to truly evoke love or anger in an elf and for me to have been that angry and this deeply in love with him on top of it, my only natural reaction was to do what I did and I was so upset that I didn't even stop to think." Narwen explained.
"Didn't you get in trouble?" Hermione asked, her Head Girl instincts kicking in.
"Well, this all occurred the day before the end of the term, which meant everyone was leaving the next day. I don't know if you know this, but I was raised by Professor Dumbledore, and the teachers stay in the school for a few weeks after the students leave, so naturally, I always stayed with them. And, well, the only two ways and elf can die is to be slain in battle or to die of grief. So after everyone left, my anger was gone and I was distraught. My extra weeks at Hogwarts were spent in the infirmary, I almost died. I honestly don't know why I lived through it, I wasn't fighting, I wasn't clinging to life, I was waiting for death to take me. My life had no purpose without Oliver in it. But, all of the teachers kept a constant watch on me, giving me potions and casting spells to keep me alive. Then, one day I just . . . got up."
"Everyone was so happy I was alright they - er- kind of forgot that I should have been in trouble." Narwen told her.
"Oh my - I don't know what to say." Hermione said almost in a whisper.
"Then four years go by, and not a word from Oliver. The only reason I knew he was alive was his Quidditch career." she paused, "Now Im afraid that if I don't do something soon . . . . . well, I - I don't think I'll make it through this time. I already feel the pain starting. It starts mildly, like someone stabbing you in the heart and quickly fades, then it turns into waves of pain that can last for long periods of time. I can function and continue with my life during that, but then comes these seizure like waves where the pain will wrack my body, leaving me weak and unable to walk. Hermione, I don't want it to go that far again, it's horrible. I'm already feeling the stabs . . . I don't want to go through it again. I wasn't going to tell you everything, but I knew that if I didn't tell someone it was going to start again." she began to let tears roll down her face.
"Don't worry, you shouldn't be grieving. Oliver loves you, no matter what he did. And I don't think he was there on his own will, I think there's someone behind what happened, I'll find out the truth. And also I know that after what happened you want Oliver to prove that he really loves you, and I know he's trying, but he doesn't know how to prove what he feels for you." Hermione said, gently wiping the tears from her face and hugging her.
"Hermione what would I do without you?" Narwen laughed through fading tears as sorrow gave way to happiness.
"I don't know." Hermione grinned in return as she heard the first real laugh from Narwen ever since Oliver had come.
She felt a great weight being lifted off her friend's shoulders now that she had told her story. Hermione knew she'd be all right, she knew Narwen was finally healed. Hermione sighed as she released the elf maiden. She surveyed the her closely and she noticed the old mischievous gleam back in her eyes.
"I think I'll be going back to the Common Room now." Hermione said.
"All right I'll come with you. But, I'm just wondering, what did you want to talk to me about in the first place?" Narwen asked, her eyes shining with a rekindled light.
"Oh. Well. That. Ha. Funny you should ask . . ." Hermione started nervously.
It didn't take the elf longer than that to realize why Hermione was there.
"You little spy!! Wood sent you, didn't he!!" the older woman exclaimed, she wasn't mad, but Hermione knew Narwen to be her namesake. (A/N: Narwen means fire maiden in Elvish, meaning that she's quick tempered and well, fiery.)
Especially now that the old fire had returned to her spirit and Hermione had a feeling that the Narwen she once knew had returned, which meant that she would be better off if Narwen didn't catch her. She flung the door open and tore down the corridor to the main stairs.