An Unexpected Happening: Chapter Three
Rein Elanor
Disclaimer: I am J.R.R. Tolkien; I have come back from the dead to write crappy fanfiction. I am George Lucas; I write excellent love scenes. I am J.K. Rowling; instead of spending time with my children and writing Book 7, I am writing about Snape and Hermione, a pairing I detest.
A/N: I love you guys for reading this.
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In preparation for sleeping and keeping watch for the night, Aragorn began building a fire. Snape watched the tall man scornfully, thinking about the uselessness of Muggles. He was prepared to watch Aragorn attempt to light the fire with those puny articles Muggles called "matches". He was not prepared for Gimli's sudden entrance into the equation. The dwarf stepped over to the little pile of wood Aragorn had collected and stacked, and with his back to Snape so he couldn't see what happened, lit the fire very quickly. Snape snorted and turned away. Muggles were still useless, but dwarves were a force to be reckoned with.
Elves on the other hand . . .Snape looked askance at the blond-haired and slender being. He looked like a prim and made-up Lucius Malfoy- or rather, what Lucius Malfoy wished he could look like. Legolas was striding up to Hermione. Snape could just catch their conversation, if he strained his ears.
"My lady," the elf was saying to Hermione, "May I offer you and your companion a coverlet? It will be cold tonight."
Hermione was blushing faintly, Snape noticed. "On, no, it's fine, thank you, er…sir," she said, clearly unsure of what to call Legolas. Snape's lip curled. She would feel the need to be overly deferent to a good-looking man.
"Please take my offer as genuine. Lord Aragorn, the dwarf and I have three blankets between us, and we would like you and your companion to be warm." Legolas actually had the audacity to reach out and tough Hermione's hand warmly.
Hermione turned even redder. "Er…thank you very much, but we couldn't possibly deprive you three. You've done so much to help us already. And Snape…well, I don't know if I'd call him a companion, but I don't think he'd take kindly to the idea." She smiled at him, and this time her smile was real and completely confidant. "I very much appreciate your offer, though. Thank you, sir."
Snape turned away in disgust at the open look on the girl's face. Had she no sense of danger? She was in a strange land, surrounded by strange people, and she went around smiling like that at strange elves? Snape had always known she was foolish, but here was conclusive proof.
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Obi-Wan and Padmé were getting along much better. Aragorn had offered Padmé a blanket, just as Legolas had offered one to Hermione, and she, too, had declined. The Jedi Master and the Senator had settled down close to the fire, and were talking in low voices.
"The problem the Hutts present isn't simply how to control or stop their chief or even a chief family," Padmé was saying. "The problem is keeping that sort of lawless behavior out of the worlds in the Republic."
"That seems like such a defensive approach to a problem that could be better solved with a more comprehensive solution." Obi-Wan said. "If one could change the rules of the game, make it unprofitable for the Hutts to operate with their crime networks, I think the "problem" would disappear."
Padmé shook her head. "There are a lot of problems with a solution like that. First, even if you make it unprofitable for the Hutts to go on with their smuggling and so on, another crime lord will step up to the task. It's a never-ending problem. Perhaps we should make it mutually beneficial, so that we can operate in peace, side by side."
Obi-Wan smiled. "Hmm. Cooperating with the Hutts. An interesting idea, I must say, Senator."
She smiled back at him and said, "Why not? If we can get along with the Gungans, we can get along with anybody, wouldn't you say?"
They laughed, and the conversation drifted to the exploits of the infamous Jar Jar Binks.
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Snape looked distastefully at Hermione as she sat by the fire. Her face was lit by a rosy glow, and it seemed that small lights were dancing in her hair. He saw her shiver and wrap her arms about herself. The chit would probably catch a terrible Muggle fever and die here in the wilderness. And he would be the one explaining to Albus. There was only one thing to do.
"Miss Granger," he said quietly. She looked up at him. It was quite dark now, and his face was in shadow.
"Sir?" she replied, a hint of cold steel in her voice. She wasn't feeling exactly chummy towards him at the moment.
Snape repressed a flinch at the tone of her voice. "You appear to be inadequately dressed," he said stiffly. "Please allow me to lend you my cloak."
She looked up at him again, surprise written all over her face. "Er…thanks, Professor," she finally managed to get out. He settled the cloak around her small frame, and made to walk away from the fire again.
Hermione, seeing that he intended to walk away, said quietly, "Professor Snape?"
He turned, and the firelight caught his face full on. All the angles in his face were standing out.
"Yes, Miss Granger?" His voice, which she had expected to be impatient, was softer than she had heard it in a long time.
Hermione patted the ground next o her. "Will you sit with me?"
Snape looked at her for a moment, his face impassive. Finally as Hermione's neck was starting to cramp up from craning up at him, he came and sat beside her. They sat in companionable silence, surprising both of them. They listened to a story Legolas the elf was telling, something about long ago and far away, it sounded like. The elf's voice had a lovely ring to it, like bells.
Hermione found her eyelids drooping and her head nodding as she listened to Legolas. Snape noticed it too.
'The chit will probably topple into the fire,' he thought snidely. He moved closer to her, and she put her head on his shoulder. Bushy hair tickled his nose, and he patted it down a bit. In spite of the hair, Severus was surprised at how right she felt at his side.
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Across the fire, Obi-Wan and Padmé were watching all this with knowing looks.
"Five credits says that they are lip-locked by tomorrow," Padmé said cheerfully to the Jedi.
Obi-Wan looked shocked. "My Lady, as a Jedi, I cannot place wagers! You know it is against the Code!"
Padmé rolled her eyes. "Like that's ever stopped you before."
"Fine," Obi-Wan retorted. "But I say ten credits, and it'll be day after tomorrow."
"Deal."
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"These offworlders seem awfully reluctant to actually form partnerships," Gimli noted to Aragorn. "When do you think they'll realize that they're suited to one another?"
Aragorn looked at the Dwarf. "I could not say, my friend. I know that the love between my betrothed and I was sealed and mutual in one moment." His grey eyes grew misty as he looked into the fire, seeing Arwen, no doubt.
Gimli ruined the moment by saying stoutly, "I wasn't sure whether my wife was a woman or not at first, because she was wearing full battle gear at the time."
Legolas laughed, and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Perhaps we can help our offworld friends to find happiness?" he said quietly, with a hint of something Aragorn couldn't identify in his voice.
"Ah! Be matchmakers, you mean!" Gimli cried. There was no doubt about his enthusiasm for the idea.
Aragorn looked thoughtful. "I'm not sure," he said. "Would it be right? Perhaps there are prohibitions on their matches that we are not aware of."
The dwarf was indignant. "Prohibitions? On a perfect match? Nonsense! When a female and a male are right for one another, it is our duty to help them realize it!"
Aragorn seemed unconvinced. "I am not sure it is our duty to meddle in their lives, my good friend Gimli."
Legolas smiled. "Do not attempt to hide your true wishes, Aragorn. It is two against one. And you want to do it as much as we do."
Aragorn grinned, for the first time since Moria. "What's the plan?"
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A/N: While I was typing this last bit, I had to wonder. Do you think that last bit was too stupid? Should I change it?
By the way, you guys have been truly fantastic. I've loved your responses. They have made me actually post, which is unusual for me. My other story hasn't been updated in far too long. Thank you so much for the feedback. I will endeavor to continue to please you.