Hermione and Legolas
A/N: Sorry for the long delay between chapters. I'll try and speed things up a little! Anyway, there's lots of Legolas in this chapter – to keep us all going!
Hermione was cold and beginning to wish she'd gone back to the castle to get some supplies before she set out for the forest. The night was bitter and foreboding and the forest could be a scary place at night. She had seen no sign of the elf, Legolas. Fearful of calling his name, in case she drew the attention of those filthy orcs once more, she had tried to track him, but saw no sign of anyone living hand-to-mouth within the dark trees.
"This is ridiculous!" she said to herself crossly. "Why you ever thought you could find him in all of this… And if you're caught here you'll be expelled – there's no excuse this time! I should go back to the school. Maybe I can talk to Hagrid tomorrow about that dwarf he met – maybe he'll know something."
Having decided to go home, Hermione turned around, but suddenly, she realised she had no idea where she was…
The track she had started on had disappeared and none of the surrounding trees looked the least bit familiar to her. With a sudden jolt of fear, Hermione took in her surroundings. The tall dark trees were so interwoven above her that she couldn't see the stars and the air seem to carry whispers and secrets she'd rather not know.
I don't like it here, she thought to herself. Steeling herself into some sort of action, she used the light of her wand to fight her way back in the direction she thought she'd come, hoping against hope she would come across the warm lights of the Hogwarts castle shining through the darkness.
-----------------------
Ron yawned loudly and stretched his arms out wide.
"What time is it?"
Harry stopped putting the chess pieces away and looked at his watch.
"About midnight – wow, we've been playing for hours."
"I still haven't done my transfiguration homework," Ron realised with a groan. "Can I copy yours?"
Harry threw his parchment across to Ron.
"I wonder where Hermione's got to? I didn't see her in the common room this evening. She can't still be at Hagrid's?"
Ron snorted. "She's probably still sulking somewhere. She'll come in a minute. She's been acting really weird lately."
Harry just nodded. "Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight," he said tiredly.
"Night, Harry," Ron called, reaching for his quill. He thought he'd finish his homework, then wait for Hermione. Then he'd have a chance to apologise.
----------------------
But Hermione was not anywhere near the castle, and she was feeling increasingly frightened. She had been wandering in circles for nearly an hour, but had found nothing that might lead her back to Hogwarts. Every time she thought she'd found a familiar path, it became a dead end. Hungry and exhausted, she flung herself down on a rock, dejected. Sniffing a little (because she was not going to cry – oh no!), she reached into a pocket of her school robes to try and find a packet of mints. As she looked down, her ears picked up a rustling noise and her head shot up sharply. Gripping her wand, she stood up slowly, looking all around her.
There it was again! She spun round in the direction of the sound and caught a glimpse of something white in the darkness. She rushed forward with her wand, pointing where the white patch had been.
"Stupefy!" she shouted, but as she did so a firm hand grasped her wrist and pushed her wand away. Too scared to scream, Hermione held her breath as she was turned around to face her silent attacker, then couldn't find it for a different reason as she saw who had taken hold of her.
"Do you always attack unicorns in the dark, Hermione Granger?" Legolas the elf spoke to her, a light of mirth in his eyes.
His grip on her arm had relaxed, but he had not let go, and Hermione was speechless.
"I… oh my," she breathed.
He guided her back to the rock she had been sat upon earlier, and passed her a small container of water he carried.
"What are you doing in the forest, Hermione, and under the fall of darkness?"
Hermione took a sip of the water and it seemed to revive her instantly, although for some reason, she couldn't stop blushing.
"I came looking for you," she explained. "I was worried about you."
The elf looked at her with his piecing blue eyes.
"Why should you be worried about me?" he wondered.
"Listen, Legolas, there's something…. Wait a minute," Hermione interrupted herself, "did you say unicorn just now?"
Legolas nodded and let out a low, melodic whistle. Instantly, a beautiful adult unicorn appeared from the darkness, her beautiful silver-white transparency taking Hermione's breath away once more.
"You were about to attack Gawen," Legolas smiled, who turned and spoke in a low elvish tongue to the beautiful creature.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!"
Gawen bent down her head to Hermione, as if in forgiveness.
"She will carry you," Legolas said, "it is not safe for us to speak here. We mustn't linger."
Obediently, Hermione carefully mounted the unicorn as Legolas set off at a run through the forest. They soon lost sight of him, but Garwen seemed to know where they were headed. After a few exhilarating minutes, she drew up at the bottom of a wide, tall tree. Legolas was waiting beside it.
"I must carry you – I'm afraid I have no rope."
Then, before Hermione had time to think, Legolas had lifted her easily over his shoulder and they were climbing the tree. The elf sprang from branch to branch with incredible ease – Hermione felt certain they must fall – but they arrived safely at a wide platform that had been built high up in the boughs of the tree.
"What is this place?" Hermione asked in wonderment, once Legolas put her lightly down on the flett.
"This is how elves live," Legolas said. "And we are safe here – orcs do not like trees."
Hermione took brief glance down over the edge of the platform, then rather wished she hadn't. It was a long way down.
"You have something you wish to tell me?" he asked.
"Yes… how did you know?" Hermione asked.
"It has been many weeks since we met, this forest is dangerous for you – and you came here looking for me," Legolas smiled.
"Yes I did," Hermione said, finding her tongue at last to tell the tale. "You see, I think someone else has been brought here from middle-earth…"
--------------------
"Ai! Gimli son of Gloin! How I wish to see him again!" Legolas cried out, at the end of Hermione's story. "It is many years since we were last together, in the grey havens."
"He's a friend of yours then?" Hermione asked curiously. "Not like the orcs?"
"No – Gimli has nothing of an orc. Indeed he would sever your hand from its arm were you to suggest such a thing! He is a dwarf – and the truest companion of all the ages! I should feel more than comforted to have a friend like Gimli by my side. Though to be true, I have found allies in the forest who would help me – the unicorns and the centaurs would be my friends; but they understand little of the riddle of my being here. And now the story is to have another twist! Oh, that Gandalf the White were here – some answers might then be had!"
"Who is Gandalf the White?" Hermione asked, liking the curious name.
"A very wise and powerful wizard," Legolas said gravely. "He was once a great guide to my friends and me. He would be sure to know what is afoot here."
"Dumbledore is the cleverest wizard that I know of," Hermione said thoughtfully. "He's our headmaster at Hogwarts. Maybe he could help us?"
Legolas turned to her.
"He is to be trusted?"
"Oh, absolutely!" Hermione said.
"Then mayhap you will speak with him, once you return."
"I tried to find my way back to the castle earlier, but I got lost. Do you know the way back?"
Legolas shook his head. "Not in this blackness. Evil breeds within this forest at night. Perhaps by light of day we should have more luck. Though to be sure, we have some distance to travel. I will accompany you tomorrow, I must speak with this Hagrid, and find news of my friend Gimli."
Hermione thought happily of appearing at the school accompanied by Legolas, and wondered vaguely if Ron would be around to see it. Involuntarily she shivered, as the night cold got through her thin robes.
Legolas glanced at her.
"My apologies, Hermione, I have been forgetting humans feel the cold more than we. It is some time since I have enjoyed the company of your people."
He undid his own cape, a thick grey affair, woven of some magical material that was both soft and warm. He wrapped it around Hermione's shoulders. She looked up at his handsome face wistfully.
"Don't elves feel the cold?" she whispered.
Legolas shook his delicate head. "No, but we feel what is worse. We hear the cries of the trees as the frost settles in, we hear the moan of the winter wind as it spreads its desolation. There is more to a winter breeze than its chill, Hermione Granger, something deeper."
Then he started to sing to her. A curious lament, for the loss of the sun and for the warmth of spring. Strangely, she felt as if she understood every word, even though Legolas sang in his own tongue. She fell asleep then, as she listened to his song, in the warmth of the elvish blanket that somehow seemed more comfortable even than her four-poster at Hogwarts. And as she slept, she dreamed…
--------------------
"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked at breakfast, as he and Harry took their places at the Gryffindor table.
Harry looked up and down the faces around them.
"Well she's not here – did you speak to her last night?"
"I didn't see her last night. I was doing my work till nearly two and she didn't come in," Ron said worriedly. "Are you sure she didn't come in while we were playing chess?"
Harry shrugged and called to Lavender, who was in Hermione's dormitory. "Lavender! Was Hermione still in bed when you came down to breakfast today?"
Lavender looked up from whispering with her friends to look enigmatically at Harry and Ron.
"No she wasn't – and she wasn't in it last night either. It hasn't been slept in."
Harry looked at Ron blankly.
"You don't think something's happened to her?"
"Maybe she fell asleep in the library," Ron suggested. "It wouldn't be the first time."
"We should go and look for her," Harry suggested. "Maybe she's not well."
"We've got Care of Magical Creatures in half an hour," Ron said checking his watch.
"That's enough time to check all the obvious places," Harry said, hurriedly drinking up his orange juice. "Come on."
----------------------------
The first thing Hermione saw as she awoke was Legolas, stood completely still and leaning into the forest, as if listening to it. He was turned away from her so she took the chance to look at him admiringly for a few minutes. He was really was the most amazing creature she had ever met and she couldn't quite believe everything that was happening. Eventually though, she stirred, and Legolas turned around straight away at the slight noise she made.
"We must leave immediately," he said.
"Oh, good morning," was all Hermione replied, trying not to sound bad tempered. She wasn't a morning person.
"I am sorry to rush you, but it is dangerous for us to travel through the forest – even during the day - and those inside it are beginning to stir. We must set off at once if we are to reach your school in safety."
Hermione started to pull herself together straight away, but she was very hungry and her stomach rumbled loudly.
"Sorry," she muttered, embarrassed. "I haven't eaten anything for ages."
"Here," Legolas handed her something small. It was some kind of bread or biscuit. "It's called Lembas."
Legolas lifted her once more and they climbed down the tree to the ground. Setting off on foot, they went together through the forest in search of Hogwarts.
To be continued… soon I hope! Please read/review