Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own the wonderful world of Harry Potter or LOTR.

A/N: Sorry for the extremely late update. Had a lot on my plate these past few weeks. But it looks like I should be able to return to my weekly update! So fret no more! lol


-Chapter 9-

As they travelled, Hermione cast aside her slowly forming dislike of Thror in order to get to know the other dwarves in the company. There is no point in travelling with a group that she cannot get along with. And she was right in doing so because she found joy in talking with the other dwarves. They were a strong people who only missed their home, something she can relate to deeply.

Fili and Kili reminded her of Elrohir and Elladan back in Imladris. Oh how she missed those troublemakers dearly. And so she found comfort in the two dwarves' pranks on their journey. Sometimes, she even joined in with the two brothers. It made the homesickness more bearable as she found newfound friends in this company. Especially with young master Bilbo.

He was very similar to her situation when she first came to this world. Alone and inexperienced. Ignorant of the outside world beyond her comfort. She felt a need to protect him grow even more at this thought and kept an extra eye out for him. Especially since he had no experience in fights.

After days of travel, they finally stopped and made camp. They decided to sleep in shifts with Kili, Fili, Dwalin, Oin, Bilbo, and Hermione taking the first watch. The rest went to sleep after dinner. Hermione, being an elf with superior sight and hearing, sat at the edge of their camp looking into the distance. She felt a sense of comfort hearing the company's soft breathing and their slow heartbeat as half the group slept.

"Hermione?"

She turned her head towards the fire, where Kili had called out to her and raised a questioning brow.

"Will you tell us a story of your world?"

Hermione smiled. He definitely reminded her of Elrohir. Always curious to learn.

"Let me tell you the story The Warlock's Hairy Heart. There was once a handsome, skilled, and rich young warlock who saw emotions as a weakness. He therefore went to take measures to prevent himself from ever falling in love." Hermione started.

"How did he do that?" Kili asked.

"Using the Dark Arts. Dark magic. Such magic always comes with a price. He took out his heart and placed it in a crystal casket." Hermione frowned, thinking of the horcruxes Voldemort had made in her world.

"What was his price then?" Fili asked.

"The warlock became deluded. He thought that everyone envied his solitude. But one night, he overheard two servants talking about him. One showed pity while the other ridiculed him for not having found a wife." Hermione continued, "With his pride hurt, he decides to find a beautiful, magically talented and wealthy woman."

"Then wouldn't that go against what he wanted to begin with?" Bilbo asked.

"Well, the next day, he met such a woman and invites her and her family to dine with him at his castle. He spends the night trying to woo her, but such charms fell on a cold shoulder. The woman said she would not fall for such flattery for she had heard tales that he had no heart." Hermione said.

"Did he kill her?" Dwalin asked.

"No. He took her to show that the rumors were false. But because his heart had been away from his body for so long, it had become shriveled and covered in black hair. She told the warlock to put the heart back in his chest to prove his love for her and he complied." Hermione replied.

"And what then? Did they live happily ever after?" Oin snorted.

"Alas, his heart had been so consumed by the dark magic he used that the minute his heart returned to his chest, he degenerated into a savage, bestial state, driving the warlock to take by force a truly human heart. He tore out the maiden's heart to replace his own. But his dark heart was too strong and did not allow him to use magic to replace his heart. Fearing his own heart, he cut it out yet again. And before he could replace his own heart with the maiden's heart, he died across the maiden's dead body with one heart in each hand." Hermione finished the tale.

There was silence around the campfire before Fili opened his mouth, "Well he was stupid."

Hermione burst out laughing. "Yes, he was quite."

"If he hadn't let his pride get in the way he wouldn't have died." Kili snorted.

"Ah, but that is the moral of the story. Pride is easy to build up, but hard to swallow down. This is a tale that taught the dangers of tampering with dark magic to young witches and wizards. That there always a price when it comes to the dark." Hermione said.

SKREEEE!

Everyone around the campfire froze.

"What was that…?" Bilbo whispered.

"Orcs. Nasty things that hunt in the night." Hermione said as she got up and walked to the edge of their camp, her eyes and ears on high alert.

"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili said.

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood." Kili said in a low voice.

Bilbo turned slightly pale at the thought of being killed in his sleep. Kili and Fili laughed at his frightened expression.

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

Everyone turned to find Thorin sitting up in his sleeping spot. Fili and Kili immediately quieted at their uncle's harsh stare.

"We didn't mean anything by it…" Kili said softly.

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world…" Thorin walked off to the edge of the cliff.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "They were only trying to lighten the mood. Though dark in humor, their intentions were only in fun and lightness. Do not be so harsh on them. They are yet young and have much to learn."

Thorin only snorted.

"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the fall of the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first." Balin said as he got up from his matt. "You should get some rest, Hermione my dear. I shall take the next watch."

"It is quite all right. I am yet tired. You may need my ears and eyes this night with orcs shouting in the distance…" Hermione smiled.

"Very well, if you insist." Balin smiled as he sat near her in front of the fire.

"What had happened in Moria?" Fili asked.

"Thrain had gone missing and we were leaderless in the fight to take back Moria. Thorin had taken up his father's mantle and faced the Pale Orc, Azog, the Defiler. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived…" Balin said sadly.

Hermione's heart reached out to Balin. She understood the pain of loss. Of being a survivor.

"What happened to the pale orc?" Kili asked.

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin said.

Hermione had that same strange feeling in her gut. Like this wasn't over. It was a feeling she was very familiar with.

The next day, the company packed and started their trek at first light. They travelled nonstop and ended up at an old, abandoned farmhouse in ruins. They decided to make camp here and Hermione walked off on her own.

"Where is Hermione going?" Bilbo asked Gandalf.

"To check the perimeters!" Hermione shouted back as she disappeared into the surrounding forest.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the she-elf leaves us for dead…" Thorin muttered.

Hermione heard his muttering as she walked away and she only shook her head. The prejudice in this world was just as bad as in the Wizarding world. She was starting to regret ever agreeing to helping Gandalf on this quest. As she walked around she played with a small fireball in her hand. It has become second-nature to her now, her control over fire.

Then she smelled it. It was foul, like manure of the worst kind. Hermione's nose wrinkled and she slowed her walk. She followed the smell to the strongest area and saw a light up ahead. Snuffing her own fire, she crouched low and proceeded forward. It was an empty clearing with what looked like a giant pot over a roaring fire. Then, she heard large thumping before what looked like giant creatures came thundering into the clearing. They were holding horses and was that…

"Myrtle…?" Hermione whispered, recognizing Bilbo's pony. "Oh, great…Trolls."


A/N: Please review!

~lalune30