"Are you certain you have everything?" Bilbo asks, wringing his hands nervously while Rose finishes packing some more non-perishables into her satchel to rest among her extra clothes, books, and supplies.
She'd finally gotten enough courage to send Lord Elrond a letter- Munin made an excellent messenger raven and had returned only two weeks after she'd sent him off the first time, which honestly isn't terrible for a first time messenger- and she'd gotten a reply asking for her to come to Rivendell so that she and Lord Elrond could discuss her appearance personally.
Flying, Rose had decided after reading the elven Lord's letter, is the quickest and safest way for her to reach Rivendell.
"I've got everything and if all else fails I can always stop in Bree to get anything I've forgotten." Rose assures before turning and smiling at her friend. "Are you sure you don't want to come? There's more then enough room on my broom for two."
Bilbo shakes his head, stuttering out a quick, "I'm quite alright... If you want someone to go on an adventure with, I'd suggest taking a Took. They're not like most respectable hobbits, they enjoy adventure and mischief. We Bagginses enjoy a simpler lifestyle."
Liar, Rose thinks even though she doesn't call him on it.
"Have you ever gone on an adventure, Bilbo?" She asks instead.
Her friend blushes, a bright spread of blood across his cheeks and down beneath the collar of his shirt. Bilbo spits out an answer; something about going into the woods as a child and pretending he was one of the Maiar until he grew older and understood that he had an example to set. It had saddened his mother, he'd admitted, to see her son acclimate to the hobbit lifestyle so easily but as she'd done something similar when she married Bilbo's father there hadn't been much she could say about it.
Rose thinks that there are a lot of ridiculous cultural standards but decides it's not her place to say as she'd grown up in a civilization with similar standards and expectations. As the child of Hermiong Granger and Ronald Weasley, the eldest too, Rose had learned early that she needed to act a certain way. Nothing that would hurt her or make her miserable but... There were silent expectations and molds that Rose found herself fitting into in her formative years and throughout her schooling. So can she really say anything to Bilbo about breaking stereotypes? About not letting what others want or expect influence the way he lives his life?
Food for thought she supposes.
Sighing, Rose reaches above her head and stretches until she hears something in her back pop, pop, pops.
"If you're certain." She finally says, slinging her pack over her head so that the strap rests across her body.
"I'm certain."
"I'll be back in a couple of weeks, maybe a little later, I'll try not to be gone too long." Rose promises.
Bilbo waves her off.
"This is important to you," he says, "take as much time as you need."
Smiling, Rose moves to press a chaste kiss to Bilbo's forehead. He's such a sweet soul, gentle and loving in a way that reminds her of her Aunt Luna. While the older witch hadn't been related by blood or marriage she always came for holidays and birthdays and everyone always insisted that the children call the pretty blonde with the big eyes 'aunt' as opposed to anything else.
Rose moves to grab her broom.
"Still, I'll try to be quick."
All this trip is meant to do is tell Rose how she ended up on Bilbo's doorstep, how her presence is affecting the balance of the world, and how she can get home- if she even can. Honestly, getting home doesn't seem like an option. She's never heard of something like this happening before, nor has she ever heard of someone coming back if it has. She's had to come to terms with that unfortunate fact but that doesn't mean Rose isn't hoping for a way home.
Adjusting her grip on her broom Rose makes for the front yard with Bilbo.
Munin is waiting on the fence when they exit the house. The raven garbles at them when he sees Rose, hopping from fence post to fence post until he's at the gate, preening even as Rose offers her arm to let him perch near her wrist- he ends up hopping up her arm until he comes to rest on her shoulder. In the weeks since Rose healed him- nearly a full two months- Munin has become something of a good companion to Rose. He can be a bit of an ass sometimes but she loves him all the same.
Bilbo opens the front gate for her and Rose waits in the road until he's latched the gate once more before turning and making down the lane toward the forest where she and Bilbo decided would be the best place for Rose to take off. Rose thinks some of it's because Bilbo wants to keep her around a little while longer, which Rose is totally fine with if she's being honest.
They talk about silly things on the way there; Bilbo says he'll have a special treat waiting for her when she gets back from Rivendell and Rose promises to bring him back something as well. She doubts the elves understand what tourism is so there aren't likely to be any gift shops but she's still going to get her housemate something nice if she can. If all else fails she'll just duplicate a book from the library.
Is it stealing if she never actually takes the original copy?
Rose chortles to herself as she comes to a stop just beyond the treeline. Munin makes a few raspy caws before taking off into the sky, circling above their heads as if in wait before eventually going to rest in one of the trees. Rose shakes her head as she turns to Bilbo.
"And you're absolutely certain you don't want to come?" Rose demands as she adjusts the strap of her bag.
Bilbo nods slowly and says, "I'm sure."
"When I get back I'm taking you flying."
Because she would never, ever force Bilbo to do something he doesn't want to do but she'll be damned if he lives his life anymore sheltered than it already is. If he doesn't want to go to Rivendell that's fine. Rose doesn't have the constitution to kidnap him and force him into uncomfortable situations but she does have a rather large and overzealous family, so she knows how to get people to step out of their comfort zones a little bit.
"I-I don't know about that."
"You'll enjoy it, Bilbo." Rose tosses her leg over her broom and kicks off the ground to hover in the air with her feet only just brushing against the grass as she says, "I promise."
And then she's gone, shooting up into the air so fast that Munin squawks angrily at her when she flies past the tree he's perched in. While Rose does make sure to slow down enough to allow the bird to catch up, the young witch doesn't spare much thought to the bird. They always having a way of finding their people, familiars, and Rose knows that even if they do end up separated Munin will find a way back to her. If nothing else he would always just return to Bilbo's and wait for her to return there.
Munin does catch up though, flying at Rose's right with an ease that suggests he's been doing it his entire life. Rose attribute's it to the magic she'd poured into his body. Something must have stuck, must have rooted itself in between the bird's fragile, hollow bones so deeply that not even Merlin himself would be able to undo the magic done. Well, ok, maybe that's a lie. Merlin was pretty badass so he really wouldn't have any trouble reversing Rose's magic on the bird... But still. Magic.
Ahead of them is a world full of pale blues and rich greens, the line where the sky and land meet a hazy line in the distance. Rose wonders how long it will take to reach Rivendell. Lord Elrond if expecting her but would he be put out if she arrived well before he expected her too? Her Thunderbolt is a good broom- a gift from her Aunt Ginny when she made Seeker for the Gryffindor team- and even with breaks it's likely she'll end up at the gates of Rivendell within a week, if not the next few days. Of course, she'll be taking some time to explore while she's on her way to Lord Elrond's home. She's never seen Bree or gone father then a few miles out of Hobbiton, the idea of being able to go camping in the unexplored parts of this new world and see what it has to offer helps sooth that aching thing in Rose's chest a bit.
Traveling had been one of the reasons she became a curse-breaker and while Hobbiton has been nothing if not welcoming, Bilbo especially, being able to travel again is something Rose finds great pleasure in. Hobbiton is a lovely place but what of everywhere else? Bree and Rivendell? The Mountains? Forests? What kind of people inhabit this strange new land? Rose swallows hard as she adjusts her grip on her broom, curling her fingers around the textured wood carefully so as not to apply too much pressure and send her broom into a quicker pace. As a Seeker Rose has flown much faster than most would consider safe; she's often time too reckless for her own good and stubborn enough not to listen when people tell her not to do something... but for the purpose of allowing Munin to keep up with her, Rose flies slow and steady.
High in the air the ground below looks like a patchwork quilt; pastures, trees, fields, little villages separated by roads and streams. It's so different from what she's seen of other places. While she'd been free to fly in magical communities or hidden under spells there's just something different about the scenery of Middle Earth when compared to her own world. It's wilder here, the further Rose flies the less towns there are and the roads become footpaths that turn into roads again the closer she gets to a village. Rose knows that once she flies over Bree there will be fewer and fewer villages until there's nothing but untamed land.
She doesn't know if the shiver that races down her spine is excitement of fear.
A quick calculation informs Rose that she'll reach Bree in about three or so hours depending on how fast she flies. Stopping a mile or so outside of Bree would probably be best to land outside the town and walk in. A lone woman traveling on foot by her lonesome is probably less conspicuous than a woman flying into an unfamiliar city on broom. The hobbits had been kind to her, less troubled by her magic as she'd entertained children and helped repair damaged things, but Hobbits are also not fully grown human men. There's a reason the Statue of Secrecy was made and while Rose is free to do as she pleases in this world she's not stupid enough to assume that's a great idea.
Burning alive isn't something she wants to tick off on her 'Have Done' list, thank you very much.
So she flies until the smudge of darkness in the stance begins to actually take form then she guides her broom very carefully into a wooded area, dismounts, and eases her Thunderbolt into her satchel before beginning the walk to Bree while Munin settles on her shoulder. Rose makes sure her wand is tucked into the sleeve of her sleeve so that if anything does happen she can get to it easily. Hopefully it won't come to that but Rose isn't going to fool herself into thinking that she's one hundred percent safe in Bree. Pulling her hood up over her head Rose steps out of the trees and onto the road that leads into the town.
It's a peaceful trip into Bree and Rose soon finds herself surrounded by people and buildings that are actually her size. It'll be nice to be able to go into a shop without having to worry about whether or not she's going to end up bashing her head into the ceiling.
The Prancing Pony ends up being the establishment Rose graces with her presence; she enters the pub with a small grin, makes her way over to the bar, orders herself a pint and a meal- because it's lunch and she can- then pays with the coin she'd brought before turning to people watch.
"You from around these parts?" The man behind the bar asks as he places Rose's pint in front of her.
He's got a roundness to him and a ruddy face that his eyes shine in. There's a certain look in his face that tells Rose he genuinely enjoys his job and takes an interest in the people that visit the Prancing Pony. Rose wonders if he owns the place.
"Very." Rose smiles. "Rose Weasley."
"Stanwick Butterbur. Where are you heading?"
"East, to visit a friend."
Stanwick seems a kindly fellow but Rose doesn't trust strangers.
"Ah. Well, I'd be careful if I was you... Orcs like to roam in the wild places between here and there, best not to get mixed with that lot." Stanwick says.
"I've never met an orc before." Rose intones before takes a sip of her beer.
It's good, nothing like the wheat beer Rose prefers but good none-the-less. She takes another sip as Stanwick shakes his head.
"You're alive so I'd reckon not. Nasty creatures, orcs, more likely to rip your head off and eat your innards than point you in the right direction." Stanwick spits on the floor after he says that.
"They sound lovely." Sarcasm is, after all, one of Rose's best languages.
For a long moment Stanwick is silent, then he bursts into laughter. Rose drinks as she watches him chortle to himself.
"You be careful out there, girl, pretty thing like you wouldn't last two seconds with an orc." Stanwick offers her a sad sort of smile before disappearing to tend to another patron.
Rose frowns but says nothing in favor of eating her lunch.
Getting to Rivendell as soon as possible would probably be best considering what Stanwick said. Bilbo had of course warned her to be careful on the road but he'd glossed over anything about Orcs- probably because he had forgotten that Rose wouldn't know about them- and if they're as bad as Stanwick made them out to be Rose doesn't want to run into them. She could, of course, handle any altercation she might have with an orc but there's only so far her magic will take her if there's more than two or three. Self defense classes aren't the same as combat training and Rose doesn't want to get herself into a situation she can't get out of.
The moment she finishes her meal Rose says goodbye to Stanwick and leaves the Prancing Pony the way she came. Once she's out of direct eyesight Rose lifts her arm for Munin to perch on and smiles as she digs into her satchel for her broom, a pair of transfigured goggles she'd made before leaving the Shire, and a scarf.
"Do you know where Rivendell is?" Rose asks as she begins spelling her hair into braids, once they're in she slips the strap of her goggles over her head and fixes the rest where it needs to be on her face. It's a trick getting it on with one hand but she manages it, just, after a few moments of trying.
Munin caws once, hops up and down her arm, then flies off his perch to hover around her head. She takes that as a yes.
"Meet me there then. I'll be traveling faster from this point on and I don't want you to get lost when we end up separating." Rose explains, fingers nimbly weaving her scarf around her head so that it covers her head.
With her hair being as wild as it is flying has always been a challenge. Wind knots are hard enough to get out of her hair on a good day but they're nearly impossible after a day of hard flying, so she's gotten into the habit of braiding her hair out her face and then wrapping everything in a scarf that she charms into place so that it doesn't go flying off her head. It makes everything easier at the end of the day.
After checking her scarf to make sure it's secured around her head Rose waves Munin off, grabs her broom off the ground, and mounts. She rolls her neck until it cracks and then she takes off with a burst of speed that makes dust from the road rise up in her wake.
~X~
Flying, Rose decides as Rivendell begins to rise on the horizon, is honestly the best way to travel. It's only been just over three hours after leaving Bree and she's already reached the border of Lord Elrond's elven city. The letter in her inner jacket pocket practically burns as Rose pulls back to a slower pace and maneuvers her broom closer to the ground. She'd been told to give the guards at the gate her letter but she's forced to wonder how likely they'll be to take her to Lord Elrond when she comes flying up to them.
Sighing, Rose slows to a stop and stiffly dismounts.
It's been a while since she's flown that long and it's a trip that hasn't been good to her body; thighs ache, back stiff, hands sore. Hopefully Elrond will be able to give her something for her aching muscles, but even if he doesn't Rose is never leaving Bilbo's house without something. Because, honestly, not bringing some sort of ointment along had been a bad move on Rose's part.
She's muttering about stiff muscles, being spoiled by magical medicine, and stuffing her broom into her satchel when something cold and sharp presses gently against the middle of her neck.
Now, Rose has never been good about keeping her mouth shut in testy situations. More than one of the detentions she got while attending Hogwarts was for popping off at a teacher during class or at another student in the corridors where she was overheard by an authority figure. After so many less than pleasurable outcomes one would think Rose would learn not to run her mouth during certain situations. Spoiler alert; she hasn't.
Without much thought Rose pulls her wand out of her sleeve, twists away and under the blade which slowly morphs into an umbrella, and turns to face her attacker to whom she smiles and says, "I must say, I've always liked it a bit rough but I'm not all that into knife play. However, I could always use a spanking... If you're up for it." then she winks.
Her attacker is gorgeous; all blonde hair and blue eyes and broad shoulders emphasized by the armor he's wearing. Rose thinks he must be an elf seeing as he's guarding Rivendell but she's not just going to assume. The maybe-elf-man frowns before he catches on to what he says and blushes a brilliant shade of red. It's enough to make Rose snort as she drops her wand arm and reaches into her jacket for Elrond's letter.
"Relax," She says, "I'm here for official business with Lord Elrond believe it or not." She holds out the letter and waits until the guard has gotten his wits about him enough to take it before dropping her arm.
While he skims through the letter Rose tries to rub some of the tension out of the palms of her hands.
"You've arrived earlier than Lord Elrond suspected." The maybe-elf-man says.
"I stopped in Bree and had a lovely conversation with a man regarding Orcs," Rose grimaces, "and I thought it would be better for my personal safety to get here as quickly as possible."
"I will take you to Lord Elrond." She's told.
"Wonderful! Thank you...?"
"Glorfindel."
"Rose Weasley." She offers her hand tentatively and when he takes it with equal tentativeness Rose smiles. "Uh, sorry about earlier mate, I can fix your sword if you want."
Because clearly he'll want her to fix it but she's not just going to spring another show of magic on him when he already looks like he wants to toss her into the river behind them and take off running.
"That would be," a pause, "greatly appreciated."
Rose nods, smiles, and turns to the bright pink umbrella clutched uncertainly in the man's hand. She points her wand at the transfigured object and carefully reverts it back to its previous form. Once the sword is again a sword and not a bright pink monstrosity the man, Glorfindel, sheaths his blade and looks at Rose.
"We're not far from the gates but it will still be a bit of a walk, are you well enough?"
He probably saw her hobble off her broom.
"Of course!"
No, she honestly wants to lay down on the grass and let her body work itself out. But laying around and wallowing in her pain isn't going to get her what she needs so Rose bucks up, smiles at Glorfindel, and begins following him away from the river and to the great elven city she's heard so much about. The nearer they get the more Rose can see and it's absolutely stunning in terms of architectural design and such, almost like something out of a dream. Even the people are beautiful! It's almost like walking into a Veela community. Rose snorts quietly to herself at the image of her Aunt Fleur's face if she ever found out Rose made that comparison.
Surprisingly there aren't that many kids running around... There aren't any, actually. None that Rose can see anyway. She wonders if they're all in Little Elf School or if there's just a different mentality on having kids... Considering elves as ageless the need for offspring isn't really, well, dire. Rose presses her lips together in order to keep herself from asking Glorfindel if there are any couples with kids at Rivendell as she doubts he would take too kindly to her questions where their relationship is so tentative. He will be her friend though. Rose made that decision three minutes ago and doesn't have any intention of changing her mind in the near future.
Glorfindel leads her through Rivendell's intricate network of paths and buildings, guides her into a larger structure in the center of the city, and then directs her though the winding, open corridors before stopping her in front of a pair of double doors. Rose watches as her blond friend knocks on the door, he must hear something she doesn't because a few seconds later he's pulling the door open and he steps in to hover in the doorway.
"My Lord, Rose Weasley has arrived." He says to who Rose assumes is Lord Elrond.
"Thank you, my friend." another man says, "You may go."
Rose watches as Glorfindel bows his head, steps away from the door, and allows Rose to take his place before pushing the door shut and leaving her to her fate. Though, Lord Elrond seems much more hospital than Rose originally thought he would. There's an agelessness about him, a lack of age defining wrinkles but not exactly youthful either, and in a way it puts her at ease. If he'd been too young or too old Rose might have been intimidated by him, but with his soft eyes and open expression Rose finds that there's really nothing to feel intimidated by.
"Sorry," Rose begins in a rush after realizing she's been staring, "I was just expecting... Older? I guess... Bilbo said you'd been alive for some time and where I'm from our elders aren't typically youthful... Nicholas Flamel lived to be six hundred ninety-six but even with the Philosopher's Stone he was, erm, not aging very well."
Oh Merlin, stop now, she thinks, before he thinks you're an idiot and sends you on your way.
The elf across from her smirks and asks, "Do your people typically live to be so old?"
"Not usually, no, we're long lived but Flamel and his wife were an exceptional case." Rose offers a tentative smile. "I'm not entirely sure how this is supposed to work? Um, I know we spoke before but it's a little different in person I suspect."
She is seriously going to beat her face against a wall. It's like word vomit, she just can't seem to stop. Thankfully her host cuts off any more awkward rambling by motioning toward the elegantly crafted chair stationed across from the desk. Rose takes it quickly and sucks in a deep breath as she gets settled, watching Lord Elrond as he sets aside the parchments he'd been looking at before Glorfindel knocked, once they're put away properly he turns his attention back to her and offers a kind upturn of the mouth that might be a smile.
"I daresay it may be, before we discuss anything further I ask that you provide some truth to your claims. While I doubt you've lied to me, as I think the earnestness of your letters would be hard to fake, the imagination of humans is not limited." Lord Elrond says kindly.
"Oh! Of course, yeah!" She pulls her satchel into her lap, opens it up, and plunges her arms into the depths of it in search of anything that could help cement her claims.
Eventually her fingers brush against the spine of a book and Rose quickly pulls it out so that she can put it on the desk before Lord Elrond. Ironically enough, the book is Hogwarts: a History, the gold leaf lettering gleams up at them from the cover of the book while the bright red leather of the binding seems too vibrant against the oak of the desk. Rose meets silver eyes briefly before she begins flipping the book pages open so that Lord Elrond can see the pictures and the writing within.
"I could also turn your test into a warbrobe," Rose offers, only have joking, "if you want."
It earns her an actual smile despite the fact that Elrond's focus is on the book and the picture's there in. They remain in comfortably silence as the dark haired elf flips through her book, not being able to read any of the pages but certainly taking in the moving illustrations and such. Rose tries not to bounce her knee as she waits for him to finish because she doesn't want to seem rude but, come on, she kind of wants him to hurry up and realize she's not lying so that he can help her.
Rose almost jumps out of her skin when the book brushes her fingers on the desk.
"I've not contacted the Lady Galadriel or the Wizard Saruman as I wished to see that your claims were those of truth." Lord Elrond explains as he leans back to rest against his chair. "I will contact them post haste and ask for their insight into this matter."
Something like unease makes the hair on the back of Rose's neck stand on end. Whatever it is that Lord Elrond's said to make her feel this way isn't pushed aside and ignored, Rose has been in too many life-or-death situations to ignore the primitive survival instincts that have managed to cling to the foundation of her being despite years of evolution.
"Would it be alright if we just kept this between us? I don't know much about this world but I know better than to trust everyone blindly." Rose picks absently at the skin around her thumb, a habit she picked up years ago from her dad that drove her mum bonkers.
Lord Elrond stares at her for a long moment and then, "I regret to tell you that I am not all knowing. Without the insight of those more knowledgeable than myself it's possible I won't be able to help you," he must see something in her face before he softens. "The Lady Galdriel is knowledgeable and I would trust her with the lives of my children."
Rose remembers how careful her mum and dad had been around strangers when she was a kid, when she was too little to understand how to distinguish between good people and bad. It's something just as primitive as the survival instincts Rose trusts so blindly. Protecting one's children is engraved into most parents in ways their children will never understand until they've kids of their own. Rose thinks that if this man, who is old and knowledgeable and skilled, would trust his kids' safety with this Lady Galadriel then maybe Rose can too.
"If you think she would be able to help I'm willing to discuss my... problem with Lady Galadriel, but until we know if there's any way back I don't know how comfortable I am telling others."
Lord Elrond nods slowly, silver eyes warm. "Of course, until everything is settles none of us shall speak a word of your predicament to anyone."
"Thank you, I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing for me."
Across from her Lord Elrond smiles, bows his head, and rises.
"Come, I'll have Lindir show your to your chambers." Lord Elrond commands as he rises from his chair, Rose has to scramble to get her book into her satchel and herself out of her chair but by the time she's done so another elf has entered the room and Rose finds herself being stared at by both men.
Ears growing predictably hot, Rose offers a grin and a small wave to the new elf standing next to Lord Elrond. He offers her a polite bow of the head before turning to Lord Elrond.
"Show Lady Rose to her chambers and send for Caladwen to see that she is settled." Lord Elrond says to the other man and Rose has a feeling she's not supposed to be overhearing their conversation.
Oops.
"Yes, Lord Elrond, right away." The other one, Lindir, says before turning to Rose.
She thanks Elrond one last time before slipping out of the room to fallow Lindir down the corridor. Neither of them say much to the other but Rose likes her companion well enough, he seems the quiet type and while Rose isn't she tends to be good friends with those who can balance out her bullheaded recklessness. Maybe he can join the friendship group, make her and Glorfindel's duo into a trio. She'll have to teach them references from the Three Musketeers but they can work up to that. Rose probably won't be going anywhere for a while so that gives her plenty of time.
When Lindir drops Rose off at the room she'll be staying in she thanks him and smiles kindly, to which he smiles brightly in return, before slipping into the solitude of her new bedroom. It's nice and similar in style to the rest of Rivendell; open and airy. Rose tosses her satchel on the bed, pulls her wand out of the pocket she'd slipped it into earlier, and thinks up her happiest memory to summon her patronus.
When the Irish wolfhound is sitting proudly in front of her Rose kneels down and says, "I've made it to Rivendell. I'll contact you the moment I know anything." and after a pause, "Find Bilbo Baggins."
The patronus rises up, bounds for the window, and disappears in a haze of silver and blue mist that quickly blends into the color of the cloudless sky above Rivendell. Rose shoves her wand back into her pocket and hopes she finds out something soon.
