Those Who Do Not Learn

Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. If I did, I would have a MUCH nicer car.

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"So?" Ireth studied Legolas' face.

"What… What happened to Mirkwood?"

She studied the floor. "It was destroyed."

"Men?"

"Yes, we had put so much energy into protecting the old cities and monuments. We had never thought they would enter the forests. But there were still spiders and orcs in Mirkwood so…"

"They cut it down." He took a seat beside her. "The ignorance of men."

"They even tried to mine Moria. Though that didn't last very long. They thought the place was haunted."

"It wasn't haunted. It was more than that. It was evil." An almost invisible shadow passed in his eyes remembering the cursed mines before he shook the feelings off.

"They had almost taken down Fangorn before we could stop them."

"What cities did you preserve?"

"Imladris, Lorien, Minas Tirith, The Havens." She listed.

"But you ignored your own home?" his voice had taken on no small amount of resentment.

"Well, you must forgive me, my lord, I was a bit preoccupied." Ireth's defenses automatically shot up at his accusations. Legolas had not been in Middle Earth in those days. He knew nothing of the task that had been placed in their hands. The task of safeguarding not only the ruling line but the great vestiges of their world had been monumental.

"You cared more for the fate of men than for your own people." He stood and began to pace the room. He tried to pass by the shock that his home had been destroyed. It was impossible, but yet. And Ireth allowed it to happen, he told himself.

"I was given a task. To watch over the race of men. To ensure that history did not repeat itself. I didn't ask for it." Ireth was long tired of his anger.

"You use your task as a convenient excuse." He spun and glared at her.

"You use it as a convenient vehicle for condemnation." Ireth rose and stood before him, her anger matching his. "If you cared so much for your home in Middle Earth then why didn't you stay?"

He stared at her a moment before turning and storming from the room.

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Come morning Elrohir tore through the halls searching for Ireth. He found her sitting in the library flipping through an old book.

"What did that pointy-eared little bastard say to you?" He fell into a seat beside her.

Ireth looked up at him then looked around at the elves at various tables and looking through the shelves. "Elrohir, you are going to have to be much, much more specific."

He grumbled and lowered his head a moment. "You know who I'm talking about Ireth."

"Legolas?"

"Yes, his royal highness. What happened last night?"

She was silent a moment. "He wanted to know what happened to Mirkwood. I told him. He got pissed and said I cared more to protect the men than my homeland and I was even more of a disgrace to my people than he had thought."

"What did you say?" he leaned toward her.

"I told him if he cared so much he should have stayed as well."

"What did he do?"

"You know, you remind me a gossipy old woman." She looked back to her book.

"Ireth," he whined.

"He stomped off. Probably went to play with his dwarf."

"I was worried."

"You shouldn't worry. I can take care of myself, Ro."

"Oh, I wasn't worried about you. I was worried about him." He leaned back as she swatted at him laughing.

"Don't you have anything better to do with your time than bother me?"

"Not really." He opened a book lying on the table and flipped through.

"Where is your brother?" she asked not looking up.

Elrohir grumbled. "It seems he has a female."

She laughed regarding the elf beside her. "You're angry because in the millennia we were gone your brother got a girlfriend?"

"No, Ireth, I am not angry that he has one. I am angry he did not secure one for me as well."

She blinked once. "Elrohir, I'm going to assume you don't know what you just said and ignore you for awhile."

He shrugged and settled into his seat beside her.

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Harry sat at the table in their room. The small tree was before him. He had pulled every book he could find about the enchanted tree from his bookshelf and poured aver them. He hoped to find some way to make it finally begin to grow again.

Hermione watched him from the window seat. Her book lay open on her legs but she had not turned a page in hours. All she could do was watch him. It was the stillest she had seen Harry in years. He was so intent on the sapling. He suddenly rested his head on his arms on the table.

"Harry?" she called.

He took a deep breath. "I don't know what to do, 'Mione. I… I just don't."

"Maybe you don't need answers in books, Harry."

He lifted his head and looked at her. "But someone must have written down what to do. Someone must have written down how to make it grow. I can't screw this up. I need to do this right." He pushed a stack of books onto the floor. "And these are all useless."

She stood and crossed the floor to stand beside him. Without speaking Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her side. Her hands came up and gently combed through his hair. "I wish I could tell you what to do but I can't." she whispered. "I don't think this is something you can find in books. I think this is one of those things you need to look inside yourself and follow your instincts on."

He snorted a laugh. "When did you get smarter than me 'Mione?"

"I've always been smarter, Harry." She sighed. "People just thought you were smart because I did your homework."

"Oh, yeah." He pulled away and leaned back. "Sometimes I forget how long we've been here."

"I know. It doesn't feel like 400 years."

"No. I miss it. Home, I mean."

"Me too."

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